apps Archives

Winsage

May 18, 2025

It just got way easier to control your Android phone from your Windows PC

Microsoft is adding a Phone Link panel to the start menu of Windows 11 to improve the user experience for managing Android devices. The panel provides an overview of the Android device's status, including connection status and battery level, and features direct access buttons for Messages, Calls, and Photos. It includes a 'Recent' section for the latest phone calls, text messages, and images, while notifications can be received as banners. The Phone Link app can also stream Android apps to Windows 11 PCs, with file transfer capabilities through a 'send files' button. This feature is being rolled out to all Windows 11 users after being available to Beta and Dev channel users for several months.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

These 2 Android Apps Are Draining Your Battery And Wasting Storage: Facebook, More

An Australian woman, Lauren Lily, discovered that her painful symptoms, initially thought to be due to a medical condition, were actually caused by using a hot water bottle every night while she slept. After spending significant money on consultations and tests, she realized the discomfort was self-inflicted, highlighting the importance of self-awareness and considering simple explanations for health issues.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

Google’s ML Kit GenAI APIs with Gemini Nano: On-Device AI for Privacy-Preserving Android Apps

Google announced on May 14, 2025, the expansion of its ML Kit offerings with new GenAI APIs powered by the Gemini Nano model, aimed at providing Android developers with access to advanced AI features while ensuring user privacy through on-device processing. The ML Kit GenAI APIs include four key capabilities: summarization, proofreading, rewriting, and image description. These APIs process data locally, keeping user data on the device, ensuring consistent functionality without internet connectivity, and avoiding recurring server costs. This development enhances the accessibility of sophisticated AI capabilities for Android developers and aligns with consumer privacy concerns. The architecture allows for future expansion of capabilities as Gemini models evolve.

Winsage

May 17, 2025

Best Windows apps this week

In this week's roundup of applications for Windows 10 and 11, it is noted that consumer support for Windows 10 will end in October 2025, but users can purchase a year of extended support and receive three years of security updates for Microsoft 365 apps. New applications highlighted include: - DiskCopy: Free disk and partition cloning software for backing up partitions or entire disks, facilitating data migration. - IrfanView: An image viewer that now includes batch file multithreading and new hotkeys in its latest version. - Registry Finder: A freeware tool for managing the Windows Registry, with improved search capabilities and usability.

BetaBeacon

May 17, 2025

The 5 Best New Apps for Android and iPhone this Week

- EA SPORTS FC Tactical is a mobile game that offers a turn-based system for making strategic decisions during key moments of a football match. - The game combines realistic player models with stylized animations and a rock-paper-scissors-style attribute system to determine the outcome of encounters. - The game features a unique approach to traditional football elements and offers a cinematic experience with dynamic music and visual effects.

AppWizard

May 17, 2025

Chrome for Android could be getting a major time-saving upgrade to make verification even easier

Chrome for Android is set to introduce an automatic detection and filling feature for SMS-based two-factor authentication codes, aimed at streamlining the user experience. This feature is currently available in the "Canary version" of Chrome but has not yet been activated for all users. Additionally, Google has released Gemini-powered accessibility updates, including expressive captions and an optical character recognition tool for screen readers.

BetaBeacon

May 16, 2025

Samsung Game Booster Plus lets you remap controllers and enhance game graphics

The Game Booster Plus module is now available for download on One UI 7 devices via the Galaxy Store. Some features of the module are not accessible on older devices. The module offers three menus for controller remapping, GPU settings for games, and game categorization. The GPU settings menu introduces new options for adjusting performance modes and settings on a per-game basis, but it requires a more modern Samsung phone. The game category settings allow users to designate any app as a game in the system, enhancing the quality and performance of emulated games.

Winsage

May 16, 2025

MSI PortalX ditches Windows apps to sync RGB via the web

MSI has introduced PortalX, a web-based lighting platform for RGB control in PC gaming, eliminating the need for traditional software installations. PortalX serves as a centralized hub for RGB functionalities, allowing users to adjust system lighting via a webpage without downloads. It offers per-device configuration and an ‘All Sync’ toggle for cohesive aesthetics, with adjustable lighting speeds. Currently, PortalX operates exclusively within the Windows environment, which may limit compatibility for users of Linux and macOS. The platform aims to simplify RGB customization and improve integration across future product lines. PortalX is set to launch soon.

Winsage

May 16, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27858 (Canary Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27858 has been released to the Canary Channel. A new system tray icon for the emoji and more panel has been introduced, allowing users to access emojis, GIFs, and Kaomojis, with customization options available. Several fixes have been implemented, including resolving black screen issues during upgrades, enhancing accessibility in File Explorer, updating desktop icon logic, fixing voice typing initiation issues, resolving explorer.exe crashes related to snap layouts, addressing taskbar icon resizing problems in tablet mode, fixing night light functionality, and resolving MIDI device recognition issues. Known issues include potential problems with Windows Hello PIN and biometrics on new Copilot+ PCs and unresponsive pen input on certain devices. Insiders are reminded that builds in the Canary Channel are early development versions and may change. A clean installation is required to exit the Canary Channel, and a desktop watermark will be present in pre-release builds.

Tech Optimizer

May 16, 2025

Best antivirus software for Windows 2025, tried and tested

Antivirus software has been a common tool for PC users over the past two decades, with many opting for third-party solutions for enhanced protection despite Windows 11's built-in features. User behavior significantly impacts computer security, emphasizing the importance of avoiding unknown links and not reusing passwords. Antivirus packages are designed to combat threats like ransomware, spyware, and viruses. The evaluation process for antivirus applications involved testing on a Windows 11 PC with simulated virus attacks and scanning the SSD for performance metrics. The top antivirus apps for 2025 include BitDefender Total Security (£49.99), Avira Free (free), Malwarebytes Plus (£49.99), and Sophos Home Premium (£37.46).