What's New

The premise of Westworld rests on an uneasy relationship between a town’s residents and the “newcomers”: wealthy, oblivious visitors, convinced that a new cowboy hat gives them permission to do whatever they like. In other words, there’s no better allegory for what happens to Austin during South By Southwest. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

March is the perfect time to start your spring cleaning. Along with throwing open the windows, vacuuming the floors, and replacing your grody furniture, you might also want to think about updating your home's ancient networking hardware. With so many smart devices proliferating on the market, it’s more important than ever to keep your home Wi-Fi secure and your connection reliable. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Say hello to the loosely bound galaxy of IC 4710, captured by the Hubble Space telescope. Unlike your average galaxy, IC 4710 has no central core or spiraled arms. Instead, this oddball is built out of a loose jumble of stars; on its outer edges are newly forming stars, shown here in the bright blues. This stunning infrared photo, captured by the Juno spacecraft, shows Jupiter’s north pole adorned with a flower of eight massive cyclones. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We’re calling it: animated emoji are officially a “thing.” Now that Apple’s iPhone X has Animoji, Samsung’s Galaxy S9 has AR Emoji, and ASUS’s ZenFone 5 has ZeniMoji, the way to show off your status as a fancyphone owner is by sending all your friends cartoons made with your face. Not about to spring on the iPhone X or Samsung 9? Don't get left behind. Download one of these dupes instead. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Florence is a romance you unravel with your fingertips. Based on the first love of its titular character, the mobile game takes that most classic of coming-of-age tales and does something special. Using the touchscreen interface, it guides players through all the waxing and waning of Florence Yeoh's relationship: falling in love, learning about her creativity, understanding where she wants to be. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It’s been more than a year since Sony changed the game for consoles and decided to release a half-upgrade to its PlayStation 4. The PlayStation 4 Pro is a more powerful PS4. It plays every standard PS4 game there is, but has added horsepower to enable high-resolution 4K HDR output for high-end TVs—practically, that translates to prettier visual effects and frame rates. Before we go on, maybe I should answer the biggest question you may have. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Maybe you listen to music every day. But when’s the last time you felt your music—let it pluck you out of this world and ferry you to the front row of your own personal concert hall? The right album can induce toe tapping and head swaying, but an amazing set of headphones make you want to shut your eyes and ride a great melody to a new land. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

March Madness doesn’t just mean basketball (OK, maybe it does). March means it's spring! The snow and mush are thawing, the sun is shining, and it’s time to get on the road or get in the air. Whether you’re going on vacation, or just daydreaming about it, we consulted with our pals at TechBargains to pull together some of the best deals on the web. We love drones, and DJI’s Mavic Pro is one of our favorites. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

I don’t have a “Dog Mom” bumper sticker on my car, but I sure do love my pups. My two dogs have been my constant companions for almost a decade. They have top-of-the-line dog beds, toothbrushes, and even health insurance. The LINK AKC smart dog collar is ideal for a dog owner like me. It’s a handsome leather collar that is by far the most luxurious accessory my dog has ever donned. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Like the smartphone or the television, the cordless stick vacuum is one of those products that has already arrived at something close to its ideal form. Dyson, the leading brand name in household products that suck or blow with vigor, standardized its signature take on the handheld cleaning machine about ten years ago. Centered around a brushless digital motor connected to a clear canister that can accept various attachments, that same design has prevailed ever since. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If you want to properly understand the million-dollar McLaren Senna supercar, you've got to make the pilgrimage to Woking, just southeast of London. There, you'll find McLaren’s UK Technology Center headquarters. What looks like a science fiction movie prop dropped in the English countryside is in fact home to the factory hand-building road cars, and McLaren's Formula 1 team. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The next time you feel like complaining about flying, (so, the next time you fly) a report this morning from a pilot landing at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D, should put things into perspective: “Very bump on descent. Pretty much every one on the plane threw up. Pilots were on the verge of throwing up. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Whether you're a well-established wordsmith or someone who's never written a song before, inspiration can strike at any moment. Could that phrase fit into the perfect chorus for a new song? Could that melody you've had stuck in your head be the next "Despacito"? Use these five apps to jot down your ideas, melodies, and lyrics to turn those seeds of inspiration into actual songs. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It's a new month, and we've got an extra special weekend deals list for you. This week, Samsung's brand-new Galaxy S9 is available for preorder. With a little help from TechBargains, we've collected everything you need to know about the phone here. If Samsung's purple new Galaxy isn't your thing, we've highlighted a few more tech deals that we personally like. Samsung's 2018 flagship phone, the Galaxy S9 (and larger Galaxy S9 Plus) are both available for preorder as of 9 p.m. PT March 1. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Vacuuming is a chore that’s marked by the absence of acknowledgment, rather than the presence. Everyone notices and remarks on a fragrant and delicious Sunday meal. But you never walk into someone else’s house and say, “I noticed your floors are remarkably free from detritus today!”, unless you are a real jerk. That makes vacuuming an uninviting and thankless task. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The Amazon Echo kicked off the smart speaker trend a few years ago, but it's no longer alone. There are dozens of smart speakers already on the market in 2018 and a ton more are coming. Picking the best smart speaker for your needs isn’t always simple, though. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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Having to plug your phone in every night probably bums you out. Near-field wireless chargers like the ones Samsung sells are cool, but short-range. Like, the phone has to be sitting on the plate, at which point, you could just plug it in. And while some science is out there that says devices might be able to harvest electricity from ambient Wi-Fi, that just doesn't provide enough power. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

For the first week that I ran the Ecovacs Deebot M81 Pro, I kept finding it knocked off its base, its battery uncharged. It was aggravating, and mystifying. What could be happening? I’ve been testing robot vacuums for months by plugging them into this one location. After a day of observation, I figured out the problem. My eight-month-old son was crawling over to the botvac, and turning it on and off by slapping the glowing blue button. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The newest gadget from Google is a camera. Though I admit, calling the pocket-sized Clips just a camera feels incomplete. Yes, it has a lens and a battery and it captures videos, but everything else about it is unique. You don't tap a shutter button or give it any command to take a picture or shoot a video. You just turn it on (by twisting its lens like a knob), set it down, and point it at whatever humans or pets are nearby. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Smartphones are ridiculously expensive, and U.S. wireless carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon go out of their way to make them seem affordable. I mean, why not buy a $950 Galaxy Note 8 if you only have to pay $0 down and $30 a month for it? Let me list the reasons why: you’re still wasting hundreds of dollars you could use to buy or save for something else that may add value to your life. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The Xbox One X is the go-to console for enthusiasts, with its faster performance and 4K HDR support. Especially if you invested in a 4K TV recently, this console gives gamers a great, high-res experience on the big screen. If you don't have a 4K TV, it's also a great time to get the Xbox One S, Microsoft's affordable console for the rest of us. Both options have a great library of titles, 4K Blu-ray playing capabilities, and support for all your favorite streaming services. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Most of the President's Day Tech Deals have come and gone (though not all of them), but there are still a few impressive deals this week. With a little help from our friends at TechBargains, we've collected some fun gaming, home, and mobile deals for you to browse. Coway HEPA Air Purifier for $176 ($54 off): This Coway Mighty True HEPA Air Purifier has an Ionizer and Eco Mode. The reviews are solid and the discount is decent if you're in the mood for some fresh air. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The worst part about the end of February? We've had months and months of winter, with more grimly cold and slushy weather to come. But the best part about February is that boutique outdoor retailers like Huckberry are now putting a ton of cold-weather gear on sale, while you still have plenty of wet, chilly, or windy weather to enjoy it. Here are our picks from Huckberry's winter clearance sale. Once upon a time, you had to buy pants for working and pants for playing. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Let's be clear—airplanes are complicated. Sure, it's entirely possible to get a piece of paper and fold it in a particular way so that it flies. But the physics of flight isn't trivial. It's even harder to give an explanation of the forces on a flying aircraft in a short video—which is what I did with my recent WIRED video on the physics of flying. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Maybe you don’t think you and your favorite airline agree on anything: on how much room an adult human requires, on what counts as food, or on how much it should cost for a soothing, tiny bottle of wine. But surely you agree on at least one point: People take way too long getting to their seats. For passengers, the cumbersome boarding process—watching people insist that yes, this bag will fit in the overhead bin, it has before!—means more time spent jammed in a too-small seat. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

For the last few years, every major U.S. wireless carrier has begun letting you buy any phone for $0 down with two years of monthly payments. It’s a tempting offer, but a bad habit you should try to kick. Paying for your phone over two years makes it easy to overspend, dulling the pain you should feel when you buy a $800+ phone. It also probably means you bought your phone from a wireless carrier that locks it down, refusing to give you the freedom to use it on other networks. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Serious typists deserve a responsive keyboard. Here are three steps to tactile heaven. 1. GOOD: Aukey KM-G3 RGB Add some tappy feedback to your strokes and sharpen your email routine with Aukey’s nicely priced keyboard. Even with its garish, multicolored LED backlights and springy key switches that click loudly enough to be heard five cubicles away, it’s miles ahead of that freebie you’re typing on now. $86 2. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As certain ­forward-thinking magazines predicted last year (ahem), VR’s first mass-culture moment has arrived not as a device but as a destination. There’s far more immersive potential in a dedicated VR facility—with its stagecraft and high-end components—than what’s currently possible in your living room. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We've all had smartphones for the better part of a decade, yet their prices just seem to keep climbing. High-end phones seem to cost $800+ now. Don't let a monthly payment plan fool you, that's a ton of money for a device that likely won't last you more than two years. There are some Android phones under $500 that do the trick, but performance gets mucky when you wade into the $200 - $300 price—which is exactly the kind of the price we wish we were all paying for these devices. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Luge looks silly. It looks easy, too: lie down on a sled, let gravity do the work, climb the podium. In reality, of course, luge is fascinatingly complex. And, as American Emily Sweeney’s brutal crash this week made clear, it's dangerous too. A good start is crucial (that’s where the gloves with little spikes on the fingertips come in). The rule of thumb says every 1/100th of a second you lose up top compounds to 1/10th of a second by the end of the run. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The world of smart speakers is beginning to fan out. A year or two ago, Google Home and Amazon’s Echo were your only choices. Now, there are more than a dozen competitors, and they're growing more diverse all the time. Every major voice assistant has a speaker now. Even Siri has the HomePod and Cortana has the Invoke. Amazon is still the alpha of this pack, though, inside more devices than any other voice assistant. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

For years, Medela has ruled, undisputed, over Breast Pump Land. If you have to pump in the hospital, the nurses will likely wheel in a Medela pump. When you call in your free pump from your insurer, it will probably be a Medela pump. I know, because I’ve had two kids in three years and every single time I’ve needed a breast pump, a Medela one has appeared. But that’s changing. In lactation rooms and in parenting newsletters, a new pump has arrived. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Most of my friends are musicians or audio nerds. (Lord help me.) Ever since Apple loaned me a HomePod to test a week ago, I've been bragging to my peers that I have the new, highly anticipated Wi-Fi speaker at the house. All of them quickly ask me the same thing: Does it sound good? I think that question is incomplete. Sure, the HomePod sounds really terrific, and it's a good purchase if you want a speaker that just plays music. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

When I was growing up, watching TV was something even my grandparents had figured out. You picked up the TV remote, and surfed to the channel you wanted to watch. But, times have changed. If you’re like me, you watch most of your TV through Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and a dozen other video apps, and probably have another box, maybe a Roku or Apple TV, with yet another remote control—maybe a remote for your soundbar. I also own a PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

For some folks, President’s Day is a time to honor U.S. presidents of old, like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. For others it’s a much-needed extra day off work. But for tech companies and online retailers, it’s another opportunity to lay out some discounts and rake in some sales. We hope you’re able to enjoy the weekend. If you happen to be in the mood to peruse, we’ve hand-picked some of our favorite tech deals from around the web. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

When it comes to work bags, I am a ride-or-die backpack person. With a backpack, the weight is carried evenly across your shoulders. Backpacks have a more boxy main compartment, which is useful for carrying oddly-shaped items, like running shoes and my lunch. And they’re usually (but not always!) more affordable. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On May 3, 2008, a sunny Saturday in Copenhagen, a crowd gathered along a dock to watch a 58-foot submarine be lowered into the water. Part art project, part engineering feat, the submarine weighed 40 tons and had been built by volunteers at minimal cost from donated iron and other parts. The onlookers cheered as the submarine floated for the first time. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Introducing WIRED articles in an entirely new format: AMP Stories. Read the story This incredible—and terrifying—snowboarding trick has only ever been pulled off by five people. Read the story Get lost in the cosmos with these space photos. Read the story Even the greatest Mount Everest climbers didn't reach the summit by themselves. Meet the unsung heroes of the highest mountain in the world. Read the story Grab some popcorn and get comfy, friends. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

I’ve taken a lot of heavy fire and commanded starships in the last couple of months, and Razer’s flagship Thresher headsets have been my ears and voice throughout it all. Razer has a few different versions of the its best headset. There are $150 wireless versions of Thresher for PS4 and Xbox and Ultimate versions for PS4 and Xbox that come with a special base and stand. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Most of the time, it doesn’t pay to try and make something look more expensive than it actually is. Squeak around for the day in a pair of pleather leggings and try to tell me that I’m wrong. But I’m happy when a company can work it, and the RHA MA650s are a great example. From the minute you open the box, the RHA MA650s look, feel, and most importantly, sound like a much more expensive set of headphones. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The first time I watched an Olympic curling match on television, I entertained a thought that is surely shared by everyone who sees the sport for the first time: What the hell am I looking at? It was during the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I tuned in to the live feed at the very beginning of a women's medal match. I was intrigued by the grace of the players and how they could effortlessly slide those huge, bulb-like stones down the ice. But everything else about it was confusing. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

February is the cruelest month, as the poem goes. Oh, no, wait. That's April. February is a great month to be born in if you want to become famous, but the rest of us might find the cold, gray days to be a bit of a bummer. In sum, this is a great time of year to curl up with a hot cocoa in front of a new smart TV. We've rounded up the best weekend deals with the help of our friends at TechBargains. Dell's 10 percent off deals are still going strong. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

With robot vacuums, as with everything else in life, you get what you pay for. It boggles the mind, and the wallet, to say that $700 is a reasonable price to pay for great cleaning capabilities and a heretofore unprecedented level of control. And yet, here we are. Cheaper botvacs don’t always have the necessary engineering for a thorough, automated clean. But paying a higher price for a robot that spends most of its time lurking under the couch gives me hives. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Some audiophiles dislike Bose with a passion, and noise cancelling in general. The hate is unwarranted. Here at WIRED, we love these headphones, and it's hard to top Bose QuietComfort series. Bose's noise cancelling technology has come a long way, making the QC series among best headphones for travel or to wear during a noisy commute. Usually, you have to pay about $300 for a set of QuietComfort 25s, but this week Newegg is selling the QC25 series for up to 50 percent off. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The scratch was small, maybe half an inch long. Hard to even see unless you knew where to look. But once you knew, it was the only thing you could see. It was all I could see, anyway. I had only had the car for two weeks when the scratch appeared. I'd gassed up just once by the time I saw it, right there on the hood. How could it have happened? A mishap at the car wash? A passerby I'd wronged? Some kind of deranged animal? It wasn't from another car or falling debris, that was for sure. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Just 27 hours after launching a Tesla Roadster into orbit around the sun, Elon Musk has turned his gaze from the red planet to the blue one, where he's trying to get a different sort of project off the ground. “If we can send a Roadster to the asteroid belt, we can probably solve Model 3 production," Musk said on an investors call today. "It’s just a matter of timing. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In all their infinite wisdom, the Romans decided to celebrate Valentine's Day in the dead of winter. Even if that wasn't their original intention, the holiday is a good excuse to stave off the cold, gray doldrums with a new gaming computer. Or maybe a smart home assistant to help you check the forecast? With the help of our friends at TechBargains, we've pulled together a few deals to indulge yourself or someone you love. Dell is currently still offering 10% with the code TENOFF. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

What a game, right? Those Patriots. Those Eagles! TRICK PLAYS! That's a Super Bowl for you. And the action continued during the commercial breaks, especially if you were interested in what various companies thought was worth paying upwards of $5 million to parade in front of 110 million people. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

As a WIRED product reviewer, I am surrounded by at least a dozen backpacks at any given time. Most of them are astonishingly beautiful (to someone who likes bags, anyway), made from upcycled materials in eye-catching colors, or with Japanese-inspired architectural lines, or studded with gleaming buckles that parajumpers use on their harnesses. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices