Author: Wired Magazine

The Mystery of ‘Jia Tan,’ the XZ Backdoor Mastermind

Ultimately, Scott argues that those three years of code changes and polite emails were likely not spent sabotaging multiple software projects, but rather building up a history of credibility in preparation for the sabotage of XZ Utils specifically—and potentially other projects in the future. “He just never got to that step because we got lucky… Continue reading The Mystery of ‘Jia Tan,’ the XZ Backdoor Mastermind

17 Great Gifts for Mom: Ideas for the Mother in Your Life (2024)

The category of “mom” encompasses a tremendous amount of variety. There are moms like me, who are coming out of that first-year haze of constant diaper changing and no sleep and are slowly reclaiming their hobbies and free time. There are moms with multiple kids, who are coping with the needs of teenagers and three-nagers… Continue reading 17 Great Gifts for Mom: Ideas for the Mother in Your Life (2024)

The Incognito Mode Myth Has Fully Unraveled

If you still hold any notion that Google Chrome’s “Incognito mode” is a good way to protect your privacy online, now’s a good time to stop. Google has agreed to delete “billions of data records” the company collected while users browsed the web using Incognito mode, according to documents filed in federal court in San… Continue reading The Incognito Mode Myth Has Fully Unraveled

OpenAI Can Re-Create Human Voices—but Won’t Release the Tech Yet

Voice synthesis has come a long way since 1978’s Speak & Spell toy, which once wowed people with its state-of-the-art ability to read words aloud using an electronic voice. Now, using deep-learning AI models, software can create not only realistic-sounding voices but can also convincingly imitate existing voices using small samples of audio. Along those… Continue reading OpenAI Can Re-Create Human Voices—but Won’t Release the Tech Yet

26 Best Travel Accessories (2024): Neck Pillows, Plug Adapters, and Headphones

Travel isn’t always as luxurious as the brochures make it seem. Sure, the destination may be intoxicatingly gorgeous, but the journey to get there is often one of cramped seats and uninterrupted noise. Traveling can be a gauntlet to be endured or, if you equip yourself properly beforehand, a mere speed bump to glide over.… Continue reading 26 Best Travel Accessories (2024): Neck Pillows, Plug Adapters, and Headphones

Here’s Proof the AI Boom Is Real: More People Are Tapping ChatGPT at Work

Ever since the rollout of ChatGPT in November 2022, many people in science, business, and media have been obsessed with AI. A cursory look at my own published work during that period fingers me as among the guilty. My defense is that I share with those other obsessives a belief that large language models are… Continue reading Here’s Proof the AI Boom Is Real: More People Are Tapping ChatGPT at Work

Oregon’s Breakthrough Right-to-Repair Bill Is Now Law

Oregon governor Tina Kotek yesterday signed the state’s Right to Repair Act, which will push manufacturers to provide more repair options for their products than any other state so far. The law, like those passed in New York, California, and Minnesota, will require many manufacturers to provide the same parts, tools, and documentation to individuals… Continue reading Oregon’s Breakthrough Right-to-Repair Bill Is Now Law

FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

A US federal judge in the Southern District of New York has sentenced Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, to 25 years in prison. In addition, Bankman-Fried has been ordered to forfeit $11 billion. Last November, at the end of a month-long trial, Bankman-Fried—known colloquially as SBF—was found guilty of seven counts of… Continue reading FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

Online Conspiracies About the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Are Out of Control

Conspiracists and far-right extremists are blaming just about everything and everyone for Tuesday morning’s Baltimore bridge collapse. A non-exhaustive list of things that are getting blamed for the bridge collapse on Telegram and X include President Biden, Hamas, ISIS, P. Diddy, Nickelodeon, India, former president Barack Obama, Islam, aliens, Sri Lanka, the World Economic Forum,… Continue reading Online Conspiracies About the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Are Out of Control