A while back, I was thinking about upgrading my living room entertainment PC. It’s got a decent video card in it, but some of the other hardware is getting long in the tooth.

Now, my plan is to focus on software tweaks to squeeze the absolute best performance I can out of it, and keep the hardware as-is until it starts physically breaking down. And when that happens, I’ll find refurbished hardware to upgrade it with, rather than spending the exorbitant fees to buy anything new.

What mystifies me about all this is that it’s obvious what the end goal is: No more PCs, and everyone just rents dumb terminals connected to AI data centers that run everything and have all the compute power. The problem is that literally no one but AI companies want that. Not consumers, and not other companies that sell software and services to consumers.

When cars replaced carriages, it was because people actually wanted them. Cars had real-world benefits over horses. But this shit? No one wants it. Gamers want game performance you simply can’t get with streamed games. People who work with computers for a living don’t want their ability to do anything to vanish if their ISP has an outage.

Shit’s gonna get stupid, fast.

Onion Prices Reach Record Highs; Data Center Security Guards Secure Soup Contracts for Three Years

Onion prices have surged to unprecedented levels, setting new records in markets across the country. Traders report that supply shortages, rising transportation costs, and increased demand have all contributed to the sharp increase, placing pressure on households and restaurants alike.

In response to the soaring prices, security guards working at several major data centers have taken an unusual step to manage costs. The guards have collectively signed contracts to secure soup supplies for the next three years, aiming to stabilize their food expenses amid ongoing market volatility.

Industry analysts say the spike in onion prices reflects broader trends in food inflation, which continues to impact consumers and businesses. Meanwhile, the long-term soup contracts highlight how workers are adapting creatively to rising living costs.

Market observers will be watching closely to see whether onion prices stabilize in the coming months or continue their upward trajectory.

All these companies suck.

Let’s just pray my anime harddrive doesn’t fail meanwhile…

So basically the consumer market is screwed until the AI bubble bursts and manufacturers (GPUs, RAM, HDDs, etc.) can rebalance their production lines back to the pre-AI division of enterprise vs consumer product.

HDD prices have been creeping up for a while now. I noticed this as I was looking to add more storage to my server, checked prices late last year, figured I’d hold off a bit longer, checked again a few weeks ago and they were much higher across the board. Also a lot less stock for higher capacities. Took the plunge, bought enough storage to get me through the next few years.

Glad I did as the drives I bought have continued going up in price. This article just confirms it for me.

Are all these companies going to go bankrupt when the AI bubble pops and their products flood the market?

Money burning continues