noise Archives

AppWizard

April 11, 2026

iBUYPOWER RDY Y70 R17 review – a fantastic RTX 5080 gaming PC

The iBUYPOWER RDY Y70 R17 is a high-end gaming PC featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD. It is housed in a visually striking Hyte Y70 case that provides excellent cooling and ample upgrade potential. The system includes a 240mm AIO liquid cooler and is equipped with various front and rear ports for connectivity. It offers impressive gaming performance, achieving over 105fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p and maintaining playable frame rates at higher resolutions. The PC is priced at ,199.99 and comes with a three-year labor and two-year parts warranty. Minor shipping damage was noted, and initial CPU fan noise may require BIOS adjustments for quieter operation. The dimensions of the case are 470 x 320 x 470mm, and it weighs 13.2kg.

AppWizard

April 9, 2026

Bitchat Review: How Jack Dorsey’s Private Offline Messenger Works

Bitchat employs the Noise Protocol Framework, specifically the XX pattern, for encrypted and authenticated communication. The Android version uses X25519 for key exchange and AES-256-GCM for message encryption. Bitchat operates without a central infrastructure, phone numbers, or traditional accounts, which reduces data collection and risks of censorship and surveillance. The app relies on Bluetooth connectivity, requiring physical proximity between users, which can enhance security but may lead to device identification. Metadata about nearby devices and connection instances may still be retained. Bitchat has not yet undergone a comprehensive external security audit, raising concerns despite its focus on privacy and encryption.

AppWizard

April 9, 2026

Minecraft 26.2 Snapshot 1

- The upcoming release is titled "Chaos Cubed." - Players can explore the Overworld and sulfur caves, seeking sulfur springs and new resources. - A new mob called the Sulfur Cube has been introduced, which absorbs blocks and can be interacted with using Shears. - The Sulfur Cube can detect nearby block items and will follow players holding absorbable blocks. - Upon defeat, the Sulfur Cube splits into two smaller versions, which can be fed to grow larger. - New Cinnabar and Sulfur block sets have been added, including various variants like Polished and Bricks. - The sulfur caves biome has been added, featuring sulfur pools and the Sulfur Cube mob. - Potent Sulfur is a new block that produces nausea-inducing gas when placed under water. - Sulfur Springs generate naturally above the sulfur cave biome in various sizes. - Vulkan support has been added for improved visual experience, with a new "Graphics API" option in Video Settings. - Players can toggle between OpenGL and Vulkan, with Vulkan being the default if supported. - New attributes related to bounciness and friction have been introduced for entities. - New sounds and textures for Sulfur, Potent Sulfur, Cinnabar, and the Sulfur Cube have been added. - Various bugs have been fixed to improve gameplay stability.

AppWizard

March 31, 2026

This messaging app wins on every front, except the one that matters

WhatsApp has approximately three billion monthly users, while Viber has over 200 million. In a recent poll, user preferences for messaging apps were as follows: WhatsApp (31%), Signal (40%), Viber (3%), Facebook Messenger (4%), Telegram (11%), and something else (11%). Signal has an estimated user base of 40 to 100 million monthly active users. Signal offers end-to-end encryption and minimal data collection, unlike WhatsApp and Viber, which track user interactions and device information. WhatsApp uses Signal's encryption protocol.

Winsage

March 31, 2026

Windows 11 meets the iconic Windows 10 “Hero” in this new mashup

Windows 11 features a new square and symmetrical logo, while a Reddit user named "Reamed" has created a wallpaper that combines the nostalgia of Windows 10's "Hero" wallpaper with the Windows 11 logo. Reamed used the Windows 11 logo as the sole asset and applied various filters to create the wallpaper. Windows 10's original wallpaper was created by Bradley Munkowitz using practical photography techniques involving lasers and smoke. The blending of the modern Windows 11 logo with the nostalgic Windows 10 wallpaper serves as a tribute to Munkowitz's work.

Winsage

March 30, 2026

Combine the best of Windows 11 and Windows 10 with this gorgeous wallpaper

Windows 11 features a new square and symmetrical Start menu logo, which has received mixed reactions from users. A Reddit user named "Reamed" created a wallpaper that combines Windows 10's "Hero" image with the Windows 11 logo, using various filters in their design process. The original Windows 10 wallpaper was a photograph created using lasers and a smoke machine, documented by Bradley Munkowitz. As Windows 10 marks its 11th anniversary, there is a nostalgic appreciation for practical photography amidst the rise of AI-generated art. Reamed's homage integrates the new logo into their artwork, and there are also AI-generated wallpaper options available.

AppWizard

March 24, 2026

Crimson Desert Guide: Best PC Settings for Optimize Gameplay

Pearl Abyss has developed Crimson Desert using its BlackSpace Engine, which requires careful configuration for optimal performance on different hardware setups. The game features customizable graphics options, but not all behave as expected; for example, switching from the Cinematic preset to Low may not improve performance and could worsen frame rates. Performance settings differ for low-end PCs, high-end PCs, and Mac users, with Mac users advised to use low-end configurations and disable Ray Tracing for better performance. To enhance performance beyond in-game settings, players should install the game on an SSD, disable startup apps, update GPU drivers, and enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling. Minimum hardware targets suggest that an RTX 4070 or RX 7700 XT is needed for 60 FPS at 1440p High preset, while an RTX 4080 or RX 7900 XTX is recommended for 60 FPS at 1440p Ultra/Cinematic. For GPUs below the RTX 4070 tier, dropping to 1080p and using DLSS or FSR upscaling is advised. Running the game in Fullscreen mode and keeping V-Sync off can also improve performance.

AppWizard

March 23, 2026

I gave my favorite mini PC an instant upgrade with this eGPU dock

Khadas’ Mind Graphics 2 is a compact device that allows users to upgrade their mini PCs into powerful gaming setups without opening them. It features a proprietary 122-pin Mind Link connector for efficient connections and is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti GPU, enhancing gaming and creative tasks. The device has a CNC unibody aluminum shell that serves as a heat sink, maintaining quiet operation. Weighing six pounds, it is stable on a desk and easy to connect. The setup process involves placing a mini PC on top, engaging a magnetic connection. The Mind Graphics 2 supports high-end gaming, running titles like Skate Style and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart smoothly. It is priced at ,349 and offers multiple video output ports and integrated speakers. Khadas also provides a standard Mind Dock for those not needing a GPU. Future expansions include the Mind x Play add-on, which will convert a mini PC into a laptop.

Winsage

March 21, 2026

Windows users are angry, and Microsoft is finally doing something about it

Microsoft is addressing user dissatisfaction with Windows 11 by implementing several changes. These include enhanced taskbar customization, allowing users to reposition the taskbar; a more selective integration of AI features, reducing unnecessary AI entry points in applications; greater control over updates, enabling users to skip or pause updates; performance improvements aimed at reducing sluggishness in File Explorer and enhancing memory efficiency; and increased reliability by focusing on reducing crashes and improving app stability. Additionally, Microsoft plans to enhance various functionalities, including Bluetooth and USB connectivity, printer support, and search functionality, while also making widgets less intrusive.

AppWizard

March 17, 2026

Minecraft 26.1 Pre-Release 3

Today, the third pre-release of Minecraft: Java Edition has been released, featuring minor technical adjustments and essential bug fixes. The Data Pack version has been updated to 101.1, with the count field for Placement Modifiers now operating within a range of 0 to 4096. Bugs fixed in this pre-release include: - MC-305118: Resource packs labeled as "Broken or incompatible" now appear correctly. - MC-306240: The /fill command now adheres to the maxblockmodifications game rule. - MC-306620: Feeding a snifflet with a golden dandelion no longer resets its age incorrectly. - MC-306805: Baby zombie villagers' arm positioning has been adjusted for correct movement while holding items. - MC-306840: Dolphins no longer drown when no players are nearby. - MC-306850: Noise settings for caves and floating islands are functioning properly. - MC-306854: Discrepancies in villager trades between versions 1.21.11 and 26.1 snapshots have been clarified. - MC-306859: Clipping issues with the arms of baby zombies, baby husks, gurgles, and baby zombie villagers have been resolved. - MC-306860: Player object text components in server status messages are no longer replaced by fallback text. - MC-306898: Placed/configured features are now limited to 256 tries. - MC-306899: Inverted blocklists for the firepatch and soulfire_patch features have been fixed. The latest Pre-Releases can be installed via the Minecraft Launcher by enabling snapshots. Users are advised to back up their data as testing versions may corrupt worlds. The cross-platform server jar is also available for download.