Gear News and Events

The latest news and updates on gear, gadgets, and consumer tech. Plus, dispatches from the events that shape your world.

Smarter Home

I Ditched the Cloud and Upgraded My Smart Home

You’re probably spending more time fixing your smart home than using it. Here’s how I cut down my family’s reliance on Alexa.

Gear Roundup

Gear News of the Week: Steam Makes a Home Console, and Apple Debuts a $230 Pouch for Your iPhone

Driving Costs Down

When Will the US Finally Get $15K EVs?

News and Events

Airports and Airlines Are Crawling Out of the Shutdown

The US government shutdown may be over, but the flying troubles aren’t—especially heading into the holiday season.

Waymo’s Robotaxis Can Now Use the Highway, Speeding Up Longer Trips

The Alphabet company’s self-driving cars are opening up shop in more and more cities. Now—finally—they’re taking to the freeway.

Hate Meta? Even Realities Is Making the Smart Glasses You Want

The company announced the Even G2 smart glasses, sporting a bigger display in a lighter frame, alongside the R1 smart ring, which can control the display on the lenses.

Gear News of the Week: Fairphone Lands in the US, and WhatsApp Is Finally on the Apple Watch

Plus: Motorola has new Moto G phones, Canon’s R6 III mirrorless has a 32-MP sensor, and Teenage Engineering’s Riddim n’ Ting looks gorgeous.

Trends

How Do Pimple Patches Work? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Why slather on concealer when you can just stick on a pimple patch?

Booze Without the Burn? An Enzyme-Tinkering Startup Aims to Make Spirits Smoother

Voodoo Scientific has developed a process that, when applied to fiery hooch, results in a more sippable tipple.

The EV Battery Tech That’s Worth the Hype, According to Experts

Major battery breakthroughs seemingly happen every day, but only some of that tech ever leaves the lab. WIRED breaks down what’s actually going to change EVs and what’s just a dream.

The Curious Case of the Bizarre, Disappearing Captcha

While puzzling captchas—from dogs in hats to sliding jockstraps—still exist, most bot-deterring challenges have vanished into the background.

How To and Advice

Trashie Is an Easier Way to Recycle Old Sheets, Bedding, Clothes, and Tech

Recycling isn’t just for glass and paper anymore. This mail-order clothes recycling program lets you earn points for old textiles and e-waste.

Use Google Gemini and ChatGPT to Organize Your Life With Scheduled Actions

The AI’s latest trick is following the schedule you set for it.

Analog Photography: The Beginner’s Guide to Film Cameras

Which film camera should you get? Which films are the best? We demystify the world of analog photography to help you get started.

How to Use the New AI Features in OmniFocus, the Power User’s To-Do List

One of the Mac’s most popular productivity apps is incorporating generative artificial intelligence in a way that keeps it offline, private, and customizable.