Plus: They finally made an app for guys who love their wives ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

July 24, 2025 | Read online
# Teen social media ban deal, Trump's AI plan and faster wireless charging weeeee Plus: They finally made an app for guys who love their wives
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Edition 2381
"The Drosh Institute of Computer & Technical Education (DICTE) offers an advanced electrician course for young men, empowering them to confidently launch independent careers in skilled work with expertise and proficiency" (Flickr: Aga Khan Foundation)
# The News
### Teen social media ban exemption for ‘low-risk’ platforms scrapped in a political deal
The teen social media ban was supposed to let teens use low-risk social media platforms, but this was changed just before the legislation was brought into parliament because of a political deal between the major parties (Crikey, $). The law was originally written to let tech companies get exemptions from the ban if they met certain conditions, for example if they got rid of potentially harmful features like recommendation engines, push notifications and AI chatbots. Now, I found out that removing these carve-outs was a condition of the Coalition supporting Labor’s bill so it could pass parliament.
The Sizzle: If the rules of our online world are to change, then we should, as Sizzler Sam put it in the Guardian this week, “have the opportunity to participate in meaningful public debate about such significant changes.” The point of this exemption was to pressure tech companies to improve their platforms if they wanted to keep Australian teens as users. But instead we got backroom, last minute deals and questionable trials (tryst dot link) which led to worse decisions, and damaged our trust in the people who make these decisions.
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
### Trump’s AI Action Plan gave the AI guys everything they wanted
The White House has put out its “AI Action Plan”, which is a document that lays out a vision of getting rid of any regulation of the AI industry while simultaneously promising to use state power to regulate stuff it doesn’t like (Ai dot gov). With a goal of making the US the world leader in AI, the plan wants to stop states from passing laws on AI, to fast-track AI infrastructure, to remove consideration of things like diversity or climate change in government risk management and to ban AI contractors from working with government unless they are “free from top-down ideological bias” (PDF). Oh and Trump seemed to ad-lib and say that AI companies don’t need to worry about copyright, either (Deadline).
The Sizzle: Big Tech got what it wanted from their Guy. All of this is like the AI industries’ wish list, plus a few Republican sweeteners. Make no mistake: the stuff about “bias” is all about powerful people ensuring their preferred type of bias is being parroted by AI. Buyer beware, though — Trump isn’t going to be the President forever and maybe the next administration’s idea of “bias” is different, and it could come back to bite the AI industry.
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
### Wireless charging go event faster go weeeee
Wireless charging is getting faster as iPhones and major Android phones adopt an updated Qi standard (EFTM). The name of the Qi v2.2.1 standard isn’t sexy but the fact that it will support 25W is pretty hot (PDF). It’s being touted as a 70% improvement.
The Sizzle: For some reason I was always skeptical of wireless charging. I love my 5M long cords, and the safety of that click as it plugs in so you know it’s charging. But over the past year, wireless chargers have snuck into my life and there is something so easy, breezy, fun, about just being able to whack my phone on a mat and get some juice.
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
#### Leftovers
Clive Palmer’s parties say they reported their hack. The regulator says they didn’t (Crikey, $) NBN Co's new push for 1 million premises to make fibre switch (IT News) AFP warns Aussies not to rent out their bank accounts to scammers and criminals (Cyber Daily) Genea IVF confirms sensitive patient health information on dark web (ABC News) “Mastercard & Equifax launch tool to boost credit access in Australia” (Security Brief) Seek hits back in Employment Hero fight, implies misuse of data (Capital Brief, $) It might be time for IT to consider AI models that don’t steal (ARNnet) Australia’s first fully off-grid and renewable battery truck project now fully operational (The Driven) Cops in this country think everyone using a Google Pixel must be a drug dealer (Android Authority) Leading 3D printing site bans firearm files, but home gun makers have better options (The Register) Instagram changes its algorithm after being accused of steering predators to children (The Verge) Tesla’s earnings hit a new low, with largest revenue drop in years (The Verge) Tesla touts its first fully driverless vehicle delivery with a photo of the car violating parking rules (The Verge) How to Spot North Korean Scammers in the American Workforce: Look for Minions (WSJ, gift link) ChatGPT is rolling out 'personality' toggles to become your assistant (Bleeping Computer) New “AppleCare One” plan bundles three extended warranties for $20 a month (Ars Technica) An update on Home Assistant's Android app (LWN) Stop Building AI Tools Backwards (Hazel Weakly) “Yes, friends. There really was a time when the internet was just "a place" you could go and be your whole self, uninhibited” (Mastodon)
Discuss these links in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
# Oh, Also
### Finally, an app for guys who just love their wives
As many of you know, I’m a Wife Guy. I don’t mean a guy who has a wife, I mean a Wife Guy (a good explanation here). One of the key frustrations of the Wife Guy is that a lot of the internet is built for the single people: they’re always posting about their dates or their funny experiences on dating apps.
Finally, I’m really excited to share with you, an app built for people like me (and maybe us): Tender, the Tinder-like app that only shows pictures of your partner and only lets you swipe right to say that you love them. God bless.
Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.
# Bargains
Electrical & electronics
Anker Powerbank 10K 15W A1229 - $22.94 at AnkerDirect AU via Amazon AU Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds - $27.99 at AnkerDirect AU via Amazon AU Hyundai Lighting 50W LED Floodlight 2-Pack (300W Equivalent) - $59 at smartystore eBay SoundPEATS Air5 Pro ANC Earbuds - $83.19 at ZeYuan-AU via Amazon AU Anker 3-in-1 MagGo Wireless Charging Station (for iPhone, Airpods and Apple Watch) + Free Case - $100 at Anker AU Dreame H12S AE Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner - $298 at Dreame Official AU Amazon AU Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker - $379 at Amazon AU TCL 75" C8K 4K UHD Premium QD-Mini LED Google TV (2025) - $2395 at The Good Guys Valerion VisionMaster Pro 2 4K RGB Triple Laser Projector - $3647 at Vividstorm Australia
Computers
Royal Kludge F68 60% Foldable Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard - $72.25 at RKgaming Lenovo Tab 10.1" FHD 128GB with Kickstand Case - $178 at The Good Guys MSI PRO MP341CQ 34" UWQHD VA 100Hz FreeSync Curved Monitor - Black - $293 at Umart Lenovo L32p-30 4K UHD Monitor (31.5", IPS, 60Hz, USB-C) - $399 at Amazon AU Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch with M4 Chip, 256GB SSD, 16GB RAM - $1447 at Officeworks
Mobile
OnePass Mobile 365-Day 200GB Prepaid Mobile Plan - $149 at OnePass Mobile Google Pixel 9a 128GB Obsidian - $627 at The Good Guys Samsung Galaxy S24 256GB - $699 at amaysim
# The End
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