California Supreme Court Rules That Uber and Lyft Drivers Will Remain Independent Contractors
In a major victory for app-based companies, their drivers will not be considered employees. ⌘ Read more

SearchGPT Is OpenAI’s Direct Assault on Google
The company behind ChatGPT is expanding into search, and leaning heavily on its relationships with publishers. ⌘ Read more

The 21 Best Movies on Apple TV+ Right Now (July 2024)
Fancy Dance, The Velvet Underground, and Argylle are just a few of the movies you should be watching on Apple TV+ this month. ⌘ Read more

New Jersey’s $500 Million Bid to Become an AI Epicenter
The Garden State has enacted a hefty new tax credit specifically for AI businesses. But tax incentives—particularly around data centers—haven’t always created large numbers of jobs. ⌘ Read more

Google DeepMind’s Game-Playing AI Tackles a Chatbot Blind Spot
Google’s new advance combines a large language model with a self-learning AI. The technique could address some shortcomings with AI—although there’s a catch. ⌘ Read more

Eminem’s New Album Prompted Gen X to Declare a TikTok ‘War’ on Gen Z
The release of Eminem’s new album The Death of Slim Shady has led to a series of viral shitposts from Gen X. Their targets, Gen Z, remain unbothered. ⌘ Read more

The 7 Best Folding Phones We’ve Tested and Reviewed (2024)
Ready to move on from the traditional glass slab? Introduce a hinge into your life with these folding smartphones. ⌘ Read more

The 13 Best Office Chairs in 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Sitting at a desk for hours? Upgrade your WFH setup and work in style with these comfy WIRED-tested seats. ⌘ Read more

Cars Are Now Rolling Computers, So How Long Will They Get Updates? Automakers Can’t Say
Phones are supported well beyond their average ownership lifetime. In stark contrast, automakers are struggling to work out how long their “smartphones on wheels” can be kept on the road. ⌘ Read more

Connect Wireless Headphones to Your TV to Watch Movies and Shows in Peace
You don’t have to stop watching when everyone else does. ⌘ Read more

Beats Pill (2024) Review: A Fortified Contender
Beats’ resurrected Pill speaker is bolder, brawnier, and better than ever. ⌘ Read more

Cannondale Moterra SL 2 Electric Mountain Bike Review: Lightweight and Powerful
This lightweight, full-power electric mountain bike was born to take on long uphills and wide open spaces. ⌘ Read more

The Hugely Important Ocean Current You’ve Never Heard Of
This week, we learn about the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, and how the failure of this critical ocean current could throw the world’s climate even further into crisis. ⌘ Read more

Joe Biden Lost The Internet. Kamala Harris Is Trying to Win it Back
Biden’s campaign crafted countless bespoke identities for him, a response to a fractured internet. It’s early, but the Harris campaign appears to have a very different approach. ⌘ Read more

At The 2024 Summer Olympics, AI Is Watching You
A controversial new surveillance system in Paris foreshadows a future where there are too many CCTV cameras for humans to physically watch. ⌘ Read more

Polluted Lakes Are Being Cleansed Using Floating Wetlands Made of Trash
Platforms combining plants and recycled garbage could offer a cut-price solution for reviving polluted bodies of water. ⌘ Read more

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Scales New Heights of Cinematic Self-Awareness
Deadpool’s first foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is all about giving fans more Easter eggs and references than they can catch. Will it also score Disney a hit? ⌘ Read more

Anthony Fauci Worries About the Next Pandemic—But Worries More About Democracy
The former public health lead opens up on serving under Trump, what dangers America faces right now, and what keeps him up at night. ⌘ Read more

How Soon Might the Atlantic Ocean Break? Two Sibling Scientists Found an Answer—and Shook the World
A gigantic, weather-defining current system could be headed to collapse. Peter and Susanne Ditlevsen had a simple yet controversial question: How much time might we have left to save it? ⌘ Read more

The Thomas Crooks Conspiracy Theories Aren’t Going Anywhere
The FBI says Donald Trump’s would-be assassin acted alone; the CIA denies any association with him. But experts say the complex reasons for belief in conspiracies will likely keep people believing. ⌘ Read more

The Mysterious Discovery of ‘Dark Oxygen’ on the Ocean Floor
Researchers believe they have discovered oxygen being produced 4,000 meters below the sea surface, and think polymetallic nodules—the sought-after bounty of deep-sea miners—could be the source. ⌘ Read more

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Review: Blood Sugar Index and Navigation Features
Samsung’s premium outdoor fitness watch has basic navigation features and measures your metabolism. ⌘ Read more

The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony Will Be Unlike Any Before It
For the first time in history, the Olympics opening ceremony won’t be held inside a stadium. Instead, it will float down the Seine. Here’s everything you need to know. ⌘ Read more

Coupon Code: 15% off SHED RAIN Umbrellas
WIRED has teamed up with umbrella-maker SHED RAIN for an exclusive 15% off discount code. ⌘ Read more

You Can Actually Use a Chromebook Offline. Here’s How
The always-online laptop doesn’t really have to always be online. ⌘ Read more

This Is the Year Comic-Con Bounces Back
After being upended by Covid-19 cancellations and Hollywood strikes, Comic-Con International in San Diego has a chance to come back in a big way this year. ⌘ Read more

How to Buy a Sleep Mask: Fit, Material, and Features to Look For
Sleep masks offer a range of benefits, including deeper and more restful sleep, but there are many styles on the market. We’ll help you navigate the options. ⌘ Read more

How IT Departments Scrambled to Address the CrowdStrike Chaos
System administrators and their teams sprang into action last Friday and worked tirelessly to get their companies back online amid one of the worst digital blackouts ever. ⌘ Read more

A Hacker ‘Ghost’ Network Is Quietly Spreading Malware on GitHub
Cybersecurity researchers have spotted a 3,000-account network on GitHub that is manipulating the platform and spreading ransomware and info stealers. ⌘ Read more

This Machine Exposes Privacy Violations
A former Google engineer has built a search engine, WebXray, that aims to find illicit online data collection and tracking—with the goal of becoming “the Henry Ford of tech lawsuits.” ⌘ Read more

The Race for the Next Ozempic
The next wave of obesity drugs could help people lose even more weight—and make some pharma companies a fortune. ⌘ Read more

The Time Is Right for a Folding iPhone
If Apple really does come come out with a foldable smartphone, it’ll be late to the party—but will somehow arrive just as the real fun is starting. ⌘ Read more

Why Paris 2024 Olympic Athletes Are Sleeping on Cardboard Beds
The competitors’ bedroom furniture is simply stiff paper, along with coffee tables made from badminton shuttlecocks and ottomans made from parachute fabric. And as for durability, this gear can go the distance. ⌘ Read more

The 29 Best Shows on Apple TV+ Right Now (August 2024)
Sunny, Constellation, and Presumed Innocent are among the best shows on Apple TV+ this month. ⌘ Read more

Silicon Valley Is Coconuts for Kamala Harris
Prominent names in Big Tech are rallying behind Kamala Harris following Joe Biden’s exit from the presidential race. ⌘ Read more

There’s Another Chance to See the Northern Lights This Week
Don’t worry if you missed them in May—due to another geomagnetic storm, the northern lights might again be seen at lower latitudes across the US and Europe, from as early as Tuesday night. ⌘ Read more

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6 Review: Refined Folds
Six years on, these super-refined folding phones feel like they’re losing their edge. ⌘ Read more

Meta’s New Llama 3.1 AI Model Is Free, Powerful, and Risky
The newest version of Llama will make AI more accessible and customizable, but it will also stir up debate around the potential pitfalls of releasing AI without guardrails. ⌘ Read more

Abortion Rights Groups Rush to Back Kamala Harris
Activists believe that the vice president, who is already the leading voice for reproductive rights in the Biden administration, will champion their cause. ⌘ Read more

ViewSonic 27-Inch OLED Gaming Monitor Review: Better Than Budget
If you’re used to seeing ViewSonic as the cheap monitor brand, this one might change your mind. ⌘ Read more

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x Copilot+ PC Review: Great Price to Performance
It’s a bit plain, but dollar for dollar, this Lenovo PC has the best price-to-performance ratio. ⌘ Read more

What Climber Jesse Grupper Is Bringing to the Olympics
If you want to climb like a champ, this is the forearm massager, climbing shoes, and ice vest (hello, climate change) that you need. ⌘ Read more

Toyota Pulls Off a Fast and Furious Demo With Dual Drifting AI-Powered Race Cars
Algorithms designed to handle a car after it loses traction could potentially intervene on behalf of human drivers. ⌘ Read more

The Best Zojirushi Rice Cookers, Tested and Reviewed (2024)
The popular brand of rice cooker offers a large lineup of options—we help you choose which one is right for your kitchen. ⌘ Read more

AI Is Already Taking Jobs in the Video Game Industry
A WIRED investigation finds that major players like Activision Blizzard, which recently laid off scores of workers, are using generative AI for game development. ⌘ Read more

For the Director of Wicked, There’s No Place Like Silicon Valley
Six years after Crazy Rich Asians, Jon M. Chu prepares to release his adaptation of one of Broadway’s biggest musicals. From a table at his family’s famous Chinese restaurant, he opens up about his childhood among the titans of tech—and why filmmakers shouldn’t be afraid of AI. ⌘ Read more

How Russia-Linked Malware Cut Heat to 600 Ukrainian Buildings in Deep Winter
The code, the first of its kind, was used to sabotage a heating utility in Lviv at the coldest point in the year—what appears to be yet another innovation in Russia’s torment of Ukrainian civilians. ⌘ Read more

TikTok Lite Leaves up to 1 Billion Users With Fewer Protections
TikTok labels AI-generated material and warns about potentially deceptive content. A Lite version popular in the Global South, though, lacks these and other safeguards. ⌘ Read more

Waymo Is Suing People Who Allegedly Smashed and Slashed Its Robotaxis
The Alphabet-owned driverless car service is getting aggressive against alleged vandals after a series of violent incidents in San Francisco. ⌘ Read more

Is the ‘Diaper’ Method in ‘Twisters’ a Real Solution For Massive Tornadoes? Not Exactly
The Twister sequel, which brought in over $80 million at the box office this weekend, is full of good science. But its big reveal is full of spin. ⌘ Read more