The Lego Games and the Glory of Not Being Challenged

Though the series has entertained players for 20 years, the past 12 months in particular have given easy games the chance to shine.

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There’s a Great Whip Spider Boom. What Gives?

The discovery of exotic arachnids reveals as much about the structure of science as it does about the creatures.

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WIRED's Picks for the 9 Books You Need to Read This Summer

From sci-fi to queer magic, these tomes have what you need when you're headed to the beach—or anywhere else.

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Our Favorite Mattresses Are on Sale for Memorial Day

Whether you want to spend as little as possible or have no budget constraints, you can find a discounted mattress right now.

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Grilling Over Charcoal Is Better Than Grilling Over Gas

Cooking on a gas grill is more convenient than cooking with charcoal. It’s also a lot less special.

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The Bizarro Streaming Site That Hackers Built From Scratch

BravoMovies isn't real. But it puts in a remarkable amount of effort trying to trick you into believing that it is.

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The Best Memorial Day Sales on Tech, Gaming, Home, and More

There are deals on the best streaming stick, our favorite sunglasses, and dozens of other WIRED top picks this holiday weekend.

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Grilling Over Gas Is Better Than Grilling Over Charcoal

A gas grill rules. But the real debate should be whether charcoal is necessary at all.

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The SolarWinds Hackers Aren't 'Back.' They Never Went Away

A new phishing campaign from Russian spies targeted USAID among others. But it's less an escalation than a regression to the mean.

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Blurred Satellite Images Make Rebuilding Palestine Harder

Digital researchers and aid groups say free mapping tools like Google Earth are too imprecise.

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The Covid Lab Leak Theory Is a Tale of Weaponized Uncertainty

Scientists almost never say they’re sure, and it could take years to pin down the pandemic's origins. Until then: People are trying to scare you.

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Maybe Future Generations Will Be Just Fine

In his new book, legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein argues that there may be reasons to not worry about the hereafter.

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Vaccine Milestones in the US, Shots for India, and More News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

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How to Master Google's AI Phone Call Features

Your Android phone can do a lot of fancy tricks, from making reservations with Duplex or screening calls. Here's how to get the most out of them.

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The Friends Reunion Proves It’s Time to Move On

The show found a second life on streaming, but now it’s time to let it go.

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How a Chaos Monkey Caused an Apple Uprising

Plus: A review of the book from 2016, the accessibility potential for AR, and a few too many sinking ships.

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How Humanity’s Obsession With Color Shaped Our Modern World

This week, we talk about how the technology we’ve invented to more accurately re-create colors has driven whole civilizations.

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NASA’s MOXIE Experiment Is Making Oxygen on Mars

Future crews on the Red Planet will need it to make propellant for the trip home. Scientists are also testing whether oxygen can be extracted from lunar soil.

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Hide Your Instagram Likes—and Be Free

A feed without likes is far from a revolution. But I want to enjoy this summer with my friends, not my metrics.

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The Space and Air Forces Launch an LGBTQ Task Force

Ten years after “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” a major general from the Space Force is leading a new inclusion initiative.

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Deepfake Maps Could Really Mess With Your Sense of the World

Researchers applied AI techniques to make portions of Seattle look more like Beijing. Such imagery could mislead governments or spread misinformation online.

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This Vibrator Is Approachable and Adorable

The Dame Pom is a tiny but powerful sex toy, and after more than a year of testing, it's one of our favorites.

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14 Memorial Day Deals to Spruce Up Your Smart Home

From robot vacuums to app-controlled power strips, these deals will add a high-tech boost to your abode.

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The Psychology of Why Fan Art Is So Delightful

Drawing your favorite characters or writing fanfic isn’t just fun. It’s also a way for fans to explore their own identities.

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WhatsApp's Fight With India Could Have Global Repercussions

The country's “traceability” requirement would undermine the privacy of the encrypted messaging app's users far beyond its borders.

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Uber’s Union Deal in the UK Doesn’t Mean Its Battles Are Over

The company's first-ever union agreement could distract from more changes that need to happen, both within the gig economy and governments.

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The Many Identity Crises of Sonic the Hedgehog

Sega's beloved speedster arrived on the scene 30 years ago. Since then, he's gone through numerous transformations—not all for the better.

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A Never-Before-Seen Wiper Malware Is Hitting Israeli Targets

The malicious code, which masquerades as ransomware, appears to come from a hacking group with ties to Iran.

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SimpliSafe Is a Hassle-Free Way to Secure Your Home

Is this home monitoring ecosystem really simple and safe? We tried it out for six months.

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How Many People Die When Polluters Exceed Their Limits?

A new report tallies the death toll from excess emissions by looking at air pollution and spikes in local ozone levels.

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Your Grandma's Tube TV Is the Hottest Gaming Tech

Thanks to a retro gaming renaissance, enthusiasts are scouring online marketplaces for 20-year-old CRTs.

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When Driving Is (Partially) Automated, People Drive More

A study finds that users of advanced driver-assistance systems drive 4,888 more miles per year than similar drivers without the feature.

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One Man’s Amazing Journey to the Center of the Bowling Ball

Mo Pinel spent a career reshaping the ball’s inner core to harness the power of physics. He revolutionized the sport—and spared no critics along the way.

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AI Could Soon Write Code Based on Ordinary Language

Microsoft reveals plans to bring GPT-3, best known for generating text, to programming. “The code writes itself,” CEO Satya Nadella says.

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Dumbed Down AI Rhetoric Harms Everyone

By ignorance or malice, policymakers use sweeping platitudes to regulate artificial intelligence, which may prosecute citizens more than protect them.

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Amazon Just Bought MGM For Over $8 Billion. Your Move, Netflix

The move is the latest, and greatest, in a new wave of media consolidation sparked by the streaming wars.

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As Chips Shrink, Rowhammer Attacks Get Harder to Stop

A full fix for the “Half-Double” technique will require rethinking how memory semiconductors are designed.

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Help! My Coworker Always Asks for Advice—Then Ignores It

Megan unravels what your colleagues might really want from you.

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When to Reply on Social Media—and When to Not

Sometimes the best thing to do on Twitter or Facebook is to just shut up … isn’t it?

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VR Trainings Are Not Going to Fix Corporate Racism

HR departments are deploying virtual-reality platforms to foster racial empathy. But building inclusive workplaces will take more than that.

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All Our Favorite Accessories for the Nintendo Switch

Did you pick up the handheld console recently? Here are some screen protectors, chargers, and other extras for your new best friend.

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Meet Your Next Angel Investor. They're 19

It’s never been easier to invest in startups, and Gen Z is taking full advantage.

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So You’re Vaccinated! How Can You Let People Know?

Homegrown Covid-19 vaccine signals help create a positive environment so you and your neighbors can feel safer removing face masks.

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The Hostile Takeover of a Microsoft Flight Simulator Server

A community of air traffic control roleplayers gets torn apart by a lawsuit, and the founders scatter, trying to pick up the pieces.

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A New Antitrust Case Cuts to the Core of Amazon’s Identity

The Washington DC attorney general claims that the company obsessed with satisfying customers is actually screwing them.

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This 'Post-Soviet Sad 3D' Game Is Not About Having Fun

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.

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The Best Vinyl Accessories to Jazz Up Your Analog Audio

From record cleaners to slip mats, these extras are for budding enthusiasts and die-hard collectors alike.

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STEM’s Racial Reckoning Just Entered Its Most Crucial Phase

One year after George Floyd’s murder, science and technology institutions continue to evolve. The most radical and necessary step remains.

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Nature Can Save Humanity From Climate Doom—but Not On Its Own

By restoring ecosystems, conservationists can help the land sequester carbon. But it's still no substitute for drastically cutting emissions.

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How to Buy Movies Online and Watch Them Anywhere

Imagine buying a movie once and watching it in any app you like, or whichever one gives you the best quality on your device. Now wake up, it's real.

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As the US Unmasks, the Pressure Is on for Vaccine Passports

Now that the CDC has relaxed mask requirements, a verification system might help identify who's vaccinated—but it’ll be a technical and political mess.

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Freedom, Mayhem, and the Uncertain Future of Revel’s Mopeds

People went wild for its shared rides. Then came trouble. Now the startup is hellbent to prove it can be cool and safe—and exactly what cities need.

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Florida’s New Social Media Law Will Be Laughed Out of Court

The Stop Social Media Censorship Act almost certainly violates both the US Constitution and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

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The Power of a Non-Stereotypical Asian Character in Gaming

When I met Grace Nakimura in the Gabriel Knight trilogy, I found not just someone like me but someone who inspired me.

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Take Your Tunes Anywhere With Our Fave Bluetooth Speakers

These are our favorite portable speakers of all shapes and sizes, from clip-ons to a massive boom box.

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This Evolutionary Gift May Protect Coral From Climate Change

Coral in the Red Sea is unusually heat tolerant. The secret to its success may lie in the lucky confluence of geography and genetics.

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In Apple’s War On Developers, Users Are the Biggest Losers

The App Store’s draconian demands prevent app creators from making changes that would help consumers, or from making helpful apps in the first place.

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How to Stay Cool Without Air-Conditioning

Whether you’re sweltering outdoors or in, we’ve got tips on what to wear, how to hydrate, and the best portable cooling gadgets.

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The Drug Trial That Could Actually Produce Covid Treatments

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.

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The Long, Strange Life of the World’s Oldest Naked Mole Rat

These death-defying rodents do not age normally. Will their weird biology help extend human life spans, or are those ambitions a dead end?

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AI Can Write Disinformation Now—and Dupe Human Readers

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

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Climate Change Is Erasing Humanity’s Oldest Art

Extreme weather is rapidly eroding the limestone caves where people first drew images 40,000 years ago.

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This $120 Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera Is for Film Lovers

This screenless Paper Shoot digital camera makes photos that look like what you get from film, without the long waits or development costs.

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A New Math Shortcut Helps Describe Black Hole Collisions

The calculations work even in cases where it shouldn’t, like when the black holes are close in size.

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8 Free Streaming Services to Save You From Subscription Hell

You may not have heard of Tubi, Pluto TV, or Kanopy—but they’re the perfect cure for subscription fatigue.

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Easy Ways to Sell, Donate, or Recycle Your Stuff

If you're spring cleaning or just need to get rid of things, here's how to do it sensibly and safely—and perhaps make a profit.

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How to Avoid App Store Scams

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.

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Apple Exec Calls Mac Malware Levels Unacceptable Under Oath

Ireland's ransomware crisis continues, a Russian scammer gets sentenced, and more of the week's top security news.

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Apple's Latest iPad Pro Is Overburdened With Power

The 12.9-inch tablet has some small upgrades and a phenomenal display, but it needs a robust software update to bring out its true potential.

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Walden Pond Is Now Teeming With Jellyfish—but Don't Panic

The tiny jellies, which arrived sometime after Henry David Thoreau, are an example of how a non-native species can coexist peacefully with its new environment.

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How to Avoid Those Infuriating Cookie Pop-Ups

Cookie consent notices are everywhere, and opting out of tracking is a pain. It doesn’t have to be this way.

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How to Back Up Your Digital Life

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.

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The Ford Lightning F-150 Is the Electric Vehicle of Dystopia

The automaker says the battery inside the pickup can power a home for three days—useful in a world of fires, floods, and freezes.

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Goodbye Internet Explorer—and Good Riddance

Microsoft will finally put the venerated, vulnerability-ridden browser out to pasture, but it's still got a year to cause some trouble.

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The 16 Best Weekend Deals on Headphones, TVs, and Outdoor Gear

Whether you'll be chilling indoors or in the sunshine this summer, we've got discounts on TVs, headphones, and outdoor gear.

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Epic Grills Tim Cook: Does Apple Put Greed Before Gamers?

The gaming company's lawyers and the judge both questioned the Apple CEO as he testified in the ‘Fortnite’ antitrust trial.

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Shots for Countries in Need, a Surge in Japan, and More News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

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SNL Helped Create the Age of Memes. Now It Can't Keep Up

Forty-six seasons in, the show seems to lag behind the speed of internet comedy.

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The World Needs a Chronicles of Amber TV Show

It's time the work of sci-fi writer Roger Zelazny got its own adaptations.

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An FTC Lawsuit Says Frontier Lied About Internet Speeds

The complaint alleges nearly 30 percent of the internet company's DSL customers may have received speeds slower than what they paid for.

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WarnerMedia, Discovery, and the New Age of Media Consolidation

The new merger means streaming could soon be dominated by a Big Three. Sound familiar?

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Fender's Mustang Micro Is the Perfect Portable Amp

This pocket-sized accessory lets you play (and record) your electric guitar anywhere.

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I Love My Old iPhone. Now I Might Finally Get to Keep It

Plus: The inaugural Google I/O, the value of lossless audio, and inspiration from a downward dog.

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Our 19 Favorite Outdoor Deals at REI's Big Anniversary Sale

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—when you get to pick up discounted fire pits, bike locks, and ultra-durable yoga leggings.

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Android’s Getting Brighter and Bubblier, and We Can’t Wait

This week, we recap the news out of Google IO, including Android’s new look and Project Starline’s holographic video booth.

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More Accessibility Options Only Make Games Better

Just a few tweaks from developers and publishers can go a long way to include more people and make games more fun for everyone.

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We Hiked Along With Cicada Biologists So You Don’t Have To

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.

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Apple's Colorful New iMac Pairs Beauty With Brawn

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.

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6 of Our Favorite Sex Toys Are on Sale Now

May is National Masturbation Month, and sales from four of our favorite brands will help you perfect your self-love.

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The Most Radical Thing About Ford's Electric Pickup? The Cost

After tax credits, the base model of the electric pickup will be cheaper than its gas-fueled sibling, removing what has been a big barrier for EV sales.

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This Brain-Controlled Robotic Arm Can Twist, Grasp—and Feel

Nathan Copeland learned to move a robotic arm with his mind, but it was kind of slow. Then researchers gave him touch feedback.

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Snap Made AR Glasses—but You Won’t Be Buying Them

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 app developers on board.

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One-Size-Fits-All Mask Guidance Isn't Going to Work Anymore

The "choose your own adventure" phase of the pandemic calls for better alternatives. Time for policies to reflect that.

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The Best Laptop Backpacks for Work (and Life)

Whether you're riding a bike or schlepping around a camera, these bags do the job right.

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The Long Journey of Usoni, an African Postapocalyptic Game

Usoni means “future” in Kiswahili. In its first game, Kenyan studio Jiwe envisions a world where Europe is hell and Africa is the new El Dorado.

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These Ex-Journalists Are Using AI to Catch Online Defamation

CaliberAI wants to help overstretched newsrooms with a tool that’s like spell-check for libel. But its potential uses go far beyond traditional media.

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Tern’s Family Ebike Is Perfect and Preposterously Expensive

The best (and most expensive) cargo bike for small families now has a more powerful motor and wonderful kid-friendly accessories.

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Roku and YouTube Are Battling for Your Precious TV Data

Connected TV advertising brought in $9 billion last year and is poised to grow as more viewers shift from cable to streaming.

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Meet the Disabled Streamers Who Are Transforming the Industry

Gamers with disabilities aren't waiting for big companies to catch up: They're forming their own communities and making gameplay more accessible than ever.

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Coder Dee Tuck Is on a Mission to Help Diversify Hollywood

At Ava DuVernay’s Array film collective, Tuck is making it easy for showbiz types to hire a more inclusive workforce.

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