move Archives

BetaBeacon

October 13, 2026

Android could let game controllers double as a mouse

- Android users may soon have the option to use a connected game controller to move a mouse-style cursor around their phone or tablet. - The feature is currently in development and has not been officially released. - The potential feature aims to provide a more seamless experience for users by allowing free mouse-style movement with a cursor that extends beyond current gamepad controls. - The feature is focused on interface control and does not impact gaming performance, latency, or additional services. - The reported feature could streamline navigation within the interface for UAE players who use Android devices for mobile or cloud gaming. - The feature does not guarantee controller support for games that do not already offer it.

Winsage

October 12, 2026

Windows 11’s easiest account bypass gets the Microsoft boot

Microsoft has closed a loophole in the setup process for consumer versions of Windows 11 that allowed users to bypass the requirement for a Microsoft account. Previously, users could click on the "Learn More" option during setup to enter a name and password without needing an account. This workaround has been confirmed as removed by Windows enthusiast Bob Pony. Attempts to replicate this method on genuine Intel hardware have shown it is no longer functional. Users must now navigate a more complex array of workarounds to set up Windows 11 without an account. Microsoft mandates account creation during the initial setup for both Windows 11 Home and Pro editions intended for personal use.

AppWizard

October 12, 2026

Google, Flo Health partner to elevate women’s overall well-being with Fitbit Edge

Google has partnered with Flo Health, which has over 80 million monthly users, to enhance health offerings for women, focusing on topics like perimenopause and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. This partnership coincides with the launch of the Fitbit Edge, priced at [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: In a strategic move to enhance its health offerings, Google has unveiled a partnership with Flo Health, a platform that boasts a monthly user base of over 80 million women. This collaboration aims to provide a more tailored health experience for women, addressing often overlooked topics such as perimenopause and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS). The initiative aligns with Google's commitment to creating a personal health experience that adapts to individual lifestyles, habits, and biological needs. The announcement coincides with the launch of the Fitbit Edge, which enters the market at a starting price of 0. This latest fitness tracker is designed to build upon the features that consumers enjoyed in the previous Charge 6 model. With a 45% larger and 40% brighter OLED touchscreen, the Fitbit Edge promises to deliver advanced health tracking capabilities typically found in more robust smartwatches. Flo Health for Google's wearables The Fitbit Edge is equipped with an array of essential features, including built-in GPS, heart rate monitoring, ECG, and blood oxygen tracking. Notably, it also incorporates a replaceable battery, which is expected to extend its operational life significantly. For users with a Fitbit subscription, the device offers access to the Gemini-powered AI Health Coach, providing personalized health insights and guidance. Looking ahead, Google has indicated that users will be able to sync their Flo Health data with Google Health starting in early 2027. This integration is poised to empower women in managing their health more effectively through the Fitbit Edge, Fitbit Air, and Pixel Watch 5, further solidifying Google's commitment to enhancing women's health features in its wearable technology. As the landscape of health technology continues to evolve, this partnership between Google and Flo Health represents a significant step toward providing more comprehensive and personalized care for women's health. With a focus on understanding and addressing the unique health challenges women face, this collaboration is set to pave the way for more informed health management solutions." max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"], featuring a 45% larger and 40% brighter OLED touchscreen, built-in GPS, heart rate monitoring, ECG, and blood oxygen tracking. The Fitbit Edge includes a replaceable battery and offers access to a Gemini-powered AI Health Coach for personalized health insights with a Fitbit subscription. Users will be able to sync their Flo Health data with Google Health starting in early 2027, allowing for better health management through Fitbit Edge, Fitbit Air, and Pixel Watch 5.

AppWizard

October 12, 2026

Steam Week in Review: The curious case of Wonder Boy in Monster Land’s dubious PC debut

Wonder Boy in Monster Land, originally released in Japanese arcades in 1987 and later on the Sega Master System, has been listed on Steam by Retro Maniac, a developer with a limited portfolio. The title is misspelled as "Wonderboy," raising concerns about the legitimacy of the release. The ownership of the Wonder Boy franchise is split between LAT Corp, which holds the intellectual property rights, and Sega, which retains the trademark. This dual ownership complicates any re-release under the Wonder Boy name, as seen with previous titles that successfully navigated licensing agreements. The original arcade version was released as Adventure Island in the U.S., leading to confusion about the game's lineage. Concerns about the Retro Maniac port were raised by the Wonder Boy Universe fan account and composer Shinichi Sakamoto, who noted it is not available in Japan and may be unauthorized. The port appears to be a ROM running within the MAME arcade emulator. The listing is reportedly facing a DMCA takedown process initiated by Sega or LAT Corp.

AppWizard

October 11, 2026

Squadron 42 has a Steam page

Game director Chris Roberts announced that Squadron 42, the single-player component of Star Citizen, will be released in Q2 2027 to avoid clashing with Grand Theft Auto 6. A dedicated Steam page for Squadron 42 has been created, listing the game’s system requirements and indicating an install size of 150GB. The game does not reference modern features like ray tracing or DirectX 12. High-profile actors Gillian Anderson and Henry Cavill will appear in cutscenes.

AppWizard

October 11, 2026

Steam Machine Verified vs Steam Deck: 47 vs 38 Games [2026]

Valve has revealed that as of October 5, 2026, the Steam Machine has 47 verified games, surpassing the Steam Deck's 38 verified games. Three games—Dragon’s Dogma 2, Control Resonant, and The Blood of Dawnwalker—were upgraded from Unsupported on the Steam Deck to Verified on the Steam Machine. The Steam Machine's verification standard requires a resolution of 1080p at 30 frames per second, while the Steam Deck requires 800p at 30 frames per second. The Steam Machine is powered by hardware comparable to an AMD Radeon RX 7600M, while the Steam Deck uses a custom RDNA 2 APU. The analysis of the top 100 best-sellers shows that 38 games are Verified on Steam Deck and 47 on Steam Machine, with 28 playable on Steam Deck and 23 on Steam Machine. There are 19 Unsupported titles on Steam Deck and 15 on Steam Machine. Valve's compatibility documentation states that any game verified on Steam Deck is also guaranteed to be verified on Steam Machine.

Winsage

October 11, 2026

Microsoft design boss on why Windows 11 can’t please all 1 billion users: “Everyone has different preferences”

Microsoft is planning a significant transformation of Windows 11, focusing on modernizing its user interface and legacy features while addressing diverse user preferences. The new Windows Search capabilities allow users to perform actions like toggling settings directly from search results, which has led to discussions about the relevance of the Start menu. Diego Baca, Vice President of Design at Windows, emphasized the challenge of designing for over a billion users while aiming to improve performance and customization. The Recommended/Recent section of the Start menu has received mixed feedback, with many users expressing discontent despite Microsoft viewing it as a valuable feature intended to enhance productivity. Scenarios for its use include displaying missed meeting recordings and suggesting frequently used apps. In March 2026, Microsoft acknowledged past oversights with Windows and committed to revitalizing the operating system, aiming to modernize interfaces and integrate more WinUI-based features. The company plans to deliver 100% native applications on the platform and is focused on providing greater customization options for users.

Tech Optimizer

October 11, 2026

A practical guide to cost optimization with Lakebase Postgres

Lakebase is a fully managed Postgres database designed for modern application development, featuring an architecture that separates storage and compute with a serverless compute layer. This design allows for cost efficiencies through various mechanisms: 1. **Branching**: Developers can create isolated environments for development, testing, or experimentation without duplicating storage costs, as branches share the same underlying storage. 2. **Autoscaling**: Lakebase adjusts compute resources based on activity levels, allowing users to pay only for the compute they use. It can scale down during low activity and can be suspended entirely after inactivity, reducing costs to zero. 3. **Read Replicas and High Availability**: The separation of storage and compute allows for adding read replicas and high availability without incurring additional storage costs, as these instances utilize the same storage layer. 4. **Synced Tables**: Integration with the Databricks Intelligence Platform enables efficient data syncing, allowing users to sync only the necessary working set of data, which helps avoid unnecessary storage and sync costs. 5. **Sync Modes**: There are three sync modes (Snapshot, Triggered, Continuous) for transferring data from the Lakehouse to Lakebase, each with different cost implications based on data freshness requirements. 6. **Right-sizing Compute**: Users can set the initial compute range during project provisioning to avoid over-provisioning and unnecessary costs. 7. **Monitoring and Metrics**: The Lakebase Metrics dashboard provides insights into working set size and cache utilization, helping users optimize their compute sizing and performance. 8. **Point-in-Time Restore (PITR) and Snapshots**: PITR maintains history for recovery within a configurable window, while snapshots offer discrete recovery points. Both are priced lower than standard storage, making them cost-effective options for data recovery. Lakebase costs are categorized into compute, storage, and serverless pipeline compute for syncing data. Compute is measured by CU usage, while storage includes branch storage, PITR history, and snapshot storage, all tracked separately. Users can access detailed usage and cost information through system billing tables.

Tech Optimizer

October 11, 2026

Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL now supports direct querying of Apache Iceberg and Parquet data in your data lake

Amazon has introduced a new capability for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL that allows users to query operational data alongside data stored in data lakes formatted in Apache Iceberg and Apache Parquet. This feature enables direct access to Iceberg REST Catalog-compatible catalogs, eliminating the need for data duplication or relocation. The integration of DuckDB within Aurora PostgreSQL allows users to query live operational data, including uncommitted writes, alongside data from data lakes using standard PostgreSQL syntax. This capability is available on Aurora PostgreSQL versions 17 (starting with 17.11) and 18 (starting with 18.6). Users must create an Aurora PostgreSQL cluster, attach an IAM role with the AuroraAnalytics feature, and enable the aurora_analytics extension to utilize this feature. They can create foreign tables referencing Iceberg or Parquet data in the data lake, and query them using familiar PostgreSQL commands. Aurora optimizes query performance through techniques like predicate pushdown and column pruning, and users can monitor query behavior with metrics provided by aurora_analytics_stat_statements(). Direct querying of Apache Iceberg and Parquet data is available across all commercial AWS Regions and AWS GovCloud (US) Regions without additional charges, aside from incremental Aurora compute and Amazon S3 request costs.

AppWizard

October 11, 2026

GTA 6 leaker threatens to upload a build with ‘full story mode’

Cyberleek has been sharing footage of Grand Theft Auto 6 since August, with a recent 25-minute video featuring co-protagonist Jason. The game's official release is on November 19 for console players. Cyberleek is offering to leak a playable build of the game if their memecoin reaches a million market capitalization. They claim the build will include the full story mode and are inviting requests for specific content. This situation puts Take-Two Interactive in a difficult position regarding their response. Previous Xbox streaming attempts have not met expectations, and gamers are looking forward to other releases like The Blood of Dawnwalker and Hellraiser.