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Verizon's network is experiencing technical issues that are impacting calls and wireless data. Verizon customers on X have reported seeing "SOS" rather than the traditional network bars on their smartphones, and even the network provider's own status page struggled to load, likely due to the number of customers trying to access it.
Based on the experience of Verizon users on Engadget's staff, the services that are impacted appear to be calls and wireless data. Text messages continue to be delivered normally, at least for some users. On DownDetector, reports of a Verizon outage started growing around 12PM ET and numbered in the hundreds of thousands at their peak.
DownDetector also shows spikes in outage reports on competing networks like AT&T and T-Mobile, but in terms of magnitude, they're much smaller than the issue Verizon is facing. For example, Verizon peaked at 181,769 reports, while AT&T's was just 1,769 reports. The difference between the two is great enough that those AT&T reports could be from people trying to contact Verizon customers and thinking that their personal network was the problem.
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 Apple has confirmed that it will continue to offer a one-time-purchase version of Final Cut Pro for Mac for $299.99, but will that version receive every new feature?
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 Verizon today experienced a major outage, which it now says has been resolved. To make up for the inconvenience, the carrier has promised that all affected customers will be credited an unspecified amount, with more details to be shared soon.
We are working non-stop and making progress. Our teams will continue to work through the night until service is restored for all impacted customers.
We will make this right -…
— Verizon News (@VerizonNews) January 15, 2026
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Verizon's network appears to be having technical issues that are impacting calls and wireless data. Verizon customers on X have reported seeing "SOS" rather than the traditional network bars on their smartphones, and even the network provider's own status page is struggling to load during the outage.
Based on the experience of Verizon users on Engadget's staff, the services that are impacted appear to be calls and wireless data. Text messages continue to be delivered normally, at least for some users. On DownDetector, reports of a Verizon outage started growing around 12PM ET and numbered in the hundreds of thousands at their peak.
DownDetector also shows spikes in outage reports on competing networks like AT&T and T-Mobile, but in terms of magnitude, they're much smaller than the issue Verizon is facing. For example, Verizon peaked at 181,769 reports, while AT&T's was just 1,769 reports. The difference between the two is great enough that those AT&T reports could be from people trying to contact Verizon customers and thinking that their personal network was the problem.
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AirTags already have a decently long battery life, but you will end up needing to replace the coin cell every two years or so. If you don't even want to be bothered with that, Elevation Lab made just the accessory for you: its AirTag battery case that can power the tracker for up to 10 years is on sale for 30 percent off. You can pick one up for only $16, and it's available in two- and four-packs as well at a discount.
The TimeCapsule case uses two AA batteries to offer up to 14 times the lifespan of the CR2032 battery that powers an AirTag. The company based those estimates on Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries, so your mileage may vary. Once an AirTag is seated inside the case, which is a compact 4.45 x 1.57 inches, it is sealed shut with four screws at the corners. The case is fiber-reinforced, according to Elevation Lab, and rated IP69 waterproof.
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The UK government has backtracked on a plan to require all workers to have a digital ID following a backlash. It will no longer be mandatory to register with the digital ID program to prove one has the right to work in the country, as the BBC reports.
The government announced the now-scrapped digital ID requirement in September. "You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID," Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said at the time. "It's as simple as that."
The government still plans to fully transition to digital right-to-work checks by 2029, using the likes of biometric passports, as it seeks to do away with paper-based systems. Those are "open to fraud and abuse," a government spokesperson said.
Officials have still not explained exactly how the digital ID program will work. The government originally framed digital IDs as a way to make it easier to identify immigrants who are working in the country without having the legal right to do so. It is now said to be focusing more on pressing home the message that digital IDs will help people access public services.
A service called One Login will be part of the digital ID system — this currently can be used for things like applying for a veteran card and canceling a lost passport. More than 12 million people have signed up so far. Another service called Wallet will let people store their digital ID on their phone. This would contain their name, date of birth, nationality, residence status and a photo.
Almost 3 million people signed an official parliamentary petition
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 Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser that was first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed ?Safari Technology Preview? to allow users to test features that are planned for future release versions of the Safari browser.
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To comply with Australia's under-16 social media ban, Meta said on Medium that it has shut down nearly 550,00 accounts. That number includes 330,000 Instagram, 173,000 Facebook and 40,000 Threads accounts deemed to belong to children. "Ongoing compliance with the law will be a multi-layered process that we will continue to refine, though our concerns about determining age online without an industry standard remain," the company wrote.
Australia's minimum age social media ban, the first of its kind in the world for a democracy, went into effect on December 10. The ten platforms affected, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, Reddit and Twitch, must bar underage users or face a fine of up to $AUD 49.5 million ($33 million). Platforms are using a variety of means to determine age, including age inference based on activity and selfies.
Some of those platforms aren't taking the ban lying down. Reddit, which launched a lawsuit against the Australian government, argued that it shouldn't have been included in the ban since it isn't a social media site, while adding that it comes with some "serious privacy and political expression issues" for users.
Meta also expressed its opposition to the ban, citing a number of factors. It says taking social media out of the hands of teens can isolate them from
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NEW RESOURCES WXXI: Digitized issues of the weekly Brighton-Pittsford Post's entire run now available online. "The entire production run of the Brighton-Pittsford Post has been digitized and is now available online. The […]
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