initialization Archives

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

Major Google Play Store update grabs your attention with ‘browse pages’ and more

Google I/O 2025 announced new features for the Play Store aimed at enhancing user engagement. The "topic browse pages" will allow users to explore apps in a more interactive way, debuting in May in the U.S. with a focus on Media & Entertainment content. The "Where to Watch" feature will expand to users in Korea, Indonesia, the U.K., and Mexico, while developers will gain access to a hero content carousel for showcasing YouTube videos. "Audio samples" will be introduced on the Apps Home, starting with Health & Wellness content. Developers will receive new overview pages for Grow and Monetize statistics and can halt app rollouts if necessary. The Asset Library will be updated for easier management of app assets. Google is also streamlining the subscription process with "multi-product checkout for subscriptions," allowing users to bundle subscriptions with related add-ons. Enhanced controls for developers regarding subscription management and improved payment setup during device initialization are also part of the updates.

Winsage

May 19, 2025

Windows Remote Desktop Gateway UAF Vulnerability Allows Remote Code Execution

A critical vulnerability, designated as CVE-2025-21297, has been identified in Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Gateway (RD Gateway) due to a use-after-free (UAF) bug linked to concurrent socket connections during the service's initialization. This flaw, located in the aaedge.dll library within the CTsgMsgServer::GetCTsgMsgServerInstance function, allows multiple threads to overwrite a global pointer, leading to potential arbitrary code execution. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of Windows Server, including 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025. Microsoft released security updates in May 2025 to address the issue, implementing mutex-based synchronization. The updates are KB5050011 for Windows Server 2016, KB5050008 for Windows Server 2019, KB5049983 for Windows Server 2022, and KB5050009 for Windows Server 2025. Security experts recommend applying these patches promptly and monitoring RD Gateway logs for unusual activity.

Tech Optimizer

May 5, 2025

One-click Postgres Pro optimization with pgpro_tune

pgpro_tune is a command-line utility designed to optimize the initial server configuration of Postgres Pro based on hardware specifications. It scans the server to identify key hardware details, processes these values through shell scripts that encapsulate tuning expertise, and generates recommended parameters for PostgreSQL settings, including memory management, autovacuum tuning, connection limits, and statistics collection. The utility appends these settings to the postgresql.conf file, ensuring they override the default settings. pgpro_tune supports various presets for different use cases and allows database administrators to create custom presets. It runs automatically during cluster initialization and can be executed manually at any time, applying changes through standard PostgreSQL methods. This tool aims to streamline the tuning process, reduce the risks of misconfiguration, and enhance performance without replacing the need for advanced tuning in specialized scenarios.

Winsage

May 4, 2025

Code Smell 298 – How to Fix Microsoft Windows Time Waste

Conditional logic in software development can obscure critical signals, leading to issues such as user delays, poor experiences, unpredictable timeouts, incomplete initialization, hidden dependencies, policy mismanagement, silent failures, and backward compatibility breaks. Solutions include validating all code paths, utilizing default reporting mechanisms, conducting rigorous edge case testing, refactoring policy checks early, implementing performance tests, and positioning reports outside of conditionals. A specific example is provided where Windows 7 had slower login times due to a failure to signal readiness when users selected a solid color background instead of a wallpaper image. This oversight resulted in a 30-second wait instead of a 5-second login process. Effective software design requires consideration of all potential code paths to avoid technical debt and performance issues. Static analysis tools can help identify critical reporting calls guarded by conditionals, and code reviews should ensure all initialization paths signal completion. The correspondence between real-world states and program states is crucial for maintaining user trust in the system. AI generators may inadvertently introduce issues by wrapping legacy code in conditionals without validating all paths.

Tech Optimizer

May 2, 2025

Amazon Aurora now supports PostgreSQL major version 17

Amazon Aurora has integrated support for PostgreSQL major version 17, specifically version 17.4. This release includes enhancements such as improved memory management, faster storage metadata initialization, and optimizations for write-heavy workloads on Graviton 4 instances. It also introduces new features for Babelfish, security updates, and revisions to extensions like pgvector 0.8.0 and postgis 3.5.1. PostgreSQL 17.4 is available across all commercial AWS Regions and AWS GovCloud (US) Regions. Users can create a new Aurora PostgreSQL-compatible database through the Amazon RDS Management Console and should review the Aurora documentation for upgrade strategies.

Winsage

April 30, 2025

Unpatched Windows Shortcut Vulnerability Let Attackers Execute Remote Code

Security researcher Nafiez has discovered a vulnerability in Windows LNK files that allows remote code execution without user interaction. Microsoft has chosen not to address this issue, stating it does not meet their security servicing criteria. The vulnerability exploits specific components of LNK files, enabling attackers to create malicious shortcuts that initiate silent network connections when a user accesses a folder containing them. The exploit involves manipulating the HasArguments flag, EnvironmentVariableDataBlock, and embedding UNC paths. Microsoft defends its inaction by citing the Mark of the Web (MOTW) feature as adequate protection, despite concerns from security experts about its effectiveness. Previous vulnerabilities in LNK files have been addressed by Microsoft, and the availability of proof-of-concept code raises fears of potential exploitation by malicious actors.

Tech Optimizer

April 30, 2025

PostgreSQL 18: Part 4, or CommitFest 2025-01

PostgreSQL 18 includes significant enhancements in monitoring capabilities and new features. Key updates include: - Buffer information in EXPLAIN ANALYZE is now enabled by default, providing detailed buffer statistics for better query performance insights. - The pg_stat_io view tracks I/O statistics in bytes (read_bytes, write_bytes, extend_bytes), simplifying monitoring of I/O operations. - Enhanced monitoring of Write-Ahead Logging (WAL) statistics is introduced, allowing tracking of WAL operations and new WAL segment initialization. - The pg_stat_get_backend_io function provides I/O statistics for specific client processes, aiding in performance tuning. - The VACUUM (verbose) command now includes visibility map information, detailing all-visible pages after a vacuum operation. - The pg_stat_all_table view tracks total vacuum and analysis times per table, and users can adjust autovacuum workers without server restarts. - A new uuidv7 function generates UUIDs with a Unix-epoch timestamp for ordered identifiers. - The passwordcheck extension enforces a minimum password length for better security practices. - Improvements to the jsonb type ensure correct handling of null conversions. - The casefold function facilitates case-insensitive searches. - The RETURNING clause in DML commands now supports returning both old and new values. - The to_number function can convert Roman numerals to numeric values.

AppWizard

April 30, 2025

LG will shut down update servers for its Android smartphones on June 30

LG will officially terminate software updates for all its smartphones on June 30, 2025. This includes the cessation of the mobile phone software upgrade service (FOTA), update center, and LG Bridge service. Users are advised to upgrade their software before this deadline, as no further updates will be provided after that date.

Winsage

April 9, 2025

Microsoft fixes auth issues on Windows Server, Windows 11 24H2

Microsoft resolved an authentication issue related to Credential Guard on systems using the Kerberos PKINIT pre-authentication protocol, affecting Windows 11, version 24H2, and Windows Server 2025. The problem involved improper password rotation when using the Identity Update Manager certificate, leading to user authentication issues primarily in enterprise environments. Devices failed to change passwords every 30 days, causing them to be perceived as stale, disabled, or deleted. The resolution was provided in April 2025 through Windows security updates, and Machine Accounts in Credential Guard were temporarily disabled. Microsoft advised users to install the latest updates for improvements and fixes. This is not the first authentication issue Microsoft has addressed; previous challenges occurred in November 2022 and November 2021, involving Kerberos sign-in failures and delegation scenarios.

Tech Optimizer

April 8, 2025

Pools across the sea: how Hyperdrive speeds up access to databases and why we’re making it free

Cloudflare has made Hyperdrive available on the free plan of Cloudflare Workers, allowing developers to create high-performance global applications that connect to SQL databases. Hyperdrive simplifies database connectivity by using existing drivers and connection strings, reducing the need for extensive refactoring. It has been adopted by Cloudflare's engineering teams for various functions, demonstrating its effectiveness in addressing common challenges in application development. Hyperdrive significantly improves performance, with a benchmark showing latency reduction from 1200 ms to 500 ms when using Hyperdrive instead of a direct connection, and further to 320 ms with caching enabled. It employs transaction-mode connection pooling to efficiently manage database connections, minimizing overhead and ensuring optimal performance for serverless applications. Hyperdrive's architecture includes a split connection approach that reduces latency by conducting necessary round trips over shorter distances. It also features a regional pool strategy for selecting data centers based on the inferred location of the Worker, optimizing connection latency. The system includes a dual-layer caching strategy to enhance query performance and reduce load on the origin database. Developers can easily start using Hyperdrive by executing a simple command or using a dashboard to set up a sample Worker application with their existing Postgres database.