Widgets Archives

BetaBeacon

December 28, 2024

I replaced my Android launcher with a game emulation hub, and it (mostly) worked

ES-DE Frontend is a paid app that brings all emulators and games into a unified UI, but it does not emulate anything. The most difficult part of the installation process is setting up RetroArch. The app allows for customization with various themes and the addition of Android apps and games through external tools. However, the app lacks touch controls, only works in landscape mode, and requires manual scrolling to access apps, making it less suitable for daily use. Tasker can be used as a workaround to switch the launcher to ES-DE when a controller is attached. Despite its limitations, ES-DE Frontend is recommended for Android-based gaming handhelds.

BetaBeacon

December 27, 2024

Free Apps: Last-minute Gifts After Christmas!

Android apps and games that are free for a short time include Evertale, Defense Zone 3 Ultra HD, Sphaze, Last Plant on Earth, Rooftop Snipers, Dino Rush, and Out There Chronicles - Ep. 2.

Winsage

December 21, 2024

Windows 11 Pro (2 devices) + Microsoft Office 2021 license drops to lowest price

Users can purchase Microsoft Office Pro 2021 and Windows 11 Pro for two devices at an 87% discount, making the bundle available for .97 instead of the typical 9. This package includes a lifetime license for essential Microsoft applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access, and allows installation on a single Windows PC. Windows 11 Pro features a new interface, biometric login, DirectX 12 Ultimate, widgets, Microsoft Teams integration, and productivity enhancements. It also offers enterprise-level functionalities like local account setup, Active Directory integration, Hyper-V, BitLocker encryption, and support for up to 2TB of RAM and 128 CPU cores. The deal is globally accessible for digital purchase and includes instant delivery and customer service support.

AppWizard

December 20, 2024

7 Android widgets to make your phone or tablet more useful

Widgets on Android devices enhance the home screen by providing quick access to information and functionalities from apps. - Google Calendar: Allows users to view the entire month or daily events, with easy event addition through a + button. Separate widgets are needed for multiple calendars. - Email Widget: Displays incoming messages and enables quick email composition. It can be used with Gmail or other email apps like Thunderbird. - Keep Notes: Offers options for scrolling through existing notes or quickly creating new notes via text, voice, or images. Widget size can be adjusted for tablets or phones. - Arc Search: Enables users to initiate searches directly through Arc Search instead of the Google search bar. - Battery Widget: Provides real-time updates on charge levels for connected devices, including smartwatches and headphones. - Pixel Weather: Exclusive to Pixel devices, it presents weather information in an accessible format, allowing quick checks without switching apps. - Spotify: Grants access to playlists and current tracks, allowing users to launch playlists and control playback easily. To add a widget, long-press on a blank area of the home screen, select Widgets, browse for the desired widget, and drag it onto the screen. Widgets can be resized and repositioned.

AppWizard

December 19, 2024

Niagara Launcher, one of the best Android launchers, finally has backups

Niagara Launcher has released a "Winter Update" that includes a backup feature allowing users to securely save and restore their launcher settings, integrating with Android's backup system to archive settings to Google Drive. This feature is available in both free and pro versions and can be accessed through the app's settings. Additionally, a new tool called the Usage Breaker, exclusive to Niagara Pro users, helps manage screen time by reminding users of excessive app usage without restricting access. The launcher maintains a minimalist design with a vertically scrolling list of apps for easy navigation. The latest beta version is available for download, with updates rolling out to all users soon.

Winsage

December 18, 2024

Elevate your PC gaming experience with Windows 11 this holiday season

Windows 11 offers new gaming experiences for PC Game Pass subscribers, including titles like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™. Key features include: - Auto HDR: Enhances SDR games to HDR for improved colors and contrasts. - DirectStorage: Reduces load times using NVMe SSDs, optimizing data loading for better performance. - Game Bar Compact Mode: Simplifies navigation on smaller screens, providing quick access to games and performance metrics. - Dynamic Lighting: Allows synchronization and customization of RGB lighting across devices. - Optimizations for Windowed Games: Introduces Variable Rate Refresh (VRR) to reduce tearing and stuttering in windowed modes. - Advanced Hybrid (CASO)/UMA: Improves performance on hybrid laptops with integrated and discrete GPUs. - Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 support: Enhances online gaming with faster speeds and lower latency. - Color filters for colorblind players: Helps colorblind players differentiate colors while improving frame rates. - Automatic Super Resolution for Arm Copilot+ PCs: Upscales lower-resolution content in real-time. - Xbox app on Windows PC: Manages PC gaming content and facilitates cloud gaming and cross-platform connections.

Winsage

December 18, 2024

5 ways to make Windows 11 feel less annoying

Windows 11 has strict hardware requirements, a centralized taskbar, a redesigned Action Center, and advertisements on the Start menu, which frustrate some users. Users can make the following adjustments to improve their experience: 1. To silence account notifications, go to Settings > Personalization > Start and toggle off "Show account related notifications occasionally in Start." 2. To disable targeted Microsoft ads, navigate to Settings > Privacy & security > General and toggle off "Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID." 3. To remove the news feed from Widgets, press Windows key + W, click the gear icon in the Widgets board, select "Show or hide feeds," and toggle off the switch next to Feeds. 4. To hide ads in Microsoft Edge, open a new tab, click the gear icon, and set the Content setting to Off. 5. To remove Bing from Windows Search, open Registry Editor, navigate to ComputerHKEYCURRENTUSERSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows, create a new key named Explorer, create a DWORD (32-bit) Value named DisableSearchBoxSuggestions, set its value to 1, and restart the PC.

AppWizard

December 14, 2024

I made my dream Google widget with one of my favorite Android tools

The author previously used Nova Launcher to create custom widgets but found Google's existing widgets difficult to enhance. This led to the idea of creating a new widget using KWGT that serves as a centralized hub for Google services. The author aimed to build an "omniwidget" that organizes essential Google services while maintaining a customizable design. They downloaded KWGT Pro, added a 4x4 widget, and followed steps to create the widget's shape, buttons, and visual elements, including icons and a font. The widget features nine buttons for shortcuts to various Google services and includes a section for displaying time, date, and temperature. After completing the design and functionality, the author expressed satisfaction with the outcome and the potential for an official Google widget that offers customizable shortcuts.

AppWizard

December 11, 2024

My 5 favorite Android note-taking apps for staying organized are all free

Google Keep is a free note-taking app known for its integration with the Google ecosystem, supporting voice notes, drawings, and reminders with a minimalistic design. MS OneNote allows users to create Notebooks for effective categorization of notes and is also available for free. ColorNote features color-coding for easy note organization and offers online syncing and note locking with a Google account, and is free to download. Evernote supports various formats like standard notes, sketches, and audio recordings, and offers a free plan with limitations, along with a paid Personal plan for more features. Notion is a comprehensive note-taking solution that allows for detailed notes with icons, attachments, and sub-pages, available for free but may require a learning curve due to its extensive features.

Winsage

December 10, 2024

Install Manjaro 24.2 today and leave Microsoft Windows 11 to the boomers

Manjaro Linux 24.2 Yonada offers enhanced features across its GNOME, Plasma, and XFCE editions. The GNOME edition includes GNOME 47, allowing users to choose from multiple accent colors, improved scaling for clarity on various displays, and hardware encoding support for screen recording on Intel and AMD GPUs. The Plasma edition utilizes Plasma 6.2, featuring improved Wayland support, better energy management, and enhanced customization options, including support for drawing tablets. The XFCE edition, now with Xfce 4.18, introduces file highlighting and recursive search in the Thunar file manager and consolidates system management in the Control Centre. Manjaro 24.2 is powered by Linux Kernel 6.12, with options for older devices using Kernel 6.6 LTS and 6.1 LTS.