
WW 1007: A Sea of Blues and Greens - Another Round of Buyout Offers Sent to Microsoft's Workforce
Windows Weekly (Audio)Show Notes
Microsoft released new Windows 11 Experimental builds. A new round of buyout offers has been presented to 25% of Microsoft's global workforce. Microsoft fixed a major Authenticator flaw for Android. And... no major XBOX news?
Windows
Paul has confirmed a theory weʼve discussed about why Microsoft is really improving Windows 11 this year.
Windows Insider Program
Four new builds - Mobile device controls in Quick Settings, native Internet speed test.
Corporate
Microsoft offers buyout offers to almost 25 percent of its global workforce.
Hardware
This week in Paulʼs RTX Spark local AI coding fails - plus, the first step is realizing itʼs not you, itʼs the technology.
Some advice for using AI.
Software
Microsoft fixes major Authenticator flaw on Android.
PowerToys adds two new utilities, so many other updates.
The Browser Company announces the inevitable end of Arc browser.
AI
Anthropic files for IPO, warns that its work could end humanity.
Canva releases its first AI model, for images.
Opera brings local AI to its desktop web browsers with WebAI standard-to-be.
Apple is bringing AI assistant to its iWorks apps - Apple copies Microsoft again!
XBOX and Gaming
No real news this week, which is rare, but a few thoughts about the new Call of Duty.
Tips and Picks
Tip of the Week: Yes, the Windows Setup workarounds still work in 26H2.
Windows 11 version 26H2 arrived recently and Iʼve now tested the installer on multiple Arm64 and x64 PCs and the local account workarounds we all know and love still work. My advice: Use Rufus to create install media.
App pick of the week: Mozilla Firefox
With a year or so of major improvements to its web browser, Mozilla has launched a big ad campaign to get Firefox users back.
RunAs Radio this week: PostgreSQL with Elizabeth Christensen
Brown liquor pick of the week: Vardberg Born
Hosts: Mikah Sargent, 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
joindeleteme.com/twit-biz
bitwarden.com/twit
More from Windows Weekly (Audio)
Paul Thurrott gets hands-on with NVIDIA's new RTX Spark AI PCs and reveals why all that power isn't translating into practical results for certain users. Expect strong opinions and a few surprises about the state of local AI on computers. Plus, Tolaria is a free, open source, vibe-coded replacement for Notion that's based on Markdown files. And now it's on mobile too! Llama Windows is also free/open source and natively supports Windows 11 on Arm and RTX Spark. It may be the easiest way to interact with local AI on Windows.
Microsoft's latest Windows event left even diehard enthusiasts scratching their heads, with new AI-powered hardware and "RTX Spark" PCs getting top billing but little clear reason for anyone to buy them. If you're wondering what actually matters in the world of AI PCs. or why no one can explain it, you're not alone.
Microsoft and NVIDIA's RTX Spark laptops are official, with preorders open and shipping October 16. Prices run from $2,599 (24GB) to $5,899 (128GB, already sold out on Surface). Paul and Leo cover who needs that much RAM, what "hybrid intelligence" means, and why Paul's new Googlebook disappointed him.
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