Against the backdrop of China, Russia, and Iran working to sequester their own private, national internets, other countries like Kazakhstan have experimented with similar balkanization and internet-control initiatives. Kazakhstan first piloted a monitoring system in 2015 that would offer access to all web traffic within the country, even encrypted data. After fierce debate and some Read more about Firefox and Chrome Fight Back Against Kazakhstan's Spying[…]

We WIRED transportation writers are obsessed with how technology and transportation have come together to revolutionize the way people get around in the 21st century. But sometimes—as a few stories we covered this week demonstrated—less transportation tech is better transportation tech. The Navy announced its moving away from touchscreens in favor of physical throttles, because Read more about Uber's NYC Troubles, Gyrocopters Take Flight, and More News[…]

China said on Tuesday it had a right to put out its own views after Twitter and Facebook said they had dismantled a state-backed social media campaign originating in mainland China that sought to undermine protests in Hong Kong. Twitter said on Monday it suspended 936 accounts and the operations appeared to be a coordinated Read more about China fights back after Twitter, Facebook suspend state-backed accounts[…]

First there was the “The Dress,” then the Yanny or Laurel debate — and now, the great “bird or bunny” battle of 2019. Internet users have been going back and forth over the latest optical illusion craze, which got started by a Twitter video on Sunday. Daniel Quintana, a senior researcher in biological psychiatry at Read more about ‘Bird or bunny?’ The internet is freaking out over latest optical illusion craze[…]

Former President Bill Clinton’s surprise appearance as a celebrity umpire at the annual Artists and Writers softball game in East Hampton almost played a decisive role in the game’s outcome. The Artists snapped a three-game losing streak and defeated the Writers 10-8 in a seesaw battle during the annual charity softball game at historic Herrick Read more about Bill Clinton was hitter-friendly ump at charity softball game[…]

“American Factory,” the first film from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, premieres Wednesday on Netflix. Oscar-nominated directors Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert call the documentary a timely tale of “reverse globalization.” The streaming service promises “a deep dive into a post-industrial Ohio, where a Chinese billionaire [Cao Dewang] opens a new [car glass] Read more about Obamas’ first film reveals struggles at China-run ‘American Factory’[…]

Jeffrey Epstein’s former Manhattan cellmate says guards at the lockup have been threatening him since the financier’s death, according to a legal filing by his attorneys Tuesday asking a judge to move him to a new prison. Hulking ex-cop Nicholas Tartaglione — who briefly bunked with Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center — has been Read more about Jail guards threatening former Epstein cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione: lawyer[…]

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — Months after Hurricane Michael bruised the Florida Panhandle and Irma slammed into the Florida Keys, the state is bracing for what comes next. One scientist is digging for those answers underwater. “It’s a relatively new science,” said Joanne Muller, a scientist in the Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University. Muller Read more about This scientist is digging into the history of Florida’s hurricanes[…]

Nevada officials have issued an emergency declaration ahead of the viral “Storm Area 51” raid that’s supposed to happen next month — fearing they could be overwhelmed by all the people who show up trying to “see them aliens.” “Oh, we’re taking this seriously,” Lincoln County Commission Chairman Varlin Higbee told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Read more about Emergency declaration issued ahead of ‘Storm Area 51’ event[…]

The most popular man on Tinder couldn’t find love on the app — instead he found it IRL. Male model and trained pilot Stefan-Pierre Tomlin, 29, earned the title “Mr. Tinder” in 2017 after the app announced he’d gotten a record-breaking 14,600 matches in two years. But after five years of swiping — and matching Read more about ‘Mr. Tinder’ finds love offline after 14,600 failed matches[…]