# The Sizzle

### Issue 102 - Tuesday, 8th March 2016 - You Need Good Fresh Ingredients To Bake The Best Cake

- Apple has to cough up US$450m in e-book related anti-trust fine
- Google hires guy that started 4chan to revive Google+
- Microsoft brings SQL Server to Linux, also hell just froze over
- ABC's iView arrives on the 4th-gen Apple TV
- Square's mobile card reader launches in Australia

- 20% off at selected eBay tech stores sale
- People are getting shitty that Netflix is blocking VPNs and DNS proxies
- Apple's new campus is looking nice

NEWS

Apple has to cough up US$450m in e-book related anti-trust fine
Remember all the fuss about Apple's "anti-competitive" attempts to try control pricing in the e-book market back in 2012 and 2013? If you don't remember, read this. Apple was found guilty of antitrust actions back in 2013, but Apple appealed and appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, who yesterday refused to hear the case. So that's it for Apple, they'll now pay US$400m to e-book consumers, $20m to "the states" (dunno which states, all of them?) and $30m in legal fees. Now Microsoft and Apple are both anti-trust violators!
Discuss

Google hires guy that started 4chan to revive Google+
4chan is renown for its inclusive, prosperous and tolerant online community. It's a place where everyone can have high level discussions on all sorts of interesting topics, such as bestiality, Japanese tentacle rape porn, attempts to overthrow the New World Order and share nude photos of your innocent ex-girlfriend as revenge for leaving you. It's no surprise then that Google has hired the mastermind behind 4chan to try and revive its flagging Google+ social network. Clearly they saw the success that is 4chan and went "yes please, we'll have some of that here in Mountain View". Good luck guys.
Discuss

Microsoft brings SQL Server to Linux, also hell just froze over
Microsoft's has decided to bring it's flavour of SQL (it's a database, if ya didn't know) to Linux. For decades Microsoft refused to bring it over to Linux, for obvious reasons, but they had a change of heart and have released a private preview today. Microsoft SQL Server will get a full release in 2017. Microsoft are the good guys now, I guess. They've maybe finally realised the tech world is bigger than their platforms alone?
Discuss

ABC's iView arrives on the 4th-gen Apple TV
The ABC has ported iView over to the 4th-gen Apple TV! Now you can watch all the great iView content in 480p, straight through your Apple TV. Apparently it was ported over from the iPhone/iPad version in around 4 weeks by two developers. If you haven't got an Apple TV but want one, this 32GB model for $212 delivered off Futu Online's eBay store is by far the cheapest I've seen.
Discuss

Square's mobile card reader launches in Australia
Square has launched its plug-in card reader in Australia. You can now use Square's platform to take people's money off their cards anywhere, any time. There's been a couple of very similar programs here from PayPal, ANZ and other banks, but Square is hip and cool and trendy. I assume it's also pretty good. If you're into such things, you can sign up now on the Square website - soon you'll be able to buy the reader for $19 at Apple stores, Officeworks and interestingly, Bunnings (tradies maaaate).
Discuss

COOL SHIT

20% off at selected eBay tech stores sale
eBay is back with a 20% off tech offer, so OzBargain is going nuts with cheap tech stuff. Some highlights: 32GB 4th-gen Apple TV for $212, 5TB external USB HDD for $191, 65" Sony 1080p Android TV for $1516, 60" one for $1116 and iPad Pro 128GB for $1240.
Discuss

People are getting shitty that Netflix is blocking VPNs and DNS proxies
Now that Netflix is worldwide, they and/or the content producers decided to clamp down on region switching - a popular pastime for many couch potatoes (like me). The voracity of Netflix's blocking attempts has reached a point where customers who were once in love with Netflix are now pissed off and possibly ditching Netflix all together.
Discuss

Apple's new campus is looking nice
Mashable have some pics of Apple's fancy new campus, currently under construction. Today's controlled piece of info from the Apple PR ministry focusses on the 1,000 seat auditorium, which has the world's largest free-standing carbon fibre roof. This new venue will be where Apple will unveil their latest products for years to come. The iPhone 35 will be launched there in 2072, with an ultra-realistic cyborg Steve Jobs exclaiming he has one more thing to show us, then driving off in the 7th generation Apple Car. Beep beep.
Discuss

Here endeth the sizzle (until tomorrow!)
--Anthony

The Sizzle is curated by Anthony "@decryption" Agius and emailed every weekday afternoon. Like The Sizzle? Tell your friends!