# In This Issue

- Kazakhstan’s back on its nationwide HTTPS MITM bullshit

- Huawei’s Hongmeng OS isn’t an Android alternative

- The facial recognition identity verification process for Victorian solar rebate sucks hard

- Run a social network exclusively for you and your mates

- Cheap Nintendo Switch, Acer X34P gaming monitor, Dali Zensor 1 bookshelf speakers, 12m Boost pre-paid kits, Netflix & Uber gift cards

# News

#### Kazakhstan’s back on its nationwide HTTPS MITM bullshit

Kazakhstan's government is once again forcing ISPs to install a government-issued certificate on customers devices to intercept all HTTPS traffic. When you try visit a website now from Kazakhstan, you're greeted with a prompt to install the government root certificate to continue. Once the certificate is installed, the government can see everything you're doing online. Ministry officials said the measure was "aimed at enhancing the protection of citizens, government bodies and private companies from hacker attacks, Internet fraudsters and other types of cyber threats" - mmmhmmm, sure it is.

#### Huawei’s Hongmeng OS isn’t an Android replacement

You know how Huawei is on thin ice regarding access to Android because of the US-China trade war (it looks like there was some hope of a reprieve, but it hasn't actually happened yet)? Well Hongmeng, an alternative Huawei made OS was apparently their answer to a future without Android - or so we thought. Now Huawei is saying Hongmeng isn't even designed for smartphones and is for industrial use. So it still seems pretty unclear what Huawei will do if (or when) the Android rug is pulled out from under them. Selling smartphones in the west without the Play Store will be a disaster.

#### The facial recognition identity verification process for Victorian solar rebate sucks hard

If you're a Victorian that wants to get a sweet cash handout for installing solar panels on the roof of your house, you have to submit your application online along with a facial recognition scan via a smartphone app. According to the Smart Energy Council, the process is so crap that it fails 40% of the time and is "leaving elderly customers in tears". The government claims it is a "public beta" and intends to roll it out on other government services as an alternative to the traditional 100 point ID check. Kinda shitty that this is the only way to verify your ID - it should really be an optional alternative considering its a beta.

# Not News

#### Run a social network exclusively for you and your mates

Here's an interesting idea - running a social networking site just for you and your mates. Darius Kazemi raises the idea in this blog post, where he explains why he hosts a forked-Mastodon instance called Friend Camp that doesn't federate with the rest of Mastodon, so it's in practice a mini version of Twitter full of only people he (I assume) likes. There's only about 50 people and it sets its own rules about what is or isn't acceptable conduct. I like the concept of a mini-social network with your mates, but it looks like a lot of fucking around when I can just use Slack, Discord or even good ol' Discourse.

# Bargains

- Nintendo Switch console - $359.10 from EB Game's eBay store with the code PONCHO10

- Acer Predator X34P 34" gaming monitor - $927.15 from Nvidia's eBay store with the code PLUNGE

- Dali Zensor 1 bookshelf speakers (pair) - $236 from Grays Online eBay store with the code PILOT

- Coles will be selling 12m Boost pre-paid kits with 80GB of data for $140 (works out to just $11.67/m for 6.67GB/m of Telstra 4G data!)

- Buy a $50 Netflix or Uber gift card from Coles and get 2000 bonus Flybuys points

🎶 Tristessa - Smashing Pumpkins

😁 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.​