controls Archives

AppWizard

June 6, 2025

A long-lost Duke Nukem prototype resurfaces after 24 years

The Duke Nukem franchise has seen a resurgence with the release of a prototype for the unreleased PlayStation 2 game, Duke Nukem: D-Day, developed by n-Space. This prototype, dating back to 2001, features twelve playable levels and has been made available on the Internet Archive. The game is described as "90% complete," though it lacks cutscenes and voicework. Players start in a strip club and engage in a time-traveling mission against the Third Reich and aliens. The controls are reminiscent of older gaming systems, and while the game framework is present, it lacks polish. To play the prototype, users need a PlayStation 2 with third-party software or an emulator like PCSX2. The game was in development until 2003, indicating that a more refined version may still exist.

AppWizard

June 5, 2025

New flagship smartphone makes PC gaming on mobile smoother than ever

RedMagic is set to launch its flagship gaming phone, the RedMagic 10S Pro, in global markets after its unveiling in China. The device features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version chipset and a dedicated RedCore R3 Pro gaming chip, allowing for enhanced gaming performance with up to 120FPS. It includes an advanced ICE-X cooling system with Liquid Metal 2.0 technology, which improves thermal management. The phone has a 6.85-inch BOE custom AMOLED 1.5K display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits, alongside a 7,050 mAh battery supporting 80W wired charging. The camera system consists of a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 2-megapixel camera, plus a 16-megapixel front camera. Pricing for the RedMagic 10S Pro starts at €649 for the 12/256GB model and goes up to €999 for the 24GB/1TB model. Pre-orders will be available from June 12 to 17, 2025, with general sales starting on June 18. The phone will be available in various regions, including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, GCC countries, Latin America, and the Middle East, with some countries receiving it at a later date.

Tech Optimizer

June 5, 2025

CISA releases TTPs & IoCs for Play Ransomware That Hacked 900+ Orgs

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in collaboration with the FBI and the Australian Cyber Security Centre, released an advisory on the Play ransomware group, which has targeted around 900 entities since its inception in June 2022. The group employs a double extortion model, exploiting vulnerabilities in public-facing applications and using tools for lateral movement and credential dumping. Their operations involve recompiling ransomware binaries for each attack to evade detection. The advisory highlights mitigation measures such as multifactor authentication and regular software patching. The Play ransomware specifically targets virtual environments and encrypts files using AES-256 encryption. Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) include: - SVCHost.dll (Backdoor) - SHA-256: 47B7B2DD88959CD7224A5542AE8D5BCE928BFC986BF0D0321532A7515C244A1E - Backdoor - SHA-256: 75B525B220169F07AECFB3B1991702FBD9A1E170CAF0040D1FCB07C3E819F54A - PSexesvc.exe (Custom Play “psexesvc”) - SHA-256: 1409E010675BF4A40DB0A845B60DB3AAE5B302834E80ADEEC884AEBC55ECCBF7 - HRsword.exe (Disables endpoint protection) - SHA-256: 0E408AED1ACF902A9F97ABF71CF0DD354024109C5D52A79054C421BE35D93549 - Hi.exe (Associated with ransomware) - SHA-256: 6DE8DD5757F9A3AC5E2AC28E8A77682D7A29BE25C106F785A061DCF582A20DC6

Winsage

June 5, 2025

Microsoft is adding a simpler text editor than Notepad to Windows 11 soon

Microsoft is enhancing Notepad following the discontinuation of WordPad and is introducing a new text editor called Edit for Windows 11, which operates within the Command Prompt. Edit is a compact tool that resembles the classic MS-DOS Editor and has a contemporary interface similar to Visual Studio Code, occupying 230KB of disk space. Users can launch Edit by typing "edit" in the Command Prompt, allowing basic text file editing without advanced features like text formatting or AI summaries. Currently, files cannot be saved directly in Edit; users must copy text to other applications for finalization. Edit is in development and can only be accessed through manual installation from GitHub, with plans to make it the default text editor for command line use in the future.

AppWizard

June 4, 2025

Get The Remastered Soul Reaver Games And 7 Others For Just $12 At Humble This Month

The June 2025 lineup of PC games for Humble Choice subscribers includes the following titles: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, Dungeons of Hinterberg, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2 Remastered, Nobody Wants To Die, Tchia, Sker Ritual, Biped, and Havendock. Humble Choice is a monthly subscription service that allows subscribers to keep the games indefinitely, even if they cancel their membership. Membership also provides exclusive discounts at the Humble store and access to the Humble Vault. The remastered Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2 enhances the original games with improved visuals and controls. Dungeons of Hinterberg combines dungeon exploration with relationship-building. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a homage to old-school shooters. Nobody Wants To Die features a neo-noir detective story with time-manipulation. Tchia is a coming-of-age tale inspired by real islands, while Sker Ritual is a round-based FPS. Biped is a co-op game, and Havendock focuses on ocean exploration. Additionally, 5% of every Humble Choice membership is donated to charity, with this month's proceeds supporting Comic Relief USA's Red Nose Day.

Tech Optimizer

June 4, 2025

I put McAfee and Norton head-to-head in an antivirus showdown, and the results were quite surprising

McAfee and Norton are two leading antivirus providers known for their robust online safety solutions. Both offer essential security features such as real-time threat detection, firewall protection, identity theft protection, VPN services, password management, and parental controls, but they differ in implementation. McAfee uses advanced machine learning for real-time threat detection but has a higher rate of false positives and shows room for improvement against ransomware and phishing. Norton excels in malware detection and has a strong performance against ransomware, blocking 95% of phishing links in tests. McAfee's firewall monitors incoming threats and protects connected devices, while Norton’s firewall prevents untrusted applications from accessing the internet with extensive configuration options. In identity theft protection, McAfee offers comprehensive features with live agent support, whereas Norton partners with LifeLock for enhanced services, including credit monitoring and up to one million dollars in compensation for identity theft losses. McAfee provides unlimited VPN access with basic functionality, while Norton’s VPN includes advanced features like split tunneling and a kill switch. Both include password managers, but McAfee's lacks some functionalities, whereas Norton’s is user-friendly and supports data import from other managers. For parental controls, McAfee allows website blocking and app restrictions, while Norton offers detailed content filtering and monitoring of online activities. In system performance, both have received high marks, with McAfee showing a superior impact score in tests. User experience varies, with McAfee being more accessible for non-technical users and Norton catering to more experienced individuals. Recent testing indicates both effectively blocked nearly all threats, but McAfee had more false positives. Both brands received high ratings from SE Labs for protection and accuracy. The choice between them depends on individual needs, with McAfee being user-friendly and Norton offering advanced features and enhanced identity protection.

Tech Optimizer

June 3, 2025

I tested Bitdefender and McAfee in an antivirus software showdown, and here’s what I found

Bitdefender and McAfee are two leading antivirus software options known for robust malware protection and additional security features. Bitdefender achieves 98% effectiveness in real-time threat detection, while McAfee uses machine learning for threat identification but may produce false positives. Bitdefender offers a basic firewall, not available for macOS, whereas McAfee provides a more advanced firewall with device monitoring. Bitdefender has a standalone Digital Identity Protection service, while McAfee offers comprehensive identity theft protections in its Premium subscription. Bitdefender includes a VPN with a 200MB daily data cap, while McAfee provides unlimited VPN access but with fewer countries and features. Both offer password managers, but Bitdefender lacks two-factor authentication, while McAfee's True Key includes multi-factor authentication. Bitdefender’s parental controls are basic, while McAfee’s Safe Family includes location tracking. Bitdefender is known for lightweight performance, but recent tests suggest McAfee may have better system optimization. Both have user-friendly interfaces, with Bitdefender organizing features into tabs and McAfee offering a simpler design. In terms of protection, Bitdefender has a 98.7% detection rate, while McAfee excels online with 99.6% but struggles offline. Bitdefender's pricing starts at .99 for the first year, while McAfee's Basic plan starts at .99. Overall, Bitdefender is more budget-friendly, while McAfee offers advanced identity theft protection.

AppWizard

June 3, 2025

Facebook, Yandex Apps Secretly Track Users Via Hidden Ports, Research Claims

Recent findings from IMDEA Networks Institute indicate that Facebook and Instagram apps have been tracking Android users' web browsing activities without consent, bypassing privacy controls and functioning even in incognito mode. This tracking affects millions of websites using Meta's tracking code. Yandex has employed similar tracking techniques since 2017, creating a cross-platform surveillance network. The tracking exploits Android’s permission system by establishing background services that listen on network ports, allowing the apps to capture browsing data and associate it with users' accounts. Meta's pixel is present on about 5.8 million websites, while Yandex Metrica is on around 3 million sites, potentially impacting billions of users. Approximately 78% of sites with Meta’s pixel and 84% of Yandex's sites attempted localhost communications without user consent. This tracking method operates at the operating system level, unaffected by cookie clearing, incognito modes, or privacy settings. Researchers have demonstrated that malicious apps could exploit this technique to gather users' browsing histories. Many website operators were unaware of these localhost communications, leading to confusion and complaints. In response, major browser vendors are implementing measures to block these tracking methods. Meta ceased this tracking on June 3rd, coinciding with the research's public release. The research highlights a significant security gap in mobile platforms regarding localhost communications, emphasizing the need for stricter policies and vetting processes.

AppWizard

June 3, 2025

Nintendo Switch Parental Control app gets a huge update ahead of a Switch 2 summer

Nintendo has released an updated version of its Parental Control app, available on the Play Store, featuring a redesigned interface and enhanced functionality. The app now includes comprehensive parental controls for GameChat, allowing parents to manage their children's communication and video chat interactions. Parents can also extend gaming sessions on the Switch or Switch 2 by increments of five, fifteen, or thirty minutes, or disable time limits entirely. The update introduces GameChat on the Switch 2, featuring a "C" button for initiating chats and a camera accessory for enhanced virtual interactions. Additionally, Nintendo is addressing potential emulation issues on Android devices with a planned "Game Key Card."

AppWizard

June 3, 2025

Meta and Yandex are de-anonymizing Android users’ web browsing identifiers

Recent developments in browser technology have raised concerns about user privacy and data tracking by companies like Meta and Yandex. In response, several Android browsers are enhancing user privacy by blocking abusive JavaScript linked to web trackers. DuckDuckGo has implemented measures to block domains and IP addresses associated with trackers, preventing the transmission of identifiers to Meta and restricting access to Yandex Metrica. Following feedback, DuckDuckGo's developers updated their blacklist to include missing addresses. The Brave browser uses extensive blocklists to prevent identifier sharing and blocks requests to localhost without user consent. Vivaldi forwards identifiers to local Android ports by default but allows users to adjust settings to block trackers. Researchers warn that these solutions may not be foolproof and emphasize the ongoing challenge of maintaining effective blocklists. Chrome and most other Chromium-based browsers execute JavaScript as intended by Meta and Yandex, while Firefox has faced challenges with SDP munging and has not yet announced plans to address this behavior.