widget Archives

Winsage

April 14, 2025

Microsoft shares several reasons to leave Windows 10 for Windows 11

This year, Microsoft is focusing on transitioning users from Windows 10 to Windows 11, implementing strategies such as reminder emails about the end of support for Windows 10 and promoting the benefits of Windows 11. A support page titled “7 tips to get the most out of Windows 11” has been published to encourage upgrades. Key features of Windows 11 include a new Start menu, Snap layouts, multiple desktops, a widget board, focus sessions, Windows Hello, and improved dark mode. Support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025, after which users will face security risks and miss out on updates. The upgrade to Windows 11 is free for compatible systems.

Winsage

April 12, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5551 (Dev Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200.5551 (KB5055617) has been released to the Dev Channel. The Dev Channel has advanced to the 26200 series builds, and the option to switch to the Beta Channel is no longer available. This build is based on Windows 11, version 24H2, and shares features with the 26120 series in the Beta Channel. New features include enhanced Windows Search on Copilot+ PCs, allowing users to search for settings using phrases. Narrator now provides detailed image descriptions powered by AI for improved accessibility on Copilot+ PCs. Improvements are being rolled out for widgets, including the ability to read content directly from the MSN feed. Fixes include resolving crashes in Settings, File Explorer, and issues with app icons in the taskbar. Known issues include problems with Windows Recovery Environment and certain apps failing to launch post-update. The Dev Channel updates are based on Windows 11, version 24H2, and features may evolve or be removed based on feedback. Users can enable a toggle to receive updates more quickly.

Winsage

April 11, 2025

The new Windows 11 Beta update makes widgets better than ever before

Microsoft's latest update for Windows 11 Beta introduces the ability to read MSN articles directly from the Widgets feed, allowing users to access full articles, slideshows, and videos without using a browser. Users can customize the visibility of the MSN feed on their Widgets board. The update also enhances Copilot+ PCs with an AI-powered semantic search bar for natural language queries and improves the Narrator feature, which now analyzes screen content to provide descriptions of images and visual elements for visually impaired users.

Winsage

April 11, 2025

Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3863 (Beta Channel)

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3863 (KB5055613) has been released to the Beta Channel for Windows 11, version 24H2. This update includes new features such as natural language search functionality in the Windows search box for Copilot+ PCs, allowing users to find settings easily. Additionally, the Narrator feature has been enhanced to provide detailed descriptions of images for accessibility. Other updates include improvements to widgets, fixes for issues in Settings, File Explorer, Taskbar, Desktop Icons, Input, and Graphics. Known issues include non-functionality of Quick Assist for non-administrator users and problems with the Windows Recovery Environment. Users can provide feedback through the Feedback Hub.

AppWizard

April 10, 2025

Microsoft’s overlooked Android launcher showed me everything Pixel Launcher is missing

Microsoft Launcher is an Android launcher developed by Microsoft, offering extensive customization options that surpass those of the default Pixel Launcher. It features up to ten customizable gesture options for enhanced usability, particularly for one-handed operation. The launcher includes a component called Your feed, which consists of Glance and News; Glance allows users to curate a personalized experience with scrollable cards from Microsoft apps, while the News section serves as a shortcut to MSN News but is criticized for excessive ads. Users can customize the home screen layout by removing or rearranging default widgets, and the app drawer has a spacious 5×8 grid layout with an alphabetical jump list. However, users may experience occasional animation glitches typical of third-party launchers on Pixel devices. Overall, Microsoft Launcher is considered a superior option for Pixel users seeking more features and customization.

Winsage

April 8, 2025

Back to basics: Microsoft tests overhauled Start menu in Windows 11 beta builds

Microsoft has introduced a feature called "taskbar icon scaling" in a recent beta build of Windows 11, allowing users to reduce the size of taskbar icons to fit more pinned or open applications. This feature is currently being tested in the Windows Insider Beta channel and is expected to be available in the public version of Windows 11 soon. Additionally, changes to the Start menu may be revealed in an upcoming preview build, although there is no guarantee they will be activated.

BetaBeacon

April 2, 2025

Nintendo Today! – A smart device app from Nintendo for iOS/Android

The Nintendo Today app provides daily updates on news about the latest Nintendo Switch 2 system, video games, favorite characters, and more. Users can personalize their experience with features such as an animated calendar with themes like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing, an event schedule for Nintendo Direct presentations and game releases, and the ability to customize the home screen with art from favorite Nintendo game series and themed wallpapers.

AppWizard

April 2, 2025

Google may finally stop forcing you to manually ask to ID songs (APK teardown)

Google is refining its music identification capabilities on Android devices, with potential upgrades revealed through an APK teardown. Currently, users can identify songs using features like Circle to Search and Now Playing, but the process often requires manual prompts. The latest version of the Google app (build 16.12.39.sa.arm64) shows signs of automatic music detection, changing the interface to "Searching song..." upon recognition, although users still need to tap a button to view results. The absence of the typical pulsing-sphere visual element indicates that this feature is still in development.

BetaBeacon

April 2, 2025

Hurry! These Smartphone Games and Apps Are Free Right Now

The fact described in the text is that there are limited-time free Android apps and games available, including an Offline Password Manager app that securely stores passwords without unnecessary features.

AppWizard

April 1, 2025

This potential Pixel Screenshots update could really put the app in the spotlight

Google is developing a home screen widget for its Pixel Screenshots app, which will allow users to display the latest screenshot on their home screen for quick sharing or editing. The widget currently shows a single screenshot without customization options and is expected to be exclusive to the Pixel 9. The Pixel Screenshots app utilizes Google's Gemini Nano AI to organize and search through screenshots by text, dates, or specific details. Future updates are anticipated to introduce widget support and enhanced customization options.