collaborative environment Archives

AppWizard

April 28, 2025

Five new Steam games you probably missed (April 28, 2025)

Steam releases approximately a dozen new games daily, creating a diverse gaming landscape. Navicula Meatus - Release Date: April 25 - Developer: Torgomind - Description: A game focused on immersive discomfort, lacking traditional fun but featuring dark humor. Replicube - Release Date: April 24 - Developers: Walaber Entertainment LLC - Description: A programming game where players replicate voxel-based objects using code, featuring a 3D voxel editor and a 2D image editor. GeckoShop - Release Date: April 25 - Developer: Reptoid - Description: A retail simulator where players sell geckos in an open world filled with quirky NPCs and quests. Dishventory - Release Date: April 25 - Developer: Final Offer - Description: A strategy card game centered on doing dishes, where players use cards to manage dishwashing tasks; it is free to play.

AppWizard

April 16, 2025

Funcom bumps Dune: Awakening launch following beta feedback

Developer Funcom has delayed the release of Dune: Awakening by one month, moving the launch date from May 15th to June 10th, due to feedback from closed beta testing. The company emphasized the importance of player input in refining the game and plans to implement significant improvements based on this feedback. Funcom also announced a large-scale beta weekend next month to allow more players to experience the game and provide feedback before the revised launch date.

AppWizard

March 30, 2025

SAG-AFTRA makes exception for student devs and game jams in 8-month videogame performance strike: ‘I’m thrilled that these types of projects can now be accommodated’

SAG-AFTRA has introduced new waivers, the Student Interactive Waiver Agreement and the Game Jam Waiver Agreement, allowing union actors to participate in student projects and game jams during its ongoing strike. The waivers aim to support both actors and emerging game developers while adhering to strike protocols. SAG-AFTRA has been on strike for eight months, primarily due to concerns over artificial intelligence and its impact on video game actors' careers. The strike has led to game studios recycling old voiceover clips, affecting new project developments.

Winsage

March 29, 2025

No More Passwords? Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) Plunges on Paradigm Shift

Microsoft has announced a shift from traditional passwords to passkeys for user authentication, which has caused a more than 2.5% drop in its share prices. Passkeys are linked to a user's hardware, providing enhanced security, but raise concerns about device failure and account recovery. The company is also reintroducing the People app, integrating it into Teams to improve connectivity. Analysts have given Microsoft a Strong Buy consensus rating, with 32 Buy recommendations and two Holds, despite a 9.75% decline in share price over the last year. The average price target suggests a potential upside of 34.52%.

AppWizard

March 28, 2025

‘Touch of a button’

The Webster County Sheriff’s Office app was launched four months ago and has over 2,000 downloads, with an average of 45,000 interactions each week. Key features include jail information, inmate search, tip submission, sex offender listings, weapon permit information, and county job listings. Users can request notifications about inmate release status, search for inmates, fund accounts, and access bond information. The app allows for anonymous tip submissions, although none have contributed to investigations yet. It was developed at no cost to the department or county, with future funding from inmate commissary money.

AppWizard

March 11, 2025

TikTok to introduce mindfulness tool for teenage users

TikTok has introduced a Wind Down tool for users under 16, activating automatically after 10 PM to display calming visuals and music. The platform plans to test meditation exercises within this feature. Additionally, new parental control options include the Time Away feature, allowing parents to restrict app access during specific times. TikTok is enhancing its Family Pairing tools, enabling parents to monitor their child's interactions on the app. Val Richey, TikTok’s global head of outreach and partnerships, emphasized the importance of supporting teenage well-being and fostering healthy digital habits while maintaining communication with parents.

Winsage

March 10, 2025

5 Start menu alternatives and Windows tweaks that will speed up your workflow

The Start menu in Windows 11 has undergone changes that some users find less familiar compared to previous versions. Alternatives to enhance the Start menu experience include: - StartAllBack: A paid utility that restores the classic Windows 7 Start menu while offering customization options like themes, layout, and taskbar modifications. It has a 100-day free trial. - Open-Shell: A free, open-source tool that allows users to revert to classic Start menus from Windows 7 and earlier, with extensive customization and improved search functionality. It receives regular updates but may have slight performance lags. - Start11: A premium alternative by Stardock that provides a modern Start menu with styles reminiscent of Windows 7 and Windows 10, allowing for icon modification and app pinning. It offers a 30-day free trial. - Windhawk: A free modular tool for customizing the Start menu and other Windows interface elements, allowing users to install specific mods for tailored modifications. - Windows built-in settings: Users can enhance the Start menu by changing the layout, adding folder shortcuts next to the power button, and pinning favorite apps for quick access.

AppWizard

February 26, 2025

Cave & Tools Minecraft Server Opens Doors to Players Seeking a Unique Semi-Vanilla Experience

Cave & Tools is a newly launched semi-vanilla Minecraft server that features custom elements, a supportive community, and player-driven commerce. It includes a custom-designed spawn point, custom vote crates for player rewards, and a player-based shop world that allows users to buy, sell, and trade resources. The server has a robust land claiming system to protect player creations and utilizes custom plugins to enhance gameplay. Regular events are hosted to encourage player interaction, and the community is engaged through an active Discord server for feedback and discussions. Players can connect to the server at play.caveandtools.com and access the shop at http://shop.caveandtools.com.

Winsage

December 3, 2024

Windows 11 minor new features: advanced passkey manager, colourful Ctrl Alt Del UI, and more

Windows 11 is set to receive updates including an advanced passkey manager with a new "advanced options" page for better device management, synchronization of passkeys across compatible devices, and a "View passkey" dropdown menu for filtering passkeys. The Ctrl+Alt+Del screen will now reflect the user's chosen accent color. Additionally, a new keyboard shortcut, Ctrl + Alt + Minus, will allow users to toggle between zoom levels in the built-in magnifier, with broader rollout expected in early 2025.

AppWizard

November 16, 2024

A Forbes 30-under-30-er involved in at least 2 Disco Elysium successor studios has sued the lead dev at a third, blocking him from working on a new game

Argo Tuulik, co-founder of the RPG studio Summer Eternal and writer of Disco Elysium, is in a legal dispute with Riaz Moola, founder of Longdue. An injunction has been granted, preventing Tuulik from working on Summer Eternal until April 2025. Tuulik announced the legal action on X, stating that Longdue took him to court. This follows his departure from ZA/UM amid the cancellation of a Disco Elysium expansion, where he raised concerns about project mismanagement. Moola, a notable entrepreneur and member of the Forbes 30-under-30 list, is developing a game inspired by Disco Elysium with a team that includes former ZA/UM developers. Longdue issued a statement confirming that an independent judge ruled in their favor and expressed disappointment over Tuulik's alleged breach of agreements. They noted that attempts to resolve the matter privately were rebuffed by Tuulik. The dispute reflects earlier conflicts that led to ZA/UM's fragmentation in 2021.