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Google surrenders to Epic, Microsoft AI refunds and a Big Short on AI

Plus: OK which one of you was on the phone for five and a half days

Author

Cam Wilson
November 06, 2025

Edition 2455

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The News

Google is giving in to Epic’s demands to loosen up its control over Android

Google has given in to a number of demands to open up the Android ecosystem, under a proposed settlement with Epic (Reuters). In response to its losses in court battles with the Fortnite creator, the search company has offered up a handful of significant concessions (The Verge), which include:

  • Allowing registered third-party app stores to function more-or-less the same as Google Play Store.

  • Reducing its standard in-app store fee to 20% or 9%, with the lower number for purchases that are essentially game items or upgrades and not significant buys.

  • Permitting alternative payment systems to Google Play Billing, although developers must still include Google’s as an option.

And, crucially, this will apply to new installs of apps, for at least six years and, mostly importantly, all around the world and not just the United States. A US judge needs to approve the settlement, but the Epic CEO seems stoked.

The Sizzle: It’s a pretty comprehensive victory for Epic, but Google was able to get a few small wins. Requiring people to offer Google’s payment provider means it will still be the de facto default. And there is some vague language about Google having the right to take a cut with an alternative payment provider — but the company says that isn’t the plan. All in all, I see this as a pretty big W for the average punter who will now have more options, even if most of the time they’ll just stick with Google as long as they make a competitive effort.

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Microsoft is refunding its scummy AI plans so that the ACCC doesn’t go so hard on them

Microsoft is offering refunds to 3 (!) million Australian customers and apologised about its dodgy AI plan pushing (SmartCompany). In an email sent to customers today, Microsoft says it will refund all the additional cost of its Copilot AI plans if people revert to its non-AI plan by the end of the year.

“In hindsight, we could have been clearer about the availability of a non-AI-enabled offering with subscribers, not just to those who opted to cancel their subscription,” the statement said.

grovelling email by Microsoft

The Sizzle: None of this happens if the ACCC hadn’t launched legal proceedings against Microsoft. Notably, this is just for Australian customers. Everywhere else just remains ripped off. If our consumer protections make us a nanny state, then stick a dummy in my mouth and give me a diaper!!! Greatest country in the world!!!!

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

The Big Short guy is putting a Big (maybe) Short on AI as OpenAI asks for just a liiiiiiittle bit of government help

The guy who inspired the Big Short film is signalling his belief that the AI bubble is going to pop soon (BBC). Michael Burry, whose trading against the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis inspired a book and film, has taken out options against chipmaker Nvidia and icky data firm Palantir and seemingly posted about it.

(Although I should note it’s unclear how much he’s actually bet against the companies so it might not be a big bet). Anyway, OpenAI’s chief financial officer has also floated the idea of a government “backstop” for its data deals (Yahoo), meaning that the government would guarantee to pay for a loan if OpenAI wouldn’t.

The Sizzle: Everyone knows that a healthy company in a stable industry with confidence in their future cashflows and ability to fulfill financial obligations is always politely asking the government to spot them for no reason. Right?

Anyway, look at this incredibly dumb graphic.

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Leftovers

Australia:

Rest of the world:

Discuss these links in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Oh, Also

OK which one of you was on the phone for five and a half days

Friend of the Sizzle Trevor Long shared some stats released by Vodafone which shows that someone from Kilkenny, South Australia, had a phone call that went for 133 hours this year (EFTM). The link has the chart of 15 longest calls and their location. And, looking at them, I’m not surprised that many of those customers had to resort to calling someone so they had something to do!

Discuss in the Sizzle Slack or forum.

Bargains

Electrical & Electronics

Computing

Mobile

The End

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