TechLinked Podcast Summary
Episode: Google admits web "decline", Anthropic $1.5B settlement, Undersea cable chaos + more!
Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Linus Media Group (A & B)
Theme: The episode covers major tech stories from Google’s comments on the "decline" of the web, Anthropic’s massive settlement over AI copyright, undersea cable disruptions, and several fascinating quick hits from the tech and gaming world.
Main Theme Overview
This episode explores significant developments in technology and gaming culture, with a candid discussion of Google’s surprising admission about the state of the web, the legal precedent set by Anthropic’s copyright settlement, real-world internet disruptions due to undersea cable damage, and a rapid-fire segment featuring news on Neuralink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, historic Microsoft code, and a video game translation controversy.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Google Admits the Web is in “Decline”
[00:28]
- Google, in a recent court filing, acknowledged that the “open web is already in rapid decline.”
- The host points out the irony, referencing Google’s prior attempts to downplay AI’s effect on web traffic, “Google’s statement here reeks of just trying to get an even weaker punishment in its antitrust case.”
- Contradictory public speaking from Google execs is highlighted, specifically Nick Fox, SVP of Knowledge and Information, who claims “the web is thriving.”
- Host skepticism: "So it's jarring to hear Google say something that seems to agree with recent research saying that AI tools are negatively affecting traffic to publisher sites."
- Google attempted to clarify via VP of Global Ads, Dan Taylor, stating they meant “open web display advertising is in decline, not the open web as a whole.”
- Host’s tongue-in-cheek summary: "The open web isn't going anywhere. It's just that the only people who will make any money on it is Google."
Memorable Quote:
- B (Host), [01:36]: “The open web isn't going anywhere. It's just that the only people who will make any money on it is Google. Wait, wait, aren't they in charge of the display advertising too?”
2. Anthropic’s $1.5 Billion Copyright Settlement
[02:00]
- Anthropic, creator of the Claude chatbot, agrees to a $1.5 billion settlement with authors whose pirated books were used for AI training.
- This is noted as a historic, precedent-setting agreement: “if approved, this landmark settlement will be the largest publicly reported copyright recovery in history.”
- Discussion centers on judge’s prior ruling (June 2025) that using legally obtained books for AI training is likely not copyright infringement, but using pirated content is a different story.
- Host humor: “So many tokens. Bling bling bling.”
- “The big takeaway here is that training AI on copyrighted stuff you actually bought might still be fair use. But pirated books? Well, that's gonna be a billion and a half dollar oopsie.”
Notable Quote:
- B (Host), [02:49]: “But pirated books? Well, that's gonna be a billion and a half dollar oopsie.”
3. Undersea Cable Chaos in the Red Sea
[03:05]
- Major subsea fiber links in the Red Sea near Jeddah are damaged, causing severe internet performance issues across Asia and the Middle East.
- India, Pakistan, and UAE experience significant latency. Microsoft Azure services are notably impacted.
- The Red Sea is called “not exactly the friendliest neighborhood for weekend cable fixing parties.”
- “Disruptions continuing as repair efforts ramp up,” with no clear repair timeline.
- Offhand reference to “those dastardly Houthis” as a nod to ongoing security concerns complicating repairs.
Quote:
- B (Host), [04:07]: “The worst part of all of this is that repair timelines are still up in the air, partly because the Red Sea isn't exactly the friendliest neighborhood for weekend cable fixing parties right now. Those dastardly Houthis.”
Quick Bits & Other Stories
4. Neuralink’s Trademark Setback
[05:00]
- Neuralink’s bids to trademark “telepathy” and “telekinesis” were denied by the US Patent Office; the marks are owned by Wesley Berry of the lucid dreaming startup "Prophetic".
- Prophetic is working on a “matrix style headset you wear while sleeping to trigger lucid dreams.”
- Host’s jest at Elon Musk: “But if you ask me, maybe Elon should try trademarking empathy instead. You know people have feelings. And that one's also taken.”
Quote:
- B (Host), [05:41]: “But if you ask me, maybe Elon should try trademarking empathy instead. You know people have feelings. And that one's also taken.”
5. Amazon Project Kuiper’s Starlink Competition
[06:00]
- Amazon’s satellite broadband project, Kuiper, achieves up to 1.28 Gbps in tests — “faster than a lot of ground based ISPs.”
- JetBlue becomes the first airline partner, committing to Kuiper Wi-Fi on a quarter of fleet by 2027, with free passenger usage.
- Host’s excitement: “Yes, finally streaming Netflix at 35,000ft without watching the buffer wheel do laps.”
Quote:
- B (Host), [06:34]: “Yes, finally streaming Netflix at 35,000ft without watching the buffer wheel do laps. Although that can be entertaining when there's nothing else going on.”
6. Microsoft Open-Sources Classic BASIC Code
[07:00]
- Microsoft releases the original 1976 “6502 BASIC” source code (by Bill Gates and Rick Whalen), historic for early home computers (Commodore 64, Apple II, VIC-20).
- “Researchers can dig into the DNA of early personal computing, seeing how software was optimized when every bite mattered.”
- Fun jab at Bill Gates: “He's such a little, you know, he's a little sassy guy, Very rich and globally hollow.”
7. Silksong’s Chinese Translation Meltdown
[07:34]
- "Silksong" game gets positive reviews globally – but in China, over 14,000 negative reviews due to poor translation.
- Critics say it “makes it read less like a game and more like your buddy's D and D campaign notes after three Red Bulls if they were tossed into an Anime girl dating simulator.”
- Team Cherry apologizes and promises to fix the translation.
Quote:
- B (Host), [07:50]: “One localization expert even compared it to a high school drama club's Elizabethan improv. Imagine trying to fight bosses while everyone's talking like Shakespeare. Again, doesn't sound horrible.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Google’s court filing:
- [01:36] B: “The open web isn't going anywhere. It's just that the only people who will make any money on it is Google.”
- On Anthropic’s legal troubles:
- [02:49] B: “But pirated books? Well, that's gonna be a billion and a half dollar oopsie.”
- On Neuralink’s failed trademarks:
- [05:41] B: “But if you ask me, maybe Elon should try trademarking empathy instead. You know people have feelings. And that one's also taken.”
- On internet at 35,000 feet:
- [06:34] B: “Yes, finally streaming Netflix at 35,000ft without watching the buffer wheel do laps.”
- On Silksong’s translation drama:
- [07:50] B: “One localization expert even compared it to a high school drama club's Elizabethan improv.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Google admits the web “decline” – [00:28] to [02:00]
- Anthropic $1.5B copyright settlement – [02:00] to [03:05]
- Undersea cable chaos – [03:05] to [05:00]
- Neuralink trademark drama – [05:00] to [06:00]
- Amazon Project Kuiper in-flight Wi-Fi – [06:00] to [07:00]
- Microsoft open-sources BASIC code – [07:00] to [07:34]
- Silksong translation controversy – [07:34] to [08:14]
Overall Tone
The episode is fast-paced, irreverent, and packed with snarky asides and cultural references. The host balances serious analysis (especially regarding Google and AI copyright law) with breezy, humorous takes on tech world quirks and industry personalities.