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Apple and Android <3, Sims fans Saudi protest and the Sizzler Say

Plus: Popular writing app Scrivener does not like Apple Intelligence

Author

Cam Wilson
November 21, 2025

Edition 2465

The News

Apple and Android phones can now airdrop to each other all thanks to our favourite thing: regulation ❤️ 

Android can now airdrop with iPhones and Apple devices thanks to our friends in Brussels (Ars Technica). Google shared that Android’s Quick Share feature now supports AirDrop, allowing a beautiful commingling of peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connectivity across ecosystems (Google). It’s only Pixel 10 phones so far, and it doesn’t yet work for Apple devices that restricted airdrop to contacts only — a hint that Apple is not voluntarily supporting this move.

The Sizzle: The reason we’re probably getting this now is because the EU introduced new requirements that forced Apple to open up its proprietary protocol and use interoperable standards (European Commission). Yet another consumer W thanks to EU regulations. Sure, Europe’s tech policy may be too inhospitable for any major AI company, but at least I don’t have to upload photos to the cloud to send them to my mum when she’s sitting next to me.

(BTW “Quick Share”? Google, you got your win so let’s just call it airdrop as a common verb)

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Sims fans are rioting over Saudi purchase

People who love the Sims are furious about the sale of the game’s publisher to a Saudi-led group over the Middle Eastern government’s rather spotty human rights record (FT, $). Since investors bought Electronic Arts for $85 billion, there has been a vocal backlash from dedicated fanbase of the iconic life simulation franchise. Some of the game’s most popular creators have cut ties with the studio (YouTube), a petition has been circulating (Action Network) and even some staff are speaking out (TikTok).

The Sizzle: Out of the many major franchises user bases, it makes sense that the Sims’ is the most incensed about this: the game has always allowed same-sex relationships and has had a strong queer contingent in its fanbase.

But it’s not just about being sold to the Saudis — it’s also about how gamers feel about private equity. Even prior to the sale, the Sims fanbase was becoming increasingly irate at a change from discrete game releases (Sims 1, Sims 2 etc) to a freemium model where players need to spend hundreds of dollars to access in-game items. This really is just the last straw.

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

The Sizzler Say: iCloud alternatives, Roblox isn’t a game, and the real truth about the Cloudflare outage

  • GC07 is sick of paying for Apple One and wants recommendations for iCloud alternatives on the forum.

  • The reviews of the iPhone 17 series’ new wireless chips are in — and it’s good.

  • tintinaujapon points out on the forum that calling Roblox just a game isn’t quite right, and explains why it’s more of an enormous platform.

  • Tobes shared an even more granular version of the cartoon about Cloudflare’s outage on Slack.

  • When I said yesterday that many people will probably find out about the teen social media ban would be Meta’s alerts, Simon said that wasn’t the case in his house: “The teens definitely know about the ban. My 14 yo has spoken about little else,” he emailed.

As always, if you wanna get involved (or even be able to read what’s on Slack) you can join the Slack server and forum via these links.

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Leftovers

Australia:

Rest of the world

i am so old

Discuss these links in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Oh, Also

Popular writing app Scrivener does not like Apple Intelligence

There is, um, a bit of hype around AI. But what about the opposite? Bluesky user Jill Murray noticed that writing application Scrivener is not only promoting that it doesn’t use AI, it’s actively teaching people how to de-activate Apple Intelligence’s prompts to rewrite user content.

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Bargains

Electrical & Electronics

Computing

Mobile

The End

😎 The Sizzle is written by Cam Wilson and emailed every weekday. It was created by Anthony “decryption” Agius.

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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.

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