New Zealand Archives

AppWizard

April 12, 2026

DayZ creator Dean ‘Rocket’ Hall has over 2,000 hours in Kerbal Space Program and played the original XCOM at Mount Everest base camp: ‘I think when I die, I will still be playing that game’

Dean Hall, the founder of RocketWerkz, began his gaming journey with a Commodore 64 and developed a passion for computers after a challenging five-hour gaming session. He is currently developing Icarus, a space survival game that has recently become profitable after a difficult launch. Hall has logged 1,400 hours in RimWorld, where he has released two popular mods. He enjoys playing Ostranauts, accumulating at least 150 hours per playthrough, and is looking forward to its upcoming update. Hall has also played the original XCOM for around 600 hours over the past year. He has nearly 5,000 hours in Stationeers, a game developed by his studio, and over 2,000 hours in Kerbal Space Program. His favorite game is Space Station 13, where he plays a character named Colton Murphy. For non-gaming software, he relies on Rider for programming development. Hall maintains a very clean desktop, regularly organizing it for security and efficiency in his game development process.

AppWizard

April 9, 2026

Minecraft Movie 2: What do we know so far about the sequel

A sequel to A Minecraft Movie is in development, with a release date set for July 23, 2027. Mojang is collaborating with Warner Bros Pictures, and filming is scheduled to begin in April 2026 in New Zealand. The original cast, including Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Sebastian Hansen, Emma Myers, and Danielle Brooks, will return, and Kirsten Dunst will join as Alex, the first female default character skin from Minecraft. The plot is speculated to involve enchantments or a journey to The End, with hints from a teaser poster featuring glowing purple pickaxes.

AppWizard

March 21, 2026

Kirsten Dunst joins the cast of “Minecraft: The Movie 2” as Alex

Kirsten Dunst will join the cast of the sequel to "Minecraft: The Movie," playing the role of Alex. Jack Black will reprise his role as Steve, and Jason Momoa will return as Garrett "the Scavenger." Filming for "Minecraft: The Movie 2" is scheduled to begin in April 2026 in New Zealand, with the film set to be released on July 23, 2027. Jared Hess will direct, and Chris Galletta will write the script. The sequel will feature the Dragon of the End from the game.

AppWizard

March 11, 2026

Meta rolls out new scam detection across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook

Meta has introduced new anti-scam tools across WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook, following the removal of 159 million scam ads and 10.9 million accounts linked to criminal networks last year. A feature is being tested on Facebook to flag suspicious friend or follow requests based on mutual connections, country of origin, and account age. WhatsApp is enhancing security against device linking fraud by issuing warnings for suspicious linking requests. Messenger is expanding its scam detection to more countries, flagging messages from unknown contacts that exhibit scam patterns, with an option for users to submit flagged messages for secondary review. Meta aims for 90% of its ad revenue to come from verified advertisers by 2026 and has disabled over 150,000 scam-related accounts during a joint operation with the Royal Thai Police, leading to 21 arrests. Additionally, Meta has partnered with the US Department of State for a campaign addressing trafficked workers coerced into scam operations in Southeast Asia. These measures address increasing scrutiny over scam advertising, as a Reuters investigation highlighted that Meta generated significant revenue from scam-related ads.

AppWizard

March 6, 2026

Minecraft 2 Reportedly Starts Filming May 1 in New Zealand

A sequel to A Minecraft Movie is set to begin filming on May 1 in New Zealand. The original film is currently ranked #5 on the global box office charts, having earned nearly a billion in revenue worldwide. Jason Momoa and Jack Black are confirmed to reprise their roles, with Jared Hess returning as director. The sequel, titled Minecraft 2, is scheduled for theatrical release on July 23, 2027.

AppWizard

December 11, 2025

Minecraft update today (9th December): What changes in the Mounts of Mayhem patch notes?

The Minecraft "Mounts of Mayhem" update is set to be released on Tuesday, December 9th, at approximately 4 PM GMT. The update will introduce new features including camel husks, skeletons riding camels, a new weapon called the spear with jabbing and charging attacks, the Spear Lunge enchantment, a new neutral mob called Nautilus that can be ridden underwater, zombie nautilus with drowned enemies, zombie horses ridden by zombies, significant improvements to horse mechanics allowing them to swim, and the ability to craft Netherite horse armor. Expected launch times in various time zones include 8 AM PST, 9 AM MST, 10 AM CST, 11 AM EST, 1 PM BRT, 5 PM CET, 6 PM SAST, 8 PM GST, 12 AM SGT (December 10th), 1 AM JST (December 10th), 3 AM AEDT (December 10th), and 5 AM NZDT (December 10th).

AppWizard

December 8, 2025

Minecraft Mounts of Mayhem Update Release Date and Time (Countdown Timer)

The Minecraft Mounts of Mayhem update will be released on December 9, 2025. The estimated release times for various time zones are as follows: 7:30 AM PST (United States), 9:00 PM IST (India), 12:30 AM JST (Japan, December 10), 11:30 PM CST (China), 10:30 AM EST (Canada), 4:30 PM CET (Italy), 2:30 AM NZST (New Zealand, December 10). The update will introduce new features including underwater mounts, undead mobs, and a new weapon called the Spear. Players can tame the Nautilus mob by feeding it Pufferfish and can equip mounts with Nautilus armor. The update will also feature Camel Husks, the Parched mob, and the Zombie Horse in survival mode. The Spear will not replace swords and axes but will offer additional combat options.

AppWizard

November 21, 2025

This Free App Unlocks AirPods Features on Android Devices

Apple's annual shopping event will take place from November 28 to December 1, featuring deals and exclusive offers in multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and several European nations. Customers can receive an Apple gift card with their purchases, which can be used for future transactions. The event will include a variety of products, such as iPhones, MacBooks, accessories, and services, and will offer a seamless online shopping experience.

AppWizard

November 5, 2025

Qobuz Launches Its Much-Anticipated Android TV App

Qobuz has launched its Android TV app, available on the Google Play Store, compatible with all TVs and devices running Google TV or older Android TV systems. The app allows users to browse a library of albums, playlists, and recommendations, streaming tracks in CD-quality or hi-res audio based on user setup. Qobuz Connect, launched in March, enables high-resolution music streaming to compatible hi-fi devices, controlled via smartphone or tablet. Qobuz, founded in 2007, offers over 100 million tracks in lossless quality and is available in 26 countries.

AppWizard

October 30, 2025

Capture a free Monster Hunter Wilds AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card, if you’re quick

A giveaway is being held for the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card, with five prizes available and only six days left to enter. The RX 9070 XT is praised for its high frame rates and ray tracing performance, making it a top choice for gamers. To enter, residents of North America, Europe, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, and Indonesia must follow AMD, Monster Hunter Wilds, and ASRock on social media, with each follow counting as one entry across 12 accounts. The custom graphics card features Monster Hunter artwork, 64 compute units, 16GB of VRAM, and clock speeds of 2.4GHz and 2.97GHz. It is designed for optimal performance with a quiet triple-fan system.