user engagement Archives

AppWizard

May 27, 2025

First look at Google’s new ‘Images’ tab: A Pinterest clone in the making (APK teardown)

Google is developing a new feature for its app that will include an "Images" tab, similar to Pinterest. This feature will allow users to select topics of interest, such as "Women’s fashion," "Food & Drink," and "Home Decor," to receive a personalized feed of curated images. Users can interact with images by sharing, saving, or using Google Lens for further exploration, and they can hide images that do not match their preferences. The feature is still in development, and early tests show a mix of images across various topics rather than strictly adhering to user-selected interests.

AppWizard

May 24, 2025

Decentralized Messenger Session Goes Live on Arbitrum With $SESH Token Launch

The decentralized encrypted messenger app, Session, is launching its token, $SESH, on May 21st, 2025, coinciding with the mainnet launch of the new Session Network after a testing phase. Session has over one million monthly active users and operates on a specialized DePIN network with more than 2,000 nodes, ensuring user privacy and anonymity. The total supply of $SESH is capped at 240 million, with an initial release of up to 80 million tokens at the Token Generation Event (TGE). Users can stake 25,000 $SESH tokens to operate a Session Node, ensuring network integrity. The application emphasizes minimal metadata collection and offers features like emoji reactions, voice calls, and group chats. Session is now managed by the nonprofit Session Technology Foundation based in Zug, Switzerland.

AppWizard

May 22, 2025

Xbox Launches Retro Classics Collection With 50+ Activision Titles; PC App Adds Game Assist, GeForce Now Support

Xbox and Antstream Arcade have launched Retro Classics, a collection of over 50 Activision titles from the ’80s and ’90s, available to Xbox Game Pass members worldwide. Notable games in the collection include Commando, Grand Prix, Kaboom!, Mech Warrior 2: 31st Century Combat, and Pitfall!, accessible on consoles, PCs, and cloud gaming devices. The collection features modern enhancements like cloud saves, achievement support, and gameplay pause/resume options, with plans to expand to over 100 titles from Activision and Blizzard in the future. Additionally, Xbox has introduced updates for PC gaming, including a revamped Game Bar with Quick Settings, an upcoming Microsoft Edge Game Assist for in-game browsing, and GeForce Now streaming integration for the Xbox app. The Xbox Rewards program has also been updated, allowing players to redeem points for customizable gift cards for various purchases.

Winsage

May 22, 2025

Microsoft’s and Google’s dueling developer conferences reveal opposite AI strategies—and a big weakness for one company

FORTUNE is a recognized business media publication in the U.S. and internationally, known for its insights and analysis. It emphasizes the importance of understanding its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for user transparency. FORTUNE adheres to strict privacy standards, providing a California Notice at Collection and a comprehensive Privacy Notice regarding the protection of user information and the handling of personal data. The publication may receive compensation for certain links to products and services, which supports its operations, but offers may change without notice.

Tech Optimizer

May 21, 2025

Achieve up to 1.7 times higher write throughput and 1.38 times better price performance with Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL on AWS Graviton4-based R8g instances

Upgrading to Graviton4-based R8g instances with Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible 17.4 in an Aurora I/O-Optimized cluster configuration results in significant performance improvements. The new instances provide up to 1.7 times higher write throughput, 1.38 times better price-performance, and reduce commit latency by up to 46% on r8g.16xlarge instances and 38% on r8g.2xlarge instances compared to Graviton2-based R6g instances. The Amazon Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition now supports AWS Graviton4-based R8g instances and PostgreSQL 17.4, which introduces performance enhancements for I/O-Optimized configurations, optimizing write operations and batch processing. R8g instances offer up to 192 vCPUs and 1.5 TB of memory, supporting larger configurations and providing up to 50 Gbps of network bandwidth. PostgreSQL 17 includes vacuum improvements, eliminates the need to drop logical replication slots during upgrades, and expands SQL/JSON standards. Aurora PostgreSQL-Compatible separates compute from storage, enabling independent scaling and maintaining six-way replication for durability, while processing changes as log records to reduce I/O operations. Performance benchmarks using HammerDB show improvements in throughput and commit latency across various workloads. For small workloads on 2xlarge instance size, throughput increased by 50.25% and commit latency improved by 33.87%. For medium workloads on 16xlarge instance size, throughput increased by 30% and commit latency improved by 17.44%. The most significant performance benefits arise from combining hardware upgrades from Graviton2 to Graviton4 with database engine upgrades from PostgreSQL 15.10 to 17.4. For small workloads, throughput increased by 70% and commit latency improved by 38.71%. For medium workloads, throughput increased by 70% and commit latency improved by 46.67%. Cost efficiency is also enhanced, with a 38% improvement in price performance and a 61.26% improvement in price-performance ratio when comparing Graviton2 and Graviton4 instances. Reserved Instances for Graviton4-based R8g instances offer additional cost-optimization opportunities.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

Android Auto is getting video and browser apps for your car dashboard – and more weather apps too

Google announced new in-car app experiences for Android Auto during Google I/O 2025, including video players and browser applications, which will only be accessible when the vehicle is parked to ensure safety. These features will be compatible with Android 16 devices and select vehicles, with availability depending on hardware and dashboard systems.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

The best use for AI: You can now turn yourself into an Android Bot by uploading a photo

Google has launched the Androidify app, allowing users to create personalized Android Bots by uploading a photo and selecting a color scheme. The app utilizes the Gemini API and is designed with Google’s Material 3 aesthetic, ensuring compatibility with various devices. Unlike its previous version, which was limited to a website, the new app offers a more refined experience with plans for a specialized image generator version. Users must compile the app themselves to access its features, which may limit its reach. There are hopes for the app's availability on the Play Store in the future.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

Google Play adds topic pages, audio previews, and new subscription tools for developers

Google is enhancing its Play Store with upgrades for Android app developers, including a robust toolset for managing subscription-based applications, allowing developers to pause live app releases. New "topic browse" pages will help users discover apps related to over 100,000 media and entertainment titles, and the "Where to Watch" feature will expand to the U.K., Korea, Indonesia, and Mexico. Developers can integrate new visual content options, such as a hero content carousel and audio samples, which have increased app installs for Health & Wellness developers. Curated spaces for user interests will expand, particularly in Japan. The Play Console will feature a new asset library for organizing visual assets and provide new metrics for app listing performance. Subscription management tools will allow multi-product checkout and enhanced reminders about subscription benefits, reducing voluntary churn by 3%. Developers can offer a grace period of up to 30 days or a 60-day account hold for declined payments. The Engage SDK will support additional categories and markets, while the Play Integrity API will improve security with enhanced abuse detection and device security update checks.

AppWizard

May 21, 2025

Major Google Play Store update grabs your attention with ‘browse pages’ and more

Google I/O 2025 announced new features for the Play Store aimed at enhancing user engagement. The "topic browse pages" will allow users to explore apps in a more interactive way, debuting in May in the U.S. with a focus on Media & Entertainment content. The "Where to Watch" feature will expand to users in Korea, Indonesia, the U.K., and Mexico, while developers will gain access to a hero content carousel for showcasing YouTube videos. "Audio samples" will be introduced on the Apps Home, starting with Health & Wellness content. Developers will receive new overview pages for Grow and Monetize statistics and can halt app rollouts if necessary. The Asset Library will be updated for easier management of app assets. Google is also streamlining the subscription process with "multi-product checkout for subscriptions," allowing users to bundle subscriptions with related add-ons. Enhanced controls for developers regarding subscription management and improved payment setup during device initialization are also part of the updates.

AppWizard

May 20, 2025

What’s driving growth in the Chinese video game industry?

The Chinese game industry has experienced significant growth, with popular titles like Genshin Impact and Black Myth: Wukong driving global interest. Black Myth: Wukong sold 10 million copies within a week of its August 2024 launch and won Game of the Year at the 2024 Steam Awards. The single-player game market in China is becoming more sustainable, with a shift in focus due to the success of titles like Black Myth: Wukong. Developers are adapting their strategies, although challenges such as high production costs, competition, and issues related to work culture persist. Local governments are actively supporting game development through licensing, tax breaks, and grants, with initiatives aimed at integrating cultural themes into games. Despite layoffs in the industry, a robust social safety net exists to support affected employees.