restrictions Archives

AppWizard

August 6, 2026

Former Bethesda lead artist is looking forward to Fallout 3’s remaster because the game they released was ‘100% not what we intended, and it was very, very constrained’

Nate Purkeypile, a former artist at Bethesda, contributed to iconic games like Fallout 3, Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Starfield, and was the lead artist on Fallout 76. He is now an independent developer working on a stealth-archer bowhunting first-person shooter called The Axis Unseen. Purkeypile expressed enthusiasm for the announced remaster of Fallout 3, noting the technical limitations faced during its original development, such as restrictions on lighting. He believes that enhancements like increased draw distance could improve immersion and advocates for a remaster that offers more than just graphical updates, referencing successful remakes like those of Resident Evil. He emphasized the need for remasters to meet modern gaming standards while resonating with nostalgia.

Winsage

August 5, 2026

I played DOOM inside MS Paint on Windows 11 by hijacking the clipboard, and it’s shockingly good

Mark Russinovich, the Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft Azure, has created a project called DoomPaint, which allows the classic game DOOM to be displayed within Microsoft Paint. The game operates through the ViZDoom engine, rendering frames headlessly and transferring them to Paint via the Windows clipboard. DoomPaint features full keyboard controls, sound effects, and a MIDI soundtrack, maintaining a frame rate of around 35 FPS. To run DoomPaint, users need to download the project from GitHub, ensure Python is installed, extract the folder, and run a batch file, which sets up a virtual environment and opens Microsoft Paint for gameplay. The default controls include movement with W/S or arrow keys, turning with A/D or arrow keys, strafing with Q/E, firing with Ctrl/F, and other functions assigned to different keys. The project uses the shareware DOOM1.WAD for the initial episode and additional maps from Freedoom due to licensing restrictions. DoomPaint differs from previous attempts to integrate DOOM into Paint by using Paint’s canvas as the sole display for the game. The clipboard race condition was addressed by allowing the application to own the clipboard as a reference-counted OLE data object. Sound effects come from ViZDoom through OpenAL, and music is played using a separate module that loops through the Windows MIDI sequencer. Russinovich utilized Claude Fable 5 for this project, demonstrating how AI tools can enhance software development.

AppWizard

August 5, 2026

Android Developers Unknowingly Leak User Location Data

Recent research from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has revealed that millions of Android users' location data are being inadvertently exposed to advertisers through third-party code libraries. This occurs when seemingly harmless applications, like weather services and fitness trackers, integrate third-party SDKs that collect user location information automatically upon permission approval, often without developers' awareness. Data brokers aggregate this location information to create detailed movement profiles sold to advertisers and government agencies. Despite privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, enforcement is inconsistent, and developers may claim ignorance regarding data practices they did not implement. Google has improved Android's privacy controls, but visibility into third-party libraries accessing data remains limited. Developers face challenges in auditing third-party code due to resource constraints, leading to a complex landscape where user information traverses multiple entities without clear accountability. Privacy advocates are calling for new technical standards to require SDKs to disclose their data practices.

AppWizard

August 4, 2026

Google is introducing mandatory identity verification for Android app developers

Google will require mandatory identity verification for all developers creating applications for the Android platform, affecting those from countries under U.S. sanctions, such as Russia, Iran, Cuba, and North Korea, who will be excluded from the verification system and may not distribute their apps internationally. The new regulations apply to developers of apps for Android 7 and later versions.

AppWizard

August 4, 2026

Samsung follows LG in killing Smart TV apps that rent out your internet

Security researchers found that several Samsung Smart TV applications, including Pac-Man, were embedding residential proxy SDKs from data brokers like Bright Data. In response, Samsung has banned the inclusion of residential proxy functionality in new app submissions and is working to remove existing apps with such software. The investigation by Norwegian cybersecurity firm Mnemonic revealed that the Bright Data SDK was integrated into various gaming applications, some promoted by Samsung. While Samsung TVs were not automatically sharing internet connections, the SDK could be activated remotely by developers, requiring user consent. Once consent was granted, the proxy service could operate in the background. Many Samsung TV applications were found to download most of their code from remote servers, complicating verification processes. The issue of residential proxy software is not limited to Samsung, as it has also been identified in various Android apps and devices. Following these findings, LG and Google have also taken measures to address the risks associated with residential proxy networks.

AppWizard

August 3, 2026

Villagers in Minecraft: What You Actually Need to Know

Villagers in Minecraft have 13 distinct professions that dictate their trades, such as librarians offering enchanted books, farmers trading crops, and armorers providing diamond gear. To assign a job to a villager, a job site block is required. Villagers trade based on specific items they desire, such as crops for farmers and emeralds as currency. Zombies can infect villagers, but they can be cured with a splash potion of weakness and a golden apple, resulting in significant trading discounts. Breeding villagers requires beds, food, and their willingness, while a well-structured trading hall can enhance trading efficiency. Protecting villagers from threats like zombies and pillager raids is essential. Transporting villagers can be done using minecarts, boats, water streams, or Nether portals. Server management requires attention to CPU, RAM, and storage to handle villagers efficiently. If villagers stop breeding or trading, check their access to beds, food, and job sites. Ultimately, trading with villagers can replace traditional resource gathering in the late game.

Winsage

August 2, 2026

Former Microsoft dev brings Windows Task Manager to Mac

Dave W. Plummer, the original developer of the Windows Task Manager, has launched a beta project called Task Manager OG (TMOG) as an alternative to macOS's Activity Monitor. TMOG is built from scratch using Swift and does not contain any code from Windows XP. Microsoft provided Plummer with the source code of the XP Task Manager, but TMOG is independent. Initially intended for distribution through the Mac App Store, TMOG will instead be available for direct download due to Apple's sandboxing restrictions and guidelines against terminating other applications. Plummer plans to develop a Windows version and potentially a Pro version in the future.

AppWizard

August 1, 2026

Halo and Palworld Dethroned by New #1 Best-Selling Steam Game That Is Free for Some

Mistfall Hunter, a dark fantasy extraction action RPG developed by Bellring Games and Skystone Games, has reached the #1 position on the Steam Top Sellers chart, surpassing Palworld and Halo: Campaign Evolved. The game is priced at .99, but is available for .49 until August 10, and is free for PC Game Pass subscribers. It has outperformed other popular titles like Corsair Cove, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Mistfall Hunter has a “Mostly Positive” rating with a 72% approval from 1,526 user reviews, despite some criticism regarding solo content and performance issues. In its first 24 hours, it attracted over 100,000 players.

AppWizard

August 1, 2026

I was excited for this Quake port of Half-Life until I discovered the creator’s wild AI conspiracy theories

The technology behind Half-Life, known as GoldSrc, is a modified version of the Quake engine, and remnants of Quake code are present in Valve's Source 2. A modder named KleskBY is developing a project called Libre-life, which aims to port elements from Half-Life into Quake source ports, particularly focusing on the Zircon Engine. KleskBY believes that older engines like GoldSrc have limitations that hinder creativity and prefers using Quake source ports over Xash3D, arguing that they offer capabilities that Xash does not. Libre-life is in early development, with progress including the reimplementation of all weapons from Half-Life 1. KleskBY uses AI extensively in the project, despite expressing strong negative opinions about AI's broader implications.

AppWizard

August 1, 2026

App used in Gen Z protest installed without internet: Bitchat sends messages via Bluetooth; govt asks the c…

Jack Dorsey has introduced a new feature for his offline messaging app, BitChat, allowing Android users to share and install the app directly from one device to another via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, without needing an internet connection or access to the Google Play Store or GitHub. This feature is designed to enable users to install BitChat by sharing the APK file, making the app accessible even if it faces restrictions on online platforms. The update follows concerns from the Indian government about the app being exploited by criminal organizations. The BitChat team has stated that the app can now be distributed among users, transforming every device with BitChat installed into a potential distribution hub.