*People need diversions in troubled times.
*If you buy fiction on paper and read it, you'll be less tempted to websurf over and check out the financial and political news.
The Internet's Most Powerful Archiving Tool Is in Peril
As major news outlets cut off the Wayback Machine, journalists and advocacy groups are rallying to protect the Internet Archive’s vast collection of web pages.
Kate Knibbs
A Hot-Air Balloon Landed in a California Backyard. The Owner Says It's a 'Very Rare' Event
The CEO of Magical Adventures Balloon Rides tells WIRED how the pilot made a safe landing after they got stranded over a neighborhood.
Brian Barrett
Nobody Knows How to File Taxes on Prediction Market Wins
Americans flocked to prediction markets last year. Now, it’s time to pay taxes on winnings. How do you do that? Great question.
Kate Knibbs
The Last Airbender Leaked Online. Some Fans Say Paramount Deserves the Fallout
After the full movie leaked, animators mourned the chance to release their work as intended. Others feel the leak is justified in light of Paramount’s marketing blunders and association with Trump.
Miles Klee
Your Vape Wants to Know How Old You Are
Companies hope that biometric age-verification tech in cartridges could put flavored vapes back in business. But it's unlikely to solve the real problems.
Boone Ashworth
The IRS Wants Smarter Audits. Palantir Could Help Decide Who Gets Flagged
Documents show the tax agency is testing a Palantir tool to surface “highest-value” audit and investigation targets from a maze of legacy systems.
Caroline Haskins
The Online Fiction Boom Reimagining China’s History
Chinese fantasy novels reimagine the past with modern tech and ideology. A new book argues they also help reinforce authoritarian politics.
Zeyi Yang
US Special Forces Soldier Arrested for Polymarket Bets on Maduro Raid
The master sergeant allegedly used classified intel to profit on the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, marking the first US arrest for insider trading on a prediction market.
Kate Knibbs
CBP Facility Codes Sure Seem to Have Leaked Via Online Flashcards
The Quizlet flashcards, which WIRED found through basic Google searches, seem to include sensitive information about gate security at Customs and Border Protection locations.
Sammy Sussman
Even Artemis II Astronauts Have Microsoft Outlook Problems
The mission commander’s email inbox failed during the journey to the moon. Have they tried turning the computer off and back on again?
Jeremy White
10% Off Exclusive LegalZoom Promo Code for April
Save on top services at LegalZoom, like LLC registration, incorporation, estate plans, and more with coupons and deals from WIRED.
Parker Hall
You Can Soon Buy a $4,370 Humanoid Robot on AliExpress
Unitree is bringing its R1 to international markets. It arrives with some aerobatic capabilities and an entry-level price, but the question of what you'd actually do with it remains open.
Marco Trabucchi