availability Archives

Winsage

February 21, 2025

Robin Hood

A group of hackers has released a toolkit that claims to permanently unlock nearly all versions of Windows from Windows 7 to the latest iterations and Microsoft Office from 2013 to 2024. They justify their actions by positioning themselves as a "Robin Hood" of the digital realm, advocating against the commercialization of software piracy. They recommend using LibreOffice as an ethical alternative to Microsoft’s offerings.

AppWizard

February 21, 2025

Amazon to Discontinue Amazon Coins and Amazon Appstore on Android

Amazon will cease the availability of Amazon Coins on February 20, 2025, and the Amazon Appstore on Android devices will be discontinued on August 20, 2025. Customers must use any remaining Amazon Coins by that date, as unspent balances will be refunded afterward. The Appstore will still be available on Fire TV and Fire Tablet devices. Additionally, the Appstore will not be downloadable from the Microsoft store on Windows 11 devices starting March 6, 2024. Amazon Web Services will stop accepting new customers for Amazon Chime on February 19, 2025, with full support until February 20, 2026. The social commerce feature, Inspire, integrated into the Amazon shopping app in 2022, will also be discontinued.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Buckle up: Android Automotive has 70 new apps to keep you entertained (in the parking lot)

Google will soon introduce nearly 70 new applications for Android Automotive, increasing the total number of available apps to nearly 300. The new apps include popular streaming and gaming titles like Farm Heroes Saga, Paramount Plus, Plex, F1 TV, Red Bull TV, and NBC News. These apps will only function when the vehicle is parked to ensure safety. Android Automotive is an embedded operating system in vehicles, distinct from Android Auto, which connects a phone to a vehicle. Currently, around 100 vehicle models feature Android Automotive, including the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado, 2023 Honda Accord, 2025 Ford Explorer, and 2024 Nissan Rogue. The rollout of the new apps will initially target select Volvo and Polestar models, with broader availability expected soon. Google is working with various vehicle manufacturers to enhance the app ecosystem for automotive screens.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Get ready to say goodbye to one of the biggest Android app stores in the world!

As of August 20, 2025, support for the Amazon Appstore on third-party Android devices will end. Applications downloaded from the Amazon Appstore may stop functioning on non-Amazon devices, but users of Fire tablets and Fire TV products will remain unaffected. The Amazon Coins program will be discontinued across all marketplaces. Developers can update existing apps for six months, but the option to submit new titles for Android devices has been removed. Amazon cites an effort to streamline services as the reason for these changes, indicating the Appstore may not have gained sufficient traction among Android users.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Indian Govt Wants Over 100 Apps From China Blocked On Android App Store: All Details

The Indian government has ordered the blocking of approximately 119 Chinese apps, following previous bans on platforms like TikTok and ShareIt since 2020. The focus is primarily on video and voice chat applications from China and Hong Kong. Despite the order, only 15 apps have been effectively removed, with over 100 still accessible on the Play Store. Developers are confused about their inclusion on the list and seek clarity on the perceived risks. The government cites national security concerns as the reason for the bans, and Google is required to comply with legal requests to remove these apps from the app store.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Amazon is shutting down its app store on Android

Amazon will discontinue its Android app store and phase out its Coins digital currency on August 20, 2025. Users holding Amazon Coins will receive refunds. The app store will remain operational on Amazon's proprietary devices, such as Fire TV and Fire Tablet. The decision follows limited usage of the app store outside Amazon's devices and security concerns regarding malware in the app store. Amazon has been reevaluating its app distribution strategy, having previously discontinued its app store on Windows.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Sony Continues to Inexplicably Block Games in Hundreds of Countries

Sony has eliminated the mandatory PlayStation Network (PSN) sign-in requirement for accessing PlayStation games on PC, but many titles remain inaccessible in various regions. The game Lost Soul Aside is blocked in 130 countries that lack official PSN support, preventing players in those regions from accessing it. Previously released PlayStation games are also unavailable in these areas, leaving gamers in countries like the Philippines and Vietnam unable to view the store page on Steam. This situation raises concerns for fans of Stellar Blade regarding potential access to the game if it is released on PC.

Tech Optimizer

February 20, 2025

EDB Postgres® AI Significantly Outperforms Oracle, SQL Server, MongoDB, and MySQL in New Benchmark Study

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has released findings from a benchmark study by McKnight Consulting Group, showing that EDB Postgres AI outperforms Oracle, SQL Server, MongoDB, and MySQL in various workloads, including transactional, analytical, and AI tasks. Key performance metrics include being 150 times faster than MongoDB in processing JSON data, 4 times faster than MySQL in handling insert operations, and outperforming Oracle by 17% and SQL Server by 30% in processing New Orders Per Minute (NOPM). EDB Postgres AI also offers 7 times better price performance than Oracle and 6 times better than SQL Server. The study highlights the challenges enterprises face with legacy systems consuming 55% of IT budgets, which hampers modernization efforts. EDB Postgres AI aims to address these challenges by streamlining data infrastructure, reducing total cost of ownership, and facilitating AI capabilities in a secure environment.

Tech Optimizer

February 20, 2025

Magaya enhances performance with Tessell’s PostgreSQL

Magaya Corporation enhanced its database infrastructure by using Tessell's managed PostgreSQL solution, improving database performance and operational efficiency. After being acquired by a private equity firm in 2023, Magaya migrated customers from the Classic system to the Blue Ivory platform but faced initial performance issues with Blue Ivory's database. The original PostgreSQL setup was not optimized for high-volume queries, leading to bottlenecks, and reliance on a single PostgreSQL expert posed operational risks. Tessell's managed PostgreSQL platform transformed Blue Ivory, achieving a tenfold improvement in query execution speeds and enhancing logistics operations to handle tens of thousands of rows per second. The migration to AWS was seamless, with optimizations in partitioning strategies, memory buffers, and disk I/O. Tessell provided 24/7 expert support, reducing dependency on a single in-house DBA. The optimizations prepared Magaya's Blue Ivory platform for sustainable growth, enabling quicker customer onboarding and smoother migrations, and allowing support for both multi-tenant and single-tenant deployments. This transition to a cloud-native solution met ROI expectations for private equity investors, enhancing growth and profitability. The partnership with Tessell modernized Magaya's database infrastructure and strengthened its position in the logistics and supply chain technology sector.

Winsage

February 19, 2025

You can finally try one of the best File Explorer alternatives

File Pilot is a lightweight file manager that has transitioned from a closed beta to public availability as a free public beta. It features multiple tabs for multitasking, the ability to open two folders side by side, an Inspector feature for previewing file contents, batch renaming capabilities, and a GoTo navigation system for quicker access to paths. Users can customize font sizes, disable animations, and change the color scheme. The app includes a unique context menu for integrating third-party app actions and custom commands. After the beta phase, File Pilot will adopt a paid model with two subscription options: the Essential plan and the Pro plan, which offers additional benefits.