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Windows Central Podcast

Your weekly source for the best stories and insights from the world of Windows, Windows Mobile, Surface, HoloLens, and Xbox. Hosted by Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden.
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Now displaying: 2019
Dec 27, 2019

Join Zac Bowden for a special episode of the Windows Central Podcast in which he chats with Microsoft's Jason Howard from the Windows Insider Program about the Insider Podcast and Webcast, two incredibly important aspects of the Insider Program that community members should know about!

Dec 23, 2019

Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden talk about changes to the Windows Insider Program along with updates to Edge. Plus, what are the advantages of Microsoft Store apps vs. PWA? They also recap some the biggest stories of the year for Microsoft users, then chat about their hopes and expectations for 2020.

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Dec 16, 2019

Windows 7 support is ending on January 15, so what's the next step for the 300+ million devices still running it? Microsoft may ship the Surface Hub 2X with a version of Windows 10X. In the biggest news of the week, the Xbox Series X was unveiled at The Game Awards on December 13, 2019. The beastly, monolithic device represents "Project Scarlett," as a flagship console set to power the next-generation of console games.

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Dec 9, 2019

Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino check out the most recent build of Windows 10 20H1 before discussing Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 7c and 8c processors and other announcements from the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit.

They also report on rumors about a release of MS 365 for Consumers, and Daniel gives a quick roundup of some recent hardware reviews. Tune in!

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Nov 24, 2019

Windows 10 20H1 inches closer to reality with a new build in the Fast ring. Cortana mobile apps are going away for users in most markets, except for the United States. The release of Surface Earbuds has been delayed until Spring 2020, possibly to address their value compared to other Bluetooth earbuds?

Zac also reviews Google Stadia as he and Daniel discuss the company's image problem. And speaking of image problems, Apple is attempting to address their own issues with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. They're also actively hiring developers to work on Windows UWP apps.

The guys close out the episode with speculation about Surface Book 3 — or maybe Microsoft will shift strategies to release a 'Surface Laptop Pro'.

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Nov 18, 2019

Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden are back with the latest news for Microsoft users. Along with the recent release of Windows 10 November 2019 Update, there are new Fast ring builds of 20H1. There's also a Canary build of the Edge web browser for ARM processors.

The company has confirmed some changes for Cortana, but additional rumors are circulating about future directions for Cortana. In the hardware realm, Daniel provides a taste of his Surface Pro X review and shares his thoughts on what the device is good (and maybe not so good) for.

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Nov 4, 2019

Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubio talk about the new RTM schedule and their experiences with some new laptops. They also discuss Microsoft's victory in securing a $10 billion U.S. Government 'JEDI' cloud contract.

Plans for xCloud console streaming could bring the experience to even more places. Finally, Dan and Zac fears have been realized — Google is purchasing Fitbit for $2.1 billion.

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Oct 26, 2019

Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden talk about Microsoft's Q1 earnings along with forthcoming updates to Windows 10 before diving into their reviews of Surface Pro 7 and Surface Laptop 3.

They provide advice on who should upgrade to which models and compare the AMD-based consumer version of the 15-inch Laptop 3 vs. the Intel-based business edition. Additionally, Daniel professes his love for Alcantara. But as Zac reminds him: humans are gross.

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Oct 13, 2019

In the wake of Microsoft's Surface event, there's still a lot of news to discuss. Windows 10 19H2 has officially become Windows 10 November 2019 Update. Dona Sarkar is moving on from the Insider program for a position within Developer Relations.

Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino also talk about where Microsoft is likely to head with Windows 10X, and address the rationale behind the OS choices for Surface Neo and Duo. Finally, Daniel makes the case for a Surface Watch, and why the company shouldn't just buy Fitbit.

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Oct 7, 2019

Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino have gone hands on with the products announced at Microsoft's epic Surface event in New York. The presentation was a combination of what is soon to become available combined with a glimpse of what the future holds for Microsoft users. Their enthusiasm is palpable in this jam-packed episode of the the show!

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Sep 30, 2019

Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino chat about their 11th hour expectations for Microsoft's event on October 2. They also discuss the milestone of 900 million Windows 10 devices. Finally, they review iPhone 11 from the perspective of a Microsoft user.

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Sep 22, 2019

Microsoft's Surface Event is set for October 2 — Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden are reasonably certain that the 'Centaurus' foldable PC will be announced. They also talk about what other products to expect (and not expect) at the event.

20H1 build 18985 now rolling out to Fast ring Insiders, and there are future Windows build being referenced in other nooks and crannies of the Internet as well. The fellows wrap up the episode with reviews of Fitibt Versa 2, and Daniel has gotten his hands on the Elite Dragonfly 2-in-1 from HP.

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Sep 12, 2019

Daniel and Zac have returned from IFA in Berlin and have a roundup of hardware announcements from the trade show. They also look at 20H1 build 18980, Microsoft To Do's fresh design, and Your Phone for Windows 10 and Samsung users.

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Sep 1, 2019

Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden look forward to Microsoft's event scheduled for October 2 in NYC. There's a lot of announcements to expect along with things to NOT expect. And, as aways, they chat about new Windows 10 builds. They also briefly discuss some upcoming dark mode options and laptops Dan has been testing.

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Aug 25, 2019

Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden deliver a super-sized edition of the show with news about 19H2 and 20H1 builds, and the roll out of a Beta Channel for the new Chromium-based Edge browser.

They also talk about why Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 is a great smartphone option for users heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, plus Daniel shares his experience visiting the Huawei factory in China. Finally, the duo have a chat about a host of other general tech topics, particularly wearables and wishful thinking about a Surface Watch.

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Aug 12, 2019

Zac Bowden have news about Windows 10 build 18956 and go into detail regarding the expanded partnership between Samsung and Microsoft — thanks in large part to the new Galaxy Note 10. Samsung has also unveiled the Snapdragon 8cx-equipped Galaxy Book S.

They also have a great conversation about the expectation of privacy and reports that Microsoft contractors listen to portions of Skype calls.

Daniel teases his upcoming trip to visit Huawei's facilities in China and previews some upcoming laptop reviews.

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Aug 5, 2019

Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino have the scoop on Intel's new 10th Generation mobile processors, Build 18950 for Fast ring users, and the end of major software updates for the original HoloLens. They also talk about the Razer Blade 15 vs. Surface Book 2 and other laptops, and Microsoft is paying big money for Ninja to stream on Mixer.

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Jul 29, 2019

Daniel Rubino is back as he and Zac Bowden look at a 20H1 Fast ring build that includes the new Cortana experience. They also examine an unintentionally leaked build that revealed a new Start menu for Windows Lite.

There's also a new dashboard coming for Xbox, and Zac gives the lowdown on his time with the unreleased HP Pro x3 Windows Phone.

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Jul 20, 2019

Zac Bowden is joined this week by special guest Mary-Jo Foley to talk about their hopes and dreams for a Surface Phone and Windows Core OS. They also look at features in 19H2 and 20H1 and discuss the possible emergence of Microsoft 365 as the company's dominant 'brand'.

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Jul 14, 2019

Zac Bowden delivers a solo episode this week, covering the launch of the Microsoft Store in London and a new build in the Fast Ring. He also brings the latest news on xCloud and Microsoft Teams reaching a milestone with 13 million daily active users.

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Jul 8, 2019

Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden talk about the Microsoft Windows 1.0 and Stranger Things connection. They also look at the next 12 months of Windows updates and new features with 19H2 and 20H1.

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Jul 1, 2019

Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino look at a rumored ARM variant for Microsoft's next Surface Pro running a Snapdragon 8cx. They also discuss a host of other hardware and software rumors, including the possibility of running Android apps on 'Windows Lite' based devices, including Surface 'Centaurus'.

There are some new features for OneDrive users, and Cortana Beta is in the Microsoft Store. Finally Bill Gates sees losing the mobile race to Android as his greatest mistake.

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Jun 22, 2019

Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino explore reasons why Windows 10 19H2 is behind schedule. They also look at Xbox rumors regarding 'Anaconda' and 'Lockhart'.

There's a new experience for using Cortana in the latest Windows 10 preview build, and Daniel talks about why iPadOS might pose a legitimate threat to Surface Pro.

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Jun 17, 2019

Zac Bowden and Daniel Rubino talk about big changes potentially coming to Windows shell. They also have more details (and rumors) about the Xbox news from E3. Finally, Daniel reviews the Lenovo IdeaPad S940 and crowns it King of the Ultrabooks. Windows Central has merch — You can get yours by visiting the link in our show notes!

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Jun 9, 2019

Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden have biggest news stories of the week for Windows users. Microsoft has been demoing their dual-screen Surface 'Centaurus' device for some of their employees. A group of UWP developers have banded together for an annual 'Launch' event of new apps. Daniel is especially excited about updates to the myTube app.

They also discuss Google Stadia and talk about what they look forward to from Microsoft at E3.

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