Windows Weekly (Audio)

Backlash against tech criticism, Ralf Groene retires, Hardcore Software

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

For full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/877

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On this episode, Paul shares his thoughts on the Snapdragon X Elite chip with Leo and Richard. Windows 11 24H2, AI, NPUs, and SoCs from Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm are all on the way this year. But a schedule is finally starting to emerge. And it looks like we'll soon have answers to the questions about how or why AI will matter on PCs.

Windows, AI, and the future

Windows 11 version 24H2 - staggered release schedule as discussed last week Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite-based PCs in May/June - nothing but good news to date, but Paul went hands-on last week. It's the real deal. Intel's first-gen Core Ultra chipsets are lackluster, but now we have big promises for Arrow Lake in late 2024 Microsoft Build 2024 is in mid-May, and now we have a session list with some nice clues. For example, Introducing the Next Generation of Windows on Arm Microsoft is expected to unveil 24H2 and new X Elite-based Surface PCs at Build Computex and other milestones, and then back-to-school and holiday selling periods

Windows 11

Moment 5 arrives in stable with yesterday's Patch Tuesday (which is now called the General Availability channel, by the way). Of course, we still don't have all the features. In particular, waiting on Android phone as a webcam. IDC says PC market grew by 1.5 percent in Q1 and acts like it's the turnaround of the century Microsoft is manually blocking certain registry keys related to default browsers now: Apple-like non-EU belligerence or pragmatic protection of user choice? Why can't it be both? Beta channel (last week) - Copilot actions improvements New Store app update improvements performance dramatically The Windows 11 de-ensh*ttification experiments continue Does Windows 11 Enterprise solve the problem? No. So it's time to move on

Hardware

TSMC gets some of that sweet, sweet CHIPS Act money to expand its US operations

AI

Three AIs comparison Blockbuster report claims OpenAI/Microsoft, Google, and Meta stole content at scale to train AI Microsoft opens a new AI hub in London Google mulls charging for generative AI in Search Spotify lets user create AI playlists using text prompts now Brave brings Leo to iOS, so it's on all supported platforms now. And it added Leo to Brave Talk Premium too Google rebrands Studio Bot to Gemini in Android Studio, still in preview. This is their GitHub Copilot

Xbox

Microsoft rolls out April updates for Xbox consoles, Xbox app on PC Xbox reorgs, Kareem Choudhry leaves Microsoft A rumored game preservation team is too obvious not to be true

Tips and Picks

Tip of the week: Microsoft Store hosts its annual Spring Sale App picks of the week: Standard Notes & Beeper RunAs Radio this week: Securing AI with Sarah Young Brown liquor pick of the week: Dalwhinnie 15

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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Windows 11 version 24H2 is coming and you're not going to believe what happens next... and then again 6 months later

Microsoft reveals Windows 10 Extended Security Updates pricing Paul reinstalled Windows 10 after three years on Windows 11. There's some good and some bad Multiple sources have revealed a staggered release schedule for Windows 11 version 24H2

Insider Builds

Canary/Dev - Widgets improvements head out to more people Canary/Dev (today) - New build today with minor changes, bug fixes (24H2 RTM-ish?). Canary/Dev switch is ending soon Microsoft is moving Photos app to Windows App SDK (from UWP, presumably). Paul has theories Microsoft will move the Widgets button in Windows 11 if you put the Start button on the left Dropbox comes to the Microsoft Store in Windows 11. It only took 12 years

AI

Copilot for Microsoft 365 is getting many new features by the end of April Copilot for Microsoft 365 picks up priority ChatGPT-4 Turbo and no more conversation limits You can use ChatGPT without an account now, asterisk, asterisk Amazon concludes its $4 billion investment in Anthropic Opera is bringing local LLMs to Opera One web browser Google: Just kidding, non-Pro Pixel 8 will get Gemini Nano too, and you can suck on the performance issues Is Intel circling the drain?

Antitrust

The EU is predictably investigating Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon—for not complying with the DMA. Notably absent from that list? Microsoft. Which is unique among Big Tech in that it is being reasonable with DMA compliance and antitrust in general Microsoft debundles Teams from Office. Too little too late?

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 Basic picks up some new features A random Microsoft engineer found a backdoor lurking in a Linux utility and might have saved the world LinkedIn isn't just getting games, it's getting TikTok-style videos too .NET 7 EOL is coming. Is the .NET support schedule too aggressive?

Xbox

A MASSIVE LIST OF ACTIVISION GAMES ARE COMING TO GAME PASS! Just kidding, you're getting Shadow of the Tomb Raider, jerks Xbox is getting an AI-powered support agent. Huh. Kind of like a personal assistant then. If only they had a name for this thing Phil Spencer says he's open to rival games stores on Xbox Take-Two is buying (most of) Gearbox for $460 million. A Grand Theft Auto and Duke Nukem cross-over is inevitable Rumored white Xbox Series X emerges. White and discless? YOU'RE white and discless!

Tips & Picks

Tip of the week: You can still access legacy File Explorers in Windows 11 App pick of the week: Two for two RunAs Radio this week: Microsoft Copilot for Security with George Coldham Brown liquor pick of the week: Clonakilty Irish Whiskey

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

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The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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On Windows Weekly, Moment 5 has arrived as a Preview Update, Windows 10 gets a preview update, and Microsoft announces the Surface Pro 10 & Surface Laptop 6 for Business at a digital event. Designer and Copilot are coming to the Microsoft 365 mobile app. Would Microsoft develop a Windows-based gaming handheld device? And Canva acquires Affinity.

Windows

Moment 5 arrives as a Preview Update right on schedule - it's Week D, etc. Microsoft previously described this schedule in its DMA compliance documentation, and noted that it would be fully deployed in stable by the end of April. Quick raise of hands: Did you think this was already available? You're not alone. But ... you know. Microsoft. Oh, and there's a preview update for Windows 10 too. Because come on Microsoft. Don't worry, that lock screen nonsense in Windows 10 is coming to Windows 11 too. Qualcomm claims that most Windows games will "just work" on its X Elite processor. How? Chromium accepts Microsoft commit that will improve Chrome/Chromium text rendering on Windows. Google Chrome comes to Windows on Arm, instantly legitimatizing the platform.

Surface

Microsoft announces Surface Pro 10, Surface Laptop 6. For businesses, only - Intel Core Ultra-based. Consumer versions based on X Elite to follow in May, according to reliable rumors. It's first "AI PCs," supposedly. But now we know why they are using that terminology, and it's stupid. (Related, Intel has its own definitions for what makes a PC an AI PC.) This was billed as an AI event, "the new era of work," but there was NO news for Windows or Copilot. None. Why is that? One word: Momentum.

AI

In the wake of Microsoft AI reorg (a NeXT-style takeover), a key Microsoft exec says no and steps aside, will likely leave the company Microsoft Teams is gaining new AI capabilities because, duh, of course it is Designer and Copilot are coming to the Microsoft 365 mobile app - Two more checkmarks for that grid of Copilot capabilities Our developer show schedule is complete: Apple to host WWDC 2024 in June, following Google I/O and Build in May Samsung spreads Galaxy A1 to more devices starting tomorrow in the US

Xbox

It's finally happening: Diablo IV will be the first Activision Blizzard game on Xbox Game Pass when it goes live tomorrow. Phil Spencer says Windows is wrong for gaming handhelds, thinks an Xbox would be better. Xbox is testing mouse and keyboard support for Cloud Gaming.

Tips and Picks

Tip of the week: Arc browser just became more viable on Windows. App pick of the week: Affinity Photo 2 Also: Proton Pass now supports (portable) passkeys. And it's free. RunAs Radio this week: GitHub for SysAdmins with April Edwards. Brown liquor pick of the week: Stauning Kaos Danish Whisky.

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

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The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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On this episode, Paul, Richard, and Mikah talk AI developments, Windows 10 (yes, 10), Azure egress, and even VR gaming! Is the new Microsoft AI organization an "acquisition" in disguise? How did NVIDIA's recent GTC keynote go? Plus, why it makes sense for Apple to partner with Google for Gemini on iPhone.

AI Reorg

Microsoft has created a new Microsoft AI "organization" that reports directly to Satya Nadella Led by former Inflection co-founders and staffed in part by several ex-Inflection employees Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, who orchestrated Microsoft's OpenAI partnership, will continue forward in his other role as executive vice president of AI and will remain responsible for Microsoft's overall AI strategy Mikhail Parakhin and the entire team responsible for Copilot, Bing, and Edge, plus Misha Bilenko and the GenAI team, will move into Microsoft AI. Rajesh Jha will continue as executive vice president of Experiences & Devices and will "partner closely with Mustafa and team" on Copilot for Microsoft 365. What does this mean for Windows? (Paul's guess: Not much. Windows is still presumably under Jha)

Windows

Windows 10 (Yes, 10, not 11) is getting new Sports, Traffic, and Finance cards on the lock screen for some reason No new Insider builds since last week! WHAAAAAT?

Microsoft 365

No AI for you! Microsoft announces perpetual Office 2024 and Office 2024 LTSC for late 2024 AI for you! Microsoft 365 web apps now support Copilot Pro users Better AI for you! Free Copilot gets ChatGPT-4 Turbo (previously a paid feature) Microsoft follows Google and AWS, ends Azure egress fees - the other European Big Tech battleground

AI

Apple is almost certainly going to (try to) partner with Google on AI for iPhone How the F is Microsoft not part of this? Google I/O is set for May 14, Apple WWDC will be in June, both to focus on AI (duh) Microsoft to host "AI and Surface event" right before Build 2024 in May Nvidia is determined to not just ride the AI wave, but win it In the wake of a subtle rebranding, Google is bringing generative AI to Fitbit Amazon is bringing generative AI for product pages to sellers

Xbox

New games across Game Pass for the second half of March - including, for the first time, an Activision Blizzard title, Diablo IV Microsoft is killing the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox... though there is a Rewards tab on your Profile page. LinkedIn is experimenting with games because everything has to suck now Sony halts PSVR2 production because no one wants to pay $550 for VR on PS5

Tips and Picks

Tip of the week: Steam Sale goes through tomorrow (March 21) App picks of the week: Stardock ObjectDock 3, Proton Mail native app, Firefox 124 RunAs Radio this week: From SysAdmin to Platform Engineer with Steve Buchanan Brown liquor pick of the week: Bull Run Oregon Single Malt Whiskey

Hosts: Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell, and Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

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The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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Can we have a Windows experience tailored for enterprise efficiency? Paul, Richard, and Mikah unpack the freshest updates from Windows 11's March 2024 Patch Tuesday, dissect Microsoft's transparency behind Midnight Blizzard's November attack, and speculate on Microsoft's much-anticipated Surface/AI event. Plus, Paul offers insights from his time with Copilot Pro's custom GPT builder.

Windows 11

Patch Tuesday new features: Phone Link settings is renamed to Mobile devices, USB 80 Gbps support, more - Windows 10 users get some love (hate?) too Microsoft confirms that Moment 5 will be delivered in the March preview update, fully deployed in late April Microsoft details how it is changing Windows in the EU - and now we all want to move to the EU Beta (last week): New Copilot actions experiment Dev and Canary: Unified Teams experience, Copilot updates to more people, Power Automate via Copilot in Windows, Live Captions quick settings tile, progress bars in Taskbar icons, File Explorer file copy improvements, etc Beta (today): Most frequently used apps now appear in Recommended

Microsoft

Microsoft continues to dribble out details about that Russia-sponsored hack and the news is predictably getting worse each time We have an event! March 21st will focus on Copilot, Windows, and Surface

AI

Microsoft brings Custom GPT Builder to Copilot Pro subscribers Here comes Copilot for Security. April 1 rollout is perfect Teams app developers get AI capabilities via a free Microsoft toolkit Opera Feature Drops to bring new AI features early to Opera One EU moves to the AI Act

Microsoft 365

Microsoft finally spells out its commercial deployment schedule/plans for the new Outlook. Let the complaining continue Skype is updated with new Channels features, prompting questions about Skype still being alive Parallels Desktop for Mac is updated with Clipboard and game improvements for Windows VMs

Xbox

Some Activision QA works vote to unionize More Microsoft Studio titles come to Boosteroid, that service you only heard of because of the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard

Tips & Picks

Tip of the week: Time zone math App pick of the week: Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is now available! Plus, Joplin (a Notion alternative) RunAs Radio this week: Understanding Large Language Models with Jodie Burchell Brown liquor pick of the week: Bushmills 21

Hosts: Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell, and Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

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The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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This week, Paul, Richard, and Leo unpack the twice-delayed unveiling of Moment 5 for Windows 11 and the long list of small features it brings to users, alongside whispers of new Surface devices on the horizon. Plus, they dissect the implications of Elon Musk's critical eye on OpenAI and the captivating prospect of upscaling classic adventure games via DirectSR.

"Moment 5"

Moment 5 is here. Sort of. In preview. Well, some features This was supposed to happen before last week's Windows Weekly, but the announcement was delayed twice

Windows 11

Microsoft quietly reveals that it is killing the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), triggering two reactions: "Who cares?" and "Why?" Beta: Controversial new mouse hover experience for Copilot Dell had double-digit revenue declines in Q4, all of 2024 HP revenues fell 4.8 percent in Q1

Surface

Rumor: Microsoft to launch Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 soon, with both Intel Core Ultra and Snapdragon X Elite variants

AI

Microsoft engineer continues to raise disturbing issues with Copilot Microsoft Edge picks up two new AI features: Video highlights and screenshot integration Copilot is coming to OneDrive (commercial) and Microsoft 365 mobile app Microsoft announces Copilot for Finance Microsoft files motion to dismiss parts of the NYT's copyright suite, compares AI to a Betamax machine. Maybe not the smartest comparison Elon Musk sues OpenAI because something something ChatGPT picks up a Read Aloud feature. Is there anything AI can't do?? Anthropic announces a three-tier Claude 3 family of LLMs with the usual claims Apple releases the M3-based MacBook Air. Or should we call it the MacBook AIr? Brave brings Leo AI to Android app

Xbox

Microsoft comes clean on DirectSR, will say more soon Xbox Partner Preview event today - Final Fantasy XIV, STALKER Original Trilogy, more announced MLB The Show 24, more come to Xbox Game Pass in March Linux exceeds 4 percent usage share for the first time. Is this the "SteamDeck" effect?

Tips and Picks

Tip of the week: Twitter user? Disable this new feature immediately App picks of the week: LibreOffice, Vivaldi, Anytype RunAs Radio this week: Upgrading TLS with Scott Helme Brown liquor pick of the week: Hornitos Black Barrel

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

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The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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The newest version of Windows 11 is entering a new rollout phase. Some new exciting hardware from Lenovo emerged from this year's Mobile World Congress. And Paul has been using Copilot Pro for some time and is quite happy with it so far!

Windows

Windows 11 version 23H2 enters a new rollout phase - the "you're getting it whether you want it or not" phase. Canary: Wi-Fi 7 support, 16 new actions for Windows (+13 there already), separates from Dev channel again. Photos app to get generative erase functionality.

Hardware

Snapdragon X Elite destroys Intel Core Ultra in AI performance tests. Is this finally the year of Windows on Arm? Intel rolls out vPro versions of Core Ultra for businesses. Lenovo imagines transparent displays, ships actual ThinkPads. HP brings NPUs to its consumer PCs. Samsung Galaxy Book4 series is now available in the U.S. with unique Copilot features. Microsoft lays out its 2024 event calendar, and Ignite is in Chicago in November!

AI

Microsoft (quietly) adds four GPTs to Microsoft Copilot. Microsoft partners with Mistral AI, and gets immediate regulatory notice GitHub Copilot Enterprise is now available with organizational GPTs Google pauses Gemini image creation after, um, some issues Help Me Write is now in Google Chrome Brave Leo now supports PDFs and Google Drive

Xbox

Xbox will attend GDR, and will discuss DirectSR Microsoft starts testing Game Hubs in Xbox app for PC Lots of Age of Empire releases this year GeForce Now Free is adding pre-roll advertising

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: Turn off Microsoft Start in Widgets. Widget is finally closer to what most people will want. App pick of the week: Microsoft Copilot Pro Podcast pick of the week: Copilot Governance with Martina Grom Brown liquor pick of the week: Ian Macleod's Isle of Skye Range

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

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The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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Microsoft's big Xbox strategy event was exactly what Paul expected it was going to be. Hopefully, this calmed some nerves.

Xbox strategy reveal

It was going to be about Activision Blizzard originally (nailed it) All first-party games will be in Game Pass on day one (as is the case now) Game Pass will only be on Xbox (whatever "Xbox" means as it's on PC too) The strategy is unchanged: Meet gamers where they are But the best experience is on Xbox (this is like going from "Windows only" to "Windows first" to "Windows best") Portability across hardware platforms is a key part of the strategy - Backward Compatibility, etc. A future generation of Xbox console hardware will offer "the largest technical leap you have ever seen in a hardware generation." Oh, and four games are coming to "other consoles."

Windows 11

Microsoft is quietly adding off-ramps to the Insider Program after killing the Magic window with their screwed-up release schedule Canary and Dev - 24H2, same builds. New navigation pane in Widgets - new accessibility setting for low-vision users - that same tired weather experience on the lock screen that is already in stable and seriously kill me now I can't stand this company anymore. Oh, and there are ISOs. Beta - New prompts for that "manage mobile devices" features, updates to Snipping Tool and Notepad (also in RP) Release Preview - We're testing Moment 5 now, so this is a huge update Microsoft fixed a bug that let Edge siphon browser data from other browsers Stardock brings pre-release support for Arm versions of Start11, Fences, and Groupy to new Object Desktop Insider program Google has an answer for those out of support Windows 10 PCs

Build 2024

Microsoft confirms that Build 2024 is May 21-23 in Seattle. No word on press invites

Microsoft 365

Microsoft will finally unify the Teams clients on Windows and Mac Microsoft is killing Publisher in 2 years and even though no one uses it, people are freaking out

AI

Microsoft to use Intel Foundry for at least one in-house custom AI chip Now OpenAI is worth over $80 billion, is world's third-biggest unicorn OpenAI announces Sora and... HOLY #$%^ Gemini (formerly Duet AI) comes to all Workspace customers Google brings Gemini down to size with Gemma for free, local use Adobe Acrobat is getting an AI assistant

Xbox

Game streaming is (probably) coming to all the Xbox games you own More (non-AB) games are coming to Game Pass in February Microsoft goes after Apple's non-compliance DMA compliance in the EU Epic announces a game store for iOS in Europe, will launch this year Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story will release on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch on March 13

Tips and Picks

Tip of the week: Androids by Chet Haase App picks of the week: Dashlane, Firefox 123, Bonjourr Cocktail of the week: Sumi - This is a "clasicos Baltra" from the most famous bar in Mexico City. Tanqueray Ten Gin, Violet liqueur, Jasmine syrup, Yuzu, Egg white. Serve in a coupe glass, and garnish with dried flowers.

Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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