A collection of development screenshots and UI details for Rare's canceled game Everwild has surfaced, revealing game features like inventory tabs and in-game elements, despite the game's long troubled development and eventual cancellation. The images suggest a rich game world with collectible creatures and plant systems, and hint at potential future projects for Rare, including revivals of classic franchises.
Designers are expressing frustration over Apple's new rounded corner design in macOS Tahoe, which features much rounder corners across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, leading to mixed reactions about its aesthetic appeal.
Google is developing a bespoke UI for the upcoming Pixel 9 series to support satellite messaging, similar to Apple's implementation, for emergency SOS situations, requiring clear sky view and carrier support, with T-Mobile and Google Fi mentioned as potential carriers for the feature.
iOS 18 is expected to introduce more home screen customization options for iPhones, including the ability to add blank spaces, columns, and rows between app icons. This feature, present on Galaxy and other Android phones for 14 years, will provide iPhone users with greater UI customization. Additionally, iOS 18 is anticipated to bring support for RCS messaging, Generative AI for Siri, and AI features for stock apps.
Inflexion Games' upcoming survival game Nightingale has sparked passionate discussions among players about its crafting system and UI design, with some finding the card-based menus and hotkey assignments clunky and cumbersome, while others appreciate the visual approach. The game's combat and movement mechanics also received mixed reviews, with some finding them janky and unsatisfying. Despite these concerns, the game's unique setting and atmosphere have intrigued players, and the developers are working on polishing the UI ahead of the early access launch on February 20th.
The GNOME 46 desktop release, scheduled for 16 March, may not include Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) integration due to the feature coming down to the wire. The ongoing work around VRR for GNOME includes refining the settings UI and updating the VRR backend support. While it's treated as an experimental feature and may not make it to GNOME 46, efforts are being made to iron out VRR support for the GNOME 47 cycle in the autumn, thanks to funding from Germany's Sovereign Tech Fund.
Google's latest Android beta hints at a potential "easy pre-set" mode designed to simplify the user interface for individuals who are not tech-savvy or have visual impairments. This mode would adjust settings such as icon and text size, navigation, and contrast to enhance readability and ease of navigation. While it's uncertain if this feature will be included in the upcoming Android 14 QPR3 update, it's anticipated to be part of Android 15 later this year.
Gboard is introducing an Assistant voice typing toolbar for the Pixel Tablet, featuring a pill-shaped toolbar that allows users to see more of their screen when voice typing. The toolbar includes access to settings, voice commands, clipboard, and translate, as well as a shortcut for the emoji/expressive keyboard. This feature is currently available in version 13.7 of Gboard beta and is only rolled out on one Pixel Tablet so far, with no confirmation of its availability on Pixel phones.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro impresses with its 50-megapixel camera and AI editing tools, but its software and UI shine the most. However, color consistency remains a weakness for Google.
The Google Camera 9.0 update, featuring a new user interface (UI) and various modes, has been leaked and is now available for Pixel phones running Android 14 Beta. The update includes a switch to toggle between photo and video modes, capture modes specific to each, quick settings accessed via swipe up, and a rearranged gallery and selfie buttons. It is expected that the official release of this camera update will coincide with the launch of the Pixel 8 or stable Android 14.
Instagram is finally rolling out a new tablet layout for Android devices, optimizing the app for bigger screens such as foldables and tablets. The new UI features a side-mounted navigation rail, with Stories at the top and an expanded feed on either side. The update is currently being rolled out slowly and seems to be exclusive to the Galaxy Z Fold series, although it has also been confirmed to work on Google's Pixel Tablet in portrait mode. The availability of the new layout remains limited, and it is uncertain if Instagram will develop a similar interface for Apple's iPad.
Google Maps is testing an updated color palette for its background map layer, featuring lighter blue water, darker green nature areas, and gray roads, drawing comparisons to Apple Maps. The changes aim to improve visibility and thematic unity. The new colors are currently being tested on Android devices, and Google may make further adjustments before a wider launch.
Disney Dreamlight Valley has received a new hotfix, addressing various gameplay, visual, and UI bugs. The patch notes include fixes for initialization errors, missing Dreamsnaps menu, disappearing furniture items, empty in-game houses, quest progression issues, DreamSnaps voting queue, notification bugs, missing chest rewards, inventory glitches, and more. Gameloft encourages users to report any remaining issues for future hotfixes.
Instagram is finally rolling out a new UI for big screens, optimized for foldables and tablets, but it appears to be exclusive to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series. The new layout features a side-mounted navigation rail, with Stories at the top and the feed expanded to either side. Reels maintain a fixed aspect ratio with black bars for padding. The update is rolling out slowly and seems to be account-specific. While Google has been pushing for better support for foldables, it's ironic that Instagram's optimization is on Android first, rather than on iPad for Apple's tablets.
Vizio is revamping its Smart TV user interface with a new "Home Screen" design, replacing the old box-y look with a more modern and user-friendly layout. The update includes rearranged icons, a full backdrop image for highlighted content, additional information for movies and shows, a new navigation panel on the left side, improved search function, and a revamped app catalog. The changes aim to make finding apps and content easier for Vizio users and bring the interface in line with industry standards. The update will be available for Vizio users with a 2016 model onwards in the coming weeks.
