Daily Tech News 16 August 2026

Top Story

Every fusion power startup that has raised over $100 million. (Tech Crunch)

Your weekly reminder that it is the 21st century, and not everything is poop-flavoured ice cream.

In a truly 21st century maneuver, one of the companies on the list announced plans to merge with a group owned by the sitting US president last December in a $6 billion deal.
Speaking of the sitting US president and deals Nvidia's latest financial reports show that the company has made a $25 billion on-paper profit from its $5 billion investment in Intel. (Tom's Hardware)

President Trump rewrote former President Biden's original grant of $10 billion to Intel - which had strings attached that the company couldn't meet - into $10 billion in non-voting stock, netting the public a neat $50 billion paper profit.

Tech News

Meanwhile SpaceX has completed its acquisition of AI coding startup Cursor for $60 billion. (Tech Crunch)

I'm old enough to remember Compaq's acquisition of Digital being a big deal (I'm old enough to remember Compaq and Digital, for that matter). That was valued at around $9 billion.
How Larry Ellison slid from being the world's second richest man to eighth place in just two months. (Forbes)

All at once at first, and then slowly.

Oracle's valuation skyrocket through massive deals for AI datacenter operations, and then people started to run the numbers through their abaci and raise questions.
Speak of Intel, "It's not just Intel", says Intel. (Tom's Hardware)

Specifically referring to a diverging industry with a booming commercial computing market and a consumer market that has had its throat slit and its entrails torn out and been left to die alone in the snow while the wolves gather in the distance.
An interview with Intel VP Robert Hallock about the company's plans to go through the corpse's pockets for loose change. (Tom's Hardware) (archive site)

Well, that's a little unkind. It's not Intel that killed the consumer market, and they are offering us five year old technology in exchange for our magic beans.
Speaking of which, if you were hoping for an SSD replacement under warrant from SK Hynix, best hope instead that your SSD doesn't fail. (Tom's Hardware)

They're out of stock. They are still manufacturing them, of course, but you can't have one. You'll get a refund... At the old price.

I suspect - hope, actually - that lawyers are going to get rich off this behaviour.
CEOs of AI companies say their creations will lead to a shorter work week. (BBC)

Workers at AI companies are putting in 12 hour days and 7 day weeks.
Why tech CEOs keep posting manifestos trying to sell the world on AI. (BBC)

Because they'd prefer not to be lynched, if it's all the same to you.
When and how different AI models lie to you. (Just Facts)

Not surprisingly, Grok has the least distinct left-wing bias, but the difference isn't as large as you might hope.

The writers tested for both left-wing and right-wing bias across a sample of a hundred multiple-choice questions, and also for citations of web pages that don't exist. Hallucinated links were a major issue even when the AI models got the answer right.

Oh, and don't trust ChatGPT or Gemini for anything that touches on present-day politics, but I'm sure you already knew that.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: The secret is to adjust the strength of the weak nuclear force, guys. I don't know, apathetic bloody universe, I've no sympathy at all.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Mrgen.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at August 16, 2026 04:30 AM (iIyc0)

2 w00t

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 04:30 AM (odBC9)

3 Let me spell that correctly: Morgen.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at August 16, 2026 04:31 AM (iIyc0)

4 Good morning, Horde.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 16, 2026 04:35 AM (skcH5)

5 Video unavailable.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at August 16, 2026 04:35 AM (iIyc0)

6 Musical interlude blocked.

And, guten morgen, horde.

Posted by: clarence at August 16, 2026 04:38 AM (zRghv)

7 5 Video unavailable.
Posted by: Additional Blond Agent

Right, the original clip was hard to find so I picked an old upload from Australian music video program Rage. Replaced with a later live performance.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at August 16, 2026 04:40 AM (BLOW1)

8 I am old enough to have worked for Compaq.

Posted by: clarence at August 16, 2026 04:42 AM (zRghv)

9 Let me spell that correctly: Morgen.
Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at August 16, 2026 04:31

Yes, Morgen David is a fine wine. Now what were you saying?

Posted by: Farmer, with his own historic take at August 16, 2026 04:44 AM (4Qj8V)

10 Well, Rick is looking a bit rough there and he should have a band behind him.

Posted by: clarence at August 16, 2026 04:46 AM (zRghv)

11 Mogen, morgen, potatoe, potato...

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at August 16, 2026 04:46 AM (iIyc0)

12 >>>poop-flavoured ice cream

ewww

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 04:47 AM (odBC9)

13 The second clip sounds better. Is the picture from the album cover?

Posted by: clarence at August 16, 2026 04:49 AM (zRghv)

14 >>>Oh, and don't trust ChatGPT or Gemini for anything that touches on present-day politics, but I'm sure you already knew that.

I did not know that.

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 04:51 AM (odBC9)

15 >>>people started to run the numbers through their abaci as raise questions

wut

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 04:52 AM (odBC9)

16 Mogen, morgen
****

to like, morning/tomorrow (depends on grammar).

Posted by: clarence at August 16, 2026 04:54 AM (zRghv)

17 10 Well, Rick is looking a bit rough there and he should have a band behind him.
Posted by: clarence at August 16, 2026 04:46 AM (zRghv)

13 The second clip sounds better.
Posted by: clarence at August 16, 2026 04:49 AM (zRghv)

Thanks for the recommendations. I went with the second one. First four notes, my too-tight shoulders went down; yay.

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 04:57 AM (odBC9)

18 Anyways, morgen was the standard greeting when I was in Karlsruhe.

Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at August 16, 2026 05:04 AM (iIyc0)

19 1 Mrgen.
Posted by: Additional Blond Agent at August 16, 2026 04:30 AM (iIyc0)

Margen
Mergen
Mirgen
Murgen
Myrgen

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 05:07 AM (odBC9)

20 people started to run the numbers through their abaci
****

With the numbers to be run, you would need a slide rule.

Posted by: clarence at August 16, 2026 05:15 AM (zRghv)

21 Morning, Tech Peeps

Posted by: fluffy at August 16, 2026 05:24 AM (V0/Sp)

22 Good morning horde.

Pixie woke up on the wrong side of the tech bed today.

Posted by: Pete Bog at August 16, 2026 05:29 AM (txN/r)

23 Allright, dammit, the story of the Texas surrogate mother dispute has gone silent after the Courts assigned authority to the gamete donors. Did the gamete donors demand fulfillment of the abortion clause in the contract, or not?
Suddenly, the news media have shifted the direction of their propaganda.

Posted by: Fenderbender at August 16, 2026 05:29 AM (1FEc1)

24 Good morning!

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

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 05:31 AM (u82oZ)

25 Up all night with storms overhead.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 05:32 AM (u82oZ)

26 {{{Ben Had}}}
🎼 ♭ 5/4 ♫♫ ♫♫ Good morning! ♬♬ ♩ ♪

🥃

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 05:33 AM (u82oZ)

27
Wired
People Are Ghosting Long-Term Partners. Some Don’t Regret It
The communication-free form of breaking up has become ubiquitous. “I no longer had to bear her energy,” a man who ghosted his partner of four years tells WIRED.

https://archive.is/WtvRH

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 05:33 AM (odBC9)

28 m

Uh, how long do they say a lack of replies means get lost, bud.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 05:35 AM (u82oZ)

29 28 m

Uh, how long do they say a lack of replies means get lost, bud.
Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 05:35 AM (u82oZ)

It's a wacky crazy article. Not the ghosting; the article:

They often aestheticize estrangement by turning heartbreak into social content, as with the viral trend “I ghosted the [love of my life], trust me [I don’t give a fuck],” where young people pretend to act completely unfazed about former lovers by feigning extreme detachment.

Some TikTokkers even added their own twists to the trend, posting about ghosting friends, parents, or their “entire bloodline” as a means of setting better boundaries.

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 05:39 AM (odBC9)

30 hahahahahaha

To address this new normal, Dating.com recently announced that it was hiring a “chief breakup officer” who, for $3,000 a month, would be tasked with ending other people’s relationships for them.

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 05:39 AM (odBC9)

31 The fusion article was long on name dropping and short on actual content.

“Workers at AI companies are putting in 12 hour days and 7 day weeks”.

The chance to accrue vast wealth will do that to a person. The gold rush mentality pervades rapidly growing industries.

Posted by: Pete Bog at August 16, 2026 05:40 AM (txN/r)

32
Dreadful night's sleep. Coughing and stupid smoke detectors going off.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at August 16, 2026 05:41 AM (O0L8i)

33 22 Pixie woke up on the wrong side of the tech bed today.
Posted by: Pete Bog at August 16, 2026 05:29 AM (txN/r)

.. for our pleasure.

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 05:41 AM (odBC9)

34 Guten Morgen.
I’m so old that when I went to Summer School in Bavaria (Bayern), we said Gruss Gott. (Greetings to God).

Posted by: Fenderbender at August 16, 2026 05:42 AM (1FEc1)

35 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026 05:44 AM (Ia/+0)

36 Good morning pixel friends. I woke up and decided to read about tech stuff. I'm going back to sleep now so we'll see you in a bit.

Posted by: Gmac-WTF did you think was going to happen at August 16, 2026 05:44 AM (Q/FnY)

37 36 Good morning pixel friends. I woke up and decided to read about tech stuff. I'm going back to sleep now so we'll see you in a bit.
Posted by: Gmac-WTF did you think was going to happen at August 16, 2026 05:44 AM (Q/FnY)

Do pixel friends dream of electric sheep?

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 05:47 AM (odBC9)

38 I am not positive I am getting up yet

Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026 05:51 AM (Ia/+0)

39 >>> Do pixel friends dream of electric sheep?

When the alarm went off I was multiplying and dividing by three and nine. Total was 465, I believe.

No sheep.

Posted by: fluffy at August 16, 2026 05:52 AM (V0/Sp)

40 Do pixel friends dream of electric sheep?
Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 05:47 AM (odBC9)

I don’t want to contemplate life after the AOS community ghost’s itself. Refusing to discuss our breakup will traumatizing. Demanding removal from my electronic lawn will be even more so.

Posted by: Pete Bog at August 16, 2026 05:53 AM (txN/r)

41 The good news is after all the electrical activity from the sky, I still have Internet.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 05:53 AM (u82oZ)

42 “ AOS community ghost’s itself.”.

I will readily admit confusion regarding the proper punctuation of this word.

Posted by: Pete Bog at August 16, 2026 05:55 AM (txN/r)

43 Broadband seems do ... fragile.

Is Starlink reliable?

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 05:55 AM (u82oZ)

44
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at August 16, 2026 05:56 AM (AMvSw)

45 PSA, 60 days until TXMoMe

Posted by: Ben Had at August 16, 2026 05:57 AM (skcH5)

46 Wikipedia

A few years after the publication of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the author [Philip K. Dick] spoke about man's animate creations in a 1972 speech: "The Android and the Human":

Our environment – and I mean our man-made world of machines, artificial constructs, computers, electronic systems, interlinking homeostatic components – all of this is in fact beginning more and more to possess what the earnest psychologists fear the primitive sees in his environment: animation.

In a very real sense our environment is becoming alive, or at least quasi-alive, and in ways specifically and fundamentally analogous to ourselves...

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 05:58 AM (odBC9)

47 NaCly, dearest. Good morning.

Posted by: Ben Had at August 16, 2026 06:00 AM (skcH5)

48 Specifically referring to a diverging industry with a booming commercial computing market and a consumer market that has had its throat slit and its entrails torn out and been left to die alone in the snow while the wolves gather in the distance.

Heh heh. That's pretty good.

Posted by: Ace's liver at August 16, 2026 06:03 AM (8Y4BB)

49 Maybe "Pixy" is from "pixel."

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 06:08 AM (odBC9)

50 Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Rejoinder: Well, the plans were in a locked filing cabinet in a disused basement room with a sign saying, "Beware of the leopard."

Posted by: Captain Obvious, Laird o' the Sea at August 16, 2026 06:10 AM (amcLV)

51 Evening to the late Sunday toilers, and morning ot those who rose early through no fault of their own. (Or, like me, set the alarm, and a cat kicked them awake five minutes early.)

'Tis Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

We went out to our favorite diner/grill last night, which has posted new, non-summer hours to begin Sept. 2. They'll be open earlier on weekends and open one more day during the week. It's a small operation, but very good, and they deserve their summer breaks.

So, I'm here with coffee. What's up with you?

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at August 16, 2026 06:12 AM (wzUl9)

52 Up all night with storms overhead.
Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 05:32

Sorry Salty. I too have been up all night. The 19 yo cat is still dying. Asked Jules what to do if I checked on the cat and she was dead, in the middle of the night.

J responded...don't check on her till morning. Good lord I do love that girl. LOL

Oh, and we also have a damn bat flying around the house. I haven't caught it with the fishing net but think it is now confined to the basement. I'm getting too old for this crap.

Posted by: Farmer, with his own historic take at August 16, 2026 06:12 AM (4Qj8V)

53 52 The 19 yo cat is still dying. Asked Jules what to do if I checked on the cat and she was dead, in the middle of the night.

J responded...don't check on her till morning. Good lord I do love that girl. LOL

Posted by: Farmer, with his own historic take at August 16, 2026 06:12 AM (4Qj8V)

J's a keeper!

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 06:14 AM (odBC9)

54 Broadband seems do ... fragile.

Is Starlink reliable?
Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026

***
I hope so. Using it would cut my 'Net bill literally in half.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at August 16, 2026 06:14 AM (wzUl9)

55 @27/m: "People Are Ghosting Long-Term Partners. Some Don’t Regret It"

What an awful way to treat people.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 16, 2026 06:21 AM (O7YUW)

56 @52/farmer: "Oh, and we also have a damn bat flying around the house. I haven't caught it with the fishing net but think it is now confined to the basement. I'm getting too old for this crap."

When you catch it, Overnight-Fedex it to Ace.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 16, 2026 06:24 AM (O7YUW)

57 55 @27/m: "People Are Ghosting Long-Term Partners. Some Don’t Regret It"

What an awful way to treat people.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 16, 2026 06:21 AM (O7YUW)

Eh. Poor communication skills, to be sure, but hanging around for endless abuse? And then "owing" an explanation? ("Because you're endlessly abusive.")

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 06:26 AM (odBC9)

58 56 @52/farmer: "Oh, and we also have a damn bat flying around the house. I haven't caught it with the fishing net but think it is now confined to the basement. I'm getting too old for this crap."

When you catch it, Overnight-Fedex it to Ace.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 16, 2026 06:24 AM (O7YUW)

hahahahaha

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 06:27 AM (odBC9)

59 Why pick as your new name Stella Socco?

Because naming oneself Stella Mudd would be too on the nose?

Posted by: Anna Puma at August 16, 2026 06:31 AM (2GVsD)

60 When you catch it, Overnight-Fedex it to Ace.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 16, 2026 06:24

Might as well, Ozzy's dead isn't he?

Posted by: Farmer, with his own historic take at August 16, 2026 06:31 AM (4Qj8V)

61 Hopefully the bat gets back outside and unharmed

Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026 06:31 AM (Ia/+0)

62 Bat in the house?

Why did you let Whoopi Goldberg in?

Posted by: Anna Puma at August 16, 2026 06:34 AM (2GVsD)

63 Good morning! Did a little instrument work yesterday and it was hot, even at 5000ft! Had to sit for a spell under the fans on the patio and have a cold beer and watch the birds before dinner.

Posted by: CrotchetyOldJarhead at August 16, 2026 06:36 AM (3Ope8)

64 Hopefully the bat gets back outside and unharmed
Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026 06:31

I hope so too, been able to chase a couple out but usually they have intruded, won't leave and have to pay the price.

Posted by: Farmer, with his own historic take at August 16, 2026 06:42 AM (4Qj8V)

65 There are buttons in car I haven't figured out what they do yet, should take manual out and investigate sometime.

Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026 06:48 AM (Ia/+0)

66 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, drive by meow at August 16, 2026 06:49 AM (sAmhv)

67 Anna Puma

You as Stella Mudd?

Inconceivable.

https://youtu.be/0-8WCwNp_oM
Harcourt Fenton Mudd - "Completely Unavoidable" (Star Trek-The Original Series -Parody Music Video)

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 06:50 AM (u82oZ)

68 @57/m: "Eh. Poor communication skills, to be sure, but hanging around for endless abuse? And then "owing" an explanation? ("Because you're endlessly abusive.")"

Abandonment is a form of abuse too. Two wrongs do not make a right. Leave a note at the very least.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 16, 2026 06:51 AM (O7YUW)

69 CEOs of AI companies say their creations will lead to a shorter work week. (BBC)

Workers at AI companies are putting in 12 hour days and 7 day weeks.

Shorter work week and unicorns pooping out gold bars!! Amazing Age of miracles and wonders thanks to our beloved Tech Overlords!!

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at August 16, 2026 06:58 AM (sAmhv)

70 There are buttons in car I haven't figured out what they do yet, should take manual out and investigate sometime.
Posted by: Skip at August 16, 2026

***
I'd had the Buick for four years before I found that on the "entertainment center" (radio to us dinosaurs), when playing from the flash drive, if I turn the right or tuning knob counterclockwise a bit, a vertical list of all the songs on the drive comes up on the screen. The tuning knob then lets me scroll back and forth to find a particular song.

I'm not sure the same thing works with the radio stations I have programmed in. Since it is the tuning knob, it may just move the frequency off the station's, from 94.3 to 94.1.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at August 16, 2026 07:01 AM (wzUl9)

71 68 @57/m: "Eh. Poor communication skills, to be sure, but hanging around for endless abuse? And then "owing" an explanation? ("Because you're endlessly abusive.")"

Abandonment is a form of abuse too. Two wrongs do not make a right. Leave a note at the very least.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 16, 2026 06:51 AM (O7YUW)

If you're not gonna write a John Deere letter, at least leave a Kioti letter.

"Dear Asshole, I regret to inform you that I would rather gnaw my own leg off, than...."

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 16, 2026 07:02 AM (Ot/FD)

72 71 68 @57/m

If you're not gonna write a John Deere letter, at least leave a Kioti letter.

"Dear Asshole, I regret to inform you that I would rather gnaw my own leg off, than...."
Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 16, 2026 07:02 AM (Ot/FD)

a John Deere letter

hahahahaha

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 07:05 AM (odBC9)

73 a John Deere letter

You need a court order to get the parts that would fix this relationship. Unless you let us fix it for you, for big money.

Posted by: NaCly Dog at August 16, 2026 07:08 AM (u82oZ)

74 Besides, you're giving up the golden opportunity to end your break-up note with "THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER" like a true alpha.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at August 16, 2026 07:11 AM (Ot/FD)

75 CEOs of AI companies say their creations will lead to a shorter work week. (BBC)

Workers at AI companies are putting in 12 hour days and 7 day weeks.

I haven't read it, but maybe:

workers putting in 12-hour days 7 days a week at the company NOW (because $$$) "will lead to a shorter work week" at the company LATER

I'll go read it.

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 07:12 AM (odBC9)

76 BBC AI workers article:

My snowflake detector is going off:

At Meta, workers said they have been abruptly pushed onto teams this year doing AI work being treated as urgent. They called it being "drafted", according to one current and one former employee, because people were not given a choice.

"They just move you over," the former employee said. "You can't say no – or if you do, you have to quit."

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 07:16 AM (odBC9)

77 “Abandonment is a form of abuse too. Two wrongs do not make a right. Leave a note at the very least.
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at August 16, 2026 06:51 AM (O7YUW)”

The people involved seem to think this is something new, when the problem with people running off into the middle of the night is as old as mankind itself.

And while thinking that marriage is obsolete, all of the people who feel “free” are demonstrating why previous generations developed and mandated institutions like marriage; to protect society from hr disruptions and chaos caused by men running away from the women and children in the middle of the night.

Posted by: Tom Servo at August 16, 2026 07:20 AM (TCmq7)

78 moar snowflakes:

In a situation where an employee had smoothed out processes for AI tools, people also tend to fill any time saved with more work, Thompson added, either because they want to or they feel they should do in order to prove their value to an employer.

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 07:20 AM (odBC9)

79 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at August 16, 2026 07:21 AM (Hbeqj)

80 snowflakes:

You could just replace the speaking-verbs with forms of the verb "to whine":

At Meta, workers whined they have been abruptly pushed onto teams this year doing AI work being treated as urgent. They whined about being "drafted", according to one current and one former employee, because people were not given a choice.

"They just move you over," the former employee whined. "You can't say no – or if you do, you have to quit."

Posted by: m at August 16, 2026 07:23 AM (odBC9)

81 Just like a boomerang
Boom, boom, boom, boomerang
Boom, boom, boom, boomerang
What can I do?

Just like a boomerang
Boom, boom, boom, boomerang
Boom, boom, boom, boomerang
Right back to you...

Posted by: The DeCastro Sisters at August 16, 2026 07:24 AM (/2Ls3)

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