{"id":12361,"date":"2026-02-24T15:54:58","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T15:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/?p=12361"},"modified":"2026-02-25T15:51:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T15:51:49","slug":"hard-times-for-hardware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advisorator.com\/members\/2026\/02\/24\/hard-times-for-hardware\/","title":{"rendered":"Hard times for hardware"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What to do about the RAM shortage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Plus: Chrome’s split-screen mode, secure document storage, and a $40 portable monitor<\/h3>\n\n\n
Jared Newman<\/span><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>February 24, 2026<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
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Photo by Liam Briese<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hey there! I’m Jared Newman, a longtime tech journalist, and you’re reading the free edition of Advisorator, my weekly tech advice newsletter.<\/em> Did someone share this newsletter with you? Sign up<\/a> to get it every Tuesday.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you’ll find RAM in pretty much every modern computing device, it’s not something you’re supposed to think much about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, the AI boom is changing that. Thanks to a glut of demand from AI data centers, electronics makers are having a hard time securing RAM for phones, computers, TVs, game consoles, and all kinds of other products. The shortage has been getting worse over the past few months, and result will be price hikes, delays, downgrades, and discontinuations that could last into 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over at Fast Company, I made a list of devices that are already being wrecked by RAM shortages<\/a>. But the real chaos is yet to come, as long-term supply contracts expire and bigger electronics brands run out of the supplies they’ve stockpiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Become a paying Advisorator member<\/a> to read the rest of this week’s feature story on how you can navigate the RAM shortage. While I don’t suggest panic-buying anything, you will need to be more strategic about how and when to spend your money, and I’ve got advice on how to do that.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subscribe for the full story \u2192<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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News in brief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pixel 10a:<\/strong> Google’s newest $500 phone is up for pre-order soon and seems pretty similar to last year’s Pixel 9a<\/a>. The biggest differences are a completely flat backside\u2014no camera bump\u2014and some features that previously required a pricier Pixel, like satellite SOS messaging and a way to stitch together an ideal group shot with AI<\/a>. Performance and camera specs are the same, and there’s no built-in PixelSnap magnetic accessory support. If those compromises aren’t RAM crunch-related, I’d be shocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ring’s expanding surveillance:<\/strong> Remember a couple weeks ago when I wrote that if Ring’s camera network can search for lost dogs, it could easily locate people as well? In a leaked memo, CEO Jamie Siminoff is already hinting at tracking down more than just pets<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More notable news items and reads:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n