gradient Archives

AppWizard

November 6, 2025

Here’s what the redesigned Google Photos and Maps icons look like

Google is updating the icons for its Maps and Photos applications, moving away from the traditional four-color palette to a gradient color redesign. The Photos app will have a more minimalistic change with slightly wider petals, while the Maps icon will undergo a more significant transformation, appearing stout with a seamless blend of colors. These updates reflect a broader branding strategy initiated in May, aligning with the introduction of a new "G" logo. The updated icons were first observed on the Apple App Store, suggesting they will soon be available on the Play Store.

AppWizard

October 21, 2025

Assetto Corsa Rally is a hardcore sim that proves Dirt Rally 2 was going easy on you

Loose surface racing simulations have historically provided leniency to players, allowing easier navigation of rally driving. Titles like Dirt Rally 2 and EA WRC offer cushioning for player inputs. Assetto Corsa Rally, developed by Kunos Simulazioni in partnership with Supernova Games Studios, aims to deliver a highly authentic and demanding rally simulation for PC. The game features intricate vehicle handling physics and utilizes Unreal Engine 5, promising to challenge even skilled drivers. Assetto Corsa Rally distinguishes itself through its commitment to realism, with stages that are meticulously laser-scanned, accurately reflecting the true width and character of roads. It includes entire 10-20km road networks, capturing every bump and gradient. The game offers two distinct road surfaces and a dynamic weather system, enhancing gameplay complexity. While the initial offering may be limited, it provides opportunities for players to refine their skills in varying conditions. The game evokes memories of Richard Burns Rally, known for its dedicated modding community. Although launching in Early Access without a career mode, Assetto Corsa Rally features one of the most sophisticated rally physics models available, encouraging players to master its intricacies for future enhancements and competitive play.

AppWizard

October 14, 2025

Samsung’s Bixby strives for more, as a rumor says there’s more to come

Samsung is redesigning the pop-up bar for its AI assistant, Bixby, as part of One UI 8.5, featuring a blue/purple gradient effect. Recent enhancements to Bixby include generative AI capabilities, improved hands-free functionality, and the ability to manage complex tasks. Leaked images from internal testing show a dynamic gradient glow and a waveform indicating Bixby is listening for commands. There are expectations for One UI 8.5 to introduce features that enhance Bixby's control over Galaxy device automation. Samsung has been integrating large language model technology into Bixby to remain competitive. A significant upgrade was previously rolled out in China, and further enhancements are anticipated for the Galaxy S25 series. The One UI 8.5 beta program is rumored to launch later this fall.

AppWizard

September 20, 2025

World’s Smallest Minecraft Server Runs On a Tiny ESP32 Microchip

An inventive project called bareiron has created a custom Minecraft server on an ESP32 microcontroller, which is the size of a penny. The server operates with 400KB of memory and a 160MHz processor, significantly less than the typical requirements for a Minecraft server. To manage terrain generation, the project uses bilinear interpolation instead of the standard Perlin noise method, allowing for smooth landscape gradients while conserving memory. Biomes are represented as circular islands on a grid, with their types determined by a repeating pattern linked to the world’s seed. Cave systems are generated by mirroring the surface landscape, and ores are placed sparingly at depth. Crafting and inventory management have been simplified, with items directly added to the player's inventory instead of dropping. The server can load a chunk in about 200 milliseconds, though performance may decrease with more than three players. It operates on a trust-based model for player actions, which may lead to potential cheating.

AppWizard

September 4, 2025

Minecraft Preview Update 1.21.120.20 Now Live via Patch 1.85/1.068

The latest update for Minecraft, version 1.21.120.20, has been released across all platforms, recognized as version 1.85/1.068 for console users. This patch includes new features and bug fixes, such as: - Tadpoles now spawn directly beneath Frogspawn blocks. - Players can now destroy valid blocks in Adventure Mode positioned behind water. - Redstone power can now be added or removed from the Shelf, emitting vibrations. - Fixed the Damage Command for Ender Crystals and corrected the /locate biome command. - Improved loading of text for Sign blocks from older worlds. - World creation will redownload missing Marketplace templates. - Adjustments made to the first-person camera when climbing blocks. - Restored Java parity for ambient occlusion calculations on partial blocks. - TAA upscaling implemented for weather effects. - Suspicious Stew is now available in Creative Mode. - Defeated Chicken Jockeys drop the Lava Chicken music disc. - Copper Golem drops its carried item when interacted with while the player holds an item in their offhand. - Sounds for Copper Chests now utilize a natural attenuation curve. - User interface improvements, including accurate cursor positioning in text fields and updated messaging for sleeping. - Structures will no longer build atop features like trees at chunk borders. - Developers can set the version property to “beta” for module selection. - Fixed various bugs related to graphics modes, loot generation, and item rendering. Mojang has not yet updated the retail version of Minecraft.

AppWizard

August 26, 2025

Eversolo’s Control app comes to Android TV

The author connected an Eversolo DMP-A8 streaming DAC to KEF LS60 Wireless speakers via coaxial cable to achieve bit-perfect and gapless streaming of Apple Music, which the built-in services of KEF could not provide. The Eversolo Control app for Android TV was introduced, allowing seamless integration with various streaming services and displaying essential information about the currently playing track. The app is compatible with all DMP-Ax players and Eversolo's Play products, with an Apple TV version in development. Users are advised to adjust settings on the Google Chromecast TV for uninterrupted playback. The app's design features a gradient background based on cover art, enhancing readability compared to competing apps. Eversolo's app is noted for being the first to offer 'now playing' functionality on Android TV devices, providing practical utility in streaming compared to competitors like Sonos.

AppWizard

July 18, 2025

Google may be removing its iconic ‘G’ logo from Messages (APK teardown)

Google is testing a branding update for its Messages app, potentially replacing the “G” logo with the full “Google” wordmark in the app's header. This change aligns with a trend seen in other Google applications like Photos, Calendar, and Drive, which already feature the “Google” branding. The update, revealed through an APK teardown, aims to enhance brand visibility and recognition. The transition to the full wordmark reflects a cohesive branding strategy across Google’s platforms, promising a consistent user experience on various devices. The timeline for this change remains uncertain as it may be part of a broader user interface refresh.

AppWizard

June 24, 2025

A more Google-y Gemini logo may be right around the corner (APK teardown)

Google is updating its Gemini interface to incorporate its iconic red, blue, green, and yellow colors, moving away from the previous two-tone color scheme. An APK teardown of the Google app revealed a new animated Gemini logo featuring these colors in the latest beta version (16.24.66.sa.arm64 beta). The onboarding screens have also been updated to reflect the new color scheme, with text now appearing in black. The chat interface will feature a new color gradient for greetings, a blue gradient above responses, and a loading animation that includes the full spectrum of Google colors. These updates are not yet available to end users.

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.