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Windows on Arm had another good year
Winsage
December 29, 2025

Windows on Arm had another good year

The tech landscape is expected to see significant advancements in chips and software by 2026, particularly with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series enhancing Arm-based Windows laptops. The Snapdragon X chips improved performance and battery life, making Windows on Arm laptops more viable, especially in Microsoft’s Surface Laptop and Surface Pro lines. However, challenges with app compatibility persisted, limiting users to simplified versions of software like Adobe Lightroom. In 2025, software enhancements allowed more creative applications to run natively or through improved emulation, including Adobe Premiere Pro and a functioning version of Lightroom Classic on lower-end Snapdragon X Plus chips. Gaming options improved with advancements in emulator technology, and compatibility for Epic's Easy Anti-Cheat was established. The Xbox game launcher expanded to support local installations on Arm devices. Despite the growing appeal of Windows on Arm laptops, traditional x86 options remain dominant for gaming. The first generation of Snapdragon X chips set new benchmarks for battery life, but competition from Intel’s Lunar Lake and AMD’s Strix Point chips is emerging. Nvidia is rumored to be developing an Arm-based chip for Alienware laptops, indicating a competitive landscape. The gap between x86 and Arm Windows laptops is narrowing, with Arm laptops becoming more accessible, though x86 systems are likely to remain preferred for gamers. Microsoft’s evolution of Windows into an “agentic OS” raises questions about the future of Windows laptops.
Improve Aurora PostgreSQL throughput by up to 165% and price-performance ratio by up to 120% using Optimized Reads on AWS Graviton4-based R8gd instances
Tech Optimizer
December 18, 2025

Improve Aurora PostgreSQL throughput by up to 165% and price-performance ratio by up to 120% using Optimized Reads on AWS Graviton4-based R8gd instances

AWS has introduced Graviton4-based R8gd instances for Amazon Aurora, which offer significant performance enhancements over Graviton2-based db.r6g instances. Users can expect up to 165% higher throughput, a 120% improvement in price-performance ratio, and an 80% enhancement in application response time. The integration of an Optimized Reads-enabled tiered cache allows for expanded database caching capacity, minimizing network storage access and improving query response times. Organizations like Mindbody and Claroty have reported substantial performance improvements and cost savings after implementing these features. Aurora PostgreSQL 17 has introduced smarter storage batching algorithms and optimized writes, further enhancing performance for I/O-intensive applications. The db.r8gd instances allow for scaling up to 48xl, providing 192 vCPUs, 50 Gigabits of network bandwidth, and 10.4 TiB of local NVMe capacity. The benchmark testing using HammerDB demonstrated significant improvements in throughput, price-performance ratio, and response times when upgrading from db.r6g to db.r8gd instances. The Aurora Optimized Reads-enabled tiered cache is available for Aurora PostgreSQL versions 17.4 and higher, among others.
Happy birthday and RIP Windows 10! Ten years of Windows, from successes to failures.
Winsage
August 1, 2025

Happy birthday and RIP Windows 10! Ten years of Windows, from successes to failures.

Support for Windows 10 is set to conclude on October 14, 2025, after which users will no longer receive free security updates, software enhancements, or technical assistance. Windows 10 was released in 2015 to restore user confidence following Windows 8's reception and quickly became a leader in the market. It eliminated many frustrations of its predecessor, offering a classic desktop experience and free upgrades from Windows 7 and 8.1. The Windows Insider Program was introduced for testing pre-release builds, but Microsoft faced criticism for inconsistent responsiveness to feedback and issues like unexpected reboots and the October 2018 Update that deleted user files. Windows 10 Mobile failed due to insufficient support and user interest. Microsoft replaced Internet Explorer with Edge, transitioning to Chromium for better compatibility. Privacy concerns arose from extensive telemetry and tracking settings. The Universal Windows Platform (UWP) initiative did not fulfill its promise. Despite nearing the end of its life cycle, Windows 10 remains dominant in the desktop market, appreciated for its stability and non-intrusiveness.
Microsoft Photos Can Relight Your Images
Winsage
May 7, 2025

Microsoft Photos Can Relight Your Images

Microsoft has introduced new features for Windows 11 and its Copilot+ PCs, along with AI-ready Surface hardware. Key enhancements include: - Photos App: A relight feature for adding digital light sources, auto presets, and manual adjustments; new object selection capabilities in Paint; and improvements to the Snipping Tool with a text extractor and color picker. - Recall Feature: Helps users find content by retracing steps and describing memories, with strong privacy controls. - Improved Windows Search: Allows conversational queries with AI interpreting context for relevant results, aided by specialized chips in Copilot+ PCs. - Click to Do: Streamlines workflows with contextual shortcuts for actions within a single application. - Surface for Business Copilot+ PCs: Introduction of a 12-inch Surface Pro and a 13-inch Surface laptop featuring Snapdragon X Plus processors and advanced security tools. - Surface Laptop for Business: A 13-inch model with a thinner profile, anti-reflective touch screens, and an AI-enhanced camera. - Surface Pro for Business: A 12-inch versatile device that transitions between laptop and tablet modes, featuring an adjustable kickstand. - Availability: Software updates will start in April 2025, while new Surface devices will ship from July 22 in select markets.
LG will shut down update servers for its Android smartphones on June 30
AppWizard
April 30, 2025

LG will shut down update servers for its Android smartphones on June 30

LG will officially terminate software updates for all its smartphones on June 30, 2025. This includes the cessation of the mobile phone software upgrade service (FOTA), update center, and LG Bridge service. Users are advised to upgrade their software before this deadline, as no further updates will be provided after that date.
Complete your PC setup with Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro for one low price
Winsage
April 26, 2025

Complete your PC setup with Office 2021 and Windows 11 Pro for one low price

Microsoft is offering a bundle that includes Microsoft Office Professional 2021 and a Windows 11 Pro license for .97, significantly discounted from the regular price of 9.99. This offer is available for one more day. The Office 2021 suite includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. Windows 11 Pro features enhanced productivity tools such as Snap layouts, multiple virtual desktops, improved voice typing, and an AI-powered Copilot virtual assistant. The bundle is intended for PCs that require a new license and will not work on systems that cannot access Windows Update for Windows 11. The offer expires tomorrow at 11:59 p.m. PT, and stock is limited.
Microsoft squashes one of File Explorer's strangest UI bugs in April's Patch Tuesday
Winsage
April 9, 2025

Microsoft squashes one of File Explorer’s strangest UI bugs in April’s Patch Tuesday

Microsoft released its Patch Tuesday updates on the second Tuesday of April, including the KB5055523 patch for Windows 11 24H2, which addresses a File Explorer menu issue and includes security enhancements. This patch encompasses improvements from the previous KB5053656 build. The update resolves a glitch with the three dots menu in File Explorer, fixes a critical issue causing a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) when waking from sleep, and upgrades Task Manager to display standardized CPU usage metrics. For Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon chips, it introduces AI-driven Windows Search capabilities and improves Live Captions for real-time translation in over 44 languages. New features include an enhanced search functionality, a Gamepad keyboard layout for touch, and a new system tray icon for emoji. The update also provides a quick overview of key specifications in the Settings menu and resolves issues with Credential Roaming. KB5055523 is a mandatory security update, and older versions of Windows 10 have also received updates.
Frustrated with Windows 11? Nitrux Linux is the OS you deserve
Winsage
November 2, 2024

Frustrated with Windows 11? Nitrux Linux is the OS you deserve

Nitrux is a modern Linux operating system designed for speed, simplicity, and elegance. The latest version, Nitrux 3.7.1, features an updated Linux 6.11.5-1 system, focusing on performance, security, and compatibility. It includes software enhancements like Firefox 132.0, MESA 24.2.4 for graphics, and the latest Nvidia and AMD drivers, along with support for new hardware such as Qualcomm’s Wi-Fi 6 and Intel graphics. Performance improvements are aimed at gamers and developers, with enhanced network settings, memory optimizations, and a redesigned display manager (SDDM). New GameMode support optimizes settings for gaming, and security measures have been strengthened against network attacks. The KZones feature allows users to snap windows into custom zones, and soft word wrapping is enabled by default in the micro editor for developers. Users can download Nitrux 3.7.1 and run it as a live OS to test its capabilities.
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