In this episode of Microsoft Weekly, we look at the final news of 2023: last-minute security patches, a new tiny11 release, Copilot on Android and iOS, another massive game leak, and more.
Table of contents:
Windows 11
Here we talk about everything happening around Microsoft's latest operating system in the Stable channel and preview builds: new features, removed features, controversies, bugs, interesting findings, and more. And of course, you may find a word or two about older but still supported versions.
This week, Microsoft turned off the ms-appinstaller URI scheme to stop attackers from spreading malware and abusing the ability to install MSIX packages downloaded from the internet. However, it does not mean you can no longer install packaged apps. The change prevents automatic installations using the corresponding URI, and you can still save an MSIX file to a local drive and install it if necessary.
NTDEV, the maker of the tiny11 project, has released tiny11 core for ARM64 processors. It is now available for download with reduced disk footprint, improved performance, and other quirks. The developer recommends using it for testing inside a virtual machine.
CES 2024 is upon us, and early leaks are already spoiling the show, revealing what manufacturers have in store for the upcoming show. Lenovo, for one, is allegedly cooking an add Windows 11 laptop with a detachable display that can work as a standalone Android tablet. Like a Surface Book, but with the wrong operating system Android.
LG also pre-announced the latest additions to its Gram lineup.
On the first-party side, expect a new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop in the first half of 2024. According to a new report, Microsoft plans to release the Surface Pro "10" and Surface Laptop "6" somewhere in the spring, and the new generation will bring fresh processors from Intel and Qualcomm, better displays, and a big focus on AI. Rumors say the next Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will be the first "true AI computers" from Microsoft.
Windows Insider Program
Still nothing here—the team is having a rest, so come back for new preview builds in January 2024.
To finish the Windows section, here is a comprehensive list of each feature, service, and component Microsoft deprecated in 2023. It includes a total of 18 different features, some of which affect only commercial customers, while others apply to regular consumers as well.
Updates are available
This section covers software, firmware, and other notable updates (released and coming soon) delivering new features, security fixes, improvements, patches, and more from Microsoft and third parties.
Without much fanfare, Microsoft quietly launched a new Copilot app for Android. As the name implies, you can use it to access the company's AI-powered assistant and its features. You can download Copilot for Android from the Google Play Store. Just a few days later, the same app arrived on iOS.
Speaking of Copilot, but on the more theoretical side, here is how Dell envisions a new generation of AI-powered assistants interacting with modern operating systems. The published concept shows Copilot automatically changing Wi-Fi settings upon connecting to specific networks, optimizing performance when requested, changing visual settings, and more. Sadly, the current Copilot implementation, even though it is now out of the preview stage, is light years away from that concept.
2023 was a big year for Microsoft and its newly launched Copilot. According to the company, Edge users and other customers engaged in over 1.9 billion chats with Copilot. In a blog post, Microsoft shared other Edge-related stats, such as average savings via its shopping tools, time spent in built-in games, the number of prevented phishing attacks, and more.
However, not everyone is happy with what Microsoft and OpenAI are doing with their AI products. The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against the two companies, claiming that OpenAI trained ChatGPT on "millions of articles published by The Times" without consent. Microsoft is also under fire for generating "almost verbatim results" from the Wirecutter website and removing affiliate links.
Other notable updates and releases from this week include the following:
- WingetUI 2.2.0 with support for Windows Widgets and plenty of other changes and fixes.
- WhatsPC, a third-party app for checking what your old PC can do before you send it to the landfill.
Finally, here is the latest Microsoft 365 Roadmap Weekly covering the upcoming features of Microsoft's productivity apps. Soon, Microsoft Teams will receive collaborative notes support, invitation improvements, and translation enhancements on Mac. In January 2024, Microsoft Stream will let you share videos with a new "view, but not download" policy. Finally, Outlook for Mac will get Microsoft To Do support.
On the gaming side
Learn about upcoming game releases, Xbox rumors, new hardware, software updates, freebies, deals, discounts and more.
Another week, another leak. This time, someone wished Rockstar a Merry Christmas by leaking the entire source code of Grand Theft Auto V, revealing a lot of information about the outgoing game, its DLCs, and other projects, including unreleased ones, from Rockstar Games.
Shortly after letting gamers check out their year in review on Steam, Valve launched a new page where everyone can see the biggest money-printing games of the year. The Best of Steam 2023 is now live with different best-selling categories, such as total sales, new games, titles for Steam Deck, games for SteamVR, etc.
NVIDIA also made a recap of 2023 for its GeForce NOW streaming service. The total number of supported games is now over 1,800, which means those without consoles or powerful PCs can enjoy all sorts of small and large PC games powered by NVIDIA's latest hardware. In addition, NVIDIA added 46 new PC Game Pass titles.
Speaking of Game Pass, a new report says the service received over $8,700 worth of games in 2023 alone.
Deals and freebies
Right now is a good time to buy games. Plenty of awesome titles are available on sale across different platforms, such as Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox, and more. Check out our Weekend PC Game Deals series to find something interesting to play with a big discount.
To finish the gaming section, here are our latest picks with the most anticipated games for Xbox and PC. With 2023 now over, it is time to look forward to what is coming in 2024.
You can find other issues of the Microsoft Weekly series using this link. Also, you can support Neowin by subscribing to our Newsletter to get regular news recaps delivered directly to your email.
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