### Issue 1517 - Friday 17th December, 2021

## In Today's Issue

- Reddit begins process for IPO
- Patch for Log4J vuln has its own vulns that need patching
- Mastercard & DTA running trial of online age verification for alcohol purchases
- Stuff I saw on the internet recently
- Cheap Telstra & Vodafone plans, smart home electronics kit, Pixelmator Photo 2.0, Amazon app discount for new users, Atomos Ninja V+, Fitbit Sense, Big LAN III, Dell gaming laptop, Dell monitors, Panasonic 4K blu-ray player, Telstra pre-paid SIM, Playstation case for Raspberry Pi 4, Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC

## The News

### Reddit begins process for IPO

Reddit has "confidentially submitted a draft registration with the SEC" for an IPO. That's right, you might soon be able to buy shares in Reddit. In its last funding round back in August, Reddit was valued at US$10b. As it gets closer to when they actually intend to list on a market, they'll have to make their financials public. Will be fascinating to see what sort of revenue per user Reddit brings in, how they plan to make more money and the inevitable shitshow that'll take place on /r/wallstreetbets once the IPO is public.

### Patch for Log4J vuln has its own vulns that need patching

So, uhh, the patch for that big Log4J vulnerability has two of its own vulnerabilities. According to researchers the 2.15.0 patch "was incomplete in certain non-default configurations and made it possible for attackers to perform denial-of-service attacks". 2.15.0 also contains "an information disclosure flaw that can be used to download data from affected servers". Upgrading to 2.16.0 is strongly recommended. Computers hey? Can't live with em, can't live without em.

### Mastercard & DTA running trial of online age verification for alcohol purchases

According to an FoI request submitted in September by Greg Tannahill, we now know that the DTA has been running trials with Mastercard of online age verification for buying booze. The trial was to examine "a series of private sector-led pilots and the impact its digital verification service could have on retailer and consumer experiences and expectations online". The FoI request also revealed that the scope of that trial will expand in 2022 to "include additional users, other Australian-based online alcohol, online gambling service providers, and R18+ online video games with "loot boxes", and myGovID as an identity provider".

## Something I Saw On The Internet

- Apple has a new "legacy contact" feature for iCloud. When you die, that person can give Apple the access key and a death certificate and get access to your iCloud account.
- Future Broadband are offering 1000/400 (not a typo) unlimited data NBN plans to premises with FTTP for $360/m, with a 6-month introductory price of $315/m.
- If you're after a relatively cheap and low power always-on computer, think about a thin client off eBay. Cheap, faster than an ARM SBC and sips single digit watts.
- A brain computer interface scientist has trained a rat to play Doom 2. When asked why, his answer was "why not?". This video of the rat is very bizarre.
- Keen to invest in the electric car market? BetaShares has a new ETF on the ASX (ticker code DRIV) that tracks the Solactive Future Mobility Index.

## 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.

- coljac wants to hear from anyone bullish on cryptocurrency for why it's a better option than a database of who owns what for Peter Molyneux's new game
- funcitonretrun needs a very light and reliable Windows laptop for their partner that "just works"
- Wallamba is very disappointed with the overprocessing going on with the Pixel 6 Pro's default camera settings
- warkolm is interested in setting up an SMS gateway to keep members of their fire brigade informed
- I helped Pete find a very fast PC with lots of cores and RAM to run their electronic design automation software

## Bargains

- Sign up for a $59/m 300GB/m Telstra mobile broadband plan and get a $500 JB Hi-Fi gift card
- Keyestudio KS0085 Smart Home Kit (it's like a mini house for kids into electronics) - $139.95 from Clever Kits
- Pixelmator Photo 2.0 for iOS 50% off - $5.99 from the Apple App Store
- If you've somehow managed to avoid the Amazon app, use it now and get $10 off any purchase over $39
- Atomos Ninja V+ Deluxe Starter Kit - $1499 at digiDIRECT
- Fitbit Sense - $299 at Myer
- The Big LAN III (22nd Jan in Mitcham, Melbourne) - $14.45 from The Big LAN
- Sign up for a 24m 200GB $99 phone plan with Vodafone and get a $1200 voucher for an "eligible" phone
- Dell G15 5515 laptop (Ryzen 5 5600H, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, RTX3050) - $969 from Dell's eBay store
- Dell S2721DS 1440p 27" monitor - $299 from Dell's eBay store
- Dell S3422DWG 3440x1440 34" curved 144Hz monitor - $549 from Dell's ebay store
- Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-Ray player - $449 from The Good Guys
- Telstra 365-day pre-paid SIM with 225GB data - $250 from Telstra
- Retroflag PiStation Case for Raspberry Pi 4 - $29 plus shipping from Core Electronics
- Red Dead Redemption 2 for PC - $29.97 from the Epic Game Store using $15 off coupon

## The End

📻 Somewhere Down The Barrel - The Dissociatives

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