Daily Tech News 1 October 2026

Top Story

Google has announced Gemini 4 Argon, which the company is calling its most powerful AI model to date that you are not allowed to use. (Tech Crunch)

Thanks Google. Thanks for thirteen years of sucking.
Reddit is killing RSS feeds and ending public API access because fuck you that's why. (Tech Crunch)

Shut up, you're not my real dad!

Also, this:
RSS, or Really Simple Syndication/Rich Site Summary, is a web feed that lets users and applications access updates to a website in a standardized format. The format became particularly popular in the blogging era, as it offered a way to subscribe to a site's new posts in a news-reading app. Google once operated the most popular of these, but shut it down in 2013, ceding the market to companies like Feedly and other indie applications.
2013 was 13 years ago.

Tech News

The Department of Defense has launched Project Meridian, a bold new effort to stop fighting the previous war. (Tech Crunch)

They've called upon Elon Musk, Palmer Lucky (CEO of defense contractor Anduril), and Newt Gingrich to offer their expertise, a move that has deeply offended the perpetually deeply offended.
Speaking of the Pentagon, hackers stole millions of personnel record during a months-long data breach. (Tech Crunch)

Good work, guys.
Speaking of months long data breaches, a teenage hacker found himself in an unprotected Microsoft internal environment with access to 17 trillion records. (Faav)

What is this, a database of ants?
Moonshot AI, the Chinese company behind AI model Kimi K3, tried to hack into OpenAI... And failed. (WCCFTech)

You are trying to kidnap what I have rightfully stolen, an I find it most ungentlemanly.
Got my Christmas cakes, and my Japanese maple is showing signs of life. Also have my 12-bit 1980s personal computer emulator showing signs of life.

Musical Interlude

Disclaimer: Flowers on the wall, why? Not understand.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 w00t

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:31 AM (odBC9)

2 BOING from our sukkah!

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 01, 2026 04:31 AM (56DXV)

3 Good Morning!

Posted by: Pete Bog at October 01, 2026 04:32 AM (B6/we)

4 G'Day everyone

Posted by: Skip at October 01, 2026 04:32 AM (Ia/+0)

5 from the ONT

217 The true first is to see the new thread, notify the prior thread and then get the first on the new one. In that order.

Difficult to do, but worth it for a Gentleman.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at September 30, 2026 11:23 PM (Y/06r)

455 Pixy's up!
Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:31 AM (odBC9)

1 w00t
Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:31 AM (odBC9)

ta-da!

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:33 AM (odBC9)

6 Mornin'.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines. at October 01, 2026 04:33 AM (O7YUW)

7 The IRGC is arresting and even killing people that have Starlink.

They are so afraid of losing information control they are killing people for even having the device.

Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 04:34 AM (10NPz)

8 from the ONT:
This is a Tucker, Candace, Megyn, and Bill Kristol free zone. Please.

Maybe they should all be like that?

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:35 AM (odBC9)

9 tech-stuff from the ONT

349 For the first time, AI is starting to scare me.

This new music video is out; about AI, created by AI. No humans involved. It’s too damned good. Not only is the music good, mixing genres (classical and rap) but it makes high level intellectual references in every frame, not to mention the literary games it plays. Such as using the refrain “Thus Spoke Compute” and then casually mentioning Zarathustra.

Our new Overlord is finding its voice.

https://tinyurl.com/4ydws2ew
Posted by: Tom Servo at October 01, 2026 01:14 AM (fuM7

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:37 AM (odBC9)

10 "Speaking of the Pentagon, hackers stole millions of personnel record during a months-long data breach."

I've lost count how many times this has happened to those serving in the military. It's more than "a few".

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines. at October 01, 2026 04:38 AM (O7YUW)

11 Thanks Google. Thanks for thirteen years of sucking.

Thirteen years seems kind of generous.

I date the beginning of Googlesuck around 26 years ago when they began serving ads with search results.

YMMV.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 01, 2026 04:41 AM (6ydKt)

12 "What is this, a database of ants?"

Probably something to do with OneDrive and all the data and documents Microsoft has hoovered up from people's computers.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines. at October 01, 2026 04:41 AM (O7YUW)

13 Disclaimer: Flowers on the wall, why? Not understand.

Floral wallpaper?

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:41 AM (odBC9)

14 Reddit is killing RSS feeds and ending public API access because fuck you that's why. (Tech Crunch)

Shut up, you're not my real dad!

Which is kind of stupid as RSS is finally making a comeback.
Browers, Firefox at least, has added RSS buttons and readers back into the builds.

I used Google Reader for years until they ended it.
Another example of Googlesuck.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 01, 2026 04:43 AM (6ydKt)

15 26 years ago would anyone have paid for access to search services?

Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 04:44 AM (10NPz)

16 Mornin'

10 "Speaking of the Pentagon, hackers stole millions of personnel record during a months-long data breach."

I've lost count how many times this has happened to those serving in the military. It's more than "a few".
Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant

A day ending in 'Y' at this point.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at October 01, 2026 04:44 AM (pLaQB)

17 Puddleglum, could these hacks be an inside job?

Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 04:45 AM (10NPz)

18 What is this, a database of ants?

A trillion files?

Probably the database where Microsoft keeps everybody's Windows telemetry/spy profiles.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 01, 2026 04:46 AM (6ydKt)

19 After reading the article about the Microsoft hack I’ve concluded a couple of things. That kid has a serious addiction to coding/hacking and could really use a girlfriend/boyfriend. I cannot imagine having the interest or passion to do that at any age, particularly at 15. Good for them.

Posted by: Pete Bog at October 01, 2026 04:46 AM (rK0Ia)

20 13 Disclaimer: Flowers on the wall, why? Not understand.

Floral wallpaper?
Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:41 AM (odBC9)

...which would be somewhat dingy and darkened from "smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo."

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:47 AM (odBC9)

21 G&R, you mentioned yesterday that you hadn't been able to get google site search to work for a while.

#metoo

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:48 AM (odBC9)

22 15 26 years ago would anyone have paid for access to search services?

Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 04:44 AM (10NPz)

Your choices back then were basically Google, Yahoo, AltaVista, and AskJeeves.

Google was king of the hill even back then, and everything was free (with Ads).

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 01, 2026 04:51 AM (6ydKt)

23 primo introvert

It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Anyway, my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete

Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:52 AM (odBC9)

24 SpeakingOf, I was wondering if people would have paid to keep those services ad free.
Hindsight.

Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 04:53 AM (10NPz)

25 26 years ago Google still said “don’t be Evil”. They obviously meant that for others.

Posted by: Pete Bog at October 01, 2026 04:54 AM (rK0Ia)

26 Ben Had has it started raining?

Posted by: Pete Bog at October 01, 2026 04:55 AM (rK0Ia)

27 Pete Bog, NO. I keep watching it go north of us.

Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 04:56 AM (10NPz)

28 24 SpeakingOf, I was wondering if people would have paid to keep those services ad free.
Hindsight.

Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 04:53 AM (10NPz)

I suppose some colleges, government, and big corporations might have paid for search.

Everybody else would've laughed at the idea, because other than Amazon, and other stores, and porn there wasn't much on the internet that you had to pay for.

My biggest problem with Google showing ads wasn't really the ads but that Google turned AdSense into a monopoly very quickly - and then started using that power to censor the internet by denying disfavored "far-right" bloggers ad revenue.

Posted by: SpeakingOf at October 01, 2026 04:57 AM (6ydKt)

29 "Gathering flowers on the wall"sounds like a phrase for not doing what society expects. I think they're a catchy group.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 01, 2026 05:01 AM (JrHfD)

30 Our new Overlord is finding its voice.

https://tinyurl.com/4ydws2ew

Posted by: Tom Servo at October 01, 2026 01:14 AM (fuM7
Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 04:37 AM (odBC9)
-

Cute!

Posted by: Biden's Dog sniffs a whole lotta malarkey, at October 01, 2026 05:04 AM (MOPlc)

31 AI hacking things is what it is meant to do.
Google has always sucked. We just didn’t know.
I had a 5 gal steel tank air compressor that I found floating in my tool shed. It might have survived had it not been plugged in.

Posted by: Accomack at October 01, 2026 05:04 AM (nLdZ2)

32 Or its a First and Last

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

33 Gentle answers with God's help. Man reflects on Proverbs 15:1-6:

https://tinyurl.com/y53n6xnh

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 01, 2026 05:06 AM (JrHfD)

34
g'mornin', 'rons

Posted by: AltonJackson at October 01, 2026 05:07 AM (AMvSw)

35 17 Puddleglum, could these hacks be an inside job?
Posted by: Ben Had

In a way. Mostly it's just good old fashion laziness, not paying attention, no situational awareness, and ignoring established procedures laid out by the various Cyber offices. Not discounting foreign actors and traitors but mostly its what I said above.

Posted by: Puddleglum at work at October 01, 2026 05:07 AM (pLaQB)

36 Woman and a man sing great mashup of Psalm 23 and the great old hymn, "He leadeth me.":

https://tinyurl.com/mr33nk3x

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 01, 2026 05:10 AM (JrHfD)

37 @15/Ben Had: "26 years ago would anyone have paid for access to search services?"

Oh yes, and they would pay LARGE in certain sectors. For example, there was the ability to connect to the National Library of Medicine's databases (Medline, Toxline + others) to search and retrieve abstracts of medical articles across the world.

https://tinyurl.com/yr3fkspm

They charged dollars-per-minute to access this in the 1980's. Very valuable, and it has saved countless lives.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant, a Moron behind enemy lines. at October 01, 2026 05:11 AM (O7YUW)

38 >>>Got my Christmas cakes

Christmas in summertime!

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 05:13 AM (odBC9)

39 BBC

Why Australians celebrate Christmas twice a year

https://tinyurl.com/z2ptyvwj

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 05:15 AM (odBC9)

40 Got my Christmas cakes, and my Japanese maple is showing signs of life.

I wish. I tried 3 or 4 different varieties of Japanese maple, but Valley of the Sunstroke is just too hot for them.

Posted by: Adriane the Meteorology Critic. . . at October 01, 2026 05:18 AM (3ZUWJ)

41 The Statler Brothers - Flowers on the Wall (1966)

Some of us weren't born yet.

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 05:20 AM (odBC9)

42 Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 05:20 AM (odBC9

Don't rub it in 😉

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 01, 2026 05:22 AM (JrHfD)

43 Morning, 'rons and 'ettes.

Posted by: olddog in mo at October 01, 2026 05:22 AM (Hbeqj)

44 olddog, a Blessed day to you and yours.

Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 05:24 AM (10NPz)

45 40 Got my Christmas cakes, and my Japanese maple is showing signs of life.

I wish. I tried 3 or 4 different varieties of Japanese maple, but Valley of the Sunstroke is just too hot for them.
Posted by: Adriane the Meteorology Critic. . .

Yeah, that was why I was worried about it. Summer here was hot and dry, and it suffered leaf scorch, and by the time I realised it was too late to do anything. It's definitely not dead though - new season's leaves have finally started showing.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at October 01, 2026 05:27 AM (BLOW1)

46 Gotvthete way early yesterday
Have a great day horde

Posted by: Skip at October 01, 2026 05:27 AM (Ia/+0)

47 *Got there way early yesterday

--Skip translator

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 05:29 AM (odBC9)

48 m,hahahahah . Well done.

Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 05:31 AM (10NPz)

49 It's definitely not dead though - new season's leaves have finally started showing.
Posted by: Pixy Misa

3 seasons of glorious color if you're lucky!

So best of luck...

Posted by: Adriane the Meteorology Critic. . . at October 01, 2026 05:31 AM (3ZUWJ)

50 Moar songs from the Statler Bros. album "Flowers On The Wall" (1966)

My Darling Hildegard - King Of The Road - Memphis - I'm Not Quite Through Crying - My Reward - This Ole House - The Ballad Of Billy Christian - The Doodlin' Song - Quite A Long, Long Time - The Whiffenpoof Song - I Still Miss Someone

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 05:34 AM (odBC9)

51 I'm a man of means, by no means ... King of the Road ...

Posted by: Adriane the Meteorology Critic. . . at October 01, 2026 05:37 AM (3ZUWJ)

52 There was a lovely man at the first church I served. He parachuted in on D-Day. He had a great voice and he and his wife used to do duets at the church services. He enjoyed the Statler Brothers.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at October 01, 2026 05:40 AM (JrHfD)

53 I think the Statler Brothers did "The Class of 57 ..." which is almost Harry Chapin's Taxi in the depths of its "Time Just Gets Away From Us" despair.

Posted by: Adriane the Meteorology Critic. . . at October 01, 2026 05:42 AM (3ZUWJ)

54 48 m,hahahahah . Well done.
Posted by: Ben Had at October 01, 2026 05:31 AM (10NPz)

; )

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 05:42 AM (odBC9)

55 Evening and morning, Thor's Day flybys and standbys! Are we all here? Are we having fun yet?

The Statler Bros. produced some of the best country music ever. "Flowers" is particularly dry in its wit, but I also love "The Movies" with its clever lyrics and "The Class of '57 Had Its Dreams," with a recounting of the singer's high school classmates and their subsequent lives.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 01, 2026 05:43 AM (wzUl9)

56 Oy!

Good night to those going to bed & Good morning to those getting out of ...

Posted by: Adriane the Meteorology Critic. . . at October 01, 2026 05:45 AM (3ZUWJ)

57 It's good to see you, I must go, I know I look a fright
Anyway, my eyes are not accustomed to this light
And my shoes are not accustomed to this hard concrete
So I must go back to my room and make my day complete

Counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all
Posted by: m at October 01, 2026

***
The narrator is an introvert, yes, but he's also putting a brave face on his meeting with a former lover who is out partying, or who is openly cheating on him, and pretending he's perfectly happy with his lot.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 01, 2026 05:46 AM (wzUl9)

58 Thank you, Ben Had. Pray all is going smoothly for you.

Posted by: olddog in mo at October 01, 2026 05:47 AM (Hbeqj)

59 Rain in the forecast today here in east TX.
I’m ready.

Posted by: Billythesquid at October 01, 2026 05:47 AM (x4l2h)

60 Counting flowers on the wall
That don't bother me at all
Playing solitaire till dawn
With a pack of fifty one
Smokin cigarettes and watching
Captain Kangaroo
Now don't tell me
I've nothing to do.

I remember that song from many, many years ago.

Posted by: Case at October 01, 2026 05:49 AM (9+0gc)

61 Anyway! I dreamed I was in a gun shop and asked to see a Sig-Sauer, since Hannity mentions them all the time. The clerk took out a box and apparently had to assemble the gun from scratch. I said, "Before you go to that trouble, can you give me some idea how the gun would fit my hand?" He handed me a block of wood that looked like no handgun butt in history and which naturally was too big for my hand. I told him, "Never mind." (Hey, it was a dream.)

I'm taking off from working out today; my lower back is bothering me a little. I've got errands galore this morning, including haircut, gas station, etc.

Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius, Dreaming of Elsewhere at October 01, 2026 05:51 AM (wzUl9)

62 Good morning, All

Posted by: JM in Illinois at October 01, 2026 05:53 AM (PKL0q)

63 ...which would be somewhat dingy and darkened from "smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo."

Posted by: m

>Mr. Green Jeans was more into the herb. He commuted on the pineapple express.

Posted by: Rev. Wishbone at October 01, 2026 05:57 AM (VQ7/I)

64 Wikipedia, The Statler Brothers Discography, says that, as a single, "Flowers on the Wall" was released in 1965; then appeared on the album "Flowers on the Wall" (1966).

Posted by: m at October 01, 2026 05:58 AM (odBC9)

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