The Monitor is a weekly column devoted to everything happening in the WIRED world of culture, from movies to memes, TV to Twitter. Living in America can all too often feel like déjà vu, Groundhog Day but with less Bill Murray piano-playing. Its citizens wake up to a nation recovering from yet another mass shooting… Continue reading The Most Powerful Story The Onion Ever Wrote
Author: Wired Magazine
Google Urged to Stop Tracking Location Data Ahead of Roe Reversal
More than 40 Democratic members of Congress called on Google to stop collecting and retaining customer location data that prosecutors could use to identify women who obtain abortions. “We are concerned that, in a world in which abortion could be made illegal, Google’s current practice of collecting and retaining extensive records of cell phone location… Continue reading Google Urged to Stop Tracking Location Data Ahead of Roe Reversal
Who Owns 4chan?
By 2016, Nishimura announced that the costs of running 4chan were simply too high and suggested the site’s closure was imminent. In 2018, Nishimura attempted to cleave the site in two—leaving 4chan intact, with its obscene and pornographic boards, but creating a safe-for-work alternative, attractive to advertisers, on 4channel. The separate domains continue to this… Continue reading Who Owns 4chan?
A Bored Ape Lawsuit Won’t Set the NFT Precedent Seth Green Wants
The first thing you should probably do if you find yourself in Seth Green’s position is not tweet about how much you’re “looking forward to precedent setting debates on IP ownership & exploitation.” Green, an actor best known for his pouty portrayal of archvillain Dr. Evil’s disappointing son in the Austin Powers franchise, has become the butt… Continue reading A Bored Ape Lawsuit Won’t Set the NFT Precedent Seth Green Wants
The Story of Abortion Pills and How They Work
The French health minister was furious. In September 1988, Claude Évin’s department had approved an abortion pill called RU-486 for sale. A world first. But now just four weeks later, under pressure from anti-abortion groups, the board of the pharmaceutical firm that made the pill—Roussel Uclaf—had voted 16 to 4 to withdraw it from the… Continue reading The Story of Abortion Pills and How They Work
‘Tough to Forge’ Digital Driver’s Licenses Are—Yep—Easy to Forge
In late 2019, the government of New South Wales in Australia rolled out digital driver’s licenses. The new licenses allowed people to use their iPhone or Android device to show proof of identity and age during roadside police checks or at bars, stores, hotels, and other venues. ServiceNSW, as the government body is usually referred… Continue reading ‘Tough to Forge’ Digital Driver’s Licenses Are—Yep—Easy to Forge
The Mystery of Monkeypox’s Global Spread
When Moritz Kraemer first heard about the new monkeypox outbreak spreading through the UK, Europe, and the US, it was not through conventional scientific channels, or from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), but via Twitter. As each suspected case was reported, and infectious disease experts shared their theories in real time, Kraemer—an epidemiologist at… Continue reading The Mystery of Monkeypox’s Global Spread
Sneakerella Proves Disney Needs to Try Harder
From the first frame, Disney’s new musical Sneakerella offers a lackluster attempt at diversity: It simply takes one of the world’s oldest tales and adds Black characters and Black culture. Then it goes a step further, transforming its protagonist into a “Cinderfella” named El (Chosen Jacobs), a young shoe-lover who falls for Princess Charming Kira… Continue reading Sneakerella Proves Disney Needs to Try Harder
Welcome to the Zombie Cryptocalypse
In 2008, the backing reserve was basically houses. In cryptocurrency, I’m quite serious about this, the backing reserve is gullibility. It sounds like you’re saying, one, crypto is all nonsense, but, two, the nonsense will continue indefinitely, because as long as you can invent money out of thin air, you can find a sucker to… Continue reading Welcome to the Zombie Cryptocalypse
Motorola’s New 5G Phones Are Unambitious and Boringly Functional
I forgot that I reviewed a flagship Motorola phone this past March. Heck, I forgot Motorola had even announced it. That might be because it feels like I’ve gone through a raft of forgettable Moto phones in a short span of time. Last December I tried the Moto G Power and Moto G Pure, then… Continue reading Motorola’s New 5G Phones Are Unambitious and Boringly Functional