Summary
Overview
This TechLinked episode covers Microsoft's Discord moderation mishap, Apple's surprise announcements at Mobile World Congress, a flurry of concept devices from various manufacturers, new AMD processors, California's age verification law, YouTube's AI features, a water-from-air machine, and a browser-based retro Linux experience.
Microsoft's Discord Disaster: The MicroSlop Ban Backfires
Microsoft attempted to ban the derogatory term 'MicroSlop' from their official Copilot Discord server, which predictably triggered a creative rebellion from users who flooded the chat with variants like 'MicroSlop with a zero' and 'SloppySoft.' The situation escalated so badly that moderators had to disable message history and restrict posting altogether, demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of internet culture and the Streisand effect.
- Microsoft banned the word 'MicroSlop' from the official Copilot Discord server
- Users responded by flooding chat with creative variants like 'MicroSlop with a zero' and 'SloppySoft'
- Moderators eventually disabled message history and restricted posting altogether
- CEO Satya Nadella had previously written a blog post urging people to move past 'slop versus sophistication' terminology
" Fix Copilot's reputation by telling their most online users exactly which words they aren't allowed to say? The internet loves that! "
" Ten years from now, you're going to feel pretty foolish when you're slurping happily from the trough with all the other piggies. So stop calling it slop. "
Apple's Surprise MWC Appearance: iPhone SE and iPad Air Updates
In a rare move, Apple participated in Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, announcing the iPhone 17E with MagSafe support and doubled base storage to 256GB while maintaining the $599 price point. They also updated the iPad Air from M3 to M4 chip while keeping the $600 price, 128GB storage, and 12GB RAM, with pre-orders starting March 4th and availability on March 11th.
- Apple announced the iPhone 17E at Mobile World Congress, a rare participation in big tech conferences
- The 17E fixes the biggest complaint about the 16E by adding MagSafe support
- Base storage doubled to 256GB while maintaining $599 price point
- iPad Air updated from M3 to M4 chip while keeping $600 price, 128GB storage, and 12GB RAM
- Pre-orders begin March 4th with availability on March 11th
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