Mashable

Would you trust an AI agent to make purchases online on your behalf? AI companies are hoping you will.

However, many e-commerce and financial service companies are skeptical of the technology and have blocked AI agents from using their platforms.

On Friday, OpenAI launched a new product called ChatGPT Wallet that appears to be an attempt to address that skepticism.

According to OpenAI, ChatGPT Wallet will let AI agents make purchases for users without sharing their credit card information each time. In addition, "security checks" are required for every purchase an AI agent makes. This entails a human user manually reviewing and approving every purchase.

SEE ALSO: Visa is connecting with ChatGPT to let AI agents automatically make purchases

"Users add a card once, then approve each purchase without re-entering their payment details," according to ChatGPT. "Before each purchase, the user reviews the items, total, and selected card, then approves it with a security check such as Face ID or a fingerprint scan."

Instead of revealing credit card information to vendors, ChatGPT said it will purchase items using a payment token that serves as a substitute for the actual card's details.

Additionally, ChatGPT Wallet users can still take advantage of card rewards programs and purchase dispute protections while utilizing ChatGPT Wallet.

Most notably, OpenAI says that ChatGPT partnered with the big three credit card companies — American Express, Mastercard, and Visa.

Rolling out AI shoppers has been a bumpy process

E-commerce giant Amazon notably blocked AI agents, such as Meta's Muse, from accessing its platform in September due to security concerns. Banks like JPMorgan Chase followed suit and also blocked Muse and other AI agents. And, just this week, United Airlines blocked AI agents from booking flights due to similar security concerns.

In addition to launching ChatGPT Wallet with major credit card company partnerships, OpenAI is releasing "tools and guidance" for businesses to encourage support for shopping AI agents.

OpenAI seems to want to build trust among retailers and financial institutions first, as the company says it plans to allow users to delegate purchases entirely to their AI agents while adhering to a set list of rules and parameters.

ChatGPT Wallet rolls out today in dots, OpenAI's AI agent platform, for users with a ChatGPT Pro subscription in the U.S.

However, as OpenAI notes, ChatGPT Wallet is very much in a trial stage as it analyzes how businesses respond to AI agents making purchases. In addition, ChatGPT Wallet will not work with websites that block AI agents.

SAVE $38.50: The Osprey Daylite Expandable Travel Pack 26+6 is on sale for just $71.50 on Amazon as of Nov. 13. That's a 35% discount on its $110 MSRP and its lowest price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Osprey Osprey Daylite Expandable Travel Pack 26+6 $71.50 at Amazon
$110 Save $38.50   Get Deal at Amazon

Heads up, holiday travelers: Amazon just dropped an early Black Friday deal on a top-rated travel backpack. And according to our research, it's never been cheaper before.

Normally $110, Osprey's Daylite Expandable Travel Pack 26+6 is now on sale for just $71.50 — a 35% savings. Amazon has it labeled as an official "Early Black Friday Deal," so it's highly unlikely to see any further discounts as we head deeper into the holiday season. (Amazon's Black Friday Week sale technically starts on Nov. 19.)

The backback has a 26-liter capacity. Credit: Osprey But it can be expanded an additional six liters (or two inches). Credit: Osprey

The Daylite Expandable Travel Pack 26+6 has a huge main pocket with a wrap-around zipper that lets it open wide like a piece of luggage. It has a 26-liter capacity by default, but it can expand by two inches for six extra liters of packing room (hence the numbers at the end of its name). There are two zippered pockets on the front of it and two water bottle sleeves on its sides.

Of note, Amazon customers who have purchased the Daylite Expandable Travel Pack 26+6 have rated it highly for its compact yet roomy design and lightweight but durable construction.

Amazon's offer only applies to its exclusive "tunnel vision grey" colorway, by the way. A couple other variants of the Daylite Expandable Travel Pack were also on sale at the time of writing, but none were nearly as cheap.

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.

Uber is notifying thousands of drivers that their personal information and driver's licenses were stolen in a recent data breach.

The rideshare giant confirmed the breach in filings submitted to nationwide attorneys general this month. One of the company's third-party service providers, confirmed by TechCrunch to be Fireworks AI, notified Uber of the hack, which compromised several of its clients' databases.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft outage: Does Microsoft owe you money? What to know.

The hackers accessed billing data and some private AI datasets from a small percentage of Fireworks AI's thousands of clients, according to initial breach notices involving the productivity software Notion. Fireworks AI explained that unnamed cybercriminals, allegedly motivated by a desire to steal and then sell LLM tokens, breached its cloud provider to access its development system. They then used internal credentials to access client data.

Notion confirmed the actors obtained anonymized chat transcripts of Notion AI customers.

Uber requires all drivers to upload proof of a valid driver's license, insurance, and residency, as well as bank statements and payment information. In June, Uber announced additional background checks and expanded policies for reviewing and banning drivers based on public records.

Uber has not confirmed the total number of drivers directly impacted by the breach, but has said it will notify all affected workers. Uber currently operates a fleet of more than 10 million drivers and couriers, according to third-party estimates. As of now, the company has alerted almost 8,000 compromised driver accounts spanning three states: Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Rhode Island.

Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 2:11 p.m. ET — Microsoft has reported "broad recovery and stability" across its services and published an apology on X. We've updated this story to reflect the latest updates from the company.

Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 1:08 a.m. ET — 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 — Unfortunately, Microsoft's efforts to bring servers back online aren't going as planned. "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 — Microsoft has revised its list of features and services impacted by this outage to include Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint Online, Teams, Copilot AI, and Microsoft 365, though Azure appears to be operational.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:53 p.m. ET — 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 and limiting the types of traffic going to these servers in some locations.

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

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 5:26 p.m. ET — Microsoft services remained down on Thursday evening, as Microsoft acknowledged ongoing problems in an update posted to X.

If Outlook wouldn't load for you on Thursday (or on Friday morning), Microsoft now has a theory about what went wrong.

In its initial update about the outage, Microsoft stated that Microsoft Exchange Online was at the root of the problem. Many users were unable to access Microsoft 365 services related to Exchange Online, including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint Online, Copilot, Defender XDR, and more. Exchange Online is the back-end, cloud-based tool that provides data updates for front-end, user-facing tools like Microsoft Outlook.

In updates posted to X and on its Service Health Status Page, Microsoft stated that some of its servers became "unexpectedly unavailable" on Thursday. With parts of its infrastructure under a heavier-than-usual load across multiple regions, the company said the extra strain was likely contributing to connection problems.

The company also stated in an X post that the failures may have been caused by a "specific component that's responsible for processing server health," and that servers were going offline after failing automated health checks.

When Microsoft found that the initial fixes weren't having the desired effects, the company also tried rolling back recent changes to its servers, while continuing to balance traffic across its network. The company is also investigating why the health checks failed in the first place.

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

At first, Microsoft stated that it hadn't found a recent change that coincided with the start of the outage.

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However, in a Friday morning statement posted to X, the company attributed the outage to a recent network update. "The incident was introduced by an issue during an earlier network capacity upgrade that surfaced following a recent network change. We have addressed the underlying issue and continue to restore service to remaining customers and regions."

While Microsoft has now provided a partial explanation of what caused the global Microsoft outage, the picture remains incomplete.

Microsoft pledged to provide a "full post-incident report" detailing what went wrong. The company also issued a formal apology to its customers.

"We are deeply sorry for the disruption this incident has caused our customers and partners," the company wrote on X. "We know the trust they place in our services and take that responsibility extremely seriously. We are seeing broad recovery and stability across our services."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Microsoft rules out a cyberattack or rogue AI agents as cause of Outlook outage

As the widespread Microsoft outage continued into a second day, Microsoft issued several updates addressing rumors that a cyberattack or AI agents were responsible for the outage.

In an update posted on its Service Health Status page, the company wrote, "This was a technical issue not related to cyber or AI / agents."

In an earlier statement, the company wrote that it was "not aware of any malicious activity that is causing this incident."

A brief timeline of the Microsoft outage

On Thursday, a Microsoft outage affected Outlook, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 services, starting around 12:30 p.m. ET.

By 1 p.m. ET, nearly 130,000 user error reports were submitted to Downdetector, and users reported trouble loading their inboxes and sending or receiving emails. Copilot users also reported problems.

Microsoft initially flagged trouble accessing Exchange Online mailboxes in the Americas. Exchange Online is the service that stores and delivers email for many Outlook users.

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The company later warned that the issue "may affect Microsoft 365 service connectivity for users in any region."

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The outage dragged out into the evening, and eventually Friday morning, before Microsoft's mitigations began to take effect. By 7:09 a.m. ET, the company announced on X that it was finally seeing gradual recovery.

"We’re seeing encouraging recovery progress, with service availability and email delivery performance improving across a growing portion of affected Microsoft 365 infrastructure. Some users may still experience intermittent issues as recovery actions continue."

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

In response to Mashable's questions about the outage, Charles Lamanna, EVP, Copilot, Agents and Platform at Microsoft, provided the following statement:

 "We’re seeing encouraging recovery progress, with service availability and email delivery performance improving across a growing portion of affected infrastructure. We know our customers rely on our services to get important work done every day, and regret the impact these outages had on those who depend on us. Our teams are reviewing what happened and how we can prevent similar issues going forward."

This is a developing story...

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Microsoft's massive, productivity-destroying software outage appears to be receding as of Friday morning, but that's only the start of the process for businesses looking to get some of their Office 365 money back.

Several important enterprise software products, such as Outlook and Teams, were functionally offline for many users on Thursday and into Friday. Since Office 365 is a service businesses have to pay for, it raises the question: Can those businesses receive some form of compensation from Microsoft for the time lost?

The answer to that question is nuanced. Let's get into it.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft: We 'regret the impact' of global outage, can rule out cyberattack Does Microsoft owe me money?

According to helpful resources like these explainers from Quartz and Office Watch, the short answer is no; Microsoft does not owe anyone money as a result of this outage. But that doesn't mean the company doesn't owe any compensation, as it offers credits (essentially a reduction on the next bill) in the event of an outage.

One important thing to note: You have to request a credit. Microsoft doesn't offer them automatically.

Purchasing Microsoft's software suite involves a service-level agreement (SLA). This SLA includes provisions related to outages and compensation. In this case, Microsoft's SLA promises 99.9 percent uptime each month for each piece of software in the suite, such as OneDrive and Outlook. If any of those services fall below the 99.9 percent threshold, it's possible to claim a credit.

"Possible" is the key word here, though, as both Quartz and Office Watch make it very clear that Microsoft is extremely strict about how it calculates downtime in these instances. The actual math is too complicated to fully get into here, but Microsoft counts downtime in terms of "user minutes," or the amount of time the services were down multiplied by the number of users demonstrably affected.

Credits are also prorated depending on how much uptime was lost, so a small amount of downtime might only be worth a 25 or 50 percent credit. Where this gets even more complicated is that Microsoft calculates credits according to each individual service, not the entire software bundle. If you only lost service time in Outlook, but other parts of the Office 365 suite worked, you'd only get a small credit for Outlook.

All of this is to say that, depending on the size of the affected business and the amount of downtime it experienced, one of these credits could be worth only a few measly dollars.

Who can make a claim?

To be very clear, individual workers who lost service time due to the big outage cannot file a claim or receive compensation. Businesses who license this software from Microsoft can do it, but even that is more complicated than you'd think.

Businesses only have until the end of December to file these claims, for starters. If a business purchased Microsoft software directly from Microsoft, it can go to the Office admin center to file a claim. They will need to provide a lot of information, such as incident IDs and specific descriptions of how long service was unavailable to users. From there, Microsoft will perform its own calculations to determine whether the business receives a credit.

Many businesses do not purchase these Microsoft products directly from the company, instead obtaining them through Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) partners or other indirect resellers. In that case, the business will have to bug the provider to submit a claim on their behalf. Depending on the provider, that may or may not happen in a timely or productive manner.

Given the number of hoops that businesses have to jump through to get one of these credits, one could argue it's not worth the hassle, depending on the size of a business and how much time it lost.

Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 12:35 p.m. ET — Microsoft has now issued a public apology; our original story has been updated with the latest statement from the company.

On Friday morning, as Microsoft worked to bring an end to a global Outlook and Microsoft 365 outage, the company issued a public apology to its customers.

In a statement posted to its X account, the company wrote, "We are deeply sorry for the disruption this incident has caused our customers and partners. We know the trust they place in our services and take that responsibility extremely seriously."

The company also ruled out a cyberattack or problems related to AI agents, and pledged to "provide a full post-incident report once our review is complete."

The Microsoft outage started on Thursday, Nov. 13 and continued into Friday morning, disrupting work for people around the globe. As Microsoft 365 services such as Outlook, Teams, and Copilot started to come back online Friday, the company initially issued a statement expressing its "regret" to customers.

"We’re seeing encouraging recovery progress, with service availability and email delivery performance improving across a growing portion of affected infrastructure," said Charles Lamanna, EVP, Copilot, Agents and Platform at Microsoft, in a statement to Mashable. "We know our customers rely on our services to get important work done every day, and regret the impact these outages had on those who depend on us. Our teams are reviewing what happened and how we can prevent similar issues going forward."

SEE ALSO: Microsoft outage: Outlook still down Friday morning

An update posted by the Microsoft 365 Status account on X at 10:39 a.m. ET also addressed the rumors that a cyberattack was the cause of the outage.

"We will continue to share more information as we have it, and for now we can confirm that there is no indication this is the result of malicious or cyber activity," the post reads. "Our teams are reviewing what happened and how we can prevent similar issues going forward."

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

Despite making progress toward recovery, the company's Service Health Status page still listed both Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Consumer Products as suffering from ongoing "service degradation," as of this writing.

The company's full public apology stated:

We are deeply sorry for the disruption this incident has caused our customers and partners. We know the trust they place in our services and take that responsibility extremely seriously. We are seeing broad recovery and stability across our services.

This was a technical issue not related to cyber or AI / agents. The incident was introduced by an issue during an earlier network capacity upgrade that surfaced following a recent network change. We have addressed the underlying issue and continue to restore service to remaining customers and regions.

Given the scale of demand, we restored services gradually, validating stability at each stage. While this took longer, it helped ensure a stable restoration.

We will provide a full post-incident report once our review is complete.

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

This is a developing story...

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Whatever occasion has you looking for dad gifts (Father's Day, Christmas, Hanukkah), we recommend that you stay far away from clichés — unless your dad happens to be an avid sock collector, that is.

The best gifts for dads say, “I see your hobbies and I respect them." Which has been the basis for this list of unique ideas that you may not have seen before. This list is sure to have something your old man will love, from the latest Apple and Sony tech to menswear and ingenious gadgets. And with the holiday season fast approaching, there's no better time to treat him.

Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 10:22 a.m. ET — Outlook service appears to be gradually returning for some users. Some U.S. users took to social media to lament the fact that they're able to do their jobs again.

Microsoft's major global outage seems like it's winding down, as of Friday morning. The issue wasn't solved overnight, and some Microsoft users in the UK woke up with broken inboxes — and got to work making memes. However, by the time Americans woke up and started their Friday, service was returning to normal.

Users worldwide 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 experiencing problems, per Microsoft's official status page, but the company is seeing "sustained improvements in service availability."

SEE ALSO: Microsoft outage: Outlook still down Friday morning

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), that meant many American users had to get back to work on Friday morning. Social media was full of appropriate memes, as a result.

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

People in the UK were not as lucky, as services were still broadly offline when they woke up. UK users hit social media to react to the news and touch grass like the rest 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.

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

On Friday, in response to Mashable's questions about the outage, Microsoft provided a statement expressing regret for the disruption.

"We’re seeing encouraging recovery progress, with service availability and email delivery performance improving across a growing portion of affected infrastructure," said Charles Lamanna, EVP, Copilot, Agents and Platform at Microsoft. "We know our customers rely on our services to get important work done every day, and regret the impact these outages had on those who depend on us. Our teams are reviewing what happened and how we can prevent similar issues going forward."

This story is developing...

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The best early Black Friday Lego deals: Best Lego Advent Calendar deal Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar $30 (save $14.99) Get Deal Best Lego Icons deal Lego Icons Poinsettia $28 (save $21.99) Get Deal Best Lego Pokémon deal Lego Pokémon Eevee $47.99 (save $12) Get Deal Best Lego Botanicals deal Lego Botanicals Succulents $32.99 (save $17) Get Deal Best Lego stocking stuffer deal Lego Snowman Ornaments $10.28 (save $2.71) Get Deal Best Lego Star Wars deal Lego Star Wars Anzellan Starship $45.49 (save $29.50) Get Deal Best Lego holiday deal Lego Christmas Table Decoration $22.99 (save $17) Get Deal

Listen up, builders. We still have a couple of weeks to go before Black Friday, but Legos are already on sale. From Pokémon builds to stunning floral arrangements, there's something for everyone in the world of Lego.

SEE ALSO: Early Black Friday home improvement deals save big on power tools, smart lights, home security, and more.

If you've shopped for Legos in the past, you understand sales can vanish quickly, as does availability. Before prices and stock change, check out our favorite deals below.

Best Lego Advent calendar deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar $30.99 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $14.00   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

It's time to grab Advent Calendars for 2026. If you have a Lego princess in your life, snag the If you have a Lego princess in your life, snag the Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar while it's on sale for just $30. This year's calendar features beloved princesses like Moana, Cinderella, and Mulan.

Keep in mind almost all of the 2026 Lego Advent calendars are sold out at Amazon. Target has many options in-stock and on sale, but that won't last for long.

More Lego Advent Calendar deals

• Lego Friends Advent Calendar — $24.49 $34.99 (save $10.50)

• Lego City Advent Calendar — $24.49 $34.99 (save $10.50)

• Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar — $31.49 $34.99 (save $13.50)

Best Lego Icons deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Poinsettia $28 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $21.99   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

During Prime Day in October, we all got treated to a great discount on the Lego Icons Project Hail Mary build. Consider yourself lucky if you managed to snag that deal before it went out of stock. While that set is currently sitting at full price, we do have the festive Lego Icons Poinsettia on sale as an early Black Friday treat.

The holiday centerpiece is a great Thanksgiving project for kids and adults that'll look great on display throughout the holiday season. The potted poinsettia measures about eight inches in height and width and about 6.5 inches deep.

More Lego Icons deals

• Lego Icons Tiny Plants — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Lego Icons Bonsai Tree — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Lego Icons Tranquil Garden — $103.99 $109.99 (save $6)

Best Lego Pokémon deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Eevee $47.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $12   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

The Lego Pokémon collab only launched in early 2026, but we already have discounts. The undeniably adorable Lego Pokémon Eevee is the perfect holiday gift for any fan of building with small bricks who also loves Pokémon. That's probably something like 90% of the global population.

The Lego Pokémon Eevee is designed for more advanced builders, and Lego recommends it for those over the age of 18. It's also available for one to three builders to work together via the Lego Build Together feature.

More Lego Pokémon deals

• Lego Pokémon Pikachu and Poké Ball — $159.95 $199.99 (save $40.04)

Best Lego Botanicals deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Succulents $32.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $17   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Featuring nine succulents and buildable pots for each, the Lego Botanicals Succulents is a cheery addition to any space. Keep them all together or spread them around the house; the set has 771 pieces in total. One of Lego's most popular Botanicals builds, the set is on sale at Amazon for the lowest price we've ever seen, and we're still well ahead of Black Friday.

More Lego Botanicals deals

• Lego Botanicals Rocking Plants — $18.39 $22.99 (save $4.60)

• Lego Botanicals Flowering Cactus — $27.95 $34.99 (save $7.04)

• Lego Botanicals Hibiscus Flower — $55.95 $69.99 (save $14.04)

• Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement — $62.04 $109.99 (save $47.95)

Best Lego stocking stuffer deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Snowman Ornaments $10.28 at Amazon
$12.99 Save $2.71   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

For those who aren't looking for a giant build or something small that's perfect for a stocking, the Lego Snowman Ornaments are on sale for $10.28. The duo of snowmen is perfect for Lego beginners and can either hang on the Christmas tree or sit on a fireplace mantel as part of the holiday display. Since the set is small and not too spendy, it's already a great gift exchange item.

More Lego stocking stuffer deals:

• Lego Creator 3-in-1 Turtle with a Water Lily Flower — $7.99 $9.99 (save $2)

• Lego Botanicals Daisies — $9.98 $14.99 (save $5.01)

• Lego Botanicals: Tiny Wildflower Bouquet — $11.95 $19.99 (save $8.04)

Best Lego Star Wars deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Anzellan Starship $45.49 at Amazon
$74.99 Save $29.50   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Down to the best price we've ever seen at Amazon, the Lego Star Wars Anzellan Starship build is the perfect decor for any fan of the franchise. The 701-piece build is meant for kids (or adults) ages nine and up. Three Lego Star Wars mini figures will hop into the Starship and take flight.

More Lego Star Wars deals

• Lego Star Wars AT-RT Attack — $35.99 $44.99 (save $9)

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Mos Eisley Cantina — $53.99 $79.99 (save $26)

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter — $55.99 $69.99 (save $14)

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Millennium Falcon — $79.95 $99.99 (save $20.04)

• Lego Star Wars Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) — $103.99 $129.99 (save $26)

Best Lego holiday deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Christmas Table Decoration $22.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $17.00   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Get the holiday table set up early this year with the Lego Christmas Table Decoration, on sale for only $22.99. It's the perfect activity for kids during the Thanksgiving gathering, and you'll be able to enjoy it for the whole holiday season. The greenery won't die, the candle won't melt down into a puddle on the table, and you can reuse it next year.

More Lego holiday deals

• Lego Up-Scaled Santa Minifigure — $41.99 $59.99 (save $18)

• Lego Star Wars Gingerbread AT-AT Walker — $55.99 $99.99 (save $4)

TL;DR: The Lego Icons Poinsettia building set (10370) is on sale for $28 at Amazon, down from $49.99. That’s $21.99 off, or 44% in savings.

Lego Icons Poinsettia (10370) $28 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $21.99   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart

Anytime I hear the word “Lego,” I immediately think of my nephew. Whenever he’s with me, I take him to the Lego Store (or BrickinBad) to pick out a new set. It’s become our thing. But this is one I’d consider picking up for myself. It counts as holiday decor, so it's a practical purchase, right?

SEE ALSO: No need to wait until Black Friday — the Nintendo Switch 2 is on sale now

Right now, the Lego Icons Poinsettia building set (10370) is $28 at Amazon, down from $49.99. That’s 44% off and a new all-time low for this popular set.

The 608-piece set is designed for adults and features posable green leaves, five clusters of red leaves, and little yellow centers. Put on a holiday movie, spend some time building, and you’ve got a poinsettia for your table or shelf that won’t need watering. Plus, you can bring it back out next Christmas.

Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 11:55 a.m. ET — Microsoft provided a statement to Mashable expressing "regret" for the outage. The company also said it didn't believe a cyberattack caused the outage.

"We’re seeing encouraging recovery progress, with service availability and email delivery performance improving across a growing portion of affected infrastructure. We know our customers rely on our services to get important work done every day, and regret the impact these outages had on those who depend on us. Our teams are reviewing what happened and how we can prevent similar issues going forward." — Charles Lamanna, EVP, Copilot, Agents and Platform at Microsoft

Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 4:59 a.m. ET — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — As of this writing, the global Microsoft outage remains ongoing.

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

Microsoft had a really bad Thursday.

Starting in the early afternoon, Microsoft 365 enterprise software products experienced a major outage, which extended into Friday morning. On the platform DownDetector, more than 100,000 users reported problems with Outlook alone, starting around 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

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, Defender XDR, and other services were experiencing issues. At first, the status page indicated that the outage only affected Microsoft's enterprise software, Microsoft 365; however, as of this writing, the page lists Microsoft Consumer Products as also experiencing "service degradation."

On Friday morning, the company finally provided an official statement about the global outage.

"We’re seeing encouraging recovery progress, with service availability and email delivery performance improving across a growing portion of affected infrastructure," said Charles Lamanna, EVP, Copilot, Agents and Platform at Microsoft. "We know our customers rely on our services to get important work done every day, and regret the impact these outages had on those who depend on us. Our teams are reviewing what happened and how we can prevent similar issues going forward."

And in an update posted to X, the company said it had no reason to believe a cyberattack was the cause of the outage.

"We will continue to share more information as we have it, and for now we can confirm that there is no indication this is the result of malicious or cyber activity. Our teams are reviewing what happened and how we can prevent similar issues going forward."

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.

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

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.

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

"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."

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

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. on Thursday, 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.

As the outage continued into Friday morning, the company finally reported progress toward recovery.

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

This is a developing story...

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TL;DR: The best early Black Friday travel deals include hotel discounts, vacation packages, cruise offers, and luggage markdowns. I’ve rounded up offers you can book now and upcoming sales worth watching, with booking deadlines, travel dates, and the fine print to check before you commit.

The best early Black Friday travel deals: Best flight deal JetBlue Get 50% off flights booked with hotel or cruise packages Get Deal Best hotel deal Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego Stay one night for free Get Deal Best travel accessory deal Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) $23 (save $6) Get Deal Best cruise deal Royal Carribean Get up to $1,000 off, $150 in onboard credits, plus 3rd and 4th person sail free Get Deal

I’m traveling more than ever these days, which is one of my favorite perks of being a journalist. I get to visit places I might not have otherwise, and it’s made me want to plan more trips of my own. The only problem is that traveling is expensive. Like, exorbitantly expensive.

Between flights, hotels, and meals, there’s a lot to account for before you’ve even packed a bag. (Not to mention figuring out who’s going to watch the pups.) I love having a trip to look forward to, but I’d prefer not to spend the weeks leading up to it wondering whether it’ll leave me in financial ruin.

SEE ALSO: Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday: Which day should you shop for the best deals?

With Black Friday coming up, I’m rounding up travel deals for anyone else trying to make a little more room in their budget for a trip. I’ve included when to book, when you can travel, and the restrictions worth reading before you commit.

Best early Black Friday hotel deal Opens in a new window Credit: Rancho Bernardo Inn Rancho Bernardo Inn: Get a complimentary third night on qualifying three-night stays plus a $50 daily resort credit, a waived resort fee, and complimentary self-parking when you book directly using code CYBER26 Learn More Why we like it

Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego is offering a free third night on qualifying three-night stays, plus a $50 daily resort credit, no resort fee, and free self-parking when you book directly using code CYBER26. If you want more space, there’s a separate offer for 50% off suites with the same extras, available with code SUITECYBER26.

The resort has three pools, a spa, a golf course, and on-site dining, so there’s plenty to do if your vacation plans mostly involve not having plans. You can book either offer through Dec. 4, 2026, for eligible stays through March 31, 2027. Blackout dates and restrictions apply, and you’ll need to book directly with the property.

More early hotel and resort deals

• Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, Caribbean — Up to 65% off qualifying all-inclusive stays, plus up to $750 in air credits. Additional booking and spa credits total up to $2,250 at Sandals or $1,650 at Beaches. Book Nov. 3–Dec. 1, 2026, for eligible travel through Dec. 31, 2028. Air credits and other benefits vary by resort, stay length, and travel dates.

• Club Wyndham, select destinations — Buy two nights, get one free at participating vacation resorts, including Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Flagstaff in Arizona, and Grand Desert in Las Vegas. Book by Dec. 1, 2026, for eligible stays through May 27, 2027, using code BF2026. A three-night minimum applies.

• Margaritaville Vacation Club, Atlanta and St. Thomas — Buy two nights, get one free at participating resorts. Book by Dec. 1, 2026, for eligible stays through May 27, 2027, using code BF2026. A three-night minimum applies.

• The Lodge at Bodega Bay, Bodega Bay, California — Up to 15% off the best available rate on rooms and suites with code BFCMWEB. Book Nov. 12–Dec. 1, 2026, for eligible stays through March 31, 2027. Email subscribers can access savings of up to 30%; blackout dates apply.

• Guesthouse Hotel at La Valle, Rancho Santa Fe, California — 30% off eligible stays through 2027. Book Nov. 13–Dec. 3, 2026. The boutique hotel is on the grounds of La Valle Coastal Club, with access to golf, racquet sports, and wellness amenities. Exclusions apply.

• St Julien Hotel & Spa, Boulder, Colorado — 50% off your second night when you book the first at the best available rate. Book by Dec. 1, 2026, for eligible stays through March 2027. This is a discount on the second night, not 50% off the entire stay; exclusions apply.

• Magnolia Hotels, St. Louis, Missouri, and Omaha, Nebraska — 25% off eligible stays of two nights or more through March 2027. The offer applies to Magnolia Hotel St. Louis, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, and Magnolia Hotel Omaha. Blackout dates apply.

• Midwest Family Ski Resorts, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan — Up to 50% off peak holiday rates through the Half Price Holiday Countdown promotion at Lutsen Mountains, Granite Peak Ski Area, and Snowriver Resort. Eligible visits run from opening day, around Thanksgiving weekend, through Christmas.

• The Wildbirch Hotel, Anchorage, Alaska — 25% off eligible stays through April 30, 2027, with an extra 5% off for World of Hyatt members. This JdV by Hyatt hotel is in Anchorage’s Mushing District and offers rooftop Aurora Alerts. Book by Dec. 8; no promo code is required. The rate is prepaid and nonrefundable, so make sure your dates are settled before committing.

• Hotel Crescent Court, Dallas — 25% off the best available rate, plus a $75 hotel credit and waived destination fee. Book by Dec. 31, 2026, for eligible stays through March 31, 2027, using code EXCLUSIVELUXE. The offer includes rooms and suites.

• Westgate Resorts, multiple destinations — Up to 60% off, with extras that vary by property. Book Nov. 2–Dec. 2, 2026, for eligible travel from November 2026 through December 2027. Select Las Vegas offers include no resort fees and a $75 daily dining credit, but check your property and booking dates to see which perks apply.

• Resorts World Catskills, Monticello, New York — Up to 25% off eligible stays through May 20, 2027. Book by Dec. 31, 2026. Taxes, mandatory resort fees, and gratuities are not included, and the offer cannot be combined with other promotions.

• Resorts World NYC, Jamaica, New York — Up to 25% off eligible stays through May 20, 2027, when booked by Dec. 31, 2026. Taxes, mandatory resort fees, and gratuities are extra; the offer cannot be combined with other promotions.

• Resorts World Bimini, Bahamas — Up to 25% off eligible stays through May 20, 2027. Book by Dec. 31, 2026. Taxes, mandatory resort fees, and gratuities are not included, and the promotion cannot be combined with other offers.

Upcoming Black Friday hotel deals

• Sonesta Resorts St. Maarten — Up to 50% off eligible all-inclusive stays of five nights or more. Early access runs Nov. 16–22, followed by the public sale Nov. 23–Dec. 1, 2026, for travel through Dec. 31, 2027. Shorter stays receive smaller discounts.

• Eden Roc Miami Beach, Florida — Up to 40% off eligible stays when you book Nov. 17–Dec. 3, 2026. The largest discount applies to stays May 3–Oct. 31, 2027; stays Nov. 17, 2026–April 19, 2027, and Nov. 1–Dec. 31, 2027, receive up to 30% off. Reservations require full payment at booking and are nonrefundable. Blackout dates apply.

• Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, Florida — Up to 40% off eligible stays when you book Nov. 17–Dec. 3, 2026. Save up to 40% for stays May 3–Oct. 31, 2027, or up to 30% for stays Nov. 17, 2026–April 19, 2027, and Nov. 1–Dec. 31, 2027. Full payment is required at booking, reservations are nonrefundable, and blackout dates apply.

• Halcyon, a hotel in Cherry Creek, Denver, Colorado — Up to 30% off eligible guest rooms. Book Nov. 17–Dec. 3, 2026, for stays through Dec. 30, 2027.

• Kimpton Hotel Monaco Denver, Colorado — Up to 30% off eligible stays through Dec. 31, 2027. Book during the Black Friday sale, Nov. 17–Dec. 3, 2026.

• South Seas, Captiva, Florida — Up to 30% off stays of three nights or more. Book Nov. 17–Dec. 3, 2026, for eligible stays Nov. 29, 2026–Dec. 31, 2027. Blackout dates and exclusions apply.

• Trump Hotels, participating properties worldwide — Up to 35% off eligible suites during the Trump Card member presale, Nov. 18–26, 2026, using code PROCMOT. Join the free Trump Card program by Nov. 23 to receive a presale invitation. The public sale offers 30% off eligible suites Nov. 27–Dec. 1 with code PROCMO, with additional room categories included at select properties. Eligible travel dates extend into 2027 and vary by hotel. Discounts are based on the Best Unrestricted Rate; blackout dates and other restrictions apply.

• The Island Resort, Fort Walton Beach, Florida — 30% off Standard Rooms and 50% off Pool View Rooms, with Standard Rooms advertised from $129 per night. Book Nov. 18–Dec. 4, 2026, using BLKFRI26 or CYBRMON26.

• C Lazy U Ranch, Granby, Colorado — One child stays free per paying adult on qualifying stays at this all-inclusive guest ranch. Book Nov. 20–Dec. 4, 2026, for stays Jan. 21–April 25, 2027. The travel window includes Presidents’ Day weekend and spring break, which makes it worth checking if you’re planning around the school calendar. Valid for new reservations; minimum-stay requirements apply.

• Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, Anguilla — Up to 30% off stays of three nights or more, plus a $200 food and beverage credit. Book Nov. 21–Dec. 2, 2026, for eligible stays Dec. 2–18, 2026; Jan. 1–10, 2027; or April 1–Aug. 15, 2027.

• Kindred Resort, Keystone, Colorado — Save 15% on stays of one to three nights, 30% on four to five nights, or 35% on six nights or more. Book Nov. 23–Dec. 7, 2026, for eligible stays Nov. 23, 2026–April 30, 2027. The resort is steps from the River Run Gondola, and eligible Epic Passholders can combine the offer with their 20% Epic Mountain Rewards discount.

• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, participating properties — 30% off eligible stays Nov. 28, 2026–May 31, 2027. Book Nov. 25–Dec. 1, 2026. A two-night minimum applies outside the Americas, and rates are fully prepaid or subject to a full cancellation charge. Availability varies by hotel.

• The Osthoff Resort & Spa, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin — Rates starting at $129 per night for select stays Nov. 29, 2026–Jan. 20, 2027. Book Nov. 27–Dec. 2, 2026. If you’re planning a holiday trip, the resort’s Old World Christmas Market runs Dec. 4–13, though sale availability during those dates isn’t guaranteed. Rates vary by room and date, and blackout dates apply.

• The Meadows on Rock Creek, Western Montana — 20% off all-inclusive stays of three nights or more during the ranch’s 2027 season. Book Nov. 27–Dec. 15, 2026. The property has 10 private cabins, with ranch dining and guided activities including horseback riding and fly fishing.

• Hotel Terra and Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa, Jackson Hole, Wyoming — 30% off stays of at least three consecutive nights. Book Nov. 27–Dec. 3, 2026, for eligible stays Nov. 28, 2026–June 30, 2027. Three-bedroom suites are excluded, and blackout dates apply.

• Yavapai Lodge, Grand Canyon Village, Arizona — 30% off eligible stays Nov. 27, 2026–Aug. 31, 2027. Book Nov. 27–Dec. 7, 2026. Select periods are blacked out.

Best early Black Friday flight deal Opens in a new window Credit: JetBlue JetBlue: Get up to 50% off flights booked with hotel or cruise packages   Get Deal Why we like it

I’d much rather spend my vacation budget on being somewhere than getting there. If you’re booking flights and a hotel anyway, JetBlue Vacations is offering up to 50% off the flight portion of qualifying packages. The offer also applies to roundtrip flights booked with a cruise, but not flights booked on their own. You’ll need to book and complete your trip by Feb. 10, 2027, and the discount depends on fare availability. Mint fares are excluded.

The fine print: This offer is for new bookings, and your outbound flight, return flight, and hotel stay must all fall within the travel window. Taxes, fees, and any checked-bag charges still apply. If you cancel an eligible flight-and-hotel package, you’ll receive JetBlue Vacations credit good for one year. Eligible flight-and-cruise cancellations are refunded to your original payment method within 7 to 10 business days. Hotel or other supplier penalties may apply, and you’ll need to make any changes or cancel before your scheduled departure.

Best early Black Friday cruise deal Opens in a new window Credit: Royal Carribean Royal Carribean: Get up to $1,000 off, $150 credit to spend onboard, and 3rd and 4th guests sail free   Get Deal Why we like it

I just went on my first cruise (ever!) aboard Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, for its U.S. debut, and now I’m hooked. The shows were amazing, including Shockwave and America’s Got Talent LIVE (which made its first-ever at-sea appearance). There was food everywhere, and the staff was genuinely kind and helpful.

If you’ve been thinking about booking a cruise, DO IT. Royal Caribbean’s Cyber Season sale is offering some crazy-good deals right now. Through Dec. 7, offers include up to $1,000 off select cruise fares, free cruise fares for third and fourth guests sharing a stateroom, onboard credit starting at $150, and up to 50% off extras like beverage packages, internet, and shore excursions.

The sale includes qualifying sailings across the Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe, including newer ships like Legend of the Seas. Eligibility varies by offer and sailing.

Upcoming Black Friday cruise deals

• Cruise Croatia — Up to $500 off per cabin on select spring and summer 2027 cruises between Dubrovnik and Split. Book Nov. 16–Dec. 7, 2026. The offer applies to new bookings on selected departures.

• Uniworld Boutique River Cruises — 50% off the second guest’s fare on select 2027 departures booked at double occupancy. Book Nov. 17–Dec. 18, 2026. Eligible itineraries include Enchanting Danube; Portugal, Spain & the Douro Valley; and Splendors of Egypt & the Nile.

Best early Black Friday luggage deal Samsonite Freeform 21" Hardside Carry-on Spinner Luggage (Black) $129.99 at Amazon
$219.99 Save $90   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

When it comes to suitcases, I'm super loyal. I had one large red suitcase I traveled with for six years before it finally gave out, and then I bought Target’s Open Story Hardside Medium Checked Suitcase, and it's done pretty well so far. We're a couple years in, and I don't really have any complaints.

But if you're looking for a deal, the Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On is $129.99 at Amazon, down from $219.99. That’s $90 in savings, or about 41% off. I haven’t personally tried this one, so I can’t compare it to my Open Story suitcase, but it’s a worthwhile option if you’re specifically shopping for a carry-on. The Freeform has a hard shell, spinner wheels, and a TSA-approved lock.

More luggage and travel accessory deals

• Samsonite Omni PC 24-inch Hardside Checked Suitcase, Black — $93.05 $130.85 (save $37.80)

• Coolife Three-Piece Hardshell Luggage Set, Apricot Black — $123.99 $149.99 (save $26)

• American Tourister Stratum 3.0 28-inch Spinner — $120 $149.99 (save $29.99)

• Delsey Paris Helium Aero 21-inch Carry-On, Titanium — $159.99 $179.99 (save $20)

The best early Black Friday deals: Best Apple Deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,349.99 (save $250) Shop Now Best headphones deal Bose QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones $254.10 (save $104.90) Shop Now Best TV deal TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV $1,397.99 (save $1,602) Shop Now Best Amazon device deal Amazon Kindle Bundle (16GB Kindle, Knit Case, Kindle Click) $190.97 (save $34) Shop Now Best kitchen deal Ninja Crispi Air Fryer $159.99 (save $20) Shop Now Best Lego deal Lego Pokémon Eevee $47.99 (save $12) Shop Now

We're officially two weeks out from Black Friday. So as you're doing all the preparations for Thanksgiving, the Mashable shopping team is hunting all of the best Black Friday sales. Yes, we know that Black Friday 2026 doesn't technically start until Nov. 27, but most retailers have already launched their sales.

As of this writing, we've found huge $200 discounts on MacBook Air laptops, a new all-time low price on Nothing headphones, and 50% savings on award-winning QLED TVs, not to mention new low prices on Legos. We just spotted a great deal on a Lego Icons Poinsettia for some holiday decor that will never wilt.

So, if you don't want to wait for Thanksgiving to get your hands on the best gifts of the year, retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy already have plenty of early deals to entice you. And in a year of relentless price hikes, it's nice to finally get some relief.

How do we choose the best deals? The Mashable shopping team has an encyclopedic knowledge of the latest tech gadgets, gifts, and trending products. We use insider knowledge and our years of experience covering sales to find the best discounts. We're looking for first-ever price drops on new products, steep markdowns on past-gen products, and record-low prices on must-have items from Apple, Ninja, Shark, Dyson, and Lego.

Best early Black Friday Apple deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,349.99 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $249.01   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

The Apple MacBook Air is a stunner of a laptop, with the blazing-fast M5 chip. If you have a MacBook that's a few generations behind, you'll instantly notice a difference with the speakers and cameras, not to mention Siri AI. In the weeks before Black Friday, this popular laptop is $250 off, bringing it down to its lowest price in almost six months. It's also the best price we've seen since Apple raised prices over the summer.

Read Mashable's full review of the Apple MacBook Air (M5).

More early Black Friday Apple deals

AirPods

• Apple AirPods 4 — $89 $129.99 (save $40.99)

• Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation — $119.97 $179 (save $59.03)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $449.99 $549 (save $99.01)

iPads

• Apple iPad (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $399.99 $449 (save $49.01)

• Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) — $569 $599 (save $30)

iPhones

• iPhone 18 Pro (256 GB) — Free with 36 months of billing credits $1,199.99 (save $1,199.99)

• iPhone 16 Plus (128GB, Unlocked) — $799.99 $829.99 (save $30)

• iPhone 15 Plus (128GB, Refurbished) — $549.99 $899 (save $349.01)

MacBooks

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,299 $1,499 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro with 18-core CPU/20-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $2,799.99 $3,199 (save $399.01)

Best early Black Friday headphones deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing Nothing Headphone (a) $109 at Amazon
$199 Save $90   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

This is not only a good deal but also an incredibly chic one. I mean, who doesn't want the same headphones as Charli XCX? Ahead of Black Friday, get the Nothing Headphone (a) for a new all-time low of $109. That saves you nearly 50% off the headphones for a $90 discount.

Our resident audio expert, Bethany Allard, declared that the Nothing Ear (a) is the best headphone from the brand. It has an unmatched 75 hours of battery life and fantastic physical controls on the headphones. Plus, the sound quality is great, as you'd expect if Charli is wearing them.

More early Black Friday headphones deals

• Sony WH-CH530 — $48 $69.99 (save $21.99)

• Sony WH-CH720N — $88 $179.99 (save $91.99)

• Sony WH-CH730N — $128 $179.99 (save $51.99)

• Nothing Headphone (a) — $109 $199 (save $90)

• Sony WH-1000XM5 — $188.10 $399.99 (save $211.89)

• Sennheiser Momentum 4 — $229.92 $299.99 (save $70.07)

• Sony WH-1000XM6 — $378 $459.99 (save $81.99)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $449.99 $549 (save $99.01)

More early Black Friday earbuds deals

• Sony WF-C710N — $78.99 $129.99 (save $51)

• Beats Studio Buds + — $149.95 $169.95 (save $20)

• Marshall Motif II — $169.99 $219.99 (save $60)

• Refurbished Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) — $179 $299 (save $120)

• Refurbished Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds — $199 $299 (save $100)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

Best early Black Friday TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV $1,397.99 at Amazon
$2,999.99 Save $1,602.00   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Black Friday is one of the best times of year to buy a new TV, and you don't have to wait until the end of November. Go ahead and treat yourself to an award-winning 75-inch TCL QLED TV for a cool 50% off the retail price. It comes with built-in Google TV OS, up to 6,000 nits of brightness, and a super-thin design for a modern look. Plus, Amazon is tossing in free delivery and unpacking in the room of your choice.

More early Black Friday TV deals

Under 50-inch TV deals

• Samsung 43-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $247.99 $349.99 (save $102)

• LG 43-inch 75B Mini-LED 4K TV — $279.99 $499.99 (save $220)

• LG 48-inch B6 OLED 4K TV — $599.99 $1,199.99 (save $600)

• Samsung 48-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $799.99 $1,199.99 (save $400)

50- to 55-inch TV deals

• Insignia 50-inch F50 4K TV — $179.99 $299.99 (save $120)

• Hisense 55-inch E6 Hi-QLED 4K TV — $296.96 $429.99 (save $133.03)

• Samsung 55-inch M70H Mini-LED 4k TV — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)

• Hisense 50-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $397.96 $699.99 (save $302.03)

• LG 55-inch B6E OLED 4K TV — $699.99 $1,399.99 (save $700)

• LG 55-inch C6 OLED 4K TV — $999.99 $1,999.99 (save $1,000)

• Samsung 55-inch R85H RGB 4K TV — $999.99 $1,599.99 (save $600)

65-inch TV deals

• Toshiba 65-inch G700 ArtVision QLED 4K TV — $997.96 $1,999.99 (save $1,002.03)

• Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,999.99 (save $1,100)

• LG C6 Series OLED 4K TV — $1,399.99 $2,699.99 (save $1,300)

• Samsung 65-inch The Frame Pro LS03HW QLED 4K TV — $1,497.99 $1,999.99 (save $502)

• Samsung 65-inch R95H RGB 4K TV — $2,499.99 $3,199.99 (save $800)

70- to 75-inch TV deals

• Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $497.99 $729.99 (save $232)

• TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $2,999.99 (save $1,602)80 to 85-inch TV deals

• LG 85-inch NU700B 4K TV — $699.99 $849.99 (save $150)

• TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,297.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,702)

80- to 85-inch TV deals

• LG 85-inch NU700B 4K TV — $699.99 $849.99 (save $150)

• TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,297.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,702)

Over 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 100-inch U7 Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,499.99 $4,499.99 (save $2,000)

Best early Black Friday Amazon device deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Bundle (16GB Kindle, Knit Case, Kindle Click) $190.97 at Amazon
$224.97 Save $34   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

We consider ourselves Kindle experts, and we've been eagerly testing all of the new Kindle e-readers Amazon released this fall. Even though the new Kindles just came out, you can already pick up the base model and the new Kindle Click page turner in a discounted bundle. BookTok has been waiting a long time for a proper Kindle page-turner accessory, and we're big fans.

If you're not interested in the Kindle Click, we expect all of the new Kindles to get their first real discounts when Black Friday begins, so you may want to add them to your cart and wait until Nov. 27.

More early Black Friday Kindle deals

2026 Kindle Deals

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, Cover, and Power Adapter Bundle — $229.97 $269.97 (save $40)

• Amazon Kindle (32GB), Cover, and Kindle Click Bundle — $233.97 $274.97 (save $41)

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite, Page Turn Cover, Sling Bag Bundle — $365.97 $429.97 (save $64)

2024 Kindle Deals

• Kindle (16GB, 2024 model), Cover, and Power Adapter Bundle — $186.97 $201.97 (save $15)

More early Black Friday Amazon Device deals

Amazon smart home

• Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor — $48.99 $69.99 (save $21)

• Amazon Smart Thermostat — $56.99 $79.99 (save $23)

Blink cameras

• Blink Mini Pan-Tilt 2K+ — $29.99 $59.99 (save $30)

• Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ — $35.99 $79.99 (save $34)

• Blink Outdoor 2K+ Floodlight — $51.99 $129.99 (save $78)

• Free Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ with Outdoor 2K+ — $54.99 $229.98 (save $174.99)

• Blink Outdoor 4 XR — $58.99 $169.99 (save $111)

• Blink Outdoor 4 with free Battery Doorbell 2K+ — $104.99 $369.98 (save $264.99)

Echo devices

• Amazon Echo Glow — $19.49 $29.99 (save $10.50)

Fire tablets

• Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet — $72.99 $154.99 (save $82)

• Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet — $79.99 $129.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids tablet — $94.99 $169.99 (save $75)

• Harry Potter Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet (limited edition) — $119.99 $189.99 (save $70)

Eero WiFi

• Amazon Eero 6+ Mesh WiFi system — $199.99 $299.99 (save $100)

• Amazon Eero Outdoor 7 — $309.99 $399.99 (save $90)

• Amazon Eero Max 7 Mesh WiFi system — $799.99 $1,149.99 (save $350)

Best early Black Friday kitchen deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Crispi Air Fryer $159.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $20   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

You may have heard that Mashable's gift experts recently named the Ninja Crispi glass air fryer as the best kitchen gift of 2026. This 4-in-1 countertop appliance comes with two glass containers, each sized just right for easy storage. We've had very good experiences with Ninja appliances in recent years, and this particular air fryer has become a favorite among the Mashable team.

More early Black Friday Kitchen deals

• Ninja Professional Plus Blender — $79.99 $119.99 (save $40)

• Ninja Air Fryer XL with MaxCrisp — $129.99 $179.99 (save $50)

• Keurig K-Duo — $129.99 $219.99 (save $90)

• Ninja BlendSense Tech Kitchen System — $179.95 $249.99 (save $70.04)

Best early Black Friday Lego deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Eevee $47.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $12   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

We love Pokémon. We love Lego. Putting them together just makes sense, especially as we're celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. Legos are always popular holiday gifts for kids and adults alike, and we're anticipating big Black Friday Lego deals. The pre-Black Friday season is also a great time to order Lego Advent calendars.

More early Black Friday Lego deals

• Lego Botanicals Rocking Plants — $18.39 $22.99 (save $4.60)

• Lego Botanicals Flowering Cactus — $27.95 $34.99 (save $7.04)

• Lego Icons Poinsettia — $28 $49.99 (save $21.99)

• Lego Botanicals Succulents — $32.99 $49.99 (save $17)

• Lego Star Wars AT-RT Attack — $35.96 $44.99 (save $9.03)

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Mos Eisley Cantina — $53.99 $79.99 (save $26)

• Lego Botanicals Hibiscus Flower — $55.95 $69.99 (save $14.04)

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter — $55.99 $69.99 (save $14)

• Lego Botanicals Flower Arrangement — $65.99 $109.99 (save $44)

• Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Millennium Falcon — $79.95 $99.99 (save $20.04)

• Lego Star Wars Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) — $103.95 $129.99 (save $26.04)

• Lego Icons Tranquil Garden — $103.99 $109.99 (save $6)

• Lego Pokémon Pikachu and Poké Ball — $159.99 $199.99 (save $16.81)

SAVE $81.99: The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are on sale at Amazon for a record-low price of $378, down from the normal price of $459.99. That's an 18% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM6 $378 at Amazon
$459.99 Save $81.99   Get Deal at Amazon

Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but the deals aren't waiting for cranberry sauce. If you've been thinking about upgrading your headphones or someone on your Christmas gift list is always wearing headphones, there's a great deal in store at Amazon today.

As of Nov. 13, the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are on sale at Amazon for $378, down from the list price of $459.99. That's an 18% discount, matching the best price we've seen on Amazon.

If we all take a second to think about how often we use headphones, paying $378 for a flagship model doesn't seem out of the question. Use them for a smidge over an hour each day for a year, and the price of ownership drops to about $1 per day.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo reveals Black Friday 2026 deals: Save $50 on the Switch 2 and select games start at $39.99

In Mashable's review of the best headphones, the Sony XM-6 earn the top spot as the best for premium sound. They have exceptional active noise cancellation, and more microphones mean better call quality.

Sony also made the XM6 headphones with foldable earcups, and they come with a travel-friendly storage case. The folding design of this model is one of the major benefits of the XM6 compared to the previous XM5.

Instead of waiting for Black Friday, make the move and get the Sony XM6 headphones while they're on sale for a record-low price.

SAVE $100: As of Nov. 13, the Garmin Venu 4 is on sale for just $449.99 (normally $549.99) at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. That's a new all-time low price.

Garmin Venu 4 (41mm or 45mm) $449.99 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $100   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart Get Deal at Target

Mashable's shopping team has already spotted some great early Black Friday deals on Apple Watches — but if you're not rocking an iPhone these days, consider the Garmin Venu 4 instead. Our sister site CNET named it the best Android smartwatch for athletes.

"The Garmin Venu 4 stands out for its long battery life, deep health tracking, and training insights that make it a strong fitness-first smartwatch," CNET's experts wrote.

Ahead of Black Friday, the Venu 4 has fallen to a new record-low price at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. All four retailers have it on sale for just $444.99, or 18% off its usual price of $549.99 — a $100 savings. (Per our research, this beats its 2025 Black Friday price by almost $50, FYI.) Take your pick from five different styles:

• 41mm lunar gold case with bone silicone band

• 41mm silver with periwinkle silicone band

• 41mm or 45mm slate case with black silicone band

• 45mm silver case with citron silicone band

• 45mm silver case with silver gray silicone band

For $50 extra, you can upgrade to a Venu 4 with a silicone/leather band in brown or light sand.

The Venu 4 supports advanced features like LifeStyle Logging, jet lag guidance, and Body Battery, Garmin's version of a Readiness score. And it lasts for up to 10 days on a single charge — way longer than the latest Apple Watches, mind you. CNET reviewer Vanessa Hand Orellana was especially enamored with its design, calling it "polished enough to pass for date-night-ready." Unlike a lot of sports watches out there, it's not super chunky.

Will the Garmin Venu 4 get cheaper on Black Friday?

All signs point to this being the Venu 4's best deal of the holiday season. Not only is it sitting at a new record-low price, but Amazon and Best Buy both have it labeled as an official early Black Friday deal.

Updated on Friday, Nov 13 at 10:55 am ET: Microsoft's latest update states that they are "continuing to see improvements in service availability, with email queues significantly reduced and approaching normal levels." However, according to the company, "some users may still experience intermittent access issues or delayed email delivery as recovery continues."

This article has also been updated with an official statement from Microsoft.

Updated on Friday, Nov 13 at 07:35am ET: The global Microsoft Outlook outage continued into Friday morning, but the company's most recent update stated that they've made "additional progress toward recovery" and that traffic is "being gradually restored," though not for all users.

Updated on Friday, Nov. 13 at 4:59 a.m. ET — Microsoft said 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 — 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 — Unfortunately, Microsoft's efforts to bring servers back online aren't going as planned. "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 — Microsoft has revised its list of features and services impacted by this outage, stating that it is affecting those that interact with Exchange Online and email services. Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint Online, Teams, Copilot AI, and 365 continue to have various issues, though Azure appears operational.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:53 p.m. ET — 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.

Updated on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:23 p.m ET — Microsoft stated 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 experienced a significant global outage on Thursday, which continued into Friday morning, 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 fully up and running again.

In an update posted to X at 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, 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. In the early hours of Friday, the company finally reported some success returning service to normal.

At 7:09 a.m. ET, the company wrote on X, "We’re seeing encouraging recovery progress, with service availability and email delivery performance improving across a growing portion of affected Microsoft 365 infrastructure. Some users may still experience intermittent issues as recovery actions continue."

As of 10:39 a.m. ET on Friday, some Microsoft services were still experiencing outage issues, though the recovery was underway. The company also expressed its "regret" for the disruption.

"We know our customers rely on our services to get important work done every day, and regret the impact these outages had on those who depend on us," read an update posted to X.

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. Unfortunately for Microsoft users, it appears the timeframe for fixing this particular outage is very different from the one earlier this year, with downtime extending into a second day.

In response to Mashable's questions, Charles Lamanna, EVP, Copilot, Agents and Platform at Microsoft, provided the following statement:

"We’re seeing encouraging recovery progress, with service availability and email delivery performance improving across a growing portion of affected infrastructure. We know our customers rely on our services to get important work done every day, and regret the impact these outages had on those who depend on us. Our teams are reviewing what happened and how we can prevent similar issues going forward."

This is a developing story...

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Once two distinct deal-shopping days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have basically merged into one massive shopping extravaganza. The lines really began to blur when the world shut down in 2020, and brick-and-mortar stores hosted online sales in lieu of in-person Black Friday events. In 2026, lines outside stores are practically nonexistent. We certainly can't see them.

While major retailers will be running holiday sales throughout all of November, savvy shoppers know that Black Friday and Cyber Monday (and the few days surrounding them) still remain the absolute biggest shopping days of the year for their ability to reliably trigger record-low prices on big-ticket items (like TVs, Apple devices, smartwatches, headphones, and of course, Amazon's own devices). That includes discounts that beat Amazon's massively hyped October Prime Day deals.

SEE ALSO: Everything to know about Black Friday 2026: Best deals, sale dates, how to shop smart, and more

If you're debating when you should start adding big-ticket items to your cart and whether it's better to shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, you've come to the right place. After years of covering both sales extensively, here's our expert analysis.

Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday — what's the difference?

Way back in the age of MySpace and AIM — aka 2005 — the National Retail Federation debuted the term "Cyber Monday" after realizing that the Monday after Thanksgiving saw a flood of online sales. This was likely due to shoppers using their faster internet connections at work on Monday morning to snag deals, or at least that's what they credited it to. That, of course, and the fact that online retailers wanted some of that holiday shopping bread, too. Thus, two distinct deal-shopping days were born: Black Friday, for those who wanted to shop in stores the day after Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday, for those who preferred shopping from the comfort of their desks.

Over 20 years later, there's little — if any — real difference between the two due to the alleged "death of retail." Everyone and everything is online, so why wouldn't Black Friday be? Based on our years of experience covering both, we can truly say neither is a "better" day to shop. It really comes down to what you're looking for and how much demand there is for it.

Are there better deals on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?

If you see a solid deal, grab it, no matter which sale title it falls under. There's not a tremendous amount of distinction anymore in terms of discounts on particular products, as there was in previous years. However, there are still rules to follow in some product categories: TV deals tend to be more dramatic and widespread for Black Friday, with a higher likelihood of selling out before the clock even turns to Cyber Monday, while waiting for Cyber Monday to double-check that there's not a new, better laptop deal is often wise.

But with the blurred lines of Cyber Week, many of these deals will cross over. As noted at BlackFriday.com, "Some TV deals will feature flashy discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but they might not have the specs you're after."

TL;DR: The deals will be great for both shopping days, but it all depends on what you're looking for. If you see specs you like listed under a product at a price you like, grab it to be safe.

How long is Black Friday?

Black Friday proper falls on Nov. 27 in 2026, but it's honestly silly to even call it Black Friday at this point. It's no longer just on Friday — it's a month-long affair. You can shop deals at practically every retailer starting right after Halloween (before, even), with most labeling something an "early Black Friday deal" as early as November. Best Buy's official early Black Friday sale kicked off Nov. 6, while Target's began on Nov. 5. Amazon's actual Black Friday sale starts Nov. 19, but you can already find the "early Black Friday deal" tag on plenty of listings. In other words, if you want to get some early shopping done, have at it.

Once the clock strikes midnight on Friday, it's basically Cyber Monday (yes, even though it's actually Saturday). We don't make the rules. The deals won't change too much, but the search terms and official site banners will.

When do Cyber Monday deals start?

Officially, Cyber Monday is on Monday, Nov. 30 in 2026. Unofficially, it basically starts the second Black Friday ends, with retailers calling sales "Cyber Monday" deals as early as Saturday, Nov. 28. So basically, semantics — and it's easier to just think of the Cyber Week language as interchangeable.

If you've ever wanted to catch KPop Demon Hunters' HUNTR/X live (and let's be honest, after hearing "Golden," who hasn't?), next summer is your chance.

Starting in June 2027, HUNTR/X's Rumi, Mira, and Zoey will step out on the Golden World Tour, a global celebration of KPop Demon Hunters that will bring fans up close and personal to the beloved animated characters. It's not clear whether artists EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, the singing voices behind HUNTR/X, will be performing.

According to a Netflix press release, HUNTR/X will "interact with the audience through cutting-edge performance innovations that bring this fan-favorite K-pop girl group to life like never before."

SEE ALSO: 'KPop Demon Hunters' stars Arden Cho and May Hong react to fans' TikTok videos

HUNTR/X won't be alone on tour. Their rival boy band, the Saja Boys, will also take the stage, so you can get your "Soda Pop" on — again Netflix hasn't announced whether or not Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo and samUIL Lee, the Saja Boys' real life singers, will appear. Plus, expect appearances from fan-favorite Derpy Tiger, as well as serious stunts, choreography, and more.

According to Netflix, the tour will last from 2027 to 2028, with over 150 performances across almost 50 cities. Here's how you can get in on the Golden World Tour.

How can you get tickets to the KPop Demon Hunters world tour?

Tickets for the Golden World Tour will be sold in three waves.

First up is the Mastercard presale, which begins Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 10 a.m. local time.

Next up is the "For the Fans" presale, which starts Thursday, Nov. 19, at 10 a.m. local time. You can register for that presale at the Golden World Tour website.

General tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 20, at 10 a.m. local time. Eligible Mastercard World Elite and World Legend holders will get access to preferred tickets during this sale.

What are the tour dates for the Golden World Tour?

So far, the Golden World Tour has only announced tickets for tour stops in North America, the U.K., and Europe. However, further dates for the Asia Pacific and Latin American regions will be dropping soon.

Check out the current list of tour dates and cities below. ** means a matinee performance is included.

June 5 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena – 2 Shows**

June 12 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center – 2 Shows**

June 16 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center – 1 Show

June 19 – Chicago, IL – United Center – 2 Shows**

June 23 – Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse – 1 Show

June 26 – Hamilton, ON – TD Coliseum – 2 Shows**

June 29-30 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena – 2 Shows

July 3 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena – 2 Shows**

July 7 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center – 1 Show

July 10 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena – 2 Shows**

July 14 – Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena – 1 Show

July 17 – Orlando, FL – Kia Center – 2 Shows**

July 20-21 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center – 2 Shows

July 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Mortgage Matchup Center – 2 Shows**

July 30-31 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena – 3 Shows**

August 4 – Ontario, CA – Toyota Arena – 1 Show

August 7 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena – 2 Shows**

August 10-11 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena – 2 Shows

August 14 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome – 2 Shows**

September 1 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion – 1 Show

September 4 – Milan, IT – Unipol Dome – 2 Shows**

September 8-9 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome – 2 Shows

September 11-12 – Vienna, AT – Wiener Stadthalle – 2 Shows**

September 15-16 – Berlin, DE – Uber Arena – 2 Shows

September 18 – Hamburg, DE – Barclays Arena – 2 Shows**

September 22 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena – 1 Show

September 25 – Oslo, NO – Unity Arena – 2 Shows**

September 29 – Cologne, DE – LANXESS Arena – 1 Show

October 2 – Brussels, BE – ING Arena – 2 Shows**

October 5 – Paris, FR – Plenitude Arena – 1 Show

October 9 – Dublin, IE – 3Arena – 2 Shows**

October 12 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro – 1 Show

October 16 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena Birmingham – 2 Shows**

October 19 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena – 1 Show

October 22-23 – London, UK – The O2 – 3 Shows**

KPop Demon Hunters is now streaming on Netflix.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

Updated on Friday, Nov 13 at 09:35am ET: Microsoft continues to work on the global outage that brought down Outlook and other Microsoft 365 services on Thursday (and into Friday morning).

The company's latest update says that they're "continuing to see improvements in service availability, with email queues significantly reduced and approaching normal levels." However, the problem is still not entirely fixed, as Microsoft says "some users may still experience intermittent access issues or delayed email delivery as recovery continues."

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

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 as of Friday morning — but there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

The global issues affecting 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.

At 4:24 a.m. ET, a Microsoft post on X indicated that the company was finally seeing signs of "early stabilization" and taking steps to preserve people's email. The company extended email timeout to 48 hours to ensure that messages that failed to deliver on Thursday aren't totally lost.

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

At the start of the workday, major services including Outlook remained unavailable for many users. At 9:17 a.m. ET, the company reported that it was "continuing to see improvements in service availability, with email queues significantly reduced and approaching normal levels."

By 10:00 a.m., user error reports on the platform DownDetector had plateaued, though they were still elevated from baseline levels. As of this writing, Microsoft's Service Health Status page still lists both Microsoft 365 (business and enterprise) and Microsoft Consumer Products as experiencing "service degradation."

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...

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