public beta

AppWizard
June 27, 2026
League of Legends Classic has been announced earlier than planned due to a leak on the Public Beta Environment (PBE). Executive Producer Paul "Pabro" Bellezza and Head of League Studio Andrei "Meddler" van Roon discussed the excitement surrounding the nostalgic return of the game, which aims to evoke memories of its simpler early days. The initial plan was to reveal the teaser video before the MSI Finals on July 12, but the leak prompted an earlier announcement. The game will feature a roster that extends beyond the original 40 champions, including a return of Graves, and will incorporate old-style Runes and the Summoner Mastery system, though details are not finalized. League Classic will operate within the same client and utilize modern technology while adhering to 2026 system requirements. The full reveal is scheduled for July 11 at 11 PM PDT, with further insights expected at Worlds in October.
Winsage
June 25, 2026
Raycast for Windows, a productivity app, was initially a valuable tool for launching applications and executing actions quickly. However, the introduction of the Command Palette in Microsoft PowerToys provided similar functionality, leading to Raycast being less essential for the user's needs. The user found that the Command Palette effectively served as a fast app launcher, integrating well with other PowerToys features. The user also transitioned from GlazeWM, a tiling window manager, to FancyZones in PowerToys for better window management, as FancyZones offered more tailored window layout options. Additionally, Text Extractor in PowerToys streamlined the user's optical character recognition (OCR) tasks by allowing easy text extraction from images. Overall, PowerToys consolidated several utilities into one suite, enhancing the user's productivity while reducing the need for multiple separate applications.
AppWizard
April 15, 2026
Elon Musk's XChat will launch on the App Store on April 17 as a standalone encrypted messaging application focused on privacy, featuring end-to-end encryption, no advertisements, and a no-tracking policy. Initially part of the X platform, XChat was developed to compete with messaging services like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal. The app allows global communication using X accounts without requiring phone numbers, offering cross-platform capabilities unlike iMessage. XChat utilizes a Rust-based architecture with advanced security features and plans to incorporate peer-to-peer transfers and cryptocurrency payments with X Money in 2026, potentially disrupting traditional payment systems. Additionally, it may leverage Grok AI to provide users with various lifestyle services, posing challenges to Google's advertising and search traffic.
AppWizard
April 12, 2026
Android 17 Beta 2 was unveiled in April 2026, introducing significant features aimed at enhancing user experience and supporting autonomous AI agents. Key features include: 1. A "Dual-Shade" UI redesign with a Split Control Center for notifications and customizable toggles. 2. A system-level Native App Lock for securing individual apps with biometric authentication. 3. Integration of Project Astra, enabling real-time contextual memory and live translation through the camera. 4. A "Frosted Glass" aesthetic with translucency and glassmorphism in UI elements. 5. Advanced desktop windowing capabilities for larger screens, including free-form resizing and a persistent taskbar. 6. A Battery Health Dashboard providing insights into battery performance. 7. Introduction of the RAW14 Image Format for professional-grade image capture and a redesigned Screen Recording toolbar for creators. The release roadmap includes developer previews completed by March 2026, public beta phases in April 2026, platform stability expected in June 2026, and a final public release anticipated in August/September 2026 with the Pixel 11. Devices expected to receive Android 17 include Pixel 7 and newer models, Samsung Galaxy S24, S25, S26 series, and flagships from OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Nothing.
AppWizard
April 3, 2026
Developer Mega Crit has introduced a new feature called badges in Slay the Spire 2, which will highlight unique player achievements at the end of gameplay runs. The current balance of reviews for the game stands at 801 negative against 817 positive. Ascension 6 has been reworked to increase the cost of removing cards from the deck at the Merchant. The Blade of Ink card has been revamped to generate Inky Shivs, and the Borrowed Time card now offers increased energy gain. The Doormaker enemy has been adjusted for enhanced challenge, while Leading Strike has received buffs and other cards like Speedster and Untouchable have been slightly nerfed. The History Course relic has been adjusted for its X-value, and the Skulking Colony has been buffed to attack on all turns. New portrait art has been added for several cards, and improvements have been made to dialogue timings and speech bubble positions. Clarifications in card descriptions and updates to translations have been implemented. Various bug fixes have addressed issues from startup crashes to specific softlocks related to card upgrades.
AppWizard
December 7, 2025
Northgard, a Viking-themed RTS released in 2018, features traditional strategy mechanics along with dynamic weather systems and a region-based expansion approach. Fraser Brown rated it 84%, noting it transcends nostalgia. The Northgard: Definitive Edition adds a Valhalla-themed biome and makes previously exclusive biomes available in various modes, along with a revamped in-game shop and a digital artbook. Existing players receive these updates for free, while new players can purchase the Definitive Edition at a 60% discount, reducing the price from £29.50 to £11.80 until December 18. Additionally, Tempest Rising has introduced superweapons for every faction and a new playable Veti faction currently in public beta testing.
AppWizard
December 4, 2025
Helldivers 2 was initially reported to require 154GB of storage, aimed at accommodating older mechanical hard drives in PCs. However, analytics revealed that only 11% of players used HDDs, and the main cause of slowdowns was level generation rather than asset loading. In response, Arrowhead is testing a "slim" version of the game in public beta, which is 23GB, significantly reducing the storage requirement while maintaining gameplay integrity. This change allows players to install additional games, potentially fitting at least 13 indie city-builders in the space previously occupied by the original version.
AppWizard
December 3, 2025
The latest beta update for Helldivers 2 on Steam has reduced the game's installation size by approximately 85 percent, from around 154GB to just 23GB. This reduction was achieved through collaboration with Nixxes and involved completely de-duplicating game data. The developers aim to align the PC installation size more closely with console versions. They noted that the impact on load times would be minimal, estimating only a few seconds at most, as the previous larger file size was primarily due to duplication of game asset data. The technical public beta is now available for all PC users on Steam, and this optimized version will become the default once remaining issues are resolved.
AppWizard
November 14, 2025
Google has started rolling out its call recording feature in the Phone by Google app for Pixel phone users, specifically targeting Pixel 6 and newer models. The feature is now functional on devices like the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro Fold after an update to the app. Users need to have the November Pixel Drop installed to access the feature. Call recording can be activated through Settings > Call Assist > Call Recording, with options for manual and automatic recording. The app notifies users when a recording begins and informs them about legal considerations, including the need for consent in some regions.
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