factory Archives

AppWizard

January 30, 2026

The Monster Train 2 DLC is very good: the Railforged, a challenging new mode, and a mechanical spider factory

The author has logged 370 hours and achieved 127 victories in Monster Train 2, feeling their journey was complete until a pre-release build of the DLC Destiny of the Railforged reignited their passion. The DLC introduces new mechanics, such as smelting blight cards into resources and a forge system that enhances strategic decision-making. It includes a new mode called Soul Savior, featuring enhanced units, powerful upgrades called souls, and increased difficulty with formidable enemies and new status effects. The DLC is set to release on February 2 at a reasonable price, enriching the gameplay experience and expanding the Monster Train 2 universe.

Tech Optimizer

January 28, 2026

EDB Demonstrates Strong Global Momentum and Cross-Industry Adoption of EDB Postgres® AI

MNTN, Waystar, and NTT East have adopted EDB Postgres AI (EDB PG AI) to modernize their data platforms, enabling agentic AI, real-time analytics, and mission-critical operations while maintaining control over data and infrastructure. EDB's Sovereignty Matters research indicates that enterprises focusing on scalable agentic AI prioritize sovereign control of data, hybrid deployment flexibility, and a unified platform for transactions, analytics, and AI workloads. MNTN modernized its data warehouse for high-volume advertising data, Waystar consolidated its data infrastructure for healthcare transaction processing, and NTT East enhanced AI-driven network operations while ensuring data locality control. The adoption of EDB PG AI reflects a growing market demand for open-source database foundations, with 35% of enterprises considering PostgreSQL for complex workloads. EDB PG AI provides an open-source foundation, accelerated AI development, hybrid deployment flexibility, and enterprise-grade reliability.

AppWizard

January 28, 2026

Maybe I should just buy Factorio? I’d like Arknights: Endfield a lot more if it would stop trying to be Genshin Impact and just let me build

The anime gacha game market is becoming increasingly similar, with Genshin Impact as a dominant influence. New titles often struggle to differentiate themselves, leading to a saturation of open-world action RPGs with collectible anime characters. Arknights: Endfield introduces a unique factory-building mechanic, allowing players to mine materials and manage conveyor belt systems, which sets it apart from typical gacha games. Honkai: Star Rail is noted for its turn-based gameplay and humor, while other titles like Zenless Zone Zero and Genshin Impact feature vibrant character designs but face challenges with monetization strategies that can detract from gameplay enjoyment. Despite the innovations in Endfield, it still caters to the Genshin Impact audience, highlighting a desire for more engaging gameplay without the complexities of traditional action RPGs.

Winsage

January 21, 2026

There’s a right way to wipe your Windows PC before getting rid of it – here’s how I do it

Many individuals and businesses consider acquiring a new PC at the start of the year and must decide what to do with the old device. Options include passing it down, reallocating it, donating, selling, or trading it in. Before doing so, it's essential to migrate apps and files, securely erase personal data, and reset the operating system. To migrate apps and files, users can utilize the Windows Backup app on their old PC to back up settings and installed apps, as well as personal folders to OneDrive. Upon setting up the new PC with the same Microsoft account, users can restore their profile. It's also important to compile a list of legacy software and ensure necessary activation codes are available. For data backup, users can use cloud storage services or create an image backup on a removable hard drive. To securely wipe old data, Windows 11 Pro users can enable BitLocker Disk Encryption, while Windows 11 Home users should delete sensitive files and use the command cipher /w:c: to wipe the disk space. For preparing the old PC for a new owner, users can choose one of three options to install a new copy of Windows 11: 1. Reset - Navigate to Settings > System > Recovery and select "Reset PC," choosing "Remove everything" and either Cloud Download or Local Reinstall. 2. Reimage - If specific drivers are needed, check for a recovery image in Settings > System > Recovery or download one from the manufacturer’s website. 3. Reformat and clean install - Create bootable installation media using the Media Creation Tool, ensure Windows is activated, reformat the system disk, and install Windows 11, which will activate automatically for the new owner.

AppWizard

January 21, 2026

Death Stranding Director’s Cut Launches on Xbox Game Pass for PC and Console

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now available on Xbox Game Pass for both console and PC, marking its first appearance on Microsoft's subscription service. This version, developed by KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS and published by 505 Games, is accessible to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Premium subscribers. The Director’s Cut includes new features such as a new story location called the Ruined Factory, new delivery tools like cargo catapults and support ramps, an expanded combat system with new melee moves and the Maser Gun, a firing range for weapon testing, and a racetrack mode for time-based challenges. The game has been optimized for performance on handheld devices. It is also available for purchase through the Xbox Games Store.

AppWizard

January 15, 2026

Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 makes Settings easier to navigate and squashes plenty of bugs

Google has released the Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2, focusing on stability improvements and bug fixes for Pixel phone users. The update addresses critical crashes, notification shade glitches, charging limit issues, and slow Wi-Fi connectivity. It also features a revamped System Settings layout with grouped sections for easier navigation. The beta is available as an OTA update for enrolled users and is compatible with Pixel devices from the Pixel 6 series to the Pixel 10 lineup. Users can also manually flash factory images if preferred. The stable release of Android 16 QPR3 is expected around March 2026.

AppWizard

January 12, 2026

Five new Steam games you probably missed (January 12, 2026)

Steam releases approximately a dozen new games daily, creating a challenging environment for gamers to find hidden gems. - Oddcore - Release: January 7 - Developer: Oddcorp - Features: A wave-based sci-fi shoot 'em up with customizable mechs and a nostalgic '90s aesthetic. - Dungeon Antiqua 2 - Release: January 8 - Developers: Shiromofu Factory - Features: A sequel to an 8-bit JRPG dungeon crawler with top-down exploration and turn-based combat. - Dreadmyst - Release: January 10 - Developer: dreadmyst.com - Features: A free fantasy MMO with no monetization, offering isometric gameplay and four character classes. - Blood Money: Lethal Eden - Release: January 10 - Developer: Jade Flame - Features: An FMV thriller about a catfishing scheme, receiving positive early reviews.

AppWizard

January 11, 2026

One of the Most Popular PC Games of All Time Just Got Steam Deck Verified 7 Years After Release

Satisfactory has achieved Steam Deck Verified status after being categorized as “Playable” for a period. The game has sold 5.5 million copies as of 2024 and reached a peak of 184,171 concurrent users on Steam. It holds a score of 91 on Metacritic and a 97% approval rating on Steam, earning the “Overwhelmingly Positive” designation. Players take on the role of a pioneer on an alien planet, tasked with constructing factories to utilize natural resources, and the game is available for .99 on Steam.

Tech Optimizer

January 10, 2026

Protect Yourself From the macOS Flaw that Bypasses Apple Privacy Controls

A newly identified macOS vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-43530, poses a significant risk by circumventing Apple’s privacy controls, potentially exposing users to malicious actors. This flaw arises from two vulnerabilities that allow hackers unauthorized access to systems by exploiting Apple-signed services and a timing gap in process verification. Hackers can execute AppleScript commands and access user files and microphone audio without triggering warnings. The VoiceOver screen reader service is a primary target for exploitation. Users are advised to update to macOS Tahoe 26.2, review app permissions, consider third-party antivirus solutions, and avoid downloading untrusted files to enhance security.

Tech Optimizer

January 6, 2026

How to speed up mass data inserts in PostgreSQL when using Spring

A common task in enterprise systems involves loading large volumes of data into PostgreSQL, which can be slow if using a loop in Java that calls the save() method for each record. Initial tests show that a basic insert operation takes over 10 minutes. Hibernate retains every object in the session-level cache until the transaction concludes, leading to high memory consumption. Enabling batching with the jdbc.batch_size setting improves performance by about 23%, but high memory usage persists. Application-side caching of IDs is faster than database-side caching, achieving a 30% performance gain. Using saveAll() results in minimal improvement as it still calls save() in a loop. Enabling reWriteBatchedInserts in the JDBC driver allows for multi-row inserts, reducing operation time to 4 minutes and 37 seconds. Clearing the session-level cache with EntityManager further optimizes memory usage, resulting in an 18-second time gain. Setting order_inserts=true enhances batching efficiency. With all optimizations, insertion time is reduced to 4 minutes and 19 seconds. A custom data insertion layer can be created to generate INSERT statements, with reflection being a straightforward but not optimal method. Prepared statements improve performance and security, with an efficient batch size of 5,000 records. PostgreSQL's COPY command facilitates faster bulk data transfers than multi-row inserts. Integrating COPY with Spring transactions enhances performance, and parallelizing the insertion process with a ThreadPoolExecutor significantly improves speed and memory usage.