WIRED Business: Startups, Cryptocurrency, Tech Culture, and More

Amazon Workers in the UK Walk Out in a Cost-of-Living Rebellion Aug 12, 2022

After news of a “pointless” pay increase spread, workers at three warehouses stopped work to demand higher wages as inflation and interest rates surge.

Beware the Contract Clause Loading US Workers With Debt Aug 11, 2022

Nurses, retail workers, and other employees can owe thousands of dollars just for quitting their job—or getting laid off.

What Twitter’s Move to Shutter Offices Signals for Big Tech Aug 10, 2022

Companies are cutting costs by embracing remote setups, but what happens to the hubs they leave behind?

The Rise and Fall of a Bitcoin Mining Sensation Aug 09, 2022

Compass Mining grew quickly during crypto’s halcyon days. Now, its customers and their thousands of mining machines are stuck.

Wikipedia Articles Sway Some Legal Judgments Aug 08, 2022

An experiment shows that overworked judges turn to the crowdsourced encyclopedia for guidance when making legal decisions.

Kenya’s Threat to Ban Facebook Could Backfire Aug 05, 2022

Meta has allowed ads that include hate speech and calls for violence ahead of the country’s elections. But experts warn that a shutdown isn’t the answer.

Data Centers Are Facing a Climate Crisis Aug 04, 2022

Companies are racing to cool down their servers as energy prices and temperatures soar. And the worst is yet to come.

Big Tech Can’t Stop Obsessing Over Apple and TikTok Aug 03, 2022

Earnings season was dominated by two companies—both existential threats to their competition.

Why Google Sued the Descendants of a Railroad Tycoon and a Civil War General Aug 02, 2022

To secure the land for its multibillion-dollar Downtown West development, the company has had to track down dozens of distant relatives of 19th-century landowners.

The Fallout From Apple’s Bizarre, Dogged Union-Busting Campaign Aug 01, 2022

Workers are calling on management to stop inflicting “traumatic” pressure on other workers trying to unionize.

EV Makers Think They’ve Figured Out What Women Want Jul 29, 2022

Men are more likely to buy electric vehicles, and carmakers are eager to diversify their base. But what will it take to close the gender gap?

The Chip Shortage is Easing—But Only For Some Jul 28, 2022

Certain chips have caught up with demand, thanks to stockpiling and reduced consumer spending, but the semiconductor supply chain is still snarled up.

BeReal Basics: How to Use the 'Unfiltered' Social Media App Jul 27, 2022

Post within the two-minute window to share off-the-cuff photos with your friends—and the world.

Abortion Pill Demand Is Driving an Underground Network Jul 25, 2022

Desperate people in the US and beyond are turning to an unregulated, cross-continental supply chain.

Is It a Bird? Is It a Plane? No, It’s a Flying Ferry Jul 22, 2022

An electric hydrofoil ferry could be the future of public transportation in Stockholm—and beyond.

Juul Nears Its Last Gasp—After It Hooked a Generation on Vaping Jul 21, 2022

The startup used regulatory loopholes and marketing to make nicotine cool. Now the FDA threatens to shut the company down, but new rivals are taking over.

Amazon’s ‘Safe’ New Robot Won’t Fix Its Worker Injury Problem Jul 20, 2022

The company’s warehouses demand a fast pace of workers, and have higher injury rates than at competing firms.

Cruise's Robot Car Outages Are Jamming Up San Francisco Jul 19, 2022

In a series of incidents, the GM subsidiary lost contact with its autonomous vehicles, leaving them frozen in traffic and trapping human drivers.

Escooter Rentals Aren’t as Green as You Think Jul 18, 2022

Dubious design and inefficient operations are just some of the reasons why shared scooters’ ecocredentials are thin.

The Digital Divide Is Coming for You Jul 15, 2022

More services are going online-only—catching more people on the wrong side of a widening gulf.

Crypto’s Free Rein May Be Coming to a Close Jul 14, 2022

Lawmakers in the US and Europe are considering ways to regulate crypto and crack down on money-laundering and other illicit activities.

Tech Companies Will Cover Abortion Travel—but Not for All Workers Jul 13, 2022

Google, Amazon, and others will help permanent staff seek out-of-state care. But their many contractors remain shut out.

What, Exactly, Is the Metaverse Standards Forum Creating? Jul 12, 2022

No one will agree on what the metaverse is. But that's not stopping a coalition of big names in tech from designing the tools needed to build it.

Meta Was Restricting Abortion Content All Along Jul 11, 2022

Abortion access groups and activists say they were dealing with algorithmic suppression long before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The Fight Over Which Uses of AI Europe Should Outlaw Jul 08, 2022

A new European Union law will set rules for what the technology can and can’t do to people, like whether it’s OK to deploy lie detectors at borders.

The World Can’t Wean Itself Off Chinese Lithium Jul 07, 2022

China dominates the global supply chain for lithium-ion batteries. Now rival countries are scrambling for more control over “white oil.”

China Is Racing to Electrify Its Future Jul 06, 2022

The country wants electric vehicles to make up 40 percent of new cars sold by 2030—but first it has to figure out how to keep them charged.

This Warehouse Robot Reads Human Body Language Jul 05, 2022

Machines that understand what their human teammates are doing could boost productivity without taking jobs.

Before Starbucks Baristas Had Unions, They Had Coworker Petitions Jul 01, 2022

A platform called Coworker has helped effect change for nearly a decade. As the coffee chain’s workers organize, its role has evolved in kind.

Meta Made Millions From Ads That Spread Disinformation Jun 30, 2022

The social media giant banned networks of fake accounts for promoting disinformation, spam, or propaganda—and kept the money it made from ads.

EV Charging Costs Penalize Urban Drivers Jun 28, 2022

While suburban drivers can comfortably charge at home, those in low-income areas face higher prices—if they can find a station that works.

No One Knows How Safe New Driver-Assistance Systems Really Are Jun 27, 2022

Tesla’s Autopilot and other automotive safety features are involved in plenty of car crashes. But thanks to spotty data, it’s still not clear how many, or what to do about it.

Sure, Crypto Is Crashing, but Everything Is Perfectly Fine Jun 24, 2022

Cryptocurrencies are behaving exactly like the rest of the stock market, but the faithful say that's no reason to jump ship.

The Weak Argument Jeopardizing Tech Antitrust Legislation Jun 22, 2022

Democrats are pumping the brakes on an ambitious Senate bill over long-shot concerns about content moderation.

LaMDA and the Sentient AI Trap Jun 21, 2022

Arguments over whether Google’s large language model has a soul distract from the real-world problems that plague artificial intelligence.

How Ukraine Is Winning the Propaganda War Jun 20, 2022

As the Russian siege drags on, Ukraine's media campaign has shifted from glorified myths to accounts of everyday bravery.

Why It’s Impossible to Rent a Car Right Now Jun 17, 2022

From Avis-Budget to Hertz, traditional rental companies are struggling to restock their fleets. Now peer-to-peer upstarts are scrambling to fill the gap.

The Secret to Tastier Fake Meat? Breeding Better Beans Jun 16, 2022

Scientists are using genomics to create high-protein soybeans and peas. Their aim? To make meat and milk substitutes that can rival the real thing.

Coinbase Offered Them Dream Jobs—and Then Took Them Away Jun 15, 2022

Hundreds of prospective employees have been left adrift, including some who were counting on the position for their visas.

Axon’s Taser Drone Plans Prompt AI Ethics Board Resignations Jun 14, 2022

The company has backed down on its proposal to address school shootings, but the damage was already done.

Bolt Loaned Employees Thousands to Buy Stock—Then Laid Them Off Jun 13, 2022

At least one employee borrowed $100,000 from the company—and now has just 30 days to pay it back.

Google's Russian Empire Faces an Uncertain Future Jun 10, 2022

After filing for bankruptcy, Google could withdraw from Russia or antagonize the country's regulators from overseas.

Satellites and AI Can Help Solve Big Problems—If Given the Chance Jun 09, 2022

Traditional hurdles stand in the way of ambitious plans to use imagery to help feed people, reduce poverty, and protect the planet.

This Is What Flying Car Ports Should Look Like Jun 08, 2022

It might be years before flying cars take to the skies, but designers and engineers are already testing the infrastructure they’ll need to operate.

As Bitcoin Falters, Crypto Miners Brace for a Crash Jun 07, 2022

Electricity costs more, Bitcoin is worth less. What can possibly go wrong?

Companies Are Hacking Their Way Around the Chip Shortage Jun 03, 2022

The supply chain issues have no end in sight, so manufacturers are being forced to improvise.

Elon Musk’s Twitter Plans Would Mean Less Free Speech for Many Jun 02, 2022

The platform has a history of standing up to governments. Its billionaire suitor wants to follow their rules to the letter.

An Autonomous Car Blocked a Fire Truck Responding to an Emergency Jun 01, 2022

The incident, which cost first responders valuable time, underscores the challenges that Cruise and other companies face on the road to driverless taxis.

Think Airport Crowding Is Bad Now? Wait ’Til Summer May 31, 2022

Increased demand and staffing shortages are already contributing to huge delays and airport logjams across the country. Here’s what you can do.

The Incredible Shrinking Car Dealership May 27, 2022

The way people buy automobiles is changing—so Honda and other manufacturers are adapting in kind.

Feds Warn Employers Against Discriminatory Hiring Algorithms May 26, 2022

As AI invades the interview process, the DOJ and EOCC have provided guidance to protect people with disabilities from bias.

Amazon Has Too Many Warehouses. Now Sellers Are Paying More May 25, 2022

Sellers keep getting hit with fee increases—at a time when shelves are sitting empty.

Google Has a Plan to Stop Its New AI From Being Dirty and Rude May 23, 2022

The future of computing is AI-powered chatbots that have read the entire internet—if Google can figure out how to tame them.

How 10 Skin Tones Will Reshape Google's Approach to AI May 20, 2022

For years, the tech industry has relied on an six-shade scale to classify skin tones. The search giant’s open source alternative could change that.

Alas, Elon Musk May Have a Point About Trump’s Twitter Ban May 19, 2022

It’s probably not a good idea for important platforms to be in the business of frequently banning users for life.

How Starlink Scrambled to Keep Ukraine Online May 18, 2022

Elon Musk’s intervention demonstrates how satellite internet could route around war or censorship far beyond Ukraine.

How YouTube Can Rewrite the Past and Shape an Election May 17, 2022

Philippine researcher Fatima Gaw says the platform has become a hub for pro-Marcos historical revisionism.

Miami’s Bitcoin Conference Left a Trail of Harassment May 16, 2022

For some women, inappropriate conduct from other conference-goers continued to haunt them online.

DALL-E 2 Creates Incredible Images—and Biased Ones You Don’t See May 13, 2022

OpenAI’s new system is adept at turning text into images. But researchers say it also reinforces stereotypes against women and people of color.

The Fall of Roe Would Put Big Tech in a Bind May 12, 2022

Alphabet, Meta, and others collect heaps of user data that could be exploited by law enforcement—and create legal hazards.

Uber and Lyft Drivers Must Now Set Their Own Mask Rules May 11, 2022

After pandemic safety measures ended in the US, ride-hailing companies lifted their requirements for riders—leaving those behind the wheel on their own.

Uber and Lyft Drivers Must Now Set Their Own Mask Rules May 10, 2022

After pandemic safety measures ended in the US, ride-hailing companies lifted their requirements for riders—leaving those behind the wheel on their own.

The Crypto Industry Is Getting Too Honest May 10, 2022

What if no one cares whether it’s a Ponzi scheme?

Shanghai Is Rewriting Chinese Censorship Amid Lockdown May 09, 2022

Censors are cracking down on free speech online, but people are finding new ways to get around them.

Europe’s New Law Will Force Secretive TikTok to Open Up May 06, 2022

The Digital Services Act will extract more new information from the young app than from older platforms like Facebook.

To Win the Next War, the Pentagon Needs Nerds May 04, 2022

Data scientists, coders, and other techies could prove decisive in future conflicts—if Uncle Sam can recruit them.

Right-Wing Trolls Are Trying to Break Back Into Twitter May 03, 2022

Elon Musk's “free speech” promise is igniting an extremist revival, but the "replatforming" has only just begun.

Europe Has Traded Away Its Online Porn Law May 02, 2022

The landmark Digital Services Act has a glaring omission: It ditches plans to tighten rules that could have protected survivors of revenge porn and other forms of sexual abuse.

Broken Charging Stations Could Be Stalling the EV Movement Apr 29, 2022

Range anxiety is bad enough. But even when they find a station, drivers often have to deal with broken equipment.

Ukraine War Prompts Europe's New Emergency Rules for the Internet Apr 27, 2022

The Digital Services Act has granted the European Commission unprecedented power over tech companies in times of war.

Shanghai’s Plan to Reboot the Tech Supply Chain Will Be Hard Apr 26, 2022

The government wants to restart production and shipping to meet global demand, but some people may trade a lockdown at home to being locked inside factories.

The Future of the Web Is Marketing Copy Generated by Algorithms Apr 25, 2022

The killer app for GPT-3 could help marketers lure clicks and game Google rankings.

A TikTok Army Is Coming for Union Busters Apr 22, 2022

Online activists Gen-Z for Change targeted Starbucks and Kroger for anti-union firings. Now they plan to take aim at Amazon.

Hospital Robots Are Helping Combat a Wave of Nurse Burnout Apr 21, 2022

Moxi and other delivery-focused assistants have become even more critical as the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed health care workers to their limits.

The Rise of Brand-New Secondhand EVs Apr 20, 2022

The global chip shortage has triggered a surge in demand for prized, pricey used electric vehicles. It's only just beginning.

Elon Musk’s Truth Apr 19, 2022

At TED, the Tesla CEO made his case for owning Twitter—and rewrote his own history.

Wikipedia Editors Are Ready to Stop Accepting Crypto Donations Apr 18, 2022

A majority of editors voiced support to end such donations, arguing that the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks consume too much energy.

The Census Is Broken. Can AI Fix It? Apr 15, 2022

Machine learning can help count people to deliver government funding and decide political representation, but the technology still makes mistakes.

How Apple’s Monster M1 Ultra Chip Keeps Moore’s Law Alive Apr 14, 2022

By combining two processors into one, the company has squeezed a surprising amount of performance out of silicon.

The Race to Archive Social Posts That May Prove Russian War Crimes Apr 13, 2022

Painstaking new techniques for archiving social media posts could provide crucial evidence in future prosecutions.

This Is How Twitter’s Edit Button Can Actually Work Apr 12, 2022

The ability to edit tweets is coming—but it’s full of risks. This is how to do it right.

After-Loss Tech Wants to Ease the Logistics of Death Apr 11, 2022

A world of services has appeared to help act as digital death doulas for the bereaved. They show software's potential—and its limits.

This Is How the Global Energy Crisis Ends Apr 08, 2022

With future price rises baked in and some countries on the verge of rationing gas, things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get any better.

Europe’s Biggest Lithium Mine Is Caught in a Political Maelstrom Apr 07, 2022

Europe wants to source EV materials within its own borders. But fierce opposition ahead of the elections in Serbia shows locals don’t trust mining companies.

Washington State Passed a Contentious New Gig Worker Law Apr 06, 2022

Uber and Lyft have legally cemented the independent contractor status of ride-hail drivers. Now other states are on the horizon.

A Wave of Startups Is Tackling Cow Burps and Other Climate Issues Apr 05, 2022

The demand for tech to save the planet is driving a new boom in companies trying to cash in.

Russians Need VPNs. The Kremlin Hates Them Apr 04, 2022

VPNs are divided between trying to help Russians stay connected to the global web and steering clear of Putin’s messy politics.

TikTok’s Black Box Obscures Its Role in Russia’s War Apr 01, 2022

Outside researchers can’t easily monitor how truth or lies circulate on the social media platform—raising concerns about its role in spreading misinformation.

The Supply Chain Crisis Is About to Get a Lot Worse Mar 31, 2022

A seemingly endless supply chain crunch has fueled interest in tech that promises to track problems or predict where new ones might occur.

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