Delivery options: One, two, three, or four weeks For the Fastest, Freshest Delivery Blue Bottle is one of the older coffee subscriptions. It’s still great, though its selection is not as extensive as some of the newcomers. Where Blue Bottle stands out is freshness—the company promises to ship your coffee within 24 hours of roasting.… Continue reading 9 Best Coffee Subscription Boxes We’ve Tasted (2022): Gifting, Fresh, Decaf, Single-Origin
Author: Wired Magazine
China Is the World’s Biggest Face Recognition Dealer
Early last year, the government of Bangladesh began weighing an offer from an unnamed Chinese company to build a smart city on the Bay of Bengal with infrastructure enhanced by artificial intelligence. Construction of the high-tech metropolis has yet to begin, but if it proceeds it may include face recognition software that can use public cameras to identify missing… Continue reading China Is the World’s Biggest Face Recognition Dealer
Meta Eyes a Moderation Partner With ‘Traumatizing’ Working Conditions
Meta has cut ties with a subcontractor that provided moderators for its African markets, just weeks before the tech giant is due to appear in a Kenyan court to face allegations of human trafficking and union busting. The company has ended a contract with outsourcing company Sama, which former employee Daniel Motaung accused last year of imposing… Continue reading Meta Eyes a Moderation Partner With ‘Traumatizing’ Working Conditions
The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok
An enshittification strategy only succeeds if it is pursued in measured amounts. Even the most locked-in user eventually reaches a breaking point and walks away, or gets pushed. The villagers of Anatevka in Fiddler on the Roof tolerated the cossacks’ violent raids and pogroms for years, until they were finally forced to flee to Krakow,… Continue reading The ‘Enshittification’ of TikTok
Best Kids’ Headphones (2023): Volume-Limiting, Noise-Canceling, and More
As writers and testers in WIRED’s Gadget Lab, we spend all day immersed in personal technology of all kinds. It’s probably no surprise that if we work on a computer during the day and enjoy gaming in our downtime, our kids do, too. I (Adrienne) have a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old that attended school remotely… Continue reading Best Kids’ Headphones (2023): Volume-Limiting, Noise-Canceling, and More
The World’s Farms Are Hooked on Phosphorus. It’s a Problem
Scientists have been pointing out the “broken” phosphorus cycle for more than a decade: Humanity has unearthed huge quantities of the element, which winds up in waterways instead of returning to cropland. The problem comes down to crap. People and livestock eat crops and excrete phosphorus as a result. (A University of Iowa researcher calculated… Continue reading The World’s Farms Are Hooked on Phosphorus. It’s a Problem
T-Mobile’s New Data Breach Shows Its $150 Million Security Investment Isn’t Cutting It
Yesterday, mobile giant T-Mobile said that it suffered a data breach beginning on November 26 that impacts 37 million current customers on both prepaid and postpay accounts. The company said in a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing that a “bad actor” manipulated one of the company’s application programming interfaces (APIs) to steal customers’ names,… Continue reading T-Mobile’s New Data Breach Shows Its $150 Million Security Investment Isn’t Cutting It
The US State Department Ditches Times New Roman for Calibri
The US Department of State will soon change its default typeface from the stalwart, stodgy Times New Roman to the younger, cooler Calibri. It’s a move the State Department says is intended to improve the readability of its internal communications between embassies and elsewhere in the department. The order came in the form of an… Continue reading The US State Department Ditches Times New Roman for Calibri
Why Does AI Art Look Like a ’70s Prog-Rock Album Cover?
The good news is, I’m a journalist, so I went ahead and asked some artists, researchers, and art critics what they made of the aesthetics of AI art. First up, I called Amelia Winger-Bearskin, an artist and professor at the University of Florida. Winger-Bearskin has been cataloging different visual trends she’s noticed in recent AI art.… Continue reading Why Does AI Art Look Like a ’70s Prog-Rock Album Cover?
6 Best Night-Lights (2023): For Babies, Kids, and Teens
Whether you’re up at night feeding a baby, convincing your toddler no monsters are lurking in the closet, or making sure your child can go to the bathroom without waking you—a night-light is essential. Some of the best night-lights include soothing extras like sleep sounds or help with bedtime training. Kids who tend to get… Continue reading 6 Best Night-Lights (2023): For Babies, Kids, and Teens