Tech ado Labs

Here's what to consider (and what to buy) before safely heading out on a multiday cycling trip into the hinterlands. https://bit.ly/3p6QjRv

From NotPetya to SolarWinds, it’s a problem that’s not going away any time soon. https://bit.ly/3p6QfRL

The free PC game is pointless. That's why it's so absurdly fun. https://bit.ly/3p2j9lW

Plus: A major hack in Japan, Citizen app run amuck, and more of the week's top security news. https://bit.ly/34AywIR

One of the best hero shooters just turned 5 years old. It’s still an incredible game, but Blizzard definitely has some work to do. https://bit.ly/3fz719b

Digital researchers and aid groups say free mapping tools like Google Earth are too imprecise. https://bit.ly/3p4Uxcy

The show found a second life on streaming, but now it’s time to let it go. https://bit.ly/3c0dasS

Plus: A review of the book from 2016, the accessibility potential for AR, and a few too many sinking ships. https://bit.ly/2RVVN5n

The country’s “traceability” requirement would undermine the privacy of the encrypted messaging app’s users far beyond its borders. https://bit.ly/3ftM4My

Sega's beloved speedster arrived on the scene 30 years ago. Since then, he's gone through numerous transformations—not all for the better. https://bit.ly/34l8glZ

The malicious code, which masquerades as ransomware, appears to come from a hacking group with ties to Iran. https://bit.ly/3uvIhmi

The move is the latest, and greatest, in a new wave of media consolidation sparked by the streaming wars. https://bit.ly/3yJaEAD

Megan unravels what your colleagues might really want from you. https://bit.ly/34kulBa

Sometimes the best thing to do on Twitter or Facebook is to just shut up … isn’t it? https://bit.ly/34l6hy0

A community of air traffic control roleplayers gets torn apart by a lawsuit, and the founders scatter, trying to pick up the pieces. https://bit.ly/3oT1Of6

Sandbox game It’s Winter is set in a khrushchyovka, a mass housing unit in the USSR. It's a lonely, haunting ode to Eastern ennui. https://bit.ly/3vnrZgx

From record cleaners to slip mats, these extras are for budding enthusiasts and die-hard collectors alike. https://bit.ly/2ThGO6h

The Stop Social Media Censorship Act almost certainly violates both the US Constitution and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. https://bit.ly/3vlNSgm

Whether you’re sweltering outdoors or in, we’ve got tips on what to wear, how to hydrate, and the best portable cooling gadgets. https://bit.ly/2RK6Y15

Some studies are too small. Some are too pharma. But a bigger, bolder approach could (finally!) figure out which drugs work against the virus—and which don’t. https://bit.ly/3bPpWu4

Georgetown researchers used text generator GPT-3 to write misleading tweets about climate change and foreign affairs. People found the posts persuasive. https://bit.ly/3ufwQyY

This screenless Paper Shoot digital camera makes photos that look like what you get from film, without the long waits or development costs. https://bit.ly/3fdFeuF

The calculations work even in cases where it shouldn’t, like when the black holes are close in size. https://bit.ly/3yGJZVt

Apple’s and Google’s approval guidelines are notoriously lax—and they won’t keep out apps that are after your money and data. Here’s how to sniff them out. https://bit.ly/3bONy1J

Backups are boring, but they’ll save your digital bacon. Here’s how to make sure your data lives on even when your PC doesn’t. https://bit.ly/2QEZCLE

Cookie consent notices are everywhere, and opting out of tracking is a pain. It doesn’t have to be this way. https://bit.ly/3uaaa3f

Whether you'll be chilling indoors or in the sunshine this summer, we've got discounts on TVs, headphones, and outdoor gear. https://bit.ly/348tR0S

Researchers only get a chance to study Brood X every 17 years. WIRED came for the ride—and got up close to thousands of hatching cicadas. https://bit.ly/3vd8oQ7

This new M1-powered all-in-one desktop PC is costly once you add all the necessary upgrades, but its simplicity is hard to beat. https://bit.ly/3fDSzez

The company formerly known as Snapchat is all in on augmented reality. But its new wearable Spectacles aren’t for sale; they’re just a way to get developers on board. https://bit.ly/33ZSb4W

Gas taxes are the largest source of funding for highway construction and maintenance. As the Ford F-150 Lightning and other vehicles increasingly plug in, that revenue is shrinking. https://bit.ly/3u2vqrp

In 2011, Chinese spies stole the crown jewels of cybersecurity—stripping protections from firms and government agencies worldwide. Here’s how it happened. https://bit.ly/3hGiOUl

“Overwintering” fires smolder under the snow, reigniting vegetation in the spring. New research shows the zombies may proliferate in a warmer world. https://bit.ly/3ovUTIK

When films are dubbed in another language, an actor’s facial movements may clash with his lines. Technology related to deepfakes can help smooth things over. https://bit.ly/3u2S6b0

In his first interview since taking a top job, Raghavan gets into the future of search, misinformation, employee ferment, and robots making phone calls. https://bit.ly/3u5M6OJ

A new study shows that climate-driven sea level rise made the damage from Superstorm Sandy $8 billion worse around New York City. https://bit.ly/3hIh11n

Attempting to model the universe as precisely as possible is to try to see the one thing that even the strictest atheist agrees is everlasting. https://bit.ly/3bzo0pt

I grew up in awe of the iconic telescope. It raised me, and I helped control its fate. Could I have done more to protect it before its sudden collapse? https://bit.ly/3hzAC3v

Even when you pay for a decryption key, your files may still be locked up by another strain of malware. https://bit.ly/3yiqnqg

These are the titles that make the most of your big, burly Microsoft console. https://bit.ly/3yjP1XJ

If you're gift shopping for a college or high school graduate in your life, try these discounted kitchen gadgets, tech, and more. https://bit.ly/3opXSmc

We’re looking for new voices to provide an insider perspective on rapidly changing industries. https://bit.ly/33QGBsA

If you’ve had trouble finding a nonstick pan that performs well, consider Cuisinart’s carbon-steel cookware. https://bit.ly/3uXmGEo

Between Apple's new AirTags, Samsung's SmartTags, and Tile trackers, you have plenty of options to make sure you don't lose your phone—or your keys. https://bit.ly/3bu8qeF

With travel and real-life fieldwork shut down, a couple of enterprising professors started with simulations of Italy and Scotland, then took to the stars. https://bit.ly/33JCPRZ

Are you trying to spend all your recently acquired crypto riches? We found discounts on tripods, wireless chargers, and many other gadgets. https://bit.ly/2SWdaU5

Catch up on the most important updates from this week. https://bit.ly/33Olgjq

Anna Kendrick’s rotating spacecraft cleverly uses cables and a counterweight to make artificial gravity. But scaling them would be harder than it looks https://bit.ly/33FTOoe

The so-called Frag Attack vulnerabilities could let hackers steal data or compromise connected gadgets. https://bit.ly/3tHbnPn

According to a new paper, the company’s own research showed that human activity was a contributor, but public statements suggested otherwise. https://bit.ly/3w8EzQX