Macworld In a recent video as part of its iOS Decoded series, 9to5Mac takes a look at some rather interesting code found within the latest iOS 18.5 betas. This code references and enables features that aren’t expected to be a part of iOS 18.5 when it goes into wide release, however. Instead, it looks like experiments for what might be a part of iOS 19, or maybe even future products. Some of these features may ship, some may not, but they at least give us a look at what Apple is considering. Here are the major changes in brief: More flexible Stage Manager: Stage Manager is very limited with how you can position and resize windows. In the test version demonstrated in 9to5Mac’s video, there are far fewer restrictions—you can more freely resize windows, size windows so they obscure other windows, and even more them almost entirely off-screen. Stage Manager on iPhone: Jeff Benjamin says he’s seen Stage Manager working on iPhone, complete with external display support. While that would be cool, he says he doesn’t expect Apple to ship such a feature. SuperDomino for widgets: There’s a flag for SpringBoard (the home screen and lock screen manager for iOS) called “SuperDomino” that shows full screen clock widgets to be displayed on only half the display in StandBy mode. This makes those widgets pretty square, which fits in nicely with the rumored “HomePad” device. Photographic Styles for video: The code found by 9to5Mac suggests that the non-destructive Photographic Styles currently available when taking photos can be used for video. Perhaps they’ll be called Smart Styles in the future, as they apply to more than photographs. Photographic Styles for third-party apps: Those “Smart Styles” may be accessible to third-party apps as well with new framework. The rest of the video concerns some relatively minor updates, like some new icons in the SF Symbols font and seeing saved bank account numbers in the Wallet & Apple Pay settings panel, and the ability for developers to see which Macs have been paired to their device. Some of these things found by enabling hidden flags and features with iOS betas are simply experimental—it’s Apple working on features or capabilities that may not ever see the light of day. But lots of real features start off this way as well, so there’s a decent chance that, when WWDC rolls around in June, we may have a better understanding at what this hidden code is for.

Hey — have ya heard? Google’s got a simple-sounding but supremely useful new trick in the works for its homemade Pixel phones. Under-development code spotted in the latest Android beta reveals plans for adding a new double-tap gesture into future Pixel devices. It may or may not make the cut for the upcoming Android 16 release, but it’s absolutely in progress — and odds are, it’ll show up in some new Android version or quarterly update before long. The way it’d work is refreshingly straightforward: Just tap twice in a row anywhere on your screen, anytime, and poof: The screen shuts off. It’s a fast ‘n’ easy shortcut for an action you probably take dozens of times a day, and while the difference may seem small on the surface, it really does add up and feel a lot easier than reaching for the physical power button every time you need to perform that feat. It also goes hand in hand with another common Android gesture: the ability to double-tap anywhere on a screen to turn it on when the phone is resting. This one’s already built into Pixels, Samsung Galaxy gadgets, and other Android devices, and it’s an incredibly handy way to get into your device in a jiffy. (Try it out to see if it works on whatever phone you’re using right now — and if it doesn’t, try searching your system settings for double tap to find the associated setting and make sure it’s enabled!) But strangely, the double-tap move to turn off a screen has traditionally been less readily available and emphasized across Android — particularly within the Pixel universe, where Google’s core Android operating system is present in its unadulterated form. It’s good to see that Google’s ready to address that — but hey, this is Android. And you’re a smart and enlightened Android Intelligence reader. Here, anything’s possible, and you definitely don’t have to wait for Google to officially give you a feature to enjoy it. So stretch those lithe little digits and get your favorite tapping appendage ready: It’s time for an instant upgrade to your Android experience. [Want even more advanced Android knowledge? Check out my free Android Shortcut Supercourse to learn tons of time-saving tricks.] Android tap-to-turn-off: The Samsung path We’ll start with the simplest double-tapping implementation of all — and that’s for anyone using a Samsung Galaxy gizmo. Few flying squirrels realize that (and FYI, when I say “flying squirrel,” I mean you), but Samsung’s actually already added a double-tap-to-turn-screen-off gesture into its Android implementation. And all you’ve gotta do is take two seconds to see that it’s activated. On any reasonably recent Galaxy device, head into your system settings and search for double tap. Look for the item labeled “Double tap to turn off screen” and confirm that the toggle next to it is in the on and active position. Samsung’s Android devices already have a double-tap screen-off option within their settings.JR Raphael, Foundry And that’s it: From your home or lock screen, you can now just double-tap in any open space to turn the screen off. Paired with the double-tap to turn on option, you’ll never have to shift your fragrant fingies away from the screen whilst working again. No Samsung? No problem. Keep reading. Android tap-to-turn-off: The launcher liftoff No matter what style of Android device you’re using, a custom home screen launcher is one easy way to give yourself immediate access to all sorts of advanced Android gestures. A launcher, if you aren’t familiar, is a special app that takes over your entire home screen and app drawer interface and replaces the standard out-of-the-box setup with something much more customizable and often also rich with features. My two favorites of the moment, Niagara and Nova, both have options within their settings to create your own double-tap command — which can absolutely include the ability to have the screen shut off as a result of that action. Android launchers, like Nova, offer all sorts of custom gesture settings.JR Raphael, Foundry If you aren’t interested in using a custom launcher and just want a super-simple way to implement this one feature, though, our final path is the one for you. Android tap-to-turn-off: The universal add-on No matter what type of Android phone you’re using or what specific setup you prefer within it, a simple app called Double Tap Screen Off / Lock will give you an easy-as-can-be way to bring a double-tap screen-off superpower into your life this instant. Just install the app from the Play Store and make your way through its initial setup screens. You’ll have to grant the app permission to operate as an accessibility service, which may sound daunting but is genuinely needed for this kind of function to be possible. (The app is from a known and trusted veteran Android developer, and its privacy policy is clear about the fact that it doesn’t collect any form of personal data or share any manner of info with anyone.) Then, you’ll just tap the “Turn screen off” option on the app’s main screen and activate the toggle to enable it. The aptly named Double Tap app brings a double-tap screen-off action onto any Android device.JR Raphael, Foundry Double Tap Screen Off / Lock is sometimes referred to as “Pixel Toolbox,” by the by, but it should work on any Android device — Pixel or otherwise. It’s free to download with an optional $6 pro upgrade that eliminates ads inside its configuration interface and unlocks a handful of extra features, none of which are necessary for this basic purpose. (If you see a prompt to make that upgrade when you first open up the app, you can skip past it by tapping the “x” in the upper-right corner.) And there ya have it: three possible paths to the same time-saving, ergonomics-enhancing result. Pick the one that makes the most sense for you and enjoy your newfound tap-a-tap-tappin’ power. Get even more advanced shortcut knowledge with my free Android Shortcut Supercourse. You’ll learn tons of time-saving tricks for whatever Android phone you’re using!

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has made an offer to Apple — end external commissions globally and get "Fortnite" back on the App Store and a cease in litigation.'Fortnite' could finally return to the App Store, for real this time. Image source: Epic GamesApple just got slapped with an incredible ruling from Judge Gonzalez Rogers after the company failed to honor the spirit of the injunction that aimed to eliminate anti-steering practices. As a result, Apple must stop all commissions on purchases made outside the App Store, and it must end all controls over external linking too.Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney sees this as a significant victory and offers to share in the spoils. He says all Apple has to do is extend the Judge's new ruling out of the United States to the rest of the world. Then, and only then, will Epic return Fortnite to the App Store "next week." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Here’s another look inside the complexities of rebuilding in Altadena following January’s Eaton Fire, courtesy of AfroLA. "The takeaway right now is that the greatest value is in community preservation," Altadena resident Steve Lewis tells the outlet in response to the growing concerns of displacement for many of the Black families whose properties have sustained an inordinate amount of damage, according to a UCLA study. SoCal NOMA has been active in advocating for their position as the rebuilding process finally starts. They are working closely with other volunteer groups like the Altadena Rebuild Coalition to recover decades of Black history by founding community land banks and through other means.

In a new State of Play, Gearbox Software showcased extensive new gameplay of Borderlands 4. Along with additional story details about Kairos and how the populace rises against its ruler, The Timekeeper, the developer showcased the world and a story mission. The latter involves venturing to Terminus Ranch at the behest of Amara from Borderlands 3. She’s searching for Lilith, but the crew also wants to stop dangerous experiments at the black site. Kairos offers four different zones which players can seamlessly load into. Alongside a Digirunner for getting around (similar to Destiny’s Sparrow), you can glide, double-jump and grapple onto fixed points. There’s also dynamic weather, and events automatically added to your tracking without activating them. They include Silos to hijack for the Resistance, which can serve as vast travel points or offer dungeons with Vault Fragments to collect. On co-op, loot is instanced for each player, and you can also set a separate campaign difficulty. If you split up from friends, it’s possible to quickly fast travel to them. Of course, we also see several other returning characters like Zane, Moxxi, and Claptrap. Borderlands 4 will launch for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC on September 12th, with a hands-on gameplay event coming in June. Stay tuned for more details.

Euthrix potatoria , commonly known as the drinker, is an orange-brown moth in the family Lasiocampidae. The species' common and scientific names derive from the larva's supposed drinking of drops of dew. It is found in Europe, most frequently found in marshy places, fens and riversides but may also be seen in drier, grassy terrain. The larva (caterpillar) of this species grows to about 6 cm (2.3 in) in length and is hairy, striped and spotted, with distinctive tufts fore and aft. Caterpillars hibernate while young and resume feeding in the spring, pupating in a cocoon during the summer. This picture shows the top of an E. potatoria caterpillar in Keila, Estonia. Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus Recently featured: Mimetite Mount Whymper Red-chested cuckoo Archive More featured pictures

May 1: Beltane and Samhain in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively; Maharashtra Day in Maharashtra, India (1960); International Workers' Day, Law Day, Loyalty Day and National Day of Prayer (2025) in the United States Empire State Building 305 – Diocletian and Maximian retired as co-rulers of the Roman Empire, being succeeded by Galerius and Constantius Chlorus. 1794 – War of the Pyrenees: France regained nearly all the land it lost to Spain the previous year with its victory in the Second Battle of Boulou. 1931 – New York City's Empire State Building (pictured), at the time the tallest building in the world, opened. 1974 – Argentine president Juan Perón expelled Montoneros from a demonstration in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, forcing the group to become a clandestine organization. Alexander William Williamson (b. 1824)Anna Jarvis (b. 1864)Eldridge Cleaver (d. 1998) More anniversaries: April 30 May 1 May 2 Archive By email List of days of the year About

See the Newly Renovated Castle Howard, Made Famous by ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘Brideshead Revisited’ After the house suffered extensive fire damage in 1940, generations of the Howard family have faithfully restored parts of the mansion to its 18th-century glory Castle Howard's restored tapestry drawing room  Tom Arber / Castle Howard In 1940, a devastating fire tore through Castle Howard, a historic home set on 1,000 wooded acres in North Yorkshire, England. The Baroque mansion was built by architects Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor around the turn of the 18th century. By the time of the fire, just after the beginning of World War II, it was serving as a girls’ school. The blaze left Castle Howard in a state of utter destruction, with its soaring dome crumbled inwards and many of its stately rooms hollowed out. Some of the trustees, who believed that restoration was a lost cause, sold off the castle’s artworks and were prepared to let the house languish. But the Howard family refused to let its castle crumble. After returning from the war, George Howard embarked on an ambitious reconstruction, opening the house to the public in 1952 and restoring its dome a decade later. By the 1980s, the splendor of Castle Howard beamed onto television sets across Britain as the setting of an 11-part adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s 1945 novel Brideshead Revisited. Modern fans of historical dramas might recognize the halls of Castle Howard as the fictional Clyvedon Castle in “Bridgerton,” “Netflix’s pastel-hued, racy adaptation of contemporary author Julia Quinn’s romance novels,” as Lila Thulin wrote for Smithsonian magazine in 2022. Now, in the latest renovation to Castle Howard, caretakers have unveiled major repairs to some of the home’s most historic rooms, including a refurbished drawing room with tapestries woven in 1706, as well as a complete rehanging of the remaining paintings, artifacts and treasures throughout the mansion. The exterior of Castle Howard in North Yorkshire, England Nick Howard / Castle Howard “From its inception 325 years ago, it has been a vivacious house, demanding lively evolution,” Nicholas and Victoria Howard, the current generation of Castle Howard’s custodians, say in a statement. “During all that time, it has managed to achieve the duality of being both a family home and a place at which to marvel.” The centerpiece of this latest round of renovations is the tapestry drawing room, one of the 20 rooms fully gutted by the fire. In the past, tourists strolling through Castle Howard had to make detours around the room, making it a natural candidate for restoration. The Howards called on architect Francis Terry to build back the room from bare bricks. In addition to faithfully recreated ornamentation, the room has a new ceiling, floor, chimney and wall paneling. Soaked in rich colors and gilded detailing, the drawing room is now open to the public for the first time in its history.Terry tells the Sunday Times’ Eleanor Doughty that it’s “the dream commission,” adding: “I’m a huge Vanbrugh fan, and this was [a chance] to do a Vanbrugh room, to get into his shoes and keep walking.” As the name suggests, the tapestry drawing room’s walls are once again covered with tapestries of the four seasons created by John Vanderbank, a celebrated artist during the reign of George I. For the first time since the start of the 18th century, the tapestries are back in their original location, per Artnet’s Richard Whiddington. For the Howards, renovations are a chance to bring the house back to life—not just limit the damage wrought by the fire 85 years ago. “The evisceration of more than 20 rooms in the 1940 fire had the silver lining of once more allowing us to step into the creative process here,” they say in the statement. “Spreading out from the tapestry drawing room, we have repurposed, rehung and redecorated, revivifying the house that has refused to die.” The newly restored grand staircase, built in the 1870s Chris Horwood / Castle Howard Case in point are the house’s artworks, many of which are by Italian artists and reflect an aristocratic taste for the Grand Tour, a tradition in which elite young men traveled through Europe between the 17th and 19th centuries. But even as Castle Howard opens to the public, the work is far from over. Almost an entire wing of the house still needs restoration work, prompting difficult decisions, like the selling of the family’s collection of Fabergé animals at an upcoming auction. But the Howards—and their team of architects, artisans and designers—are committed to seeing it through. “It is more than just a family home. It is part of the history of England, and a work of art in its own right,” Nicholas Howard tells the Times. “If I can help people to see that, then I’ve done the right thing.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

A federal district court judge found that Apple willfully violated a court order in Epic Games vs. Apple antitrust case.Read More

Following a court order that blocks Apple from taking a commission on purchases made outside the App Store, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney says on X that the company plans to bring Fortnite back to iOS in the US “next week.” The app hasn’t been available on iOS in the US since August 2020, when Apple kicked it off the App Store for implementing Epic’s own in-app payment system in violation of Apple’s rules. Since then, Apple and Epic have been embroiled in an ongoing legal battle, including a ruling more in Apple’s favor in 2021 and today’s ruling that is a major victory for Epic. We will return Fortnite to the US iOS App Store next week.Epic puts forth a peace proposal: If Apple extends the court's friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we'll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic. https://t.co/bIRTePm0Tv— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 30, 2025 Fortnite has returned to iOS in the EU, but only via Epic’s own mobile app store, which isn’t available in the US. Sweeney also offered a “peace proposal” from Epic to Apple in his post on X. “If Apple extends the court’s friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide, we’ll return Fortnite to the App Store worldwide and drop current and future litigation on the topic.” Apple didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.