Windows Weekly 990: Don’t Be Nostalgic for Stupid

Leo, Richard, and Paul discuss a Windows 10 ESU extension, Windows 11, hardware, AI, Xbox and games, and more.

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Windows

Microsoft quietly extends the Windows 10 Extended Security Update program one year to October 2027 for consumers

Windows Insider

• Windows Update is transitioning to the new Windows Insider experience by default
• Plus, five new builds across Beta, Experimental, Beta (26H1), Experimental (26H1), and Experimental (Future Platforms) — new Taskbar size setting is the much-needed new feature

Hardware

• Apple raises prices on Macs, iPads, and more, easing pressure on PC makers
• Microsoft quietly begins selling 8 GB Surface Pro/Laptop models
• Microsoft reportedly kills Surface Go products right when we need them the most
• The ASUS Zenbook A16 is nearly perfect, but it’s unclear what you get with an X2 Elite Extreme chip

AI

HP partners with OpenAI for its agentic makeover

Anthropic seizes on the “good enough” AI movement with Sonnet 5

Proton Lumo 2.0 is here

Gemini personalized image creator is available for free in the US

Notion blames agentic AI for it killing Notion Mail

Xbox and gaming

The 2026 Doom and Gloom watch

• Xbox Series X|S prices to go up again, by $150, on August 1 – and the 2 TB X is going away
• Undead Labs and Arkane Lyon possible victims of pending closures
• Latest rumor: Microsoft to layoff 2.5 percent of workforce next week – that’s 5,500 people, ;less than expected, but that’s because of the earlier voluntary buyouts, which apparently met internal expectations\

Minecraft Bedrock edition gets closed captions (original)

Sony will stop selling PS physical media in 2028

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: Help or get out of the way

People who just complain aren’t solving problems, they’re just making noise and distracting us from the real problems.

App pick of the week: Snapdragon Control Panel

If you have a Windows 11 on Arm PC on Snapdragon X or X2, you need this app to make games run as well as possible.

Plus – Settings > System > Display > Graphics for Auto SR and other settings and whatever is in each game

RunAs Radio this week: AI-Accelerated Supply Chain Attacks with Mackenzie Duncan

https://runasradio.com/Shows/Show/1043

Brown liquor pick of the week: Rupert’s Exceptional Canadian Whisky

https://eauclairedistillery.ca/products/ruperts-exceptional-canadian-whisky