### Issue 2149 - Friday 9th August, 2024

## In Today's Issue

- Apple tweaks app store rules in EU to be even more convoluted
- Google & Meta disregarded their own advertising policies to target ads at teens
- Aussie EV charging company Tritium purchased in fire sale by Indian EV charger company
- Stop Killing Games petition wants games to keep working when online services are turned off
- Friday Forum Update
- Cheap Samsung 34" monitor, Google Nest Cam, Boost Mobile SIM, Samsung Watch5, Sennheiser Momentum headphones, Nokia mesh wi-fi

## The News

### Apple tweaks app store rules in EU to be even more convoluted

Apple's made yet more changes to App Store rules in the EU, allowing apps to "direct customers outside of the app or to a website with a web view that is available directly in the app" without "directing the design of communications provided to customers, nor is the company dictating what developers are able to say" and you can even mention in your app that buying something outside the App Store is cheaper. Amazing! But the catch is you agree to give Apple a "5% initial acquisition fee" for "all sales of digital goods and services that the customer makes on any platform that occur within a 12-month period after an initial install", plus a "store service fee" between 5% and 10% on "all sales of digital goods and services that the customer makes on any platform that occur within a fixed 12-month period from the date of an install, including app updates and reinstalls" - what the fuck???

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### Google & Meta disregarded their own advertising policies to target ads at teens

Google and Meta appear to have collaborated via an ad agency to target ads at teenagers on YouTube, to get them to use Instagram. Google had a bunch of "unknown" users in its advertising system - "people whose age, gender, parental status, or household income are supposedly unidentified", but was able to use "app downloads and online activity to determine with a high degree of confidence" that these were teenagers. It's against Google's own policy to target ads based on people under 18 years old, but I guess the money Meta was throwing at them to do this was too good to ignore and Meta is so desperate to remain relevant with teens (gotta get them addicted early!) that "morals" and "policies" and even annoying "laws" are just speed bumps on the road to bags of money.

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### Aussie EV charging company Tritium purchased in fire sale by Indian EV charger company

The sad and sorry story of former Australian manufacturing and technology darling Tritium is reaching its conclusion, having been acquired (based on Tritium's share price, probably for peanuts) by Exicom, an Indian "power management solutions company, offering cutting-edge EV charging and Energy storage solutions". They will be retaining the brand, as well as the factory in Tennessee in the USA and Tritium's R&D facility in Brisbane. Good to see that they're going to keep the Brisbane setup alive, but I really wonder how long that will last. I hope one day there's a dissection of what went wrong with Tritium that led to it failing during an EV charger gold rush.

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## Something I Saw On The Internet

### Stop Killing Games petition wants games to keep working when online services are turned off

There's a petition going around the internet called "Stop Killing Games" aiming to push various legislators around the world to create laws forcing game publishers to have an "end-of-life plan" for their titles. Their FAQ has more details, but basically the petition creator (Ross Scott, dunno who that is) want to be able to play games they've purchased, indefinitely, even if the developer and publisher of that game has abandoned it and the online services the game needs to run. Practicalities aside, being able to use the thing you paid for without a time limit is a good foundational argument and I think something most sane people would agree with.

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## 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.

- 80224 is interested in salary packaging an EV via a novated lease and has some questions.
- josephb needs some indoor & outdoor security cameras with excellent face/person recognition capability.
- craig's family is in possession of an IBM System 360 control panel and wants to donate it somewhere it'll be put on display.
- Katzy has some JB Hi-Fi gift cards burning a hole in their pocket and wants to use them to buy a monitor but isn't sure which one.
- nathanb90 needed a small widget 3D printed, asked if anyone could do it for them, a few people replied and it got done - excellent!

## Bargains

- Samsung Odyssey G5 curved 34" 3440x1440 165Hz monitor - $429 + delivery from Centrecom
- Google Nest Cam Outdoor 3 Pack - $487 from Amazon
- Boost Mobile 365-day SIM, unlimited calls & SMS, 170GB data - $189 from Oz Tech Biz
- Samsung Galaxy Watch5 (4G/LTE, 40mm) - $279 from Pop Phones AU
- Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless over-Ear Headphones - $281.37 from Sennheiser's eBay store
- Nokia NBS24M120220VA mesh wi-fi router 3-pack - $77.40 from BDI Tech

## Image Of The Day

More broadly, the System/360 marked the beginning of a new generation of computers with wide application in business, science and government. The System/360 ended the distinction between commercial and scientific computers because it was no longer necessary to match a user’s problem to a specific piece of equipment. (IBM Heritage)

## The End

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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.