usage Archives

AppWizard

June 19, 2026

Meta rolls out enhanced safety features for teen Instagram users

On June 18, 2026, Meta announced new safety features for users aged 13 to 17 on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, including: - Automatic private settings for Teen Accounts, requiring approval for new followers, with non-followers unable to view or interact with content. - Messaging limited to individuals they follow or are connected with. - Tagging and mentioning restricted to followers, with offensive language filtered through the Hidden Words feature. - Notifications to take breaks after 60 minutes of use. - Muted notifications from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., with automatic replies sent during those hours. For users aged 13 to 15, accounts are private by default and require parental consent for changes. Older teens (16 to 17) can modify settings with parental notifications. The Family Center allows parents to manage settings and monitor activities. Teens may need to verify their age if they change it on their account, and providing false information could lead to account suspension or permanent disablement. Malina Enlund, Meta's head of safety policy for the Asia Pacific region, emphasized the importance of honesty about age. The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) supports creating a safe online environment rather than restricting access to social media, citing the 2021 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Tech Optimizer

June 18, 2026

Norton 360 Deluxe ‘is perfect if you are looking for family protection’ especially in this major sale – and performs with near perfect score in testing

Norton 360 Deluxe is a comprehensive antivirus software package that includes features such as a parental control app, a virtual private network (VPN), a password manager, scam protection, and cloud backup capabilities. The current promotional price for the first-year subscription is £29.99, reduced from £89.99, representing a 67% discount. It offers 50GB of cloud backup, a secure password manager, a scam detector for analyzing suspicious communications, and a SafeCam feature for webcam protection. The School Time control feature helps parents restrict access to certain websites during study time.

AppWizard

June 18, 2026

Android 17 review: Bubbling with excitement

Recent updates in Android, particularly with Android 17, focus on refining existing functionalities rather than introducing numerous new features. Key highlights include: - Revamped multitasking capabilities with expanded chat bubbles, allowing interaction with multiple apps simultaneously. - A bubble bar for foldable devices that displays all active floating windows for easy access, though launching apps as bubbles from the recents menu is not supported. - Tailored updates for foldable devices, including a dedicated gaming mode and native controller remapping for customization. - New customization options, such as hiding app labels on home screens and per-app adjustments for the dark theme. - Enhanced background blur effects and the ability to disable them through accessibility settings. - Security updates including Theft Detection Lock and Remote Lock enabled by default, and a new Contact Picker feature for sharing specific contacts. - Improved parental controls allowing for daily limits, downtime schedules, and individual app restrictions. - A consistent user experience across devices, with applications adapting to different screen sizes and the introduction of features like Continue On for cross-device continuity. - Anticipated future enhancements related to Gemini Intelligence.

AppWizard

June 18, 2026

How Your Location Influences Android App Availability

The Google Play Store customizes its app offerings based on the user's location, which affects app availability and functionality. App developers often set distribution rules that vary by region, leading to differences in user experience even for identical apps. Android devices determine location through a combination of signals, including SIM card data, GPS, and Wi-Fi positioning. Connectivity issues, particularly in rural areas, can limit app usability, while social habits influence regional app demand. Developers analyze engagement data to adapt their offerings based on regional preferences, creating a feedback loop that affects app visibility and features. Users should verify app functionality based on their location and connectivity before assuming an app's absence is due to obscurity.

Tech Optimizer

June 18, 2026

Announcing Lakebase Search: agent-native retrieval built into Lakebase Postgres

Lakebase Search is a hybrid vector and full-text retrieval system integrated into Lakebase, now in beta on AWS and Azure. It utilizes two Postgres extensions: lakebase_vector and lakebase_text, allowing agents to operate on a single data backend. Agents manage four times more databases than human users and require real-time access to indexed data. The system features a tiered architecture that stores cold data in cost-effective object storage while keeping active data in local NVMe, significantly reducing costs. The lakebase_vector extension offers 32x compression for vectors, allowing a billion vectors to fit into under 10GB of RAM. The lakebase_text extension provides BM25 relevance ranking without high RAM usage. Benchmarking shows that Lakebase Search can efficiently handle large-scale workloads, achieving high recall and low latency with reduced resource requirements compared to traditional architectures. The system allows for continuous search experimentation and dedicated retrieval engines for each agent, enhancing operational efficiency and scalability.

Winsage

June 18, 2026

Windows Search will stop searching your embarrassing typos on Bing

The latest experimental build of Windows 11's Search functionality can match misspelled app names to their corresponding applications, reducing accidental web searches. For example, typing 'utlook' for Outlook or 'pwerp' for PowerPoint yields successful results, while more challenging inputs like 'tskm' for Task Manager still prompt web searches on standard systems, but are recognized in the experimental build. Additionally, Microsoft is developing a toggle feature for local searches only, which would eliminate web results and enhance user experience, potentially decreasing Bing's usage.

Tech Optimizer

June 18, 2026

Why Oracle’s OCI Database with PostgreSQL matters for serious workloads

Oracle has launched the OCI Database with PostgreSQL, a managed PostgreSQL service designed for seamless deployment within the Oracle Cloud. This service includes lifecycle management, automated backups, and monitoring, allowing users to customize their database configurations easily. A key feature is the cross-region warm standby, which enhances disaster recovery by enabling users to create replica databases in secondary regions that replicate data from the primary database. The service enforces a strict 5-minute recovery point objective (RPO) and simplifies the setup process for operations teams. The OCI Database with PostgreSQL is positioned against offerings from AWS and Azure, targeting organizations that prefer a managed PostgreSQL experience. However, compliance challenges, such as the lack of FedRAMP certification, may hinder adoption for certain sectors. The product is available on OCI with usage-based pricing and is aimed at cloud teams needing managed operations and disaster recovery for PostgreSQL databases.

Winsage

June 18, 2026

Microsoft modernized almost everything in Windows 11, but this 90s feature quietly lives on

Screensavers were originally designed to prevent burn-in on CRT monitors in the 1980s and 1990s, but evolved into a form of personalization with options like 3D Text and flying toasters. By 2026, the necessity for screensavers has diminished due to modern displays' ability to avoid burn-in and Windows 11's power management features. Screensavers are now mostly used for personal photo slideshows or basic visuals, accessible through Settings > Personalization > Lock screen > Screen saver, with options including 3D Text, Bubbles, Mystify, Photos, and Ribbons. Microsoft has shifted focus to AI and performance improvements, leaving screensavers as a legacy feature that is not actively developed. There is potential for screensavers to be reimagined as a modern ambient mode that enhances the idle experience by displaying personal photos or useful information. Currently, Windows 11 lacks a cohesive system that integrates various idle features, leading to a static or blank display when users step away.

AppWizard

June 18, 2026

Android 17 users are running into some strange problems with Wi-Fi data in certain apps

Android 17 has been released for Pixel phone users, introducing new features like Bubbles. However, users of devices from the Pixel 7 to the Pixel 10 series are experiencing Wi-Fi connectivity issues, where apps are not utilizing the Wi-Fi connection and instead using mobile data. This problem predominantly affects Google apps, although some still work over Wi-Fi. Discussions suggest that enabling IPv6 support on home routers might resolve the issue, but attempts to replicate the problem by disabling IPv6 and mobile data were unsuccessful. The issue has raised concerns about the thoroughness of testing prior to the update's release.

AppWizard

June 17, 2026

Android 17 brings enhanced parental controls with screen time and app management tools

Google has launched an enhancement to its Android Parental Controls with the introduction of Android 17, featuring tools for parents to manage children's screen time, app access, content restrictions, and digital wellbeing. Initially available on Pixel devices, it will roll out to all Android smartphones and tablets receiving the Android 17 update. Key features include the ability to set daily screen time limits, create downtime schedules, apply content filters, limit app usage, and block apps. The integration with Google Family Link allows for additional supervision tools such as School Time Mode, purchase approvals, location tracking, and device activity monitoring. Google has also increased its U.S. Digital Wellbeing Fund to support research and programs aimed at promoting healthy technology usage among children and teenagers. The new parental controls will be accessible through Android Settings on devices updated to Android 17.