Technologies
Who’s Up to Fight Mega-Corporations in the Outer Worlds 2 on Xbox Game Pass?
Save the universe by fighting one CEO at a time in The Outer Worlds 2, plus play other great games coming to Xbox Game Pass in October.
Space is the final frontier, and it’s packed with some devious mega-corporations who are out to make a buck in The Outer Worlds 2. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can fight them in the highly anticipated sequel starting on Oct. 29.
Xbox Game Pass offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, smart TV and PC or mobile device, with prices starting at $10 a month. While all Game Pass tiers offer you a library of games, Game Pass Ultimate ($30 a month) gives you access to the most games, as well as Day 1 games, like Hollow Knight: Silksong, added monthly.
Here are all the games subscribers can play on Game Pass soon. You can also check out other games the company added to the service in October, including Ninja Gaiden 4.
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PowerWash Simulator 2
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 23.
If you’ve ever spent hours watching people on YouTube clean dirty rugs, cars and other grimy objects, you should check out PowerWash Simulator 2. As the name suggests, this sequel is all about blasting away dirt and filth from pools, homes and other objects around town. You have a furry kitty companion, and yes, you can pet them when you’ve finished cleaning.
Bounty Star
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 23.
The American Southwest has devolved into a lawless, post-apocalyptic desert called the Red Expanse in this game. You’re out to clean the place up in this game by taking down major bounties issued by the government, and the best way to do that is by piloting and customizing a giant mech, of course. When you want to nurse your wounds, head back to your run-down garage to rest, grow and cook food and raise animals. It’s like a cozy Armored Core game.
Super Fantasy Kingdom (game preview)
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 24.
After returning from a hunting trip, you find your 8-bit kingdom wrecked in this game. You must rebuild your domain in this roguelite, city builder. But as night falls, hordes of monsters emerge to tear everything back down. Build, mine, cook and grow your home, and prepare to defend it from all dangers.
Halls of Torment
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 28.
Get ready to descend into the deadly Halls of Torment in this retro, horde survival game. You can choose between 11 playable characters, each with their own playstyle, and equip various items and abilities to survive waves of enemies. This game is like Vampire Survivors, so if you like that game give this one a shot.
The Outer Worlds 2
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 29.
Clear your calendar for this sequel to the award-winning sci-fi adventure, The Outer Worlds. This time, you’re an Earth Directorate agent investigating the cause of devastating rifts that could destroy humanity. You have a new ship, new crew, new enemies and mega-corporation goons standing between you and the answers.
1000xResist
Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Nov. 4.
One thousand years in the future, humanity is hanging on by a thread after a disease spread by alien occupation forces people to live underground in this sci-fi adventure game. You play as Watcher, and you fulfill your duties well, until one day you make a shocking discovery. This game won a Peabody Award in 2024, and it was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Game Writing that same year, so get ready for a story like no other.
Football Manager 26
Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers can start playing on Oct. 29.
Get ready for a more immersive matchday experience in the latest installment of the Football Manager franchise. You can build a star-studded squad with new transfer tools, and this entry features official Premier League licenses and women’s football for the first time in the series’ history.
Game Pass subscribers can play the standard or Console edition of this game.
Games leaving Game Pass on Oct. 31
While Microsoft is adding those games to Game Pass, it’s also removing three others from the service on Oct. 31. So you still have some time to finish your campaign and any side quests before you have to buy these games separately.
Jusant
Metal Slug Tactics
Return to Monkey Island
For more on Xbox, discover other games available on Game Pass now and check out our hands-on review of the gaming service. You can also learn about recent changes to the Game Pass service.
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.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
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.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
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.
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