retention Archives

Winsage

July 24, 2025

Microsoft Unveils PC-to-PC Migration Tool for Local Transfers as Windows 10 Support Ends in 2025

Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 in October 2025, prompting users to consider upgrading to Windows 11 or purchasing new devices. To address concerns about cloud dependency, Microsoft has introduced a PC-to-PC migration tool that allows users to transfer files, settings, and applications directly from a Windows 10 machine to a Windows 11 device over a local network, without using OneDrive. This tool requires both PCs to be on the same Wi-Fi network and powered on simultaneously. However, it necessitates a Microsoft account for authentication and lacks full support for Arm-based devices. The introduction of this tool appears to be a strategic response to competition and user demand for alternatives to cloud-based solutions.

AppWizard

July 19, 2025

Remedy promises a ‘major update’ for FBC: Firebreak but not until late September, which doesn’t seem great

Remedy Entertainment is committed to improving FBC: Firebreak despite its rocky start and plans a major update for late September to enhance accessibility for newcomers and re-engage veteran players. The game received a lukewarm review score of 60%, with significant balance issues and a lack of content. Currently, the game's concurrent player count on Steam has dropped to 34, suggesting an estimated total of around 3,400 players across all platforms. Remedy has released several patches and aims to improve the onboarding experience, enhance gunplay with a new modding system, and revamp the Clearance and Corruption Levels mechanic. The update will also address matchmaking processes and increase job variety. At launch, the game peaked at 1,992 concurrent players on Steam.

AppWizard

July 16, 2025

Microsoft Tests Streaming Xbox Games on PC

Microsoft's Xbox division is testing a new feature that allows users to stream their personally owned games through the Xbox PC app, eliminating lengthy installations. This feature is currently available to Xbox Insiders with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription and enables players to access their game libraries on Windows devices using cloud technology. The app manages processing on remote servers, conserving local storage and reducing download times. This initiative is part of Microsoft's strategy to unify its gaming ecosystem and respond to competition from services like Nvidia's GeForce Now and Amazon's Luna. The feature aims to democratize access to games without requiring a subscription for owned titles. Challenges include reliance on internet connectivity and privacy concerns regarding cloud data management. If successful, this could lead to broader integration across Xbox platforms, including smart TVs. Feedback from Insiders will influence the rollout pace.

AppWizard

July 14, 2025

How to disable Gemini AI on Android and keep control of your apps

Google is integrating its AI, Gemini, with Android systems, allowing access to applications like WhatsApp, Messages, and Phone, starting July 7, 2025. This integration may override existing privacy settings unless users disable Gemini. Users can restrict Gemini's access to apps through the Google Gemini app settings or uninstall it. If Gemini is not pre-installed, it will not be automatically installed on devices. Disabling Gemini maintains previous privacy settings, but conversations may still be reviewed by human reviewers for AI training, with data retention lasting up to three years. Users are advised to avoid sharing sensitive information in Gemini chats.

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

“Why I Deleted My Steam Account After 20 Years”: Modder who spent “over a decade” fixing broken games with the “Swiss Army Knife of PC gaming” drops Valve, saying it has “fragmented PC gaming irreparably”

Kaldaien, known for his Special K utility mod, recently posted on GitHub about his decision to delete his Steam account after 20 years, criticizing Valve's Steam platform. He has spent over a decade improving PC game ports and argues that alternative platforms like the Epic Games Store and Microsoft Store offer better value without unnecessary features. He also praises GOG for promoting user control and version preservation, while acknowledging the challenges faced by all gaming platforms, including Steam. An expert noted that Valve has effectively managed issues that other services struggle with, comparing their approach to Netflix's user engagement strategies.

AppWizard

July 9, 2025

Google Forces Gemini App Integration on Android, Sparking Widespread Privacy Fears

Google is rolling out an update to its Android operating system that allows its Gemini AI to access third-party applications by default, overriding users' previous privacy settings. This change, effective July 8, has led to confusion among users, as many received unclear email notifications regarding the update and how to disable the new feature. Google has stated that human reviewers may process app data, and conversations could be stored for up to 72 hours, even if users opt out of activity tracking. The update is part of Google's strategy to integrate Gemini more deeply into its ecosystem, replacing the Google Assistant with Gemini on mobile devices. The company plans to open its Gemini Nano model to third-party developers, further embedding AI into applications.

Tech Optimizer

July 8, 2025

How TimescaleDB helped us scale analytics and reporting

At Cloudflare, PostgreSQL and ClickHouse are used as primary databases for transactional and analytical workloads. PostgreSQL is preferred for product development due to its speed, versatility, and reliability, with hundreds of instances running in various configurations. ClickHouse, introduced in 2017, allows ingestion of tens of millions of rows per second with millisecond-level query performance but comes with trade-offs. The Digital Experience Monitoring (DEX) product was developed with a focus on simplicity and rapid shipping, utilizing a team of three engineers and collaboration with other teams. DEX's initial launch included fleet status logs uploaded every two minutes and synthetic tests with usage caps, leading to a successful MVP launch ahead of schedule. The architecture included an HTTP API, PostgreSQL for storing configurations, and a React UI in the Cloudflare Dashboard. PostgreSQL was chosen for analytics due to its ability to handle structured logs, with a table created for device state logs lacking a primary key but optimized with unique and standard indexes for common queries. The UPSERT query was used for data insertion, and the order of columns in multicolumn indexes was optimized for performance. After launching DEX, the system scaled to 1,000 inserts per second, leading to performance degradation. Precomputed aggregates were implemented to improve query performance, resulting in up to a 1000x improvement. Table partitioning was considered but ultimately not pursued due to its manual management requirements. TimescaleDB was explored as an alternative to enhance query performance, offering features like automatic partition management, continuous aggregates, and compression. A side-by-side comparison with PostgreSQL showed significant performance improvements, particularly for longer time windows. TimescaleDB's integration allowed for efficient data retention and aggregation, simplifying the infrastructure. Following the success of DEX, other teams at Cloudflare began using TimescaleDB for analytics and reporting, consolidating data from various sources and managing high ingestion rates effectively by optimizing data handling techniques such as switching to COPY for bulk inserts and adjusting replication settings.

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Gemini can access your Android phone’s other apps, unless you stop it

A recent update from Google allows Gemini AI to access data from third-party applications on Android devices, even if users disable Gemini Apps Activity. This change began rolling out on July 7, and Google retains activity logs for 72 hours. Users can disable Gemini Apps Activity by adjusting settings in the app, or they can uninstall the Gemini app entirely by navigating to Settings > Apps, selecting Gemini, and choosing to force stop and uninstall it.

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Jack Dorsey quietly dropped a game-changing chat app and it’s already full: All about it

Tech entrepreneur Jack Dorsey has launched a decentralized messaging application called Bitchat, designed to function independently of the internet and without the need for personal information. The app facilitates peer-to-peer messaging through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks, allowing communication over distances greater than 300 meters without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. It is currently in beta testing via Apple’s TestFlight. A whitepaper on GitHub details its functionality, with each phone acting as both sender and receiver for multi-hop message transfers. Bitchat prioritizes user privacy by not requiring a phone number or email address. Messages are temporarily stored on devices, with an automatic caching system to ensure delivery when the recipient reconnects to the network. The app features a tiered message retention system, where standard messages are deleted after 12 hours and “favourites” are kept indefinitely. It uses end-to-end encryption with Curve25519 and AES-GCM for data protection. The app includes user mentions, topic-based rooms, and password protection for secure communications, positioning itself as an alternative to traditional centralized messaging platforms.

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Bitchat Is a New Messaging App Which Works Without Phone Numbers

Jack Dorsey has introduced Bitchat, a decentralized messaging application that operates using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks for peer-to-peer messaging without traditional internet connectivity. Bitchat features end-to-end encryption for security, operates independently of the internet, and allows users to send messages over a range of more than 300 meters. Each device functions as both a client and server, enabling multi-hop message delivery. Messages are ephemeral by default, with a caching feature for recipients who are temporarily unavailable. Regular messages last 12 hours, while favorites are retained indefinitely. Bitchat does not require phone numbers or email addresses, enhancing user privacy, and includes features such as mentions and topic-based discussion rooms that can be password-protected. The app is currently in beta testing via Apple's TestFlight program.