Algae bio-curtains: Architects' radical solution to capture carbon

Scientists and architects in London have developed 'bio-curtains' to act as an alternative to urban trees.

5 Best Portable Espresso Makers You Can Buy (2019)

Make awesome espresso on the road, hiking, car camping, or anywhere else, with these handheld machines.

33 Best Deals From Walmart and Other Amazon Prime Day Rivals

Prime Day is so popular that Amazon competitors like Walmart and Target counter it with their own sales. We've collected the best of the rest.

Code Cracker Turing to Be on 50-Quid Notes

Alan Turing, the British mathematician known for his World War II code-breaking exploits and for a test to distinguish between human and machine intelligence, will be on 50-pound notes in the UK by the end of 2021. The Bank of England, which made the announcement, explained that Turing, who died in 1954, was chosen from a field of 989 eligible characters after a public nomination period. Other characters included theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, mathematician Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, maker of a mechanical computer.

AI solves Rubik's Cube in under one second

An AI system teaches itself to solve the Rubik's Cube more quickly than any human.

Monsters and power-ups in new go-kart experience

Drivers can score points by shooting virtual monsters while racing each other.

Social Media, Crafters, Gamers and the Online Censorship Debate

Ravelry, an online knitting community that has more than 8 million members, last month announced that it would ban forum posts, projects, patterns and even profiles from users who supported the Trump administration. "We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy," the administrators posted on the site. "Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy," the post added. The administrators have maintained that they aren't endorsing Democrats or banning Republicans.

Facebook 'to be fined $5bn over Cambridge Analytica scandal'

US regulators are said to have approved a penalty against Facebook over a data protection scandal.

Automated facial recognition trials backed by home secretary

The cameras have faced criticism, but Sajid Javid says it is right police use the latest technology.

Zoom Flaw Turns Mac Cam into Spy Cam

A security researcher has found a flaw in the popular video conferencing app Zoom that could be used to turn on the camera on a Macintosh computer without a user's permission. The vulnerability allows any website to forcibly join a user to a Zoom call, with their video camera activated, without a user's permission, explained Jonathan Leitschuh, a senior software engineer at Gradle. The code could be used in a malicious ad or in a phishing campaign, he wrote. Zoom contradicted some of Leitschuh's conclusions in a response post.

Hackers 'could target anaesthetic devices'

The machines, which have been used by the NHS, were recently found to have a security vulnerability.

Anticipating the Merger of Apple and Oracle

Like a lot of you, after reading about the departure of Jony Ive, I'm trying to wrap my head around Apple without a design focus. Now this isn't as hard as you might think, given the last truly successful Apple product came out around a decade ago and was called the "iPad." It is also somewhat ironic that Apple just effectively relaunched the iPod, the product that Steve Jobs rode to Apple's massive success last decade. In many respects, Apple is like the consumer version of Oracle.

Can You Hear Me Now? Staying Connected During a Cybersecurity Incident

While good communication is pretty much universally beneficial, there are times when it's more so than others. One such time? During a cybersecurity incident. Incident responders know that communication is paramount. Even a few minutes might mean the difference between closing an issue vs. allowing a risky situation to persist longer than it needs to. In fact, communication -- both within the team and externally with different groups -- is one of the most important tools at the disposal of the response team.

4th of July Sales (2019): 25 Best Tech Deals This Weekend

If you're looking for outdoor and indoor essentials, you can save a lot of cash this Independence Day weekend.

Can robots help humans get more jobs?

Instead of taking our jobs, could robots actually help more people get into work?

Best Podcasts for Kids: Stories, Circle Round, Rebel Girls, Brains On

Keep your children entertained and ease the stress of getting there with these podcasts for kids.

Can't Set Off Fireworks? Try These Science-Backed Alternatives

Blowing things up is a basic part of the Fourth of July. Here's what to try when fireworks aren't an option.

Caroline Criado Perez Explains the 'Gender Data Gap'

In this WIRED Q&A, author Caroline Criado Perez explains how elements of the modern world were designed more for men than women.

The Democratic Debate That Wasn't: How Tech Could Help Elections

I watched the Democratic debates last week and was struck by three things: I'd likely rather watch paint dry; the application of technology to improve the experience was nonexistent; and I'd bet that if the Democrats don't up their game President Trump will have them to thank when he wins re-election. I'm generally frustrated about how little technology is used to improve the presentations made by technology companies, but in this case both the preservation of the U.S. and perhaps the survival of the world are tied to the next election.

Church of England's first black woman bishop calls for more minority leaders

It's time the Church of England reflected its many ethnic minority members, says Rose Hudson-Wilkin.

How apps power Hong Kong's 'leaderless' protests

Huge group chats with real-time voting let demonstrators decide what steps to take next.

How the iPhone Helped Save the Planet

Over the last 12 years, smartphones have helped dematerialize our consumption of countless other products.

NSA Admits Improper Collection of Phone Data, 2nd Time Around

The ACLU has released documents showing the NSA improperly collected Americans' call and text logs in 2017 and 2018. The unauthorized collections occurred just four months after the agency announced it was deleting more than 620 million call detail records acquired since 2015 under Title V of the Foreign Intelligence Service Act. The NSA relied on the improperly collected information from the February 2018 violation to seek approval from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to spy on individuals, the ACLU said.

Google's Matías Duarte on the History of Smartphone Notifications

A conversation with Matías Duarte, one of the designers of Android, about how notifications grew from an idea to a relentless buzz.

How to Watch the 2020 Democratic Primary Debate Wednesday and Thursday

Twenty candidates. Two nights. A bunch of 60-second answers. Probably at least one meme. Here's how to watch.

Amazon Echo Show 5 Review: Smaller Isn't Always Better

The screen-bedecked Alexa device is back—this time with a smaller display.

EE fined £100,000 for unlawful texts

The mobile network sent 2.5 million messages to customers about its app and handset upgrades.

X-Prize winner: Children are not a product

The winner of Elon Musk's global learning award warns that children's data should be protected.

Uber Drones to Make Meal Drops This Summer

Uber Elevate, the aerial arm of rideshare service Uber, will test a fast food delivery by drone service later this summer in San Diego. Delivery destinations won't be houses or apartment buildings, however, but instead will be "designated safe landing zones." Those landing zones could include the roof of a parked Uber vehicle in one scenario. An Uber courier would receive the package and hand-deliver it to the consumer. McDonald's is one of Uber's partners, and it has been developing special packaging to keep food hot and intact.

Apple's MacBook Pro Battery Recall Adds to Its Laptop Problems

Thursday's recall, issued because of battery overheating concerns, is not an isolated incident when it comes to Apple’s premium laptops.

Olympus Tough TG-6 Review: A Durable Point-and-Shoot Camera

The latest Olympus TG is a go-anywhere camera that soars where smartphones crash.

Instagram Targets Account Hijacking

Account hijacking has become a nettlesome problem at Instagram so the social media company has begun testing a simpler method for users to reclaim their compromised accounts. It allows users locked out of their hacked accounts to ask for a six-digit code to be sent to the email address or phone number originally used to open the account. The company also has taken steps to address the issue of user name theft. After hijacking an account and changing its settings to lock out its owner, some hackers will try to sell its name.

US and Russia clash over power grid 'hack attacks'

Russia has countered attempts to hack into its infrastructure, says Kremlin spokesman.

Snow Peak’s Fire Pit Makes Me Like Camping Again

The simple, durable, and well-made fire pit helped me recalibrate my relationship to the outdoors.

Amazon’s Alexa boss Dave Limp on privacy concerns

Amazon’s head of Alexa, Dave Limp tells the BBC why his team is researching how to make the voice assistant understand emotion.

Winners, Losers and No Shows at E3 2019

E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, was in full swing in Los Angeles this week. The annual trade show for the video game industry was not without a few surprises, a few disappointments and as usual a few companies that opted to forego the whole thing. Sony was among the companies that chose to skip the event, while rival Microsoft was present only via its annual press conference. Sony announced last year that it would be pulling out of E3 and instead would consider other opportunities to connect with the gaming community.

Google's AR animals entertain Android users

Augmented Reality animals are appearing as an option on some Android devices as Google rolls out a new feature.

20 Last-Minute Father's Day Gift Ideas and Deals (2019)

Whether you just forgot or procrastinated, don't worry. We found some great last-minute deals on gifts Dad will love.

News Industry Ad Study Knocked as 'Tripe'

A study that estimates Google last year raked in $4.7 billion from news content has drawn widespread criticism. That $4.7 billion is a conservative estimate, according to the News Media Alliance, the trade group that released the study. That's because the estimate doesn't take into account Google's advertising revenue from publishers and data collected from news content. The actual value of news content to Google is difficult to quantify because of the ways it uses news to drive traffic, develop its products, and entrench its dominant position.

Best E3 Game and Console Sales (2019): Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox

E3 2019 is packed with gaming news, but it's also a time for killer deals. These are our favorites.

Three to launch first 5G service in August

The firm will launch a home broadband service in London before expanding to 25 towns and cities.

Dodging Facebook's 'Like' Trap for Small Businesses

Despite complaints about user privacy and the sharing of personal data, Facebook remains the de facto powerhouse in the world of social media. It may have started out as a place to connect with friends, but with 2.23 billion users worldwide it isn't hard to see why it matters to marketers. For the past decade Facebook has been a proven way for small businesses to connect with customers -- at least in theory. Although many millennials and even some older users see it as passé, it has a massive audience.

Tech Tent: Apple takes a stand on design

On this week's podcast, we ask whether people will continue to pay a premium for Apple products.

Reliving D-Day Through Augmented Reality

The National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, is honoring the exploits and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation in a new augmented reality exhibit "D-Day: Freedom from Above." This AR experience commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings, which helped liberate France and Western Europe from the Nazis and lead to the Allied victory in the Second World War. The 3,500 square foot exhibit focuses on the D-Day missions of the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions landings in Normandy.

Huawei signs deal with Russian telecoms firm to develop 5G

The deal comes as the Chinese firm faces a backlash in the West over the security of its products.

What Does 'Amazon’s Choice' Actually Mean?

It almost certainly doesn’t involve Amazon employees selecting products they think are the best.

Apple Mac Pro (2019): Specs, Features, Release Date

The company's newest machine emphasizes brawn, for the few who can afford it.

WWDC 2019 Liveblog: All the Apple News as It Happens

Apple's developer conference kicks off June 3 at 10 am Pacific. Follow along with us for analysis and commentary from WIRED's editors.

Leveraging Live Video Streaming, the Great Democratizer

When live streaming first started to roll out across multiple social media platforms, it remained pretty unclear how this new technology would interface with Internet users. More often a source for friends to include one another on events they're missing out on, frequent uses of live video streaming felt experimental in nature. What was it all about? How could I interface with it? Facebook and Instagram live streams felt like happy accidents, with users hopping on for a few minutes only to jump off again.

Extinction Rebellion plans Heathrow drone protest

Extinction Rebellion says it will stage a 10-day demonstration unless expansion plans are cancelled.