Current State Archives

AppWizard

April 6, 2025

Minecraft movie spawns ‘annoying’ cinema trend that viewers claim ‘ruins’ the film

The film A Minecraft Movie, featuring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, is projected to earn around million domestically and million internationally during its opening weekend. It has sparked enthusiastic audience reactions, particularly during a scene involving a "chicken jockey," leading to collective chanting and applause in theaters. Some viewers have shared positive experiences on social media, while others criticize the disruptive nature of audience participation, expressing a desire for a return to traditional movie etiquette.

Winsage

April 5, 2025

Introducing Windows on arm. And by arm, we mean wrist

Gustave Monce, a PhD student from Bordeaux, is working on a project to run Windows on the Google Pixel Watch 3, referred to as "Windows on ARM." Initially announced on April Fools' Day, Monce clarified that the project is serious and involves UEFI on the Pixel Watch 3 with the capability to boot Windows and Linux. He has previously developed DuoWOA, enabling Windows 11 to run on Microsoft's Surface Duo, and is also working on LumiaWOA for the Nokia Lumia 950 and 950XL. The smartwatch project utilizes an Arm64 build of Windows PE, allowing the Pixel Watch 3 to boot a WinPE image via UEFI, though the final installation steps remain undocumented. Monce describes the project as real and goofy, acknowledging its current limitations while inviting others to explore the code.

Tech Optimizer

April 2, 2025

Improve PostgreSQL performance using the pgstattuple extension

PostgreSQL is an open-source relational database management system known for its extensibility, which allows developers to enhance its capabilities through various extensions and plugins. The pgstattuple extension provides detailed statistics at the tuple level from PostgreSQL tables and indexes, revealing key metrics such as the number of live tuples, dead tuples, average length of live tuples, total free space, and percentages of free space and dead tuples. These metrics help database administrators identify potential health and performance issues, such as excessive table bloat or index fragmentation. Both Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS support the pgstattuple extension, which can be activated using the command CREATE EXTENSION pgstattuple;. Functions like pgstattuple(relation) and pgstatindex(index) can be used to analyze physical storage and index statistics. Bloat occurs when unused space is left behind after UPDATE and DELETE operations, and the autovacuum process in PostgreSQL automates the cleanup of dead tuples. However, if autovacuum fails, manual intervention may be necessary. Regular monitoring of bloat is essential for maintaining performance, and metrics from pgstattuple can help optimize autovacuum settings. The pg_cron extension can automate VACUUM operations to manage bloat proactively. Index bloat can also be detected using pgstatindex, and significantly bloated indexes can be rebuilt using REINDEX or pg_repack. Best practices for using pgstattuple include estimating bloat with check_postgres, analyzing physical storage, monitoring dead_tuple_percent, and avoiding interference on highly active tables.

AppWizard

April 2, 2025

Google may finally stop forcing you to manually ask to ID songs (APK teardown)

Google is refining its music identification capabilities on Android devices, with potential upgrades revealed through an APK teardown. Currently, users can identify songs using features like Circle to Search and Now Playing, but the process often requires manual prompts. The latest version of the Google app (build 16.12.39.sa.arm64) shows signs of automatic music detection, changing the interface to "Searching song..." upon recognition, although users still need to tap a button to view results. The absence of the typical pulsing-sphere visual element indicates that this feature is still in development.

Winsage

April 2, 2025

Someone just booted Windows on a Pixel Watch, and it actually (kind of) works

PhD student Gustave Monce has successfully run Windows for Arm on the Pixel Watch 3, utilizing its quad-core Snapdragon processor and 456×456 OLED display. He modified Qualcomm’s UEFI-based XBL bootloader to boot the Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE). Despite challenges from the release of Android 15, which disrupted his code-loading process, Monce adapted the stock kernel image to restore booting into Windows PE with limited functionality. He has achieved basic USB support for mass storage, highlighting the potential of modern mobile hardware.

Winsage

March 31, 2025

Windows 11 setup bypass blocked, smaller Surface Pro confirmed, and Amazon raises concerns over Xbox & Surface returns

Microsoft is expected to unveil a smaller Surface Pro powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X platform, aimed at competing with the iPad Pro, featuring a premium metal chassis and high-quality display, with pricing projected to start between 0 and 0. Additionally, Microsoft plans to introduce a smaller Surface Laptop. The company has blocked a bypass that allowed users to set up Windows 11 PCs without a Microsoft account, which has led to the emergence of a new method involving the command prompt during setup. Certain configurations of the Surface Laptop 7 and the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 have been flagged by Amazon as frequently returned items. Bill Gates has stated that AI will replace humans "for most things," while identifying coders, energy specialists, and biologists as professions likely to remain safe from automation.

Winsage

March 29, 2025

Windows Central Podcast: Nobody wants the Surface Laptop 7?

The Windows Central Podcast discusses the current state of Windows on Arm, the high return rate of the Surface Laptop 7, and upcoming smaller Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models with innovative features. It also covers developments in Windows 11, including the first signs of the 25H2 update.

AppWizard

March 25, 2025

New report reveals top Trump admin. officials discussed classified information on messaging app

A judge compared the due process received by Nazis to that of Venezuelans facing deportation under the Trump administration. High-ranking officials from the Trump administration discussed classified military operations on the messaging app Signal, raising security concerns. A GOP senator admitted that claiming Social Security will remain untouched is disingenuous. GOP Senator Curtis clarified that Elon Musk's comments on potential cuts were merely suggestions rather than specific policy advocacy. A GOP senator indicated that impeachment of a judge who ruled against Trump is unlikely. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reaffirmed his commitment to his position amid internal party pressure and expressed concerns about a constitutional crisis in American democracy. Canadian officials responded to Trump's tariffs by stating that "nothing is off the table" regarding retaliatory measures. Trump asserted that he will have the final say in deportation cases, prompting discussions about the need for a nuanced approach to immigration policy.

AppWizard

March 20, 2025

Encrypted messaging apps promise privacy. Government transparency is often the price

In the aftermath of a wildfire in Maui in 2023 that resulted in over 100 fatalities, text messages among emergency management personnel have come to light, indicating potential use of untraceable messaging services like Signal. The presence of government officials on encrypted platforms has raised concerns about transparency, as these apps often evade public records laws. An investigation revealed over 1,100 officials across the U.S. using such applications, which complicate public accountability. Instances of improper use of encrypted messaging have been documented, and while these apps enhance privacy, they also hinder transparency. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommends their use for confidential communications, but these fall outside public record laws. New Mexico faced a court settlement for instructing employees to use Signal for internal communications without clear regulations. Michigan lawmakers have banned the use of such apps if they obstruct public records requests, but enforcement remains challenging. Experts call for stronger public record laws and independent enforcement to improve government transparency.

AppWizard

March 19, 2025

Report: An Overwhelming Majority of PC Gamers Prefer Older Video Games

Players dedicated 15% of their total gaming time to newly released titles in 2024, 47% to games released within the last one to seven years, and 37% to titles released eight years ago or earlier. There is a perceived decline in the quality of AAA games released in 2024, with high-profile launches failing to excite many gamers.