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Microsoft Outlook outage enters hours-long stretch with no resolution

Everybody’s working for the weekend, but Microsoft Outlook clocked out early. The mission-critical email service is facing a widespread, hours-long outage. Microsoft says the Outlook outage means mailbox access may be unavailable for Outlook.com, Outlook Mobile, and Outlook desktop apps. The company also says that it’s working on a fix. We’ve begun a broad expedited deployment of the configuration change across all affected infrastructure. We expect most impacted users will experience relief w

Microsoft Outlook goes down around the world - here's what we know

NurPhoto / Contributor/Getty If you're having trouble logging in to your email this morning, you're (probably) not fired. A massive outage is affecting Microsoft's Outlook service, leaving many people unable to access their email accounts. Also: How passkeys work: The complete guide to your inevitable passwordless future Reports of problems started shortly before 10 p.m. ET Wednesday, but surged just before 7 a.m. ET. As of 9 a.m., reports were still on the rise, indicating there was no resol

Microsoft shares $500M in AI savings internally days after cutting 9,000 jobs

Microsoft’s chief commercial officer Judson Althoff said during a presentation this week that AI tools are boosting productivity across sales, customer service, and software engineering, Bloomberg reports. Althoff noted AI has been so useful that Microsoft was able to save more than $500 million last year in its call center alone. The internal remarks come a week after Microsoft laid off more than 9,000 workers, the company’s third round of layoffs this year that put the total number of affecte

Microsoft Authenticator on iOS moves backups fully to iCloud

Microsoft is rolling out a new backup system in September for its Authenticator app on iOS, removing the requirement to use a Microsoft personal account to back up TOTP secrets and account names. Previously, the Microsoft Authenticator app required iOS users to sign in with a personal Microsoft Account to enable backups, regardless of whether they were using the app for personal or enterprise credentials. This created problems in enterprise environments where organizations often like to keep p

Microsoft confirms Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) sync is broken

Microsoft has confirmed a widespread issue in Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) that prevents organizations from syncing with Microsoft Update and deploying the latest Windows updates. Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) is a Microsoft product that allows businesses to manage and distribute Windows updates to computers within their network. By default, WSUS synchronizes with Microsoft Update servers once a day, when it downloads the latest metadata on available Windows updates. Admins ca

Microsoft Patch Tuesday, July 2025 Edition

Microsoft today released updates to fix at least 137 security vulnerabilities in its Windows operating systems and supported software. None of the weaknesses addressed this month are known to be actively exploited, but 14 of the flaws earned Microsoft’s most-dire “critical” rating, meaning they could be exploited to seize control over vulnerable Windows PCs with little or no help from users. While not listed as critical, CVE-2025-49719 is a publicly disclosed information disclosure vulnerabilit

All digital Xbox games now carry standardized accessibility tags

Microsoft just announced that all digital games and experiences are now accompanied by clearly labeled and standardized accessibility tags . These Accessible Games Initiative tags are designed to "provide players with clear and consistent information about the accessibility features in video games." They are found on top of the store page. As you can see below, the game South of Midnight includes 13 accessibility features . Clicking "More" leads to a description of each. In this case, the game

OpenAI’s open language model is imminent

Microsoft’s complicated relationship with OpenAI is about to take an interesting turn. As the pair continue to renegotiate a contract to allow OpenAI to restructure into a for-profit company, OpenAI is preparing to release an open language AI model that could drive even more of a wedge between the two companies. Sources familiar with OpenAI’s plans tell me that CEO Sam Altman’s AI lab is readying an open-weight model that will debut as soon as next week with providers other than just OpenAI and

How to get free Windows 10 security updates through October 2026: Two ways

MicroStockHub/Getty Images With just a few months remaining until the Windows 10 end-of-support date, Microsoft seems to have belatedly realized that owners of tens of millions of consumer PCs running Windows 10 aren't ready to replace their old computers, and they're also not about to fork over $30 for a one-year Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscription. So, at the end of June, just days before the end of its fiscal year, the company waved the white flag and announced new "free enrollment

Video Games Weekly: Every time this industry grows, it shrinks

Welcome to Video Games Weekly on Engadget. Expect a new story every Monday or Tuesday, broken into two parts. The first is a space for short essays and ramblings about video game trends and related topics from me, Jess Conditt, a reporter who's covered the industry for more than 13 years. The second contains the video game stories from the past week that you need to know about, including some headlines from outside of Engadget. Please enjoy — and I'll see you next week. In a 2024 interview wit

Microsoft Surface Laptop (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) Hits a Price That Makes Old Tags Look Silly Thanks to Prime Day

Happy Prime Day to all who celebrate. This week you can all sorts of excellent deals across every product category at Amazon from laptops to treadmills to food processors to other laptops. If that happens to be exactly what you’re in the market for, you should pay attention to this Microsoft Surface deal. This 2024 touchscreen laptop is part of this week of savings and you can chop off 34% from the price. It’s normally $1,200, but for a limited time you can grab it for just $790. That’s bring it

I love Microsoft’s new 12-inch Surface Pro and it’s $685 for Prime Day

is a deputy editor with 18 years of experience writing and editing product reviews, gadgets and business news. Previously, he was a deputy editor covering technology companies at CNBC. Microsoft’s new 12-inch Surface Pro is awesome, and at $115 off at Best Buy, it’s a fantastic deal to jump on during Amazon Prime Day. Both Amazon and Microsoft are selling it for $699.99. No matter where you buy it, you can use the discount to cover most of the cost of the $150 keyboard, which anyone who’s inter

Windows 11 KB5062553 & KB5062552 cumulative updates released

Microsoft has released Windows 11 KB5062553 and KB5062552 cumulative updates for versions 24H2 and 23H2 to fix security vulnerabilities and issues. Today's updates are mandatory as they contain the July 2025 Patch Tuesday security patches for vulnerabilities discovered in previous months. You can install today's update by going to Start > Settings > Windows Update and clicking on 'Check for Updates.' You can also manually download and install the update from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Wha

In a blow to Google Cloud, Replit partners with Microsoft

Replit on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership deal with Microsoft that should be good for business for both of them. Replit will become available through Microsoft’s enterprise cloud app store, Azure Marketplace, meaning Microsoft shops will be able to purchase Replit subscriptions there. Replit is also integrating its tech with a number of Microsoft cloud services like containers, virtual machines, and Microsoft’s version of Postgres — the database that Replit supports — called Neon Serv

Microsoft Teams now has threaded conversations

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft has added threaded conversations to its Teams communications app this week. After promising to launch the highly-requested feature in mid-2025, Microsoft is now releasing a public preview of threaded conversations for Teams users to enable. The Microsoft Teams threads integration debuts in the channels section of the app, where it works a little differently to how Sl

Microsoft, OpenAI, and a US Teachers’ Union Are Hatching a Plan to ‘Bring AI into the Classroom’

Microsoft and OpenAI are planning to announce Tuesday that they are helping to launch an AI training center for members of the second-largest teachers’ union in the US, according to details about the initiative that appear to have been inadvertently published early on YouTube. The National Academy for AI Instruction will be based in New York City and aims to equip kindergarten up to 12th grade instructors in the American Federation of Teachers with “the tools and confidence to bring AI into the

Microsoft Offers Free Windows 10 Extended Security Updates: Here's How to Get Them

Microsoft is closing the door on Windows 10 in October 2025, and will be ceasing security support for that operating system unless users pay $30 for a one-year extended security update. Now, Microsoft has added a free option. Users need to turn on cloud backup and connect it to their OneDrive account. The ability to get free updates on Windows 10 is a pretty big deal because it is still the most widely used Windows OS, accounting for just over 53% of installs as of May 2025. That leaves million

Microsoft’s Edge browser now loads sites even faster

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid. In a new post shared to its Windows blog, Microsoft says that it has “reached a major milestone” when it comes to improving the speed of Edge’s user interface. It now takes Microsoft’s browser less than 300 milliseconds to start rendering the first parts of a website for users, whether it’s text, images, or parts of the user interface. It’s a me

Arkane founder calls Game Pass an 'unsustainable model' that's wrecking the industry

Arkane Studios founder Raphael Colantonio had some harsh words for Game Pass in a thread on X, calling it an "unstainable model" that's "damaging the industry." He also said that Microsoft's ability to throw "infinite money" at the platform will eventually wane because "reality has to hit." Colantonio continued by saying Microsoft will "kill everyone else, or give up" and that gamers only like the service because "the offer is too good to be true." He also wrote that these same players will tur

Xbox producer tells staff to use AI to ease job loss pain

Xbox producer tells staff to use AI to ease job loss pain One X user called it "plain disgusting" while another said it left them "speechless". The BBC has contacted Microsoft, which owns Xbox, for comment. The post, which was captured in a screenshot by tech news site Aftermath , shows Mr Turnbull suggesting tools like ChatGPT or Copilot to "help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss." Matt Turnbull, an executive producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, wrote the

Windows 11 has finally overtaken Windows 10 as the most used desktop OS

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft has finally crossed an important milestone for Windows 11, months ahead of Windows 10’s end of support cutoff date. Stat Counter, spotted by Windows Central, now lists Windows 11 as the most used desktop operating system nearly four years after its release, with 52 percent of the market, compared to 44.59 percent for Windows 10. Windows 11 became the most popular OS

The New Corporate Memo: Let AI Ease The Pain

A troubling new trend is crystallizing in the tech industry. A company at the forefront of AI development lays off thousands of its human employees, then encourages them to seek comfort from the very technology supplanting them. It’s the automation of suffering, and it’s happening now. This week, Matt Turnbull, an Executive Producer at Xbox Game Studios Publishing, became a case study. Following Microsoft’s decision to cut thousands jobs from its gaming division, Turnbull took to LinkedIn. With

French City of Lyon Kicks Out Microsoft

European countries have been growing increasingly wary of relying on Microsoft for critical government and public sector services. Concerns about data privacy, digital sovereignty, and potential governmental surveillance have led many to question the viability of depending on an American tech giant for sensitive infrastructure. Many worry that dependence on Microsoft could leave them vulnerable to sudden service interruptions or the risk of sensitive data being accessed without consent. This g

Microsoft is closing its local operations in Pakistan

Microsoft is closing its operations in Pakistan, marking the end of a 25-year presence in the South Asian nation. The Redmond-based company on Friday told TechCrunch that it is changing its operational model in Pakistan and will now serve its customers through resellers and “other closely located Microsoft offices.” “Our customer agreements and service will not be affected by this change,” a Microsoft spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We follow this model successfully in a number of

Microsoft Is Eliminating Passwords in August: Here's What You Need to Do to Prepare

In June, Microsoft Authenticator stopped letting users create new passwords. In July, it turned off the autofill password function. And in August, the login app will stop supporting passwords entirely, moving to more secure passkeys, such as a PIN, fingerprint or facial recognition. Attila Tomaschek, CNET's software senior writer and digital security expert, says that passkeys are a safer alternative to the risky password habits practiced by 49% of US adults, according to a recent survey by CNE

Microsoft layoffs hit 830 workers in home state of Washington

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks at the Axel Springer building in Berlin on Oct. 17, 2023. He received the annual Axel Springer Award. Among the thousands of Microsoft employees who lost their jobs in the cutbacks announced this week were 830 staffers in the company's home state of Washington. Nearly a dozen game design workers in the state were part of the layoffs, along with three audio designers, two mechanical engineers, one optical engineer and one lab technician, according to a documen

Xbox was funding Romero Games' new game, but layoffs have left the project in crisis

Microsoft was rocked by more than 9,000 job cuts this week. A significant number have come from its gaming division, resulting in the closure of multiple game studios and the cancellation of numerous in-development projects at Xbox and its contracted studios. We’ve already learned that Microsoft has closed the studio that was developing the much-anticipated Perfect Dark reboot, and Rare’s Everwild has also been sunsetted. And now Romero Games — the studio headed up by Doom creator and veteran de

Microsoft investigates ongoing SharePoint Online access issues

​Microsoft is investigating an ongoing incident causing intermittent issues for users attempting to access SharePoint Online sites. Part of the Microsoft 365 suite, SharePoint Online is a cloud-based collaboration and document management platform that allows users to create websites, store and share documents, and collaborate on content over the Internet. As the company announced earlier today in an incident alert published in the message center, users are seeing "Something went wrong" errors

Microsoft Layoffs Are Here and These 3 Games Have Already Been Canceled

Microsoft is moving ahead with mass layoffs, cutting a little less than 4% of its workforce or about 9,000 roles across the company. As a result, multiple games brewing within Xbox Game Studios were canceled, including some fairly high-profile projects. When reached for comment, Microsoft directed CNET to reports Wednesday by Variety, confirming their accuracy. "To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain area

AI Is Not in the Memo, but It Haunts Every Layoff at Xbox

In the new AI economy, it seems no job is safe, not even at a thriving business. Microsoft’s Xbox division is a case in point. Last quarter, its revenue soared by 8% year over year. And yet, the division is now at the center of the tech giant’s largest wave of layoffs since 2023, with thousands of its employees among the 9,000 jobs cut by Microsoft on Wednesday. In a memo sent to his shell-shocked employees and reviewed by Gizmodo, Microsoft’s head of gaming, Phil Spencer, performed a mastercla