Plus: Absurd takes from the archives, a tribute to small devices, and another setback for Covid testing.

Fast food joints are cheap, convenient, and widely available. And if they swapped out beef for alternative proteins, they could transform the food system.

Last week’s hearing with Silicon Valley CEOs provided a rare glimmer of hope that Congress can, occasionally, work across the aisle.

Your takeout may come with a dose of chemicals known as PFAS—but the FDA’s push to get rid of some of them will take five years.

This week, we discuss the growing trend of mid-range smartphones, why they’re good, and why they’re bad.

The techie-turned-philanthropist on vaccines, Trump, and why social media is “a poisoned chalice.”

As coronavirus cases rise, many school districts will begin the year with at least some online learning. Students without tech access could fall further behind.

With expensive data and tech heavy hitters, Hawkfish is backing the former mayor's promise to take on Donald Trump.

The drop in carbon pollution will only cool the planet a tiny bit. So how about this: Revive the economy and the Earth by pouring money into green tech.

A blast injury specialist explores the chemistry—and history—of explosions like the one captured in videos that swept across the world.

The pandemic has slashed demand for rides and boosted orders for UberEats. Neither segment is profitable.

A campaign called Operation Skeleton Key has stolen source code, software development kits, chip designs, and more.

It's supposed to be the perfect compromise between in-person and online education. It could end up as a public health nightmare.

An MIT team tackled the mystery of why something as soft as hair can erode a steel blade, hoping to figure out how to make shaving tools last longer.

With coronavirus infections rampant in parts of the nation, backlogs are preventing people from getting timely test results, hampering efforts to contain the virus.

The story of a guy who wouldn't let a few quintillion possible decryption keys stand between him and his cryptocurrency.

Alumni of the software giant’s Beijing research lab are now executives at Alibaba, Tencent, SenseTime—and TikTok parent ByteDance.

These noise-canceling headphones silence the world better than most, and the mics are now actually usable on phone calls.

Rashad Robinson, an organizer behind the Stop Hate for Profit boycott, says civil rights groups can’t be left to police the company by themselves.

In an interview with WIRED, former national intelligence official Sue Gordon discusses Russian election interference and other digital threats to democracy.

And Meryl Streep holds a riding crop. And ... Digital satirist Ronald McDonkey's images challenge the idea of fame and our relationship to it.

Meet the hackers who, this weekend, will try to commandeer an actual orbiter as part of a Defcon contest hosted by the Air Force and the Defense Digital Service.

How did an African green monkey that died in 1962 get involved in the biggest research debacle of this pandemic?

Through deceptive designs known as “dark patterns,” online retailers try to nudge you toward purchases you wouldn’t otherwise make.

Indoor air experts think: Sure, maybe. Why the hell not? We convinced the CEO of an air filter company to give it a try.

A three-day hackathon produced a promising set of mobile apps for helping women in crisis, and for stopping violence against women before it occurs.

By reverse engineering apps intended for cyclists, security researchers found they could cause delays in at least 10 cities from anywhere in the world.

After years of secrecy, one major election tech company is giving more hackers a look under the hood.

As the White House zeroes in on a single app, some experts say more pressing issues are going by the wayside.

Using open-source software and less than $100, a researcher was able to create plausible images and audio of actor Tom Hanks.

In 2020, America may ruin the American movie-going experience. But hey, if you’re willing to plop down 30 bucks, you’ll be able to watch Mulan next month.

The company's latest portfolio is filled with powerful and expensive devices.

Apple's new operating system hasn't been released to the public yet, but its new permission notifications are already shaming developers into cleaning up their acts.

The Games and Online Harassment Hotline launched Tuesday as a resource for anyone to talk about the emotional issues that emerge all over the industry.

The company is wooing creators with features they know and love, on a platform President Trump doesn’t publicly hate.

The now-patched vulnerability would have let hackers target Microsoft Office using Symbolic Link—a file type that hasn't been in common use in over 30 years.

America's rich used to move around more than the poor. When Covid landed, that flipped: The wealthy now work remotely, while essential workers toil.

A Dutch public broadcaster got rid of targeted digital ads—and its revenues went way up.

When two men were hired to break into Iowa judicial buildings, they thought it was just another physical security audit—until they were charged with burglary.

Surviving three or four rounds of this multiplayer knock-out game makes you feel like a total athlete, even as a pirate-costumed bean

Researchers found 18 exploits that take advantage of inconsistencies in the email plumbing most people never think about.

A CDC report from a Georgia hot spot illuminates just how easily kids can spread coronavirus, adding to our understanding of kids’ role in transmission.

With access to just 50,000 high-wattage smart devices, attackers could make a bundle off of causing minor fluctuations.

The upgrades are dramatic if you're looking for more power, but if you're holding out for Face ID or a fresh look, keep waiting.

Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West’s new book teaches us how to live in a world that's full of it, and how to spot BS in ourselves.

More than a billion tons of it could enter the environment in the next 20 years. It's time, advocates say, to put a sin tax on single-use plastic.

With more real estate and power, the company's roomy new laptop retains everything we like about the 13-inch—almost.

Members of Congress clearly don’t understand the tech companies they’re supposed to regulate. But neither does anyone else.

NyanSat is an open source ground station that lets you listen in on low-orbit transmissions for about $100 worth of gear.

You don't need a lot of gear to keep your pup's tail wagging, but the right stuff can vastly improve their lives and your relationship with them.