The News

Carmakers do not want Apple CarPlay Ultra because they won’t be able to squeeze you for more $

Carmakers are turning up their noses at Apple’s mega-CarPlay because they’re worried they’ll lose opportunities to make money (FT, $). Despite 98% of new American cars coming with CarPlay, car brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Volvo are all saying “no thanks” to the expanded version, CarPlay Ultra, which lets drivers access car data like speed, and to control features like A/C or the radio from inside Apple’s walled garden (Mashable). Why? They want to be able to sell apps and limit access to the car’s data (again, so they can sell it). Every car’s entertainment system that I’ve used has been shithouse in comparison to CarPlay, so I’d definitely want it. I can’t pretend it’s not funny to see Apple get a taste of what it’s like to come begging to be on someone else’s locked-down platform.

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Why an anti-deepfake law looks scary under Trump

You’ve probably heard that the US has passed an anti-nonconsensual deepfake law called the Take It Down Act (AP). I’ve written about how explicit deepfakes apps are a fucking scourge. But there’s reason to be worried that the law’s requirement to take content down in 48 hours and lack of protections will mean companies will just remove any content that’s reported, even if it is not sure it’s a deepfake material (EFF). Trump, who literally posted Taylor Swift deepfakes (Guardian), actually said “I’m going to use this law for myself.” (EFF). Annoyingly, I can’t find the post but some US politician flipped their position to be against the law because the Trump administration’s behaviour meant that they were worried about how the law could be misused. What’s happening in the US has definitely opened my eyes to what governments can do, and made me less likely to give them the benefit of the doubt in the future.

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We’re getting Social Network 2

We will be getting a sequel to The Social Network (Deadspin), the defining technology movie of the 2010s that depicts a weird, sociopathic Mark Zuckerberg’s quest to create Facebook. Aaron Sorkin, the original writer, is apparently set to write and direct a follow-up inspired by the WSJ’s 2021 Facebook Files, which were based on a whistleblower’s internal documents about how the company dealt with its problems with teens, extremism, and undermining democracy.

My question is: what would YOU want to see in this sequel? There’s so much great stuff to cover: Zuckerberg’s weird cross-country tour of the US (remember Sweet Baby Rays?) and then tryhard MAGA transformation, the failed Metaverse, how it fuelled QAnon and Jan 6. Personally? I think Sorkin should do a three hour deep-dive into Australia’s news media bargaining code (lol).

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Leftovers

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Oh, Also

Save money by making minutes shorter

Reading for the Sizzle today, I came across a headline that made me double take: OpenAI Charges by the Minute, So Make the Minutes Shorter (George Mandis). No, it’s not like that grindset influencer who talks about having 3 days in one (it’s worth a watch on YouTube, I promise) but actually some clever thinking. Since companies like OpenAI charge per minute of video transcribing, you can get more bang for your buck if you literally speed up the video you’re transcribing — to a point.

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Bargains

Electronics & electrical

Computing

The End

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