In the world of technology, innovation never stops, and Microsoft's latest development, Windows 11, continues that tradition. The user interface has always been a key part of the evolution of operating systems, and now we've taken another step forward in the form of floating widgets.

Microsoft has quietly begun testing an interesting change to the Start menu in Windows 11, which may introduce a floating panel full of "social" widgets. Windows watcher Albacore has discovered the new Start Menu feature in the latest test versions of Windows 11, which Microsoft has publicly released.

Developers can now build applications that deliver information through adaptive maps, a way of displaying UI information blocks that work across different platforms. This is a new opportunity for developers to provide a richer and more interactive user experience.

These peers can be configured in the main Settings section of Windows 11. You can install multiple peers and use switches to enable or disable them. According to Albacore, these companions appear to be very web-centric, similar to the widgets within Windows 11.

If Microsoft continues with this Start Menu feature, it may be the answer to the loss of Live Tiles removed in Windows 10X and Windows 11. Live Tiles, animated and scrollable icons from the days of Windows Phone, offered widget-like information in the Start menu, but were not widely supported by app developers.

The potential impact of the new Start menu in Windows 11 on the user experience could be significant. We can't wait to see how this new feature will be received by the public.