Cloud Archives

AppWizard

October 11, 2026

3 Budget Android Phones That Work Without A Google Account

Google is working on a new Android Developer Verification system to enable users to sideload third-party app stores like F-Droid and Aurora. Budget-friendly Android phones that operate without a Google account include the TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G, Motorola Moto G Play 5G (2026), and Samsung Galaxy A17 5G, all priced under 0. The TCL 60 XE Nxtpaper 5G, launched in 2025 for 0, features 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor, and a 5,010 mAh battery. It offers one major Android OS upgrade and two years of security patches. The Motorola Moto G Play 5G (2026) was initially priced at 0 in November 2025 but has increased to 0. It includes 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, and a 5,200 mAh battery, with two years of major Android OS upgrades and three years of security patches. The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G debuted in January 2026 at 0, featuring an Exynos 1330 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, and a 5,000 mAh battery, with six major Android OS upgrades and six years of security patches. All devices allow users to avoid Google account sign-in and related background processes for improved performance.

Tech Optimizer

October 10, 2026

AWS embeds DuckDB in its PostgreSQL DBMS to speed queries of live and historical data

Amazon Web Services Inc. has enhanced its Aurora PostgreSQL database management system to allow users to query the Apache Iceberg data lake directly. This feature integrates the DuckDB analytical engine, enabling seamless access to live transactions and historical records without data duplication or complex ETL processes. Customers can use existing PostgreSQL applications to query data in Amazon S3, including S3 Tables. The integration aims to reduce the engineering workload associated with data pipelines and supports real-time applications. DuckDB processes analytical scans within Aurora, eliminating extra network hops and allowing single queries to access both live and archived data. The feature supports external catalogs compliant with the Iceberg REST Catalog specification and can create foreign tables referencing data across multiple catalogs. Aurora optimizes query performance by filtering records and caching frequently accessed data. Customers can combine recent transactions in Aurora with historical data from S3 without manual schema definitions. For low-latency workloads, selected data can be copied into native Aurora tables using standard SQL. This capability requires the aurora_analytics extension and an AWS IAM role for S3 and Glue access, and is compatible with Aurora PostgreSQL versions 17.11 and 18.6. The feature is available across all AWS regions at no additional charge, with costs incurred only for Aurora computing resources and S3 requests.

Tech Optimizer

October 10, 2026

AWS Embeds DuckDB in Aurora PostgreSQL, Enabling Direct Data Lake Queries Without ETL

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has integrated the open-source analytics engine DuckDB into its Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL database, allowing users to query Apache Iceberg tables and Parquet files directly from data lakes without traditional ETL processes. This feature, announced on September 30, 2026, enables seamless access to both operational and historical data in a single SQL statement. Users can enable the aurora_analytics extension, assign an IAM role for S3 and AWS Glue access, and create external tables using standard PostgreSQL syntax. The integration supports Iceberg tables managed by AWS Glue Data Catalog, Iceberg REST Catalog-compatible external catalogs, Parquet files on S3, and S3 Tables. Performance optimizations include predicate pushdown and column pruning on the data lake side, with caching for frequently accessed data. This feature is available for Aurora PostgreSQL versions 17.11 and later, and 18.6 and later, across all commercial regions and AWS GovCloud (US), with no additional charges beyond Aurora compute and S3 request fees. In a separate development, AWS has a significant contract with AI company Anthropic, anticipating billion in cloud-related contractual obligations over several years, with approximately billion projected to be paid to Amazon from a 10-year agreement announced in April 2026. Anthropic's revenue has shown impressive growth, with first-quarter 2026 revenue reaching 0 million and second-quarter revenue at .8 billion. However, risks are present, as a significant portion of Anthropic's revenue comes from a few customers, and many larger clients lack long-term contracts. Amazon has invested .8 billion in Anthropic, with its stake valued at approximately billion as of June 2026.

Tech Optimizer

October 10, 2026

Supabase Announces $150M in New Funding and Turso Acquisition

Supabase has secured 0 million in funding led by GIC, with participation from Alphabet's CapitalG, IronArc, and SquarePeg. This follows a million Series F round four months earlier. Supabase has acquired Turso, a platform for managing databases for agentic workloads, to enhance its product development and provide liquidity for employees. The company is adding over 1 million users and 4 million databases monthly, with 70% created by AI-driven tools, reflecting a 600% year-over-year increase in databases. Turso's architecture allows for on-demand provisioning of databases in public cloud and BYOC setups. Glauber Costa, founder of Turso, will become Head of Agentic Services at Supabase. Supabase, established in 2020, supports over 13 million developers with a comprehensive backend solution.

Tech Optimizer

October 10, 2026

We Got a $240,000 Estimate for Agent API Access. Our Agent Suggested a $5 Postgres Instance.

The operational landscape at SaaStr has changed significantly with the integration of AI, particularly with the AI VP of Revenue, 10K, which manages most outbound, inbound, and revenue operations and executes 35,000 to 40,000 API calls daily. Salesforce, Atlassian, and HubSpot are now charging for agent access, with estimates suggesting that maintaining 10K could cost around 0,000 annually. 10K has proposed mirroring the system of record into a Postgres database to reduce API call costs. Previous limitations with Marketo restricted API access to 10 or 20 minutes daily, prompting a migration away from it. The cloud index has risen by 18%, while vendors relying solely on per-seat sales are struggling. Data shows that 49.7% of executives changed jobs in the last 16 months, with 63% of CMOs doing the same. Additionally, more than 75% of AI-native attendees at SaaStr events had never attended before. 10K is now tracking its own API calls and reducing unnecessary ones, while a Postgres mirror is being considered for vendors with high agent pricing. Muse is being tested for ad capabilities against Claude and Replit.

Tech Optimizer

October 10, 2026

Best antivirus for Windows PC in 2026: 7 apps to keep your PC safe

Robust antivirus software is essential due to the rise of sophisticated online threats, including AI-driven attacks. Various antivirus solutions for Windows include: - Norton: Comprehensive protection with a user-friendly interface. - Avast: Easy to use, ideal for straightforward experiences. - AVG: Budget-friendly without compromising essential features. - Avira Prime: Simple and effective for beginners. - McAfee: Focuses on privacy and safeguarding personal information. - Panda: Offers a wide range of features for comprehensive security. - Windows Security: A free option providing basic protection. Key features to consider in antivirus software include strong protection against malware, user-friendly interfaces, performance impact on systems, and additional tools like parental controls and VPNs. Norton 360 Deluxe includes parental controls and cloud storage, while Avast One is noted for its simplicity. AVG Internet Security is cost-effective, and Avira Prime offers beginner-friendly features. McAfee Total Protection emphasizes privacy but may be pricier.

Tech Optimizer

October 10, 2026

How and why we built Managed PostgreSQL for AI workloads

The Nebius Managed PostgreSQL team developed a solution for AI workloads using CloudNativePG and Kubernetes, resulting in improved backup and restore times by transitioning from Barman to WAL-G, reducing a 1.5 TB backup duration from over a day to two hours. Since its launch in 2025, the service supports hundreds of production clusters and manages tens of tebibytes of data. Key features include high availability, point-in-time recovery, automated failover, compressed and encrypted backups, rapid restoration, connection pooling, and strict synchronous replication for zero data loss. Kubernetes and CloudNativePG were chosen for their advantages, including out-of-the-box features and open-source distribution. Each cloud project has a separate MK8s cluster for customer isolation and security. Persistent data is stored on fault-tolerant SSD drives, enabling swift instance migration during failures. Regular physical backups are archived, allowing restoration within a seven-day window with a single click. The transition from Barman to WAL-G addressed slow backup and restoration times and resource control limitations. With WAL-G, backups and restorations for a 1.5 TB cluster improved to two hours and one hour, respectively. PgBouncer was implemented to manage database connections effectively, reducing connection storms during peak AI workload traffic. Two vector search extensions, pgvector and pgvectorscale, are available to cater to different memory and dataset needs. Benchmarking showed that Nebius performs competitively with AWS at a lower cost. The infrastructure integrates cloud engineering principles with specialized expertise to meet AI workload demands.

Tech Optimizer

October 10, 2026

DBtune autonomous optimization blows PostgreSQL bottlenecks away

DBtune, a startup based in Malmö/Lund, Sweden, was founded in 2020 by Dr. Luigi Nardi as a spin-off from Stanford University and Lund University. The company focuses on enhancing PostgreSQL's capabilities through autonomous database optimization technology and has raised .4 million in a seed round from various investors in July 2023, with support from the Wallenberg Foundation and Vinnova. DBtune's technology utilizes agentic AI for optimizing PostgreSQL databases by tuning server parameters, optimizing indexes, and monitoring autovacuum processes. The release of DBtune version 4.0 incorporates machine learning and AI to dynamically adjust server parameters and suggest optimal indexing strategies. The platform identifies and ranks potential index opportunities based on workload and provides recommendations for new indexes and maintenance of existing ones. A case study with Midwest Tape demonstrated a 10.8x performance improvement in database query runtime after employing DBtune for performance tuning. Benchmarking tests showed a transaction throughput increase of 87% during initial optimization, with a further 17% improvement on an already optimized system. Disk I/O activity was reduced by 43%, and WAL generation decreased by 23%. Dr. Nardi emphasizes the need for AI-driven optimization to manage the complexities of PostgreSQL databases and rising cloud costs, suggesting that significant code adaptations will be necessary for achieving fully autonomous PostgreSQL.

Winsage

October 10, 2026

Microsoft tries to spark new life into Windows

Microsoft is evolving its vision for Windows by transforming the operating system into an agentic platform that integrates AI agents and hybrid intelligence, utilizing local models instead of relying solely on cloud solutions. CEO Satya Nadella highlighted this transition as a new era for the Windows ecosystem, emphasizing security, identity, and management features aimed at both AI developers and everyday users. Windows chief Pavan Davuluri showcased local AI models, including GitHub Copilot, and introduced the Surface Laptop Ultra, which is powered by Nvidia’s RTX Spark chips and designed for developers and creators. The Surface Laptop Ultra starts at ,599 and can reach up to ,999, positioning itself as a premium device. Microsoft also unveiled a redesigned Windows Search interface aimed at enhancing user experience, although no significant advancements for Windows 12 were announced. The company recognizes the need to demonstrate practical advantages for regular users to maintain Windows' relevance in a changing computing landscape, especially as AI agents on cloud-based Linux virtual machines pose a challenge to Windows' dominance.

Winsage

October 9, 2026

Microsoft’s AI-Powered Windows Strategy: 5 Things To Know

Microsoft has transitioned its Execution Containers capability into general availability, creating a secure environment for AI agents on Windows 11. Nvidia's CEO praised Microsoft's MXC architecture as a revolutionary foundation for application development. Organizations are increasingly relying on managed service providers to navigate AI tools. The general availability of Microsoft Execution Containers allows organizations to define access for AI agents, with real-time policy enforcement. The open-source MXC library integrates across Windows, macOS, and Linux, helping manage agent interactions and mitigate risks. Microsoft is enhancing the Copilot experience with hybrid intelligence features and revamping Windows Search for better performance. Preorders for new Copilot+ PCs powered by Nvidia's RTX Spark technology are open, with shipments starting on October 16. Device partners like Dell, HP, and Lenovo are also launching AI PCs on the same date. Later this year, Dell and HP will introduce Nvidia’s DGX Station technology to enable local running of frontier-class AI models on Windows devices.