PCWorld reports that Microsoft is overhauling Windows 11 with significant performance improvements targeting File Explorer, Start menu, and system responsiveness through better CPU scheduling and memory management. The updates separate Widgets from the Discover feed and adopt a "calm" approach with fewer notifications, though concerns arise about AI-summarized content potentially harming creators. These changes aim to make Windows 11 "feel faster" and more competitive with macOS, rolling out through the Windows Insider program. This is the new, more productive Windows 11. On Friday, Microsoft said that it has begun making improvements to File Explorer, speeding up Windows under the hood, and minimizing distractions from the Windows widgets, all in the name of getting more done. Microsoft's moves underscore what it began talking about in March: emphasizing a cleaner, more efficient Windows while scaling back on Copilot and moving toward adding features that customers have demanded, such as a configurable taskbar .

Meta didn't wait for Tuesday's LlamaCon keynote to unveil its first big AI announcement of the week. The company launched a standalone app that competes with ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and other multimodal AI chatbots. Sticking to the company's roots, the app also includes a social feed and the ability to draw on info from your profile and posts you've shared. The Meta AI app offers similar features to rival chatbots, including text and voice chats, live web access and the ability to generate and edit images. But it also includes a Discover feed that (for better or worse) adds a social element to your AI queries.

If you use Google Chrome on your mobile phone, or if you have a modern Android phone, then you've probably stumbled across the Discover feed at some point. The Discover feed is available on Chrome's mobile New Tab page, in the Google app, and on the home screen (by swiping right). Soon, it'll also be available on desktop PCs. Google Discover is a personalized recommendation engine that shows you articles from around the web that Google thinks you'd be interested in. The recommendations are based on various factors like your location, your browsing history, your opted-in interests, and more.