synchronization Archives

Winsage

April 11, 2026

“We have discontinued SaRA”: Microsoft replaces its Windows 11 Recovery Assistant — here’s how to transition to Microsoft’s modern command-line replacement.

Microsoft has phased out the Support and Recovery Assistant (SaRA) utility with the March 2026 Security Update for Windows 11, replacing it with the new "Get Help" command-line tool. The SaRA was designed to troubleshoot and resolve common issues affecting Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 applications. Users are now encouraged to use the Get Help command-line tool, which offers enhanced functionality and security. To use the Get Help tool, users must download the files, extract them, and run specific commands in the Command Prompt. The tool addresses various issues, including Microsoft 365 activation challenges and Outlook profile errors.

Tech Optimizer

April 11, 2026

Google Cloud Highlights Ongoing Work on PostgreSQL Core Capabilities

Google Cloud has made technical contributions to PostgreSQL, focusing on advancements in logical replication, upgrade processes, and system stability. Key developments include the evolution of logical replication towards active-active configurations with automatic conflict detection to identify row-level conflicts during replication. This progress has sparked discussions about consistency models in database systems. Enhancements have also expanded logical replication to include sequences, reducing manual synchronization needs. Improvements to pg_upgrade have streamlined large object management and reduced upgrade times, while ensuring WAL data retention and schema constraint preservation. Bug fixes have addressed issues with index pages, extension loading, and WAL flush logic. Future features under development include a structured conflict log for replication and enhancements to parallel data export in pg_dump.

Tech Optimizer

April 8, 2026

PostgreSQL logical replication: How to replicate only the data that you need

Many organizations using PostgreSQL face challenges in replicating data across different logical databases while controlling shared information. PostgreSQL 15 introduces native logical replication with column-level and row-level filtering within publications, allowing precise control over data transfer between PostgreSQL databases. Logical replication operates on a publish-subscribe model, where the source database logs changes to the Write-Ahead Log (WAL) and applies publication filters to transmit only the relevant data to the target database. Two filtering modes are available: column-level filtering allows users to specify which columns to replicate, while row-level filtering uses WHERE clauses to determine which rows to include. Both filtering modes can be combined in a single publication. The SQL syntax for creating publications and subscriptions is consistent across various PostgreSQL environments, with specific configurations required for enabling logical replication. Use cases for logical replication include multi-tenant SaaS data isolation, regional data distribution for ecommerce, PCI DSS compliance in financial services, development and testing environments, and retail inventory management. Prerequisites for implementing logical replication include using PostgreSQL 15 or later, ensuring network connectivity, having a user with replication privileges, enabling logical replication on the source instance, and monitoring WAL retention. Logical replication has limitations, such as the need for a replica identity for UPDATE and DELETE operations, the non-replication of DDL changes and sequences, and potential performance overhead during initial synchronization and ongoing replication. After testing, it is advisable to clean up by removing replication resources to prevent unnecessary costs.

AppWizard

April 6, 2026

How to Profile Modern PC Games with NVIDIA Nsight Graphics

Performance analysis in PC gaming has become more complex with the introduction of DirectX 12 and Vulkan, incorporating technologies like asynchronous compute, hardware ray tracing, and machine learning-assisted denoising. Understanding GPU performance requires advanced tools to analyze workload distribution and shader behavior, with NVIDIA Nsight Graphics being a key resource. NVIDIA Nsight Graphics is a graphics debugger and profiler for modern graphics APIs, featuring the GPU Trace Profiler, which provides detailed insights into GPU execution and performance bottlenecks. Recent updates have improved its utility, including a Flame Graph for the Shader Profiler and support for NVIDIA's DLSS in D3D12 applications. The Peak-Performance-Percentage analysis method focuses on identifying GPU workload constraints and optimizing utilization rather than relying on assumptions about performance bottlenecks. This methodology is applied using Nsight Graphics to analyze GPU traces from the game Cyberpunk 2077, contrasting traditional rasterization with path tracing enhanced by DLSS Ray Reconstruction. The test setup included an Intel Core i7-14700K CPU, 32 GB RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, capturing two scenarios: one with raster-only settings and another with path tracing and DLSS. The analysis revealed that the rasterized frame's most costly aspect was lighting processing, while the path-traced frame showed increased total frame cost and a hybrid workload involving rasterization, ray traversal, and AI-driven processes. Key findings indicated that modern GPU performance is heavily influenced by memory behavior rather than just shader arithmetic, with significant time spent on compute-driven lighting processing and data movement. The analysis also highlighted that ray tracing performance is constrained by memory efficiency, indicating that performance does not scale linearly with RT-core throughput.

AppWizard

April 5, 2026

Sick of The Witcher 3’s Roach? Its MMO mod now lets you ride other players instead

The Witcher Online 2.0 mod for The Witcher 3 introduces a multiplayer experience that allows players to engage in shared adventures within the game's world. Developed by modder rejuvenate, it features enhancements such as populated game environments, customizable player characters, and improved player interactions. Players can ride horses and boats together, utilize a player interactions menu for trading items, and transform into various animals. The update includes 23 new emotes and allows for greater control over animations. The mod is available for download via Nexus Mods and aims to improve performance and connectivity issues.

AppWizard

April 5, 2026

$1,700 liquid-cooled phone can run GTA V at up to 100 FPS, Red Dead 2 at 50+ FPS via emulation — Redmagic 11 Pro packs 24 GB of RAM and pulls more than 40W at peak load

PC emulation on Android has advanced significantly, with devices like the Redmagic 11 Pro Golden Saga Edition outperforming the Steam Deck in running AAA PC games. The GameHub emulator translates x86 code into ARM architecture and is integrated into Redmagic devices, allowing seamless game play and save file synchronization with Steam. The Golden Saga Edition features 24 GB of RAM, enhanced cooling systems, and shares specifications with the standard model, including the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and a 6.9-inch OLED display. It is priced at approximately ,700 and must be imported to the U.S. The device targets performance enthusiasts who value cutting-edge technology.

Winsage

April 2, 2026

Wine has been translating Windows games to Linux since 1993, but Proton is what made it effortless

Wine is a compatibility layer, not an emulator, that translates Windows API calls into POSIX equivalents, allowing Windows applications to run on Linux. Proton, developed by Valve, builds on Wine and includes additional components like DXVK and VKD3D-Proton to enhance performance for Windows games on Linux through Steam. For Steam users, Proton is recommended for a streamlined gaming experience, while Lutris is suggested for those outside the Steam ecosystem. Wine has been in development since 1993, focusing on recreating the Windows API, but faced challenges with gaming compatibility. Cedega was an early attempt to improve gaming support over Wine but ultimately declined. Valve's development of Proton was motivated by the need for better compatibility for Windows games on Linux, especially highlighted by the launch of the Steam Deck. Wine struggled with synchronization issues and handling direct kernel access by Windows applications, which Proton addressed with seccomp-bpf filters and syscall user dispatch. Both Wine and Proton are crucial to the current state of Linux gaming.

Winsage

April 1, 2026

Local vs. Microsoft account in Windows 11: How to decide and set up your preference

Setting up a Windows 11 PC requires creating a user account, with the Windows Setup program encouraging the use of a Microsoft account. A local account can still be established, though it is less promoted. Local accounts store credentials on the device, while Microsoft accounts use an email and password managed on Microsoft's servers. Local accounts are straightforward but can lead to frustration if passwords are forgotten. Microsoft accounts offer benefits like automatic encryption, easy restoration of activation, and synchronization of settings across devices. Privacy concerns regarding Microsoft accounts are often overstated, as data collection is tied to machine ID rather than account type. In Windows 11 Home edition, a temporary Microsoft account can be created during setup to later switch to a local account. In Windows 11 Pro edition, selecting the work option allows bypassing the Microsoft account requirement, with options to create a local account through domain joining. Third-party tools can assist in setting up a local account.

Winsage

March 30, 2026

Microsoft’s March Security Update of High-Risk Vulnerability Notice for Multiple Products

On March 11, NSFOCUS CERT reported the release of Microsoft’s March Security Update, addressing 83 security vulnerabilities in products like Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft SQL Server, and Azure. The update includes eight critical vulnerabilities and 75 important ones, with risks such as privilege escalation and remote code execution. Key vulnerabilities include: - CVE-2026-26110: Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVSS score: 8.4) - CVE-2026-26113: Microsoft Office Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVSS score: 8.4) - CVE-2026-26144: Microsoft Excel Information Disclosure Vulnerability (CVSS score: 7.5) - CVE-2026-23669: Windows Print Spooler Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (CVSS score: 8.8) - CVE-2026-24294: Windows SMB Server Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVSS score: 7.8) - CVE-2026-23668: Windows Graphics Component Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVSS score: 7.0) Affected product versions include various editions of Microsoft Office, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, Windows 10, and Windows 11. Microsoft has released security patches for these vulnerabilities, and users are encouraged to install them promptly.

Tech Optimizer

March 29, 2026

Announcing Lakebase Public Preview

At the Data and AI Summit, Databricks announced the Public Preview of Databricks Lakebase, a fully-managed Postgres database designed for data applications and artificial intelligence. Lakebase addresses challenges in operational databases by merging operational and analytical data, offering a scalable architecture that separates compute from storage. It supports popular Postgres extensions and features low latency and high concurrency transactions. Lakebase includes multi-zone high availability, encrypted storage with point-in-time recovery, and copy-on-write branching for isolated testing. It integrates seamlessly with the Databricks lakehouse, enabling efficient data synchronization and unified governance. Lakebase is accessible across multiple cloud providers and is currently in Public Preview, with hundreds of customers already using it for various applications.