articles Archives

Winsage

August 25, 2025

Windows 10’s latest update adds big nag screens for Windows 11 for some people

Users of Windows 10 must decide whether to extend support, switch to an alternative operating system, or upgrade to Windows 11, as support for Windows 10 ends on October 14th. Microsoft is encouraging users to transition to Windows 11 through a full-screen prompt introduced in the August update, which continues to appear even if users choose to stay on Windows 10. The company aims to create urgency for upgrading as the deadline approaches.

AppWizard

August 23, 2025

Microsoft Tests Android App Resume Feature on Windows 11 with Spotify

Microsoft is piloting a feature for Windows 11 that allows users to resume Android applications on their PCs, starting with Spotify. This feature is available to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels and requires linking Android devices to PCs. When a song plays on the Spotify mobile app, a notification appears on Windows 11 prompting users to "Resume from your phone" with an option to "Continue on this PC." This feature resembles Apple's Handoff and may expand to include more activities in the future.

AppWizard

August 22, 2025

7 Open Source Android Apps Every User NEEDS

Open source Android applications prioritize transparency, privacy, and functionality, distinguishing themselves from mainstream apps by offering user control, lightweight performance, and an ad-free experience. Seven essential open source apps are highlighted: 1. Permission Summary: Provides a categorized overview of app permissions, focusing on third-party applications, and operates offline to enhance privacy. 2. Lock Lock: An app locker with anti-uninstall and brute force protection, functioning offline to secure sensitive data. 3. AppLock: Combines biometric authentication and PIN protection with real-time background protection for locked apps. 4. Orientation Lock: Allows users to lock their screen orientation to a preferred mode, featuring a minimalist design and ad-free interface. 5. Yet Another Habit Tracker: Aids users in building habits with features like heat maps and customizable colors to maintain motivation. 6. Create: An offline music player that supports playlist management and customizable themes, focusing on user privacy. 7. Record Equalizer: Offers real-time audio processing tools for recording and sound manipulation, suitable for both casual users and professionals. These applications provide efficient alternatives to traditional apps while enhancing user privacy and control.

Winsage

August 21, 2025

Windows Copilot Vision: Can this AI app actually help you?

Copilot Vision is a built-in feature within the Windows ecosystem that can "see" what users are doing on their screens and provide tailored assistance. It offers real-time support and guidance, particularly in complex applications like Adobe Photoshop, by highlighting specific elements for users to interact with. However, its performance can be inconsistent, sometimes struggling to accurately interpret screen content. Unlike Windows Recall, Copilot Vision requires manual activation and can be directed to focus on specific applications. Users can deactivate it after completing their tasks for privacy control.

Winsage

August 20, 2025

Microsoft Confirms Windows Is Broken—Emergency Update On Way

Microsoft has acknowledged a significant issue affecting the Reset and Recovery operations on Windows 11 23H2/22H2 and Windows 10, advising users against utilizing these features after the installation of update KB5063875, which may result in failure during reset or recovery attempts. An out-of-band update is expected to be released soon, potentially as early as August 19. Windows 11 24H2 is not affected, but many Windows 10 users are concerned as they await the emergency update. Additionally, another August update has been reported to corrupt PC SSDs when writing large files. Users are advised to refrain from using the Reset & Recovery features until the issue is resolved, as there are no warnings from Windows about the malfunction.

BetaBeacon

August 15, 2025

What Do the Epic Games’ Lawsuits Against Apple and Google Say About the DOJ’s Apple Case?

Epic Games filed lawsuits against Apple and Google in 2020 for restricting users' access to Epic's offerings through third-party app stores. The Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of Epic against Google, finding antitrust violations, while Epic lost the federal antitrust case against Apple. The Department of Justice also filed a lawsuit against Apple under Section 2 of the Sherman Act for monopolization. Apple's closed system was found to be successful, while Google's open-source system faced legal challenges. The court in the Google Play case issued remedies targeting exclusivity, which could lead to better user experiences and lower prices.

AppWizard

August 10, 2025

My Google Keep notes were a mess — here’s how I got them under control

A user reflected on their experience with Google Keep, noting challenges in managing a growing collection of notes despite attempts at color-coding and pinning. They committed to better organization through labels and deleting outdated notes. In a poll, users shared their strategies for maintaining order: 16% delete and archive old notes, 19% color-code notes, 13% pin important notes, 14% use labels, 22% use another app for complex notes, and 16% use all of the above. Organizing notes into categories with labels has been beneficial, allowing users to filter and reduce clutter. Users expressed a desire for enhanced organizational features, like folders. A user recognized a tendency to hoard unnecessary information and conducted a cleanup, deleting irrelevant notes. Some users moved complex notes, such as medication tracking and pet vet visits, to Notion for better organization, as it offers more advanced features than Google Keep. Despite these changes, Google Keep remains popular for quick notes and spontaneous ideas.

Tech Optimizer

August 9, 2025

PostgreSQL Revolutionizes Durable Execution with Database Workflow Storage

Developers and enterprises are increasingly turning to PostgreSQL for durable execution, which allows workflows to withstand failures without losing state. PostgreSQL's strong transactional guarantees, adherence to ACID principles, and extensibility make it suitable for this purpose. By using Write-Ahead Logging (WAL), PostgreSQL can reliably record every step of a process, facilitating smooth resumption after disruptions. This approach eliminates the need for separate state management layers, simplifying cloud-native environments. PostgreSQL can manage both data persistence and execution logic, allowing for seamless recovery from failures. Recent advancements, such as integrations from Neon and Inngest, enable real-time workflows based on database changes without requiring complex orchestration services. Updates in PostgreSQL 16 and beyond, including improved logical replication and the anticipated asynchronous I/O in PostgreSQL 18, enhance performance for durable tasks. Adoption of PostgreSQL for durable execution is rising among tech giants and startups, with examples like Figma's scalable Postgres database and AWS’s Aurora DSQL service. This trend reflects a movement towards disaggregated architectures, where databases become active participants in application logic. However, challenges remain in balancing speed and durability configurations. Overall, PostgreSQL is evolving as a resilient solution for durable execution in modern applications.

AppWizard

August 8, 2025

The Essential Android Apps You Should Try This August

As of August 2025, Android users have access to a variety of applications aimed at enhancing productivity, creativity, communication, and personal development. Notable apps include: - Stream Deck: Transforms Android devices into customizable control centers for tasks like live streaming and video editing. - Bit Chat: Enables offline communication via a Bluetooth mesh network, useful in areas without Wi-Fi or cellular service. - Cantra: Allows users to remove pre-installed apps without root access, improving device performance and storage. - GM Way: Customizes social media interactions by hiding notifications and ads to create a distraction-free environment. - Textband: Facilitates the creation of shortcuts for frequently used phrases, streamlining communication. - Timeark: Adds real-time timestamps, geotags, and labels to photos and videos for accurate documentation. - Rare Vision: Offers 1980s VHS-style video effects for retro-inspired content creation. - Adobe Firefly: Uses AI to simplify design tasks, enabling users to generate images and videos easily. - Nomad Table: Connects users to local events and meetups for networking and community engagement. - Imprint: Provides bite-sized lessons on various topics, making learning accessible for busy individuals.

Tech Optimizer

August 5, 2025

Building a job search engine with PostgreSQL’s advanced search features

Job search platforms connect employers and candidates through advanced search engines that analyze structured and unstructured data. These platforms require robust database technologies for executing complex queries, full-text and semantic searches, and geospatial functionalities. A modern job search engine consists of a data repository that stores job listings and candidate profiles, and a search engine that facilitates bidirectional searches. Key features of an effective job search engine include: - **Full-text search**: Provides lexical matching for job titles and skills, supporting exact phrase matching and typo-tolerant searches. - **Semantic search**: Uses vector-based similarity to understand context and relationships beyond literal terms. - **Geospatial search**: Incorporates geographic considerations to find opportunities within specific distances. PostgreSQL serves as both a data repository and search engine, supporting full-text search, semantic search via the pgvector extension, and geospatial queries using the PostGIS extension. The job search engine utilizes PostgreSQL to manage job listings and candidate profiles, enabling real-time searches across millions of entries. The data model for a job search engine includes tables for jobs and resumes, with columns for full-text search vectors, semantic vectors, and geographical locations. PostgreSQL's full-text search capabilities include tokenization, dictionaries for language-aware parsing, and ranking functions for relevance. Advanced features such as proximity search, simple and weighted ranking, and fuzzy matching enhance search accuracy. Vector embeddings represent text in high-dimensional space, allowing for semantic searches that recognize similar roles or skills. PostgreSQL supports vector similarity searches with specialized indexing methods like IVFFlat and HNSW for efficient querying. Geospatial search capabilities in PostgreSQL enable location-aware job searches, allowing candidates to find jobs within commuting distances. Combining different search techniques, such as full-text and semantic searches, provides more relevant results. Performance optimization features in PostgreSQL address challenges related to computational complexity, indexing overhead, and concurrent query loads. The architecture discussed is applicable to various applications beyond job search platforms, including e-commerce, real estate, content recommendation systems, travel, and healthcare provider matching.