Amazon Archives

AppWizard

May 20, 2025

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Endurance, One Deck Dungeon, Paths & Danger, more

The Amazon Memorial Day sale and the OnePlus early summer sale have begun, offering significant discounts. The wireless 144Hz Samsung The Frame Pro is discounted by up to 0, and the unlocked Pixel 8 Pro has price reductions of up to 3. Acer’s Predator Helios Neo 14 gaming laptop is also available at a substantial markdown. The game "Endurance: Infection in Space" is highlighted as a recommended action-packed space-shooter with a mystery story.

Tech Optimizer

May 20, 2025

Running I/O intensive workloads on PostgreSQL with Amazon EBS io2 Block Express

Databases are essential for organizations, and their performance is critical to user experience and operational efficiency. AWS introduced Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS) io2 Block Express in December 2020 to address performance issues related to storage latency during database operations. This solution enhances storage management for high-performance database servers, supporting up to 256,000 IOPS and 4,000 MiB/s throughput per volume, with a maximum volume size of 64 TiB and sub-millisecond disk I/O latency. A performance comparison was conducted between PostgreSQL databases on Amazon EBS gp3 and io2 Block Express, utilizing the HammerDB benchmarking tool. The analysis involved four tests: OLTP Load test, OLTP Stress test, OLAP Load test, and OLAP Stress test, using r5b.24xlarge EC2 instances. Results indicated that io2 Block Express outperformed gp3 by 2.08 times in transactions per minute (TPM) and provided significantly lower latency for both OLTP and OLAP workloads. Key differences between gp3 and io2 Block Express include durability, with io2 offering 99.999% durability compared to gp3's 99.8% – 99.9%. The maximum IOPS for gp3 is 16,000, while io2 supports up to 64,000 IOPS. Pricing for gp3 is approximately ,375.36/month, while io2 Block Express costs around ,408/month, reflecting its premium performance capabilities. In benchmarking tests, io2 Block Express demonstrated superior performance, achieving 3.95 times faster average performance than gp3 across all scenarios. It is particularly suitable for mission-critical applications requiring consistent sub-millisecond latency and high durability.

AppWizard

May 19, 2025

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Conquistadorio, Sadhana, Homo Machina, more

A new selection of Android game and app deals is available on Google Play. Best Buy and Amazon have started their Memorial Day sales early, offering significant discounts on various tech gear. Notable discounts include: - Nothing Ear: unspecified discount - Galaxy Watch 7: unspecified discount, plus a complimentary band valued between unspecified amounts - Pixel Watch 2: originally priced at 0, now available for 0 - Google Pixel 9/Pro devices: discounts reaching up to unspecified amounts Highlighted Android apps include: - Conquistadorio - Sadhana - Homo Machina - Super Onion Boy 2 Conquistadorio is described as a point-and-click adventure game that involves unraveling mysteries, solving puzzles, and overcoming challenges.

BetaBeacon

May 19, 2025

Retroid Pocket 5 Gaming Handheld Is Now Available At Amazon

The Retroid Pocket 5 is a powerful Android gaming handheld device with a 5.5-inch 1080p touch screen, two thumbsticks, D-pad, and standard gaming buttons. It is equipped with an Adreno 650 GPU, Snapdragon 865 processor, 8GB RAM, and 128GB internal storage. The device is compatible with high-end native Android games, retro games, and sixth- and seventh-generation console games. It is available on Amazon for with free shipping, but due to high demand, there may be delivery wait times of around two weeks.

AppWizard

May 18, 2025

Is ‘A Minecraft Movie’ Streaming on Netflix or Hulu?

A Minecraft Movie grossed nearly a billion since its release in early April and is now available for purchase or rental on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home. The film features a blend of live-action and CGI, starring Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, and Jack Black as Steve. It is not currently available on Netflix or Hulu, as it is a Warner Bros. production expected to transition to Max eventually. The movie may start streaming on Max around early July 2025, but this has not been officially confirmed.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

‘Murderbot,’ ‘The Brutalist,’ ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ ‘Duster,’ and the best to stream this weekend

Apple TV+ has released a new sci-fi series titled "Murderbot," adapted from Martha Wells’ "Murderbot Diaries." The show features Alexander Skarsgård as a self-aware cyborg tasked with protecting scientists on an uninhabited planet while secretly binge-watching a space opera. The first two episodes are now available for streaming. FX's "Welcome to Wrexham," a docuseries about a Welsh football club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, returns for its fourth season on Hulu. " Duster," an action drama set in the 1970s, stars Josh Holloway and is now streaming on Max. Amazon's "Overcompensating," a college comedy created by and starring Benito Skinner, follows a closeted freshman and his outsider friend on a journey of self-discovery, with all eight episodes available on Prime Video. "The Brutalist," a historical drama starring Adrien Brody, is now streaming on Max after winning three Academy Awards. The Apple TV+ documentary "Deaf President Now!" recounts a 1988 protest at Gallaudet University for a Deaf president, directed by Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim. "The Quilters," a documentary short about incarcerated men making quilts for foster children, is available on Netflix. The "Minecraft Movie," featuring Jack Black, is now available for purchase on Amazon. Disney's live-action "Snow White" can now be watched on VOD platforms despite previous controversies surrounding its production.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

Minecraft Movie Hits Streaming With Star-Studded Cast

A Minecraft Movie, a live-action and animated hybrid inspired by the video game franchise, became available for purchase or rental on digital platforms starting May 13, following a successful box office run that grossed nearly a billion globally since its April debut. The film can be bought for .99 or rented for .99, with no Amazon Prime membership required, though a free Amazon account is necessary. The storyline features four heroes, played by Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, and Sebastian Hansen, who are trapped in the Minecraft realm and seek help from Jack Black's character, Steve. The cast includes Jennifer Coolidge, Rachel House, Jemaine Clement, Jared Hess, and Matt Berry. The film has gained popularity among Gen Z and Alpha audiences, leading to viral trends and internet memes.

AppWizard

May 16, 2025

New Movies on Streaming: ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ ‘Snow White’ + More

Several highly anticipated films are now available on Video on Demand (VOD), including A Minecraft Movie and Disney's live-action Snow White. The Wedding Banquet is a modern retelling of the 1993 classic, featuring Han Gi-Chan as Min, a gay Korean man in Seattle. Min's friend Angela, played by Kelly Marie Tran, agrees to a marriage of convenience to help him secure a green card, leading to complications when Min's grandmother arrives for the wedding. A Minecraft Movie features a cast that includes Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, and Danielle Brooks, and is the first cinematic adaptation of the video game franchise. Disney's live-action Snow White stars Rachel Zegler and follows a young princess with seven computer-generated companions as she deals with her stepmother's obsession with beauty. The following titles are available for rent: A Minecraft Movie, The Wedding Banquet, Snow White, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, The Lost Princess, Topakk, Solitude, The Featherweight, The Severed Sun, Hunting Grounds, Desert Dawn, The Rhythm, The Uninvited, Bound (2025), A Breed Apart, V13, Burner, Mulan Princess Warrior, Off Season, The Darkside of Society, Silent Partners, Meme Gods, and Southern Village.

Tech Optimizer

May 16, 2025

The $1 Billion database bet: What Databricks’ Neon acquisition means for your AI strategy

Databricks acquired the privately held serverless PostgreSQL startup Neon for approximately billion. Neon, founded in 2022, had previously raised million in a Series B funding round. Over 80% of the databases generated on Neon's platform were initiated by AI agents. PostgreSQL, an established relational database platform, is ranked as the fourth most popular database as of 2025. Serverless PostgreSQL offers operational simplicity, allowing on-demand resource allocation, which is particularly beneficial for AI-centric projects. Major cloud providers, including Google, Microsoft, and AWS, offer serverless PostgreSQL services. Databricks aims to build a developer and AI-agent-friendly database platform with this acquisition. Serverless architectures excel in handling short bursts and smaller workloads, providing rapid scalability, but may present challenges in data management. Neon’s model enhances appeal for developers by distinguishing between storage and compute, facilitating automated scaling. The acquisition indicates a shift in infrastructure requirements for successful AI implementation, highlighting the need for flexible, instantly scalable serverless solutions.

BetaBeacon

May 15, 2025

Explore the Top 10 Mobile Games of 2025

The top popular mobile games of 2025 include Block Blast, Roblox, Free Fire x Naruto Shippuden, Ludo King, Pokémon Go, Candy Crush Saga, Mini Games: Calm & Relax, Balatro, Last War: Survival, and Call of Duty Mobile.