# Issue 799

##### Monday, 21st January 2019

## In This Issue

- Facebook has 5 priorities for 2019, plus a big fine from the FTC
- Microsoft will no longer release security updates for Windows 10 Mobile
- The EU's controversial Copyright Directive is on life support
- Google Maps getting in-app speed limit & camera info very soon
- Bosch gets $2.3m to test driverless cars in Victoria
- IKEA is hooking up with Sonos to make some smart speakers
- NBN to give ISPs $160 for every user they can lure to a 100/40 plan
- Cheap Xiaomi scooter, RODEcaster Pro, Vodafone SIM, Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, PSVR starter pack

## News

### Facebook has 5 priorities for 2019, plus a big fine from the FTC

Facebook's COO, Sheryl Sandberg said at a conference in Germany that Facebook "needs to do better to protect people's data" and outlined her 5 priorities for Facebook in 2019: Investing in safety and security, protecting against election interference, cracking down on fake accounts and fake information, making sure people feel like they control their own information and, increasing transparency at Facebook. Ok, cool, I'll believe it when I see it. Meanwhile, the US FTC has spent a year investigating Facebook's bullshit and is considering giving them a big fine. That'll show 'em!

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### Microsoft will no longer release security updates for Windows 10 Mobile

Microsoft hasn't been adding features to Windows 10 Mobile since 2017, but at the end of 2019, they'll stop releasing security and software updates too. Microsoft is recommending users grab an iOS or Android device instead. It's time to let go of that Lumia mate, put the Nokia down and enter 2019 with the rest of us. I wonder if this means the dream of a Microsoft Surface smartphone is dead? Maybe they'll still do one, but make it a fork of Android? If it integrated tightly with Microsoft's stuff instead of Google's it could be a winner. Stupider things have happened!

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### The EU's controversial Copyright Directive is on life support

Remember the EU's proposed Copyright Directive? It's the law that would have introduced a "link tax" so media companies could make Google pay for linking to their news articles and a copyright filter applied to user submitted content as it is uploaded. Good news is that "multiple countries - including Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland - made it clear they would not support the latest text put forth by Romania, and therefore would have blocked it from moving forward", meaning the Directive is kinda dead on arrival. It can still be revived if there's some sort of modifications to the Directive, but the activism around this issue seems to have achieved something.

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### Google Maps getting in-app speed limit & camera info very soon

Google Maps is gonna start displaying speed limits and speed cameras in both the Android and iOS apps soon. It's a tiny feature, I know, but damn it's a feature I've wanted for ages. Waze has had it for a while, and Google owns Waze, so it's weird Google didn't apply some of their big brain machine learning artificial intelligence to reading speed signs it captures on Street View. Apple CarPlay support for displaying speed limits is icing on the cake. It's slowly rolling out country by country, so expect it in Australia some time in the next few months I guess.

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### Bosch gets $2.3m to test driverless cars in Victoria

Bosch has scored $2.3m from the Victorian state government to do driverless car testing. Bosch plans to start testing a "highly autonomous vehicle on high-speed rural roads by the middle of the year", with the aim of "improving safety on rural roads". As someone who drives often on Victorian rural roads - this is good because I like things that decrease the odds of my death. I'm just glad it's not another stupid little bus on a 1km test track that gets wheeled out when the suits are in town. The Connected and Automated Vehicle Trial Grants Program has $9m all up to hand out, so expect some more announcements soon.

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## Not News, But Still Cool

### IKEA is hooking up with Sonos to make some smart speakers

IKEA has mentioned a new range of smart speakers called Symfonisk in a collaboration with Sonos. Apparently these speakers will be fully interoperable with the Sonos ecosystem and the other IKEA smarthome stuff (i.e: their Trafidi lights). There's no pricing and only one picture of one prototype speaker, but Symfonisk will be out in August 2019. Hopefully that includes Australia, as I could see this being super popular thanks to IKEA's scale. $99 Sonos speaker that doesn't sound like garbage? Yes please.

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### NBN to give ISPs $160 for every user they can lure to a 100/40 plan

NBN is going to give ISPs $160 for each user they can convince to upgrade to a 100mbit or faster plan. Why? To boost the number of users on the fast speed tiers where NBN actually makes a decent bit of money and grow the important average revenue per user (ARPU) number. Right now, only around 11% of NBN users are on the 100/40 speed tier. The idea is that once people get a taste of the sweet speed, they'll see the value in paying ~$100/m for internet access. The $160 discount will probably be offered by ISPs in the form of "hey move to 100mbit and the first two months are on us!" kinda thing.

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### Cheap Xiaomi scooter, RODEcaster Pro, Vodafone SIM, Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, PSVR starter pack

- Get your own personal Lime/Bird electric scooter direct from China (Xiaomi M365) for $593.96 delivered. Check your state laws if you can actually ride it around legally.
- The fancy RODECaster Pro mixer/recorder unit is $670.40 from eBay with the code POOLTIME
- Vodafone $30 starter pack is just $10 at Coles starting Wednesday
- Get the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones for $338.13 if you sign up for an eBay Plus account and use the code AUPLUSJAN15
- PlayStation VR starter pack (headset, camera & a copy of PlayStation Worlds) is only $263.20 on eBay with the code POOLTIME.

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That's it, see ya tomorrow!
--Anthony

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