# In This Issue

- Key payment processors quit Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency

- Telegram’s cryptocurrency, Gram, put on warning by the SEC

- ACCC investigates NBN over lack of ADSL equivalent pricing

- Hats off to the genius who fabricated their own integrated circuit from scratch

- Cheap Sennheiser headphones, WD 120GB M.2 SSD, Sandisk USB-C flash drive, Panasonic 65" 4K TV, Telstra 12m plans, Acer Predator X34P monitor, Dell Ultrasharp monitors, 32GB 4K Apple TV

# News

#### Key payment processors quit Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency

Stripe, Visa, Mastercard, and Mercado Pago have withdrawn from Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency association, joining PayPal who quit last week. There's no official reason given for these payment processors to quit Libra, but you'd have to assume they're not liking the increased government scrutiny as they know the project doesn't stack up if regulated at a similar level as their current businesses. The timing is also pretty crap for Facebook, as Zuck is due to testify before the US House Financial Services Committee on October 23rd and the first official meeting of the Libra Association members is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Ah well, couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

#### Telegram’s cryptocurrency, Gram, put on warning by the SEC

Speaking of cryptocurrency shysters, the SEC has told Telegram (yeah the Russian chat app) to pause the rollout of its Gram cryptocurrency. The SEC reckons that once Telegram launches Gram, people will buy and sell them in the USA - which is illegal as it's an unregistered security. In a statement, the SEC said that "Telegram seeks to obtain the benefits of a public offering without complying with the long-established disclosure responsibilities designed to protect the investing public". Apparently Telegram has pre-sold US$1.7 billion worth of Gram already. Pretty amazing considering it sounds kinda useless going by the pre-sale documentation.

#### ACCC investigates NBN over lack of ADSL equivalent pricing

The ACCC is investigating the NBN once again, this time about "the prices that NBN Co charges access seekers to use the NBN for supplying residential grade broadband services. The ACCC is considering whether regulatory intervention is necessary in respect of these access products, particularly basic speed access products". NBN pricing is a legitimate concern, but trying to make it cheaper by giving people a shittier product (12/1 is pathetic even at $40/m) probably isn't the way to go about it. Meanwhile, NBN is going to launch its own global broadband speed rankings because it's pissed off with how the industry ones keep putting Australia in the shitheap. Absolutely delusional.

# Not News

#### Hats off to the genius who fabricated their own integrated circuit from scratch

Sam Zeloof built his own integrated circuit. Sam didn't just design the IC and send it off to get fabricated, no no no, he built his own, IC - from scratch. Old mate got a silicon wafer, oxidized it and used a home made lithography process to etch the gates into each layer (I think?). Here's a blog post with more details. The IC itself is a dual differential amplifier, so it's not like Sam is gonna challenge Intel any time soon, but semiconductor manufacturing is one of the most complicated manufacturing processes I'm aware of and this person did it at home. Absolutely amazing effort, hard not to be in awe really. Related, here's a video of one of the most modern semi-conductor lithography processes from ASML in the Netherlands.

# Bargains

- Sennheiser HD 4.30G over-ear headphones - $59 at JB Hi-Fi

- WD Green 120GB M.2 SATA SSD - $25 at MSY

- SanDisk 16GB Ultra USB-C flash drive - $4 at MSY

- Panasonic TH-65GX740A 65" 4K TV - $1036 from The Good Guys

- Telstra 12m plans from The Good Guys - $45m for 50gb with a $200 gift card or $65m for 60GB with a $400 gift card

- Acer Predator X34P curved IPS gaming monitor with G-SYNC - $997 at Harvey Norman

- Dell UltraSharp U2719D - $399 from Dell's factory outlet

- Get Officeworks to match Landmark computers for a 32GB 4K Apple TV and get it for $217.55

🎶 Poor Leno - Röyksopp

😁 The Sizzle is curated by Anthony "@decryption" Agius and emailed every weekday afternoon. Join us on Slack and chat with other Sizzle subscribers.

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.​