WW 983: Puts the Buh in Benelux - Can Googlebooks Challenge Existing Laptops?

It's not just Recall: Security vulnerabilities that require you to sign into an account on your PC are not necessarily vulnerabilities. Also, Windows 11 gets its first big feature updates in this week's Patch Tuesday releases. Snapseed 4.0 comes to Android/iOS, and Claude FM is great for relaxing or getting coding/work done. Plus, the Helium browser has emerged as a favorite with 2 notable caveats: No online settings sync and no mobile client.

Windows

• 25H2/24H2: Xbox Mode, Agents on the Taskbar, more
• 26H1: Smart App Control improvements, other things we saw previously (26H1 is like the stable version of Canary, it seems)
• Microsoft used a new Mythos-like model called MDASH to find vulnerabilities this month, so expect the numbers of fixed bugs to jump in coming months
• A low-latency profile for Windows will let it optimize for app/UI launch performance just like mobile platforms already do
• New builds across most channels with two major changes: Touchpad improvements in Experimental and free upgrade path to Pro for education users in Experimental Beta.

A new threat emerges

• Google announces Googlebook, an Android-based laptop platform with Google Intelligence
• Some morning-after thoughts, including Microsoft promising AI and that Copilot will be the new Start, while Google delivers AI and is remaking the laptop as an intelligent device

AI

• Microsoft Edge gets big AI and productivity updates on desktop and mobile
• An Anthropic engineer argues that AI should use HTML for output, not Markdown. He's right.
• About that 4 GB Gemini Nano model that Chrome secretly downloads
• OpenAI brings Codex to Google Chrome

Security

• A Bitlocker concern emerges
• Microsoft Edge loads all saved passwords into plain text when it launches, Microsoft says this is as intended
• Mozilla patched 423 vulnerabilities in Firefox during April, most courtesy of Anthropic Mythos
• 465 million Amazon customers have enrolled in passkeys

Xbox & gaming

• Xbox Insider Program: New build for console with previously announced new boot animation, tiered Gamerscore badges, new filters in Game Library
• Forza Horizon 6 leaks on Steam, those who play it early will be banned until the sun swallows the earth
• Discord Nitro now has an Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition perk
• Mojang will host a special MINECRAFT LIVE event on May 30
• Sony sold just 1.5 million PS5s in most recent quarter, its lowest number yet
• Nintendo sold just 2.49 million Switch 2s in quarter, lowers annual estimates
• Supreme Court gives Apple the 🖕 so Epic v. Apple will head to remedy phase

Tips & picks

• Tip of the week: A web browser is the 1st step for anyone looking to escape Big Tech
• App pick of the week: Helium
• RunAs Radio this week: Production LLMs with Vaishnavi Gudur
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Gouden Carolus Port Oak

Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell

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