Daily Tech News 4 April 2026

Top Story

Half of planned US datacenter builds have been delayed or canceled. (Tom's Hardware)

Unfortunately this does not represent a collapse in the AI industry - not yet, anyway - but a shortage in key electrical distribution components thanks to the ongoing trade war with China, something that will be resolved relatively quickly as other countries gleefully pick China's bones clean. Metaphorically.

Tech News

High-end OLED gaming monitors from Asus are arriving broken thanks to shoddy environmentally friendly packaging. (Tom's Hardware)

You'll own nothing, and what you do own will arrive broken.
Arm will power 90% of AI servers based on Arm processors in 2029, says Arm. (Tom's Hardware)

They say "custom processors", but they mean Arm.
Microsoft is telling business and retail customers alike not to rely on its Copilot AI products for anything that matters. (Tom's Hardware)

But they still want you to keep handing them your money.
First time as farce, second time also as farce: Don't go looking for Claude Code on GitHub. Not now. You'll just find yourself downloading malware. (Bleeping Computer)

The authentic copies have been taken down by Anthropic leaving only an army of leprous zombie clone corpses.
But security researchers already got a chance to look at the code and see what Anthropic knows about you from the files you feed to Claude Code. (The Register)

And the answer is, everything.
PC makers have figured out how to keep making money with the price of key components headed into cislunar orbit: Stop marketing to the filthy poors. (WCCFTech)

If you have computer, treat it like the one remaining intact moa egg. Not like other formerly remaining intact moa egg, which someone took out of its case and dropped.*

* Google and Grok both say no such event happened. I am feeling gaslit right now
For the rest of us, Google is shipping a $3 USB drive containing a bootable image of ChromeOS that will breathe new life into superannuated Windows hardware. (Liliputing)

Or you could just install any other flavour of Linux. But ChromeOS is good for non-technical users.
The project at work that has been consuming all my waking hours for the past two months is done, just in time for the Easter long weekend here. I am sleep.

Musical Interlude

Everyone's favourite anticommunist angel is back. The Saga of Tanya the Misunderstood returns this July, after 97 long years away.

For real.

Disclaimer: Close only counts in hand grenades and proximity fuses.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Hola horde

Posted by: Pete Bog at April 04, 2026 04:00 AM (WlUfk)

2 !!

Posted by: clarence at April 04, 2026 04:00 AM (R9n3z)

3 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 04:00 AM (Ia/+0)

4 I have no reason to be up now

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 04:01 AM (Ia/+0)

5 w00t

Posted by: m at April 04, 2026 04:02 AM (fNISR)

6 ONT alerted.

Posted by: clarence at April 04, 2026 04:02 AM (R9n3z)

7 Goodnight and congratulations Pixie.

Posted by: Pete Bog at April 04, 2026 04:03 AM (WlUfk)

8 >>>The project at work that has been consuming all my waking hours for the past two months is done, just in time for the Easter long weekend here. I am sleep.

Many congratulations! And nice timing.

Posted by: m at April 04, 2026 04:03 AM (fNISR)

9 Ì had a 100 score on that ONT quiz

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 04:06 AM (Ia/+0)

10 from the Register article; first line in the article:

Anthropic's Claude Code lacks the persistent kernel access of a rootkit.

___

I hate it when that happens.
haha!

Posted by: m at April 04, 2026 04:07 AM (fNISR)

11 *hic*

Posted by: Hillary! Dark Horse Candidate 2028 at April 04, 2026 04:09 AM (+HNx/)

12 11 *hic*
Posted by: Hillary! Dark Horse Candidate 2028 at April 04, 2026 04:09 AM (+HNx/)

If by "dark horse" you mean "old nag."

Posted by: m at April 04, 2026 04:10 AM (fNISR)

13 Excellent Microsoft vaporizing $1T article yesterday, Pixy.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 04, 2026 04:17 AM (dK+Kv)

14 My brother works in natural gas pipeline design. Because the electrical grid is years away from providing all the power AI data centers want, they're turning to natural gas for onsite generation. Big caterpillar electrical generators. Of course, there's a backlog in pipeline delivery too

I wouldn't be surprised to see small nukes.

Posted by: JM in Illinois at April 04, 2026 04:17 AM (f2Ip8)

15 Re: data centers
Building permits should have been requested 10 years ago. Electricity substation components should have been specced and ordered the next year. The funding for the complete project should be in place the year after. And then the project would have run face first into the current electronics fiasco.

The AI fantasy may die for lack of infrastructure long before the bubble bursts.

Posted by: clarence at April 04, 2026 04:20 AM (R9n3z)

16 >>> But ChromeOS is good for non-technical users.

If you want to stay stalked by Google, rectally, and don't have much need for desktop productivity apps, like an office suite.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 04, 2026 04:22 AM (dK+Kv)

17
Microsoft is telling business and retail customers alike not to rely on its Copilot AI products for anything that matters. (Tom's Hardware)

But they still want you to keep handing them your money.

Then take it out. Banish it. Why leave something lounging about that serves no useful purpose?

Clippy needs friends on the Island of Misfit Software.

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 04, 2026 04:24 AM (xG4kz)

18 9 Ì had
Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 04:06 AM (Ia/+0)

That first letter in your comment is a

Latin capital letter I with a grave accent

?

Posted by: m at April 04, 2026 04:24 AM (fNISR)

19 I wonder if the peasants will revolt against AI Data centers. Where they're tapping the electrical grid, electric rates go up. Where they used water to cool the systems, the water table is dropping and wells go dry.

Posted by: JM in Illinois at April 04, 2026 04:28 AM (tlviZ)

20 Why leave something lounging about that serves no useful purpose?

Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at April 04, 2026 04:24 AM (xG4kz)

Because MSFT is apparently a giant hobo f-pile of dysfunction, CYA, blame-shifting, vaporware, and grand illusions, and delusions of grandeur.

How they are not getting sued by customers and shareholders alike is a mystery.

Seriously, read the article from yesterday.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 04, 2026 04:29 AM (dK+Kv)

21 19 I wonder if the peasants will revolt against AI Data centers. Where they're tapping the electrical grid, electric rates go up. Where they used water to cool the systems, the water table is dropping and wells go dry.
Posted by: JM in Illinois at April 04, 2026 04:28 AM (tlviZ)

The peasants holding their iPhones-using-AI in front of their faces 24/7.

Posted by: m at April 04, 2026 04:30 AM (fNISR)

22 Morning, Tech Peeps

Posted by: fluffy at April 04, 2026 04:38 AM (AN2gy)

23 The deer visited again. I went back in the house to get extra cracked corn, again.

Comfort range appears to be somewhere between 10 and 15 feet.

Posted by: fluffy at April 04, 2026 04:41 AM (AN2gy)

24 Don't expect your local politician to understand what they propose, the all electric future in 10 years. Most politicians are not smart enough to understand more than where the bathrooms are in the state capitol building. And where they have hidden that bottle of booze in their fancy offices with nice drapes. We all have probably seen Blazing Saddles and Mel Brooks made the correct look of a modern governor, with the smartest person in the office being the secretary with big boobs.

Posted by: Colin at April 04, 2026 04:41 AM (e8qy3)

25 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at April 04, 2026 04:42 AM (xA5g+)

26 19 I wonder if the peasants will revolt against AI Data centers. Where they're tapping the electrical grid, electric rates go up. Where they used water to cool the systems, the water table is dropping and wells go dry.
Posted by: JM in Illinois at April 04, 2026 04:28 AM (tlviZ)

Well, yes. I read that's how a Republican won a recent surprise victory in a local election in Virginia: she was NIMBY on proposed datacenter.

Posted by: SciVo at April 04, 2026 05:05 AM (Sy6m/)

27 >>>But they still want you to keep handing them your money.

>>>Companies in general usually add disclaimers like these to their products and services to protect themselves from lawsuits. But as AI tech companies push their AI services as the ultimate productivity hack, they might be minimizing the risks attached to the use of AI tools just to get customers paying and recoup the billions they’ve invested in hardware and talent.

Might be? Nobody is buying this didclaimer.

It's standard Tech CEO chicanery made more vile with as much effort as they've undertaken to cram all the copilot AI slop down everyone’s throats.

Microsoft is asshoe, and incompetent asshoe at that.

Posted by: Comrade Flounder, Disinformation Demon at April 04, 2026 05:05 AM (dK+Kv)

28 "Despite a decade of reshoring initiatives [from ChiCom Land], U.S. manufacturing capacity for electrical equipment remains insufficient."

I think the author's meant to say everything instead of electrical equipment. Shipping off our manufacturing to China over the last 30 years is one of the greatest national catastrophes ever. That it was self-inflicted makes it even worse.

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at April 04, 2026 05:06 AM (glnUu)

29 Everyone's favourite anticommunist angel is back. The Saga of Tanya the Misunderstood returns this July, after 97 long years away.

Ooooh, a callback.

Posted by: The Comedian at April 04, 2026 05:11 AM (eO11x)

30
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at April 04, 2026 05:14 AM (tljrc)

31 wonder if the peasants will revolt against AI Data centers. Where they're tapping the electrical grid, electric rates go up. Where they used water to cool the systems, the water table is dropping and wells go dry.
Posted by: JM in Illinois

Project Jupiter in southern Dona Ana County, New Mexico, near El Paso, Texas Is an example. The Dona Ana County commissioners approved the project without much public input. Since then there has been quite a ruckus going on in that area.

One of the key rukus against Project Jupiter is, after upgrading the water system, they're going to use quite a bit of water per day, which is something of an issue when you're in a desert. On the other hand, Jupiter will upgrade the failed water system whose key feature is delivering arsenic to the locals.

Another hair on fire issue raised is potential air pollution from the on site gas-fired electrical generation. The more interesting development is whether or not they're going to be able to actually get natural gas to the site since a New Mexico state agency just shut down a proposed dedicated pipeline to it.

The very pro side
https://is.gd/

A more balanced article
https://is.gd/WnCyux

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at April 04, 2026 05:31 AM (glnUu)

32 Posted by: m at April 04, 2026 04:24 AM

I have no idea how that could happen, so wondering if its some sign?

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 05:39 AM (Ia/+0)

33 Shipping off our manufacturing …. over the last 30 years is one of the greatest national catastrophes ever. That it was self-inflicted makes it even worse.
——-

It started in the 1970s, and has of course accelerated greatly ever since. Some of it was natural market forces, but it’s painfully obvious in hindsight this is part and parcel of a globalist type agenda. Watermelon - green on the outside, red on the inside.

Posted by: Common Tater at April 04, 2026 05:46 AM (8c30T)

34 nother hair on fire issue raised is potential air pollution from the on site gas-fired electrical generation. The more interesting development is whether or not they're going to be able to actually get natural gas to the site since a New Mexico state agency just shut down a proposed dedicated pipeline to it.

The very pro side
https://is.gd/

A more balanced article
https://is.gd/WnCyux
Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at April 04, 2026 05:31 AM (glnUu)

----

All the competing interests and five county commissioners make the decision.
I posted above that natural gas is filling in for electrical generation, but even the pipelines -- where approved -- are backloggged.

Posted by: JM in Illinois at April 04, 2026 05:48 AM (auBT8)

35 Seeing a news headline that a fighter pilot may have been taken by Iran

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 05:49 AM (Ia/+0)

36
The very pro side
https://is.gd/

A more balanced article
https://is.gd/WnCyux
Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at April 04, 2026 05:31 AM (glnUu)

-----

I could not read the pro side; this was all that I got

https://is.gd/

Posted by: JM in Illinois at April 04, 2026 05:51 AM (auBT8)

37 35 Seeing a news headline that a fighter pilot may have been taken by Iran
Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 05:49 AM (

----

Do you have any more information?

Posted by: JM in Illinois at April 04, 2026 05:55 AM (auBT8)

38 I wouldn't be surprised to see small nukes.
Posted by: JM in Illinois at April 04, 2026 04:17 AM (f2Ip

A research Small Modular Reactor is already operational in Abilene, 3 more are under construction, and 7 more are to given permits this year - and that’s only in Texas. They’re being developed in other states also.

Within 5 years, I believe we’ll be at a point where every data center will have its own dedicated SMR.

Posted by: Tom Servo at April 04, 2026 05:56 AM (pFJNq)

39 t started in the 1970s, and has of course accelerated greatly ever since.

I suppose it was all directly tied to 1973 and the petro-dollar. We lost the mines first, around that time, and then steel in this area.

Posted by: t-bird at April 04, 2026 05:57 AM (u/66v)

40 https://www.thetimes.com/pilot name fighter jet hostage iran war
https://tinyurl.com/bw8nkuut

Read elsewhere besides the F-15E a A-10 and a Blackhawk went down. Says all but 1 F-15E crew are recovered

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 06:00 AM (Ia/+0)

41 Yes, naturally aluminium, copper, iron and steel etc are part of critical infrastructure. No way around it.
Pretty much everything has been or is being systematically destroyed. Everywhere you look. Medicine is another glaring example. The U.S.A. doesn’t even manufacture Aspirin any longer, never mind critical antibiotics or critical prescription precursors.

Posted by: Common Tater at April 04, 2026 06:08 AM (8c30T)

42 Nothing but rumor so far about the missing pilot - that piece in the Times just summarized the rumors.

Posted by: Tom Servo at April 04, 2026 06:09 AM (pFJNq)

43 All the competing interests and five county commissioners make the decision. I posted above that natural gas is filling in for electrical generation, but even the pipelines -- where approved -- are backlogged. Posted by: JM in Illinois

I'm sort of ambivalent about the whole thing.

Currently that area is full of jackrabbits and rattlesnakes and offers little in the way of economic benefit to the local residence who are generally quite poor. The local governments key feature is their ability to mismanage everything such as the water system the county had to take over because it's full of arsenic.

Having some deep pockets come into the area and rebuild the failed water system Is a plus for the region. Then there is the one-time construction economic benefit and later the ongoing employment benefit. Though I doubt many of the locals are qualified to do any of that work.

My read on Project Jupiter is there's a fair amount of NIMBYism in play and at the same time the proponents are over selling the benefits. The water usage is a legit concern: the Rio Grande water is all spoken for so everything comes out of aquifers which are already under stress.

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at April 04, 2026 06:13 AM (glnUu)

44 Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Rejoinder: Also, horseshoes.

Posted by: Captain Obvious, Laird o' the Sea at April 04, 2026 06:13 AM (Kqma+)

45 Coffee, very hot

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 06:16 AM (Ia/+0)

46 I could not read the pro side; this was all that I got

https://is.gd/
Posted by: JM in Illinois

Oops. If this still doesn't work for you, search for "What is Project Jupiter."
https://is.gd/QJbJvw

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at April 04, 2026 06:18 AM (glnUu)

47 Hmm, we need substantial amounts of water and electricity... I know! Let's build where water and electricity are scarce!

Posted by: t-bird at April 04, 2026 06:19 AM (u/66v)

48 Good morning, everyone. Yesterday this was my "God incident ". I saw a truck with writing on the back which said "Faith, hope and love." It made me happy . This reminds me of the great book I am reading again- "The Joy of Full Surrender" by Jean Pierre de Caussade who comments "It is a life that receives great and miraculous gifts from God by means of the most ordinary and common things such as happy coincidences or chance encounters....That is why we carefully gather up the crumbs that skeptics trample underfoot . Everything is precious in our eyes, everything enriches us...we do not neglect or despise anything and make use of them all."

Posted by: Fenelonspoke at April 04, 2026 06:24 AM (PFs9e)

49 He went the extra mile for soda. Now they're sending him into retirement with love and gifts. Sunny Skyz site:

https://tinyurl.com/2v4vj29u

Posted by: Fenelonspoke at April 04, 2026 06:29 AM (PFs9e)

50 Hmm, we need substantial amounts of water and electricity... I know! Let's build where water and electricity are scarce!
Posted by: t-bird

The southern New Mexico Project Jupiter data center water usage is not just some lunatic fringe hair on fire argument. Out of all the places one could build a data center, putting one where there's limited water resources and the cooling needs are off the charts in the summer, well, I don't get why they picked that site other than the land was virtually free and the local government gave away the store in the way of ridiculous amounts of tax breaks.

Unless there's a major popping of the AI data center bubble this project's going through at which point we will find out the net effects on the region. Like a lot of these controversial projects, once they're in place, everybody sort of forgets about them once they're completed. That is until they close up shop one day out of the blue and leave behind a mess for the locals to deal with.

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at April 04, 2026 06:32 AM (glnUu)

51 Evening and morning to all the Saturday toilers and early risers, respectively! I actually slept later this morning, so that's a good omen for this Saturn's Day, eh?

Last night we tried the first part of the miniseries MOses the Lawgiver from 1975, with Burt Lancaster and Anthony Quayle. Reverent, a grand performance from Burt, but slow. Makes me wish for The Ten Commandments again. Is any channel showing it this weekend, or have I missed it already?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 04, 2026 06:34 AM (wzUl9)

52 Good morning good people.

Posted by: Tonypete at April 04, 2026 06:36 AM (cYBz/)

53 Ah! The local ABC outlet is showing The Ten Commandments tonight at six! In a 4.5-hour time slot, though, so you know an hour or more of that will be commercials. Oh, well.

Time I had some more coffee, and breakfast.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 04, 2026 06:40 AM (wzUl9)

54 48 Good morning, everyone. Yesterday this was my "God incident ". I saw a truck with writing on the back which said "Faith, hope and love." It made me happy . This reminds me of the great book I am reading again- "The Joy of Full Surrender" by Jean Pierre de Caussade who comments "It is a life that receives great and miraculous gifts from God by means of the most ordinary and common things such as happy coincidences or chance encounters....That is why we carefully gather up the crumbs that skeptics trample underfoot . Everything is precious in our eyes, everything enriches us...we do not neglect or despise anything and make use of them all."

Posted by: Fenelonspoke at April 04, 2026 06:24 AM (

--‐

"gifts from God by means of the most ordinary and common things such as happy coincidences or chance encounters".
A welcome reminder that life can work for us, in our favor. I'll have to get that book.

Posted by: JM in Illinois at April 04, 2026 06:46 AM (kdX3B)

55 Good morning, everyone. Yesterday this was my "God incident ".
Posted by: Fenelonspoke

Nice!!

During Mass yesterday a very young Momma had me hold her 1 yr old little guy while she took her three little girls, all under 5 to the ladies room. The little dude and I had a ball. What a gift!

Posted by: Tonypete at April 04, 2026 06:52 AM (cYBz/)

56 Hot, fresh memes!

Powerline Week In Pictures:

https://tinyurl.com/u7awud2a

Midwest Chick:

https://tinyurl.com/3t7pzvt8

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at April 04, 2026 06:55 AM (skR0U)

57 What happened to Kit Kat?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 04, 2026 07:00 AM (wzUl9)

58 G'mornin' everyone!

I know that once-through water cooling is simple, but have these people never heard of cooling towers? or have those been banned, too?

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at April 04, 2026 07:02 AM (MIIRH)

59 57 What happened to Kit Kat?
Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 04, 2026 07:00 AM (wzUl9)

Major truck heist. This timeline, man.

Posted by: SciVo at April 04, 2026 07:09 AM (Sy6m/)

60 >>If you have computer, treat it like the one remaining intact moa egg.

Well, if you have a M chip Mac product, you're probably good for the next decade.

Even if you have a recent vintage WinTel or Lintel computer, you're probably good for at least 2 to 5 years.

Your biggest issue is going to be the continued encrapification of Windows.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 04, 2026 07:09 AM (XV/Pl)

61
Had a cable airing of "Lawrence of Arabia" on last night, a brilliant film I find something new in every time I see it.

I noticed the General Allenby character borrowed from "Paths of Glory"s Gen. Broulard, a neat piece of writing.

Posted by: Auspex at April 04, 2026 07:10 AM (Y8DZL)

62 Spider solitaire is evil
Onto WiP

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 07:10 AM (Ia/+0)

63 Well, if you have a M chip Mac product, you're probably good for the next decade.

Even if you have a recent vintage WinTel or Lintel computer, you're probably good for at least 2 to 5 years.

Your biggest issue is going to be the continued encrapification of Windows.
Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 04, 2026

***
There are refurbished computers on macsales and some other sites, I understand, for a lot cheaper than new.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 04, 2026 07:15 AM (wzUl9)

64 Democrats mafe it harder for Americans to get through TSA than they made Illegals to get through the border
Think about that

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 07:16 AM (Ia/+0)

65 Good morning.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at April 04, 2026 07:18 AM (oxDPM)

66 mornin yall. It's 'National Hug a Newsperson Day’. This day is dedicated to recognizing the hard work and dedication of journalists, reporters, anchors, and correspondents who keep the public informed.

This come on the heels of "Hug a Whore" day, and "Support Your Local Cesspool" week.

Posted by: fd at April 04, 2026 07:18 AM (vFG9F)

67 >>If you have computer, treat it like the one remaining intact moa egg.

***
I can upgrade the memory in my 2014 iMac. All I have to do is take out a personal loan. (Actually I haven't priced what the local shop would charge me . . . but I have a horrible feeling it ain't gonna be cheap.)

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at April 04, 2026 07:18 AM (wzUl9)

68 I saw the stupidity of offshoring everything back in the days when it began, (70s - 80s), but I quit talking about it after a few years because I got tired of all the people (who were all so much smarter than me) calling me names.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at April 04, 2026 07:20 AM (MIIRH)

69 I have not bought a new PC for myself in many many years. You can get a lot of mileage from an older CAD workstation with a lot of memory and a decent video card for less than $500.

Posted by: fd at April 04, 2026 07:21 AM (vFG9F)

70 Good morning!

Let's smile & be happy & strike fear in the hearts of killjoy leftists everywhere.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 04, 2026 07:22 AM (u82oZ)

71 There is iron in fd's words for all to see!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at April 04, 2026 07:27 AM (MIIRH)

72 - From 3 comments.

It was planned.
Started back in the 70's.
The petro-dollar.
There you all go with the wacko, conspiracy theories. What's next. Something like the cfr was involved?

On the other hand, did Marco Rubio speak of this at Munich?
Maaaybe.
Search "it was deliberate Marco Rubio" on utube. Did he speak about it without pointing out the who?

Posted by: TeeJ at April 04, 2026 07:27 AM (LajFB)

73 Good morning morons

Posted by: San Franpsycho at April 04, 2026 07:29 AM (RIvkX)

74 I worked on a PC running NT yesterday. Even on a 20 year old Dell GX-260 it was pretty quick. That PC is dedicated to a special purpose, and there is no replacement or upgrade for it.

Posted by: fd at April 04, 2026 07:30 AM (vFG9F)

75 Hillary! Dark Horse Candidate 2028

To the glue factory for you.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 04, 2026 07:30 AM (u82oZ)

76 I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper

Thank you. You are a giver.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 04, 2026 07:31 AM (u82oZ)

77 have not bought a new PC for myself in many many years"

This. I note that pretty much all bemoan a lack of low end sales, but none seem to address demand...

Is there much of a market for low end machines? Personally, I don't believe so...

Posted by: man at April 04, 2026 07:31 AM (XuXeR)

78 and the local government gave away the store in the way of ridiculous amounts of tax breaks."

Hey, how bout some places in Georgia and Tennessee?

Posted by: man at April 04, 2026 07:34 AM (XuXeR)

79 Asus made the mistake of thinking they could save a little money on packaging by trusting the gentleness of delivery drivers.

Never trust UPS, FedEx, or, especially, an Amazon driver, to be baby-gentle with your $1300 monitor or TV.

The Amazon drivers around here are the worse.
They’ll literally throw the package a few feet away onto the front porch, and never, ever, ring the doorbell to let you know it’s out there.

I got a box yesterday that was soaked by rain because I didn’t know it was out there until I caught a glimpse of it through a window sitting at the top of the steps.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at April 04, 2026 07:34 AM (6ydKt)

80 I keep threatening myself to get a small laptop

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 07:38 AM (Ia/+0)

81 Asus made the mistake of thinking they could save a little money on packaging by trusting the gentleness of delivery drivers."

And the "eco" + "sustainability" crap. It's part of their sales pitch...

Posted by: man at April 04, 2026 07:38 AM (XuXeR)

82 My subconscious is getting weird. Had a dream this morning that, as part of cancer treatment, I was issued a rather singular accessory for injections: A rifle stock.

No explanation was provided. Confusion abounded, even within the dream itself.

Posted by: Brother Tim, still standing at April 04, 2026 07:39 AM (FIwBs)

83 If we are talking about computers of the last 5-7 years, there really isn’t a low end machine any more, if your doing general work or even slightly advanced work you should be good.

Basically the only peope who are affected are corporations that buy hundreds/thousands of computers, gamers and people who want to run large LLMs.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 04, 2026 07:39 AM (XV/Pl)

84 ASUS has been kinda, well, sus for a while now. I wouldn't put it past them to be using the packing materials to cover for the fact that it's shipping broken.

Posted by: Brother Tim, still standing at April 04, 2026 07:40 AM (FIwBs)

85 “Co-Pilot is for entertainment purposes only…”

Not good for much then, is it?
If I want jokes or hallucinated fantasies I can just watch YouTube.

I guess I could ask MS Paint to make a cute cat gif for me.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at April 04, 2026 07:41 AM (6ydKt)

86 - I should have added the vid is from Promethean updates, or close to that.

And many, most, close to all here know a ton more about things like history, global finance and such than I do. That's why I mentioned it.
Have seen a few other vids from those folks about a certain country that wanted to keep our republic's ability, from its earliest years, restricted to supplying raw goods, not finished products.

Posted by: TeeJ at April 04, 2026 07:41 AM (LajFB)

87 Try Best buy "value" lineup...several brands/variety under $500...

Or tablet...

Posted by: man at April 04, 2026 07:43 AM (XuXeR)

88 I have an antiquated desktop running Windows 7. The browsers cannot be updated, which might be a good thing.

I was worried because I needed to attend a Zoom meeting.

It all worked out just fine.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at April 04, 2026 07:43 AM (qFwJc)

89 >> “Co-Pilot is for entertainment purposes only…”

This is just a liability CYA.

I use CoPilot every day to good effect.

The problem with CoPilot is MicroSlop jamming it into every product.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 04, 2026 07:44 AM (XV/Pl)

90 My favorite clip of Tanya the Evil was announcing to the enemy that they were about to blow up their munitions factory since the laws of war demanded it. And the enemy didn't take it seriously since it was a cute little girl making the announcement.

Posted by: NR Pax at April 04, 2026 07:44 AM (+NIRm)

91 Today is only nice Spring day for the next week here

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 07:45 AM (Ia/+0)

92 I’m old enough to remember that I could read text faster than 300 baud on a monitor. Now I read internet text slower than that, due to waiting for the pop-up ads.

Posted by: Fenderbender at April 04, 2026 07:45 AM (q3Dn+)

93 Indeed. Fired up mom's laptop... it booted up, ran fine... and reminded me that the warranty has expired.

In 2014.

Posted by: man at April 04, 2026 07:46 AM (XuXeR)

94 Today is only nice Spring day for the next week here

Posted by: Skip

====

April Showers

No outdoor Easter egg hunts this year. The littles would sink in the yard.

Posted by: 2009Refugee at April 04, 2026 07:49 AM (PZBKn)

95 See around lots were having Easter egg hunts today here, so they will have a great day for it

Posted by: Skip at April 04, 2026 07:51 AM (Ia/+0)

96 @91

>> Today is only nice Spring day for the next week here

The typical progression is we get a handful of nice days to be outside in Spring, it’s going to rain most weekends and then we get a couple of decent days right before the heat of the summer takes over, repeat for the other seasons and in typical year.

I would say we get a solid 2 month of nice days spread out during the year.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at April 04, 2026 07:51 AM (XV/Pl)

97 Waiting for the winds to die down so I can burn my pasture. In Kansas that can be like waiting for Godot.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 04, 2026 07:54 AM (u82oZ)

98 Guy I know uses AI all the time on his phone. Asks me all kinds of things and sets time for his lunch alarm and other nonsense. He is an idiot and feels right at home having me tell him how, when and where to wipe his ass.

Pretty pathetic.

Posted by: AI at April 04, 2026 07:54 AM (onPc6)

99 - In other vids they speak of a city in that "certain country" being the hub, I guess, of the globalist banking system.
And where commodities prices, like on oil, are set.
And where an insurance company, that quit insuring shipping in a particular shipping lane, is located.

Trump's tariffs and bringing manufacturing back was the start of bringing their power to heel. Or destroying it altogether.

Posted by: TeeJ at April 04, 2026 07:54 AM (LajFB)

100 2009Refugee

Evidently, there was an adult themes Easter Egg hunt at a local Rave establishment last night. You had to be over 21 to enter. With lots of door prizes. Touted by a radio ad.

I did not look for more details.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 04, 2026 07:56 AM (u82oZ)

101 TeeJ

How are you doing?

My email is AnPyl_qbt@xfoebnqonaq.arg in ROT-13.
I've mostly moved to tests, so if you contact me, I'll give you a number.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 04, 2026 07:59 AM (u82oZ)

102 That’s the thing, it isn’t some whacky conspiracy theory dreamt up in some fevered imagination. The globalists were, and are, quite public on what they view as “problematic”;

While the UN charter supposedly guarantees nations the right of self-determination and all those high sounding platitudes, that is not what the movers and shakers want. This has included powerful Individuals in American politics as well.

They told us long ago what they wanted to do, what they were going to do, in policy papers and think-tanks, and set about doing it. They’ve also deployed armies of “experts” to ‘splain why all this absolute bullshit is actually “good for our economy”.

Posted by: Common Tater at April 04, 2026 08:00 AM (bg8nN)

103 2009Refugee

Evidently, there was an adult themes Easter Egg hunt at a local Rave establishment last night. You had to be over 21 to enter. With lots of door prizes. Touted by a radio ad.

I did not look for more details.

Posted by: NaCly Dog

===

I'll take the high road, and speculate it was only because they were hunting jello shots molded into the shape of an egg.

Posted by: 2009Refugee at April 04, 2026 08:01 AM (PZBKn)

104 Modern shopping. Click here to Learn More About Your Evil Wayz, and How To Save Da Erf

“Due to the plastic bag restrictions in your area… blah blah blah.”

I feel like an Outlaw!

“You have Declined to Bring Your Own Bags”

(This makes you a Bad Person!)

Posted by: Common Tater at April 04, 2026 08:05 AM (bg8nN)

105 Have a great day, everyone.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at April 04, 2026 08:15 AM (u82oZ)

106 "shortage in key electrical distribution components"

There may be a shortage of such components, but there's a large shortage of electricity to distribute and that won't be solved for some years (and probably never totally resolved).

Posted by: AB at April 04, 2026 09:14 AM (ArLSQ)

107 Half of planned US datacenter builds have been delayed or canceled. (Tom's Hardware)

... there have been proposals for 5 data centers within 5 miles of the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant outside Philadelphia, including one by Constellation, the owner of the power station. Only one is mostly dead at this point.
It has become something of a joke that these data centers keep getting larger as we go. One started as 1.0 million sq ft, but was revised to 1.4 million sq ft, then revised again to 1.8 million sq ft, then a gas powered generation plant was added.

Posted by: SMOD at April 04, 2026 09:30 AM (O7XEN)

108 The last auction of power by PJM (Pennsylvania/Jersey/Maryland) power interconnect came up 68 MW short.

I guess they figure given that Pennsylvania has legal gas fracking, that some more power will be generated, most likely thru some sort of "magic" happening.

Posted by: SMOD at April 04, 2026 09:35 AM (O7XEN)

109 So the claude code you linked to at github the other day is still up.... Does that mean it's malware? Asking for a friend.

Posted by: Ethan Saunders at April 04, 2026 09:58 AM (/xiww)

110 The push for data centers is due to the greatly expanding amount of slop on the internet. All those cat videos and AI-created political rants have to be hosted somewhere.

Posted by: Occasional Commenter at April 04, 2026 11:07 AM (MV++E)

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