### Issue 2092 - Tuesday 21st May, 2024

## In Today's Issue

- Microsoft launches "Copilot+ PCs", further pushing AI as a core Windows feature
- OpenAI used Scarlett Johansson's voice for GPT-4o despite Scarlett rejecting the offer twice
- Telstra to sack 2,800 staff, mostly from its Enterprise division
- Beware of the sharks circling your favourite browser extensions
- Cheap Edifier speakers, Sony camera cashback, Tesla Model 3/Model Y, Google Pixel Watch, Coles Mobile SIM

## The News

### Microsoft launches "Copilot+ PCs", further pushing AI as a core Windows feature

Microsoft's announced Copilot+ PCs, range of laptops utilising Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite & X Plus ARM64-based SoCs, including a new Surface, that Microsoft is pitching as computers that can do a bunch of AI stuff locally due to the beefy NPUs (neural processing units) on those SoCs. Most of the AI stuff we've seen before, but "Recall", which lets you "scroll across time to find the content you need in your timeline across any application, website, document, or more" by leveraging "your personal semantic index, built and stored entirely on your device", seems new. Microsoft claims these Snapdragon SoCs are 58% faster in the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core benchmark than the M3 SoC in Apple's 15" MacBook Air. There's also a new "Prism" translation layer coming to Windows 11 24H2 that'll make running x86 apps on ARM64 "similar to Rosetta" on macOS. These devices start shipping (in the US at least) on June 18th so not long to wait to see if these claims are true.

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### OpenAI used Scarlett Johansson's voice for GPT-4o despite Scarlett rejecting the offer twice

While developing GPT-4o, OpenAI asked Scarlett Johansson if she'd like to be the voice for it because Sam Altman and his cronies seem to be obsessed with the movie Her and Scarlett is the voice of the AI in it. She said no, but it appears they used her voice anyways, as 2 days before GPT-4o went live they asked Scarlett again and she said no again, but they used the voice and Altman aloofly posted on X, "Her" (referencing the movie) on GPT-4o's release, presumably with a massive shit eating grin as he pressed "Tweet", reclining in his seat and thinking how he's the world's smartest person. When OpenAI received a letter from Scarlett's lawyers asking what the fuck is going on and all this was made public, OpenAI changed the voice used by GPT-4o. What is it going to take to drill the concept of consent into the thick skulls of these fucking morons?

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### Telstra to sack 2,800 staff, mostly from its Enterprise division

Telstra is gonna sack 9% of its workforce - 2800 people - by the end of the year. According to an ASX statement, there will be a "reset of Telstra Enterprise" to "sharpen its focus" and save up to $350m, but it will cost $200m-$250m across the next two financial years to do this restructure, part of which is due to an "industry-leading redundancy package". The Communications Workers Union rightfully says that "you can't slash thousands of jobs without seriously impacting the delivery of services across the country" and that "this has completely come out of the blue". Meanwhile, Telstra still expects an FY24 EBITDA of over $8b. I know a decent chuck of diligent, honest, intelligent (and probably sexy, but I can't be sure I haven't met them all) Sizzle subscribers work for Telstra, so I hope you're all doing okay.

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## Something I Saw On The Internet

### Beware of the sharks circling your favourite browser extensions

The developer of popular Chrome browser extension Hover Zoom+ posted on GitHub all the "proposals to monetize this extension", surprising me with how valuable a browser extension can be as you've got amazing control over a person's internet experience. They've received dozens of requests over the years. Most of them want to simply buy the extension for a few thousand dollars - presumably to do a bait and switch on the existing users. A couple want to integrate some sort of SDK to collect "anonymous data". One proposes "conducting a DNS error research". Some people ask about re-routing user traffic via various affiliate links. It would be so tempting for someone desperate for money or with a broken moral compass to take one of these offers and sell their users out when the extension auto-updates.

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## Bargains

- Edifier MR4 studio monitor speakers - $109 from Centrecom
- 8% cashback from Sony's online store via Cashrewards (max $250, some exclusions)
- Up to $400 cashback on Sony cameras and lenses from authorised Sony dealers
- Tesla Model 3 or Model Y - $56,700/$57,700 + on-road costs ($60,127/$61,169 drive-away in VIC)
- Google Pixel Watch 1 - $199 from JB Hi-Fi
- Coles Mobile 365-day SIM, 140GB data, unlimited calls & SMS to 15 countries - $149 from Coles

## Image Of The Day

Acorn User Cover CD 9 May 2000, issue 220. (DFJustin / Internet Archive)

## The End

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