### Issue 1512 - Friday 10th December, 2021

## In Today's Issue

- Apple Maps gets a massive upgrade in Australia
- Hashicorp's IPO went well, also what's Hashicorp?
- WhatsApp testing cryptocurrency payments within app
- Spy agencies recommend their staff use ad-blockers to stay safe online
- Friday Forum Update
- Cheap SmallRig desk mount, PS Plus subscription, Ryzen 7 5800X, Intel i7-12700K, refurb Sangean pocket DAB+, Kingston SSD

## The News

### Apple Maps gets a massive upgrade in Australia

Apple's launched its fancy new Maps interface in Australia. New things iOS users will now notice include "lane guidance, speed camera alerts, information about accidents and road hazards, accident reporting, and the Share ETA feature", along with Look Around - Apple's copy on Google's Street View. Maybe Apple Maps is a competitor now. It certainly looks as full featured as Google Maps now and is wayyyy nicer to use than the ugly (but very practical) Waze. Google still has the advantage in points of interest and user sourced data simply due to the fact there's a shitload more users compared to Apple Maps.

### Hashicorp's IPO went well, also what's Hashicorp?

Hashicorp is now a public company, floating on the Nasdaq today and currently sitting at a US$15b market cap. I've heard the name Hashicorp thrown around among my enterprise IT worker mates, but never knew what they did. For anyone blissfully unaware of Hashicorp as I am, Hashicorp provides "several popular tools that help companies get their applications up and running on cloud infrastructure" like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Those popular tools include services such as Terraform, Vault, Vagrant and Consul. Browsing Hashicorp's website reminds me how far out of the game I am when it comes to modern systems administration. Shit, I don't think they even call babysitting computers "systems administration" these days.

### WhatsApp testing cryptocurrency payments within app

WhatsApp is trying out cryptocurrency payments within a chat for users in USA. A service called Novi facilitates the exchange between the two users in a WhatsApp chat using Pax Dollars (USDP), "a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar issued by Paxos" that can be cashed out to fiat currency. There's no fees apparently and payments are instant. Sounds like a massive waste of time considering you'd then have to convert those useless "Pax Dollars" into US dollars. Just send US dollars! I assume this is just another stop-gap solution (like Venmo, Cashapp, Apple Cash, etc) for the fact the USA's payment system sucks.

## Something I Saw On The Internet

### Spy agencies recommend their staff use ad-blockers to stay safe online

The world wide web is so infested with malware delivered via advertising that the NSA, CIA and other law enforcement agencies have "implemented network-based ad-blocking technologies and uses information from several layers, including Domain Name System information, to block unwanted and malicious advertising content". These players aren't here to fuck spiders, so if they're doing it to protect their shit, you probably should do. NextDNS, Pi-Hole, uBlock Origin, Magic Lasso - pick one (uBlock & NextDNS here), they're all good strategies.

## Friday Forum Update

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.

- bort has had a hard drive shit the bed and now needs advice on data recovery services
- wolfjay throws up a few scenarios asking if a NAS is useful for their needs
- Leigh is an Aussie living in the USA who got to try out one of those cool/creepy Amazon Go convenience stores
- coljac has a bunch of computer stuff to sell and asked where they should list it all (alongside The Sizzle forums of course)
- _KO is wet-printing black and white photos they've taken and posting them to people!

## Bargains

- SmallRig desk mount clamp tripod/light stand/mount thingy - $32.24 from Amazon
- PlayStation Plus 12 month subscription (new/lapsed subscribers) - $39.95 from Sony
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU (no cooler) - $499.95 from Amazon
- Refurb Sangean DPR-35 pocket DAB+ radio - $99.99 from The Wicked Yak's eBay store
- Intel Core i7-12700K (no cooler) - $579 + delivery from Centrecom
- Kingston KC2500 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD - $135 from MSY

## The End

📻 Deja Vu - Something For Kate

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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.