Author: Suzan Anthony

Arguably, the best time to get new audio gear is … well, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, just because the shopping event to end all shopping events (and our collective sanity) is over, it doesn’t mean there are no deals left. We’ve found a ton of sales on WIRED-tested headphones, earbuds, and gaming headsets. They’ll make great presents, whether for a loved one or yourself.Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.If you buy…

When an Android user sends a text message to an iPhone user, their chat bubble shows up in iOS shaded green rather than iMessage’s default blue. This color coding signals to the iPhone user that the incoming text is arriving from outside the Apple ecosystem. But the divide goes beyond simple aesthetics. Photos and videos shared between the two mobile platforms don’t come through at full resolution. Neither do rich interactions like read receipts, typing indicators, and tapbacks. Group chats between the platforms are a total mess, filled with dropped messages and hurt feelings. A new app aims to bridge…

There’s nothing quite like losing yourself in a book. You might not be able to transport your loved ones into their favorite stories, but you can help them spruce up their cozy reading corner. If there’s anything we’ve learned from #BookTok, it’s that there are tons of accessories to upgrade those reading sessions. If someone on your gift list is rather bookish, you’re in luck. We’ve put together our favorite gifts for book lovers, and we’ve tested every one of these gadgets.Table of ContentsSpecial offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to…

The Monoprice 27″ CrystalPro 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) Productivity Monitor is a thin beveled screen with a height, tilt, and swivel adjustable screen that easily rotates between horizontal and vertical orientations. (Image Credit: Monoprice) The monitor out of the box fits together easily, as follows: The metal VESA-compatible upright mounting frame slips into a notched space on the back panel. A sturdy metal vertical adjustable stand fits into the frame. The round base screws into the bottom of the upright frame. A standard three-pronged power cord fits into a recessed socket on the monitor’s rear panel. Plug the included…

When I was a child, shuttling back and forth between the United States and summers with relatives in the Philippines, I carried two months’ worth of clothes in a small duffel so that I could use my checked suitcase to bring gifts back and forth across the Pacific. Back then, being a light packer meant traveling with only a carry-on. If you had told me that even overhead bin space would someday be at a steep premium, I’m not sure I would’ve believed you.That was a long time ago, when airlines gave you complimentary fresh baguettes with tongs and little…

Google just launched its Gemini AI model. Want to try it out for free? A version of the model, called Gemini Pro, is available inside of the Bard chatbot right now. Also, anyone with a Pixel 8 Pro can use a version of Gemini in their AI-suggested text replies with WhatsApp now, and with Gboard in the future.Only a sliver of Gemini is currently available. Future releases are expected to include multimodal capabilities, where a chatbot processes multiple forms of input and produces outputs in different ways. Just the text-based version has been added to Bard.Gemini is also only available…

The holidays are around the corner. These next few weeks might feel a little hectic, but sipping on a warm, cozy cup of tea is always the answer when you’re looking for a sense of peace amidst the madness. You’re in luck because we’ve found some great deals on our favorite electric kettles, plus WIRED-tested mugs and tumblers. Not a tea drinker? Don’t worry, most of these work well for coffee lovers too.Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the…

Building design elements into cars that make sense for dogs and kids and groceries isn’t sexist, or buying into a stereotype—it’s a nod to the invisible labor women do every day, regardless of whether they work full-time, stay home, or something in between. And, incidentally, plenty of men do that labor, too, and might appreciate a small detail that makes dealing with a car seat or traveling with a golden retriever easier.Scotty Reiss, founder of the site A Girls Guide To Cars, spends her time helping women navigate the car industry, exploring things like which cars have headrests best suited…

Earlier this year Gill had become intrigued by how Apple’s Push Notification service (APNs) works, and how these bidirectional notifications might offer some clues into breaking open Messages.First, Gill had to better understand how the Apple ID worked, so he reverse engineered how Apple Music operated on a Windows computer. He noted the traffic and how a non-Apple device registered with Apple servers. Next, he noted how a macOS computer signs into iMessage, then inspected that traffic. Then he reproduced it all in Python.He began to put together a proof-of-concept that examined the various handoffs between the Apple ID, its…

According to my wife, the world comes with two types of people in it, “soakers” and “non-soakers.” She is the latter. Without question, I am the former. I still dream of a world in which I never need to leave the shower, living my life in a cozy, warm mist like Kramer in that one episode of Seinfeld.One of the first things I wanted to do when my wife and I snagged our one-bathroom bungalow was upgrade the plumbing. Our water pressure, and the associated showerhead that the previous owners attached, was middling. We are lucky to have a sliding…