pixels Archives

AppWizard

July 28, 2026

HMD Asha 305: a sub-$75 Android phone with no Google apps

HMD is reintroducing the Asha brand with the launch of the Asha 305, priced at PHP 3,999 in the Philippines and around 2,390 baht in Thailand. The phone features a Unisoc SC9832E processor, options of 2–3GB of RAM, and 16–32GB of storage. It has a 5-inch display with a resolution of 854×480 pixels, a 5MP rear camera, a 2MP front camera, and a 2,500mAh battery with 5W charging. The Asha 305 operates on Android 14 Go without Google Mobile Services, offering around 100 pre-loaded apps. HMD has not announced availability or pricing for the US or UK markets.

Winsage

July 26, 2026

Everything we know so far about Windows 11’s big 2026 (26H2) update arriving this fall, including changes for Start menu, Taskbar, and Search

Windows 11's 2026 update, version 26H2, enhances the Start menu, Taskbar, and Windows Search. Taskbar Changes: - Users can reposition the Taskbar to the top, bottom, left, or right of the screen. - The interface adapts to the Taskbar's position, with the Start menu and Search opening downward when at the top. - Vertical Taskbar layouts have an abbreviated year display and lack a seconds option, but support app ungrouping and labels with the "Never combine" setting. - Users can reduce the Taskbar's size, which will also make icons smaller. Start Menu Changes: - Users can select from various size options for the Start menu, though drag-to-resize and full-screen layouts are not available. - Users can choose which sections ("Pinned," "Recent," and "All") to display. - A new setting allows users to hide their account name and profile picture while sharing screens. Search Changes: - The Search home page emphasizes recent searches and minimizes distractions from trending topics and promotional content. - Web results are prioritized over products or sponsored content when they are the best match. - Users can disable web results and Microsoft Store suggestions for a local search experience. - The ranking system prioritizes local content, ensuring apps, settings, and files appear before web results. - The Search box height has been increased by four pixels for improved usability.

AppWizard

July 25, 2026

Xbox backwards compatibility now available on PC, starting with four original Xbox games

Microsoft has launched a pilot program allowing select original Xbox titles to be played on Windows 11, with four classic games now available: BliNX: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and Fusion Frenzy. Players can access these games via a Game Pass Essential subscription or purchase them individually, and those with previous digital copies on Xbox consoles can download them at no extra cost. The games can be played at resolutions up to 2,560 x 1,920 pixels, maintaining their original aspect ratios and framerates, with options for enhanced graphics settings. The system requirements include at least an Nvidia GTX 950 or AMD Radeon RX 550, with recommended specifications for optimal performance. There are uncertainties regarding the expansion of the game library due to recent organizational changes within Microsoft, including layoffs in the backward compatibility program.

AppWizard

July 17, 2026

Minecraft 26.3 Snapshot 4

The window management, input, and platform integration library has been transitioned from GLFW to SDL3. New features include custom furnace fuels and enhancements to signs, world generation, and loot tables. Players in spectator mode can interact with portals for teleportation. Exclusive fullscreen mode on Windows may cause crashes with multiple monitors, and it crashes on Wayland. Minor tweaks have been made to blocks, items, and entities, including armadillos no longer rolling up in liquids. The Raw Input mouse setting has been removed, and mouse input will now use relative mode. Key bindings will use physical keys, and borderless fullscreen is now the default mode. Exclusive fullscreen mode is no longer supported on macOS, and the minimum window size has been set to 320 by 240 pixels. Linux systems will prefer Wayland if available. The debug overlay now supports a separate GUI scale and displays the player's speed and refresh rate. The Data Pack version is 111.0, and the Resource Pack version is 92.0. New components for cooking and brewing fuels have been added, and various bugs have been fixed to improve gameplay stability.

Winsage

July 13, 2026

Windows 11’s smallest upgrade shows a big commitment from Microsoft

Windows 11 is set to receive an update that includes a slightly taller search box in the Start menu, increasing its height by four pixels. This change, currently in preview, is part of Microsoft's Windows K2 initiative aimed at improving user experience by addressing inconsistencies in the operating system. The update was revealed in the release notes for a preview build, leading to humorous reactions from users. Despite the minor nature of this adjustment, it highlights ongoing design issues within Windows 11, such as misaligned windows and inconsistent menus, which contribute to a perception of incompleteness. Additionally, the context menus in the latest preview build feature more rounded corners, raising questions about UI consistency. The Windows K2 initiative aims to enhance both performance and visual appeal, improving the overall user experience.

Winsage

July 12, 2026

Windows 11 is getting a 4-pixel upgrade. It sounds like a joke, but it actually matters.

Windows 11 is set to receive a slightly larger search box in the Start menu, increasing its height by four pixels to enhance the search experience. This change is currently in preview and may be rolled out to all users. Microsoft is also addressing design inconsistencies in Windows 11 through the Windows K2 project, which aims to refine the operating system's aesthetic and performance. The initiative may lead to improvements in RAM usage and overall visual appeal, contributing to a more polished user experience.

AppWizard

July 11, 2026

This underrated Samsung feature is the first thing I set up on any new Android phone… except Pixels

The taskbar feature at the bottom of the screen enhances user experience on tablets and foldable phones, allowing quick access to frequently used applications. This feature is also available on regular non-folding smartphones, such as Samsung and Motorola devices, where users can enable and customize a side panel known as the Sidebar or Edge Panel. On Samsung devices, users can download the Good Lock app and install the Home Up module to activate the Edge Panel, which offers customization options for quick access to apps, contacts, and shortcuts. The upcoming One UI 9 update is expected to introduce more customization options for the Edge Panel. Motorola users can enable a similar sidebar feature through Settings > Gestures > Sidebar. OnePlus users can find it under Settings > Accessibility & convenience > Smart Sidebar. Pixel smartphones lack a built-in sidebar feature, with users relying on third-party applications to replicate this functionality. The closest alternative on Pixel devices is the App Bubbles feature for multitasking, but it does not provide the same experience as a dedicated sidebar.

Winsage

July 10, 2026

Microsoft is planning to make the Windows 11 search box a bit bigger

Microsoft plans to increase the height of the search box in Windows 11's Taskbar and Start menu by 4 pixels. This change will make the search box appear chunkier and shift other content within the Start menu slightly downward. The modification may align the default search box's design with the upcoming Ask Copilot search interface. Users can expect to see this update in the coming months, initially rolling out to Insiders before a broader release.

Winsage

July 9, 2026

Microsoft is making Windows 11’s search box 4 whole pixels taller for some reason

Microsoft plans to increase the height of the search box on the Taskbar and within the Start menu in Windows 11 by 4 pixels, resulting in a chunkier appearance and slight displacement of content in the Start menu. This change is speculated to align the search box's design with the Ask Copilot feature. The update is not yet available for preview.

AppWizard

July 8, 2026

Minecraft 26.3 Snapshot 3 patch notes: Straw Bed, Cushion, and more revealed

Mojang has released Minecraft 26.3 Snapshot 3, introducing new features focused on player comfort, including the Cushion and the Straw Bed. The Cushion is a placeable item available in 16 colors, crafted from three wool slabs of the same hue. It can be placed on any flat surface, allowing players to sit down, and aligns with the grid while overlapping with most objects. Cushions will break if their supporting block is removed. The Straw Bed allows players to sleep through the night without setting a spawn point and is single-use, being destroyed after use. It cannot be used in the Nether or The End and is crafted from three hay bales, yielding four beds. A new statistic tracks the number of times players have slept in a Straw Bed. Additional features include Gothic language support, a new command (/posteffect) for adding or removing post-processing shader effects, data-driven custom brewing recipes, and a new minecraft:number_provider registry for flexible data-driven systems. Bug fixes in this snapshot address various gameplay issues, including problems with Drowned entities, rendering issues on macOS, and inconsistencies in GUI elements.