Technologies

I’m a Frequent Traveler, and I’m Grabbing This Baseus Portable Power Bank While It’s 30% Off for Memorial Day

It has 45 watts of power, fits in the palm of your hand and is discounted to just $28.

Whether it’s summer road trips or a longer vacation, there’s nothing quite as frustrating as when your phone runs low on battery on the go. And if you’re like me, the coming months will bring a lot of on-the-go time. I’ve purchased numerous power banks over the years, and I’m about to buy another. Thanks to some excellent Memorial Day savings, the Baseus Picogo three-output portable charger is down to $28, a $12 savings on the regular $40 price. To get the discount, clip the Amazon on-page coupon code 7MPTB3RR.

While having any kind of portable power bank is handy, the Baseus Picogo has a few features that make it extra appealing. It has a 45-watt output, which charges devices rapidly. (An iPhone 15 Pro can go from nothing to 57% in just 30 minutes.) When fully charged, the bank provides enough power to charge two cellphones to nearly 100% without requiring a recharge.

It also takes only about two hours to recharge to full battery, which is perfect for that mid-afternoon power nap in your hotel room before you head out for more adventures. The device is also available in three colors (white, gray and black) and is basically palm-sized (3.47 inches by 2.35 inches by 1.06 inches).

One of the features I really appreciate is that the power bank can charge up to three devices simultaneously, including earbuds. And because it’s compatible with both Apple and Android devices, you can charge your friend’s phone at the same time as yours. It also has a built-in USB-C cable to recharge the power bank without the need for an additional cable. I’m also a fan of the LED digital display that shows the remaining battery power.

Why this deal matters

Baseus is a trusted brand here at CNET, and the two-port version of this model is the best dual-port charger for iPhone. Even at $40, this portable power bank is worth considering, but with a 30% discount, it’s a great time to snap one up and add it to your travel arsenal.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Friday, Jan. 23

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 23.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Hope you’re familiar with a certain blond actor (8-Across)! Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Attach, as one plant to another
Answer: GRAFT

6A clue: Email button with a backward-facing arrow
Answer: REPLY

7A clue: Make very excited
Answer: AMPUP

8A clue: Two-time Best Actor nominee Nick
Answer: NOLTE

9A clue: Total dork
Answer: DWEEB

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Word that can precede piano, total or staircase
Answer: GRAND

2D clue: Cut again, as a lawn
Answer: REMOW

3D clue: Company whose logo has a bite taken out of it
Answer: APPLE

4D clue: Champagne glass
Answer: FLUTE

5D clue: Laid-back kind of personality
Answer: TYPEB

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Technologies

‘Is Microsoft Down?’ Outlook and Teams Go Dark in Widespread Outage

It’s not just you: Numerous Microsoft services weren’t working most of Thursday, and the outage is continuing.

Thursday has been a tough work day for many — or maybe, a great one, depending on how eager you are to access work-related programs. Microsoft services, including Outlook, Teams and Microsoft 365 are experiencing a significant outage that’s still going on as of early evening, Pacific time. Microsoft hasn’t announced an expected time when everything will be back up and running.

You can follow the official Microsoft 365 Status account on the social-media platform X, which has been regularly posting updates about the outage.

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The first post there, from 11:37 a.m. PT, said that the company was «investigating a potential issue impacting multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Purview. Further information can be found in the admin center under MO1221364.»

The admin center is the dashboard for IT admins managing Microsoft 365 services.

You can also monitor Microsoft’s Service Health Status page. That page is noting that «users may be seeing degraded service functionality or be unable to access multiple Microsoft 365 services.»

A representative for Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Ring’s Latest Feature Lets You Verify Shared Security Videos

With so many fake videos out there, the home-security company is adding a level of protection.

Popular home security brand Ring announced that videos shared from its devices can now be verified, so customers know they’re watching an authentic, unaltered video. Ring says the new verification process is similar to a security seal on a package or medicine bottle, indicating that no one has tampered with it.

The new feature is available starting Thursday, and it doesn’t matter which Ring device recorded the video. All videos downloaded directly from the Ring app are automatically verified and include a security seal for authenticity.

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When someone sends you a Ring video, you can now visit Ring’s verification page, paste the video link, and determine immediately whether the video is verified. The website doesn’t send your video anywhere. It stays locally on your device, and all verification checks happen within your browser. The verification website only accepts MP4 files, the format Ring videos are saved.

Videos downloaded before December 2025 or edited videos cannot be verified. Ring says that even minor adjustments, such as shaving a couple of seconds off the beginning or end of a video, or even adjusting brightness levels, will render it unverifiable.