streams Archives

AppWizard

May 22, 2026

InPVP acquires Feather Client, rebrands as Dawn

InPVP has acquired Feather Client, a third-party Minecraft launcher, focusing on its in-game technology rather than the launcher itself. The acquisition was announced by InPVP owner Mohamed “PizzaMC” Weheba at the UGCon conference in Las Vegas. Feather Client’s parent company, Silentstack, will launch a new launcher called Dawn. Weheba clarified that the acquisition involves a sale of assets without taking on previous liabilities. The acquisition follows allegations of ad fraud against Feather Client. Weheba plans to reduce reliance on ad monetization and focus on direct-to-consumer revenue streams, including the sale of cosmetics and in-game items. He aims to enhance user experience with features like a profanity filter for voice chat and plans to collaborate with the competitive Minecraft organization MCPVP for tournaments. Aditude, Feather's former ad tech provider, has resumed its partnership with Dawn, expressing confidence in Weheba's leadership and the new direction of the project.

AppWizard

May 22, 2026

81-year-old Minecraft streamer GrammaCrackers swatted during cancer fundraiser stream

Sue Jacquot, known as GrammaCrackers, is an 81-year-old gamer who was streaming on Twitch to raise funds for her grandson's cancer treatment when she experienced a swatting incident on May 19. Law enforcement responded to a false emergency call, sending multiple SWAT vehicles and police officers to her home. Despite the situation, she described the experience as “kinda fun” and noted that the officers treated her kindly. GrammaCrackers has been creating online content since October 2025, primarily focusing on Minecraft, which remains popular among her viewers. The incident drew anger and concern from online users, but it also increased media attention, potentially boosting viewership and donations for her fundraiser. She chose to continue her Minecraft challenge despite the incident.

AppWizard

May 21, 2026

The internet is in an uproar after an 81-year-old gamer grandma was swatted

GrammaCrackers, an 81-year-old gamer, has been streaming Minecraft for 15 days to raise funds for her 17-year-old grandchild's cancer treatment. She has also played Fortnite, Rocket League, and Roblox. On May 19, she was a victim of "swatting," where law enforcement was falsely alerted, resulting in a large police presence at her home. Despite the incident, she remained unharmed and continues her streaming efforts. The gaming community has largely responded with support and encouragement.

AppWizard

May 20, 2026

Google Play is getting a huge AI upgrade with Ask Play and Play Shorts

Google has announced updates for Google Play during its I/O 2026 event, enhancing app discovery through integration with Gemini on Android devices and the web. Users will be able to discover apps directly via Gemini, and a new feature called Play Shorts will allow previews of apps through TikTok-style vertical videos. Google is also improving AI-powered developer tools for translations, subscription management, and app publishing. Developers can create Android apps using Google AI Studio with text prompts, simplifying the development process and leveraging AI capabilities. The integration aims to enhance app visibility related to over 450,000 movies, TV shows, and sports streams.

AppWizard

May 14, 2026

The ‘numbers just aren’t there,’ Dead Space producer says, and that’s why we’ll probably never see Dead Space 4

Chuck Beaver, a producer associated with the Dead Space franchise, stated that the chances of reviving Dead Space for a fourth installment are low due to shifting priorities within Electronic Arts (EA). He noted that EA requires evidence of substantial commercial success to greenlight new titles, but current market trends favor projects with blockbuster potential. The gaming industry is increasingly focused on games that provide ongoing revenue through live services, rendering single-player experiences like Dead Space less viable. The recent remake of Dead Space in 2023 did not achieve significant sales, and similar titles, such as The Callisto Protocol, also struggled commercially. EA's leadership has emphasized the importance of games connecting with players through shared-world features, complicating the future for traditional single-player narratives.

Tech Optimizer

May 10, 2026

Avast Antivirus: What US Users Need to Know Right Now

Avast Antivirus is a widely used security tool for Windows, macOS, and Android in the U.S., functioning primarily as a real-time malware scanner that protects against threats like viruses and ransomware. The free version for Windows includes on-access scanning and web-shield protection, while paid versions offer additional features such as a firewall, ransomware shield, and VPN. On macOS, it focuses on malware detection and web protection, and on Android, it includes app-permission monitoring and device location features. Avast has faced criticism for its data-collection practices, particularly its past monetization of user data through a subsidiary, Jumpshot, which was discontinued in 2020. Despite improvements, it still collects telemetry and usage data. Avast is suitable for users looking for an easy-to-use antivirus solution at low cost, particularly those using Windows PCs for everyday tasks. However, it may not be ideal for privacy-conscious users or those with older hardware, as it can slow down system performance. Avast competes with other antivirus providers like Norton, McAfee, Bitdefender, and Kaspersky, each offering various features and performance levels. The company is a subsidiary of Gen Digital, which consolidates multiple cybersecurity brands, and its growth potential is influenced by user retention and regulatory scrutiny. Users should weigh their priorities regarding cost, privacy, and performance when deciding on antivirus solutions.

AppWizard

May 10, 2026

Riot clarifies Trainwreck’s Valorant ban: “This wasn’t just a five-stack with friends on their own accounts”

Riot Games imposed a month-long ban on Tyler Faraz Nikam, known as 'Trainwreck,' due to his association with an Immortal player who was using smurf accounts, which raised concerns about the integrity of five-stack play in Valorant. Riot's anti-cheat team clarified that the ban resulted from a specific player's actions during Trainwreck's gaming session, which violated the Terms of Service. Trainwreck played with several streamers, including Jay 'Sinatraa' Won and Michael 'Dapr' Gulino, and expressed confusion over the ban, suggesting it was targeted. Riot emphasized that the issue was not with Trainwreck's high-ranking companions but with a player who had a history of infractions and was using multiple lower-ranked smurf accounts, achieving an 80% win rate over 50 games. This behavior contravened Riot's terms regarding account boosting. Trainwreck defended himself, stating that most players in his stacks were on their main accounts and questioned the legitimacy verification of his teammates' accounts. Riot clarified that the violation stemmed from a repeat offender manipulating matchmaking by borrowing accounts to achieve a lower rank, skewing the competitive environment.

Tech Optimizer

May 7, 2026

How lakebase architecture delivers 5x faster Postgres writes

The lakebase architecture separates compute and storage, enhancing operational flexibility and performance. Traditional Postgres systems face durability challenges due to write-ahead logging (WAL) and full page writes (FPW), which can inflate WAL volume significantly in write-heavy scenarios. The lakebase solution eliminates the risk of torn pages by streaming WAL to a distributed storage system, avoiding local-disk dependencies. Image generation pushdown transfers the responsibility of generating full page images from the compute layer to the storage layer, maintaining read performance while reducing WAL overhead. Benchmarks show significant improvements in throughput and reduced WAL generation, with a 94% reduction in WAL size per transaction and a 3x increase in ingestion throughput for data-intensive tasks. This enhancement has been deployed globally without interruptions, marking a shift towards improved managed Postgres performance.

AppWizard

May 7, 2026

One mad modder got the entirety of The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind running on Fallout 4’s in-game Pip-Boy

Modder RPGKing117 has created a mod that allows players to experience The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind within Fallout 4 through the game's Pip-Boy and computer terminals. The mod features in-game cassettes with Morrowind's box art, which can be collected and used for decoration in Sanctuary. It operates by running OpenMW in a hidden window that streams its display into Fallout 4's Pip-Boy in real time, managed by a dedicated F4SE plugin. The mod requires the Steam versions of both Fallout 4 and Morrowind, as well as the Fallout 4 Script Extender, and includes a custom fork of OpenMW in the installer.

AppWizard

May 5, 2026

GTA 6 skipping PC at launch not due to PlayStation deal, but because Rockstar focuses on “the core consumer,” Take-Two CEO says

GTA 6 will launch exclusively on consoles, with a PC version expected later. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that this decision is to prioritize the core audience rather than due to a marketing deal with Sony. He emphasized that Rockstar traditionally releases on consoles first to serve its core consumers effectively. The significance of the PC market has increased, with PC sales for major titles now accounting for 45-50% of total revenue, compared to just 5% in the late 2000s. A leak suggests that the delay in the PC release may be influenced by the financial success of GTA Online, which generates 97% of its revenue from console players.