Windows Weekly 948: "Netflix Tears"

September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, hosts Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott (joining from Berlin at IFA), and Richard Campbell (back in Canada) dive into the latest Microsoft and Windows news, trends in AI, tech industry shakeups, and offer their usual dose of sharp commentary on big tech. Central themes include Windows Insider updates, frustrations with tech interoperability, the Google antitrust ruling fallout, streaming service "enshittification," AI developments at Microsoft, and quirky tech culture observations.
Noteworthy discussions include deep dives into recent Windows builds, antitrust disappointment, and the changing landscape in streaming and AI.

Key Discussion Points

1. IFA Berlin and PC Industry Event Cycle

• [02:18-04:00] Paul checks in from IFA, one of the year’s pivotal hardware events (alongside CES), with much of the press just arriving. Nothing major yet to report, but anticipation is in the air for chipset/PC announcements.

2. Windows Insider Builds: 25H2 and Beyond

• [04:20-13:00]
  • Unusually, four new builds released in the Insider program at once—for Beta, Dev, Canary, and Release Preview.
    • Quote (Paul, 05:10):
      “The Release Preview build we got was the first ever for Windows 11, version 25H2.”
  • 25H2 is a minor update—no fundamental core changes, just enablement packages and small features compared to the much bigger 24H2 shift.
  • IT headache with “heavy lift” of 24H2 contrasted with low-impact 25H2.
  • Minor but interesting Insider features:
    • On-screen table recognition for Excel—use AI to snap, recognize, and export tables.
    • Persona card integration with Microsoft 365 for context-based contact pop-ups.
    • New Braille viewer for Narrator (accessibility—good for trainers/developers).
    • Change in Windows Share: Now includes “Find Apps” to locate compatible Store apps for file actions, though the hosts are skeptical about real-world usage.
      • Quote (Paul, 17:14):
        “Now they’re going to have a Find Apps option on the bottom…and I have to be honest, that’s a pretty good idea…It’s just that no one’s ever going to use it.”

3. Tech Ecosystem Frustrations: Sharing & Interop

• [19:10-26:52]
  • Gripes about the fragmented state of sharing files/media across Windows, Android, Apple.
    • Lack of seamless equivalents to AirDrop, AirPlay for mixed environments.
    • “Walled gardens” like Apple deliver smoother user experiences; others struggle with hacky solutions or inconsistent standards.
  • Standards wars and “too many messaging protocols” referenced, with a nod to the XKCD cartoon about standards proliferation.

4. Messaging App Chaos

• [27:05-29:54]
  • Google’s failed attempts to standardize messaging (Allo, Duo, Chat), Apple’s resistance to cross-platform solutions, and the global patchwork of apps like Signal and Threema.
  • Quote (Paul, 29:54):
    “The answer to that question is there is no such thing [as a universal SMS/MMS app that just works everywhere].”

5. Windows: Tidying Up Little-used Features

• Mobile Plans App Farewell ([34:46-38:10])
  • The Windows “Mobile Plans” app for eSIM or data SIM management is being phased out as eSIM setup migrates directly into Windows Settings.
    • Quote (Richard, 37:16):
      “It’s not taking any functionality away, really—just an icon you never needed in the first place.”
• Windows Backup for Organizations ([38:28-44:11])
  • Microsoft is rolling out the Windows Backup tool for small business/enterprise. Discussion questions the value relative to existing M365/Intune solutions.
  • Offers some settings/app state transfer but still inconsistent and incomplete compared to traditional backups.

6. Dolby Vision 2 and Premium Video

• [48:45-52:00]
  • Introduction of Dolby Vision 2 (advanced HDR) on TVs and soon PCs—mostly a marketing/feature list addition.
  • Paul notes most users won’t experience much day-to-day benefit, but gaming/streaming continue the “feature creep.”
    • Quote (Paul, 51:53):
      “Day to day, you really kind of don’t want HDR, personally.”

7. PC OEM Earnings

• [53:18-56:03]
  • Lenovo: Blockbuster quarter, PC business up 18%.
  • Dell: Gains driven by AI/server sales; PC business flat.
  • HP: 6% growth with both consumer/business mix, but printers declining.
  • Reflection on how big splits (HP/HPE) confuse investors and users.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Antitrust Ruling on Google (deep dive, 62:29–81:40)
  • The panel is sharply critical of Judge Mehta’s decision to deliver essentially no meaningful remedies after finding Google guilty of anti-competitive behavior.
    • Quote (Paul, 64:05):
      “The laws of the United States—I think this is interesting. These companies now are so big and so dominant that it somewhat ties the court’s hands… but that’s crazy.”
    • Quote (Paul, 65:05):
      “You stop paying Apple… because that behavior was found to be illegal by the same judge.”
  • Discussion about how the court’s fear of collateral harm outweighs any meaningful change, and skepticism about the trend in US antitrust enforcement.
  • Parallel to prior Microsoft antitrust saga; note on how no “big tech” has really suffered from these cases.

Streaming ‘Enshittification’ and Consumer Fatigue

• [81:40–89:10]
  • All three hosts recount personal stories of increasingly worse streaming experiences: rising prices, added ads, pay-more-for-premium, account location enforcement, and restrictions on family sharing.
    • Quote (Paul, 86:01):
      “I literally am the person that pays this bill. What are you talking about?”
  • Phrase “Netflix tears” coined and revisited as a metaphor for streaming service tactics.
  • Shrinkflation, “perks” removal, and the risk that consumers will simply drop subscriptions and rotate them monthly.

Tech Media & Hype: Two “Fake” Scare Stories

• [90:52–96:42]
  • Paul details how recent viral “melting SSD” and “Gmail hack” panic stories were overblown, not reproducible, and forced both Microsoft and Google to publicly debunk them.
  • Quote (Paul, 95:51):
    “I watched those exact sites write stories that had titles like: ‘No, Gmail isn’t being compromised.’ You said it was three days ago!”

AI at Microsoft: New Models, Modularity, and Orchestration

• [99:25–108:19]
  • Microsoft AI, under Mustafa Suleyman, begins releasing its own in-house models—first up, “Mai Voice 1,” a high-fidelity expressive audio model—a hedge against OpenAI dependency.
  • Quote (Paul, 103:34):
    “Voice is the interface of the future for AI companions. Because it’s Microsoft AI, these models are all going to have a name that starts with ‘Mai’...”
  • Richard and Paul discuss the shift from “big” monolith models to dozens of “narrow” models for specialized tasks, and the need for orchestration layers (agents, not copilots).
  • Debates how “copilot” as metaphor is aging rapidly, as soon “AI” isn’t a sidekick—it’s embedded everywhere, context-aware, and anticipatory.

Xbox: Platform Consistency & Updates

• [127:20–134:13]
  • “Play anywhere” and cloud gaming now have over 1,000 games; Xbox app will increasingly aggregate games from other stores (Steam/Epic) in one interface, especially for upcoming handheld Windows gaming devices.
  • AI Copilot being integrated into Xbox Game Bar to offer context-sensitive in-game help.
  • Call of Duty to become a Paramount movie—skepticism about the trend of game-to-movie crossovers.
    • Quote (Richard, 138:00):
      “Maybe the only way that movie succeeds is if there’s a tea-bagging somewhere…”

Featured Picks

Tip of the Week

• Streaming Rotation:
  Paul shares that friends are finally doing what he advocated: only subscribing to one major streaming service a month, rotating through the catalog, and saving 100+ dollars over maintaining a “permanent” stack. - Quote (Paul, 147:37):
  “Just change the subscription every month… I always thought it was a good idea and just never did it.”

App Pick: Vivaldi Browser

• [149:54–153:36]
  • Vivaldi stands out in the AI arms race by not building in AI. Highly customizable, no tracking, brings its own ad/tracker blocking, and appeals to those who don’t want AI “baked in.”
    • Quote (Paul, 151:59):
      “What’s Vivaldi doing? Like, we’re not doing anything. That’s what we’re doing… I think there’s going to be some attraction to this idea.”

Whiskey Pick: Canadian Club (1858 Original)

• [157:59–172:07]
  • Richard recounts the storied history of Canadian Club—“the Jack Daniels of Canada”—famous for its U.S. Civil War roots, walkability, surviving Prohibition, and global popularity (boosted by Mad Men). Still made in Canada, now owned by Pernod Ricard.
  • Tasting notes: great with soda, inexpensive, “needs an ice cube.”
  • Quote (Richard, 171:30):
    “Not only did I come to party, I came to party hard.”

Additional Notable Moments & Quotes

• Streaming/Media Frustrations:

  • Richard (88:42):
    “Their [Netflix’s] spam is literally delivering tears to me each week… I look forward to it.”
  • Paul (90:45, on streaming release patterns):
    “I refuse to watch shows like that now... If there’s a show that’s on and they’re putting it out week by week… ask me in mid-October. I am not going week to week on this stuff.”

• On Tech Industry Cycles:

  • Richard (116:33):
    “When the stock price goes down, it's not like they’re over-leveraged, but everybody around them is.”

• On Scottish Heritage:

  • Richard (173:37):
    “I am that Scottish Campbell. The ones that betrayed the Douglases...”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:18] IFA/PC Event Preview
• [04:20] Windows Insider Four-Build Week & 25H2
• [13:16] Table recognition, Persona Cards, Accessibility Features
• [19:10] Sharing Woes Across Platforms
• [27:05] Messaging App Fragmentation
• [34:46] Windows Mobile Plans Sunset
• [38:28] Windows Backup for Organizations
• [48:46] Dolby Vision 2
• [53:18] PC OEM Earnings
• [62:29] Deep Dive: Google Antitrust Ruling Analysis
• [81:40] Streaming Service “Enshittification”
• [90:52] Tech Media Overhype: Eternal Fake Scares
• [99:25] Microsoft AI: New Models & Orchestration
• [127:20] Xbox Platform, Handhelds, Cloud Gaming
• [147:37] Tip of the Week: Streaming Subscriptions Rotation
• [149:54] App Pick: Vivaldi Browser
• [157:59] Whiskey Pick: Canadian Club

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode blends tech reporting with wry humor and personal anecdotes. The hosts are skeptical about the motley patchwork of standards, the disappointing outcomes of antitrust actions, and the consumer-hostile direction of many digital services. They offer practical suggestions—rotate subscriptions, use customizable browsers—and celebrate cultural mainstays (like Canadian Club) while never losing sight of the broader industry forest for the trees.