labor Archives

AppWizard

January 16, 2026

Running Factorio from over 1,000 floppy disks is a masochistically manual process that surely sets a new record for game load times

YouTuber DocJade is running the game Factorio on 1,000 3.5-inch floppy disks instead of a conventional hard drive. He developed a custom file system called Fluster using the RUST programming language, which divides each floppy disk into 512-byte blocks, allowing for a total of 2,880 blocks per disk and approximately 90 GB of storage. Fluster is open-sourced and available on DocJade's GitHub. Factorio's design allows it to load most content before the title screen, making it suitable for this unconventional method.

Winsage

January 16, 2026

Microsoft Ends Windows Server 2008 Support on January 13, 2026

Microsoft has officially ceased all support for Windows Server 2008 as of January 13, 2026, including paid extended security updates. This end-of-life scenario poses significant security risks for organizations still using the outdated operating system, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks. The transition away from Windows Server 2008 requires careful planning, as many organizations face challenges in migrating legacy applications to modern systems. The lack of ongoing patches means that any new vulnerabilities will remain unaddressed, potentially leading to data breaches and compliance failures, particularly in regulated sectors like healthcare and finance. Microsoft has encouraged migration to Azure, offering incentives for early adopters, but the transition can be complex and costly. The end of support also affects global supply chains and compatibility with newer software applications. Organizations are advised to conduct audits of their software portfolios and consider hybrid environments to enhance flexibility and security.

AppWizard

January 8, 2026

With The Outer Worlds 2, Obsidian has finally delivered the RPG that Fallout New Vegas fans have craved for 16 years

The Outer Worlds 2 is a sequel that builds on its predecessor's foundations, featuring impactful decision-making and refined gameplay. Set in a different galaxy, players take on the role of an agent of the Earth Directorate, tasked with investigating catastrophic rifts threatening the galaxy, particularly the Arcadia colony. The game critiques hyper-capitalism while being developed under Microsoft, incorporating satirical elements. Players' choices significantly influence gameplay, with character builds affecting the narrative and challenges faced. The revamped flaws system introduces both positive and negative effects based on player actions, encouraging exploration. The game features expertly crafted quests that intertwine with the main storyline, leading to unique outcomes. Companions add emotional depth to the experience, each with distinct personalities. While initial planets showcase engaging quests, later areas feel less vibrant, and combat lacks depth, often becoming repetitive. The crafting system allows for customization but may not be fully utilized due to the game's ease. Performance is strong, running smoothly on high-end hardware. Overall, The Outer Worlds 2 emphasizes meaningful player choices but reveals a need for improved combat mechanics.

AppWizard

January 5, 2026

Hollow Knight Silksong wins Steam’s Game of the Year with a staggering 43 million votes from PC players

Hollow Knight Silksong won the Game of the Year at the 2025 Steam Awards, receiving 43.8 million votes. It also won the award for Best Game You Suck At. The game was released on September 4, 2025, and experienced significant traffic that caused outages on platforms like Steam and Xbox. It did not win the Game Awards' GOTY, which went to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Players can expect additional content with the upcoming Sea of Sorrow expansion. Other notable awards included Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for Best Soundtrack, Hades 2 as Best Game on Steam Deck, Silent Hill F for Outstanding Visual Style, and The Midnight Walk as VR Game of the Year. Team Cherry is also developing a new release for the Nintendo Switch 2. Baldur’s Gate 3 received the Labor of Love award.

AppWizard

January 4, 2026

PC players hand Silksong their Game of the Year gong over Expedition 33 as the 2025 Steam Awards winners are announced

Hollow Knight Silksong won the Game of the Year title at the 2025 Steam Awards, determined by user votes. It also received the 'Best Game You Suck At' award, making it the only title to secure two wins that year. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won Best Soundtrack. Baldur's Gate 3 received the 'Labor of Love' award, while Hades 2 was named 'Best Game on Steam Deck.' Dispatch won 'Outstanding Story-Rich Game,' Silent Hill f received 'Outstanding Visual Style,' The Midnight Walk was named 'VR Game of the Year,' and RV There Yet won the 'Sit Back and Relax' award. Arc Raiders was recognized for 'Most Innovative Gameplay.' Hollow Knight Silksong reached the 'platinum' tier of bestsellers during the Steam Winter Sale.

Winsage

December 30, 2025

The great programming transformation: How AI and Rust are quietly dethroning C in Linux

Microsoft is focusing on AI development more than Linux, with 20% to 30% of its code now generated by AI. Galen Hunt aims to eliminate C and C++ from Microsoft's codebase by 2030, envisioning a transition to Rust, although not a complete rewrite of Windows. Microsoft is integrating Rust into security-critical areas, while Linux is also adopting Rust through initiatives like Rust-for-Linux and plans to write its apt package manager in Rust. Both companies are using AI to streamline development, with Microsoft allowing AI to autonomously handle coding issues, while Linux maintains human oversight in decision-making. Rust is seen as a safer alternative to C due to its memory-safe design, despite some challenges, including identified security bugs.

Winsage

December 22, 2025

This week in Windows news— Saving RAM, testing Insider features, and the “fake” record lows of holiday shopping

In 2025, there has been a surge in news activity related to Windows 11, including updates for Windows Insiders and enhancements to the Link to Windows app, which now allows remote locking of PCs from Android devices. As Christmas approaches, discounts on Windows laptops and gaming handhelds are significant, with the Surface Pro 11 available at reduced prices. Finding the best deals is challenging due to complicated sales processes, with specific retailers like Newegg, Walmart, and Amazon offering various models at competitive prices. Automated tools often fail to identify the best prices across similar models, leading to labor-intensive searches for consumers. A recent flash sale for the Surface Laptop 7 has ended, but a variant with increased storage capacity remains available.

AppWizard

December 17, 2025

Minecraft challenge breathes new life into rich cultural past

A young gamer named Qiu Zekai, known as Qiuxiaoniuer, has recreated part of the destroyed Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) in Minecraft, digitally repatriating the looted 12 zodiac bronze animal heads. His video has received millions of views, prompting discussions about "cyber reunion" and national pride. The zodiac bronzes were originally part of a fountain at the Qing Dynasty royal resort, which was looted during the Second Opium War in 1860. Only seven of the bronzes have been returned. Qiu spent two months on this project, which is part of a larger Minecraft building relay challenge that has amassed over 300 million views and showcases Chinese cultural architecture. Other participants have created significant structures, including a miniature Forbidden City and a floating palace inspired by Dunhuang art. The relay has become a cultural dialogue, connecting younger generations with their heritage through gaming.

Tech Optimizer

December 12, 2025

Optimize and troubleshoot database performance in Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL by analyzing execution plans using CloudWatch Database Insights

Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched CloudWatch Database Insights in December 2024, a monitoring solution for Aurora (PostgreSQL and MySQL) and Amazon RDS engines, aimed at identifying and resolving database performance issues. The tool includes an Advanced mode for SQL execution plan analysis, which helps users troubleshoot query performance within Aurora PostgreSQL clusters. The PostgreSQL query optimizer generates execution plans to determine the most efficient way to execute SQL queries, which can be analyzed using the EXPLAIN command. Users can compare execution plans to identify performance degradation, such as changes in execution behavior due to dropped indexes or inefficient join strategies. For example, a comparison of execution plans for a SQL statement retrieving order details showed significant differences: one plan used an efficient index scan while another resorted to sequential scans due to missing indexes, leading to increased query costs and execution times. Additionally, analysis of execution plans can reveal performance bottlenecks, such as insufficient memory allocation for sorting operations. Adjusting the work_mem parameter allowed for in-memory sorting, improving performance significantly. CloudWatch Database Insights facilitates the identification of these issues, enabling users to optimize query performance effectively.

AppWizard

December 8, 2025

This week in PC games: a skating demon tries to eat the moon and Terminator game appropriately rewrites history

Edwin has been consumed by The Maw after leaning in due to its deceptive sounds. New safety measures were instituted, including a no-petting policy and using a six-foot news pole for feeding. Mark performed The Last Post on his kazoo, and the 'Days since last accident' whiteboard was updated from '56' to '0'. Upcoming game releases include Skate Story, Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, Cat Named Mojave, Liminal City, Death Howl, Milano's Odd Job Collection, Unbeatable, Anxiety Puppy, Ashes of Creation, and Terminator 2D: No Fate.