gradient Archives

Winsage

June 13, 2025

macOS 26 Tahoe vs Windows Vista: Who did glass better?

Apple announced a visual redesign called Liquid Glass, set to debut with macOS 26 Tahoe. This design features transparency effects in context and dropdown menus, system controls, and the Control Center, where elements exhibit a glass-like quality. The dock allows icons to have varying translucency, with options for classic, dark, clear, or tinted versions. However, some inconsistencies exist in the beta version, such as tinted icons lacking transparency. The glass effects are present in many of Apple's apps, with navigation panes on a glass-like surface and floating menu buttons that are translucent. In comparison, Windows Vista's Aero Glass was noted for its impactful use of transparency in title bars and window borders, creating a sense of depth and enhancing user experience. Although Apple's Liquid Glass is meticulously designed, it may come across as too subtle compared to the more pronounced Aero Glass effects. The impressions of macOS 26 Tahoe are based on the initial developer beta, and improvements are expected before its public release later this fall.

AppWizard

June 12, 2025

Android 16 QPR1 Beta redesigns the Pixel Launcher search bar, adds AI Mode

In Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2, the Pixel Launcher features a redesigned search bar that aligns with the Google app's updated homescreen widget. The new design includes a more compact search bar with an AI Mode icon on the right, a magnifying glass in four Google colors, and a darker background for better organization. The redesign is limited to the search bar and does not affect the top of the app launcher. Currently, users have limited customization options for the search bar shortcut, while the Google app offers various shortcuts that integrate with Google Lens. The redesign is visible on one device following a server-side update, and a new gradient G logo was introduced recently.

AppWizard

June 11, 2025

Here’s an early look at the Material 3 Expressive changes headed to the Google app (APK teardown)

The Google app on Android is undergoing a visual refresh with the beta release of version 16.22.44, featuring design updates aligned with Material 3 Expressive language. Key changes include a translucent gradient background for the status bar, a redesigned thicker and more rounded progress bar, and dynamic tabs that will hide during scrolling. A new "Refresh" button will also be introduced under the search bar, although it is not yet functional. These updates aim to enhance user experience and interactivity within the app.

AppWizard

May 28, 2025

Here’s an early look at Google TV app’s Material 3 Expressive overhaul (APK teardown)

Google is updating its Google TV app to align with Android's Material 3 Expressive design language, featuring a more colorful interface with accented gradients and enhanced visual elements. A beta version has shown a revamped blue color palette, a new section for recent searches, and a potential "Hot and New" tab, although these features are still in development. The latest app version (4.39.3208.761013668.5) includes updates to the For You tab, making it more vibrant with an updated search icon and larger text and buttons. The floating action button has changed from gray to blue. The rollout of these design changes is expected after the stable release of Android 16 QPR1.

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

April 23, 2025

10 tips to conquer the continent in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a French JRPG-style game featuring real-time combat mechanics similar to rhythm games. Players engage in exploration, which reveals lore, powerful items, optional bosses, and quests. The game includes a lumina mechanic that enhances combat effectiveness by activating additional pictos. Combat features an elemental weakness system, requiring players to adapt their strategies based on enemy vulnerabilities. Quicktime dodging, jumping, and parrying are essential skills, and Gustave's gun offers versatile combat options, including targeting weak points and dismantling enemy shields. Many exploration upgrades are optional and require engaging in side quests. Building relationships with expedition team members unlocks new abilities, and managing action points effectively is crucial for maximizing damage output. Each character has a unique playstyle, encouraging players to experiment with combinations for optimal effectiveness in battles.

Tech Optimizer

April 13, 2025

Springtail: $2.5 Million (Pre-Seed) Raised To Scale PostgreSQL Performance

Springtail has secured a million pre-seed funding round led by Gradient, Google's early-stage AI fund, with contributions from Octave and various angel investors. The company offers a cloud-based distributed database solution that integrates with Amazon RDS for PostgreSQL, addressing scalability challenges by offloading and scaling read execution without requiring extensive application changes or data migrations. Springtail's architecture allows for horizontal scaling of read-heavy workloads through on-demand read replicas that share a common storage layer, enabling independent scaling of compute resources. The co-founders, Craig Soules and Garth Goodson, have backgrounds in distributed systems and previous experience in successful software enterprises. Springtail claims to potentially save developers up to 58% on PostgreSQL read replication costs compared to Amazon RDS.

Tech Optimizer

April 9, 2025

Springtail announces $2.5M pre-seed funding to scale Postgres

Developers facing Postgres scalability limitations can either migrate to a different database or create a custom backend, both of which can be time-consuming. Springtail is a solution that enhances Postgres performance by offloading and scaling read execution while keeping the existing Postgres instance as the primary data store. It allows for horizontal scaling of read-heavy workloads without extensive application changes or data migrations. Springtail's architecture distributes queries across multiple nodes to improve query throughput. The initial offering includes scalable, on-demand read replicas for Postgres on AWS, which share a storage layer and can independently scale compute resources, allowing users to activate or deactivate replicas as needed. This approach can lead to savings of up to 58% on Postgres read replication compared to Amazon RDS. Springtail was founded in 2023 and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, supported by Gradient.

AppWizard

March 8, 2025

Messenger reverts to dark blue

Meta has updated its messaging platform, Messenger, transitioning from a vibrant gradient color scheme to a sophisticated dark blue design as it moves into 2025. This change aims for a cohesive user experience, enhancing compatibility with dark mode. The redesign may also reflect a broader branding strategy, aligning with co-founder Mark Zuckerberg's desire to return to a more 'original' Facebook aesthetic. The new appearance has sparked discussions about Meta's evolving image and its implications for the app's identity.

Tech Optimizer

March 7, 2025

Webroot Premium

PCMag editors independently select and review products. Webroot Premium combines device-level protection with identity theft tracking and remediation, but its antivirus protection is limited compared to competitors. Webroot Premium costs .99 per year for five devices and one identity, with a family edition available for .99 covering ten devices and identities. Other competitors like Bitdefender Ultimate Security and Norton 360 With LifeLock offer more comprehensive features at similar price points. Webroot AntiVirus has been rebranded as Webroot Essentials, and older versions have been phased out. The installation process for Webroot Premium is straightforward, and it includes a firewall that monitors network activity. Webroot's antivirus effectively identifies malware, achieving a 100% detection rate in tests. It also offers a secure deletion tool and basic identity protection features, including credit monitoring, transaction monitoring, and dark web monitoring, though these features are less comprehensive than those of competitors. Webroot provides 24/7 support for identity restoration, with a monetary guarantee for remediation services up to million for ten family members. Overall, while Webroot Premium offers solid antivirus protection, its identity protection capabilities are limited compared to other security suites.