Tech ado Labs

As NASA gears up to send a lunar terrain vehicle to the moon, it has asked tire designers to make a set of wheels that can survive the harsh conditions. https://www.wired.com/story/artemis-v-lunar-terrain-vehicle-tires-wheels-design/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Amazfit’s fledgling smart ring pairs well with the company's smartwatches. But the ring is not ready to go it alone. https://www.wired.com/review/amazfit-helio/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Under new CEO Paolo Ardoino, the crypto company is spending heavily in a bid to muscle into an AI market dominated by the world’s largest tech firms. https://www.wired.com/story/tether-ceo-paolo-ardoino-crypto-ai-interview/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

At its media event Tuesday, Google will unveil four new flagship Pixel handsets, new Pixel Watches, and new Pixel Buds. We can also expect a whole lot of Gemini. Here’s how to tune in. https://www.wired.com/story/made-by-google-2024-pixel-9-launch-event-how-to-watch-what-to-expect/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

There are many kinds of mothers, but these are our favorite picks for the WIRED mom in your life. https://www.wired.com/gallery/gifts-for-mom/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

These are our favorite Windows notebooks, MacBooks, and Chromebooks. https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-laptops/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Allan “dwangoAC” has made it his mission to expose speedrunning phonies. At the Defcon hacker conference, he’ll challenge one record that's stood for 15 years. https://www.wired.com/story/the-hacker-who-hunts-video-game-speedrunning-cheaters/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Susan Wojcicki is one of this era's great unsung executives—and was crucial to Google's trajectory from its very beginnings in her garage. https://www.wired.com/story/susan-wojcicki-former-youtube-ceo-dies-at-56/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

At a regional chess tournament earlier this month, one competitor was allegedly caught on film lacing her opponent's board with liquid mercury. https://www.wired.com/story/russian-chess-player-poison-board-mercury/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

This iterative refresh has an excellent 16-inch screen, good performance (for a Chromebook), and great battery life. https://www.wired.com/review/acer-chromebook-plus-516-ge-2024/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will see a symbolic handover from Paris to Los Angeles that also features a performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-watch-billie-eilish-and-snoop-dogg-at-summer-olympics-closing-ceremony/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Dozens of Olympic athletes competed with Covid as society increasingly treats it like the flu or the common cold. Public health experts warn that it's anything but. https://www.wired.com/story/noah-lyles-covid-olympics-new-normal/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

With the advice column ¡Hola Papi!, JP Brammer tackles life’s most eccentric and heart-wrenching issues—like what to do after realizing your fiance is catfishing you. https://www.wired.com/story/dial-up-jp-brammer/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Researchers warn that a bug in AMD’s chips would allow attackers to root into some of the most privileged portions of a computer—and that it has persisted in the company’s processors for decades. https://www.wired.com/story/amd-chip-sinkclose-flaw/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Breaking debuts as an Olympic sport at the Paris Games. To get there, the breaking community had to figure a way to objectively judge the subjective, while letting the dance remain a dance. https://www.wired.com/story/judging-breaking-at-the-olympics-is-an-art-not-a-science/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Since her performance in the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, drag artist Nicky Doll has been hounded by trolls. Now she’s hitting back by suing the man she believes to be their ringleader: Laurence Fox. https://www.wired.com/story/olympics-opening-ceremony-drag-artist-nicky-doll-harassment/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

New research shows how known techniques for finding weaknesses in websites are actually practical in uncovering vulnerabilities, for better or worse. https://www.wired.com/story/web-timing-attacks-black-hat-2024/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Chatty assistants from Amazon, Google, and Apple are popular. But which one is right for you? https://www.wired.com/story/best-smart-speakers/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

This week, we talk about the current trend of Big Tech acqui-hiring key talent from smaller AI companies. https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-654/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The advocacy group PIRG is asking the US government to conduct environmental reviews of commercial internet satellites. The group’s new report warns of a space garbage problem with Earthly consequences. https://www.wired.com/story/pirg-starlink-environmental-review-space-garbage/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The company plans to build a Tesla-style, software-optimized factory to manufacture autonomous drones and other battlefield tech. https://www.wired.com/story/anduril-palmer-luckey-funding-ai-drones-arsenal-factory/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

A researcher found a vulnerability that would let hackers strategically downgrade a target’s Windows version to reexpose patched vulnerabilities. Microsoft is working on fixes for the issue. https://www.wired.com/story/windows-update-downdate-exploit/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Far-right protesters are trying to share violent rhetoric on social media. For the first time, Telegram is blocking them—while X is giving them a platform. https://www.wired.com/story/telegram-is-blocking-the-far-right-from-boosting-the-uk-riots-x-is-emboldening-them/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

With a big assist from Peacock, the 2024 Summer Olympics broadcast is fragmented in all the right ways. https://www.wired.com/story/nbc-peacock-2024-summer-olympics-coverage/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

After crashing millions of computers and disrupting businesses across the globe, cybersecurity company CrowdStrike must protect itself against a flurry of legal activity that is already beginning. The devil will be in the details. https://www.wired.com/story/crowdstrike-outage-microsoft-delta-lawsuits-analysis/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Sabotage. Property destruction. For Léna Lazare and her cohort, radicalized by years of inaction on the environmental crisis, these aren’t dirty words. They’re acts of joy. https://www.wired.com/story/climate-activism-radical-new-face-lena-lazare/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Scientists, activists, and ordinary petitioners want the Olympics to break with Coca-Cola, comparing it to the tobacco companies that long sponsored the Games. They aren’t holding their breath. https://www.wired.com/story/public-health-experts-want-the-olympics-to-drop-its-oldest-sponsor/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The platform's antitrust suit claims an alleged conspiracy to withhold advertising dollars. Right-wing video site Rumble filed a similar suit today. https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-x-twitter-rumble-sue-advertisers/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Nest's connected thermostat gets a redesign and some AI smarts, the brand new iteration of the Chromecast also serves as a hub for your smart home. https://www.wired.com/story/google-nest-learning-thermostat-4th-gen-google-tv-streamer/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The worsening climate crisis and the changes in the culture may have you wondering if you should skip Burning Man. Veterans of the week-long festival, which begins August 25, have some advice. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-go-to-burning-man/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The office closure marks the end of an era for the site formerly known as Twitter. https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-x-twitter-leaving-san-francisco-office/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

“Did I just watch a 70 minute trailer for Season 3?” is just one of the reactions fans have posted online about the season's "disappointing and poorly executed" closer. https://www.wired.com/story/everyone-is-big-mad-about-the-house-of-the-dragon-season-2-finale/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

While it easily passed the Senate, the House began a recess without bringing the bill—which critics say would keep young people from accessing vital information on topics like sexual health—to the floor for a vote. https://www.wired.com/story/kids-online-safety-act-kosa-stalled-in-house/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

If you’re confused by all the jargon used to describe your new monitor, don’t worry. We’ve got you (and your color gamut) covered. https://www.wired.com/story/what-are-color-gamuts-and-why-do-they-matter/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Experts say the “nonsensical” policy proposal, which largely aligns with Donald Trump’s agenda, would weaken the US agency tasked with protecting election integrity, critical infrastructure, and more. https://www.wired.com/story/project-2025-cisa-election-critical-infrastructure-security/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

For the hearing-aid curious, these over-the-counter earbuds are amazingly affordable and effectively pull double duty. https://www.wired.com/review/jlab-hear-otc-hearing-aid/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Keen to try the latest wellness trend, I dipped out of my comfort zone. These are my favorite cold-water plunge pools for any budget. https://www.wired.com/story/best-cold-plunge-tubs/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Its protective, durable, and easy to swap between work and play. https://www.wired.com/review/logitech-combo-touch-ipad-pro-13-inch-keyboard-case/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Across the Northern Hemisphere, August will see beautiful displays of meteors. Here's everything you need to know to enjoy them. https://www.wired.com/story/see-the-perseids-and-southern-delta-aquariids-in-a-stunning-double-meteor-shower/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Both smartphone platforms offer a number of ways to interact with your phone while keeping both hands on the wheel. Follow these tips to get the most out of in-car voice commands. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-your-voice-to-control-android-auto-or-apple-carplay/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The social media company, already fighting for its existence in the US, now has to contend with a potentially expensive penalty stemming from its policies toward users under 13. https://www.wired.com/story/us-justice-department-sues-tiktok-kids-privacy/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

At the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, Donald Trump promised the crypto community the moon. They'd better hope they don't get it. https://www.wired.com/story/donald-trump-bitcoin-reserve-promises/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

You can call politicians castigating the childless and companies marketing AI assistants a lot of things, but it's au courant to call them weird. The Era of Weird has been a long time coming—but may have a cringey future ahead. https://www.wired.com/story/welcome-to-the-weird-era/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The New Zealander came up with a better way to jump, using a front flip in midair. But the sport’s stodgy authorities shut him down before the 1975 Games. https://www.wired.com/story/physics-of-the-banned-front-flip-long-jump/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

If you’ve listened to any rap or pop music made in the 21st century, you’ve heard John Lehmkuhl’s most famous creation, a thwacking metallic percussion sample named “Tribe.” https://www.wired.com/story/korg-tribe-slam-sound-hip-hop-history/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Imane Khelif has always defined herself as a woman, and has every right to compete. https://www.wired.com/story/imane-khelif-olympic-boxer-controversy/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Whether you’re skiing in the backcountry or trampolining in the backyard, we have an activity tracker for you. https://www.wired.com/gallery/best-fitness-tracker/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

The RayV Lite will make it hundreds of times cheaper for anyone to carry out physics-bending feats of hardware hacking. https://www.wired.com/story/rayv-lite-laser-chip-hacking-tool/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

In June, Iranian authorities claimed the crypto game was distracting voters during the presidential election. Last month, Telegram's CEO touted its potential to bring millions to blockchain. Its creators say they’re just getting started. https://www.wired.com/story/telegram-game-hamster-kombat-massive/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger

Stretchy seaweed, reverse vending machines, QR-coded take-out boxes: They’re how we can break society’s absurd addiction to single-use plastics. https://www.wired.com/story/the-cure-for-disposable-plastic-crap-is-here-and-its-loony/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=blogger