Verizon offloads Tumblr to Automattic for just US$3m
Twitch accidentally experiments with streaming porn on Ninja’s old stream
Samsung’s latest smartphone camera sensor looks amazing on paper
Sony’s latest CarPlay/Android Auto headunit has a massive 9-inch screen
Cheap Optus pre-paid SIM, AirPods, GL.inet travel router, 512GB Samsung microSD
Automattic (the creators of Wordpress) have purchased Tumblr off Verizon for the bargain basement price of US$3m. Yahoo paid US$1.1 billion for Tumblr back in 2013. What a write-down. At $3m they're basically giving it away. Sizzle subscribers could have probably raised $3m to buy Tumblr. Automattic said they won't be putting the porn back, which is a shame as I reckon they'd make that $3m back within 24 hours if they did. I'd love to know why Verizon didn't sell Tumblr to PornHub, who I assume offered more than $3m. Did Verizon take less money to make sure it goes to a new owner who won't let adult content return to Tumblr?
On the topic of porn, Twitch has been caught streaming naked people doing stuff on the former channel of its poster boy, Ninja. If you remember from last week, Ninja defected from Twitch to be exclusively on Microsoft's Mixer platform. That has left his old Twitch stream idle, but still with loads of subscribed viewers. Twitch was using it to promote other streamers but whatever algorithm Twitch was using to choose streamers to promote decided a channel streaming porn 24/7 would be a great choice. Ninja had to apologise and explain that it wasn't him doing it. Twitch also apologised for this "experiment".
Samsung has unveiled a new smartphone camera sensor that should bring a huge increase in photo quality. The "ISOCELL Bright HMX" packs 108 megapixels, which is impressive, but the main benefit is the huge (for a smartphone camera at least) 1/1.33" size of the sensor. Considering the photo quality Huawei and Samsung get out of the current sensors, I can't wait to see what can be done with a sensor 3 times larger than what's in current flagship smartphones. Samsung will start mass-producing the ISOCELL Bright HMX in late August and seeing as this sensor was developed in partnership with Xiaomi, I imagine one of their phones will be first to get it later this year.
Sony has a new CarPlay/Android Auto head unit with an ingenious screen design that allows for a massive 9-inch screen in a space that would normally only allow a 5-inch to 6-inch unit. The XAV-AX8000 slides in to the space your headunit normally would, but the screen is on an extendible arm that protrudes from the dashboard, clearing it of any buttons or vents. It might not be suitable for all cars (e.g: the screen could cover your hazard light button or something), but it's still a really nifty solution. The XAV-AX8000 will be out in December and cost US$599.99 (so at least A$900 by the time it lands here).
Optus $40 pre-paid SIM for $20 with free delivery from Optus online.
2nd-gen Apple AirPods with wireless charging case - $259.25 for eBay Plus member using the code PLUSAUG15.
GL.inet GL-MT300N-V2 travel router - $28.83 from Amazon AU.
512GB Samsung EVO Plus microSD card - $135.20 using the code POSTIE.
🎶 I Want You (She's So Heavy) - The Beatles
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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.