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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 September 1, 2026 Planetarium meaning

A place to look at projections of the stars.

Arrow meaning

An object fired from a bow.

Hope Diamond meaning

A famous gem.

For Real meaning

A slang term for seriously.

Sam Spade meaning

A famous fictional detective.

Wishy-washy meaning

Slang term for indecisivie.

Mike Hammer meaning

A famous fictional detective.

Golf club meaning

A tool used for striking a golf ball.

Cross my heart meaning

An expression that means to assure someone they are telling the truth.

Pick-up stick meaning

Sticks used as part of a particular tabletop game.

Sherlock Holmes meaning

A fictional detective

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Aimee Mann meaning

A popular singer-songwriter.

Pinky swear meaning

To promise.

Hercule Poirot meaning

A fictional detective.

Spaghetto meaning

A string of spaghetti.

On God meaning

To assure someone of the truth

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you've had a job.

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 September 1, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Called by your calling

The words are things you'd be on call for.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe professions that have honorifics.

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 Working Title.

NYT Strands word list for August 31

• Officer

• Rabbi

• Detective

• Doctor

• Professor

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 Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you've watched the Falcons during the 2010s.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, 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 the latest 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: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports 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 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 before 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Training athletes

• Green: Symbolic NFL entities

• Blue: Matt Ryan

• Purple: Lined up together

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Coach

• Green: NFL Mascots

• Blue: Associated with Matt Ryan

• Purple: ___-To-___

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

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: Sports Edition #708 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Coach: DRILL, INSTRUCT, SCHOOL, TEACH

• NFL Mascots: BLUE, JAXSON DE VILLE, SOURDOUGH SAM, SWOOP

• Associated with Matt Ryan: 2, BC, FALCONS, MATTY ICE

• ___-To-___: BACK, DAY, MAN, TOE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections 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.

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.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 1, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 1, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 1 Pips

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 2-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-3 placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 1 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 4-3, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 2-0, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 2-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 1 Pips

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this green space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically; 0-2, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically.

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

JBL just launched its next generation of home audio. The Cove series of speakers redefine JBL's home audio collection with sleek, inconspicuous designs that don't detract from your home decor but complement it.

The collection includes three WiFi speakers: the Cove M1, Cove P1, and Cove X1. While each speaker stands on its own, they can come together through the JBL One app to create a full home audio system at a relatively affordable price. Ahead of the speakers' launch, we got to see, hear, and experience them IRL.

About the JBL Cove collection JBL's new speakers include the Cove M1, P1, and X1. Credit: Miller Kern / Mashable

All three of the speakers in the JBL Cove collection focus on quick speed to sound. Setup takes just three steps, and JBL estimates that within three to five minutes, you'll have sound ready to go. They're designed for folks pursuing a home audio and stereo system for the first time. So whether you're setting up your first home or upgrading your existing system, the Cove speakers are ready to fill the room with sound, whether that be for music or your home theater.

Each speaker comes with JBL's signature AI audio boost that assesses the room it's in and adapts to fill the space. Not only does this result in a richer sound, but it also preserves the speaker, so it avoids getting blown out.

JBL uses Auracast to create a seamless connection between speakers so you can listen across rooms. Plus, through the JBL One app, you can adjust audio levels and create systems that let the speakers work together for the ultimate custom stereo experience.

If you're ready to add a JBL Cove speaker to every room in the house, the brand's new Music Follows Me feature comes in handy. Just press the Moment button on any of the speakers and your music follows you to the next room without needing to pull out your phone or app.

All speakers come in either black or white. The speakers will be available Sept. 13, with preorders live now.

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL Shop the JBL Cove collection Starting at $229.95 Pre-order Here About the JBL Cove M1 Speaker Pair two JBL Cove M1 Speakers together to build your own stereo system. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The JBL Cove M1 Speaker is the smallest and most affordable of the Cove speakers at $229.95. It houses three soft dome tweeters, one in the center and two at an angle. Despite its small stature, it delivers sound to fill a room at any angle and bring thumping bass.

Two Cove M1 speakers can pair together to complete a stereo system, but they can also be paired with a JBL MK2 series soundbar to complete your home theater.

About the JBL Cove P1 Speaker The JBL P1 is the portable home WiFi speaker in the Cove collection. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Slightly larger than the M1 is the Cove P1 speaker. It's the portable WiFi home speaker in JBL's collection, with a handle on the back so you can tote it around from room to room. It has a slightly upgraded performance thanks to its four tweeters (including one up-firing) and single woofer.

The Cove P1 has an IP56 rating, so it's splash-proof and dust-resistant, meaning it can even come outside. It has a charging dock in addition to a port with a USB-C connection. On a single charge, it lasts up to 14 hours.

Like the M1 speakers, two P1 speakers can be paired with a JBL MK2 soundbar to create a home theater system.

The JBL Cove P1 retails for $399.95.

About the JBL Cove X1 Speaker For the most luxe sound, look to the JBL Cove X1 speaker. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The most high-end speaker in the Cove collection is the X1, a WiFi speaker delivering 3D sound. It's equipped with four tweeters and two drivers that absolutely fill a room. While it's the biggest speaker, it doesn't just deliver the loudest sound; it also manages to spread sound as if it's radiating from an entire wall rather than just a little speaker, thanks to Dolby Atmos.

It manages to pick up the nuances in music, so even as you're enjoying the heart-pounding bass, you'll catch the subtler elements that usually fade into the background.

At launch, the X1 speaker cannot be paired with another X1 to act as rear channels for a home theater experience with a soundbar. While it can be paired with the JBL MK2 soundbar, it only services multi-room music. However, through the JBL One app, it can be added to a system and paired with other speakers.

The JBL Cove X1 costs $449.95 at its release. All speakers are available for preorder as of Sept. 1 and will arrive on Sept. 13.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you like detective fiction.

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 August 31, 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: Swear on it

• Green: Thin objects

• Blue: Detectives

• Purple: Sounds like an intent

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.

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: "I Promise!"

• Green: Long, Skinny Things Often Seen Together

• Blue: Private Investigators of Fiction

• Purple: Starting with Words of Intention

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

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 #1177 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• "I Promise!": CROSS MY HEART, FOR REAL, ON GOD, PINKY SWEAR

• Long, Skinny Things Often Seen Together: ARROW, GOLF CLUB, PICK-UP STICK, SPAGHETTO

• Private Investigators of Fiction: HERCULE POIROT, MIKE HAMMER, SAM SPADE, SHERLOCK HOLMES

• Starting with Words of Intention: AIMEE MANN, HOPE DIAMOND, PLANNETARIUM, WISHY-WASHY

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 Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like mixing up old classics.

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 September 1, 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.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 1, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Reworking a song.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter R.

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

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...

REMIX

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.

Don't assume the multi-point inspection of your car helps you in a real way that isn't for the dealer. Sometimes they're just looking for easy ways to sell you more services you can do at home for much less. You pay a bit more upfront for the equipment, but you don't need to be a professional to take care of your vehicle. You can do plenty at home for cheap.

Microsoft told users on Monday evening that it was working on a fix for Outlook, Exchange Online, and other Microsoft 365 business services that were down for much of Aug. 31.

"We're continuing to deploy our mitigation across the affected environment and users should begin to see gradual recovery to mail flow," the official Microsoft 365 status account wrote on X at 7:47 P.M. ET / 4:47 p.m. PT. "In parallel, we're restarting targeted sections of the affected infrastructure to aid the recovery of the downstream scenarios."

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"The gradual recovery to mail flow" didn't satisfy some Microsoft customers, who responded to the X update by asking for more specifics on timing.

"What is the estimated time for full recovery? Admin Center shows vague information too," wrote one user. Another X user noted that some of their email was starting to roll in "slowly."

At 11:52 p.m. ET / 8:52 p.m. PT, approximately four hours after Microsoft's update, the company posted that mailbox connectivity should have returned to normal. However, it noted that it was still working on restoring search functionality, and that it may take a while for backlogged mail queues to clear "due to the volume of previously queued messages."

Problems initially began at the start of the workday on Monday, when many Microsoft users complained on sites like Downdetector that they could not access their Outlook email. Other app-related problems and login issues were also noted, along with issues with Microsoft Exchange Online, "a cloud based messaging platform that delivers email, calendar, contacts, and tasks."

Developing...

UPDATE: Sep. 1, 2026, 2:39 p.m. AEST This article has been edited to add updates from Microsoft.

Updated at 11:00 p.m. CT: Microsoft states that its mailbox connectivity should now have returned to normal, though it continues to work on restoring search functionality. The company stated that it may also take a while for backlogged mail queues to clear "due to the volume of previously queued messages."

Updated at 9:15 p.m. CT: Microsoft has offered an update on its ongoing efforts to restore Microsoft 365's services, stating that its "recovery efforts are ongoing." Users should see email delivery gradually come back online, however Microsoft warns that its search feature is still experiencing issues.

"We're closely monitoring the health of the service environment amidst our ongoing recovery work, and we're observing some sections of affected infrastructure which aren't accepting the re-applied authentication components as readily as expected. Users can expect to see continued recovery to email delivery, while users may see residual impact to downstream and dependent scenarios, including search, across affected services. We're working to identify whether any additional actions are required to expedite full recovery."

Updated at 7:09 p.m. CT: Microsoft had an update on Monday evening, saying a "gradual recovery to mail flow" was in the works.

"We're continuing to deploy our mitigation across the affected environment and users should begin to see gradual recovery to mail flow. In parallel, we're restarting targeted sections of the affected infrastructure to aid the recovery of the downstream scenarios. For more information, please see EX1464935 and MO1465074 in the admin center."

Updated at 4:53 p.m. CT: In a statement provided to Mashable through email, a Microsoft spokesperson issued the following statement:

"We're aware of an issue affecting access to Exchange Online and some other services. We know this is disruptive for customers and we appreciate their patience while we work to restore services as quickly as possible."

Updated at 4:19 p.m. CT: Microsoft has offered a more specific explanation for what's driving the ongoing disruption. In its latest update, the company said its investigation suggests a "misconfiguration issue" is stopping authentication components from deploying correctly to part of its infrastructure.

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In plain terms, it means an internal change to Microsoft's authentication system caused parts of it to fail to perform properly. Now, engineers at Microsoft are retracing those changes to pinpoint the cause.

Updated at 3:47 p.m. CT — Starting on Monday morning and continuing into the afternoon, thousands of Microsoft business users reported problems with Microsoft Exchange Online (the issues were first reported as an Outlook outage). Now, Microsoft's official service health status page has been updated to reflect what users have been saying for hours: this outage extends well beyond Microsoft Exchange Online.

At the time of writing, Microsoft's status page now lists a broader "service degradation" affecting Microsoft 365 for both Business and Enterprise customers. The updated list of impacted services includes OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, and both Microsoft Purview and Microsoft Defender XDR.

The company says it's continuing to test its mitigation strategy to ensure the planned fix doesn't introduce new problems, while also exploring other ways to reduce the impact in the meantime. Admins and enterprise customers can find more information by looking up EX1464935 and MO1465074 in the admin center.

Previously, the status page showed these services as operating normally, even as Microsoft acknowledged a problem on X. Meanwhile, users took to social media and Reddit to complain of widespread login failures, missing emails, and inaccessible files. Microsoft Azure and consumer-facing Microsoft products appear to be unaffected at this time.

Microsoft Outlook appears to be down for a significant number of users as of Monday late morning. According to Downdetector, reports of Outlook problems spiked sharply just before 11:16 a.m. ET, jumping from around 37 reports to over 6,000 in a short window.

Credit: DownDetector

• Last call: Guess what Apple will release in September in our Big Guessing Game: Apple edition. Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch!

Of the issues users are reporting, the largest share involves receiving messages, followed by app-related problems and login issues, per Downdetector's tracking. While most users are complaining about Outlook problems, Microsoft acknowledged a problem with Microsoft Exchange Online on its Microsoft 365 Status account on X. Exchange Online is "a cloud based messaging platform that delivers email, calendar, contacts, and tasks."

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

The company stated it was investigating reports of Exchange Online issues, pointing users to incident EX1464935 in the admin center for updates.

About an hour later, Microsoft followed up to confirm the scope of the problem, saying it had verified that users may be experiencing degraded functionality across various Exchange Online features. The company said it was reviewing service telemetry and diagnostic data to pin down the root cause.

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

At the time of this writing, Microsoft's status account posted a more specific update, stating it had identified an issue with an authentication component that contributed to the disruption. According to the post, Microsoft has “developed a remediation strategy” and is testing it to confirm it resolves the impact before rolling it out more broadly. However, as of this writing, Microsoft's Service Health Status page says that all its products are "currently operational."

The outage has stirred up plenty of frustration online. On X, users have pushed back on Microsoft's "degraded functionality" language, with one commenter calling it "one way to say 'none of our shit works.'"

Others reported the disruption stretching on for hours, with entire offices and thousands of employees affected worldwide, according to posts under Microsoft's status updates.

A parallel Reddit thread in r/Outlook saw a similar flood of confirmations from users locked out of the service, with dozens simply chiming in with variations of "down for me" and "yep, whole company having issues."

This is a developing story...

Windows sometimes feels like it's lacking advanced features when compared to other operating systems, but the truth is that Windows has a lot of fancy power tools at its disposal.

Stress is something that's easy to feel, but not necessarily as easy to see. That's part of the utility of wearing a smartwatch like the Pixel Watch—you can see many of your vitals right on your wrist. Numbers are cool, but what if your watch face were a mood ring?

This is a story of user error. I am the user who made the error, and I'm putting this out there so that you don't make the same mistake. Here's how I killed not one, but two small portable power stations before I charged a single device.

As we fast approach September 1 tomorrow, Paramount+ is getting ready to back the dump truck up and roll a pile of catalog movies to the service for U.S. subscribers to enjoy—120 of them, to be exact. The movie chart for the service currently has the demonic road-trip horror Passenger in the top spot, and the Wayans brothers return on September 3 with a brand new Scary Movie installment.

For businesses selling on Amazon, winning an advertising auction may have come with a hidden price.

The Federal Trade Commission and 22 states sued Amazon on Aug. 31, accusing the retail giant of quietly manipulating its ad auctions, secretly inflating ad prices, and collecting more than $20 billion in improper charges.

The case involves about 1.2 million advertisers, including hundreds of thousands of small and midsize businesses. Regulators say many paid more than expected without realizing it.

Filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Washington, the FTC complaint states:

Since 2019, Amazon.com, Inc. ('Amazon') has secretly and systematically overcharged its approximately 1.2 million advertising customers by manipulating the 'auctions' that it uses to set the price of ads on its platform. Amazon represents, and advertisers believe, that competitive auctions set the prices for advertising on its leading e-commerce website. But, in reality, Amazon overrides and replaces the actual auction results with higher prices set by Amazon to increase its profits. For years, Amazon has secretly inflated the auction prices for three of its advertising products: Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display.

Amazon allegedly told advertisers it generally used a "second-price" auction. Under that system, the winner pays slightly more than the second-highest bid — not the full amount it offered.

But regulators say that isn’t always what happened. According to the lawsuit, Amazon began changing the process in 2018. Instead of setting the price based on the runner-up’s bid, the company often charged winners according to their own, higher bids. The FTC says that difference amounted to a hidden surcharge.

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Internal discussions cited in the complaint suggest Amazon knew advertisers believed they were participating in true second-price auctions. In one 2023 document, employees reportedly noted that some advertisers submitted bids as high as $100 or $1,000 because they trusted Amazon not to charge the full amount.

Regulators also allege that Amazon carefully tested how advertisers reacted to higher prices. The company reportedly introduced the changes slowly to avoid raising concerns, then monitored whether advertisers lowered their bids or budgets. After seeing little change, Amazon expanded the increases. One manager described the strategy as moving away from a second-price auction while "hoping that advertisers don’t notice and decrease bids or ad spend."

The FTC says the practice continued for seven years and brought in tens of billions of dollars for Amazon, and the costs may not have stopped with advertisers — they believe businesses passed at least some of the added expense on to shoppers through higher product prices.

Amazon tells a different story. The company denies the allegations and calls the lawsuit "misguided."

"Advertisers adjust bids based on real-world performance, not descriptions of auction mechanics," Amazon said in its response.

The company argues that its system considers how relevant an ad is to a shopper rather than automatically choosing the highest bidder. Amazon estimates that this approach saved advertisers more than $8 billion from 2021 through 2025. It also emphasized that "in no scenario does an advertiser pay more than their bid."

Additionally, the company points to lower ad prices. It says average winning bids for sponsored-product ads fell by half between 2019 and 2025, while sales produced by ad clicks increased.

"Advertisers paid the same or less for advertising that delivered increasingly better results," the company said. Amazon says it shared its data and explanation of the auction system with the FTC several times.

Regulators are seeking an end to the alleged practices, along with penalties, damages, and restitution for advertisers. The allegations have not been proven in court.

The outcome of the suit could reshape how Amazon runs its massive advertising business. For sellers, the question is simple: Did they know what they were agreeing to pay, or was Amazon changing the rules? That’s now up to a court to decide.

Thousands of Microsoft enterprise customers reported problems accessing their email as they returned from the weekend, and on Monday afternoon, Microsoft acknowledged widespread problems affecting Exchange Online and other Microsoft 365 business services.

Initially, users took to social media and platforms like DownDetector to report problems with Microsoft Outlook, the widely used email service. However, the issue appears to be much more widespread. In a statement shared to X at 12:01 p.m. ET, Microsoft confirmed that service to Exchange Online had been disrupted. (Exchange Online is a cloud-based enterprise service "that delivers email, calendar, contacts, and tasks.")

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In addition, a Microsoft spokesperson provided the following statement to Mashable via email: "We're aware of an issue affecting access to Exchange Online and some other services. We know this is disruptive for customers and we appreciate their patience while we work to restore services as quickly as possible."

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On its official status page, Microsoft elaborated on what other services were impacted by the outage. The status page reported "Service degradation" for Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise, with the problems affecting services such as:

• OneDrive for Business

• SharePoint Online

• Exchange Online

• Microsoft Teams

• Microsoft Purview

• Microsoft Defender XDR

• Microsoft 365 Admin Center

Microsoft says the root cause of the outage is an "issue within a core authentication configuration used by multiple Microsoft 365 services," and the company is actively testing a remediation strategy.

Microsoft 365 admins can see MO1465074 and/or EX1464935 for the latest updates on the disruption — if they can access the Admin Center.

Microsoft provided an update on the situation at 6:01 p.m. ET, writing that it's "continuing to review recent changes to the service to definitively confirm the source of the problem."

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Microsoft has since offered further updates, having deployed mitigation measures to help bring its services back online. At 10:01 p.m. ET, the company advised users that its "recovery efforts are ongoing," and that they should see email delivery gradually come back online. Even so, Microsoft warned that its search feature is still experiencing issues.

"We're closely monitoring the health of the service environment amidst our ongoing recovery work, and we're observing some sections of affected infrastructure which aren't accepting the re-applied authentication components as readily as expected," Microsoft wrote on official status page. "Users can expect to see continued recovery to email delivery, while users may see residual impact to downstream and dependent scenarios, including search, across affected services. We're working to identify whether any additional actions are required to expedite full recovery."

At 11:52 p.m. ET, Microsoft reported that mailbox connectivity should now be back to normal, though it was still working on search functionality. The company also noted that it may take a while for backlogged mail queues to clear "due to the volume of previously queued messages."

UPDATE: Sep. 1, 2026, 12:29 p.m. AEST This article has been edited to add updates from Microsoft.

UPDATE: Sep. 1, 2026, 2:02 p.m. AEST This article has been edited to add updates from Microsoft.

Some network upgrades aren't worth your money. In fact, many are. But do you know what one of those unnecessary upgrades is? A new router you absolutely didn't need to buy yet.

The Mashable Big Guessing Game is back again for our third (and final) round, and this is your last call to enter for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. In the first round, we tried to guess the new name of macOS 27 (only one person correctly predicted "Golden Gate"), and in the second round, we tried to predict whether a foldable iPhone or touchscreen Mac is coming this year (we still don't know).

Credit: Mashable

So, if you think you know what Apple has in store for the Sept. 9 "Surprise and Shine" keynote event, this is your last chance to enter. Every correct answer earns you another chance to win the new Apple Watch. To enter, just click "Get Started."

What is the Mashable Big Guessing Game: Apple Edition?

In advance of WWDC and the fall iPhone event, we've asked Mashable readers to guess what Apple has in store. Every correct guess earns you another chance to win an Apple Watch, and it only takes a minute to play. The final round of the Big Guessing Game ends soon, so don't miss out!

In our last round of the contest, we're focusing on the expected Apple event in September, where we expect to see a full new lineup of iPhone models, including the highly anticipated foldable iPhone, plus new AirPods and Apple Watches. Will new CEO John Ternus appear on the roof of Apple Park? How much will the latest and greatest version of the iPhone Pro Max cost? If there is a foldable iPhone, what will Apple name it?

Make your predictions for the September "Surprise and Shine" event on Sept. 9 by guessing the answers to five questions, then sit back and watch the event to see how many you get right. Each correct guess earns you an additional chance of winning the grand prize, the latest edition of the new Apple Watch.

This final round of contest questions will run until 11:59 p.m. PT on Sept. 1.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the "CNET Group Big Guessing Game" Giveaway. Open to legal U.S. residents in the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18+ yrs of age. Other restrictions apply. Begins May 19, 2026 at 12:01 pm ET and ends Sept. 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules: https://www.mashable.com/article/mashable-big-guessing-game-apple-edition-official-contest-rules/. Sponsor: Ziff Davis, LLC.

Apple is not a sponsor of, affiliated with, or endorser of this sweepstakes. Apple Watch is a trademark of Apple Inc.

Normally, I never let AI do anything in my homelab without strict safeguards—I've seen far too many horror stories on the internet to fully trust that an AI won't break something. However, I decided to run a small experiment to see just how much Claude could do if I gave it free access to a Pi with two storage drives attached and sudo access.

For millennials of a certain disposition, Mewtwo is indisputably the coolest Pokémon in the world. If you count yourself among that crowd and you've still got Pokémon Go on your phone, we have good news.

Pokémon Go developer Scopely posted a quick notice on the game's website alerting players that Armored Mewtwo, a special variant of the Psychic-type Pokémon that comes from the 2019 film Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back – Evolution. That movie is actually a remake of the 1998 stone-cold classic Pokémon: The First Movie, in which Mewtwo was a central part of the plot. The original movie was kind of load bearing for anyone around my age, and we recently saw Mewtwo make an appearance in the Lego Smart Play Pokémon sets and new SanDisk drives.

• Last chance: Guess what Apple will release in September in our Big Guessing Game: Apple edition. Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch!

SEE ALSO: The Fitbit Air just got a Pokémon band to go with the Pokémon Sleep app. Here's how to preorder.

But we're not here to talk about movies, Legos, or hard drives.

If you want to catch Mewtwo in his sick armor in your Pokémon Go collection, it will appear in five-star raids from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time on Sept. 5 and 6, coinciding with the end of Pokémon Go Fest. This will be the first time Armored Mewtwo has been available since shortly before COVID hit the United States, so if you want one, consider that it might be a while before you get another chance.

It's also worth mentioning that the shiny variant of Armored Mewtwo will not be available as part of this deal. Still, a non-shiny Armored Mewtwo is better than no Armored Mewtwo.