October Archives

AppWizard

October 22, 2026

Gemini app expands Google Maps Personal Intelligence, replacing Deep Think

The Gemini app has enhanced its Personal Intelligence feature on Android Auto and expanded its integration with Google Maps, allowing it to use user data for personalized responses. The new Google Maps integration includes user searches and saved locations, and it can merge this data with Calendar access for tailored daily recommendations. Users can enable Personal Intelligence through gemini.google.com/personalization-settings. Additionally, Google has announced that the Gemini 4 Argon model will soon replace the existing Deep Think feature for AI Ultra subscribers, although it is unclear if Deep Think is being phased out entirely or just the mode itself. Currently, Gemini 3.1 Pro offers a "Deep Think" mode, which is above the High, Medium, and Low thinking levels.

BetaBeacon

October 22, 2026

One of the Best GTA-Style Open-World Games Is Heading to iOS and Android Soon with DLC Included and It Will Only Cost $20 USD

Saints Row: The Third, a popular GTA clone, is coming to iOS and Android on October 29, 2026. The mobile port includes the base game with 47 story missions and all original DLC packages. It offers 30+ weapons, vehicle customization, and a full campaign co-op mode for two players. The game is optimized for touchscreen but also compatible with controllers, keyboards, and mice. It will run on Apple devices with iOS 18 or later and Android devices with version 13 or newer.

AppWizard

October 22, 2026

Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival review

A new single-player action horror game inspired by Clive Barker's Hellraiser is set to launch on October 8, 2026, developed and published by Saber Interactive, priced at approximately £35. The game does not feature multiplayer options but is playable on the Steam Deck. Players battle zombies in a cabin, experiencing a frustrating cycle of resource depletion and predictable enemy behavior. Combat mechanics are unsatisfying, with lackluster dismemberment and tedious encounters. The game includes a genesis configuration box for limited telekinetic abilities, but traditional firearms dominate gameplay. The horror elements fail to deliver genuine scares, and the presence of the cenobite Chatterer does not create urgency. The visual design is impressive, but the overall experience lacks innovation and engaging gameplay. Puzzles provide some satisfaction, but the game struggles to compete with other titles in the action horror genre.

Winsage

October 22, 2026

Microsoft admits its Windows update to fix ‘Always on VPN’ issue didn’t actually work

Microsoft's October Patch Tuesday was intended to fix issues with the Windows 11 'Always On VPN' feature, but the fix was ineffective. The bug causing enterprise VPN connections to hang or fail is still active, and updates KB5127648 and KB5127646 did not resolve the issues and instead introduced new Wi-Fi authentication problems. Microsoft mistakenly marked the VPN bug as "Resolved" in their documentation, which has since been corrected. The bug's status has been downgraded to "Mitigated," and a permanent fix is expected in the coming weeks. In the meantime, IT administrators are advised to restrict affected Always On VPN profiles to a single protocol and disable the auto-fallback feature as a temporary workaround. The issue affects Windows 11 versions from 24H2 through 26H2.

BetaBeacon

October 22, 2026

Free Cloud Gaming on iPhone and Android: 13 Steps

- Free cloud gaming on a phone in 2026 is offered by three separate companies: NVIDIA's GeForce NOW, Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Amazon's Luna. - NVIDIA's GeForce NOW streams PC games you already own, Microsoft's Xbox Cloud Gaming offers free-to-play titles without a Game Pass subscription, and Amazon's Luna provides access to a library of games for Amazon Prime members. - Apple's App Store rules do not allow cloud-gaming apps, so GeForce NOW on iPhone runs through a browser-based web app while it is available as an installable app on Android. - Users need accounts for each service they want to use, as well as accounts for Steam and/or Epic Games Store if they want to stream games they already own. - Browser choice is important for cloud gaming, with Safari being the only realistic option for GeForce NOW on iPhone and Chrome being the safest default for Android. - It is recommended to turn off battery-saver or data-saver modes on the chosen browser before a session to avoid performance issues. - Each service offers a free tier with different features, and it is important to compare them side by side to understand what each one provides.

Winsage

October 22, 2026

Microsoft says it’s optimizing Windows 11 for 8GB PCs, so I tested 26H2 on an 8GB laptop

Following the Windows 11 26H2 update, users with 8GB PCs reported a significant reduction in RAM usage. One user noted a decrease from 5GB to 3.3GB after a restart, while tests on a virtual machine showed RAM usage drop from 4.1GB to between 2.8GB and 3.2GB. Microsoft has optimized RAM usage for 8GB PCs, aiming for improvements through 2026, with anecdotal evidence suggesting a reduction of 1GB to 2GB in boot RAM usage. Specific improvements include Windows now retaining up to 2GB more active data in memory and allowing Widgets to load only when accessed, freeing over 200MB for other tasks. The separation of Widgets from the Discover feed has also contributed to reduced RAM usage.

AppWizard

October 22, 2026

Building the Ultimate Game Night: Domino’s® and Minecraft Dungeons II Team Up for a Block-Shaped Collaboration

Domino’s Pizza Inc. is launching a promotion in conjunction with the release of Minecraft Dungeons II starting October 26. Customers who purchase the new single-serving pizza called the Domino will unlock various rewards, including collectible boxes featuring characters from the game and a chance to win one of 20,000 digital copies of Minecraft Dungeons II. Each Domino purchase grants customers one of six collectible boxes. Domino’s Rewards members can unlock exclusive in-game items with their purchases, such as a unique skin, a cape, and a pet. From October 26 to November 4, Domino’s will give away 2,000 game tokens daily for customers to download the game for free, valid for PC and Xbox. An interactive Minecraft Dungeons II-themed Domino’s Tracker will also be introduced.

Winsage

October 21, 2026

Microsoft says October updates didn’t actually fix VPN issues

Microsoft has acknowledged ongoing connection issues with its Always On VPN feature, which were initially reported as resolved in the October 2026 cumulative updates for Windows 11. However, these issues persist, particularly affecting users with automatic protocol selection using IKEv2 and SSTP. A service alert revealed that the bug was mistakenly marked as resolved and has since been changed to "Mitigated." Microsoft is working on a proper fix and has provided a temporary workaround for affected users by advising IT administrators to select a single tunneling protocol instead of automatic protocol selection. The September cumulative updates have also caused various other problems for users, prompting Microsoft to release emergency out-of-band updates to address critical issues.

Winsage

October 21, 2026

Windows Server 2025 gets support for quick machine recovery

Microsoft has introduced a Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) feature for IT administrators managing Windows Server 2025, enabling quick recovery from boot failures after the October 2026 security update without physical access to systems. When activated, QMR boots the system into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to troubleshoot issues, collecting crash data for remote assistance from Microsoft. Cloud remediation is disabled by default but can be enabled through Group Policy. Administrators can disable QMR by turning off 'Enable Cloud Remediation' and 'Enable Auto Remediation.' QMR was initially introduced in November 2024 as part of the Windows Resiliency Initiative and began testing in March 2025, with improvements made by November 2025.

Winsage

October 21, 2026

Windows Server 2025 Gets Support for Quick Machine Recovery

Windows Server 2025 introduced Quick Machine Recovery (QMR) in the October 2026 cumulative update to improve IT recovery processes during boot failures. QMR automates the detection of boot failures using the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) and can autonomously download and apply fixes via Windows Update. Organizations must manually enable QMR through Group Policy, as it is disabled by default. The feature enhances Windows Startup Repair with cloud-based remediation capabilities and requires a reliable network connection, supporting wired networks and WPA/WPA2 password-based Wi-Fi configurations.