Daily Tech News 24 October 2021

Top Story

• Intel's upcoming Alder Lake 12900HK laptop part is faster than Apple's M1 Max. (WCCFTech)
  
  On Geekbench, yes, but it wins on both single and multi-threaded tests, so that is comparing rotten apples to rotten apples. Plus Alder Lake is built on Intel's 10nm process (now called Intel 7 because marketing) where the M1 is built on TSMC's 5nm, so that's some solid work by Intel's CPU design team.
  
  
  
• Speaking of which, Apple's M1 has a PassMark score. (CPUBenchmark.org)
  
  I didn't even think to look.
  
  Compared to, oh, the Ryzen 5700U, to pick a competing chip totally at random, it has substantially better single-threaded performance but slightly worse multi-threaded performance at the same TDP.
  
  I trust PassMark more than GeekBench because it very closely tracks the measured performance of Python for the code I write. This may not mean anything to anyone else but makes it a handy guide for my own purchases.

Tech News

• With two Dell notebooks purchased for me by my day job and one of them with an RTX 3060, which while not high end is perfectly adequate for the games I play, which is to say, Minecraft, I was looking to add a couple or three Intel NUCs or similar Asus mini PCs to act as local servers, and then turf all my legacy desktop computers. (The iMac, two old Dell all-in-ones, and an even older regular ATX system.)
  
  The problem - well, not problem so much - the thing is, if you're looking at one of the faster NUCs, and also looking at laptop prices, you can often find a complete laptop not far from the price of the NUC (which comes without memory, storage, display, keyboard, or operating system).
  
  And if that laptop has an eight core Ryzen CPU and user-replaceable memory and storage, it's basically a high-end NUC with a built-in UPS.
  
  So my desktop computer setup might shortly consist entirely of laptops. Lack of wired Ethernet is a problem, but I can get 2.5GbE USB adaptors pretty cheap.
  
  The model I'm looking at - Dell's new Inspiron 14 with the eight core Ryzen 5700U APU - lacks the Four Essential Keys, but it's 80% of the speed of my big laptop for 40% of the price, and it's going to be parked on my desk pretty much permanently, so the keyboard doesn't matter so much this time.
  
  
  
• Fucking magnets, how do they work? YouTube has banned a rap song, claiming that it contained "medical misinformation" (Fox)
  
  If you're getting your medical information from rap music then I don't think I can help you.
  
  
  
• Microsoft removed .NET hot reload support for CLI developers. (Microsoft)
  
  
  
• Microsoft apologised and restored .NET hot reload support for CLI developers, saying, and I quote, Wait, people are using that? (Microsoft)
  
  
  
• GitHub has added Copilot support for JetBrains tools. (GitHub)
  
  This includes their flagship IntelliJ and also apparently the language-specific IDEs like PyCharm and CLion.
  
  Just make sure you don't use any of Copilot's 7000 banned words, like "man" or "woman".
  
  
  
• More details on the Node.js apocalypse yesterday. (Bleeping Computer)
  
  The good thing is, the hackers were dumb enough to try to mine Monero through their exploited NPM package. That ensured they were noticed pretty much instantly. A smarter bunch could have hung around undetected for days or weeks.
  
  
  
• After being caught using monopolistic practices against Roku, and then being caught lying about it, Google is tripling down and pulling the YouTube app from Roku devices. (Thurrott.com)
  
  Google is already under antitrust investigation. They're just dumb.
  
  
  
• An Egyptian art robot was arrested by border security. (The Guardian)
  
  Allegedly because she had a modem.
  
  
  
• The Enhancer 2.1 update for AmigaOS 4 has been released. (Amiga.org)
  
  Wait, that thing is still alive?
  
  
  
• There's another Facebook whistleblower, and just like the first, it's gaslight all the way down. (Washington Post)
  
  The WaPo is breathlessly reporting what appears at best to be a non-story and at worst libel per se.

Comments

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1 I understand none of this tech jargon but it's still fascinating.

Posted by: Somewhere South of I-80 at October 24, 2021 02:14 AM (Ocv6A)

2 Can't get my desk top hooked up to my wifi. I wonder if 50+ feet has to do with it?

Posted by: Infidel at October 24, 2021 02:16 AM (QC3yT)

3 SSI80, me either, but I enjoy it.

Posted by: Infidel at October 24, 2021 02:17 AM (QC3yT)

4 Faceplant. lol. If you are not paying for it, you are the product. gmail anyone?

Posted by: Infidel at October 24, 2021 02:19 AM (QC3yT)

5 Minor quibble, the 'nm' measurements haven't been measuring a real meaningful thing in ages. In practice, what Intel was calling "10nm" had a higher part density than TSMC's "7nm" for some time. Problem was they couldn't make the chips, not that the transistor density was low.

For a long time, it didn't matter, since Intel was mostly producing their own stuff, but now they're trying to be a foundry, that's not going to fly. You can't keep calling an engine a 100Hp engine when everyone else rates it as a 150hp and function in the market.

Time will tell if Intel has finally gotten its house in order and can make them in quantity, but that is a different thing.

Posted by: Voyager at October 24, 2021 02:22 AM (u5PZm)

6 Posted by: Somewhere South of I-80 at October 24, 2021 02:14 AM (Ocv6A)

It's mostly mobile stuff, so it's sort of the equivalent to discussing the engine performance of a Kia.

Posted by: Sjg at October 24, 2021 02:23 AM (gDSJf)

7 Thank you Pixy! I very much appreciate you.

Posted by: Infidel at October 24, 2021 02:36 AM (QC3yT)

8 Australia in the rap news:

Josephine Cashman
@Josieamycashman
7h
YouTube deletes MAGA rapper @RealBrysonGray's song because it contains 'medical misinformation' with lyric 'look at Australia that's what is coming next if we don't stand up'.

Posted by: m at October 24, 2021 03:16 AM (SJbY/)

9 >>>and then turf all my legacy desktop computers

turf (Brit.) = toss
New to me.

Posted by: m at October 24, 2021 03:21 AM (SJbY/)

10 I ate a dog.

Posted by: Barack Obama at October 24, 2021 03:23 AM (GtG/j)

11 >>>Fucking magnets, how do they work?

I'm unclear on what this expression means here. Is this like "the Streisand effect"?

Posted by: m at October 24, 2021 03:25 AM (SJbY/)

12 a link to the youtube-banned song

https://tinyurl.com/hs32dyut

Posted by: m at October 24, 2021 03:28 AM (SJbY/)

13 "The various shots that people are getting now, cover that. They're, they're, they're o.k. You're not gonna, you're not gonna get Covid if you have these vaccinations."

--Joe Biden
recording at the beginning of the you-tube banned song
https://tinyurl.com/hs32dyut

Posted by: m at October 24, 2021 03:31 AM (SJbY/)

14 I'm up, reading the ONT

Posted by: Skip at October 24, 2021 04:04 AM (2JoB8)

15 Good morning morons

Solid rain today which means we get very wet

Posted by: San Franpsycho at October 24, 2021 04:12 AM (EZebt)

16 Everyone had a good time in Texas yesterday

Posted by: Skip at October 24, 2021 04:15 AM (2JoB8)

17 I was just reading that AU has the largest proven uranium deposits in the world, yet has exactly ZERO nuke power plants.That's some solid planning.

Better yet, they are buying US nuke powered subs.

With zero capability to refuel them bad boys by themselves.

And I thought our leadership is bad. Well, it is. But it's nice to see some other country screw the pooch too. Condoms be optional, yo.

Posted by: GnuBreed at October 24, 2021 04:21 AM (F0YaR)

18 "If you're getting your medical information from rap songs, I can't help you."

Probably true, but if you're getting your medical information from Joy Reid...can I buy a life insurance policy on you?

Posted by: Wade Hampton at October 24, 2021 04:27 AM (Su9Le)

19 5 Minor quibble, the 'nm' measurements haven't been measuring a real meaningful thing in ages. In practice, what Intel was calling "10nm" had a higher part density than TSMC's "7nm" for some time. Problem was they couldn't make the chips, not that the transistor density was low.

Absolutely true, but I think they ended up going with a less dense version of 10nm in the end to get production volume up.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 24, 2021 04:30 AM (MqQvv)

20 18 "If you're getting your medical information from rap songs, I can't help you."

Probably true, but if you're getting your medical information from Joy Reid. . .can I buy a life insurance policy on you?
Posted by: Wade Hampton at October 24, 2021 04:27 AM (Su9Le)

I hope Nicki Minaj can sue Joy Reid.

Posted by: m at October 24, 2021 04:33 AM (SJbY/)

21 Mornin', folk,

Up early to go work out before trekking to Walmart. I have most of the comestibles I need. But my car will need an oil change late this year. I'd better grab the 6 qts. the Buick needs while there is some choice, and while the prices are still reachable.

Chekov the Ailing Codger Cat is up too, sitting with me on the living room floor. Like our pretend "president," he seems to do better in the morning. He doesn't appear to miss his late adopted brother, but that's okay. I'm missing him enough for both of us. Our place seems oddly empty without the big black cat. . . .

Anyway! I hope the MoMe went well! Perhaps if I move to WV next year, I could attend one in NoVa.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at October 24, 2021 04:35 AM (c6xtn)

22 You can't tell the truth about the vaccine because the lie is too important for peoples health.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy at October 24, 2021 04:36 AM (0ryfU)

23 Sorry Wolfus. I am still having a hard time moving past Silas. I still expect to see him in the usual places.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy at October 24, 2021 04:37 AM (0ryfU)

24 At least Aus leaders didn't sell their uranium to a geopolitical opponent for their own personal profit.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy at October 24, 2021 04:40 AM (0ryfU)

25 Sorry Wolfus. I am still having a hard time moving past Silas. I still expect to see him in the usual places.
Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy at October 24, 2021

***
Yeah, I expect to see Wolf trotting into the bathroom with me, to hop up onto the counter while I brush my teeth, for example.

Our 'Net research last night suggests that Wolf passed from acute renal failure. That can come on fast. Even if I had brought him to the vet yesterday morning, they probably would not have been able to do anything. Surprising, though, that he should get sick so fast. An indoor-only cat, he'd always seemed made of iron; he was hardly ever sick in 10 years and more.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at October 24, 2021 04:44 AM (c6xtn)

26 >>> 10 I ate a dog.
Posted by: Barack Obama at October 24, 2021 03:23 AM

Hold my beer...

Posted by: Anthony Fauci at October 24, 2021 04:45 AM (GtG/j)

27 8 minutes until coffee
Anticipation is keeping me wait

Posted by: Skip at October 24, 2021 04:46 AM (2JoB8)

28 Good morning Horde.

Sorry to hear about your feline friend, Wolfus. Odd how we get so attached.

-----------
I still expect to see him in the usual places.
Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy at October 24, 2021 04:37 AM (0ryfU)

^This CAT. My FiL passed back around the first of August. He had a sheltie that would always be in the mudroom when we went to visit.

Now, when I go by his house I still hold my foot out when opening the door to keep the dog from escaping. The dog has been here at our house for 3 months now. SMH.

Posted by: golfman at October 24, 2021 04:48 AM (hOMhY)

29 27 8 minutes until coffee
Anticipation is keeping me wait
Posted by: Skip at October 24, 2021 04:46 AM (2JoB

You and Carly Simon.

Posted by: m at October 24, 2021 04:48 AM (SJbY/)

30 Renal failure is what got Silas. He was 12 also. Started dropping weight fast and would only lick the gravy off of food before stopping entirely. Vet tried a few things, but the kidney function deteriorated fast, in just weeks.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy at October 24, 2021 04:50 AM (0ryfU)

31 I will personally nuke China if I find out they were shipping another poison pet food ingredient.

So far the rest of the herd is doing fine, and they all eat the same stuff.

Posted by: Cat Ass Trophy at October 24, 2021 04:52 AM (0ryfU)

32 KRAK OF DAWN IS UP

Posted by: Skip guy who says NOOD at October 24, 2021 05:00 AM (2JoB8)

33 17 I was just reading that AU has the largest proven uranium deposits in the world, yet has exactly ZERO nuke power plants.That's some solid planning.

Better yet, they are buying US nuke powered subs.

With zero capability to refuel them bad boys by themselves.

And I thought our leadership is bad. Well, it is. But it's nice to see some other country screw the pooch too. Condoms be optional, yo.
Posted by: GnuBreed at October 24, 2021 04:21 AM (F0YaR)

The subs don't need to be refueled, as in the reactor is designed to last the entire life of the submarine. When it's time to retire the boat they're going to cut it out as a unit and ship it back to the US for disposal.

Even if the Aussies wanted to deal with the fuel cycle, and they don't, it would be decades before they worked out the kinks locally. That kind of industry is really expensive, and given they're only going to procure a dozen subs, it would only make sense to develop that capability if they were planning to supply fuel rods to a civilian nuclear power industry.

Posted by: Ace's liver at October 24, 2021 05:29 AM (wGeit)

34 Again thanks for the the tech news, PM.

Posted by: blake - semi lurker in marginal standing (2SdPm) at October 24, 2021 07:36 AM (2SdPm)

35 Late to the tech thread. Benchmarks, for me, are heuristics that give me a relative understanding how spiffy CPUs are at a certain point in time. Spffiy is a technical speak for, "if I was buying 50,000 CPUs for a data center I would be a lot more rigorous in my Spiffyiness than buying for my personal use." Apple pulled off some excellent work with the M1 CPUs and I will never own one cuz Wintel is my spiffy space. I am debating going NUC/Laptop/Tower for my next desktop box - I spec a box and wear it out as is. Modern laptops are spiffy thangs anymore. Roku is run by smart people and I hope they don't blink over the Youtube stuff. Roku has stared down every thug media company to date - Google deserves the same. I have used Roku since V1 and they do good work without being thugs.

Posted by: LostInSpace at October 24, 2021 10:00 AM (ESLBo)

36 One more thing...The current dust up over whether or not the Surface Duo devices are spiffy is on my radar as are the folding devices. I can't see slab devices ever going away, they just work so to speak, but the unicorn of having a single box in the pocket that can reasonably allow one to dump carrying a phone and a laptop/tablet is intriguing. The Surface Duo is a hot mess for general users but for a certain user profile it is pretty close to being a unicorn. The folding boxes seem better suited for general users. Jury is still is out I think. Until then I am going to meet this go everywhere computing stack with a mid range slab and a Surface Go 3 over an iPad cuz I sold my soul to Bill G. instead of Steve J. decades ago.

Posted by: LostInSpace at October 24, 2021 10:22 AM (ESLBo)

37 the unicorn of having a single box in the pocket that can reasonably allow one to dump carrying a phone and a laptop/tablet is intriguing.

So funny story - in 2011 I was on the team that made this thing: tinyurl.com/52c758xv

The original concept was just a regular smartphone that could be docked to an adapter with HDMI and USB ports that would present a full desktop environment when docked. Phone in your pocket, desktop on your desk. Then the suits got involved and the project failed miserably.

Posted by: Daniel Ream at October 24, 2021 02:11 PM (GRgn7)

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