competition Archives

AppWizard

July 15, 2026

Ramp’s billionaire CEO ignores résumés and Ivy League degrees—he’s more interested in engineers who built Minecraft servers as teens

Eric Glyman, cofounder and CEO of Ramp, advocates for a hiring philosophy that prioritizes "proof of work" and exceptional drive over traditional qualifications and résumés. He believes valuable hires often come from unexpected backgrounds, citing Ramp engineers who demonstrated dedication through their involvement in Minecraft. Ramp actively seeks talent on platforms like GitHub and through referrals from individuals who know candidates well. Glyman emphasizes the economic advantages of hiring younger talent before they accumulate extensive experience, which can inflate their market value. He also focuses on candidates' long-term motivations and alignment with the company's mission. Glyman's approach aligns with other influential CEOs, such as Elon Musk, who also prioritize tangible evidence of a candidate's abilities over résumés.

AppWizard

July 14, 2026

Epic Games Store boss quits after 8 years to take up new role at Saber Interactive

Steve Allison has left his position as vice president and general manager of the Epic Games Store after eight years to become the chief business officer at Saber Interactive. He praised Saber Interactive's founders and their ability to create high-quality games cost-effectively, mentioning upcoming titles like Space Marine 3, Jurassic Park, Turok, Hellraiser, and a new John Wick game, along with several unannounced projects. During his tenure at Epic Games, Allison helped launch the Epic Games Store in 2018, which now has 78 million monthly active users, largely due to the strategy of offering free games. The Epic Games Store competes with Steam, which is estimated to have around 200 million monthly active users. Saber Interactive, founded in 2001, gained recognition for its work on Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and was acquired by Embracer in 2020, later being sold to a company owned by Karch for 7 million.

AppWizard

July 14, 2026

Chaotic Dinosaur Party Brawler, Dino Party, Scores on PC, Aug. 14

On August 14, 2026, Studio Nachtwerk will release Dino Party, a party brawler for 2-4 players on PC via Steam. The game features a series of minigames focused on punching, shielding, and sabotaging opponents, with options for online play or couch co-op. Matches last 15 minutes and take place across 35 unique arenas with various hazards. Players can customize their dino avatars with over 120 unlockable cosmetics. The game will be priced at .99 / €12.25 and support 18 languages at launch. Studio Nachtwerk is a Berlin-based indie game studio founded by Florian Wolf and Philipp Wagner.

Winsage

July 14, 2026

Microsoft blocks browser choice for 1.4 billion Windows users, study finds

Microsoft's design strategies continue to influence users towards its Edge browser, as revealed in a study by Dr. Harry Brignull and Cennydd Bowles, published by Mozilla. The researchers tested Windows 10 and 11 across the US, UK, India, and Germany, focusing on whether users could download, set, and maintain a default browser other than Edge without interference. Findings showed that users encountered harmful design patterns that hindered their ability to choose alternative browsers. For example, searching for "download Chrome" on Bing led to Edge promotions, and downloading Chrome triggered an Edge banner. In Windows 11, the setup prompts users to allow Edge to import data from other browsers, with the accept option more visible than the decline option. Additionally, Microsoft's Copilot and Windows Backup tool opened links in Edge regardless of the user's default browser choice, resetting the default browser to Edge during migration without consent. The study noted regional differences, with fewer harmful patterns in Germany due to the EU's Digital Markets Act, although some issues persisted. The researchers recommend eliminating these harmful design patterns and advocate for global regulatory enforcement.

AppWizard

July 14, 2026

Chrome may be the default browser on Android, but more people are trying this instead

Opera has experienced a 66% growth in monthly active users on Android in the UK and a 40% increase in the US year-over-year during the second quarter. This growth is attributed to features like a free unlimited VPN, an integrated ad blocker, and advanced AI tools, which are not provided by Google Chrome. Additionally, Opera's user base in Europe has also been rising, aided by the European Union's Digital Markets Act. Despite Chrome being the default browser on most Android devices, more users are exploring alternatives like Opera.

BetaBeacon

July 13, 2026

These new Game Boy-style Android handhelds just made us sit up and take notice

MANGMI has announced the upcoming release of the Air Y and Air Y Pro vertical handhelds, designed in a Game Boy-style format and running on the Android operating system. The devices feature a 4:3 screen, side buttons, a scroll wheel for volume control, and MANGMI branding. The Pro model boasts dual analog sticks and the handhelds will be powered by a Snapdragon or Dragonwing chipset.

AppWizard

July 13, 2026

Palworld pulled in almost 900,000 players over the weekend, its second-highest peak ever

Palworld has transitioned from early access to its 1.0 launch without a price increase, resulting in a peak of 855,525 concurrent players on Steam. The game's all-time peak player count is 2.1 million, surpassing titles like Counter Strike 2 and Dota 2, with only Black Myth: Wukong and PUBG having higher records. Players have requested additional content and improvements, while some have raised concerns about game stability and mechanics. The developers aim to maintain a solid player base following the successful launch.

AppWizard

July 11, 2026

The Minecraft Movie votes are in and, despite controversy, everyone’s a winner

Jack Black and Jason Momoa will reprise their roles as Steve and Garrett in the upcoming sequel, A Minecraft Movie Squared, alongside Kirsten Dunst as Alex. Mojang announced a competition for fans to submit designs for the film, selecting three finalists: 'Lightning Rod Lighthouse' by Francisco C.M., 'Copper Badlands Castle' by Rosanna C., and 'Tranquil Taiga Tower' by Iola Y. The 'Tree Village' by Ben V. was disqualified for not adhering to submission guidelines but will be recognized as an honorable mention. All builds will be included in the movie or its end credits. A Minecraft Movie Squared is scheduled for release on July 23, 2027.

Winsage

July 11, 2026

I tested Acer’s new Swift Go 16 AI, and this affordable OLED laptop impressed me more than I had expected

The Acer Swift Go 16 AI features an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 processor, 32GB LPDDR5X RAM, integrated Intel Graphics, a 16" WUXGA (1920 x 1200) non-touch OLED display at 60Hz, a 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, a 71WHrs battery with a 100W USB-C charger, and weighs 2.95 lbs (1.34 kg). It has a sleek design with a reflective Acer logo and geometric patterns. Performance tests indicate it outperforms some competitors in multi-core tasks and offers quick boot times and efficient multitasking. The display provides vibrant colors but maxes out at 300 nits. It includes a backlit keyboard, a mechanical trackpad, a webcam with Windows Hello and Human Presence Detection, and has a battery life of 8 to 14 hours. Drawbacks include slight chassis flex, subpar audio quality, and pre-installed bloatware.

AppWizard

July 11, 2026

Mortal Shell 2 is the latest game to join the Grand Theft Auto 6 release crush, but I don’t think it has much to worry about because it looks sick as hell

Mortal Shell 2 is set to be released at the end of August to avoid competition with Grand Theft Auto 6. The game features impressive aesthetics and gameplay mechanics, focusing on brutal combat and drawing inspiration from the modern Doom series. It has a high ranking on Steam’s most wishlisted games and is positioned to be a standout title of the year.