Plus: TRUMP PHONE TRUMP PHONE TRUMP PHONE ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

June 17, 2025 | Read online
# Stop using SMS 2FA, Aussies don't trust influencers and WhatsApp ads Plus: TRUMP PHONE TRUMP PHONE TRUMP PHONE
Edition 2354
Flickr: karagon3783
# The News
### You should probably stop using SMS for two-factor authentication
A million two-factor authentication text messages obtained as part of an investigation into a scummy Swiss telecom company is a good reminder why SMS is a really bad way to secure your life (Bloomberg, archived). The quite short, easy-to-read article suggests that this Fink Telecom, which has links to government spy agencies and surveillance companies, has probably been handing over SMS 2FA data to enable hacks around the world. While it’s easy to think of SMS as a global system, it’s actually this opaque network of babushka doll-like companies that we trust to pass on our messages like Chinese whispers — which makes it vulnerable to this kind of attack. (Speaking of attacks: TechCrunch wrote about researchers who invented a way to use “the microphone of a compromised smartwatch to receive ultrasonic signals from an infected air-gapped computer” 👀.)
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
### Aussies might get more news online but that doesn’t mean they trust the people posting it
Australians are getting more of their news from online video but that doesn’t mean they’re just listening to influencers, according to this year’s survey of Australian news media habits which is always an interesting read (University of Canberra). If you have a spare half an hour, I recommend scrolling through, but here’s some of my big and not always intuitive takeaways:
Even as Aussies are getting more of their info from platforms like TikTok and YouTube or news websites, they’re still getting a lot of it from “traditional media” (i.e. existing publishers and broadcasters) on those platforms, as my colleague Crystal pointed out at Crikey ($) That could be in part because Australians view influencers/personalities as the biggest threat of misinformation (57%), followed by activists groups (51%) and foreign governments (49%) (The Conversation). Again, despite the hype, Australians still get their news mostly from TV (37%), with social media (26%) and online news (23%) still ages behind.
What does this all mean? Technology is obviously changing how we get news but maybe not as much as we think — for now.
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
### WhatsApp ads are here because Mark Zuckerberg ain’t running a charity
In the least surprising development ever, the ad company — Meta — is going to put ads — its main source of revenue — in the thing that it paid lots of money for — WhatsApp (The Verge). Right now, it’s going to start putting them in the “Status” tab which you’ve probably never used. Ads suck, but there’s two reasons why I’m not super alarmed: 1) WhatsApp is designed in a way that’s a lot harder to get heaps of data from and, 2) no-one’s really nailed advertising on messaging apps — look at Snapchat! — so it’s not like there’s a clear enshittification playbook here. Although, if anyone could figure it out…
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
#### Leftovers
Mwave acquired by Digidirect, as parent company goes into voluntary administration (CRN) Union push for workers to have right to refuse to use AI (AFR, $) Fortescue takes delivery of first battery electric locomotive as it races to “real zero” (The Driven) Vocus adds secure connectivity for Starlink (ARN) Founder of 23andMe buys back company out of bankruptcy auction (Ars Technica) OpenAI wins $200 million U.S. defense contract (CNBC) How scammers are using AI to steal college financial aid (AP) UK passes bill allowing AI to be trained on copyrighted data (Cyber Daily AU) Tesla blows past stopped school bus and hits kid-sized dummies in Full Self-Driving tests (Engadget) Makers of air fryers and smart speakers told to respect users’ right to privacy (Guardian) Goodbye Dark Inc. - Hello Darklang Inc. (Darklang) Google Pixel 10 leaks reveal new AI 'Magic Cue' assistant and upgraded speakers (The Shortcut) Jokes and Humour in the public Android API (ROLLerozxa) Microsoft accidentally swapped Windows 11’s startup sound with Vista’s (The Verge) Try This Free Version of Microsoft Office That Runs in Your Browser (WIRED, $) LibreOffice adds voice to 'ditch Windows for Linux' campaign (The Register) Start your own Internet Resiliency Club (Bowshock)
Discuss these links in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
# Oh, Also
### TRUMP PHONE TRUMP PHONE TRUMP PHONE
A few editions ago, I shared about Trump’s iPhone use. Now, I’m even more excited to introduce you to the official Trump Mobile network’s Trump T1 Phone (Variety). I mean who else could be brilliant enough to sell a MVNO plan that’s more expensive than its competitors along with a clearly photoshopped phone that it claims is made in the US, despite the fact that no manufacturer makes a phone with these specs (The Verge) and that pre-ordering the phone charges the wrong amount and confirms shipping despite not asking for a shipping address (404 Media, $).
I’m personally hanging out for the Albanese A1
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
# Bargains
### Electrical & Electronics
UGREEN FineTrack Tag (Compatible with Apple Find My) - $18.89 at UGREEN via Amazon AU EFM Boston TWS Earbuds with Wireless Charging – White - $19.99 at Mobileskin Apple Airtag 4pk - $124 at MyDeal Audio Technica CKS30TW+ True Wireless Noise Canceling Earphones - $129 at JB Hifi Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds - $177 at JB Hi-Fi Sony Pulse Explore Wireless Earbuds - $249 at JB Hi-Fi Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds - $259 at Bose Australia OnePlus Watch 3 (Global Version) Black - ~$344 at OnePlus Official Store AliExpress Sonos Move 2 - $547 at The Good Guys eBay Insta360 X5 8K 360 Action Camera - $764.15 at Allphones Online eBay Dreame L30 Ultra S Robot Vacuum and Mop - $973 at Harvey Norman eufy X10 Pro Omni Robovac - $999 at JB Hi-Fi ECOVACS DEEBOT X5 Pro Omni Robotic Vacuum - $1499 at JB Hi-Fi Sony Alpha A7C Mark II Compact System Camera - $2369 at Camera House eBay TCL 85" 85C855 4K UHD Premium QD-Mini LED Google TV - $2488 at JB Hi-Fi
### Computing
GeIL Orion 32GB Kit (2x16GB) DDR4-3200 C16 (Charcoal Grey) - $69 at PLE Crucial P310 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD 2280 - ~$74.28 at Aliexpress Storage Store via Aliexpress Google Nest Wi-Fi 5 Mesh Router System 2-Pack (1x Router & 1x Point) - $112 at Allphones Online eBay OMEN 27 G2 by HP 27" FHD IPS 180hz Gaming Monitor - $174.30 at HP eBay ASUS RT-AX86U Pro AX5700 Dual Band Wi-Fi 6 Router - $207.89 at Amazon AU Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6E System White 3-Pack - $218.80 at Amazon AU AOOSTAR N1PRO Mini PC - $229 at AOOSTAR Amazon AU Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ & JBL 720 Wireless Headphones - $277 at Officeworks Dynabook Portege X30L-J Very Good Condition 13.3” (refurbished) - $343.20 at Un Tech eBay (Refurbished) AOOSTAR WTR PRO 4 Bay NAS - ~$380.14 at China Box AliExpress CORSAIR Vengeance RGB DDR5 RAM 2x48GB 6800MHz CL34 - $428.18 at Amazon AU (Back Order) AMD Ryzen 7800X3D - $454.44 at Comet Crash Global Store via AliExpress Brother MFC-L8390CDW Colour Laser MFC - $458 at Officeworks MINISFORUM UN1290 Mini PC Intel Core i9-12900HK - $655.99 at MINISFORUM Amazon AU AMD Ryzen 9800X3D - ~$703 at SZCPU Store AliExpress\ ThinkPad E14 G5 - $767.20 at Lenovo eBay Apple iPad Pro 13" M4 256GB Wi-Fi - $1897.15 at Retravision for RAC members only but if you put 000000 as your member number, it appears to work
Mobile
Telstra’s $99/mth SIM-Only Deal - $79/Mth Coles Mobile 365-Day Prepaid 140GB + 25GB Bonus Activation Data - $149 at Coles amaysim 365-Day Prepaid SIM Starter Pack 200GB and 2000 Every Day Rewards points - $175 at Woolworths Motorola Moto G85 8GB RAM/128GB Storage and $40 gift card - $247 at The Good Guys Google Pixel 8 5G 128GB Obsidian - $399 at The Good Guys Samsung Galaxy A56 128GB - $499 at Telstra Samsung Galaxy S25 512GB Blue - $1337 at JB Hi-Fi iPhone 16 512GB Teal - $1698 at Officeworks
# The End
😎 The Sizzle is written by Cam Wilson and emailed every weekday. It was created by Anthony “decryption” Agius.
🤖 We love robots at the Sizzle but this newsletter has always been and will always be written by humans for humans.
🗣️ Have any feedback, a tip or just want to chat? Send me an email or Signal message. I promise to reply!
💬 Want to hang out with other Sizzlers? There’s a subscriber-only Slack server and forum if you want to procrastinate and chat about tech-related news.
🌐 The Sizzle is on Bluesky, Mastodon and LinkedIn if you’re feeling social.
💳 Paid subscriber looking to manage your billing info, change email address or cancel your subscription? Visit the Beehiiv customer portal.
🎁 Make someone's day and gift them a 12 month gift subscription to The Sizzle.
💔 Don’t want this any more? I won’t take it personally. There’s a unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email or here’s a guide.
🦺 The Sizzle has been tested to meet and exceed ISO 3533 standards.
## 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.
Update your email preferences or unsubscribe here © 2026 The Sizzle PO Box 351 Bacchus Marsh, VIC 3340, Australia
Powered by beehiiv
Terms of Service