GitHub has introduced a revamped notifications system and a new way to follow repositories with updates to the watch and star functionalities. Users will now see a blue notifications indicator when they have unread notifications, and the introduction of "stars" allows users to track repositories of interest without receiving activity updates in their dashboard feed. Notifications are linked to the repositories users are watching, providing updates on discussions, issues, pull requests, and comments, while users can still receive notifications for specific interactions through @mentions or assignments. The new system also includes features like automatic watching when granted push access, thread-based notification roll-ups akin to email conversations, simplified notification settings, and the ability to route organization-specific notifications to different email addresses. Improved notification emails are also part of this release, enhancing user experience in managing their GitHub activities.