time zone Archives

AppWizard

July 28, 2025

Grounded 2 launch times and release date

The early access release of Grounded 2 coincides with the 1.0 update for Abiotic Factor and the decorating experience in Tales of the Shire. Grounded 2 was unveiled during the Xbox Game Showcase in June. The launch times for Grounded 2 are as follows: Eastern Time (ET) at 12:00 PM, Central Time (CT) at 11:00 AM, Mountain Time (MT) at 10:00 AM, Pacific Time (PT) at 9:00 AM, and GMT at 4:00 PM. The full version of Grounded 2 does not have a specific launch date, but the previous game spent over two years in early access. Developer Obsidian Entertainment plans to release new content every four to five months, with updates expected to be longer and more substantial than those in the original game.

Winsage

July 22, 2025

7 Windows features I enabled that weren’t turned on by default

Windows 11 includes several features that enhance user experience, many of which need to be activated through the Settings app: - Nearby sharing: Enables file transfers between nearby PCs using Bluetooth and local network connections. Users can customize detection settings. - Storage Sense: Automates the cleanup process for unnecessary files, activating when storage is critically low, with options for scheduling cleanups. - Automatic time zone switching: Adjusts the time zone automatically when traveling, requiring location services to be enabled. - Wireless display: Allows modern laptops to serve as a second display using Miracast technology, which can be activated in the Settings app. - HDR: Enhances dynamic range for movies and games, but must be enabled in the display settings. - Night light: Reduces blue light emissions to alleviate eye strain, with customizable schedules. - Clipboard history: Allows users to save multiple copied items for easier pasting, activated by pressing Windows + V.

Tech Optimizer

July 8, 2025

How TimescaleDB helped us scale analytics and reporting

At Cloudflare, PostgreSQL and ClickHouse are used as primary databases for transactional and analytical workloads. PostgreSQL is preferred for product development due to its speed, versatility, and reliability, with hundreds of instances running in various configurations. ClickHouse, introduced in 2017, allows ingestion of tens of millions of rows per second with millisecond-level query performance but comes with trade-offs. The Digital Experience Monitoring (DEX) product was developed with a focus on simplicity and rapid shipping, utilizing a team of three engineers and collaboration with other teams. DEX's initial launch included fleet status logs uploaded every two minutes and synthetic tests with usage caps, leading to a successful MVP launch ahead of schedule. The architecture included an HTTP API, PostgreSQL for storing configurations, and a React UI in the Cloudflare Dashboard. PostgreSQL was chosen for analytics due to its ability to handle structured logs, with a table created for device state logs lacking a primary key but optimized with unique and standard indexes for common queries. The UPSERT query was used for data insertion, and the order of columns in multicolumn indexes was optimized for performance. After launching DEX, the system scaled to 1,000 inserts per second, leading to performance degradation. Precomputed aggregates were implemented to improve query performance, resulting in up to a 1000x improvement. Table partitioning was considered but ultimately not pursued due to its manual management requirements. TimescaleDB was explored as an alternative to enhance query performance, offering features like automatic partition management, continuous aggregates, and compression. A side-by-side comparison with PostgreSQL showed significant performance improvements, particularly for longer time windows. TimescaleDB's integration allowed for efficient data retention and aggregation, simplifying the infrastructure. Following the success of DEX, other teams at Cloudflare began using TimescaleDB for analytics and reporting, consolidating data from various sources and managing high ingestion rates effectively by optimizing data handling techniques such as switching to COPY for bulk inserts and adjusting replication settings.

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4: Release Date, Release Times, Early Access Details For Xbox & PC

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 will be released on July 8th, 2025, for Deluxe Edition owners and on July 11th, 2025, for the standard edition, which will be available on Xbox Game Pass. Early access starts at 12am ET / 5am BST on July 8th and the official release for Xbox Game Pass users is at the same time on July 11th. The Deluxe Upgrade costs £18.00 and offers early access, bonus content including playable characters, additional songs, and exclusive items, but does not include the full game. The standard edition will be available at no additional cost for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass members.

AppWizard

June 25, 2025

Minecraft’s New Villains—This Hostile Mob Steals Everything

Cyber criminals are targeting Minecraft's player base, particularly the 65% of players under 21, who are often less aware of cyber threats. A recent report from Check Point reveals a sophisticated malware campaign that embeds malicious software in counterfeit Minecraft mods shared on platforms like GitHub. This malware operates in stages, starting with a Java downloader, followed by a stealer, and an advanced tool to harvest sensitive information such as passwords and cryptocurrency wallet details. The campaign is linked to Russian-speaking attackers and uses a distribution-as-a-service model to spread malicious links. Disguised as legitimate cheat tools, these files install additional malware on users' devices, capturing credentials from browsers and applications, and sending data back to attackers. To protect against these threats, it is advised to download mods only from trusted sources, be skeptical of cheat tools, keep antivirus software updated, and be cautious of offers that seem too good to be true.

AppWizard

June 6, 2025

How to watch the Summer Game Fest livestream

The Summer Game Fest will be live on Friday, June 6, 2025, at 2 PM Pacific Time, 5 PM Eastern, and 10 PM in the UK. It will be streamed on YouTube, Twitch, and Steam. The event will feature sponsors like 2K Games, Bandai Namco, Capcom, CD Projekt, Xbox, PlayStation, and Epic Games, with Hideo Kojima expected to appear. There will also be an in-person event for media representatives. Content related to SGF will be organized under the Summer Game Fest 2025 tag, with additional video content on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

AppWizard

May 12, 2025

Doom: The Dark Ages launch times, release date, and advanced access period

John Doomguy, also known as The Doom Guy or The Doom Slayer, is featured in the upcoming game Doom: The Dark Ages. The game will have staggered launch times, with advanced access for pre-order customers starting on May 12 in the evening for the Western Hemisphere and on May 13 for Africa and Eurasia. Those who did not pre-order will be able to access the game on May 14 in North and South America. Unlock times by time zone for Doom: The Dark Ages are: - 5 pm PT, May 14 (Los Angeles) - 8 pm ET, May 14 (New York) - 7 pm CT, May 14 (Chicago) - 1 am BST, May 15 (London) - 2 am CEST, May 15 (Berlin) - 10 am AEST, May 15 (Sydney) - 12 pm NZST, May 15 (Auckland) Advanced access launch times by time zone are: - 5 pm PT, May 12 (Los Angeles) - 8 pm ET, May 12 (New York) - 7 pm CT, May 12 (Chicago) - 1 am BST, May 13 (London) - 2 am CEST, May 13 (Berlin) - 10 am AEST, May 13 (Sydney) - 12 pm NZST, May 13 (Auckland) Preloading for Doom: The Dark Ages is available for PC users, allowing both advance access and standard pre-order customers to prepare for the game’s launch.

Tech Optimizer

May 9, 2025

Does Antivirus Software Collect Your Data

Antivirus software collects various types of data to protect systems, including system details (operating system version, RAM, CPU type, computer name), network data (local and external IP addresses, DNS server, network name), user data (Windows username, time zone, language, general location), browsing history (if web protection features are enabled), and file-related information (file names, locations, hashes, and sometimes entire files). The AV-Comparatives report indicates that while some antivirus companies manage data responsibly (e.g., F-Secure, G Data, K7), others (e.g., Norton, Panda, McAfee) have been criticized for poor practices. Data sharing can enhance malware detection but poses privacy risks, as seen in AVG's past actions of selling user browsing history. Users can limit data collection by adjusting settings, reviewing installation agreements, avoiding free antivirus software, choosing privacy-conscious vendors (like F-Secure, ESET, G Data), and reading privacy policies. Despite concerns about data collection, antivirus software is essential for protection against cyber threats, and selecting a transparent provider can help safeguard privacy.

Winsage

April 9, 2025

Microsoft releases KB5055523 update to fix a glut of Windows 11 problems

Microsoft has released the KB5055523 update for Windows 11, which includes various fixes and enhancements. Key improvements include a fix for the Explorer context menu issue, increased reliability of ctfmon.exe, and resolution of a Kerberos authentication problem related to RC4 encryption. New features for Copilot+ PC users include an improved Windows Search with semantic indexing, natural language search for cloud-stored photos, enhanced communication capabilities with live captions and real-time translation, and support for real-time translation into Simplified Chinese on Snapdragon-powered devices. The update also addresses issues with machine password rotation in the Identity Update Manager, updates for Daylight Saving Time in Chile, and unexpected behavior in the PcaUiArmUpdate feature. KB5055523 will be automatically installed for users.

Winsage

March 28, 2025

How to easily create an unattended answer file for Windows 11

On Windows 11, an answer file named autounattend.xml can be created to streamline the installation process by bypassing setup steps. To create this file, users need to install the DISMTools application, which provides a wizard for generating the unattended file. The installation of DISMTools involves using Command Prompt to run the command: winget install CodingWondersSoftware.DISMTools.Preview. To create the unattended file, users launch DISMTools, navigate to the "Unattended answer file creator," and follow the wizard to configure settings such as system language, processor architecture, disk settings, product key, account settings, and network settings. The final step is saving the file as autounattend.xml. To integrate the answer file into Windows 11 installation media, users download the Media Creation Tool, select the USB flash drive option, and copy the autounattend.xml file to the USB drive. This prepares the USB for an unattended installation of Windows 11. The XML file may also appear as "unattend.xml" in other contexts.