engine Archives

AppWizard

October 15, 2026

Google Play now lets users run private, vibe-coded Android apps

Google has introduced a feature that allows users to run privately created, AI-built Android applications on their smartphones via Google Play without public publication. This enables users to launch their apps using standard Google accounts while keeping them private, as these apps will not appear in Google Play search results or listings. The feature is available to users aged 18 and older in the United States, provided the apps comply with Google Play policies. Users can create apps using Google AI Studio through a process called “vibe coding.” Google plans to allow users to share their AI-built applications with trusted friends in the future and offers the possibility of transitioning popular personal apps into publicly published ones after passing trust and safety reviews. Additionally, Google is developing AI-driven tools to enhance the Google Play experience, including a personalized game recommendation engine called Game Finder, which will be available in English in the U.S. Users can curate game lists, engage in community discussions, and participate in gaming challenges. The Play Store's AI assistant, Ask Play, will receive updates for better app comparisons, and a new age-range feature will help developers create age-appropriate experiences for children.

AppWizard

October 15, 2026

Hirudo Android malware replaces banking apps to evade security checks

Researchers have identified a new Android malware called Hirudo, which steals bank account credentials by replacing legitimate banking applications with modified versions that disable security checks. Hirudo impersonates at least seven banks in Indonesia and targets financial institutions in China, India, Mexico, Morocco, and Thailand. It is delivered through seemingly legitimate applications related to shopping, adult content, or short drama, which prompt users to grant permissions, including Accessibility services. Once installed, Hirudo uninstalls the genuine banking app, downloads a patched version, and uses Accessibility permissions to complete the installation. The malicious app retains nearly all of the original app's code but integrates a hooking engine based on open-source frameworks YAHFA and Dobby, employing evasion tactics such as substituting signing certificates, concealing Accessibility services, disabling screenshot protection, and altering key-attestation certificates. Despite its advanced capabilities, Hirudo has limitations, including a publicly leaked attestation keybox and compromised certificates flagged by Google. Once operational, it can extract sensitive information, stream the screen, access cameras, and use fake checkout pages to collect payment PINs while misleading victims with fabricated success messages. Hirudo represents an escalation in Android banking malware tactics, focusing on the security mechanisms of banking applications. Researchers recommend that banks enhance security measures and that Android users keep devices updated, avoid unofficial APK files, and conduct regular Play Protect scans.

AppWizard

October 14, 2026

Android Auto 18 Now Available With Hidden “Cielo” Major Update Evidence

Google is preparing a significant update for Android Auto, with the latest version, Android Auto 18, currently in beta. The update, codenamed Cielo, represents the first major overhaul since Coolwalk and will introduce a new interface featuring widgets integrated alongside the main display. This design aims to maximize screen usage across various vehicle displays, including unconventional shapes like round screens. Android Auto 18 will also include a dynamic font called Google Sans Flex and enhancements to Work Profiles, allowing users to activate a work profile when connecting their phones to the vehicle. Additionally, the update will improve the capabilities of Gemini, which will leverage data from other Google services for contextual responses. Users can download the Android Auto 18.0 beta via an APK installer, but it is advised not to rely on this version for daily use due to potential issues.

AppWizard

October 13, 2026

Modder adds full local co-op to Resident Evil 2 remake on PC

A PC modder has created a mod for Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 remake that introduces local co-op functionality, allowing two players to control their own characters instead of just having a computer-controlled ally. The mod, called Local Couch Co-op, was developed by Shopcreeper01 and offers various character selections, each with unique inventories and HUD elements. It supports both shared-screen and split-screen display modes and requires the Steam version of Resident Evil 2 along with REFramework. The mod is exclusive to PC users. Additionally, it features an experimental mode inspired by Capcom’s upcoming title, Pragmata, where one player manages movement and the other focuses on aiming and shooting.

Tech Optimizer

October 12, 2026

SuperAntiSpyware Pro adds an extra layer of malware defense to your PC for under $20

RealDefense is offering a 73% discount on SuperAntiSpyware Pro for TechRadar Pro readers, reducing the price to .99 for the first year. This package includes protection against spyware, malware, adware, ransomware, and more, as well as complimentary 24/7 cyber security and tech support. The software can protect up to three PCs and is designed to work alongside existing antivirus programs, featuring an AI-powered detection engine for real-time protection. The offer includes a full year of protection and the first month of LiveTech support at no extra cost.

AppWizard

October 12, 2026

Adding WhatsApp, LinkedIn and Email Chats to an Android App Without Rebuilding Each One

Field sales applications, recruitment tools, and property management systems can integrate with messaging platforms on Android devices, addressing the need for users to view conversations directly within the app. A unified messaging API simplifies the integration process for developers, as each messaging channel has distinct authentication methods and message formats. The Android application should only communicate with a backend that interacts with the messaging API for security, event handling, and policy enforcement. Users can link their accounts through a hosted authentication link, reducing coding efforts. The unified API supports various platforms, including WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Telegram, Instagram, Gmail, and Outlook. When a message arrives, the messaging API triggers a webhook, and the relay service verifies the request, stores the message, identifies users, and sends push notifications via Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM). To ensure functionality in offline scenarios, the app should render conversation lists from local storage and manage outgoing messages with a WorkManager. Attachments should be handled efficiently by listing them as metadata and downloading them on demand, while uploads should involve client-side compression and resumable requests. By following this approach, developers maintain a single conversation model and sync engine, abstracting complexities associated with multiple messaging providers.

Tech Optimizer

October 11, 2026

A practical guide to cost optimization with Lakebase Postgres

Lakebase is a fully managed Postgres database designed for modern application development, featuring an architecture that separates storage and compute with a serverless compute layer. This design allows for cost efficiencies through various mechanisms: 1. **Branching**: Developers can create isolated environments for development, testing, or experimentation without duplicating storage costs, as branches share the same underlying storage. 2. **Autoscaling**: Lakebase adjusts compute resources based on activity levels, allowing users to pay only for the compute they use. It can scale down during low activity and can be suspended entirely after inactivity, reducing costs to zero. 3. **Read Replicas and High Availability**: The separation of storage and compute allows for adding read replicas and high availability without incurring additional storage costs, as these instances utilize the same storage layer. 4. **Synced Tables**: Integration with the Databricks Intelligence Platform enables efficient data syncing, allowing users to sync only the necessary working set of data, which helps avoid unnecessary storage and sync costs. 5. **Sync Modes**: There are three sync modes (Snapshot, Triggered, Continuous) for transferring data from the Lakehouse to Lakebase, each with different cost implications based on data freshness requirements. 6. **Right-sizing Compute**: Users can set the initial compute range during project provisioning to avoid over-provisioning and unnecessary costs. 7. **Monitoring and Metrics**: The Lakebase Metrics dashboard provides insights into working set size and cache utilization, helping users optimize their compute sizing and performance. 8. **Point-in-Time Restore (PITR) and Snapshots**: PITR maintains history for recovery within a configurable window, while snapshots offer discrete recovery points. Both are priced lower than standard storage, making them cost-effective options for data recovery. Lakebase costs are categorized into compute, storage, and serverless pipeline compute for syncing data. Compute is measured by CU usage, while storage includes branch storage, PITR history, and snapshot storage, all tracked separately. Users can access detailed usage and cost information through system billing tables.

Tech Optimizer

October 11, 2026

Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL now supports direct querying of Apache Iceberg and Parquet data in your data lake

Amazon has introduced a new capability for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL that allows users to query operational data alongside data stored in data lakes formatted in Apache Iceberg and Apache Parquet. This feature enables direct access to Iceberg REST Catalog-compatible catalogs, eliminating the need for data duplication or relocation. The integration of DuckDB within Aurora PostgreSQL allows users to query live operational data, including uncommitted writes, alongside data from data lakes using standard PostgreSQL syntax. This capability is available on Aurora PostgreSQL versions 17 (starting with 17.11) and 18 (starting with 18.6). Users must create an Aurora PostgreSQL cluster, attach an IAM role with the AuroraAnalytics feature, and enable the aurora_analytics extension to utilize this feature. They can create foreign tables referencing Iceberg or Parquet data in the data lake, and query them using familiar PostgreSQL commands. Aurora optimizes query performance through techniques like predicate pushdown and column pruning, and users can monitor query behavior with metrics provided by aurora_analytics_stat_statements(). Direct querying of Apache Iceberg and Parquet data is available across all commercial AWS Regions and AWS GovCloud (US) Regions without additional charges, aside from incremental Aurora compute and Amazon S3 request costs.

Tech Optimizer

October 10, 2026

AWS embeds DuckDB in its PostgreSQL DBMS to speed queries of live and historical data

Amazon Web Services Inc. has enhanced its Aurora PostgreSQL database management system to allow users to query the Apache Iceberg data lake directly. This feature integrates the DuckDB analytical engine, enabling seamless access to live transactions and historical records without data duplication or complex ETL processes. Customers can use existing PostgreSQL applications to query data in Amazon S3, including S3 Tables. The integration aims to reduce the engineering workload associated with data pipelines and supports real-time applications. DuckDB processes analytical scans within Aurora, eliminating extra network hops and allowing single queries to access both live and archived data. The feature supports external catalogs compliant with the Iceberg REST Catalog specification and can create foreign tables referencing data across multiple catalogs. Aurora optimizes query performance by filtering records and caching frequently accessed data. Customers can combine recent transactions in Aurora with historical data from S3 without manual schema definitions. For low-latency workloads, selected data can be copied into native Aurora tables using standard SQL. This capability requires the aurora_analytics extension and an AWS IAM role for S3 and Glue access, and is compatible with Aurora PostgreSQL versions 17.11 and 18.6. The feature is available across all AWS regions at no additional charge, with costs incurred only for Aurora computing resources and S3 requests.

Tech Optimizer

October 10, 2026

AWS Embeds DuckDB in Aurora PostgreSQL, Enabling Direct Data Lake Queries Without ETL

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has integrated the open-source analytics engine DuckDB into its Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL database, allowing users to query Apache Iceberg tables and Parquet files directly from data lakes without traditional ETL processes. This feature, announced on September 30, 2026, enables seamless access to both operational and historical data in a single SQL statement. Users can enable the aurora_analytics extension, assign an IAM role for S3 and AWS Glue access, and create external tables using standard PostgreSQL syntax. The integration supports Iceberg tables managed by AWS Glue Data Catalog, Iceberg REST Catalog-compatible external catalogs, Parquet files on S3, and S3 Tables. Performance optimizations include predicate pushdown and column pruning on the data lake side, with caching for frequently accessed data. This feature is available for Aurora PostgreSQL versions 17.11 and later, and 18.6 and later, across all commercial regions and AWS GovCloud (US), with no additional charges beyond Aurora compute and S3 request fees. In a separate development, AWS has a significant contract with AI company Anthropic, anticipating billion in cloud-related contractual obligations over several years, with approximately billion projected to be paid to Amazon from a 10-year agreement announced in April 2026. Anthropic's revenue has shown impressive growth, with first-quarter 2026 revenue reaching 0 million and second-quarter revenue at .8 billion. However, risks are present, as a significant portion of Anthropic's revenue comes from a few customers, and many larger clients lack long-term contracts. Amazon has invested .8 billion in Anthropic, with its stake valued at approximately billion as of June 2026.