French privacy regulator CNIL has joined the Austrian privacy regulator in declaring Google Analytics technically illegal. Like in Austria, the core issue is that the unique identifier Google assigns to users and attaches to the data it collects on websites via Analytics, is transferred to the USA and stored on US servers. The data is then at risk of US intelligence services accessing it - something the French, Austrians and every other EU country are not fans of. There's never been a better time for all businesses to reconsider all the data they collect and how they store it. If a few monetisation techniques predicated on harvesting data get smashed in the process, good.
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is suing Tesla after a 3 year investigation found "Tesla's Fremont factory is a racially segregated workplace where Black workers are subjected to racial slurs and discriminated against in job assignments, discipline, pay, and promotion creating a hostile work environment". Tesla preempted this, posting on their blog that they've been investigated "almost 50 times" by DFEH and on "every single occasion", DFEH "did not find misconduct against Tesla". The post is laden with subtle passive aggressiveness like saying they "provide the best paying jobs in the automotive industry to over 30,000 Californians" and that "attacking a company like Tesla that has done so much good for California should not be the overriding aim of a state agency".
Apple's AirTags have copped criticism for lowering the barrier to entry of stalking and there's nothing Apple hates more than looking bad in public, so they've announced a range of measures to make AirTags and the Find My network less stalker friendly. iPhone 11 and newer devices will be able to use the "precision finding" feature previously only available to AirTag owners to find AirTags in their vicinity. A lost AirTag will now display an alert on an iOS device, along with making a sound - so if the speaker is tampered with to avoid detection, it'll hopefully still be found. That tone will also be made louder.
Two of Kioxia's factories in Japan have temporarily shut down. According to a statement, "a component containing impurities in a specific production process of the 3D flash memory BiCS" and that they "aim for early recovery to normal operation". Reuters reckons this means there's a 6.5 exabyte shortage of flash memory in the market, which sounds like a lot of this type of high end flash memory. Hardest hit is likely Western Digital branded SSDs, as Kioxia is a joint venture between Toshiba and WD. Apparently Samsung's NAND flash memory factories were hit with shutdowns due to COVID recently. A bad combo if you wanted a cheap SSD.
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.
📻 TV Pro - The Vines
😎 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.
👋 Forums not your thing? The Sizzle has a Slack group you can procrastinate in and chat with other nerds bored at work.
💳 Paid subscriber looking to manage your billing info or change email address? Visit the customer portal.
📚 Browse The Sizzle Archive. A few issues are missing and it's not searchable, but it's better than nothing.
Fastmail. Email where you are the customer, not the product. Loads of features, smooth no-nonsense web interface, plus calendar and contact hosting. They've been around for 20 years and I've been a customer for over 10. Use this link and get 10% off your first year and I get around 30c/month you remain a customer.
Aussie Broadband. Great customer service and responsive to community needs (they have an "unofficial" Discord, they publish their CVC!). I've been a customer since 2017 and don't plan on going anywhere. Use my referral code (1001031) to get $50 credit when signing up for an NBN plan and I get $50 credit towards my next bill.
Vultr. All my Australian-based hosting needs (3x VPSes) are handled by Vultr. Easy to use admin interface, automatic backups, built-in firewall, custom ISO support and reasonable prices. Sign up with my link and score $100 credit. I get $25 credit if you're active for 30+ days and spend at least $25.
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.