Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell, and Leo Laporte

Feb 21st 2024

Windows Weekly 869

Pretty, Pretty Bueno

Xbox business update, ChromeOS Flex, OpenAI's Sora

Records live every Wednesday at 2:00pm Eastern / 11:00am Pacific / 18:00 UTC.
Category: News

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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