X launches Handle Marketplace: “Rare” usernames may cost up to seven figures X has opened a waitlist and shared details for its long-rumored Handle Marketplace, which aims to redistribute inactive usernames. The program introduces two tracks—priority and rare—with different paths to claim or purchase coveted handles. Two categories: Priority handles (e.g., full names or phrases like @GabrielJones or @PizzaEater) are tied to Premium+ and Premium Business plans and can be revoked if the subscription lapses. Rare handles (short, generic, or culturally significant names like @one, @fly, @compute) will be offered via merit-based public drops or invite-only fixed-price sales. Pricing: X says rare handles may range from roughly $2,500 to seven figures, depending on demand, character length, popularity, and cultural significance. Requirements: Premium+ or Premium Business is required to initiate a…

X launches Handle Marketplace: “Rare” usernames may cost up to seven figures X has detailed its long-rumored Handle Marketplace and opened a waitlist to redistribute inactive usernames. The initiative formalizes a process that previously thrived in gray markets, potentially turning high-value handles into tradable digital assets. Two categories: Priority handles (e.g., full names or phrases like @GabrielJones or @PizzaEater) are available to Premium+ and Premium Business subscribers and can be revoked if the subscription lapses. Rare handles (short, generic, or culturally significant names like @one, @fly, @compute) will be offered via merit-based public drops or invite-only fixed-price sales. Pricing: X says rare handles may range from roughly $2,500 to seven figures, depending on demand, character length, and cultural significance. Requirements: Premium+ or Premium Business is needed to initiate a rare…

X launches Handle Marketplace: “Rare” usernames may cost up to seven figures X has detailed its long-rumored Handle Marketplace and opened a waitlist to redistribute inactive usernames. The program introduces two tracks—“priority” and “rare”—with different paths to claim or purchase coveted handles. Two tracks: Priority handles (e.g., full names or phrases like @GabrielJones or @PizzaEater) are tied to Premium+ and Premium Business plans and can be revoked if the subscription lapses. Rare handles (short, generic, or culturally significant names like @one, @fly, @compute) will be offered via merit-based public drops or invite-only fixed-price sales. Pricing: X says rare handles may range from about $2,500 to over seven figures, depending on demand, character length, and cultural significance. Requirements: Premium+ or Premium Business is needed to initiate a rare handle transfer, but…

X launches Handle Marketplace: “Rare” usernames may cost up to seven figures X has opened a waitlist and shared details for its long-rumored Handle Marketplace, a system to redistribute inactive usernames. The program splits handles into two tracks: “priority” names bundled with certain paid tiers, and “rare” names that may be awarded via public drops or sold directly. Priority handles: Examples include full names or multi-word phrases (e.g., @GabrielJones, @PizzaEater). These are accessible to Premium+ and Premium Business subscribers, but X says it may revoke them if a subscription lapses. Rare handles: Short, generic, or culturally significant names (e.g., @one, @fly, @compute). X says some will be given away based on merit via public drops, while others will be offered for sale through invite-only, fixed-price listings. Pricing: X’s FAQ indicates…

Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic fund AFT program to train teachers on classroom AI Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic are backing a multi-year initiative with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to train educators on how to use AI in the classroom. According to reporting on October 20, 2025, the effort includes financial commitments and in-kind resources to help teachers adopt AI responsibly and improve student outcomes. Funding details reported: Microsoft is committing about $12.5 million; OpenAI is contributing $8 million plus approximately $2 million in technical support; Anthropic is pledging around $500,000 over five years. Focus: Practical training for educators on AI literacy, lesson planning with AI assistants, and classroom-ready guidelines for responsible and safe use. Why now: Schools are rapidly adopting generative AI tools, and teachers are seeking clear guidance,…

Anthropic expands Claude: Claude Code on the Web, Claude Life Sciences, and "Claude Skills" Anthropic rolled out several major updates to its Claude family of models on October 20, 2025: a web launch of Claude Code, a new Claude Life Sciences offering for research workflows, and a modular Claude Skills system that lets users build reusable task packs for agents. These moves signal Anthropic's push into developer tooling and specialized scientific applications. Claude Code aims to make AI-assisted coding accessible via the browser, while Claude Life Sciences targets research workflows in biology and related fields. Claude Skills packages instructions, scripts, and code into reusable modules to speed up complex, repeatable tasks. Claude Code on the Web: Browser access to Claude's code assistance and developer-focused features. (See coverage: mlq.ai.) Claude Life…

AWS US‑EAST‑1 Outage Disrupts Major Apps, Services (Oct 20, 2025) On Oct. 20, 2025, a significant outage in Amazon Web Services' US‑EAST‑1 region caused widespread disruptions across many popular websites, apps and services. Companies and consumers reported slow responses, failed transactions and error pages for services including Venmo, Lyft, Snapchat, Canva, Fortnite and even Amazon's Alexa. According to AWS status updates, the root cause was a DNS resolution issue affecting the DynamoDB API, first noted in the early hours of the morning. AWS applied mitigations, and by mid‑afternoon many services were returning to normal, though some customers still faced elevated error rates and delayed recoveries due to backlogs and EC2 instance launch limitations. Root cause: DNS resolution problems impacting the DynamoDB API in the us‑east‑1 (Northern Virginia) region. Impact: Intermittent…

Google Chelsea Office Briefly Closed for Bed-Bug Treatment Google employees at the Chelsea campus were told to stay home on Sunday after a suspected bed-bug infestation was discovered in the building. Exterminators treated the area overnight and staff were allowed to return Monday morning. The company asked employees to report any signs of bites or evidence of bed bugs and to contact professional exterminators if they accidentally brought bugs home. According to reporting that informed the story, a cluster of large stuffed animals in the office was cited as a possible source, though that detail was not independently confirmed. Key details Incident: Suspected bed-bug infestation at Google’s Chelsea (New York) office. Action taken: Employees told to remain home while professional exterminators treated the building; staff returned Monday. Employee guidance: Report…

AWS US‑EAST‑1 Outage Knocks Popular Apps Offline On October 20, 2025, a major Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage in the US‑EAST‑1 (Northern Virginia) region caused widespread interruptions across many popular websites, apps and services. Users reported disruptions to Amazon’s Alexa, payment app Venmo, Snapchat, Fortnite, Canva and more as DNS resolution problems and subsequent EC2 launch errors rippled through the cloud provider’s systems. According to AWS’s service health notices, engineers traced the root cause to a DNS resolution issue affecting the DynamoDB API early Monday. The DNS problem was reported as "fully mitigated" by AWS later, but dependent services continued to see increased error rates because of problems launching new EC2 instances and a backlog of requests. Timeline highlights: DNS/DynamoDB issue detected; mitigated later in the morning; residual problems persisted…

How to Get a Free Year of Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) Microsoft moved Windows 10 to "end of life" on October 14, which means the OS will stop receiving routine security updates by default. If you’re still on Windows 10, you have options: upgrade to Windows 11 if your PC is compatible, buy a new device, or enroll in Extended Security Updates (ESU) to keep receiving critical patches for another year. This post focuses on the ESU path, which can now be obtained for free in many cases. Below are the quick steps, caveats, and useful links so you can choose the safest option for your setup. Quick steps to enroll in ESU Make sure Windows 10 is fully up to date: go to Settings > System >…