community support Archives

AppWizard

August 16, 2025

A Minecraft experience and a young boy’s ‘Wish’ granted by Microsoft

Katie Ferrell, vice president of marketing and community engagement for a nonprofit organization, emphasized that wishes provide hope and healing for children facing challenges, such as Jude. Minecraft is highlighted as a creative outlet for these children. Ohio is one of three states in the U.S. conducting infant testing for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), for which a cure is still not available. Lauren Janning from Make-A-Wish® Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana noted that about 80% of Wish Kids recover and lead healthy lives, with many considering their wish a turning point in their healing. Currently, 204 children in southern Ohio are awaiting their wishes, and the organization relies on community support to fulfill these wishes.

AppWizard

August 12, 2025

Make-A-Wish: 10-year-old surprised at UC with trip to visit Minecraft HQ in Sweden

A 10-year-old boy named Jude, who has muscular dystrophy, received a surprise from the Make-A-Wish Foundation to fulfill his wish of visiting Microsoft's headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden. Jude, a fan of Minecraft, visited the University of Cincinnati's e-sports innovation lab, where he met professionals from Microsoft. He is scheduled to depart for Sweden on August 31.

AppWizard

July 28, 2025

Home Assistant app update brings new invite flow

Home Assistant is an open-source platform for managing smart home devices, allowing users to create personalized and automated living environments. It supports a wide range of devices, enables users to set up complex automation routines, and offers community resources for enhancement. The platform prioritizes privacy by operating locally, ensuring user data is not sent to the cloud.

Tech Optimizer

July 23, 2025

Command Prompt, Inc. extends PostgreSQL with FedRAMP compliant support

Command Prompt, Inc. has been active in database management since 1997 and specializes in PostgreSQL support. Their PgLTS (PostgreSQL Long Term Support) service extends the standard five-year PostgreSQL community support by an additional three years, providing up to eight years of comprehensive support, including CVE back patching and compliance with long-term FedRAMP requirements. The company prioritizes security, stability, clear communication, and transparent ROI for clients.

AppWizard

July 19, 2025

Top 6 Privacy Note Apps for Linux and Android That Actually Sync

Your messages are monitored, your location is tracked, and certain note-taking applications are focusing on privacy. The guide reviews note-taking applications for Linux and Android that prioritize confidentiality, with no trackers or unsettling sync processes. Standard Notes: - Data export: Encrypted, plain text format - 2FA: Supported - Offline Access: Fully offline capable - Unlimited Device Sync: Available on official servers or self-hosted - Markdown & Writing Forms: Free (plain text), Paid (Markdown, rich text, etc.) - Organizing Style: Free (basic tags), Paid (folders and tags) - Themes & Creativity: Paid (multiple themes) - Support: Active community support Notesnook: - Data export: Free (plain text), Paid (Markdown, PDF, HTML) - 2FA: Supported - Offline Access: Fully offline capable - Unlimited Device Sync: Yes, with granular controls - Markdown & Writing Forms: Free (Markdown, lists, etc.), Paid (images and reminders) - Organizing Style: Free (20 Notebooks, 5 Tags), Paid (unlimited) - Themes & Creativity: Free (customizable sidebar), Paid (color options) - Support: Active community on Discord, email, Twitter, and Reddit Joplin: - Data export: ENEX files - 2FA: Single-use codes - Offline Access: Offline-first - Unlimited Device Sync: Requires Joplin Cloud - Markdown & Writing Forms: Supports Markdown, code, etc. - Organizing Style: Notebooks, sub-Notebooks, Tags, To-dos - Themes & Creativity: Customizable via CSS - Support: Community support through forums and Discord Cryptee: - Data export: Encrypted folder download, formats include PDF, DOCX, HTML, Markdown - 2FA: Supported - Offline Access: Functions offline as a PWA - Unlimited Device Sync: Local data for quick syncing - Markdown & Writing Forms: Supports plain text, Markdown, etc. - Organizing Style: Folders, Tags, pinning - Themes & Creativity: Customizable themes - Support: Community-driven support Obsidian: - Data export: Plain text and markdown files - 2FA: Not available - Offline Access: Fully offline - Unlimited Device Sync: Paid (Obsidian Sync), Free (third-party services) - Markdown & Writing Forms: Supports Markdown, code, links, etc. - Organizing Style: Folders, Tags, graph view - Themes & Creativity: Complete UI customization - Support: Community support available Turtl: - Data export: Plain text format with encryption - 2FA: Not available - Offline Access: Operates offline - Unlimited Device Sync: Possible with official servers or self-hosted - Markdown & Writing Forms: Supports plain text, Markdown, etc. - Organizing Style: Spaces, Tags, boards - Themes & Creativity: No customization options - Support: Community-driven support Recommendations include Joplin for structure, Notesnook for minimalism, Turtl for privacy, and Obsidian for creativity. The best tool integrates seamlessly into your workflow while ensuring privacy.

AppWizard

July 17, 2025

Java for mobile app development: How to create Android apps in 2025 – London Business News

Java is a key programming language in mobile application development, particularly for Android, and is expected to remain relevant in 2025. It is officially supported in Android development, with a significant portion of Android applications built using Java. Java continues to be integrated into Android Studio and is favored for its comprehensive documentation, backward compatibility, and strong community support. Java's ecosystem is characterized by its mature tools and best practices, making it suitable for both simple and enterprise-level applications. Core components of Android apps built with Java include Activities, Services, Broadcast Receivers, and Content Providers. The development process involves setting up the environment with Android Studio, designing user interfaces with XML, implementing app logic in Java, testing the application, and deploying it via the Google Play Store. Best practices in 2025 include modular architecture, dependency management with libraries like Dagger and Hilt, asynchronous programming techniques, and the use of version control systems like Git. Java remains a viable option alongside Kotlin, especially for legacy codebases and its perceived accessibility for new programmers. Modern tools supporting Java development include Room for data storage, Retrofit for API calls, Glide for image loading, Firebase for cloud services, and Crashlytics for crash monitoring. Outsourcing Java development is a common strategy for companies looking to scale their mobile projects efficiently. Java continues to evolve, accommodating advancements in machine learning, IoT, and edge computing.

Winsage

July 14, 2025

The Restart Project releases the “End of Windows 10 toolkit” to help communities move over to Linux

Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 in October, prompting users to upgrade to Windows 11 or buy new hardware. The Restart Project is advocating for a switch to Linux, offering a toolkit to help communities transition to open-source solutions instead of upgrading. They highlight that many computers running Windows 10 will not meet Windows 11's requirements, leaving users with unsupported devices. The project promotes an "End of 10" service for repair groups and suggests hosting "End of 10" parties for installing user-friendly Linux distributions like Linux Mint. Some Linux distributions are designed to resemble the Windows experience, making the transition easier for users.

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

Peak hits 4.5m sales

Peak has sold over 4.5 million copies within three weeks of its launch on June 16th. It sold two million copies in nine days and reached a peak of 114,492 concurrent players on Steam. The studio broke even within the first few hours of release and reached 1.6 million copies sold within the first week. The team attributes their success to community support, referred to as the Power of Friendship.

AppWizard

July 7, 2025

Romero Games have “completely” closed doors, but there’s still hope for the Doom creator’s new FPS

Romero Games has ceased operations after funding for their first-person shooter was withdrawn, affecting approximately 100 employees. An anonymous employee described the situation as a "big shock," noting that discussions with a publisher occurred just a day before the closure. The project was reportedly well-developed and had received positive feedback, but is now completely closed while the studio seeks alternative funding. The unnamed FPS had generated significant interest, and the Chief Technical Officer is advocating for former staff on LinkedIn. The game was announced in 2022 and was being developed using Unreal Engine 5. Prior to this, Romero and Carmack worked on a canceled game called Blackroom in 2016.

Winsage

June 24, 2025

I refuse to upgrade to Windows 11, here’s what I’m doing instead

An old PC with a decade-old motherboard continues to perform basic tasks but struggles with gaming and faces the end of support for Windows 10 in October. The user is not upgrading to Windows 11 due to dissatisfaction with its features and customization limitations. They are considering alternatives, including sticking with Windows 10, which feels temporary, or trying Linux Mint. After a trial run with Linux Mint, the user found the transition seamless and appreciated its customizability and community support. As the end of Windows 10 approaches, the user sees Linux Mint as a stable and personalized computing option.