Author: alex

Spotify Launches Venue-Following and Daily Live-Event Updates Spotify has introduced a new feature that lets users follow their favorite concert venues to receive updates and details about upcoming shows. Favorited venues are saved to a users Library, and browsing a venue page reveals scheduled concerts, announcements, and the ability to filter upcoming shows by genre. Key features include: Follow venues and save them to your Library for easy access. View scheduled concerts, general announcements, and filter shows by genre. Get tailored suggestions for other nearby venues based on a selected spot. Direct links to each venues official ticketing partner to simplify buying tickets. Coverage of 20,000+ venues worldwide, from major arenas to independent clubs. Spotify also revamped its live event feed to update daily instead of weekly, improving the timeliness…

AWS US‑EAST‑1 Outage Knocks Dozens of Services Offline On the morning of October 20, 2025, Amazon Web Services experienced a significant outage in its US‑EAST‑1 region (Northern Virginia) that caused widespread service disruptions. The root cause was identified as a DNS resolution issue affecting the DynamoDB API, leaving many applications temporarily unable to access their data. The outage produced visible ripple effects across the internet: popular services and apps including Venmo, Snapchat, Canva, Fortnite, Alexa, Reddit, Disney+, Lyft and more reported errors or slowness as systems struggled to respond. AWS reported increased error rates and latencies starting at 3:11AM ET and later confirmed mitigation of the DNS issue by 6:35AM ET, though knock‑on impacts persisted. Cause: DNS resolution failure for the DynamoDB API in US‑EAST‑1. Immediate impact: Elevated API errors,…

AWS US‑EAST‑1 Outage (Oct 20, 2025): DNS/DynamoDB failure knocks many services offline On the morning of Oct. 20, 2025, a major outage in Amazon Web Services' US-EAST-1 region disrupted a wide range of websites, apps and online services. AWS reported increased error rates and latencies and later traced the root cause to a DNS resolution issue affecting the DynamoDB API — a widely used managed database service. Here’s a concise timeline of events reported by AWS and covered in contemporary reporting: 03:11 AM ET: AWS noted increased error rates and latencies in US-EAST-1 (AWS Service Health Dashboard). 05:01 AM ET: AWS identified a DNS resolution issue with the DynamoDB API as the primary cause. 06:35 AM ET: AWS said the DNS issue was mitigated and most services were succeeding normally.…

ZigHaven: App to Simplify Access to Zigbee2MQTT Devices Developer Patrick Schöbel has introduced ZigHaven, an app designed to make it easier for users of Zigbee2MQTT to access and manage Zigbee devices connected to their home network via MQTT. The app aims to give users a clearer overview of connected devices, let them organize devices by room, and enable quicker access and control. Key features reported include: Device discovery and overview for devices bridged through Zigbee2MQTT. Organization tools to group devices by room for simpler navigation. Fast access to controls and device management functions. Zigbee2MQTT is a popular open-source bridge that allows Zigbee devices from many manufacturers to be used with MQTT-based smart home setups. ZigHaven appears aimed at users who run a Zigbee2MQTT server and want a lightweight, user-friendly interface…

AWS US‑EAST‑1 Outage: DNS/DynamoDB Failure Causes Widespread Downtime On a crisp October morning, a significant outage in Amazon Web Services' US‑EAST‑1 region (Northern Virginia) caused widespread disruptions across websites, apps, games and services that depend on AWS. The issue — traced to DNS resolution problems with the DynamoDB API — led to many services losing access to stored data for several hours. Key timeline highlights: ~3:11 AM ET: AWS reported increased error rates and latencies in US‑EAST‑1. ~5:01 AM ET: AWS identified a DNS resolution issue affecting the DynamoDB API. ~6:35 AM ET: AWS said the DNS issue was fully mitigated and most services were succeeding normally. Later updates: EC2 instance launches remained affected; AWS recommended avoiding tying new deployments to specific Availability Zones to give EC2 flexibility while recovery…

Windows 10 End of Support: How to Protect Your PC and When to Replace It Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10. While your machine will keep running, security updates and feature fixes are no longer guaranteed — but there is a free method to obtain Extended Security Updates (ESU) that extends official patches until mid-October 2026. If your PC is showing its age (slow performance, noisy fans, poor battery life), now is a good time to consider a replacement. Even if your device meets minimum requirements for a free Windows 11 upgrade, newer Copilot+ AI features (like Windows Recall and Studio Effects) may require hardware released within roughly the last year. Quick replacement picks Surface Laptop 13.8" — Lightweight, long battery life, Snapdragon-powered options for exceptional mobility. (Surface…

Menu Drop: Send files via AirDrop straight from your Mac menu bar Sindre Sorhus, the prolific macOS developer, has released a new app called Menu Drop that streamlines AirDrop transfers. Instead of opening a Finder window and using the sidebar, Menu Drop provides a menu-bar interface to send files and links quickly and with fewer clicks. Why it matters: Send files & links without opening Finder windows or navigating the sidebar. Reduces steps and clicks for users who frequently use AirDrop. Lightweight, focused utility that fills a common macOS workflow gap. How it works: after installing Menu Drop, you can use a menu-bar icon to drop files or links and select an AirDrop recipient directly — removing the extra Finder detours many users find tedious. For more context, see Sindre…

Monarch Money: 50% off annual plan for new users — use code MONARCHVIP Monarch Money is currently offering new users a 50% discount on its annual subscription. Normally priced at $100/year, the annual plan drops to $50 when you sign up on the web and enter code MONARCHVIP at checkout. This promo is only valid for new accounts, cannot be combined with other offers, and is not redeemable through the mobile app. The app focuses on detailed, customizable budgeting and net-worth tracking. On the main dashboard you can view your net worth, recent transactions, spending versus the previous month, income-to-date, upcoming bills, investments and financial goals. Theres also a month-in-review page that summarizes monthly activity and net-worth changes over time. Highlights: Customizable categories, granular reporting, net-worth tracking, month-in-review and goal…

Eufy C35: 4-camera set returns at launch price (€299) with €80 coupon Eufy has relaunched the C35 camera bundle — a package that includes four cameras and a HomeBase — and introduced a significant launch discount. An €80 coupon on the Amazon product page brings the price down to €299 for the full set, making it an attractive option for shoppers seeking local-storage security solutions. Last week the set briefly disappeared from sale after initial listings, but it is now available again on Amazon with the coupon active. If you want to view the offer or buy the set, check the Amazon listing here: Eufy C35 on Amazon (search). Quick overview: What’s included: 4 cameras + HomeBase (as advertised on the listing). Launch price after coupon: €299 (coupon saves €80).…

Apple TV+ and Peacock Launch $15/month Bundle (Ad‑Supported) Apple and NBC have teamed up to offer a combined Apple TV+ + Peacock bundle priced at $15 per month for the ad-supported tier. The ad-free option is $20 per month. Given standalone prices (Apple TV+ at $13/month and Peacock starting at $11/month), the bundle represents a noticeable monthly saving for subscribers. Key details: Bundle price (ad-supported): $15/month Ad-free bundle price: $20/month (standalone ad-free Peacock costs $17/month) Apple One subscribers receive a 35% discount on Peacock Premium Plus plans The combined catalog brings Apple TV+ originals like Severance, For All Mankind and Ted Lasso together with Peacock staples such as The Office, Poker Face and the new spinoff The Paper. For fans of comedy and network hits, this bundle offers broader access…