anomalies Archives

AppWizard

October 8, 2026

Free Play Days – ARC Raiders, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Little Nightmares III, Screamer, and More

From October 8 to October 11, members of XBOX Game Pass Ultimate, Premium, and Essential can play Screamer and Family Man for free during Free Play Days. ARC Raiders is available for free to all XBOX members from October 8 to October 15. Players can also try timed trials of High On Life 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Little Nightmares III, and Rogue Waters. Discounts on games are available for those who wish to purchase them after the event. Screamer is developed by Milestone S.r.l., has a rating of 84/100, and is priced at .99 with a 60% discount during the event. Family Man, developed by No More Robots, has a rating of 47/100, priced at .99 with an 85% discount. ARC Raiders, developed by Embark Studios, has a rating of 11953/100, priced at .99 with a 50% discount. High On Life 2, developed by Squanch Games, Inc., has a rating of 2090/100, priced at .99. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, developed by GSC Game World, has a rating of 7190/100, priced at .99 with a 30% discount after Free Play Days. Little Nightmares III, developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., has a rating of 592/100, priced at .99. Rogue Waters, developed by Tripwire Interactive LLC, has a rating of 45/100, priced at .99 with a 75% discount during Free Play Days.

AppWizard

October 3, 2026

Google already rolling out Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1 for Pixel

Google has released the Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1, following the QPR2 release, with a stable version expected in March 2027. The beta includes several enhancements and fixes, such as: - Functional audio output device switching during playback from apps without active media controls. - Stabilized foreground service initiation from Quick Settings tiles. - Adjusted application icons in the app menu to reduce excessive spacing. - Reliable app previews in the recent apps screen. - Improved NFC service stability. - Optimized fingerprint sensor unlocking to prevent device freezes. - Refined Face Unlock settings to avoid crashes. - Enhanced MediaPlayer functionality for non-ASCII audio attribute tags. - Improved application launch stability to reduce ANR errors. - Correct functioning of video calling apps without camera feed rotation in desktop mode. - Streamlined user interface navigation back to the home screen. - Corrected Mobile Data icon anomalies in Quick Settings. - Screen recording now supports front camera functionality. - Stabilized calling apps to prevent crashes after device reboot. - Addressed eSIM profile activation issues. - Minimized battery drain during idle with Flip to Shh enabled. - Stabilized access to battery settings in the Settings app. - Improved audio playback consistency on LHDC v5 Bluetooth devices. - Mitigated cellular service disruptions due to modem reporting issues. - Enhanced Wi-Fi connectivity for automatic reconnections during background wakes. The Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1 system images are available for various Pixel devices, including the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 series, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel 8 models. Users can report issues through the Android Beta Feedback app and join the Android Beta Program for OTA updates. Opting out of the Beta program after installation will result in a data wipe, while opting out before installation will not.

AppWizard

September 29, 2026

How to improve your Android phone’s battery life

Many Android users experience rapid battery drain, which can be addressed through simple adjustments. Key factors contributing to battery consumption include high display brightness and apps that refresh in the background. To improve battery life, users can manually lower brightness, enable auto-brightness, reduce screen timeout to 30 seconds, switch from a 120Hz to a 60Hz refresh rate, and enable dark mode on OLED or AMOLED screens. Two system features, Battery Saver and Adaptive Battery, can also enhance battery life by limiting activity and learning app usage patterns. For long-term battery health, users should charge their devices between 20% and 80% and consider using a charging cap feature to prevent overcharging. Identifying power-hungry apps through the battery usage settings can help pinpoint issues, and users can set background usage limits or put apps in sleep mode. Running a battery test can determine if the battery needs replacement if the status is less than Normal.

Winsage

September 28, 2026

Windows 11 preview update causes black screen after sign-in; Microsoft publishes workaround

On September 24, Microsoft reported an issue affecting devices that installed the August 27 preview update for Windows 11, causing a black screen after sign-in and preventing the desktop from loading correctly. This issue primarily impacts Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) hosts using FSLogix with existing user profiles. The affected OS versions are Windows 11 versions 26H1, 25H2, and 24H2, and the causal update is KB5120998. Microsoft has issued interim workarounds, including a manual desktop launch and a Known Issue Rollback (KIR), which will be automatically delivered to non-enterprise devices. Affected enterprise-managed devices require manual deployment of the KIR policy. The black screen issue is part of a series of update-related problems for Windows 11 in 2026, while Windows 10 has experienced fewer issues during the same timeframe.

Tech Optimizer

September 23, 2026

BigDiskBuster PoC Blocks Windows Defender Updates

A new tool named BigDiskBuster has been released on GitHub, which disrupts Microsoft Defender Antivirus by preventing it from installing updates. It does this by consuming available disk space during the update process, causing Defender to remain on its current version and unable to receive new platform or signature updates. BigDiskBuster operates as a local denial-of-service technique and requires prior access to the target machine to execute. The tool was created by researcher Abdelhamid Naceri, known as Nightmare Eclipse, who has previously worked on similar projects. As of now, there is no CVE identifier, patch, or advisory from Microsoft regarding this issue.

AppWizard

September 2, 2026

Neverwinter: Monoliths of Madness Launches For PC & Consoles

Neverwinter has released its latest expansion, Monoliths of Madness, available on PC and consoles. The expansion introduces chaotic magic and new challenges in Faerûn, with strange monoliths emerging across Menzoberranzan, Northdark Reaches, Narbondellyn, and Dragonbone Vale, spreading madness and attracting cultists. Players, starting at level 20, will join the Emerald Enclave to uncover the origins of these monoliths and cleanse Madness Altars by defeating nightmares and cultists. The expansion features updated combat enchantments, allowing players to equip Strike and Guard bonuses for deeper customization. A Wild Adventure Lockbox is available until November 17, offering a Mythic mount, Star Angler, and a Mythic companion, Encore the Virtuoso. Additionally, a new Battle Pass, Of Minds and Madness, allows players to unlock free rewards and access a Premium Reward Track with exclusive items, including a new Artifact to enhance character strength.

AppWizard

August 31, 2026

The most anticipated PC game on Steam in September 2026 has been named – players are not only waiting for the new game from The Witcher 3 game director

- The Blood of Dawnwalker, an action-RPG by Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, will launch on September 3, 2026. - Onimusha: Way of the Sword will be released on September 4, 2026. - WARDOGS, a first-person shooter, is set to release on September 10, 2026. - CONTROL Resonant will debut on September 24, 2026. - Nivalis Nights, a life simulator in a cyberpunk city, will be available on September 29, 2026. - BOMBANANA! will be released on September 2, 2026. - Aniimo, an open-world RPG, is scheduled for September 16, 2026. - Graveyard Keeper 2 will launch on September 22, 2026. - Wanderburg, a roguelike adventure, will be available on September 8, 2026. - Active Matter, an extraction shooter, is set for release on September 15, 2026. - Transport Fever 3, a transport tycoon simulator, will be released on September 29, 2026. - Crimson Moon, featuring a Nephilim character, will be available on September 1, 2026.

AppWizard

August 25, 2026

Android Pulse has appeared in the Google Play updates – what does the new system app do?

A new system-wide application called Android Pulse has started rolling out to Pixel smartphones, enhancing resource management by monitoring abnormal resource consumption by the operating system and installed applications. It is included in the latest updates for Pixel devices and operates in the background without a separate interface. Android Pulse tracks unusual patterns in battery, CPU, or RAM usage, although Google has not confirmed the exact metrics monitored. The application is integrated within the system settings of Pixel smartphones and is referred to as "Pulse." It has over 10 million downloads on the Play Store, and builds have been available since at least March 27, 2026. Android Pulse may collect encrypted data regarding app performance, but users cannot delete this data.

AppWizard

August 24, 2026

Android Pulse app may already be on your phone, and now we know what it does

Google's Android Pulse app is an update option in the Play Store, designed to monitor the performance of other applications and components within the Android ecosystem. It detects unusual resource consumption patterns, such as excessive battery drain or spikes in memory and processing power usage. The app has been available since March and has over 10 million downloads. Its icon resembles a heartbeat monitor, symbolizing its role in checking the "vitals" of the Android system. Users can find Android Pulse in the Play Store by checking for available updates.

AppWizard

August 23, 2026

Google’s Android Pulse App Appears on Play Store: What is it?

Google has introduced the Android Pulse app, which serves as a service tool for the "System Diagnostic tool" designed for Android devices. The app has surpassed 10 million downloads and is pre-installed on Google’s Pixel devices. It functions to define anomalies within the system and aids in distributing rules for anomaly detection, helping to identify unusual activity and diagnose bugs within the Android operating system.