Source:  The Verge (Nov 18, 2025)

A major Cloudflare outage on Tuesday morning briefly knocked major platforms like X, ChatGPT, Downdetector, Uber, Spotify, and dozens more offline. The issue stemmed from an internal configuration file that unexpectedly grew too large, crashing a key system that manages threat traffic. Cloudflare confirmed there was no attack involved — just a latent software bug triggered by a routine update.

The company rolled out a fix within a few hours, restoring most services and continuing to monitor for lingering errors. The incident comes on the heels of other major infrastructure failures, including recent AWS and Microsoft Azure outages that also disrupted huge parts of the internet.

Source:  TechCrunch (Nov 18, 2025)

Google launched Gemini 3, its most advanced AI model yet, now available through the Gemini app and AI search. Arriving just months after Gemini 2.5 and close on the heels of releases from OpenAI and Anthropic, the model shows major gains in reasoning and scored a record 37.4 on Humanity’s Last Exam. A research version, Gemini 3 Deepthink, will follow after additional safety checks.

The company also unveiled Google Antigravity, a new Gemini-powered coding interface that combines a prompt window, command line, and browser for agentic, real-time coding. Google says the Gemini app now has over 650 million monthly users, with 13 million developers using it in their workflows.

Source:  The Verge (Nov 18, 2025)

Microsoft has launched Agent 365, a new platform that helps businesses manage AI agents the same way they manage human employees. Positioned as part of Microsoft’s broader “agent factory” vision, Agent 365 acts as a centralized control plane where companies can deploy, organize, and monitor AI agents at scale. The system includes dashboards with telemetry, alerts, and clear visibility into how agents operate, making it easier for organizations to enforce permissions, integrate agents with Microsoft 365 apps, and maintain security through the Microsoft Entra registry.

Beyond Microsoft’s own tools, Agent 365 also supports a wider ecosystem of third-party agents from companies like Adobe, Nvidia, ServiceNow, and Workday. Admins can view real-time connections between agents, employees, and data to ensure safe behavior and prevent misuse. Agent 365 is now available through Microsoft’s Frontier early-access program, giving IT teams a chance to test and refine how they’ll adopt AI agents in their workflows.

Before:  Which AI tools should I use?

After:
I currently pay for or use these AI tools:[List each tool with monthly cost if applicable]
For each tool, analyze:
1. Frequency of use (daily/weekly/monthly/never)
2. Specific use cases where it's irreplaceable vs. redundant
3. Cost per actual use (if paid)
4. Whether another tool on my list does this better
Then categorize:
- KEEP & Double Down (core to my workflow)
- COMMIT or QUIT (underutilizing—give me ONE way to use it better this week, or recommend I cancel)
- KILL IMMEDIATELY (redundant, unused, or better free alternatives exist)
Be ruthlessly honest.

Why it works: This prompt forces you to look at actual usage and cost-benefit reality. The "COMMIT or QUIT" category gives you a clear action: use it intentionally this week or cancel it guilt-free.

When I ran this, I canceled three subscriptions and saved $600/month.

Your weekly must-try AI tools & resources

Reply and tell me ONE AI tool, prompt, or workflow you're genuinely grateful for this year—and specifically WHY it mattered.

Not "ChatGPT is cool." I want the story. What problem did it solve? What time did it save?

I'll feature the best stories in next week's issue.

Alternative: What AI tool totally flopped for you this year? Let's commiserate.

Hit reply. I read everyone, and your stories shape what I write about next.

Next week: My favorite AI wins of 2025—and hopefully yours too.

Until then, keep what works, kill what doesn't.

Your AI friend who's grateful you're here

Catch you next Wednesday,

P.S. If this resonated, forward it to someone who needs to hear it. New here? Subscribe to Prompt & Polish—where we skip the hype and focus on what actually works.