WW 860: An Unexpected Visitor - Suno's AI music, Bobby Kotick's departure, predictions for Microsoft's 2024

On the last episode of 2023, Richard Campbell, Paul Thurrott, and Leo Laporte are joined by a lovely guest to look back (and look ahead) on Microsoft's progress and accomplishments. Between a Teams milestone, Meteor Lake chipset's release, AI music creation in Copilot, Bobby Kotick's upcoming exit, and Microsoft's Countdown Sale, there's plenty of news left to digest at the end of this eventful year! Happy holidays, dozers!

Windows 11/Microsoft 365

Microsoft will FINALLY fix the dumbest File Explorer bug of all - no, not that File Explorer bug

Microsoft is suddenly deprecating tons of Windows features

Windows Insider: Windows 11 Beta build 22635.2915 is the last Insider build of 2023. Nothing major: Voice access supports multiple displays, Windows 365 Boot and Windows 365 Switch from last week's Dev build, Notepad update with Notepad an "Edit with Notepad" item in the File Explorer context menu, and a character count display

Microsoft Teams now has 320 million users, 2,000 apps in the Teams store, and over 145,000 custom line-of-business (LOB) apps built by enterprises

AI

Microsoft partners with Suno to bring music creation to Copilot - OH AND THERE ARE PLUG-INS THERE NOW TOO

A few insider notes about this generation of Intel chips

Intel's Core Ultra chipset is coming to Chromebooks too

Look back/Look Ahead

What's left to say Copilots? There are lots (at least announced) and even more are coming

Is 2024 going to be the year of the AI PC? Or is this just another fad/bubble

"Windows 12" or whatever the vNext is called: Huzzah!

Ready or not, the new Outlook for Windows and new Teams are coming

How will Activision Blizzard impact Xbox?

Antitrust

Activision Blizzard settles 2021 class action lawsuit that triggered the acquisition by Microsoft

Bobby Kotick on the outs Dec 29

In wake of antitrust loss, Google also settles Play Store suit, will pay $700 million to victims

Adobe bails on Figma. Just kidding!

Xbox

Leak shows that Sony is very worried about Xbox now

Sony has sold 50 million PS5s, has outsold Xbox 3-to-1 in 2023

Google extends Stadia controller conversion timeline

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: Microsoft's Countdown sale brings big discounts to Xbox, Surface, more

App pick of the week: MediaSorter

RunAs Radio this week: Azure Arc Guest Configuration with Jodi Boone

Enterprise pick of the week: Directions on Microsoft's got some (free) resources worth checking out

Brown liquor pick of the week: The Spirit of Scotland 46 & Monkey Shoulder

Beer pick of the week: Back Home Beer Yalda Queen

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Guest: Mary Jo Foley

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