Soluții

Genmoji in iOS 18.2: create custom Emoji in Messages

Apple’s new Genmoji feature lets you create personalized emoji that aim to perfectly match what you want to express, going far beyond the limitations of standard Unicode emoji. Want an emoji of a break-dancing astronaut or a dog playing bagpipes? With Genmoji, you can make it happen.

Unlike standard emoji that are fixed Unicode characters, Genmoji are dynamically generated using on-device AI. They work seamlessly in text, appearing as inline emoji characters in supported apps like Messages and Notes. You can even create Genmoji based on people in your Photos app, making them more personal and expressive.

Requirements and Availability
Currently, Genmoji is only available in the iOS 18.2 beta for developers and public beta testers. The feature also requires Apple Intelligence, which is limited to iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max and iPhone 16 series models. Apple Intelligence does not currently work in the EU.

Even with a compatible device in a supported region, you’ll need to join a waitlist for Apple Intelligence features like image creation (Settings ➝ Apple Intelligence & Siri). Apple will notify you when access is granted. Note that Apple Intelligence is only available when your iPhone and Siri are set to the same language.

Apple Intelligence is available in English (US) in most regions around the world, while iOS 18.2 adds Apple Intelligence support for English (Australia), English (Canada), English (Ireland), English (New Zealand), English (South Africa) and English (UK).

Compatibility
While Genmoji work best between iOS 18.2 devices, they’re also viewable on devices running iOS/iPadOS 18.1 and later, as well as Macs running macOS Sequoia 15.1 and later.

On older Apple devices or Android phones, Genmoji appear as regular images rather than inline emoji characters. Third-party apps need to specifically add Genmoji support to enable creation and proper display of these custom emoji.

Creating Custom Emoji in Messages

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Setting Up a Bitcoin Lightning Node on a Linux Server

The Bitcoin Lightning Network is a second-layer solution designed to facilitate faster and cheaper Bitcoin transactions by processing them off-chain. While Bitcoin Core ensures security and decentralization, it can be slow and costly for smaller, frequent transactions. A Lightning Node addresses this by creating payment channels that enable rapid transactions without waiting for block confirmations, improving Bitcoin’s scalability.

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How to update your Graphics Drivers for Maximum Gaming Performance

Updates to your computer’s motherboard, sound card, and network drivers don’t generally give speed improvements. They do often fix rare bugs, but to be honest, they just as often introduce new bugs. So, if things are working okay, it’s typically not worth it to bother.

However, this is not the case with updated drivers for your graphics card, also known as a GPU or video card. NVIDIA and AMD both frequently release new graphics drivers that usually give major performance improvements, particularly for newer games. With Intel getting more serious about integrated graphics performance, they have started releasing more frequent video driver updates, too.

Here is a small portion of the changes to NVIDIA’s most recent graphics driver package (Release 566.14), released on November 12th, 2024:

The release notes from NVIDIA.

And that just covers the specific games for which optimization has been improved. There are also numerous bug fixes and new features included.

These sorts of performance increases in updated graphics drivers are not uncommon. While newer games get the bulk of the attention, even some older games see a significant increase in performance with updated drivers, especially if there is improved support for features like DLSS. Of course, if you never play PC games on your computer and don’t care about 3D graphics performance, you don’t really need to update your graphics drivers at all.

Identifying your Graphics Card

There are a number of ways to identify your computer’s graphics hardware, including built-in and third-party system information utilities. However, the easiest way is probably to just hit Start, type System Information into the search box, and then hit Enter.

Open the Start Menu, then search for .System Information."

In the “System Information” window, on the left side, drill down to the “Display” category. On the right, look for your graphics adapter model in the “Adapter Type” or “Adapter Description” entries.

If you see both Intel and NVIDIA hardware on a laptop, your laptop is likely using switching technology to intelligently switch between its better-for-battery-life Intel graphics and better-for-gaming-performance NVIDIA graphics. In this case, you will want to update your NVIDIA drivers to boost your gaming performance.

However, you can generally get updated graphics drivers from your graphics hardware manufacturer’s website:

  • Download NVIDIA Graphics Drivers
  • Download AMD Graphics Drivers
  • Download Intel Graphics Drivers

You will have to select the exact model of your computer’s graphics card, which is displayed in the Device Manager window. For all three of the major manufacturers, you can enter the details of your adapter on the website and download the right drivers directly.

Select your device from the menu, then click "Find."

You also have the option of letting the site scan your system to automatically determine what drivers you need. Just be aware that sometimes, you’ll be asked to install a utility that performs the scan.

You also have a third option—special software from your GPU manufacturer. For example, NVIDIA created the NVIDIA app that runs in the background on your PC. You have the choice of the utility downloading and installing them automatically or just letting you know when they’re ready. The NVIDIA app can also help you optimize gaming settings for most PC games, a feature some love and some hate, but that’s entirely optional.

Go to the Drivers tab, then click the "Download" button if there is an update available,

AMD offers a similar program called AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition (sometimes just called Adrenalin), and Intel’s take is the Intel Graphics command Center. If you have older graphics hardware, bear in mind that it won’t be supported forever. Manufacturers eventually move older hardware to a stable driver release that they stop optimizing and updating. If your graphics hardware is five years old, it’s very likely that optimized drivers for it are no longer being released. How long your hardware is supported is up to its manufacturer.

Open to the Display section, then note your display device's name.

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Setting Up a Bitcoin Block Explorer on a Linux Server

A Bitcoin Block Explorer is a tool that provides a user-friendly interface for viewing blockchain data such as transactions, blocks, and addresses. While public block explorers are widely available, using them can compromise your privacy as they may log your searches and activity. Setting up your own Bitcoin Block Explorer on a Linux server ensures that you can access blockchain data privately, directly from your own Bitcoin Core node.

By hosting your own block explorer, you maintain full control over your data, eliminate reliance on third-party services, and improve the decentralization of the Bitcoin ecosystem. It’s a valuable addition for anyone running a full node who wants to monitor transactions or learn more about blockchain data without compromising privacy.

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Utilizarea unui Sistem de Protecție împotriva Erorilor Umane cu “Rollback Automation” pe Windows

Erorile umane sunt una dintre cele mai frecvente cauze ale problemelor IT, fie că e vorba de ștergerea accidentală a fișierelor, modificarea greșită a setărilor de sistem sau instalarea software-ului nepotrivit. Implementarea unui sistem automatizat de “rollback” (revenire la o stare anterioară) poate preveni sau minimiza impactul acestor erori.

Soluție: Automatizarea Rollback-ului pentru Windows

  1. Ce este Rollback Automation?
    Este un proces prin care sistemul creează periodic “snapshots” sau copii de siguranță ale configurațiilor și datelor, permițând revenirea rapidă la o stare funcțională anterioară.
  2. De ce e util?
    • Previne pierderile de date.
    • Repară rapid problemele cauzate de configurări greșite sau aplicații defecte.
    • Reduce timpul de nefuncționare a sistemului.

Avantaje

  • Protecție continuă: Snapshots automate înainte de modificări critice.
  • Economisire de timp: Rollback rapid fără necesitatea unei reinstalări sau a unei analize complexe.
  • Integrare cu Windows: Utilizare a funcțiilor native (ex. System Restore) sau soluții terțe.
  • Prevenție: Ideal pentru sisteme critice, cum ar fi serverele sau stațiile de lucru folosite intens.

1. Utilizarea Funcțiilor Native din Windows

  • System Restore: Activează System Restore pe unitățile critice pentru a crea puncte de restaurare automate.
    • Pas 1: Accesează Control Panel > System > System Protection.
    • Pas 2: Selectează unitatea și activează protecția. Configurează frecvența punctelor de restaurare.
    • Pas 3: Testează revenirea la o stare anterioară.
  • File History: Activează File History pentru backup continuu al fișierelor utilizatorilor.
    • Pas 1: Accesează Control Panel > File History.
    • Pas 2: Configurează o unitate externă sau o locație de rețea pentru backup.

2. Soluții Terțe pentru Rollback avansat

  • Time Machine pentru Windows (RollBack Rx):
    • Creează snapshots automate la fiecare boot sau după un interval definit.
    • Permite revenirea la stări anterioare ale sistemului fără a afecta datele utilizatorilor.
  • Veeam Agent pentru Windows:
    • O soluție gratuită pentru backup la nivel de imagine, care include și opțiuni de rollback.

3. Automatizare cu Task Scheduler

  • Creează un task automatizat în Task Scheduler pentru a genera snapshots zilnice sau săptămânale folosind comenzi PowerShell.
  • Ex: Comandă pentru crearea unui punct de restaurare:
    powershell
    Checkpoint-Computer -Description "Snapshot Daily" -RestorePointType "MODIFY_SETTINGS"

Exemple de utilizare

  1. Administrație IT:
    Configurarea unui rollback zilnic pe toate stațiile de lucru Windows dintr-o rețea pentru a preveni downtime-ul cauzat de instalarea neautorizată de software.
  2. Utilizatori individuali:
    Prevenirea pierderii datelor în cazul unei ștergeri accidentale prin utilizarea File History combinată cu RollBack Rx.
  3. Dezvoltatori software:
    Utilizarea rollback-ului înainte de instalarea de patch-uri sau actualizări pentru a minimiza riscul de incompatibilități.

Extensii și alternative

  1. VM Snapshots: Dacă utilizezi mașini virtuale (Hyper-V, VMware), folosește snapshot-uri automate pentru backup-uri rapide.
  2. Backup în Cloud: Combină Rollback cu soluții cloud precum OneDrive sau Google Drive pentru o redundanță sporită.
  3. Rețele mari: Integrează soluția de rollback cu un server central de management, cum ar fi SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager).
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