The Nintendo Switch Lite is a cheaper, portable only version of the Switch
NSW transport minister is keen to use facial recognition with Opal
Trump upset about France’s 3% tax on large internet companies
Get some Steam Link action going with a Raspberry Pi
Cheap 75" Hisense TV, Foxtel Now, Huawei P30 Pro, Pioneer VSX-932 amp, 10% off Macs at JB
Nintendo's got a new Switch console for ya - the Switch Lite. It's pretty much the same Switch that we know and love, but without the ability to plug into a TV, no brightness sensor, no Bluetooth audio and a bunch of other stuff this Vooks article eloquently details. Performance is about the same and the battery life is actually better on the Lite than the regular Switch. It'll cost $329.95 in Australia and go on sale on September 20th. You can usually get a Switch for like $350, so it wouldn't surprise me to see the Lite go on sale in a few months for $250 or even less. I reckon I'll grab one then.
The NSW minister for transport and infrastructure let loose a brainfart of wanting to copy Amazon's cashier-less supermarket, but for public transport. His exact words were "In the transport space we use facial recognition technology to scan customers who have opted in and linked their Opal account, so no more gate barriers just a smooth journey". No way that system would be abused, would it? Anyway, Scott Ludlam sums it up well on Twitter, "Absolutely nobody asked for this. Fire these people and their dystopian facial recognition system into the sun". Amen brother!
A few days ago France's parliament voted to introduce a "3% tax on the French revenue of large internet companies", with the aim of reigning in the legal scam that is setting up their HQ in Ireland and funneling all EU revenue via Ireland's low-tax structure. Pretty much all these "large internet companies" are from the USA, which Donald Trump has interpreted as an attack on US businesses by the French and has ordered an "investigation" by the Office of the United States Trade Representative to check if this tax is "discriminatory or unreasonable and burdens or restricts United States commerce".
Regret not picking up a cheap Steam Link unit when EB Games was flogging em off for $20? Make your own with that Raspberry Pi you purchased but never got around to using! Wirecutter has an easy to use guide for setting it all up. If you've never used Linux before, it might take a little while, but if you're even remotely familiar with a CLI, it's a piece of piss (install steamlink, set it to run at boot, pair it with your Steam account, done). Awesome way to play games from your PC's Steam library on your TV over your home network. Massive protip: use Ethernet, wi-fi sucks for this.
JB Hi-Fi has 10% off Macs yet again if you're in the market.
75" Hisense 75P8 4K quantum dot HDR etc, etc TV - $1995 at JB Hi-Fi
All the channels on Foxtel Now, plus a free Foxtel Now box - $79/m for 6 months
Huawei P30 Pro 8GB/256GB - $1,147.43 with the code PISTACHIO for eBay Plus members
Refurbished Pioneer VSX-932 7.2 amp - $444 from GraysOnline with the code POLAR20
🎶 Shut Up, the Footy's On the Radio - TISM
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The Sizzle is created on Wathaurong land and acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, recognising their continuing connection to land, water and community. I pay my respect to them and their cultures and to elders both past and present.