Xbox users hoping to enjoy some solid playtime over the weekend were stymied on Saturday, following an outage that lasted about nine hours. Microsoft issued a tweet around 4pm ET on Saturday, acknowledging that some users were unable to purchase and launch games or join Cloud Gaming sessions. The service Downdetector also logged a spike in error reports around that time.

Players could have switched to physical discs (if they owned a console that even had a disc slot) or, in theory, they could have played offline. But, as The Verge reports, even offline play wasn't working for some users.

Microsoft posted an update around 1am ET on Sunday, saying users should no longer be experiencing those issues, though Downdetector notes a trickle of new complaints that has continued into Sunday morning. 

Adding to players' frustrations, this was in fact the second Xbox Network outage so far this weekend. Xbox suffered a similar outage that began late Friday afternoon and extended into Saturday morning, with Microsoft then, too, warning of problems with launching and buying games, and starting Cloud Gaming sessions. In addition, Microsoft admitted, some users were also struggling during the earlier outage accessing streaming apps such as Netflix and Disney+. 

Microsoft only claimed to have fully resolved the Friday outage at 1pm on Saturday, about three hours before user complaints began to spike again. 

Folks who enjoy camping or weekend trips in an RV now have another way to access the internet when they set up shop for the night — as long as they don't mind lugging around Starlink hardware and paying $135 per month. A new feature called Portability allows users to temporarily use Starlink when they're away from home.

In the US, Portability costs $25 per month. That's on top of the regular service fee, which SpaceX recently bumped up to $110 per month. The hardware now costs $599 for those without a preorder.

Beyond the cost, there are a few other limits to Portability. For instance, it's not worth taking a terminal with you on a transatlantic trip. Starlink says the feature is only available when users are on the same continent as their registered service address. If you use Starlink in another country for longer than two months, you'll need to change the registered address to one in that jurisdiction.

Starlink still doesn't support in-motion use as yet either, so you'll need to find a stationary spot that's within the service area and has a clear view of the sky. Meanwhile, it says Portability is offered on a "best effort basis." Customers who are at their registered service address will receive priority access to the network. "When you bring your Starlink to a new location, this prioritization may result in degraded service, particularly at times of peak usage or network congestion," Starlink wrote on a support page.

That said, the feature could give users much more flexibility. Starlink can provide internet access in areas that aren't covered by cell towers, which could make Portability particularly useful for digital nomads who want to work from just about anywhere.

At the start of the year, Google announced the Privacy Sandbox on Android project, a new system designed to eventually replace today's existing third-party cookie schemes and reinvent a more privacy-centered method for serving advertisements. After an initial round of alpha testing and feedback, Google announced on Thursday that the first developer's preview of the sandbox is now available as part of Android 13 beta 1.

The Privacy Sandbox is a multi-year development effort that will "limit sharing of user data with third parties and operate without cross-app identifiers, including advertising ID," Google wrote in a February announcement. "We’re also exploring technologies that reduce the potential for covert data collection, including safer ways for apps to integrate with advertising SDKs." 

This preview provides developers with early looks at the sandbox's SDK Runtime and Topics API so that they can better understand how they'll fit into their apps and processes once it is officially released. We first saw Topics API back in January. It pulls data from the Chrome browser to identify the user's top five interests for the week, based on their search and browsing history. Those topics are then compared against a database of topics from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Google's own data. Partner publishers can then ping the Topics API, see what the user is currently into, and then serve the most appropriate ads without having to know every nitty-gritty detail about their potential customer.

Developers will also have access to an early version of the Fledge API. This allows sites to run "remarket" to existing users — ie, serving users ads to remind them that they left items in their shopping cart and should just check out already. The Sandbox comes with everything that developers will need to test it, including the Android SDK and 64-bit Android Emulator. The company intends to further refine the toolset over the coming months and welcomes feedback and questions from the developer community 

The US Postal Service is facing more than just stern warnings over its decision to buy mostly gas-powered mail delivery trucks. Environmental activist groups (including the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club) and 16 states have filed lawsuits in California and New York State to challenge the Postal Service's Next Generation Delivery Vehicle purchasing decision. They argue the USPS's environmental review was flawed and illegal, ignoring the "decades of pollution" the combustion-engine trucks would produce.

The USPS allegedly violated the National Environmental Policy Act by committing to buy 165,000 delivery vehicles (just 10 percent of them electric) without first conducting a "lawful" environmental review. The service only started its review six months after it had signed a contract, according to the California lawsuit. Both suits accuse the USPS of using botched estimates, including "unrealistically high" battery costs as well as wildly low fuel prices and emissions levels. They also noted that contract recipient Oshkosh Defense has no experience producing EVs.

The lawsuit also pointed out that the gas versions of the next-gen vehicle weren't much kinder to the climate than their roughly 30-year-old predecessors. While the 14.7MPG without air conditioning beats the earlier models' 8.2MPG, that fuel economy drops to just 8.6MPG with air conditioning turned on. Many of the powerplant-independent upgrades revolve around ergonomics, such as easier access to packages.

In a statement to the Associated Press, USPS spokesperson Kim Frum maintained that the organization implemented a "robust and thorough review" that met NEPA requirements. Previously, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy maintained that the institution couldn't afford to buy more EVs and needed to concentrate on basic infrastructure upgrades. Unlike many government agencies, the Postal Service is legally required to be self-sufficient and can't request government help to tackle deficits and debts.

Not that those arguments will necessarily help. If successful, the lawsuits will halt the truck order until it honors the plaintiffs' expectations for NEPA and other regulations. This doesn't guarantee an increased volume of EVs, but it won't be surprising if the USPS ends up falling more in line with the current White House's push for zero-emissions vehicles.

You're probably looking forward to spending more time outside now that the weather is getting nicer, and there are ways you can spruce up your backyard setup to it even more comfortable. Solo Stove's fire pits can cut the chill of spring nights without filling your spot with smoke like traditional fire pits would. Now, thanks to the company's spring sale, you can pick up any of its three fire pits for much less than usual. The smallest in the lineup, the Ranger, is $100 off and down to $200, while the mid-sized Bonfire is down to $240. The biggest of them all, the Yukon, is a whopping $325 off and down to $425.

We've recommended Solo Stove devices in a few outdoor guides, most recently in our fall gear guide, but these fire pits can be used all year round. The biggest perk they have in comparison to cheaper fire pits is that they channel smoke away from you using their double-walled design that pulls air through vent holes and back into the fire. This helps keep the flames hot, reduce smoke and create fine ash.

All three Solo Stove fire pits have solid, one-piece, stainless steel designs, which makes them easy to set up, clean and even transport. The 15-pound Ranger and the 20-pound Bonfire are the most portable of the bunch, while the 38-pound Yukon is probably best left in a permanent spot in your backyard. The smaller two fire pits come with a carry case, and while you can position them correctly on the ground or a concrete patio, we recommend picking up a bundle that includes a stand so you'll have more placement options. In addition to the stand, the "backyard bundle" also includes a shield, which keeps pops and embers from escaping, along with a weather-resistant shelter bag.

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Two of the largest American cable providers are joining forces to adapt to the internet era. Charter and Comcast have unveiled a joint venture that will create a "next-generation" streaming platform for a range of branded media devices and smart TVs. It will be based on Comcast's Flex, and will unsurprisingly include services like Peacock and the free-to-watch Xumo alongside "all the top apps."

The platform will be available on Comcast's XClass TVs, while Charter will provide streaming devices with voice remotes starting in 2023. Flex and Xumo will still be available as independent products, so you won't have to buy new hardware.

The telecoms stressed that they each had equal stakes in the joint venture, and that their cable and broadband services weren't involved. Charter will initially pour $900 million into the project over "multiple years."

The team-up isn't shocking. Both Charter and Comcast face ongoing pressure from a growing number of streaming services, including Disney+ and the eventual combination of Discovery+ and HBO Max. It's also known that Comcast's Peacock, while moderately successful, remains small compared to heavyweights like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. The new platform could help the cable companies thrive even if their conventional TV subscriptions continue to decline, and might boost services like Peacock and Xumo in the process.

You no longer have to hold back if you've wanted to tip YouTube creators with a Super Thanks. YouTube has made the tipping feature available to all eligible creators in the 68 countries where the service's Partner Program exists. As a viewer, you now have the option to customize the comment that appears when you tip, whether you're watching on desktop or mobile.

Super Thanks is the latest form of YouTube's long-running efforts to get fans directly supporting video producers. You can spend between $2 to $50 to show your appreciation and get a specially-colored comment to highlight your contribution. YouTube takes a 30 percent cut, but this is theoretically easier for creators than linking a separate crowdfunding service (such as Patreon) and hoping viewers contribute.

The feature joins the livestream-oriented Super Chat. While it's still soon to say if the expanded Super Thanks will see much uptake, it could give some creatives a stronger incentive to post videos on YouTube instead of limiting themselves to TikTok, Twitch and other platforms where some form of tipping is already widely available.

You won't be able to see the long-awaited Super Mario Bros. movie in theatres for the holidays this year: Nintendo has pushed back the animated film's release date to April 2023 from December 2022. Acclaimed video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto has announced the delay on Twitter, along with film's the new premiere dates of April 28th in Japan and April 7th in North America.

Miyamoto didn't reveal the reason behind the delay or say if the COVID-19 pandemic had anything to do with it. He only said that he and Chris Meledandri, the CEO of Illumination animation studio, have decided to move the film's global release date. The Nintendo exec also apologized and promised that "it will be well worth the wait." Illumination, known for the Despicable Me and Minions franchise, is animating the movie, while Universal is co-financing and distributing it in North America. 

The Super Mario Bros. movie has been in the works since 2017 and has been in "priority development" at Illumination over the past few years. It will feature the voices of Chris Pratt at Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. Jack Black will voice the legendary bad guy Bowser, while Seth Rogen will voice Donkey Kong. Charles Martinet, the actor who portrayed Mario in various games across the franchise, will also voice various cameos throughout the film.

A group of 21 quality assurance testers at Raven Software have received the blessing of the National Labor Relations Board to conduct a union vote, per a 27-page ruling from the agency released Friday. Raven's parent company — Activision Blizzard —did not respond in time to a request for voluntary recognition for the new union, the Game Workers Alliance, back in January. 

Tensions within the company came to a head last December, when approximately a third of the group's QA testers were suddenly laid off — after several months of promises to improve compensation. Raven workers began organizing shortly thereafter, and engaged in a weeks-long strike. 

Once they returned to work, however, they were informed their unit would be broken up. "Our QA colleagues will embed directly within various teams across the studio," was how Raven Studio head Brian Raffel put it at the time, a move the seemed intended to stymie unionization efforts. 

Since then, Activision tried to convince the NLRB that the dispersed nature of the QA team should be grounds to dismiss the vote. But as per today's ruling, the agency didn't sign on to that view. According to Jennifer Hadsall, a regional director of the agency, there is “no evidence that Q.A. testers are being eliminated or that their role would fundamentally change with the embed process.” Activision also tried (and failed) to convince the NLRB that the entirety of Raven Studio's estimated 230 employees would need to be included in the vote.

"We are pleased that after reviewing the evidence, the National Labor Relations Board rejected Raven Software management’s attempts to undermine our efforts to form a union," a group of Game Workers Alliance organizers told Engadget over email. "It’s now time for Raven management to stop trying to prevent us from exercising our rights. We are looking forward to voting for - and winning - our union."

According to a statement from Activision, the company is “disappointed that a decision that could significantly impact the future of our entire studio will be made by fewer than 10 percent of our employees.” The company is also seeking avenues to appeal the NLRB's ruling. 

Raven software was founded over 30 years ago and had a hand in producing some beloved games like Heretic and Hexen during the golden age of first-person shooters. Since its acquisition by Activision in 1997, it's role has largely been reduced to maintaining the Call of Duty franchise. 

Tensions between Raven and its owners have mirrored those within Activision Blizzard at large, where sexual misconduct claims, allegedly covered up by the company's top brass have roiled rank-and-file workers. Employees staged a walkout last November in disgust, to voice dissent against the corporate culture in general and CEO Bobby Kotick in specific. Earlier this week it was reported that on two separate occasions, Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg used her influence to allegedly quash negative stories about Kotick, her then-boyfriend, that were in the works at British tabloid The Daily Mail. 

The NLRB will begin mailing out ballots to eligible part-time and full-time QA workers, who will have until May 20 to cast; a vote count is presently schedule to take place on May 23. 

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HBO Max and HBO picked up 3 million subscribers in the same quarter that Netflix lost 200,000 of them for the first time in years, Variety reported. The streaming/cable service reported earnings under former parent AT&T for the last time, as it's set to become part of the new Warner Bros. Discovery media conglomerate.

The lion's share of new HBO/HBO Max subs were in the US (1.8 mllion), and the services now count 48.6 million subscribers domestically and 76.8 million worldwide. That's up 12.8 million over last year, showing solid growth. (HBO Max costs $15 per month ad-free or $10 with ads, and HBO on cable is $15 per month.)

However, it was still a drag on parent AT&T (for the last time). WarnerMedia revenue was down 32.7 percent over last year to $1.3 billion due to investments in HBO Max and the failed launch of CNN+.

That's essentially why AT&T decided to divest WarnerMedia and focus strictly on its core telecom business. To wit, the company announced its largest gain in post-paid phone net additions in more than a decade. Excluding WarnerMedia and other divested businesses, AT&T revenue was $29.7 billion, up 2.5 percent over the same quarter last year.

With WarnerMedia and Discovery divested, AT&T plans to invest any free cash in 5G and fiber deployments (it still has $169 billion in debt, despite the $43 billion dollar deal to sell WarnerMedia.) "AT&T has entered a new era," said CEO John Stankey in a prepared statement during the company's earnings call.