healthy Archives

AppWizard

April 8, 2025

Teen Accounts Are Coming to Facebook—Parents May Actually Approve

Teens Accounts are being introduced on Facebook and Messenger, allowing users aged 13 to 15 to reconnect with safety features similar to those launched on Instagram. These accounts include parental controls, restrictions on interactions, and content access. Young users can only communicate with contacts they have already engaged with, and parents can monitor usage and settings. Features like reminders for breaks and Quiet Mode are included to promote healthy habits. Restrictions on Instagram Live for users under 16 will also require parental permission. The rollout will begin in select regions, including the USA and Canada, with plans for a broader global expansion.

AppWizard

April 8, 2025

We’re Introducing New Built-In Restrictions for Instagram Teen Accounts, and Expanding to Facebook and Messenger

Last year, Instagram introduced Teen Accounts with built-in protections for users under 16, requiring parental consent for any changes to default strict settings. A survey indicated that 97% of teens aged 13-15 chose to keep these protective measures. New safeguards for Instagram Live and direct messages will require parental approval for teens under 16. Teen Accounts will also be expanded to Facebook and Messenger, initially targeting users in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. Since their launch, over 54 million teens have used Teen Accounts, which include features like automatic private settings, content controls, and reminder notifications. A survey showed that 94% of parents found Teen Accounts beneficial, with over 90% supporting the default protections.

AppWizard

April 4, 2025

How an app about a cartoon bird is helping me be a better person

Three weeks ago, the author began using the Finch app, which serves as a habit tracker and routine builder. Users go through an onboarding process to create a personalized starter plan based on their responses to questions about sleep patterns and routines. Finch allows users to set and customize their goals, with reminders for daily habits. A unique feature is the ability to hatch and care for a virtual bird, which grows and embarks on adventures as users complete their goals. Finch also encourages self-care by prompting users to check in on their mood and offering suggestions for uplifting activities. The app has helped the author form positive habits, such as journaling and flossing, and it is available for free download on Android.

Winsage

March 12, 2025

Free95 claims to be a GPL 3 Windows clone

Kap Petrov announced Free95, a free Windows 95-compatible operating system, which is currently more of a concept than a developed project. It has gained attention on Reddit and GitHub, accumulating 330 stars, but lacks a formal license and substantial development. The project consists of low-resolution screenshots and limited source code, with a removed file named malware.c raising concerns about its quality. Critics on forums have expressed skepticism, comparing it to a rudimentary concept. Petrov has a local version 0.2.1 that he has not uploaded, and only two out of over 400 functions from Microsoft’s WinUser.h have been implemented.

AppWizard

March 11, 2025

TikTok to introduce mindfulness tool for teenage users

TikTok has introduced a Wind Down tool for users under 16, activating automatically after 10 PM to display calming visuals and music. The platform plans to test meditation exercises within this feature. Additionally, new parental control options include the Time Away feature, allowing parents to restrict app access during specific times. TikTok is enhancing its Family Pairing tools, enabling parents to monitor their child's interactions on the app. Val Richey, TikTok’s global head of outreach and partnerships, emphasized the importance of supporting teenage well-being and fostering healthy digital habits while maintaining communication with parents.

BetaBeacon

March 11, 2025

Odin: Valhalla Rising is launching this year as Kakao Games brings their hit MMORPG global

Odin: Valhalla Rising, an MMORPG based on Norse mythology, is going global this year with pre-registration starting on April 3rd. It has already been a big hit in Asia with 17 million downloads. The game features four realms and four classes, promising next-gen quality graphics and gameplay.

AppWizard

March 10, 2025

Unfinished PC hardware is here to stay, just like broken PC games

The landscape of PC gaming is increasingly concerning due to the trend of AAA titles launching with numerous bugs and hardware manufacturers facing similar issues. Intel's 13th and 14th Gen CPUs, AMD Ryzen 9000 series, Intel Core Ultra CPUs, and Nvidia RTX 50 series have all received criticism for requiring extensive BIOS updates or replacements to fix fundamental problems. Despite these issues, consumer outrage has diminished, with companies like Intel and AMD experiencing minimal financial repercussions from defective products. The competitive nature of the technology market is leading manufacturers to prioritize speed over thorough testing, resulting in a decline in quality assurance. Consumer demand for PC components remains strong, which may encourage companies to launch incomplete products without concern for quality. The outlook for PC hardware is bleak, with unimpressive generational gains and the rise of powerful consoles posing challenges for PC gaming. Significant innovations are needed to change the current trajectory of PC hardware.

Winsage

March 7, 2025

Windows 10 is supposed to be dying, so why are gamers running back to it?

Windows 10 is set to reach its end-of-life on October 14, 2025. As of April 2023, Windows 10 held a 71.6% share of the global desktop market, which decreased to 69.9% by April 2024 and fell to 58.7% by February 2024. In contrast, Windows 11's market share increased to 38.1%. Despite the overall trend favoring Windows 11, gamers are still favoring Windows 10, with a 10.4% increase in Windows 10 64-bit users and a 9.3% decrease in Windows 11 64-bit users among Steam users. The rise in users selecting Simplified Chinese as their preferred language on Steam may be contributing to Windows 10's resurgence, with only 26.4% of users in China using Windows 11. Windows 7 still holds a 16.5% share among desktop PCs in China.

AppWizard

February 27, 2025

Only One Cozy PC Game Will Help You Identify Plants In Real Life

Foraging for plants is a key activity in the game "Out and About," where players journey to the coastal town of Portobello to help a campsite manager named Annie recover from an injury caused by a storm. Players gather plants by photographing them, identifying species using a magnifying glass, and harvesting them responsibly. The game emphasizes community support and environmental appreciation, allowing players to create treats from foraged plants and sell them to townsfolk with specific needs. "Out and About" features a customizable character creator and charming animations, and it will be released on PC, though a release date has not been announced.

Tech Optimizer

February 22, 2025

How Mindbody improved query latency and optimized costs using Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL Optimized Reads

Mindbody utilizes a cloud-based platform for the fitness and wellness industry, offering services such as client booking, scheduling, payments, marketing, and analytics. Their email marketing platform is built on an Aurora PostgreSQL cluster, currently at version 13.8, with a size of approximately 17 TB and a workload distribution of 80% reads and 20% writes. Mindbody faced scaling and performance challenges due to architectural limitations and increasing data demands, leading to all workloads being directed to the writer node. The average BufferCacheHitRatio was below 80%, indicating frequent disk access rather than cache hits, contributing to higher query latencies and I/O costs. To address these issues, Mindbody adopted Aurora Optimized Reads, which enhances caching capacity and improves latency and throughput for I/O-intensive workloads. Transitioning required upgrading the database cluster to version 14.9 or higher, and extensive testing was conducted in a proof-of-concept environment. The upgrade process involved a blue/green deployment strategy to minimize production disruption. After implementing Aurora Optimized Reads, Mindbody experienced significant performance improvements, including a 50% reduction in average daily CPU utilization and a 90% reduction in ReadIOPS. The AuroraOptimizedReadsCacheHitRatio indicated that 85% of read requests were served from the optimized cache. Cost analysis revealed a 23% reduction in monthly Aurora costs post-transition, with potential for further savings by downsizing instances.