Windows Weekly (Audio)

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

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.

Sponsor:

• cachefly.com/twit

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

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.

Sponsor:

• cachefly.com/twit

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.

Sponsors:

• Miro.com/podcast
• Melissa.com/twit

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

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Sponsors:

• zscaler.com/zerotrustAI
• Melissa.com/twit

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

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.

Sponsor:

• canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT