On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Zac and senior Xbox editor Jez Corden sit down to discuss the current state of Xbox, and where the business is headed.

It has been a wild month since Asha Sharma took the reins as Xbox CEO. While the team has been working to re-capitalize the brand and bring back some big-name exclusives, the narrative over the last week has taken a sharp negative turn. Between heavy rumors of Microsoft looking to sell off or close down certain first-party studios, console price hikes hitting shelves, and a massive rethink of what the next-gen hardware looks like, we wanted to figure out what’s actually going on with Xbox as a business.

In this episode, we break down the brutal economic realities hitting the industry. From the "RAM apocalypse" destroying console profitability to how free-to-play giants like Fortnite and Roblox have completely upended the old hardware subsidy model. We also look ahead at the next-generation "Helix" console, discussing whether Microsoft can actually deliver on its open Windows/Steam ecosystem vision if the hardware costs a grand, and what Sony's shift away from physical media means for the future of discs.

• [01:34] Podcast Introduction
• [03:17] The State of Xbox Leadership & Business Health A look at the whirlwind of changes under new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, transitioning from the strategy of Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond, and balancing last year's record profits with the harsh reality of incoming corporate cuts.
• [06:42] Microsoft-Wide Headcount Reductions & AI Capital Spending Discussion on how massive investments into Artificial Intelligence infrastructure are forcing headcount reductions and belt-tightening across all of Microsoft, including Azure, Surface, and Xbox.
• [11:34] Studio Closures, Sales, and the Fate of Big IP Jez discusses rumors regarding potential studio sales or closures (such as Ninja Theory and Undead Labs) and how Microsoft is trying to find buyers to save projects like State of Decay 3 rather than flat-out canceling them.
• [16:37] Is Xbox Becoming a Subsidiary? The hosts debate the pros and cons of Microsoft potentially spinning off Xbox into a more independent subsidiary, drawing comparisons to how LinkedIn and Skype were handled.
• [22:55] 'Ramageddon' and the Broken Console Subsidy Model How skyrocketing RAM and component prices mean both Microsoft and Sony are losing hundreds of dollars per console. The hosts explain how the rise of casual, non-monetizing players on free-to-play games has broken the traditional model of selling hardware at a loss.
• [28:32] The Death of Physical Media & Disc-less Futures Analyzing Sony’s shift away from physical disc drives and predicting whether the next-generation Xbox Helix will completely eradicate physical discs due to supply chain economics.
• [30:54] Next-Gen Consoles: Power, Pricing, and Lifespans A realistic projection of what the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Helix will look like, predicting premium price tags ($1,000+) and a much longer cross-gen lifespan for the Xbox Series X/S.
• [34:58] Xbox Helix: Open Windows Platform vs. Closed Box Jez outlines the original plan for Helix to function as an open Windows device supporting Steam, and how Microsoft's new Chief Strategy Officer, Matthew Ball, is rethinking that approach due to the financial risk of players buying the hardware but only spending money on Steam.
• [43:31] Grandfathering the Series X/S Family Exploring the possibility of the next generation skipping clean architectural cut-offs, instead grandfathering the Series S and Series X as budget tiers alongside the premium Helix.
• [52:12] The Unsustainable Cycle of AAA Game Development Zach and Jez express frustration over 6+ year development cycles, ballooning West Coast production budgets, and why smaller global studios (like Bloober Team) are building games more efficiently.
• [57:35] Code Name 'Positron': Xbox Disc-to-Digital Tech Jez details a leaked upcoming platform feature that allows users to insert a physical disc once, permanently claim a digital license to their Microsoft account, and only lose it if that physical disc is registered by someone else.
• [01:04:12] Redemption of the 2013 Xbox One Vision A retrospective on how the highly criticized 2013 Xbox One vision (all-digital, heavy DRM, licensing pools, multi-media focus) was actually correct, just poorly messaged and ahead of its time.

Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Hosts:

• Jez Corden
• Zac Bowden

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As part of the Experimental experience for Windows 11 version 26H2, Microsoft recently released build 26300.8697. While the official announcement focused on fixes and improvements, a more interesting discovery was hiding beneath the surface. A new Search setting that can turn off Bing-powered web results in the Windows Search experience.

Search may finally get a Bing off switch

Windows Search has long mixed local files, apps, and settings with web suggestions, often surfacing Bing results even when users are simply looking for something on their computer. The appearance of a dedicated toggle to remove those web results suggests that the company is exploring a more streamlined Search experience with fewer distractions.

However, this isn't entirely new. Users in the European Economic Area (EEA) have had similar controls for some time as part of Microsoft's compliance with the Digital Markets Act. What's notable here is that the company now appears to be building the same functionality for all markets.

The story I see is much more than user choice. This appears to be Microsoft acknowledging that not every Windows Search query needs a web result attached to it. Instead of forcing online content into the experience, Windows 11 could soon let users decide what belongs in Search. For many people, that could make finding apps, files, and settings faster and more predictable.

New Search controls reduce clutter

The setting is currently tucked in under Settings > Privacy & security > Search in build 26300.8697. The option is labeled "Web Searches" in the "Show suggested search results" section.

Microsoft is also testing a separate "Microsoft Store" toggle to prevent Store apps from appearing in Search results. Together, these options would give users more control over what surfaces when searching from the Start menu and Search box in the Taskbar.

Privacy & Security settings are getting reorganized

The same preview build also includes an updated version of the "Privacy & security" page. Microsoft has reorganized the settings into clearer categories and added a new header that provides quick access to Windows Security, along with glanceable information for location, camera, and microphone permissions.

The company is also adding new entry points for features such as Passkeys and the Custom Dictionary.

Availability of the Search experience

At this stage, the feature is not officially available, and it's not an option you can turn on from the "Feature flags" page either. It was spotted by @PhantomOfEarth inside the Insider build and can only be enabled using ViveTool feature IDs, indicating that Microsoft is still actively developing and testing the experience.

If testing goes as planned, the company could refine the feature through future 26H2 preview releases before deciding on a wider rollout.

Windows Central's Take

I think Microsoft should have offered this option to everyone a long time ago. When I'm using Windows Search, I'm usually looking for a file, app, or setting, not a Bing result. While web integration has its place, it often makes Search feel more cluttered than helpful.

What's interesting is that similar controls have already existed in Europe, so this isn't really a new feature. The bigger story is that Microsoft appears to be testing the same level of control for users across all regions, including the addition of an option to suppress apps from the Microsoft Store in the experience.

I wouldn't consider this a major feature for Windows 11, but it's the type of improvement that can make the operating system feel less intrusive and more focused on what users actually want to find.

What are your thoughts about having the option to remove Bing results from Windows Search on Windows 11? Let me know in the comments.

More resources

Explore more in-depth how-to guides, troubleshooting advice, and essential tips to get the most out of Windows 11 and 10. Start browsing here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks in the tech world! Following a busy stretch of trade shows, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden sit down to break down one of the most consequential weeks for the Windows and PC ecosystems in years.

From the show floor of Computex in Taipei to the developer tracks at Microsoft Build, the guys dissect the massive shift toward ARM computing, the hardware taking aim at Apple’s high-end territory, and the future of "agentic" AI operating systems. Plus, the show caps off with breaking news regarding Xbox's business health and a massive report on the future of Microsoft’s gaming division.

• Nvidia’s "Super Chip" Shift: A deep dive into the shocking announcement of the Nvidia RTX Spark (built in partnership with MediaTek on TSMC's 3nm process). Zac explains why Nvidia completely took control of the messaging from Microsoft, ditching the "Copilot Plus" branding to pitch an ultra-premium workstation ecosystem aimed squarely at Apple’s M5 Pro and Max MacBook Pros.
• The Surface Laptop Ultra: Zac shares his hands-on impressions of Microsoft’s brand-new, thick-and-dense 15-inch powerhouse. We look at the gorgeous mini-LED display, a massive haptic trackpad, and a mystery magnetic breakaway USB-C port that could spell the end of the proprietary Surface Connect port.
• The $599 Laptop Wars: Dell stuns the industry by pushing the XPS 13 downward to a student-friendly $599 starting price, pitting it right against the MacBook Neo. We compare the premium build, its 120Hz display, and the new Intel Wildcat Lake chips against the Acer Swift Air 14 and Qualcomm’s budget-oriented Snapdragon C processor.
• Project Solara & Build 2026: What is an "agentic OS"? We break down Microsoft's Android-based platform shift away from traditional app stores and toward just-in-time user interfaces, including a look at their hardware "badge" and "desk" concept prototypes.
• Breaking Xbox News: Daniel and Zac react in real-time to a staggering report from The Information. Is Microsoft preparing to spin off Xbox into a wholly owned subsidiary like LinkedIn or GitHub? We discuss the fallout from the Xbox Games Showcase, Sarah Bond and Phil Spencer's leadership legacy, and the aggressive new mandate under Asha Sharma to pump out massive franchises like Halo, Fallout, and Elder Scrolls.

Timestamps

• [00:30] Welcome & Computex vs. Build Retrospective
• [04:12] Nvidia RTX Spark: The ARM Workstation Disruption
• [30:09] Surface Laptop Ultra: Hands-on Specs & The Mystery USB-C Port
• [42:05] Dell's Sub-$700 Flagship Strategy & Intel Wildcat Lake
• [56:26] Acer Swift Air 14 & The Internet's Linux vs. Windows Debates
• [01:01:14] Project Solara: Microsoft’s Future "App-Less" Agent Ecosystem
• [01:10:10] Xbox Showcase Fallout & First-Party Exclusivity Backpedaling
• [01:29:25] Breaking News: Is Microsoft Spinning Off the Xbox Business?

Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

Subscribe to the Windows Central Podcast

• Listen on Spotify
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• Download the Windows Central Podcast

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A few weeks ago, Google made the most major change to search in decades, completely shifting how we interact with the internet. The company is overhauling its search bar, explaining that it will be "completely reimagined using AI". As you might expect, the change sparked mixed reactions, largely due to its potential to disrupt industries.

Those who depend on search traffic to draw customers to their businesses have been significantly affected by the shift. Executive Editor, Jez Corden, reported that "Bing hit a billion monthly active users, but that's still tiny compared to Google's massive hold on the search landscape — offering a true alternative to Google could turbo-charge (Bing), complete with marketing to drive home the point."

And now it seems that Microsoft might be positioning itself to dethrone Google as the search king. In a report by the Search Engine Roundtable, the company announced a new way to disable Copilot responses from appearing in Bing search results. It comes via a new browser extension available in Google Chrome's web store and Microsoft Edge's add-on store, allowing you to toggle off AI responses from appearing in your search results.

According to Microsoft's President and Head of Search, Jordi Ribas: "We just shipped a preview extension in Bing that lets you toggle AI chat-like features on or off with just one click. It’s a simple but important step we’re taking to ensure that our users always feel confident they have a choice in the search experience we’re providing" (via X).

While Ribas admitted that AI is doing powerful things for search, he explains that internal company research revealed that "not everyone wants to use AI for everything all the time."

The extension lets users choose which experience suits them in the moment: "I’m proud of the AI experiences we’re building in Bing - I’ve also always taken pride in listening to our users to create products that truly work for them."

Microsoft Bing isn't the only service capitalizing on Google's miscalculations with AI. Following Google's AI search overhaul, DuckDuckGo's weekly installs surged by 30% in the US. Is this signaling a broader pushback against AI overviews in search?

Download:

• Google Chrome: Microsoft Bing AI Search Choice extension
• Microsoft Edge: Microsoft Bing AI Search Choice add-on

What are your thoughts about Google overhauling its search experience and Microsoft giving users more control over AI-generated search results? Share your thoughts with me in the comments.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Google is destroying itself.

At Google I/O, the firm announced a range of new products that will doubtless be killed off in the coming years as each one flops and fails. Google is renowned for shipping junk, banking almost entirely on its YouTube acquisition, Android monopoly, and Google Search monopoly to dominate the airwaves. The firm has been sued by governments and regulators repeatedly for anti-competitive practices pertaining to Chrome, Google Search, and others, and is now intent on wiping out millions, maybe billions of livelihoods with its nihilistic AI push.

"Proverbs 16:18: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."

Indeed, the big news from Google I/O was that it will now be prioritizing AI search in its increasingly useless Google Search engine. The early integrations have already been a total catastrophe for general quality, but Google is going all in, chasing short-term shareholder hype over user experience. I would love nothing more than for all of this to blow up in their faces, but it'll only happen if a viable competitor rises up to replace it.

As of right now ... there is only one potential candidate.

Google Search is going AI-first, and the results so far have been hilarious, and disastrous

It's not the first time Google AI has been in the news for being atrocious. Since Google started dabbling with AI-powered summaries and answers, websites like good old Windows Central have lost tons of traffic. Google steals our content, built up over a decade, and repackages it into its AI. We don't have the cash to fight them for copyright, although other, bigger players are trying on our behalf.

In any case, it's really not about Windows Central or the impacts of AI on publishers here, despite my personal stake. It would be one thing if it reproduced our stolen content accurately. Unfortunately, this is often simply not the case.

You need only look across the internet for how Google's laughable AI summaries have been at delivering accurate answers and content. This is entirely a user experience problem, and because Google is so utterly dominant, it doesn't have to care.

Users realized last week that since Google replaced basically its entire search stack with AI, various search queries are now broken. The search box interprets some queries as chat prompts, leading to all sorts of hilarity and inconsistency. This is before you get into some of the dangerous misinformation Google's AI search delivers, from everything from bad medical advice to actively encouraging harm.

As such, "competing" search engines have seen a surge in users as of late, owing to Google's slide in quality. DuckDuckGo, for example, revealed last week that it has seen a 30% surge in installs following Google's nihilistic march towards mediocrity. 30% surge for DuckDuckGo sadly amounts to a drop of water in, well, a duck pond.

Side note: I also think it's funny that DuckDuckGo is leaning into anti-AI stuff when it, itself, uses AI. But I digress.

Regardless, Google has ~90% of the market as of writing. Despite the dearth in quality, Google has become a habit formed over decades. It's the default. It's culture. To Google is literally a verb — even if you're not actually using Google. And well, dozens of us aren't.

Well, maybe a few more than dozens. But could this mini exodus snowball? Perhaps only if the right player stepped up to the occasion. And in my mind, there's only one viable option.

It's time to return to a more human search engine

Last month, Bing announced a big milestone: 1 billion monthly active users during Microsoft’s Q3 FY2026 earnings call. I found myself a tad skeptical about this, as did many netizens. Bing search powers things like the Start Menu these days. How can Microsoft really brag about this when they're potentially using "accidental" queries through the Start Menu to reflect intent to use Bing?

Speaking to Bing sources, I learned that the figure above really is reflective of a new reality. Microsoft is measuring users with a clear intent to specifically use Bing here. Including traditional internet search queries, as well as engagement with links within those search results. Simply searching in the Start Menu for a folder or a program doesn't count towards this.

But still, a billion monthly active users is still small compared to Google, which boasts well over 5 billion according to estimates, and it's still hard to tell exactly what the delta is without more transparency on the methodology for some of these figures. Indeed, Google itself says that its AI search box now accounts for 2.5 billion monthly active users, which is double that of Bing.

The backlash to AI has been real, and it has been loud, although the general public at large more than likely doesn't care.

Everyone is yelling about AI constantly across every channel you can imagine, whether it's articles like this, social media, TV, and beyond. But the problem with AI search is, ironically, inherently human.

The authoritative way with which it seems to present information precludes verification. In researching this very article, I Googled how many monthly active users its search engine actually has, and the three cited sources in Google's AI summary didn't even mention the question I'd asked. Ironically, it was via a regular, non-AI Bing search that I actually found an authoritative source link on the actual topic I'd asked about.

For most, confirmation bias from an authoritative brand like Google is more than enough. And this is before we get into the problems of hostile prompt injections and recursive AI "incest," by which it starts training itself on increasingly inaccurate AI-produced content. Google Search is quick. Google AI search is even quicker. The result is a dumber population, which, in another article, I could argue is what these Tech Elites actually want.

But let's take a more optimistic view for fun: what if a company stepped up to the plate, offered a genuine, human-first alternative, and then marketed it as such?

Bing might only have 5% of the total search market share right now, but it's by far and away the #2 player in the space. Microsoft has already been pulling back from its useless AI features, and CEO Satya Nadella seems increasingly cognizant of the AI backlash overall.

If Microsoft bet on a human-first user experience and content instead of homogenous AI-generated slop, it could pivot its image overnight.

Nobody is suggesting that it should give up on AI completely. Neural networking tech is absolutely here to stay, and will most likely have some genuinely good applications in the future. It has clear enterprise applications, particularly in data summary. But for consumer use cases? For search, especially? We're not there yet.

There has to be a better way here. AI summaries can be useful, but only if the information they're being fed (and stealing) is actually of a high quality. Without that symbiosis, Google is racing towards the wholesale destruction of the free web. The destruction of information itself. And for what exactly? They already have more money than God. Nobody asked for this.

AI is destroying the quality of the entire internet, and Google is the tip of the poisoned spear. We are mired in digital junk, ballooning consumer tech prices, rife insider trading, data centers destroying communities, potential cognitive decline, and circular investments that might threaten to detonate the global economy. Google is all-in, and the product that made it a juggernaut, as well as the entire summation of the human-made internet, are the first victims.

While Google indulges in free-fall AI psychosis, Microsoft has a rare and historic opportunity to do something amazing here. Google indexed the free web, but Windows and PCs fostered its existence. Google is now threatening that. Google worked in symbiosis with the free internet for decades, but that has now ended. It's attempting to control the entire flow of information online through a single nexus and steal all of the opportunity on top.

Google panicked when Microsoft first introduced Bing's AI search summaries. Bing started this. Maybe it can finish it.

Will Microsoft rise to the occasion, or once again, let yet another major opportunity to do the right thing slip by? My cynicism says it'll be the former.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Welcome back to the Windows Central Podcast! In this special drop episode, Daniel Rubino and Zak Bowden dive deep into Microsoft's massive new wave of Surface devices announced this week. While the consumer versions are slated for later this summer, today is all about the brand-new commercial portfolio.

We break down the three newly refreshed business devices:

• The Surface Laptop 8 (the 13.8-inch and 15-inch flagship)
• The Surface Laptop 13-inch (the mid-range option)
• The Surface Pro 12 (the 13-inch flagship 2-in-1)

(And yes, we spend a few minutes laughing about how incredibly confusing Microsoft's naming conventions have gotten!)

In this episode:

Hands-On with the Surface Laptop 8

Daniel gives his first-hand impressions of the new 13.8-inch Laptop 8, which packs some serious under-the-hood upgrades despite keeping last gen's nearly perfect exterior design. We talk about the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 "Panther Lake" X7 chip, the surprisingly capable B390 GPU, and just how quiet those fans stay under a heavy lifting load.

New Commercial Features

We also dig into the features that business users are going to love, including:

The Haptic Touchpad & Windows 11 Haptic Signals: How Microsoft's new API makes the digital world feel tactile when you're closing windows, snapping apps, or scrubbing video timelines.

The E-Privacy Screen: Daniel explains the tech behind the new electronic privacy display option that instantly cuts down viewing angles at the press of the F1 key to keep your sensitive data safe from over-the-shoulder lookers.

The Price of Business & What's Next for Consumer Models

We wrap up the episode addressing the elephant in the room: the price hikes. We discuss why these enterprise units are crossing into the $1,950+ territory, the reality of component pricing, and how Microsoft's strategy compares to Apple and other PC OEMs. Plus, we look ahead to what we can expect when the Snapdragon X2-powered consumer variants drop later this summer.

NEW: Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

Subscribe to the Windows Central Podcast

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Ten years ago today, Microsoft was quietly testing something called the Bing Concierge Bot, and looking back on it now, I can’t help but laugh at how familiar it sounds. The whole pitch was an AI agent that lived inside your conversations, understood natural language, handled tasks, and fetched information for you — basically the same thing Google just announced today with its new AI information agents.

Once again, Microsoft had the right idea way before the market was ready for it. And like we’ve seen so many times, the company built the future a decade too early, then moved on before the world caught up.

Copilot can absolutely do this kind of agent‑style work today, and in many ways, it’s already ahead of what Google is promising. But moments like this remind me that Microsoft’s biggest challenge isn’t vision — it’s timing. They invent the thing, shelve the thing, and then watch someone else re‑announce the thing with perfect market conditions. It’s a pattern I’ve watched for years, and this anniversary is a perfect example of it.— Daniel Rubino, Editor-in-Chief

This story was originally published on May 19th, 2016, by John Callaham.

Google revealed its AI-driven Assistant as part of its Google I/O 2016 developer conference this week, for a launch later this year. Google says it will give users real two-way conversations on search items, and that Assistant will be able to know the context of those chats to give users the right information.

In Microsoft's job listing (via ZDNet) for an engineer in its Applications and Services Group, it describes the Bing Concierge Bot as a similar concept:

"In Bing Concierge Bot Our team we are building a highly intelligent productivity agent that communicates with the user over a conversation platform, such as Skype, Messenger, SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. The agent does what a human assistant would do: it runs errands on behalf of the user, by automatically completing tasks for the user. The users talk to the agent in natural language, and the agent responds in natural language to collect all the information; once ready, it automatically performs the task for the user by connecting to service providers. For example, the user might ask 'make me a reservation at an Italian place tonight', and the agent will respond with 'for how many people?'; after several such back-and-forth turns it will confirm and book the restaurant that the user picked."

There's no word on when we could see Bing Concierge Bot arrive for consumers.

This week on the Windows Central Podcast, Dan and Zac are back to break down a massive turning point for Microsoft. It feels like the company is finally "looking in the mirror," and we’ve got the inside scoop on what that means for your favorite devices and services.

In this episode:

The Return of Xbox: We discuss the major internal reorg as Microsoft Gaming officially rebrands back to simply "Xbox." From new @xbox.com emails to a leadership overhaul under Asha Sharma, the "rebel" spirit is back.

A "Quality" Revolution for Windows: We go deep on Project K2, the code-named initiative dedicated to fixing Windows 11. We’re talking about the new WinUI 3 Run box, the ability to pause updates indefinitely, and a "Low Latency Profile" that could boost your app launch speeds by 40%.

The Copilot Correction: Microsoft is admitting where they went too far. We talk about why Copilot is being stripped out of the Xbox OS and simplified in apps like Notepad.

Game Pass & Call of Duty: Big changes are here for your wallet. We break down the new $22 Ultimate pricing and the strategic shift that moves Call of Duty from Day 1 to a Year 1 arrival on the service.

Surface’s Identity Crisis: Are Surface devices getting too "safe"? We brainstorm what it would take to reinvigorate the brand—from Surface Pro XLs to the return of those high-energy live launch events.

NEW: Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Topics and time stamps

• [01:05] Xbox Reorg and rebranding
• [16:46] Why Copilot is leaving Xbox
• [33:14] New Game Pass pricing tiers
• [45:04] Project K2: The plan to fix Windows 11
• [52:18] Speeding up Windows with Low Latency Profiles
• [01:06:03] The state of Surface in 2026

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

Subscribe to the Windows Central Podcast

• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
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• Subscribe via RSS
• Download the Windows Central Podcast

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Microsoft Rewards has gone through some changes recently, with a big update to the program that first rolled out in select regions and is now expanding more globally. It also looks like Xbox console users will soon get a small but meaningful upgrade, with the ability to spend reward points directly on console.

The feature is currently labelled as coming soon on Microsoft’s own Xbox Rewards site, so it is unclear exactly when it will arrive. Still, it is a nice addition.

The feature itself will allow users to seemingly spend their reward points when making purchases on console.

I have mentioned before that I do not personally use Microsoft Rewards. That is not because I do not like free things but more because the program often gets mixed feedback. Many users have raised concerns about how points are awarded, especially around the Bing Star Bonus.

I wasn’t familiar with Bing Star Bonus myself, but after looking into it, it appears to be a newer perk introduced in April 2026. It claims users can earn up to 2,100 points per month from daily Bing searches, depending on their Rewards level. However, many users say they are unable to reach that full amount, even when following Microsoft’s own guidelines.

Hopefully that is something Microsoft can address, as a lot of people rely on Rewards to help cover the cost of Game Pass or reduce the price of games they want, among other things.

Alongside the broader rollout of the Rewards overhaul, Microsoft has also recently reverted changes to daily set points, effectively backtracking a previous increase.

As I mentioned, I don’t personally use Microsoft Rewards. I do game and get the, you’ve just earned rewards popup, but I rarely redeem them, mostly because I forget.

So for me, it would be nice if things like that were at least auto-redeemed, but that might be a bit much to ask.

Anyway, enough about me. I’d like to hear from you. Does this update, letting you use Rewards directly on Xbox, interest you, or are you like me and don’t really bother with it? Let me know in the comments, and be sure to take part in our poll!

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

Microsoft is finally listening—but at what cost? This week on the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden break down a massive strategic pivot in Redmond. From a total overhaul of the Windows Insider program that brings "the fun" (and the control) back to the fans, to the return of community meetups, Microsoft is trying to win back the enthusiasts. But it’s not all good news: we dive into the staggering price hikes across the Surface lineup that might just make them "unrecommendable." Plus, a discussion on what's next for Microsoft's hardware lineup!

In this episode:

Windows 11 Overhaul: We explain the death of the Canary channel and the birth of the "Experimental" era. Plus, say goodbye to the A/B testing lottery—if a feature is in the notes, you’re finally getting it. We also discuss the upcoming new Start menu!

Surface Leaks & Heartbreak: OLED laptops and advanced haptics are on the horizon, but with the Surface Hub officially dead and base prices skyrocketing, is the Surface brand losing its "Halo" status?

The "MacBook Neo" War: How Microsoft and its partners plan to fight Apple’s budget-friendly dominance.

Whether you're a die-hard Insider or looking for your next laptop, this episode is packed with the deep-dive analysis you won't find anywhere else.

NEW: Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Topics and time stamps

• [01:19] - Welcome & Intro: Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden kick off the show.
• [05:19] - Windows 11 State of the Union: Discussion on customer satisfaction and the "bottoming out" of the brand.
• [07:38] - Windows Insider Program Overhaul: Breaking down the new Experimental and Beta channel changes.
• [11:05] - Return of Meetups: Details on upcoming in-person Windows Insider events in NYC and London.
• [13:24] - Marcus Ash: A deep dive into the person now leading the "craft and polish" of Windows.
• [30:24] - Start Menu Upgrades: Rebuilding the Start Menu with WinUI 3 and new customization features.
• [37:52] - MSN Messenger? A lighthearted plea to bring back the iconic messaging brand.
• [39:35] - Student Promo: Details on Microsoft's $500 value bundle for college students.
• [43:25] - Major Surface Price Hikes: The bad news regarding the cost of current Surface hardware.
• [01:01:13] - Surface Hub is Dead: Production ends for Surface Hub 3 with no successor in sight.
• [01:05:58] - Next-Gen Surface Leaks: OLED displays, improved haptics, and new Snapdragon X2 chips.
• [01:12:06] - The $599 Laptop War: Can Windows OEMs compete with the "MacBook Neo"?
• [01:23:27] - Asus Zenbook A16 Review: Deep dive into the first Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme laptop.
• [01:39:04] - Panasonic Toughbook 56: 30th Anniversary of Toughbook and the new modular, AI-ready rugged PC.

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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At the beginning of this month, Microsoft unveiled a host of in-house AI models, including MAI-Transcribe-1, MAI-Voice-1 , and MAI-Image-2 with next-gen capabilities across transcription, voice, and image generation.

Now, the tech giant is lowering the cost for MAI-Image-2-Efficient while simultaneously making it faster. The company touts the tool as its "best text-to-image model" as it generates "photorealistic and expressive" images with reliable in-image text.

Microsoft says the model is now 22% faster and 4x more efficient, with 41% of the cost tipped off the scale. More specifically, it'll cost "$5 per 1M text input tokens, $19.50 per 1M image output."

MAI-Image-2-Efficient will seemingly be faster than its flagship model and 40% faster on average than hyperscaler models. Perhaps more interestingly, Microsoft has two separate text-to-image models: MAI-Image-2-Efficient and MAI-Image-2.

The company refers to the former as a production workhorse, which is the perfect option when you need "volume, speed, and tight cost control." The tool is great at generating product shots and UI mockups, primarily because it handles short-form text like headlines and labels well. What's more, it's built to run in interactive workflows seamlessly.

On the other hand, MAI-Image-2 is your go-to tool when your primary focus is precision. It excels at high fidelity demands like photorealistic scenes, stylized looks like anime or illustration, and longer or more complex in-image text. This means it will pay close attention and deliver an output that closely aligns with your detailed prompt.

That said, MAI-Image-2-Efficient is available in general availability and can be accessed in Microsoft Foundry and MAI Playground. Microsoft has also promised to integrate the tool into Copilot and Bing soon.

Windows Central's take

Over the past few months, Microsoft has doubled down on its AI efforts outside its partnership with OpenAI. This comes amid rising investor concern over its exorbitant spending on the ever-evolving landscape.

Microsoft just suffered the worst quarter since the financial crisis in 2008, raising more concerns among investors about AI turning into a profitable venture. Still, the company is making elaborate measures to make sure it cements its position in AI, including reshuffling its Copilot leadership structure.

The company recently appointed Ex-Snap exec Jacob Andreou to lead Copilot experiences, both consumer and commercial, as an executive vice president reporting to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. This means Microsoft's AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, will now have more time to build in-house AI models for the company.

That said, it'll be interesting to see how Microsoft manages to drive interest in its new tools and potentially compete with OpenAI on an even playing field. It could use its massive hold on the market share with Windows and Office, but users are seemingly against the idea.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

This week on the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac break down Microsoft’s big announcement about Windows 11 and how the company is moving to address its biggest issues this year. It’s a major moment for the platform, signaling a renewed focus on user feedback and long‑standing feature requests.

The announcement includes a detailed roadmap of new features and changes Microsoft intends to deliver throughout 2026, starting with the long‑awaited return of the movable Taskbar.

It’s an important episode for anyone interested in Windows. So tune in!

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Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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This week on the Windows Central Podcast, we unpack one of the busiest news cycles in a while.

Apple’s new MacBook Neo is making waves, and we dig into what it means for Windows laptops and the broader PC landscape. We also tackle the latest round of Windows 12 misinformation that’s been spreading online and explain why these rumors keep resurfacing. And with fresh details emerging around Microsoft’s Project Helix, we break down how the company is reshaping its Xbox and Windows strategy for the next generation.

It’s a packed episode with real implications for the future of Microsoft’s platforms.

NEW: Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Timestamps

• 03:48 - MacBook Neo
• 46:00 - Windows 12 rumors
• 1:05:04 - Project Helix

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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I'm old enough to remember the rise (and fall) of GeoCities in the early days of the internet. For those who didn't share the experience, GeoCities was a free web hosting platform where you could build your own site within a "neighborhood," which many view as an early example of social media.

GeoCities closed down in 2009, but just a few years later came Neocities as a revival of the old format. Today, it hosts nearly 1.5 million websites created by users. It's a portal into an age of the internet that's certainly nostalgic for a lot of us, but its popularity has been hindered of late by Microsoft's Bing search engine.

Kyle Drake, founder of Neocities, noticed in mid-2025 that Bing was completely blocking official Neocities content from appearing in search. Assuming it was an error, Drake reached out to Microsoft and cleared things up. Then it happened again in January 2026.

Not only did Bing remove Neocities content, but this time it began promoting an unofficial clone site where users were urged to provide a username and password. Concerned over phishing or other malicious intent, Drake again contacted Microsoft. This time, the AI-powered Bing support chatbot wouldn't let Drake through.

Speaking with Ars Technica, which originally reported on the story, Drake said he "tried everything," going so far as to buy ads on Bing in the hopes of speaking to an actual support rep. Drake noted that "there's probably an actual human being at Bing that actually could fix this." Unfortunately, once you get into Webmaster Tools, the support process is "all kinds of automated."

After Ars Technica reached out to Microsoft, it appeared that some of the inappropriate Bing blocks were removed. But although the Neocities front page was again showing up in Bing, many of its subdomains that should have a high search ranking remained blocked.

Microsoft's reasoning revolves around what it says are violated policies designed to keep low-quality content out of Bing. As Ars points out, Microsoft wouldn't identify specific sites causing issues, nor would it acknowledge open support tickets. Drake is happy to remove sites that trigger the block, if only Microsoft would let him know.

Bing eventually deranked the clone site after receiving enough complaints, but as Drake posits, another could show up at any time with intentions of phishing. It's not hard to beat the ranking of a blocked site, after all.

Drake published a blog post on January 27 detailing the issues. He notes that search engines that don't piggyback off of Bing, like Google, don't block Neocities sites. For now, he urges Neocities users to tread carefully lest they stumble into something unofficial and potentially dangerous, saying, "We recommend using search engines other than Bing."

Testing Bing search this morning, the Neocities front page indeed shows up in search results. However, attempting to search for individual sites (or even the official Neocities blog where Drake published the Bing issues) is a lost cause. Let's hope Microsoft and Neocities can get this resolved sooner rather than later.

What are your thoughts about Neocities being blocked by Bing search? Which search engine do you primarily use these days? Let me know in the comments section!

People sick of AI have a new option for searching the web. DuckDuckGo recently rolled out an easy way to access an AI-free version of its search engine.

Google has been the dominant search engine for years. As of December 2025, Google held a 90.82% market share, according to Statcounter. Bing sits at 4.03% and DuckDuckGo holds only a 0.78% market share.

While I don't think Google has to worry about losing its crown any time soon, some have begun to look elsewhere. In a world increasingly cluttered with AI, some want to search the web without being inundated with summaries and results generated by artificial intelligence.

In comes DuckDuckGo's new shortcut to access a version of its search engine without AI. The page, which can be accessed by navigating to https://noai.duckduckgo.com/ through any web browser, presents an AI-free search experience.

DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that relies largely on Bing for search results. Bing is arguably the most viable alternative to Google, as demonstrated by market share, but it also has AI.

Bing gets a lot of hate, but I actually think it's one of the better Microsoft products these days. At least for my searching habits, Bing yields similar or better results than Google in many cases. It's worse in some ways than Google, but overall Bing has proven more competitive than what memes and internet comments would have you believe.

But Bing is not immune to the ever-increasing push to build AI into everything. I'd argue that Bing's AI summaries are quite good, but they're not everyone's cup of tea.

If you'd like to use a search engine that relies heavily on Bing for search but that does not show AI, DuckDuckGo is here.

To be clear, DuckDuckGo is not just Bing within a wrapper. The search engine uses a variety of sources for specific content and DuckDuckGo has its own web crawler as well. There are also several privacy features in DuckDuckGo that make it unique.

That being said, DuckDuckGo does use Bing search heavily. The company explains how the search engine works on its website (emphasis added):

"Most of our search result pages feature one or more Instant Answers. To deliver Instant Answers on specific topics, DuckDuckGo leverages many sources, including specialized sources like Sportradar and crowd-sourced sites like Wikipedia. We also maintain our own crawler (DuckDuckBot) and many indexes to support our results. Of course, we have more traditional links and images in our search results too, which we largely source from Bing. Our focus is synthesizing all these sources to create a superior search experience."

As far as I can tell, DuckDuckGo's No AI page results in a nearly identical experience to using DuckDuckGo after manually disabling Duck.ai, Search Assist, and hiding AI-generated images.

Of course, using the No AI page saves you the trouble of having to jump into settings. While it's a small difference, the No AI page lacks AI settings altogether, so it's at least slightly different than normal DuckDuckGo.

It will be interesting to see how people respond to an AI-free search engine in 2026. While it's easy to point to hate toward AI on social media and in headlines, many rely on it.

AI-generated summaries are especially popular since they gather together information from across the web and present content in a bite-sized piece.

There are concerns over accuracy when it comes to generated AI summaries and AI-curated results, but those can often be overcome by clicking links and checking sources. Of course, if you're willing to do that, you may just prefer clicking links and doing research yourself.

I've been looking for a new search engine anyway, so I plan to try DuckDuckGo's no AI page for a bit. I'll share my experience in a few weeks after I can get a fair comparison of DuckDuckGo, Google, and Bing.

Do you prefer AI in your search results? How often do you click the sources of AI-generated summaries? Let us know in the comments!

The Windows Central Podcast is back for 2026, and this week Zac and Dan discuss the current state of Windows 11. Why do so many people hate it, and is it really Microsoft's fault?

Also on the agenda: What's next for Windows and Surface? Let's discuss!

NEW: Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Timestamps

• 07:41 - Windows is in a terrible state
• 01:20:20 - What's next for Windows and Surface?

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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Over the past few months, Microsoft has made significant strides in the generative AI landscape, seemingly asserting its independence from OpenAI by unveiling two in-house AI models in August, including MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview.

The tech giant also unveiled its new in-house text-to-image generator, MAI-Image-1. More recently, Microsoft's AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, announced that the custom image generator is now available in Bing Image Creator and Copilot Audio Expressions. However, it's worth noting that the model isn't available in the EU, though it is expected to ship soon.

According to the executive, MAI-Image-1 excels at generating images of natural scenes, artistic lighting/photorealistic detail, and food, which sets it apart from the vast majority of larger but slower models.

That said, you can now select MAI-Image-1 as your preferred model when trying to create images on the Bing Image Creator app. However, OpenAI's DALL-E 3 image technology and GPT-4o are still available as options on the platform.

FAQ

Welcome to another episode of the Windows Central Podcast! On this week's episode,, Daniel and Zac discuss the big Windows reorg news and what it means for the future. Is Windows 12 around the corner?

Plus, the team talk about Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 chips, Windows 10 reaching EOL, the impact of annual feature updates, and the latest changes to Microsoft's 365 and Game Pass subscriptions.

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Timestamps

• 04:33: Windows 10 end of support updates
• 09:32: Windows 7 gains market share?
• 20:52 Windows 11 25H2 availability
• 23:50: Windows reorg and the future
• 01:23:50 Microsoft 365 Premium
• 01:27:52 Xbox Game Pass changes

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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For the best part of a decade, Windows 10 stood as the world's most popular operating system, at least until Windows 11 surpassed its traffic earlier this year. Ten years is a relatively standard time span for OS support, but this end-of-life scenario is particularly unique, given how many PCs might not meet Microsoft's minimum requirements for an upgrade.

This page will be updated as frequently as necessary, leading up to the cutoff date on October 14, 2025, and in the following days where appropriate. Changes to Microsoft's policies aren't expected, and the ESU program will likely remain as the best option for those who would prefer to stay on Windows 10.

On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Dan and Zac discuss the latest with Windows 11: new updates for Paint and Notepad, plus Windows 10 EOL and Consumer Reports asking Microsoft to extend support.

Also on the agenda, Intel & NVIDIA are teaming up to create new chips fused with RTX GPUs, and Meta launches it first Ray Ban Display glasses with AI built-in. Should Microsoft do the same?

NEW: Have a question you want us to answer on the podcast? Send it to us at podcast@windowscentral.com

Timestamps

• 02:24: Windows 11 news
• 17:11: Handheld Gaming Mode in-depth look
• 26:40: Windows 10 EOL
• 39:07: Intel & NVIDIA partnership
• 50:38: Meta Ray Ban Display and should Microsoft make its own Copilot wearable?

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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In this week’s episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac dive deep into Microsoft’s bold vision for the future of Windows in its new 2030 Vision series.

We’ll break down Microsoft CVP David Weston’s claims about the end of mouse-and-keyboard computing and the rise of multimodal, AI-powered interaction. We'll discuss how voice commands, contextual awareness, and agentic systems will play a part.

We’ll also explore how GPT-5 is set to permeate Microsoft’s ecosystem, the implications of WinUI going open source, and share hands-on impressions of the Surface Laptop 7 and our hopes and dreams for the Surface Laptop 8.

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Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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Trump Media just announced a new AI search engine named Truth Search AI. The tool is powered by Perplexity, which is a well-known AI search engine that has been around since 2022.

A press release about the new AI search engine states that the tool is designed to "exponentially increase the amount of information available to its users."

Truth Search AI is now in beta testing on the web version of Truth Social. The Android and iOS versions of the app should support the Truth Search AI beta soon.

“We’re excited to partner with Truth Social to bring powerful AI to an audience with important questions. Curiosity is the engine of change, and Perplexity’s AI is developed to empower curiosity by delivering direct, reliable answers with transparent citations that allow anyone to dig deeper," said Perplexity Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko.

Responses to the news will likely be mixed depending on political leanings and thoughts about AI. At least one Reddit thread was full of jokes, complaints, and warnings.

"I'd rather bing," said Reddit user Old_Channel44. That was one of the kinder, more light-hearted comments in a thread responding to Trump Media’s announcement.

Others said they will no longer use Perplexity now that the company has partnered with Trump media.

At the time of publication, few outlets have covered the news, so it may be a while before we can see a broad public reaction to the launch of Truth Search AI.

What is Perplexity?

Perplexity is a search engine powered by AI. Like many competing products, Perplexity searches the web for real-time information to respond to search queries.

Perplexity was founded in 2022 and was among the first wave of search engines to integrate AI. While AI-generated or assisted responses are commonplace now, Perplexity was in on the trend early.

A Q&A page from the makers of Perplexity emphasizes that the search engine provides conversational answers and that results are "backed by verifiable sources." That claim has been disputed by several outlets, which I discuss more below.

Perplexity supports multiple AI models, including GPT models from OpenAI, Anthropic's Claude, and DeepSeek R1. You can choose the specific model you'd like to respond to your queries.

Perplexity promotes its search engine as an "intelligent research assistant" that helps you get answers without requiring many clicks. The basic idea is to answer questions with summaries backed by sources rather than just providing a list of links.

As opposed to having a chat-focused interface like ChatGPT and Copilot, Perplexity presents information in the form of summaries and longer answers.

Perplexity has a free version that supports quick searches. It also has a paid pro mode that uses GPT-4.1, Claude 4.0 Sonnet, Gemini 2.5 Pro, or Sonar (Perplexity's own model).

There are Perplexity apps on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. You can also use the tool through the web.

Perplexity plagiarism controversy

The very features that Perplexity hypes as differentiators between its tool and other AI search engines have also drawn criticism and accusations of plagiarism.

In June 2024, WIRED called Perplexity a "Bullshit Machine" and claimed the search engine stole content and scraped websites without following the Robots Exclusion Protocol, which is a web standard that can designate certain parts of websites should not be scraped by bots.

The same report outlined how Perplexity's results range from accurate paraphrasing to "summarizing stories inaccurately and with minimal attribution." In a more extreme case, Perplexity falsely claimed that WIRED reported a specific police officer had committed a crime.

Ironically, Perplexity was accused of plagiarizing the WIRED report discussing plagiarism.

Forbes has also accused Perplexity of plagiarism.

Perplexity is not the only AI tool to be accused of plagiarism or sharing false information. OpenAI and Microsoft have faced several lawsuits about copyright infringement.

On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Dan and Zac take a look back at Windows 10 as it celebrates its 10th anniversary and discussing how it's evolved over the years.

We'll also get into Microsoft's strong financial performance and the recent company layoffs. We've got a lot to say about the new Copilot features in Microsoft Edge and what we've seen with Copilot Vision on smartphones.

Plus, we'll talk about the state of the Surface line, a couple of very special limited-edition laptops, and the upcoming GPT-5 integration into Copilot. We'll also be covering the latest on Windows 10 security updates, Adobe's new ARM-native beta apps, and a great deal on the Asus ZenBook A14.

And of course, we'll be discussing the future of AI and its potential impact on our lives!

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Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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When Microsoft shared its earnings from the most recent quarter, the tech giant becoming the world’s second company to reach a $4 trillion market cap was arguably the biggest news. Azure's $75 billion in annual revenue also drew attention.

But if you scroll down the earnings report, you'll see that Bing continues to gain traction and makes quite a bit of money. Microsoft's search and news advertising revenue grew by $1.6 billion over the last year.

If you exclude traffic and acquisition costs, search and news advertising revenue grew 21% year-over-year.

Microsoft CVP Jordi Ribas took to LinkedIn to discuss the growth of the company's search engine.

"This is now the fourth consecutive year in which Bing and Edge took market share. Below I’m sharing the latest numbers reported publicly by Comscore (US) and StatCounter (Worldwide) for several known search engines since we shipped Bing Chat and Copilot back in 2023," said Ribas.

As noted by the CVP, Bing's fate shifted greatly when Microsoft released Bing Chat, which was later rebranded as Copilot.

Does Bing make money?

Bing has been the butt of jokes since it launched. Family Guy took a playful jab at the Bing Maps car, and many mocked the fact that Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man used Bing.

But Microsoft is a business. If a service like Bing performed poorly for long enough, the tech giant would cut it off.

Despite its status as a meme, Bing makes a lot of money. Microsoft CVP and CFO Phil Ockenden explained back in February 2023 that even a small gain in search market share potentially translates to $2 billion in revenue.

"New users, higher engagement, and increased advertising rates will fuel revenue growth. As Amy mentioned earlier, the digital advertising TAM is over half a trillion dollars, and within that, approximately 40% is in search advertising. For every one point of share gain in the search advertising market, it’s a $2 billion revenue opportunity for our advertising business," said Ockenden (emphasis added).

If that ratio has held up, Microsoft has made several billion dollars from just the sliver of growth shown on charts from StatCounter. Bing held 2.97% of the global search market share in 2023 and is now at 3.96%.

Bing is more successful on desktop. The search engine's global desktop market share rose from 8.58% to 11.8% between 2023 and 2025, according to StatCounter.

Those gains appear to come largely at the expense of Google, which has lost 5 percentage points in global desktop market share. Even when looking at search engine market share for all devices worldwide, Google dipped from 92.38% in 2023 to 89.71% in 2025.

Is Google getting worse?

Bing Search has improved steadily over the years, and integrating with AI appears to have increased the quality of search results. But when you're battling a monolith like Google, taking away market share requires more than improving your own product.

Convincing people to switch search engines is complicated. Entire research studies have been performed just to see what it takes to get people to switch to Bing.

Microsoft has controversially used aggressive tactics to promote Bing, but the search engine may get its biggest gains from its rival degrading.

Several factors have affected Google's market share since 2023, including anti-trust cases that forced Android to offer alternatives. Google has also been mocked for terrible search results during the early days of AI integration.

Last year, Google recommended adding glue to pizza sauce to make sauce tackier. The search engine also suggested eating rocks at one point.

Google's search results are also full of AI-generated content and Reddit posts that lack context.

Our Senior Editor Jez Corden took a closer look at why Google is losing users to Bing earlier this year.

On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the big Windows and Xbox news that broke over the weekend: The Xbox Ally is official, and with it comes major changes to Windows for gaming handhelds. The crew also talks about WWDC and Apple's new Liquid Glass, and how we think it's just a worse version of Aero Glass from Windows Vista. We also talk about the new iPadOS updates, and how they could pose a threat to low- and mid-range Windows PCs.

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Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the current state of Windows 11 on gaming handhelds, and how failures like Windows Core OS and Windows CorePC have put Microsoft on the back foot in this new mobile category. Also on the agenda: Windows 11 Start menu designs, Bing Video Creator, and AI leading us down a lonely path.

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Hosts:

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• Zac Bowden

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Microsoft has announced a new feature for Bing, dubbed "Bing Video Creator," that allows you to create AI-generated videos by describing what you want to see. The new tool is powered by Sora, OpenAI's intelligent text-to-video AI model that has been popular among ChatGPT users for some time.

"Bing Video Creator transforms your text prompts into short videos. Just describe what you want to see and watch your vision come to life" says Microsoft in a blog post announcing the new feature. "Bing Video Creator represents our efforts to democratize the power of AI video generation. We believe creativity should be effortless and accessible to help you satisfy your answer-seeking process."

The tool seems pretty straightforward. Simply open the Bing app, select the video creator, and describe the kind of video you want to see. Bing will then take a few minutes to process the query and begin generating the video using Sora, letting you know once the video is ready.

The company says Bing Video Creator is free, which is notable because Sora normally costs at least $20 a month via OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus subscription. Microsoft says video will be limited to 5 seconds in length and in a 9:16 format, with 16:9 video coming soon.

Bing Video Creator is rolling out starting today via the Bing app for Android and iOS, and is expected to rollout on PCs via the Bing website in the coming weeks.

Curiously, this functionality is not currently present in Microsoft's own Copilot AI tool, which is what powers much of the AI features in Bing. Perhaps this is a desparate attempt to increase usage numbers around the Bing app and service, but it is frustrating that it's not available on Copilot.

Hopefully, Copilot will gain its own video generation features in the coming weeks. In the meantime, are you interested in generating AI videos using the Bing app? Let us know in the comments.

Recently, Microsoft quietly announced its plan to pull the plug on Bing Search APIs (application programming interfaces). Third-party app developers won't have access to the search engine's results from August 11, 2025.

According to Microsoft:

"Bing Search APIs will be retired on  August 11, 2025. Any existing instances of Bing Search APIs will be decommissioned completely, and the product will no longer be available for usage or new customer signup."

As such, third-party app developers will need to find an alternative replacement for Bing Search APIs beyond the cutoff date, as they won't have access to Microsoft's search results to power their services.

Interestingly, Microsoft urges affected parties to use “grounding with Bing Search as part of Azure AI Agents” as a plausible alternative. It's worth noting that Azure AI Agents still use Bing Search on the user's behalf to generate responses.

As Wired reports, the vast majority of customers using Bing Search APIs, including DuckDuckGo, will continue accessing the service beyond the looming cutoff date.

As such, it's mostly smaller app developers that are likely to be left with the short end of the stick, especially if their plan was to use Bing Search APIs to return URLs rather than text-based responses to queries.

Microsoft declined to comment to Wired on whether the decision to close these APIs is related to reducing costs, but it comes soon after Microsoft announced plans to lay off 3% of its workforce, reportedly targeting management first.

Either way, a continued push towards artificial intelligence, particularly agentic AI, is on brand for Microsoft's continued strategies and isn't a total surprise. Nevertheless, it will likely come as disappointing news for smaller, independent developers, who may have to make significant changes to their projects.

On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss Microsoft's latest wave of Surface PCs, our initial impressions of the new Surface Pro 12-inch, and how they fit into the lineup. They also discuss a whole bunch of new Windows 11 features that are coming later this year, including a new AI agent in Settings, the updated Start menu, and more.

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They say there's no such thing as bad publicity. Microsoft may have some thoughts on that cliche, since the tech giant had a rough week recently. Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox controller prices all spiked and Microsoft confirmed games will increase in price later this year.

Meanwhile, a Microsoft project manager mocked Windows 11 publicly and Bing received a backhanded compliment after people were paid to use the search engine and determined "Bing was not as bad as [they] thought it was."

Xbox price increases

The Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and a wave of Xbox controllers are now much more expensive. Microsoft announced the price increases for hardware and confirmed that some games will go up in price later this year.

In addition to disappointing fans by raising prices, Microsoft also gave up its value proposition. An Xbox Series S is now more expensive than a PlayStation 5 Slim Digital when comparing models with the same amount of storage.

I saw several jokes online about how Xbox Series X consoles purchased a few years ago are now classed as appreciating assets.

With former Xbox exclusives increasingly becoming available on other platforms and the recent price increases on all Xbox consoles, it's difficult to recommend an Xbox to anyone right now.

"Bing was not as bad as I thought it was"

Google uses monopolistic practices to leverage dominance in search in other markets, according to a recent Department of Justice (DOJ) filing. The tech giant was accused of robbing businesses and consumers of "their right to choose among competing services," according to the filing.

As Google sits in court over the claims, researchers shared findings from a study that appear to back up the DOJ's statements.

The study, titled Sources of Market Power in Web Search: Evidence from a Field Experiment, paid people to use Bing for two weeks. The participants were then given the choice to stick with Bing or go back to Google.

Around 22% of participants continued to use Bing. The academics behind the study also noticed that many do not switch away from whichever search engine is set as default, which is a core element of the ongoing DOJ case.

Microsoft employee mocks Windows 11

A Microsoft project manager drew criticism recently after mocking Windows 11. Merill Fernando took to X to share a meme about how returning to macOS after using Windows 11 was similar to going to space and returning to Earth.

While I credit the use of the Katy Perry meme, I was a bit surprised to see a Microsoft employee criticize Windows 11 so publicly. That being said, the internet backlash over the post was overblown in my opinion.

Reviews & Editorials

Each week our experts take a look at the latest gadgets, games, and accessories. Recently, our team reviewed the ASUS ROG Strix OLED 27 gaming monitor, which earned a perfect score. We also spent time with the Razer Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition and updated our reviews of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S to reflect the recent price increases for the consoles.

• Razer Pro Click V2 Vertical Edition ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
• SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini (Gen 3) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Xbox Series S review (Update) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Xbox Series X review (Update) ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
• Skin Deep ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• ASUS ROG Strix OLED 27 (XG27UCDMG) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• ASUS AirVision M1 ⭐⭐½
• HyperX Pulsefire Saga Pro Wireless ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Deals of the Week

Amazon Gaming Week may have wrapped up, but there are still some great deals. For example, one of the hottest laptop deals of the week was available at Walmart, not Amazon. A deal on the MSI Thin 15 discounts the laptop to $699.

Microsoft's FY25 Q3 earnings report was dominated by cloud primarily, although AI had plenty to say during the festivities as well.

Microsoft Copilot is powered by ChatGPT and other OpenAI technologies, and deeply integrates Bing Search to provide real time information from the world wide web. Microsoft announced during the earnings report that Bing had seen a 22% engagement rate growth year-over-year, likely driven by those aforementioned integrations.

Bing has long been the but of many 'a joke over the years, owing to direct comparisons with Google. Google search has long held dominance over the web, powering the vast majority of web-based businesses with its online ads platform and algorithmic content curation. Although, the latest data trends suggest that users are starting to look for real alternatives.

Data from both Statista and and StatCounter (via Tuta) show a Google in decline. Both platforms use differing methodologies for tallying market share, but StatCounter in particular offered something of a ill milestone for Google. StatCounter showed that Google had dipped below 90% market share this year, for the first time since its records began.

Statista has more granular data, offering Bing a very generous-looking upwards trend if you chart out the past ten years. Other search engines like Ecosia and DuckDuckGo have also seen some potent growth as well. But why is this happening?

It's unlikely to be any single thing impacting Google here, but we can explore some anecdotal possibilities as to what exactly is going on here.

• Google lost anti-trust cases relating to search, forcing it to offer users alternative search engines like Bing during the set up process on Android in some markets.
• Google has been flooding its search results with AI-generated content and reddit posts that often lack context. Gemini's inability to understand context has created a raft of hilarious memes mocking Google search.
• The rise of "ethical" search engines like Ecosia and DuckDuckGo have also given users a real alternative.
• Anecdotally, I've noticed an upswing in interest in Bing via Microsoft Rewards, which gives users points simply for entering search queries, which can then be exchanged for vouchers.
• European alternatives, such as Ecosia, may be seeing growth as countries impacted by Trump's tariff blitz campaign to reject American products. McDonalds recently suggested, for example, that it is seeing decreased sales in Europe due to anti-American sentiment. Could this be impacting Google too?
• Thanks perhaps in part to ChatGPT and Copilot, Bing Search is actually now offering the kind of quality standard Google previously set.
• General AI pollution on the web may be compelling users to break their Google habits to seek alternatives, subsequently discovering that other options aren't half bad.

Google still has upwards of 89.9% of global search engine market share, but a drop of a single point accounts for tens of millions of users, given that its overall user base accounts for roughly 5 billion people.

Windows' dominating market share has been overlooked in recent years due to the fact it is a fully open platform. Google, conversely, has been accused of using its monopoly over search to further promote its own products and services while undermining competitors — according to some anti-trust prosecutors at least.

Indeed, regulatory scrutiny of Google is ramping up, with U.S. anti-trust cases calling for the firm to spin off Google Chrome, Android, or perhaps even both.

It seems unlikely that Bing or any other search engine may challenge Google's dominating position any time soon, but if the downward trend continues, it could present Microsoft Bing with an utterly rare opportunity.

Bing is better than people think, or at least that's what some said after participating in a study.

The study, titled Sources of Market Power in Web Search: Evidence from a Field Experiment, evaluates the economic forces that contribute to Google's large share of the search market.

Several findings from the study are interesting and relevant to ongoing court cases about web search. One key takeaway is that many people have never tried search engines other than Google.

For the study, academics from Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and MIT designed and performed an experiment with around 2,500 participants in which people were paid to use Bing instead of Google for two weeks. After that time, participants were given the choice to continue to use Bing or to go back to Google.

While the majority of participants stuck with Google, roughly 22% continued to use Bing. A follow-up survey was sent out to some participants, several of whom selected the option "Bing was better than I thought it would be" when they explained why they continued to use Microsoft's search engine.

According to the study's abstract:

1. Requiring Google users to make an active choice among search engines increases Bing’s market share by only 1.1 percentage points, implying that switching costs play a limited role.
2. Google users who accept our payment to try Bing for two weeks update positively about its relative quality, with 33 percent preferring to continue using it.
3. After changing the default from Google to Bing, many users do not switch back, consistent with persistent inattention.

The third point is particularly interesting because it lends validity to claims regarding why Google pays to have its search engine be the default on smartphone web browsers. Google is in the middle of a court case centered on whether the company holds an illegal monopoly in web search.

The study states that according to the model used, Bing would see a market share boost of 15 percentage points if frictions related to search engine choice were removed and user beliefs were corrected.

Is Google a monopoly?

While the study is entertaining to those who have followed Bing for years, it provides important insight into why people use Google as a search engine.

Google has recently come under scrutiny from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

Last year, a federal judge ruled that Google's payments to make the company's search engine the default on smartphone web browsers violated antitrust law.

A recent DOJ filing claims that Google uses monopolistic practices that leverage search dominance in other markets.

"Google has robbed consumers and businesses of a fundamental promise owed to the public—their right to choose among competing services," said the filing.

That case is still ongoing, and the DOJ’s statements were proposals, not legal requirements. Google disagrees with the April filing and the company found itself back in court as of April 21, 2025.

OpenAI has expressed interest in acquiring Chrome if Google is forced to sell it, though the company noted that many other parties would also be interested.

On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel is back to give us the low-down at Microsoft's 50th anniversary event, the stuff we didn't see on stream, including protests from Microsoft employees. Zac and Dan also reflect on Copilot's announcements, and what might be next for the AI assistant. Surely, it's a Copilot-powered OS? We also discuss the latest on Windows 11, including Recall finally getting close to GA, and the latest on tariffs and how they're affecting the PC market.

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On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Zac sits down with Ben to chat Microsoft's big 50th anniversary event, which was more a Copilot event with the 50th stuff being kept for the people in-attendance in Redmond. Microsoft announced new memory, personalization, vision, research, and shopping features for Copilot. All designed to make Copilot more human.

Additionally, we discuss Microsoft's new Start menu for Windows 11 that was spotted hidden in recent preview builds, as well as our favorite versions of Windows and Windows apps to celebrate 50 years.

Hosts:

• Zac Bowden
• Ben Wilson

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To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Microsoft just announced several new features for Copilot. The AI tool will receive the features over the coming months, but some upgrades are already available.

One of the more interesting features announced today is Copilot Search in Bing. That tool combines traditional web search with generative search results.

Microsoft claims the addition "transforms web search." Copilot Search checks information from multiple websites to show more detailed and accurate responses through Bing.

Those search results will show citations and suggestions that lead people to more information on a topic.

The improved search functionality probably won't garner as much attention as Copilot gaining support for remembering details from conversations, but it is more important for many people. For many, Bing search is their first introduction to the Copilot brand.

Bringing together traditional search and generative AI should result in better responses to queries. Google is still the dominant search engine by far, but many complain about the results generated by Google search.

If Microsoft can use Copilot to make Bing a better tool for finding useful information, that would help the Bing brand substantially. The fact that Microsoft markets the resulting tool as "Copilot Search" is also handy because it appears to customers as something new rather than just an update to Bing.

Copilot used to be called Bing Chat, so any feature that combines AI and Bing search is a return to form for Microsoft. I think the Copilot name carries a better reputation than that of Bing, so the change made sense.

Microsoft is rolling out the initial versions of the new Copilot experiences today, but it will take some time for them to ship to everyone. Availability will also depend on your platform, market, and language.

On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the current state of Windows on Arm, the Surface Laptop 7's high return rate, more details on the upcoming smaller Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, and the latest on Windows 11 and our first signs of 25H2.

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• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss Microsoft's upcoming April 4 event and speculate about what it could possibly announce, the latest from Windows 11 and Copilot, Apple Intelligence Siri being delayed, Xbox Project Kennan, and more!

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• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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In this week's exciting episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the official death of Skype, our struggles as a podcast that has exclusively used Skype for almost a decade, and the latest from Copilot on Windows and future AI experiences in the OS. Also this week, we talk about Lenovo's latest weird PCs, the new MacBook Air and how we think it's a bad deal now that devices like the Surface Laptop 7 exist.

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• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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Microsoft is back to its old tricks. The tech giant's search engine, Bing, has a new way to encourage people to use Microsoft services.

Last week, Windows 11 pirates gained a new and unlikely ally in Microsoft Copilot. This week, it's Copilot that has the new ally, but it's hardly a surprise.

Right now, if you search for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, or Gemini, Bing will show you a search bar that's a shortcut to Copilot.

"Copilot, Your AI companion," reads the element. Below that text is a text bar that lets you message Copilot.

The behavior, which was first spotted by Neowin, is the latest in a series of tactics by Microsoft to dissuade people from using competing services.

Earlier this year, Microsoft used a similar method to try to steer people away from Google. In January, searching for Google through Bing resulted in essentially a copy of the Google interface but that interface was powered by Bing.

Microsoft has since stopped trying to trick people into using Bing, but the company's leadership must have liked the idea. The new prompt to use Copilot is quite similar in how it tries to convert users searching for a competing service.

Desperate and deceptive? That's debatable.

Microsoft promoting its services through other Microsoft products has always been a point of contention. It's an interesting situation, since I know people who feel strongly about it but don't agree on whether it's an issue.

If your car got a flat tire and the repair shop you went to explained that the store also has breakdown coverage that you could get for a monthly fee, I doubt you'd be surprised or upset. But many, including myself, dislike when Microsoft promotes its other products while you use a Microsoft service.

There are two key differences between my tire shop analogy and Microsoft's approach: point of sale and scale.

If I go to a store and they try to sell me something, that's to be expected. If I'm using a product and it tries to sell me something, I'm probably disappointed.

Windows 11, Bing, and other Microsoft services are products. Searching for something through Bing isn't like me going to a store. It's using the product, which is more akin to driving on a tire.

Promoting Copilot through Bing when I search for Gemini is like my car suddenly displaying an ad for breakdown coverage while I’m driving.

Scale is also a factor here and in similar cases. Monopoly laws are in place, at least in part, to prevent companies from being able to use dominance in one area to gain an unfair advantage in another. That's why Microsoft had to split Teams from Office.

In the case of Bing promoting Copilot, I don't think there's a monopoly issue. Bing is far from dominant in the search space, so promoting Copilot probably isn't much of an advantage.

But I suspect many will have a sour taste in their mouth after getting pushed to use Bing when searching specifically for something else.

People complained when Bing promoted Edge after searching for the Chrome Web Store. I suspect similar outrage with the latest Copilot promotion.

A common "gotcha" argument is that other tech giants use similar tactics. But my mom always said, "two wrongs don't make a right."

On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss Panos Panay's big Alexa+ announcement, Microsoft trialling a free version of Office for Windows, Windows 365 Link fast approaching, thoughts on Chrome OS Flex, Framework's new 12-inch Laptop, and more!

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On this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the latest on Windows 11, new features in the Dev and Beta Channels, and have its system requirements secretly changed? Also on the agenda: A new era for Surface, and why the Surface you know and love is dead. Plus, we try to decipher what Microsoft's Quantum chip announcement is all about, and HP's decision to acquire Humane AI.

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• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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On this episode of the Windows Central Podcast, Daniel and Zac discuss the official end of HoloLens and IVAS, Copilot being bad at summarizing content, Arm reportedly making its own chips, our thoughts on the latest Lenovo laptops, and initial impressions of the Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring!

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Is it the Gulf of Mexico or Gulf of America? Well, that depends on who you ask. Disagreement on the name of the body of water does not just occur among political enemies, there's also a difference of opinion across map services. Google Maps and Apple Maps now show "Gulf of America." Bing Maps will soon join them in showing the new name for the body of water, though only for users in the United States.

Debate over the name of the body of water kicked off when President Donald Trump announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. At the time, the President also discussed renaming Mount Denali, annexing Canada, wanting Greenland to become part of the United States, and the United States reclaiming the Panama Canal. But I'll focus on the first here, since map debates are oh so invigorating.

President Trump has since declared the body of water the Gulf of America and made February 9 Gulf of America Day.

"As my Administration restores American pride in the history of American greatness, it is fitting and appropriate for our great Nation to come together and commemorate this momentous occasion and the renaming of the Gulf of America," said President Trump.

We'll have to wait to see if Gulf of America Day appears on Google Calendar. Pride Month, Black History Month, and Women's History Month no longer appear on Google Calendar. Google claimed that "maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn’t scalable or sustainable," so surely the tech giant will find a calendar showing Gulf of America Day to be untenable.

With the Gulf of America officially declared as the name for the body of water, arguments ensued over if the name should appear on maps. Apple Maps and Google Maps seem to be shifting gradually and depending on where a user is. Bing Maps will do the same.

Without comment from Microsoft, I'm not sure if Bing Maps showing "Gulf of Mexico" exclusively is a political statement or a reflection of how frequently the service's information gets updated. I have reached out to Microsoft about the Gulf of Mexico name debate and how Bing Maps is updated.

How does Bing Maps get its data?

Bing Maps gets information from several sources. A blog post from 2020 explained that using a combination of providers helps the map service evolve over time and provide the best experience. That post explained that all of TomTom's map and traffic data was to be incorporated into Bing Maps, though I have not found an update regarding the status of that project.

Who names bodies of water?

The US federal government can dictate how the government refers to a body of water. Companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Apple set their own policies. The Gulf of Mexico is not the first body of water to have its name disputed or to have multiple names. For example, the same body of water that appears as the "Sea of Japan" on Google Maps if you're in Japan will appear as the "East Sea" if you're in South Korea.

Google has a blog post from way back in 2008 discussing how it determines the names of bodies of water. That post states:

"Under this policy, the English Google Earth client displays the primary, common, local name(s) given to a body of water by the sovereign nations that border it. If all bordering countries agree on the name, then the common single name is displayed (e.g. "Caribbean Sea" in English, "Mar Caribe" in Spanish, etc.). But if different countries dispute the proper name for a body of water, our policy is to display both names, with each label placed closer to the country or countries that use it."

I have not found a similar post from Microsoft regarding its naming policies. I'll update this piece with any information Microsoft shares.

The company did share a statement on the current situation:

"We are committed to providing users with accurate and up-to-date information. In accordance with established product policies, we are updating Bing Maps to reflect the Geographic Names Information System’s nomenclature in the United States which includes changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in the US."

Some users in the United States have shared with me that they already see the change.

Daniel Rubino and Zac Bowden host this week's episode of the Windows Central Podcast, and on the agenda is Windows 11 and what looks to be next for the platform, including new features and Selenium. We'll talk about the current state of the Copilot+ PC, why it's confusing, and whether we're happy with ours so far. We also discuss our expectations around Build 2025 now that it's official, the latest updates from Qualcomm vs Arm, and the current state of Snapdragon laptops in the PC market.

It's a fun one, so tune in!

Hosts:

• Daniel Rubino
• Zac Bowden

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Microsoft is seemingly getting more creative with its aggressive tactics designed to flip the odds in Bing and Edge's favor against Google. In the latest episode, the software giant tries to compel users to stick to Microsoft Edge when searching for Google's Web Store using Bing instead of switching over to Chrome (via Windows Report).

Windows Central attempted to replicate the scenario highlighted by the outlet and was greeted by the pop-up message outlined below:

"Enjoy your favorite extensions without switching browsers. Keep using to get world-class performance with more privacy, more productivity, and more value. Try now."

Interestingly, I attempted to make a similar query using Google Search and Chrome, but instead of searching for the Chrome Web Store, I looked up Microsoft Edge Add-ons. The search results were pretty straightforward and didn't feature a pop-up ad trying to keep me from switching browsers/search engines.

This isn't the first time Microsoft has used aggressive tactics and tricky designs to gain a competitive advantage over Google. Last year, Microsoft used its Bing Wallpaper app to get Windows 11 users to switch to Bing as the "recommended browser settings" for fast and secure search results, automatically sideloading Microsoft's Bing extension to Google Chrome.

More recently, Microsoft was spotted using "deceptive tactics" to transform Bing into a makeshift version of Google, down to the trademark Doodle on Google Search's homepage. Google's Chrome lead Parisa Tabriz commented, highlighting that this was a "new low" for Microsoft:

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Microsoft spoofing the Google homepage is another tactic in its long history of tricks to confuse users & limit choice.

New year; new low @Microsoft"

Mozilla also placed Microsoft under fire for using deceptive tactics and harmful designs to give Edge a competitive advantage over other browsers on Windows. Interestingly, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that Google makes more money on Windows than all of Microsoft.

Microsoft has dialed back its apparent attempts to trick people into using Bing. The tech giant rolled out a change to its search engine recently that showed an interface similar to that of Google if you searched the term "Google." Many, including Google, considered the move deceptive, since Bing presented what was essentially a clone of the Google interface and moved other results lower on the page.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Microsoft spoofing the Google homepage is another tactic in its long history of tricks to confuse users & limit choice. New year; new low," said Google's Chrome lead Parisa Tabriz.

Now, it appears that Microsoft is shifting away from its controversial strategy. If you search for "Google" through Bing, you're less likely to see the clone of Google's interface.

^{Searching for "Google" in Microsoft Edge (left) and Google Chrome (right) shows different results if you are using private browsing. (Image credit: Future)}

In my testing, I was only able to see the Google-esque version of Bing when searching for "Google" within an InPrivate browser tab in Microsoft Edge. Any other combination of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and being logged in or using a private tab showed the normal Bing interface.

^{Searching for "Google" in Microsoft Edge (left) and Google Chrome (right) shows almost identical results when logged in. (Image credit: Future)}

There's a chance that Microsoft is just testing the interface and that results may vary from person to person. As far as I can tell, Microsoft has not commented on the clone of Google's UI publicly.

Microsoft and Google have a rocky relationship that dates back decades, which is hardly surprising considering the size of the companies and how much their services overlap. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed that "Google makes more money on Windows than all of Microsoft" due to the dominance of Google's search platform. The Microsoft CEO also argued that Google doesn't play fair with Bing,

Microsoft has tried several tactics to convert users to Bing over the years, including the Bing Wallpaper app prompting people to switch their search engine. Microsoft has used similarly aggressive tactics to push its Edge browser, which has Bing set as the default search engine.

We will continue to monitor this situation surrounding Bing and Google and update this piece with information as details become available.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed, "Google makes more money on Windows than all of Microsoft" due to its dominance in search and distribution. According to StatCounter's latest report, Google dominates the search landscape with a massive 89.74%, stacking miles ahead of Microsoft Bing's 3.97%.

During Google's antitrust hearing last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella indicated Google doesn't play fair with Bing, further citing that its exclusive deal with Apple negatively impacts Bing's growth and reach. But as it now seems, Microsoft is reportedly using deceptive tactics to grow its market share against Google in the search landscape.

Interestingly, if you attempt to use Bing to search for Google without signing in with your Microsoft account, you'll be directed to a page reminiscent of Google's layout. The Verge (via Windows Latest) notes this is a blatant attempt by Microsoft to keep users from switching to Google by altering Bing's appearance to match the dominant search engine's aesthetic for this specific query.

Microsoft's makeshift Google search interface ships with features and designs you'd find while using Google, including a search bar and an image oddly similar to Google's Doodle. Windows Central attempted to replicate similar results, and everything per the reports shared seems to check out. Bing looks a lot like Google Search when you search for Google. However, it generates other queries, as you'd expect, suggesting the change could be by design.

It's worth noting that if you scroll down Google's Bing's search page, Google search results are at the bottom. Interestingly, the page features several tell-tale signs specific to Microsoft. If you're signed in using your Microsoft account, you'll get buttons including Copilot and deep search icons. When making the query via Bing, the revamped user interface initially hides the highlighted icons and the search results before they pop up at the top and bottom, though they can be easily overlooked.

In a post on X, Google's Chrome lead Parisa Tabriz commented that it represents a "new low" for Microsoft. It's worth noting that Google is currently under investigation in both the United States and European Union for abusing its market position to promote its own products. Glass houses and all that.

Either way, this isn't Microsoft's first rodeo using deceptive tactics to gain a competitive advantage over Google. In August 2024, Microsoft used its Bing Wallpaper app to get Windows 11 users to switch to Bing as the "recommended browser settings" for fast and secure search results. Users who accepted the changes indicated that Microsoft's Bing extension was sideloaded to Google Chrome automatically.

Windows Central has contacted Google and Microsoft for a comment and will update this post with relevant information once it's available.

What you need to know

• A bug caused weather widgets and graphics powered by Microsoft to show temperatures as high as 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The issue seems to affect the Windows 11 weather widget and other displays powered by Microsoft's weather information.
• Generally speaking, the earth stays cooler than 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

For much of the world, Christmas and the holiday season is about landscapes covered in snow. In other regions, it's summertime, so this time of year is quite warm. But in a hypothetical world described by the Windows 11 weather widget, the end of 2024 will include melting roads and the world as we know it on fire. A strange bug has caused weather graphics powered by Microsoft to display temperature as high as 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

It's not exactly clear what's caused the Windows 11 weather widgets and other Microsoft-powered weather displays to claim the world will be hotter than the surface of the sun. For reference, the surface of the Sun is around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit while the inside of that star is roughly 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. At least it won't hit temperatures in the millions in Microsoft's imaginary nightmare of a fiery hellscape. What we do know is that the bug is relatively widespread.

Reddit user Guilty_Parking made a post about their PC showing 30,014 degrees Fahrenheit in the Windows 11 weather widget. Another user, darkfae83, shared a similar post.

windows11 from r/Windows11/comments/1h6t2cr/30014f_temperature_mistake

Perhaps the bug is actually an homage to Doom Eternal. It could also be a not-so-subtle reminder about Microsoft's commitment to combat climate change. In actuality, it's likely just a programing bug. I don't see the bug on my PC and haven't been able to replicate it but our Zachary Boddy ran into the issue on one of their devices.

I imagine the bug will be fixed soon. But it's caused some funny photos and gives me an excuse to share one of the funniest videos on the web.

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What you need to know

• Microsoft recently released a new Bing Wallpapers app into the Microsoft Store to give us, you guessed it, wallpapers from Bing.
• However, despite its description, it looks like Microsoft is doing more than just serving up wallpapers using the app.
• Bing Search, Bing Visual Search, and a 'helpful' reminder in your non-Microsoft Edge default browser are all 'features.'

Recently, Microsoft launched its Bing Wallpaper app into the Store, which, on the face of it, should be a pretty good thing. Bing serves up some of the best looking images on the web every day, and setting them as wallpapers is definitely something worth doing.

The app itself, however, seems to be concealing some shady tricks, with Microsoft trying its best to shovel its services on potentially unsuspecting users. It's described as:

"Bing Wallpaper includes a collection of beautiful images from around the world that have been featured on the Bing homepage. Not only will you see a new image on your desktop each day, but you can also browse images and learn where they're from."

However, Rafael Rivera (@withinrafael) has been poking around inside the app and found it's doing much more than that.

There's a whole thread below that initial post which details (in quite technical detail, no less), what's going on, and it doesn't make for great reading. It's bad enough that it's diving into your cookies, but this is my personal favorite.

I'm far from a developer, but I'm not sure that Microsoft would appreciate Google, or Opera, going inside the Edge browser and trying to divert users away from it. It does feel like something of an abuse of power, because you'd like to hope an app behaving this way from someone else wouldn't be allowed into the Store.

On one hand, I get it. We're the product, and our eyeballs (and our data) is the payment. Microsoft wants it, just like Google wants it. But yet again we're talking about underhanded tactics to force Bing/Edge on users, rather than selling the products on their merits. I use Bing primarily because it's integrated with Microsoft Rewards, for example. And Copilot is a pretty good AI tool, even if I wish Microsoft would make up its mind on what exactly it wants it to be.

But above all, nobody should install an innocent sounding wallpaper app and have all kinds of other crap shoved on them. Do better, Microsoft.

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What you need to know

• OpenAI recently launched ChatGPT search — a fine-tuned version of GPT-4o, post-trained using novel synthetic data generation techniques.
• The search tool is based on feedback from OpenAI's temporary prototype search tool, SearchGPT. The ChatGPT maker plans to enhance its user experience, especially in the shopping and travel categories.
• The tool shipped globally to Plus and Team users, meaning you'll need $20 monthly to access it.

There have been rumors of OpenAI dabbling in the search landscape to give Google and Bing a run for their money. In July, the ChatGPT maker launched SearchGPT, a temporary prototype AI search tool that delivers timely responses to queries with clear and relevant sources.

The temporary prototype tool has garnered considerable interest among users. Google was recently ruled as an illegal monopoly in search, prompting regulation to foster fair competition in the landscape. While the tech giant awaits regulation measures for its search service, a former Google engineer claimed that the company may have bigger fish to fry with OpenAI's temporary search tool, already branded as a "Google Killer."

Now, OpenAI has launched ChatGPT search. Users can now use ChatGPT to search the web "in a much better way than before." Like SearchGPT, it promises fast, clear, and direct answers to queries with relevant web sources. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman indicated, "There is room to make search much better than it is today" while launching SearchGPT.

According to OpenAI:

"For many people, finding useful answers online often takes multiple searches and sifting through links. You can now ask ChatGPT in a natural, conversational way, pulling relevant information from the web and using the full context of your chat to provide better answers."

How does ChatGPT search work?

For context, OpenIA's new search model is "a fine-tuned version of GPT-4o, post-trained using novel synthetic data generation techniques, including distilling outputs from OpenAI o1-preview." The tool uses third-party search providers and content provided directly by OpenAI's partners for its answers.

The search model is based on feedback from the SearchGPT prototype, which means it brings the best SearchGPT experiences to ChatGPT. OpenAI has highlighted its plans to improve ChatGPT search's user experience, especially in shopping and travel. There are also plans to leverage its flagship OpenAI o1 series of AI models for deep research.

OpenAI says the integration of search into ChatGPT's chat interface creates a new way for users to interact with information. At the same time, the experience promises a broader audience for content creators, including publishers and authors, as the search results will feature highlighted links to the source.

According to OpenAI:

"We've partnered with news and data providers to offer even more up-to-date information and new visual designs for categories like weather, stocks, sports, and news."

To this end, the new search experience is exclusively rolling out to ChatGPT search Plus and Team users worldwide. You'll need a $20 subscription plan to access it. ChatGPT search is expected to roll out to Enterprise and Edu in the next few weeks. And finally, it'll ship to Free users over the next few months.

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What you need to know

• Microsoft's Bing has an elections experience that will show real-time information for national and state races.
• The experience also provides resources to help people register to vote and to know voting laws in their respective area.
• Election day in the United States is November 5, 2024, though many results will not be official until after that date.

Election day is just around the corner in the United States, and Microsoft's Bing has a new experience to help you vote and stay informed. The Bing 2024 Elections Experience lays out information about candidates, shows real-time information for election results, and includes helpful links to ensure that you're registered to vote.

In the days leading up to election day, Bing will show polling figures, the results of primary elections, and news stories about candidates and upcoming elections. The search engine will also show a link discussing "How to vote." That link helps people register to vote, not suggest a specific party or candidate to vote for.

On November 5, 2024, Bing will feature an interactive map with results of various races. You can use filters to show specific races, such as those for Senate or House seats. Gubernational (governor) races will also appear on the map. A variety of local elections will be featured by Bing as well, including State House and State Senate races.

Microsoft shared details about the experience in a blog post:

"At Bing, we’re laser focused on providing swift, straightforward ways to find the information you need from a variety of sources and content, all so you can make an informed decision. This election season Bing is providing a single, comprehensive experience for both the 2024 U.S. presidential race and state elections to deliver real-time election results, voting information, the latest news, and more."

While there are many impactful races that will occur on election day, many will follow the presidential race the most. The results of that race will appear in real time as well. Bing will let you keep track of the popular vote and the electoral college throughout the election.

The map will be updated in real time with information sourced by the Associated Press. Information and misinformation flood the web right now, so having accurate and reliable sources is more important than ever.

After the elections wrap up, Bing's maps will remain available, allowing you to study results.

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