dedication Archives

AppWizard

May 6, 2025

NCSoft invests in Texan FPS studio Emptyvessel

NCSoft has invested in the first-person studio Emptyvessel, marking the start of a long-term partnership through its North American subsidiary, NC West. Emptyvessel is developing a first-person cyberpunk squad-based shooter called Defect, with a team experienced in titles like Doom and The Last of Us. Emanuel Palalic, the game director, emphasized the importance of creative risks and the alignment of visions between the two companies. NCSoft co-CEO Byung-moo Park praised Emptyvessel's expertise and reiterated the company's commitment to investing in new global intellectual properties and specific genres.

AppWizard

May 6, 2025

Compulsion boss says Xbox isn’t mandating generative AI

Guillaume Provost, head of Compulsion Games, stated that Microsoft does not mandate the use of generative AI in its first-party studios, allowing developers creative autonomy. He emphasized Compulsion Games' commitment to craftsmanship and artistry, indicating that while generative AI could be beneficial in the pre-production phase for tasks like creating storyboards, it is not intended for use in production. Provost noted that Compulsion Games may not be at the forefront of AI adoption due to the nature of their projects, and this aligns with Microsoft's broader vision of innovation without compromising traditional game development practices.

Winsage

May 6, 2025

Expanding the Surface for Business Copilot+ PC portfolio

AI has evolved into a transformative force for organizations, increasing the demand for secure and high-performance AI-ready Windows 11 PCs. Microsoft has introduced Copilot+ PCs, including the new 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop, both powered by the Snapdragon X Plus processor with an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 45 trillion operations per second. The 13-inch Surface Laptop offers up to 23 hours of video playback and 16 hours of web browsing, with performance enhancements of up to 50% faster speeds and double the battery life compared to its predecessor. It features an AI-enhanced 1080p front camera for video conferencing and a durable design. The 12-inch Surface Pro is the thinnest and lightest Copilot+ PC, providing 50% faster performance and up to 16 hours of local video playback. Both devices are designed as Secured-core PCs with advanced security features, including Windows Hello for Business and biometric authentication options. They support enhanced productivity through AI features in Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling faster file searches and improved team efficiency. Microsoft emphasizes sustainability with the use of recycled materials and energy-efficient designs. The new devices will be available starting July 22 in select markets.

AppWizard

May 5, 2025

How to get a Turtle Shell in Minecraft | Esports News – The Times of India

The Turtle Shell in Minecraft is a piece of headgear that allows players to breathe underwater for an additional 10 seconds and provides 2 armor points of protection. To obtain a Turtle Shell, players must find and breed turtles in beach biomes to collect scutes. The breeding process involves feeding two turtles seagrass, which leads to egg-laying. After the eggs hatch and the baby turtles mature, they drop scutes. Players need five scutes to craft one Turtle Shell by arranging them in a helmet pattern on a crafting table. The Turtle Shell can also be enchanted for extended underwater exploration.

Tech Optimizer

May 3, 2025

Understanding transaction visibility in PostgreSQL clusters with read replicas

On April 29, 2025, Jepsen released a report on transaction visibility behavior in Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL and its Multi-AZ clusters, which has been acknowledged since at least 2013. The report identifies a Long Fork anomaly affecting the visibility order of transactions between primary and replica nodes in cluster configurations, which does not lead to data loss or corruption and is absent in Single-AZ deployments. This anomaly allows two readers to see transactions in different sequences, breaching Snapshot Isolation. It affects all isolation levels in community PostgreSQL and can also occur in self-managed deployments. The issue has been discussed extensively in the PostgreSQL community, and potential solutions, including synchronizing visibility with commit order using Commit Sequence Numbers, have been proposed. AWS has established the PostgreSQL Contributors Team to address this anomaly and enhance PostgreSQL's capabilities.

Winsage

May 2, 2025

Pushing passkeys forward: Microsoft’s latest updates for simpler, safer sign-ins

The tech community is celebrating the first "World Passkey Day," moving away from "World Password Day," with Microsoft and other organizations committing to the Passkey Pledge to promote passkey adoption. Microsoft has developed passkeys as a secure authentication method, replacing traditional passwords and allowing access via facial recognition, fingerprints, or PINs. Over 99% of users now prefer Windows Hello for sign-ins, and hundreds of websites support passkeys, which are resistant to phishing. Last year, there were 7,000 password attacks every second, highlighting the urgency of this transition. Microsoft has introduced passkey support for consumer applications, achieving nearly a million registrations daily, with passkey sign-ins being three times more successful and eight times faster than traditional methods. New Microsoft accounts will be created without passwords by default, and the sign-in process will prioritize passwordless methods. Currently, over 15 billion user accounts can use passkeys, with a goal to transition billions more.

AppWizard

May 2, 2025

‘The Minecraft Movie’ Tops $825 Million As Biggest Blockbuster Of 2025

The Minecraft Movie has grossed over million as it heads into the weekend, solidifying its position as a leading film in 2025. In its fourth weekend, it has earned more than 0 million globally, with approximately million from international markets and nearly million from domestic audiences. Projections for the fifth weekend suggest a global take of to million, pushing its total earnings beyond 0 million. The film maintains its position at #5 in the box office rankings after a month of release. The success is attributed to the artistry of the Wētā FX team, effective marketing strategies by Warner Bros., and a balance of tone and pacing that appeals to both fans and general audiences. The film is expected to retain its title as 2025’s highest-grossing film until Jurassic World: Rebirth is released, with potential earnings exceeding 0 million by the end of its theatrical run.

AppWizard

May 2, 2025

Google Play Store just lost a ton of apps, but this is actually a good thing

The Google Play Store has seen a decline in available apps from 3.4 million to approximately 1.8 million since the beginning of 2024, representing a loss of nearly 47%. The "games" category lost 200,000 apps, the education sector lost around 160,700 apps, and the business category saw a reduction of 115,400 apps. This removal is part of Google's effort to combat ad fraud, particularly from "vapor apps" that misled users and generated recurring advertisements. Over 56 million downloads were affected across 180 apps. Google has implemented new policies for tracking and removing spammy applications, including expanded verification requirements, mandatory app testing, and enhanced human reviews.

AppWizard

May 1, 2025

EA pauses WRC development

Electronic Arts has paused the development of the World Rally Championship (WRC) franchise, as announced on their official website. The reasons for this decision are not disclosed. EA confirmed that the existing title, EA Sports WRC, will remain available for both current and new players. The company acquired the WRC rights in 2022 when it purchased Codemasters for .2 billion.

AppWizard

May 1, 2025

EA says Codemasters won’t be making any more rally games: ‘We’ve reached the end of the road working on WRC’

Electronic Arts has confirmed that the 2024 season of EA Sports WRC will be the last collaboration with Codemasters on the World Rally Championship series, as EA pauses development plans for future rally titles. Codemasters, acquired by EA in 2021, will shift its focus primarily to Formula 1 racing games, with the upcoming release of F1 25 scheduled for May 30. The FIA acknowledged the advancements in the WRC gaming franchise due to EA Sports and Codemasters and hinted at a new direction for the WRC gaming franchise.