For a while, those hoping to avoid the difficulty and expense of dealing with Adobe’s Creative Suite have been able to use several free and/or open-source alternatives that replicate some or all of those capabilities. Now, one developer is using AI-powered reverse engineering to mimic the look, feel, and functionality of Adobe’s well-known software with what he hopes will soon be perfect fidelity.

Artcraft got its start last year as a “controllable AI for artists” that allows for precise post-generation editing of AI-crafted images and videos. Over the weekend, though, the brand debuted its pivot to a suite of seven open source apps recreating the user interface and tools found in Adobe’s Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Lightroom, After Effects, InDesign, and Acrobat Pro.

In announcing those new apps on Reddit earlier this week, software developer Brandon Thomas said he used Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5 to create “clean-room replacements” for Adobe’s closed source software in Rust (with WebAssembly versions available for use in a browser). And while commenters on Hacker News and elsewhere have taken pains to point out the new software’s many current shortcomings, Thomas make the grandiose promise that the current “super early alpha” state will soon lead to something just as functional as anything Adobe has ever put out.

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Alphabet’s Google and gaming tools developer Unity Software announced a new platform that will allow people to create video games from simple text prompts, marking the latest incursion of generative artificial intelligence into artistic and creative industries. The initiative, called Playground, will “put game creation in the hands of millions of new creators, and bring new experiences to billions of players worldwide,” the companies said in a statement on Oct 7.

With its debut, Playground will let people 18 and older generate and customize games using natural language prompts, “no coding required.” Later in 2026, a new expanded creation experience called Unity Spark, will be integrated with Playground, providing “robust, professional-level” mechanics and high-fidelity 3D capabilities. Creators will be able to build “immersive, superlative experiences” with a simple text prompt, according to the release. Playground builds on Google’s push into world models, a type of AI that generates virtual environments in real time from text prompts, rather than just video. Google and Unity’s partnership “could reduce fears that AI will make Unity’s core game-building software less necessary, while posing limited medium-term risk to Roblox’s advantage as a social gaming platform,” says Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Nathan Naidu.

The introduction of Unity Spark later in 2026 “could broaden Unity’s creator base and support its game-development business,” which represent about a third of sales.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Apple’s smallest Mac is a favorite amongst AI enthusiasts and value-seekers alike. Despite its size, this Mac is as powerful as any other, which makes it as great an option for running AI agents as it is for handling simple macOS tasks.

While the “mini” isn’t as affordable as it used to be—the memory crisis has certainly taken its toll—it’s now cheaper than ever during the final hours of October Prime Day. If you’ve been thinking about picking up a Mac mini, now’s the time to buy.

Mac mini (M6)

$779.99
at Amazon

$899.00
Save $119.01

$779.99
at Amazon

$899.00
Save $119.01

Apple’s latest Mac mini runs the company’s newest M6 chip, with a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. This processor is so new, in fact, that the company hasn’t ported it over to its laptops yet. That means the M6 Mac mini will largely outperform Apple’s M5 laptops, like the M5 MacBook Air and M5 MacBook Pro, at a much lower price. Why the discount? Because Apple isn’t providing you with a keyboard, trackpad, or display. This is a standalone computer, and it is priced accordingly. It’s a great value if you already have those peripherals on hand, but your investment does increase if you need to buy one, two, or three of those items.

Most users will likely connect one or two displays to this Mac mini, but it actually supports up to three. While it doesn’t have a webcam, it does come with a built-in speaker, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. For ports, you have three Thunderbolt 4, two USB-C, HDMI, and 2.5Gb Ethernet—though you can upgrade to a model with a 10Gb Ethernet port. All that typically costs you $899. But as we close out October Prime Day, you can spend just $779.99 on this machine, saving around $120. While it’s still more expensive than Apple’s former Mac mini MSRP, it’s the best price yet for the M6, and a great value for what you get.

If you think you’ll need something a bit more capable, the upgraded Mac mini models are also on sale right now. The M6 Mac mini with a 512GB SSD currently costs $949.99, down from $1,099 (a $150 savings), while the M6 Pro Mac mini costs $1,149.99, down from $1,299. In short, if you’re going to buy a Mac mini today, make sure you buy it from Amazon.

Keep an eye on your furry, feathered or scaly friends when you leave the car.

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October Prime Days are ending tonight, but there’s still time to find a deal on a Bluetooth speaker. There are, in fact, a ton of Bluetooth speakers on sale for different prices on Amazon, but if you want great sound on a budget, I went through all the under-$50 offerings to pull out the best, focusing on trusted names like JBL and Sony.

Anker’s Soundcore Select 4 Go is 37% off

If you need music in the shower or by the pool, the Soundcore Select 4 Go is so waterproof it floats. It plays music for 20 hours on a single charge and supports wireless pairing, so you can hook it up with another compatible speaker for stereo sound. Despite its small size, this speaker delivers strong playback.

soundcore Select 4 Go Bluetooth Shower Speaker by Anker, IP67 Waterproof/Dustproof, Portable Wireless Speaker, 20H Playtime, Floatable, Powerful Sound, Electronics for Outdoor/Home/Office/Travel-Green

$21.99
at Amazon

$34.99
Save $13.00

$21.99
at Amazon

$34.99
Save $13.00

Sony’s SRS-XB100 wireless Bluetooth speaker is 34% off

Sony’s SRS-XB100 pushes right against the $50 maximum. It offers Sony’s Sound Diffusion Processor for audio that punches above its weight, and 16 hours of playback per charge. You can take it to the beach too; it’s IP67 rated, so it’s both dustproof and waterproof.

Sony SRS-XB100 Wireless Bluetooth Portable Lightweight Super-Compact Travel Speaker, Durable IP67 Waterproof & Dustproof Shower Speaker, 16 Hour Battery, Versatile Strap, & Hands-free Calling, Orange

$43.00
at Amazon

$64.99
Save $21.99

$43.00
at Amazon

$64.99
Save $21.99

The JBL Go 4 is 30% off

JBL’s ultra-portable Go 4 Bluetooth speaker fits in the palm of your hand, but the company promises strong bass, and that “your friends won’t believe how much great JBL Pro Sound comes out of such a small speaker.” The battery lasts for seven hours; it’s waterproof and dustproof, and it can be paired with other JBL speakers for stereo sound. Plus, it has a built-in strap to make it easy to carry.

JBL Go 4 Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker (Black)

$34.95
at Amazon

$49.95
Save $15.00

$34.95
at Amazon

$49.95
Save $15.00

RadioShack’s Vintage AM FM radio and Bluetooth player is 54% off

The sound quality you’ll get from this speaker probably doesn’t measure up to brands like JBL and Sony, but their speakers aren’t also AM and FM radios, and they don’t say “RadioShack” on the front, nor do they have a retractable antenna. This retro-styled speaker looks like a 1970s portable radio, but it’s a Bluetooth speaker that can also play audio from USB cards.

RadioShack Vintage AM FM SW Radio 3 Band Bluetooth USB SD Rechargeable White

$17.50
at Amazon

$37.99
Save $20.49

$17.50
at Amazon

$37.99
Save $20.49

The Tribit StormBox Micro 3 is 27% off

Tribit’s StormBox Micro 3 speaker includes both a strap and a magnetic mount, so you can affix it to handlebars, tent poles, or anything else and take your tunes anywhere. The battery is big enough to play for up to 24 hours, the Bluetooth will stay connected up to 45 meters, and the sound quality is surprisingly good for a portable speaker.

Tribit StormBox Micro 3

$49.38
at Amazon

$66.99
Save $17.61

$49.38
at Amazon

$66.99
Save $17.61

This truck-shaped Bluetooth speaker with LED lights is 20% off

This is strictly a novelty, but if you prefer your music coming from a tiny semi truck with rolling wheels and working LED headlights, it’s a novelty that’s worth the $29 price. You can pair the Semi Truck Bluetooth Speaker with another compatible Bluetooth speaker for stereo sound, and there’s even a microphone built in, so you can take calls from your little truck/Bluetooth speaker.

WSTER WS-538 Retro Pickup Truck Bluetooth Speaker (Red)

$23.99
at Amazon

$29.99
Save $6.00

$23.99
at Amazon

$29.99
Save $6.00

Altec Lansing Hydramotion 2.0 is 21% off

Altec Lansing made its name as the gold standard of high-end professional audio equipment in the 1940s, but it’s now known for consumer gear that is everything-proof, including the Hydramotion 2.0, a rugged Bluetooth speaker with a heavy-duty waterproof build and magnetic mounting. It’s the perfect thing for a garage or a golf cart.

Altec Lansing HydraMOTION 2.0

$47.16
at Amazon

$59.99
Save $12.83

$47.16
at Amazon

$59.99
Save $12.83

October Prime Day FAQs

When is Prime Day?

October Prime Day is Oct. 6 and runs through Oct. 7. It happens every year during October.

When does Prime Day end?

October Prime Day ends on Oct. 7, 2026. It’s a two-day online sale.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

October Prime Day is the fall version of Prime Day, which is the biggest sale Amazon hosts during the spring, summer, and fall. You can find deals on many categories during the sale, including tech, tools, appliances, apparel, and more.

Pennsylvania’s explosive measles outbreak is now the largest the US has seen since the highly infectious virus was declared eliminated in 2000. With well over 1,000 cases, it’s the largest on record since 1991.

Pennsylvania’s health officials reported 1,078 measles cases in all of 2026 as of this afternoon. That includes 12 cases in January and March, with the remaining 1,066 cases since April, when the current outbreak began. The tally includes 145 cases recorded in the last seven days and 74 identified since the previous update on Monday. Health officials noted that 40 of the 74 cases added today were from more than two weeks ago and are just now being recorded.

Among the cases, there have been 207 hospitalizations and five deaths—a newborn, a 6-week-old, an 18-year-old, a 20-year-old, and a 40-year-old. All of the deaths occurred during the current outbreak in people who were unvaccinated; the two infants were too young to have been vaccinated.

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TP-Link is facing more legal troubles in the US as Florida and three other states filed lawsuits alleging that it lied to consumers about its connections to China and the risks of its routers being exploited by Chinese state hackers.

The lawsuits were filed yesterday, about six months after the Federal Communications Commission announced a sweeping ban on consumer-grade routers produced wholly or partly outside of the US. Numerous router makers have obtained exemptions to the ban, but the Trump administration so far has not granted one to TP-Link.

Router makers that received exemptions include Netgear, Asus, Adtran, Amazon and its Eero subsidiary, Calix, Nokia, SpaceX’s Starlink division, and others. For now, TP-Link is unable to sell its latest Wi-Fi 8 routers in the US, though models approved before the ban can still be sold.

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The agency is doubling down on direct-to-device service.

Honestly, a bit like an oversized Lego brick.

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If you’re looking for a last-minute October Prime Day deal on budget noise-canceling earbuds that still deliver big sound, the JBL Tune Buds are currently seeing a massive 67% discount. They’re down to $32.95 (originally $99.95), giving you most of the features you likely want from your everyday earbuds, at a record-low price.

JBL Tune Buds

$32.95
at Amazon

$99.95
Save $67.00

$32.95
at Amazon

$99.95
Save $67.00

Battery life is one of the biggest selling points of the JBL Tune Buds. They last up to 48 hours—12 hours on a single charge, with an additional 36 hours from the charging case, when ANC is off. A 15-minute quick charge delivers up to four extra hours of playback, although it’s worth noting that the case doesn’t support wireless charging. They also have an IP54 rating, making them somewhat resistant to dust and water.

According to PCMag, they offer modest active noise cancellation, which is still a steal at the current price. The earbuds also come with built-in Alexa and an accompanying app that lets you further customize the sound and switch between modes such as ANC, Ambient Aware, and TalkThru. The sound is bright and bass-heavy thanks to JBL’s bass-forward Pure Bass tuning, but you can adjust it with the in-app EQ if it’s not to your liking.

While they don’t have all the bells and whistles of pricier noise-canceling earbuds, the features you get at this price make them easy to love. If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to more expensive models that you can use for workouts, commuting, travel, and more, this last-minute JBL Tune Buds October Prime Day deal is worth grabbing while it lasts.

October Prime Day FAQs

When is Prime Day?

October Prime Day is Oct. 6 and runs through Oct. 7. It happens every year during October.

When does Prime Day end?

October Prime Day ends on Oct. 7 in 2026. It’s a two-day online sale.

What is Amazon Prime Day?

October Prime Day is the fall version of Prime Day, which is the biggest sale Amazon hosts during the spring, summer, and fall. You can find deals on many categories during the sale, including tech, tools, appliances, apparel, and more.