Daily Tech News 8 October 2026

Top Story

I wondered recently when Saleforce blamed their failure to increase profits on their AI spending habits what the hell they were doing with it, because while they didn't put a number on it the figures they did mention implied it is in the hundreds of millions of dollars a year, enough to build twenty production-grade compilers or one public toilet in San Francisco.

Well, it's not Salesforce, but I have found someone doing something useful with AI coding tools: ArtCraft. (Get ArtCraft)

ArtCraft itself is an AI-assisted art program. That's not the neat part, though.

The neat part is the smaller associated apps.

PhotoCraft is a photo editing program. VectorCraft is a vector graphics program. FilmCraft and EffectCraft are for video editing and effects. DesignCraft is for document layout.

If this sounds like the offerings of a certain major software company to you, you are not alone.

And it's all free as in beer and as in speech. Download the binaries, download the source code, and do whatever you want with them. All the programs run on Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD, and on web browsers.

Early days yet; two programs are in alpha and the others haven't even got that far, but this is what we'll be seeing a lot more of in the future.

Tech News

Microsoft has reduced monthly AI spending caps from $100,000 per employee to $10,000. (RS Websols)

That sort of expense could easily mount into the hundreds of millions of dollars a year for a large company with a lot of developers, but as I said of Salesforce, there is little sign the money was well-spent.
Microsoft has announced the Surface Laptop Ultra, with Nvidia's RTX Spark CPU and up to 128GB of RAM starting at $2599. (Notebook Check)

You do not get 128GB of RAM in the $2599 model. You get the slower version of the CPU and 24GB of RAM. But the top of the line model is less horrifyingly expensive than I was expecting at $5899.

Lacks the Four Essential Keys, though, so that's a no from me.
Shiny Hunters, the hacking group who recently broke into an FBI employee database and promptly got to encounter FBI employees up close and personal, we up to other shady and stupid stuff. (Krebs on Security)

And the hackers already arrested are singing like canaries.
Minisforum's new expansion card brings four M.2 slots, a USB-C port, and for some reason, OCuLink to a single PCIe x4 slot using AMD's B850 motherboard chip for around $135. (WCCFTech)

Fine, but also, why?
JGINYUE (who?) also delivers four M.2 slots, two 10Gb USB-A ports, a 10Gb USB-C port, and a 2.5Gb Ethernet adaptor to a PCIe x4 slot using AMD's older B650 motherboard chip for around $58. (WCCFTech)

A year or so ago when storage was still cheap this would have been great. Now it's... Fine.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: No, the other behind you!

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 So fiscal reality is starting to finally assert itself after all the emotionally driven wasteful spending. Funny how that always happens.

If you don't see actual value, maybe you shouldn't be dumping a ton of money into it.

G'morning, Horde.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 08, 2026 04:00 AM (O7YUW)

2 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at October 08, 2026 04:02 AM (Ia/+0)

3 Hello Techsters

Posted by: Pete Bog at October 08, 2026 04:05 AM (yG7pF)

4 I wonder how many in the Shiny Hunters group were FBI plants?

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 08, 2026 04:05 AM (O7YUW)

5 Good morning, All.

Posted by: JM in Illinois at October 08, 2026 04:10 AM (PKL0q)

6 JGINYUE (who?)

*puts on sunglasses from 'They Live'*

CCP

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines at October 08, 2026 04:11 AM (O7YUW)

7 G&R, reading the financial reports of the Hyperscalers wouldn’t support your conclusion. They are still spending like crazy and even though the cost of compute is falling rapidly the usage is expanding so rapidly that the total spend continues to grow. For now.

The hard landing likely will occur but it sure doesn’t appear to be happening soon.

Posted by: Pete Bog at October 08, 2026 04:12 AM (yG7pF)

8 I wonder how many non-Chinese companies are going to start branding with nonsensical letter combinations just so they stand half a chance of their own crap getting listed anywhere amidst all the unpronounceable Chinesium slop that has inundated the internet's marketplaces....

Posted by: Warai-otoko at October 08, 2026 04:13 AM (aKiSo)

9 Then again, for all everyone bitches about the fact that America doesn't make anything anymore (myself included), we can't even open a couple big buildings full of computers whose only exhaust product is a slight hum and a bit of heat without a bunch of Concerned Citizens lighting their pitchforks on fire and marching in the streets. How the heck would we ever get away with building an actual factory anywhere making actual tangible products?

Posted by: Warai-otoko at October 08, 2026 04:17 AM (aKiSo)

10 Although the TV show Benson was not based on the musician George Benson, Clayton Endicott was played by René Auberjonois who also played Odo on Deep Space Nine, which as I always say, if you give me the Deep Space, and I will give you the Nine.

(He was in Boston Legal with Spader and Shatner so that's a Sci Fi Trio)

And this song also reminds of the song Stomp, by the Brothers Johnson, who wisely didn't not shorten their name to the BJays.

So there's a lot of fun facts that don't really have a lot to do with each other. Here's a couple of more fun facts:

When I lived in Nashville we had a local construction company called Lojac. They had several unfortunate blast incidents while working on the highway, so I renamed them BlowJac, and started singing David and David's Welcome to the Boomtown.

David and David
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97wvwuHUMCw

BJays Stomp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPBDMihPRJA

Posted by: meh at October 08, 2026 04:19 AM (zZxsY)

11 on the set it was known as "deep throat 9"

Posted by: what the cat drug in at October 08, 2026 04:24 AM (jrgJz)

12 Around here if you mention nuclear power the pitch forks come out. " I don't want to die with cancer" "Remember Chernobyl"
"we all going to die" "if they build it, I'm moving'. on and on.
And the media loves to quote them for a great headline.

Posted by: cplin at October 08, 2026 04:35 AM (CiQE7)

13 Mornin'

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 08, 2026 04:43 AM (sAmhv)

14 12 Around here if you mention nuclear power the pitch forks come out. " I don't want to die with cancer" "Remember Chernobyl"
"we all going to die" "if they build it, I'm moving'. on and on.
And the media loves to quote them for a great headline.
Posted by: cplin at October 08, 2026 04:35 AM (CiQE7)

---‐--

Yes, it's so unfortunate. Nuclear power generation technology has really progressed.

Posted by: JM in Illinois at October 08, 2026 04:50 AM (PKL0q)

15 David and David's Welcome to the Boomtown.

That was a great album. David Baerwald's first solo album, 'Bedtime Stories' is nearly perfect.

youtu.be/oG7n8u72vi8

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 08, 2026 04:55 AM (sAmhv)

16 Publius Rascal, if you're still here, you have my sincerest sympathies on your mother's condition.

Posted by: Dark Lixtiquatal at October 08, 2026 04:57 AM (Fv808)

17 Long commute again
Have a great day horde

Posted by: Skip at October 08, 2026 05:07 AM (Ia/+0)

18 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at October 08, 2026 05:09 AM (Hbeqj)

19
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at October 08, 2026 05:14 AM (AMvSw)

20 And the hackers already arrested are singing like canaries.

The realization that they are not going to do well in prison may be the reason.

Posted by: NR Pax at October 08, 2026 05:14 AM (jjoN6)

21 Is this thing on?

Posted by: Brunnhilde at October 08, 2026 05:20 AM (3AwA+)

22 11 on the set it was known as "deep throat 9"
Posted by: what the cat drug in at October 08, 2026 04:24 AM (jrgJz)

That sounds like a fun set!

Posted by: SciVo at October 08, 2026 05:21 AM (ke3zm)

23 "Connected to the vine. "Man writes on John 15:1-8

https://tinyurl.com/mw3fwujr

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 08, 2026 05:22 AM (JrHfD)

24 >> Publius Rascal, if you're still here, you have my sincerest sympathies on your mother's condition.

I'm sort of checking in every now and then. Miley and I are taking shifts around the clock basically, and the schedules are getting wild. I didn't get to sleep until about 3PM yesterday, and woke up about 12AM. And both of our sleep periods are sort of walking crazy around the clock. It's insane.

Thank you.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 08, 2026 05:24 AM (w6EFb)

25 Two girls who play hockey on opposing teams realize they're sisters ( Both were adopted separately) . Sunny Skyz site:

https://tinyurl.com/mr2zjkxh

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 08, 2026 05:28 AM (JrHfD)

26 You and your family are in my prayers, publius.

Posted by: Brunnhilde at October 08, 2026 05:28 AM (3AwA+)

27 Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 08, 2026 05:24 AM (w6EFb)

It's sounds exhausting and it's not as if you're both young people. May God give you both strength to help her run the race to its finish to be received in
God's arms.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 08, 2026 05:31 AM (JrHfD)

28
Thank you.

Posted by: publius, Rascally Mr. Miley (w6EFb) at October 08, 2026 05:31 AM (w6EFb)

29 Sorry about your Mum, Publius.

Posted by: Puddleglum, cheer up for the worst is yet to come at October 08, 2026 05:38 AM (sAmhv)

30 G'mornin' everyone!

thx for the artcraft link, Pixy! interesting!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez at October 08, 2026 05:39 AM (VyBeY)

31 Old time hymn ( well compared to some others it's not old , "Great is thy faithfulness" by Thomas Chisholm, 1923 , but still a favorite in some church traditions:

https://tinyurl.com/tr2r3nwf

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 08, 2026 05:52 AM (JrHfD)

32 Early days yet; two programs are in alpha and the others haven't even got that far, but this is what we'll be seeing a lot more of in the future.

The PhotoCraft section has screenshots that make it look just like Photoshop. The toobar has two columns instead of one, but everything is similar. At least it's better than Gimp in that department.

I'm surprised Adobe isn't already trying to sue them.

I downloaded Photocraft (the installer file is only 51.8mb) and it opens psd files, which is always a good sign for a photo editor. Works just like Photoshop, too. What it's missing is the newer AI features Pshop has that can help select an area, remove/replace selected areas, or use AI generative fill when needed.

But yeah, it's a a lot easier to use than Gimp if you're trying to find a Photoshop replacement because it's basically a clone.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 08, 2026 05:56 AM (6ydKt)

33 Gimp is the dwarf fortress of photoshops

Posted by: Warai-otoko at October 08, 2026 05:57 AM (aKiSo)

34 w00t late

Posted by: m at October 08, 2026 05:59 AM (odBC9)

35 George Benson - Give Me The Night

yay

Posted by: m at October 08, 2026 06:01 AM (odBC9)

36 Evening and morning, ever'body,

Welcome to the AoSHQ Empire. You won't be assimilated, but you will be drawn in. Resign yourself.

Thor's Day!

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 08, 2026 06:03 AM (wzUl9)

37
Good morning, Hordians. It's a great day waking up and knowing that the Yankees haven't won a World Series in 17 years and won't this season either.

Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at October 08, 2026 06:03 AM (eRlcH)

38 Temps are fairly low for Da Swamp in Oct., humidity is down a bit, and the trop storm/hurricane is aiming at Mobile Bay. Actually I'm hoping for some rain tomorrow, as Linda wants to drag me to another of these silly luncheon- lectures at my old employer, but it doesn't look like the rain will be heavy enough. Darn.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 08, 2026 06:04 AM (wzUl9)

39 10 When I lived in Nashville we had a local construction company called Lojac. They had several unfortunate blast incidents while working on the highway, so I renamed them BlowJac

Posted by: meh at October 08, 2026 04:19 AM (zZxsY)

Hit the BlowJac
And don't you come back no more no more no more no more

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

40 Minisforum's new expansion card brings four M.2 slots, a USB-C port, and for some reason, OCuLink to a single PCIe x4 slot using AMD's B850 motherboard chip for around $135. (WCCFTech)

Fine, but also, why?

I can understand somebody might want some exta M.2 slots if their motherboard (like mine) only has two M.2, I can understand somebody (like me) who only has a 10gbps USB-C on their motherboard wanting the 20gbps port.

But, I have no clue why somebody would want Occulink on an add-in card. I mean, if you're already on a desktop with PCIe slots then why would you need an Occulink port for a GPU?
Occulink is good for connecting GPUs to Mini-PCs without expansion slots until USB-C/Thunderbolt gets fast enough.

Maybe use the Occulink to hook up another AI system with a faster connection?

Not much else I can imagine doing with it.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 08, 2026 06:08 AM (6ydKt)

41 >>>Shiny Hunters, the hacking group

Shiny Hunters
In the wine
Makes me feel happy
Makes me feel fine
Shiny Hunters

Posted by: m at October 08, 2026 06:10 AM (odBC9)

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