There's still plenty more to say about Surface Duo, but Dan and Zac catch up on other happenings within the Microsoft world. There's chat about new Windows 10 builds, Xbox Series S, real-time trips and weather with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, and the end of support for Microsoft Edge Legacy.
Additionally, Dan reviews the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra from a Microsoft service users perspective. Plus, he makes the case for new societal fashion aesthetics.
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Surface Duo has been fully unveiled and is now available for pre-order! Daniel and Zac are joined by another Dan — Android Central's Executive Editor Daniel Bader. They cover all the bases of the new device, including pricing and why Microsoft chose Android for the operating system instead of a Windows variant. As we've said many times already, Surface Duo is a product for Microsoft fans and hardcore users of the ecosystem. Don't overthink it, just tune in!
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It's been a busy week for Microsoft, and thus for Daniel and Zac as well! Significant organizational changes are happening for the Windows and Azure teams. Meanwhile, Satya Nadella works to acquire TikTok in the midst of very mixed signals from President Trump.
Microsoft and Apple are at odds over xCloud game streaming and what Microsoft claims are unfair App Store policies. But Microsoft is finding a not-so-strange bedfellow in the form of Samsung with regard to app integrations and a mutual love of foldable devices.
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Zac and Daniel talk about the apparent internal disconnect within Microsoft when it comes to reliably bringing Windows 10 updates to the Surface product line. There are new updates to Teams that can help make online meetings more tolerable.
They also discuss positioning and expectations for the upcoming Surface Duo — Microsoft didn't set out to make an Android phone. They set out to make a Surface phone that happens to run Android.
An Xbox event is set for July 23 where we expect to see more titles announced and hopefully more in-game footage. The Amazon Prime Video app is out now for Windows 10, and the guys round out the show with some chat about new laptops.
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There's a new developer build of Windows 10 available, which features significant changes to the Start menu. Daniel and Zac have the details on that as well as the Arm-based Lenovo Flex 5G.
Speaking of Arm processors, they compare Apple's efforts with their own designs with Microsoft's SQ1. The guys also talk about Xbox Series S Lockhart rumors and even touch on wearable computing with devices like the Oura Ring and Google's acquisition of North.
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Zac and Daniel are joined in the first segment of this week's episode by Adam Levenson of Waves Audio to discuss the speaker technology found in Dell's new XPS 15 and XPS 17 laptops.
From there, the guys mourn the closing of Mixer and all of Microsoft's retail stores. They also touch on the decline of Windows 10 stability and Apple's move to ARM-based processors.
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The Windows Insider program has been overhauled and rebranded from Rings to Channels, among many other significant changes. Zac and Daniel make sense of everything that's going on and how it will be helpful to enthusiasts and developers.
There are also some new laptops to discuss, Dell is promising a fix to wobbly XPS 15 trackpads, and Razer has teamed up with THX for a cool spatial audio app. Tune in!
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Daniel and Zac check out Sony's PlayStation 5 reveal and how it might compare to Xbox Series X. Surface Duo is still on track for a summer release. As they describe it, Microsoft will be shipping a proof-of-concept that will appeal greatly to fans.
Daniel also provides his review of the Surface Headphones 2, new UWP apps, fresh Windows 10 Insider build, and more.
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Daniel and Zac briefly address racial injustice in the United States along with Microsoft's work to help affect change in a positive way. They move on to the tech news of the week, including the release of Windows 10 May 2020 Update, the Surface Duo experience, and a review of the 15-inch Surface Book 3. As well, Dell's new XPS 15 (9500) is a complete redesign of their flagship laptop and it looks gorgeous!
In the gaming realm, screenshots have leaked of a new Xbox Store for consoles, codenamed 'Mercury'.
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Daniel and Zac chat about the most significant announcements from Build 2020 — the biggest news is Project Reunion. They also review Surface Earbuds and discuss expanded availability of HoloLens 2.
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There's plenty of news this week in the world of Microsoft! The company generated $35 billion in revenue for Q3 2020, and Build 2020 registration is now open.
There's an Xbox event coming up May 7 to showcase upcoming games. Surface Headphones 2 are on the way along with some new Earbuds. Daniel and Zac also discuss why Zoom isn't really a competitor to Teams, and they outline 5 things PC makers should be doing in 2020.
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Daniel tests RTX Voice from NVIDIA — It provides realtime, AI-based noise reduction for live streaming and other applications. In fact, this week's episode has no additional processing on his voice other than volume leveling to match Zac.
New Surface product announcements are coming soon, so the dynamic duo discuss what to expect. Leaked images of the upcoming Dell XPS 15 confirm design changes. They wrap up with a conversation about Apple's likely transition to ARM processors for their macOS-based systems and what that could mean in the Windows universe.
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The Windows 10 May 2020 Update is now available! Daniel and Zac have more to share on it along with a new build for Fast ring Insiders. Spec rumors are circulating for Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2.
Additionally, Microsoft has landed a deal with the NBA, and their JEDI contract with the US government seems to have passed scrutiny. HP has refreshed their entire ENVY laptop product line, the guys finish out the episode with talk about the OnePlus 8 and new iPhone SE.
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Microsoft has appointed a new leader for the Windows Insider Program, and CEO Satya Nadella says their hardware supply chain is 'getting back on rails'. Slack is working on calling integration with Microsoft Teams, and there are also new updates to the Bing COVID-19 tracker.
Daniel previews the new Dell XPS 13, and they discuss 'Home Premiere' movie rentals and possible permanent changes in the movie theatre business.
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Windows 10 has surpassed 1 billion devices and Teams has reached 44 million daily users. Zac and Daniel also discuss Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 as more details have been announced for both consoles. Also in the gaming realm, Daniel has been enjoying Doom Eternal.
Microsoft has a consumer subscription announcement happening on March 30 that will bring MS 365 to the masses. They also chat about the need for Microsoft to develop creative tools that can help lure users away from Apple and MacBook fans. And speaking of Apple, Daniel makes the case for why the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro makes it more like a Surface.
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There are proposed changes to the Windows 10 Start Menu that will make some people unhappy. But how is that different from any other new feature? COVID-19 continues to have a profound impact on Microsoft and the tech industry at-large as conferences are canceled and employees are asked to work from home.
Daniel and Zac discuss a name change for Cortana and a new wave of apps for Edge. Daniel also provides his review of the HP Elite Dragonfly — A high-end business oriented 2-in-1.
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There are loads of smaller stories in the Microsoft universe this week, and a great big one too — Surface Duo may be shipping far sooner than the previously announced 'holiday 2020' timeframe. Daniel and Zac make a strong case for why it benefits Microsoft and end users alike to get the device into the hands of developers and early adopters. But the continued specter of COVID-19 may make Microsoft's desire to do so impossible.
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What seemed to be a slow news week turned into plenty to talk about! Microsoft is looking into reports from some Surface Laptop 3 owners about cracked screens, and another round of update problem affected some Windows 10 users.
Windows 10X icons are being rolled out to Windows 10 desktop insiders. Daniel and Zac both purchased the Galaxy Z Flip and share their experiences using it with Microsoft Your Phone. They also revisit Surface Pro X and how it can fit into a computing workflow.
Finally, they check out the lofty promises of the Emperion Nebulus — A Windows 10 on ARM phone from a new, unknown company.
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Microsoft will hold a press event at Mobile World Congress later this month. Daniel and Zac speculate on what announcements may be forthcoming. They also talk about the movement away from UWP to web apps and why it isn't bad news.
Along with Surface Book 3 and Surface Go 2 rumors, Daniel compares folding displays to dual screen designs by looking at the pros and cons of each. Also this week, they revisit the potential of Surface Pro X, thanks to an article by Dieter Bohn over at The Verge. Finally, all signs point to Microsoft halting development of Surface Hub 2X.
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There's renewed interest and speculation about Surface Duo thanks to a photo of Satya Nadella showing off the upcoming device. Windows 7 support has officially ended, but there are still hundreds of millions of machines in service running the OS.
In other software news, Windows 10 build 18546 has arrived for Fast ring insiders with a cool new graphing calculator, and Edge is out of beta. Additionally, there's a public preview available for Microsoft Launcher 6.0 for Android.
Daniel and Zac close out the show with a few morsels of Xbox news and rumors.
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Daniel Rubino just flew back home from CES 2020, and boy are his arms tired! He teams up with Zac Bowden to share some of the most interesting products and concepts from the show floor, including a deluge of new PC laptops. The guys also look at some of the latest intel on Xbox Series X.
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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!
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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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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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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