performance optimization Archives

Tech Optimizer

August 15, 2025

Best Free Antivirus Software for 2025 | Top Picks & Reviews

eSecurity Planet maintains an editorially independent stance regarding content and product recommendations, with potential revenue generated from partner links. In 2025, the landscape of free antivirus software includes notable options such as: - Bitdefender Antivirus Free: - Best for users seeking reliable, hands-off protection. - Pros: High malware detection scores, minimal system impact, clean interface, automatic updates, low false-positive rate. - Cons: No control over advanced settings, no firewall or password manager. - Avast One Essentials: - Best for users wanting all-in-one protection. - Pros: Real-time protection, limited VPN and firewall, device cleanup tools, modern dashboard, multi-platform compatibility. - Cons: VPN limited to 5 GB per week, scrutiny over data privacy. - AVG AntiVirus Free: - Best for users preferring a classic interface. - Pros: Excellent malware protection, performance scan tool, file shredder, custom scan scheduling, fewer ads. - Cons: No VPN or firewall, outdated user interface. - Malwarebytes Free: - Best for users needing to clean infected devices. - Pros: Exceptional at scanning for rootkits, fast scan times, effective against ransomware, simple interface, low false positive rate. - Cons: No real-time protection, not a standalone solution. - McAfee (Free Trial): - Best for users wanting to test full-suite protection. - Pros: Access to full suite, protects multiple devices, clean interface, strong anti-phishing scores. - Cons: Trial expires after 30 days, may slow down older systems. The evaluation methodology focused on protection, usability, performance, free value, and trust to highlight effective free antivirus software. The top recommendations include Bitdefender Antivirus Free, Avast One Essentials for feature set, and Malwarebytes Free as an essential add-on.

Tech Optimizer

August 12, 2025

How Wiz achieved near-zero downtime for Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL major version upgrades at scale using Aurora Blue/Green Deployments

Wiz upgraded its Aurora PostgreSQL database from version 14 to 16, achieving a significant reduction in downtime from approximately one hour to just 30 seconds. The upgrade was facilitated by an automated process called DB Upgrade Pilot, which utilized Amazon Aurora's Blue/Green Deployments. This process involved several steps: taking a cluster snapshot, provisioning a synchronized replica of the production database, executing a VACUUM ANALYZE for performance optimization, monitoring replication lag, and performing a switchover to the new environment. The upgrade included performance enhancements such as improved parallel query execution and faster aggregations, along with enhanced security features. The solution also incorporated safety measures like automatic rollback capability and robust validation steps to ensure a stable upgrade process.

Tech Optimizer

August 8, 2025

Cyberattackers Leverage Trusted Drivers to Disable Antivirus Software and Bypass Security Protocols

A cyberattack on a Brazilian enterprise involved the use of legitimate, digitally signed drivers to disable antivirus solutions and deploy MedusaLocker ransomware. The attackers executed a Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attack by exploiting the ThrottleStop.sys driver, which has a critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-7771) allowing unauthorized memory access. They compromised an SMTP server using valid RDP credentials, extracted user credentials with Mimikatz, and moved laterally across the network. The attackers uploaded and executed an AV killer program and a renamed version of the driver, terminating antivirus processes to facilitate ransomware deployment. The malware targeted major antivirus vendors and employed kernel-level commands to eliminate security processes. Recommendations for defense include multi-factor authentication, hardening RDP access, and implementing layered security measures.

AppWizard

August 8, 2025

DOOGEE U11 Just Got Smarter: Android 16 Update Supercharges This Budget Tablet With AI, Gaming, and Dual Apps

DOOGEE has released the Android 16 upgrade for its U11 tablet, enhancing speed, intelligence, and usability with new features like Game Space Mode and App Cloner. The U11 is popular among students and young professionals, recognized for its performance and display, and is DOOGEE's best-selling tablet on Amazon Japan. The upgrade offers a refined user interface, faster transitions, and improved privacy controls. The App Cloner allows users to manage two accounts of the same app on one device. Game Space Mode enhances gaming with features like SDR to HDR enhancement and performance optimization for popular games. The U11 now includes Gemini AI, which assists with content creation, language learning, and research. The tablet features a robust design, an 11-inch HD display, a 90Hz refresh rate, an 8580mAh battery, and dual stereo speakers. The U11 is currently available at a 50% discount on Amazon.

Tech Optimizer

August 5, 2025

Building a job search engine with PostgreSQL’s advanced search features

Job search platforms connect employers and candidates through advanced search engines that analyze structured and unstructured data. These platforms require robust database technologies for executing complex queries, full-text and semantic searches, and geospatial functionalities. A modern job search engine consists of a data repository that stores job listings and candidate profiles, and a search engine that facilitates bidirectional searches. Key features of an effective job search engine include: - **Full-text search**: Provides lexical matching for job titles and skills, supporting exact phrase matching and typo-tolerant searches. - **Semantic search**: Uses vector-based similarity to understand context and relationships beyond literal terms. - **Geospatial search**: Incorporates geographic considerations to find opportunities within specific distances. PostgreSQL serves as both a data repository and search engine, supporting full-text search, semantic search via the pgvector extension, and geospatial queries using the PostGIS extension. The job search engine utilizes PostgreSQL to manage job listings and candidate profiles, enabling real-time searches across millions of entries. The data model for a job search engine includes tables for jobs and resumes, with columns for full-text search vectors, semantic vectors, and geographical locations. PostgreSQL's full-text search capabilities include tokenization, dictionaries for language-aware parsing, and ranking functions for relevance. Advanced features such as proximity search, simple and weighted ranking, and fuzzy matching enhance search accuracy. Vector embeddings represent text in high-dimensional space, allowing for semantic searches that recognize similar roles or skills. PostgreSQL supports vector similarity searches with specialized indexing methods like IVFFlat and HNSW for efficient querying. Geospatial search capabilities in PostgreSQL enable location-aware job searches, allowing candidates to find jobs within commuting distances. Combining different search techniques, such as full-text and semantic searches, provides more relevant results. Performance optimization features in PostgreSQL address challenges related to computational complexity, indexing overhead, and concurrent query loads. The architecture discussed is applicable to various applications beyond job search platforms, including e-commerce, real estate, content recommendation systems, travel, and healthcare provider matching.

Tech Optimizer

August 1, 2025

Best Alternative to Microsoft Defender Antivirus of 2025

Microsoft Defender is the default antivirus solution for Windows users, offering real-time alerts and a built-in firewall. TotalAV is a notable alternative that provides a range of features, including an ad blocker, data breach monitoring, and performance optimization tools. Both Microsoft Defender and TotalAV have a protection rate of 99.1%. TotalAV includes features like anti-phishing measures, a VPN service, and a password manager with 256-bit AES encryption. Microsoft Defender is free with Windows, while TotalAV has three pricing tiers: Premium, Internet Security, and Total Security, with prices starting at .95 per year. Microsoft Defender offers basic customer support, while TotalAV provides 24/7 dedicated support and a knowledge base.

Tech Optimizer

August 1, 2025

Best Alternative to AVG Antivirus of 2025

Avira is a strong alternative to AVG in the antivirus software market, offering a powerful free version with features like a VPN, identity theft protection, and performance optimization tools. Its user interface is intuitive, allowing for a quick "Smart Scan" that addresses security, privacy, and performance. Avira achieves a 99.3% threat blocking rate with minimal false positives, while AVG matches this rate but has more false positives. Avira's cloud-based scanning is faster and less resource-intensive than AVG's. It includes a web browser extension for protection against phishing and ads, and offers customizable firewall options. Avira's paid plans include a password manager with unlimited storage and device syncing, and an unlimited VPN service, while AVG requires separate purchases for these features. Avira's pricing starts with a free version, and its paid plans range from €21.95 to €59.95 annually for one to five devices, respectively. Both providers offer good customer support, but Avira's knowledge base is more extensive.

Winsage

July 28, 2025

I ditched most of the Windows start-up chaos and sped up my boot times without any third-party tools, here’s how

As computers age, performance often declines due to the accumulation of installed applications, saved files, and the number of startup tasks running in the background, particularly in Windows 11. New programs frequently set up tasks that launch at startup, leading to longer boot times and increased resource consumption. Users can manage these startup tasks using Task Manager, which allows them to view and disable unnecessary programs that run automatically upon login. Disabling these tasks does not delete applications but prevents them from launching automatically, improving startup efficiency. Additionally, Task Scheduler can be used to identify and manage tasks that may still launch at login. Managing startup tasks can lead to significant performance improvements, such as reducing boot time from approximately 25 seconds to just 31 seconds for a fully loaded desktop.

AppWizard

July 23, 2025

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers Benchmarks & PC Performance Analysis

505 Games has removed the review embargo for WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, which is developed by Leenzee. The game supports NVIDIA DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Generation but lacks compatibility with AMD FSR 3.0 and Intel XeSS. Benchmarking was conducted on a PC setup featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D and various graphics cards. At 1080p with Max Settings, the AMD RX 7900XTX was the minimum requirement for over 60FPS, while the NVIDIA RTX 3080 and AMD Radeon RX 6900XT struggled. At 1440p with Max Settings, only the NVIDIA RTX 4090 and RTX 5090 provided a smooth experience. No GPU achieved stable 60FPS at Native 4K with Max Settings, with the NVIDIA RTX 5090 averaging around 54FPS. The game has performance issues, particularly with frame rates dropping significantly during in-game events. Adjusting graphics settings had limited impact on performance, and visual quality suffered at lower settings. The game features impressive graphics with Lumen GI and high-resolution textures, despite some low-resolution textures and minor shadow pop-ins.

BetaBeacon

July 7, 2025

5 Best Android Games to Play in 2025

The text describes five Android games that offer versatile worlds, actions, adventures, and murder mysteries. Some of the games mentioned are Monster Train, Trinity Trigger, Chronomon, Jenny LeClue, and Pandoland.