Feb 18th 2026
Windows Weekly 971
Texas English
Where Does Xbox Go Next?
Records live every Wednesday at 2:00pm Eastern / 11:00am Pacific / 19:00 UTC.
Microsoft might finally give power users what they've been demanding: the ability to move the Windows 11 taskbar wherever they want. Plus, 3 major new chapters in Paul's next book, and a strange pick that solves his big issue with Windows Spotlight.
Windows 11
- Potentially good news for the 13 people who want to move the Taskbar to a different screen side
- Beta (but not Dev) with one new “feature”
- Release Preview for 24H2/25H2 with emoji 16.0, QMR improvements, network speed test, pan and tilt controls for compatible cameras, widgets improvements, more
- Lenovo revenues up 18% to $22.2 billion
AI/Dev
- Google announces 30-second audio generation
- Google sets a date for I/O 2026, but where in the Carmen Diego is Build 2026?
- Android 17 Beta is here with an even shorter runway
- With ‘26.3 out, Apple releases ‘26.4 Beta 1s
Xbox and gaming
- Phil Spencer is always in the spotlight, but he’s been on the down-low for months
- Some hints for the future coming GDC 2026
- Kingdom Come Deliverance II, Witcher 3, more coming to Xbox Game Pass
- Avowed comes to the PlayStation 5 along with the Anniversary Update
- Microsoft is retiring user-created Xbox social clubs
- NVIDIA GeForce Now comes to Amazon Fire TV 4K Sticks
Tips & picks
- Tip of the week: Major progress on De-Enshittify Windows 11, the book
- App pick of the week: Bing Wallpaper
- RunAs Radio this week: Hacking using AI with Erica Burgess
- Brown liquor pick of the week: Lot 40 100% Pot Still Rye
Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly
Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com
The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin.
Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit
Links
- Report: Windows 11 to Bring Back the Ability to Move and Resize the Taskbar
- Microsoft Releases New Beta and Release Preview Channel Builds
- Lenovo Revenues Jump 18 Percent to $22.2 Billion
- Google Gemini Can Now Generate 30-Second Music Tracks
- Google I/O 2026 Set For May 19-20
- Google Releases Android 17 Beta 1
- Apple Releases iOS 26.4, iPadOS 26.4, macOS 26.4 Beta 1
- Microsoft to Help Developers Build for the Future of Xbox at GDC
- What’s Next for Xbox? ⭐
- Kingdom Come Deliverance II, The Witcher 3, and More Are Coming to Game Pass
- Xbox’s Avowed Game Gets an Anniversary Update and PlayStation 5 Release
- Microsoft to Retire User-Created Xbox Social Clubs in April
- Nvidia GeForce Now is Now Available on Amazon Fire TV 4K Sticks
- De-Enshittify Windows 11: Start Fresh with a New Install of Windows 11 ⭐
- De-Enshittify Windows 11: Make Windows 11 Respect Your Privacy ⭐
- Bring your desktop to life with themes and a new background every day.
- Hacking using AI with Erica Burgess
- Lot 40 100% Pot Still Rye
- Available for Xbox Insiders on PC: Postgame Recaps