discussions

TrendTechie
May 17, 2025
Warner Bros. announced that the digital release of the Minecraft film will be on May 13, 45 days after its theatrical debut. The film has grossed 0 million at the box office, making it the top-grossing film of 2025 so far, despite low ratings. Director Jared Hess mentioned that discussions for a potential sequel are underway due to the vast universe of the game.
AppWizard
May 16, 2025
The Epic Games Store is offering a free copy of Dead Island 2 and discounts on titles like Alan Wake 2's Deluxe Edition, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chonobyl, and Until Dawn. The Humble Store has a Spring Sale with markdowns on games such as Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Life is Strange: Double Exposure, and WWE 2K25. Steam is hosting the Creature Collector Fest featuring games like Palworld, Bugsnax, and Tinykin, along with discounted early access titles like Windblown, Enshrouded, and Timberborn. Fanatical allows gamers to build their own Bethesda Bundle with options for acquiring 2, 3, or 5 titles at varying prices. Green Man Gaming offers a 15% discount on any PC game with the coupon code MAY15. Humble Bundle invites subscriptions to Humble Choice for .99 per month, with May offerings including The Thaumaturge: Deluxe Edition and Amnesia: The Bunker. Ubisoft is providing discounts with the coupon code LEGEND, though restrictions may apply.
AppWizard
May 16, 2025
The gaming community has shifted its focus from Shift Up, the developer of Stellar Blade, to Sony, the game's publisher, due to issues surrounding the game. This shift parallels last year's backlash against Sony during the launch of Helldivers II, where player discontent arose from the mandatory inclusion of PSN. The community is questioning the extent of Sony's responsibility for the current issues with Stellar Blade, and there is less than a month for the team to address these concerns. The situation could significantly impact the goodwill that Stellar Blade has garnered since its launch. The dialogue about publisher influence in game development is becoming increasingly relevant as the relationship between developers, publishers, and players remains complex.
Winsage
May 15, 2025
Developers are focusing on optimizing applications for the newly launched Copilot+ PCs, which feature advanced system architecture, all-day battery life, and the ability to run AI models directly on the device. The initial Copilot+ PCs are powered by Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus silicon, with AMD and Intel also introducing compatible processors. Microsoft’s App Assure Program provides guidance and technical support to help developers optimize applications for these devices, particularly for Arm-based Snapdragon X Series devices. NordVPN is a notable example of a company that successfully utilized the App Assure program to develop an Arm-optimized version of their application. The program includes the Arm Advisory Service, which allows developers to consult with Microsoft engineers for a smoother development process. Other companies, such as Proton VPN and F-Secure, have also benefited from the App Assure team in optimizing their applications for the Windows on Arm platform.
AppWizard
May 14, 2025
Brightika is investing a substantial amount over the next two years to enter the PC and console gaming market, aiming to support indie game development with financial backing, marketing, and publishing assistance. The company has nearly 200 million installations of its mobile games and plans to replicate this success in the new markets. Discussions are ongoing with various development teams, and some titles may be showcased at the Steam Next Fest from June 9th to 16th. Founder Alexander Rodichev highlights the goal of providing marketing and distribution support to developers in these sectors.
Tech Optimizer
May 14, 2025
Neon can spin up a Postgres instance in less than 500 milliseconds. Databricks has acquired Neon, rumored to be valued at over a billion, to enhance its AI capabilities. Neon focuses on developing a premier Postgres solution for cloud environments and aims to refine its offerings with Databricks' support. Neon’s serverless architecture allows for a fully isolated Postgres database deployment in under 500 milliseconds, separates compute and storage for cost efficiency, and maintains compatibility with the Postgres ecosystem. The integration of Neon’s architecture with Databricks' platform aims to improve AI agent systems, alleviate performance bottlenecks, streamline infrastructure, and reduce operational costs. The acquisition will result in the Neon team joining Databricks, pending regulatory approvals.
Winsage
May 14, 2025
Microsoft's support deadline for Windows 10 is set for October 14, 2025. Users of Microsoft 365 Apps (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook) will receive security updates until October 10, 2028, even after Windows 10's expiration. An active Microsoft 365 license is required for this extended support. If users experience issues on Windows 10, Microsoft may not provide resolutions if the problems do not occur on Windows 11, and users cannot log bugs related to Windows 10.
AppWizard
May 14, 2025
Since April 2024, the threat actor Marbled Dust has been exploiting a zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-27920) in the Output Messenger chat application, targeting user accounts that have not applied necessary fixes. This exploitation has resulted in the collection of sensitive data from users in Iraq, specifically linked to the Kurdish military. Microsoft has high confidence in this assessment and notes that Marbled Dust conducts reconnaissance to identify potential targets using Output Messenger. Marbled Dust has successfully utilized this vulnerability to deploy malicious files and exfiltrate data. Microsoft notified the application’s developer, Srimax, about the vulnerability, leading to the release of a software update. A second vulnerability (CVE-2025-27921) was also found, but no exploitation of this second flaw has been observed. The zero-day vulnerability allows an authenticated user to upload malicious files to the server's startup directory. Marbled Dust has exploited this flaw to place a backdoor file, OMServerService.vbs, in the startup folder, enabling them to access communications and sensitive data indiscriminately. The attack chain begins with Marbled Dust gaining access to the Output Messenger Server Manager, likely through DNS hijacking or other credential interception techniques. Once inside, they exploit the vulnerability to drop malicious files, including a GoLang backdoor, which connects to a Marbled Dust command-and-control domain for data exfiltration. To mitigate this threat, Microsoft recommends updating to the latest version of Output Messenger, activating various security protections, and implementing rigorous vulnerability management strategies. Microsoft Defender XDR customers can identify potential threat activity through specific alerts related to Marbled Dust and utilize advanced hunting queries for detection. Indicators of compromise include traffic to the domain api.wordinfos[.]com, associated with Marbled Dust activities.
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