YouTube deleting videos glorifying Nazis and Holocaust denial
Amazon’s got new Prime Air delivery drones
ASD reckons the hack of ANU was state sponsored, probably Chinese
Netflix testing extra bonus content for their programs
Google strapping air quality sensors on Street View cars
Sponsored Job Ad: Software Developer – Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)
16,000 high quality BBC sound effects for you to enjoy
Non offensive royalty free tech related SVG illustrations
Cheap Nokia 5.1 Plus, Nokia 8.1, Samsung Galaxy S10+, Xbox One X, Audio Technica AT2020 mic
YouTube announced today they're "specifically prohibiting videos alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status. This would include, for example, videos that promote or glorify Nazi ideology, which is inherently discriminatory. Finally, we will remove content denying that well-documented violent events, like the Holocaust or the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, took place". Dunno what took so long, but better late than never.
Amazon showed off the latest version of its Prime Air delivery drones. I won't bother describing what it looks like, just click the damn link for a picture. Amazon reckon the latest sensor kit on these drones can now avoid telephone/electrical wires and people's clotheslines - a pretty key feature if you're gonna be zooming around backyards in suburbia. Bit annoying that Amazon uploaded a demonstration video of the new drone but removed the audio. Google's drone tests in Canberra discovered it as a problem using these things in the real world.
That massive Australian National University data breach made public a few days ago was probably the Chinese according to “sources” at the Australian Signals Directorate. To evade detection for so long leads them believe it’s more than a bunch of script kiddies or crims. The Australian military is full of ANU alumni and strategic think tanks like the School of Strategic and Defence Studies and the Crawford School of Public Policy are pretty involved with government decision making. Kinda makes sense China would go digging around ANU for juicy info. Do the Chinese have a word for Kompromat?
Netflix are testing out "Extras" in the Android version of their app. Some Netflix produced stuff has additional bonus content in its own dedicated area between the Search and Downloads button. Right now it's only for select users and on Android only, but if it goes well (I don't see why not), they'll roll it out to everyone. I really miss the bonus content on DVDs. IF there was a movie I really liked, I'd gorge on all the behind the scenes, actor interviews and promotional stuff. Does anyone do director's commentary anymore? I miss those too.
It's a very slow news day and this is mildly interesting, so enjoy news that Google is attaching sensors to some of its fleet of Street View camera cars to measure air quality. Google will make this data available under Project Air View so enviromental scientists can use the information for research purposes. They've actually been collecting data around California for a few years, but now they're taking it worldwide, with 50 street view cars across Asia, Africa and South America.
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Sizzle subscribers paying for job ads is still a thing! If you’d like to let ~700 tech savvy Aussies know about your job vacancy, drop me a line.
Do you need a massive database of high quality sound effects for your next personal, educational or research project? The BBC has you covered with over 16,000 sound effects available in WAV format. Enjoy such sounds as "Two-stroke petrol engine driving small elevator, start, run, stop." or "Orders to sound off guns (close to guns) mid-distance orders to 'fire' - close guns firing with distant gunfire in background (reprocessed)". Maybe some nice "Budgerigars and doves, Warratah Park, Australia - occasional wind in dry leaves and crow calling" is more your thing? What a lovely resource.
Okay, so you don't need the sound of British anti-aircraft guns in your latest project (your loss buddy), but maybe you need some nice looking royalty free tech-related illustrations? ManyPixels has a nice collection for ya. You could use them in place of proper artwork in design mockups or to spruce up your slides in a work presentation. They're in PNG and SVG format, so you can make em as high or low res as you need. Enjoy!
Big W has the PS Classic retro console for $39 and some other Playstation stuff cheap starting tomorrow.
JB's returned the $100 off a Pixel 3a/XL or $350 off a Pixel 3/XL if you trade-in a "any working smartphone" deal.
TCL 75" 75P8M TV for $1688 delivered once you get a $200 HN gift card and $100 cash back from TCL.
Acer Swift 5 laptop (i5-8250, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 1080p 15.6" screen, only 1kg) - $1316 at JB.
Officeworks will do their 5% off price matching with Megabuy on MacBook Pros and iPads, making them quite cheap, e.g: base model 15" MBP is $2,956.17 ($3499 RRP, $3150 during 10% off sale).
🎶 Alex Lahey - I Don’t Get Invited to Parties Anymore
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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.