TechLinked Firefox AI kill switch, SpaceX sats, xAI merger, Notepad++ hack + more!
Feb 3, 2026
Discussion of Firefox adding an AI kill switch and controls for blocking AI enhancements. Coverage of SpaceX planning up to a million satellites and consolidating AI assets through acquisitions. Alert about a Notepad++ supply-chain hack and the patch that followed. Quick runs through Apple Mac customization, iOS carrier location toggles, Fire TV sideloading limits, and a hair-thin fiber computer chip.
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Firefox Adds Global AI Kill Switch
- Firefox will include an AI kill switch that disables current and future AI features starting in version 148 on Feb 24.
- Mozilla positions this as a user-control move within a broader open, trustworthy AI strategy led by the Mozilla Foundation.
Microsoft Retracts Some Copilot Integrations
- Microsoft is reportedly scaling back visible AI features like Copilot buttons in Notepad and Paint amid trust and recall concerns.
- The move signals tech giants responding to user backlash and rethinking how AI integrates with core apps.
SpaceX Proposes Massive Satellite Data Centers
- SpaceX filed to launch up to one million satellites aimed at acting like space-based data centers communicating by laser.
- The plan ties into Musk's consolidation of Starlink, X, and xAI to boost Grok and prepare for a potential trillion-dollar SpaceX IPO.