Experiment Archives

AppWizard

May 1, 2025

How to enable Truecaller’s widget on Android

After integrating Truecaller's widget onto your home screen, you can explore features such as reviewing recent calls and accessing contacts directly from the widget. Adjusting these settings allows you to tailor the widget's performance to your daily requirements.

Winsage

April 30, 2025

Windows Insider Program: What is it and why you should consider joining it (and few reasons you shouldn’t)

The Windows Insider Program allows users to explore unreleased features of Microsoft's Windows operating system by enrolling in various channels. To join, Windows 11 users can go to Settings >> Windows Update and select Windows Insider Program, enabling optional diagnostic data sharing with Microsoft. There are four channels to choose from: 1. Canary Channel: For technical users wanting to preview early-stage features, often unstable. 2. Dev Channel: More stable than Canary, includes features under consideration for future releases. 3. Beta Channel: Recommended for most users, offers a balance of stability and innovation with features likely to be rolled out to all users. 4. Release Preview Channel: The most stable option, providing a preview of the next major release with tested functionalities. Reasons to join include early access to new features, the ability to provide feedback to Microsoft, professional advantages for IT administrators, community engagement, and skill improvement. However, drawbacks include potential system instability and bugs, as well as privacy concerns related to sharing diagnostic data.

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

Key To Success? Minecraft Study Reveals Adaptability Beats All

A study published in Nature Communications explored human decision-making using the game Minecraft, involving 128 participants who navigated a virtual world to find hidden rewards. The research found that individuals adapt their strategies based on personal success rates; they rely on their instincts when thriving but observe and emulate successful peers when struggling. In clustered reward environments, successful players attracted followers, while in random settings, individuals distanced themselves to minimize competition. The study highlighted the importance of adaptability in decision-making and noted that participants sometimes copied others even when it was unbeneficial. The research was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, with no reported competing interests. The paper was published on April 25, 2025.

Winsage

April 26, 2025

3 reasons you shouldn’t use Btrfs, ReFS, or ZFS on Windows

Windows has relied on the NTFS file system for many years, while alternatives like Microsoft's ReFS, ZFS, and Btrfs have emerged. ZFS and Btrfs are not officially supported on Windows, leading users to depend on community-developed drivers that can cause stability issues, including crashes and blue screens of death. Performance tests show that ReFS underperforms compared to NTFS, with significant declines in disk performance across various metrics. Similar performance issues have been reported for Btrfs. Additionally, ReFS lacks certain features available in NTFS, such as support for portable media, specific encryption options, extended file attributes, and disk quotas. Currently, Windows is not fully equipped to support these newer file systems, and while ReFS is under development, the future of ZFS and Btrfs on Windows remains uncertain.

Winsage

April 25, 2025

Microsoft touts AI Dev Gallery for Windows

Microsoft has launched the AI Dev Gallery, an open-source application for Windows developers aimed at integrating AI functionalities into projects. Initially introduced as a concept in December 2024, it was officially showcased on April 22. The platform provides resources such as sample applications, model downloads, and exportable source code, and is available for download in preview format from the Microsoft Store. Key features include the ability to experiment with AI applications offline and a variety of interactive samples, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation, chat interfaces, object detection, text-to-speech/speech-to-text conversion, and document summarization and analysis, all designed to run locally on developers' machines.

Winsage

April 24, 2025

Download WampServer (free) for Windows

WampServer is a web development environment designed for Windows users, integrating MySQL, Apache, and PHP into a single package for local web application development. It simplifies the setup process, allowing novice developers to create functional development servers without affecting live websites. WampServer operates independently of an internet connection and provides a user-friendly control panel for managing server components. It supports both free-form PHP coding and content management systems like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. WampServer is free to use and compatible with Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11, but not with macOS or Linux. Alternatives to WampServer include MAMP, XAMPP, and Apache HTTP Server, each offering different features and compatibility.

Winsage

April 23, 2025

I turned my Windows PC into an EdgeBook — Microsoft’s web apps were the most glaring issue

Microsoft Edge was used as the sole application for two weeks to explore its capabilities as a potential alternative to ChromeOS for Windows 10 users. The experiment revealed that while Edge has useful features like the Sidebar and Edge Drop, the web versions of Microsoft Office were inadequate for daily tasks, often performing poorly and lacking functionality compared to desktop versions. Essential applications identified during the experiment included Snipping Tool, PowerToys, Microsoft Office apps, and a dedicated photo editor. The experiment also highlighted the possibility of uninstalling many applications from Windows 11, emphasizing the benefits of a clean install. Additionally, the potential of Windows 10X as a competitor to ChromeOS was noted, though it remains unrealized.

AppWizard

April 23, 2025

10 tips to conquer the continent in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a French JRPG-style game featuring real-time combat mechanics similar to rhythm games. Players engage in exploration, which reveals lore, powerful items, optional bosses, and quests. The game includes a lumina mechanic that enhances combat effectiveness by activating additional pictos. Combat features an elemental weakness system, requiring players to adapt their strategies based on enemy vulnerabilities. Quicktime dodging, jumping, and parrying are essential skills, and Gustave's gun offers versatile combat options, including targeting weak points and dismantling enemy shields. Many exploration upgrades are optional and require engaging in side quests. Building relationships with expedition team members unlocks new abilities, and managing action points effectively is crucial for maximizing damage output. Each character has a unique playstyle, encouraging players to experiment with combinations for optimal effectiveness in battles.

Winsage

April 22, 2025

These 7 WSL programs changed how I use Windows

Windows users previously faced challenges using Linux tools via virtual machines until the introduction of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which was further improved with WSL2. WSL2 integrates a lightweight virtual machine into Windows, allowing users to run Linux applications seamlessly. Runtipi and CasaOS can be easily set up on WSL2 to host self-service applications without complex configurations. Visual Studio Code (VS Code) offers a WSL extension that enables code execution directly in Linux distributions from Windows, enhancing the coding experience. Gigolo is a frontend for managing network shares, which can also be integrated into Windows 11 through WSL2. Ansible can automate the provisioning of virtual machines and containers on WSL2, making it easier for users engaged in DIY projects. Rsync can be installed via WSL2 for efficient file synchronization and backups on Windows. Podman Desktop allows Windows users to explore container runtimes using WSL2, providing a GUI for managing containers. Lastly, WSL2 enables users to access the Linux terminal and run various Linux distributions directly within Windows 11.

Winsage

April 21, 2025

I ran Windows 11 inside a Docker container… on my Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi series has evolved into versatile systems, but running Windows has been challenging for enthusiasts. A recent project explored running Windows 11 on the Raspberry Pi 5 using Runtipi, a platform for deploying containers. This method allows Windows 11 to run in a container using KVM technology. The installation process took about 38-43 minutes, resulting in a Windows 11 desktop with limited performance, including a capped display resolution of 800x600. Geekbench 6 tests showed single-core performance similar to Raspberry Pi OS, but multi-core performance was lower. Running PC games resulted in long load times and resolution issues, making the experience unsatisfactory. The containerized approach simplifies the installation process compared to traditional methods, making it a viable option for running lightweight applications on the Raspberry Pi.