# In This Issue

- US politicians back on their “video games cause mass shooters” bullshit

- 1-in-10 NBN connections don’t achieve their full potential

- Japanese FTC investigating Apple for bullying suppliers

- “On background” reporting in tech journalism sucks

- Cheap iTunes gift cards, 6th-gen iPad, Vodafone Smart E9 burner phone, KEF Q150 speakers

# News

#### US politicians back on their “video games cause mass shooters” bullshit

Despite mountains of evidence pointing towards easy access to machine guns and a proliferation of white nationalist sympathy within the USA as the reason their country suffers weekly mass murders, US politicians are blaming video games again. The linked article contains cowardly quotes from various senators and congresspeople saying "well this kid loved playing Call of Duty - how long are we going to let these games continue?!", not worth repeating here. I reckon constant immersion in violent games probably isn't a good thing, but it's way, wayyyy down the list of ingredients that lead to weekly semi-automatic carnage. Fix all the other shit first ya mongrels.

#### 1-in-10 NBN connections don’t achieve their full potential

The ACCC has spit out its latest report on Australian broadband speeds and found that 12.5% of surveyed connections are under-performing (which means the connections don't achieve full speed, even outside peak), with Telstra and MyRepublic the most affected by under-performing services. Almost all those shitty internet speeds are on FTTN NBN services, so the ACCC is strongly recommending that NBN and ISPs do more to help consumers fix their ratshit in-home wiring, as that's the most likely reasons speeds suck. If NBN ends up paying to fix people's in-home wiring (unlikely under the Libs), it would be the ultimate farce.

#### Japanese FTC investigating Apple for bullying suppliers

Apple is under investigation by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission for unfairly pressuring suppliers. "The FTC in Japan surveyed Japanese companies and found that Apple had signed contracts forcing its partners to provide free technology and know-how for parts manufacturing. When one of the companies called Apple's contract an infringement of intellectual property rights and demanded a revision, Apple allegedly threatened to end the business relationship between the two companies". Sounds like a massive dick move to me, just no respect given by Apple to other businesses and particularly shitty considering their whinging about how Qualcomm treated Apple.

# Not News

#### “On background” reporting in tech journalism sucks

The Columbia Journalism Review has an excellent article about how shitty tech journalism is when it comes to regurgitating "on background" conversations. For those not familiar with journalist lingo, stuff said on background can be reported, but a journo can't attribute the quote to a name. According to Brian Merchant, this "tactic shields tech companies from accountability" and "allows giants like Amazon and Tesla an opportunity to transmit their preferred message, free of risk, in the voice of a given publication". Despite the obviousness of how crap this is, it still happens because there's always some ratfucker journo desperate for the clicks.

# Bargains

- 15% off iTunes gift cards at Target & Officeworks

- 6th-gen iPad Wi-Fi 32GB - $411 at The School Locker (get Officeworks to price match for an even better deal)

- Vodafone Smart E9 LTE smartphone - $39 at Woolworths

- KEF Q150 white bookshelf speakers - $673.37 at Amazon AU

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😁 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.​