### Issue 1893 - Monday 24th July, 2023

## In Today's Issue

- Propsed federal US law tries to break end-to-end encryption
- AI companies promise to watermark the fake images their systems spit out
- EU's new EV fast charger mandate is good and we should copy it
- RIP the McDonald's McRib NFT
- Cheap Silicon Power & Samsung SSDs, Logitech mech keyboard, Timezone double load credit, Sennheiser headphones, Q Acoustics speakers, Orico USB hub, AOC 1080p monitor, Netgear switch, Belkin & HP USB-C docking stations, Double Helix magazine subscription

## The News

### Propsed federal US law tries to break end-to-end encryption

There's a fresh attempt to break end-to-end encryption over in the US. The "Cooper Davis Act" proposes that "social media companies and other web communication providers" have to give the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) info on drug dealers using their platforms if they have "actual knowledge" of that activity. The platform could simply say that their use of end-to-end encryption means we they no idea what's going on, so fuck off - but the lawmakers thought of that and added a "deliberately blind" clause that will punish the companies if they aren't actively looking into people's communications. Sneaky fucks.

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### AI companies promise to watermark the fake images their systems spit out

A range of AI companies, including OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Amazon, Anthropic, and Inflection, have told the US President that they are gonna "commit to developing robust technical mechanisms to ensure that users know when content is AI generated, such as a watermarking system" among a wider range of cybersecurity measures and research into how AI impacts society. These are voluntary measures, there's no detail exactly how such a watermarking system will work and it's not like these companies are beyond lying to the government, so lets see what actually happens before getting too excited.

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### EU's new EV fast charger mandate is good and we should copy it

Our European friends have passed a law that mandates fast EV chargers every 60km along their major highways by 2028. These chargers must have an output of at least 600kW (e.g: 2x 300kW, 6x 100kW units, 10x 60kW, etc.) along with "prices must be clearly displayed to the customers: in euros per kW or per minute/session" and "must be able to pay with cards or contactless devices". The EU will also develop a "a public database of charging stations, with information on pricing, availability, and waiting times". Australia should copy and paste this legislation ASAP. They've done all the hard work for us!

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## Something I Saw On The Internet

### RIP the McDonald's McRib NFT

Those of you who have known me for a while know that I love the McRib. Yes, the McDonald's sandwich featuring reconstituted pork "meat" and an unholy BBQ sauce conjured up in a lab by the finest food scientists in the world. I'm salivating just thinking about it... anyway, while browsing my bookmarks on the weekend I found this tweet I saved from 2021 where McDonald's was flogging a McRib NFT. The website its hosted on is long dead, but the tweet remains. Good luck explaining this to your kids one day.

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## Bargains

- Silicon Power XPOWER XS70 PCIe SSD with heatsink 1TB/2TB - $94.68/$156.06 from Amazon Japan
- Silicon Power XPOWER XS70 PCIe SSD with heatsink 4TB - $359.04 from Amazon Japan
- Logitech G915 TKL wireless mechanical low-profile keyboard - $199 from JB Hi-Fi
- Double load credits at Timezone arcades on the 29th & 30th of July
- 1TB Samsung T7 portable SSD - $110.63 from Amazon UK
- Sennheiser HD660S2 headphones - $799 from Sennheiser
- Q Acoustics 3010i, 3020i, 3030i, 3050i bookshelf passive speakers - $279.30/$384.30/$489.30/$979.30 from Addicted to Audio
- Orico USB 3.0 4-port hub with front facing monitor attachment - $23.09 from Amazon
- AOC 24B2XH 23.8" 1080p IPS monitor - $99 + delivery from Centrecom or Scorptec
- Netgear GS108E-300AUS 8-port smart managed gigabit switch - $46 from Umart & MSY
- Belkin INC003auBK 14-Port USB-C Docking Station 65W output - $149 + delivery from i-Tech
- HP 50H98AA#ABL Universal USB-C Multiport Hub - $49 from AusPCMarket
- CSIRO Double Helix kids science/STEM magazine 12/24 month subscription - $62/$120 from CSIRO Publishing
- Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 - $267 from Amazon or Officeworks

## Image Of The Day

Apple's guide to "Creating A Healthy Work Environment". Important health-related information about the use of your Macintosh or Apple II computer system. 1991. (Jongleur / Internet Archive)

## 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.