The latest installment of the ACCC's long running Digital Platforms Services Inquiry is gonna look at the "way that businesses are using social media advertising services such as display advertising, sponsored posts and paid influencers to engage with and advertise to consumers", plus "the impact of scams and the risk of being exposed to misleading or deceptive content by businesses through social media". The ACCC will also investigate "competition issues involving social media services, including barriers to entry and expansion faced by new platforms, and hurdles and costs faced by consumers and businesses when they try to switch services". Good to see some scrutiny given to this seedy part of the internet that's usually stacked high with bullshit. The findings are due in March 2023.
Apple insider and Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman is speculating that the Cupertino based megacorp (market cap US$2.7 trillion, annual revenue 2021 US$365 billion, 2021 profit US$152 billion) is going to double down on advertising across all its platforms. Right now Apple runs its own ad network and pops low quality shitty scam looking ads in the News and Stocks apps and ads for apps in search results on the App Store. Apple wants to expand the range of ads on the App Store (the curated Today homepage and individual app listing pages), as well as the Podcasts, Books and even Maps apps. Very convenient they make it harder for competitors (App Tracking Transparency) then decide to go harder on ads themselves.
Sometimes you just see a post that makes you feel like you know nothing about computers. Today that post is Matt Keeter's expedition with a high-speed active differential probe (whatever the fuck that is) connected to a network switch. This allows him to look at the signals coming off the switch on an oscilloscope. Literally looking at the data across the wire! From there the rest of the post goes totally over my head, but it is very impressive. This is what you call "deep knowledge", folks.
📻 Dirty Hearts - Dallas Crane
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