treasure trove Archives

AppWizard

February 21, 2025

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Lovecraft’s Untold Stories, 911 Operator, more

- Android app deals are available on Google Play as the work week ends. - SanDisk has launched a 2TB Creator Pro portable SSD with a speed of 2,000MB/s. - The GameSir X3 Pro mobile game controller is on sale, featuring a transparent design. - Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 FE has a price drop, and the Galaxy Watch 7 is also discounted with a complimentary band. - Free icon packs are available for users to personalize their devices. - Popular games on sale include Lovecraft’s Untold Stories, 911 Operator, BE-A Walker, and Breaking Gates.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

Here are 12 free Steam games worth trying on your Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or Legion Go right now

A selection of 12 free games available for PC and handheld users includes: 1. A Cat’s Way Home - A simulation game focused on building relationships with cats. 2. Farm Wars - A real-time PvP strategy game involving crop planting and animal transformation for sabotage. 3. Starling - A game where players build a base using local resources as a Starling Corp employee. 4. A Very Merry Nightmare - A 3D first-person adventure set in a twisted Christmas world, evading an AI enemy. 5. Little Robot - A 15-minute exploration game featuring a melancholic robot in a backyard. 6. Cedric & Odious - A 2D hack-and-slash adventure in a dark fantasy realm. 7. Paw Pirates - A multiplayer game focused on chaotic battles between pirate ships. 8. Realm Traveler - An RPG-style game where players choose a class and embark on quests. 9. Strange New Tides - A 2.5D sandbox experience in Saltbay Cove, involving relationship building and home construction. 10. Templar - A 2D hack-and-slash game where players battle demons as the last Templar knight. 11. Popo & Rob - A fast-paced first-person shooter with team-based matches. 12. The Machine Arena - A game featuring dynamic 4v4 PvP battles or solo PvE matches with short gameplay sessions. Additionally, Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti GPU launches today, with listings available from major retailers.

Winsage

February 20, 2025

5 most useful SysInternals tools for optimizing your Windows PC

SysInternals is a suite of 74 utilities from Microsoft designed to enhance the performance and reliability of Windows PCs. Users can download the entire suite or select individual tools from the Microsoft SysInternals Learn page. 1. AutoRuns: Identifies unnecessary background processes and obsolete registry entries, providing detailed information about each entry. It allows users to review installed drivers and spot potentially harmful entries. Launched via Start menu or by typing Autoruns.exe in the Run dialog. 2. TCPView: Monitors all TCP and UDP connections in real-time, categorizing them by version and displaying ports and connection timestamps. It helps identify bandwidth-hogging processes. Launched via Start menu or by typing tcpview.exe in the Run dialog. 3. RamMap: Provides an in-depth analysis of memory consumption across processes, helping identify memory-hogging applications and diagnose memory leaks. It offers options to clear memory, including emptying working sets, standby lists, and modified lists. Launched via Start menu or by typing rammap.exe in the Run dialog. 4. DiskView: Offers detailed insights into hard drive usage with a color-coded map of disk sectors, helping users identify fragmentation and unused space. Launched via Start menu or by typing diskview.exe in the Run dialog. 5. CacheSet: Optimizes the Windows file system cache by allowing users to adjust cached data management settings and clear the cache with a single click. Launched by typing cacheset.exe in the Run dialog. The SysInternals Suite is cost-free, effective, and compatible with Windows Recovery mode, making it a practical choice for users looking to enhance their PC's performance.

AppWizard

February 20, 2025

The best uniques in Avowed that you can grab early in the game

Avowed features unique weapons and armor that enhance gameplay and simplify gear upgrading. Unique items have distinctive names and special effects, providing bonus skills or elemental enhancements. They can scale in quality based on the player's gear tier, making early-game unique items valuable investments. Notable unique items include: - Beothel's Grimoire: Found at a magical merchant in Paradis, it offers a loop of spells for 450 currency. - Drawn in Winter: A one-handed axe found in ice at Watcher’s Mirror, it deals area-of-effect ice damage. - Stelgaer’s Pride: A medium armor set obtained from the Intimidating Feline Codpiece treasure map, providing stamina regeneration and damage reduction. - Steel Garrote Gauntlets: Located in Ondra’s Reach, these gauntlets enhance parry efficiency for shield users. - Last Light of Day: A flaming sword obtained during the Dawntreader quest, offering fire damage and a heal-on-kill effect. - Caeroc's Pride: A lightning pistol from Tempestuous Luandi's bounty, known for its bonus lightning damage. - The Disappointer: A weapon from a shady merchant in Paradis Hightown, which can be enhanced to turn its negative attributes into advantages.

AppWizard

February 19, 2025

The Play Store sucks, so here’s what I use instead

As of early February 2025, there are nearly 2.1 million apps available on the Play Store, with over 1,100 new apps introduced daily, resulting in an average of almost 42,000 new options each month. The search function on the Play Store is often ineffective for broader queries, and users face challenges due to the lack of sorting options and transparency regarding app updates. F-Droid is a platform for free and open-source software (FOSS) applications, requiring sideloading or the use of clients like Neo Store or Droid-ify. Obtainium is a tool that allows users to access open-source applications and updates directly from their sources, supporting over a dozen repositories including GitHub and GitLab, and enables users to export curated app lists and track updates without downloading them.

Winsage

February 17, 2025

5 reasons I can’t go back to Windows after trying Linux

Linux distributions are popular in the server realm but remain a niche in the broader computing landscape dominated by Windows. The command-line interface (CLI) in Linux aids troubleshooting with detailed logs and accessible commands, unlike Windows, which often requires extensive navigation. Linux package managers, such as Yum and Nix, offer a more secure and straightforward application installation process compared to Windows tools like WinGet and Chocolatey. Linux distributions have lower performance overhead, making them suitable for older devices, while Windows 11 has high system requirements. Linux is viewed as better for privacy, avoiding intrusive advertisements and telemetry services present in Windows. The versatility of Linux allows it to cater to various computing needs, enabling users to transform installations into servers, media hubs, or NAS. Despite its advantages, Windows still excels in certain areas, such as game compatibility and access to Adobe products, which may require a Windows virtual machine for Linux users.

AppWizard

February 14, 2025

Epic Games Store Year in Review Released – Players Spend 2.68 Billion Hours Playing Third-Party PC Titles

The Epic Games Store reported over 295 million PC users in 2024, an increase of 25 million from the previous year, and a total of 898 million Epic cross-platform accounts, up by 94 million since 2023. Players logged 2.68 billion hours in third-party games, and 1,100 new titles were added to the catalog due to Self-Publishing Tools. In December, there were 74 million Monthly Active Users, with 89 free games offered throughout the year, resulting in 595 million claims. Players spent .09 billion on the platform, with 5 million on exclusive third-party titles. Future plans include expanding the Free Games Program to mobile platforms and enhancing the Epic Games Store Mobile App, along with supporting AAB file types and mobile self-publishing tools. Upcoming titles include Splitgate 2, 33 Immortals, Killing Floor 3, Borderlands 4, and Cronos: The New Dawn.

Winsage

February 14, 2025

5 reasons you should use Windows for retro gaming emulation

Gaming has become increasingly popular, with many new titles and classic games available through emulation. Windows is the preferred platform for running retro game emulators due to its user-friendly nature, as most PCs come preinstalled with it. Windows 11 offers strong security features through Microsoft Defender, which is important for users downloading potentially risky ROMs. Linux has faced challenges with integer scaling, affecting the visual quality of emulated games, while Windows has better compatibility with emulators and hardware. Emulation Station Desktop Edition (ES-DE) enhances the retro gaming experience on Windows by providing an intuitive interface. Overall, Windows is considered the most accessible and practical option for retro gaming.

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Escapists 2, Wreckfest, Bagatur Chess Engine, more

- The Galaxy Watch 7 is currently available at a reduced price and includes a complimentary extra band. - The Galaxy S24 FE has a significant price drop, making it more accessible for consumers. - Chipolo Google Find My Device trackers are offered starting from under . - Notable app offerings include: - Escapists 2: A strategic escape game. - Wreckfest: A demolition derby-themed racing game. - Worms W.M.D: Mobilize: A classic turn-based strategy game. - Gravity Force: A game exploring the dynamics of gravity. - Bagatur Chess Engine: A chess app for enthusiasts.

Winsage

February 12, 2025

4 reasons Rainmeter is the best way to customize your Windows PC

Rainmeter is a free tool for Windows 11 that allows users to deeply customize their desktop experience. It fosters community collaboration by enabling developers to create and share skins, which can fundamentally change the aesthetics and functionality of a PC. Users can mix and match a wide variety of skins, each with adjustable .ini files, to create a personalized desktop environment. The platform offers an extensive library of skins and encourages exploration and experimentation, ensuring users remain engaged and can continually enhance their desktop experience.