behind the scenes Archives

AppWizard

February 22, 2026

Google Blocks Millions of Risky Android Apps: Biggest Play Store Cleanup Yet

Google blocked approximately 1.75 million dangerous or policy-violating apps from reaching users in 2025 and shut down over 80,000 developer accounts associated with fraud, malware, and repeated policy violations. Play Protect identified millions of risky apps installed from external sources, and it scans apps in real-time, even after installation. Key reasons for app rejections include malware behavior, financial fraud, misuse of permissions, and deceptive advertisements. The crackdown results in safer app downloads, reduced risk of data theft, improved privacy enforcement, and lower exposure to counterfeit applications.

AppWizard

February 21, 2026

13-year-old Decima engine allows Death Stranding team to ‘accomplish many things that would be difficult to achieve elsewhere’

Horizon Zero Dawn and Death Stranding were developed using Guerrilla Games' Decima engine, which has been in development for over 13 years. Akio Sakamoto, CTO of Kojima Productions, noted that the Decima engine offers many capabilities for building open-world games, despite some features being less user-friendly than those in commercial engines. The collaboration between Kojima Productions and Guerrilla Games, particularly for Horizon Forbidden West, has demonstrated the benefits of custom software in an industry leaning towards widely adopted engines like Unreal. Sakamoto mentioned that they have been using the Decima engine for nearly ten years, highlighting its effectiveness in achieving goals that would be challenging with other engines.

AppWizard

February 15, 2026

Minecraft’s scariest moments explored in ‘Horrors of Minecraft’ video

Minecraft features a darker side with eerie creatures that appear at night, challenging players. The game's developers recently released a video discussing these elements, including tales of encounters with the character Herobrine. Players can choose between creative mode, with unlimited resources, and survival mode, where they must craft weapons and armor to fend off hostile mobs. The game allows for a wide range of experiences, from building structures to facing terrifying challenges.

Winsage

February 15, 2026

Microsoft put Weezer’s Buddy Holly on Windows 95 just for “fun” — but only after a legal battle no one talks about

Raymond Chen, a software engineer at Microsoft, shared a narrative about the multimedia content on the Windows 95 CD, highlighting the creative vision and copyright negotiations involved. Microsoft initially secured rights for audio content but faced challenges with visual media, particularly a recreation of the TV show Happy Days. This required obtaining consent from original cast members, including Henry Winkler. The legal team, tasked with this, enjoyed the process of navigating permissions.

AppWizard

February 12, 2026

Android 17 Beta 1: Major updates for adaptive apps, performance and media are imminent

Android 17 Beta 1 introduces several enhancements for Pixel smartphone users, starting from the Pixel 6. Key features include mandatory adaptive app width for foldables and tablets, support for the new h.266 video codec, optimized camera APIs for smoother third-party applications, and synchronized volume control. The update requires applications to implement dynamic width adjustments to utilize screen space effectively on larger devices, addressing issues with black bars. The camera APIs have been revamped to allow third-party apps to switch modes without reinitializing the camera session, improving performance. The beta version is available for all Pixel smartphones through the Pixel 10 series, with the final release expected in the second quarter of 2026. Additionally, the setup process for wearables and health devices has been streamlined, and various performance optimizations have been made to enhance stability and efficiency.

TrendTechie

February 12, 2026

Хакеры начали активно распространять стилеры на торрентах через популярные игры

Cybersecurity specialists have identified a long-running malware campaign that disguises itself as installers for pirated games, utilizing a malicious component called the RenEngine Loader. This loader operates stealthily, embedding itself within the system while allowing the game to run without disruption, thus evading detection. The campaign has been active since at least April 2025 and primarily targets popular titles from Electronic Arts and Ubisoft, such as Far Cry, FIFA, Need for Speed, and Assassin’s Creed. The malicious code appears as a harmless launcher based on Ren’Py, leading users to believe the installation is normal. Once installed, the loader can facilitate further exploits without immediate data exfiltration. Telemetry has recorded over 400,000 inquiries related to this distribution chain, with an average detection rate of around 5,000 incidents per day, and Russia ranks fourth in these observations.

AppWizard

February 11, 2026

A trio of tasty new Android notification enhancements

New notification features have been introduced to enhance user experience in digital communication. Key innovations include sticky notifications that persistently reappear to ensure users don't miss important updates, a notification sharing option for easy collaboration, and a snooze functionality that allows users to postpone alerts to a specific time. Additionally, sticky notifications can be customized for relevance, and the design of BuzzKill's share button emphasizes user-friendly simplicity and efficiency.

Winsage

January 28, 2026

Windows 11 version 26H2: Everything we know so far about Microsoft’s next OS update coming this fall

Microsoft is preparing to launch Windows 11 version 26H2 this fall, which will be available as an update for users on versions 25H2 and 24H2. The update will be a streamlined enablement package, ensuring a quick download and installation process. Version 26H2 will maintain feature parity with its predecessors, focusing on platform enhancements rather than new user-facing features. The release is expected around September or October, with a phased rollout strategy. Microsoft plans to implement behind-the-scenes platform changes in the 26300 series builds for version 26H2, prioritizing stability and security. Additionally, a newer version, 26H1, will be released in spring for new PCs with next-generation Arm chips, potentially leading to two distinct versions of 26H2 this fall: one for existing PCs and another for Arm-based systems.

BetaBeacon

January 26, 2026

Epic And Google Quietly Signed $800 Million Deal To Help Market Android

- Epic and Google have entered into a new business arrangement involving joint product development, joint marketing commitments, and shared partnerships. - The agreement would see Epic helping Google market Android, while Google gains broader access to Epic’s core technology, including Unreal Engine. - The partnership involves a 0 million commitment spread across six years. - The sudden revelation of the partnership has raised questions about whether it helped smooth negotiations behind the scenes between Epic and Google.

Winsage

January 22, 2026

Windows 11’s 2026 goes from bad to worse as two new bugs cause havoc crashing apps — but there are possible fixes

Windows 11 users are experiencing application crashes, particularly with programs like MSI's Armoury Crate and the Alienware Command Center, due to issues related to the Microsoft Store and user accounts. A licensing validation error (0x803f8001) is a primary cause, often linked to a corrupted Store cache or temporary sync issues. Additionally, after the January update, users have reported that applications like Outlook freeze when saving files to cloud services such as OneDrive or Dropbox. Microsoft has acknowledged this issue, indicating that certain Outlook configurations may become unresponsive if PST files are stored on OneDrive. Users are advised to move PST files out of OneDrive and may consider resetting the Store cache or reinstalling affected applications as potential fixes. Microsoft is working on a resolution, but no timeline has been provided. Some users have found success by reinstalling the January update, while others have resolved issues by simply waiting.