Daily Tech News 8 August 2026

Top Story

The entire planned DRAM production for 2027 from Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix has already sold out. (IGN)

I was reporting on the growing crisis last year but didn't take it personally until I watched a YouTube video advising people that there was no need to panic buy, and that prices would level out in 2027.

I promptly panic-bought.
Memory is now selling at prices last seen in 2007. (Tom's Hardware)

Though the memory price crash of 2007 was one of the reasons why there are only three big memory manufacturers today.

Tech News

Old Nvidia 170HX graphics cards just shot up in price tenfold on the second-hand market. (WCCFTech)

These only have 8GB or 10GB of RAM depending on the precise model, so they only fetched $100 or so second hand. Then someone figured out that they actually have 64GB or 80GB of RAM, just with most of it disabled, and the price shot up overnight.

Problem is that the memory is disabled due to defective dies, so the amount of working memory you'll get after unlocking one of these cards is a dice roll.
Chinese AI model Kimi escaped from its cage. (Tech Crunch)

Translation: Some idiot left the door open again.
ByteDance, the TikTok people, are working on a 10 trillion parameter AI model. (The Next Web)

Forget 80GB of VRAM, you'll need 20TB for this one.
Ford's new $30,000 truck comes with Frank from Blue's Clues. (The Next Web)

I think that's what it said.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: Press any key to raise one eyebrow.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:45 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 w00t

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 04:45 AM (odBC9)

2 Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

LOVE that video.

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 04:50 AM (odBC9)

3 Why is Roger Chen, "Director IT of Enterprise Productivity & Collaboration Engineering at NVIDIA," sending me weird messages on LinkedIn?

Posted by: Blonde Morticia's Phone at August 08, 2026 04:51 AM (mmrXZ)

4 (It could be Flock theme song.)

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 04:51 AM (odBC9)

5 2 Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

LOVE that video.
Posted by: m

Flock Inc's commercial jingle?

Posted by: mikeski at August 08, 2026 04:53 AM (VHUov)

6 .....takes to long to type on my phone, apparently.

Posted by: mikeski at August 08, 2026 04:54 AM (VHUov)

7 6 .....takes to long to type on my phone, apparently.
Posted by: mikeski at August 08, 2026 04:54 AM (VHUov)

"Commercial jingle" MUCH better than "theme song."

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 04:56 AM (odBC9)

8 3 Why is Roger Chen, "Director IT of Enterprise Productivity & Collaboration Engineering at NVIDIA," sending me weird messages on LinkedIn?
Posted by: Blonde Morticia

His title has too many words, and they're out of order.

That doesn't preclude it being a real title.

Posted by: mikeski at August 08, 2026 04:57 AM (VHUov)

9 Wikipedia

Kennedy William Gordy (born March 15, 1964), known professionally as Rockwell, is an American musician.

He is best known for his hit single "Somebody's Watching Me", which features an uncredited Michael Jackson on chorus vocals.

Kennedy William Gordy is the son of Motown founder and CEO Berry Gordy....

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 04:58 AM (odBC9)

10
His title has too many words, and they're out of order.

That doesn't preclude it being a real title.
Posted by: mikeski

=============

Nothing to do with Roger Chen.But have you seen some upper management titles these days? I look at them and I haven't the slightest idea with these people do.

Senior Creative Vice President of Digital Production Marketing, that kind of slop.

Posted by: Blonde Morticia's Phone at August 08, 2026 05:01 AM (mmrXZ)

11 I noticed on yesterday’s tech thread somebody looking for an Irfanview type app for MacOS.

There are probably other lightweight photo viewer/editors for Mac, but the one I’ve stuck with for over 15 years is Xee.

It’s a free download:

https://sourceforge.net/app/xee3/mac/

(or you can search for Xee 3 on the App Store on a Mac)

It’s on version three now, so Xee3, and is from the same developer who puts out The Unarchiver for Mac, which is also a handy tool that will open just about any compressed archive known to mankind.

Xee does just about everything Irfanview will do on Windows; photo view/slideshows, thumbnails browsing, and some light editing - contrast/brightness, cropping, saving to various image file formats, etc.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 08, 2026 05:03 AM (6ydKt)

12 Wikipedia

In 1983, Rockwell released his most successful single, "Somebody's Watching Me", with childhood friend Michael Jackson singing the chorus lyrics and Jermaine Jackson singing backing vocals.

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 05:04 AM (odBC9)

13 No, no.

Posted by: guy who says no, no at August 08, 2026 05:05 AM (9qZWa)

14 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at August 08, 2026 05:07 AM (Ia/+0)

15 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at August 08, 2026 05:09 AM (byWhc)

16 Sometimes excellent responses get lost in the threads. So this is Whig responding to another poster 172 in the "Biden grants" thread:

172 CS Lewis poisoned the well. No serious debater takes his "trilemma" seriously. Because he didn't pose the "trilemma" to serious debaters. He played to the cheap seats.
The obvious counter to Lewis is to confront him with epistemology. That is, to ask him how sure he is about the sources.
Posted by: 88C+u
======
Nope, the problem is that if you start with rational materialism as a starting place, you have no room for beliefs in things beyond materialism in the first place. Your axioms come from a different place altogether and thus there is no discussion with you to be had.

Lots of sound and noise but at the end of the day, it is belief in rationalism as an end all be all rather than Christianity and which is akin to putting modern words in ancient mouths by somehow believing our generation is smarter than those old sods.

Those Apostles went cheerfully to their deaths over their beliefs--would you risk your material existence like they would if they believed it was all metaphysical stories.

So no, you take the text as it comes and don't get e

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 08, 2026 05:09 AM (xSAlF)

17 13 No, no.
Posted by: guy who says no, no at August 08, 2026 05:05 AM (9qZWa)

Nanette!

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 05:10 AM (odBC9)

18 As far as I heard Ford gave up electric trucks.
I do see a fair amount of Tesla trucks.
I really would like to try one jist 1 day

Posted by: Skip at August 08, 2026 05:13 AM (Ia/+0)

19 Sorry; End of post 16 got cut off:

"So no, you take the text as it comes and don't get endless redoes to fit modern sensibilities.
Posted by: whig at August 07, 2026 07:44 PM"

I am so glad Whig posts here and for his thoughtful and excellent responses.

And seriously, who thinks C.S. Lewis wrote for the "cheap seats" ?!!

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 08, 2026 05:15 AM (xSAlF)

20 Ford's new $30,000 truck comes with Frank from Blue's Clues. (The Next Web)
I think that's what it said.

Ha ha!

Ford’s $30,000 electric truck is called the Fathom. It comes with BlueCruise, bidirectional charging, and a frunk as standard.

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 05:16 AM (odBC9)

21 Ford has a new EV truck coming out.
It’s about the size of the Maverick model.
Runs about $29k to start.

They are calling it the Fathom (for now):

https://tinyurl.com/47zh48pe
(Motortrend)

Seems to want to compete with the Jeff Bezos Slate EV truck.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 08, 2026 05:17 AM (6ydKt)

22
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at August 08, 2026 05:17 AM (AMvSw)

23 And seriously, who thinks C.S. Lewis wrote for the "cheap seats" ?!!
Posted by: FenelonSpoke

People who don't read C.S.Lewis with ideological axes to grind.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at August 08, 2026 05:18 AM (byWhc)

24 from the The Next Web article:

Ford CEO Jim Farley told employees last week that Chinese EVs could reach the US within five years, and the Fathom is Ford’s answer: a ground-up EV platform designed to compete on cost with the companies he is warning about.

21 Ford has a new EV truck coming out.
It’s about the size of the Maverick model.
Runs about $29k to start.

They are calling it the Fathom (for now):

https://tinyurl.com/47zh48pe
(Motortrend)

Seems to want to compete with the Jeff Bezos Slate EV truck.
Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 08, 2026 05:17 AM (6ydKt)

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 05:19 AM (odBC9)

25 Old time hymn- "Gove to the winds thy fears"

Translation of a German hymn by John Wesley:

https://tinyurl.com/57rrjkf4

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 08, 2026 05:20 AM (xSAlF)

26 They are calling it the Fathom (for now):
Posted by: SpeakingOf

Because they expect it to put the EV division six feet under?

Posted by: mikeski at August 08, 2026 05:20 AM (VHUov)

27 Apparently word is getting around about Ford’s truck.

The price is a whole lot better than an $80,000 Ford Lightning.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 08, 2026 05:20 AM (6ydKt)

28 Good morning all. The sandman has bagged me three times already and he's knocking again the way I'm yawning so it's goodnight I must be going again.

Posted by: Gmac-WTF did you think was going to happen at August 08, 2026 05:21 AM (Q/FnY)

29 Because they expect it to put the EV division six feet under?
Posted by: mikeski at August 08, 2026 05:20 AM (VHUov)

At $30k I expect they might actually sell a few of these. Perfect for urban/suburbanites who want a truck but not one that’s as big as a yacht and costs as much as a condo.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 08, 2026 05:23 AM (6ydKt)

30 26 They are calling it the Fathom (for now):
Posted by: SpeakingOf

Because they expect it to put the EV division six feet under?
Posted by: mikeski at August 08, 2026 05:20 AM (VHUov)

from the The Next Web article:

Kay Hart, general manager of Ford’s Model e business, said Fathom reflects “a new depth of innovation” in engineering, manufacturing, and design.

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 05:23 AM (odBC9)

31 Morning, Tech Peeps

Posted by: fluffy at August 08, 2026 05:26 AM (V0/Sp)

32 Per the Post:
"Ex-Air Force secretary accused of leaking classified information about Air Force One; Pentagon revokes his access"

Can't trust anyone anymore.

Posted by: Tuna at August 08, 2026 05:26 AM (lJ0H4)

33 And since they’re EVs I think a bunch of teenage boys will want one of these trucks just for the torque, and 0-60 time.

I bet it’ll smoke some tires until the treads fly off.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 08, 2026 05:26 AM (6ydKt)

34 Wisdom and humility Proverbs 15:23

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews:

https://tinyurl.com/ymmadjn7

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 08, 2026 05:30 AM (xSAlF)

35 @32

Of course he was a Biden appointee so I guess that's par for the course.

Posted by: Tuna at August 08, 2026 05:30 AM (lJ0H4)

36 >>> And seriously, who thinks C.S. Lewis wrote for the "cheap seats" ?!!

"Something, something, except ye believe as a small child, something, mumble"

Posted by: fluffy at August 08, 2026 05:30 AM (V0/Sp)

37 and also

Per The Hill:

Army removes a top US general in Europe from command

https://thehill.com

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 05:32 AM (odBC9)

38 The news shows once again that companies and independent organizations are struggling to contain their AI models designed for hacking.

Well, it WAS designed for hacking...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at August 08, 2026 05:37 AM (l3cgK)

39 @37

"Costanza had an alcohol “problem,” a former defense official familiar with the matter told The Hill. "

In other words He's a drunk.

Posted by: Tuna at August 08, 2026 05:37 AM (lJ0H4)

40 Disclaimer: Press any key to raise one eyebrow.

Needs a modern remake, with Google, Siri, Alexa, cell phone spoofers, AI and everything else modern living provides for our "comfort"...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at August 08, 2026 05:38 AM (l3cgK)

41 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at August 08, 2026 05:38 AM (zJHVr)

42 American car companies might be able to come close to Chinese EVs on pricing, but I know they can beat them on quality.

Watched a video on China Observer on YT yesterday about the horror that is Chinese EVs.

Several are clips of the tires falling off of cars/SUVs because the axle broke hitting a hard bump or getting in a fender bender.

The working theory is that the EV companies are putting out new models every day, do very little R&D and road testing (around six months from concept to production), and the biggest screw up: they are using axle/wheel & suspension designs from ICE vehicles that are much lighter than battery filled two-ton EVs.

And the clips of their EVs trying to automatic park in tight spaces is hilarious.
It’s like watching a drunk Roomba.

Here’s the vid:
https://youtu.be/8Sa_YmgR1LM

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 08, 2026 05:42 AM (6ydKt)

43 Been trying Excite on my phone as a browser. Thats what I use on my tablet and it handles the ad barrage a t least better as I can see it and get rid of it. Chrome on my phone its a marage and it has to be found first to gey rid of it.

Posted by: Skip at August 08, 2026 05:47 AM (Ia/+0)

44 @37/m: Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza was apparently frunk a lot of the time.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 05:47 AM (O7YUW)

45 Here’s the vid:
https://youtu.be/8Sa_YmgR1LM

Posted by: SpeakingOf at August 08, 2026 05:42 AM (6ydKt)

So many axle failures...
::: Beverly Hills Cop theme running in my head :::

( Yeah, wrong Axel )

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at August 08, 2026 05:47 AM (l3cgK)

46 44 @37/m: Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza was apparently frunk a lot of the time.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 05:47 AM (O7YUW)

frunk = f'n drunk?

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at August 08, 2026 05:48 AM (l3cgK)

47 @42/SpeakingOf: "Several are clips of the tires falling off of cars/SUVs because the axle broke hitting a hard bump or getting in a fender bender. "

Made with fine Chinesium alloys!

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 05:50 AM (O7YUW)

48 It's a bit surprising that there isn't a whole cottage industry of people ripping the motors out of old EVs and building backyard monstrosities with them...

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 08, 2026 05:50 AM (Ot/FD)

49 @46/jim: "frunk = f'n drunk?"

One of the older definitions of "frunk" at Urban Dictionary, and exactly what I was going for.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 05:52 AM (O7YUW)

50 (Car manufacturers should really check their terms at Urban Dictionary before they decide to adopt them for modifications for words like "trunk".)

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 05:53 AM (O7YUW)

51 44 @37/m: Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza was apparently frunk a lot of the time.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 05:47 AM (O7YUW)

Sad.

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 05:55 AM (odBC9)

52 Frunk. To act very drunk when you have not consumed as much alcohol as you said, to act fake drunk.

Posted by: olddog in mo at August 08, 2026 06:00 AM (zJHVr)

53 50 (Car manufacturers should really check their terms at Urban Dictionary before they decide to adopt them for modifications for words like "trunk".)
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 05:53 AM (O7YUW)

Ford
Fathom
frunk

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 06:01 AM (odBC9)

54 @52/olddog: Keep scrolling down, there are a lot of definitions for 'frunk'.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 06:08 AM (O7YUW)

55 pass!

Stephen L. Miller retweeted
Tucker Carlson
@TuckerCarlson
12h
Our conversation with Hunter Biden. Monday.

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 06:09 AM (odBC9)

56 @55/m: "pass!

Good call.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 06:10 AM (O7YUW)

57
Good morning, Hordians.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August 08, 2026 06:11 AM (O0L8i)

58 Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Rejoinder: F5 F5 F5 F5...

Posted by: Captain Obvious, Laird o' the Sea at August 08, 2026 06:12 AM (amcLV)

59 40 Disclaimer: Press any key to raise one eyebrow.

I don't need no stinkin' key.

Posted by: Dwayne Johnson at August 08, 2026 06:12 AM (skR0U)

60 Evening and morning, satellites, satraps, weekend toilers and early risers! 'Tis Saturday yet again, innit?

Stiring woke me at 3:30 -- at least I *think* that's what my watch said. But I was asleep when the alarm rang at 5:00. Not sure about the exact chronology here.

Whass goin' on?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at August 08, 2026 06:17 AM (wzUl9)

61 David Suchet reads a lovely psalm of praise- Psalm 8:

https://tinyurl.com/2s45stj4

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at August 08, 2026 06:18 AM (xPsv8)

62 I woke to find my water pressure is down, like, way down. The Sewerage and Water Board crews are working this early on a Saturday?

I wonder how long this will last.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at August 08, 2026 06:19 AM (wzUl9)

63 We watched the dazzling murder mystery from 1973, The Last of Sheila, last night. It's fun to watch or reread a mystery sometimes when you know the murderer's identity, but don't recall how the detective deduces it. TLoS is just as enjoyable that way as it is the first time you see it.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at August 08, 2026 06:21 AM (wzUl9)

64 2 Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

LOVE that video.
Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 04:50 AM (odBC9)

And the song's a real earworm.

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 06:24 AM (odBC9)

65 "The entire planned DRAM production for 2027 from Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix has already sold out."

1/2:

Until the bubble pops, and most AI companies go bankrupt from not being able to generate the predicted miraculous levels of revenue to cover their insane debt loads; ie: When fiscal reality asserts itself with a vengeance.

No customers = not "sold out". Of course then they're going to have a ton of HBM memory and still won't be able to sell that to consumers, because we use a different memory type. So they'll have to panic-retool to the consumer market and try to get sales going again.

Which brings us to our next hurdle that they created for themselves: The longer the bubble lasts, the more computer sales shops and/or middlemen wholesalers go under because they're not making sales to DIY computer enthusiasts right now. Confirmed by talking with the techs at the local computer shop I buy my parts from. They told me NOBODY is buying memory, hard drives or GPUs right now for DIY projects. I asked how they're staying afloat, and they told me pre-built systems, but the prices on those are starting to rapidly climb now too now that existing stock is selling out.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 06:24 AM (O7YUW)

66 2/2:

So as smaller shops and retail/wholesale channels fold due to "lack of sales", end-customers like me will have very few options, and we'll be forced to places like NewEgg, or (God help us) Amazon's resale market.

By that point though, markets like Amazon will be absolutely saturated with scam memory products like what happened with "14 Tb SSD's for $50!" - A controller programmed to lie about capacity, and a slow 16 Gig memory chip backing that with instructions to loop and over-write.

And as more and more customers get burned by those scams, they won't trust those sales channels.

Y'know that "Buy our stuff through authorized sales channels" advice you give to avoid that problem? Those channels will be GONE, Scooter! Good job!

Which brings me back to the question to the big three: Who are you going to sell to, and how are you going to get your products to them, once you allowed the entire computer parts ecosystem to implode due to your greed?

This bubble can NOT pop fast enough.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 06:24 AM (O7YUW)

67 (Thank you for putting up my with computer parts market ranting...)

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 06:24 AM (O7YUW)

68 @62/Wolfus: "I wonder how long this will last."

Drive around, go find the inevitable water main break between you and the water tower. Almost assuredly there is one...

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 06:26 AM (O7YUW)

69 64 2 Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

LOVE that video.
Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 04:50 AM (odBC9)

And the song's a real earworm.

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 06:24 AM (odBC9)

Michael Jackson made it a hit...his voice was unmistakable in the chorus...

Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at August 08, 2026 06:26 AM (l3cgK)

70 Okay, time for the Saturday morning "feed the cars and us too!" thing.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026 06:28 AM (O7YUW)

71 Piers Morgan gets one right (goes to Townhall) :

https://tinyurl.com/5sv6ukew

Posted by: I am the Shadout Mapes, the Housekeeper at August 08, 2026 06:33 AM (skR0U)

72 "Was that wrong? I didn't know it was wrong. Nobody told me it was wrong." - Costanza

Posted by: no one of any consequence at August 08, 2026 06:34 AM (wVCl1)

73 Drive around, go find the inevitable water main break between you and the water tower. Almost assuredly there is one...
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026

***
I have no idea where the water tower is here. They probably get our water from the river and, theoretically at least, clean it up before it gets into our taps.

I've known this kind of disruption to happen early on a weekday, and it lasts about an hour. Not sure I've ever seen it on a weekend.

I was planning to walk this morning, but if the water doesn't come back, I'll have no way to get cleaned up. I'd better wait and see.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at August 08, 2026 06:36 AM (wzUl9)

74 Okay, time for the Saturday morning "feed the cars and us too!" thing.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 08, 2026

***
Cars, or cats?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at August 08, 2026 06:37 AM (wzUl9)

75 Birdbath status?

Posted by: Just Wondering at August 08, 2026 06:38 AM (2Ez/1)

76 Miss Linda has one of her endless coupons, or the proper number of points, for us to get a free coffee at a local small chain. The locations vary widely; some are very pleasant, some just okay. One near the library has so many hijab workers that I call it "Mecca on the Mississippi."

The one out near my mechanic's shop in the suburbs is somehow much more expensive than others.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at August 08, 2026 06:39 AM (wzUl9)

77 69 64 2 Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me

LOVE that video.
Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 04:50 AM (odBC9)

And the song's a real earworm.

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 06:24 AM (odBC9)

Michael Jackson made it a hit...his voice was unmistakable in the chorus...
Posted by: jim (in Kalifornia) at August 08, 2026 06:26 AM (l3cgK)

Voice of an angel!

Posted by: m at August 08, 2026 06:40 AM (odBC9)

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