Windows 11 apps

Pick your favorites Microsoft has opened nominations for the 2024 Microsoft Store App Awards. Developers with winning apps will win a limited edition Surface Pro and access to "cutting-edge technology" from Microsoft.

Third-party file explorer, "Files," received an update recently that adds some handy new options. It also improves the performance of the app when connected to Google Drive.

DIFFERENT STRUGGLE The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Google for its anti-competitive business practices in digital advertising.

more power A recent update to PowerToys adds a Workspaces utility that lets you launch a layout of apps through a shortcut. The tool can be used on a single screen or as part of a multi-monitor setup.

The latest update to Stardock's DesktopGPT brings support for the most recent GPT models and lets you use your own API key.

ARM-READY Vivaldi just got a major update, which ships with new features including tab renaming. The browser is also optimized for Windows on Arm for better performance and efficiency.

a new home Microsoft shared the final post on its dedicated Microsoft 365 Insider Blog this week. Posts about the Microsoft 365 Insider program will now appear in the Microsoft Tech Community.

Google + HP Google's Essentials desktop app will appear on the Start menu in some new Windows laptops, starting with HP.

another one Apple Podcasts is now available on the web. The service is accessible on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and other modern browsers.

Finally Microsoft just launched its unified Teams app that works with person, work, and school accounts. The app simplifies using Teams on PC, which previously required two different applications.