bridging Archives

AppWizard

January 14, 2026

81-year-old grandma’s Minecraft YouTube channel pays for grandson’s cancer treatment

Sue Jacquot, an 81-year-old woman, started a YouTube channel called Gramma Crackers in 2024 to support her grandson Jack Self during his cancer treatment. The channel focuses on her gaming adventures in Minecraft and has attracted over 150,000 followers and 564,000 views on her first video. Each video includes a link to Jack's GoFundMe page, which raised significant funds for his treatment. The gaming community has shown overwhelming support, contributing to the campaign and providing encouragement. Sue's experience highlights the growing trend of elderly individuals engaging in gaming, as seen in other stories like a 92-year-old woman winning a Tekken 8 tournament in December 2025.

Winsage

January 7, 2026

A $2,500 MacBook needs this $139 accessory to support touch — catching up with Windows 8 in 2013

Windows 11 is experiencing issues with unfinished AI features and bugs, while its user interface lacks refinement. It offers touch support, unlike macOS. At CES 2026, Intricuit introduced the "Intricuit Magic Screen," an attachable display for MacBooks that provides touch capabilities and stylus input, connecting via USB-C. The anticipated price is , with a Kickstarter launch planned. Users have long requested touchscreen support on macOS, but Apple has not yet responded. Speculation about a touchscreen MacBook continues, while Microsoft has offered touch support in Windows PCs for over a decade.

AppWizard

January 6, 2026

Garmin finally adds native food tracking, but you’ll have to pay for it

Garmin has updated the Garmin Connect app to include full nutrition tracking capabilities, allowing users to monitor dietary intake alongside physical activities. Users can log calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat, and view both calories burned and consumed in a single interface. The app offers daily, weekly, or monthly reports on nutritional intake and allows food entries to be added manually, scanned via barcode, or recognized through photos. These features are exclusive to Garmin Connect+ subscribers. The update integrates nutrition tracking with Garmin’s Active Intelligence system, providing insights on how dietary habits affect recovery and sleep quality.

Winsage

January 5, 2026

Microsoft Ends Windows 11 SE Support in 2026 Amid Low Adoption

Microsoft will conclude support for Windows 11 SE in 2026, ceasing security updates and feature enhancements after October 2026. Launched in late 2021 for K-8 classrooms, Windows 11 SE struggled with adoption due to hardware limitations and competition from alternatives like Google’s Chrome OS. The final feature release for SE will be Windows 11 version 24H2. Schools will face challenges in transitioning to new systems, as devices running SE may become vulnerable to cyber threats without ongoing support. Microsoft is shifting its focus to integrating educational tools into its main operating system rather than maintaining a separate edition. The end of support for Windows 11 SE may accelerate hardware refresh cycles in schools, posing financial burdens on underfunded districts.

AppWizard

January 5, 2026

Watch out Minecraft, Hytale says its new world generation system will “redefine the block game genre”

Hytale is set to launch in very early access soon, following a significant turnaround after its near demise a couple of months ago. The game, which has generated anticipation as a competitor to Minecraft, will initially release with Version 1 (V1) of its world generation system, while also providing glimpses of the forthcoming Version 2 (V2). V2, which has been in development since 2021, aims to replace V1 entirely and enhance world generation mechanics, allowing for easier creation of diverse environments. Players will explore the planet Orbis in V1, encountering "Gateways" that showcase V2 content under construction. The new visual node editor in V2 enables creators to modify world generation without coding skills, facilitating real-time changes and advanced procedural content creation. Hypixel plans to hire over a dozen new world designers from the community to further enhance world creation.

AppWizard

January 2, 2026

Ark Survival Ascended’s future DLC tests “every risky feature” in its far-off sequel, but I’m wondering if we already have Ark 2

As of late 2025, Ark Survival Ascended released the Lost Colony DLC, its first expansion featuring new content instead of remastered elements from Survival Evolved. Studio Wildcard announced a roadmap for the next two years, promising seven releases, including revamped game modes and expansions leading to Ark 2's launch, now expected in 2028. Jeremey Stieglitz, co-founder of Studio Wildcard, noted improvements in meeting deadlines, with Lost Colony now managed by the live-support team and a pirate-themed expansion, Bob's True Tales: Tides of Fortune, set for late Q2. A World Editor tool for user-generated content is also in development for early Q3. The reboot of Survival of the Fittest aims to enhance player experience with features like meta progression and background matchmaking. Upcoming expansions include Dragontopia in late 2026 and Atlantis in 2027, created with modder 'Nekatus.' The final expansion, Legacy of Santiago, will test new gameplay features in a live environment, potentially bridging to Ark 2.

Winsage

January 1, 2026

Windows Reborn: Microsoft Moves Copilot into the Kernel, Launching the Era of the AI-Native OS

Microsoft is transitioning its Windows operating system to an "AI-native" platform, embedding AI capabilities directly into the Windows kernel, marking a significant architectural shift not seen in three decades. This new approach, called the "Agentic OS," allows AI to manage files, system settings, and workflows proactively. The updated kernel, partially rewritten in Rust, includes a new NPU-aware scheduler that treats the Neural Processing Unit as a primary resource. Microsoft has introduced "Agent Workspace" and "Agent Accounts" for autonomous agents, ensuring actions are logged and audited for compliance. Communication between agents and the system is facilitated by the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Hardware requirements for the new OS have increased, with benchmarks set for NPUs achieving 80 to 100 TOPS. Major PC manufacturers are adjusting their portfolios to accommodate "Agentic PCs." The competitive landscape is evolving, with companies like Alphabet and Apple developing their own AI-native platforms. The introduction of the AI-native kernel raises privacy and security concerns, with Microsoft implementing measures to restrict third-party access to the kernel. Future updates may include "self-healing" capabilities and "Cross-Device Agency," leading to a more integrated personal AI experience.

AppWizard

December 27, 2025

3 weeks in Japan: this Android app saved my trip more than Google Maps

Traveling in Japan can be challenging due to language barriers, as English speakers are scarce, even in major cities. The Google Translate app, particularly its voice input feature, proved essential for communication, allowing users to translate spoken Japanese instantly. Google Lens also facilitated understanding written Japanese by translating text captured through the camera. While apps are helpful, learning basic Japanese phrases is recommended for situations when technology fails. Engaging with locals in Japanese is encouraged, as it enhances the travel experience.

Tech Optimizer

December 24, 2025

Toolkit Brings Agentic AI Workloads To Enterprise Postgres Environments – Open Source For You

An open-source toolkit called the pgEdge Agentic AI Toolkit for Postgres has been released in beta to facilitate the development of agentic AI applications on standard PostgreSQL infrastructure. It addresses the challenges of transitioning from prototype applications to production systems that meet enterprise-level standards for database, security, and regulatory compliance. The toolkit supports various deployment environments, including on-premises and self-managed cloud setups, and is particularly useful for organizations requiring high availability, control over data residency, or air-gapped operations. It includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server for secure connections between AI agents and PostgreSQL databases, natural-language agents accessible via CLI and web interfaces, and a suite of Postgres extensions for AI workloads. Key features include automated vector embedding generation, a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) API server, document ingestion utilities, and hybrid semantic and full-text search. The toolkit is compatible with recent PostgreSQL versions and is fully open source under the Postgres license, with enterprise support for pgEdge subscribers and a managed cloud version expected in early 2026.

AppWizard

December 19, 2025

Android 16 QPR3 Alerts for Apps Using Your Location

Android is introducing a real-time privacy feature in the Android 16 QPR3 beta that notifies users whenever an app requests access to their location. A blue dot appears next to the battery indicator when location data is actively being used, and users can swipe down to see which apps are accessing their location. This feature aims to enhance user awareness and control over location tracking by providing immediate notifications and options to manage permissions. The feature is currently available for Pixel devices, with plans for broader rollout in future updates. It aligns with Android's ongoing efforts to improve privacy, including one-time permissions and background access queries. Developers will not need to opt into this feature, as it will automatically display whenever an app requests location data.