Windows Weekly with Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell, and Leo Laporte

Aug 26th 2026

Windows Weekly 998

Laptop Fort

Hosted by Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell

Bill Gates Warns About the Dark Side of AI

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Category: News

Microsoft tries to prove Windows on ARM is ready for prime time, but behind the PR push, unresolved questions about compatibility, branding, and a tepid market threaten to derail the company’s ambitions. Also, PowerToys 0.101 is here with Windows Hopper and multiple improvements! Plus, Parallels Desktop 27 for Mac launches.

Windows

  • If a Week D falls in the woods and no one installs it, did a Week D really happen?
  • Theory: This is the big one, with the three big changes Microsoft promised this year. Basically, this is Windows 11 version 26H2
  • Three new builds across Beta, Experimental, and Experimental (26H1) with a modernized AutoPlay experience and a new “Open apps maximized” accessibility feature
  • Microsoft reminds business customers that Windows on Arm is terrific ahead of Nvidia RTX Spark launch
  • Totally coincidental that this happened on the same day that Apple announced a new Mac Mini with M6 and M5 Pro and Mac Studio with M5 Ultra and M5 Max

Microsoft 365

  • OneDrive for Mac gets native sync engine
  • Proton Mail gets automatic and customizable category filtering

AI/dev

  • Bill Gates issues a strong warning on the dangers of AI. And you’re not going to believe what number two is
  • WSJ report echoes the complaints that Paul has been making for years. Again
  • Adobe Firefly gets production-quality music, speech, and sound effect generation capabilities
  • Apple Music will start labeling AI-generated music
  • .NET Conf 2026 on track for November with .NET 11

XBOX and gaming

  • XBOX testing long-awaited disc to digital entitlements
  • The ASUS ROG XBOX Ally X20 is available now for $1299, or in a $2499 bundle
  • Rumor: Microsoft prepping an Xbox Series X25 Limited Edition console for November
  • Update: it’s real. The XBOX 25th anniversary collection arrives November 13
  • Microsoft announces (third party) Designed for XBOX 25th Anniversary Collection of hardware peripherals
  • IKEA has designed some XBOX-influenced furniture and it is amazing
  • Rockstar Games weighs in on leaks as GTA VI reveal arrives (tomorrow)
  • Commodore announces Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection for PC, consoles
  • NVIDIA brings GeForce Now to Firefox

Tips and picks

  • Tip of the week: Expose yourself to other points of view
  • App pick of the week: PowerToys
  • RunAs Radio this week: Security Features of PowerShell 7 with Mike O’Neill
  • Brown liquor pick of the week: SpiceBox Spiced Whisky

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Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com

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