Thanks to everyone who purchased The Sizzle's 2021 year in review. Together we raised $475 for CAFS. Here's proof of the sales (I used Donorbox to collect payments) and proof of the donation!
FlexBooker got popped. Compromised information includes names, phone numbers, email addresses, passwords, and, in some cases, partial credit card information. But what the fuck is FlexBooker and why should you care? They run an online scheduling tool that Bunnings used for its Drive & Collect service. If you used this service (most of Australia during lock downs?!), chances are your data is now out and about. At this point who hasn't had their data leaked - but what's bad here is that by using a third-party service, Bunnings is able to wipe their hands of any responsibility and avoid the notifiable data breach reporting law.
Moxie Marlinspike is stepping down as CEO of Signal. He will be replaced by Brian Acton - the co-founder of WhatsApp who left Facebook with a fat payout and donated a chunk of it to Signal a few years ago. Moxie says he's been grinding away on Signal for 10 years, with the last 4 of them particularly stressful as Signal's popularity exploded, so it's time to let someone else take the throne. It's a fascinating choice for new CEO. If there's anyone who knows about a privacy focussed messaging app, it's the dude who co-founded WhatsApp. It'll be interesting to see how he handles the political and social ramifications of integrating MobileCoin into Signal to make a very difficult to trace payment platform.
Zynga, who I mostly associate with FarmVille, still exists and exists so strongly that Take-Two has purchased them for a massive US$17.2b. This makes it the largest gaming company acquistion ever. Take-Two might be familiar to you as the mob that publish all of Rockstar's games like Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Take-Two said that the purchase of Zynga "significantly diversifies our business and establishes our leadership position in mobile, the fastest growing segment of the interactive entertainment industry" and "see tremendous untapped potential to bring Take-Two's renowned console and PC properties to mobile". GTA Online Mobile coming soon, you heard it here first.
Apple's iCloud Private Relay feature is getting blocked T-Mobile in the USA. They don't explain why they're blocking it, but when a user goes to turn it on they're greeted with a message built-in to iOS saying "your cellular plan doesn't support iCloud Private Relay" - meaning Apple is allowing telcos to do this. In the EU telcos want it banned entirely saying it will have "significant consequences in terms of undermining European digital sovereignty". First of all, Apple have so much leverage that the opinons and desires of telcos mean nothing. What are they gonna do, stop selling/supporting iPhones? Second, fuck the telcos for still trying to be anything other than a dumb pipe and wanting to inspect, mangle, collect and wholesale user data.
📻 Bastard Son - George
😎 The Sizzle is curated by Anthony "@decryption" Agius and emailed every weekday afternoon.
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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.
