preservation Archives

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

Doom And Duke Nukem 3D Composer Bobby Prince Dies At 81

Bobby Prince, a significant figure in classic PC gaming, passed away at the age of 81. He was a composer and sound designer known for his work with Apogee/3D Realms and id Software, contributing music to iconic games such as Doom, Wolfenstein, Duke Nukem, and Commander Keen. Originally trained as a lawyer, he transitioned to video game music after connecting with Scott Miller from Apogee. His work on Doom, characterized by heavy riffs and innovative sound design, earned a place in the Library of Congress for preservation. Prince also composed music for Duke Nukem 3D and was recognized as a pioneer in game music, sharing his expertise through articles and presentations at gaming conferences.

Tech Optimizer

June 20, 2026

PostgreSQL 18 on Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS: Security, monitoring, and developer enhancements

PostgreSQL version 18 has deprecated MD5 password authentication in favor of SCRAM-SHA-256, with a new parameter, md5_password_warnings, enabled by default to log deprecation warnings. It has enhanced monitoring capabilities by adding columns to pg_stat_database and pg_stat_statements to track parallel worker activity, with the default max_parallel_workers_per_gather set to 0 in Aurora PostgreSQL. The pg_stat_subscription_stats view now includes new columns for tracking conflict types in logical replication. Optimizer statistics are automatically transferred during upgrades, while uuidv7() generates timestamp-ordered UUIDs. The default streaming option for CREATE SUBSCRIPTION has changed to parallel, and the idle_replication_slot_timeout parameter automatically invalidates inactive replication slots. Enhancements to the COPY command include REJECT_LIMIT for error tolerance and a silent LOG_VERBOSITY level. OLD and NEW aliases have been introduced in RETURNING clauses for various DML commands.

Winsage

June 16, 2026

Munch Museum Windows display gives visitors something to scream about

At the Munch Museum in Oslo, Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream" is displayed alongside a Microsoft account recovery screen, creating an ironic contrast between art and technology. The museum rotates three versions of "The Scream" to prevent deterioration, and the painting continues to resonate with modern audiences as it symbolizes anxiety in today's technology-driven world. The frustrations of dealing with digital barriers, such as forgotten passwords, evoke emotions similar to those depicted in "The Scream."

Winsage

June 15, 2026

Linux 7.2 To Better Communicate File-System Casefolding For Helping Windows NFS & More

The Linux 7.2 kernel has introduced enhancements for reporting case-folding behavior in local file systems, allowing file servers to accurately convey their case sensitivity capabilities. Linus Torvalds merged Virtual File System (VFS) related pull requests that enable local file systems to report case-folding behavior, benefiting services like NFSD and KSMBD, particularly for Microsoft Windows NFS clients. Filesystems can now report case-insensitive and case-nonpreserving behavior through new filekattr flags in their fileattrget implementations. Supported filesystems include FAT, exFAT, NTFS3, HFS, HFS+, XFS, CIFS, NFS, VBoxSF, and ISOFS, with others defaulting to POSIX behavior. NFSd uses this information to report case folding via NFSv3 PATHCONF and implement NFSv4 attributes for case insensitivity and case preservation. The enhancements aim to improve interoperability, allowing Windows NFS clients to function correctly by reporting case-insensitivity, which streamlines operations and avoids unnecessary requests. The Linux NFS client has previously supported case-insensitive shares, requiring adjustments to caching behavior. Accurate case folding reporting is crucial for servers operating in multi-protocol environments to maintain interoperability.

AppWizard

June 13, 2026

Palworld 1.0 won’t wipe your data, ‘but you should’ says Pocketpair’s publishing boss

Palworld 1.0 is set to launch on July 10, with players able to retain their existing progress, although they may be encouraged to start anew. A significant new feature is the World Tree, located in the northwest corner of the map, which is tied to the game's narrative climax. The update will introduce more new Pals than any previous update, including a new character named Dupin.

AppWizard

June 13, 2026

RPG Maker forums are closing, nearly 15 years of knowledge and online culture are at risk of being wiped

The official RPG Maker forums are set to close, with the existing forums not being archived, resulting in the potential loss of over 1.4 million posts. Specific forums like the Legacy Engine Support forum have more than 280,000 posts, and the Javascript Plugins forum contains 276,000 messages. The forums will remain accessible until December 11, 2026, transitioning to read-only mode on June 18, 2026, and new account registrations are already disabled. Gotcha Gotcha Games is launching a new platform called the RPG Maker Guild for community collaboration. There are concerns about losing a significant knowledge base, but archivist Jason Scott hinted at possible assistance from the Internet Archive for preservation efforts.

Winsage

June 11, 2026

PowerToys 0.1 Arrives With Improvements to Several Utilities

Microsoft released PowerToys 0.1, featuring several enhancements: - The Shortcut Guide now appears as a side pane, detecting the active application and displaying relevant shortcuts. - The Command Palette includes an extension gallery for easy management of extensions and supports multiple monitor configurations, along with a new Battery widget. - PowerDisplay has improved startup speed, monitor identification, and settings preservation, with a new Max compatibility mode. - ZoomIt now supports a webcam overlay during recordings and allows appending multiple clips with transitions. - Transition to .NET 10 has optimized performance, reduced installation size by 15%, and improved the auto-update feature. Quick Access and Workspaces have migrated to WinUI with a refreshed UI. - Additional improvements include the Keyboard Manager using the new WinUI editor, a Refresh Connections feature in Mouse Without Borders, enhanced high DPI and multi-monitor reliability in Quick Accent, an option to disable file preview tooltips in Peek, and various calculator enhancements in PowerToys Run. PowerToys can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store, Windows Package Manager (winget), or the web.

Winsage

June 11, 2026

ReactOS Runs Half-Life Natively: Open-Source Windows NT Clone Clears 3D Graphics Bar

ReactOS has successfully executed Valve's original Half-Life on consumer hardware, marking a significant milestone in open-source software development. This achievement was announced on June 10, 2026, after three decades of effort to reimplement Microsoft Windows. The game was run on a Dell OptiPlex desktop with an Intel Core i5 2400 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS graphics card, demonstrating ReactOS's capability to handle real-time 3D applications without compatibility shims. ReactOS operates independently from Microsoft, sharing no code, and can execute a real-time 3D graphics workload natively. It has achieved approximately 90 percent GPU driver compatibility for Windows XP and Server 2003-era hardware through the implementation of the Kernel-Mode Driver Framework and Windows Display Driver Model subsystems. ReactOS is still in alpha stage, with limitations in application support and driver gaps for modern hardware. The project is working towards a new release, version 0.4.16, to enhance user experience.

AppWizard

June 9, 2026

Ball State IDIA Lab Launches Mesa Verde Virtual Companion App for Apple and Android Devices

Ball State University’s Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts (IDIA Lab) has launched the Mesa Verde Virtual Companion, an augmented reality mobile app designed to enhance public engagement with Mesa Verde National Park. The app is available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play and includes features such as augmented reality experiences, 3D visualizations of ancestral structures, narrated interpretations, animated figures, and interactive learning content about the Ancestral Pueblo people. The app aims to facilitate both on-site and off-site exploration of the park, which contains nearly 5,000 archaeological sites and is recognized as a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It targets park visitors, educators, families, and remote users, incorporating accessibility features like a welcome tutorial and voiceover options. The project emphasizes immersive learning and cultural preservation, using advanced digital media to connect users with Indigenous history. The IDIA Lab, supported by Lilly Endowment, Inc.’s Digital Media Initiative, develops projects that explore virtual and augmented reality and collaborates with various organizations to enhance educational experiences.

AppWizard

June 2, 2026

The Baldur’s Gate remakes should scrap the original combat system and fully embrace superior turn-based fights

Baldur's Gate 2 and potentially the original Baldur's Gate are set to receive remakes, with Wizards of the Coast re-engaging BG2's co-lead designer. A community poll indicated that 75% of participants prefer turn-based (TB) combat systems over real-time with pause (RTWP). The success of Baldur's Gate 3 has highlighted how TB mechanics can enhance combat, making it more strategic and engaging. Adopting a TB system could align gameplay with Dungeons & Dragons principles and improve the authenticity of the experience. However, remakes should balance innovation with the preservation of character complexities and narrative dynamics from the original games.