Cloud Archives

AppWizard

May 4, 2025

The 15 Hottest Android Apps You Need This May 2025

Android maintains its leading position in the mobile operating system market with a diverse ecosystem of applications. A selection of 15 notable Android apps for May 2025 includes: 1. Gesture Control: Edge Seek allows users to create customizable gestures for tasks like volume adjustments and app launches. 2. Device Mirroring: Screen Copy for Android enables users to mirror and control one Android device from another. 3. Customization: Everything Widgets offers over 100 customizable widgets, while Anting Icons provides a unified icon pack. Creative App combines widgets, wallpapers, and icon packs, and Fluffy KWGT features 3D-style widgets. 4. Cross-Device Integration: Sapphira syncs Android with Windows for messaging and file sharing, while Our Quick Share extends functionality for Mac and Linux users. 5. AI Tools: Adma is a free AI image upscaler that enhances image resolution offline. 6. Gaming and Entertainment: Swick is a platform for discovering and playing mini-games. 7. Lightweight Alternatives: Notebook is an ad-free alternative to the Facebook app with a minimalistic design. 8. Rooted Device Tools: Pixel Launcher Enhanced and Android 16 Expressive Theme provide advanced customization for rooted devices. 9. Productivity and Organization: Pixel Shot organizes screenshots, and Digipause tracks time spent on video apps. 10. Utility Tools: Curome combines over 25 features, including a QR code generator and Pomodoro timer. These apps enhance functionality, creativity, and efficiency for Android users.

BetaBeacon

May 3, 2025

‘Single’s Inferno: Choices’ Launches on Netflix Games on Android and iOS

Netflix Games has introduced a new game called Single's Inferno: Choices, based on the South Korean dating series. The game allows players to create their character and experience romance on a remote tropical island. It is developed by XO Games, a subsidiary of Series Entertainment Inc. This marks the first time Single's Inferno has been translated onto Netflix Games.

AppWizard

May 3, 2025

Google One AI could have more tiers on the way, like a ‘Gemini Ultra’ plan

Google is reportedly planning to introduce new AI subscription tiers under the Google One umbrella, specifically "Gemini Pro" and "Gemini Ultra," alongside the existing Gemini Advanced option. The Gemini Advanced plan has recently been upgraded to include NotebookLM Plus and Veo 2 for video generation, but there will be a monthly limit on video production for subscribers. Google One's AI Premium plan has also been enhanced, offering existing users access to NotebookLM Plus and advanced Gemini capabilities in Gmail and Docs, along with 2TB of cloud storage. Upcoming updates are expected to be revealed at the I/O 2025 event, with a focus on improving user productivity and introducing new interactions.

Tech Optimizer

May 3, 2025

Understanding transaction visibility in PostgreSQL clusters with read replicas

On April 29, 2025, Jepsen released a report on transaction visibility behavior in Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and its Multi-AZ clusters, which has been acknowledged since at least 2013. The report identifies a Long Fork anomaly affecting the visibility order of transactions between primary and replica nodes in cluster configurations, which does not lead to data loss or corruption and is absent in Single-AZ deployments. This anomaly allows two readers to see transactions in different sequences, breaching Snapshot Isolation. It affects all isolation levels in community PostgreSQL and can also occur in self-managed deployments. The issue has been discussed extensively in the PostgreSQL community, and potential solutions, including synchronizing visibility with commit order using Commit Sequence Numbers, have been proposed. AWS has established the PostgreSQL Contributors Team to address this anomaly and enhance PostgreSQL's capabilities.

AppWizard

May 3, 2025

This one app has made my life easier and my wife happier

The author has at least 35 different smart home devices, leading to a fragmented experience with multiple apps and services. They are considering using Home Assistant as a central hub for device control, which supports various protocols like Matter, Thread, Zigbee, HomeKit, and Nest. Home Assistant can be installed easily on devices like Raspberry Pi or Virtual Machines, requiring a constant network connection. Once set up, it consolidates controls into one interface, allowing for custom dashboards and automations. Recent developments, such as Google discontinuing support for older Nest Thermostats, have prompted users to seek alternatives like Home Assistant for a unified control experience. The introduction of customizable lock screen shortcuts in Android 14 allows users to replace the Google Home app with Home Assistant. Users are encouraged to start simple and gradually expand their system.

AppWizard

May 2, 2025

How to use Gemini Live’s camera and screen sharing features

Gemini Live has transitioned from a voice-based AI assistant to a multimodal platform that can process camera feeds and screen-sharing inputs, enhancing user interactions with visual context. It requires an Android device with at least 2 GB of RAM and Android 10 or later, along with a Google One AI Premium subscription for access to camera and screen-sharing features. These features are complimentary for Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 users, and newer Pixel devices may offer a trial for Gemini Advanced. To share a live video feed, users must launch Gemini, tap the Live icon, select the Camera button, and ensure the desired items are visible. For screen sharing, users open the relevant app or screen, activate Gemini, and select Share screen with Live. Gemini can summarize content and answer questions based on the shared screen. The multimodal capabilities are particularly beneficial for scenarios requiring detailed descriptions, positioning Gemini Live competitively alongside other AI platforms.

Winsage

May 2, 2025

20% off Windows 365 expires as Windows 10 support ends

Microsoft has reduced the price of Windows 365 and is encouraging Windows 10 users to consider this option as support for Windows 10 ends on October 14, 2025. The Extended Security Updates (ESU) program allows users to receive security patches for a fee, starting at £35.60 per device per month in the UK, with costs doubling in subsequent years. Windows 365 provides access to a Windows 11 Cloud PC and offers a 20 percent discount for first-time users. Windows 365 currently costs £35.60 per user per month in the UK, €41.40 in the EU, and a similar amount in the US. Recent data shows Windows 10 holds 52.94 percent of the market share, while Windows 11 is at 43.72 percent. The offer for Windows 365 concludes on October 31, 2025.

Tech Optimizer

May 2, 2025

The Pillars of AI-Driven Security

The cybersecurity landscape has shifted from traditional methods like firewalls and antivirus software to more sophisticated, AI-driven strategies. The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report identifies ransomware as a leading attack type, with a median time to compromise now measured in hours. The attack surface is expanding due to remote work, cloud adoption, and IoT devices, while traditional security measures struggle to keep up. AI enhances security across three domains: prevention, detection, and response. 1. Prevention: AI distinguishes between legitimate and suspicious activities, improving predictive accuracy and enabling proactive defenses against attacks. AI models can identify zero-day malware and fileless attacks by focusing on behavior. 2. Detection: AI-powered tools like SIEM systems analyze vast amounts of data to identify risks and suspicious patterns in near real-time, reducing false positives and highlighting low-and-slow attacks and insider threats. 3. Response: AI automates rapid containment and remediation actions, allowing human analysts to focus on more complex tasks. Generative AI can assist in drafting incident reports and suggesting remediation measures. AI-driven security offers scale and efficiency, reducing breach costs significantly for organizations that utilize it. AI models adapt to evolving threats, and AI tools help bridge the cybersecurity skills gap. However, challenges include potential biases in AI models, the need for talent and change management, and privacy concerns. Organizations are encouraged to adopt AI-driven security as a core component of their digital defense strategy to improve risk posture and threat response.

Tech Optimizer

May 2, 2025

15 PostgreSQL Monitoring Tools

PostgreSQL monitoring tools are essential for database administrators to ensure optimal performance, availability, and reliability of databases. They provide real-time insights into performance metrics such as query execution times, CPU usage, memory consumption, and disk I/O, helping identify potential bottlenecks. Popular monitoring solutions include: - **DynaTrace**: AI-powered full-stack monitoring with real-time anomaly detection and performance insights. - **pgAdmin**: Comprehensive management tool with a graphical interface for database design and performance monitoring. - **Paessler PRTG**: All-in-one network monitoring solution with customizable PostgreSQL sensors and real-time tracking. - **Pganalyze**: Offers deep insights, automated query analysis, and visualizations for optimizing database operations. - **Sematext PostgreSQL Monitoring**: Cloud-based monitoring with detailed metrics, anomaly detection, and alerts. - **SolarWinds**: Database performance analyzer providing profound insights and real-time monitoring. - **Nagios**: Open-source system with PostgreSQL plugins for performance tracking and alerting. - **Pgwatch2**: Lightweight monitoring tool offering dashboards and real-time metrics. - **ManageEngine Application Manager**: Full-stack monitoring with detailed PostgreSQL metrics and alerts. - **DataDog**: Cloud-based platform with comprehensive metrics, anomaly detection, and customizable dashboards. - **Prometheus and Grafana**: Open-source stack with powerful query language, alerting, and customizable dashboards. - **PGObserver**: Tool offering detailed performance statistics, historical data analysis, and alerts. - **ClusterControl**: Management tool with monitoring, backups, and performance tuning. - **AppOptics APM**: Application performance monitoring with real-time metrics and anomaly detection. - **AppDynamics**: Enterprise-grade APM tool with advanced monitoring and root-cause analysis. These tools provide unique features tailored to the needs of PostgreSQL database administrators, facilitating real-time monitoring and advanced analytics for maintaining database performance and reliability.

Winsage

May 2, 2025

CISOs should re-consider using Microsoft RDP due to password flaw, says expert

Microsoft has clarified that a feature in its operating system, which allows at least one user account to log in after prolonged offline periods, is a deliberate design choice and not a security vulnerability. The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) caches the last set of credentials used to prevent administrators from being locked out, but this can lead to complications if credentials are changed, potentially allowing unauthorized access if outdated credentials are exploited. Johannes Ullrich from the SANS Institute emphasized the importance of securing RDP and recommended robust authentication measures and isolation of RDP endpoints to mitigate risks.