The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Hard problems are usually not a welcome sight. But cryptographers love them. That’s because certain hard math problems underpin the security of modern encryption. Any clever trick for solving them will doom most forms of cryptography. Several years ago, researchers found a radically new approach…
Four OpenAI researchers are leaving the company to go to Meta, two sources confirm to WIRED. Shengjia Zhao, Shuchao Bi, Jiahui Yu, and Hongyu Ren have joined Meta’s superintelligence team. Their OpenAI Slack profiles have been deactivated. The Information first reported on the departures. It’s the latest in a series of aggressive moves by Mark…
Will a carpet cleaner be worth it for you? Our carpet cleaner recommendations range in price from about $100 to a little over $500. Although the initial cost of buying a carpet cleaner can be higher than a one-time rental or service, after a few uses owning a carpet cleaner generally ends up being more…
For years, the lower-priced Apple Watch SE was considered the “starter” Apple Watch. It was solid, but you lost out on enough functionality that the Series watch seemed like a better all-around buy. Now the gap between the two models is narrowing, and the SE 3 is a better watch than ever at the same…
Photograph: Pete Cottell M-Audio has packaged everything this person would need in a tidy little box with its M Track Duo HD producer pack. It includes a two-channel class-compliant audio interface, an M100 condenser mic, a pair of HD41 headphones, a mic clip, a USB-C cable to connect the interface to your computer or mobile…
Whether you like it or not, Black Friday is here. The holiday shopping season is upon us, and it’s when some of the best deals of the year make their appearance. For Black Friday, Best Buy has really solid tech deals on some of our favorite products we’ve tested and reviewed, ranging from laptops and…
Honorable Mentions During the winter, a whole WIRED crew tests ski clothes almost constantly. Here are a few other items that we like. Courtesy of REI Hestra Fall Line 3-Finger Gloves for $152: I’ve long admired Hestra gloves from across the lift line, impressed by the Swedish company’s elegant stitchwork and thoughtful design touches. This…
The splashy iPhone Air and improved iPhone 17 make the upgrades on the Pro and larger Pro Max seem particularly incremental, even as the Pro’s price inched up $100. Apple kept the display sizes the same (6.3 and 6.9 inches) but added the new A19 Pro chip, which is more capable of tackling Apple Intelligence…
Allen St. John Allen St. John has been a senior product editor at CR since 2016, focusing on digital privacy, audio devices, printers, and home products. He was a senior editor at Condé Nast and a contributing editor at publications including Road & Track and The Village Voice. A New York Times bestselling author, he’s…
The war over forever chemicals in cookware has seen celebrity chefs, major cookware makers, and state legislatures enter into battle. Now, a new front has opened over advertising claims. Cookware company Caraway is alleging that “Big Cookware” is using a lawsuit to try to “silence” the company, which rose to prominence making forever-chemical-free pans. Caraway…