8 Archives

BetaBeacon

October 13, 2026

MuMu Beats Google Play Games? 3 Emulators Tested [2026]

options are MuMu Player Pro for Apple Silicon Macs, which offers a 7-day free trial and then subscription pricing. KOPLAYER does not have evidence of a maintained paid tier or current official distribution.

BetaBeacon

October 13, 2026

Replaced is coming to Android on December 8, and it has now passed 900,000 players

- Replaced, a cyberpunk platformer game, will be released on Android via Google Play Games on December 8, 2026 - The game has over 900,000 players across all platforms since its launch in spring 2026 - The Android version features the complete story of AI protagonist R.E.A.C.H. navigating Phoenix City in an alternate 1980s America setting - Replaced is a 2.5D cyberpunk action platformer with pixel art visuals and combines cinematic exploration with free-flow combat - Post-launch patches have addressed initial bugs and rough edges that affected the original release.

BetaBeacon

October 13, 2026

Steam and Windows Games Now Run Locally on Android, Cyberpunk 2077 Hits 60 FPS

DroidDeck is an open-source app that allows Snapdragon-powered Android devices to run Valve's Steam client and Windows PC games directly on the device itself, without the need for streaming.

AppWizard

October 13, 2026

Samsung is now rolling out Android 17 to these older Galaxy devices in the US

Samsung has started the rollout of the One UI 9 update for the Galaxy S24 series and the Z Fold/Flip 6. The update is now available for devices that did not originally ship with it, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra. The rollout includes all three models of the Galaxy S24, Galaxy Z Fold 6, and Galaxy Z Flip 6, currently accessible in South Korea and the United States, with broader availability expected soon. One UI 9 introduces features such as My FanCam for automatic video tracking, Generative and Editable Cards on Now Brief, detailed Warranty and Care information in the Settings menu, expanded Galaxy AI features, and enhanced Privacy & Security options.

BetaBeacon

October 12, 2026

DroidDeck Runs Steam Games on Android Phones Without a PC

DroidDeck differs from Steam Link, GameNative, and Winlator by running games on the phone itself, using FEX to translate x86 PC code for ARM-based Snapdragon chips. DroidDeck also supports GOG, Epic Games, and Amazon Games, installs a Linux desktop mode, Linux apps, emulators, Decky plugins, and LSFG frame generation. DroidDeck is compatible with phones with Adreno 730 or newer GPUs, excluding most Google and Samsung models. To set up DroidDeck, download the APK, install the Linux runtime, adjust developer options, and sign in to Steam.

AppWizard

October 12, 2026

Steam Week in Review: The curious case of Wonder Boy in Monster Land’s dubious PC debut

Wonder Boy in Monster Land, originally released in Japanese arcades in 1987 and later on the Sega Master System, has been listed on Steam by Retro Maniac, a developer with a limited portfolio. The title is misspelled as "Wonderboy," raising concerns about the legitimacy of the release. The ownership of the Wonder Boy franchise is split between LAT Corp, which holds the intellectual property rights, and Sega, which retains the trademark. This dual ownership complicates any re-release under the Wonder Boy name, as seen with previous titles that successfully navigated licensing agreements. The original arcade version was released as Adventure Island in the U.S., leading to confusion about the game's lineage. Concerns about the Retro Maniac port were raised by the Wonder Boy Universe fan account and composer Shinichi Sakamoto, who noted it is not available in Japan and may be unauthorized. The port appears to be a ROM running within the MAME arcade emulator. The listing is reportedly facing a DMCA takedown process initiated by Sega or LAT Corp.

Winsage

October 12, 2026

Microsoft Warns Windows Update Will Stop Working on Unpatched PCs Next Year

Microsoft is updating the certificates that authenticate communication between Windows PCs and Windows Update servers, with the current certificates expiring on May 17 and June 19, 2027. Users will generally not need to take action as the new certificates will be included in regular monthly security updates. Specific requirements for different Windows versions include: - Windows 11 25H2 and later: No action required. - Windows 11 24H2: Must install the September 2025 security update or newer. - Other supported Windows 11 and Windows 10 versions: Need the July 2026 update or later before June 19, 2027. - Windows 10 Enterprise 2019 LTSC, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2016: Deadline of May 17, 2027. Devices running unsupported versions will lose access to Windows Update services. Home users with Windows 10 PCs not enrolled in Extended Security Updates (ESU) after October 2025 may miss the critical July 2026 patch. Microsoft has extended ESU coverage until October 12, 2027. Users should check their update history to ensure they have received a cumulative update from July 2026 or later.

AppWizard

October 11, 2026

Someone ported Pixel 11’s Rambler voice-to-text to other Android phones

Google's Pixel 11 and the Googlebook feature the Rambler voice-to-text functionality, which uses AI to improve traditional voice-to-text capabilities by refining spoken words into coherent text with proper grammar and formatting. Rambler is currently exclusive to the Pixel 11 series, but a developer has ported it to other Android devices through an app called "PixelBoard," a modified version of Gboard. Users can sideload this app from GitHub, but they should proceed at their own risk. Testing on a Galaxy Z Fold 8 showed that the app functions effectively, similar to Rambler on the Pixel 11. It is unclear if Google will extend Rambler support to other devices, and alternatives like Microsoft’s SwiftKey are available on the Play Store.

AppWizard

October 11, 2026

3 Budget Android Phones That Work Without A Google Account

Google is working on a new Android Developer Verification system to enable users to sideload third-party app stores like F-Droid and Aurora. Budget-friendly Android phones that operate without a Google account include the TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G, Motorola Moto G Play 5G (2026), and Samsung Galaxy A17 5G, all priced under 0. The TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G, launched in 2025 for 0, features 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor, and a 5,010 mAh battery. It offers one major Android OS upgrade and two years of security patches. The Motorola Moto G Play 5G (2026) was initially priced at 0 in November 2025 but has increased to 0. It includes 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, and a 5,200 mAh battery, with two years of major Android OS upgrades and three years of security patches. The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G debuted in January 2026 at 0, featuring an Exynos 1330 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, and a 5,000 mAh battery, with six major Android OS upgrades and six years of security patches. All devices allow users to avoid Google account sign-in and related background processes for improved performance.

Tech Optimizer

October 11, 2026

A practical guide to cost optimization with Lakebase Postgres

Lakebase is a fully managed Postgres database designed for modern application development, featuring an architecture that separates storage and compute with a serverless compute layer. This design allows for cost efficiencies through various mechanisms: 1. **Branching**: Developers can create isolated environments for development, testing, or experimentation without duplicating storage costs, as branches share the same underlying storage. 2. **Autoscaling**: Lakebase adjusts compute resources based on activity levels, allowing users to pay only for the compute they use. It can scale down during low activity and can be suspended entirely after inactivity, reducing costs to zero. 3. **Read Replicas and High Availability**: The separation of storage and compute allows for adding read replicas and high availability without incurring additional storage costs, as these instances utilize the same storage layer. 4. **Synced Tables**: Integration with the Databricks Intelligence Platform enables efficient data syncing, allowing users to sync only the necessary working set of data, which helps avoid unnecessary storage and sync costs. 5. **Sync Modes**: There are three sync modes (Snapshot, Triggered, Continuous) for transferring data from the Lakehouse to Lakebase, each with different cost implications based on data freshness requirements. 6. **Right-sizing Compute**: Users can set the initial compute range during project provisioning to avoid over-provisioning and unnecessary costs. 7. **Monitoring and Metrics**: The Lakebase Metrics dashboard provides insights into working set size and cache utilization, helping users optimize their compute sizing and performance. 8. **Point-in-Time Restore (PITR) and Snapshots**: PITR maintains history for recovery within a configurable window, while snapshots offer discrete recovery points. Both are priced lower than standard storage, making them cost-effective options for data recovery. Lakebase costs are categorized into compute, storage, and serverless pipeline compute for syncing data. Compute is measured by CU usage, while storage includes branch storage, PITR history, and snapshot storage, all tracked separately. Users can access detailed usage and cost information through system billing tables.