### Issue 1343 - Wednesday 14th April, 2021

## In Today's Issue

- Apple tells Discord to hide NSFW servers from the sensitive eyes of iOS users or get booted off App Store
- FBI "logs-in" into unpatched and hacked Exchange servers to remove backdoors
- Microsoft has new Surface Laptop 4 and Surface branded accessories
- In an alternate reality we would all be enjoying an ice cold Coca-Cola in space
- Cheap shipping from MSY, refurb Sony earbuds, Samsung SSDs, Edifer speakers, Kayo for Telstra customers, Sony headunits

## The News

### Apple tells Discord to hide NSFW servers from the sensitive eyes of iOS users or get booted off App Store

Apple is forcing popular chat platform Discord to block adult/NSFW groups from appearing within the iOS version of the Discord app. If you wanna hang out in a Discord group about "adult" topics, you won't be able to do it on iOS. Apple doesn't think you can handle it. More protect the children at all costs bullshit that Apple loves to impose on everyone. Anyways, Apple's announced its first event of 2021. They're dubbing it "Spring Loaded", which probably isn't a spring loaded iPhone, but more to do with the fact it's almost spring in the USA. The digital only event will go down at 3AM on the 21st of April.

### FBI "logs-in" into unpatched and hacked Exchange servers to remove backdoors

Governments yelling from the roof tops that vulnerable private computer infrastructure is a sovereign risk is nothing new, but the FBI has taken it to the next level by pro-actively hacking into companies with unpatched Microsoft Exchange installs infected with Hafnium and deleting the backdoor for everyone's own good. Technically this is against the law, but pragmatically, is probably the right thing to do as to prevent further harm. The servers still need to be patched however and the FBI is trying to get in touch with the owners of the servers it logged into to let them know what went down.

### Microsoft has new Surface Laptop 4 and Surface branded accessories

Microsoft's got a new Surface Laptop

. The Surface Laptop 4 keeps the excellent 3:2 ratio display in 13.5" or 15" options, but updates the CPU to your choice of an 11th-gen Intel or a special "Microsoft Surface Edition" versions of AMD's Ryzen. Other than that though, there's still the same shitty 720p webcam, no built-in LTE modem and no Thunderbolt ports. Microsoft also announced a bunch of Surface branded remote working accessories like webcams, headsets and conference microphones. The Microsoft Modern Wireless headset looks like a non-gamer version of the well reviewed Xbox Wireless Headset.

## Something I Saw On The Internet

### In an alternate reality we would all be enjoying an ice cold Coca-Cola in space

I just discovered that Coca-Cola put a drink dispensing machine on two Space Shuttle missions. The "Fluid Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus" (aka FGBA) first flew on STS-63 in 1995. An updated machine (FGBA-2) few on STS-77 in 1996. Besides refreshing astronauts after a hard day of being awesome, the FGBA "served a very pertinent role in validating engineering techniques for the containment, manipulation, and transfer of supersaturated two-phase fluids in microgravity which was a relatively uncharacterized problem at the time and is a significant challenge outside of just carbonated beverages". Go check out the pics!

## Bargains

- MSY is running a 99c shipping promo on its new website
- Refurbished Sony WF1000XM3B earbuds - $158 from Sony's eBay store
- Samsung 870 EVO 1TB SATA 2.5" SSD - $115.25 after cashback from Futu Online's eBay store
- Edifer R1580MB multimedia speakers with Bluetooth - $85 from Amazon
- Kayo Basic is $15/m if you're a Telstra customer
- Sony XAV-AX1000, XAV-AX3000 & XAV-AX5500 Android Auto/Apple CarPlay headunits - $339.87/$424.17/$552.37 from Ryda's eBay store

## The End

📻 Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine

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

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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.​