Windows Weekly 980: Running Outta Tolkiens

AI is democratizing the making of things, from bespoke/custom apps to websites, designs of all kinds, and everything else you might imagine. It's a new world, and it's time to create. Plus, Helium is a new Chromium-based web browser that's completely open source, lightweight, secure, and private. There's a native version for Windows 11 on Arm, too. Also, Firefox 150 arrives with over 270 security fixes!

Windows 11

• Reports of a Recall security vulnerability are, once again, bogus, Microsoft says • New builds on all channels, still on the old system • Xbox Mode is now available in all channels • Release Preview shows us the May Patch Tuesday updates: Xbox Mode, File Explorer improvements, Haptic improvements, Drop Tray renaming, Agents on the Taskbar • Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x - Snapdragon X2 Elite, 14-inch display impressions • Lenovo IdeaPad 5x - Snapdragon X2 Plus, 15.3-inch display impressions

Microsoft 365, Surface, more

• OneDrive now supports Markdown natively • New Surface PCs with Intel chips coming soon • Microsoft is making changes to its Rewards program

AI

• GitHub Copilot moves to token-based billing in a sign of the true cost of AI • Claude Design democratizes visual design on the heels of Claude Opus 4.7 • OpenAI Codex moves into productivity • OpenAI releases ChatGPT Images 2.0 • Chrome AI Mode gets a big update • Mozilla announces Thunderbolt, sovereign AI for businesses • Google brings vibe coding to Android apps with Android CLI

Xbox and gaming

• Microsoft drops Xbox Game Pass prices (!), but also drops Call of Duty • from Day One • Plus, Xbox teases a Game Pass Discord perk • More Game Pass titles for April: Kiln, Vampire Crawlers • , more • Xbox April Update is here with that Quick Resume feature we all want • There's an ID@Xbox event on April 23 to highlight indie games • Xbox is selling Forza Horizon 6 • limited edition controller and headsets Starfield • is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 • A Call of Duty • movie will finally arrive in 2028 • Try out the Modern Warfare • remake on Game Pass, it's a reminder of COD's gritty past • PS5 Digital is down to its $399 launch price temporarily

Tips and picks

• Tip of the week: Just make it • App pick of the week: Helium • RunAs Radio this week: The Life and Death of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit with Michael Niehaus • Brown liquor pick of the week: Ned Australian Whisky

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

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