Windows Weekly (Video)

Windows 10: The year in review

• The year in Windows 10
• Microsoft changed Windows 10 development in major ways in 2019, and some changes are likely permanent, while others may not be
• Two feature updates, one real (that failed) and one fake (that succeeded)
• 20H1 completed much earlier than expected by non-tea-leaf readers
• What does this all mean for 2020?

Chredging at the Edge

• Microsoft improves Edge tracking protection. But will it ever rival Brave or Safari?
• Related: Microsoft shouldn't be adding consumer features to the new Edge (and Edge mobile)

Amazon re: Invent and how it's key to understanding Azure (and Ignite)

• re:Invent – 60K attendees and a gazillion announcements
• Ignite – 30K attendees and almost a gazillion announcements. Microsoft wants Ignite to become re:Invent

Mobile + Dev

• Microsoft Remote Desktop gets a major update on iOS
• Microsoft releases a Chinese language learning app on Android
• Seeing AI for iOS comes to 5 new languages
• Microsoft ships .NET Core 3.1

Xbox

• Halo: Reach comes to PC. And you can get it on Steam! What's next?
• Related: Hands-On with Halo: Reach for PC
• PS5 dev kit leaked
• Plus: Scarlett/Lockhart rumors resurface

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Help Mary Jo get the Notepad she deserves
• App pick of the week: Firefox 71
• Enterprise pick of the week: Azure Dedicated Hosts
• Codename pick of the week: Verona
• Beer pick of the week: Sonoma Sour Stout

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Mary Jo Foley, and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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'Twas the night before Thanksgiving, and all through the house, Windows Insiders are losing their s#$% because Microsoft just named 20H1...

• Plus, PWAs creep to life again at Microsoft ... It's The Walking Dead Web Apps!
• Does Microsoft have a Cortana strategy?
• Windows Terminal gets support for multiple panes.
• Xbox One X All Digital Edition being offered at $149.99
• Xbox Black Friday Deals
• Apple just can't get iOS right, so it's starting over. Again!
• Outlook.com can be used like a real app
• ODI: What's next?
• Chredge for commercial users
• Beer of the week: Proclamation Ale Co. Tendril

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Mary Jo Foley, and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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Windows 10 20H1 ... is this really it?

• Microsoft keeps releasing new Windows 10 versions 20H1 with no new features or minor features at best. Is this all we're getting?
• Let's revisit what actually is in 20H1 so far

Teams

• Microsoft says it has 20 million daily active users on Teams
• Not so fast, Slack says: We have higher engagement

More Microsoft

• Amazon officially challenges Microsoft's JEDI contract
• Microsoft partners with ... Salesforce?!
• Microsoft confirms shutdown of Cortana on mobile
• Facebook says it is making Visual Studio Code its default dev environment

Xbox

• Google Stadia stumbles drunkenly out of the gate - At least they added 10 more games for launch - This thing is DOA because Project xCloud already supports 50 games
• Google Assistant comes to Xbox One ... is Windows 10 next?
• Microsoft improves Mixer for Streamers

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: You need to know about the changes Microsoft made to Windows 10 Setup this year
• Related: The Windows 10 1909 ISO is now available
• App pick of the week: Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020
• Enterprise pick of the week: Azure shuts the Front Door
• Codename pick of the week: Project Turing (revisited)
• Beer pick of the week: Offshoot Beer Co.'s Pawz

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Mary Jo Foley, and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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Windows 10 version 1909 arrives

• Blink and you'll miss it because it's really just a small cumulative update, not a real feature update.
• 1909 is codenamed Vanadium and it appears to be going out broadly, contrary to Microsoft's description
• Windows 10 version 1909 review: There ain't much to say here
• Nothing major was removed or deprecated in 1909
• Is Microsoft going to repeat its cumulative update/R2 update pattern with 20H2? I am hearing no. But they won't say publicly
• Microsoft didn't fix feature updates. It just pretended that a small CU was a feature update.

More Windows 10

• Yes, Microsoft discussed the future of its Windows 10 app platform at Ignite
• Another major milestone: Windows 10 version 20H1 heads to the Slow ring.
• And Microsoft continues to release new 20H1 builds with absolutely no new features.

HoloLens 2

• Mary Jo and Paul both got to try out the new AR headset again. Here's what's new.

More Microsoft

• Microsoft will support CCPA everywhere
• Bye-bye MS Invoicing, Outlook Customer Manager and Skype Translator bot
• More goodbyes: Harry Shum is out as head of AI and Research. Kevin Scott is in

Xbox/games

• New Elite controller is now available. You can't afford it, and you don't need it
• Early Access to "Minecraft Earth" is Available Now in the U.S.
• So much for Google being ahead: Stadia to launch with just 12 games

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Find and Watch Every Ignite 2019 Session
• App pick of the week: Brave
• Enterprise pick of the week: Microsoft Endpoint Manager
• Developer pick of the week: GitHub for mobile
• Beer pick of the week: Troegs Troegenator

Hosts: Mary Jo Foley, Paul Thurrott, and Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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We're at Ignite in Orlando, Florida this week, and there's a lot going on!

Azure goes to the edge

• Microsoft's new hybrid 2.0 strategy includes other clouds

Power Platform

• Microsoft rebrands Flow to Power Automate, adds no-code virtual agents
• Related: Microsoft relents on Power Platform self-servicing purchase changes

Microsoft 365/Office 365

• Microsoft announces Project Cortex
• Microsoft puts Cortana in Outlook Mobile (and other mobile apps, plus a new male voice)
• Related: Microsoft is killing the standalone Cortana app on mobile(!)
• Microsoft Office app is going to Android and iOS
• Excel gets natural language queries
• Outlook gets a modern new look everywhere but Windows
• Teams heads to Linux, gets major features update

Microsoft Edge

• The new Edge will be the only Edge starting January 15
• Microsoft reveals new Edge logo over the past weekend and then ships it in a new build
• Here's how to get it immediately if you're already using Edge
• Here's how Microsoft will refer to old Edge and new Edge

Surface

• Surface heads into businesses with a three-pronged strategy
• Related: New Surface PC experience updates - Paul - Mary Jo

Dev

• WinUI 3.0 goes into alpha preview

Windows 10

• New Windows 10 20H1 build adds a new feature, finally: It's called Quick Searches
• Skip Ahead Ring is going away

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Get ready for Black Friday!
• App pick of the week: OneNote 2016
• Enterprise pick of the week: Is the Azure cloud full?
• Enterprise pick No. 2 of the week: Microsoft Managed Rooms
• Beverage pick of the week: Writers' Tears Irish Whiskey

Hosts: Mary Jo Foley, Paul Thurrott, and Mikah Sargent

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

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Microsoft earnings

• Is bazillion a thing? It should be - for the quarter ending September 30, Microsoft posted a net income of $10.7 billion on revenue of $33.1 billion, and both were well above estimates.
• MJ: Microsoft 365 is the new number to watch
• PT: It's all about AI and Commercial Cloud, and not at all about Xbox and Surface - Plus, developers, developers, developers!

Major Windows 10X leak confirms our laptop claims

• We've been saying that Windows 10X/LiteOS is not just for dual-screen PCs. That's been confirmed by a new leak, which also shows off how much like Chrome OS this thing looks.

More Windows

• Microsoft Terminal gets an improved tabbed UI
• MJF's Surface Laptop 3 review is in (after one week of use)

JEDI

• Microsoft wins $10 billion JEDI contract, but Amazon is going to fight back

Xbox

• Xbox All Access provides a roadmap to Scarlett
• Designed for Xbox goes mobile for Project xCloud
• Another hugely popular streamer heads to Mixer

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Pin frequently-used websites to the taskbar with the new Edge
• App pick of the week: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
• Enterprise pick of the week: The new Project service is ready and rolling out
• Codename pick of the week: Project Turing
• Beer pick of the week: Prairie Birthday Bomb

Hosts: Mikah Sargent, Mary Jo Foley, and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Sponsors:

Alert: Windows 10 version 20H1 is heading to the Slow ring soon

• That means your magic window is about to close if you want to stay on 19H2. Also, it means that the Insider Program folks are back to communicating poorly.
• So what's next? Windows 10X also should RTM around the same time as 20H1 and "Manganese" (20H2) testing should kick-off

Surface Pro 7, Surface Laptop 3 arrive

• Mary Jo just got her Surface Laptop 3 on Tuesday afternoon
• Paul chimes in on the Pro 7
• Plus: The new Surface get day-zero updates

Cloud

• Javier Soltero bolts from Microsoft now leads Google G Suite team
• About that latest Azure/O365 authentication issue (that led to a 3-hour problem on Friday for N. American users)

More Windows 10

• Windows 10 version 1909/19H2 is done. And it's great. It should always be this way.
• The 1909 client and server ISOs are already on MSDN.
• Microsoft issued a new 20H1 build last night, but no new features - Last week's build added swifter Swift Pair
• What is a Secure-core PC?

Xbox

• Project xCloud Preview expands to more users
• Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10 picks up FPS counter, Achievement tracking
• Google Stadia controller not supporting wireless at launch is everything you need to know about the schedule

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Let's make some Windows applications
• App pick of the week: Stardock TouchTasks
• Plus: Firefox 70 adds a nifty online tracker dashboard
• Plus: Opera gets colorful on Android
• Enterprise pick of the week: Power Platform licensing is about to change in a big (and not good) way
• Enterprise pick 2 of the week: About that Microsoft-SAP deal announced this week...
• Beer pick of the week: Austin Eastciders Spiced Cider

Hosts: Mikah Sargent, Mary Jo Foley, and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Sponsors:

xCloud is Finally Here!

• The xCloud preview has begun! Paul Thurrott has been playing testing it out for the last few days
• Plus: You can use an Xbox Controller with iOS 13 too

In Windows this week...

• What's the deal with 20H1? Is there anything major to look forward to?
• Microsoft is starting to nag Win 7 Pro users about the January 2020 end of support date
• Related: Office 2010 has one year of support left

Ignite predictions
There will be bots and AI talk

• Maybe we'll hear more about Office "Unity". Definitely will hear about the new Project service
• Would be good to get some clarity on what's changing with Azure Stack
• There are a LOT of dev sessions this year. Maybe MS will share more on the dev story for Surface Duo/Neo
• Buzzwords you can't avoid: Microsoft Graph; edge; HCI, Power Platform
• Windows, Windows, Windows

Xbox

• Message safety settings come to Xbox - part of a bigger push
• Mixer Academy goes live

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Got a girl scout in your home? Go to the Microsoft Store!
• Plus: Get a controller clamp for mobile gaming: The Dainslef Smartphone Clamp for the Xbox Wireless Controller is only $10!
• App pick of the week: OneNote for Windows 10
• Plus: You can get Apple TV app on Roku now.
• Enterprise pick of the week: Desktop Analytics hits GA
• Codename pick of the week: (Hail) Hydra!
• Beer pick of the week: Evil Twin The Sour IPA is Dead! Long Live the Sour IPA!
  

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Mary Jo Foley, and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Sponsors:

• Windows 10 1909: Coming to you in November
  • Windows 10 1909 is moving to the Release Preview ring in preparation for a November launch
  • This feature update will be like a Cumulative Update (small/fast) if you are on 1903; regular otherwise
  • Revisiting the new features in 1909 (which will be off by default)
  • Finally, Microsoft is being clear about RTM (without using those three banned letters)
  • Related: Dona Sarkar is hanging up her Insider-chief. What's going on there? Is this part of some bigger changes internally? MJ: It's all about the Power Platform! :)
  • Plus: Your Phone in Windows 10 can now make/take phone calls
  • Windows Virtual Desktop is GA
  • Virtualize all the Windows 7, 10 and Office 365 ProPlus things

• Surface
  • Microsoft Fixes Windows 10 Version 1903 Blocking Issue for Surface Book 2

• Microsoft hardware event, one week later
  • Microsoft's embrace of USB-C is good enough
  • Surface business customers will get an option for Intel-based 15-inch Surface Laptops (not AMD)
  • Related: Fix for disappearing GPU for Surface Book 2 is finally rolling out

• More thoughts on the Surface Duo/Neo: What's the dev story?
  • MJ: Betting there's an M365 Developer Platform angle
  • PT: XAML Islands/WinUI 3 will be key
  • Windows 10X: What's inside
  • But what about Duo? Android was the right choice, sure. But what about devs?

• Xbox/Games
  • You can now use an Xbox Wireless Controller in iOS 13. Here's what it's like. - Also, you can buy an Xbox Wireless Controller from Apple now too
  • October 2019 Xbox Update is now available on Xbox One consoles
  • MJ: What's up with everyone quitting? Mike Ybarra, the two Mixer/Beam founders? Is xCloud going to shake up everything inside and out??

• Tip of the week: Store your secrets in OneDrive Personal Vault
• Plus: OneDrive gets multiple instances on iPad
• Tip pick of the week #2: Get Xbox Pass Ultimate, Get 6 Mos of Spotify for free
• Enterprise pick of the week: Windows 7 ESUs are going to be available to SMBs, too
• Codename pick: Unity
• Beer pick of the week: Prairie Artisan Ales Basic Becky

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Mary Jo Foley, and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Sponsors:

Microsoft Fall 2019 Event

• Our description of the event, setting the stage from inside the 'tent'
• Paul is pumped!
• Everything was leaked before the event, okay, not all of it

Microsoft rolls out a bunch of Surfii (Surfaces?)

• New Surface Pro 7
• ARM-based Surface ProX
• 2 new Surface Laptop 3 models, a 13" and a 15"
• Is the new Surface Laptop 3 15" lappable? Let's ask MJF, the queen of lappability. Is it Thunderboltable? Let's ask PBT, the king of Thunderboltabilty
• Everything will ship later this month

The new Surface kids on the block

• Surface Neo: Microsoft's long-rumored "Centaurus"/Courier 2.0
• Surface Duo: An Android phone
• Both coming Holiday 2020

Other Surface stuff

• Surface Earbuds: $249! They look like saucers
• New Surface Slim Pen
• New magnetic keyboard without a trackpad for the Surface Neo

Windows 10X

• What is this thing and where did it come from?
• Related (sort of): Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) is here

Other stuff

• Windows 10 version 1903 is now broadly available
• New titles for October in Xbox Game Pass for Console

Hosts: Mikah Sargent, Mary Jo Foley, and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

Check out Mary Jo's blog at AllAboutMicrosoft.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Sponsors: