Google has blinked first, dropping the cut it takes of all subscriptions on the Play Store down to 15% as of Jan 1st 2022. No conditions apply, every recurring charge billed via the Play Store is now a flat 15% - except for books (i.e: Kindle) and on-demand music streaming services (i.e: Spotify), which are 10%. Previously developers had to wait a year and hit revenue targets to go from 30% to 15% commission on the Play Store. Come on Apple, you know you gotta rip the band-aid off eventually. Do it now and get it out of the way. 15% is still way too much I reckon (5% is fair), but hey, you take wins wherever you can.
The saltiest human on Earth, Donald Trump, is planning to launch yet another social media platform centered around him. The app is called TRUTH Social and according to the man himself, "we live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American president has been silenced", so he is making his own. The app is described on Apple's App Store (where you can pre-order it, haha) as "America's 'Big Tent' social media platform that encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology". I couldn't imagine anywhere worse to spend my free time.
The Senate Select Committee on Job Security has regularly heard concerns "about the tech capability of the APS that has been lost due to the prevalence of outsourcing and short-term contracts, particularly in service delivery agencies such as Services Australia" and said that it is "vital that the APS have internal capabilities, knowledge and experience to manage, monitor and deliver significant ICT procurements and systems across all delivery areas". An inexperienced and underskilled workforce sure sounds like a prime reason why the government sucks at computers, but I doubt the practice will end any time soon. Without consultants, who are you gonna blame when your dumb idea ends up being dumb? Yourself? Get outta here!!
Reviews of the Surface Duo 2 are floating around (PC Mag, The Verge, Engadget, Tom's Guide) and unfortunately, the worst aspects of it are not really fixed in this update. The camera still somehow sucks, taking worse photos than most mid-range smartphones. Poor touch response is mind blowingly somehow still a thing, with multiple reviewers stating screen taps are often not registered. This shit me on the first Surface Duo too. Then there's the price ($2,319 with 128GB storage) - you could get an iPhone and an iPad for less coin and probably be more productive. Inherent to the design is the fact one handed use is awful, which is what I struggled with the most and why I sold my Surface Duo a few weeks ago.
Here's five interesting discussions over on The Sizzle's paid subscriber forum for you to enjoy over the weekend. If you are not a paid subscriber but want to get involved, visit https://thesizzle.com.au/payme to get onboard.
📻 Shoot Me in the Back - Hard-Ons
😎 The Sizzle is curated by Anthony "@decryption" Agius and emailed every weekday afternoon.
💬 Checked out the paid subscriber only forum? It's a tidy little place to discuss tech with like minded Aussies.
💳 Paid subscriber looking to manage your billing info or change email address? Visit the customer portal.
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.