Lilbits: iPadOS 26 makes Apple tablets more Mac-like, Windows 11 is getting a Start Menu redesign, and Android 16 is here

Apple's WWDC 2025 kicked off this week and the big news is that the company is bringing a new design language and naming scheme to its operating systems for Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch and TV products, and the Vision Pro. As expected, the operating systems are now numbered based on the year ahead (sort of like automobiles). Perhaps less expected is the fact that the new Liquid Glass user interface with transparent effects is drawing obvious comparisons to the Aero user interface that Microsoft debuted with Windows Vista in 2006

But what may be the most exciting update is the new multitasking system for iPads. The new UI makes it much easier to open multiple windows that can be resized and placed anywhere, making the tablet operating system feel more like a desktop OS.

There are still some things that an iPad cannot do. Chief among them? Run applications that were designed specifically for macOS. While Apple's tablets now use the same processors as the company's laptop and desktop computers, they still run an operating system that's a descendant of the iPhone operating system and it's still tied tightly to the App Store.

Meanwhile Android 16 is also bringing desktop-like multitasking to tablets. And unlike iPadOS 26, which arrives later this year, Android 16 is rolling out to select devices starting today.

Here's a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.

iPadOS 26 introduces a new multitasking system that makes Apple's tablets look and function more like Macs. They still won't run native macOS apps, but early reports suggest they're starting to feel like viable laptop replacements. www.theverge.com/ipad/684229/…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) June 10, 2025 at 1:39 PM

Google is rolling out Android 16 for Pixel phones today, bringing updates to notifications including live updates (e.g. track progress of delivery updates) and forced grouping of notifications from a single app, plus better multitasking on tablets. blog.google/products/and…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) June 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM

Google's June 2025 Pixel Drop brings a Pixel VIPs widget for keeping up with your closest contacts, generative AI stickers in Gboard, instructions for using different modes in the Camera app, plus new accessibility features. blog.google/products/pix…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) June 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM

The Windows 11 Start Menu is getting a new look with pinned apps on top, recommended apps in the middle, and all apps at the bottom – either grouped by category or in a grid view. Start Menu is also bigger on devices with larger screens. blogs.windows.com/windows-insi…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) June 9, 2025 at 5:36 PM

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon AR1+ Gen 1 is a chip for thinner, lighter AR glasses, but it's capable of running the Llama 1B small language model for on-device AI features without relying on cloud servers. www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/202…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) June 10, 2025 at 1:52 PM

Kobo quietly introduced a new version of the Kobo Clara BW earlier this year. It has a bigger battery and is manufactured by a different OEM, but carries the same price tag. blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2025/06/10/k…

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— Liliputing (@liliputing.bsky.social) June 10, 2025 at 12:41 PM

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