Daily Tech News 24 March 2024

Top Story

The global economy runs through a single road in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. (Tom's Hardware)

That road leads to a mine producing the purest quartz in the world, and the factory that processes it. There is no naturally occurring substitute.

The quartz is used to create crucibles which are used to produced silicon wafers, which are in turn sliced and cooked and dice to produce computer chips.

It is possible to make the quartz synthetically; we just don't right now because there's an enormous pile of it sitting underground in this one spot. But it would be a few difficult years if anything happened there.

Tech News

This seems like a bad idea: EVGA changed the connector layout of its GQ 1000W power supply without changing the model number. (Tom's Hardware)

If you buy a new one the cables have changed too, and everything works.

If you have one already, and it's faulty and is replaced under warranty, then congratulations! Your existing cables will plug in just fine and deliver 12V on the 5V line to all your disk drives.
The CEO and founder of Stability AI - creator of Stable Diffusion - has resigned. (Tech Crunch)

The official announcement doesn't say much and neither do his own tweets, but reading between the lines it seems he's pushing hard for actual open source solutions and the company's investors want bullshit that makes money like ChatGPT.

Doubly interesting in that he apparently owns a controlling interest in Stability AI. This is the same kind of conflict that recently roiled OpenAI, and led to Elon Musk's pending lawsuit against that company.

Disclaimer: Watch the new Philosophy Civil War documentary, the Grue and the Bley.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:04 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Howdy, Pixy & all!

Posted by: JQ at March 24, 2024 04:10 AM (njWTi)

2 But it would be a few difficult years if anything happened there.

There seem to be a lot of single points of failure in chip manufacture. This quartz mine. One company in the Netherlands making all the high-end lithography equipment. One tiny island making most of the high-end chips.

Posted by: mikeski at March 24, 2024 04:11 AM (DgGvY)

3 Good evening Pixy.

From the tech is humorous news desk. The Samsung Ultra S24 S-Pen stinks. No the other kind stinks as in it smells.

https://tinyurl.com/38z4m9zr

Posted by: Lost in Space at March 24, 2024 04:16 AM (HOLwt)

4 hiya

Posted by: JT at March 24, 2024 04:17 AM (T4tVD)

5 From the tech is humorous news desk. The Samsung Ultra S24 S-Pen stinks. No the other kind stinks as in it smells.

https://tinyurl.com/38z4m9zr
Posted by: Lost in Space at March 24, 2024 04:16 AM (HOLwt)

So, instead of ink, it uses recycled poop ?

Posted by: JT at March 24, 2024 04:20 AM (T4tVD)

6 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at March 24, 2024 04:25 AM (7Vi0c)

7 "Chabad" writes about the holiday of Purim which began yesterday. The events surrounding it are described in the powerful Book of Esther

https://tinyurl.com/mr2u96rf

Pray for Jews worldwide and for the State of Israel.
A blessed Purim to our Jewish posters!

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 24, 2024 04:29 AM (XkYcA)

8 A woman from Illinois reflects on Palm Sunday and her baptism:

https://tinyurl.com/2n3uczpn

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 24, 2024 04:32 AM (XkYcA)

9 Sorry, willowd

Darn, now I have to do math. Let's see, 1955 to 2014, Dad had some patience md 59 yrs. Tho they started dating 3 yrs before at 15, md at 18.

Posted by: Farmer

I noticed this before in early babies.

For example-

Check the official age of Obama's mother when he was born, and likely age at conception. The age of consent was 18.

The rest is for the Dear Reader.

Posted by: Miklos wonders why nobody notices at March 24, 2024 04:33 AM (v+0wn)

10 Good morning! Gonna be a windy day, and a stormy evening here in Cowtown. Got some Carolina jessamine and flowering yucca put in, and the electrical routed, trenched and buried. Gotta pull wire this morning.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at March 24, 2024 04:35 AM (YRsIm)

11 Korean Christian group sings a soul song, "My whole life has changed":

https://tinyurl.com/j8jmcevb

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 24, 2024 04:37 AM (XkYcA)

12 >>>silicon wafers, which are in turn sliced and cooked and dice[d]

Yum.
Sliced off a "d"!

Posted by: m at March 24, 2024 04:41 AM (o3SCB)

13 Korean Christian group sings a soul song, "My whole life has changed":

https://tinyurl.com/j8jmcevb

Posted by: FenelonSpoke

They do a great and inspiring version of "Oh Happy Day"

Posted by: Miklossays yes, we can have nice things at March 24, 2024 04:42 AM (v+0wn)

14 They do a great and inspiring version of "Oh Happy Day"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkS1LKARQvo

Posted by: Miklossays yes, we can have nice things at March 24, 2024 04:45 AM (v+0wn)

15 >>>a single road in Spruce Pine, North Carolina

In news of out-of-the-way places in the States, Hacker News has this (Maxread; from 2022):

The man who bought Pine Bluff, Arkansas

https://tinyurl.com/3wxytdb7

Posted by: m at March 24, 2024 04:45 AM (o3SCB)

16 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at March 24, 2024 04:46 AM (fwDg9)

17 Posted by: Miklossays yes, we can have nice things at March 24, 2024 04:45 AM (v+0wn)

Thanks, Miklos.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at March 24, 2024 04:48 AM (XkYcA)

18 15 >>>a single road in Spruce Pine, North Carolina

In news of out-of-the-way places in the States, Hacker News has this (Maxread; from 2022):

The man who bought Pine Bluff, Arkansas

https://tinyurl.com/3wxytdb7
Posted by: m

That's....something. An odd and interesting read.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at March 24, 2024 04:51 AM (7Vi0c)

19 Hiya Skip !

Posted by: JT at March 24, 2024 04:53 AM (T4tVD)

20
I'm up way too late trying to make some files do some things that they don't want to do.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia at March 24, 2024 04:57 AM (lCaJd)

21 Evening and morning to all the early Sunday folk!

Trump handily won our Lousy-ana R primary. The only other race I got to vote on was for a member of the RSCC (Repub. State Central Committee) for my district, and I cannot find any results on it. One, my vote, was a MAGA guy who proudly proclaimed that on his Facebook page; but I can't find that either, even though I looked at it about two weeks ago. None of the so-called "news" outlets, including local, have anything on it.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 24, 2024 04:57 AM (omVj0)

22 Anyway! Temp of 58 F., fairly low humidity for this dump, wind NE 10. Could be, and will be, worse, and that right soon. It'd be a good idea to go work out.

I know this.

Which means I will probably talk myself out of it.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 24, 2024 05:00 AM (omVj0)

23 Mornin' Wolfus!

I'm just about to check out for tonight...

Do your workout, young man! Before it gets too warm & muggy!

LOL, it's 46 & raining here...

Posted by: JQ at March 24, 2024 05:03 AM (njWTi)

24 Which means I will probably talk myself out of it.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

DO EET

Posted by: Minor Minion Miklos at March 24, 2024 05:04 AM (v+0wn)

25 Mornin' Wolfus!

I'm just about to check out for tonight...

Do your workout, young man! Before it gets too warm & muggy!

LOL, it's 46 & raining here...
Posted by: JQ at March 24, 2024

***
JQ, thanks for the encouragement! If I had 46, or even 56 or 66, and rain, well, I could shrug it off. Once I move to a decent climate, I'll either join a gym (uh, not Planet Fitness) or buy a treadmill for the basement.

As for you, get some rest!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 24, 2024 05:06 AM (omVj0)

26 I like rain.

Helps to keep the pollen down.

*blows nose*

It was raining the day my Ma got out of prison.

Went to pick her up.

Posted by: Miklos in a pickup truck at March 24, 2024 05:07 AM (v+0wn)

27 I missed the Pet thread yesterday but posted on the Hobby Thread. Big black Stirling's vet visit resulted in two things. First was a weight reading of 14 lbs. (up 1/2 pound from when he was supposedly overweight in October -- so much for my putting him on a diet. This vet did not think he needed to lose weight).

The other matter, the small thinning fur patches? Probably an allergy, but of course we don't know to what. The vet gave him a steroid shot and I gave him a treat when we got him home. So far he's galloping around -- in fact he just brought me one of his small mouse toys, and we played "toss it and I'll bring it back" for a few minutes.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 24, 2024 05:14 AM (omVj0)

28 It was raining the day my Ma got out of prison.

Went to pick her up.
Posted by: Miklos in a pickup truck at March 24, 2024

***
Driving drunk, I'll bet!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 24, 2024 05:15 AM (omVj0)

29 Went to pick her up.
Posted by: Miklos in a pickup truck at March 24, 2024

***
Driving drunk, I'll bet!
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius

Nope

Good sons don't let mamas drive drunk.

Posted by: Miklos should write a short story about that at March 24, 2024 05:18 AM (v+0wn)

30 26 It was raining the day my Ma got out of prison.
Went to pick her up.
Posted by: Miklos in a pickup truck at March 24, 2024 05:07 AM (v+0wn)

Sorry about the train accident, Miklos.

Posted by: m at March 24, 2024 05:18 AM (o3SCB)

31 Maybe Stirling's allergies will improve with a change of locale. When are you thinking you're gonna pull the chocks and roll outta there?

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at March 24, 2024 05:20 AM (YRsIm)

32 18 15 Hacker News has this (Maxread; from 2022):

The man who bought Pine Bluff, Arkansas

https://tinyurl.com/3wxytdb7
Posted by: m

That's....something. An odd and interesting read.
Posted by: Puddleglum at work at March 24, 2024 04:51 AM (7Vi0c)

Kinda wonder if he's a commenter here.

Posted by: m at March 24, 2024 05:21 AM (o3SCB)

33 Ugh, Planet Fatness!

There's a new one, just opened in next town...

It'll fold up right away if there's any shenanigans in the changing rooms. Might even be a casualty report. LOL

Posted by: JQ at March 24, 2024 05:21 AM (njWTi)

34 Sorry about the train accident, Miklos.
Posted by: m

AMTRAK, Fat!

I held her...what? when the conductor, good friend, a Negro...Daisy Jones, comin round the bend. Did pushups, then Beau died.

Posted by: Preznit Joey B. at March 24, 2024 05:24 AM (v+0wn)

35 Out.

G'night, all.

Blessed Palm Sunday to ya's!

Posted by: JQ at March 24, 2024 05:26 AM (njWTi)

36 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at March 24, 2024 05:44 AM (ju2Fy)

37 33 Planet Fatness!
Posted by: JQ at March 24, 2024 05:21 AM (njWTi)

LOL

Posted by: m at March 24, 2024 05:47 AM (o3SCB)

38 from the ONT

253 https://tinyurl.com/7zptbzca
A very good 20 Tweets from Bad Blue

Looks like Barrett sold us out, we are fked
Posted by: Skip at March 24, 2024 12:02 AM (fwDg9)

Posted by: m at March 24, 2024 05:50 AM (o3SCB)

39 I'm all alone upstairs.................

Posted by: Molly k. at March 24, 2024 05:53 AM (j/yko)

40 Maybe Stirling's allergies will improve with a change of locale. When are you thinking you're gonna pull the chocks and roll outta there?
Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at March 24, 2024

***
COJ, my plan is to put in my papers and finish up with work by the end of May. That's a horrible time to be road-tripping or examining new places to live, but I don't want to wait until fall (which here starts around December), or work until then. Right now I'm strongly considering SW Indiana, though NaClyDog is touting smaller cities in Kansas.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 24, 2024 05:53 AM (omVj0)

41 I know my mental allergies will improve with a change of locale!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 24, 2024 05:54 AM (omVj0)

42 Cap'n Krak is up!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at March 24, 2024 05:57 AM (omVj0)

43 They do a great and inspiring version of "Oh Happy Day"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkS1LKARQvo

Posted by: Miklossays yes, we can have nice things
---------------

Nice.

Posted by: olddog in mo at March 24, 2024 06:01 AM (ju2Fy)

44 "253 https://tinyurl.com/7zptbzca
A very good 20 Tweets from Bad Blue

Looks like Barrett sold us out, we are fked
Posted by: Skip at March 24, 2024 12:02 AM (fwDg9)"

Wrong Amy, this one has always been a sell out, she's Jeopardy champ Matt Jackson's mom. A commie.

Posted by: uniparty, Raping and Mutilating the Children They do not Kill at March 24, 2024 07:48 AM (gxokI)

45 I hope Spruce Pine has good security. Seems like a good target for a few of the millions of invaders that Brandon has helped bring in.

Posted by: FINGERS at March 24, 2024 07:58 AM (C8ve7)

46 Spruce Pine is not very far from here.

Posted by: AshevilleRobert at March 24, 2024 08:14 AM (fv27Y)

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Posted by: easy money at March 24, 2024 10:01 AM (fBxvB)

48 @FINGERS Spruce Pine has excellent security: its culture. They have dynomight & have no problem using it. Last 2X I visited someone's house got sploded. Ask directions & get everything but the truth. Very cautious place & they don't play around. Stick to the road & open venues you'll be OK.

Pine Bluff's murder rate went up this year, now at 55/100k (+33%) compared to 11.5 (+12%) for state, ~5.5 (-12%) for the country. It's Arkansas' version of Haiti.

Posted by: hooodathunkit at March 24, 2024 10:47 AM (oTKbS)

49 I've got a great cabin in Spruce Pine. Has a game room, theater room, and a mine-shaft themed bar in the basement. Now my wife wants to sell it because she's afraid of terrorists. Anyone want a cool cabin in the mountains?

Posted by: Angel at March 24, 2024 07:37 PM (WcS8X)

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