Daily Tech News 17 January 2026

Top Story

Taiwan has reached an agreement with the US for a $500 billion investment project in return for a tariff reduction from 20% to 15% and tariff waivers during the construction of new factories. (Tom's Hardware)

That amount includes $250 billion of direct investment and $250 billion of credit guarantees by Taiwan's government, but it also includes $100 billion of already-planned investment by TSMC.

If you're throwing literally hundreds of billions of dollars around for Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers setting up in the US, maybe earmark a few billion for Nanya to expand consumer DRAM production.
Because Samsung sure ain't doing it. (WCCFTech)

Samsung is expecting a 5% increase in DRAM production in 2026 - and that's in the face of unprecedented shortages and a projected additional 30% increase in demand over the course of this year.

The Big Three are just begging for Taiwan or West Taiwan to eat their lunch.

Tech News

AMD's long-awaited dual-vcache CPU was a no-show at CES but increasingly looks real. (WCCFTech)

Dubbed the 9950X3D2, it keeps leaking in benchmark results. It is exactly two 9850X3D CPU complexes in a single package - 16 cores and 192MB of cache running at up to 5.6GHz.
If you're in the market for a four-port 400Gb Ethernet switch, Mikrotik has one. (Serve the Home)

$1295. And considering it has the same bandwidth as a 640-port 2.5Gb switch - if such a thing existed - that's pretty darn cheap.
ChatGPT Go is now available at $8 per month. (Bleeping Computer)

With ads. But of course with ads, as OpenAI is bleeding cash like a US federal agency under a Democratic president's second term.
OpenAI says its new ads won't influence answers. (Bleeping Computer)

It will lie to you exactly the same as the more expensive plans.
TSMC says AI demand is endless, just like tulip bulbs. (Ars Technica)

But you can eat tulip bulbs.
Naya Connect is a very keyboard. (Liliputing)

It has a fairly standard 85-key layout - a little cramped but it does include the Four Essential Keys - plus an optional 6-key macropad, plus an optional 24-key numeric keypad, plus an optional 24-key macropad with either blank keys or a assortment of 84 interchangeable icon keys to choose from, plus an optional trackball with four buttons and four macro keys, plus an optional trackpad with four macro keys, plus an optional haptic dial (that is, it gives programmable physical feedback) with an integrated trackpad and four macro keys, plus an optional 3D mouse with six degrees of freedom... With four macro keys.

With five choices of keyswitch, keycaps in either black or white, and the metal frame in either plain aluminium or black anodised aluminium.

The basic keyboard costs $119 (with your choice of colours and keyswitches), while the full setup costs... A lot. Well over $1000. They have an early-bird "All-in" bundle that isn't complete and that's already $917.
Microplastics from washing clothes could be hurting your tomatoes. (Washington Post) (archive site)

You heard them. Stop putting tomatoes in with your laundry.

So, how solid is this study?
"Sometimes microplastics can have a positive impact on soil or plant properties, and sometimes it could be negative," Djuric said.
So you're saying maybe I should put tomatoes in with my laundry?
Fixing the HTTP rate limit header specification. (Dotat.at)

A 429 response means you're asking too many questions, go away. The new spec tries to tell you how long you should go away for, but at the moment it assumes that everyone involved is equally stupid. This is an attempt to fix that.
Played some more Hytale today. It runs at 30fps on low settings on my laptop, which means it should run faster on just about anything else, since my laptop has a 2880x1620 screen and five year old integrated Vega 8 graphics and I habitually run it in silent mode (with the fan speed turned all the way down). It's a great system for doing work, lousy for playing games.

Also, in Hytale low graphics settings look basically the same as "epic" graphics. The main change there is the render distance, just as with Minecraft, so unless you spend all your time looking to the horizon it make little difference.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: There is a reason. Not a good one, true.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 G'DAY EVERYONE

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 04:02 AM (Ia/+0)

2 Suzanna Hoff has aged like finecwine

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 04:03 AM (Ia/+0)

3 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at January 17, 2026 04:05 AM (hybOl)

4 Morning all.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at January 17, 2026 04:10 AM (BLOW1)

5 G'morning, all!

I am beginning to believe that with the increased costs, building a home media server is slowly moving beyond my grasp.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 17, 2026 04:20 AM (iMotb)

6 On the plus side, the beta firmware upgrade for the tp-link Deco mesh system seems to be pretty rock solid.

Amazon Alexa devices are staying connected, and nothing else seems to be wandering off the network reservation.

I think we can call this upgrade a finished project.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 17, 2026 04:27 AM (iMotb)

7 And we are up to 30.2 degrees outside, with snow forecasts slowly trending downward.
Now they say pretty much anything on our side of I-95 will at most, see rain tomorrow morning.

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 17, 2026 04:29 AM (iMotb)

8
One word.

Microplastics

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM} at January 17, 2026 04:29 AM (xG4kz)

9 Putting the Bang in Bangles.

Posted by: Richard Cranium at January 17, 2026 04:36 AM (ZyiQS)

10 Snow this morning it says.hope not much

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 04:38 AM (Ia/+0)

11
Brass monkey junkie
That funky monkey

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM} at January 17, 2026 04:38 AM (xG4kz)

12
One and one half day class completed and I am actually completed my class project -- a first for me. Two and one half days to go and three classes -- can the string continue?

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM} at January 17, 2026 04:45 AM (xG4kz)

13 Supposed to meet up with old co-workers this afternoon at pub, we usually get together once a year. Haven't wiorked with them kn over 10 years now, but many I did for over 20 years

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 04:50 AM (Ia/+0)

14 Morning all

Posted by: rickb223 at January 17, 2026 04:57 AM (eefky)

15 Now getting Susanna Hoff video suggestions on YouTube

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 05:01 AM (Ia/+0)

16 Long time lurker, looking for advice. I want to use bitcoin to dontate to web sites, etc (not as an investment). I know nothing about cryto.

Any suggestions on a good crypto primer for my situation.

Posted by: WP at January 17, 2026 05:06 AM (+nF8W)

17 PM, you said:
"OpenAI is bleeding cash like a US federal agency under a Democratic president's second term."

Don't use "Democratic"; use "Democrat". If they were truly democratic, they wouldn't steal elections. They are not democratic, but they are Democrats. So corrected:

"OpenAI is bleeding cash like a US federal agency under a Democrat president's second term."

Posted by: bradc at January 17, 2026 05:11 AM (BpRoJ)

18
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at January 17, 2026 05:17 AM (tljrc)

19 Pup saved by a policeman. Scroll down for video. Faithpot site:

https://tinyurl.com/mrys3h39

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 05:18 AM (Nx5jP)

20 Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 04:50 AM (Ia/+0)

Sounds like a very nice time, Skip! May everybody get there safely and back and enjoy being together.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 05:20 AM (Nx5jP)

21 Young woman sings lovely
Cover version of an old time hymn, "How great thou art":

https://tinyurl.com/398y33n2

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 05:23 AM (Nx5jP)

22 Evening and morning to all the satellites of AoSHQ on this Saturn's Day! I'm p earlier than I planned -- (darn) cat issues. So, coffee and a visit to the blog. What's going on for you today.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 17, 2026 05:42 AM (wzUl9)

23 Oops. "Up" earlier than I planned. Grrr. Where is autocucumber when you really need him?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 17, 2026 05:43 AM (wzUl9)

24 Don't use "Democratic"; use "Democrat". If they were truly democratic, they wouldn't steal elections. They are not democratic, but they are Democrats. So corrected:

"OpenAI is bleeding cash like a US federal agency under a Democrat president's second term."

You misspelled "Demonic"

Posted by: Unknown Drip Under Pressure at January 17, 2026 05:56 AM (a4flb)

25 What's going on for you today.
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 17, 2026 05:42 AM (wzUl9)
---
Helping out with food distribution at a local food pantry.

It's going to be cold, cold, cold...(wind chill around 0 or lower)

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at January 17, 2026 06:04 AM (ESVrU)

26 Powerline Week in Pictures:

https://tinyurl.com/yudyvr2s

Midwest Chick Meme Drop ( from Thursday ) :

https://tinyurl.com/5bcxs8ny

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 17, 2026 06:14 AM (6/iut)

27 International Fellowship of Christians and Jews:

The beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 1:7

https://tinyurl.com/a7vwrk9y

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 06:17 AM (ix8EF)

28 WiP is pretty good

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 06:19 AM (Ia/+0)

29 What is a man to do when you have a Taiwanese AI stalker with an Asian sexbot for a front?

The world is rapidly changing.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at January 17, 2026 06:20 AM (BSdIE)

30 Maybe I should train it to be human. God help us.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at January 17, 2026 06:32 AM (BSdIE)

31
*bounds in brightly*

Good morning, Hordians.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at January 17, 2026 06:35 AM (tgvbd)

32 Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 17, 2026 05:42 AM (wzUl9)

Feeling a colony of fixed, strayed cats. Then going up to a very nice high end market through the lovely countryside near Trump's N.J. estate. Getting ready for service e tomorrow

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 06:35 AM (7RYym)

33 I got up way too early

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 06:36 AM (Ia/+0)

34 I'm thinking about running out to the pipe shop in the suburbs, buying some supplies, and chatting with the cigar smokers. If Miss Linda wants to go, I can drop her off at the mall nearby and let her browse for an hour or more without me dragging along behind.

It's supposed to get a bit colder tonight, so I may or may not be able to exercise on Sunday am. I dislike going in the afternoon; there is usually more wind, more traffic between here and the park, etc. And I like having it over with before breakfast, too.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 17, 2026 06:37 AM (wzUl9)

35 Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 06:35 AM (7RYym)

Not "feeling" They won't let us get that close. "Feeding"

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 06:40 AM (7RYym)

36 Feeling a colony of fixed, strayed cats. Then going up to a very nice high end market through the lovely countryside near Trump's N.J. estate. Getting ready for service e tomorrow
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026

***
We have a few feral cats around here, and at least one gray who apparently belongs to someone but loves to hit me up for some dry food.

There is a little black bushy-tailed feral who won't come close, but will eat if I leave something in a bowl and close the door. He might be a descendant of my late Wolf. Wolf had his time spreading his seed about before I rescued him from abandonment and had him altered in 2011; we've seen a lot of bushy-tailed ferals here. Could be some of his genes.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 17, 2026 06:41 AM (wzUl9)

37
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at January 17, 2026 06:35 AM (tgvbd)

Good morning to you and everyone!

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 06:42 AM (7RYym)

38 Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at January 17, 2026 06:41 AM (wzUl9

That's nice you look after them with food. My friend and her engineer husband ( who feed them most of the week) fixed up little boxes with doors for them behind a guys house. The boxes are filled with straw and warm clothes. Sometimes when we go over some of them startle us by shooting out if the boxes like a rocket.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 06:46 AM (7RYym)

39
All the overhead lights in the kennel decided to stop working. We had an electrician out to find out why and he concluded that rust and age had shorted out one of the recessed cans and he couldn't determine which of the ten or so lights it was.

So I purchased some plug-in light sockets and I'll be stringing them up today so I can see what I'm doing in there.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at January 17, 2026 06:50 AM (tgvbd)

40 mornin yall. I asked my #1 son, who got a degree in Computer Science and works in IT "what is 61 in binary?" and he reached for his phone. I figured the answer myself before he could finish typing it in.

*eyeroll*

Posted by: fd at January 17, 2026 06:51 AM (vFG9F)

41 Moar memes ( Bookworm Beat )

https://tinyurl.com/yn6v4a28

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at January 17, 2026 06:52 AM (6/iut)

42 I got up way too early
Posted by: Skip

Thanks to this kidney stone, I've been up since 2:30 Central. Again.

Posted by: rickb223 at January 17, 2026 06:54 AM (eefky)

43 rickb never had that pleasure ( knocks on wood)

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 06:57 AM (Ia/+0)

44 Posted by: rickb223 at January 17, 2026 06:54 AM (eefky

Sorry, Rick.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 07:03 AM (ZeH0U)

45
MICROPLASTICS
We're the New Global Warming!!!

Posted by: naturalfake at January 17, 2026 07:10 AM (iJfKG)

46 Good morning all. Thx Pixy
Susanna Hoffs is now 67. And still a beauty

Posted by: Smell the Glove and at January 17, 2026 07:12 AM (r8eU0)

47 Maybe I'm just stupid.

https://tinyurl.com/bde6wymr

Posted by: Village Idiot's Apprentice at January 17, 2026 07:29 AM (iMotb)

48
Ironic that a prominent article on gardenic would appear in The Washington Compost

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM} at January 17, 2026 07:29 AM (xG4kz)

49 Still have a little coffee left, waiting for Mis Hum

Posted by: Skip at January 17, 2026 07:30 AM (Ia/+0)

50 Good morning morons

A bunch of Australians showed up at my door last night. Here for son in law's birthday party tomorrow.

Posted by: San Franpsycho at January 17, 2026 07:32 AM (RIvkX)

51 OpenAI sounds like the very definition of everything that Commies call a running dog capitalist robber baron.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 17, 2026 07:33 AM (2GVsD)

52
*bounds in brightly*

Good morning, Hordians.
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at January 17, 2026 06:35 AM (tgvbd)

* shoots dead *
* rolls over and goes back to sleep *

Posted by: Buzz Adrenaline at January 17, 2026 07:37 AM (JRP2U)

53 I am sorry, even Fry ain't going to be yelling "Take my money!" for this:

https://tinyurl.com/mrd3f2df

Crack IS the cheaper addiction nyah.

Posted by: Anna Puma at January 17, 2026 07:40 AM (2GVsD)

54 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at January 17, 2026 07:44 AM (bQ4nt)

55 Surprising no one, lying lawyer Michel Cohen says he was lying about Trump. Is he lying now or was he lying before? I say both.

Posted by: fd at January 17, 2026 07:45 AM (vFG9F)

56 I am sorry, even Fry ain't going to be yelling "Take my money!" for this:

https://tinyurl.com/mrd3f2df

Crack IS the cheaper addiction nyah.
Posted by: Anna Puma at January 17, 2026 07:40 AM (2GVsD)
---
Hey, at least it's 6% off its previous listing.

Posted by: "Perfessor" Squirrel at January 17, 2026 07:45 AM (ESVrU)

57 Morning peeps. 35 years ago...
===========
Day 1: Wednesday, Jan. 16
Desert Storm begins at 7 p.m. EST (3 a.m. Jan. 17 in Iraq) with massive air and missile attacks on targets in Iraq, Kuwait.

President Bush: "We will not fail."

Day 2: Thursday, Jan. 17
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein declares: "The great showdown has begun! The mother of all battles is under way.''

Iraqi Scud missiles strike Israel.

Scud fired at Saudi Arabia is downed by U.S. Patriot missile - first anti- missile missile fired in combat.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at January 17, 2026 07:45 AM (U2OZr)

58 Posted by: San Franpsycho at January 17, 2026 07:32 AM (RIvkX)

May you have a lovely party.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 17, 2026 07:46 AM (7RYym)

59 nood!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at January 17, 2026 07:49 AM (Cjt/F)

60 West Taiwan?

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at January 17, 2026 07:50 AM (Cjt/F)

61 Minute late-dollah short, asusual.

Posted by: Tardy One at January 17, 2026 07:51 AM (oftw2)

62 meh, no "scientist" has yet convinced me that microplastics are even real, let alone dangerous.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at January 17, 2026 07:52 AM (Cjt/F)

63 Back in the early days of astronomy, all of the planets moved in epicycles: that was an obvious truth. You could easily plot the various epicycles and they obviously existed. The planets moved in those loops. It turned out that the epicyclic movement was an illusion caused by putting the Earth at the center of the solar system. Nevertheless, using epicycles one could accurately predict the future position of the planets in the sky. What is the moral of the above? Just because existing electromagnetic theory can accurately describe and predict the behavior of electromagnetic waves does not mean that existing electromagnetic theory is correct.

Posted by: An Observation sez Trump is my President at January 17, 2026 07:52 AM (Da7Vv)

64 w00t late

Posted by: m at January 17, 2026 08:36 AM (SSiCQ)

65 >>>Dubbed the 9950X3D2, it keeps leaking in benchmark results.

leading?

Posted by: m at January 17, 2026 08:41 AM (SSiCQ)

66 Thanks for your work; but, butt ... what are "The Big Three" ? ! ! !

Posted by: Marooned at January 17, 2026 09:17 AM (kt8QE)

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