Daily Tech News 6 October 2026

Top Story

Hacking group Shiny Hunters hacked the FBI. So the FBI arrested them. (The Register)

What did they think was going to happen?

Tech News

AI is junk food for the mind: Easy, tempting, and ultimately very bad for you. (The Verge) (archive site)

This is the ultimate demarcation dispute for journalists as they see that precise niche being carved out from under them by Chinese clankers.
Here's a button that frees up 12GB of space on your Mac. (MacRumors)

Which doesn't sound like much - and honestly isn't much - but given that Macs still ship with as little as 256GB of storage and Apple just added local AI that some people neither use nor want and removed the option to remove it, it is welcome.
The ~~error~~ era of software quality, or the era of ostriches. (Gnome)

We have every quality, so long as it's bad.
Currently building an emulator for yet another nonexistent system, this time based on real hardware: The Zilog Z800 (which did exist, renamed as the Z280, though it had no major design wins), the WDC 65C816, which you can still buy today, two Yamaha V9938 video controllers as seen in MSX2 systems, and a Yamaha OPNA YM2608 sound chip.

I also have the emulators set up so you can use them via a web browser.

I plan to release the whole project before the end of the year. The suite of fantasy emulators is just one small component.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: No, I won't take you to Funky Town.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 w00t

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:02 AM (odBC9)

2 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 06, 2026 04:03 AM (sAmhv)

3 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at October 06, 2026 04:04 AM (Ia/+0)

4
The occultation of Jupiter by the Moon is coming up in roughly 10 minutes. Timing will vary somewhat, but because of the angle the US is at rotating into the moving shadow, the timing will be fairly consistent.

Here it will start at 4:14AM.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:05 AM (w6EFb)

5 Hey.

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:05 AM (rdVOm)

6 What did they think was going to happen?

Nothing.
Criminals often think that until one day they hear some banging on the door followed by "POLICE! We have a warrant!!".

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:06 AM (6ydKt)

7 Disclaimer: No, I won't take you to Funky Town.

Bad Pixy!

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:06 AM (odBC9)

8 AI is junk food for the mind: Easy, tempting, and ultimately very bad for you. (The Verge) (archive site)

Oh c'mon, it's not that bad.

youtu.be/hQanCfyKFGI

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 06, 2026 04:07 AM (sAmhv)

9 4 The occultation of Jupiter by the Moon is coming up in roughly 10 minutes. Timing will vary somewhat, but because of the angle the US is at rotating into the moving shadow, the timing will be fairly consistent.

Here it will start at 4:14AM.
Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:05 AM (w6EFb)

https://t.ly/9NaU4

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:07 AM (odBC9)

10 Currently building an emulator

Funny coinkydink: I'm emulating a builder.

I'm doing it naked.

Posted by: guy who is doing it naked at October 06, 2026 04:09 AM (E575y)

11
Here's an In-the-sky.org page that shows the map.
https://t.ly/L96u6

Those flat path projections can be sort of confusing, but scroll down and see the animation of the shadow path across the rotating globe. That projection makes it much easier to see how it works.

You'll see the US just rotating into the moving red shadow circle, which is the area where Jupiter appears to be behind the Moon. That moves from west to east across the earth as it rotates underneath. And finally that shadow just moves off the earth's surface.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:11 AM (w6EFb)

12 I'm doing it naked.
Posted by: guy who is doing it naked

Well... lah dee dah... I've been naked all night! Doing all kinds of commenting & stuff! Big whoop! LOL.

/s

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:11 AM (rdVOm)

13
Tree line is blocking it here pretty good. But I'll be able to easily see Jupiter reappear in about an hour.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:12 AM (w6EFb)

14
The error of software quality, or the era of ostriches. (Gnome)

We have every quality, so long as it's bad.

I can see how AI can definitely help with security.
The problem I can see in the future is that eventually these AI security/bug hunters are eventually going to have such a large database that eventually there will be no software they can't hack into.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:12 AM (6ydKt)

15 9 4 The occultation of Jupiter by the Moon is coming up in roughly 10 minutes. Timing will vary somewhat, but because of the angle the US is at rotating into the moving shadow, the timing will be fairly consistent.

Here it will start at 4:14AM.
Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:05 AM (w6EFb)

https://t.ly/9NaU4
Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:07 AM (odBC9)

The arrow pointer on the screen: I think that should go away.

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:14 AM (odBC9)

16 15 9 4 The occultation of Jupiter by the Moon is coming up in roughly 10 minutes. Timing will vary somewhat, but because of the angle the US is at rotating into the moving shadow, the timing will be fairly consistent.

Here it will start at 4:14AM.
Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:05 AM (w6EFb)

https://t.ly/9NaU4
Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:07 AM (odBC9)

The arrow pointer on the screen: I think that should go away.
Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:14 AM (odBC9)

haha it's gone, now

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:16 AM (odBC9)

17 Oh c'mon, it's not that bad.

youtu.be/hQanCfyKFGI

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 06, 2026 04:07 AM (sAmhv)

lol

Yes, AI is good for people with excellent imaginations and a lot of free time to come up with enough crazy to make me laugh.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:16 AM (6ydKt)

18
Jupiter here has just disappeared behind the limb (according to Stellarium). The difference from the feed above in Illinois is parallax, of course. Just a little bit later for them.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:17 AM (w6EFb)

19 It's just a nice, starry night here in Podunk ID...

Me & Cat on the deck. He gets extra rubbys just because, LOL.

Summer is over but hanging on until the last possible moment!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:18 AM (rdVOm)

20 /s

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:11 AM (rdVOm)

Sure, sure, sarcastic, uh huh.

We all know you do the naked bartender thing.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:18 AM (6ydKt)

21 We all know you do the naked bartender thing.
Posted by: SpeakingOf

LOL!

And Bulg is the only one I *shimmied* for! Y'all missed it!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:21 AM (rdVOm)

22 cool stuff, publius

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:21 AM (odBC9)

23 parallax - noun
the effect whereby the position or direction of an object appears to differ when viewed from different positions, e.g. through the viewfinder and the lens of a camera

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:23 AM (odBC9)

24 That video was different

Posted by: Skip at October 06, 2026 04:25 AM (Ia/+0)

25 That potential tropical storm forming in the Bay of Campeche might actually happen towards the end of the week.

If it does form, looks like the area it will ultimately aim for is the central Gulf coast, anywhere from New Orleans to Pensacola.

Models are showing it well below 1000 millibars by Saturday so at least a Category 1 hurricane if that holds.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:25 AM (6ydKt)

26 And Bulg is the only one I *shimmied* for! Y'all missed it!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:21 AM (rdVOm)

Somebody here with AI access could make that a video for us.
All we need is a portrait of you to get started.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:27 AM (6ydKt)

27
JQ, look to the east, and Mars should be well above the horizon for you now. You'll see the red point. Two others, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran up there as well.

The Moon should be just starting to rise there for you.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:32 AM (w6EFb)

28 All we need is a portrait of you to get started.
Posted by: SpeakingOf

Oh, honey... you don't want that.

Sometimes, one's imagination is better than reality. Such it is, in this case. Don't *blow* the fantasy!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:33 AM (rdVOm)

29 24 That video was different
Posted by: Skip at October 06, 2026 04:25 AM (Ia/+0)

Piper might like it!

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:33 AM (odBC9)

30
He just mentioned the Moon is so low on the horizon, that's why the "seeing" is so poor for them. Note all the shimmering. That's the thick atmosphere it's having to pass through. If it were just a little bit higher, it would be a much nicer image.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:33 AM (w6EFb)

31 30
He just mentioned the Moon is so low on the horizon, that's why the "seeing" is so poor for them. Note all the shimmering. That's the thick atmosphere it's having to pass through. If it were just a little bit higher, it would be a much nicer image.
Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:33 AM (w6EFb)

Sounds like he's changing the aperture.

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:35 AM (odBC9)

32 "dark limb of the moon"

limb - noun
1 Astronomy: the edge of the disk of a celestial object, especially the sun or moon: the eastern limb of the moon.

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:37 AM (odBC9)

33 Been wathing a lot of Astrum on YouTube about space things.
Not sure I get all of it but he trys to explain lots of astronomy stuff.

Posted by: Skip at October 06, 2026 04:37 AM (Ia/+0)

34 Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:32 AM

Ugh. There's a fking street light. All I recognize out there is Orion's Belt, 3 stars lined up nearly vertically above the Eastern horizon now, and a few other random stars...

I hate my city. There's no need for street lights, this far out of town!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:39 AM (rdVOm)

35 BOING!

Let's sing!

Shiny Hunters hackers,
Handcuffed hands.

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 06, 2026 04:39 AM (y1wyK)

36 He says it'll be about half an hour before Jupiter comes out the other side. Well, that's not how he put it....

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:40 AM (odBC9)

37 ... the other side of the moon ...

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:41 AM (odBC9)

38 Sometimes, one's imagination is better than reality. Such it is, in this case. Don't *blow* the fantasy!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:33 AM (rdVOm)

OK then.
You are now doing Coyote Ugly dances in my head.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:44 AM (6ydKt)

39 youtu.be/DLOth-BuCNY

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:44 AM (rdVOm)

40 Lookie like President Trump ok'd the wasting of Hasan:

https://tinyurl.com/48m8z85y

(stupid vid plays loud whether you want to hear it or not)

Posted by: OrangeEnt at October 06, 2026 04:45 AM (1Ff7Z)

41 from The Register hacker article:

In a video message following the arrest, Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, had some advice for the “remaining members” of the data theft and extortion gang.

“Arrests have a way of changing who is willing to talk, and seized infrastructure has a way of showing us who's left,” Leatherman said last week.

“The longer you stay in this, the more we learn about you. You know how to find us, and we know how to find you. I suggest you reach out first while the choice is still yours.”

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:47 AM (odBC9)

42 Shopping Cart Theory- Dailytimewaster.blogspot.com
https://tinyurl.com/s99w6svk

Posted by: Skip at October 06, 2026 04:48 AM (Ia/+0)

43 youtu.be/1NFDxZqdiJw

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:48 AM (rdVOm)

44 42 Shopping Cart Theory- Dailytimewaster.blogspot.com
https://tinyurl.com/s99w6svk

Posted by: Skip at October 06, 2026 04:48 AM (Ia/+0)

I try to always put my shopping cart in the return lane in the parking lot.

Occasionally I have failed at that task but it was probably because I was in a really bad mood that day.

So I guess, according to this, I'm a good person when I'm in the mood for it.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:51 AM (6ydKt)

45 Lots of talk, on the ONT, of Hasan and his upcoming execution, and I kept thinking "Hasan Piker?" (it's Nidal Hasan).

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:51 AM (odBC9)

46
I imagine some people are getting some good shots of this right now. Jupiter's moon's are aligned nicely as little ducks in a row, and that would make for some very nice photos, as that line emerges from behind the Moon.

We'll seem them tomorrow, I hope.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 04:56 AM (w6EFb)

47 45 Lots of talk, on the ONT, of Hasan and his upcoming execution, and I kept thinking "Hasan Piker?" (it's Nidal Hasan).

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:51 AM (odBC9)

I was doing the same thing.
Wishful thinking on my part, kinda like JQ naked serving cocktails.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:56 AM (6ydKt)

48 BBC

Fort Hood shooter to be executed by firing squad - a first for US military since World War Two

https://tinyurl.com/4h5me2zt

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:56 AM (odBC9)

49 I shop frequently and have cloth bags (which are much sturdier than either paper or plastic) and so-- often do not even take my cart back into the parking lot.

However! I do, often, grab a cart on the way *into* the store, use it for my shopping, and then leave it in the cart area before leaving the store.

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:56 AM (rdVOm)

50 50

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 04:59 AM (odBC9)

51 Babylon Bee should
Nidel Hasan's layers request a all female execution squad from the office pool

Posted by: Skip at October 06, 2026 05:01 AM (Ia/+0)

52 Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 04:56 AM

LMAO!

Honey, if you wanna see me serving cocktails *naked*-- then maybe check on the Saturday ONT during TxMoMe...

I gotta bring in a crowd *somehow* while all the more mobile Morons are occupied elsewhere!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 05:01 AM (rdVOm)

53 49 I shop frequently and have cloth bags (which are much sturdier than either paper or plastic) and so-- often do not even take my cart back into the parking lot.

However! I do, often, grab a cart on the way *into* the store, use it for my shopping, and then leave it in the cart area before leaving the store.

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 04:56 AM (rdVOm)

I have inherited several of those bags from my mom.

I used them some but several are all ripped up and torn because the people who load them at the store aren't the most careful with them and will stuff it full and rip it up around the zipper trying to get it to close. So now I just let them use the store bags. My local Food Lion still uses paper bags, so that's a plus (until they rip open while carrying them inside).

They are handy if you have refrigerated/frozen stuff as they are slightly insulated.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 05:01 AM (6ydKt)

54 about 14 minutes until the moon reemerges

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 05:01 AM (odBC9)

55 ... until Jupiter reemerges ...

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 05:03 AM (odBC9)

56 Lookie like President Trump ok'd the wasting of Hasan.

Finally, I've been bitching about this for months on here.

Thanks for the update.

Posted by: pawn at October 06, 2026 05:04 AM (3g9Kl)

57 I gotta bring in a crowd *somehow* while all the more mobile Morons are occupied elsewhere!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 05:01 AM (rdVOm)

They have these things called 'Live Cams' now that should bring in thousands for you to entertain.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 05:05 AM (6ydKt)

58 SpeakingOf -- I really like the cloth bags. (Not that I GAF about saving da erf!)

They are sturdy and inexpensive. Once they rip, I toss them. Takes a while!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 05:05 AM (rdVOm)

59 51 Babylon Bee should
Nidel Hasan's layers request a all female execution squad from the office pool

Posted by: Skip at October 06, 2026 05:01 AM (Ia/+0)

They'd be Army office girls so there's a decent chance they can actually shoot.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 05:06 AM (6ydKt)

60
Well at some point way out there in space, beyond Jupiter's orbit, you'd see Jupiter blocking the Earth-Moon system, so potato/patahto.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 05:07 AM (w6EFb)

61 60 Well at some point way out there in space, beyond Jupiter's orbit, you'd see Jupiter blocking the Earth-Moon system, so potato/patahto.
Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 05:07 AM (w6EFb)

; )
parallax

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 05:08 AM (odBC9)

62 Off to New Jersey
Have a great day horde

Posted by: Skip at October 06, 2026 05:09 AM (Ia/+0)

63 58 SpeakingOf -- I really like the cloth bags. (Not that I GAF about saving da erf!)

They are sturdy and inexpensive. Once they rip, I toss them. Takes a while!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 05:05 AM (rdVOm)

These are more like a canvas material, with that shiny space blanket type material inside for some insulation.

Out of about ten that Mom had four or five are all ripped up with the blanket material ripped loose and the areas around the zippers all ripped up.

She had them for years, starting when plastic grocery bags became the next big evil thing the left had to panic over, and bought them all from Publix I think.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 06, 2026 05:10 AM (6ydKt)

64 Night, horde...

Have a good day!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 05:11 AM (rdVOm)

65
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at October 06, 2026 05:12 AM (AMvSw)

66 the guy doing the Live Feed from Lunar Occultation of Jupiter October 6, 2026

https://t.ly/9NaU4

Dr. Martin at the UIS Observatory

Devoted to public interest astronomy content generated by Dr. John Martin as the director of the U of Illinois Springfield Observatory.

The content reflects Dr. Martin's work and opinions and does not speak for the University of Illinois.

Astronomy-Physics at UIS

uis.edu/Astronomy

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 05:12 AM (odBC9)

67 Doing a *shimmy* on the way out the door!

LOL!

Love you guys!

Posted by: JQ at October 06, 2026 05:13 AM (rdVOm)

68 three of Jupiter's moons emerging from behind our moon

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 05:15 AM (odBC9)

69
Now they're getting some shots of the moons coming out from behind. Better seeing, but not by much.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 06, 2026 05:15 AM (w6EFb)

70 there's Jupiter

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 05:16 AM (odBC9)

71 Thanks for the links and commentary, publius.

Posted by: m at October 06, 2026 05:17 AM (odBC9)

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