### Issue 1489 - Tuesday 9th November, 2021

Thank you to studioprisoner on forum for making an Apple Music playlist of the music I mention right at the bottom of this email every day!

## In Today's Issue

- Hackers get PS5 root keys, first step to possible homebrew software
- Elon Musk asks Twitter if he should sell 20% of his Tesla stock
- NBN finally starts trial of free copper to fibre upgrade program
- A deep dive into the NSW COVID checking QR code
- Cheap Intel i5-11400 CPU, Rode PodMic, Synology DS920+ NAS, AirPods, Logitech MX Keys, Boost Mobile SIM, 16" M1 MBP, Samsung 512GB microSD, Dell monitors, Xiaomi 5G phones, Seagate 12TB HDD, Samsung 2TB SSD

## The News

### Hackers get PS5 root keys, first step to possible homebrew software

We are a step closer to running homebrew software on the PlayStation 5, with hacking group Fail0verflow claiming to have decrypted the PS5's firmware and obtained "all (symmetric) ps5 root keys". This could allow someone to "reverse engineer the code and create custom firmware with the ability to load homebrew PS5 software". The PS5 is a relatively powerful piece of hardware, so it would be cool to have the option to load non-Sony sanctioned software on it. Chances are Sony will release an update to fix it and make that update mandatory for online access, making installing the homebrew software unappealing because you'd need to keep that PS5 offline or lose access to the official stuff.

### Elon Musk asks Twitter if he should sell 20% of his Tesla stock

Elon Musk had "too many bottles of Teslaquila" over the weekend and said some stupid shit on Twitter (again). He put up a poll asking if he should sell 10% of his Tesla stock (worth around US$20b) promising to "abide by the results of this poll, whichever way it goes". Over 3.6m votes were submitted and the result was sell. If you're wondering why he would tweet this, it's his way of milking attention for doing something he has to do anyways and actually benefits him. He has a massive tax bill to pay and he's been whinging about Tesla being overvalued for a while now (which is true). Oh and Elon asked a US Senator arguing for taxing billionaires, "why does ur pp look like u just came?".

### NBN finally starts trial of free copper to fibre upgrade program

I know there's a few of you desperate to take advantage of NBN's offer of a free/cheap upgrade from shitty copper FTTN/FTTC to FTTP, so I have some good news - ISPs can now place orders for upgrades, limited to 6,000 premises at the moment as the NBN trials the upgrade process. NBN expects to open the upgrade program for everyone in the eligible areas by mid-March 2022. NBN has added even more areas eligible for upgrades across Australia. For Victoria at least, it feels like pretty much every FTTN suburb in Melbourne, Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo will now have the option to upgrade to FTTP. NBN has a website to register for more info if you're keen.

## Something I Saw On The Internet

### A deep dive into the NSW COVID checking QR code

Huon Wilson has published a deep dive into the NSW government's QR code system and found many of ways to make it better. With a few small tweaks, the scanning process can be faster by removing much of junk data stored in the QR code and making it bigger so you don't have to get so close to scan it. All the state governments should take some of these recommendations onboard to make an annoying thing we gotta do a bit less annoying. The article is also a great explanation of how QR codes work, if you're curious.

## Bargains

Hot tip for eBay deals - buy eBay gift cards at Shopback for an extra 3% off. Sign up for Shopback using my referral link and you'll get $10 bonus credit after spending $20 - I get $20 when you spend $20).

- Intel i5-11400 CPU - $244.88 from Scorptec's eBay store
- Rode PodMic XLR microphone - $117.60 from digiDIRECT's eBay store
- Synology DiskStation DS920+ - $737.70 from eBay
- Apple AirPods 3rd-gen - $237.98 from eBay
- Logitech MX Keys backlit keyboard - $147.53 from eBay
- Boost Mobile $300 SIM with 240GB data - $207.40 from eBay
- 2021 Apple 16" MacBook M1 Pro 16GB 512GB SSD - $3399 at Umart (get Officeworks to price match and save 5%)
- Samsung Evo Plus 512GB microSDXC - $79 from PCByte
- Dell S2722DZ 27" 1440p USB-C video-conferencing monitor - $486.85 from Dell
- Xiaomi Poco M3 Pro 5G or Poco F3 5G smartphone - $288.59/$475.02 from xiaomi_global_direct's eBay store
- Seagate Barracuda Pro 12TB 3.5" HDD - $404.10 + shipping from Shopping Express
- Dell S2721DGF 27" 1440p 165Hz gaming monitor - $399 from Dell
- Samsung 2.5" 870 QVO SATA 2TB SSD with bonus Fry Cry 6 key - $194.65 from Computer Alliance's eBay store

## The End

📻 Over It - Dinosaur Jr

😎 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.