departure Archives

Winsage

February 21, 2025

Bill Gates says Microsoft’s $3 trillion success is a blend of — youthful late-night coding escapades, a premature Harvard departure, and a sprinkle of “laissez-faire treatment” from passers-by

Microsoft has a market capitalization exceeding a trillion dollars and is a key player in the tech industry. Last year, a significant IT outage caused by a faulty kernel driver from CrowdStrike affected approximately 8.5 million Windows devices, resulting in the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) error. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, shared insights in his memoir, "Source Code: My Beginnings," about his early passion for coding, which began at age 13. He would sneak out at night to access computers, crediting a local company, Computer Center, for helping him refine his skills. Gates left Harvard after three semesters to pursue Microsoft, a decision prompted by a visit from Paul Allen, who brought news of the Altair 8800 minicomputer kit. Gates reflected that had he stayed at Harvard, he might have missed the opportunity to co-found Microsoft.

AppWizard

February 21, 2025

New Next-Gen GTA Online Update For PC Release Date Confirmed By Rockstar

Rockstar Games has announced that the next-gen update of GTA V and GTA Online for PC will be released on March 4th. This update will be free for existing owners of GTA V on PC and includes enhancements such as new vehicles, upgraded graphics, ray tracing capabilities, and faster loading times. Players will also be able to transfer their Story Mode and GTA Online progress. The update features new vehicles, including the Coil Cyclone II and Imponte Arbiter GT, and requires specific hardware for optimal performance. Ongoing support for the original version of GTA V and GTA Online will continue, allowing players with lower-spec systems to receive updates.

AppWizard

February 21, 2025

Payday 3 sales dropped off hard in 2024, but Starbreeze has hope for the future

Payday 3's financial performance has significantly declined, with sales dropping to million in the 2024 financial year, compared to million in its inaugural year. In contrast, Payday 2 generated million during the same period. The game's disappointing performance led to the departure of the CEO in early 2024 and the game director in September 2023. A lead producer described the 2023 launch as 'disastrous.' Starbreeze is collaborating with platforms like PUBG and Roblox and is offering Payday 3 for free on PlayStation Plus in February to attract new players. The company is also developing a co-op Dungeons & Dragons game, currently in internal playtesting, which has received positive feedback from potential business partners.

Winsage

February 20, 2025

Microsoft is paywalling these features in Notepad and Paint

Microsoft has announced that Notepad and Paint will have certain features locked behind a paid Microsoft 365 subscription. Users can still access Notepad and Paint without a subscription, but they will miss out on the latest features. In Notepad, spell checks will remain available, but features such as AI rewriting of text selections, AI generation of alternative versions of text selections, and AI shortening or lengthening of text selections will require a subscription. In Paint, the Image Creator feature, which uses OpenAI’s Dall-E for image generation, will be behind the paywall, while the background removal tool will remain accessible to all users. The subscription for Microsoft 365 starts at .99 per month or .99 annually.

Winsage

February 20, 2025

The Surface you know and love (or hate) is dead — Microsoft’s Windows hardware enters a new era

The Surface division at Microsoft has experienced significant internal changes over the past 18 months, including the departure of Panos Panay and new leadership. This has led to a strategic refocusing of the Surface portfolio, moving away from experimental hardware designs to more conventional offerings aimed at a broader audience. The company has discontinued extravagant devices like the Surface Studio and Surface Duo, favoring products that resonate with business customers and general consumers. Last year, Microsoft introduced AI-powered Windows computers known as Copilot+ PCs, which emphasize continuity and refinement of established designs rather than radical innovations. The Copilot+ PC initiative has allowed Windows on Arm to demonstrate its viability, with Snapdragon chips competing effectively in the Windows ecosystem. Surface continues to play a crucial role in shaping the Windows ecosystem, but with a more cautious approach that prioritizes ecosystem health over creating new markets. Future form factor experimentation will likely be delegated to OEM partners, while Microsoft focuses on transitioning users to Windows 11 and promoting Copilot+ PCs. Stakeholders can expect a steady stream of sensible Surface devices and incremental updates in the near future.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Batman Arkham Origins fan remaster looks like a whole new game

Rocksteady Studios is working to reclaim its reputation after the disappointing launch of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, which marked a shift from its traditional single-player narrative experiences to a live-service model. The game's servers have closed, but its final content update revealed that the heroes were not truly eliminated, as the narrative involved the demise of clones. Rocksteady is reportedly in the early stages of developing a new Batman experience, though it is unclear if it will continue the Arkham Trilogy or explore new directions. Additionally, PC players can enhance Arkham Origins with a fan remaster mod called Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, created by modder Jb0238177, which improves visual fidelity by disabling motion blur and fog, and enhancing textures and shadows. The mod is available for free on NexusMods.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Game Pass: 2 new games are playable today on Xbox and PC

Game Pass has added two new titles: EA Sports F1 24 and Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader, both available starting February 20 through Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass, and Game Pass Standard. On February 28, nine titles will be removed from Game Pass, including F1 22, Gris, Maneater, PAW Patrol World, Space Engineers, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, Wo Long Fallen Dynasty, Yakuza 3 Remastered, and Yakuza 4 Remastered. Earlier in the month, titles such as Far Cry New Dawn, Madden NFL 25, and Another Crab’s Treasure were added, along with the RPG Avowed.

AppWizard

February 19, 2025

The Play Store sucks, so here’s what I use instead

As of early February 2025, there are nearly 2.1 million apps available on the Play Store, with over 1,100 new apps introduced daily, resulting in an average of almost 42,000 new options each month. The search function on the Play Store is often ineffective for broader queries, and users face challenges due to the lack of sorting options and transparency regarding app updates. F-Droid is a platform for free and open-source software (FOSS) applications, requiring sideloading or the use of clients like Neo Store or Droid-ify. Obtainium is a tool that allows users to access open-source applications and updates directly from their sources, supporting over a dozen repositories including GitHub and GitLab, and enables users to export curated app lists and track updates without downloading them.

Tech Optimizer

February 18, 2025

Microsoft Discovers Return Of Alarming MacOS Malware With Sinister New Tricks

The XCSSET malware, discovered in 2020, allows cybercriminals remote access to developers' MacBooks and has led to a reassessment of macOS security measures. A new variant of XCSSET has been identified, specifically targeting macOS systems and exploiting vulnerabilities, particularly in keychains, to steal sensitive information like usernames and passwords. This variant spreads through Xcode projects and features enhanced functionality that makes detection and removal more challenging. It employs increased randomization in payload generation and uses both xxd and Base64 encoding. The malware can remain undetected, targeting Xcode projects for payload insertion and extracting data from cryptocurrency wallets and the Notes app. Microsoft has confirmed that its Defender for Endpoint on Mac can detect both the old and new variants of XCSSET, but developers are advised to exercise caution by downloading only from trusted sources, using the latest software versions, inspecting Xcode projects before opening them, and avoiding third-party applications.

AppWizard

February 17, 2025

The new game from The Witcher 3’s director revives the best tradition of Morrowind by letting you kill off ‘really important NPCs’

The Blood of Dawnwalker allows players to kill important NPCs, significantly diverging from the narrative restrictions of The Witcher 3. The game emphasizes player choice and a sandbox nature, aiming to create options while maintaining good storytelling and lore. The ability to eliminate characters can lead to alternate outcomes and cut-off questlines, introducing consequences that players must navigate. The protagonist's blood hunger at night can result in unintended fatalities, enhancing the game's exploration of darker decision-making.