Windows Weekly 879

FY24 Q3 Earnings, AI Explorer, Github Copilot Workspace

MICROSOFT EARNINGS

• Microsoft’s AI bet is paying off: Net income of $21.9 billion on revenues of $61.9 billion in the quarter ending March 31
• Rocket sled upwards except for two things, both hardware: Surface devices and Xbox consoles
• Intelligent Cloud was again Microsoft’s biggest business unit, with $26.7 billion in revenues, up 21 percent year-over-year (YOY) and driven primarily by Azure
• Productivity and Business Processes delivered $19.6 billion in revenues, a gain of 12 percent YOY and driven by Office 365
• More Personal Computing brought up the rear, with $15.6 billion in revenues, up 12 percent YOY. Windows revenues from PC makers jumped 11 percent
• Amy Hood's comment about this all happening when MSFT is investing $10+ billion per quarter on AI infrastructure and purchased Activision Blizzard (AB) for $69 is classic. This is firing on all cylinders stuff

More Earnings Learnings

• Intel: The deathwatch continues
• AMD: Meager revenue gains, but PC market is looking OK at least
• Google/Alphabet: Explosive revenues, but its all ADs not AI
• Amazon: A wonder of the modern age, unique physical + digital advantages
• Samsung: Revenues up on strong phone, memory sales

Windows 11

• Windows 11 version 24H2 will include an AI Explorer feature. Will require NPUs/AI PCs. Might be exclusive to Qualcomm but that would be a huge mistake, seems unlikely. Runs in the background, captures everything you do, turns them into memories. Search for anything you’ve done using natural language (i.e. a chatbot interface). Analyze and interact with everything that’s currently on screen.  
• Beta channel (sooner than 24H2) - improved widgets for some reason, File Explorer ”breadcrumbs” make a much-needed comeback, Show Desktop is back, baby
• Dev channel - Starting with the latest build, Microsoft has killed all the local account workarounds during Setup workarounds. Now what?
• Tiny11 Builder is updated with telemetry removal. It’s happening.

Microsoft 365

• Microsoft highlights new Copilot features for Microsoft 365 available now or soon
• OneDrive for web gets offline access (including Files on Demand), but only for commercial accounts

AI

• Email evidence shows why Microsoft partnered with OpenAI
• ChatGPT can now “remember” conversations. It’s sentient!
• Amazon Q is GA, and it’s for developers now too
• Microsoft announces GitHub Copilot Workspace and my brain hurts. Please help
• Apple is shopping around for AI and is talking to OpenAI again

Xbox

• Xbox Showcase returns on June 9, with mystery event that is obviously the next Call of Duty: Black Ops game because redacted
• Microsoft announces new Game Pass titles for early May. Guess what’s missing? You have one guess, hotshot. And seriously, haven’t we all played every Tomb Raider game already?
• Microsoft’s latest indie game showcase highlights the health of an ecosystem that doesn’t have to just be about AAA games
• Sea of Thieves comes to PlayStation 5
• Food for thought: Microsoft bought AB in October, has released only on AB title to Game Pass in what will soon be 7 months. Microsoft announced four cross-platform Xbox titles in February and they are all available now
• Fallout 4 next-gen update is here

Tips & Picks

• Tip of the week: Windows is the key to the MacBook Air
• App pick of the week: Arc browser for Windows
• RunAs Radio this week: SQL Server and AI with Muazma Zahid & Bob Ward
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Brancoveanu XO
   

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• Transcripts: Windows Weekly 879 Transcript

Links

• Microsoft Earnings Beat All Expectations as AI Bet Pays Off
• Intel Revenues Grew 9 Percent in Q1, But Warns on Q2
• AMD Revenues Up Just 2 Percent, But PC Business Surged
• Alphabet/Google Earnings Jump 15 Percent in Quarter, Thanks to Ads, Not AI
• Amazon Revenues Surge 13 Percent to $143.3 Billion
• Samsung Earnings Beat Expectations on Strong Phone Sales
• Windows 11’s Upcoming AI Explorer Feature Gets Detailed in New Report
• New Windows 11 Beta Build Improves Widgets on the Lock Screen
• Tiny11 Builder is Updated to Disable Telemetry
• Microsoft Highlights New Features in Copilot for Microsoft 365
• Copilot for Microsoft 365 Now Supports 16 Additional Languages
• OneDrive Adds an Offline Mode for Work and School Accounts
• Google Improves OneDrive and Microsoft 365 Integration with ChromeOS
• Fear of Google Pushed Microsoft to OpenAI Partnership
• ChatGPT Plus Can Now Remember Information From Previous Conversations
• Amazon Q is Generally Available for Businesses and Developers
• GitHub Announces Copilot Workspace
• Report: Apple Resumes Talks with OpenAI
• Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase Returns on June 9, Followed By Deep Dive Into New Game
• Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and Kona 2: Brume Are Coming to Game Pass in May
• Microsoft Shows Off 19 New Indie Titles Coming to Xbox
• Sea of Thieves is Now Available on PlayStation 5
• Fallout 4’s Free Next-Gen Update is Now Available
• Apple MacBook Air 15-Inch M3 Review
• The Missing Pieces of the Puzzle (Premium)
• Review: Fallout TV Series
• Arc Browser is Now Available for Windows 11
• Arc Sync Comes to iPhone
• Microsoft Open Sources MS-DOS 4.0
• SQL Server and AI with Muazma Zahid & Bob Ward
• Brâncoveanu XO