Apple is exploring ways to turn future smart glasses and headsets into health and fitness devices, building on the company’s growing focus on wearables. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company wants its Vision Products Group to develop health experiences that combine spatial computing, sensors and consumer wellness.

The plan does not appear ready for Apple’s first-generation smart glasses, which are expected to focus on core features before gaining more advanced health capabilities in later versions.

Apple previously explored a similar approach with the Vision Pro headset. The company reportedly considered a version of Apple Fitness+ designed for the device, allowing users to follow workouts while the headset tracked body movements and analyzed exercise performance. However, the idea was abandoned because of technical challenges and the headset’s weight, according to Bloomberg.

Smart glasses offer a different opportunity because they are designed to be worn more naturally throughout the day. Apple is reportedly looking at using sensors built into the glasses to collect movement and health data.

A Bloomberg report said Apple’s Vision Products Group is hiring a “strategic product design leader” to “define the future of health, well-being and fitness experiences across vision products.” The role also involves finding opportunities at the intersection of “spatial computing, wearables, consumer health and human behavior.”

The hiring signals that Apple sees health as a long-term part of its glasses strategy rather than just an experimental feature.

How Apple could expand its wearable health ecosystem

Apple already has a health ecosystem spread across products such as the Apple Watch and AirPods. Adding smart glasses could give the company another way to collect health-related information and provide users with hands-free guidance.

Possible future uses could include workout assistance, movement analysis and fitness coaching. Cameras and sensors could allow the glasses to understand a user’s activity and provide feedback, although the exact features remain unclear.

This approach could help Apple compete in a growing smart glasses market where companies are adding artificial intelligence and wearable features. However, Apple will need to balance useful sensing capabilities with privacy concerns surrounding camera-equipped eyewear.

Must-read Apple coverage

Privacy and technical challenges remain

Smart glasses face challenges that traditional wearables do not. Cameras mounted on glasses can raise concerns about when users are recording or collecting information about people nearby.

Apple has reportedly been considering ways to address those concerns, including limiting how cameras are used. But reducing camera functionality could also limit some of the advanced AI and fitness features that make smart glasses attractive.

The company also needs to solve practical issues around battery life, sensor accuracy and comfort. Health tracking requires devices that people are willing to wear regularly, not just occasionally.

Apple’s bigger wearable strategy

Apple’s move into health-focused smart glasses suggests the company sees wearables as more than accessories. The long-term goal appears to be creating a broader ecosystem where devices work together to support communication, fitness and personal health.

The challenge will be proving that smart glasses can offer something users cannot already get from an Apple Watch or AirPods. If Apple succeeds, glasses could become a new category of health technology. If the benefits are unclear, consumers may see them as another expensive device looking for a purpose.

Also read: Discover five ways the Apple Watch uses health and fitness features to help users monitor their well-being.

Eight gigabytes of RAM is making a comeback, and Windows 11 may finally be ready to slim down for it.

Microsoft is working to reduce Windows 11’s memory footprint to make PCs with 8GB of RAM or more feel faster and more responsive. The work is expected to continue through the end of 2026, potentially helping budget laptops, older systems, and business fleets handle everyday tasks without immediately running into memory limits.

Rising memory costs are pushing manufacturers and buyers toward lower-capacity configurations. Microsoft has also sold Surface devices with 8GB of RAM, even as many PC builders have treated 16GB as the practical baseline for a smoother Windows 11 experience.

Microsoft is putting Windows 11 on a memory diet

Windows Latest reported that Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s president of Windows and Devices, outlined four Windows 11 priorities through the end of 2026 in a post on X.

“Memory optimization for 8GB and above. Reducing Windows memory footprint to deliver a fast and responsive Windows experience across the PCs customers use every day,” Davuluri wrote, according to Windows Latest.

Microsoft has not explained exactly how it plans to reduce Windows 11’s memory use. Windows Latest linked the effort to the company’s broader work on Windows components, including a shift toward WinUI for some interfaces, but the publication noted that no detailed technical plan has been released.

Tom’s Hardware said that the optimization is part of a wider Windows 11 improvement push. Other planned changes include a faster setup experience, simpler parental controls, improved voice interactions, a more reliable File Explorer, and additional customization for Search, Start, and the Taskbar.

Several of those changes remain in preview, so general users may need to wait weeks or months before seeing them.

Windows Central framed the announcement as a welcome but overdue move. The publication noted that Microsoft had already sold Surface models with 8GB of RAM before completing the operating system optimizations those devices could benefit from.

More Microsoft news

An 8GB Windows 11 PC still has limits

Windows 11 can already run on 8GB of RAM, but the experience depends heavily on workload.

Email, web browsing, streaming, and basic office applications may remain manageable, while heavy multitasking, dozens of browser tabs, gaming, creative software, and local AI tools can require considerably more memory.

Windows Central noted that users can still complete everyday tasks on an 8GB Windows 11 PC. However, the publication questioned why Microsoft sold 8GB Surface models before optimizing the operating system for lower-memory devices.

Microsoft’s announcement suggests Windows 11 still needs improvement on those systems.

For IT buyers, Microsoft’s announcement is a reason to monitor performance rather than immediately lowering purchasing standards. An 8GB device may suit tightly controlled, lightweight workloads, but 16GB still provides more room for multitasking, future software demands, and longer replacement cycles.

Rollout could begin soon, but details remain limited

Windows Latest expects the optimizations to appear first in Windows Insider builds before reaching general users gradually. Microsoft has not provided a firm release date or specific performance targets.

Independent testing will ultimately show how much memory Windows 11 saves and which devices benefit most. A leaner operating system could extend the useful life of existing PCs, but it will not turn every 8GB laptop into a machine built for demanding workloads.

Read the Windows 11 Security Cheat Sheet to learn how BitLocker, passkeys, Microsoft Defender, and other built-in features help protect your data, accounts, apps, and devices.

The South Korean government said Friday it plans to establish a new strategic investment account within the state-run Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) with at least 20 trillion won, or about $14 billion, in initial funding.

The fund is expected to begin operations next year after lawmakers consider amendments to the Korea Investment Corporation Act.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the fund will focus on long-term investments in AI, data centers, infrastructure and other strategic sectors, including semiconductors, robotics, biotechnology, aerospace and energy-related projects.

The government said the move is intended to help strengthen national competitiveness and attract additional investment from global sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors.

KIC has traditionally managed overseas assets tied to South Korea’s foreign exchange reserves. The new account would give the organization a mandate to invest in domestic assets while keeping its investment decisions separate from its existing foreign reserve portfolio.

Seoul Economic Daily reported that the fund will begin with at least 20 trillion won in capital, including contributions from public financial institutions such as the Korea Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank of Korea and the Industrial Bank of Korea, along with shares received through inheritance and gift tax payments.

The government plans to submit the legal revisions to Parliament next month and aims to have the legislation approved this year.

Announcement follows sharp market swings

The announcement came after a turbulent week for South Korean equities. The benchmark Kospi index had fallen more than 17% over three trading sessions before rebounding sharply Friday, when it surged a record 18%.

Officials said the sovereign fund proposal was not created as a market stabilization measure.

“The government has been planning a new strategic fund since last year and has been coordinating and developing the plans with relevant ministries,” the Finance Ministry said, according to Bloomberg. “The plan is not related to the market stabilization plans, and it is one of the government’s major projects that has been pursued since last year.”

Investor sentiment improved Friday alongside a broader rebound in global technology stocks, with chipmakers such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix posting strong gains.

More about data centers

What this could change

If approved, the fund would give South Korea a dedicated source of long-term capital for AI infrastructure and strategic industries at a time when countries are competing aggressively to secure semiconductor capacity, computing infrastructure and advanced technology supply chains.

Unlike many government-backed investment programs that operate on fixed timelines, the proposed fund is designed to hold investments for extended periods and reinvest returns, potentially allowing the state to remain invested as companies grow.

The approach could make South Korea a more attractive partner for global AI and infrastructure investors, but it also increases the government’s exposure to sectors that remain volatile.

AI-related assets have experienced large swings in valuation this year, and the success of the fund will ultimately depend on whether long-term technology investments generate returns that justify the public capital committed to them.

Also read: Samsung Heavy Industries plans to commercialize a floating AI data center platform by 2028 as land, power, and cooling constraints reshape infrastructure planning.