According to a memo circulating among State Department staff and reviewed by WIRED, the Trump administration plans to rename the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as US International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA), and to bring it directly under the secretary of state. The document, on which Politico first reported, states that as part of… Continue reading The Trump Administration Wants USAID on the Blockchain
Author: Wired Magazine
Ford Bronco Electric Bike Review: Car Makers Now Make Electric Bikes
The first thing most cyclists do before riding a new bike is to correctly size the frame, adjusting to make sure the standover clearance, seat tube length, and reach are all the right fit. The Bronco has a one-size-fits-all frame advertised to fit heights from 5′ 4” to 6′ 5”. My 5′ 9” self was… Continue reading Ford Bronco Electric Bike Review: Car Makers Now Make Electric Bikes
DOGE’s Dodgy Numbers Employ a Tesla Technique
Elon Musk has pledged that the work of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, would be “maximally transparent.” DOGE’s website is proof of that, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, and now White House adviser, has repeatedly said. There, the group maintains a list of slashed grants and budgets, a running tally of its… Continue reading DOGE’s Dodgy Numbers Employ a Tesla Technique
Nvidia Bets Big on Synthetic Data
Nvidia has acquired synthetic data firm Gretel for nine figures, according to two people with direct knowledge of the deal. The acquisition price exceeds Gretel’s most recent valuation of $320 million, the sources say, though the exact terms of the purchase remain unknown. Gretel and its team of approximately 80 employees will be folded into… Continue reading Nvidia Bets Big on Synthetic Data
Roku Tests Showing Ads Before the Home Screen Loads
Owners of smart TVs and streaming sticks running Roku OS are already subject to video advertisements on the home screen. Now, Roku is testing what it might look like if it took things a step further and forced people to watch a video ad play before getting to the Roku OS home screen. Reports of… Continue reading Roku Tests Showing Ads Before the Home Screen Loads
‘It’s a Heist’: Real Federal Auditors Are Horrified by DOGE
Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has spent the first six weeks of the new Trump administration turning the federal government upside down. It has moved from agency to agency, accessing sensitive data and payment systems, all on a supposed crusade to audit the government and stop fraud, waste, and abuse. DOGE has… Continue reading ‘It’s a Heist’: Real Federal Auditors Are Horrified by DOGE
The Pebble E-Paper Smartwatch Is Back. Just Don’t Call It Pebble
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED Nearly a decade after its demise, smartwatch maker Pebble is back—sort of. Today, the company’s founder, Eric Migicovsky, has unveiled new hardware running open source PebbleOS. However, since… Continue reading The Pebble E-Paper Smartwatch Is Back. Just Don’t Call It Pebble
Donald Trump Held Another Million-Dollar ‘Candlelight’ Dinner—With Elon Musk in Tow
An invitation to a “candlelight” dinner held this past Saturday at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club asked prospective guests to spend $1 million per seat. Trump attended the dinner along with Elon Musk, according to multiple photographs and videos of the event viewed by WIRED. Elon Musk, wearing his standard uniform of a black sport… Continue reading Donald Trump Held Another Million-Dollar ‘Candlelight’ Dinner—With Elon Musk in Tow
Everything You Say to Your Echo Will Soon Be Sent to Amazon, and You Can’t Opt Out
Since Amazon announced plans for a generative AI version of Alexa, we were concerned about user privacy. With Alexa+ rolling out to Amazon Echo devices in the coming weeks, we’re getting a clearer view of the privacy concessions people will have to make to maximize usage of the AI voice assistant and avoid bricking functionality… Continue reading Everything You Say to Your Echo Will Soon Be Sent to Amazon, and You Can’t Opt Out
Bitwarden Review: The Best Password Manager
A password manager makes creating strong passwords—and remembering them!—easy. Good password managers will generate strong passwords for you, store them in a secure vault and log you into websites, all without you doing anything. There are dozens of cloud-based password managers on the market, but in my testing one consistently rises to the top—Bitwarden. Bitwarden… Continue reading Bitwarden Review: The Best Password Manager