Technology

Linux users love to talk about how much faster their systems are compared to Windows, and you might wonder what kind of performance boosts they're actually talking about. I decided to do a few of my own tests to get some answers.

I was a late adopter, but I've come to acknowledge the benefits of a smartphone that doubles as a digital wallet. Most Android phones come with Google Wallet, and while it's by far the best option for most people, it isn't the only one.

Documentaries are back in a big way, with there being some incredibly impactful releases over the last couple of years. While the ones on Netflix are often thrust into the limelight, there is another platform that has some pretty interesting and engaging picks. Paramount+ delivers a wide array of films covering everything from the dark world of true crime to stories of survival and overcoming adversity.

Your laptop battery shouldn't feel like it's racing against a countdown timer. Yet sometimes, even with a relatively light workload, you watch the percentage drop faster than expected. Closing a few apps, lowering screen brightness, and enabling Battery Saver might help, but they don't necessarily address the root cause.

Updated on Friday, Nov 13 at 07:35am ET: Microsoft's latest update confirms they've made "additional progress toward recovery" and that traffic is "being gradually restored" — although "some users may still experience intermittent issues."

Yep, the Microsoft Outage is still ongoing — but there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

The global issues that have impacted Outlook, Teams, Copilot, Microsoft 365, and other major services began on Thursday and brought many people's workdays to a swift halt.

SEE ALSO: When will the global Microsoft Outlook outage be fixed? What we know.

Microsoft's latest post on X indicates that the company is seeing signs of "early stabilization" and is taking steps to preserve people's email.

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

At the time of writing, though, major services including Outlook remain unavailable. Microsoft is still investigating the cause of the outage, but Microsoft has previously said it is "not aware of any malicious activity that is causing this incident."

How the Microsoft outage began

The outage began in the early afternoon on Thursday, impacting Microsoft 365 Enterprise products and causing a massive spike in reported user issues for services like Outlook, per Downdetector.

Microsoft shared updates on X and on its status page, providing hourly reports suggesting they were working towards a resolution. Clearly, though, the fix has been more complicated than they'd hoped. As the issues continued into the night, the company confirmed on X that changes it had made to try and "improve serviceability" were not "taking as expected".

The internet reacted by touching grass, and – given that the outage is ongoing as of Friday morning – the UK is currently doing the same.

This is a developing story...

Look, I'm out here stressing about my Spotify Wrapped, and there's another damning trail of user-behavior evidence lurking on my phone: my distinct lack of mathematical ability.

In case you hadn't stared directly at the corner of the Calculator app, you might be surprised to learn there's a History feature. Introduced with iOS 18 in 2024, the feature might have gone under the radar for most.

Perhaps the tool would be useful for those needing to refer to their previous sums for budget reasons or their calculations for deeper research. But as content creators Jess Walton and Sammy Day have proved, the feature is deeply effective for absolutely roasting the people you love.

SEE ALSO: Why Jordan Klepper thinks we're living in "dumb McCarthyism"

I checked my Calculator History and found I'd asked technology to do very basic sums for me, and, reader, I'm a busy person. I left math behind in high school, and I'm deeply unmotivated to learn it again on Duolingo. But I can appreciate your complete permission to roast me for asking an app what 20 divided by 5 is. I was in a hurry.

How to find one's Calculator History (for roasting purposes or general interest) Total Time

• 1 min

What You Need

• iPhone
• Calculator app

Step 1: Open Calculator on iPhone.

Step 2: Tap the clock icon in the top left.

Step 3: Behold your brilliance.

Don't bully, just lightly roast. A gentle searing, even.

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.

"Did I make a mistake in choosing my UniFi network over building my own?" That's a thought that has gone through my mind many times before. So, I decided to put it to the test by deploying my own DIY router in my homelab. The goal was to see how capable OPNsense was and if it could reasonably replace my UniFi setup. It honestly had way more features than I expected it to—more features than my UniFi system has, actually.

Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 4:59 a.m. ET / Thursday, Nov. 13 at 1:59 a.m. PT — Microsoft says it's "seeing early stabilization and capacity improvements as recovery actions continue." The company also said it has extended email timeout to 48 hours to help preserve delayed mail during this event.

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.

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

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...

Want more science and tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Light Speed newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

We know that Phoebe Bridgers can sing, but it appears she may also have a future in roast battles.

In the SNL promo above the Lost Weekend artist and Primetime star appears alongside this week's host John Mulaney and cast member Ben Marshall, who is convinced that Mulaney's about to start roasting him at any second.

"No seriously, I mostly do observational stuff about municipal arcana," Mulaney explains, before Marshall inexplicably storms off.

"What was his problem?" Mulaney asks Bridgers. The response? "He's just mad he looks like Temu Ron Weasley." Ouch.

IPv6 has been around for decades, and most of us have probably heard the same explanation about why we need it. We are running out of IPv4 addresses; IPv6 has an almost unimaginable number of addresses, and eventually, everything will move over to it. That is usually where the conversation ends, which is a shame because IPv6 has some pretty interesting features up its sleeve.

SAVE $92: As of Nov. 13, the Dyson Supersonic Travel is on sale for $299.99 at Amazon. That's a 23% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Supersonic Travel $299.99 at Amazon
$391.99 Save $92   Get Deal at Amazon

Sometimes packing for a weekend trip can be as challenging as a full-on vacation. You need to pack the same toiletries, beauty products, and styling tools, but with much less luggage space. That's where the Dyson Supersonic Travel comes in handy.

It's designed to deliver the same powerful drying performance as its full-sized counterpart, but 32% smaller and 25% lighter than the regular Dyson Supersonic Nural.

But don't be fooled by its compact size. The Supersonic Travel doesn't skimp on features. It still uses Dyson's intelligent heat control technology to help protect hair from extreme heat damage, as well as its Air Multiplier technology, which delivers powerful airflow for faster drying. There are three heat settings and two speed settings to choose from, plus a travel concentrator attachment for more precise styling. It also automatically adapts to different voltages, so you won't have to worry about using it abroad, which is often a concern with Dyson styling tools.

And as an added bonus, this kit comes bundled with Dyson's Omega leave-in conditioning spray. This product helps to detangle, smooth frizz, and protect hair against heat and humidity — the typical vacation hair concerns.

You can find this Dyson deal available on Amazon right now.

SAVE $30: As of Nov. 13, the Apple AirTag four-pack is on sale for $69 at Amazon. That's a 29% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag 4-Pack $69 at Amazon
$99 Save $30   Get Deal at Amazon

Black Friday might still be a couple of weeks away, but Amazon is already rolling out tempting early deals ahead of its sale on Nov. 19. Case in point: Apple's AirTags have dropped to just $69 for a four-pack, matching their lowest-ever price. That's less than $18 per tracker.

AirTags are Apple's handy little Bluetooth trackers, designed to help you find your belongings using the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad. Pop one in your bag, attach it to your keys, or slip it into your luggage when flying, and you'll be able to check its location whenever you need to. And if every traveler's worst nightmare does happen and your bags go missing, there's the option to share their location with participating airlines to try and help locate them.

It also has a small built-in speaker that helps you hear where your lost item is. And for items that have been misplaced further afield, Apple's Find My network can help pinpoint their whereabouts, and Lost Mode alerts you when your missing AirTag is detected.

This AirTag deal is available at Amazon right now.

SAVE OVER $9: As of Nov. 13, the Apple HomeView is available for $289.99 on Amazon. That saves you $9.01 on the $299 list price,

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple HomeView $289.99 at Amazon
$299 Save $9.01   Get Deal at Amazon

Today's the day: the Apple HomeView is now available for folks to buy and bring home. If you didn't jump on a preorder for this smart display and are hoping to pick it up today, it's worth heading over to Amazon. As of Nov. 13, the retailer has the space gray model available to purchase for $289.99.

That's just over $9 cheaper than the full price of $299, which is a nice discount to take advantage of on launch day. However, it does only apply to the space gray color (at least as of the time of this writing).

SEE ALSO: We found 45 early Black Friday deals already live: Get $250 off MacBooks, 53% off Bose headphones

The HomeView features a sleek 7-inch Liquid Retina display for viewing and comes with Siri AI built in. It also has speakers that can support Spatial Audio and can recognize up to six users. Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth is a big fan, writing in his hands-on that "this gorgeous little smart display is about to become a common sight in homes around the world."

It also serves as a central hub for controlling the smart home accessories you have, which is good news if you're planning to grab anything from Apple's Home Collection. Werth writes that, "If you plan on investing in Apple's other new smart home gadgets — the new Apple TV 4K, HomePod Mini 2, new home security cameras, and video doorbells — I'd even say the HomeView is a necessity."

If the Apple HomeView is on your shopping wishlist, don't miss out on this chance to save at Amazon.

Waze has been my navigation app of choice for several years. I've tried Google Maps, but Waze has always proved to be a little better. That doesn't mean I've not been tempted to stray; Waze has several incredibly annoying features that make me look over my shoulder at Google Maps like the guy from the distracted boyfriend meme.

Following the major release of Home Assistant 2026.11 last week, Nabu Casa is now expanding its hardware lineup with a new launch. Called the Home Assistant Connect AUX-2, it is a compact hub that can stream audio to existing speakers, control TVs and other equipment over serial connections, and act as a Bluetooth hub. Rather than replacing equipment that lacks modern connectivity, AUX-2 brings compatible older, non-smart gear into Home Assistant and gives it new capabilities.

Shortly after bans on certain pornographic content took effect in the UK, some lawmakers are calling for further restrictions.

On Nov. 6, possessing and publishing explicit content depicting strangulation/suffocation, incest (including fake incest), and people under 16, or pretending to be, became criminal offenses.

Days later, on Nov. 10, a cross-party group called the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Commercial Sexual Exploitation published a report called "Only Exploitation," which calls for a step further: criminalizing online platforms profiting from commercial live streaming of pornography and other sex work. (A government spokesperson told The Mirror that it's reviewing the law on prostitution.)

SEE ALSO: Adult film banned in the UK is back online

The report claims that "visitors to webcamming platforms are no longer just pornography viewers; they become, in effect, pornography directors." It also contends that camming/livestreaming harms women and girls through sexual coercion and exploitation, security and privacy risks, perpetuates violent attitudes, and normalizes sexual exploitation. The report includes quotes from interviews with APPG and research such as one paper on webcam sex platform competition and another on Romanian women's experiences camming.

"The webcamming trade acts as a magnet for exploiters," Tonia Antoniazzi MP and Tracy Gilbert MP stated in the report's foreword.

The report claims that "visitors to webcamming platforms are no longer just pornography viewers; they become, in effect, pornography directors."

However, Dr Carolina Are, digital criminologist at the London School of Economics and Political Science, told Mashable that the report doesn't consider that people can do sex work voluntarily. "It effectively likens sex work to exploitation, which is a known trope in anti-sex work campaigning," she said.

The experiences narrated by participants are horrific and show how these platforms can be used for exploitation, Are continued, adding however that the report as a whole seems to blame the job for exploitation, when exploitation is done by perpetrators. It's enabled by stigmatisation against sex workers that doesn't encourage reporting, and by a tech infrastructure and governance that's for profit, and not for people.

SEE ALSO: The UK is investigating Pornhub. Here's what Pornhub says about it.

The report also calls on the UK to outlaw "e-pimping," or individuals who facilitate and profit from another person performing on livestream, and that the country recognize e-pimping as human trafficking. It refers to "OnlyFans managers" as "e-pimps" and cites the BBC's recent investigation into how such managers and "agents" take advantage of models by controlling their earnings, as well as other journalistic reports.

Are said the investigations are reputable, but are used sensationally. Meanwhile, she pointed out that research shows that many people choose to do digital sex work for reasons ranging from personal preference to the fact that much of sex work, including camming, can be done from home (which suits immunocompromised people, people with disabilities, caretakers, or those otherwise not suited for a 9-5).

Digital sex work has also been found to reduce violence against sex workers — "an opportunity this report seems to ignore," Are stated.

"This isn't just about criminalising the imaginations and exploration of consenting adults but also sweeping the rug from under so many sex workers whose livelihoods and safety depend on these sites." - Vex Ashley

Porn filmmaker and performer Vex Ashley told Mashable, "We're seeing an unprecedented rollback of our sexual freedoms and lives online. This isn't just about criminalising the imaginations and exploration of consenting adults but also sweeping the rug from under so many sex workers whose livelihoods and safety depend on these sites."

Additionally, the group's report recommends enabling the withdrawal of consent with the distribution of pre-recorded porn, as well as allowing law enforcement to access all content hosted and streamed by porn sites.

"The withdrawal of consent part of the recommendations is important, and so is the recognition of exploitation for those who extort and abuse cammers," Are said. "But giving platforms and the police more surveillance power against an over-policed, over-censored and over-surveilled user base is concerning."

Removing a source of income from marginalized people doesn't protect them, she said, also pointing out that the report doesn't touch on poverty, which is one of the main drivers of sex work. "So this report is removing a source of income for the same women that it claims to protect," she said, "potentially pushing them into more underground work where they may be more exposed to physical violence."

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.

Microsoft's major global outage really kicked off just as nine-to-five workers in the UK were logging off on Thursday. Unfortunately, the issue was not solved overnight.

Users worldwide, including in the UK, started reporting issues with Microsoft 365 enterprise software products including Outlook, Teams, and Copilot around 5:30 p.m. GMT on Nov. 12, according to Downdetector. At the time of writing, major Microsoft services are still unavailable as the company investigates the cause. However, the company says it's "seeing early stabilisation" in its service.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft outage: Outlook still down Friday morning

Waking up to news of the continued outage on Friday, UK users hit social media to react to the news and touch grass like the rest of of the world or for serious information-sharing purposes.

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

Schools and universities, NHS emergency services, pharmacies, GPs, and care services, transport, charities, businesses, museums, and government offices around the country have been affected by the outage. Surgical procedures have had to be rescheduled, per Bloomberg. The Metropolitan Police website currently says that "some online form submissions may be affected" due to the Microsoft outage.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The current Met website. Credit: Mashable screenshot: Metropolitan Police

The Royal Mail, however, took a moment to be smug.

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

Microsoft is regularly updating its official status page and social media channels, and Mashable is covering the story as it happens.

This story is developing...

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.

TL;DR: Watch Argentina vs. Uruguay in an International Friendly for free on Telefe. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Messi era is over for Argentina. What a wild ride it has been, but the world keeps turning.

It's now time for the next generation of Argentinian players to rise to the top, and that starts with a tricky contest against Uruguay. Yes, this is officially an International Friendly, but there's nothing particularly friendly between these sides. It's going to be a real battle, as always.

If you're interested in watching Argentina vs. Uruguay in an International Friendly from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Argentina vs. Uruguay?

Argentina vs. Uruguay in an International Friendly kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on Nov. 13. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Alberto José Armando.

How to watch Argentina vs. Uruguay for free

Argentina vs. Uruguay in an International Friendly is available to live stream for free on Telefe.

Telefe is geo-restricted to Argentina, 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 Argentina, meaning you can live stream Argentina vs. Uruguay for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Argentina vs. Uruguay 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 Argentina

4. Visit Telefe

5. Watch Argentina vs. Uruguay 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 Argentina vs. Uruguay without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Telefe?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Argentina

• 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 Argentina vs. Uruguay for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

All the big power tool brands make a ton of excellent tools, and you probably own a bunch. However, with hundreds of new tools and accessories coming and going, some of those fun, unique, or oddball items are easy to miss. More importantly, they're tools you'd probably love. DeWalt actually makes a ton of weird tools worth considering.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is available for $59.99 at Amazon. That's way under TCGplayer's $109 market price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box $59.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

After weeks of growing excitement and preorder wars, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is out in the wild. And Amazon is celebrating by bringing back its stunning $59.99 deal.

As of Nov. 13, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is on sale for just $59.99 on Amazon. Everything is handled directly by Amazon, but Amazon is still routing orders through its "request invite" system. We can see these are selling fast, so it's clearly a system that's working for many shoppers. Don't be discouraged by the invitation process.

Amazon’s deal is way under TCGplayer’s $109 market price. We rarely see deals this far below market price, so we understand the hype.

The 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box contains nine 30th Celebration booster packs, an exclusive full-art foil Nidorina promo card, 16 foil Basic Energy cards, 65 custom card sleeves, damage-counter dice, a condition marker, card dividers, a collector’s player guide, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

Shop the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration ETB for $59.99 at Amazon, while supplies last.