Issue 2050 - Tuesday 19th March, 2024

In Today's Issue

The News

eSafety sends legal notices to social media companies asking how they handle terrorist content

eSafety has issued legal notices to Google, Meta, Twitter/X, WhatsApp, Telegram and Reddit. The notices issued via powers given to eSafety under the Online Safety act demand they "report on steps they are taking to protect Australians from terrorist and violent extremist material and activity" and "answer a series of detailed questions about how they are tackling the issue". eSafety will also be asking Telegram and Reddit about measures they have in place to detect and remove child sexual exploitation and abuse. The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, was also in the news today having a whinge that more companies aren't using Microsoft's Photo DNA or Google's CSAI Match, not even Microsoft or Google themselves. Could it be, perhaps, that these auto-detection systems suck and aren't worth the massive amounts of false matches? If you think the software is so good, why don't use you use the very powerful Online Safety Act to force its use or shut down the online services that refuse to use it???

Share or Discuss

macOS 14.4 update riddled with bugs, Microsoft forcing Bing ads on Chrome users now

Might wanna hold off upgrading to macOS 14.4 as it appears to have a long list of deal breaker issues for many people. MacRumors has compiled the main ones, which appear to be lots of USB hubs no longer being detected, Java processes "terminating unexpectedly" which breaks many important apps, HP printer drivers shitting the bed and a couple more, like this one that could delete all your iCloud Drive data. Meanwhile, Microsoft has randomly enabled "a one-time notification giving people the choice to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome" in Windows 10 and Windows 11, with many people thinking it was malware due to the "quality of the pixelated ads". Microsoft confirmed it is legit and that it happens when you are using Chrome with the default search engine set to Google. Gross behaviour to go around injecting ads into your competitors product!

Share or Discuss

Intel's 6.2GHz CPU is a power hog, Apple might add Google's Gemini to iOS, Black Mirror gets renewed

Share or Discuss

Something I Saw On The Internet

Behind The Bastards highlights how awful Steve Jobs was

I'm not a big podcast guy, but I have been listening to Behind The Bastards lately as they cover how much of a fuckwit Steve Jobs was. We all knew he was an arsehole, but there's a rich vein of stories, confirmed by multiple people, of how he didn't shower for years so stunk constantly, yelled at children regularly, would cry whenever he didn't get his way to manipulate people to do what he wants, regularly gaslit Steve Wozniak and treated his daughter like a piece of shit - and I'm only up to episode 3 out of 4! Jobs was an absolute prick but at least we got the Mac, iPod and iPhone out of it.

Share or Discuss

Bargains

Image Of The Day

Multi-channel prototype (Computer Print). Eduardo Paolozzi, 1970. (National Gallery of Australia)

The End

📻 Arguing With Strangers - Mvll Crimes

😎 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, change email address or cancel your subscription? Visit the customer portal.

🎁 Make someone's day and buy them a 12 month gift subscription to The Sizzle.

📚 Browse The Sizzle Archive. A few issues are missing and it's not searchable, but it's better than nothing.

🫂 Friends of The Sizzle is a small group of businesses or organisations operated by Sizzle subscribers. Support your fellow Sizzler!

💔 Tired of my bullshit? Unsubscribe and I'll never speak to you again.

Always Was, Always Will Be Aboriginal Land

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.