innovation Archives

Winsage

March 27, 2026

Yes, your office admin can fully remove Microsoft’s Copilot app from your work PCs — if you follow this strict criteria for 28 days

In January, Microsoft released an update for Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7535, allowing administrators to uninstall the Copilot app on managed devices. This update addresses previous criticism regarding the lack of a mass-uninstall feature for administrators. Individual users have been able to remove Copilot from personal devices, but the new feature enhances user experience for managed devices. Microsoft also plans to improve user sentiment by reintroducing a movable and resizable Taskbar, reducing the visibility of Copilot and AI features, allowing indefinite postponement of updates, and eliminating the mandatory Microsoft Account requirement during setup. CEO Satya Nadella acknowledged public skepticism towards AI and emphasized the need for technology to demonstrate its value. Despite limitations on completely uninstalling Copilot, there is a desire for better user control over these features.

AppWizard

March 27, 2026

Total War Medieval 3 director says recreating its predecessors “would not make a good game”

Creative Assembly has announced several new titles, including Total War: Warhammer 40k and Total War Medieval 3, which is a sequel to a beloved game. They are also developing a sequel to Alien Isolation. Game director Pawel Wojs emphasized the studio's commitment to innovation and the need to modernize classic games for today's audience. He acknowledged the challenges of recreating Medieval 2, stating that simply replicating it would not result in a good game. However, he assured fans that the essence of what made Medieval 2 enjoyable will be preserved in Medieval 3. Creative Assembly is adopting a strategy of early project announcements to foster transparency and community involvement, aiming to engage with fans and incorporate their feedback throughout the development process. The studio is utilizing advancements in technology and a new engine to innovate within the strategy genre, potentially leading to significant achievements with Total War Medieval 3.

AppWizard

March 27, 2026

Minecraft devs say anything is possible in the sandbox game’s future as they start to dip into old ideas for new updates: “You always have more ideas than you can realize”

Minecraft is set to release its next update, Chaos Cubed, following the Tiny Takeover update. Mojang's product manager, Anna Lundgren, stated that the future of the game is open to endless possibilities, with the team revisiting previously shelved ideas for reimagining. The Copper Age update, released in September, is an example of this approach. Firefly bushes, initially planned for 2022 but removed due to concerns about their real-world implications, will be introduced in 2025 as a more eco-friendly alternative. Players are encouraged to stay engaged with the game as it evolves.

AppWizard

March 27, 2026

Android 17 to Finally Let You Exclude Specific Apps from Your VPN Connection

Using a VPN on Android can enhance privacy but may hinder access to location-dependent services. Many users utilize "split tunneling" to exclude specific apps from the VPN connection, allowing access to these services. Android 17 Beta 3 is set to standardize split tunneling across the operating system, providing a cohesive settings screen for users to manage app exceptions. This development aims to simplify the user experience by eliminating the need to navigate different VPN app interfaces. Users will be able to configure specific apps, like banking applications, to use their local IP address while keeping other web traffic secure under the VPN. The feature is still in development and will require updates from VPN applications to utilize the new system screen.

AppWizard

March 27, 2026

6 ways I’m already using Android 17’s app bubbles to multitask better

Google has released Android 17 Beta 3, featuring app bubbles, which enhance multitasking by allowing users to keep applications floating on their screens for quick access. Users can create app bubbles by long-pressing any app icon and selecting the "bubble" option, which opens the app in a small floating window that can be minimized into a bubble. Multiple bubbles can be stacked, and tapping a stack expands it for easy management. Users can remove bubbles by dragging them to an "X" button, and on foldable devices, bubbles can be arranged in a taskbar-style layout. The app bubbles feature allows for various multitasking scenarios, such as responding to messages without switching apps, keeping notes open while shopping, watching videos while taking notes, checking maps during chats, planning trips without app switching, and copying information easily between applications.

AppWizard

March 27, 2026

Owlcat is using generative AI for The Expanse Osiris Reborn, but the final game will be “100% human made”

Owlcat has admitted to using generative AI in the development of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, specifically for prototyping and placeholders, which will be replaced before final assets are created. PR manager Katharina Popp clarified that this approach is intended to streamline development, allowing for rapid iteration. However, this decision has sparked debate among fans, many of whom prefer human creativity over AI-generated content. Owlcat previously stated that generative AI was not used in their other titles, raising questions about their commitment to originality. The community has expressed resistance to the technology, with some players stating they do not want to play games that incorporate generative AI.

Winsage

March 27, 2026

Announcing Babylon.js 9.0

Babylon.js 9.0 has been released, marking the most extensive update to date, featuring new tools and enhancements for web developers. Key features include: - Clustered Lighting: Accelerates per-pixel lighting calculations by grouping lights into screen-space tiles and depth slices, improving performance in scenes with many lights. - Textured Area Lights: Area lights now support emission textures, allowing images to be used as light sources for realistic lighting effects. - Node Particle Editor: A visual tool for creating complex particle systems using a non-destructive node graph interface. - Particle Flow Maps and Attractors: Introduces flow maps for controlling particle movement and gravity attractors for dynamic effects. - Volumetric Lighting: A system for realistic light scattering through fog and haze, with configurable parameters for artistic control. - Frame Graph: A Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) system for managing the rendering pipeline, optimizing GPU memory usage by over 40%. - Animation Retargeting: Allows animations from one character to be applied to another with different skeleton structures, enabling animation sharing across diverse characters. - Advanced Gaussian Splat Support: Enhancements for Gaussian Splatting, including support for multiple file formats, shadow casting, and the ability to create and modify splat data programmatically. These features enhance the capabilities of Babylon.js for creating immersive web experiences.

AppWizard

March 26, 2026

V Rising developer is making its “most ambitious” vampire game yet, and players want it to be an MMORPG

Stunlock Studios is transitioning from V Rising to a new project within the same universe, which they describe as their "most ambitious project yet." While they will continue to support V Rising with balance adjustments and bug fixes, the content for the game is complete. The studio is stepping away from V Rising's established architecture due to its restrictive nature for creative iteration. They have introduced a Google Form for players to provide feedback on V Rising, although most of the development team will focus on the new title. Details about the new project are vague, but it promises a deeper and more dangerous experience. There is a strong player desire for an MMORPG experience, with hopes for larger servers in the next iteration. Stunlock is attentive to this feedback and invites community suggestions for the future of the V Rising saga.

AppWizard

March 26, 2026

Fusing turn-based tactics and real-time action, Vaunted is a new strategy RPG from Starcraft creator James Phinney

Vaunted is a tactical RPG from indie studio Lost Lake Games, set a millennium after the collapse of the last galactic empire, where mercenaries and treasure hunters seek priceless relics. The game combines third-person shooter action with turn-based tactical gameplay, allowing players to plan from a high-angle viewpoint while executing actions in real time. Players manage three characters—Dyse, Gendril, and Kyvaath—each with unique skills and backstories, and their choices influence the narrative. The game features dynamic combat mechanics, customizable loadouts, and randomized upgrades. Tim Bender, CEO of Hooded Horse, praises the project, and while a release date is not yet announced, players can wishlist it on Steam for updates.

AppWizard

March 26, 2026

“Nobody wants their games to look like Italian brainrot” – Indie publisher New Blood CEO urges devs to push back against DLSS 5 just like they did with NFTs and crypto games

A growing number of independent developers, including New Blood's CEO Dave Oshry and developer David Szymanski, are skeptical about Nvidia's DLSS 5 and its generative AI graphics tools. They express concerns that generative AI is irrelevant to Deep Learning Super Sampling, questioning the branding and technology connection. Oshry suggests that if Nvidia rebranded the technology as “Nvidia Generative Upscaling,” it would face backlash from the gaming community. Their stance reflects a broader apprehension about gaming technology's direction and emphasizes the importance of aligning innovations with player expectations and community feedback.