Posts Tagged: Preview

macOS Sonoma preview: For the widget wonks

It's easy to look at every new macOS release and wonder where the upgrades actually are. Unlike iOS and iPadOS, Apple doesn't often push for bold and visible changes on the desktop (last year's Stage Manager was a surprising addition, but even that was brought over from iPadOS). Instead, most of the enhancements to the Mac experience are usually under the hood — don't forget, the company completely rebuilt macOS for its new Apple Silicon chips.

So it goes with macOS Sonoma, an update that doesn't truly make itself known until you see its new high-res video screensavers (something the Apple TV has done for years), or try to drag over a widget to your desktop. If widgets are a highlight in a new OS, you know it's a slow year.

This isn't a knock against Sonoma, exactly. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that Apple is saving its bolder UI concepts for iPhones, iPads, and the Vision Pro. Macs are computers that don't even have touchscreens yet! Playing it safe makes the most sense.

macOS Sonoma lock screen with live wallpaper
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

So let's talk about screensavers. While not exactly Earth shattering, Apple's new aerial footage looks great in macOS Sonoma. It adds a dose of elegance to an already refined operating system — having footage from Hawaii or Patagonia pop up in the middle of the workday is like a mini-vacation. (Don't judge me, I know it sounds sad.)

I also liked being able to turn aerial screensavers into wallpapers. Doing so lets them play as videos on your lock screen, but once you log in, the video slows down and smoothly settles on a static image. I'm sure that's done to avoid motion sickness from some users, but I'm hoping Apple or some intrepid hacker unlocks the ability to let the video constantly play on your desktop. I'll risk a bit of squeamishness for more of that slick drone footage.

macOS Sonoma on several Macs

As for the widgets, well… they're widgets. On your desktop. It's a pretty straightforward concept. I'll admit, being able to quickly see the weather or an upcoming appointment under my windows is easier than popping open the notification tray. But it's not exactly a killer feature. But hey, if you really do love these things, at least you can easily bring over your iOS widgets. And if you also have an iPad, I'm sure it'll be helpful to have all of your widgety goodness across your devices.

Beyond those two features, Sonoma's upgrades are a bit more subtle. If you jump into a video chat, you can use hand gestures to kick off some fun special effects. A double thumbs up triggers fireworks behind you, while a peace sign surrounds you with floating balloons. They're certainly fun at first, but thankfully you can turn them off easily for more professional video chats.

macOS Sonoma FaceTime hand gesture
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The new presenter overlay features, on the other hand, are a lot more useful. In supported screen sharing apps, like FaceTime or Zoom, you can place a small or large window of yourself on top of whatever window you're sharing. It's the sort of feature I'm surprised Apple didn't roll out sooner, as it can help to humanize boring video chats. Instead of just sharing a spreadsheet, for example, your colleagues can also see what you think of your data as you're discussing it.

Here are a few other Sonoma updates to keep an eye out for:

  • Safari supports profiles for different use cases. For example, one profile could house all of the bookmarks and settings that you need for work.

  • You can also turn any website into a web app with Safari. It's the perfect way to read Engadget without any distractions!

  • Stickers and Memoji now synchronize with all of your Apple devices over iCloud.

  • A new Game Mode will prioritize resources while gaming. I didn't notice any major differences with Apple Arcade titles during my testing, though.

  • Autocorrect should be better too, but again, I didn't notice any major changes.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/macos-sonoma-preview-widgets-screen-savers-210036486.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Windows 11 preview brings the Photo app’s ‘gallery’ view to File Explorer

Microsoft is making it easier to view your photos in File Explorer. The latest Windows 11 developer preview rolling out today includes Gallery, a new feature that lets you view the Photos app’s image library while browsing files and folders.

The Gallery view, the shortcut to which is found in the File Explorer’s navigation panel, arrives in Windows Insider Build 23435. After selecting Gallery, the main file-browsing window will show thumbnails of the same images from the All Photos view of the Photos app. Microsoft says it’s optimized for accessing your most recent photos if you have OneDrive Camera Roll Backup activated on your phone; they’ll display right up top.

It should also make it easy to find content from specific folders. “You can choose which folders are shown in Gallery through the Collection dropdown,” Microsoft’s announcement reads. “You can also add subfolders of existing sources to filter to a subset of your content, such as desktop backgrounds and SD card/camera imports.” In addition, Gallery will appear as an option in the file-picking dialog, which should simplify attaching images to emails, PowerPoint presentations or social posts.

Screenshot of the Windows 11 file picker, showing the Gallery highlighted in the navigation panel (left side of Explorer window), with an array of image thumbnails in the main window. Microsoft Paint (the app calling up the file-picker) is open behind the picker window.
Gallery in the Windows 11 file-picker view
Microsoft

Microsoft says the feature is rolling out gradually and won’t be available to all Dev Channel Insiders immediately. Instead, the company will “monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.” Although it seems like a feature that will make its way to future stable releases, it’s still in beta and could (theoretically) end up on the cutting-room floor if the company receives negative feedback or changes course.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/windows-11-preview-brings-the-photo-apps-gallery-view-to-file-explorer-191318340.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Google has released its planned roadmap for Android 14 alongside the first Developer Preview build for Pixels

Still waiting for your phone to get updated to Android 13? Google is here to enhance your FOMO by unveiling its timeline of when it expects Android 14 to officially launch and announcing the first Developer Preview build is already available to download. The good news is that there are around 6 months until Android […]

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You can download Android 13’s first Developer Preview now

Google’s Android 13 breaks cover with its first Developer Preview as the company plans a summer release.
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Microsoft releases a final preview for Windows 10’s October update

The Windows 10 20H2 update will arrive next month with a few new features, like a visually refreshed Start menu, improved notifications, preinstalled Chromium Edge browser and the ability to Alt+Tab through Edge tabs. It’s also bringing more of the f…
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Android 11 for Android TV preview hints at Sabrina, a friendly new Google dongle

Google very recently released an unexpected developer preview of Android 11 for Android TV, only available for the ADT-3 developer Android TV device. The 9to5Google team have been busy pouring over the preview software system to find the changes and look for clues about the leaked Sabrina Android TV device. If you didn’t catch Jared’s […]

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Android 11 Developer Preview 2.1 arrives with minor bug fixes

The Android 11 DP2 went live last month, fixing a few things and adding some others. It’s a slow buildup to Android 11’s official release, which should be later this year. Now Google has pushed out Android 11 DP 2.1, which is an incremental update to fix some of the things wrong with the original […]

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Start your engines! Download the Android 11 Developer Preview for your Google Pixel now!

We are only midway through February but Google has already flipped the switch to release the very first Developer Preview of Android 11 for the Pixel 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, and the Pixel 4. Factory image and OTA downloads for the four Pixel ranges are already available and we’ve got the links ready for […]

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The Morning After: Our 2019 Microsoft Surface event preview

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Microsoft's 2019 Surface event is just hours away, so before we kick off coverage at 10AM ET, it's time to lay out everything we're hoping to see unveiled. Also, Nintendo released a major upgrade for Super Mario…
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Elder Scrolls Blades early access preview: it’s pretty good

Bethesda finally launched their new mobile Elder Scrolls game yesterday in ‘early access’ to an expanding list of players and it’s decent fun but nothing mind-blowing. Bethesda released their first mobile game, Fallout Shelter, back at their E3 2015 conference to widespread acclaim for its fun and simple gameplay and fair micro-transaction scheme. The company […]

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Xbox One mouse support is available in preview

An important part of the Xbox One's mouse and keyboard support is now in place for some players — namely, the mouse part. Members of the Alpha Skip Ahead and Beta programs can try mouse support through a Quest in the Xbox Insider Hub. You'll be li…
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Android P Developer Preview 3 is rolling out, and factory images are live

Google has released the third Developer Preview of Android P, which means you should be getting an OTA update if you’re in the beta program very soon. If you want to manually get things going, factory images are live, too. The factory images were the first sign of the updated build, although the OTA came […]

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‘Alien: Covenant’ preview evokes original’s nostalgic last supper

While the first official trailer for Alien: Covenant showed us terrifying images of a colony ship gone horribly wrong, this new preview gives us a full, uncut scene. It's a stunning glimpse at the titular ship's crew relaxing together with a final me…
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Android 7.1 gets a second developer preview build for Nexus devices

The Google Pixel launched with Android 7.1 Nougat ahead of its release on the Nexus phones, marking the first time we’ve seen Google officially update another device to the newest OS before its Nexus line. Obviously that didn’t mean the Nexus phones were getting left behind permanently, and now we’re finally seeing 7.1 make its […]

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Developer preview 2 of Android Wear 2.0 is out now! Here’s what’s new

Google has released the second developer preview of Android Wear 2.0, boasting a number of great new features and bug fixes, including the ability for developers to incorporate wrist gestures into their apps.

The post Developer preview 2 of Android Wear 2.0 is out now! Here’s what’s new appeared first on Digital Trends.

Wearables–Digital Trends

Hands on with Android N Preview 3: Keyboard updates, Android Pay and VR support

Android N Developer Preview 3 is out now. We take a look at all the new features, including updates to Google Keyboard and support for Android VR. Android Pay also works now in the preview version.

The post Hands on with Android N Preview 3: Keyboard updates, Android Pay and VR support appeared first on Digital Trends.

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Apple Music for Android is coming soon, preview screenshots available now

Users who are interested in the Android version of the Apple Music app may only have to wait a few more weeks for its release out of its current beta stage. They can also get a glimpse at what the app will look like now.

The post Apple Music for Android is coming soon, preview screenshots available now appeared first on Digital Trends.

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New Windows 10 Mobile Technical Preview adds app store, universal Office, and more apps

Microsoft is bringing Windows 10 to your Windows smartphone, creating a unified, seamless, cross-platform experience across all your Windows devices. Here’s a rundown of the new features we can expect, and what phones it’ll arrive on first.

The post New Windows 10 Mobile Technical Preview adds app store, universal Office, and more apps appeared first on Digital Trends.

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