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BTTR Weekly: Remembering Giz AU

Plus horrific AI portraits, and why it's time to move on from Sonos' app drama.

Nick Broughall

Dec 13, 2024 • 9 min read

I was so young when we shot these videos. It's all that i really have left from that time in my life, though.

The older I get, the more I want to look back at how much better life was when I was younger. And so this week, as I faced yet another trip around the sun, I finally took the time to reflect on the loss of Gizmodo Australia.

As I mention in the article, it's not so much about the loss of the articles I wrote from the Internet. It's the fact I can no longer look back to remember the stuff I did during what was one of the most exciting periods of my life. I got married and had my first kid while editing Giz, and had my second while I was guest-editing.

As your kids grow up, life seems to speed by. I'm now smack-bang in the middle of my 40s, and both my kids are teenagers.

It's hard to believe I've been running BTTR for two years now. And as I reflect on what happened with Gizmodo, I also want to look at how I can ensure a better future for BTTR.

So, next year will see a few changes. For a start, you an expect to see a bit more fun in what I'm pulling together, as I try and capture the personality that helped me succeed with Gizmodo.

I also want to dive deeper into Australian tech. Hardware, software, and the people in between who help make it succeed. That's going to mean fewer reviews and more meaningful news, which is not a bad thing, when I think about it.

I'm also planning to split out the deeper dives I've taken in this weekly update into a new dedicated newsletter. This one will stick around as a roundup of BTTR's weekly coverage.

2024 has been a wild year for me personally, and for BTTR. After a couple of major Google updates destroyed traffic, the past two months have been some of the best BTTR has ever had. I'm hoping to take that momentum into 2025, and hope you'll continue to join me on the journey.

Last chance to win an Oclean X Ultra S worth $449.95!

We're giving away an Oclean X Ultra S electric toothbrush, worth $449.95. With a maglev motor and app support, you can get feedback on your brushing on your phone, helping you get the best clean possible.

The competition closes tonight at 11:59pm AEDT, so make sure you get your entry in before then. I'll judge the comp on Monday!

Good luck!

This week in tech

This week's reviews

I'm not sure what happened this week. Maybe it was the sense of loss my birthday brought, or the nostalgia of reflecting on my time at Gizmodo, but I only managed to get a single review live.

Bluetti AC2A power station

Thanks for reading

That's it for this week's roundup for free BTTR members. BTTR is funded by its members, and if you upgrade to the paid tier (just $10 a month), you'll get access to the rest of this week's newsletter, which includes:

A roundup of the best tech news of the week (with some commentary from yours truly)
A preview of next week's product reviews

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this week's newsletter, or even some input on what you'd like to see in next week's roundup.

Until next week

Nick @ BTTR