Leads Archives

AppWizard

May 12, 2025

How to Make a Slime Farm in Minecraft – The Times of India

Slimes in Minecraft are found exclusively below Y=40 in the overworld and come in three sizes: large, medium, and small. Defeating them yields experience points—4 XP from large slimes, 2 from medium, and 1 from small. A large slime splits into smaller versions upon defeat, allowing players to accumulate approximately 24 XP from one encounter. Defeating slimes also provides slimeballs, which are essential for crafting items like leads, sticky pistons, and slime blocks. To build a slime farm, players must locate a slime chunk, dig down to Y-level 20–40, clear a 16x16 block area, create spawning platforms, add iron golems to attract slimes, build an auto-kill mechanism, and install a collection system with hoppers and minecarts. Proper lighting is necessary to prevent unwanted mob spawns.

AppWizard

May 9, 2025

These dangerous Android apps are installed 2.5 million times each month

Kaleidoscope is an ad-fraud attack targeting Android users by exploiting legitimate applications on the Google Play Store and offering malicious duplicates through third-party app stores. Approximately 2.5 million devices are affected monthly, with 20% of incidents occurring in India, and other impacted regions include Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil. Users unknowingly download legitimate-looking apps while malicious versions circulate elsewhere, leading to intrusive advertisements that disrupt user experience and generate revenue for cybercriminals. Google has removed flagged titles from the Play Store and is enhancing protections, but ad resellers often fail to properly vet their inventory. The adware causes device overheating, rapid battery drain, and sluggish performance, highlighting the need for user vigilance.

AppWizard

May 8, 2025

Mojang has just killed support for Minecraft VR, an underrated but very flawed VR experience

Mojang has announced the discontinuation of VR support for Minecraft, with plans to cease support by March 2025 and a suspension of VR functionality that occurred in May. The transition away from VR has received mixed reactions, as the experience was often described as temperamental and underwhelming. Alternatives like Vivecraft, a fan-supported mod, allow players to enjoy Minecraft in VR on PCs, but come with challenges such as requiring additional setup and coordination among friends. The decision to discontinue support likely stems from Minecraft's evolving nature, which complicates development and leads to the obsolescence of older versions.

Tech Optimizer

May 7, 2025

Opinion: Do you really need separate antivirus software? Probably not

A friend is considering purchasing antivirus software for a new Windows PC and sought advice on the best options. Major antivirus providers include Norton, McAfee, AVG, and Bitdefender, but many features overlap with Windows Defender. Most home users may not need paid antivirus software, as Microsoft and Apple provide built-in solutions. Web browsers and email providers also offer protection against online threats. Windows 11 users can monitor security through the Windows Security dashboard, while Apple users should keep their systems updated. If encountering issues from suspicious links, downloading Malwarebytes is recommended for scanning and repair. The free version is available for both Mac and Windows, but the paid version is suggested for regular use. Opinions on antivirus necessity vary, and those using computers for business may consider investing in a security suite for added peace of mind.

AppWizard

May 5, 2025

How to get a Turtle Shell in Minecraft | Esports News – The Times of India

The Turtle Shell in Minecraft is a piece of headgear that allows players to breathe underwater for an additional 10 seconds and provides 2 armor points of protection. To obtain a Turtle Shell, players must find and breed turtles in beach biomes to collect scutes. The breeding process involves feeding two turtles seagrass, which leads to egg-laying. After the eggs hatch and the baby turtles mature, they drop scutes. Players need five scutes to craft one Turtle Shell by arranging them in a helmet pattern on a crafting table. The Turtle Shell can also be enchanted for extended underwater exploration.

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.

Winsage

May 4, 2025

Do Not Open This PDF On A Microsoft Windows PC

Microsoft has warned about the increasing use of PDF attachments in cyberattacks, particularly during the U.S. tax season. Attackers have been using PDFs with embedded links that redirect users to counterfeit pages, such as a fake DocuSign site. TrustWave SpiderLabs has identified a new campaign involving a fake payment SWIFT copy that leads to a malicious PDF containing obfuscated JavaScript, which downloads a script that conceals the RemcosRAT payload using steganography. This technique involves hiding links within images, making them difficult to detect. The latest attacks begin with phishing emails containing malicious PDFs that direct victims to harmful webpages, facilitating the delivery of RemcosRAT, a trojan that allows remote control of compromised systems. Users are advised to be cautious of emails labeled “SWIFT Copy” and to delete suspicious emails immediately.

AppWizard

May 3, 2025

This one app has made my life easier and my wife happier

The author has at least 35 different smart home devices, leading to a fragmented experience with multiple apps and services. They are considering using Home Assistant as a central hub for device control, which supports various protocols like Matter, Thread, Zigbee, HomeKit, and Nest. Home Assistant can be installed easily on devices like Raspberry Pi or Virtual Machines, requiring a constant network connection. Once set up, it consolidates controls into one interface, allowing for custom dashboards and automations. Recent developments, such as Google discontinuing support for older Nest Thermostats, have prompted users to seek alternatives like Home Assistant for a unified control experience. The introduction of customizable lock screen shortcuts in Android 14 allows users to replace the Google Home app with Home Assistant. Users are encouraged to start simple and gradually expand their system.

AppWizard

May 2, 2025

Stainless promotes Ben Gunstone to CEO

Ben Gunstone has been promoted to chief executive officer of Stainless Games, succeeding Patrick Buckland, who has led the company since 1994. Gunstone joined Stainless in 2022 as a game director and became operations director before this promotion. Buckland will transition to the role of Executive Chairman. Gunstone expressed pride in his new role and emphasized the company's commitment to creating exceptional games. Buckland, who is 62, decided to step back from the daily stresses of being CEO while still nurturing the company's legacy as the majority shareholder.

AppWizard

May 1, 2025

TikTok Will Now Enable You to Drive Leads to Other Messaging Apps

TikTok has enhanced its Promote ads feature by allowing brands to target direct messages (DMs) through third-party messaging applications, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, LINE, and Zalo. Advertisers can now drive message traffic to these external platforms instead of only encouraging interactions within the TikTok app. This change is particularly useful for lead generation campaigns targeting users with compatible messaging apps installed. The supported messaging platforms currently are LINE, Zalo, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger. This update aims to improve customer engagement and simplify management of interactions across different messaging channels.