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Posts tagged "redesign"

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Copilot gets a big redesign and a new way to edit your AI-generated images
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It’s been one year since Bing Chat received its generative AI power-up and we’ve seen it change a lot since including a rebranding into Copilot. To celebrate the first anniversary, Microsoft decided to redesign Copilot’s homepage as well as introduce a new editing feature.

The company states when you visit the AI’s engine desktop website, “you will see… a cleaner, sleeker look”. In the middle of the page is a revolving carousel of sample prompts with an accompanying image. Its purpose, according to Microsoft, is to give you an idea of what Copilot is capable of; to get those creative juices flowing. It is certainly more engaging than the previous version. The old page had three sample text prompts next to each other with no indication that it could create images.

Copilot on mobile is receiving an identical update. The app has the same carousel of sample prompts with a picture above to give you some ideas. You also have the option to toggle GPT-4 for better results. Activating it turns the software’s blue accents to purple. 

Tweaking prompts

As for the feature mentioned earlier, it’s called Designer. It allows you to make tweaks to generated content like highlighting certain aspects, blurring the background, or adding a unique filter. As an example, let’s take Copilot’s suggestion of creating an image of an animal wearing a football helmet. Moving your cursor over the picture makes a bold white line appear around an object. Clicking it highlights the portion. 

A couple of options appear at the bottom of the window. We chose to tell Copilot to make the colors pop. After a few seconds, the finished product appears. You can then either undo the effect or keep it. For filters, you have eight to choose from. Pixel art, block print, and claymation are some of the selections. Like the edits before, applying a filter takes a few seconds. 

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Copilot highlighting subject

(Image credit: Future)
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Copilot making colors pop

(Image credit: Future)
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Copilot pixel filter

(Image credit: Future)

Designer is free for everyone to try out. However, subscribers to Copilot Pro will be given extra tools. They can resize generated content and regenerate images into either a square or landscape orientation. Microsoft says it eventually roll out a “Designer GPT” to Copilot. The company calls it a canvas of sorts where people can “visualize [their] ideas.” If we had to take a guess, it could be a publicly available GPT model that you can use to create editing tools. OpenAI offers a similar service with its online store. We reached out to Microsoft for more details. This story will be updated at a later time.

Check out TechRadar's list of the best free drawing software for 2024 if you'd like to find a way to make the edits yourself.

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The latest Google Maps redesign makes it look a lot more like Apple Maps
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It seems there's a visual revamp for Google Maps underway, which you might have already noticed on your phone – and the new color scheme being used on the maps makes the interface look a lot more like Apple Maps.

Google hasn't said anything officially yet, but 9to5Google and others (including some of the TechRadar team) have noticed the refresh. At this stage it's not clear if the new look is being tested or is here to stay.

Rather than white roads and a gray background, Google Maps has now switched to gray roads and a white background, like Apple Maps. The blue of oceans and lakes has been brightened too, which again evokes the rival mapping app.

Greens are darker too, while navigation uses a dark blue route arrow rather than a lighter blue one (which can turn yellow or red, depending on traffic). There are tweaks in the app to the bottom bar as well, with a smaller series of tabs under the map.

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Google Maps on Android Auto

The new interface on Android Auto (Image credit: Future)
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Google Maps on Android Auto

The old interface and color scheme on Android Auto (Image credit: Future)
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Apple Maps on Apple CarPlay

Apple Maps on CarPlay (Image credit: Future)

Three-year cycle

As Ars Technica points out, we haven't seen a visual refresh like this for Google Maps since 2020. The one before that was 2017, so if this is indeed a permanent change, then it would fit in with the scheduling of previous updates.

Not everyone has the update yet, according to Android Police, so it would seem to be a staggered roll out that isn't hitting all devices at the same time. If you haven't got it yet, try updating the Google Maps app on your phone.

As for the adoption of the Apple Maps color scheme, it's pretty obvious – but no doubt the focus groups run by both Apple and Google have come to the same conclusions about what colors work best for the human eye when it comes to maps.

Similar looking apps have another benefit for Google and Apple too: they make it easier for people to switch. If Google makes any official announcement on any of this, we'll update this article to reflect that.

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Windows 11 gets a big redesign for folders – and an exciting feature is imminent
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Windows 11 just got a new preview build which brings in the much talked about revamp of File Explorer, and a number of other features besides.

File Explorer is the central pillar of the Windows 11 interface – it’s the very windows on the desktop you use to browse through folders and files – and it has undergone a full overhaul in the latest test version in the Beta channel (build 22621.2050 / 22631.2050).

Microsoft calls it a modernized File Explorer, and it comes sporting a new details pane and address bar plus search box.

When you select a file, the new details pane shows contextual info relating to that file such as a thumbnail, share status, recent activity for the file, any related files and other details.

The modernized address bar in File Explorer automatically recognizes local (on the PC) or cloud folders and shows their status as such, and for those who use OneDrive, the bar carries the storage service’s sync status to see at-a-glance (plus there’s a quota flyout).

For those signed into a Microsoft account, Quick Access folders have also been rejigged with an ‘updated experience’. And lastly, those signed into an Azure Active Directory (AAD) account (business users) will get recommended files shown in a carousel (with file thumbnails coming soon, we’re told).

Another major introduction here is the Dynamic Lighting hub that we’ve heard a lot about in the past. This provides a central place to control your peripherals with RGB lighting, so you don’t have to bloat your system with multiple third-party apps from hardware makers.

We’re told that a bunch of peripheral manufacturers have partnered with Microsoft on this, including Acer, Asus, HP, HyperX, Logitech, Razer, and Twinkly.

Elsewhere in this beta build, Windows Ink is getting pepped up so users can write into edit fields in the OS. That means you can, for example, write directly into a search box in the Windows 11 interface, with the eventual goal being you can use your stylus to write anywhere in the UI.

There’s a bunch of other bits and pieces going on here, such as a new volume mixer in Quick Settings, plus adding new natural voices for Narrator (including UK English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish). For the full details, see Microsoft’s blog post introducing the build.

Analysis: Happiness is a setting that doesn’t work (just yet)

Clearly, there are some big moves here. For gamers, the Dynamic Lighting hub should be a real gem, although it’s slightly late arriving for testing – we were expecting to see it debut in May.

And it’s great to see the redesigned File Explorer land, of course. This will be an ongoing piece of work, and doubtless one of the central cogs of the 23H2 update when it arrives later this year – it’s also set to introduce an image gallery view for folders (which has already been incorporated into the Beta channel earlier).

Excitingly, there’s something else here – and that’s the settings for ‘never combined’ mode in Windows 11. This is a long-awaited feature for many (ourselves included) that is now included in Taskbar behaviors (in Settings) in this preview build, but sadly, the functionality doesn’t work yet.

However, Microsoft tells us that it will be enabled in a beta build ‘soon’, so the wait is nearly over for the ability to tell Windows 11 not to stack up running instances of the same app on the taskbar. This feature must also be pretty much a dead cert for the 23H2 update, too, and we’re happy about that.

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New, optional Home Screen redesign tool discovered in second iOS 16.2 beta
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Evidence found within the second iOS 16.2 beta points to Apple working on further streamlining the user interface (UI) on iPhones and iPads via a new mode.

Called Custom Accessibility Mode, it was first discovered by 9to5 Mac. The second iOS 16.2 beta is currently available for download through the Apple Developer Program, but you can’t use the new mode at this time as it’s unavailable to users. This could mean the feature is far away from release or it’s something Apple is merely trying out. Either way, it’s a sign the company remains committed to working on accessibility features for its user base.

Simplified UI

The purpose of Custom Accessibility Mode, according to the report, is to make the iPhones and iPads more “user-friendly” for people who find their interfaces too complex. The mode could allow people to change the layout of the UI to either a Grid or List-style formation. Text and app icons can be made much larger on the Home Screen, plus it appears you can enable quick access to certain SOS features, like the Emergency Services Button. 

A password can be set up to stop other people who use the same device from changing the settings, according to 9to5 Mac. And tapping the side or Home button three times can enable and disable Custom Accessibility Mode.

Looking at the images of the mode in action, it drastically simplifies the design of apps and the Home Screen to focus on making things large. The lock screen turns into one big button with “Hold Down to Enter” in the center. Apps have massive icons that take up most of the screen and the bottom dock is gone. 

The official release notes don't detail the other features, only focusing on the fixes in the beta. For a preview of the other features, you have to go to Twitter where people are leaking them. A new Health widget will remind users to take their medication. New animations in the Music app resize the song image to indicate if it’s playing or paused.

In a recent Power On newsletter, Apple insider Mark Gurman said to expect the official release of iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 sometime in mid-December. There, users can their hands on the long-awaited Freeform app as well as the next rendition of Stage Manager. Gurman also hints at the release date of iOS 16.3 being within the first quarter of 2023. 

Accessibility is key

As mentioned earlier, Apple has been working on iPhone accessibility features for a while now. May 2021 saw the introduction of SignTime, a service allowing the hearing impaired to communicate using sign language through a web browser, and new background sounds for neurodiverse users. And earlier this year, we saw the first appearance of Door Detection to help low-vision users locate the entrance of a building.

But there’s one feature we’re eagerly waiting for: Emergency SOS via Satellite, a tool to get people in contact with emergency services if outside of cellular and Wi-Fi range. A recent Apple Support post indicates Emergency SOS is launching very soon. Be sure to read our coverage to learn more. 

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The best podcast app on iOS gets a major redesign, leaving Apple’s app in the dust
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The popular podcast app Overcast has been updated for iOS, bringing the first steps of a redesign to the home screen, alongside custom playlists, choices for different playback colors, ways to filter podcasts in three ways, and more.

Created by developer, writer, and podcaster Marco Arment, it's been the go-to podcast app for many who haven't been entirely happy with Apple's Podcast app. While Apple recently added some updates to help users manage their subscribed shows, Overcast has other features that make it a great alternative.

Called 2022.2 for this latest update, it lets you pin podcasts to the home screen and mark podcasts as played, which can save you from wasting cellular data downloading episodes you've already listened to.

With Overcast's significant update, we're wondering what Apple's own Podcasts app must do to stay competitive.

Apple's Podcast app has always felt like a catch up

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions design

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

Podcasts have always felt as though they've been around as long as we've been able to send emails to one another. While they first appeared as a new medium in the early 2000s, podcasts arrived on Apple's platform in 2005 with iTunes 4.9. It was a way of subscribing to shows on Windows and macOS machines back then, which we would then connect our iPods to sync up our favorite podcasts.

That year, Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and then CEO, gave an impromptu demo of the feature at one of The Wall Street Journal's early All Things D conferences.

Once the iPhone arrived in 2007, podcasts would be part of the original Music app, but at the time, it was still a challenge to subscribe and download new podcast shows.

Finally, a dedicated app arrived in 2012 from Apple, and while there have been regular updates to it, alongside a macOS version that debuted in 2019, it's still playing catch up in features, especially when you compare it to Overcast.

Arment's app has long had an innovative feature called smart speed, where the app identifies silent pauses and speeds the episode up at those points. Once the host or guests speaks again, the playback speed returns to normal.

Podcast options in new Overcast update

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Having used the Overcast 2022.2 update on an iPhone 13 Pro, being able to pin podcasts, and, at last, change the colors of the controls, it's clear Apple has its work cut out for it.

Apple has introduced subscriptions and the ability to track listens for podcast creators to its own app, but the app still feels as though it's playing catchup.

Apple's take of a podcast app has the basics covered, but you can't pin shows, there's no smart speed, and links in show notes still don't show correctly. There's no hook from Apple here to tempt you to use its app – everything looks and feels run of the mill, a podcast app that does the basics, and that's it.

There's no killer feature like smart speed to tempt you away from Overcast, and in a way, that's only good news for Arment's alternative, especially in the last decade of Apple's Podcast app being available to download.

To catch up, Apple could buy Overcast – it won't – or shift how it updates the app and move from annual major updates to a once-every-few-months cadence. In this way, Apple's Podcasts app could build on what listeners and podcasters want.

For now, though, this is all wishful thinking. Overcast has been updated with a great redesign, and there are further plans to look into redesigning the Now Playing screen. While you can download Overcast for free, there is a yearly fee of $ 9.99 / £8.99 / AU$ 10.99 to get rid of ads and use a dark-themed icon. Apple's Podcast app is free.

With this substantial 2022.2 update, we can confidently say that it's worth the price if you're a heavy podcast listener.

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The best podcast app on iOS gets a major redesign, leaving Apple’s app in the dust
  • No Comments

The popular podcast app Overcast has been updated for iOS, bringing the first steps of a redesign to the home screen, alongside custom playlists, choices for different playback colors, ways to filter podcasts in three ways, and more.

Created by developer, writer, and podcaster Marco Arment, it's been the go-to podcast app for many who haven't been entirely happy with Apple's Podcast app. While Apple recently added some updates to help users manage their subscribed shows, Overcast has other features that make it a great alternative.

Called 2022.2 for this latest update, it lets you pin podcasts to the home screen and mark podcasts as played, which can save you from wasting cellular data downloading episodes you've already listened to.

With Overcast's significant update, we're wondering what Apple's own Podcasts app must do to stay competitive.

Apple's Podcast app has always felt like a catch up

Apple Podcasts Subscriptions design

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

Podcasts have always felt as though they've been around as long as we've been able to send emails to one another. While they first appeared as a new medium in the early 2000s, podcasts arrived on Apple's platform in 2005 with iTunes 4.9. It was a way of subscribing to shows on Windows and macOS machines back then, which we would then connect our iPods to sync up our favorite podcasts.

That year, Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and then CEO, gave an impromptu demo of the feature at one of The Wall Street Journal's early All Things D conferences.

Once the iPhone arrived in 2007, podcasts would be part of the original Music app, but at the time, it was still a challenge to subscribe and download new podcast shows.

Finally, a dedicated app arrived in 2012 from Apple, and while there have been regular updates to it, alongside a macOS version that debuted in 2019, it's still playing catch up in features, especially when you compare it to Overcast.

Arment's app has long had an innovative feature called smart speed, where the app identifies silent pauses and speeds the episode up at those points. Once the host or guests speaks again, the playback speed returns to normal.

Podcast options in new Overcast update

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Having used the Overcast 2022.2 update on an iPhone 13 Pro, being able to pin podcasts, and, at last, change the colors of the controls, it's clear Apple has its work cut out for it.

Apple has introduced subscriptions and the ability to track listens for podcast creators to its own app, but the app still feels as though it's playing catchup.

Apple's take of a podcast app has the basics covered, but you can't pin shows, there's no smart speed, and links in show notes still don't show correctly. There's no hook from Apple here to tempt you to use its app – everything looks and feels run of the mill, a podcast app that does the basics, and that's it.

There's no killer feature like smart speed to tempt you away from Overcast, and in a way, that's only good news for Arment's alternative, especially in the last decade of Apple's Podcast app being available to download.

To catch up, Apple could buy Overcast – it won't – or shift how it updates the app and move from annual major updates to a once-every-few-months cadence. In this way, Apple's Podcasts app could build on what listeners and podcasters want.

For now, though, this is all wishful thinking. Overcast has been updated with a great redesign, and there are further plans to look into redesigning the Now Playing screen. While you can download Overcast for free, there is a yearly fee of $ 9.99 / £8.99 / AU$ 10.99 to get rid of ads and use a dark-themed icon. Apple's Podcast app is free.

With this substantial 2022.2 update, we can confidently say that it's worth the price if you're a heavy podcast listener.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

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WhatsApp backtracks on unpopular redesign decision
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WhatsApp is an app that's constantly developing and evolving, with changes and new features being introduced with astonishing frequency. But change does not always mean that there are new things to try out; sometimes there are lessons to be learned from the past.

And this seems to be precisely what has happened. An update is in the process of rolling out to WhatsApp users that undoes a design change that was only very recently introduced. So, what is going on?

In just the last few days, WhatsApp users were met with a new look for their contacts list. The redesign saw the arrival of new “Frequently contacted” and “Recent chat” options, and it was a change that did not go down well.

The WhatsApp experts and fanatics at WABetaInfo asked their readers what they thought of the change. The tweets that came in response where far from glowing, with replies ranging from “not good” to “it's horrible”.

Now WhatsApp has apparently seen the error of its way and is reinstating the old look for the contact interface.

Ch… ch… ch… changes…

WABetaInfo is not claiming to have been instrumental in getting WhatsApp to change its mind and give people what they want, but it is likely that feedback from other sources was very similar. As a result, the contact list is reverting back to a simple alphabetical list, complete with an indication of the number of contacts.

The quick change of heart just goes to highlight the importance of beta testing for gauging user reaction to features, settings and interface options. Users who contribute such feedback can be absolutely instrumental in shaping the future direction of an app.

If you are part of the WhatsApp beta program, use the Play Store app to grab the latest update which should take you up to version 2.22.5.9 of the app and restore the familiar contacts interface. You may not see the update or the changes straight away, so you may need to be patient while it rolls out.

Via WABetaInfo

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