Technologies

You’ll No Longer Need to Set a Password With New Microsoft Accounts

Microsoft is optimistic that our reliance on passwords is coming to a close.

Microsoft is once again moving closer to a passwordless future.

In a bold step toward embracing passkeys – which uses cryptography to better protect data from hackers and phishing scams – new Microsoft accounts will now be passwordless by default. Instead, the company will issue a prompt to set up passkeys as part of an effort to make the process more secure.

The company announced the news on World Password Day, which is observed on the first Thursday in May – a day that’s been used to encourage people to review their passwords and security settings since Intel created the event in 2013.

The need to get a better grasp on password protection comes at a time when many big tech companies are pushing to eliminate passwords altogether. Apple rolled out passkeys as part of iOS 16 in 2022, followed by Google, which allows people to sign in to Google and other popular accounts such as Amazon, WhatsApp and PayPal via fingerprint, face scan, PIN or pattern using a device’s lock screen.

«Although passwords have been around for centuries, we hope their reign over our online world is ending,» Microsoft said in a blog post.

Weak passwords don’t just make users vulnerable to hackers, they’re also often reused across multiple platforms, from banking apps to email to social media.

Now when a new Microsoft user attempts to enter a password and set up a «one time code» on their account, the company will prompt them to sign in with the code instead of the password and then encourage them to enroll a passkey. When they visit again, they’ll be prompted to sign in with the passkey – not a password. Meanwhile, existing users can visit their account settings to delete their password.

«This simplified experience gets you signed in faster and in our experiments has reduced password use by over 20%,» the company added. «As more people enroll passkeys, the number of password authentications will continue to decline until we can eventually remove password support altogether.»

Last year, the company introduced passkey support for Microsoft accounts for its consumer apps and services like Xbox and Copilot. It has since seen nearly a million passkeys registered every day.

Not a perfect solution

Lorrie Cranor, a security professor at Carnegie Mellon University, acknowledged that passkeys generally have security advantages over passwords, especially because many consumers still use the same password for many accounts, but said passkeys aren’t perfect either.

«From a security perspective, it is great to see them being pushed out to consumers, but I do have some concerns about their usability, especially in cases where consumers have multiple devices or lose or upgrade a device.» she said. «Shared accounts and devices may also be problematic.»

However, she said the companies pushing for passkeys should address the usability issues, implement secure and usable fallback authentication procedures over time.

«[They’ll need to] support users who run into problems,» Cranor said.

Technologies

YouTubers Sue Amazon, Claim AI Tool Was Trained on Scraped Videos

The lawsuit alleges that Amazon bypassed YouTube protections to collect content for its generative AI video system.

A group of YouTube creators is suing Amazon, accusing the tech giant of secretly scraping their videos to train its AI video model without permission.

The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in federal court in Seattle, alleges Amazon used automated tools to download and extract data from millions of YouTube videos to build and improve its Nova Reel generative AI system — a model that can create short videos from text prompts and images.

At the center of the complaint is how that data was obtained. The plaintiffs claim that Amazon bypassed YouTube’s protections using virtual machines and rotating IP addresses to avoid detection, effectively sidestepping the platform’s safeguards against bulk downloading.

The lawsuit was brought by several creators, including Ted Entertainment (the company behind the H3 Podcast and h3h3 Productions), as well as individual YouTubers and channel operators. They argue that the alleged scraping violated copyright law and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and are seeking damages as well as an injunction to stop the practice.

Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

The case lands at a pivotal moment for generative AI, as courts weigh whether training on copyrighted material qualifies as fair use and how much control creators retain once their work is used to build these systems. The disputes have often centered on written material, which has been at the center of the AI revolution for several years, while AI video generators such as OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo have emerged more recently.

The lawsuit is one of dozens testing the boundaries of AI training practices, alongside high-profile cases from authors, artists and news organizations, including lawsuits against OpenAI and Meta, all circling the same unresolved question: Where does fair use end and infringement begin?

Technologies

The Galaxy Z TriFold Is Back. You Can Buy It From Samsung Soon

The $2,899 phone paused its sales in March after selling through its inventory, but Samsung is bringing it back to its online store.

Samsung’s $2,899 Galaxy Z TriFold is going back on sale on Friday, following a halt to its sales in March after the foldable phone sold through its inventory. Samsung has announced the TriFold’s return with a countdown clock on the phone’s online store page along with a Wednesday newsletter email sent to customers.

The initial pause, which Samsung said at the time was related to the TriFold being a «super-premium device in limited quantities,» happened after just three months of availability. The TriFold first went on sale in South Korea on Dec. 12 and then arrived in Samsung’s US store on Jan. 30. The TriFold sold out in the US within minutes of going on sale — which I know personally after joining my colleagues that morning in an attempt to buy it. Thankfully Senior Reporter Abrar Al-Heeti succeeded, and then reviewed the TriFold.

It’s unclear whether the Galaxy Z TriFold is now permanently returning to Samsung’s online store or if it is again on sale until its stock sells through. Given that the phone is very expensive, and unfolds to reveal a large, 10-inch display, it wouldn’t be surprising if its stock will be in limited quantities. We’ve asked a Samsung representative to clarify and will update if we hear more.

The Galaxy Z TriFold’s return also comes ahead of the summer season when we expect a slew of other foldable phones: Samsung typically refreshes its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip line in July or August, and Motorola has announced its first book-style Razr Fold phone will also debut during the season. And Apple’s rumored iPhone Fold (or perhaps iPhone Ultra based on latest rumors) could also be teased later this year.

Technologies

Help Us Crown the Most Loved Headphones and Earbuds of 2026

Got a pair you swear by? Take our People’s Picks survey to help us find a winner.

CNET just launched People’s Picks, a series of surveys where actual humans like you vote for the products and services you use. Starting in April, we want you to weigh in on your favorite headphones and earbuds. We’ll pick a winner based on which ones you love the most.

Why we want to hear from you

Our writers and editors test hundreds of products each year, but your real-world experience with these devices is something we can’t replicate in our labs. You’ve used these headphones at the gym, on your commute to work and on long flights, and that perspective is invaluable. Your voice helps others know about the headphones or earbuds you love, too.

«I review a lot of headphones and earbuds for CNET, and there are plenty of great models from the top brands in this survey that I rate highly. I’m always curious about what models people ultimately choose and why, so I’m excited to get your feedback and learn the results of this survey,» says David Carnoy, CNET’s executive editor and headphones expert.

With our survey, we’ll collect answers from real-world users like you. The headphones and earbuds chosen through our 3-minute survey will be featured in our People’s Picks roundup of the top picks based on your recommendation.

Make your voice heard

Whether you swear by a pair of $25 earbuds or love a pair of high-end headphones, your pick counts. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete, and after we gather enough information, we’ll tally the results and publish the winners.

Not sure what to pick? Check out our Best Headphones to revisit your favorites before voting.