architecture Archives

AppWizard

August 26, 2025

Kremlin-Mandated Messaging App Constantly Spies On Users

Russia has mandated that all new smartphones and tablets sold within its borders come pre-installed with a messaging application called Max, developed by VK. Security experts have raised concerns about Max's functionality, describing it as a potential privacy risk due to its "excessive tracking" of user activities. The app lacks cryptography and is considered insecure by design, serving the purpose of surveillance. Max, which launched in March, is available to users with Russian and Belarussian phone numbers and features an AI chatbot, GigaChat 2.0, as well as functionalities for travel bookings and bank transfers. It requests permissions to access standard device features like the camera and microphone and is largely based on the earlier messaging service TamTam. Starting September 1, it will be required that Max is pre-installed on all mobile devices sold in Russia, alongside the domestic app store RuStore on Apple devices. Additionally, the government plans to enforce the installation of Lime HD TV on all smart televisions beginning January 1 of the following year.

Tech Optimizer

August 26, 2025

How we loaded a petabyte into PostgreSQL before New Year — and what happened next

A team decided to test PostgreSQL's capabilities with a one-petabyte database, setting a challenge for December 10, with a report due by January 20. They initially sought cloud storage but found no provider could meet their requirement for a single chunk of storage, leading them to rent physical servers. They used Shardman, a distributed database engine, to manage the database across seven servers. They employed the YCSB benchmark for performance testing and faced various challenges, including data loading issues and hardware problems. By January 15, they reached 863 terabytes of data generation, falling short of their petabyte goal, and documented their findings for future reference.

Tech Optimizer

August 26, 2025

Instacart Consolidates Search Infrastructure on Postgresql, Phasing Out Elasticsearch

Instacart has replaced Elasticsearch with PostgreSQL for its search infrastructure, integrating keyword and embedding-based retrieval into a single system. This change aims to streamline operations, reduce synchronization issues, and improve search result precision and recall. The new design enhances result retrieval by combining traditional keyword searches with semantic retrieval, allowing for both specific and broader queries. The migration has increased development speed, improved inventory management, and enabled real-time updates for users. Ankit Mittal, an engineer at Instacart, reported a 10x reduction in write workload and nearly 80% savings on storage and indexing costs due to a normalized data model. The previous dual-database setup caused synchronization issues and higher operational costs. The new architecture uses sharded PostgreSQL instances with a normalized data model, allowing for horizontal scaling and efficient text matching through GIN indexes and a modified ts_rank function. PostgreSQL extensions like pg_trgm and pgvector facilitate both keyword and semantic search, ensuring efficient query routing and rapid result retrieval.

Tech Optimizer

August 25, 2025

New Android Spyware Masquerading as Antivirus Targets Business Executives

Doctor Web’s antivirus laboratory has identified a sophisticated Android backdoor malware named Android.Backdoor.916.origin, which has been evolving since January 2025. This spyware primarily targets Russian businesses through focused attacks, disseminated via private messages as a fake antivirus application called “GuardCB.” The app's icon resembles the Central Bank of the Russian Federation's emblem and is presented in Russian. Variants of the malware include names like “SECURITY_FSB” and “FSB,” falsely claiming to be security tools linked to Russian law enforcement. Upon execution, the malware simulates an antivirus scan, requesting extensive system permissions for surveillance and data exfiltration, including access to geolocation, audio recording, SMS, contacts, call logs, media files, and camera functions. It establishes connections to command-and-control servers, allowing attackers to send and receive sensitive data, initiate audio and video feeds, and execute commands. The malware employs keylogger functionality to intercept keystrokes and monitor specific applications for content theft. Doctor Web has notified domain registrars to disrupt the malware's infrastructure and confirms that all known variants are detected and neutralized by their antivirus solutions. Organizations are advised to enforce strict APK sideloading policies and verify app authenticity to counter such threats.

Tech Optimizer

August 25, 2025

What Is PostgreSQL? (Definition, Benefits, Alternatives)

PostgreSQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) known for its robust capabilities and support for advanced SQL features. It accommodates a wide range of data types, including integers, monetary values, arrays, JSON, and geospatial data. PostgreSQL efficiently manages data using tables, where rows represent records and columns define attributes, with schemas governing their structure and relationships. It adheres to ACID principles for reliable transaction management and includes advanced features like stored procedures, triggers, user-defined functions, and replication capabilities. PostgreSQL is suitable for large-scale deployments, offering functionalities such as parallel query execution, replication, and clustering. It integrates with various data tools and programming languages, making it compatible with diverse applications. PostgreSQL is often compared to MySQL, excelling in handling complex queries and advanced data types, while MySQL offers a simpler setup. PostgreSQL serves as a mature alternative to proprietary systems like Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server and is primarily used for storing and managing structured data, supporting complex queries and transactions. It is designed to efficiently manage large datasets and numerous users, allowing for both vertical and horizontal scaling.

Winsage

August 24, 2025

Windows 95: The system that changed the way we use computers

Branislav Bukmirović began using computers in 1985 with MS-DOS and experienced a significant turning point with the launch of Windows 95 on August 24, 1995. This operating system introduced a graphical user interface, including the "Start" button and desktop icons, which made computing more accessible. Windows 95 required upgraded hardware due to its 32-bit architecture, leading many users to invest in new components. The launch event featured the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" and cost Microsoft 0 million in marketing. Within a year, Windows 95 became the most widely used operating system, solidifying Microsoft's market dominance and funding further innovations. It integrated Internet access, making it easier for everyday users, although the initial version of Internet Explorer faced criticism. Windows 95's legacy continues to influence modern computing.

Tech Optimizer

August 23, 2025

How to load test PostgreSQL database and not miss anything

Practitioners face challenges during load testing of Tantor Postgres databases using pgbench, primarily due to insufficient documentation of the testing environment, leading to non-representative results and the need for repeated tests. The pg_perfbench tool has been developed to address these issues by ensuring repeatability, safeguarding data, and simplifying result comparisons through a cohesive template. It automates pgbench execution, collects metadata about the testing environment, and generates structured reports. pgbench operates on a TPC-B model, providing performance metrics such as transactions per second (tps), average latency, and the number of processed and failed transactions. A Bash script can be used to automate pgbench tests with varying client numbers, logging results into separate files. The pg_perfbench tool captures extensive data regarding the database environment and generates reports that include system properties, common database information, benchmark details, and test results. It facilitates the comparison of multiple load test results and ensures that environments being compared are consistent in terms of PostgreSQL versions and system parameters. The tool also allows for the evaluation of performance impacts from changes to PostgreSQL settings by generating separate reports for different configurations. It verifies compliance of specified parameters before joining reports, ensuring accurate comparisons. The final reports are structured in JSON and HTML formats, enhancing analysis and collaboration efforts.

AppWizard

August 22, 2025

Google TV and Android TV to Transition to 64-Bit Apps, Promising Enhanced Performance

Google will transition to 64-bit app compatibility for Google TV and Android TV starting in August 2026. All new applications and updates submitted to Google Play for these platforms must support both 32-bit and 64-bit ARM architectures. Google will provide developers with tools to assist in this transition, including support for various Nvidia Shield models and a 64-bit Google TV emulator for macOS devices with Apple Silicon. 32-bit support will remain available for older devices during this transition.

Winsage

August 22, 2025

IGEL benefits from seismic VMware and Windows 10 shifts

IGEL Technology, founded in 2001, initially specialized in thin clients but has shifted towards software solutions that protect endpoints with a read-only operating system, reducing the attack surface by up to 95 percent. Each endpoint operates statelessly, retaining no memory of past interactions, and is managed through a unified portal that integrates with various vendors like Zscaler and CrowdStrike. IGEL's solutions allow for the integration of endpoints in operational technology environments without introducing additional security vulnerabilities, effectively replacing EDR systems with over 120 integrations. The company aims to extend the lifespan of endpoints from 3-5 years to 6-8 years, providing significant cost savings and addressing the challenges posed by the transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11. IGEL's approach enhances security while offering flexibility in application delivery options, although it does not eliminate all cyber threats.

Tech Optimizer

August 19, 2025

We’ve learned how to migrate databases from Oracle to Postgres Pro at 41 TB/day

An organization transitioning from Oracle Database to Postgres Pro faces challenges such as slow data transfer, the need to keep the source system operational during migration, and risks of data loss or corruption. ProGate is a toolkit developed to simplify this migration process, consisting of three main components: 1. **ProCopy**: A utility for high-speed initial data loading, achieving speeds of 200–500 MB/sec for Oracle to Postgres Pro migrations and around 1 GB/sec for PostgreSQL to Postgres Pro migrations. It allows for parallel execution, column omission, renaming, and on-the-fly data type modifications. 2. **ProSync**: A tool for continuous change synchronization (CDC) that captures and applies changes from Oracle to Postgres Pro in real-time, minimizing downtime during migration. 3. **ProCheck**: A tool that verifies data quality and integrity post-migration by comparing tables, rows, and columns across both databases to identify discrepancies. ProGate is designed for extensive databases, supports hot migrations with minimal downtime, and ensures strict data consistency. Limitations include potential manual intervention for schema changes, specific mapping for custom data types, and effectiveness issues with tables lacking primary keys. The public release of ProGate is planned for this fall, with future enhancements including a graphical user interface and support for additional database sources.