AI Archives

AppWizard

June 22, 2025

Almost a year after launch, Frost Giant’s StarCraft wannabe has finally added the feature it’s named after: ‘We called the game Stormgate, yet we didn’t actually have any stormgates’

Stormgate faced skepticism upon launch due to its aesthetics, narrative, and gameplay mechanics, which some players felt lacked polish. The game had limited single-player missions and a push for additional purchases. Developer Frost Giant has since overhauled the campaign, introducing a new feature called Stormgates, which are dimensional rifts on 1v1 maps that provide randomized rewards affecting gameplay dynamics. Examples of rewards include the Soulforge Relic, Sky Hunters, Void Prowlers, Swarm Mother, and Stormcaller Relic. These elements significantly impact match strategy, prompting players to adapt their tactics. Frost Giant is replacing traditional creep camps with Stormgates based on community feedback, and while creep camps have been removed from three ladder maps, they remain in other custom settings. The Stormgates are now integrated into 1v1 gameplay, with plans for expansion into other modes.

Winsage

June 22, 2025

Give an old PC a total upgrade for just $15

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is currently available for .97, reduced from its regular price of 9, but this offer is valid only until July 20. Windows 11 Pro includes features such as a sleek interface, snap layouts, improved voice typing, advanced security features (biometric logins, encrypted authentication, enhanced antivirus), tools for professionals (Microsoft Teams, Azure AD, Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox), touchscreen capability, an AI-powered assistant (Copilot), and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate for gaming. The minimum system requirements to run Windows 11 Pro are 4GB of RAM and 40GB of hard drive space.

Winsage

June 22, 2025

Windows Snipping Tool now lets you create animated GIF recordings

Microsoft has updated its Snipping Tool to include the ability to export animated GIF recordings. This feature is being rolled out to Windows 11 Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels with version 11.2505.21.0. Users can create GIFs from screen recordings, but videos longer than 30 seconds will be truncated to the first 30 seconds for GIF export. To create a GIF, users can access the screen recorder with Win + Shift + R, and after recording, they can click the 'Export GIF' button. They can choose between low and high GIF quality and copy the GIF to the clipboard or save it. Additionally, Microsoft has tested an AI-powered 'perfect screenshot' tool and introduced a Text Extractor feature, along with a draw & hold feature and a trim capability for screen recordings.

Winsage

June 22, 2025

With 114 days left until Windows 10 support is ditched, Windows 11 enjoys a last-minute surge in upgrades

Microsoft plans to discontinue support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, despite a strong preference for it among users. As of June 2025, Windows 10's market share dropped from 66% to 49%, while Windows 11's share increased from 29% to over 47%. The gap between the two operating systems has narrowed to 1%. Microsoft has implemented full-screen reminders to encourage users to upgrade to Windows 11, branding 2025 as the "year of the Windows 11 PC refresh." Windows 11 adoption has increased, but many PCs are unable to upgrade due to stringent minimum system requirements, which include a 64-bit processor, at least 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, UEFI firmware with Secure Boot, and TPM version 2.0. Microsoft introduced a new category of Windows 11 PCs called Copilot+ PCs, which feature advanced capabilities and security measures. Starting October 14, 2025, users on Windows 10 will not receive free updates, leaving them vulnerable to security risks. Users whose PCs do not meet the requirements for Windows 11 can either buy new machines or subscribe to the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for continued support. Enterprise users will pay £48 for the first year of ESU, increasing to £192 for the third year, while consumers can access it for £24 for an additional year. Some users are exploring alternatives like Linux or ChromeOS Flex for older hardware.

AppWizard

June 21, 2025

Stellar Blade is a prime example of how PC ports should be done – ultrawide compatibility and stable performance are a must

The gaming community has expressed frustration over poorly optimized PC ports, with recent titles like Rise of the Ronin, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Monster Hunter Wilds suffering from stuttering issues and heavy reliance on upscaling technologies. Many contemporary games lack ultrawide compatibility, which is increasingly expected as ultrawide displays become more popular. Stellar Blade is noted for its exceptional performance and optimization, including support for ultrawide screens up to a 32:9 aspect ratio. It achieves over 60 frames per second (fps) at 1080p on medium settings on an Asus ROG Ally, with frame rates reaching 112fps using AMD Frame Generation. The Steam Deck also performs well, reaching 60fps on lower settings. On desktop systems with high-end hardware like the RTX 4080 Super and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D, Stellar Blade consistently exceeds 100fps at maximum settings without needing Nvidia's Frame Generation. Despite some titles showing good optimization, many triple-A releases still suffer from poor PC adaptations, disappointing gamers with high-end hardware. Handheld gaming PCs are becoming more popular, and successful ports like Stellar Blade provide hope for future game releases.

Tech Optimizer

June 21, 2025

New OLTP: Postgres With Separate Compute and Storage

Reynold Xin, co-founder of Databricks, highlighted the outdated nature of online transaction processing (OLTP) databases, which have not evolved significantly since the 1990s and face issues like over-provisioning and performance challenges. Databricks is introducing Lakebase, a product that separates compute from storage to enhance the efficiency of transactional databases, particularly for AI applications. Lakebase allows for instantaneous branching of databases, significantly improving workflow efficiency. Built on open-source Postgres, it supports various open storage formats and offers a copy-on-write capability to reduce costs. The separation of compute and storage is essential as streaming data becomes more integral to enterprises, enabling scalability and timely insights. Databricks aims to manage the entire data lifecycle, ensuring data remains within its ecosystem for rapid reporting and analytics. The integration of Lakebase with existing infrastructure enhances developer experience and operational maturity. The architecture supports extensive experimentation at minimal cost, fostering innovation. As AI agents become more prevalent, the focus on data evaluation and reliability will grow, necessitating a deeper examination of model accuracy.

Tech Optimizer

June 21, 2025

EDB enhances PostgreSQL analytics with open source add-ons

EDB has enhanced its data platform, EDB Postgres AI, to integrate transactional, analytical, and AI workloads. The new engine for PostgreSQL offers independent scalability from cloud storage and is optimized for columnar formats like Iceberg and Delta Lake. It utilizes Apache DataFusion for efficient query execution, achieving speeds up to 30 times faster than traditional PostgreSQL and providing 18 times greater cost efficiency for cold transactional data storage. The analytics accelerator allows analytical queries to be processed by Apache DataFusion within PostgreSQL. EDB claims a total cost of ownership that is six times more favorable and transactional performance that is 30 percent faster than SQL Server. PostgreSQL is evolving to support analytics alongside its traditional transactional capabilities, with EDB's goal being to provide tools for seamless analytics within the PostgreSQL framework without redefining it as an analytics database.

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

Pixel AI tipped to supercharge your Gboard with instant edits and more

Google is preparing to roll out enhancements for Gboard, including a feature called "SmartEdit" that uses generative AI for voice-driven editing, allowing users to add, remove, or replace words with their voice. Another rumored feature, "Magic Cue," may integrate with Gboard's clipboard to recognize relevant information in apps like Gmail for easier data sharing. Magic Cue has previously been known as "Pixel Sense" and "Pixie" and aims to provide time-saving actions. Additionally, a "favorites" list for Emoji Kitchen will allow users to save their favorite emoji combinations. These features are still in development.

Winsage

June 20, 2025

Microsoft is blocking Google Chrome through its family safety feature

Microsoft's Family Safety feature has been causing disruptions for users of Google Chrome on Windows for over two weeks, with issues reported since June 3rd. Users have experienced unexpected closures or an inability to launch Chrome due to a bug in Family Safety. Other browsers like Firefox and Opera are unaffected. A workaround involves renaming the Chrome executable file, and users can also disable the "filter inappropriate websites" setting in Family Safety to restore functionality. There is no timeline for a fix from Microsoft, and attempts to contact the company for comments have gone unanswered.

AppWizard

June 20, 2025

These 7 games need a remaster, and they need it now

Fallout: New Vegas, released in 2010 by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks, is a unique RPG praised for its player agency, writing, and world-building, making it a candidate for a remaster to fix technical bugs and improve visuals. Dragon Age: Origins, released in 2009 by BioWare and published by Electronic Arts, is regarded as the best in its series, but a remaster seems unlikely due to a lack of familiar staff. Black & White, a 2001 game by Lionhead Studios and published by Electronic Arts, is not available on major platforms, and a remaster could enhance its AI and gameplay. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, released in 2004 by Troika Games and published by Activision, is a classic RPG with bugs and unfinished elements that could benefit from a remaster to fix glitches and restore content. No One Lives Forever, a 2000 game by Monolith Productions and published by Fox Interactive, is unavailable due to rights disputes, but a remaster could modernize its visuals and controls. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, released in 2004 by Obsidian Entertainment and published by LucasArts, is an unfinished narrative that could be improved with a remaster to restore missing content. Freedom Force, a 2002 game by Irrational Games and published by Electronic Arts, could benefit from a remaster to improve compatibility and support user-generated content.