Attention Sydney Sizzle subscribers: this weekend I'm finally returning to your beautiful city for the first time in almost 3 years and would love to catch up with some of you while I'm there.
I've booked the rooftop beer garden at Keg & Brew (26 Foveaux St, Surry Hills - few hundred meters from Central railway station) for 1pm on the 28th of November - if you can't make it at 1pm that's okay, I'll be hanging around for a few hours. I can't wait to enjoy a pint with my northern friends!
Google updated their default Messages app for Android to support Apple's "Tapback" feature in iMessage. You know the reactions to messages iOS users can send like a heart, or a thumbs up? Yeah, those would simply be sent back to the Android user as a separate text SMS with something boring like "haha" or "thumbs down". With the latest version of Google Messages, the iOS reactions will be "translated" to Android emoji and placed on top of the message just like on iOS. Just fucken add RCS support to Messages already Apple, or better yet, make an iMessage app for Android.
The Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill 2020 passed in the Senate last night. For those unfamiliar, the Critical Infrastructure Bill gives the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Cyber Security Centre powers to "step in and take control of a company's systems if it is subject to a cyber-attack", which means "the company could be compelled to install government software on their networks, letting the government gain access to their networks, analyse their data and direct the firm to do something or not do something". That sounds, bad, I think?
Jane Hume, the Australian Financial Services Minister, said in a speech at the Australian Financial Review Super & Wealth Summit in Sydney yesterday that cryptocurrency "is not a fad" and that government and industry need to "read cautiously, but not fearfully", going on to compare cryptocurrency to the iPhone, Excel and the internet in general. She also said that "de‑centralised finance underpinned by blockchain technology will present incredible opportunities". Choo-choo motherfuckers, government is all aboard the cryptotrain! I expect Scott Morrison to announced his own version of Bitcoin city in Far North Queensland any day now.
HDTVTest's Vincent Teoh recently got a group of TV nerds together and did a flagship OLED 4K TV shootout. Good timing considering Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales this week! If you're a gamer, you want the LG G1, which they recommend because of its 4K 120Hz support and the lowest input lag. For every other scenario like home cinema, sports and general living room use, the Sony A90J was their pick over all the other OLEDs they had access to. Sony's TVs also have Google TV built-in, which I like better than WebOS due to a bigger range of apps. So there you go - if you're in the market for a new TV and want the best one (not necessarily the best value for money), grab a Sony XR65A90J or XR83A90J.
📻 Punchin' - The Beefs
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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.