Windows Weekly 896: A Very Buxom Seal

Leo, Richard, and Paul discuss Windows 11 and Week D, Microsoft’s security summit, lots of hardware and software, Xbox, and more.

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Windows 11

It’s Week D. Do you know where your preview updates are?

• Windows 11 version 22H2/23H2 get the same update
• Windows 11 version 24H2 gets a different update, but at least it’s on time
• They’re slightly different. Because Microsoft

Windows Insider Program

• Beta: Media controls on the Lock screen, more

Windows security update borks small number of Linux bootloaders, is perfect example of misplaced and faux outrage

Related: Right-click doesn’t work correctly with Windows and a touchpad. It’s not you

M$FT

Microsoft took Paul’s advice. Instead of just blaming the EU, it’s holding a security summit with CrowdStrike and other partners to solve the problems highlighted by the botched update outage. (Which it said it would do back in July.)

Microsoft shuffles the decks below its three primary business units

• Microsoft: It’s all about transparency!
• Paul: Nope

Hardware

Lenovo ThinkPad T14s is the best business-class Snapdragon X Copilot+ PC yet

ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 is the last gasp of the Surface Pro-alikes

Pixel 9 series

• Paul got a Pixel 9 Pro XL – Eerily iPhone Pro-like design, crazy AI features – The combination of hardware and software here is nuts
• Pixel 9 series is shipping with Android 14. Google planned to ship Android 14 earlier than ever before this year. Users with Pixel 9 series phones can enroll in Android 15 Beta now. But Android 15 was quietly delayed to October, the normal release time frame. A quick note about what to do if you’re in the Beta and want to get out.

iPhone 16 is coming

• Mark Gurman leaks all the things
• Apple announces launch event
• Some navel-gazing about Apple’s place in our lives

The magic of software

It’s been a busy week for new software and services for some reason

• Microsoft announces Loop 2.0 on Twitter, no one has it yet
• LibreOffice is now native on Windows on Arm!
• Google Essentials app will be bundled with some new PCs, starting with HP
• Proton Drive for Business now available standalone, and with sale pricing (and more storage)
• Brave gets major privacy updates on desktop and mobile
• Apple makes further DMA concessions, will let iPhone users change default apps for phone, messaging, more
• Threads is testing posts that are as ephemeral as your facts
• Paid version of Alexa will allegedly launch in October. (Makes sense, Amazon usually has an annual Alexa event in September.)
• Google Meet gets auto PIP for all and AI meeting notes for some

Xbox

Xbox August Update starts rolling out with those new Discord features

Raven labor union files complaint against Microsoft

Microsoft brings Xbox Cloud Gaming to more Fire TV devices

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: You can still upgrade to 24H2 right now

Back in May, I published a tip about upgrading to Windows 11 version 24H2 immediately using a Release Preview ISO. That version of the ISO is long gone, but the tip still works with the latest Release Preview ISO.

App pick of the week: Win11Debloat

It’s a PowerShell script, but it’s awesome and I recommend it highly.

Also: Like Baldrick, I have a cunning plan

RunAs Radio this week: The Security Risks of AI with Steve Poole

https://runasradio.com/Shows/Show/947

Brown liquor pick of the week: Mosgaard Moscatel Single Malt

https://mosgaardwhisky.dk/collections/historiske-releases/products/whisky-single-cask-moscatel-wwa-worlds-best-small-batch