Jan 9, 2016 6:00 AM

The Biggest Trends of CES 2016

From retro tech to fitness wearables, these are the biggest trends we spotted at CES.

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Jensen Huang’s Vision for Europe Runs on Plug-In Data Centers

At Nvidia’s GTC in Berlin, Huang unveiled the company’s new plug-in data center—the DSX Pod—as the key to unlocking Europe’s AI infrastructure lag. Oh, and autonomous humanoid robotics.

Tom Bristow

Sony Wants You to Forget About Discs With Its Gorgeous Transparent Controllers

Sony has new, spiffy see-through controllers and covers for its PlayStation 5 that let you see the hardware guts inside.

Boone Ashworth

WIRED Ghost Stories

Five hauntings from the other side of technology.

What the US Movement Against Data Centers Can Learn From Everywhere Else

Paris Marx, author of Hyperscale, has been tracking global data center development for years. The US has a lot to learn from what’s happened everywhere from Ireland to New Zealand.

Molly Taft

Europe Wants Data Centers. Its Climate Goals Are Getting in the Way

A plan to funnel the heat given off by data centers into nearby homes has run aground in Germany. Across Europe, policymakers are weighing AI ambitions against climate objectives.

Joel Khalili

Data Centers Have a New PR Plan: Your Kid’s Field Trip

Amid a wave of backlash, some industry-friendly groups are employing creative and time-tested strategies to woo the youth.

Caroline Haskins

Rural Data Centers Are in for a Big Federal Tax Break

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, data center projects in rural areas could be eligible for major tax benefits starting next year. Some hyperscalers do not seem eager to take the free cash.

Molly Taft

A Startup Has a Plan to Make Water From Air Using Data Centers’ Waste Heat

Atoco’s new machines use specialized materials that can harvest water from some of the driest air on Earth without using electricity.

Brian Kahn

These Midterm Races Will Decide Data Centers’ Political Fate

From the Senate to governors’ mansions, candidates are trying to outcompete each other to be the most anti–data center in races across the US.

Molly Taft

The 2,000-Nit OLED in Apple’s New MacBook Is a Big Deal

The touchscreen in the new MacBook Pro is crazily bright with very deep blacks. Here’s why it’s unlike anything else you can currently buy.

Luke Larsen

Amazon Says It’s No Longer Using NDAs for Data Centers

The company announced it has stopped using secret agreements with county officials and acknowledged that community backlash is leading to data center moratoriums across the country.

Molly Taft

The Pentagon Hopes to Speed Up ‘Kill Chain’ AI Buys With 5-Minute Videos

The US government’s Tradewinds initiative has made it easier to throw millions of dollars at “nontraditional” defense contractors, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.

Maddy Varner