Amino Man! - Microsoft AI's leadership, Azure's free egress, Office 2024

On this episode, Paul, Richard, and Mikah talk AI developments, Windows 10 (yes, 10), Azure egress, and even VR gaming! Is the new Microsoft AI organization an "acquisition" in disguise? How did NVIDIA's recent GTC keynote go? Plus, why it makes sense for Apple to partner with Google for Gemini on iPhone.
AI Reorg
• Microsoft has created a new Microsoft AI “organization” that reports directly to Satya Nadella
• Led by former Inflection co-founders and staffed in part by several ex-Inflection employees
• Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, who orchestrated Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership, will continue forward in his other role as executive vice president of AI and will remain responsible for Microsoft’s overall AI strategy
• Mikhail Parakhin and the entire team responsible for Copilot, Bing, and Edge, plus Misha Bilenko and the GenAI team, will move into Microsoft AI.
• Rajesh Jha will continue as executive vice president of Experiences & Devices and will “partner closely with Mustafa and team” on Copilot for Microsoft 365.
• What does this mean for Windows? (Paul’s guess: Not much. Windows is still presumably under Jha)
Windows
• Windows 10 (Yes, 10, not 11) is getting new Sports, Traffic, and Finance cards on the lock screen for some reason
• No new Insider builds since last week! WHAAAAAT?
Microsoft 365
• No AI for you! Microsoft announces perpetual Office 2024 and Office 2024 LTSC for late 2024
• AI for you! Microsoft 365 web apps now support Copilot Pro users
• Better AI for you! Free Copilot gets ChatGPT-4 Turbo (previously a paid feature)
• Microsoft follows Google and AWS, ends Azure egress fees - the other European Big Tech battleground
AI
• Apple is almost certainly going to (try to) partner with Google on AI for iPhone
• How the F is Microsoft not part of this?
• Google I/O is set for May 14, Apple WWDC will be in June, both to focus on AI (duh)
• Microsoft to host “AI and Surface event” right before Build 2024 in May
• Nvidia is determined to not just ride the AI wave, but win it
• In the wake of a subtle rebranding, Google is bringing generative AI to Fitbit
• Amazon is bringing generative AI for product pages to sellers
Xbox
• New games across Game Pass for the second half of March - including, for the first time, an Activision Blizzard title, Diablo IV
• Microsoft is killing the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox... though there is a Rewards tab on your Profile page.
• LinkedIn is experimenting with games because everything has to suck now
• Sony halts PSVR2 production because no one wants to pay $550 for VR on PS5
Tips and Picks
• Tip of the week: Steam Sale goes through tomorrow (March 21)
• App picks of the week: Stardock ObjectDock 3, Proton Mail native app, Firefox 124
• RunAs Radio this week: From SysAdmin to Platform Engineer with Steve Buchanan
• Brown liquor pick of the week: Bull Run Oregon Single Malt Whiskey
Hosts: Paul Thurrott, Richard Campbell, and Mikah Sargent
Windows Weekly episode 873
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TWiT.tv is a technology podcasting network located in the San Francisco Bay Area with the #1 ranked technology podcast This Week in Tech hosted by Leo Laporte. Every week we produce dozens of hours of content on a variety of programs including Tech News Weekly, MacBreak Weekly, This Week in Google, Windows Weekly, Security Now, and more.