Winsage
June 18, 2026
The latest experimental build of Windows 11's Search functionality can match misspelled app names to their corresponding applications, reducing accidental web searches. For example, typing 'utlook' for Outlook or 'pwerp' for PowerPoint yields successful results, while more challenging inputs like 'tskm' for Task Manager still prompt web searches on standard systems, but are recognized in the experimental build. Additionally, Microsoft is developing a toggle feature for local searches only, which would eliminate web results and enhance user experience, potentially decreasing Bing's usage.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
The Google Home Speaker features a sustainable design with a custom 3D-knit textile and is available in Hazel and Porcelain colors. It includes a light ring underglow to indicate its status and a microphone mute toggle for privacy. The device assists with planning trips, providing kitchen help, and recommending entertainment. It is available for pre-order in Australia and New Zealand through various retailers. A purchase includes a 6-month trial of the Google Home Premium subscription, which is required for certain features. The device requires a Google Home app, Wi-Fi, and an internet connection.
Tech Optimizer
June 18, 2026
Organizations are increasingly adopting EnterpriseDB's EDB Postgres AI platform due to a rising demand for enhanced control over data in AI systems, particularly in sectors like banking, insurance, retail, and trading. Research from MIT Technology Review Insights indicates that prioritizing AI and data sovereignty significantly predicts success in AI initiatives, with such organizations achieving five times the return on investment. In South Korea, the Industrial Bank of Korea migrated 15 core systems to EDB Postgres AI, citing significant reductions in licensing costs compared to Oracle and improved scalability for future AI services. Shinhan EZ Insurance transitioned its core system to the public cloud using EDB, overcoming challenges related to legacy database licensing and emphasizing the importance of operational stability. Beyond finance, companies like MNTN, Euronext FX, and Kyobo Book Centre have adopted the platform to reduce vendor reliance, manage data workloads, and enhance compliance control. MNTN uses EDB for large-scale analytical processing, Euronext FX has implemented it across four data centers, and Kyobo Book Centre migrated from a costly data warehouse to the EDB solution. A common trend among these deployments is the use of a single Postgres-based platform for transactional processing, analytics, and AI tasks, reflecting an industry initiative to simplify operations and reduce costs. Hensley noted the critical convergence of AI systems with operational data, as AI agents operate against live data in high-volume workflows, highlighting the drawbacks of using separate platforms for transactions and analytics. EnterpriseDB has also received industry accolades for its data management and contributions to the open-source community, reinforcing its market position.
Tech Optimizer
June 18, 2026
Oracle has launched the OCI Database with PostgreSQL, a managed PostgreSQL service designed for seamless deployment within the Oracle Cloud. This service includes lifecycle management, automated backups, and monitoring, allowing users to customize their database configurations easily. A key feature is the cross-region warm standby, which enhances disaster recovery by enabling users to create replica databases in secondary regions that replicate data from the primary database. The service enforces a strict 5-minute recovery point objective (RPO) and simplifies the setup process for operations teams. The OCI Database with PostgreSQL is positioned against offerings from AWS and Azure, targeting organizations that prefer a managed PostgreSQL experience. However, compliance challenges, such as the lack of FedRAMP certification, may hinder adoption for certain sectors. The product is available on OCI with usage-based pricing and is aimed at cloud teams needing managed operations and disaster recovery for PostgreSQL databases.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
In the game Don't Kill Them All, players lead a band of orcs who must balance aggression with resource management. The gameplay involves managing the orcs' rage to avoid negative consequences while maintaining order. The game features a humorous narrative focused on the orcs' self-serving motives and has a charming art style. Despite its innovative concept, the player count is currently low, remaining in the double digits, which raises concerns about its visibility and marketing in the gaming landscape.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
Players in Stellaris experience an enchanting initial phase of exploration, discovering alien species, mega structures, and black holes. They must balance exploration with territory claiming, as resource management is crucial. Resources can be transported back to the Arkship or harvested directly from planets, though the latter incurs penalties. Nomadic players need to forge alliances and establish Wayline treaties to survive and thrive, while new resources like Operational Reserves add complexity. Upgrading the Arkship is rewarding, and the game features a vibrant post-Nomads era with new music and events enhancing gameplay.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
Beginning June 18, players who own Grand Theft Auto V on PS4 or the digital edition for Xbox One can upgrade to the enhanced versions on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S for free. This upgrade includes significant visual enhancements and performance improvements, along with the ability to transfer save data and online progress. PC gamers can also upgrade to the Enhanced edition, which features exclusive enhancements like ray-traced ambient occlusion and global illumination. Rockstar previously discontinued GTA Online on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2021, leading to speculation about similar support for PS4 and Xbox One. Fans are also anticipating information about Grand Theft Auto VI, with a current release date of November 19 and increased marketing efforts expected this summer.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, highlighted the need for improved game development efficiency and connectivity during his remarks at Unreal Fest. He noted that many major game releases are failing to meet expectations despite increased engagement among younger audiences and Fortnite's resurgence. Epic is developing Unreal Engine 6 to enhance efficiency and interoperability, incorporating generative AI for game creation that can integrate with Fortnite and other Unreal products. The Unreal Engine is free for developers, with a 5% royalty after the first million in revenue, and the Epic Games Store waives fees for the first million earned, contrasting with higher fees on platforms like Steam. Epic and Disney released a Star Wars toolkit for Unreal Editor for Fortnite, and there are concerns about how traditional gaming experiences will adapt to a more interconnected ecosystem. Despite rising development costs, Epic is committed to supporting diverse projects while shifting towards a model emphasizing social connectivity and brand partnerships.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
Many gaming enthusiasts have specific genre preferences, often favoring narrative-driven RPGs, but their gaming history may show a variety of titles, particularly in the survival crafting genre. Survival crafting games combine creativity and adventure, offering social interaction and collaborative play. A new survival crafting quiz challenges players to identify 20 games through pixelated screenshots, allowing participants 12 minutes to complete it. This quiz aims to evoke nostalgia and encourage sharing results among gamers, reinforcing social connections within the gaming community.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
The new Parties feature in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition allows players to invite up to 14 friends to join their party, facilitating easy transitions between worlds and realms, and includes a private chat option. This feature is currently in beta on Xbox, PlayStation, and Windows PC. Additionally, players can participate in two community challenges and a multiplayer adventure, with a Marketplace Summer Sale scheduled from June 30, 2026, to July 28, 2026. All offers and challenges require Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and an active internet connection. Free player jerseys are available for both Bedrock and Java Edition. Participation in online multiplayer and certain challenges requires a platform-specific online subscription, and a Realms Plus subscription is necessary for Realms. Rewards from community challenges must be redeemed by June 16, 2027.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India has imposed a week-long ban on the messaging app Telegram amid a scandal related to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). This decision, enacted under the Information Technology (IT) Act, aims to protect national integrity and sovereignty, following significant irregularities in the original exam held on May 3. The National Testing Agency (NTA) invalidated the initial exam after discovering question leaks, and the upcoming retest is scheduled for June 21. The ban also includes the disabling of Telegram's 'message editing' feature until June 30. Despite the NTA's assurances that no questions have leaked for the retest, concerns about organized cheating groups using Telegram to spread misinformation persist. Pavel Durov, Telegram's CEO, criticized the ban for impacting millions of users without addressing underlying issues. Protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan have occurred, and the case has been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has arrested approximately 11 individuals based on preliminary findings of leaked questions in the exam.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
Treyarch announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012) will be ported to PlayStation platforms, likely for PS4 and PS5, starting in July. Iron Galaxy Studios will handle the modernization of these titles. The games have been available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S since 2016 through Microsoft's Backwards Compatibility Program. There are uncertainties about whether existing PS3 owners will access the new versions for free or transfer their progress. The new ports are expected to integrate with the existing server network. Xbox and PC players have expressed frustration over issues with Black Ops and Black Ops 2 on Xbox, including a locked 720p resolution and hacking problems, as well as the absence of these titles on Xbox Game Pass.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
Epic Games unveiled developments for Unreal Engine 6 at the State of Unreal event in Chicago, highlighting its evolution from Unreal Engine 5. The new engine will incorporate features from Fortnite and UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite), which allows users to create game levels easily. Unreal Engine 6 will adopt open standards for tools, code, and APIs to simplify development across industries. The anticipated release is set for 2027, with early access expected by the end of that year. Verse, a new scripting language, will be central to the gameplay programming model, while C++ will remain foundational. The Scene Graph will replace the existing gameplay framework, and artificial intelligence will play a larger role, with the UE5.8 release introducing the MCP server plugin for deploying large language models.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
Prologue: Go Wayback! has exited early access on Steam, but is considered incomplete with no further development plans. Launched in early access in 2025 by PlayerUnknown Productions, the game faced significant challenges, including staff layoffs, leading to a halt in development. The studio, founded by Brendan Greene, aimed to use the game as a testing ground for its Melba game engine, designed for creating large procedural worlds. A free tech demo, Preface: Undiscovered World, is available in early access. The final version of Prologue includes new features such as enhanced paths, mobile weather monitors, and improvements in cooking, lighting, clouds, and fog.
Winsage
June 18, 2026
Microsoft has released the Insider Experimental Preview Build 26300.8687 for Windows 11 on June 12, 2026, which improves the Windows Search functionality. The update allows the search tool to accurately locate applications even with misspellings, omitted letters, or partial words. For example, typing “utlook” will yield Outlook as a result. Enhancements in the ranking of settings search results ensure that the most relevant options appear at the top. The update also improves local file search, allowing users to find files like “Severance-S2E5” more effectively. A new feature is being tested that will let users turn off web results in Windows Search, focusing exclusively on local content. Currently, disabling Bing results requires navigating through the Windows Registry, but a toggle in the Settings menu is being introduced for easier access. The June 2026 update has already implemented search enhancements, including returning file results after just two characters and a feature called Search by Substring, which allows users to find files using any segment of a filename.
Winsage
June 18, 2026
Screensavers were originally designed to prevent burn-in on CRT monitors in the 1980s and 1990s, but evolved into a form of personalization with options like 3D Text and flying toasters. By 2026, the necessity for screensavers has diminished due to modern displays' ability to avoid burn-in and Windows 11's power management features. Screensavers are now mostly used for personal photo slideshows or basic visuals, accessible through Settings > Personalization > Lock screen > Screen saver, with options including 3D Text, Bubbles, Mystify, Photos, and Ribbons. Microsoft has shifted focus to AI and performance improvements, leaving screensavers as a legacy feature that is not actively developed. There is potential for screensavers to be reimagined as a modern ambient mode that enhances the idle experience by displaying personal photos or useful information. Currently, Windows 11 lacks a cohesive system that integrates various idle features, leading to a static or blank display when users step away.
AppWizard
June 18, 2026
Android 17 has been released for Pixel phone users, introducing new features like Bubbles. However, users of devices from the Pixel 7 to the Pixel 10 series are experiencing Wi-Fi connectivity issues, where apps are not utilizing the Wi-Fi connection and instead using mobile data. This problem predominantly affects Google apps, although some still work over Wi-Fi. Discussions suggest that enabling IPv6 support on home routers might resolve the issue, but attempts to replicate the problem by disabling IPv6 and mobile data were unsuccessful. The issue has raised concerns about the thoroughness of testing prior to the update's release.
AppWizard
June 17, 2026
The "Philosophy Game" on Wikipedia reveals that clicking the first hyperlink in a series of articles often leads back to the article on Philosophy. Matthew Prebeg explains this phenomenon as related to abstraction and categorization, where items can belong to the same category without sharing a singular characteristic. He illustrates the hierarchical nature of categorization, showing how a specific item can fit into broader categories. The game highlights the foundational role of philosophy in structuring our understanding of concepts. Philosophy is segmented into four primary domains: epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and logic, which serve as the basis for other fields of inquiry. The Philosophy Game also exemplifies experimental philosophy, using empirical data to draw philosophical conclusions and encouraging a cycle of inquiry through Wikipedia's interconnected knowledge.
AppWizard
June 17, 2026
Onimusha: Way of the Sword features a demo that showcases a later segment of the game set in Kyoto's open areas, highlighting its art direction, character movements, and swordplay. The melee combat differs from FromSoftware titles, offering immersive animations and impactful feedback. The demo was perceived as easy, particularly in "Action" mode, with basic enemies posing little threat, while the challenge increased during the boss fight. The game's director, Nihei, noted that both the demo and the event version are early in the game's progression, explaining the ease of basic enemies and indicating that players will face tougher foes as they advance. The demo included button prompts over enemies, which will not be present in the final product. Capcom intends to gradually introduce Musashi's abilities and increase enemy difficulty in the final release. The game will launch with only two difficulty settings: Story and Action, on September 24.
Search