Daily Tech News 0 December 2025

• Year of Linux on the Desktop? Part One: Does Linux actually account for 11% of desktops even in the US - and a higher number globally? (ZD Net)
  
  Probably, yes. You get that number by adding together desktop Linux, ChromeOS (which is Linux) and "Unknown" numbers.
  
  Globally Linux numbers are about 50% higher, and looking at US government website stats, 25% of requests come from some flavour of Linux (including Android).
  
  
  
• Year of Linux on the Desktop? Part Two: Google's AluminiumOS (yes, they spell it with two eyes) brings Android to the desktop. (Thurrott)
  
  And Google has already been working to merge ChromeOS with Android. So this would bring a thoroughly-tested Linux variant with a huge collection of existing applications to the desktop, though half of those apps are Kairosoft games.
  
  And the new Steam Cube is due to launch soon, bringing SteamOS - again, a flavour of Linux - to the desktop.
  
  With Microsoft working tirelessly to destroy Windows, these consumer-oriented Linux versions may bring welcome relief.

• Yes, Virginia, there are still some tech bargains: Seagate's 24TB Barracuda model is selling for just one cent per gigabyte. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  Or $240 for the whole thing.
  
  Well, not in Australia, where it is significantly more expensive and also completely out of stock everywhere.
  
  With SSD prices on the rise this may be a good choice for people looking to build a high-capacity NAS.
  
  
  
• Speaking of SSD prices, an interesting thing is happening there. The shortage is affecting NAND flash generally. All versions, from high-reliability enterprise chips to the cheap stuff targeted at microSD cards.
  
  Meanwhile PCIe 5 controller chips for consumer SSDs are coming down in price, meaning that the price gap between PCIe 4 and PCIe 5 drives is fast disappearing. At the start of the year it cost around 100% more for a PCIe 5 drive; now it's closer to 30%.
  
  
  
• People are more likely to give up their seats to pregnant women on public transport when Batman is present. (Nature)
  
  He's not going to hurt you. He's just going to judge you.
  
  
  
• Why a RAM boycott isn't going to do anything. (WCCFTech)
  
  Because 70% of RAM goes to enterprise customers and if you don't buy it, they will.
  
  So what's the solution?
  
  Linux. It's notably more memory efficient than Windows.
  
  
  
• Why Honda is suddenly launching reusable rockets. (The Verge) (archive site)
  
  Because they don't do much if you don't launch them.
  
  People don't often think of them that way, but Honda is a successful aerospace company.
  
  
  
• Someone tell Petronius the Arbiter that I've found the Door into Summer.
  
  Now I just need to find the Door Back into Pleasant Spring Weather.
  
  
  
• Updated my Minecraft modpack. It's still on 1.20.1 because some key mods aren't available on anything later - Minecraft doesn't care at all about mod compatibility between versions - but I found a single mod (Vanilla Backports) that bundles together backports of all six feature releases since then.
  
  Dye Depot and Dye the World - which add 16 more colours to vanilla Minecraft and to 19 other mods respectively - have both been updated. And Create: Steam and Rails has a beta version with Create 6.0 compatibility. I took Create out of the modpack entirely because the update to Create 6.0 broke compatibility with a lot of other mods, and if I wanted Steam and Rails and included Create 5.0, that broke still more things. Looks like the great rift is finally healing.
  
  And after a whole bunch of tweaks and changes and updates, it just worked. That never happens.

posted by Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

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