The News

Telstra turns on Starlink texting, Optus gives out free AI search subscription

Telstra customers will be able to text from anywhere in Australia now that the company has switched on satellite text messaging capabilities via Starlink (Information Age). Initially limited to just Samsung S25 devices, Telstra will soon support satellite messaging for compatible iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixels. The roll-out comes at a — ahem — very convenient time for Telstra given its coverage controversies. But let’s also acknowledge that it’s wicked that people will be able to text anywhere using standard consumer phones using satellites (and with all of the qualifications like needing line-of-sight, slow sending speeds, yada yada). Optus, which is also set to get satellite texting at some point, simultaneously announced that pre- and post-paid phone customers will get a free year subscription to AI search app Perplexity Pro (ARNnet) which, soon, might also be Samsung’s preloaded search app of choice on its devices (Bloomberg, $).

Ukraine drone strike footage is the latest front in the content war

If you scrolled through social media over the past few days, you might have seen incredible first-person footage of Ukraine’s surprise drone attack on Russia’s military aircraft and airfields. Aside from loving to see the good guys get up on some baddies, the other incredible thing was the speed with which the footage made its way online and in incredible quality. The remarkable videos, also taken by drone, were obtained by a Ukrainian journalist from a federal security agency — clearly shared with the intention of immediately showing off the success of the operation to a global audience. The Verge makes the good point that Ukraine has used social media masterfully to win over the world as it tries to fend off Russia. It’s only a matter of time until the country livestreams one of their operations!

Microsoft wants you to stop having to use shitty USB-C gizmos

The Sizzle doesn’t often get to congratulate a big tech company for doing something good but, in my eyes, Microsoft is on the side of the angels in its fight against shitty USB-Cs (Ars Technica). For those who believe that the move to USB-C meant that the war has been won, you are clearly not one of the 27% of people who’ve run into problems USB-C ports with bad data transfer and charging speed or without the ability to carry HDMI signals, per Microsoft’s data. That’s because — for some insane reason — specifications for the physical USB dongle are different to rules and standards for the USB protocol (if that’s confusing, it’s like having a design spec for your mailbox to signal which size letters it can hold versus the rules for what is allowed to go through the postal system). Anyway! Microsoft on its Microsoft USB Blog (!!!) says it’s changing its hardware compatibility program to require some basic standards like being able to support an external display and provide 4.5W of power (Microsoft USB Blog) which will hopefully pressure manufacturers.

Leftovers

Oh, Also

How Trump uses his iPhone

I love hearing about how people use tech. It’s so crazy that the most popular piece of tech in the world — the iPhone — is used by literally every kind of person, including the current president. The Atlantic has a great piece about Trump’s iPhone(s) with details like his lock screen (a stern photo of himself pointing at the screen), ring tone (the default Reflection track) and how he is completely addicted to using it despite it almost certainly being tapped by foreign adversaries. He just like me for real.

Bonus phone story: The iPhone note, Chris Dawson’s lawyer brother and a $13m fortune (SMH, $)

Bargains

Electrical and electronics

Computing

Mobile

The End

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The Sizzle is created on Gadigal 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.