Eliana Willis

Stat Counter/ZDNETI’ve been using Linux since before it was cool. Back then, Linux was so obscure that it didn’t even register on any market share metric. Since then, it’s grown at such a snail’s crawl pace that it gave everyone all the doubt they needed that Linux would ever be taken seriously.That’s why when StatCounter reported that Linux had reached a 4.45% market share for global desktop operating systems in July, those of us who’ve been championing Linux for all these years raised up a mighty “Huzzah!” in celebration.Also: Linus Torvalds talks AI, Rust adoption, and why the Linux kernel is ‘the only thing that matters’Anyone who follows such trends is probably laughing at such a low percentage, but for those who’ve been using Linux since the early days, that number represents a clear indicator of things to come. If you look at the past year (from July 2023 to July 2024), you see that Linux started at 3.12%, saw a fairly steady climb up (with just a few small dips on the way), and it wasn’t until February that it finally broke 4% (at 4.03). This upward trend should continue and is most likely powered by users becoming disheartened by the Windows OS (and the looming end of support for Windows 10) and the rising cost of Apple hardware.  More

The BT20 is quite massive on my smaller wrist. Jack Wallen/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Oukitel BT20 More

A new Costco membership comes with a free $20 gift card right now. StackSocial Thinking about joining Costco? Or, have you been sharing a membership card with your parents or friends? Now that Costco is starting to crack down on membership sharing (in the coming months, the stores will start scanning cards at the entrance […] More

Bitwarden believes that “everyone should have access to password security tools.” To support this, the company offers a free subscription with unlimited syncing across all your devices, a password generator, and even the option to self-host your data. It’s also platform-agnostic, offering Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android solutions. On the browser front, it covers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and more, with open-source transparency as a bonus. The password manager will also alert you to any compromised passwords in your secure vault.Also: The best password managersFor $10 per year — yes, per year — you can unlock advanced features such as Bitwarden Authenticator, two-step login and authentication, with YubiKey, U2F, Duo, a vault health report, and the ability to set up emergency access.Bitwarden is a fantastic choice for those seeking a free or paid service. You can also sign up for a family plan at $3.33 per month or a business plan starting at $4 per month, per seat. The company also provides customized options for corporate customers and a seven-day trial for business users.Users enjoy the transparent pricing model and say that “it just works.” The extensions are excellent, although many would like to see changes to the maintenance routines. Bitwarden features: Home or business plans available | Password manager | Autofill capabilities | Device synchronization | AES-256 encryption | Open source | Password health monitor | Trustpilot rating: 4.6 More

Max Buondonno/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Pixel 9 More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETDid you know every time you turn on your smart TV, you’re inviting an unseen guest to watch it with you? These days, most popular TV models utilize automatic content recognition (ACR), a form of ad surveillance technology that gathers information about everything you watch and transmits it to a centralized database. Manufacturers then use your data to identify your viewing preferences, enabling them to deliver highly targeted ads.Also: I tested this ‘Free TV’ in return for watching targeted ads – and was pleasantly surprisedWhat’s the incentive behind this invasive technology? According to market research firm eMarketer, in 2022, advertisers spent an estimated $18.6 billion on smart TV ads, and those numbers are only going up. More

Westend61/Getty Images We’ve long been fascinated with the idea of having robots around the house to take care of daily chores, freeing us up for more interesting pursuits. Though it would be cool to think that a robot like the Jetsons’ Rosey is just around the corner, we’re going to have to wait a bit […] More

Canon EOS R100 Ant Pruitt/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysThe Canon EOS R100 More