Threads Archives

AppWizard

June 18, 2025

This wild ‘Atomic Workbench’ feature lets you run five Android apps at once [Video]

Vivo is introducing the "Atomic Workbench" with its upcoming Vivo X Fold 5, enhancing multitasking by allowing users to run a primary app alongside up to four smaller apps. The interface enables seamless transitions between apps, keeping background applications active. The Vivo X Fold 5 is set to launch on June 25, although availability details are unclear.

AppWizard

June 14, 2025

Meta’s Threads app to test direct messaging in some countries

Meta Platforms is rolling out direct messaging on its Threads app, starting in select markets like Hong Kong and Thailand, to boost user engagement. The feature will not be encrypted initially. Threads, launched in 2023, has over 350 million monthly active users but is not expected to significantly drive revenue growth by 2025. eMarketer projects a 17.5 percent increase in U.S. monthly active users for Threads, reaching 60.5 million, while X is expected to decline by 14.4 percent to about 50 million users.

Tech Optimizer

June 10, 2025

Why Instacart Moved to Postgres & pgvector to Boost Semantic Search

Instacart serves 14 million daily users and manages billions of products, necessitating advanced search capabilities that go beyond keyword matching to understand user intent. The search system must reflect real-time inventory changes, leading to significant workloads on the database. Instacart transitioned from Elasticsearch and FAISS to a hybrid architecture using Postgres and pgvector, improving search performance and reducing write workloads by tenfold. This normalization allowed for better storage of machine learning features and improved flexibility. Moving compute closer to storage with NVMe resulted in a twofold increase in search performance. Instacart's migration to pgvector eliminated data duplication and operational complexity, enhancing search quality and user satisfaction, evidenced by a 6% decrease in searches with zero results.

Tech Optimizer

June 9, 2025

SQL Server vs. PostgreSQL query optimization: room for improvement?

The PostgreSQL community has developed tools like AQO and sr_plan extensions to enhance migration paths from Oracle, making PostgreSQL more appealing for transitions. PostgreSQL has been noted to outperform Oracle in certain scenarios, particularly in automatic re-optimization. Migrations from Oracle to PostgreSQL are generally smooth, aided by session variable extensions. However, migrating from SQL Server to PostgreSQL presents challenges, including significant query slowdowns. For example, a query that executed in 20 milliseconds on SQL Server took weeks on PostgreSQL due to an inefficient query plan. A specific JOIN operation involving GROUP BY on small tables showed a drastic difference in execution time: PostgreSQL took 4000 seconds while SQL Server completed it in 300 seconds. SQL Server employs a Hash Join and parallelizes execution across eight threads, enhancing performance. PostgreSQL's excessive time on hash calculations and tuple comparisons during this operation was noted, as well as its limitations in parallel processing due to temporary tables not being visible to parallel workers. Adjusting PostgreSQL settings for parallel workers improved performance, allowing it to match SQL Server's execution time. PostgreSQL's selectivity estimation for JOINs with multiple conditions often leads to underestimations, while SQL Server excels in this area by collecting extensive statistics. PostgreSQL's current extended statistics capabilities are limited, but the community is working on improvements. SQL Server's advanced parameterization and caching further enhance its optimization capabilities compared to PostgreSQL.

AppWizard

June 2, 2025

This week in PC games: Rise Of Industry 2, dark fantasy Pokemonlikes and oh no it’s showcase season

The Summer Game Fest features multiple showcases this week, including the Access-Ability Summer Showcase at 8am PDT, Summer Game Fest Live at 2pm PDT, and Day of the Devs SGF Edition at 4pm PDT. Additional showcases include the Wholesome Direct at 9am PDT, Future Games Show at 1pm PDT, Xbox Games Showcase at 10am PDT, and PC Gaming Show at 12pm PDT. The atmosphere is filled with excitement and chaos as various events unfold, with notable characters like Geoff Keighley and Graham participating.

AppWizard

June 1, 2025

Atomfall is getting a spooky DLC set on an offshore island that also lets you blast pretend pirates with a blunderbuss

Atomfall, launched in March, has attracted players with its depiction of the Lake District and the mystery of the Windscale Power Plant, despite initial criticisms of its combat and mechanics. A new DLC, Wicked Isle, will be released on June 3 for £15, introducing Midsummer Island, featuring folk horror elements like druids and a wicker man, along with new locations such as a dilapidated abbey and the Jolly Angler pub. The DLC aims to enhance the narrative and integrate new story threads that intersect with the main plot, offering players more choices and potential endings.

BetaBeacon

May 29, 2025

You Can Play Classic Pinball from Windows on Android for Free

The classic Pinball game is now available for free for Android users, thanks to Kyle Sylvestre who ported it there.

AppWizard

May 27, 2025

F1 25 review

Sebastian Vettel's reminder about cherishing current moments resonates within the context of the F1 gaming franchise, particularly with the release of F1 25 on May 30, 2025, developed by Codemasters and published by Electronic Arts. The game is priced at £50 and is the 17th annual edition of the official F1 game. F1 25 features a nine-hour story in Braking Point 3, concluding the saga with character development for Aiden Jackson and introducing California Mayer as a rival. The game includes an email system for team management, allowing players to connect with staff achievements. However, it has faced criticism for its handling model, particularly for pad control, and contains bugs like incorrect radio messages. The game showcases modern advancements such as path-traced lighting but may struggle with performance on lower-end graphics cards. Overall, while F1 25 offers a high-quality racing experience, it lacks significant innovation compared to its predecessors.

AppWizard

May 26, 2025

Google building audio-only mode for driving ahead of video apps on Android Auto

Google is introducing a feature for Android Automotive that allows users to switch seamlessly between video and audio modes while driving. Currently, video apps on Android Automotive can only be used when the vehicle is parked, but this new functionality will enable audio playback from video apps while the vehicle is in motion. This feature is available through an early access program for vehicles running Android 14 and above, and app developers must integrate it into their applications. Additionally, Google plans to extend video app support to Android Auto, which may include similar audio functionality.

AppWizard

May 25, 2025

Spotify will get a new Android Auto app ‘in the coming months’ with Jam support [Gallery]

Spotify is launching a revamped app for Android Auto that includes a new "Jam" feature, allowing users to connect to a friend's playlist by scanning a QR code. This feature enhances collaborative listening by enabling friends to add tracks to the queue without device pairing. The updated app will be available in the coming months, with similar updates expected for Amazon Music and YouTube Music.