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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Riding the wave of new hardware products, Dan and Zac continue to evaluate Surface Earbuds, Surface Go 2, and Surface Book 3. They also discuss Zac's scoop about Surface Duo's specs. It's not just about what it has, but what it doesn't have as well. They wrap up the episode by pointing out some interesting sessions scheduled for Microsoft Build.
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New Surface products are real and available soon! Zac and Daniel cover the announcements and share their favorite features from the devices. They also chat about the future of Windows 10X, the recent and upcoming Xbox Series X events, and the Surface Duo emulator for software developers.
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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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Daniel reviews the Dell XPS 13 (9300) and explains why it's the perfect 13-inch Ultrabook. There are some leaks to support rumors a re-designed XPS 15 will follow suit.
Zac provides details on a new Windows 10 build for Slow ring insiders. In one of this week's major stories, Windows 10X and Surface Neo may be delayed beyond 2020. However, Surface Duo may still come earlier than anticipated, and the fellows speculate on what could be announced at an upcoming hardware event.
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There's a ton of news for Microsoft users this week as Daniel and Zac talk about features in Microsoft 365 and Edge. In a world of Zoom security nightmares, Skype Meet Now can be a safer alternative.
Daniel reviews the HP Spectre x360 and ASUS ROG Zepyrus G14 laptops. While Zac reports on the finished but as-of-yet unreleased Windows 10 version 2004. They finish out the episode with some info about Minecraft Dungeons and new processors from AMD and Intel.
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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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Microsoft Build 2020 has been canceled and reborn as a digital event due to coronavirus, but Microsoft still has plenty of announcements planned for the year. An online Surface event could possibly happen in April.
Daniel and Zac chat about new features found in the latest build of Windows 10X and emphasize that Windows 10X is a completely separate product from traditional Windows 10. Daniel reviews the Samsung Galaxy Book S — Awesome battery. Meh keyboard. But there's a lot more to say about it than that.
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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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We know significantly more about Windows 10X now thanks to a presentation by Microsoft for developers this week. In addition to the Galaxy Book S, The foldable Z Flip has caught the eye of both Daniel and Zac.
MWC 2020 has been cancelled, but Microsoft has promised to deliver news from their planned presentation at some point in the future. Sony's PS5 may have a hard time competing with pricing on Xbox Series X because of DRAM pricing.
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Zac Bowden delivers a solo episode while Daniel suns himself in parts unknown! It was a big week for Microsoft as their Chief Product Officer, Panos Panay, will now head a combined Windows UX and Surface team. With hardware and software initiatives becoming more closely aligned, there's potential for renewed excitement about the future of Windows.
There's also more to be said about last week's late breaking news regarding the possible non-future of Surface Hub 2X. Additionally, Windows Search was broken temporarily, even for local searches, due to a server issue on Microsoft's end.
Surface Duo has been spotted in the wild and looks to possibly have a front-facing flash. Plus, Zac's hearing that the Duo might be ready sooner than you think!
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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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Developers can start writing apps for Surface Duo thanks to a newly released SDK, and the Windows 10X SDK isn't far behind. Enthusiasts can even check out a Surface Duo emulator on Windows 10 to get a feel for what the device will be like.
Some people are very concerned about the potential camera quality, but Daniel isn't worried and he explains why.
Zac and Daniel also talk briefly about the ports on a leaked Xbox Series X prototype, and the dock from Kensington for Surface Go. They close the episode with build 19551 and its lack of new features as the next version of Windows inches ever closer to release...
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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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