steps Archives

AppWizard

December 4, 2025

Android users may be eligible for restitution from $700M Google settlement

A million settlement with Google has been announced, allowing New York residents to claim restitution due to a lawsuit involving 54 attorneys general, including Attorney General Letitia James. The lawsuit accused Google of maintaining an unlawful monopoly over mobile app distribution and in-app payment processing for Android devices, imposing fees as high as 30% on app purchases and in-app transactions. If approved, the settlement will compensate consumers who made purchases on the Google Play Store between August 2016 and September 2023. Google has contributed million to the fund, with most impacted consumers expected to receive payments automatically via PayPal or Venmo. A court hearing to finalize the settlement is scheduled for April 30, 2026.

Winsage

December 3, 2025

Microsoft mitigates Windows LNK flaw exploited as zero-day

Microsoft has addressed a security vulnerability in Windows tracked as CVE-2025-9491, which allows malicious actors to embed harmful commands in Windows LNK files, requiring user interaction to exploit. Threat actors often distribute these files in ZIP formats to bypass email security. In March 2025, 11 hacking groups, including Evil Corp and Kimsuky, were actively exploiting this vulnerability using various malware payloads. Although Microsoft initially did not consider the issue urgent, it later modified the handling of LNK files in November updates to allow users to view the entire character string in the Target field. However, this change does not eliminate the malicious arguments embedded in the files. ACROS Security has released an unofficial patch that restricts shortcut target strings to 260 characters and alerts users about risks associated with long target strings, covering multiple Windows versions.

Tech Optimizer

December 3, 2025

Wacatac Trojan: What Is It And How To Remove It

The Wacatac Trojan is a type of malware first documented in January 2020, known for disguising itself as benign software to trick users into installation. It operates under various aliases, including Trojan:Script/Wacatac and Trojan:Win32/Wacatac, and can connect to Command-and-Control (C2) servers for remote manipulation. Its capabilities include stealing credentials, evading antivirus detection, creating or joining botnets, causing system damage, enabling spyware functions, acting as Remote Access Tools (RATs), and downloading additional malware. Symptoms of infection include sluggish performance, program failures, unexplained storage reductions, and unfamiliar processes. Wacatac spreads through unofficial software, malicious web pages, and phishing emails. Removal is best achieved using reputable antivirus software, while prevention involves avoiding questionable downloads, practicing good digital hygiene, keeping software updated, backing up data, and using quality antivirus solutions. False positives can occur, where legitimate programs are mistakenly flagged as Wacatac.

AppWizard

December 3, 2025

“Joke’s on you,” says No Man’s Sky lead as rival survival game confirms it’s replacing an eerily familiar cosmetic

Developer Starry Studio has introduced significant updates to the survival game Once Human, including a new class system, a PvP-centric Raid Zone, and a crossover with Palworld. A new decorative item in the game’s loot crates, specifically an exercise bike, has sparked controversy due to its similarities to the Base Teleport Module from No Man's Sky. Hello Games' Sean Murray responded humorously to the criticism, while Starry Studio confirmed it would remove the contentious item. The Thunder Overload cosmetic lineup features outfits and a weapon skin that transforms the SKS into a mechanical dragon. Earlier this year, Once Human was also accused of borrowing design elements from Rainbow Six Siege. Starry Studio has pledged to replace the disputed asset and review their art and design policies, emphasizing the importance of originality and community feedback.

BetaBeacon

December 3, 2025

Red Dead Redemption now on mobile phones: How to play on Android, iPhone and iPad

Rockstar Games has brought Red Dead Redemption to mobile phones, including the Undead Nightmare expansion. The game is available for purchase on Android and iOS for .99, but Netflix subscribers can download and play it for free. The game features touch-based controls and menus tailored for smaller screens. The storyline follows John Marston as he tries to secure the release of his family by tracking down members of his former gang. The game was first launched in 2010 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and has since been released on various platforms. The mobile system requirements for Android and iOS devices are specified. This release is part of Rockstar's efforts to offer a full console-scale experience on portable devices.

Winsage

December 3, 2025

How to stop internet results in Search for Windows 11 — get rid of Bing suggestions for a clean, simplified experience

On Windows 11, users can disable web search results on the home page of the Windows Search experience through the Settings app. For Windows 11 Pro users, this can be done via Group Policy by navigating to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer, editing the policy "Turn off display of recent search entries in the File Explorer search box," selecting Enabled, and applying the changes. A reboot may be required to take effect. For both Windows 11 Pro and Home users, web results can also be disabled through the Registry by navigating to HKEYCURRENTUSERSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows, creating a new key named Explorer, adding a DWORD (32-bit) Value named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions, and setting its value to 1. Restarting the computer will limit search results to system and file-related queries. To revert these changes, the DWORD can be deleted. Web search results in Windows Search refer to online suggestions that appear alongside local files and applications when users input queries.

Winsage

December 2, 2025

I accepted all of Microsoft’s suggested Windows 11 setup settings with a fresh ISO, forced online accounts and extra telemetry included — can any of it be bypassed?

The latest version of Windows 11, 25H2, has been released with minimal changes from 24H2. Windows 11 is gaining market share as Windows 10 approaches its "End of Life" phase, but user satisfaction remains a concern. Many users express frustration over the TPM 2.0 hardware requirement, which raises e-waste concerns for incompatible PCs. Setting up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account has become challenging, as Microsoft has removed popular workarounds, and a mandatory Internet connection is required during setup. Users also express apprehension about Microsoft Copilot and its data collection practices, which include gathering "Optional diagnostic data" and location services information. Although users can disable tracking features after setup, initial selections are not permanent. Windows Recall, a feature that tracks user activity through visual snapshots, is now available for compatible Copilot+ PCs but is not enabled by default. Users can disable Windows Recall in the Settings app.

Winsage

December 2, 2025

5 Secret Windows 11 Features Everyone Should Be Using By Now

Windows 11 includes features for photo editing, advanced calculations, text extraction from screenshots, timezone management, and enhanced text formatting in Notepad. The Photos app allows users to remove objects and backgrounds from images using AI-powered editing tools. Users can erase objects by selecting the Erase option, adjusting the brush size, and brushing over the object. To remove backgrounds, users choose the Background option and use the Background brush tool. The Windows Calculator offers various modes for complex calculations, including Standard, Scientific, Graphing, Programmer, Date calculation, and Converter options. Users can switch modes via the hamburger icon and keep the Calculator window on top of other applications. The Snipping Tool enables users to copy text from screenshots. Users can take a screenshot with Win + Shift + S, open the Snipping Tool editor, select the Text actions icon, highlight the desired text, and choose to copy it. Windows 11 allows users to add multiple time zones in the Notification Center by accessing the Settings app, selecting Time & language, and navigating to Date & time to set additional clocks. Notepad has been updated to include basic text formatting options. Users can toggle on Formatting in Settings, adjust text size, create lists, and apply bold and italic styles, saving their work as Markdown files.

Tech Optimizer

December 2, 2025

AWS Transform announces full-stack Windows modernization capabilities

AWS launched AWS Transform for .NET in May, aimed at modernizing .NET applications. In response to user feedback, AWS introduced AWS Transform for full-stack Windows modernization, which streamlines modernization tasks across the Windows application stack. This service enhances modernization efficiency by up to five times and supports migration from .NET Framework to cross-platform .NET and SQL Server to Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition. It includes features for validating and testing applications, customizable deployment configurations, and modernizing ASP.NET Web Forms UI to Blazor. AWS Transform connects to source code repositories and database servers to analyze dependencies and create modernization waves. Users can configure database connectors for SQL Server and source code repositories, leading to a wave-based transformation plan. The service generates a SQL Modernization Assessment Report detailing the proposed modernization strategy. The transformation process involves converting SQL Server schema to PostgreSQL, migrating data, transforming .NET application code, and deploying applications for testing. AWS Transform exclusively supports codebases in .NET 6 or later. It also facilitates UI modernization from ASP.NET Web Forms to Blazor, managing the conversion of various project files. Additional features include support for porting to .NET 10 and .NET Standard, an editable transformation report, real-time tracking of transformation progress, and a markdown file outlining remaining tasks post-transformation. AWS Transform for full-stack Windows modernization is available in the US East (N. Virginia) Region, with no additional charges for the features beyond standard resource usage. It supports SQL Server versions from 2008 R2 to 2022 and Entity Framework versions 6.3 to 8.0.

Winsage

December 1, 2025

Windows 11’s new pre-loaded File Explorer is reportedly still slower than Windows 10

Microsoft has acknowledged the sluggish performance of Windows 11's File Explorer and is introducing a preloading feature to enhance its speed. Initial tests show that the preloaded version opens faster than the non-preloaded version, using approximately 30MB of additional RAM. However, Windows 10's File Explorer outperforms the preloaded version of Windows 11 in both opening and closing speeds. This performance gap may hinder the adoption of Windows 11, as many PCs compatible with the new OS remain on Windows 10. Further enhancements are necessary for Windows 11's File Explorer to match or exceed the responsiveness of Windows 10.