instruction Archives

AppWizard

January 10, 2026

Deadlock dev teases the community over its favorite hero that was briefly tested and removed: ‘We made delicious stock out of his bones and meats’

Slork, a hero in the game Deadlock, was initially introduced during private testing and later rebranded as Fathom. He was part of a hero labs feature that allowed players to experiment with characters in development. However, as the game evolved, the hero labs mode was removed, and while four of the eight characters from that phase were integrated into the game's core roster, Fathom was not included and was subsequently removed. The announcement of Slork's removal was met with disbelief and humor, particularly after a developer jokingly mentioned making a stock from his bones and meats in response to community lament. This comment, along with a specific cooking instruction of "7 hours," underscored the character's demise and left fans mourning his loss.

AppWizard

December 14, 2025

3 Best Free Android Apps For Learning Another Language (Other Than Duolingo)

Google Gemini is a tool for real-time translations that enhances communication across cultures. Duolingo is a popular language-learning app known for its gamified experience and daily engagement features, including a daily streak for motivation and competition. Preply connects users with over 100,000 tutors from more than 180 nationalities for personalized instruction in 120 subjects, allowing trial lessons to assess tutor compatibility. Busuu offers lessons in over a dozen languages with community feedback from native speakers, fostering interaction among its 120 million registered users. Memrise focuses on memory techniques for language acquisition, featuring video clips of native speakers and a free plan for courses in 23 languages. The selection of these apps was based on their ratings on the Google Play Store, with a minimum rating of 4.5 and significant user reviews.

Winsage

December 9, 2025

Windows PC gaming in 2025: Handheld innovation, Arm progress and DirectX advances

Windows has been a key platform for PC gaming, evolving significantly by 2025 with advancements in handheld gaming and performance. The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X, powered by AMD Ryzen Z2 Series processors, were introduced, enhancing handheld gaming experiences. The Xbox Full Screen Experience (FSE) was launched for these devices, optimizing gaming interfaces. Advanced Shader Delivery (ASD) was implemented, reducing load times by over 80% for some titles. System-level performance improvements included tuned power management and lower CPU overhead. Windows also focused on Arm devices, enabling local game installations through the Xbox PC app and expanding compatibility with the Prism emulator. Native anti-cheat support was introduced for Arm devices, enhancing competitive gaming. DirectX 12 advancements included features that improved ray tracing performance by up to 2.3×. Bluetooth LE Audio support was added to enhance audio quality for gamers. Upcoming innovations include expanding FSE to more Windows devices, further ASD support, and a preview of Auto Super Resolution for improved visuals in games.

AppWizard

November 22, 2025

A former Valve dev revealed how, while a VR version of Half-Life 2 was being made, a single metro cop’s toe created a ‘time-travelling’ bug that softlocked all versions of the game

Half-Life 2's physics engine experienced a notable bug during the development of its VR version in 2013, where players became softlocked due to a door not opening as intended. This issue was traced back to an NPC, a metro cop, standing too close to the door, causing a collision that prevented it from opening. The problem was found to exist in both the VR build and the original game. The root cause was linked to floating-point calculation discrepancies between the newer SSE instruction set used for the VR tests and the older x87 set used in the original game. In the x87 version, the guard's toe moved out of the way, allowing the door to open, while in the SSE version, the guard remained in the way, causing the door to bounce back and trap players.

Winsage

November 21, 2025

CVE-2025-50165: Critical Flaw in Windows Graphics Component

In May 2025, Zscaler ThreatLabz identified a critical remote code execution vulnerability, CVE-2025-50165, with a CVSS score of 9.8, affecting the Windows Graphics Component within the windowscodecs.dll library. Applications relying on this library, including Microsoft Office documents, are vulnerable to exploitation via a malicious JPEG image. When a user opens such a file, their system can be compromised, allowing remote code execution. Microsoft released a patch for this vulnerability on August 12, 2025, affecting several versions of Windows, including Windows Server 2025 and Windows 11 Version 24H2 for both x64 and ARM64-based systems. ThreatLabz recommends that all Windows users update their applications to the patched versions. The attack chain involves crafting a JPEG image to exploit the vulnerability, which can be triggered directly or indirectly through other files. The vulnerability's analysis revealed issues with uninitialized memory and the need for a Control Flow Guard bypass for exploitation. Attackers can manipulate the instruction pointer through heap spraying and Return-Oriented Programming. ThreatLabz developed a Proof-of-Concept application to demonstrate the exploitation process and has implemented protective measures against the vulnerability.

Winsage

November 20, 2025

Qualcomm Overhauls Windows on Arm Gaming with Downloadable GPU Drivers and AVX2 Support

Qualcomm has decoupled GPU updates from Microsoft's OS release cycle, allowing Snapdragon X Elite owners to download graphics drivers directly, which aligns the company with industry standards set by Nvidia and AMD. The company has transitioned to a direct "Upgradable Graphics Drivers" (UGD) model, enabling immediate access to driver updates through Qualcomm’s portal. The beta "Adreno Control Panel" has been rebranded to the "Snapdragon Control Panel," which now includes game-specific profiling and optimization features. Qualcomm has also integrated support for AVX and AVX2 instruction sets, addressing compatibility issues with games like God of War and Control. Kernel-level anti-cheat support has been introduced, making multiplayer gaming more accessible on Arm-based systems. The Snapdragon X2 Elite is set to launch in the first half of 2026, promising "Day 0" driver support and the ability to run 90% of top games, with performance expectations to outperform Intel’s Lunar Lake architecture.

AppWizard

November 20, 2025

Flashnote Derby- music notes! For Android

Flashnote Derby is an interactive music education app designed for children to learn how to read music notes through a racing game format. Users identify musical notes to advance their virtual horses, with the speed and accuracy of their responses affecting their progress. The app allows users to review missed notes after each race and offers multiple answering methods, including playing notes on instruments or using an on-screen piano. It is customizable, enabling users to select specific notes from various clefs and adjust the difficulty level, including the addition of sharps, flats, and key signatures. The app features drills that increase in complexity and includes over a dozen instructional video lessons for beginners. Teachers can utilize the app for assignments and track student performance to provide targeted support. Flashnote Derby aims to make learning music enjoyable and engaging for various types of music students.

Winsage

October 27, 2025

Can you still bypass Windows 11 requirements as Windows 10 hits EOL? We tested it

Windows 11 requires a 1GHz dual-core CPU that supports TPM 2.0 and at least 4GB of RAM. Users with older PCs running Windows 10 can still install Windows 11 25H2 using known bypass methods, even if their hardware does not meet these specifications. The installation methods include using a command line for an in-place upgrade, utilizing Rufus to create a bootable USB, or editing the Registry during setup. The Windows 11 ISO file is approximately 7.20 GB in size and can be downloaded from Microsoft's official site. Users can revert to Windows 10 by navigating to Settings > System > Recovery and selecting "Go back."

AppWizard

October 13, 2025

New AMD Arm CPUs are coming, and with Steam Deck-type socket, according to leak

AMD is reportedly shipping test kits for a new lineup of Arm CPUs integrated with GPUs, with the latest chip codenamed Soundwave appearing in shipping manifests. This marks AMD's renewed commitment to the Arm CPU market after previously exploring it with the Opteron A1100 CPUs in 2016. The new Soundwave chips are expected to utilize the upcoming FF5 socket, which may replace the current FF3 socket used in devices like the Steam Deck. Shipping manifests have been uncovered that list test kits based on BGA1074 sockets, confirming the authenticity of the Soundwave kits. Speculation suggests these chips may be system on chips (SoCs) with integrated GPUs.

AppWizard

October 12, 2025

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds Mod Adds Jack Black’s Steve

Sonic Racing: Crossworlds has received attention for its gameplay, but some fans desire a more authentic experience due to its reliance on licensed partnerships. The modding community has responded by creating enhancements, including a mod called the “Jack Black Steve Collection,” which allows players to race as Jack Black’s animated version of Steve from the Minecraft movie. This mod, created by user BROCHONKY and hosted on GameBanana, features two skins and includes voice lines and music from the film. Sega supports modding culture, as indicated by their actions against cheating mods while encouraging creative modifications in their End User License Agreement.