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 of 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)

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