 | Edition 2422 |
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The News |
Would you download TrumpTok? |
Australia should sign up for Trump’s version of TikTok, Liberal MP James Patterson said (Sky News, archived). Since I wrote about the US-China TikTok deal earlier this week, a few more details have come out. The US entity will be controlled by Trump supporters including Oracle and a16z (Reuters). It looks like the original owners will license the original algorithm to the US entity (Guardian). Even without details about how this deal will address any of the original concerns about data and censorship, Patterson says we should sign up for whatever TrumpTok will look like. |
The Sizzle: As has been made abundantly clear this week, almost all of America’s media and tech elites are bending the knee to Trump. Now, TikTok is being put into the hands of MAGA-allied owners (the son of Oracle’s founder, David Ellison, just bought Paramount and is set on make its news channel CBS News more pro-Trump). My guess — and fear — is that TrumpTok will take the original algorithm and add a bit of its own flavour. Now, almost all of the world’s major tech platforms will be run by pro-MAGA billionaires who have no qualms in putting their fingers on the scale. I don’t think Australia should want any part of that. |
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum. |
Google’s jamming AI into billions of browsers |
Google is rolling out its AI features into all Chrome browsers “in the coming months” (Google Blog). Taking a leaf from Dia, Perplexity’s Comet and OpenAI’s forthcoming browser, Chrome’s AI will be able to read and interact with content on the browser’s tabs. Some of the promoted uses are summarising web pages, asking the browser to find previously browsed pages, even do basic “agentic” features (they showcased ordering groceries online) all without leaving the browser. |
 | Behind the Browser: AI Edition Highlights |
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The Sizzle: One of the reasons I was scratching my head about Atlassian’s purchase of The Browsing Co. was that I assumed Google was going to switch this on imminently, thereby demolishing any chance that Dia would ever grow its market. |
I’m curious to see how this goes. I don’t really need to search my browsing history for a website I can’t remember that often, but I’m sure this will be handy when I do. Nor do I trust an agent even to buy my groceries (not to mention all the ways that this is absolutely going to be exploited). I think this shows that the best use of generative AI and LLMs — at least in the short-medium term — are for a handful of useful features and not a overhaul of how all personal computing works. |
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum. |
The Sizzler Say: iOS26, RSS, desk speakers and a BOM anecodte |
I just installed iOS26 onto my iPhone 15 Pro. Early review: feels laggy, but that could just be the animation. Anyway, we’re talking about it here on Slack. There’s a good, on-going forum thread about how Sizzlers are using RSS. TravestyAU wrote on the forum about “state and federal Governments are pushing approval of these data centres to keep us globally competitive in AI the losers are the locals who have to fight to get access to clean water”. Recommendations for a desk speaker? richardb asked on Slack and Sizzlers delivered. Sizzler Angus emailed this anecdote in response to BOM getting RSS: “the networks course at my old uni used to use the BOM website for testing students’ assignments (where they were tasked with making a web proxy), because it’s one of the few sites these days that defaults to HTTP. After a few years the uni IP range got blocked because BOM thought they were DOSing them (with a pitifully small amount of usage, lol).”
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Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum. |
Leftovers |
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Discuss these links in the Sizzle Slack or forum. |
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Oh, Also |
The world’s lightest battery bank is gummy bear-themed |
There’s not really a good explanation for how this happened but it brings me so much joy to share that the world’s 20,000mAh lightest battery bank appears to be a crowdfunded collaboration between the gummy bear company, Haribo, and a Hong Kong-based hardware company. |
 | WORLD'S LIGHTEST BATTERY BANK - Haribo Mini Power Bank 20000mAH. Cheap Ultralight Backpacking Gear! |
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The best part? The inbuilt USB-C cord has a fake gummy bear. |
 | Yum |
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Sadly, it does not appear to be available to Australians — but tell me if you happen to find one. |
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum. |
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Bargains |
Electronics & electrical |
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Computing |
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Mobile |
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The End |
😎 The Sizzle is written by Cam Wilson and emailed every weekday. It was created by Anthony “decryption” Agius. |
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Always Was, Always Will Be Aboriginal Land |
The Sizzle is created on Gadigal 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. |
