### Issue 2079 - Thursday 2nd May, 2024

## In Today's Issue

- Filipino developers of NSW Clubs kiosk entry system have unrestricted access to everyone's very private data
- Bunch of US newspapers sue OpenAI while the Financial Times cuts a deal
- Google paid Apple US$20b in 2022 to be the default search engine in Safari
- Facebook algo pushing very unsettling AI-generated images of disfigured children
- Cheap Telstra phone contract, Sharp TV, Meross & TP-Link smart plugs, AMD CPUs, Viofo dashcam, N100 mini PC, handheld emulation console, 15" portable monitor, POCO X6 Pro smartphone, Coolermaster gaming mouse

## The News

### Filipino developers of NSW Clubs kiosk entry system have unrestricted access to everyone's very private data

Those weird kiosks at NSW Clubs that scan your face and make a copy of your drivers licences are made by a mob called Outabox and it appears they didn't pay the Filipino developers that actually built the system. To bring attention to their unpaid plight, they've made a website called haveibeenoutaboxed.com where you can pop in a first and last name to see if your data is stored in Outabox's database that the Flipino developers have full access to. That's right - millions of "facial recognition biometric, driver licence scan, signature, club membership data, address, birthday, phone number, club visit timestamps, slot machine usage" records are all in an unencrypted database a bunch of random developers have unrestricted access to, and those developers are pissed off. Dunno what happens next, but I doubt it's good.

⬆ Share or Discuss

### Bunch of US newspapers sue OpenAI while the Financial Times cuts a deal

The New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Sun-Sentinel, Mercury News, Denver Post, Pioneer Press, and Orange County Register have all sued OpenAI and Microsoft for "taking the Publishers' work with impunity and are using the Publishers' journalism to create GenAI products that undermine the Publishers' core businesses by retransmitting their content — in some cases verbatim from the Publishers' paywalled websites — to their readers". Meanwhile, the Financial Times has done a deal with OpenAI so that "ChatGPT users will see summaries, quotes, and links to its articles", presumably with some sort of financial compensation for the Financial Times.

⬆ Share or Discuss

### Google paid Apple US$20b in 2022 to be the default search engine in Safari

It was already guesstimated that Google pays Apple billions of dollars in return for being the default search engine in Safari, which is also the default browser on all of Apple's products. Now we have confirmation that in 2022 Google paid Apple US$20b for that privilege, thanks to unsealed court documents in the US Justice Department's ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Google. I don't know how anyone can think these payments are a good thing that should continue. Maybe it's not illegal, but the optics are horrible considering Apple and Google are the only two options in the smartphone market (lol competition), let alone Google having a search engine monopoly that they solidify by paying vast sums of money to keep competitors away. It absolutely stinks.

⬆ Share or Discuss

## Something I Saw On The Internet

### Facebook algo pushing very unsettling AI-generated images of disfigured children

404 Media has once again delved into the bizarre world of AI generated images on Facebook. This time its the algorithm placing "AI-generated images of starving, drowning, amputated, bruised, and otherwise suffering and mutilated children" into people's feeds totally unprompted. Go look at the images, it's fucked up. The kids are usually holding up signs saying "today is my birthday, please like". They are very obviously fake and AI-generated, but they get tens of thousands of likes and people comment on them with "happy birthday". It's Facebook distilled to its core essence. Engagement bait taken to the extreme in order to build a following then pivot to scams that prey on the type of idiot that comments on this nonsense. An idiot exploitation machine that happens to have some useful stuff hidden in its massive turd.

⬆ Share or Discuss

## Bargains

- Get a $1100 JB gift card if you go on a $99/m Telstra 24m mobile contract at JB Hi-Fi
- Sharp Aquos 4T-C70DL1X 70" 4K TV - $999 at The Good Guys
- Meross smart Wi-Fi plug with energy monitor & HomeKit compatible (2-pack) - $27.69 from Amazon
- TP-Link Tapo Mini Smart Plug (2 Pack) - $29 from JB Hi-Fi
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D CPU - $276 from Aliexpress
- AMD Ryzen 5 7500F CPU - $205 from Aliexpress
- VIOFO A229 Pro 4K front & 1440p rear dashcam - $386 from Aliexpress
- FIREBAT AM02 Mini PC (N100 CPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) - $189 from Aliexpress
- R36S Retro Handheld Game Console - $47 from Aliexpress
- Bimawen 15.6" 1920x1080 IPS 60Hz portable monitor - $94 from Aliexpress
- POCO X6 Pro smartphone - $407 from Aliexpress
- Cooler Master MM711 Gaming Mouse - $31.13 from Amazon Japan

## Image Of The Day

Features an diagram of a woman sitting at a computer desk with annotations describing the correct set up for a workstation. Background is black with a red grid pattern. (National Library of Australia)

## The End

📻 13th Floor - Mondo Generator

😎 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, change email address or cancel your subscription? Visit the customer portal.

🎁 Make someone's day and buy them a 12 month gift subscription to The Sizzle.

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

🫂 Friends of The Sizzle is a small group of businesses or organisations operated by Sizzle subscribers. Support your fellow Sizzler!

💔 Tired of my bullshit? Unsubscribe and I'll never speak to you again.

## 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.