Wildfire Smoke Is Loaded With Microbes. Is That Dangerous?

Researchers are putting out a call to study the potential effects of bacteria- and fungi-filled haze on human health.

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Russia's Hack Wasn't Cyberwar. That Complicates US Strategy

To evaluate whether cyber security tactics are working, you need to first establish what the SolarWinds hack really was.

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Wildfire Smoke Is Loaded With Microbes. Is That Dangerous?

Researchers are putting out a call to study the potential effects of bacteria- and fungi-filled haze on human health.

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Uber Faces a Fine for Refusing to Give Details on Assaults

The California Public Utility Commission demanded details on sexual assault cases involving drivers. But Uber says complying would compromise victims’ identities.

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Our Fave Smartwatches Do Much More Than Just Tell Time

These little wearables reduce your reliance on a phone—all while helping you stay connected.

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These Are the Gifts Teens Actually Want

Teenagers can be scary, but these adolescent-approved gifts are sweet.

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A Clever Strategy to Distribute Covid Aid—With Satellite Data

The small nation of Togo used image analysis algorithms to target economic support for its most vulnerable residents.

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The Best TikToks of 2020

The social media platform, which gained enormous popularity this year, served as a mirror of these often dystopian times.

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18 Passive-Aggressive Gifts for Your Terrible Roommate

If you're obligated to give a present, you may as well send a thinly veiled message behind it.

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Vaccines Are Here. We Have to Talk About Side Effects

Disinformation could thwart distribution before government messages have a chance to push back. Debunking might turn out to be everyone’s job.

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How Restaurants Retooled for Takeout—and Survival

Chefs tinkered with food chemistry, while dining apps reengineered logistics. Those changes will endure even after the pandemic is over.

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Texas Accuses Google and Facebook of an Illegal Conspiracy

A new antitrust case against Google alleges that the two companies made a deal to reduce competition in online advertising.

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Russia's Hacking Frenzy Is a Reckoning

Despite years of warning, the US still has no good answer for the sort of “supply chain” attack that let Russia run wild.

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How to Pick the Right Roku for Your TV

The company has a dizzying array of streaming sticks, boxes, TVs, and speakers to choose from, but don’t worry—these are the ones to buy.

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How NASA Scrambled to Save OSIRIS-REx From Leaky Disaster

The $800 million craft successfully collected precious asteroid material from a near-Earth asteroid. Then it started spilling regolith into space.

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14 Gifts to Cheer Up Your Favorite Cinephile

Theaters may be mostly shut down, but you can still roll out the red carpet for that special movie buff.

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Orwell's Animal Farm Sticks a Bit Too Close to the Book

Kudos to developer The Dairymen for tackling the classic parable, but a narrative focus means that players suffer the same lack of freedom as the game's characters.

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Cops Are Getting a New Tool For Family-Tree Sleuthing

Verogen’s push into public crime labs with genetic genealogy may help solve more cold cases, but it raises concerns about DNA data collection.

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Trick Out Your iPhone 12 With These Cases and Accessories

Whichever new model you get, we’ve rounded up the cases, chargers, and other extras you’ll want to snag.

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Trump Could Torpedo a Bill to Boost Funding for AI

The National Defense Authorization Act would increase US investment by $6.4 billion over 5 years. But the president could veto it over other provisions.

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The Future of Social Media Is All Talk

From Clubhouse to Discord to Twitter, 2020 was all about giving people a voice online. Literally.

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The Best Pop Culture That Got Us Through 2020

These 48 movies, TV shows, albums, Twitter feeds, songs, podcasts, and books helped us get through this wildly unprecedented year.

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24 Gifts We Love From BIPOC-Owned Businesses

These household gifts are perfect for anyone on your list.

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The First Americans Are Being Vaccinated. Now, the Hard Part

State and local officials are scrambling to figure out how to inoculate millions—after health care workers and the elderly—against the novel coronavirus.

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How Cyberpunk 2077 Sold a Promise—and Rigged the System

Video game companies are increasingly putting restrictions on what reviewers can show, widening the gap between expectations and reality.

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14 Excellent Gifts for Xbox Gamers

Whether your giftee has the Series X, S, or Xbox One, here are a few extras they might like.

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Need a Cheap Laptop? These Are Our Favorites

You don't have to spend a fortune to get a good notebook.

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The 8 Best Books About Artificial Intelligence to Read Now

Algorithms have crept into our feeds, streets, and workplaces. Here’s what WIRED staff are reading to understand what that means for the future.

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The New Surface Pro X Has Improved—a Bit

Microsoft has updated its ARM-powered portable, giving it a faster chip and a new keyboard. It still struggles to compete.

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22 Gift Ideas for People Working From Home

Upgrade your loved one’s home office with these picks that make every day a little easier—and a little more fun.

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The Longing Is a Video Game of Transcendent Slowness

Set in a virtual cave, this Tamagotchi-like waiting simulator is a riff on a German folktale that captures 2020’s sad and surreal lockdown energy.

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All the Stuff Humans Make Now Outweighs Earth’s Organisms

Anthropogenic mass—concrete, metal, and other human creations—has grown to be heavier than plants, animals, and microbes combined. Planet Earth is not happy.

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The Race to Get a PlayStation 5 Is the Year’s Best Game

This is what a holiday-shopping craze looks like when everyone’s in lockdown.

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The ‘Healthy Building’ Surge Will Outlast the Pandemic

Because of Covid-19, developers are realizing that incorporating health concerns in a building's design isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity.

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The 7th Jackbox Party Pack Is the First Perfect Pack

It took a couple swings (most of them good, some of them okay at best) but the most recent release is a crowd-pleaser.

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The Steampunk Rover Concept That Could Help Explore Venus

50 years after the first spacecraft touched down on our super hot neighbor (and promptly died), NASA has a plan for a tougher mechanical lander.

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The Zodiac Killer's Cipher Is Finally Cracked After 51 Years

Amateur and professional cryptographers, including those at the FBI, had been trying to decode the infamous serial killer's message to the media for decades.

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Why Do Many Self-Driving Cars Look Like Toasters on Wheels?

Without any need for steering wheels or pedals, the cubes give passengers room to maneuver inside. The latest entrant, from Zoox, can hold 4.

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The Mustang Mach-E Delivers a Jolt—If You Can Find a Charge

The electric version of Ford’s legendary sports car is a lot of fun to drive. But road trips can be derailed by an underpowered charging network.

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No One Knows How Deep Russia's Hacking Rampage Goes

A supply chain attack against IT company SolarWinds has exposed as many as 18,000 companies to Cozy Bear's attacks.

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A Letter to My Pandemic Baby

On this week's Get WIRED podcast, an editor captures the bizarre world of 2020 for his unborn daughter.

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How to Use ProRAW on Your iPhone 12 Pro

Apple’s update that enables RAW camera capture—and makes your photos more editable—is now available.

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The Streaming Wars Could Finally End in 2021

With Disney's announcement of 22 new series, and Warner Bros. teaming up with HBO Max, the battle for every last subscriber will come to a head next year.

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Apple's App 'Privacy Labels' Are Here—and a Big Step Forward

It remains unclear how effective the warnings will be, but the attempt alone is a promising development.

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The Best Fantasy Books of an Unfantastic Year

In the midst of a global pandemic, the genre got a lot more real.

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An AI Used Facebook Data to Predict Mental Illness

Volunteers let an AI scan their messages from more than a year before they received a psychiatric diagnosis. It was able to flag signs of their conditions.

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Conferences After Covid Will Be Shorter—and Smarter

In-person gatherings will resume eventually, but innovations born during the pandemic will remain.

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Switching to Windows? These Are the Best Mac Alternatives

If you're tired of Apple's desktops or laptops, consider these Windows and Linux-powered options.

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20 Great Green Monday Deals on Apple, Bose, Sonos, and More

Whether you've heard of this retail holiday or not, you should check out these tech deals.

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26 of the Best Books WIRED Read in 2020

From pig poop to sunscreen to poker to hackers, the books we love dive deep to tell smart stories about how the world works.

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This ‘Invisible’ Charger Juices Your Phone Through Your Desk

Kew Labs’ unique charger installs under your desk, where it sends electrons to your phone wirelessly through the tabletop.

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Mass Transit Is in Jeopardy—and So Are Cities

Subways and buses are the lifeblood of dense cities like New York. If the system withers, the region becomes a less attractive place to live and work.

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A Bolivian 'Cloud Forest' Reveals a Bonanza of New Species

An expedition into a steep, remote mountain area unveils discoveries of strange frogs, snakes, and plants—and the return of species thought to be extinct.

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Breathe Easy—We Found the Best Air Purifiers

We tested standard and HEPA models to find the right one for your home.

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17 Gifts for People Who Just Need a Good Night's Sleep

Sweet dreams are made of these.

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Super Slow Computer Programs Reveal Math's Fundamental Limits

The goal of the “busy beaver” game is to find the longest-running computer program. Its pursuit has surprising connections to profound questions in math.

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6 Gaming Laptops That Pwned the Competition

We tested the latest and greatest gaming notebooks to sort the god-rolls from the vendor fodder.

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Ditch Your Data-Hungry Apps for These Privacy-Focused Swaps

From messaging to maps, many popular apps slurp up your data to sell you ads. There’s a better way.

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AI Algorithms Are Slimming Down to Fit in Your Fridge

Artificial intelligence programs typically are power guzzlers. New research shows how to generate computer vision from a simple, low-power chip.

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My Highly Unexpected Heterosexual Pandemic Zoom Wedding

Love caught me by surprise, but we were continents apart.

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The Biden Administration Will Have Its Hands Full With Russia

After four years of Trump kowtowing to Putin, the US has its work cut out for it.

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The 14 Best Google Assistant Speakers for Your Home

From smart displays to portable boomboxes, Google's smart voice assistant comes in all shapes and sizes. Here are our favorites.

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2021 Will Launch the Platinum Age of Piracy

And Disney, with its rich in-person experience offerings, is poised to be the biggest winner of all.

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A Delivery Service for Dental Night Guards? I Wouldn't Bite

The newest trend in oral care lets you skip the dentist's office by taking molds of your teeth at home and having a protective night guard mailed to you.

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15 Table-Ready Gifts for Board Game Lovers

Even picky players will love these holiday picks and accessories.

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An Atlas Shows Climate Change Is Pushing Birds Further North

Data from 120,000 birdwatchers in 48 countries shows forest birds have expanded their range while area occupied by farmland birds has shrunk.

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10 Laptops We've Tested—and Loved

These are our favorite Windows notebooks, MacBooks, and Chromebooks.

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Give Ice the Cold Shoulder With an Electric Cooler

These devices work like a portable refrigerator, drawing power from AC or DC power (like the 12-volt plug in your car) to keep your food cool and dry.

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The First Shots, Grim Milestones, and More Coronavirus News

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

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The Hollow Earth Theory Isn't So Funny Anymore

Owen Egerton's 2017 book Hollow used the theory to tell its story. Now that conspiracies are everywhere, he's reconsidering that move.

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Everything You Need to Make Beer, Wine, Cider, and Mead

Indoor plants and sewing projects don't always make you forget how terrible everything is right now. Here's what you need to make booze at home.

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The 14 Best Electric Bikes for Every Kind of Ride

A battery-powered motor lets you enjoy most of the benefits of biking, without all the sweat.

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Looking for the Best Smart Scale? Step On Up

If you're ready to start tracking your weight, BMI, and other critical health data on your phone, we've weighed in on some great options.

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Mark Zuckerberg’s Blue Christmas

Plus: A WhatsApp cofounder’s regrets, the rules of chip hoarding, and a failed attempt at influencer marketing.

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Charlize Theron and the Best Movie Never Made

As with so many things in 2020, it all started with a tweet.

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Copyright Law Is Bricking Your Game Console. Time to Fix That

Repairing your own console is either impossible or illegal. An exemption to Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act could change that.

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Hackers Accessed Covid Vaccine Data Through the EU Regulator

The European Medicines Agency has released limited details about the cyberattack.

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Severe Wildfires Are Devastating the California Condor

This year’s aggressive fire season wiped out a record number of the endangered birds, as well as a facility wildlife biologists use to track and care for them.

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This Season’s Most In-Demand Gifts

This week, we discuss how holiday gift-giving has been influenced by the pandemic. Also, we list the things we’ll be giving, and offer some gift suggestions.

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Republicans Are P-Hacking the Supreme Court

Texas is seeking to overturn the 2020 election based on a shoddy statistical analysis. It's just what you would expect from medical researchers.

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I Tested Positive for Covid-19. What Does That Really Mean?

We reduce test results to “positive” or “negative.” Some experts think patients, and the community, would be better served by a more nuanced approach.

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The FDA's Green Light for a Vaccine Might Tank Ongoing Trials

The agency is close to authorizing Pfizer's Covid-19 shot. That raises questions about the fate of study volunteers and lost opportunities to collect their data.

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‘Beyond These Stars Other Tribulations of Love’

“The trick was to lift consciousness into a superposition and help it lock into distinct space-time coordinates.”

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Looking for a Tablet? These Are Our Absolute Favorites

We’ve tested all the top slates around, from Apple’s iPads to Android and Windows devices.

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These Are Our 7 Favorite Robot Vacuums

From no-frills cleaners to high-end automation, we have the perfect pick for you.

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Antitrust Litigation Isn't Enough. Biden Needs to Go Further

Antitrust suits, like the one filed against Facebook, are long, costly, and often ineffective. The next president can fix the system—without Congress.

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The Best High-Tech Socks to Tackle Your Next Run or Workout

Leave the cotton behind in favor of technical fabrics and constructions that help you pile on the miles.

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A Rocket From 1966 Has Found Its Way Back to Earth’s Orbit

More than 50 years after its course correction failure, Surveyor 2’s rocket booster seems to have reappeared.

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Something Was Wrong. My Nightgown Was in Flames

When a body is reduced, all at once, to a crude dichotomy of hot and cold, what happens to your soul?

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Gaming on a Budget? Try Your Local Library

While you may have to wait to check out the most popular releases, libraries across the country are increasingly adding video games to their collections.

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14 Gifts for People Who Are Perpetually Cold

From smart coffee mugs to a weighted blanket, these picks will make your loved ones feel warm and fuzzy—inside and out.

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There Are No Real Rules for Repairing Satellites in Space—Yet

Fixing, refueling, and upgrading satellites in orbit is about to become more common. A group is pushing for international standards to keep these missions safe.

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The Dark Side of Big Tech’s Funding for AI Research

Timnit Gebru’s exit from Google is a powerful reminder of how thoroughly companies dominate the field, with the biggest computers and the most resources.

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Hello, World! It Is ‘I,’ the Internet

When did “the Internet” become “the internet?” Why did that happen, and how has it changed us?

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Get Rich Selling Used Fashion Online—or Cry Trying

The social shopping app Poshmark promises women the chance to spin gold out of secondhand threads. The reality is a lot of spinning, and little gold.

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A Cyberpunk Founding Father Isn't Surprised By Its Comeback

Mike Pondsmith, who wrote the tabletop RPG that inspired Cyberpunk 2077, explains why the genre feels vital in 2020.

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Apple's HomePod Mini Falls Short As a Smart Speaker

Apple’s small spherical speaker is a convenient satellite for Siri-loving Apple users, but it doesn't score many points beyond that.

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The Smoking Gun in the Facebook Antitrust Case

The government wants to break up the world’s biggest social network. Internal company emails show why.

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SpaceX Launches—and Crashes—Its Starship Mars Rocket

The test flight didn’t come close to the edge of space, but the prototype was a big step toward the rocket’s first orbital mission.

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Bees Paint Animal Poo on Their Homes to Repel Giant Hornets

What at first seems like terrible housekeeping turns out to be a clever ploy to fend off huge predators, which can otherwise easily destroy a hive.

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