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Data Doctors: What the deadline extension for Windows 10 means
Winsage
August 3, 2026

Data Doctors: What the deadline extension for Windows 10 means

Microsoft has extended its Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10 consumers until October 12, 2027, providing critical security updates for eligible systems. Windows 10 remains functional, but no new features will be introduced, and users must ensure their devices are enrolled in the ESU program to receive updates. Users are advised to check their computer's compatibility with Windows 11 and consider upgrading, as it is available as a free upgrade for eligible machines. If a computer does not meet the requirements for Windows 11, the ESU extension allows additional time to plan for replacement. Users should keep their internet security software and applications updated and maintain backups of important data.
Microsoft wants Windows 11’s right-click menu to work the way it should, by giving users more control
Winsage
August 2, 2026

Microsoft wants Windows 11’s right-click menu to work the way it should, by giving users more control

Microsoft is redesigning the context menu in Windows 11 to address complaints about its sluggishness and clutter. The new design will feature a more compact layout that enhances loading speed and offers full customization options. Users will be able to prioritize frequently used actions, hide seldom-used entries, and rearrange items in the menu. This initiative is part of the broader Windows K2 project aimed at improving the operating system's performance and user experience. The redesigned context menu is currently functional in internal testing, but no timeline for its public rollout has been announced.
Why Does Windows Explorer Use So Much Memory?
Winsage
July 28, 2026

Why Does Windows Explorer Use So Much Memory?

A user on Reddit reported that Windows Explorer was using over 21GB of memory, which can cause performance issues on systems with less than 8GB of RAM. One cause of excessive memory consumption is third-party shell extensions, which can be identified by booting into Safe Mode. A tool called ShellExView can help locate problematic extensions. To create a system restore point, users can press Win + R, type systempropertiesprotection.exe, click Create, enter a description, and click Create. Windows Explorer may also retain large caches of temporary data, leading to high memory usage. To clear temporary files, users can press Win + I, navigate to System > Storage > Temporary files, check the relevant boxes, and click Remove files. They can also manually clean the thumbnail and icon cache by deleting specific files in the %localappdata% directory. Corrupted system files can contribute to high memory usage, and users can run DISM and SFC tools to repair these files by accessing the Terminal (admin) and executing the commands DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth and sfc /scannow.
Some Ubisoft games on Xbox Series X|S now come with PC versions for free
AppWizard
July 27, 2026

Some Ubisoft games on Xbox Series X|S now come with PC versions for free

Microsoft and Ubisoft have announced an extension of their partnership, allowing players who own select Ubisoft titles on Xbox to access their PC versions at no additional cost, excluding those who purchased through the Xbox PC store. Ubisoft has added over 80 games to the Xbox PC store, many included in the Ubisoft+ Classics subscription with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but none support the Xbox Play Anywhere feature. Customers purchasing digital versions of specific titles will receive both Xbox console and PC versions, with existing owners receiving the PC version by August 4. Players need to use the Ubisoft Connect PC app to access these titles, which has experienced technical difficulties. Some games are optimized for handheld devices, and certain titles offer progression syncing between PC and Xbox consoles via Ubisoft Connect.
BitTorrent исполнилось 25 лет. Как программа одного человека изменила интернет и поставила Голливуд в тупик
TrendTechie
July 24, 2026

BitTorrent исполнилось 25 лет. Как программа одного человека изменила интернет и поставила Голливуд в тупик

On July 2, 2001, Bram Cohen announced the operational status of his program, BitTorrent, on a mailing list for peer-to-peer network developers. BitTorrent revolutionized file sharing by segmenting files into smaller pieces, allowing users to download from multiple sources simultaneously and share already downloaded data, which improved download speeds as file popularity increased. Unlike earlier peer-to-peer networks, BitTorrent did not have a built-in catalog, relying on external websites for users to locate torrents. The first major torrent catalog, Suprnova, emerged in 2002, followed by The Pirate Bay in 2003, making the protocol widely accessible. By 2004, BitTorrent accounted for nearly a third of all internet traffic. In 2004, Cohen founded BitTorrent Inc., which acquired the client µTorrent in 2006. The company launched the BitTorrent Entertainment Network in 2007, but it closed in 2008 due to competition from free pirated content. BitTorrent Inc. later explored various technologies but struggled to establish a sustainable business model. The protocol evolved with decentralization features like the distributed hash table (DHT) and magnet links. In 2018, BitTorrent was acquired by the blockchain project TRON for an estimated 0 million. BitTorrent Inc. claims around 54 million active users per month, with additional users on independent clients. Despite a decline in torrent traffic from its peak, the network has been experiencing growth, attributed to rising streaming costs and fragmented content availability.
How we pushed CDC into Postgres, and turned replication into clockwork
Tech Optimizer
July 24, 2026

How we pushed CDC into Postgres, and turned replication into clockwork

Making data from transactional databases accessible to analytical databases is essential in modern data architecture, but it faces challenges such as fragile tooling, high costs, and complex operations. Snowflake has developed a Postgres service that addresses these issues by reimagining Postgres replication. Postgres is a strong operational database, but its change data capture (CDC) capabilities need improvement. Many data pipelines are fragile due to complexities in managing continuous data flow, schema changes, snapshots, and failures. To enhance user experience with Snowflake Postgres, a complete reinvention of the replication process was necessary. A new feature called data mirroring is in public preview, allowing resilient data replication into Snowflake with low cost, minimal lag, and transactional consistency. This feature directly pushes changes from Postgres into Apache Iceberg™ tables in transactional batches, which are then automatically applied to Snowflake tables without extra infrastructure. Change data capture records changes from a transactional database for replay on another system, primarily using logical decoding in Postgres. This method decodes WAL records into logical operations, but the client bears the responsibility for subsequent steps like backfilling, managing schema changes, and handling failures. Built-in logical replication in Postgres only addresses some complexities. A limitation of logical decoding is that the external system does not recognize the state of Postgres, making it difficult to detect schema changes or correlate snapshots with changes. The solution is to push changes from Postgres into a data lake, specifically into Iceberg tables using compressed Parquet format, with object stores like Amazon S3 as the destination. The mirroring process uses a new Postgres extension called snowflake_cdc, which continuously pushes batches of changes into per-table change logs and a meta log. This extension understands the Postgres environment, coordinating schema changes and complex transactions while ensuring alignment between snapshots and changes.
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