Wacky tech at MWC '25, uBlock Origin blocked on Chrome + more! - TechLinked

Summary

TechLinked Podcast Summary
Episode: Wacky Tech at MWC '25, uBlock Origin Blocked on Chrome + More!
Release Date: March 4, 2025

1. Wacky Innovations at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025

The episode kicks off with an exploration of the most unconventional and imaginative technologies showcased at MWC '25 in Barcelona. Host A delves into a variety of prototypes and concept devices that push the boundaries of current tech trends.

Lenovo's ThinkBook Flip
- Description: An extra-tall concept laptop with an 18-inch display that folds backward, unlike the traditional foldable models.
- Quote: "This PC is the perfect choice for Battleship heads. There's gotta be some Battleship heads out there." [00:30]
Lenovo's Dual Screen Concept
- Description: A modular system allowing users to attach additional displays to their laptops via Lenovo's Magic Bay magnetic connector.
Lenovo's Yoga Laptop with Solar Panel
- Description: A solar-powered laptop aimed at sustainability, eliminating the need for traditional power sources.
Infinix Zero Series Mini Trif
- Description: A versatile concept phone that transforms from a standard size to a medium, and further into a GoPro-like form factor.
- Quote: "Why is this the first time someone's thought of this? What are we doing?" [02:15]
Infinix's Solar-Powered Phone and Charging Case
- Description: A phone that can be charged by directing light onto it, ideal for emergency situations.
- Humorous Insight: "Perfect for when I'm trapped in a cave and don't want to hold both my flashlight and my phone." [03:10]
Infinix's Emotion-Mimicking Phone Back
- Description: A phone back that changes color and displays facial expressions based on the user's mood post-photo.
- Quote: "I don't know when this would ever be useful or wanted, but the other stuff was cool." [04:00]
Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra Smartphones
- Description: High-end smartphones designed to function like advanced cameras, featuring modular lens attachments.
Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Earbuds
- Description: The first earbuds equipped with Qualcomm's S7 Pro chip, enabling audio streaming over WiFi via Xpan technology.
- Observation: "That's not the normal way to do that. It's weird." [05:20]
Samsung's Flex Gaming Concept
- Description: A handheld gaming device that folds in half, offering portability without compromising performance.
- Host's Reaction: "I want that." [06:05]
Samsung's Asymmetric Flip
- Description: A concept device resembling the Galaxy Z Flip but with an additional fold and curl, pushing the design envelope.
- Commentary: "Why? It's Mobile World Congress. We're so wacky and different." [07:00]
BYD's SUV with Drone Launch Capability
- Description: An SUV equipped to launch drones from its roof, adding a futuristic twist to vehicle functionality.
- Humorous Take: "Anyone can feel like the bad guys in a chase scene." [07:45]

2. uBlock Origin Blocked on Chrome

A significant tech policy update is discussed concerning Google's decision to block the popular ad blocker, uBlock Origin, on the Chrome browser.

Issue Overview:
- Host B: "Google has finally blocked uBlock Origin on Chrome for nearly everyone, with journalists and social media users claiming to have recently encountered this friendly little notice." [08:10]
Implications:
- Ads and unwanted content will become more pervasive for Chrome users.
Possible Solutions:
- uBlock Origin Lite: A pared-down version compatible with Chrome's new manifest v3 extension standard, though with reduced functionality.
- Switching Browsers: Users are encouraged to switch to Firefox, which continues to support both manifest V2 and V3 extensions.
Mozilla's Terms of Service Update:
- Host A: "The company has now rewritten the rewritten terms to clarify that nothing was being changed about how Firefox operates." [09:50]
- Additional Commentary: "The terms were apparently updated, adding that scary sale of data language to comply with the broad legal definition of sale of data." [10:05]

3. Additional Tech News and Quick Bits

The conversation transitions to a series of brief updates on various tech developments and industry movements.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Series SoCs
- Details: Second-generation Snapdragon X series chips may feature up to 18 CPU cores, 48GB of integrated RAM, and support for discrete graphics cards in gaming laptops.
- Quote: "The Snapdragon X2 Ultra Premium should solve one of the main reasons not many people picked up the first gen." [11:00]
TSMC's $100 Billion Investment in Arizona
- Overview: TSMC announced plans to build additional chip manufacturing facilities in Arizona, a move also highlighted by former President Donald Trump.
- Speculation: "It's unclear whether TSMC agreed to do this to avoid Trump's favorite thing, tariffs, or whether the move was already planned." [12:20]
YouTube's Expansion into Streaming Services
- Details: YouTube is redesigning its TV app to allow subscriptions to other streaming platforms like Paramount Plus and Max, integrating their content directly into YouTube's interface.
- Host B: "You actually can't watch it. You have to subscribe to another streaming service hosted on the first streaming service, which is just so convenient." [13:10]
Firefly Aerospace Lands on the Moon
- Achievement: Firefly Aerospace becomes the first private company to successfully land a craft on the moon, capturing a photo of the lunar sunrise with their lander, Blue Ghost.
- Skeptical Take: "I mean, it's the moon. It must be. The lander craft called Blue Ghost was also able to capture this photo of the lunar sunrise, which could easily have been photoshopped or AI generated by anyone on their phone." [14:00]

Concluding Thoughts

The episode wraps up with a reflection on the eclectic mix of innovations presented at MWC '25 and the ongoing challenges in the tech landscape, such as browser compatibility issues and the evolving nature of streaming services. The hosts highlight the balance between groundbreaking advancements and the practical applications (or lack thereof) of certain technologies, leaving listeners both amused and informed about the latest in tech and gaming culture.

Notable Quotes:

"This PC is the perfect choice for Battleship heads. There's gotta be some Battleship heads out there." [00:30]
"Why is this the first time someone's thought of this? What are we doing?" [02:15]
"That's not the normal way to do that. It's weird." [05:20]
"I want that." [06:05]
"Anyone can feel like the bad guys in a chase scene." [07:45]
"Google has finally blocked uBlock Origin on Chrome for nearly everyone..." [08:10]
"The Snapdragon X2 Ultra Premium should solve one of the main reasons not many people picked up the first gen." [11:00]
"I actually can't watch it. You have to subscribe to another streaming service hosted on the first streaming service, which is just so convenient." [13:10]
"I mean, it's the moon. It must be." [14:00]

This comprehensive overview encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and humorous takes presented in the TechLinked episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the topics covered without needing to tune in.

Transcript

A (0:00)

I'm ready for my life to change.

B (0:02)

ABC Sunday American Idol returns. Give it your all.

A (0:07)

Good luck. Come out with a golden ticket. Let's hear it. This is immense world. I've never seen anything like it.

B (0:15)

And a new chapter begins.

A (0:17)

You're going to Hollywood.

B (0:18)

Carrie Underwood joins Lionel Richie, Luke Bryant and Ryan Seacrest on American idol. Season premieres Sunday, 8, 7 Central on ABC and stream on Hulu.

A (0:30)

Tech News can feel kind of serious and dystopian sometimes, so let's lighten it up by heading to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and checking out some tech that's so wild and wacky it makes me slightly uncomfortable. Lenovo brought a new extra tall boy concept laptop to MWC called the thinkbook Flip. But instead of rolling the display back down to normal size like the Thinkbook plus shown at CES, the Flip's 18 inch display folds in half backwards, making this PC the perfect choice for Battleship heads. There's gotta be some Battleship heads out there. For multiple monitor heads, there's the Lenovo's Dual Screen concept, a system that lets you attach extra displays to a laptop through Lenovo's Magic Bay magnetic connector. Lenovo went kind of wild with the concepts this year. They also had a yoga concept laptop with a solar panel. So it's powered by the sun. Yeah, everything is indirectly, but this skips the middleman. There's also a solar powered battery bank. And after wondering what Lenovo's AI stick was when it recently leaked, today I learned it has an NPU inside that can connect to a poor, disadvantaged regular PC that was born with no AI processors at all. Here you go, go make some slop with your friends. But guys, that's just the beginning. Chinese company Infinix showed off the Zero Series Mini Trif, a concept phone that makes way more sense than other multifold designs because it can go from normal phone size down to medium phone size and then down again to like a little GoPro type form factor. Why is this the first time someone's thought of this? What are we doing? Infinix also showed off a solar powered phone and charging case that Mashable thinks is cool because you can charge it by pointing a light at it, which would be perfect for when I'm trapped in a cave and I don't want to hold both my flashlight and my phone so I can just point the flashlight at the phone and I mean, problem solved at that point. But to offset the usefulness of those concepts, Infinix also had a phone with a back that changes color and Makes a little drawing of a face to mimic the facial expression of a person after their picture's taken. I don't know when this would ever be useful or wanted, but the other stuff was cool. All right, what else? The Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra are phones that look and act like fancy cameras, and you can even attach modular lenses, While the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro are the first earbuds with Qualcomm's S7 Pro chip and support for Xpan, so they can stream audio over WiFi, which is not the normal way to do that. That's weird. Not as weird though, as Samsung's Flex gaming concept, a handheld that folds in half. Okay, that actually makes a lot of sense. I want that. Samsung's other concept, the asymmetric Flip, does not make any sense because it's literally just a Galaxy Z flip. But worse, what if we. What if we added another fold and kind of curled it? Why? It's Mobile World Congress. We're so wacky and different. Not like those other tech conferences. We have SUVs from BYD that can launch drones out of the roof so anyone can feel like the bad guys in a chase scene. I won't let you escape. We're gonna get em kids. Yay. Seems like Google has finally blocked UBlock origin on Chrome for nearly everyone, with journalists and social media users claiming to have recently encountered this friendly little notice. Blocking those ads was fun, wasn't it? Well, it's time to stop, but there are some options available to the blockheads. That's. I didn't mean it like that. There's UBlock origin Lite, which was made by the same developer, Raymond Hill, and it's compatible with Google's new manifest v3 extension standard, but it's had to sacrifice some of its power to do so. You could switch to Firefox, which has promised to continue supporting manifest V2 and V3 extensions, but ooh, wait a second, didn't Mozilla change their terms of use to say they can do horrible things like abduct my pets and eat them? Well, it certainly seemed that way, but the company has now rewritten the rewritten terms to clarify that nothing was being changed about how Firefox operates. The terms were apparently updated, adding that scary sale of data language to comply with the broad legal definition of sale of data, as seen in California's Consumer Privacy act, where doing pretty much anything with data is referred to as a sale. And I would have loved if that's how things worked when I had a commission based job just made a sale. I'm on fire today. Why not make yourself a fire website with our sponsor Squarespace? It's the all in one platform that empowers anyone to build a beautiful, more personalized website tailored to their unique needs. Just like we did with linusmediagroup.com your website has to be special so make use of Squarespace's two decades of industry leading design expertise and cutting edge design intelligence AI features to unlock your strongest creative potential and your earning potential. Because Squarespace Payments is the easiest way to manage your payments in one place. Get started in just a few clicks and start receiving payments right away through popular methods like Klarna, Apple Pay and Clearpay. Start building your website today and get 10% off your first purchase at squarespace.com techlinked oh man, some of that stuff was way too wacky and wild. Hey, let's bring it back and enjoy some quick bits. They're more refined, erudite, Good word Qualcomm is working on its second gen Snapdragon X series SoCs, which may feature up to 18 CPU cores, 48 gigabytes of integrated RAM and support for discrete graphics cards gaming laptops, according to reference designs seen by German tech site windfuture. The chips are reportedly not expected to launch until next year and one of them may be called the Snapdragon X2 Ultra Premium, which should solve one of the main reasons not many people picked up the first gen. Not a long enough name it's got 33.3 repeating percent more name words. Buy Now TSMC announced this morning it will spend an additional $100 billion to build more chip manufacturing facilities in Arizona. The move was also announced later in the day by US President Donald Trump. It's unclear whether TSMC agreed to do this to avoid Trump's favorite thing, tariffs, or whether the move was already planned. But either way the US is gonna get more chip manufacturing so they can fulfill some of their military leaders dreams of blowing up TSMC if China invades Taiwan. They'll be good YouTube is planning to lean more into being a platform where you can subscribe to other streaming services like Paramount plus and Max, according to a report from the Information, YouTube's TV app is being redesigned to display this kind of content on the homepage, similar to how Amazon prime and Apple TV also host content from other services. So when you scroll through and click on something that you think you can watch because it's listed on the streaming service that you pay for, you actually can't watch it. You have to subscribe to another streaming service hosted on the first streaming service, which is just so convenient and would have probably be cool to see how far down the rabbit hole we could take this and Firefly Aerospace has become the first private company to successfully land a craft on the moon, a feat it proved by posting this photo of. I mean, I guess it's the moon. It must be. The landercraft called Blue Ghost was also able to capture this photo of the lunar sunrise, which could easily have been photoshopped or AI generated by anyone on their phone. Look, this is really cool they took that photo, but I could make you a photo just like that. I'm just saying. You landed on the moon. Big whoop. I'm just saying. Listen, hey, look, eyes on me. Wednesday. More tech news. Okay? Are we cool? Are we good? Huh? You gonna show up here? I'll have good tech news for ya. I'm working hard. Okay. A deal. A deal.