Windows Weekly 911: A Back-End Guy

Leo, Richard, and Paul discuss Patch Tuesday, another Copilot change, Recall, Intel is dead and so is Surface Studio, Xbox, and much more.

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Windows 11

The final Patch Tuesday of 2024 arrives with new features for 24H2: Jump lists in Start, shortened Taskbar date/time by default, Android sharing in File Explorer (over Wi-Fi), and a few other things.

Windows Insider

Microsoft is bringing “the full Windows 11 experience” to Meta Quest 3/3S

Yet another 24H2 issue: Google Workspace sync plug-in for Outlook

Microsoft Store gains more Win32 app updating features via winget

Rethinking a few reviled Microsoft apps – Edge and Outlook are both the subject of withering criticisms, but … shocker. Both have gotten quite good. It’s time for another look.

Calling it

The real problem with Recall

  • After two-plus weeks of Recall being out in the public, not a single security issue has emerged
  • Microsoft made no substantive changes to the Recall security model despite claiming otherwise
  • But Recall is problematic. And the reasons are all security-related. The UX suffers from this

There is too much stupid in the world. The Windows 11 watermark threat is not new.

Intel is dead, x86 is next, and it’s time to embrace our new Arm-based masters

Surface, Microsoft 365

Microsoft officially kills Surface Studio 2+ – after douchey Ignite presentation when they semi claimed otherwise

  • Plus, rumors of Lunar Lake-based Surface Pro and Laptop in early 2025 that obviously make sense

Skype continues its downward spiral: No more Skype credit, but plenty of spam and now subscriptions

AI, more

Copilot Vision is now available to Copilot Pro subscribers in the US

Apple Intelligence, Take 2: iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, macOS 15.2 arrive with ChatGPT integration, new Writing Tools, um, tools, Image Playground app, Genmoji, Image Wand in Notes, and Visual Intelligence in Camera.

Now I really won’t pay for AI: OpenAI introduces $200 per month ChatGPT tier for researchers

OpenAI delivers Sora just days after Google announces Veo preview

Google goes agentic with Gemini because of course it is – Also, Google CEO rips on Microsoft AI, hilarious

Lots more Gemini coming to Android 15, Pixel devices

Xbox

You can now get official Xbox replacement parts for Series X|S consoles

Fortnite is adding a 5v5 first person mode this week

Microsoft expands stream your own game capabilities to more Xbox Insiders

Valve is almost certainly bringing back third-party Steam machines

Google’s Stadia Controller gets another year for Bluetooth Conversion Therapy

Apple Vision Pro to get Sony PS5 controller compatibility – Apple blew it with game makers by not making a controller, though it tested one.

Video game preservation has emerged as a big trend in 2024. Open source is playing a role in this too.

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: The year-end wrap-ups begin

App pick of the week: Stardock Multiplicity 4 is here

Multiplicity 4 supports Windows 11 on Arm nearly fully (only one major feature doesn’t work) and offers a wide range of new features

RunAs Radio this week: M365 Copilot in Government with Angela Dugan

https://runasradio.com/Shows/Show/962

Brown liquor pick of the week: Tobermory Ledaig 10

https://tobermorydistillery.com/products/ledaig-10-year-old

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