Daily Tech News 6 May 2026

Tech News

The latest version of Google Chrome has a neat new feature: It installs a 4GB local AI model on your computer without asking or even telling you. (That Privacy Guy)

Now that you know about it, can you delete it?

Yes, if you jump through seven flaming hoops.

Does it stay deleted?

No.

Not only is this a generally bad move, it is probably illegal in the UK and Europe.

Also, on my PC it's only 2.7GB for whatever reason.
Notepad++ is not out for the Mac. (Ars Technica)

The notepad is a lie.

Tech News

Lenovo's 5th generation Legion Tab is out now for $849. (Liliputing)

That's with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which is not expandable.

I have the 3rd generation model with the same memory and storage capacity and a slightly lower display resolution. It cost me around $450, making the new model not a bargain I am in a hurry to pick up.
Microsoft is automatically adding Copilot as an author to Git commits if it occupied the same continental plate as your code at any point. (Heise)

Thanks, Microsoft!
Moving your systems to a mainframe is now cheaper than using VMWare. (The Register)

And it's not even IBM saying this.
Google Deep Mind staff in Britain are about to suddenly be laid off due to economic conditions. (Wired) (archive site)

I can see the future. And sometimes even the past. Present is cloudy though.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: Not.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 BOING!

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 04:32 AM (lgmVC)

2 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 04:33 AM (Ia/+0)

3 You want tech news????

I'll give you tech news!!!!

Stop buying HP printers!

https://tinyurl.com/5sf9cvjs

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 04:33 AM (lgmVC)

4 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at May 06, 2026 04:34 AM (sAmhv)

5 The latest version of Google Chrome has a neat new feature: It installs a 4GB local AI model on your computer without asking or even telling you.
-

I try to avoid anything Google. However, still stuck with my Android phone.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 04:35 AM (lgmVC)

6 Musical Interlude

Something something.
-

Well here's something:

https://youtu.be/UelDrZ1aFeY

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 04:38 AM (lgmVC)

7 Steve at Hardware Unboxed lowered the boom on NVIDIA and "ray tracing" in his latest video on YT. Essentially, "ray tracing" is worthless for gaming, because serious gamers prefer FPS to image enhancement.

Posted by: mrp at May 06, 2026 04:39 AM (rj6Yv)

8 Now that you know about it, can you delete it?

Yes, if you jump through seven flaming hoops.

Haha, Pixy. Sounds like an Olympic sport for techies- "flaming hoop jumping"

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 06, 2026 04:39 AM (Yl2Ob)

9 No music interlude?

youtu.be/lsZG7n7ries

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at May 06, 2026 04:44 AM (sAmhv)

10 "A time to let go." Rabbi's daughter from the International fellowship of Christians and Jews. Writes on Leviticus 25:3-4:

https://tinyurl.com/bdhzpv7x

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 06, 2026 04:45 AM (Yl2Ob)

11 Ah, there it is. Fine Young Cannibals. They were a thing, and then, they weren't. They just disappeared.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at May 06, 2026 04:45 AM (sAmhv)

12 Ah, there it is. Fine Young Cannibals. They were a thing, and then, they weren't. They just disappeared.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at May 06, 2026 04:45 AM
-

Drop in consumer interest?

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 04:50 AM (lgmVC)

13 The last HP Printer (ink jet) was garbage and I vowed never to get another. Next one I get will be a laser printer. Maybe a Brother or Epson. No more HP. They used to be not terrible.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at May 06, 2026 04:52 AM (sAmhv)

14 O.k for the insomniacs I have a suggestion. I've been drinking a tea about half an hour before I go to sleep and it's really helped me not wake up in the middle of the night. It has a dumb name but it works. It's called "Nighty Night Extra" from "traditional medicinals ". I got it a the supermarket in the tea section.. it has valerian and passion flowers and some other things. I think it's more effective-for me anyway, than taking a valerian tablet.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 06, 2026 04:52 AM (2sfNr)

15 Drop in consumer interest?

I guess. Or aliens. I don't know. British band. I was stationed over in the UK when they hit it big. They were all over the place and then, they weren't. I have no idea what ever happened to them. It's fascinating to read about these bands that hit it BIG and are all over the place, and then, gone, like a vapor in a hurricane. The music business is a harsh mistress.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at May 06, 2026 04:55 AM (sAmhv)

16 Woman pulls man from burning car before it explodes. Faithpot site:

https://tinyurl.com/3dvvywnz

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 06, 2026 04:56 AM (2sfNr)

17 I don't think Donna from the ONT learned her lesson.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at May 06, 2026 04:57 AM (qFwJc)

18 Still need a new GPS, driving by phone isn't bad but can't watch any map on it

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 05:02 AM (Ia/+0)

19 Drop in consumer interest?
-

I guess.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at May 06, 2026 04:55 AM (sAmhv)
-

Pun lost.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 05:03 AM (lgmVC)

20 Still need a new GPS, driving by phone isn't bad but can't watch any map on it

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 05:02 AM (Ia/+0)
-

Why can't you watch maps on the phone?

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 05:04 AM (lgmVC)

21 "Strength is overrated" Reflection from a person on
2nd Corinthians 12:1-10. For those that have an interest, following the devotional and prayer are some study questions:

https://tinyurl.com/es4hveyb

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 06, 2026 05:04 AM (2sfNr)

22 Some peppy music for getting moving in your morning:

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Golden Age (4K Official Video)
https://youtu.be/x5h-LAvQDCQ

Or to really wake you up for that commute, some "noise art":
Beck - Devils Haircut (Official Music Video)
https://youtu.be/aa3rBVb3v4g

Posted by: SciVo at May 06, 2026 05:06 AM (Sy6m/)

23 IIRC, the lead singer of Fine Young Cannibals was beheaded by Duncan MacLeod.

Posted by: Button-Pushing-Monkey at May 06, 2026 05:07 AM (EcHpA)

24 It's like a whacky cartoon out there in Turkey:

https://tinyurl.com/bds8frbz

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 05:11 AM (lgmVC)

25
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at May 06, 2026 05:12 AM (8iYDv)

26 Pun lost.
Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey,

I'll go look for it.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at May 06, 2026 05:18 AM (sAmhv)

27 >>>The last HP Printer (ink jet) was garbage and I vowed never to get another. Next one I get will be a laser printer. Maybe a Brother or Epson. No more HP. They used to be not terrible.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come

>All inkjet and liquid printers suck donkey balls. I'm surprised they still make them. I got a color laser and never looked back.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at May 06, 2026 05:19 AM (D1E+2)

28 20 Still need a new GPS, driving by phone isn't bad but can't watch any map on it
[snip]
Why can't you watch maps on the phone?
_-_
I still think you should learn to ride a horse. What do you think they're gonna do, pave the whole world just so you can drive that newfangled velocipede around everywhere?
Oh, sorry, wrong century.
paper maps. Paper Maps PAPER MAPS!

Oh, you can't find thiose, huh?

I think you should stop and ask for directions.

Posted by: Doni n SoCo at May 06, 2026 05:29 AM (48Lzp)

29 Duo sings old time hymn, "Great is thy faithfulness":

https://tinyurl.com/4xvk8rtw

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at May 06, 2026 05:33 AM (Yl2Ob)

30 Eventually companies like HP are going to do this stupid subscription crap enough that some programmers are going to band together and create an open-source firmware project to take back our hardware devices.

One of these already exists for routers: OpenWRT.

Yeah. Something like that.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 06, 2026 05:33 AM (O7YUW)

31 Switched to Brother inkjets about a decade ago after frustrations with HP and its drivers.

Need just B&W, scanning and copying. Use cheap Chinese ink cartridges. Works for me!

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 05:35 AM (lR5Ug)

32 I'm now waiting for someone to write a program that can permanently remove the AI garbage from Chrome and keep it uninstalled.

All they have to do is charge about $5 for it and within a week, they don't have to work any more.

Posted by: NR Pax at May 06, 2026 05:40 AM (BpO1e)

33 Why you notepad++ when you can use Vim?

Or Sublime?

Posted by: Thomas Bender at May 06, 2026 05:45 AM (XV/Pl)

34 Had to charge my phone up, need a new cord and only have 1 for two devices

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 05:45 AM (Ia/+0)

35 Phone is a bit smaller and doesn't sit on dashboard

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 05:46 AM (Ia/+0)

36 There are such things as phone holders that mount to the windshield. Mine works great.

Posted by: no one of any consequence at May 06, 2026 05:49 AM (qFwJc)

37 Phone is a bit smaller and doesn't sit on dashboard
Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 05:46 AM (Ia/+0)
-

Isn't it cheaper to simply buy a new phone with a decent size screen and find a mount for it, than to buy a dedicated GPS device?

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at May 06, 2026 05:49 AM (lR5Ug)

38 use Vim?
_-_
I write code for Windows and Linux, so I switch back and forth a lot. I wind up with stray j's and k's in my Windows code on occasion. Got used to vi in the 90's when it was the editor of no choice on IRIX machines...well, there was "Jot"...

Posted by: Doni n SoCo at May 06, 2026 05:52 AM (48Lzp)

39 Is the AI bubble popping yet?

Posted by: Don in SoCo at May 06, 2026 05:55 AM (48Lzp)

40 https://tinyurl.com/5x4u37ef
20 Posts from Doug Ross Substack

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 05:56 AM (Ia/+0)

41 Had a thought, maybe Fine Young Cannibals self imploded, they eat each other out of existence.

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 05:57 AM (Ia/+0)

42 “ The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Proverbs 12:18

Posted by: Marcus T at May 06, 2026 05:57 AM (/iaZu)

43 Hmmm...time to go sweep the snow off of the starlink.

Posted by: Don in SoCo at May 06, 2026 05:58 AM (/evfT)

44 Sure a bigger phone would be more expensive than a GPS

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 05:59 AM (Ia/+0)

45 @39/Don in SoCo: "Is the AI bubble popping yet?"

I keep hoping every morning to read news of AI's "dot.bomb" moment; when the elastic, stretched too far, just breaks.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 06, 2026 06:00 AM (O7YUW)

46 I remembered that guy. He was supposed to play Hiro Protagonist in the movie.

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain at May 06, 2026 06:02 AM (gHSfI)

47 @38

>> well, there was "Jot"..

I’m just not getting this Mac notepad++ brouhaha.

There are numerous text editors out there, the world was not clamoring for a port of a Windows text editor.

Posted by: Thomas Bender at May 06, 2026 06:03 AM (XV/Pl)

48
I keep hoping every morning to read news of AI's "dot.bomb" moment; when the elastic, stretched too far, just breaks
_-_
when I saw the "data center in your backyard" think (nvidia and pulte homes), I started thinking, now they're getting desperate.

Posted by: Don in SoCo at May 06, 2026 06:04 AM (/evfT)

49 >>> "Is the AI bubble popping yet?"

>The barn door is open on AI. It will never close. It may take a few hits in financial markets but it's never going away. The military applications, killbots, will drive the industry.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at May 06, 2026 06:06 AM (D1E+2)

50 Looking at Best Buy, cheapest Garmin is $150, better $250

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

51 And would bet the Marxist Ststes will still gerrymandering at will until someone tries a new court case.

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 06:08 AM (Ia/+0)

52 Yeah, not thinking AI will go away unless civilization goes with it, but the circular financing seems like it will eventually cause a big financial crisis.

Posted by: Don in SoCo at May 06, 2026 06:09 AM (3Pbwf)

53 G'mornin' everyone!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at May 06, 2026 06:09 AM (VyBeY)

54 Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Rejoinder: Nit.

Posted by: Captain Obvious, Laird o' the Sea at May 06, 2026 06:10 AM (xvhJH)

55 Evening and morning, creatures of the light and the darkness! (But mostly light.) 'Tis Woden's Day again, innit?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 06, 2026 06:10 AM (wzUl9)

56 Happy Wednesday, one and all Today is the third injection for my knee and I am hopeful that this will go better than the second.

It's annoying that I'm going through all of this to be in a state of "Yeah, it doesn't hurt as bad as normal" for six months.

Posted by: NR Pax at May 06, 2026 06:11 AM (BpO1e)

57 The old thinking was that the weapons of mass destruction were nuclear, biological and chemical warfare. Think again. Now we have AI. Add that to the list.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at May 06, 2026 06:12 AM (D1E+2)

58 I slept enough last night, but feel as though I didn't. My left knee is mildly sore -- possibly a result of my struggles with removing the old toilet seat yesterday. The idiots who installed the new Niagara commode a few years ago probably used a power tool to screw down the plastic bolts, and the head of one was too chewed up to use a screwdriver on it. Finally, after loud expostulations (read: "curses") and various contortions, I realized my wrench with 13mm socket -- the same size the instructions for the new seat required -- would grip and undo the entire bolt. After that, no problema. What a mess, though.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 06, 2026 06:12 AM (wzUl9)

59 Have a great day horde

Posted by: Skip at May 06, 2026 06:12 AM (Ia/+0)

60 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at May 06, 2026 06:16 AM (YpHnX)

61 57 The old thinking was that the weapons of mass destruction were nuclear, biological and chemical warfare. Think again. Now we have AI. Add that to the list.
_-_
After the manner of Ron White, I don't know what it would take to destroy western civilization, but I can see what they're going to use.

Posted by: Don in SoCo at May 06, 2026 06:16 AM (3Pbwf)

62 paper maps. Paper Maps PAPER MAPS!

Oh, you can't find thiose, huh?

I think you should stop and ask for directions.
Posted by: Doni n SoCo at May 06, 2026

***
On my Kansas trip, I would call up the areas I needed on Gorgle Maps, make notes of the essential highway numbers in a notebook for the front seat, and try to commit the zigzags to memory. It worked pretty well. When I did have to stop for directions, that worked -- IF the local inhabitants were bright enough to turn on light switches. In Pine Bluff, AR, they weren't.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 06, 2026 06:16 AM (wzUl9)

63 There were a few survivors to the dot.bomb event (dot.com implosion). Note the key word there: Few. A lot of companies disappeared suddenly when their magical-thinking financing dried up and they didn't have any actual revenue.

That pattern will repeat in AI. Most will be gone. A few will survive, and they'll offer something actually-useful to some customers, enough that they have a real revenue stream.

The pretenders and the magical thinkers will have to go off and start their next big scam though.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 06, 2026 06:19 AM (O7YUW)

64 Friend brought this video to my attention. This skit came out in 1993. These guys could see the future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO47aYGJ738

Posted by: NR Pax at May 06, 2026 06:19 AM (BpO1e)

65 paper maps. Paper Maps PAPER MAPS!

Oh, you can't find thiose, huh?

I'm betting AAA still has them.

Posted by: NR Pax at May 06, 2026 06:20 AM (BpO1e)

66 Some researcher discovered another task Microsoft should do as part of their K2 project or as I like to call it Widowmaker 11. K2 is the project where Microsoft intends to address all the problems it created over the last 10 years that have its consumer users in revolt.

So what's the new project?

This researcher discovered the Microsoft Edge browser stores all the passwords stored in the browser in plain text in memory when any single password is accessed.

Microsoft to this credit told everybody to piss off because this was by design.

Oh. That's a bit tone deaf. Sigh. The Mac Air and Mac Mini are looking rather attractive.

https://is.gd/pWcT0c

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at May 06, 2026 06:22 AM (glnUu)

67
*strolls in with coffee*

Good morning, Hordians.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at May 06, 2026 06:22 AM (HdYcL)

68 Rand McNally still publishes a physical-print Motor Carrier's Road Atlas, aka: Truckers' map book.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 06, 2026 06:22 AM (O7YUW)

69 The latest version of Google Chrome has a neat new feature: It installs a 4GB local AI model on your computer without asking or even telling you. (That Privacy Guy)

****

I deleted all things Google with a vengeance years ago when I read that one of their developers identified as a dragon and the company played along with it.

Posted by: Biergood at May 06, 2026 06:23 AM (PwgSL)

70
K2 is the project where Microsoft intends to address all the problems it created over the last 10 years that have its consumer users in revolt.

And double down on them.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at May 06, 2026 06:23 AM (HdYcL)

71 >>>After the manner of Ron White, I don't know what it would take to destroy western civilization, but I can see what they're going to use.

Posted by: Don in SoCo

>Imagine what a killbot could do at a protest with 50,000 people. It goes until it runs out of ammo.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at May 06, 2026 06:24 AM (D1E+2)

72 I still use my 2016 Walmart-issued Rand McNally U.S. Road Atlas. It has a store directory for WM in it. That was how I found the Walmart in Pine Bluff, not via locals' directions.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 06, 2026 06:25 AM (wzUl9)

73 Coffee. Once again I'm faced with the task of having to make coffee. The burdens I endure.

Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at May 06, 2026 06:25 AM (glnUu)

74 commit the zigzags to memory
_-_
Yeah, I do that. I flatly refuse to do that turn-by-turn thing. When my sisters ride with me, they turn on their damned phones to announce the turns 'cause they know how much I hate that shit. I will admit that having your position displayed on a (quiet) moving map is a good thing for orienting yourself in an unfamiliar area, but otherwise, that stuff's not for me.

Posted by: Don in SoCo at May 06, 2026 06:25 AM (/evfT)

75 Rand McNally still publishes a physical-print Motor Carrier's Road Atlas, aka: Truckers' map book.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 06, 2026

***
I need one of those!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 06, 2026 06:25 AM (wzUl9)

76 @69/Biergood: "... one of their developers identified as a dragon and the company played along with it."

Satan's at Google. This tracks.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at May 06, 2026 06:27 AM (O7YUW)

77 I will admit that having your position displayed on a (quiet) moving map is a good thing for orienting yourself in an unfamiliar area, but otherwise, that stuff's not for me.
Posted by: Don in SoCo at May 06, 2026

***
The screen in the Buick is too small, and displays too limited an area at a time, for me to understand where I am in relation to, say, the Interstate or the US highway I'm trying to get to. A real map lets me trace that out.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 06, 2026 06:28 AM (wzUl9)

78 Coffee. Once again I'm faced with the task of having to make coffee. The burdens I endure.
Posted by: Alteria Pilgram - My President has convictions. at May 06, 2026

***
I set mine up the night before, then only have to press a couple of buttons on the Braun when I get up. By the time I return from the head, the black juice is hot and ready to go.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at May 06, 2026 06:30 AM (wzUl9)

79 A real map lets me trace that out.
_-_
Yup.

Posted by: Don in SoCo at May 06, 2026 06:32 AM (3Pbwf)

80
Her Majesty still carries a Rand McNally atlas in the RV. As for myself, I have an uncanny sense of direction, so I can look at a map ahead of time and get to the location with no further reference.

I gave up on navigators when I was told to make the first legal U-turn, then after I had done so, I was told to make the first legal U-turn.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at May 06, 2026 06:33 AM (HdYcL)

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