power Archives

AppWizard

May 7, 2025

Minecraft Movie Smashes Records: Now the 2nd Highest-Grossing Video Game Film Ever!

The Minecraft Movie has earned .6 million during its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to 0 million and its global revenue to 0 million, including .6 million from international earnings. Regal Movies is hosting a special screening of the Chicken Jockey scene on April 20. The film ranks second among live-action video game adaptations at the box office, behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has a global total of .3 billion. The Minecraft Movie received a score of 7/10 in reviews, and discussions of a sequel are underway, with preorders for the home video release currently available.

AppWizard

May 7, 2025

‘A Minecraft Movie’ Available Digitally May 13, on Disc June 24

The Minecraft Movie is in development, aiming to blend the game's pixelated world with cinematic storytelling. It will explore themes of adventure, friendship, and creativity, featuring familiar elements of crafting and exploration along with original characters. While casting details are not yet available, there is speculation about high-profile talent involved in the project. The production team is considering innovative marketing strategies to engage the Minecraft community, including interactive experiences and collaborations with content creators. The film has the potential to influence future video game adaptations in cinema.

Winsage

May 7, 2025

Introducing all-new Surface Copilot+ PCs: The Surface Pro, 12-inch and Surface Laptop, 13-inch

Copilot+ PCs are a new category of personal computing devices designed to enhance AI experiences and productivity. Microsoft has introduced the Surface Laptop (13-inch) and Surface Pro (12-inch) as part of this lineup, both featuring Snapdragon X Plus processors with Neural Processing Units (NPU). The Surface Laptop, available from May 20, 2025, starts at 9, is the thinnest and lightest model yet, and offers up to 23 hours of video playback. It has a full HD touchscreen, AI-enhanced camera, and a keyboard with a fingerprint reader. The Surface Pro, also powered by the Snapdragon X Plus, weighs 1.5 pounds and features a detachable keyboard and adjustable kickstand. Both devices incorporate sustainable materials, with the Surface Laptop using 100% recycled cobalt in its battery and the Surface Pro made from 82.9% recycled content. They provide access to AI tools for productivity, including features like Recall and Click to Do. Pre-orders for both devices are available, with the Surface Pro starting at 9 and the Surface Laptop at ,199.

Winsage

May 7, 2025

Microsoft Photos Can Relight Your Images

Microsoft has introduced new features for Windows 11 and its Copilot+ PCs, along with AI-ready Surface hardware. Key enhancements include: - Photos App: A relight feature for adding digital light sources, auto presets, and manual adjustments; new object selection capabilities in Paint; and improvements to the Snipping Tool with a text extractor and color picker. - Recall Feature: Helps users find content by retracing steps and describing memories, with strong privacy controls. - Improved Windows Search: Allows conversational queries with AI interpreting context for relevant results, aided by specialized chips in Copilot+ PCs. - Click to Do: Streamlines workflows with contextual shortcuts for actions within a single application. - Surface for Business Copilot+ PCs: Introduction of a 12-inch Surface Pro and a 13-inch Surface laptop featuring Snapdragon X Plus processors and advanced security tools. - Surface Laptop for Business: A 13-inch model with a thinner profile, anti-reflective touch screens, and an AI-enhanced camera. - Surface Pro for Business: A 12-inch versatile device that transitions between laptop and tablet modes, featuring an adjustable kickstand. - Availability: Software updates will start in April 2025, while new Surface devices will ship from July 22 in select markets.

AppWizard

May 7, 2025

Another messaging app used by the White House is in hot water

Former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has come under scrutiny for using TeleMessage, an app that has recently experienced a security breach resulting in the theft of sensitive data, including direct messages and group chats. High-ranking officials from the Trump administration, including Waltz, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, were reported to have used the app. A photograph captured Waltz during a Cabinet meeting appearing to use TeleMessage to access Signal messages, raising concerns due to his previous controversy involving a chat room on Signal that included a journalist. The security vulnerabilities of TeleMessage have been criticized, particularly as it lacks the robust encryption features of Signal. The app was initially marketed as a solution for preserving messages for government record-keeping, but its reliability has been questioned.

Winsage

May 7, 2025

Microsoft unveils new AI agents that can modify Windows settings

Microsoft has introduced a suite of Windows experiences for Copilot+ PCs, featuring AI agents that help users adjust settings on their computers by interpreting user intent and automating tasks with consent. Users can communicate in natural language to receive guidance or have changes executed directly. This feature will initially be available to English-speaking Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered devices, with plans for broader support. Additionally, Microsoft is enhancing Windows search capabilities and expanding Click to Do actions, allowing users to schedule meetings, send messages, consult M365 Copilot, convert data in Excel, and draft documents in Word. Creative tools like Photos, Paint, and the Snipping Tool are receiving updates, including dynamic lighting controls in Photos, a sticker generator in Paint, and new capture capabilities in the Snipping Tool. Upcoming features for Windows 11 Insiders include a phone companion for the Start menu, AI-driven actions in File Explorer, and a new writing function in Notepad for generating text from prompts. Microsoft is also testing a "Draw & Hold" feature in the Snipping Tool and has introduced a text rewriting tool called "Rewrite."

Winsage

May 7, 2025

Microsoft finally makes Fedora an official Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) distribution

Fedora Linux has officially joined the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), allowing users to run Fedora 42 within a Windows environment. Installation is straightforward with the command wsl --install FedoraLinux-42, and launching it requires wsl -d FedoraLinux-42, with no password needed by default. Users are automatically added to the wheel group for sudo access. Fedora 42 is streamlined, excluding unnecessary packages, and includes the DNF package manager, though Flatpak must be installed manually for graphical applications. The Fedora team is working on enhancing Flatpak support and introducing hardware-accelerated graphics for GUI applications in WSL. This inclusion of Fedora expands the options available to Windows users interested in the Linux ecosystem.

Winsage

May 6, 2025

Expanding the Surface for Business Copilot+ PC portfolio

AI has evolved into a transformative force for organizations, increasing the demand for secure and high-performance AI-ready Windows 11 PCs. Microsoft has introduced Copilot+ PCs, including the new 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop, both powered by the Snapdragon X Plus processor with an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 45 trillion operations per second. The 13-inch Surface Laptop offers up to 23 hours of video playback and 16 hours of web browsing, with performance enhancements of up to 50% faster speeds and double the battery life compared to its predecessor. It features an AI-enhanced 1080p front camera for video conferencing and a durable design. The 12-inch Surface Pro is the thinnest and lightest Copilot+ PC, providing 50% faster performance and up to 16 hours of local video playback. Both devices are designed as Secured-core PCs with advanced security features, including Windows Hello for Business and biometric authentication options. They support enhanced productivity through AI features in Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling faster file searches and improved team efficiency. Microsoft emphasizes sustainability with the use of recycled materials and energy-efficient designs. The new devices will be available starting July 22 in select markets.

Tech Optimizer

May 6, 2025

Databricks reportedly could acquire serverless database startup Neon for $1B+

Databricks Inc. is in advanced discussions to acquire Neon Inc., a startup specializing in a commercial version of the open-source PostgreSQL database, with the deal anticipated to exceed billion. Neon, based in San Francisco, has raised over 0 million in funding, including contributions from Microsoft's M12 fund. Neon’s PostgreSQL distribution features a serverless architecture that dynamically adjusts hardware resources based on workload demands, allowing for separate provisioning of storage and processing power. It also includes an innovative connection pooling feature to minimize resource drain when establishing network connections. Neon enhances its offering with a cybersecurity tool for granular user access control and the ability to revert databases to previous states in case of data loss. Databricks' interest in Neon may be linked to its suitability for AI applications, as it supports vector storage and can provision new database instances in as little as one second. Databricks has been actively pursuing acquisitions to enhance its AI capabilities, including recent purchases of Fennel AI Inc., Lilac AI Inc., and MosaicML Inc.

Winsage

May 6, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3950 (Beta Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3950 (KB5055653) has been released to the Beta Channel for Windows 11, version 24H2. Insiders on version 23H2 can opt to upgrade to version 24H2 with this build. Key changes include the introduction of energy saver management in Microsoft Intune, allowing IT administrators to manage energy settings on Windows 11 PCs. Other updates involve UI experiments in Recall, taskbar enhancements, and graphics improvements for HDR capabilities. Fixes include resolving keyboard focus issues in the taskbar, startup sound playback issues, and scaling problems after sleep/resume. Known issues involve bugs with Xbox Controllers and live captions crashing. Insiders are reminded to keep their devices updated for optimal performance and access to features.