Gadget Lab: Weekly Tech News

As the summer comes to an end, we’re thinking about what unplugging, going offline — the ultimate luxury — looks like in 2025. With a growing slate of apps aiming to reduce our screen time and some tech leaders trying to reinvent the internet as it was, where are we heading? WIRED’s features editor Jason Kehe joins us to discuss how as users we are now best positioned to take the power back. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Join WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (Ai) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests.Articles mentioned in this episode:  Going Dumb: My Year With a Flip Phone | WIRED Bluesky Is Plotting a Total Takeover of the Social Internet | WIRED Alexis Ohanian’s Next Social Platform Has One Rule: Don’t Act Like an Asshole | WIRED  Learn about your ad choices: dovetai

The Reddit co-founder sits down for a wide-ranging conversation, from buying his first video game to meeting his future co-founder on the first day of college.  When he’s not investing in the future of women’s sports, he’s relaunching Digg as the future of toxic-free social media.Join WIRED’s best and brightest as they provide an insider analysis of the overlap between tech and politics, from the influence of Silicon Valley on the Trump administration to how inaccurate information from artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots fanned the fire on social protests. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from OpenAI’s being poised to become the highest valued startup in history, to how government staffing cuts have fueled an ant smuggling boom. Then, Zöe and Louise discuss the controversial deals that the Trump administration appears to be striking with chip manufacturers. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Articles mentioned in this episode:  How DOGE Set Up a Shadow X Account for a Government Agency | WIRED OpenAI Is Poised to Become the Most Valuable Startup Ever. Should It Be? | WIRED Silicon Valley Is Panicking About Zohran Mamdani. NYC’s Tech Scene Is Not | WIRED Government Staffing Cuts Have Fueled an Ant-Smuggling Boom | WIRED Why Trump Flip-Flopped on Nvidia Selling H20 Chips to China | WIRED      Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Vibe coding is everywhere, and it’s already drastically changing the tech industry — from shaping how software gets made to who gets hired. So back in July, our very own Lauren Goode went on a journey to become a vibe coder at one of San Francisco’s top startups. In this episode, she sits down with Mike to share her experience and they break down whether vibe coding really spells the end of coding as we know it. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Articles mentioned in this episode:  Vibe Coding Is Coming for Engineering Jobs | WIRED Cursor’s New Bugbot Is Designed to Save Vibe Coders From Themselves | WIRED   Cheap AI Tools May Come at a Big Long-Term Cost   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

A conversation series that only WIRED could host, led by WIRED’s Global Editorial Director, Katie Drummond. Every week, Katie sits down with influential figures in culture, politics, business, science, and beyond for a discussion captured through the WIRED lens – equal parts geeky, intellectual and goblin mode. This series will feel like the internet and will sit at the intersection of technology, power, and culture. In an age of information overload, this series will provide its listeners “the ultimate luxury:” meaning and context. Or put another way, if you're looking for the soul of our new society in wild metamorphosis, our advice is simple. Listen to this podcast.Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In today’s episode, Zöe is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the best stories we published this week — from how the Trump administration is creating and sharing memes to make fun of deportations, to NASA’s ambitious goal to put nuclear reactors on the moon. Then, Zöe and Jake dive into why users kind of hated OpenAI’s GPT-5 release. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Articles mentioned in this episode:  OpenAI Scrambles to Update GPT-5 After Users Revolt | WIRED The Trump Administration Is Using Memes to Turn Mass Deportation Into One Big Joke | WIRED Trump Family–Backed World Liberty Financial Sets Up $1.5 Billion Crypto Treasury | WIRED   Inside the ‘Whites Only’ Community in Arkansas | WIRED Why the US Is Racing to Build a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon | WIRED Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Palantir Technologies is arguably one of the most notorious American corporations. Cofounded by tech billionaire Peter Thiel, the company has worked with ICE, the US Department of Defense, the Israeli military and sparked numerous protests in multiple countries. But what do they actually do? Palantir is often called a data broker, a data miner, or a giant database of personal information. In reality, it’s none of these—but even former employees struggle to explain it. Luckily, WIRED staff writer Caroline Haskins joins us to decode Palantir for us. Join us LIVE in San Francisco on September 9th Get your tickets HERE Articles mentioned in this episode:  What Does Palantir Actually Do? Palantir Is Helping DOGE With a Massive IRS Data Project ICE Is Paying Palantir $30 Million to Build ‘ImmigrationOS’ Surveillance Platform  Lauren’s latest article: Lisa Su Runs AMD - and Is Out for Nvidia’s Blood   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from how bitcoin miners have been racing this year to beat the tariffs, to how AI was used to find a missing hiker in the Italian Alps. Then, Zoë and Jake discuss the details around OpenAI’s latest partnership with the federal government. Live show tickets at: https://www.kqed.org/event/5459 Articles mentioned in this episode:  OpenAI Announces Massive US Government Partnership | WIRED  Trumpworld Knows Epstein Is a Problem. But They Can’t Solve It | WIRED Charter Planes and Bidding Wars: How Bitcoin Miners Raced to Beat Trump’s Tariffs | WIRED Google Will Use AI to Guess People’s Ages Based on Search History | WIRED US Coast Guard Report on Titan Submersible Implosion Singles Out OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush | WIRED A Hiker Was Missing for Nearly a Year—Until an AI System Recognized His Helmet | WIRED Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

AI chatbot premium subscriptions like ChatGPT Pro and Claude Max currently cost around $200, but it’s not entirely clear why. Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Reece Rogers to find out what’s behind these models that AI companies bill as their most powerful, and whether they could become a staple in our future. Live show tickets at: https://www.kqed.org/event/5459Articles mentioned in this episode:  Seriously, Why Do Some AI Chatbot Subscriptions Cost More Than $200? | WIRED Cheap AI Tools May Come at a Big Long-Term Cost | WIRED  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Louise Matsakis to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Meta continuing its AI talent poaching spree, to how much faster our brains have really aged since the pandemic. Afterwards, they dive into the surprising reason behind why ChatGPT reportedly went full demon mode last week. Articles mentioned in this episode:  The Real Demon Inside ChatGPT | WIRED  Meta’s AI Recruiting Campaign Finds a New Target | WIRED  The Pandemic Appears to Have Accelerated Brain Aging, Even in People Who Never Got Covid | WIRED  Age Verification Laws Send VPN Use Soaring—and Threaten the Open Internet | WIRED  This Smart Basketball Tracks Data About Every Shot. It Could Be Headed to the NBA | WIRED  The First Planned Migration of an Entire Country Is Underway | WIRED  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Blood boys. Cryogenic freezing. Living by the algorithm. Silicon Valley is known for a culture of health optimization, but some recent biohacking ventures are becoming more extreme–aimed not just at longevity, but at beating death altogether. This week, we talk about the Silicon Valley moguls obsessed with living forever and the radical measures they're taking to do so. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In today’s episode, Zoë is joined by WIRED’s Jake Lahut to run through five of the most important stories we published this week — from Trump’s newly unveiled AI plan to how supermassive black holes could have originated. Plus, they dive into why the relationship between Silicon Valley and D.C is undergoing some major changes. Articles mentioned in this episode:  Trump’s AI Action Plan Is a Crusade Against ‘Bias’—and Regulation | WIRED  Newly Discovered ‘Infinity Galaxy’ Could Prove How Ancient Supermassive Black Holes Formed | WIRED  How Trump Killed Cancer Research | WIRED The Great Crypto Re-Banking Has Begun | WIRED   The GOP's Message for Tech Billionaires: Be Like Peter Thiel | WIRED   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Brain computer interfaces might have inspired works of science fiction, but the technology behind them is real and quickly developing. Companies like Synchron and Neuralink are racing to build a model that they can commercialize. Lauren and Mike speak with WIRED’s Emily Mullin about why Synchron’s model is standing out, and what the promises and limitations of these interfaces are. Articles mentioned in this episode:  There's Neuralink—and There's the Mind-Reading Company That Might Surpass It | WIRED  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In today’s episode, we look into why Gen Z is having less sex than other generations — and what it says about how we are all relating to each other. WIRED’s Zoë Schiffer is joined by writer and journalist Carter Sherman to talk about her latest book, The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future, which reveals how the internet, politics, and conservative legislation have shaped how Gen Z views sex. Articles mentioned in this episode:  How Social Media Is Fueling Gen Z’s Sex Recession | WIRED  Thinking Machines Lab Raises a Record $2 Billion, Announces Cofounders | WIRED  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Last week, the DOJ released what they described as raw footage from the night of Jeffrey Epstein's death in 2019. WIRED’s Dhruv Mehrotra went through the metadata and found that it had been, in fact, modified. In today’s episode, we dive into what Dhruv found and what it means.Articles mentioned in this episode:  The FBI's Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Had Nearly 3 Minutes Cut Out | WIRED Metadata Shows the FBI’s ‘Raw’ Jeffrey Epstein Prison Video Was Likely Modified | WIRED   Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

After Elon Musk’s departure from D.C, the future of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency seemed uncertain. But DOGE’s work continues unabated — its influence spreading farther and deeper into federal government agencies. WIRED’s Makena Kelly and Vittoria Elliott share with Leah Feiger what they found through their reporting. Articles mentioned in this episode:  This Is DOGE 2.0 | WIRED  WIRED Talked to a Fired DOGE Staffer About Who Was Really in Charge  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

This week, Lauren dives into the show’s inbox to answer listeners’ questions. With the help of WIRED’s Kate Knibbs and Paresh Dave, we look into a range of queries — from how AI is shaping the film industry to brainstorming how the Jony Ive and Open AI’s collaboration could look like. Articles mentioned in this episode:  This Viral AI Chatbot Will Lie and Say It’s Human | WIRED  A Political Battle Is Brewing Over Data Centers | WIRED  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Leah Feiger speaks with WIRED’s Dhruv Mehrotra about an exclusive WIRED investigation into how serious medical incidents are increasing at some of the country’s largest immigration detention centers.Articles mentioned in this episode:  ‘They're Not Breathing’: Inside the Chaos of ICE Detention Center 911 Calls How to Protect Yourself From Phone Searches at the US Border The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance Here’s What Mark Zuckerberg Is Offering Top AI Talent Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sam Altman is the king of generative artificial intelligence. But is he the person we should trust to guide our explorations into AI? This week, we do a deep dive on Sam Altman. From his Midwest roots, to his early startup days, to his time at Venture Capital, and his rise and fall and rise again at OpenAI. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Zoë Schiffer is joined by WIRED’s Vittoria Elliott to discuss her conversation with Sahil Lavingia. Lavingia worked at Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, within the Department of Veteran Affairs, until he was fired for speaking out about his experience. Lavingia said his time at the VA was marked by a lack of transparency from DOGE leadership, and chaotic day-to-day operations– the ramifications of which are still being felt today. Just this week, Senators called for a federal investigation into the Trump administration’s killing of hundreds of contracts for the Department of Veterans Affairs Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices