visual enhancements Archives

AppWizard

June 3, 2025

Minecraft Movie Streaming Soon on Max With Sources Pointing To June Date

The Minecraft Movie is set to stream on Max, with a potential release date of June 20, 2025, although this has not been officially confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery. The film, directed by Jared Hess and featuring Jason Momoa, premiered in theaters on May 30, 2025. It will be available for digital purchase or rental on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Physical editions (4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD) are scheduled for release on June 24, 2025. In 2025, Minecraft modpacks are evolving, with a focus on technical modpacks and new gameplay experiences. Notable modpacks include "Biohazard: Project Genesis" and "Multiversal Archeology," which emphasize automation and resource gathering. Popular modpacks are introducing intricate quest systems, performance optimizations, and visual enhancements, including high-definition textures and dynamic lighting. Tools like CurseForge and packwiz are streamlining modpack creation and sharing. The Bedrock Edition has seen new modpacks like "Elemental Horizons" and "Survival Evolution." "Technological Frontiers 4" is currently the top-rated modpack on CurseForge. The 1.21 update has influenced modpack developments, leading to new dungeon exploration themes.

AppWizard

May 31, 2025

Planet Coaster 2’s latest update introduces crime and punishment to your theme park, adding pickpockets, vandals, and security guards to stop them

The latest update for Planet Coaster 2 introduces several new features, including the presence of pickpockets and vandalism by dissatisfied visitors, adding unpredictability to park interactions. Players can now hire security guards to manage these issues. The update also reintroduces a sci-fi theme, expands customization options, and improves pathing tools. Bug fixes and visual enhancements, particularly for water rides, have been implemented, alongside a more detailed breakdown of ride prestige and guest moods. Player reception has been mostly positive, with many expressing satisfaction with the updates despite the game's mixed overall rating on Steam.

AppWizard

May 30, 2025

First look: Google’s Phone app is getting a tasty Android 16 redesign (APK teardown)

Google's Phone app has undergone significant design enhancements in its version 177.0.763181107-publicbeta-pixel2024, aligning with the Material 3 Expressive design language. Key changes include larger contact names and caller images, a transition from circular to oval-shaped buttons, and an enlarged pill-shaped end call button. Additional modifications feature the removal of the “call from” text, immediate display of the phone number after answering, and a redesigned “more” menu. The app also introduces an animation for the incoming caller’s profile picture. Similar updates are being rolled out across other Google applications, and these redesigns will be supported on earlier versions of Android as well.

AppWizard

May 30, 2025

Stellar Blade PC demo to be released on May 31st

A PC demo for Stellar Blade will launch on May 31st, allowing players to experience the game before purchasing. Players will assume the role of Eve, who is on a mission to salvage Earth, encountering various characters and facing challenges. The game features fast-paced combat with impressive attack combos, unlockable moves, and boss battles requiring strategic thinking. The PC version will include an HD Texture Pack, 4K option, support for ultra-wide monitors, and will be powered by Unreal Engine 4 with uncapped framerates. It will also support NVIDIA DLSS 4 and AMD FSR 3.0, but will not have new PC-exclusive Ray Tracing effects. Visual fidelity may be slightly improved over the PS5 version. Stellar Blade will use Denuvo anti-tamper technology, which may lead to performance issues. The full game is set to release on PC on June 11th.

AppWizard

May 30, 2025

‘According to Steam, I have around 10,000 hours logged,’ says the modder who’s spent a decade turning GTA 5 into a photo realistic wonderland

The first trailer for GTA 6 was released in late December 2023, revealing characters, settings, and mission structures, but the release date was postponed to May 26, 2026, for consoles, with the PC version still pending. Meanwhile, the NaturalVision modding project has significantly enhanced GTA 5's visuals, improving lighting, shadows, and textures. Razed, the creator of NaturalVision, emphasizes the importance of subtle details in creating a realistic atmosphere and expresses enthusiasm for advancements in lighting technology. The modding community has been supported by custom tools that streamline development, and there is optimism that modding will flourish with the release of GTA 6, potentially including official modding tools from Rockstar. Razed envisions innovative projects, such as reimagining Vice City, within the modding community.

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

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

Google Photos is undergoing a visual transformation to align with the Material 3 Expressive design language. The latest update (version 7.30) allows users to manually enable the new interface, which features a streamlined homepage with the app's logo in the top left corner and a refreshed loading animation. The update also introduces revamped Memories cards. However, the floating bottom bar and rounded image previews hinted at in an earlier survey are not yet present, but may be introduced before the full rollout of the updated homepage, possibly alongside Android 16 QPR1 later this year.

Winsage

May 20, 2025

Microsoft is putting AI actions into the Windows File Explorer

Microsoft is integrating AI shortcuts, called AI actions, into the File Explorer of Windows 11, allowing users to right-click on files for quick access to various AI features. Four image-related actions currently being tested include Bing visual search, background blurring, object erasure from the Photos app, and a remove background option in Paint. Microsoft plans to introduce AI actions for Office files, enabling document summarization and AI-driven list generation for Microsoft 365 commercial subscribers with a Copilot license. An "Ask Copilot" option will also be added to the right-click menu. Additionally, Microsoft is experimenting with visual updates to the widgets feature and has introduced a new power management feature that reduces energy consumption on laptops and tablets after periods of inactivity.

AppWizard

May 19, 2025

The Sinking City Remastered PC Performance Analysis

Frogwares has released a remastered edition of The Sinking City for free to existing owners, utilizing Unreal Engine 5 and Lumen technology. The remaster retains original settings while adding options for Upscaling and Ray Tracing, supporting NVIDIA DLSS 3 and AMD FSR 3.0. However, the DLSS Frame Generation feature is currently non-functional, and FSR Frame Gen is limited to AMD FSR Upscaling. Performance testing indicates that the game is GPU-bound, requiring at least an NVIDIA RTX 4080 or AMD Radeon RX 9070XT for over 60FPS at 1080p with maximum settings and no Ray Tracing. The AMD Radeon RX 6900XT underperformed compared to the NVIDIA RTX 3080, while the RX 9070XT matched the RX 7900XTX. At 1440p with maximum settings and no Ray Tracing, only the NVIDIA RTX 4090 and RTX 5090 achieved consistent framerates above 60FPS. No GPU provides a smooth experience at native 4K resolution with maximum settings and no Ray Tracing, with the RTX 5090 occasionally dipping below 55FPS. Adjusting in-game settings can significantly enhance performance, with High settings yielding over 83FPS on the RTX 5090. The remaster features higher-quality textures and improved lighting, although traversal stutters from the original version persist.

AppWizard

May 6, 2025

Google Keep is getting a fresh coat of Material 3 Expressive (APK teardown)

Google is redesigning Google Keep using the Material 3 Expressive design language. An APK teardown of version 5.25.182.01.90 reveals a new search bar that is taller and narrower, with the account switcher and hamburger menu icons moved to the edges and a filter button added within the search bar. The placeholder text has changed from “Search your notes” to “Search Keep.” These updates are part of a broader strategy for visual enhancements across Google's Android ecosystem, although some features may not reach the final public release.