preparation Archives

AppWizard

May 30, 2026

Kingston kids to compete in Ontario’s top Minecraft championships

More than 100 students will participate in the largest Minecraft esports competition in Ontario at Humber Polytechnic on Saturday. Two teams from King’s Town School, the Pixelites and the TerrorBytes, will compete in the Ontario Scholastic Esports Association (OSEA) Minecraft Provincial Championship against 16 other teams. The competition is for students in Grades 5 to 8 and involves collaborative building challenges using Minecraft Education. The Pixelites include Oliver Armstrong, Ralph Bobrow, and Harlo Garwood, while the TerrorBytes consist of Kieran McCabe, Charlie Neary, and Jackson Geen. This year's qualifying task required teams to create an Olympic-themed parkour course. The event aims to connect gaming with curriculum-based learning and skills development. Teams will have 30 to 40 minutes to complete each of the four build challenges, with one scenario remaining a mystery. Medals will be awarded to top teams, but the focus is on skill development and confidence-building. The event will be livestreamed for families and school communities.

AppWizard

May 29, 2026

Grim Dawn’s gigantic final expansion will be out in July

The expansion for Grim Dawn, titled Fangs of Asterkarn, will feature 54 new bosses and an expansive map now measuring six square kilometers, which is 190% the size of Ashes of Malmouth and 250% larger than Forgotten Gods. The environments will include snowy peaks and hot springs, with numerous secrets and hundreds of new treasures. The expansion will also introduce new epic items, unique legendary items, and monster infrequents.

AppWizard

May 27, 2026

Minecraft 26.2 pre-release 1 patch notes: Sulfur Cube changes, bug fixes, and more

Mojang has launched the pre-release phase for Minecraft Java Edition 26.2, focusing on bug fixes in preparation for the Chaos Cubed update. The Peer-to-Peer connection feature has been removed due to unsatisfactory user experience. Patch notes include: - Small Sulfur Cubes have updated models and textures, with unique sounds for each archetype. - The fog color in Sulfur Caves has been updated, and the maximum growth length of Sulfur Spikes has been reduced. - Continuous Geyser setups now require a Lava block to erupt. - Updated sounds for chicken variants and Small Sulfur Cubes when fed Slimeballs. - The Friends List button is now always visible on the title screen. - New server properties for chat and command spam thresholds have been introduced, defaulting to 10 seconds. Bug fixes include: - Resolved framerate loss during rendering of decorated pots and banners. - Fixed issues with players being kicked for rapid command sending in multiplayer. - Addressed overgrowth of Sulfur Spikes in Sulfur Caves. - Corrected the absence of a texture for Small Sulfur Cubes. - Fixed a crash when an Evoker retaliated against its Vex. - Resolved inventory issues after death with keep_inventory disabled. - Fixed Shulkers suffocating when opening while suspended. - Addressed a softlock issue when creating a new world if the saves folder was unwritable. - Corrected fog color in Sulfur Caves to match Bedrock Edition. Minecraft 26.2 Pre-Release 1 is available for download through the Minecraft Launcher by enabling snapshots in the "Installations" tab.

AppWizard

May 20, 2026

Google thinks Gemini 3.5 Flash can finally make AI agents more useful

Google has rolled out its AI model, Gemini 3.5 Flash, across various platforms, claiming it outperforms its predecessor, Gemini 3.1 Pro, in key benchmarks. Gemini 3.5 Flash generates responses four times faster than competing AI systems and is designed for complex workflows and coding tasks. Google plans to introduce Gemini 3.1 Pro next month, which excels in decision-making and coding tests. The model is particularly effective for "long-horizon" tasks, aiding app development and document preparation. Google Antigravity, an agentic development platform, integrates with Gemini 3.5 Flash to manage large workloads. The company also introduced Gemini Spark, a personal AI agent for managing digital tasks, with a beta rollout for select testers. Gemini 3.5 was developed under the Frontier Safety Framework, incorporating enhanced safety measures and interpretability tools.

AppWizard

May 12, 2026

Valve made more than 27 million unique images for Counter-Strike listings as part of its new ‘major update’ to Steam’s Community Market

Valve has initiated a beta test for a significant update to the Steam Community Market, which now includes over 13,000 games and more than 700 with in-game items. The update features a new layout with a full-width grid display to enhance user navigation. Counter-Strike players will be the first to experience these changes, including specially generated images for individual items that showcase their characteristics. Valve has created over 27 million unique images for Counter-Strike listings. The updates are set to go live today, and all marketplace users can access the beta, with an option to opt out.

AppWizard

May 4, 2026

Free Pokémon PC Game Is Yours To Play Before Wind And Waves

A new PC game called Pokémon Reloaded has been released in beta, offering a nostalgic experience reminiscent of the Game Boy Color era. It features a top-down exploration of Paldea, a real-time combat system, and a Pokedex with 900 Pokémon, including Mega evolutions. Currently in Beta version 1.9, it promises expanded regions and additional content in its full release. Pokémon Reloaded serves as a precursor to the upcoming Pokémon game, Winds and Waves, which will feature one of the largest maps in the series and new starter Pokémon.

Winsage

April 27, 2026

Windows 11’s hidden modern Run dialog (Win+R) gets a slimmer design, but it’s still not rolling out

Windows Run, accessed via the Win + R shortcut, is being tested for a modern design update in newer preview builds of Windows 11. The updated version features a slimmer design similar to a floating search bar, with a new 'Run' icon and a centered text field. This modern variant will be optional, allowing users to switch back to the classic version if desired. Microsoft is also exploring additional advanced features for the modern Run dialog, which maintains comparable performance to the legacy version.

AppWizard

April 23, 2026

Riot admits it “made mistakes” with League of Legends’ ranked season, imposes hard reset at apex levels

Riot Games is revising the matchmaking framework for League of Legends in preparation for the 2026 season, including the introduction of the Aegis of Valor for autofilled players and reinstating duo queues across all tiers. Players in apex ranks have reported issues with inconsistent matchmaking and LP gain discrepancies. In response, Riot will implement a hard reset of the apex ranked ladder with patch 26.09, placing all players at Master 0 LP. This reset aims to create a more equitable environment but may lead to "wonky matchups." All rewards for Season 1 will be distributed as planned, while Season 3 will reconcile rewards for apex-tier players based on their highest rank. Starting in 2027, LP gain and loss will increase to a maximum of 30, and minimum LP cutoffs for Challenger and Grandmaster will rise to 800 LP and 400 LP, respectively. The apex ranked reset will take effect at the beginning of Season 2 on April 29, impacting regions including BR, EUNE, EUW, LAN, NA, and TR. Initial community reactions have been more positive than expected.

AppWizard

April 21, 2026

Vampire Crawlers review

Vampire Crawlers is a roguelike deckbuilder developed by Poncle and Nosebleed Interactive, set to release on April 21, 2026, with pricing yet to be announced. The game features turn-based gameplay where players draw cards to attack enemies, introducing a combo mechanic based on mana costs. Players level up by collecting blue XP gems from defeated foes, but the gameplay can become predictable and repetitive. The difficulty curve varies, with early enemies being easy and later bosses feeling jarring due to a lack of preparation. Upgrades can increase enemy difficulty and experience drops but may lead to a tedious experience. Each dungeon floor includes a mini-map, and the overall gameplay is described as formulaic and lacking in engaging exploration. While the game has potential for strategic depth, it struggles with repetitive gameplay and difficulty progression.

AppWizard

April 19, 2026

Windrose Discoveries: Every item you’re missing from the Coastal Jungle, Foothills, and Cursed Swamps

Players in Windrose engage in a crafting adventure across three distinct regions: the Coastal Jungle, Foothills, and Cursed Swamps. The Coastal Jungle is the starting zone, requiring players to complete main quests like "I Need a Bigger Boat" and "Rescuing the Crew" to unlock the Foothills after defeating Thomas Richards. In the Foothills, players face challenges from hostile pirates and wildlife, necessitating upgrades to their ships and crafting tools like the Iron Pickaxe and Axe. Some items, such as Corn, may require exploration across multiple islands. The Cursed Swamps, the final region in the early access version, presents survival challenges, with caution needed in areas with glowing pink foliage. Beans can be found in 'Ruin with a Flowerbed' landmarks, along with other valuable resources. A Windrose Discovery list categorizes discoveries by region and notes boss encounters or quest requirements for progression.