Is it possible for a social media platform to plan for its own death? I’ve been thinking about that while enjoying Bluesky’s “fizzy, fuck-around energy,” as my WIRED colleague Kate Knibbs described the (still) invite-only Twitter alternative a few months back. The shitposting, the earnestness, the bad takes from novices trying to figure out the… Continue reading Can Twitter Alternatives Escape the Enshittification Trap?
Author: Wired Magazine
How Threads’ Privacy Policy Compares to Twitter’s (and Its Rivals’)
Meta’s long-awaited Twitter alternative is here, and it’s called Threads. The new social media app launches at a time when alternatives, like Bluesky, Mastodon, and Spill, are vying for users who are dissatisfied with Elon Musk’s handling of Twitter’s user experience, with its newly introduced rate limits and an uptick in hate speech. Meta owns… Continue reading How Threads’ Privacy Policy Compares to Twitter’s (and Its Rivals’)
Don’t Join Threads—Make Instagram’s ‘Twitter Killer’ Join You
As Meta’s Twitter competitor, Threads, started generating buzz ahead of yesterday’s launch, curious netizens spotted a placeholder listing for the app in Apple’s App Store. Like all iOS apps, the listing included details about the user data the app is designed to collect and track. And observers couldn’t help but notice that this brand-new app… Continue reading Don’t Join Threads—Make Instagram’s ‘Twitter Killer’ Join You
How Threads Could Kill Twitter
And, after months of chaos at Twitter, many people are looking for something different—but are yet to commit to one single platform. “They’ve definitely got a fighting chance if all of their protections for communities and individuals are firmly in place,” says Tama Leaver, a professor of internet studies at Curtin University in Australia. “If… Continue reading How Threads Could Kill Twitter
Sony SRS-XB100 Review: Small Size, Big Bass
The XB100 also does well with plenty of other instruments, depending on the recording, pulling out brassy guitar strings, sweet and smooth horns, and even covering techno grooves and effects well. Trent Reznor’s Copy of A is particularly clean and clear, revealing dynamic expression and instrumental definition within the speaker’s 360-degree sound field. The sound… Continue reading Sony SRS-XB100 Review: Small Size, Big Bass
US Spies Are Buying Americans’ Private Data. Congress Has a Chance to Stop It
Republican members Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Kelly Armstrong of North Dakota, and Ben Cline of Virginia have backed the Davidson-Jacobs amendment, according to the House Rules Committee website. They’re joined by Democrats Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Zoe Lofgren of California, and Veronica Escobar of Texas. Jacobs, a Democrat from California, previously coauthored a related… Continue reading US Spies Are Buying Americans’ Private Data. Congress Has a Chance to Stop It
The 3 Best Smart Displays (2023): Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
A smart display might be for you if you want the convenience of a smart assistant with the added bonus of having something to look at. When you put Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa into a smart speaker with a tablet-sized screen, you get a fun way to see the weather or album art, watch… Continue reading The 3 Best Smart Displays (2023): Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
Cync Dynamic Effects Smart Lights Review (2023): Neon Shapes
Every single person who has walked into my home has commented on my desk setup—or rather, the colorful strip of lights behind my desk. Rather than a true light strip that would attach on the back of my PC, Cync’s smart lights form a long rope of customizable lights that I positioned on the wall… Continue reading Cync Dynamic Effects Smart Lights Review (2023): Neon Shapes
Rolls-Royce Spectre EV 2023 Review: Stylish First Effort
The Rolls-Royce Spectre, the company’s first production EV, has been a very long time coming. Not because it has suffered the numerous delays and setbacks Elon’s Cybertruck has endured, but due to the lesser known fact that both Henry Royce and Charles Rolls had a documented fascination with all things electric years before they started… Continue reading Rolls-Royce Spectre EV 2023 Review: Stylish First Effort
One Shot of a Kidney Protein Gave Monkeys a Brain Boost
They then administered a single low dose of klotho under each monkey’s skin, raising levels of the protein to those normally present in the animals at birth. Four hours later, researchers had them complete the food-finding task in batches of 20 trials, and the team then retested the monkeys over the next two weeks. Overall,… Continue reading One Shot of a Kidney Protein Gave Monkeys a Brain Boost