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Windows Weekly (Audio)

Windows Weekly (Audio)

By: TWiT
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Windows Weekly is about more than Windows. Veteran Microsoft insiders Paul Thurrott and Richard Campbell join Leo for a deep dive into the most valuable company in the world. From consumer to enterprise, AI to Xbox, Windows Weekly is the only Microsoft podcast you'll ever need. You can join Club TWiT for $10 per month and get ad-free audio and video feeds for all our shows plus everything else the club offers...or get just this podcast ad-free for $5 per month. New episodes every Wednesday.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License - Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Politics & Government
Episodes
  • WW 984: For Entertainment Purposes Only - Price Shock With Surface Laptops?!

    WW 984: For Entertainment Purposes Only - Price Shock With Surface Laptops?!
    May 21 2026

    Windows Insider Program

    • Release Preview channel updates (including 26H1 for the first time? - A preview of the June Patch Tuesday updates - Shared audio, NPU usage in
    • Task Manager, multi-app camera support, Magnifier improvements.
    • Taskbar updates come to Insiders! Also in Canary, weʼre throwing them a bone this time.

    Enshittification remedies all around

    • Microsoft just held a WinHEC for the first time since 2018 and thereʼs a new Windows Driver Initiative!
    • Microsoft will soon let us remap Copilot key to Right Ctrl, which is what it was in the first place.
    • A Linux privacy nut YouTuber confuses privacy and security and doesnʼt understand Windows 11 so...
    • ... Paul wrote a complete guide to the local account de-Microsoft experience in Windows 11
    • Microsoft Edge will stop loading all passwords into clear text on startup like a big boy browser.

    Hardware

    • Paul came home to an ASUS Zenbook A16 and ohmygodohmygodohmygod

    Surface

    • Microsoft finally revs Surface Laptop and Surface Pro for Business, with Intel chips and VERY high prices.
    • Snapdragon X2 variants in late 2026 because of supply issues wa-waa-waaaaa.

    AI

    • MDASH is Microsoftʼs answer to Anthropic Mythos, in-house only.
    • Elon Musk and Sam Altman are both terrible but a jury decided against Muskʼs frivolous lawsuit.
    • OpenAI and Apple might head to court over Siri promises
    • OpenAI Codex is on mobile via the ChatGPT app
    • Google unleashes an AI tsunami at Google IO this week. A few relevant takeaways:
    • Overview of the major announcements
      • Google advances Android as a developer platform
      • Chrome is turning into a proactive assistant
      • Google AI subscriptions are an incredible value
      • Related: The Gemini Intelligence feature for Googlebooks and more has steep hardware requirements - 12 GB of RAM, flagship SoC So Pixel 10 series/Galaxy S26 series and newer only etc.
    • Just a reminder that Microsoft makes a Linux distribution ... for Azure specifically
    • More dev
      • WWDC schedule is up for June 8 opening day
      • Build 2026 kicks off June 2 in SFO
      • After another boring .NET 11 preview release, we finally get our first look at a major change: MAUI is switching from the Mono runtime to the CoreCLR runtime.
      • And we should pause for a moment to remember S "Soma" Somasegar, who sadly passed away this week.

    Xbox and Gaming

    • Next Xbox Elite controller leaks and it is glorious
      • Related: An Xbox Cloud-Connected controller leaks too and it is less than glorious.
    • Forza Horizon 6 is here, and itʼs on Game Pass on Day One.
      • Be sure to read Laurentʼs detailed review.
    • Haters gonna keep hating: Fans want Xbox exclusives because their heads are still in the sand.
      • Sony is allegedly returning to this model for single player experiences
      • Related: Sony raises prices on PS Plus
    • Fortnite comes back to the Apple App Store worldwide *excluding Australia for some reason.

    Tips and Picks

    • Tip of the week: Google AI Studio.
    • Vibe-code your next app with this incredible free tool.
    • Related: A look at Markdown editors.

    App pick of the week: DeskScapes 2026

    • Stardock DeskScapes 2026 is normally $9.99 but it will cost just $6.99 during the launch period.
    • Also: Firefox 151 is a big update on desktop and mobile, the latter gets the AI kill switch
    • RunAs Radio this week: UEFI Secure Boot with Richard Hicks
    • Brown liquor pick of the week: Daftmill Winter Batch Release

    These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/984

    Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

    Sponsors:

    • outsystems.com/twit
    • trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365
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    2 hrs and 44 mins
  • WW 982: Don't Lick the Manta Rays - Breaking Down Microsoft's Earnings

    WW 982: Don't Lick the Manta Rays - Breaking Down Microsoft's Earnings
    May 7 2026
    Microsoft's earnings report went out last week, and the company spent a lot on AI in the quarter. Microsoft updates its customers on what it's done to address Windows 11 problems. And Xbox kills Copilot plans for the console. Microsoft EarningsMicrosoft announced that it earned a net income of $31.8 billion on revenues of $82.9 billion in the previous quarter.Windows: 1.6 billion monthly active devices, a focus on quality after years of enshittification - but revenues from PC makers were down 2 percent YOY.Microsoft Edge "has taken share for 20 consecutive quarters," which isn't supported by the evidence.Bing "monthly active users reached one billion for the first time," raising questions about how Microsoft defines the term "user."Xbox: "The team is recommitting to our core fans and players, and shaping the future of play," new records for monthly active Xbox users and game streaming hours.AI: Capex spending in the quarter was $32 billion, down from previous quarter as previously described, but up 49 percent YOY. More earningsApple, Google/Alphabet, and Amazon.AMD - Up because of AI datacenter.Qualcomm - Plus, Intel just hired away a key Qualcomm exec. WindowsMicrosoft shares an update about what it's done to address Windows 11 pain points so far.Marcus Ash is one of the good guys.Some of this is happening in Insider, some is rolling out to retail.Windows Insider Program and Windows Update improvements we discussed last week - two primary channels in WIP now.Simplifying AI experiences - fewer Copilot icons (Notepad, etc.).File Explorer improvements - performance, fewer hangs, better polish and consistency.Widgets - Feed will be off by default, fewer interruptions, no hover activate.System performance - Smaller memory footprint, more aggressive RAM restoration, and more.Soon: Taskbar updates, Start updates, and more to share at Build in June.Week D update arrives with a peek at May's Patch Tuesday.Major: Xbox Mode, AI agents on the Taskbar are the first two big features of 2026.Minor: Also adds File Explorer improvements, new haptic feedback effects, touch keyboard improvements, and more.Shocking new report that Microsoft Edge is incredibly insecure should surprise no one. AIMicrosoft Agent 365 Platform is out of preview, supports local AI agents and Copilot Cowork Agent arrives on mobile with plugin support.Microsoft launches a Legal AI Agent in Word.Apple's plan to open up to multiple third-party AIs is a good one.Canonical's plan to add AI to Ubuntu is also good, but you're never going to believe what happened next. Xbox and GamingAsha Sharma reorgs Xbox, kills Copilot on the console.Forza Horizon 6, more coming to Game Pass in May.Xbox April Update is out with updates for all platforms.Next Call of Duty will not ship on Xbox One, PS4.Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is coming to the Mac for some reason.And finally, with the Supreme Court refusing to block the implementation of the ruling in Epic v. Apple, Microsoft's Xbox game store for mobile is one step closer to happening. Tips and picksTip of the week: Embrace inconvenience.App pick of the week: Windows Defender.RunAs Radio this week: Securing Active Directory with Spencer Alessi.Brown liquor pick of the week: Stalk & Barrel Whisky. These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/982 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors:outsystems.com/twitthreatlocker.com/twitjoindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIThelixsleep.com/windowscachefly.com/twit
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    2 hrs and 47 mins
  • WW 983: Puts the Buh in Benelux - Can Googlebooks Challenge Existing Laptops?

    WW 983: Puts the Buh in Benelux - Can Googlebooks Challenge Existing Laptops?
    May 13 2026

    It's not just Recall: Security vulnerabilities that require you to sign into an account on your PC are not necessarily vulnerabilities. Also, Windows 11 gets its first big feature updates in this week's Patch Tuesday releases. Snapseed 4.0 comes to Android/iOS, and Claude FM is great for relaxing or getting coding/work done. Plus, the Helium browser has emerged as a favorite with 2 notable caveats: No online settings sync and no mobile client.

    Windows

    • 25H2/24H2: Xbox Mode, Agents on the Taskbar, more
    • 26H1: Smart App Control improvements, other things we saw previously (26H1 is like the stable version of Canary, it seems)
    • Microsoft used a new Mythos-like model called MDASH to find vulnerabilities this month, so expect the numbers of fixed bugs to jump in coming months
    • A low-latency profile for Windows will let it optimize for app/UI launch performance just like mobile platforms already do
    • New builds across most channels with two major changes: Touchpad improvements in Experimental and free upgrade path to Pro for education users in Experimental Beta.

    A new threat emerges

    • Google announces Googlebook, an Android-based laptop platform with Google Intelligence
    • Some morning-after thoughts, including Microsoft promising AI and that Copilot will be the new Start, while Google delivers AI and is remaking the laptop as an intelligent device

    AI

    • Microsoft Edge gets big AI and productivity updates on desktop and mobile
    • An Anthropic engineer argues that AI should use HTML for output, not Markdown. He's right.
    • About that 4 GB Gemini Nano model that Chrome secretly downloads
    • OpenAI brings Codex to Google Chrome

    Security

    • A Bitlocker concern emerges
    • Microsoft Edge loads all saved passwords into plain text when it launches, Microsoft says this is as intended
    • Mozilla patched 423 vulnerabilities in Firefox during April, most courtesy of Anthropic Mythos
    • 465 million Amazon customers have enrolled in passkeys

    Xbox & gaming

    • Xbox Insider Program: New build for console with previously announced new boot animation, tiered Gamerscore badges, new filters in Game Library
    • Forza Horizon 6 leaks on Steam, those who play it early will be banned until the sun swallows the earth
    • Discord Nitro now has an Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition perk
    • Mojang will host a special MINECRAFT LIVE event on May 30
    • Sony sold just 1.5 million PS5s in most recent quarter, its lowest number yet
    • Nintendo sold just 2.49 million Switch 2s in quarter, lowers annual estimates
    • Supreme Court gives Apple the 🖕 so Epic v. Apple will head to remedy phase

    Tips & picks

    • Tip of the week: A web browser is the 1st step for anyone looking to escape Big Tech
    • App pick of the week: Helium
    • RunAs Radio this week: Production LLMs with Vaishnavi Gudur
    • Brown liquor pick of the week: Gouden Carolus Port Oak

    Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

    Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

    Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

    The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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    2 hrs and 17 mins
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