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6 Feb 2025

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Eight beauty contestants compete for 2025 Miss Pacific Islands crown
The countries represented at this year's event are Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, American Samoa, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, and the Cook Islands.

Windows 11’s app store has a solution for gigantic PC game downloads
PC gaming via the Microsoft Store can be a pain: game updates can lag, and mod support may be limited. But Microsoft is testing at least one small improvement: modular downloads of games via the Microsoft Store. The new update, being tested for now in the Canary Channel, appears in Windows Insider Build 27888, which launched today alongside support for the MIDI 2.0 specification. Some games, like the recent Call of Duty games, ship with multiple game modes: a campaign, multiplayer, and so on. And with game developers trying to support both cutting-edge and older systems, there may also be texture packs that provide the highest quality for the newest hardware. But if you have an older, 2020-esque PC, the last thing you might want are ultra-high-quality textures jamming up your hard drive and straining your broadband data cap — you can’t run them anyway! What Microsoft is testing are better ways to control those downloads, so that you can choose which components of the game to download yourself. “Once your game is installed, you can return to its product page, click the new Manage button, and modify what components are installed,” Microsoft adds. Microsoft is testing the ability to manage your downloaded game content, too.Microsoft Sure, many prefer gaming via Steam instead. As they say, though, it’s a small tweak, but a welcome one — especially for those who still get Microsoft’s Game Pass games. And for those of us who doggedly refuse to shell out an additional fee for unlimited data, it can save us money, too.

Cook Islands PM Brown offered state visit to China later this month
The state visit was initially announced in December 2024, during a visit by Dr Zhaoxu Ma, the Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China.

Ex-Warriors star opens up on highly publicised 2024 dressing room walkout
“I didn’t lead in that game”, says new Cronulla Sharks prop Addin Fonua-Blake on his dressing room walkout after win over Penrith.

Malcolm Turnbull backs health start-up for burnt-out bosses
The former PM has previously spoken about his mental health struggles including bouts of depression, particularly after the defeat of the republican referendum.

7-Zip 0-day was exploited in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine
Vulnerability stripped MotW tag Windows uses to flag Internet-downloaded files.

Waitangi Day 2025 in pictures
Waka are hitting the water at the Treaty Grounds while the prime minister heads to Onuku Marae in Akaroa.

Grandstream unveils GWN7670, its first Wi-Fi 7 access point
Grandstream has launched its GWN7670 Wi-Fi 7 access point, achieving speeds up to 3.6Gbps to enhance connectivity for small-to-medium businesses.

House damaged by fire in Palmerston North on Waitangi Day
Firefighters battled a house fire in Highbury for close to three hours on Thursday morning.

The most stunning bridges in NZ to check out this summer
If you’re looking for scenic vistas and awe-inspiring views, we’re spoilt for choice in New Zealand.

AI Chrome extensions pose privacy risk, study reveals
A study by Incogni reveals that two-thirds of AI-powered Chrome extensions could jeopardise user privacy, with 41% collecting personal data.

Major focus on Onuku marae in Akaroa as PM, Governor-General arrive for Waitangi Day
Hundreds of people are expected in Akaroa today with the "surprise" attendance of the prime minister for Waitangi Day celebrations.

Windows’ new modular game downloads could save your storage drive
PC gaming via the Microsoft Store can be a pain: game updates can lag, and mod support may be limited. But Microsoft is testing at least one small improvement: modular downloads of games via the Microsoft Store. The new update, being tested for now in the Canary Channel, appears in Windows Insider Build 27888, which launched today alongside support for the MIDI 2.0 specification. Some games, like the recent Call of Duty games, ship with multiple game modes: a campaign, multiplayer, and so on. And with game developers trying to support both cutting-edge and older systems, there may also be texture packs that provide the highest quality for the newest hardware. But if you have an older, 2020-esque PC, the last thing you might want are ultra-high-quality textures jamming up your hard drive and straining your broadband data cap — you can’t run them anyway! What Microsoft is testing are better ways to control those downloads, so that you can choose which components of the game to download yourself. “Once your game is installed, you can return to its product page, click the new Manage button, and modify what components are installed,” Microsoft adds. Microsoft is testing the ability to manage your downloaded game content, too.Microsoft Sure, many prefer gaming via Steam instead. As they say, though, it’s a small tweak, but a welcome one — especially for those who still get Microsoft’s Game Pass games. And for those of us who doggedly refuse to shell out an additional fee for unlimited data, it can save us money, too.