Windows Weekly 860: An Unexpected Visitor

A very special guest joins us on the last live show of 2023 to discuss Windows 11, AI, antitrust, Xbox, and what to expect in the coming year.

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Our national nightmare is over

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

Windows 11/Microsoft 365

Deprecation nation, what’s your … 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

Last week, we discussed Intel’s Meteor Lake and new AI PCs but…

• A few insider notes about this generation of chips
• Intel’s Core Ultra chipset is coming to Chromebooks too

Look back/Look Ahead

It’s the last WW of the year, so let’s talk about what mattered and might in the MSFT world

• 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

• Related: Bobby K on the outs

Another chip in the wall: 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. That said …

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

It’s worth checking out

App pick of the week: MediaSorter

If you’ve having trouble with image/video meta-data, this tool works wonders

Bonus picks: Firefox mobile now supports over 500 extensions on Android! And DuckDuckGo for Android now has Tracking Protection out of preview

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

https://runasradio.com/Shows/Show/911

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

• New Copilot matrix and our “Answer This” question opportunity on www.directionsonmicrosoft.com/blog

Brown liquor pick of the week: A double-header!

The Spirit of Scotland 46

https://www.houseofhazelwood.com/products/the-spirit-of-scotland

Monkey Shoulder

https://www.monkeyshoulder.com/

Beer pick of the week: Back Home Beer Yalda Queen

A very interesting pomegranate gose from a very interesting brewery