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TechLinked

Google's sideloading backtrack, Vine RETURNS (sort of), Claude is a hacker + more!

November 15, 2025 • 11m

Summary

⏱️ 5 min read

Overview

This tech news podcast covers Google's reversal on Android sideloading restrictions, the revival of Vine as Divine with anti-AI policies, allegations of Chinese hackers using Anthropic's Claude AI for cyber espionage, Firefox's new AI window feature, and various other tech updates including Tesla Powerwall recalls and AI-powered medical bandages.

Google Reverses Android Sideloading Restrictions

Google has walked back its controversial plan to lock down app sideloading on Android devices. After announcing in August that only verified developers would be able to have their apps installed, even outside the Play Store, the company faced significant pushback from developers and users. The new approach maintains some security measures while preserving Android's openness, requiring extra steps and warnings for unverified apps but not blocking them entirely.

  • Google's original plan would have restricted Android users to installing only verified developer apps starting next year
  • Critics argued the restrictions would seriously hinder indie developers, emulator projects, and niche software development
  • Experienced users will still be able to install apps from unverified developers with extra steps and warnings
  • The change aims to curb malware without completely shutting the door on Android's defining feature of openness
" So yeah, sideloading is back, baby. Just with training wheels. "

Vine Returns as Divine with Anti-AI Focus

The beloved 6-second video app Vine, which Twitter shut down in 2017, has been resurrected as Divine by former Twitter employee Evan Henshaw-Plath. The new platform has restored 150,000-200,000 original Vines from 60,000 creators using previously archived data. In a bold departure from modern social media trends, Divine explicitly bans AI-generated content and uses verification technology to confirm videos were captured on actual smartphones.

  • Divine was created by former Twitter employee Rabble using data from Archive Team
  • The app restored 150,000-200,000 original Vines from 60,000 creators who can reclaim their accounts
  • Divine bans AI-generated content and uses Guardian Project technology to verify smartphone-captured footage
" So with Divine, when you say, Look at all those chickens, be assured that while you might not actually be pointing at chickens, you certainly won't be pointing at AI chickens. And that's all we want at the end of the day. "

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