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AppWizard

June 24, 2026

Steam Machine: Hardly any cheaper gaming PCs, 8 GiByte is enough

PCGH and PC Games discussed the new Steam Machine with Valve's Lawrence Yang and Yazan Aldehayyat. The final cost of the Steam Machine exceeded initial expectations due to unforeseen supply chain challenges related to memory and storage. Aldehayyat expressed pride in the product's quality and performance, despite its higher price point potentially excluding some buyers. Yang mentioned that future price adjustments could be considered if market conditions allow. The SteamOS does not currently support dual booting, but users can set up dual boot systems using external media. Valve is collaborating with anti-cheat providers like Easy Anti-Cheat and BattlEye to implement solutions for Linux. The Steam Machine is equipped with 8 GB of VRAM, which Aldehayyat believes is sufficient for most games at 1080p resolution. A verification program for the Steam Machine will be implemented, similar to that of the Steam Deck, ensuring better performance for verified games.

AppWizard

June 23, 2026

I found an Android app that makes using my phone one-handed so much easier

Accessibility features in smartphones are crucial for users with vision, hearing, or mobility impairments. Quick Cursor: One-Hand Aid is an Android application designed to assist individuals with dexterity challenges by providing a virtual mouse pointer that can be controlled from a designated area on the screen. Users can adjust the pointer's height to improve reachability for tapping icons or buttons. The app is available in free and paid versions, with the Pro version costing .99 for additional features. To use Quick Cursor, users set up a trigger area on their device, which can be adjusted in size and position. The app supports both portrait and landscape orientations and offers customization options like cursor speed. Users activate the cursor by swiping from the trigger area and can easily navigate the screen. Quick Cursor enhances usability, particularly for those with mobility challenges, making it easier to operate larger smartphones with one hand.

AppWizard

June 23, 2026

5 Things You Didn’t Know Your Samsung Phone Could Do

Older Samsung phones are receiving the One UI 8.5 update, which includes several features: - Users can separate app audio streams between devices, allowing navigation instructions to play through one device while music plays through another. - The side button on newer Galaxy devices can be customized for various functions, including opening different apps or tools. - Samsung offers a Secure Folder feature for storing sensitive apps and data privately. - The Dual Messenger feature allows users to clone messaging apps for managing multiple accounts simultaneously. - With One UI 5.1 and later, users can extract subjects from photos to create cutouts or stickers for use in other applications.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

The Useful Privacy Feature That Isn’t Enabled By Default On Your Android Phone

Private Space is a privacy feature available on Pixel and select Android devices, while Secure Folder is exclusive to Samsung devices. Both create a secure area within the smartphone for sensitive applications and data storage, operating independently from the primary user profile. Users can install apps and store files in these secure spaces without compromising their main profile's integrity. To activate Private Space, users navigate to Settings > Security and Privacy > Private Space, requiring a Google Account sign-in and a unique lock. For Samsung devices, the path is Settings > Security and Privacy > More Security Settings > Secure Folder, requiring a Samsung account. Private Space cannot be used on managed devices or with supervised accounts, and only the primary user can manage these secure areas. The Private Space or Secure Folder icon can be hidden for added security. The private area is distinctly separated from the core user profile, preventing open communication between the two spaces to safeguard against data harvesting. Android allows granular control over app permissions, and users are advised to isolate questionable apps within Private Space or Secure Folder to protect sensitive information.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

5 apps you should use instead of Google Password Manager

Google Password Manager is easy to set up but can be restrictive in sharing vaults, exporting data, and transitioning to different platforms, leading users to seek third-party password managers for better flexibility and control. A recent poll indicated the reasons users consider alternatives: 34% for more privacy and security, 22% for better cross-platform support, 18% for more control over data, 6% for advanced features, 3% for better sharing options, and 17% would not switch. Bitwarden is recommended for its open-source nature, independent audits, and a free tier with no limits on devices or passwords. The premium plan is priced attractively, and a family plan is available. 1Password offers a polished interface and features like a Watchtower tool and Travel Mode, with a 14-day trial available before an annual subscription. Proton Pass is known for its privacy reputation, has a generous free tier, and offers a Pass Plus plan with additional features. NordPass provides an intuitive experience with a straightforward migration process, but its free tier is limited to one active device, while the premium plan is competitively priced. KeePassXC is a free and open-source tool that allows local storage of encrypted vaults, prioritizing data sovereignty and security, though its complexity may deter casual users.

AppWizard

June 21, 2026

Sideloading Android apps is great — until you have to update them. Here’s my fix

Obtainium is a free and open-source sideload manager designed to simplify the updating process for sideloaded Android applications. Users can add their sideloaded apps to Obtainium’s tracking list after a one-time setup, allowing the app to monitor these sources for updates in the background. Obtainium supports various sources, including GitHub, GitLab, F-Droid, APKMirror, and Uptodown. The app checks for updates every six hours and can either download and install updates automatically or notify the user. Setting up Obtainium involves downloading the APK, adding app source URLs, and ensuring the correct source is used for each app. However, it has limitations, such as relying on HTML scraping for websites without an API and potential API rate limits for GitHub apps. Additionally, Obtainium may have read-only access to certain sites, requiring users to manually update apps in some cases.

Winsage

June 20, 2026

I used Windows 11 exactly the way Microsoft wanted, and it drove me crazy

The author customized their Windows experience by changing the default browser, decluttering the Start menu, and preventing OneDrive from managing their files. They recently set up Windows 11 on a new mini PC and initially allowed OneDrive to back up their files, which led to confusion about file locations. They found Windows Search frustrating, as it redirected them to Microsoft's web version despite choosing a different search provider. The author refrained from altering Microsoft's recommended defaults, which made the system feel more aligned with Microsoft's agenda rather than their own needs. After three days, they reverted to their usual practices to regain control over their Windows experience.

Tech Optimizer

June 20, 2026

PostgreSQL 18 on Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS: Performance enhancements

PostgreSQL 18 addresses common performance challenges for users, including managing query performance across composite indexes, diagnosing memory spills in materialized Common Table Expressions (CTEs), and upgrading major versions without plan regressions. Key enhancements include skip scan optimization for multicolumn indexes, improved EXPLAIN functionality, and optimizer statistics that persist through major version upgrades. Skip scan optimization allows PostgreSQL to efficiently utilize multicolumn B-tree indexes even when leading columns are not specified in the WHERE clause, significantly improving query performance. The EXPLAIN command has been enhanced to include buffer statistics by default, providing deeper insights into query execution and resource usage. PostgreSQL 18 also introduces visibility into the storage of materialized nodes in query plans, indicating whether intermediate results were stored in memory or spilled to disk. A new metric, Index Searches, has been added to EXPLAIN ANALYZE output, indicating how many times the database traversed the index tree during query execution. Additionally, Self-Join Elimination (SJE) automatically detects and removes unnecessary inner joins of a table to itself, optimizing query performance. The autovacuum mechanism has been improved with the introduction of autovacuum_vacuum_max_threshold, which caps the number of dead tuples that can accumulate before autovacuum triggers a VACUUM, addressing issues with large tables. The vacuum_truncate parameter provides a server-wide control point to disable VACUUM’s file truncation behavior, reducing locking issues on busy systems. PostgreSQL 18 also separates the allocation of autovacuum worker slots from their usage, allowing for dynamic adjustments to autovacuum_max_workers without requiring a server restart. Finally, new columns in pg_stat_all_tables track cumulative time spent on maintenance operations, providing better insights into maintenance overhead for each table.

Tech Optimizer

June 20, 2026

How Five PostgreSQL Optimizations Sped Up Our Dashboard

The dashboard operates on a Django monolith with PostgreSQL and is transitioning to ClickHouse for denormalization. The initial p50 metric was 0.7 seconds, but the p95 was 8 seconds, which was reduced to 1 second. Observability tools were established to monitor performance, and slow HTTP requests were identified using OpenTelemetry traces. Optimization techniques included late joining, asynchronous counting, creating a PostgreSQL replica for read operations, and improving full-text search. Denormalization was explored to enhance filtering performance by creating composite indexes. The production stack was upgraded to PostgreSQL 18, which provided incremental performance improvements. The final p95 value achieved was 1 second, below the target of 3 seconds.

Tech Optimizer

June 19, 2026

How Cybersecurity Services Have Evolved Beyond Antivirus and Firewalls

Businesses traditionally relied on antivirus software and firewalls for cybersecurity, which were effective when threats were simpler and data was mostly stored on-site. However, the cybersecurity landscape has evolved, with cybercriminals employing advanced tactics that traditional methods cannot adequately address. Antivirus software is limited to detecting known threats, while modern malware can evade detection by altering its code or executing in memory. Firewalls also struggle when authorized users' credentials are compromised, allowing threats to infiltrate networks. Contemporary security strategies advocate for a multi-layered approach, incorporating tools like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Zero Trust Architecture, Dark Web Monitoring, and Security Awareness Training. Compliance with regulatory standards is increasingly important, and cyber insurance providers now require businesses to demonstrate comprehensive security measures. Managed security providers are becoming essential for small and mid-sized businesses, offering expertise and resources to manage complex security tools and processes effectively. Organizations should assess their current security status and adopt a layered approach to address vulnerabilities, recognizing that traditional solutions alone are insufficient in today's threat landscape.