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‘A Minecraft Movie,’ ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ Lead U.K., Ireland Box Office to $1.45 Billion in 2025, Best Post-Pandemic Result Yet
AppWizard
January 7, 2026

‘A Minecraft Movie,’ ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ Lead U.K., Ireland Box Office to $1.45 Billion in 2025, Best Post-Pandemic Result Yet

The theatrical market in the U.K. and Ireland generated £1.07 billion in 2025, reflecting a 1% increase from the previous year and marking the strongest box office performance since the pandemic began. The leading film was Warner Bros.’ “A Minecraft Movie,” which earned £45.9 million, followed by Universal’s “Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy” at £30.7 million, and Universal’s “Wicked: For Good.” Despite this growth, the figures are still 21% below the pre-pandemic benchmark of 2019. The year saw a record 224 saturation releases, up from 200 in 2024, indicating a recovery from pandemic-related production delays. Universal’s “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” opened in over 750 cinemas in September.
The UK box office had its best year since COVID in 2025
AppWizard
January 7, 2026

The UK box office had its best year since COVID in 2025

The U.K. box office generated £1.07 billion in 2025, marking its most successful year since the COVID-19 pandemic, though still 21 percent below pre-COVID levels. The top ten films of the year were all sequels, remakes, or adaptations, with "A Minecraft Movie" leading at £56.8 million. Other top films included "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy" (£46.3 million), "Wicked: For Good" (£45.8 million), "Lilo & Stitch" (£37.3 million), and "Jurassic World Rebirth" (£36.1 million). Notably, no superhero films made the top half of the chart for the first time since 2020. Gen Z audiences showed a 25 percent increase in cinema attendance in 2025.
Schedule 1 developer TVGS is 'an actual game studio' now, with an office, desks, and a new guy named Rob: 'By the end of the year, there will likely be 4 people working on Schedule 1'
AppWizard
January 7, 2026

Schedule 1 developer TVGS is ‘an actual game studio’ now, with an office, desks, and a new guy named Rob: ‘By the end of the year, there will likely be 4 people working on Schedule 1’

Schedule 1, a lo-fi drug dealing simulator developed by Tyler, became a best-selling game on Steam in 2025. Tyler's Video Game Studio (TVGS) is expanding and plans to hire a 3D/technical artist, increasing the team to four members by year-end. A new patch for bug fixes and quality of life improvements is set to release next week, followed by another update in late February. Tyler aims to implement proper mod support and will confirm release dates only when confident in meeting them.
The Best Movies Of 2025
AppWizard
January 2, 2026

The Best Movies Of 2025

A new approach to ranking the year's cinematic highlights has emerged, presenting a subjective "best of show" list that reflects diverse tastes. Titles like Together, Splitsville, and Die My Love were metaphorically tied for 11th place. Standout films include A Minecraft Movie and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which, despite mixed critical reception, have resonated with younger viewers. A Minecraft Movie has become a box office success, leading domestic earnings for 2025, while Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 has been particularly enjoyed in crowded theater settings. There has been a 25% increase in Generation Z attendance at movies compared to the previous year, highlighting the need for content that appeals to younger audiences. The industry is encouraged to focus on engaging the next generation with fresh franchises and innovative storytelling.
3 Windows 11 and Microsoft features you'll love in 2026 — and 1 you'll hate
Winsage
January 1, 2026

3 Windows 11 and Microsoft features you’ll love in 2026 — and 1 you’ll hate

In 2025, Microsoft faced public perception challenges, with accusations of "enshittification" of its products, including Xbox, Surface, and Windows, leading to a loss of support from former advocates. Windows 11 has been criticized for bugs and underwhelming AI features. Qualcomm introduced Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme chips, which will require an update to Windows 11 (version 26H1) for compatibility. Windows 11 will also see the return of the Agenda view in the Taskbar calendar flyout and improvements to dark mode, addressing previous inconsistencies. A controversial feature in Microsoft Teams will automatically update users' work locations based on Wi-Fi connections, raising privacy concerns. The Xbox Full Screen Experience is being rolled out to enhance the gaming interface, optimizing performance by reducing background applications.
How to Properly Benchmark your PC Games Using CapFrameX
AppWizard
December 27, 2025

How to Properly Benchmark your PC Games Using CapFrameX

Average Frames Per Second (FPS) is a common metric in PC gaming performance, but consistency in gameplay experience is equally important, highlighted by metrics such as 1% low and 0.1% low average FPS. CapFrameX is a tool used for capturing and analyzing detailed performance data, including frametimes, which provide a more accurate assessment of gaming performance than basic FPS counters. Key metrics generated by CapFrameX include: - Average FPS: Overall framerate averaged across the capture session. - 1% low average FPS: Average of the worst 1% of framerates, indicating sustained performance. - 0.1% low average FPS: Average of the worst 0.1% of framerates, highlighting rare but significant performance dips. To ensure accurate benchmarking results with CapFrameX, users should update their UEFI BIOS, operating system, and drivers, clear unnecessary applications, configure power settings for maximum performance, monitor temperatures, and conduct multiple benchmark runs under consistent conditions. The setup process for CapFrameX includes downloading the software, configuring capture options, and verifying the setup through test captures. After capturing benchmark runs, users can analyze the data using the Analysis and Comparison tabs in CapFrameX to evaluate performance metrics and identify potential issues. Common pitfalls in benchmarking include inconsistent scenes, overlooking frametime variance, and not preparing the system properly.
Nvidia GeForce Now users just got hit with a playtime cap that's almost impossible to avoid
AppWizard
December 22, 2025

Nvidia GeForce Now users just got hit with a playtime cap that’s almost impossible to avoid

Beginning January 1, 2026, Nvidia GeForce Now will implement a monthly playtime cap of 100 hours for most users, with a surcharge of [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Nvidia GeForce Now Implements Monthly Playtime Cap for Most Users Beginning January 1, 2026, the landscape of Nvidia GeForce Now will shift as nearly all users will face a new monthly playtime cap. This cap, set at 100 hours, will be a significant change for many, with the exception of those holding a Founders Edition subscription. For the majority, exceeding this limit will incur a surcharge of up to .99 for every additional 15 hours of gameplay. The 100-hour cap was initially introduced in November 2024, but it only affected new users at that time, allowing existing subscribers to enjoy a grace period. However, that leniency is coming to an end, and starting next year, all but Founders Edition users will be subject to this new restriction. Nvidia GeForce Now is a game streaming service that enables users to play their existing games on virtually any device. The games are hosted on Nvidia's servers, where user inputs are processed, and the resulting audio and video are streamed back to the user's device. Currently, the service offers three subscription tiers, ranging from a free option to a premium plan priced at .99 per month, each with varying limits on graphical quality and session duration. When GeForce Now first launched, Founders Edition subscriptions provided unlimited playtime and other exclusive benefits. Although new sign-ups for this tier ceased a year after the service's debut, existing subscribers have retained their accounts, making them increasingly valuable as the service evolves. The newer Ultimate tier boasts enhanced resolution and frame rates but comes at a significantly higher cost compared to the now-renamed Founders for Life plan. As of January 1, 2026, users on the Performance tier will face a fee of .99 for every additional 15 hours beyond the 100-hour limit, while those on the Ultimate tier will pay .99 for the same increment. For many avid gamers, the 100-hour monthly limit may not pose a significant challenge. This threshold translates to just over three hours of gaming each day, which can easily accommodate days off from gaming. For those who engage in gaming sessions more sporadically, this allowance could equate to over four hours of daily playtime on average. A Redditor has compiled a helpful chart illustrating the potential costs associated with varying daily gaming durations, ranging from half an hour to 16 hours. For instance, if one were to game six hours daily, the monthly cost would amount to .93 for the Performance tier or .93 for the Ultimate tier. This analysis underscores the competitive value of GeForce Now, particularly for those whose primary focus is gaming. Even at six hours of daily play on the Ultimate tier, the total expenditure over ten years would be approximately ,351.60. This figure is comparable to the upfront cost of a new gaming PC equipped with an RTX 5080, especially considering the current fluctuations in DRAM prices. However, many users appreciate their PCs for more than just gaming, often valuing the flexibility to upgrade components over time. As such, potential GeForce Now users should carefully consider their gaming habits and how they align with the service's new pricing structure." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"].99 for every additional 15 hours of gameplay for those exceeding this limit. The cap was initially introduced in November 2024 for new users only, but will now apply to all except Founders Edition subscribers. Users on the Performance and Ultimate tiers will incur the same additional fees. The service offers three subscription tiers, with the Founders Edition providing unlimited playtime and exclusive benefits. A chart illustrates potential costs for varying daily gaming durations, indicating that gaming six hours daily would cost approximately monthly for both the Performance and Ultimate tiers. Over ten years, this expenditure could total around ,351.60, comparable to the cost of a new gaming PC with an RTX 5080.
Improve Aurora PostgreSQL throughput by up to 165% and price-performance ratio by up to 120% using Optimized Reads on AWS Graviton4-based R8gd instances
Tech Optimizer
December 18, 2025

Improve Aurora PostgreSQL throughput by up to 165% and price-performance ratio by up to 120% using Optimized Reads on AWS Graviton4-based R8gd instances

AWS has introduced Graviton4-based R8gd instances for Amazon Aurora, which offer significant performance enhancements over Graviton2-based db.r6g instances. Users can expect up to 165% higher throughput, a 120% improvement in price-performance ratio, and an 80% enhancement in application response time. The integration of an Optimized Reads-enabled tiered cache allows for expanded database caching capacity, minimizing network storage access and improving query response times. Organizations like Mindbody and Claroty have reported substantial performance improvements and cost savings after implementing these features. Aurora PostgreSQL 17 has introduced smarter storage batching algorithms and optimized writes, further enhancing performance for I/O-intensive applications. The db.r8gd instances allow for scaling up to 48xl, providing 192 vCPUs, 50 Gigabits of network bandwidth, and 10.4 TiB of local NVMe capacity. The benchmark testing using HammerDB demonstrated significant improvements in throughput, price-performance ratio, and response times when upgrading from db.r6g to db.r8gd instances. The Aurora Optimized Reads-enabled tiered cache is available for Aurora PostgreSQL versions 17.4 and higher, among others.
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