Amid rising concerns about China’s growing international data collection apparatus, a newly divided US Congress is applying fresh scrutiny to the possibility that imported Chinese technology could be a Trojan horse. In a letter to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, shared exclusively with WIRED, Representative August Pfluger asks some tough questions as to whether… Continue reading Autonomous Vehicles Join the List of US National Security Threats
Author: Wired Magazine
This MSCHF Puzzle—and the Chance of $2 Million—Brought My Family Closer
Without a concrete reference image or a single context clue, every bit of progress is tentative. Should this red corner be in the foreground or the background? Is the next piece in this row going to be horizontal or vertical? Does this piece actually belong here or does it just happen to fit OK? It’s… Continue reading This MSCHF Puzzle—and the Chance of $2 Million—Brought My Family Closer
It’s Time to Make 3D TVs a Thing Again
3D televisions, riding the wave of popularity of theatrical 3D releases and a supposedly three-dimensional media future, were so hyped at one time that multiple publications declared 2010 the “year of the 3D TV.” That lasted about four years. By 2015, 3D TVs were a fading fad, and by 2017, the last few holdouts manufacturing… Continue reading It’s Time to Make 3D TVs a Thing Again
NASA Will Not Change the James Webb Telescope’s Name
James Webb led NASA in the 1950s and 60s, during the Cold War–era “Lavender Scare,” when government agencies often enforced policies that discriminated against gay and lesbian federal workers. For that reason, astronomers and others have long called for NASA to change the name of the James Webb Space Telescope. Earlier this year, the space agency agreed… Continue reading NASA Will Not Change the James Webb Telescope’s Name
Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos Gets 11 Years in Prison
Elizabeth Holmes has been sentenced to just over 11 years in prison for defrauding investors by falsely claiming her technology could detect diseases from a drop of blood. The sentencing of the former Theranos CEO marks the end of the young founder’s Silicon Valley saga—one in which she wooed investors with empty promises and idealism… Continue reading Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos Gets 11 Years in Prison
The Taylor Swift Chaos Is a Reckoning for Ticketmaster
Taylor Swift fans were eagerly waiting Monday for their golden ticket: a verified code that would grant them entry to Ticketmaster’s presale for the icon’s upcoming Eras Tour. The following day, when those who were selected signed on to purchase, they were met with chaos. Long waits and a crashing website forced many to walk away,… Continue reading The Taylor Swift Chaos Is a Reckoning for Ticketmaster
Here’s How Bad a Twitter Mega-Breach Would Be
“Twitter has seemingly neglected security for a very long time, and with all the changes, there is risk for sure,” says David Kennedy, CEO of the incident response firm TrustedSec, who formerly worked at the NSA and with the United States Marine Corps signal intelligence unit. “There’s a lot of work to be done to… Continue reading Here’s How Bad a Twitter Mega-Breach Would Be
Frank Green’s 3-in-1 Is the Only Cup You Need
I don’t have particularly extreme requirements for a reusable cup. I’m not a hiker. I’m not a camper. I’m not a cyclist. It’s not really a travel mug that I want. I’m not even a coffee connoisseur. But, I do value adaptability—as a fan of both hot and cold coffee—and convenience. For the legion of… Continue reading Frank Green’s 3-in-1 Is the Only Cup You Need
The Twitter Bubble Let Democrats Defy Political Gravity
There is a wholly self-contained ecosystem of far-right influencers and followers on Twitter and Facebook. We know the ecosystem spreads disinformation and prejudice, but less thought is given to how it creates phantom movements—where a few motivated obsessives can make a cause appear far more popular than it really is. Time and again, research has… Continue reading The Twitter Bubble Let Democrats Defy Political Gravity
A Lab-Grown Meat Startup Gets the FDA’s Stamp of Approval
Cultivated meat has been approved for sale in the United States for the first time. The decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) means that a company called Upside Foods will soon be able to sell chicken made from real animal cells grown in bioreactors instead of requiring the slaughter of live animals. The… Continue reading A Lab-Grown Meat Startup Gets the FDA’s Stamp of Approval