exclusive Archives

AppWizard

July 19, 2025

Swarovski has launched a collection of very exclusive Minecraft figurines

Swarovski has collaborated with Minecraft to launch a collection featuring four iconic figures: Alex, Steve, The Pig, and The Creeper, each with a crystal skin. The figures are available for pre-order at a price range of 0 to 0, allowing fans to purchase the entire set or individual characters.

AppWizard

July 19, 2025

Who ‘won’ a super-busy Steam week for debuts?

This week, over 20 games launched on Steam, accumulating more than 50,000 wishlists, with nine titles exceeding 100,000 wishlists. The Switch eShop has introduced new publishing guidelines in Asia regarding game bundles and content restrictions. Roblox is enhancing its safety platform with new features for players aged 13 and above. Star Wars Battlefront II's recent Steam revenue is estimated at millions, contributing to its overall success. Subnautica 2 has a wishlist total of 2.48 million amid a lawsuit against Krafton. The American Time Use survey shows individuals spend an average of 34 minutes on games and computers for leisure. Valve has improved wishlist data updates on Steam, but some users reported bugs in their charts. Payment providers like PayPal have restricted payments for certain extreme adult-themed games on Steam, prompting Valve to clarify its content policies.

Tech Optimizer

July 18, 2025

Redundant statistics slow down your Postgres? Try sampling in pg_stat_statements

pg_stat_statements is a PostgreSQL extension for monitoring query statistics, tracking execution counts, execution times, and row returns. It uses a hash table to store metrics for each query, identified by a key generated from four parameters: queryid, User OID, Database OID, and a toplevel flag. The extension can become a performance hindrance in high contention environments due to locking operations on the hash table. When numerous unique queries are executed, contention for the hash table can lead to significant performance drops. For example, with pg_stat_statements enabled, a system with 48 CPUs showed a TPS drop from 237,437 to 32,112 when executing unique queries. In contrast, with a high volume of similar queries on a 192 CPU machine, enabling pg_stat_statements resulted in a TPS of 484,338 compared to 1,015,425 with it disabled. Query sampling is introduced as a method to mitigate performance issues by recording metrics for only a fraction of executed queries. The pg_stat_statements.sample_rate parameter allows configuration of the proportion of queries tracked. However, sampling can lead to incomplete data and potential security risks if sensitive information is recorded in non-normalized form. Benchmark tests with varying sample_rate values showed that as the sample_rate decreased, TPS increased, and SpinDelay diminished. At a sample_rate of 1.0, TPS was lowest, while at 0.25 and below, SpinDelay effectively disappeared, indicating that sampling can significantly enhance performance under high contention conditions.

AppWizard

July 18, 2025

Gmail brings one-click appointment booking right to your inbox

Gmail users can now integrate Google Calendar booking pages directly into their email drafts using a new Calendar icon, making it easier to share real-time appointment slots. This feature aims to reduce the back-and-forth communication typically involved in scheduling. Users can access existing booking pages or create new ones by clicking the Calendar icon at the bottom of their email drafts. The feature is available to Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and personal Google account users, though some advanced scheduling features are limited to paid subscriptions. The rollout for Rapid Release domains has begun, with a wider release scheduled for July 28. Additionally, Gmail has introduced features like the Gemini AI assistant for summarizing emails and the ability to react to emails with emojis.

AppWizard

July 18, 2025

Epic Games Store: New free PC game now available to download and keep forever

The Epic Games Store has introduced a new selection of rotating free games to enhance user experience and expand its catalog. The current lineup includes both indie games and blockbuster titles. The store is also focusing on exclusive titles available only on its platform, partnering with renowned developers to provide unique gaming experiences. Additionally, it has rolled out a more intuitive user interface, integrated new social features for community interaction, and committed to regular updates and patches for games. The store is exploring cross-platform play to improve the multiplayer experience.

AppWizard

July 17, 2025

Steam’s slop problem has gotten much worse as reports say the number of games using GenAI has gone up almost 800% in the last year alone

The number of games on Steam disclosing the use of Generative AI has surged by nearly 800% over the past year, with just under 8,000 titles currently utilizing this technology, representing approximately 7% of the total Steam library. A year ago, around 1,000 games were reported to disclose the use of Generative AI. The influx of low-effort, AI-generated content has raised concerns among developers and players, particularly regarding quality dilution in gaming storefronts like the Nintendo eShop. Some developers have faced imitation of their popular titles, leading to frustration over misleading consumers. While some developers have stopped using AI due to backlash, others have adopted defensive language about their practices. The reported figures reflect only those developers who voluntarily disclose their use of Generative AI, suggesting the actual prevalence may be higher. Generative AI is being used in various ways, including for content moderation in games like Comedy Night, which filters offensive user-uploaded content. An artist known for contributions to Persona and Shin Megami Tensei attempted to train an AI model to replicate their style but found the results unsatisfactory, illustrating the challenges of AI in creative fields.

AppWizard

July 17, 2025

You Can Now Stream Your Own Xbox Games Directly to Your PC

XBOX has enhanced its Play Anywhere program, allowing users to stream Game Pass titles and select personally owned games across various devices, including smartphones and the Meta Quest, through cloud streaming. This functionality now extends to browsers and consoles, but not to the Xbox app on PC. PC gamers can stream games previously unavailable on PC, provided they have a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and own the specific game. The "Stream Your Own Game" feature is in beta testing and is being rolled out for around 250 games, with plans for expansion. To access this feature, users must become Xbox Insiders by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub app and completing the setup process.

AppWizard

July 17, 2025

6 best open-world PC games to play after Death Stranding 2

Death Stranding 2 is a PlayStation 5 exclusive that offers over fifty hours of profound storytelling and gameplay. The release has increased interest in the original Death Stranding on Steam, indicating a desire among PC gamers to experience its narrative. The Director's Cut of the original game features enhancements that improve the overall experience and is recommended for those who may have previously dismissed it. Alternatives for PC gamers while waiting for Death Stranding 2 include Mad Max, which offers fast-paced action in a desolate wasteland, and SnowRunner, which focuses on traversal and cargo delivery in challenging terrains.

Winsage

July 17, 2025

Hate Windows 11? Here’s how you can make it work more like Windows 10

User feedback has significantly influenced the evolution of Windows 11, particularly regarding changes to the user interface that differ from Windows 10. Early adopters expressed frustration, but many have adapted over time, while some still prefer the previous interface. Microsoft removed a considerable amount of legacy code, overhauling key components like the taskbar, Start menu, and File Explorer, which has disoriented some users. Microsoft has responded to feedback with updates, including the reinstatement of the Task Manager option in the taskbar's right-click menu and improvements to search functionality in version 22H2, as well as a redesign of File Explorer in version 24H2. Users can reposition the taskbar and Start button, but the ability to move the taskbar to the top or sides of the screen is still missing. A significant redesign of the Start menu is being tested. Keyboard shortcuts can help users navigate the new layout, and users can disable the widgets feature through Taskbar settings. Third-party applications like ExplorerPatcher, Open Shell, Start11, and StartAllBack offer customization options to revert to a more traditional layout, though they may pose compatibility risks with future updates.

AppWizard

July 16, 2025

Xbox PC app can now stream 250+ games beyond the Game Pass library

Microsoft is enhancing the Xbox PC app with a new feature called “Stream your own game,” allowing Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to stream over 250 console games directly to their PCs without installation. This feature expands the library of supported games from 50 to over 250, including titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, Star Wars Outlaws, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hogwarts Legacy. The games run on Microsoft’s cloud servers, conserving installation time and storage space on PCs. To use this feature, users need a Game Pass Ultimate subscription and digital copies of the games; physical discs are not supported. Participation in the Xbox Insider program and registration for the PC Gaming Preview is also required. Currently, the feature is available in 28 countries, with plans to remove the Insider restriction and broaden game selection in the future.