program Archives - Page 11 of 11

Jun 26

Windows 11 Is Testing Desktop Widgets

Microsoft

Windows XP and Windows Vista both supported adding “gadgets” to the desktop, like a clock or calendar. It looks like that functionality might make a return for Windows 11.

Microsoft started rolling out Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 25120 to testers in the Dev Channel, which includes an interesting new feature: the ability to add interactive widgets to the desktop. The company said in a blog post, “Windows Insiders who use the Dev Channel may get to try out new ideas, longer lead features, and experiences that are intended to help validate concepts. Starting with this preview build, some Insiders will see one of these conceptual features as we begin to explore exposing lightweight interactive content on the Windows desktop.”

Windows 11 image with search bar visible on desktop — Microsoft

The only desktop widget available for testing for now is a web search bar, similar to the Google Search bar available on most Android devices. predictably, the search always opens results in Microsoft Edge, even if your default browser is set to something else. Microsoft Classics.

Windows 11 already has widgets, but they’re only accessible from a special panel accessible from the taskbar — you can’t keep them on the desktop, taskbar, or anywhere else so they’re always visible. Microsoft also doesn’t allow widgets created by third-party developers. Meanwhile, Android has offered robust widget support for over a decade, and Apple brought them to the iPhone and iPad with iOS 14. Widgets are accessible on Mac through the Notification Center, and many Linux distributions have some version of the feature.

Microsoft has also experimented with interactive desktop widgets in the past. Windows Vista introduced Desktop Gadgets, but they were removed in Windows 8 because they were a security risk. Many third-party widget services and frameworks have also been available over the years, like Google Gadgets.

It’s not clear when (or if) this functionality will roll out to everyone using Windows 11. Microsoft said in the blog post that this is just an experiment for now, and the company will listen to feedback for future changes.

Source: Windows Blog

Jun 23

Marvel Just Brought Back One of Iron Man’s Weirdest Gadgets

Over the past few years, Tony Stark has turned from a lesser-known superhero in Marvel’s arsenal to a bona fide cultural phenomenon, with the iron Avenger’s storylines being brought to life on the page and on the big screen. Along the way, the Iron Man armor has had some unique and incredibly specific upgrades, ranging from the deadly to the hilarious. The most recent issue of Iron Manwhich has provided a sort of back-to-basics take on Tony’s whole status quo, proved to have the latter in spades, bringing back one of the silliest elements he’s ever added to his costume. Spoiler for Iron Man #20 from Christopher Cantwell, Angel Unzueta, Frank D’Armata, and Joe Caramagna below! Only look if you want to know!

While the issue opened with Tony leaving rehab and proposing marriage to Patsy Walker / Hellcat, the events then turned to him attending an unveiling of the newest piece of Stark technology — a supercomputer that could hypothetically win a game of chess versus an incredibly smart gorilla. When the gorilla tried (and failed) to procure a job offer from Tony on the spot, they got angry and began fighting them through the city. Tony put on his Iron Man suit for protection, and at one point activated a set of skates on the boots that would allow him to escape faster. Tony then remarked that he should use them more.

Iron Man’s skates originate all the way back to a mention in the character’s second-ever appearance in Tales of Suspense #40, before being shown across comics in the 1960s and beyond. While they since have faded away as Tony’s armor has gotten a bit more practical, the essence of their origin definitely shines in Iron Man #20, but with a modern flair, as the story is even titled “Skate or Die.”

“#20 and issue #21 are kind of one-shot stories that harken back to the old heyday of one-and-done issue stories that I love, but there is scaffolding being laid in the background for a larger story,” Cantwell explained in a recent interview with Marvel.com. “The whole arc is called “Source Control,” and it’s grittier…more noir in feel. Very Denny O’Neil inspired. It’s also a more intimate story character-wise, focusing primarily on Tony and Rhodes, with just a few other folks. More tight-knit, and rooted in classic Iron Man themes of technology and weaponry. But there are still plenty of Bronze Age references that I can’t get enough of.”

Iron Man #20 is now available wherever comics are sold.