WW 882: The Hall & Oates Story - Copilot+ PCs, Recall snapshots, Khan Academy

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