### Issue 1944 - Tuesday 3rd October, 2023

## In Today's Issue

- Satya Nadella takes the stand in Google vs USA trial
- Look for the Chromebook Plus badge on your next Chromebook
- HBO Max likely launching in AU by 2025, Spotify's CEO has another jab at Google & Apple, Counter-Strike 2 is out
- NYC Mesh is a cool community mesh network providing affordable internet
- Cheap UE Boom & Bose Bluetooth speaker, 3-months free Apple Music, Lebara Amaysim Coles & Boost SIMs, Bose NC700 headphones, ZSUS 14" portable monitor, Xbox & EA FC 24 bundle, Seagate Game Drive SSD, Aranet 4 air quality monitor, Dell T4 dock, TCN gift cards

## The News

### Satya Nadella takes the stand in Google vs USA trial

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took the stand in the USA vs Google trial and made it clear that if Bing was the default search engine on iOS instead of Google, "it would be a game changer" and that "defaults are the only thing that matter" when it comes to changing user behaviour and that Google's claims that its easy to switch your default browser "bogus". Microsoft did try to beat Google's offer (it's not like Microsoft is low on cash), but Apple was "afraid of what Google would do if it lost default status" - like retaliating with its very popular Gmail and YouTube apps for iOS - which is what Satya reckons keeps Apple and Google working together just as much as the piles of money Google sends to Apple every year. Oh, and Microsoft tried to sell Bing to Apple.

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### Look for the Chromebook Plus badge on your next Chromebook

Google's introduced "Chromebook Plus", a badge OEMs can slap on laptops running ChromeOS that denotes the computer meets certain requirements. Hardware wise the laptops need to have an Intel Core i3 12th Gen/AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series or above CPU, 8GB or more of RAM, a 128GB or larger SSD, a 1080p+ webcam with "Temporal Noise Reduction" and a 1080p IPS or better display. Google's got a list of certified devices here. On the software side, the Chromebook Plus badge means the device is capable of running relatively intensive web apps like Google Photo's Magic Eraser feature and Adobe Photoshop, along with "Google's AI capabilities" built-in to ChromeOS. Don't forget about ChromeOS Flex to breathe life into older devices, like a MacBook Air or an iMac. Here's a list of supported devices.

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### HBO Max likely launching in AU by 2025, Spotify's CEO has another jab at Google & Apple, Counter-Strike 2 is out

- The boss of streaming at the parent company of HBO, newly merged Warner Bros Discovery, let loose at a conference that HBO Max might expand to Austraila in 2025, which also happens to be the year its deal with Foxtel runs out. RIP Binge, access to HBO content is the only reason anyone subscribes.
- Spotify's CEO is in the UK to lobby for the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Bill and while there he had a little chat to the Financial Times, dropping this presumably workshopped zinger - "if you want to be the referee you can't also be the player", referring to Apple and Google unfairly competing with developers on their own platforms.
- Counter-Strike 2 was released last week, replacing the incredibly popular CS:GO on Steam - literally, as it uses the same listing on Steam as CS:GO and overwrites CS:GO when installed. 17 year old me would have gone apeshit over this and would have skipped school for a solid week to go play it at the internet cafe a few blocks away (why did they put it so close to the school?!) with all the other reprobates.

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## Something I Saw On The Internet

### NYC Mesh is a cool community mesh network providing affordable internet

CNET has an inspiring story about NYC Mesh, a not for profit group that built a city-wide mesh wi-fi network using Ubiquiti's AirMAX and some Mikrotik products to give people cheap internet that doesn't suck. They get a fast fibre line hooked up to a tall building and spread that internet around to other buildings wirelessly, then using ethernet from the building down to the apartments inside. Their documentation on typical installs is pretty good. While reading it I couldn't help but think of the NBN and how the cheapest 50mbit plan is $65/m. I wonder if something similar would be useful and sustainable in Australian cities? Offer economically vulnerable people free, reliable, speedy and private internet access, subsided by donations from wealthy patrons, supported and installed by bleeding heart nerds.

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## Bargains

- UE Wonderboom 3 Bluetooth speaker - $97 from Amazon
- Bose SoundLink Flex Bluetooth speaker - $129 from Amazon
- Apple Music, up to 3 months free for inactive/new subscribers via Shazam
- Lebara (TPG MVNO) 360-day SIM with 425GB data, unlimited calls & SMS to 50 countries - $199 from Lebara
- Amaysim (Optus MVNO) 365-day SIM with 60GB/120GB data, unlimited calls & SMS to 28 countries & 1000 EDR points - $99/$119 at Woolworths
- Coles Mobile (Optus MVNO) 365-day SIM with 120GB/200GB data, unlimited calls & SMS to 15 countries - $119/$169 from Coles
- Boost Mobile (Telstra MVNO) 28-day SIM with 50GB data - $12 from Boost with $17 cashback ($5 profit) via ShopBack
- Bose NC 700 wireless headphones - $329 from Amazon
- ZSUS 14" 2K IPS portable USB-C monitor - $104 from Aliexpress
- Xbox Series X 1TB Console and EA Sports FC 24 bundle - $799 from Big W or Amazon
- Seagate Game Drive 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD with heatsink for PS5 - $222.12 from Amazon UK
- SAF Aranet4 Home: Wireless Indoor Air Quality Monitor - $299.19 from Amazon USA
- Dell WD22TB4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock - $304 from Amazon
- 20x Everyday Rewards Points on TCN gift cards (JB, Good Guys & others) at Woolworths

## Image Of The Day

Advertisement for GEnie (General Electric Network for Information Exchange) online service in Wired's April 1994 magazine. (warmidge / Internet Archive)

## The End

📻 Ticks & Leeches - TOOL

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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.