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On the morning after a day of massive, countrywide outages for Verizon customers, the telecom giant has offered an apology and a little bit of credit to address the loss of service.

In an announcement posted on social media, Verizon announced that customers affected by the downed services can cash in on a $20 credit voucher. According to the company, that amount should cover multiple days of service, "on average." It followed other statements by Verizon that as soon as the issue was resolved, the company would "make it right" with affected users.

"This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us," the company wrote.

SEE ALSO: Verizon outage map: How to check your area

Verizon had not yet issued a full explanation for the incident, but Mashable has now received confirmation from the company that the outage was caused by a software issue. The service drop was severe enough to grab the attention of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which said it was monitoring the situation. Its not the first service outage for the company over the past year.

Read the full statement below:

Yesterday, we did not meet the standard of excellence you expect and that we expect of ourselves. To help provide some relief, we are giving you a $20 account credit that can be easily redeemed by logging into the myVerizon app to accept. On average, this covers multiple days of service. Our business customers will be contacted directly about their credits.

This credit isn’t meant to make up for what happened. No credit really can. But it’s a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us.

If you’re still having trouble connecting, please restart your device (power down and power back on). This is the fastest way to reconnect your phone to the network.

We are sorry for what you experienced and will continue to work hard day and night to provide the outstanding network and service that you expect from Verizon.

Customers logging into their account on the myVerizon app should see an option to claim the offer, although some customers have reported the offer has yet to appear. Mashable reporters have also experienced problems logging onto the myVerizon app.

UPDATE: Jan. 15, 2026, 9:59 a.m. This story was updated to include Verizon's confirmation of a software issue causing the outage.

Verizon has confirmed that the extreme service outage was not caused by a cybersecurity breach but was some kind of software problem. Details are still being reported.

"This was a software issue and we are conducting a full review of what happened. As of now, there is no indication that this was a cyber security issue," the telecom giant said in a statement sent to Mashable.

SEE ALSO: Verizon outage today: Verizon reveals how to fix ongoing issues, offers $20 credit

Following a countrywide service outage that resulted in millions of error reports, prompted the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to respond, and could have impacted emergency services for costumers across states, some online speculated that the scale of the event could have been caused by a breach of its systems.

At the time, Verizon kept mum about the cause, instead saying it was focused on reinstating service as it had teams on the ground. The company didn't include any details on where Verizon teams were working. "We know this is a huge inconvenience, and our top priority is to get you back online and connected as fast as possible," the company said in a social media post.

Verizon then issued an apology and offered affected customers a $20 credit the morning after the outage, writing in a post on X: "

Verizon is now issuing a $20 account credit to customers who were affected by the massive, nearly day-long cellular service outage that crippled voice and data services earlier this week. It is working to provide financial relief for the disruption, but it won't be automatic.

Excel's UNIQUE function is a game-changer for cleaning data, but it has a frustrating limitation: it only works with adjacent columns. But by nesting additional functions inside it, you can create a dynamic, custom list that ignores the columns you don't want to include.

SAVE $600: As of Jan. 15, get the DJI Power 2000 Portable Power Station for $699 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,299. That's a discount of 46% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Power 2000 Portable Power Station $699 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $600   Get Deal

Whether you live somewhere that's prone to losing power or you want to go off-grid, a portable power station is a great thing to have in your pocket. You never know when you could be without electricity, so make sure you never have to be with this DJI deal we found at Amazon.

As of Jan. 15, get the DJI Power 2000 Portable Power Station for $699 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,299. That's $600 off and a discount of 46%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: The EcoFlow Delta 3 1000 Air power station is under $310 for the first time

This massive power station comes from the same DJI that you know for its popular mics and drones, though it's having difficulty at the moment fighting for the right to launch new products in the U.S. It has a 2,048Wh LFP battery with a 3000W stable output that can power your laptop, refrigerator, space heater, or one of many other devices you may need in an emergency.

Once you've depleted the battery, this fast-charging power station can charge from 0 to 80 percent in just under an hour with a wall outlet, so you won't be left waiting when you need access to power, and fast. It's rated for 3,000 usage cycles as well, so even if you decide you're going to need to use this thing every day, you'll be covered for a long, long time to come.

If you want the peace of mind that you have electricity even during tough situations, this is a great buy either way. Get yours while it's still around and for this massive discount.

SAVE $75: The Ozlo Sleepbuds are on sale at Amazon for $274, down from the list price of $349. That's a 21% discount that matches the lowest on record at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ozlo Ozlo Sleepbuds $274 at Amazon
$349 Save $75   Get Deal

Now that we're halfway through January, lots of us are honing in on how we want this new year to look. Some people have fitness goals, some people have intentions of becoming a great home chef, and others are focused on self-care. But if you don't get good sleep, it'll be nearly impossible to reach any of those goals. Instead, make getting better sleep the number one goal, and this deal at Amazon could be a gamechanger.

As of Jan. 15, the Ozlo Sleepbuds are on sale at Amazon for $274, marked down from the normal price of $349. That's a 21% discount that shaves $75 off the price. It also matches the lowest on record at Amazon.

When it comes to sleep earbuds, comfort is a huge priority. But you also want them to sound great, which is convenient since ex-Bose employees designed the Ozlo Sleepbuds. Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard reviewed the Ozlo Sleepbuds and explained, "Ozlo Sleepbuds are basically the Bose Sleepbuds that allow you to stream audio. While they can't yet track sleep data, they are highly customizable sleep earbuds that work (mostly) as promised."

SEE ALSO: From Oura to Whoop, we tested the best sleep trackers of 2026

Of note, the list price of the Ozlo Sleepbuds feels off compared to the industry standard, but today's sale price helps ease that concern. Still, the new Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 Special come in at a more affordable price, if that's a priority.

However, if you're interested in the design and features on the Ozlo Sleepbuds, they could be a perfect match. Tap into the Ozlo app's range of sleepy sounds or stream your own sleep tracks to the sleep earbuds. The wingtip design on these sleep earbuds help ensure they stay snugly in place throughout the night. They're even designed to be comfortable enough for side sleepers. Plus, they track your sleep.

For anyone who wants to get better sleep this year, the Ozlo Sleepbuds could be a simple solution to getting higher-quality rest. Snag them while they're back on sale for $274 at Amazon.

Love doesn’t always arrive with fireworks. Sometimes it shows up quietly, when you catch a familiar shape in traffic and realize you’re smiling for no real reason.

If you pay for the $19.99 per month Google AI Pro plan or the whopping $250 monthly fee for a Google AI Ultra subscription, your account just received a big upgrade.

As noticed by 9to5Google, Google has announced that it is upgrading paying subscriber accounts to give them more daily Gemini prompts to work with. 

For those paying $20 per month for the Google AI Pro plan, they can now use 300 prompts per day with the Gemini Thinking model. Gemini's Pro model, which is for more advanced math problems and code, now allows up to 100 daily prompts.

If you're a hardcore Gemini user paying $250 per month, your new daily limits are 1,500 daily prompts for the Thinking model and 500 daily prompts for the Pro model.

Previously, when Gemini 3 launched last month, Google AI Pro users had a total of 100 monthly prompts per day to use across both of Gemini's Thinking and Pro models and AI ultra subscribers had a 500 daily prompt limit. The new credit limits separate the two models and give them distinct prompt limits. No more shared prompt pool limits.

Free Gemini users will also now have distinct daily limits, however, Google does not share what those are, simply noting that prompt limits for Gemini's free tier can change daily.

Google says that it received significant feedback from users who did not want a "shared pool" for model limits.

"We’ve heard your feedback!" Google said in its announcement. "Many of you want more precision and transparency when deciding which model to use for your daily tasks. To give you more flexibility and control, we are separating the model limits for 'Thinking' and 'Pro' models."

The move away from the shared pool of limits makes sense, especially if the two models require different levels of computing power. As AI companies continue to try to outdo each other, making paying customers happy with alterations to how subscription plans work seems like a rather easy thing to do in order to beat out the competition.

Apple — the world's number one smartphone maker — will retain a great deal of oversight on its Apple Intelligence-powered Siri upgrade, despite its headline-making deal with Google, according to a report by the Information.

Speaking to the publication under anonymity, project insiders say that under the competitive deal, Apple has reserved the right to tweak the model independently from Google and will not be incorporating any Google or Gemini branding. For now. Google's LLM will act more as a base for Apple's specific needs, the insider reports suggest, rather than a complete package.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone 17e will get Dynamic Island, report claims

In addition to its general processing upgrade, the Gemini-powered Siri will be better at providing general knowledge and emotional support in a more conversational tone, similar to how other AI assistants operate, the Information reported. With Gemini's help boosting Siri's on-device technology, the assistant will also be able to contextualize requests that aren't so clear, such as searching through your messages to figure out what names you call your contacts, and generate content, like writing Notes with information pulled from the internet.

Earlier this week, the tech giant announced it would be relying on Google's Gemini AI models to power its mega upgraded Siri, following months of speculation as the company ebbed between other developers, including partners like OpenAI. Gemini, however, was rumored to be the top contender as the company headed into 2026. Despite this new partnership, Apple will continue its deal to route complex questions through ChatGPT, an Apple spokesperson told the Information, but the publication reports that OpenAI has seen minimal traffic directed to ChatGPT from Siri tests.

Under the partnership, Siri's new brain won't be hosted on Google servers, but will run directly on Apple devices or the company's Cloud server — this also means no data sharing. Insiders speaking to the publication say Google invested heavily in building a model version that could run on Apple servers to honor the company's commitments to on-device privacy.

SAVE $1,502: As of Jan. 15, the Samsung 77-inch S85F OLED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for $1,497.99. That's over $1,500 off its list price and matches its all-time low Black Friday price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 77-inch S85F OLED 4K TV $1,497.99 at Amazon
$2,999.99 Save $1,502.00   Get Deal

We just featured the Samsung's 77-inch entry-level OLED TV on Monday when it dropped to $1,597.99 — about $100 away from its record-low price from Black Friday. Well, turns out we jumped the gun, as a few days later, it plummeted down to that all-time low.

As of Jan. 15, you can upgrade your TV to the Samsung 77-inch S85F OLED 4K TV for only $1,497.99. That's over $1,500 in savings, which makes it a discount of over 50%. Best Buy also has the same TV for just $2 more as its deal of the day, if you prefer to purchase it there.

"It's not quite as impressive as its higher-end siblings, the S90F and S95F, but it's pretty snazzy and an excellent value," as I noted on Monday. Technically, the S85F is Samsung's entry-level OLED, but it still offers great specs. Its picture quality is brilliant, with vivid colors and deep contrast. Its gaming features are decent as well, with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1, and FreeSync Premium. Plus, it features the latest version of Samsung's smart TV platform, Tizen 9.0, which offers smooth and speedy navigation.

The star of the show with Samsung's 2025 OLED TVs is, of course, AI. The S85F includes AI tools like Click to Search, Live Translate, Adaptive Sound Pro, and Real Depth Enhancer to enhance your viewing experience. Not to mention, it will deliver tons of content recommendations.

If your TV requirements are a big screen and a brilliant picture, the 77-inch S85F OLED 4K TV certainly won't disappoint. And now that's it's half the price, it won't put quite as much of a dent in your wallet.

Flash drives are a convenient way to temporarily store files, or a fast way to move things between two PCs. Unless you've got very fast internet, or have invested heavily in your home network, a flash drive is almost always faster.

TL;DR: Live stream Orlando Magic vs. Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NBA is going global this week. There's a lot of attention on the NBA London game taking place this weekend, but Orlando Magic vs. Memphis Grizzlies are first meeting in Berlin, Germany. The Uber Arena is going to be loud when these talented teams take to the court.

If you want to watch Magic vs. Grizzlies in the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Magic vs. Grizzlies?

Magic vs. Grizzlies in the NBA starts at 2 p.m. ET on Jan. 15. This game takes place at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany.

How to watch Magic vs. Grizzlies for free

Magic vs. Grizzlies in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the U.S. and UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S. or UK, meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

3. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S. or UK

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• 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 $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $55.99: As of Jan. 15, the Ninja Foodi Everyday PossibleCooker (6.5 quart) is on sale for only $74 at Walmart. That's a savings of 43%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker (6.5 quart)   Get Deal

We're mega fans of Ninja appliances at Mashable. Not only do they deliver excellent performance with beginner-friendly designs, but they're also reasonably priced. And one of our favorites just got even more affordable.

As of Jan. 15, the 6.5-quart Ninja Foodi Everyday PossibleCooker is on sale for only $74 at Walmart. That's 43% or $55.99 cheaper than usual. For what it's worth, it's still full price over at Amazon (not to mention from a third-party seller) and Ninja's own website.

The Everday PossibleCooker — the smaller version of our favorite Ninja multicooker (the PossibleCooker Pro) — replaces up to 10 different appliances in your kitchen. Mashable shopping reporter Sam Mangino writes, "This device doesn't look like a lot, essentially a hot plate and non-stick pot, but it's incredible how much it can do."

Besides cooking up to four cups of rice in a flash, it's also capable of slow-cooking food to perfection, searing and sautéing, boiling up to a pound of pasta, or roasting a seven-pound chicken. The pot itself can be transferred directly to the oven (up to 500 degrees), essentially acting as a dutch oven, and be used as a serving dish. The 6.5-quart option is ideally sized for family meals and won't take up a ton of counter space. Plus, its cool-touch handles make it a breeze to bring to potlucks.

It's usually a solid deal at $129.99, but for only $74, it's a total steal.

Raspberry Pi has sold the AI HAT+ board for over a year now, giving Pi boards the ability to run lightweight machine learning models for object detection, file tagging, and other tasks. Now, there's a Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2, and it's powerful enough to run large language models (LLMs).

Spotify is hitting its Premium subscribers with yet another cost increase. This marks the third time in four years that the music streaming giant has raised its subscription prices. The company announced the expected hike early Thursday, affecting users in the US, Estonia, and Latvia.

SAVE $50: As of Jan. 15, get the Amazon Kindle Colorsoft for just $199.99. That saves you $500 off of Amazon's color e-reader for 20% savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Colorsoft (16GB) $199.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $50   Get Deal

Looking to up your reading goals in 2026? Maybe Heated Rivalry inspired you to read through the series on which it's based? Whatever your inspiration, it's time to put away your phone and crack open your next read. But before you get to that, how are you reading? If you've been vying for an e-reader, now's the time to shop. Kindles are on sale in the new year, even Colorsoft Kindles.

As of Jan. 15, the Kindle Colorsoft with 16GB of storage are back on sale. During Black Friday 2025, the Colorsoft dropped to its lowest price ever of $169.99. While it's not quite that discounted right now, its current sale price is pretty good. Grab the Kindle Colorsoft for $199.99 at Amazon, saving you $50 for 20% off.

The Kindle Colorsoft is a solid color e-reader. While we prefer Kobo's color e-readers, the Kindle Colorsoft offers the speed and convenience that Amazon's e-readers are best known for. It comes with 300ppi resolution in black and white and 150ppi color resolution. It has both adjustable brightness and warmth, and battery life that lasts up to two months.

Shop the Kindle Colorsoft at Amazon for $199.99 and save $50 on the color e-reader.

Amazon might be the most popular online storefront, but it's far from perfect. Knock-off products are frustratingly common, especially when ordering one particular product: SD cards.

Do you waste the first 10 minutes of every work session figuring out what you need to do? Does Alt+Tabbing between apps leave you feeling mentally scattered? These were common problems in my workflow until I started using widgets and transformed my desktop into a productivity dashboard.

SAVE $15.34: The Mega Pokémon Kanto Region Trio build is on sale at Amazon for $19.62, down from the list price of $34.96. That's a 44% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mega Mega Pokémon Kanto Region Trio build $19.62 at Amazon
$34.96 Save $15.34   Get Deal

It's been an exciting January for toy brick builders. Lego debuted the new Smart Play Star Wars sets at CES 2026 and we also have the first ever Lego Pokémon builds coming next month. But if you're not in the mood to wait on a Lego Pokémon build and you don't feel like spending Lego prices, there's a nice deal in store today at Amazon.

As of Jan. 15, the Mega Pokémon Kanto Region Trio build is on sale for only $19.62 at Amazon, marked down from the usual price of $34.96. That's a 44% discount that shaves a solid $15.34 off the price. Since the set includes three character builds, that works out to just $6.54 per figure.

SEE ALSO: How to qualify for the new and exclusive Lego Mini Pokémon Center

Designed for builders and fans aged seven and up, the Mega Pokémon Kanto Region Trio build lets you create your very own Pikachu, Charmander, and Meowth figures. Each character stands at four inches tall once built, and you're able to pose them as you see fit during play. In total, the trio has 529 bricks that are compatible with other name-brand bricks.

While this trio build is on sale for a major discount, snag the set (or two) to have one for yourself and one to give as a gift. At this price, it might even be worth considering birthday presents in the upcoming year. You can't go wrong with the Mega Pokémon Kanto Region Trio build.

SAVE $24: As of Jan. 15, get the Renpho Smart Scale for $39.99, down from its usual price of $63.99. That's a discount of 38% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Renpho Smart Scale $39.99 at Amazon
$63.99 Save $24   Get Deal

If you're looking to meet some New Year's fitness goals or just planning to get in touch with important data about your body, a smart scale is a great way to do it. It's an even better route when you consider that you can snag a good one for less than $50 thanks to this Amazon deal.

As of Jan. 15, get the Renpho Smart Scale for $39.99, down from its usual price of $63.99. That's $24 off and a discount of 38%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: Stick to your fitness New Year resolutions with the Renpho Smart Scale for its lowest price yet

This affordable scale has all the info you need to tap into what's going on with your body thanks to a variety of sensors. It has six different metrics that can track things like weight, body fat percentage, muscle percentage, visceral fat index, BMI, and a 20-day weight trend. All of this info shows up on the scale's 5.33-inch screen so it's easy to read as well.

You can create multiple profiles on the scale so that the whole household can use it, and your health data can sync automatically with the Renpho Health App to see all the information that's been collected. There are also additional body metrics that you can see by connecting to the app, with options to connect weekly, monthly, and yearly for updates.

If you're ready to take charge of your health data and want to learn more about your metrics, you can't go wrong with this affordable scale, especially at this price.