### Issue 2184 - Monday 30th September, 2024

## In Today's Issue

- Google scores own goal with "we are not a monopoly" diagram
- Prominence framework for radio stations coming to smart speakers
- Some recommendations to avoid a repeat of November 2023's Optus outage
- AI powered bot gets 100% success rate on reCAPTCHA v2
- Cheap Jabra earbuds, Edifier speakers, Satechi USB charger, Bose headphones, Intel Arc low profile GPU, SanDisk portable SSD, EA Sports FC, DJI drone, PS5 console, Rogue Amobea apps, Bose soundbar, PocketCasts Plus

## The News

### Google scores own goal with "we are not a monopoly" diagram

Google and the US DoJ are still in court arguing if Google's ad business is a monopoly and as part of Google's defence against the the DoJ's allegations, they produced a wild chart intending to demonstrate that it is possible to buy ads on websites without Google getting a cut. Go look at said chart. Are we done laughing? Yeah, it's a shitshow and according to the Centre for Journalism & Liberty who have been following this trial closely, this "spaghetti football", "might have backfired as it also made it evident that Google is ubiquitous in digital advertising". No shit.

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### Prominence framework for radio stations coming to smart speakers

You know how the government did the free to air TV networks a favour cooking up a "prominence framework" so their streaming apps are equally as accessible as Netflix on smart TVs? The same thing is happening with radio stations. The aim "shape the way radio services are found on smart speakers, to make sure local radio services can be easily and accurately found". Right now the government is asking for feedback on stuff like which radio stations should be given prominence, the services that need to adhere to this framework (Alexa, Google Home, Siri, etc) and how to actually do it.

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### Some recommendations to avoid a repeat of November 2023's Optus outage

The committee tasked with investigating the 12-hour Optus network outage back in November 2023 has handed in its report to the government and made seven recommendations - an "enforceable" standard for telcos that forces them to communicate what's going on during an outage, get the telcos to do "large-scale" roaming during an outage, mandate telcos as "critical infrastructure providers", work with the TIO to come up with a way for consumers to get "appropriate compensation" after a mass outage and for ACMA to update the Customer Service Guarantee Standard to include mobile telcos.

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## Something I Saw On The Internet

### AI powered bot gets 100% success rate on reCAPTCHA v2

A Swiss PhD student found that reCAPTCHA v2 is absolutely useless against AI bots. Combined with a VPN to avoid detection from repeated tests from the same IP, a "special mouse movement model" and fake browser and cookie info from real browsing sessions, the "YOLO" model they devised had a 100% success rate identifying stairs, motorbikes, crosswalks and so on used by reCAPTCHA v2. reCAPTCHA v2 is pretty old and Google recommends using reCAPTCHA v3 now (which relies on a "a score to tell you how suspicious an interaction is and eliminating the need to interrupt users with challenges at all") but loads of sites still use reCAPTCHA v2.

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## Bargains

- Jabra Elite 5 earbuds - $109.99 from Amazon
- Edifier MR4 Studio Monitor speakers - $109 from Centrecom
- Satechi 165W GaN USB charger - $125.58 from Amazon
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Diamond Edition or Bose Ultra Open Earbuds - $449.10 from Amazon
- ASRock Intel Arc A380 low profile graphics card - $190.83 from Amazon USA
- SanDisk E30 Portable SSD 2TB - $149 from JB Hi-Fi
- EA Sports FC 25 for PS5/XSX - $75 from Amazon
- DJI Air 3 Fly More Combo with DJI RC 2 - $1798 from Amazon
- PlayStation 5 (Slim) Disc Console - $668 from EB Games
- 22% off All Rogue Amoeba Apps (Audio Hijack, Fission, Loopback, Airfoil etc.)
- Bose Solo Soundbar Series 2 - $147 from Amazon
- 1 Year of PocketCasts Plus for free via PodNews

## Image Of The Day

The original picture is hard to find. Here is an attempt to recreate the original as well as possible. The original picture shows the TQFP housing of the TMU of Voodoo 1 and not the BE of Voodoo 2 as shown here (also a TMU). The two exposed extra chips are not present in the original. The small exposed chip in the foreground is the TMU of Voodoo 1, and not the chip that is wired in the Voodoo 2 BE housing (Fritzchens Fritz / Flickr)

## The End

📻 Shellac - Copper

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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.