Windows Weekly (Video)

Microsoft announces Project xCloud public beta

• It's finally happening! But it's Android-only at first and will roll out over time.

Windows 10

• Goofy ex-Microsoftie turned YouTuber explains why Windows 10 is so unreliable - And he's obviously right, once you get past the presentation.
• Microsoft says that Windows 10 is now on more than 900 million devices
• Note that they don't say "active devices" anymore. Curious.
• Also: Remember Terry's "one billion" pledge? That was supposed to happen by mid-2018. So they'll hit it 2-3 years later than expected than the original "2-3 year" promise.
• Two new 20H1 builds:
• This week: New 20H1 build brings a few new features, continues slow progress
• Last week: Another 20H1 build with Bluetooth improvements

Dev

• Microsoft ships .NET Core 3.0 with new versions of ASP.NET, EFC Core 3.0, C# 8.0, F# 4.7, and Visual Studio. The big news? Windows Desktop compatibility, for Windows Forms and WPF.
• Microsoft ships new font for developers, command line users

Cloud

• Microsoft finally begins rolling out OneDrive extended storage plans for consumers
• Gotcha: You need to subscribe to an Office 365 consumer edition first
• Microsoft pledges "data dignity" - I wish they'd pledge some dignity for Windows!
• A life line for Cortana? Amazon announces Voice Interoperability Initiative
• Are we finally getting close(r) to Microsoft's Microsoft 365 Consumer subscription? Maaaybe
• Azure Sentinel, Microsoft's SIEM offering, hits GA. (And a bunch of folks seem excited/interested)

Surface

• Surface Laptop 2 inventory runs dry ahead of new product launches
• Surface Studio updated with Surface Pen latency fixes
• Microsoft revs Surface Dock Updater tool and it's not clear how or if this thing works at all

Xbox

• In another blow to transparency, Microsoft changes how it reports Xbox results
• Here are the games coming soon to Xbox Game Pass
• Minecraft is getting a character editor (now in Beta versions)

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Learn to program
• Learn Python, for beginners
• Also, Google released two free new developer courses for Kotlin Android development
• App pick of the week: Microsoft Office 365
• Enterprise pick of the week: Where is Win Server 1909/19H2?
• Enterprise pick No. 2 of the week: Dynamics 365 Wave 2
• Beer pick of the week: Hermit Thrush Gin Barrel Saison

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.

Sponsor:

October 2 event preview: we can't stop speculating

• It's not just hardware, and it's not just Surface: Event will highlight services and experiences too.
• Also: 15-inch Surface Laptop rumored
• Also: This time, the event will be streamed
• Related: Microsoft patents dual-screen device
• Walking Cat finds a reference to "Project S" (we think it's a Surface device)
• Related: Save the date for Microsoft Build 2020!
• More events: OnePlus next week, Huawei soon, Amazon on Sept. 25, Google in mid-October. Plus Ignite in November.

Server/cloud

• Calendar.help to launch soon as Scheduler
• Microsoft Exchange 2010 gets a support reprieve

Dev

• Here comes .NET Core 3.0. Launches at a virtual conference next week. What comes next? MJF: .NET Core 4.0?
• Flutter 1.9 Adds Support for macOS Catalina and iOS 13 - and sets the stage for web apps

Xbox

• Gears 5 off to a record start, Microsoft claims
• COD: Modern Warfare Beta Test Comes to Xbox One (and COD: Mobile is coming October 1!)
• We got more Game Pass games (for console)

Tips and picks

• App pick of the week: Amazon Music HD
• App pick of the week 2: Pocket Casts
• App pick of the week 3: Dark Reader
• Rumor of the week: OneDrive is coming to Linux
• Codename pick of the week: Saturn
• Beer pick of the week: Founders Sumatra Mountain Brown

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:

Surface Rumors go round and round

• Surface Go with Core m3 rumored - This is what the processor should have always been.
• Microsoft patents a portable speaker. It's almost certainly for businesses.
• October 2 is just 3 weeks away

Windows 10

• Microsoft finally details what's new in Windows 10 version 19H2, makes it available to all Insiders (in Slow)
• Your Phone calling functionality is coming to non-Samsung handsets
• New 20H1 builds today: WSL improvements, last week: New 20H1 build brings renamable virtual desktops.

Microsoft 365

• Microsoft Teams is coming to Linux eventually. (So, too, is the new Microsoft Edge. Plus a look back at Office for Linux.)
• Semi-related: Richard Stallman gave a talk about free software at MS last week. Not kidding

Mobile

• New Microsoft To-Do looks like old Wunderlist - Announced right after Wunderlist founder offered to buy back the app from Microsoft
• TomTom expands its deal with Microsoft to include connected vehicles

Microsoft, the musical

• Microsoft interns release a goofy musical video explaining that it's actually fun to work at Microsoft. No, really. They're happy not working at Google. Probably.

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Microsoft (often) offers the best trade-in value on Galaxy Note 10, 10+
• Looking for a new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 or 10+? Microsoft might be your best bet. But you gotta move quick.
• More: Windows 10 Field Guide has been updated for 19H2
• More: Gears 5 is now available to everyone. But don't buy it. Do this instead.
• App pick of the week: Vivaldi
• More: Microsoft's first new PowerToys are out. One of them is worth considering.
• Enterprise pick of the week: Microsoft Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) evaluation lab
• Codename pick of the week: Manganese
• Whiskey picks of the week: Macallan 12 Year Old, Aberlour A'bunadh

Hosts: Mary Jo Foley, Paul Thurrott, and Ant Pruitt

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:

The Internet-centric Windows that could have been...

• Heading into 1997, Microsoft planned to replace Windows with an Internet platform that would be open and cross-platform. What happened? And what might the world have been like if it hadn't switched back to a Windows-based strategy?

IFA News

• Anything interesting coming out of IFA so far? Acer and Razer
• Other hardware stuff: USB4 = USB-C + Thunderbolt 3, as expected, and HoloLens 2 could go on sale starting this month

Windows 10

• New 20H1 build adds promised cloud-reset option, new tablet mode
• 19H2: Still an undecipherable mess. But RTMing "soon" - if only we could test it
• Microsoft has released ISOs for Insiders for 19H2 and 20H1 this week
• Windows 10 1903 users: Beware of a CPU spike introduced by an optional Cumulative Update last week
• Related: Microsoft confirms no more Flash in Chredge towards the end of 2020

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: It's that time of the month again. Microsoft details Xbox Game Pass and Games with Gold titles for console and PC
• App pick of the week: Firefox 69
• Enterprise pick of the week: Microsoft starts posting Ignite sessions
• Enterprise pick No. 2 of the week: VMWare and Microsoft make nice
• Beer pick of the week: Jack's Abby S'mores

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 Surface event October 2 in NYC

• Microsoft is holding a hardware event on October 2. Here's what we expect.
• Note: There might be more than just Surface hardware here, as MS is calling it "Microsoft Event," like they did last year
• Other guesses: Teams for Life, Surface earbuds or...LiteOS?

Windows 10

• AdDuplex data: Windows 10 version 1903 has catapulted into a first-place tie for Windows 10 usage!
• Some customers are getting a one-year Windows 7 support extension
• This isn't what you think it is. It's not XP all over again
• Related: Kaspersky says more than half of SMB PCs still on Windows 7
• Dutch privacy watchdog complains about Windows 10 data collection, again
• Seriously. Microsoft can fix this very easily
• And here's Apple, showing the right way to do it: Opt-in
• 19H2 heads to Release Preview
• Could 19H2/1909 be more screwed up? The Insider Program found a way!

Mobile and more

• Your Phone suffers a one-day outage - Was it all the Note 10 users??
• Microsoft is bringing Dark Mode to core apps on Android, iOS, and web
• MS Authenticator backup on Android

Xbox

• Mixer's improvements begin with Streamer Review

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Give your favorite Mixer creator a free gift
• Windows history of the week: Asteroid, NepTune, and Triton
• Developer pick of the week: Microsoft's exFAT coming to the Linux kernel?
• Codename pick of the week: Vanadium
• Bonus: Check out this cool Bloomberg special issue on the periodic table
• Beer pick of the week: Anchor Brewing Brewer's Pale Galaxy Hop Blend

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:

New Microsoft Edge hits Beta channel

• Microsoft brings Edge Beta to Windows 10, 8.1, and 7, and Mac
• Related: Microsoft touts one million Chredge downloads so far. That's ... not very good.
• Related: Joe B's terrible Collections feature goes live. Why does Microsoft keep doing this?
• Related: There's a new Edge roadmap too. What are our expectations on the final version? And when will it be bundled with Windows 10?
• Related: AAD sign-in now available in new Edge
• Related: Microsoft implements battery life improvement for Chrome, Google accepts it

Windows 10

• New 20H1 build adds a few new features. Plus one from last week that added several new features.
• Microsoft rolls out two 19H2 builds, again. What's new? And what's up with all the A/B testing?
• Microsoft brings Notepad to the Store. For some reason. Because it's the best Windows app and deserves MORE, Paul.

Mobile

• Microsoft brings SMS Organizer app to more Android users
• Skype-to-phone calling is now registered as a telco service in the Netherlands

Corporate

• Microsoft hires ex-Siri chief ... but not for Cortana
• Microsoft acquires jClarity for Java performance on Azure

Xbox

• Microsoft is Bringing Ori and the Blind Forest to Nintendo Switch
• But ... Microsoft is also done bringing exclusives to other platforms
• PUBG is getting Xbox/PS4 cross-platform play
• Minecraft is picking up ray-tracing support

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Test Edge Insider Preview
• App pick of the week: Grammarly mobile keyboard
• Related: Gmail picks up as-you-type spelling and grammar checking
• Enterprise pick of the week: What's under the covers of Windows Update? Dynamics 365
• Enterprise pick No. 2: Don't forget to check that Windows 10 health dashboard
• Drink pick of the week: Patch Tuesday

An original recipe courtesy of Stephanie Thurrott and inspired by Mikah Sargent.
The Patch Tuesday:

• 3 oz whiskey
• 0.5 oz lemon juice
• 2 dashes bitters (because Patch Tuesday is a little bit sour and a little bit bitter)
• 0.5 oz honey (to add a little hope)
• 1/2 of an egg white
• Shake everything together well over ice.
• Serve over ice, ideally 1 large whiskey cube.
• Garnish with a hard maraschino cherry.
• Serves 2 because no one should drink alone on Patch Tuesday.

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.

Sponsor:

Windows

• Windows Virtual Desktop is now feature-complete
• Patch all the Windows things: New wormable Remote Desktop Services flaws found and patched
• Microsoft releases two different builds of Windows 10 19H2 for some reason - OK, it's really testing a new controlled feature rollout (CFR) system.
• Related: Latest Edge Dev channel release adds Dark Mode tweaks, more
• Bill Nye pushes Chromebooks now. He once hosted Microsoft's virtual Windows Me launch event!
• Intel announces a new sticker for laptops! Just what we wanted.

Cortana

• Cortana is removed from yet another entry-point, this time from the Johnson Controls GLAS. It's fine. Everyone is happy.
• Is the Harman-Kardon Invoke next up to lose Cortana?

Office

• It's official: Microsoft has removed Office 2019 from its Home Use Program. It's fine. Everyone is happy.

Xbox/Games

• Microsoft kills Super Duper Graphics Pack for Minecraft. Apparently, it can only handle 8-bit graphics.
• Microsoft game studio completes development of Gears 5, on track for early September launch
• Related (sports/games): The Sounders have new owners, including a very unlikely cast of current and former MS characters

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Understand your Windows 10 recovery options
• Related: This is how I configure Windows 10 (Premium article, also in Windows 10 Field Guide)
• App pick of the week: Stardock utilities for Windows 10
• Enterprise pick of the week: Bye, bye Azure Active Directory Basic
• Codename pick of the week: O'Hare
• Beer pick of the week: Foley Brothers Brewing Longbeards Oatmeal Stout

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.

Sponsor:

Samsung Unpacked

• Microsoft rumored---then confirmed---to be at today's Galaxy Note 10 launch. With the marketing materials leaking, we have some clues as to what they will add to this event:
• S Pen compatibility for Office - similar to iPad support earlier
• (Maybe) Office support for Dex desktop mode?
• (Maybe) Xbox/gaming partnership - Could Note 10 be a premier xCloud experience?

Windows

• Not news: Windows 10 no longer a "cornerstone" product for Microsoft
• There's no such thing as a great $500 Windows laptop. Why? And what can Microsoft do to fix this?
• New Windows 10 20H1 build is out today with a few minor updates and tweaks
• Microsoft confirms that Windows 10 will get a cloud restore feature
• Microsoft to finally disable VBScript in Windows 7, 8.1 IE
• Related: Remember the Browser Ballot Box? Google's doing it in Android with both web browsers and search engines. And the latter will come with a twist.

Xbox

• Microsoft teams with Ninja. Over 20 years old? Let me explain.
• Microsoft will ship 60 new Xbox games in 6 weeks
• Microsoft announces a sweeping set of Gears 5-inspired Xbox hardware
• Xbox Live outage has the Chicken Littles freaking out about xCloud

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Windows 10 Field Guide
• App pick of the week: Windows Terminal
• Enterprise pick of the week: Azure Dedicated Host
• Enterprise pick No. 2: Your Home Use Rights just changed, enterprise users.
• Beer pick of the week: Talea Beer

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:

Four years ago this week, Windows 10 was born

• Threshold 1 hit on July 29, 2015
• We first got official word about it in September 2014 (launch of preview); then more in Jan. 2015. Leaks before that.
• The bests and worsts about WaaS. What surprised us re: changes Microsoft made – and didn't -- during the past four years.
• Related: New survey finds one third of companies have at least one XP device still on their network

And in more current Windows 10 news...

• Microsoft explains what happened with self-leaked build last week
• Related: Last week's Win 10 20H1 test build now supports a separate and redesigned Cortana app
• Related: New 20H1 test build today adds snip & sketch updates. No cloud reset/refresh yet
• Windows 10 1903 hits 11.4 percent usage share
• New Win Server 20H1 build out this week adds FIDO2 authentication support
• Original HoloLens won't be getting any more Windows 10 feature updates beyond 1809

Chredge watch

• Walking Cat spotted Beta and Stable channel leaks for Chredge. (I downloaded the beta one – I'm living on the Edge! TM (I think you mean Living on the Chredge! TM)

Skype for Business Online gets a cut-off date: July 2021

• In two years, Microsoft will make Skype for Biz Online inaccessible. Teams is the way forward
• Microsoft also officially committed to providing Skype Consumer to Teams interop by Q1 2020
• What about Skype Consumer's future? MS is not commenting, but Teams for Life seems to be on the way

Xbox

• xCloud moves closer to public testing
• Microsoft is kicking Cortana off Xbox too
• There are new Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Games with Gold titles for August

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Don't travel internationally without this tech
• A good VPN, I use ExpressVPN
• Google Translate
• A travel power strip (U.S.-based) with USB ports - Also, a USB-C mini-hub with Ethernet
• App pick of the week: Google Chrome 76
• App pick of the week: DOOM, DOOM II, and DOOM 3 come to mobile and Switch!
• Enterprise pick of the week: Microsoft buys BlueTalon
• Enterprise pick No. 2 of the week: It's time to check out Microsoft Learn (again)
• Beer pick of the week: Austin EastCiders Rose Dry Cider

Want a cross between a cider and a rose wine? Here you go. From Austin, Texas, a refreshing, dry cider made with hibiscus and rose: https://austineastciders.com/products/rose-cider "This is rose done the Texas way"

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.

Sponsor:

Microsoft earnings

• Microsoft delivered another blockbuster FY and FYQ4.
• Analysis: FY19 - Xbox (bad), Surface (not the highlight people think), Windows (good, with businesses only), Office 365 (great) and Azure is ... slowing?. The big news: More Personal Computing is not Microsoft's biggest BU for the first time. Entire business in balance for now.

Antitrust

• Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google come under DOJ scrutiny
• Qualcomm is fined by the EU
• Will Microsoft continue to avoid the steely gaze of regulators?

The weirdness that is Windows 10 20H1

• Remember when Microsoft released a 19H2 build with unavailable new features last week? Yeah, some of them are available now. In a new build for some reason.
• And then they released another build, this time with one new feature
• Also, Windows Defender will become Microsoft Defender in 20H1

Plus...

• Microsoft accidentally deployed a Canary (?) build of Windows 10 to all Insiders and it shows the Lite OS Start menu with no live tiles
• Microsoft invests $1 billion in AI! OK, just kidding.
• LinkedIn to finally start using Microsoft technology. It's the least they can do, literally.
• Microsoft makes changes, again, to how it licenses Dynamics 365

Xbox

• Gears 5 multiplayer beta hits again this weekend
• Mixer commits to civility
• Fortnite controller (not) arriving just in time for Fortnite World Cup

Tips and Picks

• Tip of the week: Eloquent JavaScript
• App pick of the week: VirtualBox
• Enterprise pick of the week: Data-sharing agreements/licenses
• Naming pick of the week: Office Online is no more
• Beer pick of the week: Transmitter Hx Raspberry Sour

Hosts: Mary Jo Foley, Paul Thurrott, and Jason Howell

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.

Sponsor: