Windows Weekly (Audio)

Why does Microsoft keep stumbling with new devices and software design... and what happens when enthusiasts start favoring AI over old-school Office? Paul, Richard, and Leo dig into shifting loyalties and what that means for the future of the desktop. And with the release of 26H2, it's time to update your install and recovery media. The build number is 26300.9457

Windows

Windows 11, version 26H2 is here

New features, none unique: Start, Taskbar, Search, etc

New defaults for some features: Windows settings backup for commercial customers, etc.

The time a UX legend interviewed for a job at Microsoft running Windows UX

WSL Containers are generally available in Windows 11

Four new Insider builds, but only Experimental gets anything interesting: Phone companion improvements and Energy recommendations directly in Quick Settings

Software

Microsoft retires the Microsoft 365 Companion apps for Windows 11 that never made sense in the first place

Mozilla ships the new Nova UI in Firefox 157

Hardware

Copilot+ PC brand could be on the way out, but it was all over IFA, including on RTX Spark-based PCs

Microsoft launches new base Surface Pro and Laptop models with Snapdragon X2 - And a new mouse, for some reason

Qualcomm brought (first-gen) Snapdragon X to Googlebook, but it's also bringing X2 to Linux

Google quietly reveals that, yes, Chromebooks are on the way out

AI

Microsoft unveils the Copilot "super app" and the notion that this is basically an OS

Open releases about 1000 new updates for ChatGPT

Claude Sonnet 5.5 joins Opus 5.5

The AI money pit, part 127: Report details Anthropic losses, spending, and revenues. Report also does a bad job at visualizing that information

XBOX and gaming

Disc to digital program is live

Minecraft Dungeons is here with a new dimension, and it's coming to Minecraft next year too

Microsoft has a new casual mobile game for some reason

XBOX now has mythic achievements

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: Get the Windows 11 version 26H2 ISO

App pick of the week: Opera on desktop and on mobile

RunAs Radio this week: AI and Penetration Testing with Paula Januszkiewicz

Brown liquor pick of the week: Kilchoman Loch Gorm

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:
PaloAltoNetworks.com/Idira

bitwarden.com/twit

Windows

Week D arrives, and this time we get updates - a preview of Octoberʼs Patch Tuesday
24H2/25H2 Minor update with new Copilot key remaps, Wi-Fi in WRE, more

26H1 Major update that brings all new 26H2 features—Start, Taskbar, Search —to 26H1. Finally.


Windows Insider Program

Four new builds last Friday - Biggest change is Cloud Rebuild in WRE (in Experimental) gaining new capabilities.

Software

30 years ago, Dave Plummer created Task Manager, and now heʼs vibe-coded a modern version that works on Mac and Linux too.

Stardock announces a new Windows 11 utility called Snipboard.

Clipchamp does AI upscaling to 4K now

Hardware

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15p Aura Edition is nearly perfect, with 11 hours of battery life.

Googlebook revealed!
Questions answered - $899 starting price is much lower than expected.

This is Androidʼs Copilot+ PC moment - An AI PC? What a concept!


AI/dev

Microsoft announces a OneDrive + Copilot event in October - Also a separate Copilot event before then.

Financial Times reveals internal OpenAI prediction of $278 billion in losses over the next five years.

NYT copyright case discovery reveals what Microsoft and OpenAI really think about stealing content.

Anthropic merges Cowork into chat, adds Docs and Slides.

Google Labs CC turned into Gemini Daily Brief, so now itʼs an AI agent for families.

Google opens up its Home smart home ecosystem to other AI assistants.

XAML.io is a web-based vibe coding IDE for .NET apps and it looks amazing.

XBOX and Gaming

A big reorg and a small number of layoffs at XBOX sets off a new round of hand wringing.

Tip and Picks

Tip of the week: Get Auto SR on Panther Lake-based laptops

Auto SR was designed to make gaming viable on Windows 11 on Arm/Snapdragon X/X2, but now itʼs available on Intel Core Ultra Series 3-based PCs and it is worth experimenting with.

App Pick of the Week: Affinity

Possibly the greatest free app in existence, Affinity just got 60 new features and is even better.

Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:
trustedtech.team/twit

originhq.com/windowsweekly

Windows

Week D arrives, and this time we get updates - a preview of Octoberʼs Patch Tuesday
24H2/25H2 Minor update with new Copilot key remaps, Wi-Fi in WRE, more

26H1 Major update that brings all new 26H2 features—Start, Taskbar, Search —to 26H1. Finally.


Windows Insider Program

Four new builds last Friday - Biggest change is Cloud Rebuild in WRE (in Experimental) gaining new capabilities.

Software

30 years ago, Dave Plummer created Task Manager, and now heʼs vibe-coded a modern version that works on Mac and Linux too.

Stardock announces a new Windows 11 utility called Snipboard.

Clipchamp does AI upscaling to 4K now

Hardware

The Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15p Aura Edition is nearly perfect, with 11 hours of battery life.

Googlebook revealed!
Questions answered - $899 starting price is much lower than expected.

This is Androidʼs Copilot+ PC moment - An AI PC? What a concept!


AI/dev

Microsoft announces a OneDrive + Copilot event in October - Also a separate Copilot event before then.

Financial Times reveals internal OpenAI prediction of $278 billion in losses over the next five years.

NYT copyright case discovery reveals what Microsoft and OpenAI really think about stealing content.

Anthropic merges Cowork into chat, adds Docs and Slides.

Google Labs CC turned into Gemini Daily Brief, so now itʼs an AI agent for families.

Google opens up its Home smart home ecosystem to other AI assistants.

XAML.io is a web-based vibe coding IDE for .NET apps and it looks amazing.

XBOX and Gaming

A big reorg and a small number of layoffs at XBOX sets off a new round of hand wringing.

Tip and Picks

Tip of the week: Get Auto SR on Panther Lake-based laptops

Auto SR was designed to make gaming viable on Windows 11 on Arm/Snapdragon X/X2, but now itʼs available on Intel Core Ultra Series 3-based PCs and it is worth experimenting with.

App Pick of the Week: Affinity

Possibly the greatest free app in existence, Affinity just got 60 new features and is even better.

Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsors:
trustedtech.team/twit

originhq.com/windowsweekly

Microsoft's record-breaking Patch Tuesday unleashed nearly a thousand fixes, but the bonus story is in the chaos that followed as out-of-band updates and AI-driven bug hunts left admins scrambling to keep up.

Windows

Patch Tuesday was so buggy Microsoft had to release an emergency fix to address all the issues

New Release Preview builds for 24H2/25H2 - I guess we're moving past the features that are also in the initial 26H2 release - New Copilot key remapping feature, they will get it right eventually

Five builds across Experimental and Beta channels - All over the map as you'd expect

Google releases the Gemini app for Windows

Adobe released Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2027

AnyType is a top-tier Notion alternative and it's about to get very interesting

Microsoft previews an October Windows + Surface event that's clearly all about Nvidia - but is this also tied to 26H2 release?

HP announces a new Ryzen-based portable workstation with an interesting detail about unified memory

Apple announced iPhone 18 Pros, iPhone Duo, Watch 12 + Ultra 4, AirPods 5, and then released its '27 OS updates - And sure whatever

AI

AI fear-mongering reaches new heights (or new lows): Is this just PR from Big AI to keep the money rolling?

Bill Gates says Gates Foundation will donate $1+ billion to solve AI inequality

Big AI could solve the PR problems by actually doing something positive for mankind. Just a thought

Copilot Work and Copilot Studio get app building capabilities

Google will bring MCP to Google Home, in early preview now

Mozilla and Mistral partner on Firefox Smart Window AI

XBOX and gaming

Gears of War: E-Day and more is coming to Game Pass in the second half of September

XBOX is going to the Tokyo Game Show and a nice surprise for Kojima fans

Valve opens up Steam Frame preorders and it's only $1060!

Amazon Prime Gaming and Luna are having a pretty g26ood September

Apple is reportedly making an iPhone game controller for some reason

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: There's a new MSA bypass for Windows 11 Setup

App pick of the week: Google Dreambeans

RunAs Radio this week: Patching in 2026 with Susan Bradley

Brown liquor pick of the week: Art of the Spirits Honored to Serve

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsor:
trustedtech.team/twit

Microsoft's record-breaking Patch Tuesday unleashed nearly a thousand fixes, but the bonus story is in the chaos that followed as out-of-band updates and AI-driven bug hunts left admins scrambling to keep up.

Windows

Patch Tuesday was so buggy Microsoft had to release an emergency fix to address all the issues

New Release Preview builds for 24H2/25H2 - I guess we're moving past the features that are also in the initial 26H2 release - New Copilot key remapping feature, they will get it right eventually

Five builds across Experimental and Beta channels - All over the map as you'd expect

Google releases the Gemini app for Windows

Adobe released Photoshop and Premiere Elements 2027

AnyType is a top-tier Notion alternative and it's about to get very interesting

Microsoft previews an October Windows + Surface event that's clearly all about Nvidia - but is this also tied to 26H2 release?

HP announces a new Ryzen-based portable workstation with an interesting detail about unified memory

Apple announced iPhone 18 Pros, iPhone Duo, Watch 12 + Ultra 4, AirPods 5, and then released its '27 OS updates - And sure whatever

AI

AI fear-mongering reaches new heights (or new lows): Is this just PR from Big AI to keep the money rolling?

Bill Gates says Gates Foundation will donate $1+ billion to solve AI inequality

Big AI could solve the PR problems by actually doing something positive for mankind. Just a thought

Copilot Work and Copilot Studio get app building capabilities

Google will bring MCP to Google Home, in early preview now

Mozilla and Mistral partner on Firefox Smart Window AI

XBOX and gaming

Gears of War: E-Day and more is coming to Game Pass in the second half of September

XBOX is going to the Tokyo Game Show and a nice surprise for Kojima fans

Valve opens up Steam Frame preorders and it's only $1060!

Amazon Prime Gaming and Luna are having a pretty g26ood September

Apple is reportedly making an iPhone game controller for some reason

Tips and picks

Tip of the week: There's a new MSA bypass for Windows 11 Setup

App pick of the week: Google Dreambeans

RunAs Radio this week: Patching in 2026 with Susan Bradley

Brown liquor pick of the week: Art of the Spirits Honored to Serve

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly

Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!

Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Sponsor:
trustedtech.team/twit