The Transparency Theater of the Twitter Files

In short, no one’s tweets were unfindable to the public without the poster knowing about it: If they were suspended or banned, naturally they’d be aware. De-amplification—affecting a person’s ranking in search results and the like—is rather different. Some might call it “freedom of speech but not freedom of reach.” The people playing semantic games are Musk… Continue reading The Transparency Theater of the Twitter Files

Cliffset’s Portable Silverware Set Has a Built-In Dishwasher

There’s a dilemma every city dweller faces eventually: Where’s the fork? Let’s say that after a meeting, you finally manage to find the one falafel stand that’s an oasis in the food desert of the financial district. The gods smile, and you score an $8 falafel platter. This is why you live in a city,… Continue reading Cliffset’s Portable Silverware Set Has a Built-In Dishwasher

Attackers Keep Targeting the US Electric Grid

We at WIRED have written plenty about the threat that cyberattacks pose to power grids worldwide. But lately, the most significant attacks on electrical systems have demonstrated that hacking is hardly necessary when physical destruction and sabotage are an option: Just as Russia’s invasion force in Ukraine has systematically destroyed electrical infrastructure to cause vast… Continue reading Attackers Keep Targeting the US Electric Grid

Dyson Zone Air Purifying Headphones Will Cost $950

If you live somewhere with a great deal of air pollution, or are just eager to prepare for a dystopia where you have to shut your ears and mouth to the outside world, the Dyson Zone could be for you. The device—which combines a pair of headphones with a face-protecting air purifier—isn’t for sale yet, but… Continue reading Dyson Zone Air Purifying Headphones Will Cost $950

Evercade EXP Review: Vertical Scrolling, Sub-Par Build

While this latter cohort is mainly focused on the Mega Man series, right down to the famously awful “realistic” US cover art for the games being used to highlight them in the library view, arguably the best inclusion is the first Breath of Fire game, Capcom’s brilliant but long-overlooked fantasy RPG series. That’s dozens of… Continue reading Evercade EXP Review: Vertical Scrolling, Sub-Par Build

Elon Musk’s Twitter Is Making Meta Look Smart

It was the first day of April 2022, and I was sitting in a law firm’s midtown Manhattan conference room at a meeting of Meta’s Oversight Board, the independent body the scrutinizes its content decisions. And for a few minutes, it seemed that despair had set in. The topic at hand was Meta’s controversial Cross Check… Continue reading Elon Musk’s Twitter Is Making Meta Look Smart

ChatGPT’s Fluent BS Is Compelling Because Everything Is Fluent BS

Out in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, a young woman named Rachel clings to the side of an oil rig. The wind whips her auburn hair into a wild tangle, and ocean spray drenches her jeans, but she climbs on, determined to uncover evidence of illegal drilling. When she arrives on board,… Continue reading ChatGPT’s Fluent BS Is Compelling Because Everything Is Fluent BS

Apple Kills Its Plan to Scan Your Photos for CSAM. Here’s What’s Next

In August 2021, Apple announced a plan to scan photos users stored in iCloud for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The scheme was meant to be privacy-preserving and allow the company to flag potentially problematic and abusive content without revealing anything else. But the initiative was controversial and soon drew widespread criticism from privacy and… Continue reading Apple Kills Its Plan to Scan Your Photos for CSAM. Here’s What’s Next

Apple Expands End-to-End Encryption to iCloud Backups

Apple announced today that it is launching expanded end-to-end encryption protections in its iCloud service. The company already offers the vital security feature for some data in its cloud platform—including passwords, credit card and other payment data, and health data—but it will offer an option to extend the protection to other sensitive information including photos,… Continue reading Apple Expands End-to-End Encryption to iCloud Backups

Scammers Are Scamming Other Scammers Out of Millions of Dollars

Nobody is immune to being scammed online—not even the people running the scams. Cybercriminals using hacking forums to buy software exploits and stolen login details keep falling for cons and are getting ripped off thousands of dollars at a time, a new analysis has revealed. And what’s more, when the criminals complain that they are being… Continue reading Scammers Are Scamming Other Scammers Out of Millions of Dollars