Feb 21st 2024
Windows Weekly 869
Pretty, Pretty Bueno
Hosted by
Leo Laporte,
Paul Thurrott
Xbox business update, ChromeOS Flex, OpenAI's Sora
Records live every Wednesday at 2:00pm Eastern / 11:00am Pacific / 18:00 UTC.
Microsoft’s big Xbox strategy event was exactly what Paul expected it was going to be. Hopefully, this calmed some nerves.
Xbox strategy reveal
- It was going to be about Activision Blizzard originally (nailed it)
- All first-party games will be in Game Pass on day one (as is the case now)
- Game Pass will only be on Xbox (whatever “Xbox” means as it’s on PC too)
- The strategy is unchanged: Meet gamers where they are
- But the best experience is on Xbox (this is like going from “Windows only” to “Windows first” to “Windows best”)
- Portability across hardware platforms is a key part of the strategy - Backward Compatibility, etc.
- A future generation of Xbox console hardware will offer “the largest technical leap you have ever seen in a hardware generation.”
- Oh, and four games are coming to “other consoles.”
Windows 11
- Microsoft is quietly adding off-ramps to the Insider Program after killing the Magic window with their screwed-up release schedule
- Canary and Dev - 24H2, same builds. New navigation pane in Widgets - new accessibility setting for low-vision users - that same tired weather experience on the lock screen that is already in stable and seriously kill me now I can’t stand this company anymore. Oh, and there are ISOs.
- Beta - New prompts for that “manage mobile devices” features, updates to Snipping Tool and Notepad (also in RP)
- Release Preview - We’re testing Moment 5 now, so this is a huge update
- Microsoft fixed a bug that let Edge siphon browser data from other browsers
- Stardock brings pre-release support for Arm versions of Start11, Fences, and Groupy to new Object Desktop Insider program
- Google has an answer for those out of support Windows 10 PCs
Build 2024
- Microsoft confirms that Build 2024 is May 21-23 in Seattle. No word on press invites
Microsoft 365
- Microsoft will finally unify the Teams clients on Windows and Mac
- Microsoft is killing Publisher in 2 years and even though no one uses it, people are freaking out
AI
- Microsoft to use Intel Foundry for at least one in-house custom AI chip
- Now OpenAI is worth over $80 billion, is world’s third-biggest unicorn
- OpenAI announces Sora and... HOLY #$%^
- Gemini (formerly Duet AI) comes to all Workspace customers
- Google brings Gemini down to size with Gemma for free, local use
- Adobe Acrobat is getting an AI assistant
Xbox
- Game streaming is (probably) coming to all the Xbox games you own
- More (non-AB) games are coming to Game Pass in February
- Microsoft goes after Apple’s non-compliance DMA compliance in the EU
- Epic announces a game store for iOS in Europe, will launch this year
- Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story will release on PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch on March 13
Tips and Picks
- Tip of the week: Androids by Chet Haase
- App picks of the week: Dashlane, Firefox 123, Bonjourr
- Cocktail of the week: Sumi - This is a “clasicos Baltra” from the most famous bar in Mexico City. Tanqueray Ten Gin, Violet liqueur, Jasmine syrup, Yuzu, Egg white. Serve in a coupe glass, and garnish with dried flowers.
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Links
- Microsoft Confirms Four Xbox-Exclusive Games Are Coming to Other Consoles
- Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Grounded, and Pentiment Are Headed to Other Consoles
- Feeling Better About Xbox? (Premium)
- Off-Ramp (Premium)
- Windows 11 Insider Build 26058 is Out With Widgets Board Improvements
- Windows 11 Insider Beta Build 22635.3209 Adds Smartphone Photos Notifications
- Windows 11 Release Preview Channel Gets a Feature-Packed Update
- Microsoft Edge Should No Longer Import Other Browsers’ Data Without User Consent
- Stardock Launches Object Desktop Insider Program, Will Bring Start11, Fences, and Groupy to Arm
- Chrome OS Flex is One Answer for Those Unsupported Windows 10 PCs
- Microsoft Build 2024 Will Be on May 21-23
- Microsoft Will Finally Unify the Teams Clients on Windows and Mac
- Microsoft Kills Publisher
- Microsoft to Use Intel for In-House Custom AI Chip
- New Funding Values OpenAI at Over $80 Billion
- OpenAI Announces Sora, a Futuristic Text-to-Video AI Model
- Gemini is Now Available to All Google Workspace Customers
- Google Introduces Gemma, a Family of Lightweight and Open AI Models
- Adobe’s Acrobat PDF Reader is Getting its Own AI Assistant
- Xbox Gamers May Finally Get to Stream the Games They Own This Year
- Tales of Arise and Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Are Coming to Game Pass
- Microsoft Petitions EU to Reject Apple’s DMA Non-Compliance Compliance
- Epic Games Store is Coming to iPhone in Europe in 2024
- “Androids” Author Chet Haase is Leaving Google
- What I Use: Dashlane (Premium)
- Firefox 123 Adds Firefox View Search and a Web Compatibility Reporting Tool
- Bonjourr 19 Arrives with Improved Quick Links