events Archives

AppWizard

July 5, 2026

Overwatch’s Steam reviews creep up to “mixed” as playercount surges

Overwatch is experiencing a resurgence on Steam, currently holding a "mixed" rating in recent reviews after previously being in the "mostly negative" range. It has over 136,000 English reviews and recently peaked at just over 74,000 players in a 24-hour period, though this number has since decreased to around 66,000. The game has faced criticism for aggressive microtransactions, with some items priced excessively high. Player engagement has improved compared to earlier months, where numbers hovered between 45,000 and 50,000.

Tech Optimizer

July 4, 2026

How to Use a Virus Checker on Your PC (2026)

Windows includes a built-in virus checker called Microsoft Defender Antivirus, which allows users to conduct virus scans. 1. To initiate a scan, open Windows Security, navigate to Virus & threat protection, and select Quick scan for a fast check. 2. Users can check which antivirus is active by going to Who's protecting me? in Windows Security. If a non-Microsoft antivirus is installed, Microsoft Defender will disable itself. 3. Before scanning, it's important to update the security intelligence by checking for updates in Protection updates. 4. A full scan can be executed by selecting Full scan in Scan options, while a custom scan allows users to specify a location to check. 5. For stubborn malware, Microsoft Defender Offline can be used, which requires a restart of Windows. 6. Scan results and quarantined threats can be reviewed in Protection history after any scan. 7. For additional checks, users can utilize VirusTotal for individual files or links, Microsoft Safety Scanner for a one-time scan, or the Malicious Software Removal Tool for specific malware. 8. Outdated tools like the Chrome Cleanup Tool and Norton Power Eraser should be disregarded as they are no longer effective. Users can scan individual files without scanning the entire PC, and results from the Microsoft Defender Offline scan are found in Protection history. The Microsoft Safety Scanner does not replace real-time antivirus protection, and managed devices can be scanned by IT administrators.

Winsage

July 4, 2026

Ex-Microsoft engineer rebuilds Notepad in 2.5KB using nothing but stuff Windows already had

Dave Plummer, a former Microsoft engineer, is recreating Notepad in 2.5 kilobytes with a project called TinyRetroPad, which includes features like Open, Save, Find and Replace, printing, font selection, word wrap, and unsaved changes prompt. TinyRetroPad leverages existing Windows infrastructure, utilizing built-in resources to function efficiently. It is based on Matt Power’s Dave’s Tiny Editor and operates as a wrapper around RICHEDIT50W. The size of TinyRetroPad increased with each feature added, reaching 2,476 bytes with printing. The project uses Crinkler, a compression linker, to optimize the executable. TinyRetroPad currently lacks a dedicated Releases page and may trigger false positives from antivirus software. Users have reported issues such as excessive memory usage and compatibility problems with older Windows versions. In contrast, the modern Notepad in Windows 11 has grown to approximately 352KB, with a total disk footprint nearing 5MB, leading to user backlash over its complexity. Windows 11 LTSC retains the classic Notepad, while TinyRetroPad aims to demonstrate the potential of leveraging existing OS capabilities rather than adding unnecessary features.

AppWizard

July 3, 2026

One of the best sci-fi strategy games of 2004 is free in GOG’s Summer Sale

Nexus: The Jupiter Incident is a tactical fleet simulator set in a sci-fi universe, released in April 2005 and received an 83% review score from PC Gamer. It is currently available for free on GOG until July 6 as part of the Summer Sale. The game's narrative takes place 60 years after the events surrounding Noah's Ark, focusing on Captain Marcus Cromwell amidst a conflict among megacorporations. The GOG Summer Sale runs until July 9, offering various games at discounted prices.

Tech Optimizer

July 3, 2026

Hackers Use Fake VLC Executable and Malicious libvlc.dll to Deploy ValleyRAT

Cybercriminals are using a sophisticated method to bypass security measures by embedding malware within the VLC media player. This campaign exploits VLC to install ValleyRAT, a remote access trojan, through phishing emails that contain links to download a seemingly harmless file. Once the file is opened, it activates a hidden backdoor that evades detection by antivirus solutions. The malware has been active since 2023, with a significant increase in activity noted through 2025 and into 2026, particularly targeting Chinese and Japanese-speaking users. The infection process begins when a victim clicks a link in a phishing email, leading to a ZIP archive containing a disguised executable and a malicious DLL (libvlc.dll). The executable mimics a legitimate VLC file, and when executed, it loads the DLL, allowing the malware to run under the guise of VLC. The malware establishes persistence by creating a registry entry and connects to a remote server to retrieve the final payload. ValleyRAT employs evasion tactics to avoid detection, such as performing checks on system behavior and using a fileless approach to inject its payload directly into memory, avoiding storage on disk. Researchers recommend training employees to recognize suspicious filenames and deploying endpoint detection tools to identify DLL sideloading behavior. For organizations affected by this campaign, isolating compromised systems and reviewing security logs are critical initial steps. Indicators of compromise include a malicious email domain, a ZIP archive containing a fake VLC executable, and a download URL for ValleyRAT.

AppWizard

July 3, 2026

The new Company of Heroes is a wave-based defense game that throws prospective generals straight into the action

Relic Entertainment has announced Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand, which introduces a "wave defense" gameplay style and features formidable bosses and dynamic battlefield events. The game incorporates a roguelite progression system, encouraging players to experiment with different strategies. This installment celebrates the franchise's 20th anniversary while evolving the Company of Heroes experience.

Tech Optimizer

July 2, 2026

From monolith to Lakebase to LTAP: rethinking the database from storage up

Sixteen years ago, the author began their PhD at UC Berkeley and was advised to focus on analytics rather than OLTP databases, which were considered solved. This led to the creation of Apache Spark and Databricks. However, during the development of Databricks, it was found that OLTP databases were not solved problems; they were difficult to scale and fragile. This realization led to the development of Lakebase, a serverless Postgres database designed with modern technology. Lakebase architecture separates the write-ahead log (WAL) and data files into independent, scalable services. The WAL is externalized to a service called SafeKeeper, which uses Paxos-based replication for durability, while data files are managed by PageServer, which stores them in cloud object storage. This design addresses challenges such as data loss, scaling, and performance interference between transactional and analytical workloads. Lakebase maintains compatibility with Postgres, offers unlimited storage, serverless compute, durable writes, and simpler high availability. It also introduces LTAP (Lake Transactional/Analytical Processing), which allows both transactional and analytical processing to operate on a single data copy in real time, eliminating the need for separate data copies and reducing costs. LTAP utilizes a unified storage layer that allows data to be materialized in both row and columnar formats, optimizing it for both transactional and analytical workloads. The system ensures that analytics can access the most current data without affecting transactional performance by using a log sequence number (LSN) to retrieve the latest changes. Unlike traditional CDC approaches, LTAP requires no explicit table replication, as all data is stored in a single governed copy. This architecture circumvents common issues faced by hybrid transactional/analytical processing (HTAP) systems, such as incomplete feature sets, lack of ecosystem support, and performance contention. The Lakebase architecture has unlocked capabilities like unlimited storage, elastic compute, durable writes, and instant branching, with ongoing developments anticipated in the future.

AppWizard

July 2, 2026

15 indie games we saw during the Big Indie Pitch at NAGIS that you’ve got to check out

The Big Indie Pitch event recently took place in Canada, showcasing indie developers and their PC and console games. Sponsored by Xsolla, the event featured a speed-dating format where developers presented their games to a panel of industry experts for five minutes. This format allowed for feedback and insights from professionals in publishing, scouting, and media. The event attracted developers at various project stages and served as a networking opportunity. The pitching sessions are a staple of Pocket Gamer Connects conferences and other gaming events worldwide. Interested participants can visit the Big Indie Pitch website for information on future events.

TrendTechie

July 2, 2026

Релиз BATorrent 3.0 — легковесного BitTorrent-клиента, созданного на C++, Qt 6 и libtorrent-rasterbar

BATorrent 1.0 is a lightweight BitTorrent client released in March 2026, developed using C++, Qt 6, and libtorrent-rasterbar. It is open-source and available on GitHub under the MIT license, with builds for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Key features include support for magnet links and .torrent files, resuming capabilities, sequential downloading, file prioritization, and imports from qBittorrent. It has automatic RSS downloading with regex filtering, duplicate detection, and automatic tracker list generation from Stremio. Streaming is supported with players like VLC and IINA. BATorrent emphasizes user privacy with no telemetry or analytics, and the only outgoing request is a release check on GitHub, which can be disabled. The user interface includes three themes, a real-time speed graph, a detailed tabbed panel, a filter panel, drag-and-drop support, and system tray notifications. It supports multiple languages and prioritizes privacy with features like PT mode for private trackers, one-click Tor proxy setup, and leech blocking. Notifications can be sent via Telegram webhook, and it has enhanced Discord presence status and native OS notifications.

Tech Optimizer

July 2, 2026

From monolith to Lakebase to LTAP: rethinking the database from storage up

Sixteen years ago, the author began their PhD at UC Berkeley, where they were advised to focus on analytics rather than OLTP databases, which were considered a solved problem. However, upon developing Databricks, they found that OLTP databases were cumbersome, challenging to scale, and fragile. This led to the creation of Lakebase, a serverless Postgres database designed to address these issues by externalizing the write-ahead log (WAL) and data files into independent services. Lakebase architecture separates the WAL into a distributed service called SafeKeeper and data files into another service called PageServer, allowing for improved durability, scalability, and performance. This architecture eliminates data loss risks associated with disk failures and misconfigurations, simplifies high availability, and allows for elastic compute resources. Lakebase also introduces LTAP (Lake Transactional/Analytical Processing), which enables transactions and analytics to operate on a single data copy in real-time, avoiding the need for separate data copies and reducing costs. The system retains Postgres's ACID semantics while storing data in open columnar formats, making it accessible to both transactional and analytical engines without the delays and complexities of traditional replication methods. The architecture allows for unlimited storage, serverless compute, and instant branching, while ensuring that analytics can read the most current transactional data without affecting transactional workloads. LTAP aims to unify transactional and analytical processing by leveraging distinct compute engines for each workload while integrating at the storage layer.