WW 986: Liminal AI - RTX Spark, Project Solara, Scout, & Much More!

WW 989: Deer Hate MSDN - Point-in-Time Restore Arrives for Windows 11

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 [https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/989] Hosts: Leo Laporte [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte], Paul Thurrott [https://twit.tv/people/paul-thurrott], and Richard Campbell [https://twit.tv/people/richard-campbell] Sponsor: * webroot.com/twit [http://webroot.com/twit]

WW 988: Bubbleable - XBOX Could Be Facing a Moment of Reckoning

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 [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte], Paul Thurrott [https://twit.tv/people/paul-thurrott], and Richard Campbell [https://twit.tv/people/richard-campbell] Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly [https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly] Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com [https://www.thurrott.com/] The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin [https://bsky.app/profile/carlfranklin.bsky.social]. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit [https://twit.tv/clubtwit] Sponsor: * trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365 [http://trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365]

WW 987: SelfLoathing.md - Will AI-Driven Vibe Coding Replace Traditional Developers?

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 [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte], Paul Thurrott [https://twit.tv/people/paul-thurrott], and Richard Campbell [https://twit.tv/people/richard-campbell] Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly [https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly] Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com [https://www.thurrott.com/] The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin [https://bsky.app/profile/carlfranklin.bsky.social]. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit [https://twit.tv/clubtwit] Sponsors: * helixsleep.com/windows [http://helixsleep.com/windows] * zscaler.com/security [http://zscaler.com/security] * trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365 [http://trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365]

WW 986: Liminal AI - RTX Spark, Project Solara, Scout, & Much More!

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 it Build + 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 [https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/986] Hosts: Leo Laporte [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte], Paul Thurrott [https://twit.tv/people/paul-thurrott], and Richard Campbell [https://twit.tv/people/richard-campbell] Sponsors: * joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT [http://joindeleteme.com/twit] * threatlocker.com/twit [http://threatlocker.com/twit] * cachefly.com/twit [http://cachefly.com/twit]

WW 985: Putting the Mental in Experimental - Some Linux Learnings for the Windows User

Paul has been testing various Linux distributions and other Windows alternatives for months as part of a Switcher series. The zen of Linux can mostly apply to Windows, too: Install and manage software with package managers, and embrace the command line, especially. And if you're going to use a local account, at least be smart about it. Also, Vivaldi 8.0 looks awesome and appears to deliver what Firefox is promising with its Nova UI. Plus, Discord has a native app for Windows 11 on Arm now. Windows * Week D arrives with a surprise: 24H2/26H1 are aligned and getting the same new features * Shared audio with BT LE, multi-app camera support, many improvements - but the big deal may be the performance and reliability improvements across the board * This is the next Patch Tuesday, today * Friday builds - new accessibility features in Experimental and Beta, more * Microsoft CMO Yusuf Mehdi to leave company after an astonishing 35-year run - started in Windows, but with IE, Bing & MSN, Interactive Entertainment (Xbox), Windows and Devices, and then a SLT position before the end. Incredible run. Paul has three milestones and one throughline to share. * Lenovo revenues surge 27 percent to $21.6 billion * NVIDIA revenues really surged 85 percent to $81.6 billion AI/dev * Google adds Google Drive sync to NotebookLM, and moves preferred sources into AI Mode and AI Overviews * Saying no to AI: DuckDuckGo usage surges in the wake of Google I/O's AI tsunami * OpenAI releases ChatGPT plugin for PowerPoint * .NET MAUI to get Material You support for Android in .NET 10 * Follow-up on last week's vibe coding adventures: Paul talked about this last week, but a lot has happened since then. The Android app creation capability in Google AI Studio is live. A few thoughts on vibe coding with Android Studio, Claude Code, and more Xbox and gaming * XBOX—and, yes, it's XBOX now—has an official merchandise store to go alongside all its other official merchandise stores * The Steam Deck is back in stock! Also, it's 40 percent more expensive Tips & picks * Tip of the week: Understanding the zen of Linux can help a Windows user too * App pick of the week: A grab-bag of apps for Windows * RunAs Radio this week: Team Productivity using Loop with Karinne Bessette * Brown liquor pick of the week: John Sleeman & Sons Rye Whisky Hosts: Leo Laporte [https://twit.tv/people/leo-laporte], Paul Thurrott [https://twit.tv/people/paul-thurrott], and Richard Campbell [https://twit.tv/people/richard-campbell] Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly [https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly] Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com [https://www.thurrott.com/] The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin [https://bsky.app/profile/carlfranklin.bsky.social]. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit [https://twit.tv/clubtwit] Sponsors: * trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365 [http://trustedtech.team/windowsweekly365] * webroot.com/twit [http://webroot.com/twit]