### Issue 1645 - Friday 8th July, 2022

## In Today's Issue

- Facebook is technically illegal in the EU, what will the EU do about it?
- Elon Musk is now ignoring Twitter after agreeing to buy it
- Brisbane's big battery & datacentre, Russia bragging about war on the ISS, Sunny Balwani found guilty
- Electric Ferraris and Lamborghinis just don't have the same appeal, do they?
- Friday Forum Update

Cheap HP 34" monitor, Amazon Eero, Good Guys 12% cashback, Xbox controllers, Big LAN V tickets, Sennheiser headphones

## The News

### Facebook is technically illegal in the EU, what will the EU do about it?

The Irish Data Protection Commission has found that Meta is still storing EU user data in the USA, which if you've been reading The Sizzle for a while, you'd know has been illegal since 2020 and like a red flag to a bill for EU privacy regulators. Meta reckons the US and EU governments are working on a new law to ensure data can be moved between jurisdictions legally, but that looks like it will take years. Google Analytics has been the prime focus of the French, Austrians and Italians the past year or so and it seems like Meta and all its properties are in the firing line next. I wonder what people would do if Facebook/Insta/WhatsApp was taken away from them?

### Elon Musk is now ignoring Twitter after agreeing to buy it

The latest on Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter is that it's going nowhere. A few weeks ago Twitter gave old mate the "firehose" of data to do his own research with after bitching and moaning (after entering a legally binding contract to buy it!!!) that he can't buy Twitter because of all the spam. Now he's simply ghosting Twitter after "Musk's camp concluded that Twitter's figures on spam accounts are not verifiable". Let's not forget that one of the reasons Musk wanted Twitter was to clean up all the spam! Meanwhile, Twitter has started sacking people (and preventing them from selling their stock) - something Twitter said won't happen during this sale period.

### Brisbane's big battery & datacentre, Russia bragging about war on the ISS, Sunny Balwani found guilty

- Brisbane is getting a massive grid connected battery that will reside next to an also massive datacentre. Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners plans to build an 800MW/2000MWh battery that will act as a UPS for "up to four hyperscale data centres". The huge project, dubbed "Supernode" has a total cost of $2.5b. It'll be Australia biggest battery. Cool.
- A statement from NASA "strongly rebukes Russia using the International Space Station for political purposes to support its war against Ukraine", after Roscosmos posted photos of its cosmonauts on the ISS celebrating the Russian army taking over a Ukrainian city. I doubt NASA and the USA's hands are clean here, but it's still gross to see this type of activity on the ISS.
- For those still interested in the Theranos saga, Sunny Balwani has been found guilty "on all 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy to defraud patients and investors". His lawyers failed to convince a jurt that he was just a pawn of Elizabeth Holmes. He will now be sentenced, alongside Elizabeth. Both will end up in jail if there's any justice in this world.

## Something I Saw On The Internet

### Electric Ferraris and Lamborghinis just don't have the same appeal, do they?

The New York Times has an interesting article about Lamborghini and Ferrari's place in the world when cars are increasingly going electric. I had no idea Ferrari's new CEO is actually a former executive from STMicroelectronics - a French/Italian multi-national chip maker, which could be a coincidence, but maybe a sign that even Ferrari knows combustion engines, even their beautiful sounding units, are coming to an end sooner rather than later. I honestly don't know what the appeal of a Ferrari would be if it was electric. There's plenty of limited edition, hand crafted, luxury cars with cool designs - without the engine, is a Ferrari anything special?

## Friday Forum Update

Here's five interesting discussions over on The Sizzle's paid subscriber forum for you to enjoy over the weekend. If you are not a paid subscriber but want to get involved, visit https://thesizzle.com.au/payme to get onboard.

- bja is looking for a PVR to replace their trusty but now dying Topfield unit
- TheEther made a little web app to help you play Wordle
- TinBane raises the prospect that everyone should use quantum resistant cryptography ASAP
- trs80 needs a new personal finance app because their long term favourite, Pocketbook, is dying
- jurgen has the unique idea of using a small online store as a wedding gift registry

## Bargains

- HP X34 IPS 34" 3440x1440 flat monitor - $506.35 from Allphones eBay store
- Amazon Eero Wi-Fi 5 router 3-pack - $253 from Amazon
- 12% cashback at The Good Guys (some exclusions, like Apple & max $75 cashback) via Cashrewards
- Xbox Wireless Controller & free Xbox PC Game Pass 1-month code - $79 from Amazon
- Big LAN V gaming tournament (18+ LAN party in Melb tomorrow) - $18 BYO PC
- Sennheiser HD 250BT headphones - $53.10 from David Jones

## The End

📻 Comin' Home - Hum

😎 The Sizzle is curated by Anthony "@decryption" Agius and emailed every weekday afternoon.

💬 Checked out the paid subscriber only forum? It's a tidy little place to discuss tech with like minded Aussies.

👋 Forums not your thing? The Sizzle has a Slack group you can procrastinate in and chat with other nerds bored at work.

💳 Paid subscriber looking to manage your billing info or change email address? Visit the customer portal.

📚 Browse The Sizzle Archive. A few issues are missing and it's not searchable, but it's better than nothing.

## Always Was, Always Will Be Aboriginal Land

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.