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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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