Summary
Overview
TechLinked covers Google's announcement of Android-based Google Books replacing Chromebooks, the ongoing saga of the Trump phone finally getting FCC approval and shipping updates, Meta employees protesting AI-powered tracking software amid layoffs, and various quick tech updates including Spotify outages, EU child safety legislation, Amazon's 30-minute delivery expansion, critical iOS security patches, and a Chinese company's $650,000 manned mecha robot.
Google Books: The Chromebook Successor Running Android
Google has announced Google Books, the successor to Chromebooks, launching this fall with the Android-based Aluminium OS. The devices will run native Android apps without emulation and feature AI integration throughout. Major OEMs including Acer and Lenovo are partnering on hardware, while Intel, Qualcomm, and MediaTek are providing processor support for both x86 and ARM architectures right out of the gate.
- Google Books will launch this fall running Android-based Aluminium OS (just a code name)
- Native Android app support with no emulation required
- Major OEMs from Acer to Lenovo partnering on hardware
- Intel, Qualcomm, and MediaTek providing both x86 and ARM processor support
- Magic Pointer feature summons Gemini AI by wiggling cursor over content
" I guess we assumed that Google wouldn't stuff it full of AI bloat. I don't know why we thought that. "
" According to Google, the Magic Pointer is so important because pointing is really at the core of a lot of the interactions we have. I thought it was human connection, but no, actually, I just, this is the core of a lot. "
The Trump Phone Mystery: Pre-Orders, Chaos, and FCC Approval
After months of confusion and viral misinformation about the Trump phone, new evidence suggests it's more real than ever. People who placed $100 pre-orders panicked when Trump Mobile updated its terms and conditions in early April, leading to false claims about cancelled orders and no refunds. Despite the chaos, the phone received FCC approval in January and PTCRB approval in March, with Trump Mobile announcing this week that shipping would begin soon.
- Trump Mobile updated terms and conditions on April 6th, causing customer panic
- Viral posts falsely claimed 600,000 pre-orders and no refunds - both were misinformation
- Terms explicitly promise refunds if the phone never ships
- Phone received FCC approval in January and PTCRB approval in March
- Trump Mobile announced shipping would begin this week
" Just because you gave us $100 doesn't mean we're going to release a phone. I don't know. "
" I mean, stability of the stock market, you know, inflation, wars happening, that's all, that's fine. We got to figure out what is up with this yellow colored phone. "
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