Windows Weekly

Microsoft and NVIDIA's RTX Spark laptops are official, with preorders open and shipping October 16. Prices run from $2,599 (24GB) to $5,899 (128GB, already sold out on Surface). Paul and Leo cover who needs that much RAM, what "hybrid intelligence" means, and why Paul's new Googlebook disappointed him.
Windows
RTX Spark laptops: from $2,599 (24GB), $3,700 (32GB), $5,899 (128GB). Ships Oct 16
Partners: Microsoft, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI. Paul reviews the HP OmniBook Ultra 16 first
Surface RTX Spark Dev Box: $6,000+
"Hybrid intelligence": local AI first, cloud when needed
Windows Search gets inline AI actions in Insider builds
Cloud Rebuild adds better remove and sanitize options
Windows app adds Remote PC connections (preview)
Intel Wildcat Lake: Paul's test laptop was slow even with 16GB
Googlebook first look: Lenovo Googlebook 15 (~$1,100) is missing basics an iPad has
Microsoft has tried to kill Windows many times, including the leaked Project Aion
AI/Dev
Microsoft AI ships new voice and transcription models
Gemini 4 Argon is announced, but limited to cybersecurity partners
Google Docs and Drive add native Markdown
C# Dev Kit 11 arrives with .NET 11
Xbox and Gaming
Rockstar corrects reports of exclusive Xbox GTA VI streaming. Launch is Nov 19
Xbox Elite Series 3 controller leaks again, with a built-in screen
October Game Pass: Battlefield 6 and more
Sony brings QSSR AI upscaling to the standard PS5
Google Playground lets you vibe-code games
Tips and Picks
Tip of the week: Desktop98.com, a Windows 98 simulator in your browser
App pick: Gears of War: E-Day (Game Pass Ultimate and PC)
Brown liquor pick: 1792 Small Batch bourbon
Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott
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Why does Microsoft keep stumbling with new devices and software design... and what happens when enthusiasts start favoring AI over old-school Office? Paul, Richard, and Leo dig into shifting loyalties and what that means for the future of the desktop. And with the release of 26H2, it's time to update your install and recovery media. The build number is 26300.9457
Windows
Windows 11, version 26H2 is here
New features, none unique: Start, Taskbar, Search, etc
New defaults for some features: Windows settings backup for commercial customers, etc.
The time a UX legend interviewed for a job at Microsoft running Windows UX
WSL Containers are generally available in Windows 11
Four new Insider builds, but only Experimental gets anything interesting: Phone companion improvements and Energy recommendations directly in Quick Settings
Software
Microsoft retires the Microsoft 365 Companion apps for Windows 11 that never made sense in the first place
Mozilla ships the new Nova UI in Firefox 157
Hardware
Copilot+ PC brand could be on the way out, but it was all over IFA, including on RTX Spark-based PCs
Microsoft launches new base Surface Pro and Laptop models with Snapdragon X2 - And a new mouse, for some reason
Qualcomm brought (first-gen) Snapdragon X to Googlebook, but it's also bringing X2 to Linux
Google quietly reveals that, yes, Chromebooks are on the way out
AI
Microsoft unveils the Copilot "super app" and the notion that this is basically an OS
Open releases about 1000 new updates for ChatGPT
Claude Sonnet 5.5 joins Opus 5.5
The AI money pit, part 127: Report details Anthropic losses, spending, and revenues. Report also does a bad job at visualizing that information
XBOX and gaming
Disc to digital program is live
Minecraft Dungeons is here with a new dimension, and it's coming to Minecraft next year too
Microsoft has a new casual mobile game for some reason
XBOX now has mythic achievements
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Get the Windows 11 version 26H2 ISO
App pick of the week: Opera on desktop and on mobile
RunAs Radio this week: AI and Penetration Testing with Paula Januszkiewicz
Brown liquor pick of the week: Kilchoman Loch Gorm
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Windows
Week D arrives, and this time we get updates - a preview of Octoberʼs Patch Tuesday
24H2/25H2 Minor update with new Copilot key remaps, Wi-Fi in WRE, more
26H1 Major update that brings all new 26H2 features—Start, Taskbar, Search —to 26H1. Finally.
Windows Insider Program
Four new builds last Friday - Biggest change is Cloud Rebuild in WRE (in Experimental) gaining new capabilities.
Software
30 years ago, Dave Plummer created Task Manager, and now heʼs vibe-coded a modern version that works on Mac and Linux too.
Stardock announces a new Windows 11 utility called Snipboard.
Clipchamp does AI upscaling to 4K now
Hardware
The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15p Aura Edition is nearly perfect, with 11 hours of battery life.
Googlebook revealed!
Questions answered - $899 starting price is much lower than expected.
This is Androidʼs Copilot+ PC moment - An AI PC? What a concept!
AI/dev
Microsoft announces a OneDrive + Copilot event in October - Also a separate Copilot event before then.
Financial Times reveals internal OpenAI prediction of $278 billion in losses over the next five years.
NYT copyright case discovery reveals what Microsoft and OpenAI really think about stealing content.
Anthropic merges Cowork into chat, adds Docs and Slides.
Google Labs CC turned into Gemini Daily Brief, so now itʼs an AI agent for families.
Google opens up its Home smart home ecosystem to other AI assistants.
XAML.io is a web-based vibe coding IDE for .NET apps and it looks amazing.
XBOX and Gaming
A big reorg and a small number of layoffs at XBOX sets off a new round of hand wringing.
Tip and Picks
Tip of the week: Get Auto SR on Panther Lake-based laptops
Auto SR was designed to make gaming viable on Windows 11 on Arm/Snapdragon X/X2, but now itʼs available on Intel Core Ultra Series 3-based PCs and it is worth experimenting with.
App Pick of the Week: Affinity
Possibly the greatest free app in existence, Affinity just got 60 new features and is even better.
Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott
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Microsoft's record-breaking Patch Tuesday unleashed nearly a thousand fixes, but the bonus story is in the chaos that followed as out-of-band updates and AI-driven bug hunts left admins scrambling to keep up.
Windows
Patch Tuesday was so buggy Microsoft had to release an emergency fix to address all the issues
New Release Preview builds for 24H2/25H2 - I guess we're moving past the features that are also in the initial 26H2 release - New Copilot key remapping feature, they will get it right eventually
Five builds across Experimental and Beta channels - All over the map as you'd expect
Google releases the Gemini app for Windows
Adobe released Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2027
AnyType is a top-tier Notion alternative and it's about to get very interesting
Microsoft previews an October Windows + Surface event that's clearly all about Nvidia - but is this also tied to 26H2 release?
HP announces a new Ryzen-based portable workstation with an interesting detail about unified memory
Apple announced iPhone 18 Pros, iPhone Duo, Watch 12 + Ultra 4, AirPods 5, and then released its '27 OS updates - And sure whatever
AI
AI fear-mongering reaches new heights (or new lows): Is this just PR from Big AI to keep the money rolling?
Bill Gates says Gates Foundation will donate $1+ billion to solve AI inequality
Big AI could solve the PR problems by actually doing something positive for mankind. Just a thought
Copilot Work and Copilot Studio get app building capabilities
Google will bring MCP to Google Home, in early preview now
Mozilla and Mistral partner on Firefox Smart Window AI
XBOX and gaming
Gears of War: E-Day and more is coming to Game Pass in the second half of September
XBOX is going to the Tokyo Game Show and a nice surprise for Kojima fans
Valve opens up Steam Frame preorders and it's only $1060!
Amazon Prime Gaming and Luna are having a pretty g26ood September
Apple is reportedly making an iPhone game controller for some reason
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: There's a new MSA bypass for Windows 11 Setup
App pick of the week: Google Dreambeans
RunAs Radio this week: Patching in 2026 with Susan Bradley
Brown liquor pick of the week: Art of the Spirits Honored to Serve
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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With Microsoft shattering records for patched vulnerabilities and AI exposing even more bugs, Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell debate whether this tidal wave of fixes signals progress or just bigger trouble ahead for Windows users. Also, Sonos is back and here's something no one has been able to say for, well, forever: It's new app is great! Plus, Gemini's Daily Brief is surprisingly useful, and it's available for free to everyone in the U.S.MICROSOFT MAKES MAJOR FINANCIAL REPORTING CHANGE
The canary in the coal mine has finally been rewarded: Microsoft will dramatically change how it reports earnings, effective immediately.
The good: Didn't see this coming, Microsoft will allegedly be transparent about Azure revenues every quarter
The bad: A simpler structure means more revenues are being hidden and you can only make accurate YOY comparisons dating back two years now
The unknown: What this will really look like in practice
How is it possible that Paul has been all over this for years and Wall Street has mostly ignored it?
Windows
Patch Tuesday arrives - And, yes, it's basically 26H2
New Start, Taskbar, and Windows Search are generally available
Is the "real" 26H2 still on track for October or does it just happen whenever?
Microsoft fixed almost 1000 security vulnerabilities this month (974), with 723 of them in Windows and 112 of them critical-severity. It has already released over double the number of security patches this year (2760) as it did in all of 2025 (1139).
Five new builds drop just ahead of Patch Tuesday updates with three minor new features
Project Zenith is a misguided attempt to make Windows better for developers that shows they've learned nothing
Microsoft Edge team promises two contrary improvements: Faster extension approvals, better quality
It came from IFA
Lenovo: Two AMAZING prototype PCs, one of which is imminent as a shipping product. Two killer NVIDIA RTX Spark-based laptops. Colorful laptops and AIO deflate the MacBook Neo balloon nicely. New ThinkCentre desktops and ThinkBook laptops, including a killer AMD-based workstation that can be daisy-chained
HP: Three new NVIDIA RTX Spark PCs, one of which is a desktop PC
Acer: RTX Spark, gaming handheld, more
Key takeaway: NVIDIA RTX Spark is a game-changer
Apps
Vivaldi adds PWA and address bar improvements
Yes, Virginia, Brave is still the fastest web browser
AI and dev
Newsday and The Seattle Times sue OpenAI and Microsoft for stealing copyrighted content at scale
There's a great new documentary about the making of Visual Studio Code out and it's free
This is a modern example of how tech limitations can spur innovation, something that happened a lot in the early home computer era and happens a lot less now
.NET 11 heads to release candidate phase ahead of November release
XBOX and gaming
XBOX Cloud Gaming is getting usage caps starting in November and a standalone service is on the way
XBOX app is coming to TCL smart TVs
XBOX Insiders are testing startup animation choices, Showcase customization, an improved Remote Play experience, background downloads for Cloud Gaming, and more
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Gemini offers a useful and free daily briefing
App pick of the week: Sonos
RunAs Radio this week: State of WSUS with Adam
Brown
These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/1000 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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With Microsoft shattering records for patched vulnerabilities and AI exposing even more bugs, Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell debate whether this tidal wave of fixes signals progress or just bigger trouble ahead for Windows users. Also, Sonos is back and here's something no one has been able to say for, well, forever: It's new app is great! Plus, Gemini's Daily Brief is surprisingly useful, and it's available for free to everyone in the U.S.MICROSOFT MAKES MAJOR FINANCIAL REPORTING CHANGE
The canary in the coal mine has finally been rewarded: Microsoft will dramatically change how it reports earnings, effective immediately.
The good: Didn't see this coming, Microsoft will allegedly be transparent about Azure revenues every quarter
The bad: A simpler structure means more revenues are being hidden and you can only make accurate YOY comparisons dating back two years now
The unknown: What this will really look like in practice
How is it possible that Paul has been all over this for years and Wall Street has mostly ignored it?
Windows
Patch Tuesday arrives - And, yes, it's basically 26H2
New Start, Taskbar, and Windows Search are generally available
Is the "real" 26H2 still on track for October or does it just happen whenever?
Microsoft fixed almost 1000 security vulnerabilities this month (974), with 723 of them in Windows and 112 of them critical-severity. It has already released over double the number of security patches this year (2760) as it did in all of 2025 (1139).
Five new builds drop just ahead of Patch Tuesday updates with three minor new features
Project Zenith is a misguided attempt to make Windows better for developers that shows they've learned nothing
Microsoft Edge team promises two contrary improvements: Faster extension approvals, better quality
It came from IFA
Lenovo: Two AMAZING prototype PCs, one of which is imminent as a shipping product. Two killer NVIDIA RTX Spark-based laptops. Colorful laptops and AIO deflate the MacBook Neo balloon nicely. New ThinkCentre desktops and ThinkBook laptops, including a killer AMD-based workstation that can be daisy-chained
HP: Three new NVIDIA RTX Spark PCs, one of which is a desktop PC
Acer: RTX Spark, gaming handheld, more
Key takeaway: NVIDIA RTX Spark is a game-changer
Apps
Vivaldi adds PWA and address bar improvements
Yes, Virginia, Brave is still the fastest web browser
AI and dev
Newsday and The Seattle Times sue OpenAI and Microsoft for stealing copyrighted content at scale
There's a great new documentary about the making of Visual Studio Code out and it's free
This is a modern example of how tech limitations can spur innovation, something that happened a lot in the early home computer era and happens a lot less now
.NET 11 heads to release candidate phase ahead of November release
XBOX and gaming
XBOX Cloud Gaming is getting usage caps starting in November and a standalone service is on the way
XBOX app is coming to TCL smart TVs
XBOX Insiders are testing startup animation choices, Showcase customization, an improved Remote Play experience, background downloads for Cloud Gaming, and more
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Gemini offers a useful and free daily briefing
App pick of the week: Sonos
RunAs Radio this week: State of WSUS with Adam
Brown
These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/1000 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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While Microsoft pushes Copilot+ PCs, NVIDIA storms into the Windows ecosystem with AI-focused Spark machines and game-changing specs, igniting new rivalries with Apple and upending expectations for what local hardware can do. Plus, Atari revives 39 Activision classics for a price that will make retro fans blink, while the Sonos saga continues as it pivots to an open AI platform that might finally win back old loyalties. Finally, Paul's Markdown book will be released sometime in the next week.
Windows
The mystery of 26H2 is now less mysterious
Last week: Week D came and went without a preview release, triggering speculation
Microsoft issues Windows 11 version 26H2 to Release Preview, a first
This means a September or October release to stable. Just guessing, but Preview Update in September, general Update in October is most likely
Version numbers don't matter much anymore. There are no unique 26H2 features, just a few unique 26H2 presets - These include Point-in-time restore and Memory Integrity Protection being on by default
Two 26H1 pre-release builds with little to speak of
IFA 2026 is underway in Berlin
Acer is first out of the gates with dozens of new PCs, including one based on the NVIDIA RTX Spark
EU General Court confirms that Microsoft Edge is not a gatekeeper
Visual Studio Code now has a full Markdown Editor experience
Brave now offers free email aliases, and will have a premium option soon
Firefox for iOS now has integrated ad blocking
NVIDIA - $96.2 billion in revenues, up 106 percent YOY
Dell - record $47 billion in revenues, but it's all from server/infrastructure
HP - $15.7 billion in revenues, up 12.5 percent - $11.8 billion from PCs, vs. $15 billion for all Dell client products
AI/dev
Sony and Warner sue Anthropic for stealing their music
Gemini Notebook gets first Expert Intelligence upgrade with integrated e-book support
Sonos announces Sonos 27 OS with major AI functionality
Microsoft moves WinUI development fully to GitHub ahead of open-sourcing it
XBOX and gaming
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, more coming to Game Pass
Every Activision title for the Atari 2600 is being reissued in cartridge form, but it's going to cost you
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Markdown: A Field Guide for Writers
App pick of the week: ImageGlass 10
RunAs Radio this week: Reimagining Intranets with Susan Hanley
Brown liquor pick of the week: Macaloney's Cath-Nah-Aven
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Microsoft tries to prove Windows on ARM is ready for prime time, but behind the PR push, unresolved questions about compatibility, branding, and a tepid market threaten to derail the company's ambitions. Also, PowerToys 0.101 is here with Windows Hopper and multiple improvements! Plus, Parallels Desktop 27 for Mac launches.
Windows
If a Week D falls in the woods and no one installs it, did a Week D really happen?
Theory: This is the big one, with the three big changes Microsoft promised this year. Basically, this is Windows 11 version 26H2
Three new builds across Beta, Experimental, and Experimental (26H1) with a modernized AutoPlay experience and a new "Open apps maximized" accessibility feature
Microsoft reminds business customers that Windows on Arm is terrific ahead of Nvidia RTX Spark launch
Totally coincidental that this happened on the same day that Apple announced a new Mac Mini with M6 and M5 Pro and Mac Studio with M5 Ultra and M5 Max
Microsoft 365
OneDrive for Mac gets native sync engine
Proton Mail gets automatic and customizable category filtering
AI/dev
Bill Gates issues a strong warning on the dangers of AI. And you're not going to believe what number two is
WSJ report echoes the complaints that Paul has been making for years. Again
Adobe Firefly gets production-quality music, speech, and sound effect generation capabilities
Apple Music will start labeling AI-generated music
.NET Conf 2026 on track for November with .NET 11
XBOX and gaming
XBOX testing long-awaited disc to digital entitlements
The ASUS ROG XBOX Ally X20 is available now for $1299, or in a $2499 bundle
Rumor: Microsoft prepping an Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition console for November
Update: it's real. The XBOX 25th anniversary collection arrives November 13
Microsoft announces (third party) Designed for XBOX 25th Anniversary Collection of hardware peripherals
IKEA has designed some XBOX-influenced furniture and it is amazing
Rockstar Games weighs in on leaks as GTA VI reveal arrives (tomorrow)
Commodore announces Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection for PC, consoles
NVIDIA brings GeForce Now to Firefox
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Expose yourself to other points of view
App pick of the week: PowerToys
RunAs Radio this week: Security Features of PowerShell 7 with Mike O'Neill
Brown liquor pick of the week: SpiceBox Spiced Whisky
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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For years, the checkbox to get a PC out of the Insider Program when that Windows version shipped in stable did absolutely nothing. That's no longer the case.
Windows
A new context menu for File Explorer heads out to Insiders along with five new preview builds
There are lots of other like UX changes happening with little communication. Will Microsoft really touch (and update) all the ancient UIs in Windows 11?
New Release Preview builds point at next Week D and Patch Tuesday updates: New Taskbar, New Start, new Windows Search, many minor changes throughout
Hardware
Now we know more about Snapdragon C ahead of IFA, where we may see the first laptops
Google is holding a PixelBook reviewers event in mid-September
You know that Commodore is back, but now the Amiga is back too!
Lenovo surges on AI spending, but it's now engaged in financial shenanigans too. More like Spotify than Big Tech, but still bad
AI
Big Tech spending on AI is finally getting more scrutiny from financial/business publications
It's happening: Microsoft "pulls a Teams" and will consolidate its Copilot (consumer) and Microsoft 365 Copilot (business apps) into a single app, evolve it in a "super app"
OpenAI's new strategy: Get 'em while they're young
Mozilla provides a progress report on Smart Window for Firefox, details new AI search partnership
Alexa+ is now free on all FireTV devices in the U.S., no Prime required
XBOX
Resonance: A Plague Tale and more are heading to Game Pass during the second half of August
XBOX August Update is here with more Achievements details, Game Hubs now support Xbox 360 titles, Game Pass subscribers can now stream a game while it installs in the background
XBOX Insiders can now test Home Improvements, local save game management, and profile badges
Apple makes major App Store concessions in the EU. But Epic Games says it is not enough.
The new Call of Duty has a public beta on Friday, and there will be a single-player episode for the first time
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Yes, Virginia, you can exit the Insider Program now
App pick of the week: Brave
RunAs Radio this week: Automatic Attack Disruption with Liz Tesch
Brown liquor pick of the week: Red Bank Premium Blended
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Microsoft's AI investments reveal a bizarre financial loop where billions pour into infrastructure, yet profits remain elusive. The hosts break down why the industry's most hyped tech might just be a high-stakes game of circular accounting. Plus, a developer has resurrected Microsoft Word for Windows 1.1a to run natively on Windows 11! Lastly, Stardock's latest utility replaces Alt + Tab for $7.99.
Windows
25H2: new touchpad gestures, Windows Hello ESS improvements, Widgets improvements, Windows Search improvements, more
26H1: Windows Update calendar-based pausing, Picture Password EOL, Point in time restore, multi-camera support, user folder customization in Setup, etc.
Over 420 bug fixes, but that's over 200 less than last month
Follow-up on Microsoft's AI spending. It's much worse than we knew - And also much worse than we know now
Yes, Microsoft Edge is going all-in on Manifest V3
Proton Drive - Now with a CLI and business features, and it's coming soon to Linux
A developer ported Word for Windows 1.1 to x64
AI
Gemini now has one billion users. But how many pay? - Plus the new Pixel phones are one step sideways, one step back
OpenAI brings ChatGPT to Linux (!)
Xbox and gaming
A new Xbox Elite Series 3 controller leak shows it will have a mini display
Microsoft tests new console features with Xbox Insiders
Id Software brings a new episode to Quake to mark 30th anniversary!
Minecraft is coming to Switch 2
Here comes GTA VI
A Valve partner was hacked, Steam Machine customers warned
Nintendo revenues decline 9.5 percent to ¥518 billion
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: View Git status directly in File Explorer
App pick of the week: AltTabby
RunAs Radio this week: The Content Management System Landscape with Matt Garrepy
Brown liquor pick of the week: Sideshow Lincoln Straight Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Behind the headlines about skyrocketing revenues and AI investments, the actual costs and future risks for Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are shrouded in strategic accounting moves. Plus, Paul finished rewriting and adding new chapters to the Windows 11 Field Guide - mostly just clean-up now, and then whatever new monthly features. Lastly, The Document Foundation issues a friendly reminder about the Office 2021 EOL and how that never happens with their software
Microsoft earnings
Microsoft earnings up 18 percent to $90 billion
Analysis: Microsoft finds a new way to not account for AI costs
Windows
Pavan Davuluri says he's "energized" about what's happening to Windows in 2026.
OK. But what's really happened so far? When will the biggest changes land? And when, if ever, will you address the real enshittification in Windows 11?
Windows Insider Program: Five new builds - New Taskbar comes to Beta channel
This leads to questions of timing, and here, WIP is not all that transparent still
Another antitrust win: Apple to allow Copy and Paste between Windows and iPhone
AMD revenues up 50 percent to $11.5 billion, but it's all AI datacenter
Amazon: up 20 percent to $200 billion
Apple: up 16 percent to $109 billion
AI
Satya Nadella mentions AI super app again, not clear why anyone cares about this
Proton Lumo can do data visualization now
Xbox and gaming
Asha Sharma details the priorities for XBOX in the next year and number 5 will shock you
XBOX console prices going up in the EU and UK
Thanks, Caption Obvious: Yes, Backward Compatibility on PC will support Xbox 360 games too
XBOX plans new FanFest tour dates - there's SO much to celebrate!
Gears of War: E-Day leads the charge for new Game Pass titles in August
XBOX Insiders is testing new console features
XBOX app comes to Hisense and VIDDA TVs
EA goes private for $55 billion in cash, but also some debt
Sony has sold 95.3 million PS5s
Sony responds to concerns about no more discs (with "pffffftttt")
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: It's done!
App pick of the week: LibreOffice
RunAs Radio this week: Ransomware Readiness with Heather Renze
Brown liquor pick of the week: Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
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There's been so much drama over what options Microsoft will allow for the Copilot key. But you don't have to wait for a future Windows update; you can remap any key with Microsoft's own Keyboard Manager PowerToy. More people should take advantage of this. Also, Paul just finished his major 2026 rewrite of the Windows 11 Field Guide! Every single chapter was rewritten or consolidated, with several new chapters added. Lastly, the OG Halo remake is a great reminder of how good this series was in the beginning. And it looks and plays terrific.
Windows
Week D updates arrive on time this month
Windows Hello ESS support for external fingerprint readers, many small improvements
Experimental (Future Platforms) finally gets an update, but it's just the features we saw elsewhere first
Several in-box app updates for July, nothing major
Microsoft convinces LG to drop the McAfee ads, but HP's Bing ads are A-OK
Chris tested Windows 11 with 8GB of RAM and the experience is not great
Paul has a Wildcat-based laptop waiting for him in PA
Microsoft is testing a "Do nothing" option for the Copilot key
Your Windows 11 PC now has a OneDrive Photos app for some reason
Opera One gets vertical tabs, deeper Google Lens integration
Earnings
Google/Alphabet - net income of $28 billion on $120 billion in revenues, but negative cash flow for the first time in the company's history
Intel - net loss of $11 million, no Foundry customers leaves Wall Street swooning for some reason
AI
Microsoft begins shifting to its own MAI models, but the forward progress is minimal
NVIDIA, Microsoft, more team up for AI empire, er, Alliance
Anthropic launches Claude Opus 5
Xbox and gaming
Halo: Campaign Evolved is here
XBOX went down for the count for most of the day on Monday. But disc-based games still worked
XBOX begins testing ad-supported Cloud Gaming
Ubisoft game purchases on Xbox now carry over to PC for free
Luna comes to Prime Video app
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Remap keys with PowerToys Keyboard Manager
App pick of the week: Halo Campaign Evolved
Chris's pick of the week: His new newsletter!
Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott
Guest: Chris Hoffman
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As the tech world catches its breath from AI whiplash and retro gaming returns to the PC, Microsoft quietly kills underused tools and tries to double down on what actually works. This episode blends the excitement of tech and entertainment (like Xbox classics landing on Windows 11) with a poignant look back at the life and legacy of legendary columnist John C. Dvorak.
Windows
Five new Insider builds released on Monday; the new Start menu comes to the Beta channel
Experimental (26H1) a day later with no interesting new features
The Whiteboard app is apparently being retired
AI
Microsoft expands partnership with Mistral to improve EU AI infrastructure
Copilot for consumers is losing Podcasts and Deep research features soon
U.S. judge approves Anthropic $1.5 billion settlement with authors it stole from
1Password partners with Anthropic to make AI access to password-protected websites secure
Google renames NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook
Google's next big AI models are delayed, but we got Gemini 3.6 Flash, Flash-Lite, and 3.5 Flash Cyber to tide us over
XBOX and gaming
Microsoft brings XBOX Backward Compatibility to PC!!
Here comes Halo: Campaign Evolved, along with more Game Pass titles for the end of July
Bethesda announces Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters, and Fallout 5 is entering pre-production
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 in Early Access on August 21, Open Beta on August 27
XBOX July update adds support for longer gamertags, new library customization options, and more
XBOX teams with Meta to bring Game Pass Starter Edition to Meta Horizon+ subscribers
Valve says the component crisis dogging Steam Machine pricing will only get worse
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Windows Package Manager for bulk app installs
App (game) of the week: Doom: The Dark Ages
RunAs Radio this week: Security Begins at Procurement with Jessie Schofer
Brown liquor pick of the week: Loup River Nebraska Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Microsoft's July 2026 Patch Tuesday just shattered records with hundreds of bug fixes, and AI is the force behind the surge. Are we witnessing the beginning of a safer Windows, or is this flood of vulnerabilities the new normal? Plus, Tony Redmond's epic book has a new name (was Office 365 for IT Pros) and is now a bundle of four books.
Windows
Patch Tuesday is here!
Point in Time Restore, quieter Widgets, Windows Update improvements, Screen tint, and more
The biggest Patch Tuesday in history, by far: a record 570 fixes for security flaws, and a huge 3X increase from the then-record flaws fixed last month. (Some say the number is 622. Math is hard.) And this is on top of 468 Microsoft Edge/Chromium flaws that were fixed by Google this month too. Yikes.
Microsoft discusses how it's improving Windows security with AI
Windows Insider Program: Improved Windows Search is next on the docket, heading out to Experimental this week. Question: When do these things hit stable?
Microsoft releases Snapdragon X2 versions of its Surface for Business Pro and Laptop models
AI
Apple sues OpenAI for stealing trade secrets
Surprised there was no talk of "thermonuclear war"
OpenAI's response is hilarious, and it is already prepping its first hardware device
OpenAI just announced the rumored super app, which is a combination of ChatGPT, Work, Codex, and an in-app web browser, which replaces the standalone Atlas web browser. Also, GPT-5.6.
In keeping with recent history, Anthropic announced its in-app web browser for Claude less than 24 hours later
Reminder that Microsoft acknowledged that it, too, is working on an AI super app at Build
Apple releases public betas of its OS 27 releases and, shocker, Siri is really good
Now Spotify has an AI chatbot so I can tell it how much I hate Spotify
Xbox and gaming
Obsidian is working on a new Fallout game, duh.
A quiet time after last week's terribleness
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Microsoft 365 for IT Pros (2027 edition) is here!
App pick of the week: MusicBee
RunAs Radio this week: Finding Security Vulnerabilities using AI with Sami Laiho
Brown liquor pick of the week: Sanctuary Single Malt Whisky Reserve Edition
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Microsoft's latest round of layoffs and game studio shakeups reveal deep cracks in the XBOX business, as years of unprofitability and missed expectations force the company into tough decisions. Are industry icons like Game Pass and big-name studios on borrowed time? Also, Paul's made major progress on the Windows 11 Field Guide updates! Plus, a desktop and mobile web browser that now blocks YouTube ads by default.
Layoffs
Microsoft announces 4800 layoffs, 3200 at XBOX
Analysis: What Sharma said and didn't say. Many interesting details revealed here. Many questions unanswered
Great outcomes for four studios, id Software reportedly laid off half its staff
Interesting alternative analysis: The Game Pass thesis, XBOX can't do everything
Windows
Four new builds yesterday, one major new feature: Cloud restore
Microsoft Edge is adding support for Google account sign-ins
Opera One adds clipboard attack prevention
Google and Samsung have announced new hardware launches, both with new foldables on the way - Apple's first foldable expected in January
AI
Microsoft is reportedly transitioning to its in-house MAI models where possible
Latest Corey Doctorow book takes on the future of AI and is surprisingly middle-of-the-road. Unlike his last book, he explains how he handles this and has some ideas for doing so yourself
XBOX and gaming
Gears of War Reloaded, more head to Game Pass
The oldest rumor in XBOX history is back, with Microsoft working (again, or as always) on a disc-to-digital program in the wake of the Sony PS5+ physical media announcement
Nintendo to end OG Switch sales, make Switch 2 changes in the EU
You can play Half-Life 2 in a web browser now
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: All Mint Mobile Plans Are Now Just $15 Per Month
App pick of the week: DuckDuckGo browser
RunAs Radio this week: Implementing Azure Policies with Barbara Forbes
Brown liquor pick of the week: Shenk's Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Windows
Microsoft quietly extends the Windows 10 Extended Security Update program one year to October 2027 for consumers
Windows Insider
Windows Update is transitioning to the new Windows Insider experience by default
Plus, five new builds across Beta, Experimental, Beta (26H1), Experimental (26H1), and Experimental (Future Platforms) — new Taskbar size setting is the much-needed new feature
Hardware
Apple raises prices on Macs, iPads, and more, easing pressure on PC makers
Microsoft quietly begins selling 8 GB Surface Pro/Laptop models
Microsoft reportedly kills Surface Go products right when we need them the most
The ASUS Zenbook A16 is nearly perfect, but it's unclear what you get with an X2 Elite Extreme chip
AI
HP partners with OpenAI for its agentic makeover
Anthropic seizes on the "good enough" AI movement with Sonnet 5
Proton Lumo 2.0 is here
Gemini personalized image creator is available for free in the US
Notion blames agentic AI for it killing Notion Mail
Xbox and Gaming
The 2026 Doom and Gloom Watch
Xbox Series X|S prices to go up again, by $150, on August 1 - and the 2 TB X is going away
Undead Labs and Arkane Lyon possible victims of pending closures
Latest rumor: Microsoft to layoff 2.5 percent of workforce next week - that's 5,500 people, less than expected, but that's because of the earlier voluntary buyouts, which apparently met internal expectations
Minecraft Bedrock edition gets closed captions
Sony will stop selling PS physical media in 2028
Tips and Picks
Tip of the week: Help or get out of the way
People who just complain aren't solving problems, they're just making noise and distracting us from the real problems.
App Pick of the Week: Snapdragon Control Panel
If you have a Windows 11 on Arm PC on Snapdragon X or X2, you need this app to make games run as well as possible.
Plus - Settings > System > Display > Graphics for Auto SR and other settings and whatever is in each game
RunAs Radio this week: AI-Accelerated Supply Chain Attacks with Mackenzie Duncan
Brown liquor pick of the week: Rupert's Exceptional Canadian Whisky
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Windows 12 is stalled and the real reasons go far beyond software. The conversation unpacks how soaring hardware prices, AI chaos, and market confusion have Microsoft in a holding pattern. Also, Paul finally took a sledgehammer to the subscription services he pays for, and more is on the way. Plus, one of Paul's favorite Markdown editors supports authorship on Windows now and an integrated Search/Outline view on Mac, iPad, and iPad.Windows
Week D is here with a preview of July's Patch Tuesday
Point-in-time restore is now generally available in Windows 11, sort of
Quieter widgets, which is nice! Plus, Screen tint, Windows Update improvements, more
Tied to this, sort of, something wonderful is happening to the Windows 11 Field Guide
Five new builds, plus some 26H2 news (and still no news about what 26H1 becomes, see below...)
Mostly minor fit-and-finish improvements
So... what about Windows 12? The history is interesting, and Copilot+ PC was what Paul originally thought Windows 12 would be. But now we're talking agentic capabilities that will handle local/cloud/hybrid orchestration per last week's discussion, and maybe that will be it.
We knew that Surface Laptop and Surface Pro would come in 8 GB configurations. But they're available now with just 256 GB of storage and the prices are $950 and $850 and up, respectively. Plus all the usual Surface limitations, like one color choice. (16 GB is $1150 and $1050, respectively, so $300 more.)
Once again, it's time to just get a Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x for $850. It has 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage and is awesome.
Tim Cook just admitted that Apple will raise hardware prices because of the component crisis. If this is hitting Apple hard, the rest of the industry is screwed.
AI
Cory Doctorow's new book is out and let's just say his new neologism isn't as catchy as enshittification
Reverse centaur (groan)
Surprisingly centrist view on the pros and cons of AI
Highlights the Microsoft financial shenanigans I point out every quarter: Microsoft "invests" $10 billion of "tokens" in OpenAI, but there's no volume discount and Microsoft books the transaction as $10 billion in AI revenues as OpenAI simply uses its infrastructure. It gave $10 billion to OpenAI so that it could spend $10 billion on Azure.
Google Home Speaker is the Gemini speaker and it's now shipping to first customers as Google discontinues Nest Audio and Nest Mini speakers. Can we trust this company with hardware? And why are there no Apple or Google home theater setups?
Adobe brings its creative agent to Firefly and the biggest apps in Creative Cloud
XBOX & gaming
No movement yet on the massive changes we expect in XBOX soon
Microsoft has "dozens" of gaming IP-based movies and TV shows in the works
XBOX Insiders can now test updates to Gamertags, Game Hub, and Wish List
Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 are being ported to modern PS consoles. Sadly, not remakes or remasters.
GTA VI will cost $79.99 and up - Arrives in November, can preorder on June 25
Steam Machine to cost $1049 and up, and that's with no controller
Tips & picks
Tip of the week: How to save $100 a month
App pick of the week: iA Writer
RunAs Radio this week: Securing Developers with Tanya Janca
Brown liquor pick of the week: Glen Breton Rare 10
These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/989 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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With major leadership shakeups and rumors of studio closures, the future of XBOX inside Microsoft suddenly looks uncertain. Is this the beginning of a Game Pass overhaul, or could XBOX face an outright split from the company? Plus, PowerToys 0.100 (yes, point one hundred) arrives with so many improvements. And the Windows Insider program is leaving even seasoned users scratching their heads over Microsoft's so-called "simplification."
Windows
Windows Insider Program: Microsoft releases a record 7 builds to the allegedly simpler Insider Program
You can't tell the players without a program
Experimental: Less disruptive Windows Update, Windows Search improvements
Beta 26H1: Screen tint
Beta 25H2: Screen tint, quieter Widgets, Magnifier zoom controls
Release Preview 25H2: Screen tint, quieter Widgets, Magnifier zoom controls, Bluetooth connectivity improvements
All (?) get Voice access and Voice typing improvements, and new right-click Touchpad settings
Good God, Microsoft
Hardware
Microsoft announces Snapdragon X2-based Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Laptop 13 and the prices are eye-watering
Samsung announces Snapdragon X2-based Galaxy Book6 Edge and, yes, the prices are eye-watering
The component crisis is a disaster but limitations are driving innovation, as they always have
Google releases Android 17 alongside a new Pixel Drop, setting the stage for Googlebooks
Software
Microsoft Edge to follow Chrome to a two-week development schedule because we all love updating our web browsers
Mozilla releases Firefox 152 and a new roadmap for the browser
AI
FINALLY AN AI-FREE WEEK
XBOX and gaming
Fear & loathing at XBOX! The Microsoft fiscal year ends in two weeks, and big changes are coming
XBOX leadership set to reveal "hard truths" that will absolutely include layoffs and studio and game closures
Microsoft is looking at all options for XBOX, including a spin-off
XBOX Studios CEO and chief of staff announce their departures ahead of expected layoffs
XBOX reportedly closing Ninja Theory, makers of the Hellblade games
Compulsion Games is likely on the chopping block too
XBOX is coming to Gamescon this year
Xbox June Update arrives with new boot animation, more while Microsoft continues testing minor UX changes in the Insider Program
COD: Vanguard, EA Sports FC 26 and more coming to Game Pass in the second half of June
Rockstar Games is giving free GTA V upgrades to Xbox One and PS4 players
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Don't doomscroll, learnscroll instead
App pick of the week: PowerToys 0.100
RunAs Radio this week: 47 Day Certificates with Todd Gardner
Brown liquor pick of the week: Thornæs Kagerup
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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If you think code is safe from automation, think again. This week's discussion tackles why the rise of vibe coding and AI-powered tools could upend long-held beliefs about software development, with even seasoned pros rethinking their roles. Also, a new C++ documentary is worth watching!
Windows
After a weekend of Build session viewing, two big takeaways!
Vibe coding native Windows apps and a new reactive dev model for WinUI will help to make modern app dev easier for everyone
A new theory emerges: The real reason Microsoft is fixing Windows 11 is that it needs this foundation for a future of hybrid AI agents. And hybrid means more than just local + cloud.
Patch Tuesday is here! As promised, Microsoft fixed a record number of security issues thanks to AI
24H2/25H2: Shared audio, more NPU in Task Manager, multi-app camera support, user folder name choice in OOBE, more
26H1: Xbox Mode, Drop tray, etc.
Windows Insider Program: New 26H1 Beta channel added for some reason
Dell now sells a Windows Hello ESS-compatible wired mouse
AI
WWDC 2026: Apple announced vibe-coding advances for normal users (Safari extensions) and developers (Xcode). Paul used Xcode and Claude Code to create a full-featured Markdown editor app in about 12-15 minutes.
Google drops the price of AI Plus plan to $4.99 per month, raises storage to 400 GB and announces new NotebookLM capabilities
Proton Drive is coming to Linux, has a new SDK, and now has a new CLI too. We're going to need a CLI section in the show notes.
XBOX and gaming
Microsoft Games Showcase: It needed to be a big day for Xbox and it was
Microsoft showed off Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War E-Day, Fable, and a lot more
Some games will be console-exclusive in the future, starting with the new Gears
Microsoft will sell a limited edition Xbox Series X25 later this year
Xbox leadership is exploring new business models for the next console - Game Pass lost "millions" of subscribers after last year's price hikes
Xbox Insider update adds a new way to discover mutual friends, more
Valve says the Steam Machine and Steam Frame will ship this summer
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Windows 11 Field Guide is being updated to 2026 edition
App pick of the week: Brave Origin
RunAs Radio this week: How Machine Learning Fails with Megan Robertson
Brown liquor pick of the week: Thy Bøg
Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell
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Build 2026 is underway in San Francisco this week, and it started with a big, overly-long keynote as always. And Computex is this week, too. There's a lot going on, and some of it is fascinating. Plus, WWDC is next week because you cannot relax. Also, Microsoft GA's WinApp CLI, announces the Windows Platform Skills plug-in for native app creation, and you're not going to believe what Paul did next. OK, you will believe itBuild + Computex = OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD
NVIDIA finally announces Arm-based N1X as the RTX Spark
RTX Spark is an Arm-based portable workstation chip for Windows 11
Microsoft announces Surface Laptop Ultra - It and other RTX Spark-based PCs will appear in late 2026
Some of this leaked earlier, including a lower-end N1 chipset
Microsoft continues to optimize and evolve Windows 11 for developers
Windows Developer Configuration, Windows Developer Skills + WinApp CLI, Terminal, more Linux, and more on-device ("unmetered") AI - Tied to this, Copilot+ PC features are coming to more PCs, with CPU/GPU support - this, plus the RTX Spark stuff hints at answers to some obvious questions but there's nothing concrete from Microsoft
Microsoft Edge is getting three new on-AI features
Scout is a personal work agent powered by OpenClaw
GitHub Copilot app arrives on desktop for your agentic coding and management needs
Microsoft AI announces seven new foundation models
Stevie Bathiche is back, baby! And he's talking about those AI app structures and how they've led to Project Solara
Windows
Microsoft discusses the progress it's made on Windows 11 pain points
You can now test the new Start menu in Experimental - Paul did so along with the new Taskbar
Qualcomm announces low-cost Snapdragon C for $300+ PCs to take on MacBook Neo
And Acer is the first to announce a Snapdragon C laptop
New Surface Pro with Snapdragon X2 leaks for June release (!)
Dell XPS 13 is coming soon with Intel Wildcat (also to take on MacBook Neo)
Dell revenues are through the roof, but not because of PCs
HP revenues are up, and it is because of PCs
AI and dev
Anthropic gets a new valuation exceeding OpenAI and then it files for an IPO
OpenAI adjusts GPT5.5-Instant for less sucking-up and releases computer use in Codex on Windows
Flutter takes the lead on Flutter desktop development
XBOX and gaming
Asha Sharma says you can't please everyone and then immediately jumps the shark trying to please everyone
XBOX delays Fable reboot because of GTA VI
New titles coming to Game Pass in early June across platforms
XBOX starts early testing of new console features
ASUS announces ROG Xbox Ally X20 with OLED display and XReal R1 glasses
Intel announces Arc G-series for gaming handhelds
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 is next and it's the COD we've been begging for
Tips and picks
Tip of the week: Now you can vibe code a native Windows app from the CLI
App pick of the week: iA Writer
RunAs Radio this week: Data API Builder and SQL MVP with Jerry Nixon
Brown liquor pick of the week: Old Malt Casking of Longmorn 20

These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/986 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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