data storage Archives

AppWizard

July 24, 2025

5 Must-Have Open-Source Android Apps to Simplify Your Life

Five standout open source Android applications highlighted for their utility, user-focused design, and privacy-conscious features are: 1. Tomato: A minimalist Pomodoro timer that helps maintain focus by dividing work into customizable intervals, offering productivity insights through visual graphs. 2. Grit: An all-in-one task and habit tracker that categorizes tasks, provides a visual habit map, supports scheduled reminders, and includes home screen widgets for quick access to daily goals. 3. Momentum: A habit tracker with a straightforward interface, calendar view, streak tracking, and an AI assistant that suggests habits, while prioritizing user privacy with offline functionality and local data storage. 4. Toolbox: A versatile utility app that includes features like a stopwatch, compass, text manipulation utilities, and advanced tools for developers, all while being lightweight and ad-free. 5. Thor App Manager: A tool for precise management of Android applications, offering features like batch installation, app freezing, and APK management, with additional controls for rooted users.

TrendTechie

July 23, 2025

Overclockers.ru: Как я перестал экономить ресурс SSD, стал качать на него торренты и убрал все HDD из игрового ПК

The author began using personal computers in the early 2000s, starting with a 4.3 GB hard drive and upgrading to larger capacities over time, including a 20 GB, 80 GB, and a 320 GB drive in 2007. By 2009, they acquired a 1 TB Western Digital Caviar Green drive and subsequently added more drives. Data loss incidents, including one involving a 3 TB Western Digital Red drive, emphasized the importance of backing up critical information. Managing multiple hard drives in a gaming PC introduced challenges such as noise, vibration, and cable management, particularly with a maximum of seven hard drives and an SSD. Heat generation from multiple drives raised concerns about optimal operating temperatures, leading the author to prefer lower RPM models for long-term storage. The market for reliable hard drives has become complicated due to rebranded drives, making replacements harder to find. Attempts to transition to a dedicated file server faced difficulties due to rapid drive failures in a standard case without proper dampening.

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.

AppWizard

July 7, 2025

I stored files inside of Minecraft, and here’s how it works

Files are collections of data stored in a single container, often identified by their extensions. In Minecraft, data can be represented using wool blocks, where each block corresponds to a specific hex digit, allowing for the storage of bytes. A mapping was created to associate hex digits with wool colors, enabling data encoding and decoding within the game. An encoder script generates an "mcfunction" file for efficient block placement, while a decoder reads the wool matrix from the game world using the Amulet library. The process involves defining coordinates and dimensions for the wool matrix, and successful decoding reveals the original encoded message. This project demonstrates the versatility of data representation, though it is not intended for practical use.

Tech Optimizer

June 30, 2025

Supercharging AWS database development with AWS MCP servers

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) facilitates integration between AI systems and various data sources, including databases, APIs, and business applications. AWS has released open-source MCP servers for Amazon Aurora, Amazon DynamoDB, and Amazon ElastiCache to enhance developer productivity by allowing AI-assisted tools to access structured metadata. MCP standardizes connections between AI assistants and external environments, enabling intelligent suggestions and context-aware query assistance. Traditional development challenges include time spent on boilerplate queries and context switching between different database technologies, which MCP aims to alleviate. The MCP servers provide secure access to structured metadata and streamline the development process by integrating database context directly into development environments. Developers can utilize these servers to generate tests based on live metadata, monitor database performance, and troubleshoot issues efficiently. The MCP servers are available for local deployment using Docker and can be configured for various AWS database services.

AppWizard

June 26, 2025

These Three Messaging Apps Are Encrypted, but One Stands Above the Rest

Telegram is a cloud-based messaging service that collects and retains metadata, including IP addresses. In 2024, Telegram updated its privacy policy to allow sharing of user data with law enforcement upon valid requests, leading to 900 information requests from U.S. authorities affecting 2,253 individuals. The platform has experienced data breaches, including a 2020 leak of data from approximately 42 million Iranian users and a 2019 incident involving the exposure of Hong Kong protestors' identities. Telegram supports public channels that lack end-to-end encryption, allowing anyone on the platform to view content. It offers secret chats with end-to-end encryption, but these can only be accessed on the user's device. The platform features an automatic message deletion option with a minimum interval of one day and a self-destruct feature for accounts, messages, and contacts after specified inactivity periods. Telegram's client applications are open-source, but the server-side code is closed-source. The company's cloud servers are encrypted, and encryption keys are stored across various jurisdictions. Telegram operates on a freemium model, providing additional features through a paid subscription while displaying ads in public channels with over 1,000 subscribers. The app is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store at no cost.

AppWizard

June 25, 2025

I stored a file inside Pokémon Emerald’s in-game PC so you don’t have to

Pokémon Emerald allows for data storage through a tool called mon-fs, which encodes files as Pokémon. Each Pokémon carries 68 bits of data, including attributes like species and gender. The mon-fs tool has two modes: Lite, which stores files up to 3.2 KB, and Full, which supports files up to 10.8 KB but requires a save editor. Players can effectively use four Pokémon—Poochyena, Whismur, Taillow, and Nincada—for data storage, each having a 20% or higher appearance rate on Route 116. A web utility assists users in capturing and naming Pokémon to represent their data, but the process is time-consuming and not efficient for file transfer.

Tech Optimizer

June 21, 2025

EDB enhances PostgreSQL analytics with open source add-ons

EDB has enhanced its data platform, EDB Postgres AI, to integrate transactional, analytical, and AI workloads. The new engine for PostgreSQL offers independent scalability from cloud storage and is optimized for columnar formats like Iceberg and Delta Lake. It utilizes Apache DataFusion for efficient query execution, achieving speeds up to 30 times faster than traditional PostgreSQL and providing 18 times greater cost efficiency for cold transactional data storage. The analytics accelerator allows analytical queries to be processed by Apache DataFusion within PostgreSQL. EDB claims a total cost of ownership that is six times more favorable and transactional performance that is 30 percent faster than SQL Server. PostgreSQL is evolving to support analytics alongside its traditional transactional capabilities, with EDB's goal being to provide tools for seamless analytics within the PostgreSQL framework without redefining it as an analytics database.

AppWizard

June 17, 2025

iState: A Russian Government Messenger?

On June 10, the Russian State Duma approved the establishment of a national messenger to be pre-installed on all newly sold smart devices starting September 1. This app will include a digital ID system and aims to streamline access to government services, identity verification, contract signing, and banking transactions. The initiative is inspired by China's WeChat but raises concerns about surveillance and data storage by the Russian government. The specific application for the national messenger has not yet been finalized, with Max, developed by VKontakte, being a leading candidate. Legal expert Sarkis Darbinyan doubts that Max will attract WhatsApp's user base and predicts it will be limited to domestic use without end-to-end encryption. Despite these issues, State Duma IT Committee head Sergei Boyarsky believes that existing messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram will continue to operate if they comply with Russian laws.

Tech Optimizer

June 12, 2025

Databricks launches Lakebase Postgres database for AI era

Databricks has launched Lakebase, a fully managed Postgres database designed for AI applications, currently in Public Preview. It integrates an operational database layer into Databricks' Data Intelligence Platform, facilitating the development of data applications and AI agents in a multi-cloud environment. Lakebase uses Neon technology within a lakehouse architecture, allowing for efficient real-time data processing and scalable operations. Key features include independent scaling of compute and storage, low latency under 10 milliseconds, high concurrency over 10,000 queries per second, rapid launch times under a second, and a consumption-based payment model. It also offers data synchronization with lakehouse tables, an online feature store for machine learning, and is managed entirely by Databricks with built-in security features. During its Private Preview, Lakebase attracted participation from hundreds of enterprises across various sectors. It is supported by a partner network including Accenture, Deloitte, and others, and will receive further enhancements in the coming months.