Windows Weekly (Audio)

Windows 11 just got its most noticeable Start menu revamp in a while, but is it a productivity boost or just more Microsoft meddling? The team digs into Patch Tuesday's big surprises and whether generative tools are transformative essentials or just a passing fad. Windows 11 Patch Tuesday was yesterday, your new Start menu is right where Microsoft left it Copilot+ PCs: Improvements to Click to Do, File Explorer, Voice access, and Windows Search All PCs, eventually: Taskbar improvements, Administrator Protection (off by default), Quality updates Heading into Ignite next week, Microsoft cites recent security wins in Windows 11 and Surface First 26H1 build comes to Canary to prove that there will be nothing new in it, ever Qualcomm takes a one-time $5.7 billion hit thanks to Big Stupid Bill but still nails it in quarterly earnings Microsoft WSJ continues its Microsoft financial accountability criticisms Also reports that internal documents state OpenAI expects to lose $74 billion in 2028, the year Anthropic will break even If Paul starts a business and it loses money for three years in a row, it becomes a hobby. So WTF is OpenAI exactly? AI Microsoft AI creates a Superintelligence team as a sort-of alternative to AGI Microsoft launched .NET 10 at .NET Conf on Tuesday - Plus, Visual Studio 2026 with a new monthly release schedule and Insider versions going forward Double-digit performance improvements again, somehow Uno announced Uno Platform Studio 2.0 with a fun surprise for Paul: They upgraded the original WPF version of .NETpad into a cross platform app in 3 minutes! There will be a demo on Thursday .NETpad is transitioning to WinUIpad with the Windows App SDK rewrite. It is going poorly because Windows App SDK is terrible, cannot be open sourced quickly enough Xbox Steam announces a new videogame console, the Steam Machine! Backbone Pro Xbox Edition is now available Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition is here with with Xbox Play Anywhere support, Creations Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming, so Halo: Infinite becomes a lot more finite Call of Duty Black Ops 6 player on PC? Hope you enjoyed that 180 GB "update" you had to install before playing a year-old game (also got a 6.7 GB update Wednesday. For the love of God) GTA VI has been delayed yet again as it edges into Duke Nukem Forever territory Sony has now sold over 84 million PS5 consoles, meaning it has outsold every Xbox generation ever made Sony is selling a 27-inch gaming display in the U.S. and Japan Tips & picks Tip of the week: Solving the problem over identifying the problem App pick of the week: Tiny11 Builder RunAs Radio this week: Azure Resiliency with Chris Ayers Brown liquor pick of the week: Kyoto Whisky Kuro-Obi Black Belt Blended 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: bitwarden.com/twit outsystems.com/twit auraframes.com/ink zapier.com/windows

We've heard that Microsoft will go off script this year with a 26H1 release of Windows 11 specifically aimed at Snapdragon X2-based PCs, as it did with the early release of 24H2 last year for the first-generation Snapdragon X. Also, Microsoft's latest earnings call left analysts baffled as execs dodged questions about multibillion-dollar AI losses and the real story behind OpenAI's ballooning deficit.26H1! Now confirmed by the release notes of a Windows Update And the Dev channel will soon switch over to 26H1 testing, with Beta moving to 25H2 (from 24H2) Expectations? All three versions will be functionally identical except for some Copilot+ PC-specific features that may be briefly only on Snapdragon X2. And then there will be a 26H2 for everyone More Windows 11 Microsoft (over) simplifies its Windows Update naming scheme, and then has to backtrack a bit because of admin/IT backlash October Preview Update screwed up Task Manager a little bit Dev/Beta update noted above included a new build with Ask Copilot in the Taskbar, Full-screen experience for Xbox gaming handhelds, Shared audio over Bluetooth LE in preview, and improvements to the WOA Prism emulator (which partially explains the expectations bit above) Microsoft Edge password manager can now save and sync passkeys, but you should still use a third-party password/identity manager Microsoft Store gets a bulk installer but only on the web Earnings learnings Microsoft earnings: Revenues up 18 percent to $77.7 billion but cost of AI is spiraling out of control and will only get bigger this FY Productivity and Business Processes revenues up 17 percent YOY to $33 billion Intelligent Cloud revenues of $30.9 billion, a gain of 28 percent YOY More Personal Computing delivered $13.8 billion in revenues, up 4 percent YOY. CapEx/AI infrastructure build-out costs are $34.9 billion (vs. $20 billion one year ago), plus a $4.1 billion loss attributed to OpenAI that was mentioned in a 10-Q (SEC) filing but not in its earnings reports Paul's analysis sticks mostly to Wall Street complicity in Microsoft's earnings non-transparency shenanigans. This is getting weird, given the amounts of money we're now talking about This isn't a first, but Spotify's earnings announcements includes a few BS sleights of hand too AMD: 36 percent revenue growth isn't enough for Wall Street Alphabet/Google: Up 16 percent to $102.3 billion, ads are 72.5 percent of revenues Amazon: Up 13 percent to $180 billion in revenues, $30 from AWS Apple: Up 8 percent to $102.5 billion, this quarter will be its best ever AI, antitrust, & dev Epic Games and Google announce settlement in Epic v. Google, a dramatic common-sense move that Apple should (but won't) emulate Regulatory filings tied to Microsoft earnings suggest OpenAI lost $12 billion in most recent quarter Freed from Microsoft, OpenAI immediately signs $38 billion infrastructure deal with AWS .NET 10 to launch next week at .NET Conf 2025 Xbox & games Xbox Game Pass getting Call of Duty Black Ops 7, five more Day One games in coming days (with an *) Xbox October Update rolls out with game shader preloading on Xbox Ally, new modules in Game Hubs on console, more games to stream on Xbox Cloud Gaming, more Nintendo Switch 2 is off to a blockbuster first year with T These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/957 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: helixsleep.com/windows framer.com/design promo code WW 1password.com/windowsweekly auraframes.com/ink

Welp, Azure crashed on Microsoft's earnings day, the cloud's weakest link exposed just as AI investments hit mind-boggling numbers. And 2.5 years into the AI era, things are still moving quickly, and there are extreme opinions on both ends of the spectrum. But Paul finally found a source for a good way to evaluate AI and figure out where it works and where it does not. It came from an unexpected place.Windows 11 Week D arrives with a massive Preview Update for 24H2 and 25H2 - including the new Start menu, finally Copy & Search, Voice typing improvements, Proactive Memory Diagnostics, more in Dev and Beta Copilot Vision in Copilot app updated with text input and output across all Insider channels Intel earnings are great unless you understand how numbers work Microsoft 365 Australia regulator sues Microsoft over misleading Microsoft 365 consumer pricing Copilot is being integrated into the People, Files, and Calendar companion apps for Microsoft 365 commercial On the day Microsoft will report earnings, Microsoft 365 and Azure went down. Hilarious! AI OpenAI completes its transition to a for-profit owned by a non-profit Microsoft's stake is 27 percent. A lot has changed in the Microsoft/OpenAI partnership agreement WSJ finally calls out Microsoft for its lack of financial reporting transparency. Paul's been complaining about that for over a decade - Big Tech has became a shell game. These companies are managing money they don't even have and actual products and services and "real" value be damned Big Copilot feature dump for consumers with a human touch: Mico, Copilot Groups, memory improvements, connectors, Proactive Actions in preview, Copilot for Health, Copilot in Edge improvements, and Copilot in Windows updates from last week Microsoft 365 Copilot is getting App Builder and Workflow agents GitHub Copilot to support third-party AI agents Grammarly rebrands as Superhuman Xbox and gaming Credible report claims Microsoft requires Xbox/Microsoft Gaming to deliver 30 percent profit margin That is impossible and this is clearly coming from Amy Hood and has led to the ensh*ttification of Xbox as a platform As Microsoft launches first gaming handhelds, all anyone wants to talk about is the next-generation Xbox console. It started with Sarah Bond last week - "very premium" console with "curated" experience Phil Spencer discusses it this week, who implied Windows at the heart of console The rumor mill churns up - Will be Windows, as we've said, will drop multiplayer paywall that debuted in 2002 Now Satya Nadella is commenting on the next console, confirms publisher focus for this business Halo: Campaign Evolved is coming in 2026, new features, new Unreal Engine graphics, new PS5 compatibility Also, The Outer Worlds 2 is now available. Yes, on PS5 too Amazon relaunches Luna, and the new Amazon layoffs point to a new focus on casual gaming Tips and picks Tip of the week: Understand where AI works and where AI is just a marketing term used to hype something that doesn't work App pick of the week: Tiny11 Builder RunAs Radio this week: AI for DBAs with Grant Fritchey Brown liquor pick of the week: Redbreast Dream Casks These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/956 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: framer.com/design promo code WW auraframes.com/ink ventionteams.com/twit cachefly.com/twit

Microsoft is promising a bold AI-infused future for Windows 11, as the company aims to turn the OS into an AI-powered "agentic" hub. Amid all the Copilot hype, the hosts ask the tough questions: Are these AI features solving real problems, or is Big Tech just chasing a revenue gold rush? Tune in for sharp takes on AI skepticism, notable buzzwords, and the practical impact of Microsoft's ambitious new direction. Windows 11... Windows.ai?? Microsoft announces several new Copilot and AI features in Windows while redefining the term "AI PC" out from under Intel New features: Hey Copilot wake phrase (and goodbye), Copilot Vision is GA, new features coming soon include Copilot replacing Search in the Taskbar, Copilot Actions for local files, Manus AI agent and Filmora integration with File Explorer AI Actions, Zoom integration with Click to Do This is about Windows transforming into an "AI native" agentic OS Which ties into Paul's AI is the End of Apps editorial, where apps became programmable so that they can be controlled by AI - You can see baby steps in Windows 11 in-box apps now Microsoft explains how it will secure agents in Windows because Recall what happened last time Microsoft releases so-called emergency update for Windows 11 after the October Patch Tuesday updates killed USB mouse and keyboard supports in the Windows Recovery Environment (WRE). Windows Insider Program: Mobile devices settings improvements, File Explorer improvements, Drag Tray improvements, and other changes head to Dev (25H2) and Beta (24H2) channels New Start menu, battery icons, Copilot Vision integration in Taskbar, File Explorer improvements, Voice access improvements, and Click to Do improvements (Copilot+ PC only) head to Release Preview, indicating they will be a Week D preview and then Patch Tuesday release in November Restyle rolling out in Paint across most Insider channels Open AI finally launches long-expected web browser, but only on the Mac because FU, Microsoft Facebook Messenger for Windows is retiring, will chase rabbits on a farm upstate Microsoft What does Microsoft's annual report say about its relationship with consumers? Three core consumer businesses: Windows, Microsoft 365 Consumer, Xbox/gaming Xbox/gaming smallest (500m) but also the most engaged - and also the most discussed in the report Not clear what % of users/revenues is consumer based, but it's not a small number (guessing its at least one-third of each) AI Copilot for Education is coming in December, $18 per student per month Anthropic Claude is coming for Copilot in Microsoft 365 commercial Copilot has AI competition on Samsung smart TVs now Opera Neon is getting an AI research agent Xbox and gaming Xbox president says next console will be "very premium". You know, like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. ASUS ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are now available for purchase New wave of games coming to Game Pass across PC, console, and cloud, including Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, The Outer Worlds 2, and more Following console price hikes, Xbox Development Kit gets a 33 percent price increase thanks to insane U.S. tariffs Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Laptops are upgradeable again and life is good App pick of the week: A grab bag of apps for Windows users RunAs Radio this These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/955 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: ventionteams.com/twit helixsleep.com/windows framer.com/design promo code WW outsystems.com/twit

Forget the doomsday headlines about Windows 10's end of life. Paul, Richard, and Leo break down why most users can relax, what Microsoft really has planned, and why the supposed landfill crisis around old PCs is mostly exaggeration. Also, Microsoft said OneDrive's new app was coming next year, but your file system says otherwise. Windows 11 October Patch Tuesday arrives, 1st for 25H2 Copilot+ PCs: Click to Do improvements, AI agent in Settings, File Explorer improvements 24H2/25H2: Desktop improvements, File Explorer improvements, Keyboard shortcuts for en and em dashes, Administrator Protection (off by default), Passkey improvements, Game Bar improvements Windows 10 (didn't) reach EOL and the world didn't end Zorin OS and ChromeOS Flex seize the moment Windows Insider: Copilot on Windows gets Connectors, Document creation and export. Copilot on Windows gets Settings support. Dev and Beta get AI agent in Settings improvements (Copilot+ PC), Setting search improvements (ditto), Drag Tray, Click to Do improvements, Dark mode improvements Dashlane partners with Yubico to make security keys primary vault access Lenovo ThinkCentre neo 50q QC is a Snapdragon X-based SFF PC HP OmniBook 5 16-inch shows why even the cheapest Snapdragon X chip is a winner Hope springs eternal: Intel Panther Lake is the efficiency of Lunar Lake plus the performance of Arrow Lake. Hopefully, it's not the reliability of either IDC: PC sales jumped 9.4 percent in Q3, just not where you live AI AI is the end of apps Microsoft reveals its first image generation model Opera Neon adds Nano Banana (image gen) and Sora (video gen) capabilities Xbox and gaming Target and Walmart will keep selling Xbox consoles unlike those losers at Costco A veteran of Halo Studios leaves, warns everyone Sorry, but there will be a sequel to the Minecraft movie Game Pass member? Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is free to play for one more day Sony and AMD trickle out some PS6 news in a bizarre way - oh, and we're just getting started Tips and picks Tip of the week: Yes, Virginia, you can still sign in to Windows 11 25H2 with a local account App pick of the week: The new OneDrive app RunAs Radio this week: The End of NTML with Steve Syfuhs Brown liquor pick of the week: Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bourbon 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zapier.com/windows bitwarden.com/twit

The Windows 25H2 update is shrouded in mystery, but does it actually bring anything new to the table... or just more headaches for upgraders? Paul has been updating the Field Guide for 25H2, which will be an all-new addition. This is a chance to re-evaluate workarounds on unsupported hardware. This one still works: You can easily upgrade any Windows 10 or 11 PC, supported or not, using the 25H2 ISO and the D:\setup.exe /product server command line. Windows 11 25H2 is out. Or is it? (New segment: This week in no one has 25H2 yet) New Dev and Beta builds enforce MSA at first sign-in This is the right choice for everybody, and enthusiasts can still use a local account sign-in After a leak, Microsoft announces new OneDrive client with Copilot integration and agents are on the way (of course they are), with new mobile clients etc. Mozilla Firefox finally supports profiles, PWAs Also, Brave has over 100 million users now AI OpenAI inks a major deal with AMD too ChatGPT is now a platform with support for third-party apps Perplexity Comet now free to all with usage limits Xbox and gaming Hand-wringing over Xbox reaches all-time high with Game Pass Ultimate price hike How bad is it and what can Xbox do to reassure fans? Microsoft: Just kidding on Game Pass Ultimate price hike, but only in certain countries Microsoft: No, we have not cancelled the next-gen Xbox console Hands-on with the Legion Go 2! Windows can work as a mobile gaming platform. Just not right now New Game Pass titles across PC, console, and cloud for early October a bit later than usual Free, ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming tier is on the way Total victory for Epic Games in Epic v. Google, Google must open up Play Store this month Tips & picks Tip of the week: Upgrade to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware App pick of the week: Opera Neon RunAs Radio this week: Managing for Failure with Amy Norris Brown liquor pick of the week: Weller 12 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: helixsleep.com/windows 1password.com/windowsweekly zapier.com/windows

Windows 11 version 25H2 is here, but blink and you might miss the difference from last year! Also, Microsoft just hiked Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $30/month and is leaving gamers everywhere weighing their subscriptions—and their loyalty. 25H2 is here?! Microsoft announced that 25H2 is GA! But where is it? And what is it? Microsoft has a list of "new" features More Windows 11 Microsoft delivers the 24H2 Week D update in Week E No, it's not the preview version of 25H2 for some reason But it is a massive update. And it is essentially 25H2 Pavan Davuluri was promoted to president and his first change was to bring Windows engineering back in-house and out of Azure Dev and Beta: Minor changes to File Explorer, Quick settings, Get Started Photos app is getting AI-based categories Windows 10 Extended Security Updates to be free-free in the EU Snapdragon X2 It's real and it's really better than almost anything out there. The bad news: Not until next year Hardware prototypes point the way for device makers Arm is the epiphany we need for everything to just work Also, apparently Qualcomm still makes phone chips Qualcomm declares "total litigation victory" against Arm Holdings. More like Harm Holdings, ammmi right? AI Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella steps aside to focus on engineering Microsoft enters a new era for Copilot/AI "More Copilot" is the new "more cowbell" Microsoft 365 Premium is the AI-powered subscription you were looking for, Copilot Pro is out This maps neatly to the three app structure model and to Paul's "I will not pay for AI" thing Tied to this, Microsoft also announced inside app vibe working updates across Office apps Is this also tied to low uptick on paid AI? Report claims just 8 million seats for Microsoft 365 Copilot Stevie Bathiche came to Hawaii to talk about the importance of NPUs and on-device AI "Directive AI, 80 TOPS NPUs enable concurrent AI, AI agents are the "outside app" structure, Orchestration is evolving Copilot users can talk to a cartoon now Xbox and gaming Major revamp to Xbox Game Pass with some good and some bad Xbox Cloud Gaming is out of beta after what feels like 17 years, now on all Game Pass tiers Game Pass Ultimate gets big price hike but also some improvements Game Pass Premium replaces Standard Game Pass Essential replaces Core Amazon Luna got a big update too You can preorder a ROG Xbox Ally Gaming handheld now And Microsoft announces how it will handle compatibility Costco drops Xbox consoles Flight Simulator 2024 is coming to P5 in 2025 EA goes private for $55 billion Tips and picks Tip of the week: Videogames are getting expensive App pick of the week: Proton Mail RunAs Radio this week: HaveIBeenPwned with Troy Hunt Brown liquor pick of the week: Compass Box Vellichor 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: 1password.com/windowsweekly zapier.com/windows

Paul Thurrott reports live from Maui with exciting details on Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon X2 Elite chip and how it could shake up the PC world, while behind the scenes, Microsoft quietly drifts further from OpenAI just as an NVIDIA mega-deal makes headlines. Is Windows about to get its biggest reboot in years, and can ARM finally topple Intel? Windows 25H2 is imminent: The real ISOs and eKBs are here! Paul's Arm-based trip to Mexico and Arm-based Apple-tastic experience at Snapdragon Summit And yet. It's Week D. And we didn't get any preview updates (for 24H2) Windows AI Labs is a thing If you're migrating from Windows 10 get a Windows 11 on Arm PC, Microsoft suggests New AI features coming to Notepad, Paint, and Snipping Tool New Dev and Beta (and Canary) builds: Click to Do translation, Share with Copilot, Accounts management improvements AI The Microsoft/OpenAI rift widens yet again NVIDIA invests $100 billion in OpenAI, days after "investing" $5 billion in Intel Intel will keep making its own GPUs because who gives a crap Microsoft is bringing Anthropic Claude to Microsoft 365 Copilot - "Model choice" Microsoft reportedly trying to pay publishers for content used by AI Microsoft Teams is getting more agents Google Chrome is getting a major AI update Snapdragon Summit 2025 6G, AI as the new UI, glasses as the next wave, Android PCs out of nowhere X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme (with up to 18 cores for ultra-premium PCs) 3rd Gen Oryon CPU (X2 was 1st gen, last year's phone chip was G2) 75 percent faster CPU perf than competition at ISO power First Arm chip to hit 5+ GHz New Adreno GPU architecture with 2.3x perf per watt and power efficiency over previous gen Hexagon NPU with 80 TOPS for "concurrent AI experiences" on Copilot+ PCs Supports latest 5G SD X75 modem, Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4 75 percent faster CPU perf than competition at ISO power Bad news: First half of 2026 availability Not in the press release: The secret of why X2 Elite Extreme is so fast Xbox Microsoft raises Xbox console prices for the second time in 2025 Here comes the Gaming Copilot on Windows 11 Google is copying it on Android and bringing Android and native games to Windows now Tips and Picks Tip of the week: Think of 1 story for everyone you care about App pick of the week: Notion 3.0 RunAs Radio this week: Managing Vendor Incidents with Mandi Walls Brown liquor pick of the week: High Coast Whisky Quercus IV Mongolica 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: threatlocker.com/twit uscloud.com cachefly.com/twit

With Windows 10's end-of-life looming, Paul and Leo dissect the real risks, questionable hardware requirements, and whether dumping old PCs in landfills is an acceptable trade-off for modern security. Plus, why is Apple finally buying up touchscreen displays for MacBooks after years of resistance, and what could that mean for the future of both Mac and Windows hardware? Windows Consumer Reports asks Microsoft to continue Windows 10 support Reminder: Windows 11 25H2 ISOs are available... x64 only, in Insider Preview. Arm version is from Dev channel and is a VHDX Dev (25H2) and Beta (24H2) - Copilot prompt in Click to Do, Prompt recommendations in Start, controller navigation for gaming handhelds, SCOOBE, agents in the Store, more Release Preview (24H2 AND 25H2) - Click to Do table detection, action tags, and Summarize improvements; agent in Settings improvements, Hardware indicator improvements, more Quick Machine Recovery is a solid addition to your recovery toolbox Microsoft releases Windows 365 Cloud Apps in Preview A MacBook with a touch screen? Oh the irony Microsoft 365 Microsoft finally settles Teams antitrust case with EU and you're not going to believe what happens next Microsoft 365 desktop apps (i.e. "Office") gets Copilot chat even for free - Web grounded? That's ungrounded, right? Microsoft 365 commercial pulls in previously separate sales, service, and financial services Outlook Lite is heading off to a farm to chase rabbits No more Office file editing in Microsoft 365 Copilot app for iPhone and iPad AI OpenAI and Microsoft hint at another major restructuring of their partnership Auto AI model selection comes to Visual Studio Code. Your orchestration is showing Visual Studio 2026 on .NET Rocks and the recent news about configuring GitHub Copilot in VS 20xx. Hardware October is going to be a big month for new hardware Apple rumored for October Google Home on October 1 with Gemini Amazon devices (September 30, close enough) Where are the next-gen PC chips? Xbox & games Third-party store integration comes to Xbox app on Windows Microsoft kicks off another big half month for Xbox Game Pass Epic Games can't stop beating Google in court Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Improve Windows 11 security App pick of the week: Google app for Windows Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: uscloud.com helixsleep.com/twit

Windows 11 just dropped one of its biggest updates yet, but new features and relentless AI integrations are making right-click menus bigger—and more confusing—than ever. Is Windows getting better, or just busier? Windows 11 • Patch Tuesday arrives with several new features for all Windows 11 users • A few new features added for Copilot+ PCs • This may be the last cumulative update before 25H2 Windows Insider • New Canary build includes features we've seen before • Copilot+ PCs bring Windows Studio Effects to secondary cameras in Dev and Beta channels Hardware • 40-year Intel veteran now leads PC chips business • Paul's continued criticism of Lunar Lake problems • Lenovo's three IFA concept devices should become shipping products Apps • Atlassian acquires The Browser Company, potentially threatening the Dia browser Microsoft • Microsoft mandates employees return to office three days per week • Microsoft accused of "gross cybersecurity negligence" Dev • Microsoft open sources 6502 BASIC • First Visual Studio 2026 preview now available • Individual developers can register for Microsoft Store for free Mobile • Google ships Android 16 QPR1 with Material 3 Expressive on Pixel devices plus September Pixel Drop • Apple announces iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone Air, AirPods Pro 3, and new Apple Watches • Comparison of OS updating styles between Apple, Google, and Microsoft and their impact on hardware upgrades AI • Microsoft to pay almost $20 billion for third-party AI infrastructure • Microsoft may turn to Anthropic for Office apps • Anthropic settles with book authors, then judge rejects the settlement (Apple faces similar lawsuit) • Google details all Gemini tier offerings • Firefox will use Apple Intelligence on iPhones with iOS 26 Xbox and Games • Lenovo Legion Go 2 coming in October with new Xbox Ally OS in early 2026 • Xbox to announce games at Tokyo Game Show on September 25 • Xbox Cloud Gaming coming to select cars • PlayStation 6 will be modular Tips and Picks • Something to read: iWar by Tim Higgins • Something to watch: New Dave Plumber interview on YouTube • Something to get for free: Microsoft 365 free for US students for one year • Something to plan for: Proton offers emergency access on accounts • RunAs Radio this week: Training for AI with Stephanie Donahue • Brown liquor pick of the week: Boplaas 8 Single Grain Whisky 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: helixsleep.com/twit bitwarden.com/twit

Paul Thurrott is in Berlin this week for IFA 2025! With AI models multiplying across devices and Microsoft plotting a post-OpenAI future, Paul and Richard debate whether Copilot and local AI finally hint at what's next for your PC. Paul also reacts to the surprising Google antitrust ruling, questioning whether judges are truly willing to rein in Big Tech or just maintain the status quo. Has the battle for online competition already been lost? Windows 11 Four new builds issued in the Insider Program at the same time (rare) Dev and Beta: New Microsoft 365 text actions in Click to Do, Braille Viewer, more Share changes Canary: Nothing to see here, move along The Mobile Plans app you never used in Windows 11 is going away Windows Backup for Organizations is here Dolby Vision 2 is on the way Dell hits record revenues, but not because of PCs - PC revenues $12.5 billion, up 1 percent HP revenues up 3.1 percent and it is because of PCs - PC revenues $9.9 billion, up 6 percent Reminder that Lenovo is curiously dominant in this market - PC revenues $13.5 billion, up 18 percent Antitrust Google unexpectedly given a pass on egregious antitrust violations "We don't do these things because they are hard" Ensh*ttification Amazon begins restricting the ability to share Prime free shipping within a household This, from the company that makes you pay to remove ads from a video service you're already paying for YouTube is changing what it means to be in household This week from the misinformation files Microsoft denied that it had anything to do with SSD fails Google denies that it warned 2.8 billion Gmail users about anything If it happened online, it must be real AI Microsoft AI releases its first-ever in-house models and one is quite mysterious Copilot is coming to make your smart TVs dumber Anthropic will now train Claude on user data unless you opt out NVIDIA is still doing pretty well financially The Pixel 10 series phones are all about AI Camera Coach It's fascinating to reexamine the initial Pixel launch for its forward-leaning looks at AI, computational photography, and more Xbox and games Xbox August Update brings a few interesting new features Activision inks deal to make a Call of Duty movie Hollow Knight: Silksong and more are coming to Game Pass in first half of September Tips & picks Tip of the week App pick of the week: Vivaldi RunAs Radio this week: Episode 1000! Brown liquor pick of the week: Canadian Club 1858 Original 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: uscloud.com threatlocker.com/twit 1password.com/windowsweekly

Protesters take over Microsoft's Building 34, objecting to the company's technology being allegedly used by Israel. Is it more than simply cybersecurity usage, and how is Microsoft handling employee activism? In other news, Gemini suddenly vaults to the front of AI image editing capability, and the OG Gears of War has been remastered at least twice (but now it's cross-platform). Windows 11 Resume from your (Android) phone in testing in Dev and Beta channels Copilot app gets semantic search and new home page across all Insider channels 25H2 feature focus: Administrator Protection probably works but it's more disruptive than even UAC was Windows 11 gets a nice Bluetooth quality update Parallels Desktop 26 for Mac is out, but it's a minor update for individuals Microsoft 365 Microsoft to fix one of the biggest issues with Word Reminder: OneNote for Windows 10 hits EOL in October AI Apple's AI floundering continues as it considers a Perplexity or Mistral acquisition And tests a Gemini AI model for Siri in-house Perplexity offers a $5 per month Comet Plus subscription that pays content makers Anthropic sort of brings Claude extension to Chrome NotebookLM audio and video overviews are now available in over 80 languages And AI Mode is now available in Search in over 180 countries Norton's AI web browser gets off to a rough start Proton Lumo gets a big update Rant: The real problem with the Windows 2030 talk, and why everyone (on both sides) is wrong about AI Dev Microsoft lets Visual Studio devs tune-down GitHub Copilot, finally Microsoft makes some progress with improving Windows App SDK, supposedly Xbox and gaming Xbox Cloud Gaming expands to Xbox Game Pass Core Standard, adds PC games for the first time Steam and other stores come to Xbox app on PC Activision says it will reverse some of the stupidity it introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Nintendo invented the 30 percent fee that's still common today in digital app/game stores, but when it did so, the fee actually made sense... and it still does today, but only for the videogame industry Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Edit images with Gemini Tip of the week: Subscribe to Chris's new newsletter, The Windows ReadMe App pick of the week: Gears of War App pick of the week: NVIDIA Broadcast app Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott Guest: Chris Hoffman 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: cachefly.com/twit

Leo, Paul, and Richard break down Google's Pixel 10 launch spectacle, poking fun at celebrity overkill and asking whether anyone actually cares about new phones anymore. Plus, they dig into Lenovo's record-breaking quarter, surprising shifts in the PC market, and the ongoing struggle between innovation and copycatting in the AI arms race. Also, Notion has finally added basic offline support, which should make it stickier than ever. You got your AI in my Windows Pavan Davuluri discusses how AI will impact the Windows user experience Not the same video series as the previous "vision" video Davuluri leads Windows and Surface, so his words matter Changing: Interactions, business models, experiences Multimodal - in this case, meaning adding natural language interactions and vision to keyboard, mouse, touch, pen, etc. - "experience diversity" Powerful AI models running on-device are "transformational" Predictably, the Chicken Littles are losing their s#%t yet again. Guys. Come on. Windows 11 Semantic search and new Copilot home page for all Insiders Click to Do selection modes, minor improvements in Beta and Dev Recall and other Copilot+ PC features FINALLY come to Canary A few minor additions to Canary, nothing new to everyone else Notepad is getting an updated context menu and the Chicken Littles are losing their s#%t yet again. Guys. Come on! Lenovo earnings up 22 percent, best PC market share ever, number one in AI PCs too AI Google Chrome takes the subtle approach Brave found a major security vulnerability in Comet Like my wife, Gemini remembers everything I ever said now Duck.ai gets GPT-5 Mini access, web search results Grammarly announces CODA-based editor, several AI agents Xbox and games Another stunning Windows on Arm development The Xbox app actually works now on Windows 11 on Arm, meaning not just game streaming but also downloads. Except, of course, that it mostly doesn't work Heretic/Hexen installs and runs great Asus ROG Xbox Ally handhelds to launch on October 16 Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 with four-player co-op campaign Indiana Jones coming to the Switch 2 Gears of War: Reloaded, more coming to Game Pass in late August To help Xbox, Sony raises prices on the PS5 GeForce Now gets more powerful cloud GPUs Tips & picks Tip of the week: Windows 11 Field Guide, 25H2 Edition is on the way App pick of the week: Notion RunAs Radio this week: Data Governance for AI with Martina Grom Brown liquor pick of the week: Chichibu Ichiro's Malt & Grain Whisky 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: uscloud.com

Patch Tuesday was yesterday, so find out what's new! Plus, two of the best-ever Doom engine games are now available in remastered form (4K/120 FPS, new episodes, cross-play, multiplayer, more) on Game Pass, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC (Windows), PS4, PS5, Switch, Steam, GOG, and various cloud streaming services. It's a free update if you already own either game. Also, if you have a local library, you should use it. If only for Libby by Overdrive free audiobooks and free access to periodicals. But then be surprised by all the services they offer!Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs: Recall comes to the EU, Recall Reset, Click to Do improvements, AI agent in Settings All: Quick Machine Recovery, black screen of death, Snap layouts improvements, Gamepad layout for Windows Touch Keyboard Blender is now native on Windows 11 on Arm Search settings consolidation in Canary Mobile device companion sidebar for Start gets a new layout in Dev More Control Panel settings move to Settings app in Dev and Beta Windows 10 Consumer ESU licenses will support up to 10 PCs Microsoft will support Edge on Windows 10 through October 2028 (as expected) AI OpenAI releases GPT-5 but not everyone loves it Quickly brought back GPT-4o And now the model picker is back, for now Microsoft is adding it everywhere, of course, and Apple says it will add to Apple Intelligence - And Bing just added support for GPT-4o image creation Perplexity makes unsolicited $34.5 billion bid for Google Chrome Comet - New tab page with Chat, can choose a Google Search as you type, Assistant in a sidebar, Summarize webpage/document, voice dictation, voice mode, big feature is website interactivity Microsoft Edge in Copilot Mode - most evolutionary update, new New Tab page, Quick assist with Copilot button location change, Simple task handoff (which needs work), Voice navigation But some bigger UI changes are on the way Dia (Mac only for now) - Also, there's a Pro subscription - New Tab page with chat and an attempt at orchestration, @mentions for tabs, Skills (built-in, can edit, can make you're own), and personalization Next up: Opera Neon - And what is Google doing with Chrome? Copilot 3D can turn images into 3D models - It's a "Creators Update"! Microsoft is EOLing the Lens app - use Microsoft Copilot 365 app instead Microsoft/Surface GitHub CEO is leaving, Microsoft is rolling GitHub into its Core AI organization Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 get firmware update to add battery charging modes Xbox and games Sony sold 2.5 million PS5s in quarter, now over 80 million cumulatively Microsoft rumored to have sold only 21 to 29 million Xbox Series X|S consoles Big Windows 11 on Arm updates! Game downloading is coming to Xbox app on Windows 11 on Arm Epic Games and Qualcomm bring Easy Anti-Cheat to Windows 11 on Arm/Snapdragon X Apple and Google have illegal mobile app store monopolies in Australia, so Fortnite is coming back to the iPhone there via Epic Games Store Microsoft is updating Xbox Dashboard and app to show game trials and demos in "Free with Xbox" section Microsoft has paused the production of Contraband Steam for Chromebooks Beta will never leave beta, discontinuing in January instead Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Go to the library App pick of the week: Heretic and Hexen These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/945 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: bitwarden.com/twit helixsleep.com/twit threatlocker.com/twit

Microsoft's fiscal year ended on a high note, assuming you didn't just get laid off. WinSAT's formal assessment will give you some interesting PC performance information, similar to the old WEI score from Windows Vista. And Proton finally makes a standalone authenticator app; How to transition from whatever you're currently using and why you'll need to keep using Microsoft Authenticator too.Microsoft Earning Quarterly: net income of $27.2 billion on revenues of $76.4 billion. Those figures represent gains of 24 percent and 18 percent, respectively, year-over-year (YOY) Annual: a net income of $101.8 billion (up 16 percent YOY) on revenues of $281.7 billion (up 15 percent) Another look at layoffs, which are nothing new under Satya Nadella - Over 17,000 in CY 2025 so far, despite over $100 billion in profits in FY Headcount "unchanged" YOY Big announcements below were likely made to avoid Qs about layoffs and it almost worked AI spending in FY was about $85 billion, higher than promised AI spending in this quarter will jump to $30 billion (!!!!) Azure earned $75 billion in revenues in FY, its first-ever disclosure of this number - Fun with math, that means $56 billion in revenues in previous FY. How far back can we go? Microsoft's market cap exceeded $4 trillion after earnings release "Copilot" has over 100 million MAUs, really M365 Copilot, which even Nadella thinks is a new M365 tier GitHub Copilot has over 20 million MAUs, probably most are free HUGE gains in Microsoft Gaming/Xbox, discussed below Windows 11 But first, something completely different: Microsoft's "vision" for Windows in 2030 David Weston a curious choice for this video, first in a series - he's in security Daily work life changes thanks to AI - less toil work, less eyes and more talking, multimodal interactions Security - customers want appliance-level security, "it just works" security - Degenerates into a general security discussion Back to AI, reclaiming our lives Windows 11 SE, RIP - We hardly knew you. Literally. Insider: Changes to Home view in File Explorer for Work and School sign-ins, Settings app changes in Dev (25H2) and Beta (24H2) More earnings AMD - HUGE gains in its PC businesses! Qualcomm up 10% Apple up 9.6% Amazon up 13% AI & dev OpenAI releases its first open-weight reasoning models and Microsoft gives them away for free Apple is trying to Sherlock ChatGPT Of course Alexa+ will get ads Dev: Microsoft has a native app problem on Windows Microsoft says it will fix Windows App SDK Paul just switched .NETpad to the Windows App SDK and can confirm it's a nightmare WPF is half-assed... and last year, it took Microsoft over 9 months to deliver the first Windows Copilot Runtime capabilities to devs, but you still can't use this in production. Also, it's not called that anymore Xbox & games Microsoft Gaming has over 500 million MAUs - More fun with math COD has 50 million MAUs Microsoft has nearly 40 games in development Xbox Game Pass has $5 billion in revenues in FY, over 500 million hours played in FY Gaming Copilot (Beta) is available on Game Bar for Windows PC for Xbox Insiders enrolled in the PC Gaming Preview Assassin's Creed Mirage and more coming to Game Pass this month OG Switch models now cost more thanks to tariffs Tips & Picks Tip of the week: These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/944 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: 1password.com/windowsweekly uscloud.com

Ten years ago yesterday, Microsoft released Windows 10, fixing the issues with Windows 8.x and giving Windows 7 users a solid upgrade. One historical curiosity: It was the first Windows release without a major launch event. In other news, Microsoft publishes a Nadella email to the troops about the layoffs, but he never really addresses the layoffs.Windows 10 turns 10 The Bad: Its legacy is mixed, as this is when the enshittification of Windows began, really Windows as a Service Ads, crapware, and telemetry — plus some made-up privacy issues Terry Myerson gaff about one billion users Universal apps/One Windows was a bust, with Windows Phone and HoloLens failures Windows 10's launch was a missed opportunity to make the Store matter The Good: Windows Subsystem for Linux was huge WinGet was also huge, but is underappreciated and underutilized to this day It did reverse the mistakes of Windows 8, and in time it got more stable as Microsoft figured out WaaS (and then went on to abuse it) Oh, and the Windows 10 Field Guide is free to celebrate the anniversary Windows 11 Microsoft is using Rust for Surface drivers, and it wants all Windows drivers to switch to Rust too The Link to Windows app is getting a nice upgrade on Android Dev (25H2) and Beta (24H2): Settings agent for x86, SCOOBE changes, Click to Do improvements, Windows Search improvements Canary: Just a couple of bug fixes (Actually, two builds, one today also with no features) Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, and Media Encoder are Now Native on Windows 11 on Arm in beta Opera files antitrust case against Microsoft in Brazil for Windows 11/Edge behaviors Another app blocking Recall in a slow-drop of negative Recall-related AI privacy news for Microsoft. Rant: More importantly, Recall is boring and not useful given the hype around it. Intel earnings are flat, but more layoffs are on the way Lenovo rollable laptop in action! (ThinkBook Plus Gen 6) Lenovo makes a lot of weird laptops now (like the dual-screen Yoga Book 9i Paul reviewed last year) — apparently they didn't get the message after Microsoft cancelled the Surface Neo and Windows 10X. Does the average modern Windows laptop really need a touchscreen? Is this a relic of the Windows 8 era? AI & Microsoft 365 Perplexity Comet is real and it shows the way forward for AI web browsers Coincidentally, Microsoft suddenly launches Copilot mode for Microsoft Edge. (But I've played with Copilot Mode, and it's no Comet or Dia.) Copilot is getting real-time expressions. It's the return of Clippy! Microsoft's long-term Copilot plans are a lot wilder than you might expect Google earned $96.4 billion in one quarter. This shows that it has not been impacted by other AIs yet Xbox & gaming Xbox is coming to Gamerscom in Germany in August, and it's bringing the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds The July Xbox Update is here and it's all about the PC Paul reviewed the Lenovo Legion Go S, and the Windows experience was so bad. Also, PC OEMs are having trouble competing with the Steam Deck's pricing on gaming handhelds. Tips & picks Tips of the week: Chris and Paul are partnering on his new newsletter App pick of the week: Perplexity Pro Beer pick of the week: Alesong Rhino Suit These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/943 Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott Guest: Chris Hoffman Sponsor: cachefly.com/twit

Microsoft finally kills Movies & TV show service in the Microsoft Store. This was the final vestigial minder of Zune that remained. There was Groove Video and Xbox Video, too. Microsoft previously killed eBook (2019) and music (2017) sales. At this point, you would have to be insane to buy content from Microsoft, sorry... but you can get to some of your content on other services via Movies Anywhere - and use the Movies & TV app for now in Windows, which is no longer bundled. Windows 11 It's Week D and you can't tell your Copilot+ PC features from your Windows 11 features without a scorecard A peek at next month's Patch Tuesday - Also, preview updates for 23H2, Windows 10 Copilot+ PCs only: Settings agent, Click to Do improvements, Photo relight in Photos app, Sticker generator and Object select in Paint Everyone: Copilot Vision (U.S. only) in Copilot, Edge Game Assist, Quick Machine Recovery Microsoft explains how PC transfer feature will work in Windows Backup later this year Describe image action for Click to Do (for AMD/Intel), image descriptions in Narrator (AMD/Intel), performance log improvements (!), Click to Do search bar test, Lock screen improvements, privacy improvements head to Dev and Beta channels Bug fixes in Canary, back to the usual waste of time Brave will automatically block Recall WhatsApp is going PWA, killing UWP app Focusrite finally releases drivers for Windows 11 on Arm/Snapdragon X, removing the final major compatibility issue on that platform Linux (sort of) crosses the 5 percent usage milestone Surface/Copilot+ PC Copilot+ PC is a failure as a brand because Microsoft focused on negligible on-device AI features It should have pushed reliability, performance, efficiency and battery life All Copilot+ PC features should come to at least those with GPUs, but really all customers Microsoft failed at AI, and failed with consumers, and so now it's going to tell us what consumers want from AI - a comedy Microsoft announces Surface Laptop for Business with 5G but the real "with" is Intel Inside Intel layoffs are even worse than expected and more are coming Microsoft has a problem and it starts with "C" and ends with "opilot" Microsoft SharePoint has a notably bad security flaw DuckDuckGo adds some neat customization features to Duck.ai and DuckDuckGo lets you hide all AI from search Xbox and gaming The Xbox platform unification continues: Xbox now testing cross-device play history - Not just console games on console, PC games on PC Just kidding! The Outer Worlds will cost $69.99, not $79.99 Tips & Picks Tip of the week: You hate Big Tech, but who can you trust? App pick of the week: Proton Lumo RunAs Radio this week: Copilot Studio with April Dunnam Brown liquor pick of the week: Benromach 10 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: threatlocker.com/twit 1password.com/windowsweekly

Microsoft just made a major change to the Windows 11 install media, and you're not going to believe what happens next! Plus, the AI spelling and grammar checking app/service that Paul relies on. And yes, he does pay for it. Windows 11 Copilot Vision gets full Desktop support, Voice integration across all Insider channels Click to Do gets a "Describe image" action, Administrator protection, App permission dialog changes in Dev (25H2) and Beta (24H2) Canary finally gets the features everyone else has had for a while now Also, Microsoft quietly killed the simplified date/time in the Windows 11 Taskbar because no one liked it PC sales grew 5 percent in Q2 but there is a BIG caveat Semi-related: Google is "combining" ChromeOS and Android ChromeOS will build on Android going forward, smart Even less related: HMD quietly pulls Nokia out of the U.S. market, the dream is over Microsoft 365, AI Microsoft layoffs directly attributed to AI Microsoft scuttled OpenAI's acquisition of Windsurf and all hell broke loose Google snapped up key execs and engineers and licensed Windsurf for $2.4 billion All's well that ends well: Cognition acquires Windsurf Microsoft keeps changing the terms of the deal: Microsoft 365 apps will be updated on Windows 10 only through August 2026 Microsoft 365 Copilot is finally getting a Memory OpenAI is going to war with Microsoft and the world It's working on a web browser It's also working on an office productivity suite of sorts Google NotebookLM gets curated featured notebooks. This is emerging as one of the more useful AI tools Xbox and Gaming Xbox app for Windows 11 gets "Stream your own game" functionality Grounded 2, more coming to Game Pass in second half of July Cyberpunk 2077 is coming to the Mac for some reason Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Save big on PCs, go refurbished App pick of the week: LanguageTool for Desktop RunAs Radio this week: Fabric in 2025 with Arun Ulag Brown liquor pick of the week: Slane Triple Casked Blend 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: helixsleep.com/twit bitwarden.com/twit uscloud.com

It's been a big year for Windows 11 updates. This month is at least semi-manageable! Also, a few more bits from the layoffs. Plus, Amiga Forever 11 and C64 11 Forever help you live in the past! Patch Tuesday Copilot+ PC only: Ask Copilot action for Click to Do 24H2 only: Show smaller Taskbar icons. Screen curtain feature in Narrator. Settings home page for commercial customer 23H2 and 24H2: Windows Share shows preview when sharing web content. Beginning of PC migration feature in Windows Backup. More changes for EU users to meet DMA requirements, mostly Edge related Windows 10: EU/DMA updates as above More Windows 11 WE DID IT! Windows 11 is now in use on more PCs than Windows 10. It's time for Windows 12! No new Insider features but some bug fixes in Canary Microsoft Edge keeps getting more responsive Microsoft 365 and AI Teams gets threading in Channels about three years later than needed Google brought its Veo 3 video generation model to all AI Pro subscribers last week, and now it's bringing that and two other big AI features to Pixel Perplexity just launched its AI web browser Xbox and gaming No, Phil Spencer is not retiring Romero Games forced to cancel Xbox shooter, lay off 100 employees Warcraft Rumble Mobile won't get any more updates Xbox angst in the wake of last week's layoffs is mostly undeserved Xbox fans keep finding new ways to complain - Most of the game/studio closures we know about were well-deserved. If anything, Microsoft let these things continue for too long with no viable deliverables But what is Xbox? Looking at the platform and what Microsoft has done under Phil Spencer paints a very different picture than all the moaning we see on social media Game Pass was key to getting Satya Nadella to keep Xbox going, but after the Activision acquisition, the day and date promise was unworkable. After the changes and price hikes, it's possible that Game Pass has peaked. Microsoft uploaded an out of date version of Call of Duty: WWII to the Store and hilarity ensues Sony to publish a game for Xbox for the first time Epic Games quietly settled with Samsung ahead of today's Unpacked event - but not with Google Tips and picks Tip of the week: Office 365 for IT Pros 2026 Edition is now available App pick of the week: Microsoft Edge RunAs Radio this week: Building Real Software using PowerApps with Luise Freese Brown liquor pick of the week: Bolster Road Maple Rye Whiskey 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. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: 1password.com/windowsweekly threatlocker.com/twit

Microsoft's latest round of layoffs hits Xbox Gaming hard as the company cuts approximately 9,000 jobs despite record profits. This week, Paul Thurrott and Richard Campbell discuss the impact of these layoffs, Windows 11's new version naming, Microsoft Copilot coming to Mac, and dive deep into passkey security. LAYOFFS As expected, Microsoft began a massive round of layoffs across Xbox/Microsoft Gaming on Wednesday. The fiscal year started on Tuesday. These were originally going to happen a week or two earlier. 9,000 employees impacted across Microsoft - about 4 percent of workforce, Xbox/MSGaming was NOT hit hardest, Microsoft now says (on top of 6,000 in May). 10 percent of King being laid off. Carefully worded email from Phil Spencer requires some parsing. It's Finally Official: 25H2 Is Next! Microsoft finally admits that the Dev channel is testing Windows 11 version 25H2, which will arrive, as expected, around October This news came as part of another set of commingled Dev and Beta channel builds. 25H2 will be delivered as an enablement package, so it's a minor release technically. Dev and Beta are linked because 25H2 and 24H2 are linked: Each will get the same features, as started with 22H2/23H2 in late 2023. Windows 11 Last week was Week D, but we didn't get preview updates per usual before WW That finally happened last Thursday - new preview updates for 24H2 and 23H2/22H2 24H2: Click to Do improvements, start of PC migration in Windows Backup, small icons in Taskbar, more. Windows Insider Preview: Those Dev/Beta builds noted above have the first implementation of third-party passkey. Microsoft Edge 138 is a pretty big update, with AI-enhanced history search and Copilot integration into the search box and new tab page. AI Microsoft 365 Copilot is available on the Mac. Apple may cave and adopt Anthropic Claude and/or OpenAI ChatGPT for Apple Intelligence. After Coda's acquisition and $1 billion in funding, Grammarly acquires Superhuman to build an "AI-native" productivity suite that will take on Big Tech (Microsoft, Google) and Little Tech (Notion, Proton) alike. Xbox and Gaming Xbox 360 dashboard is getting its first update in years. Halo Studios teases an October tease of the next Halo from the studio. New Game Pass titles for the first half of July - plus, COD: WWII turns up in Game Pass for the first time. Cursor sort of comes to the web and mobile - like Adobe Firefly on mobile, but for devs when "the mood strikes". Tips and Picks Tip/App picks of the week: Cure Mac envy. The Mac is about to get even prettier. But Windows 11 can rise to this challenge. The PC matters: Paul recommends Surface Laptop 7 as a MacBook Air alternative. Software? It's all free. Full screen apps: Hide the Taskbar and touchpad gestures - also, use DS Clock if you need to see the time. Transparent system menu? You can make the Taskbar transparent too. Want Spotlight? No problem, we have Command Palette (an updated, more extensible PowerToys Run) in PowerToys. Bonus app pick: Inoreader for RSS feeds (and read later if you want). RunAs Radio This Week: More Azure Innovations with Mark Russinovich Brown Liquor Pick of the Week: Alberta Distillers 23 Year Old Rare Batch No. 1 These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/939 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsor: uscloud.com