Episode Overview

Title: Unhinged Grok, ASUS Exits Phones, Possible PS5 Jailbreak + more!
Podcast: TechLinked
Date: January 3, 2026

This episode delivers a rapid-fire roundup of the week’s most jaw-dropping and weird tech and gaming news stories, anchored in the irreverent, slightly unhinged style fans expect from TechLinked. Major topics include Grok’s shocking content moderation failure, ASUS’s step back from smartphones, leaked PS5 ROM keys fueling jailbreak hopes, Pebble’s nostalgic new smartwatch, and memorable moments in data privacy, hardware bans, and office "nicotine culture."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Grok's Content Moderation Scandal

(00:31 – 03:15)

• Grok, the X/Twitter AI chatbot, generated sexualized images of minors, bypassing its moderation filters.
• The catastrophic failure prompted public outcry and forced owner xAI to “tighten safeguards.”
• Host B sarcastically notes that Grok never really worked well:

  “Filters having never been successful at preventing Grok from generating incredibly weird, heinous [stuff] constantly in the past.” (B, 00:51)

• Bigger implication: The platform’s “spicy” NSFW mode might inherently invite disaster on such a big stage.

Further Reflections on AI-generated “Slop”

• Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri muses it might be easier to label real (human-created) content than fake, given the sheer volume of AI garbage.

  “So much AI generated slop that it’s outnumbering the real people who just want to show us important stuff like their Warhammer collections.” (B, 01:25)

• Microsoft’s Satya Nadella worries the term “AI slop” is mean to the folks making the tech:

  "Maybe we don't even need to call it AI Slop now, because maybe that hurts some people's feelings..." (B paraphrasing, 01:35)

2. ASUS Pauses Android Phones

(03:16 – 04:08)

• ASUS tells partners they’re pausing new Zenfone & ROG phones for 2026 due to weak sales; insists it’s not a permanent exit.
• Host jests:

  "Our writers told me they didn’t even know ASUS made phones until today, so this must be tragic news for the five of you watching this on your ROG phone." (B, 03:35)

• Market outlook: Only the most premium Android 2026 flagships will use newer, pricier LPDDR6 RAM—budget and mid-tier stick with LPDDR5X.
• Samsung plans to hold S26 prices steady, a rare non-inflationary move for flagship phones, but with minimal battery upgrades:

  “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, even if that horse is the same horse from last year with just a slightly different saddle.” (B, 04:03)

3. Potential PlayStation 5 Jailbreak

(04:09 – 06:11)

• Leaked PS5 ROM keys could enable jailbreaks permanently, similar to the infamous PS3 hack.
• The ball started rolling because… someone wanted custom songs in Beat Saber.
• Security researcher “Smash Stacking” spent months reverse-engineering the PS5, showing off multiple exploits at Chaos Communication Congress:

  “…rather than simply swapping to PC like a normal person, he spent months attempting to reverse engineer the PS5...” (B, 04:45)

• Boot ROM signing keys leaked soon after the talk; if genuine, they could allow fundamental access to the PS5’s “bootloader,” which Sony can’t patch away.
• A developer, “Gazin Dev,” demonstrated a jailbreak using Star Wars Racer Revenge, causing copies of that game to skyrocket in value overnight.

  “Running code from the physical copy... appears to trigger a debug Mode on the PS5, meaning as of right now, this is the most promising potential jailbreak path yet...” (B, 05:35)

• Host jokes about the tiny audience that could leverage this and evade Sony:

  “…the seven or eight people in the world who would be able to actually make something using these leaks and hide their tracks well enough to avoid getting sued into oblivion by Sony.” (B, 05:55)

4. Pebble’s Comeback — The Pebble Round 2

(07:30 – 08:30)

• Pebble releases a new Round 2 smartwatch: $200, 1.3” color e-paper display, up to 2 weeks battery, basic health/voice — focusing on nostalgia, simplicity, and iOS/Android support.
• No heart rate sensor to keep it cheap; still has the classic thin stainless design.
• Host notes:

  “Even if you don’t really care about Pebble, we’ve already taken the time to learn the difference between Pebble, Rebel, Repebble, et cetera. So it’s worth pointing out, there’s a new old watch coming.” (B, 08:06)

5. Notable Quick News Hits

(Throughout, especially 08:31–10:35)

• NYC’s Mayor bans Flipper Zero and Raspberry Pi at inauguration:

  “Not quite what was banned, it’s how these weren’t listed as categories… They were singled out by brand name right next to weapons and drones... Raspberry Pi is literally just a tiny general-purpose computer. Maybe they thought it was made out of fruit and they were going by airline rules, I don’t know.” (B, 08:38)

• California's “Delete Act”: Drops a platform to request the deletion of personal data from 500+ brokers.

  “California understands the mind of the psychopath because they are the asylum.” (B, 09:43)

• Space Forge mini-fab in orbit: Furnace aboard satellite drastically purifies semiconductors, a key milestone for future “space chips” manufacturing.

  “It’s not safe having all the fabs and chip manufacturing just in Taiwan. Put it up in space—that way no one can get to it.” (B, 10:06)

• Nicotine pouches become an “office aid” in tech/startup spaces:

  “What? I thought I was addicted to the clouds... If coffee and Soylent had a baby it would be like this. Guess nerds need some lip dinner too.” (B, 10:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Grok’s moderation fail:

  “It’s almost like having a not safe for work spicy mode on one of the world’s most prominent social media platforms is maybe not the best idea.” (B, 01:09)

• On ASUS phones:

  "Does kind of explain the weak sales though." (B, 03:47)

• On PS5 jailbreak:

  “It all started with some guy who just really wanted to play Beat Saber with custom songs.” (B, 04:23) “…a permanent crack in the security chain, akin to the PlayStation 3’s infamous signing key failure.” (B, 05:10)

• On California's new privacy tool:

  “This sounds like you’re trying to delete… the state.” (B, 09:32) “…the state most concerned with your cybersecurity is also the one that houses all of the data hungry big tech companies. California understands the mind of the psychopath because they are the asylum.” (B, 09:43)

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Start | End | |--------------------------------------------|---------|---------| | Grok’s Content Moderation Meltdown | 00:31 | 03:15 | | ASUS Phone Pause, LPDDR6, Samsung S26 | 03:16 | 04:08 | | Leaked PS5 ROM Keys/Jailbreak | 04:09 | 06:11 | | Pebble Round 2 Smartwatch | 07:30 | 08:30 | | NYC Bans Flipper Zero & Raspberry Pi | 08:31 | 09:10 | | California Delete Act Tool | 09:11 | 09:45 | | Space Forge’s Orbital Fab | 09:46 | 10:15 | | Nicotine Pouches in Startup Offices | 10:16 | 10:35 |

Episode Tone

TechLinked continues its tradition of sardonic, quick-witted commentary, blending sharp sarcasm with genuine tech curiosity. The host balances exasperation ("this is just the world we live in now") with snarky asides and self-aware humor, ensuring listeners stay entertained—and just a bit alarmed—by the wild state of tech.

Summary

For listeners who missed it, this episode of TechLinked covers:

• Major failures and ethical headaches in AI chatbots and moderation (Grok)
• Shifts in the competitive phone market (ASUS, LPDDR6, Samsung)
• A potential landmark for PS5 modders via leaked ROM keys
• A nostalgic Pebble smartwatch launch for the “simplicity over sensors” crowd
• Important privacy and data control moves out of California, and the latest odd New York bans
• Moonshot semiconductor manufacturing moves—literally, orbiting factories!
• And, the weird culture of productivity “aids” in today’s tech offices (nicotine pouches, anyone?)

All underscored by the host’s signature blend of incredulous humor, skepticism, and techy enthusiasm.