TikTok Sued by US Justice Department for Alleged Violations of Kids’ Privacy
The social media company, already fighting for its existence in the US, now has to contend with a potentially expensive penalty stemming from its policies toward users under 13. ⌘ Read more

No, The Seine Cleanup Wasn’t a Failure
The goal of the Seine-cleansing project is to produce swimmable conditions for the people of Paris for years to come—the Olympics was just a milestone in getting there. ⌘ Read more

Sensitive Illinois Voter Data Exposed by Contractor’s Unsecured Databases
Social Security numbers, death certificates, voter applications, and other personal information was accessible on the open internet, highlighting the ongoing challenges in election security. ⌘ Read more

A New Trick Could Block the Misuse of Open Source AI
Researchers have developed a way to tamperproof open source large language models to prevent them from being coaxed into, say, explaining how to make a bomb. ⌘ Read more

Kamala Harris and the Paradox of Progress
The vice president’s political theater is inspiring raucous reactions and online goodwill—but it’s also already showing cracks, and obscuring the harsher realities of America. ⌘ Read more

Edifier Stax Spirit S5 Headphones Review: Great Sound, No Noise Canceling
These wireless planar magnetic headphones are the perfect way to maintain pristine audio quality on the go. ⌘ Read more

How to Clear Your Watch History on Netflix, Apple TV+, YouTube, and More
Hiding your streaming habits increases your privacy and improves the recommendations you see. Here’s how to clear your viewing history on every major streamer. ⌘ Read more

Trump’s Crypto Embrace Could Be a Disaster for Bitcoin
At the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Donald Trump promised the crypto community the moon. They’d better hope they don’t get it. ⌘ Read more

The Best Electric Kick Scooters of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
These WIRED-tested two-wheelers will help you scoot scoot scoot around town. ⌘ Read more

MSI Claw Review: Don’t Buy This Gaming Handheld
Even MSI is ready to replace this poorly functioning gaming handheld. ⌘ Read more

Welcome to the Weird Era
You can call politicians castigating the childless and companies marketing AI assistants a lot of things, but it’s au courant to call them weird. The Era of Weird has been a long time coming—but may have a cringey future ahead. ⌘ Read more

You Won’t Believe What Car Headlights Have in Store
New technology and a drive toward electrified powertrains have converged to create a flashy new car-lighting landscape. What comes next could be an international light language. ⌘ Read more

Tuariki Delamere’s Somersault Could Have Launched a New Era in the Olympic Long Jump
The New Zealander came up with a better way to jump, using a front flip in midair. But the sport’s stodgy authorities shut him down before the 1975 Games. ⌘ Read more

How the ‘Slamming Door’ Sound Became Embedded in Hip-Hop History
If you’ve listened to any rap or pop music made in the 21st century, you’ve heard John Lehmkuhl’s most famous creation, a thwacking metallic percussion sample named “Tribe.” ⌘ Read more

Intel Is Cutting More Than 15,000 Jobs Despite Getting Billions From the US Government
The chipmaker, which has fallen behind competitors, is slashing 15 percent of its workforce. ⌘ Read more

How ‘World of Warcraft’ Devs Launched One of the Biggest Unions in Video Games
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard created an environment that helped workers. Amid layoffs and worries about AI, their efforts could be an indicator of the future of the industry. ⌘ Read more

The Shameful Controversy Over Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif
Imane Khelif has always defined herself as a woman, and has every right to compete. ⌘ Read more

The 61 Best Movies on Disney+ Right Now (August 2024)
The Beach Boys, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version), and Fantastic Mr. Fox are just a few of the movies you should be watching on Disney+ this month. ⌘ Read more

How QAnon Destroys American Families
WIRED speaks with Jesselyn Cook, whose recent book chronicles five families impacted by QAnon. ⌘ Read more

To Lead in AI, the US Needs a Silicon Revolution
US Commerce Department undersecretary Laurie E. Locascio says America needs to invent new chip manufacturing techniques. ⌘ Read more

He Was an FBI Informant—and Inspired a Generation of Violent Extremists
Joshua Caleb Sutter infiltrated far-right extremist organizations as a confidential FBI informant, all while promoting hateful ideologies that influenced some of the internet’s most violent groups. ⌘ Read more

Asus Chromebook CM14 Review: An Uber-Cheap Laptop
This is a good basic budget laptop, but aggressive Chromebook Plus sales might have you thinking twice. ⌘ Read more

How to Quickly Remove Bloatware and Invasive Apps From Your Computer
Using the free service Privacy.Sexy, you can generate custom scripts that will rid your Mac or Windows PC of preinstalled apps and features you never use. ⌘ Read more

What Project 2025 Means for Big Tech … and Everyone Else
From abolishing the Federal Trade Commission to rolling back labor rights, the right’s vision for tech is unfettered deregulation. ⌘ Read more

Six-Word Sci-Fi: Stories Written by You
Here’s this month’s prompt, how to submit, and an illustrated archive of past favorites. ⌘ Read more

LG C4 OLED Review: The Best High-End TV for Most People
This gorgeous high-end TV is this year’s best buy for home cinephiles. ⌘ Read more

16 Best Fitness Trackers (2024): Watches, Bands, and Rings
Whether you’re skiing in the backcountry or trampolining in the backyard, we have an activity tracker for you. ⌘ Read more

Dating Apps Are Dehumanizing. Let’s Try Something New
This week, we talk about the arrival of Date Like Goblins and chart the rise of niche, interest-specific platforms for online dating. ⌘ Read more

Democrats Have Finally Learned the Value of Shitposting
After struggling through a changing social media landscape for years, Democratic strategists have figured out how to go viral. ⌘ Read more

How Telegram Game ‘Hamster Kombat’ Got 300 Million Users—and the Ire of Iran’s Military
In June, Iranian authorities claimed the crypto game was distracting voters during the presidential election. Last month, Telegram’s CEO touted its potential to bring millions to blockchain. Its creators say they’re just getting started. ⌘ Read more

A $500 Open-Source Tool Lets Anyone Hack Computer Chips With Lasers
The RayV Lite will make it hundreds of times cheaper for anyone to carry out physics-bending feats of hardware hacking. ⌘ Read more

8 Best Cheap Smartphones (2024): iPhone, Android, 5G
There’s little reason to pay top dollar for a smartphone. These iPhones and Android devices—ranging from $150 to $500—stood up to WIRED’s testing. ⌘ Read more

The Cure for Disposable Plastic Crap Is Here—and It’s Loony
Stretchy seaweed, reverse vending machines, QR-coded take-out boxes: They’re how we can break society’s absurd addiction to single-use plastics. ⌘ Read more

The Incredible Physics of Simone Biles’ Yurchenko Double Pike
Calculating angular velocity and the moment of inertia isn’t quite as hard as competing in the 2024 summer Olympics gymnastics tournament—but it’s pretty darn tough. ⌘ Read more

Amazon Has to Recall More Than 400,000 Dangerous Products
Regulators found that Amazon is responsible for defective products sold by its third-party vendor—which include flammable pajamas, faulty carbon monoxide detectors, and hair dryers that could electrocute you. ⌘ Read more

Election Deniers Are Ramping Up Efforts to Disenfranchise US Voters
After working for months to challenge thousands of voter registrations, election denial groups are now pushing ahead with plans to challenge voters and votes ahead of the election. ⌘ Read more

Meet the Swifties Campaigning for Kamala Harris
Taylor Swift enthusiasts’ experience operating stan accounts has provided them with the skills to organize—and the vice president’s campaign is getting in on the action. ⌘ Read more

The Best Cat Furniture, Scratching Posts, and Litter Boxes (2024)
Your cat needs scratching posts and litter boxes, but they don’t have to be ugly. ⌘ Read more

Moog Muse Review: A Machine for Musical Inspiration
This eight-voice analog synthesizer isn’t cheap, but it delivers a lot for the money. ⌘ Read more

Google Cracks Down on Explicit Deepfakes
Newly announced measures by the search giant aim to make AI-generated, or otherwise spoofed explicit content, more difficult to discover. ⌘ Read more

‘Date Like Goblins’ Thinks Playing Games Can Fix Dating Apps
More niche dating apps hope to disrupt the dominance of giants like Tinder and Hinge. The latest encourages people to date in “goblin mode.” ⌘ Read more

Donald Trump’s Plan to Hoard Billions in Bitcoin Has Economists Stumped
The former US president has promised to establish a “national bitcoin stockpile” if he’s reelected and use it to offset inflation. But economists think the plan has little merit. ⌘ Read more

10 Best Apple AirPods Cases We’ve Tried and Tested (2024)
From a can of Spam to a mini suitcase, these are our favorite ways to disguise (and protect) Apple’s wireless earbuds and over-the-ear headphones. ⌘ Read more

How to Create Your Own Browser Extension
This DIY coding project can add useful utility to Chrome, Firefox, or your daily web browser. ⌘ Read more

Can ChatGPT-4o Be Trusted With Your Private Data?
OpenAI’s newest model is “a data hoover on steroids,” says one expert—but there are still ways to use it while minimizing risk. ⌘ Read more

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus With AI News Widget: Specs, Prices, Availability
The company has bafflingly turned to its head of finance to be the unlikely voice of its irreverent news app—now available on all Nothing and CMF handsets, including the new Phone (2a) Plus. ⌘ Read more

The Best Sex Machines for Solo, Couple, or Long-Distance Playtime (2024)
If you’re going to invest in toys to enhance your sex life, why not go big? ⌘ Read more

The Affordable Connectivity Program Died—and Thousands of Households Have Already Lost Their Internet
The ACP provided affordable internet connectivity to low-income Americans. Since it expired in May, around 100,000 Charter subscribers have had to pull the plug. ⌘ Read more

The 51 Best Shows on Disney+ Right Now (August 2024)
World Eats Bread, X-Men ’97, and Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures are just a few of the shows you should be watching on Disney+ this month. ⌘ Read more

Wear This AI Friend Around Your Neck
The latest attempt at an AI-powered wearable is an always-listening pendant. But it doesn’t help you be more productive, it just keeps you company. ⌘ Read more