IT General

Where to check for PS5 Pro stock: Amazon PlayStation 5 Pro $899.99 at Amazon Shop Now Best Buy PlayStation 5 Pro $899.99 at Best Buy Shop Now GameStop PlayStation 5 Pro $899.99 at GameStop Shop Now PlayStation Direct PlayStation 5 Pro $899 at PlayStation Direct Shop Now Target PlayStation 5 Pro $899.99 at Target Shop Now Walmart PlayStation 5 Pro $899.99 at Walmart Shop Now

If you waited until launch week to upgrade your console before GTA 6 arrives on Nov. 19, you are not alone. With Rockstar’s biggest release in over a decade just days away, gamers across the country are scrambling to lock down Sony’s most powerful hardware — and that sudden rush has wiped out PlayStation 5 Pro inventory almost everywhere.

Following Sony’s April price hike that pushed the PS5 Pro’s standard MSRP to $899.99, legitimate retail stock has dried up across PlayStation Direct, Best Buy, Target, and GameStop.

Instead of falling for inflated reseller markups, bookmark this tracker to monitor official retail pages directly. While major storefronts are currently sitting at zero, brief restock waves at the standard list price continue to cycle through — and having the right links ready is the easiest way to snag one before Vice City opens its doors.

Where to track down a PS5 Pro at retail price

If you are trying to score a PS5 Pro for retail price before GTA 6 arrives, save these direct store links and check them regularly — inventory drops in brief, unpredictable waves:

• Amazon — Currently out of stock, unless you opt for marked-up listings from third-party sellers.

• Best Buy — Currently out of stock. Online drops typically filter buyers through a virtual queue, so stay logged into your account ahead of time. Keep an eye on local store pickup toggles too, as single units occasionally surface regionally.

• GameStop — New consoles are sold out online, so calling or walking into your neighborhood store is your best bet for retail-priced stock. Just ignore the pre-owned listings — the retailer deliberately jacked used and refurbished units up to $1,399.99 ($500 more than a brand-new box) to cash in on the GTA 6 shortage. Hard pass.

• PlayStation Direct — Currently out of stock. Buying straight from Sony is your cleanest shot at paying the list price without third-party clutter, and they cap orders at one console per customer whenever new batches go live.

• Target — Currently out of stock. Target tends to release small online waves alongside early-morning store pickup inventory tied to local freight arrivals. Having payment details saved in the Target app saves crucial seconds at checkout.

• Walmart — Currently out of stock, unless you opt for marked-up listings from third-party sellers.

Why everyone is scrambling for a PS5 Pro right now

It all comes down to GTA 6 arriving next week. Since Rockstar is launching the game exclusively on consoles with no PC version available at launch, anyone who wants the best-looking trip to Leonida is rushing to grab Sony's flagship hardware.

Rockstar confirmed this week that while GTA 6 runs at 30 frames per second across all consoles, the PS5 Pro is the single best place to play on day one. It is the only console getting sharper 4K visuals through PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) and upgraded ray-traced shadows. Throw in faster load times, DualSense controller haptics, and a built-in 2TB drive for massive game files, and it makes total sense why players are upgrading right now.

Besides that, supply has been tight for months. Component shortages and rising memory costs have slowed down console production throughout 2026, leaving stores without enough stock to handle the pre-launch rush. Because production won't catch up to GTA 6 hype anytime soon, any standard list-price units that hit store sites will vanish in minutes.

Opens in a new window Credit: Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto 6 $79 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Is the PS5 Pro worth the upgrade?

If you are debating whether to hunt down a PS5 Pro instead of playing GTA 6 on a standard PlayStation 5, Rockstar just confirmed exactly what the extra hardware gets you on day one.

Even though frame rates remain the same across all consoles, the PS5 Pro is the only system to unlock two major visual upgrades. First is PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), Sony’s AI upscaling tech that sharpens lower-resolution images on the fly so Vice City’s neon skylines, crowded beaches, and distant horizons look noticeably crisper on a 4K TV.

You also get exclusive ray-traced shadows powered by the Pro’s faster graphics chip, giving sunlight, headlights, and towering cityscapes far more realistic depth and lighting than you will see on a base PS5 or Xbox Series X. Plus, with GTA 6 taking up over 210GB, the PS5 Pro’s built-in 2TB SSD gives you plenty of breathing room without having to delete half your library just to install it.

How to beat the bots and improve your chances of finding stock

Catching a surprise drop before GTA 6 launches comes down to speed and a little bit of prep:

• Dodge third-party marketplace sellers: Sites like Walmart and Amazon let outside merchants charge whatever they want. Always check the "Sold and shipped by" label to ensure you are buying from the actual retailer at standard list price.

• Save your checkout information beforehand: Taking the time to type in a security code or shipping address during a drop will cost you your cart. Keep your profiles logged in with default payment methods saved.

• Do not refresh Best Buy's waiting line: When Best Buy runs a drop, it puts shoppers into an automated queue. Hitting refresh resets your spot and sends you to the very back of the line. Meanwhile, refreshing PlayStation Direct directly on weekday mornings often catches small waves before stock-alert apps fire.

• Check physical stores in the morning: Online checkout bots can wipe out digital inventory in seconds. Visiting Target, Best Buy, or GameStop when doors open often turns up fresh shipment boxes that never made it onto website listings.

Should you wait for a PS5 Pro Black Friday deal?

In short: no. While major retailers almost always hold back small batches of high-demand hardware to anchor their Thanksgiving week and Black Friday doorbusters, don't expect a holiday discount on the PS5 Pro this year.

Sony's early Black Friday rollout has focused almost entirely on digital games and accessories rather than new console markdowns — so simply catching a legitimate restock at the standard list price is the real Black Friday win.

Waiting until Nov. 27 also puts you up against peak holiday traffic, GTA 6 latecomers, and automated checkout bots all hammering store servers at once. If an "Add to Cart" button flickers live at $899.99 before Thanksgiving week officially kicks off, buy it on the spot instead of waiting around for a sale that isn't coming.

Google has announced Gemini 4 Hydrogen, its latest AI model. Adapted from Gemini 4 Carbon and focused on speed, Google claims that Hydrogen also surpasses its frontier Gemini 4 Argon model when using its default thinking level.

SEE ALSO: Google Gemini upgrades are rolling out to all supported Android devices

"While our frontier models, Gemini 4 Carbon and Gemini 4 Argon, excel at deep, long-horizon reasoning on your hardest problems, Hydrogen is built for rapid execution across diverse agentic workflows," wrote Koray Kavukcuoglu, senior vice president at Google DeepMind, in Thursday's announcement. 

Specifically, Hydrogen is intended to quickly conduct tasks such as writing code, running tests, and doing everyday work, as opposed to designing systems and fixing complex bugs. Set to a "high" thinking level by default, Hydrogen can also be adjusted to low, medium, and a new xhigh tier, which vary in quality, latency, and cost.

"Hydrogen is built to stand on its own as a model for everyday work — or to pair with Carbon and Argon as the high-efficiency execution engine in multi-model workflows," wrote Kavukcuoglu.

Gemini 4 Hydrogen is rolling out globally from today, arriving in Google Search for all users. It will also be available for selection in the Gemini app's model dropdown menu. 

Google Search's AI features were previously powered by Gemini 3.8 Flash, which launched in September. In comparison, Kavukcuoglu stated that Hydrogen will respond to queries with more visual responses, as well as a wider variety of relevant links. Hydrogen is also designed to better understand conversational prompts and follow users' trains of thought, including understanding typos.

A comparison between Gemini 4 Hydrogen and Gemini 3.5 Flash, a previous AI model released in May. Credit: Google

"Gemini 4 Hydrogen makes it easier to get things done, staying on track and following instructions more closely across multi-turn conversations," said Kavukcuoglu. "In the Gemini app, Hydrogen makes your everyday assistant even more helpful — it’s better at following your guidance, calling the right tools, and getting you to a reliable output with less back-and-forth."

Compared to 3.8 Flash, Google claims that Hydrogen is two times less likely to circumvent permission boundaries. The company further stated that it's continuing to work on the AI model's safety and security aspects such as jailbreak resistance, though noted that Hydrogen is still prone to hallucinations, like all generative AI agents.

TL;DR: Watch France vs. South Africa in the 2026 Nations Championship for free on ITVX. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 Nations Championship consistently features high-profile matchups between elite international sides. That's the aim of the competition.

We've been blessed by weeks of fascinating contests, but there's still something special about France vs. South Africa. This feels like a real battle between two sides that are likely to be battling for the World Cup trophy next year. We can't pick a winner, but South Africa are probably slight favorites. They are pretty much always favorites, and France will need to deliver an incredible performance to take the win at the Stade de France.

If you're interested in watching France vs. South Africa in the 2026 Nations Championship from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is France vs. South Africa?

France vs. South Africa in the 2026 Nations Championship kicks off at 3:10 p.m. ET on Nov. 13. This fixture takes place at the Stade de France.

How to watch France vs. South Africa for free

France vs. South Africa in the 2026 Nations Championship is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can livestream the 2026 Nations Championship for free from anywhere in the world.

Livestream France vs. South Africa in the 2026 Nations Championship for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch France vs. South Africa for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch France vs. South Africa in the 2026 Nations Championship without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream multiple weekends before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream France vs. South Africa in the 2026 Nations Championship for free with ExpressVPN.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 13, 2026 Browse meaning

To search leisurely.

Scroll meaning

Browsing the Internet or social media

Search meaning

To look for something or someone.

Surf meaning

To search casually.

Coverage meaning

The broadcasting of a news event.

Exposure meaning

Being made known to the public, media or an audience.

Press meaning

News coverage.

Publicity meaning

Public visibility.

Barge meaning

A roomy, flat-bottomed boat.

Glider meaning

A motorless aircraft that flies by riding on air currents.

Trailer meaning

A teaser, typically for a film or TV show.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Water skier meaning

Someone who participates in water skiing.

Freeze meaning

The process of water turning to a solid.

Teaser meaning

A short preview.

Trust meaning

To have faith in something or someone.

Waves meaning

Natural curves.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a high screen time.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for November 13, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Google it

• Green: In the public eye

• Blue: Water sports

• Purple: It's all in your head

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Use the internet

• Green: Media attention

• Blue: Things that are towed

• Purple: Brain ___

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1251 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Use the internet: BROWSE, SCROLL, SEARCH, SURF

• Media attention: COVERAGE, EXPOSURE, PRESS, PUBLICITY

• Things that are towed: BARGE, GLIDER, TRAILER, WATER SKIER

• Brain ___: FREEZE, TEASER, TRUST, WAVES

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're superstitious.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 13, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Not a good sign

The words are related to superstitions.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words involve bad fortune.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Rotten Luck.

NYT Strands word list for November 13

• Thirteenth

• Broken

• Spilled

• Rotten Luck

• Floor

• Salt

• Mirror

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you have no fear.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 13, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

Are you also playing NYT Connections? See hints and answers for today's Connections.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Courage

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

No letters appear twice.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter M.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

MOXIE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Estimate.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

GAUGE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Allow.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 13, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

GRANT

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Meaty leg.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Nov. 13, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Nov. 13, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

THIGH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To assess.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

JUDGE

Final Hurdle hint

Kids.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

YOUTH

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Onyx Boox makes the best eReaders available to the human species, and there's no debating me on that. The new Boox Picco is a brilliant little pocket eReader that used to come with a MagSafe case, but Boox stopped selling the case with it recently. Third-party sellers haven't clocked this gap yet, so there aren't any alternatives at the moment. That's why I took matters into my own hands and decided to add that feature myself. What could go wrong?

Slim, modern TVs leave very little room for good speakers, so a soundbar is one of the simplest ways to improve the way your shows and games sound. If you want a compact option, the Samsung HW-S50B Soundbar is a good place to start, and it's 35% off right now as part of an early Black Friday sale.

My phone kept nagging me about storage, and every warning came with a button to pay for more. I'd been renting space for my own images for years, and the price only ever moved in one direction. Then I looked at the old desktop gathering dust in my closet and wondered if it could do the job. It could, but I could have done it faster had I known what I know now. Just make sure you have an 8GB flash drive to start with.

Home Assistant really is incredible software. It's come a long way from its origins as a few lines of code that could turn on a smart bulb. There's very little that Home Assistant can't do these days, but there are still one or two things that even Home Assistant can't manage alone.

What's new on Netflix in the U.S. this week? If you're searching for a new movie, look no further than Heartland, a mystery thriller starring Jessica Chastain as a former country music star searching for her missing niece. I'm a gambling man, so I'll bet that Heartland shoots to the top of Netflix's Top 10.

Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 1:08 a.m. ET / Thursday, Nov. 12 at 10:08 p.m. PT — Microsoft is still looking into the cause of the outage, but states that at present it is "not aware of any malicious activity that is causing this incident."

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 10:58 p.m. ET / 7:58 p.m. PT — Unfortunately, Microsoft's efforts to bring servers back online aren't going as planned. It appears to have been unable to address the issue of them becoming unresponsive again, and has stated it is now searching for different ways to increase traffic capacity.

"We've monitored the status of the changes applied to improve serviceability and confirmed they're not taking as expected," Microsoft wrote in an update on X.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 8:07 p.m. ET / 5:07 p.m. PT — Microsoft has revised its list of features and services impacted by this outage, stating that it is affecting ones that interact with Exchange Online and email services. Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint Online, Teams, Copilot AI, and 365 are all continuing to have various issues, though Azure appears to be operational.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:53 p.m. ET / 4:53 p.m. PT — Microsoft has issued a new update stating that the servers they've brought back online may become unresponsive again when they receive traffic. The company is currently investigating the issue, though in the meantime it's limiting the types of traffic going to these servers in some locations.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:23 p.m. ET / 3:23 p.m. PT — Microsoft states that it is bringing some servers back online, and "they remain stable so far." Users should expect a "gradual recovery."

"We're also shifting traffic to alternate routes wherever possible and observing limited recovery," Microsoft wrote in an update on X. "In parallel, we've streamlined the process of returning the remaining affected servers to service."

Microsoft is experiencing a significant global outage today, resulting in Outlook, Teams, Copilot, Microsoft 365, and other popular services going down for an extended period of time.

While Microsoft deals with the outage, many users have been left wondering, "Just when will I be able to access my emails, messages, and calendars again?"

SEE ALSO: Microsoft 365 outage: Outlook is down, and the internet is touching grass

Unfortunately, Microsoft has yet to share an estimated timeframe in which users can expect Microsoft 365 products to be up and running again. In an update posted to X at 4:00 p.m. ET, Microsoft struck an optimistic tone, saying that some affected servers were already back online. But by 5:09 p.m. ET, the company acknowledged its services were still down.

"We’re opening all available pathways to restore service, as our actions taken thus far have not provided the anticipated relief," the company wrote on X and a status page.

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This isn't the first time Microsoft services have experienced outages. Most recently, Microsoft Outlook went down on Aug. 31 of this year.

That Aug. 31 Outlook outage began around noon, and according to our reporting at the time, service had been fully restored by 11 p.m. ET that night. If Microsoft is able to deploy fixes in a similar timeframe, then today's Microsoft Outlook outage should be fixed around 11:30 p.m. ET tonight.

However, the timeframe for this particular outage could be very different, depending on the issue involved and what Microsoft needs to do to get services up and running again.

Mashable reached out to Microsoft with questions about the outage, but the company had not responded at the time of publication.

This is a developing story...

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TL;DR: Get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more with a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus, now $47.99 (reg. $249.99) with code DEAL20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows: Lifetime License $47.99
$249.99 Save $202   Get Deal

Most people get Word, Excel, and PowerPoint through a Microsoft 365 subscription. If that subscription lapses, the desktop apps drop into a read-only mode until payment resumes. If you’d rather own the apps outright, try a Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus lifetime license, a one-time purchase of the full desktop suite for Windows. You pay $47.99 (reg. $249.99) once with code DEAL20.

Six apps and no subscription

Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Access. Each app installs on your PC and works without a cloud connection, so you can write and edit offline.

Your license is tied to one Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC rather than your Microsoft account. That setup suits offices with controlled IT environments, and there’s no Microsoft 365 subscription to keep active. Your redemption code and download instructions arrive by email right after checkout, so setup can start within minutes.

Pro Plus keeps a fixed feature set instead of adding new tools every month, so the menus you learn this week look the same next year. You still get regular security updates for the supported lifecycle. Built-in security and compliance features also make this edition a good fit for businesses in regulated industries.

Day to day, the interface has a dark mode option, and Pro Plus runs well on modest hardware, including older Windows 10 laptops that still meet the system requirements.

On the downside, this version doesn’t run on a Mac, and the license can’t move to a new PC later. You have seven days after purchase to redeem the code. Once you redeem it, the sale is final, so confirm your PC runs Windows 10 or Windows 11 first.

Own your Office apps instead of renting them.

Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for $47.99 with code DEAL20. Offer ends Nov. 15.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Cancel your monthly hosting plan and get a Hostdeal Unlimited Plan lifetime subscription for $119.99 (reg. $1,800) with code DEAL20.

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Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 1:08 a.m. ET / Thursday, Nov. 12 at 10:08 p.m. PT — Microsoft is still looking into the cause of the outage, but states that at present it is "not aware of any malicious activity that is causing this incident."

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 10:58 p.m. ET / 7:58 p.m. PT — Unfortunately, Microsoft's efforts to bring servers back online aren't going as planned. It appears to have been unable to address the issue of them becoming unresponsive again, and has stated it is now searching for different ways to increase traffic capacity.

"We've monitored the status of the changes applied to improve serviceability and confirmed they're not taking as expected," Microsoft wrote in an update on X.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 8:07 p.m. ET / 5:07 p.m. PT — Microsoft has revised its list of features and services impacted by this outage, stating that it is affecting ones that interact with Exchange Online and email services. Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint Online, Teams, Copilot AI, and 365 are all continuing to have various issues, though Azure appears to be operational.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:53 p.m. ET / 4:53 p.m. PT — Microsoft has issued a new update stating that the servers they've brought back online may become unresponsive again when they receive traffic. The company is currently investigating the issue, though in the meantime it's limiting the types of traffic going to these servers in some locations.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:23 p.m. ET / 3:23 p.m. PT — Microsoft states that it is bringing some servers back online, and "they remain stable so far." Users should expect a "gradual recovery."

"We're also shifting traffic to alternate routes wherever possible and observing limited recovery," Microsoft wrote in an update on X. "In parallel, we've streamlined the process of returning the remaining affected servers to service."

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 5:39 p.m. ET / 2:39 p.m. PT — As of this writing, the global Microsoft outage remains ongoing.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 3:55 p.m. ET / 12:55 p.m. PT — We've updated this story with the latest statements from Microsoft.

Microsoft is having a really bad Thursday.

Starting in the early afternoon, Microsoft 365 enterprise software products experienced a major outage, which is ongoing at the time of publication. On the platform DownDetector, more than 100,000 users reported problems with Outlook alone.

The company has posted regular updates about the situation, both on social media and on its website.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft outage: Microsoft 365, Teams, Outlook, Copilot all impacted

On the company's official status page (which also went offline briefly, according to multiple Mashable reporters), Microsoft said that Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint Online, Copilot 365, and Defender XDR were all experiencing issues. The status page also indicated that the outage is only affecting Microsoft's enterprise software, Microsoft 365, not its consumer products.

Mashable has reached out to Microsoft for comment, but the company hadn't responded at the time of publication.

The Microsoft 365 outage: A timeline so far

In an initial update posted at 12:54 p.m. ET to X, the company said that customers were having problems with Exchange Online mailboxes "in the Americas." Exchange Online is a cloud-based tool that provides back-end support for Microsoft Outlook.

However, by 1:07 p.m. ET, the company acknowledged the problem was more widespread, affecting more services and regions. "While we're working to mitigate impact, we've confirmed the issue may affect Microsoft 365 service connectivity for users in any region," the company posted.

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The Microsoft Status page was then updated with a notification that stated, "User impact: Users may be unable to connect to multiple Microsoft 365 services."

While a root cause has yet to be determined, Microsoft has at least shared a brief technical explanation for what's going on.

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"We've determined that the elevated load isn't driven by an overall increase in traffic, but by a large number of servers being unexpectedly unavailable, which is shifting load onto the remaining infrastructure," Microsoft said on its status page, as well as in a thread on X. "We're investigating what's causing these servers to become unavailable while we work to safely return them to service."

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Later on in the X thread, Microsoft said it had not identified any recent change that correlates with the outage, but "the failed health checks may originate from a specific component that's responsible for processing server health." In the meantime, Microsoft has worked to prevent more servers from being impacted while it also tries to resuscitate the ones that are down.

Shortly before 4 p.m. ET, the Microsoft status page received another update, stating that it is still troubleshooting and restarting servers.

"While validating the targeted change, we found that many of the affected servers have become unresponsive, which is preventing us from confirming whether the change is effective," Microsoft said. "We're restarting these servers so they can come back online with the change in place, and we're applying the same approach to additional affected portions of our infrastructure to validate the results more broadly."

By the evening, Microsoft's updates turned slightly more optimistic, as the company stated that some servers had already come back online. A 4:00 p.m. update stated that the company had "validated an alternative service health check method, which allowed a subset of affected servers to successfully return to service."

However, by 5:09 p.m., the company acknowledged that services remained offline.

"We’re opening all available pathways to restore service, as our actions taken thus far have not provided the anticipated relief," read an update posted to its website.

This is a developing story...

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There are plenty of reasons Jensen Huang's resignation is a big deal. Not only does his departure leave Nvidia, the AI chipmaker he co-founded 33 years ago, looking for a new permanent CEO for the first time. It also puts the spotlight on the Huang family, whose ties to the company run well beyond its founder.

To catch you up, Huang stepped down four days after first telling employees he'd been unfaithful to his wife of 41 years, Lori Huang. He made the admission after reports of a relationship with Alice Huang, a businesswoman, who first of all is unrelated to him, and whom U.S. intelligence officials suspect of spying for China. On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that he'd also had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, an Nvidia executive who reported directly to him. And then on Thursday, hours after resigning, Reuters reported that Huang had an "intimate relationship" with another Nvidia employee, whom the outlet did not name.

To make matters worse (if possible), the Huangs' two children, Madison and Spencer, both work at Nvidia, making this whole scandal a family affair with a far more personal question at the center of it: What would happen to the Nvidia multi-billion dollar fortune if they divorced?

Of course, this analysis doesn't mean the couple is divorcing — Lori hasn’t made any public comment. She and Jensen are deeply connected in business as co-trustees of three trusts that directly held nearly 669 million Nvidia shares in March. A September SEC filing shows those direct holdings at about 608 million shares, with additional stock held through companies their living trust owns. Nvidia says the couple may share voting and investment power over those shares.

Will Lori Huang follow MacKenzie Scott's path?

The size of that stake harkens MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of another tech titan, Jeff Bezos. When a judge finalized Scott's divorce from the Amazon founder, her stake in the company was worth $38.3 billion. That October, Forbes ranked her the third-richest woman in America.

Like Scott, Lori Huang was there long before her husband became a billionaire. By the time Jensen co-founded Nvidia, she already had a career in the chip industry.

Lori and Jensen Huang first met as lab partners in an electrical engineering class at Oregon State University, and when they landed jobs in Silicon Valley, Lori earned more than Jensen, he told The New Yorker in 2023. She left the workforce to raise their two children before he co-founded Nvidia in 1993.

Ms. Huang also runs the Jen-Hsun & Lori Huang Foundation, which reported $9.1 billion in net assets at the end of 2024. The couple gave Oregon State $50 million to help build a research center that bears both their names, and the foundation has also bought time on graphics processors and donated it to universities and nonprofits for research.

As of Thursday, Nov. 12, Forbes estimates Jensen's net worth at about $145 billion, making him, according to its list, the thirteenth-richest man in the world. Half of that amount would be roughly $72.5 billion, enough to rank fourth on Forbes' annual list of the world's richest women in March. Of course, what Lori might receive if they divorced would depend on which assets qualify as marital property and whether the couple signed a prenup or postnup, which remains unclear. In California, courts generally divide community property equally unless the spouses agree to a different split.

If you didn't live through the transition from PATA (Parallel ATA) to SATA (Serial ATA) in the early 2000s, it can be hard to understand how much of a revolution it was. PATA was finicky, bulky, and slow. SATA was the first proper redesign of drive interface technology in decades, and for a time, it was good.