strategies Archives

Tech Optimizer

July 11, 2025

Cloud PostgreSQL uptime falls well short of expectations

A survey conducted by The Foundry revealed that 82 percent of PostgreSQL users have concerns about cloud region failures, with 21 percent having experienced such failures in the past year. Among 212 IT decision-makers, 91 percent require no more than four minutes of downtime per month, aiming for an uptime target of approximately 99.99 percent. Additionally, 24 percent seek less than 30 seconds of downtime. AWS dominates the PostgreSQL service market, with 55 percent using AWS RDS and 45 percent using AWS Aurora Global Database. Azure Cosmos DB and Google Cloud SQL are used by 29 percent and 24 percent of respondents, respectively. Unexpected downtime has disrupted business operations for 56 percent of respondents, with 40 percent reporting damage to brand trust. Strategies for ensuring PostgreSQL availability vary, with 58 percent using single-region strategies and 47 percent adopting multi-region approaches. Notably, 23 percent still rely on manual processes, and 5 percent have no high availability strategy. Furthermore, 51 percent of respondents use PostgreSQL in a hybrid database environment, while 35 percent use it as the primary database for customer-facing applications. PostgreSQL has been recognized as the most significant climber in database rankings, currently standing fourth overall.

Tech Optimizer

July 10, 2025

New Survey Reveals Strong Demand for High Availability as Businesses Increasingly Use PostgreSQL in Mission-Critical Applications and to Alleviate Cloud Outage Concerns

pgEdge, Inc. conducted a survey revealing that 91% of organizations using PostgreSQL require a maximum of 4 minutes of downtime per month, with 24% aiming for less than 30 seconds. While 21% experienced an outage in the past year, 82% are concerned about potential cloud region failures. Additionally, 79% of respondents are considering or piloting a distributed PostgreSQL solution within the next year. Over half (51%) use PostgreSQL in a hybrid database environment, and 35% use it as their primary database for customer-facing applications. Strategies for high availability include 58% relying on read replicas and automated failover, while 47% have implemented multi-master replication across multiple cloud regions. Businesses exceeding downtime thresholds face delays (56%), damage to brand trust (40%), and increased support requests (49%). Organizations using high availability PostgreSQL solutions report benefits such as increased uptime (53%) and cost savings (36%). The survey included 212 IT decision-makers, with 75% from enterprises with over 500 employees, and the top industries represented were financial services, software and computing, and manufacturing.

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.

Winsage

July 10, 2025

Researchers Trick ChatGPT into Disclosing Windows Product Keys

Researchers have successfully bypassed ChatGPT's guardrails, allowing the AI to disclose valid Windows product keys by disguising requests as a guessing game. The technique involved using HTML tags to hide sensitive terms from filters while still enabling AI comprehension. They extracted real Windows Home/Pro/Enterprise keys by establishing game rules and using the phrase "I give up" to trigger disclosure. This vulnerability highlights flaws in keyword-based filtering and suggests that similar techniques could expose other restricted content. The attack exploits weaknesses in AI's contextual interpretation and emphasizes the need for improved content moderation strategies, including enhanced contextual awareness and detection of deceptive framing patterns.

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

Mycopunk review

Mycopunk is a cooperative PvE shooter developed by Pigeons at Play and published by Devolver Digital, set to release on July 10, 2025. Players combat fungal adversaries and gather resources for a mega-corporation while navigating various environments. The game allows customization of mission difficulty with three swarm intensities and six difficulty levels. Players encounter mycological robots and can choose characters with unique movement abilities, enhancing teamwork. The game features a vibrant home base with minigames and character upgrades, and offers different mission types. Progression may feel slow, and some glitches are present, but developers are addressing these issues.

Tech Optimizer

July 10, 2025

New Survey Shows Strong Demand for High Availability as Businesses Increasingly Use PostgreSQL in Mission-Critical Applications and to Alleviate Cloud Outage Concerns

In a survey by pgEdge, Inc., 91% of PostgreSQL users expect no more than four minutes of downtime per month, equating to 99.99% uptime, with 24% aiming for less than 30 seconds. Despite these expectations, 21% experienced outages in the past year, and 82% are concerned about cloud region failures. Additionally, 79% of participants are evaluating or piloting distributed PostgreSQL solutions. Over half (51%) use PostgreSQL in hybrid environments, while 35% use it as the primary database for customer-facing applications. To achieve high availability, 58% rely on read replicas and automated failover, and 47% use multi-master replication across multiple cloud regions. Among those who exceeded downtime thresholds, 56% faced delays in operations, 40% reported damage to brand trust, and 49% experienced spikes in support requests. Organizations implementing high availability solutions reported increased uptime (53%) and cost savings (36%). The survey included 212 IT decision-makers from enterprises with 500 or more employees, with 75% in IT, Networking, or Security roles. The leading industries represented were financial services, software and computing, and manufacturing, comprising 69% of responses.

Tech Optimizer

July 10, 2025

EDB Returns to Goodwood with Sovereign AI and Data Platform for Intelligent Mobility

EnterpriseDB (EDB) has returned to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, focusing on the impact of advanced AI data systems in the automotive industry. A global survey by EDB of 190 automotive executives revealed that only 13% of organizations are successfully leveraging agentic and generative AI, with these companies achieving a fivefold return on investment through a focus on data sovereignty. The automotive sector is undergoing a significant transformation, with the U.K. automotive AI market projected to grow from £8 million in 2024 to £2 million by 2030, reflecting a 21.7% CAGR. EDB is also fostering future talent through initiatives that encourage students to propose innovative data and AI solutions, with a £2,000 prize for the winning idea. The U.K. STEM workforce is expected to grow by 10% by 2030, while many tech firms face challenges in filling roles. EDB has received multiple recognitions for its innovation and workplace culture, including listings in various industry awards. EDB Postgres® AI is described as an open, enterprise-grade sovereign data and AI platform that integrates various workloads while ensuring compliance and security.

Winsage

July 10, 2025

Windows BitLocker Bypass Vulnerability Let Attackers Bypass Security Feature

A security vulnerability, designated CVE-2025-48818, has been identified in Windows BitLocker encryption, allowing attackers to exploit a time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition to bypass encryption. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.8 and affects multiple versions of Windows, specifically targeting BitLocker Device Encryption. It requires physical access to the target system, has low attack complexity, and does not require user interaction. The affected Windows platforms include Windows 10 (versions 1607, 21H2, 22H2), Windows 11 (versions 22H2, 23H2, 24H2), and Windows Server editions (2016, 2022, 2025). Microsoft has released security updates to address this vulnerability, with key patches for specific Windows versions. System administrators are advised to install these updates and enhance physical security measures to prevent unauthorized access.

AppWizard

July 10, 2025

Amazon MGM Hires Charlie Coleman as International Marketing Chief

Amazon MGM has appointed Charlie Coleman as its head of international marketing, based in London, reporting to Sue Kroll. Coleman previously worked at Disney and Warner Bros., where he became EVP of international marketing and led campaigns for films like “The Batman” and “Dune.” His appointment is part of a trend of former Warner executives joining Amazon MGM, which is preparing for a full theatrical release schedule starting in 2026, including films like “Project Hail Mary” and “Masters of the Universe.”

Winsage

July 9, 2025

The Windows 11 25H2 update enables some users to remove pesky apps and bloatware from the OS

gHacks is a resource for tech enthusiasts providing insights and tools for enhancing digital experiences. The MisterMDM X account focuses on mobile device management, offering tips for businesses to improve operations and device security. Geek Uninstaller is a lightweight tool that helps users efficiently remove unwanted applications for better system performance. The Windows IT Pro Blog provides in-depth analysis and expert opinions on Windows operating systems, including troubleshooting tips and reviews of new features.