Windows Weekly 966: You Can’t Spell Gmail Without AI

Leo, Richard, and Paul discuss Microsoft’s sustainable AI push, Windows 11 and Patch Tuesday, PC sales, Apple + Google, AI, Xbox and games, and more.

Stream this episode and subscribe

Enjoy Windows Weekly on YouTube

Microsoft is trying to win our hearts and minds on AI

After spending three years trying to jam AI down our collective throats, Microsoft has only met resistance. Now, the real marketing begins

• Governments and regulators: Microsoft will build out its AI infrastructure by actually paying for it and respecting the communities in which this happens
• Customers: Satya Nadella is blogging, and he wants us to stop complaining about AI. He’s the wrong messenger. This guy is the right messenger.

Random related thought: Satya Nadella gave up much of his CEO duties in 2025. Are we on the cusp of a new CEO? And does some money manager/political duo like Amy Hood and Brad Smith actually make more sense in this role than an engineer-type for the modern Microsoft?

Windows 11

First Patch Tuesday of 2026 brings security and bug fixes but no new features

Windows Insider

• First update of 2026 brings Copilot-powered image descriptions in Narrator, new IT policies for Copilot, other changes to Dev and Beta
• Related, Dev is about to switch to 26H1

Hardware

• IDC says that PC sales rose 8.1 percent in 2025, warns again about 2026
• I’ve been using a Panther Lake laptop for the past month – here’s the good and the bad – plus, my initial write-up
• Dell doesn’t sell any PCs to consumers so it obviously has opinions about why consumers don’t buy PCs for AI

Semi-related reminder that Microsoft will soon retire its Lens mobile app

AI

Apple predictably partners with Google to bring Gemini to Siri

Samsung correctly points out we’re all using AI already so there’s no reason to complain about it

We can’t trust AI, so Microsoft is letting Copilot go shopping with our credit cards

We can’t trust AI, so OpenAI is giving ChatGPT access to our private health data

Gmail is getting more AI because email is the low-hanging fruit of data collection

Xbox and gaming

Developer Direct returns on January 22 with Fable and Forza 6 gameplay

Microsoft to bring Avowed to PS5 in February

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: Kick off 2026 with a security checkup

I will be writing about this topic throughout January, and there are episodes of Hands-On Windows coming too. High level:

• Secure your online accounts
• Use a (third party) password manager fully for passwords and passkeys
• Use a (third party) authenticator app for other MFA/2FA verifications
• Correctly secure your PCs and devices with biometrics

App pick of the week: Microsoft Local Foundry

Continuing to look at local AI, Local Foundry is text-based but it makes it easy to try SLMs that work against the GPU or NPU, and not just the CPU.

RunAs Radio this week: Azure in 2026 with Jeremy Winter

https://runasradio.com/Shows/Show/1019

Brown liquor pick of the week: Don Julio 70

https://www.donjulio.com/en-ca/our-tequilas/don-julio-70-cristalino-tequila