Gadget Lab: Weekly Tech News

Meta just announced a major move in its AI efforts – investing in Scale AI and building a superintelligence AI research lab. While Meta has been trying to keep up with big names in the AI race, such as Open AI, Anthropic and Google, the company's new strategy includes dropping some serious cash to acquire talent and invest in Scale AI. Today on the show, we dive into the deal between Meta and Scale AI, including what Meta aims to get out of investment, and we ask the question we are all wondering: What is superhuman intelligence, anyway? You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In recent days, Los Angeles residents have taken to the streets to protest the Trump administration's immigration policies and the increasingly frequent ICE raids. WIRED's Senior Politics Editor Leah Feiger joins Zoë Schiffer, Director of Business & Industry, to discuss the related flood of information on social media, and how AI chatbots like Grok and ChatGPT are delivering incorrect and at times, inflammatory answers.Articles mentioned in today's episode: AI Chatbots Are Making LA Protest Disinformation Worse I Joined Every Class Action Lawsuit I Could Find, and So Can You Vibe Coding Is Coming for Engineering Jobs You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky @zoeschiffer and Leah Feiger @leahfeiger. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In the past six months, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others have released web-browsing agents that are designed to complete tasks independently, with only minimal input from humans. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has even called AI agents “the next giant breakthrough.”  On today's episode, we'll dive into what makes these agents different from other forms of machine intelligence, and whether their capabilities can live up to the hype.You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

WIRED's Senior Politics Editor Leah Feiger joins Zoë Schiffer, WIRED's Director of Business & Industry to discuss the ongoing fallout between President Trump and Elon Musk, and the future of DOGE.Articles mentioned in the episode:  Conspiracy World Thinks the Musk-Trump Breakup Is a 'Psyop' DOGE Is on a Recruiting Spree  Silicon Valley Is Starting to Pick Sides in Musk and Trump's Breakup WIRED Talked to a Fired DOGE Staffer About Who Was Really in Charge Trumpworld Is Getting Tired of Laura Loomer. They Hope the President Is Too The Epic Rise and Fall of a Dark-Web Psychedelics Kingpin You can follow Zoë Schiffer and Leah Feiger on Bluesky: @zoeschiffer , @leahfeiger Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Expanded deportations, a virtually shutdown asylum process, increased scrutiny of H1-B visa applicants—immigration policy has been overhauled under the latest Trump administration. And, just last week the Trump administration said it would begin revoking the visas of some Chinese students who are currently studying at U.S. schools. On today's episode, we dive into the impacts that these changes could have on the tech industry from the talent pipeline to future innovations.Articles mentioned in this episode: The Trump Administration Wants to Create an ‘Office of Remigration', US Tech Visa Applications Are Being Put Through the WringerYou can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

There's been a lot of talk about how AI tools like ChatGPT are changing education. Students are using AI to do research, write papers, and get better grades. So today on the show, we debate whether using AI in school is actually cheating. Plus, we dive into how students and teachers are using these tools, and we ask what place AI should have in the future of learning. You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

WIRED's Senior Writer, Andy Greenberg, has been reporting on ghost guns for years. He first used a 3D printer to assemble a gun more than a decade ago, and says that today's process is not only faster, but cheaper. We talk to Andy about how he legally printed the same gun Luigi Mangione allegedly used in the alleged killing of the United Healthcare CEO last year, and whether US law is keeping up with the technology of 3D printed guns.Articles mentioned in this episode: We Made Luigi Mangione's 3D-Printed Gun—and Fired It  Bluesky Is Plotting a Total Takeover of the Social Internet The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky @zoeschiffer Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Elon Musk says he's stepping back from his role with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to turn his attention to his businesses—most urgently to Tesla, which has faced global sales slumps in recent months. Today on the show, we discuss how our understanding of DOGE has evolved over the past five months and what we think will happen when Musk scales back. You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Pornhub is currently not available in more than a third of US States, due to new age verification laws. And just last week, two Republican senators introduced a bill which could ban pornography across the country. The looming threat on the industry was not lost on some of the biggest names in the adult film industry at this year's Pornhub Awards. In fact, it was central to the event's theme. WIRED's Manisha Krishnan was there, and on this week's episode tells us all about the event, and how Pornhub's story is at the center of tech and politics today. Articles mentioned in this episode: Your Favorite Porn Stars Are Sick of Being Censored. But They're Not Going Away The Biggest Dating App Faux Pas for Gen Z? Being Cringe North Korea Stole Your Job Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In the days before his inauguration, President Trump announced his own cryptocurrency, TRUMP coin, a move that could stand to make the Trump family significantly wealthier. And now, Trump has offered investors something else– access to him, when he recently announced he'll hold a private dinner with the largest investors in TRUMP coin. In this week's episode, we talk about Trump's venture into cryptocurrency and the giant web of ethical concerns it presents. You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

When former national security advisor Mike Waltz had a picture taken of him last week, he didn't expect for the whole world to see that he was using TeleMessage, a messaging app similar to Signal. Now the app has been hacked, with portions of data linked to government entities like Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and companies like Coinbase. Today on the show, we're joined by WIRED senior writer Lily Hay Newman to discuss what this incident tells us about the growing vulnerabilities in government communications. Articles mentioned in this episode: Mike Waltz Has Somehow Gotten Even Worse at Using Signal The Signal Clone the Trump Admin Uses Was Hacked   The Signal Clone Mike Waltz Was Caught Using Has Direct Access to User Chats You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky @zoeschiffer, and Lily Hay Newman @lhn.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In the year 2000, measles were declared eliminated from the United States. But thanks to declining vaccination rates, Americans may have to contend with a much scarier future for the deadly disease. Today on the show, we talk about the state of measles, and we explain the role Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of  Health and Human Services, has played in the shifting culture around vaccines in America.You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

President Trump's tariff standoff with China has caused chaos, confusion and major delays for companies of all shapes and sizes. As everyone waits to see what happens next, some businesses that depend on international trade are already feeling major impacts, saying that they might not meet their production deadlines. And one of those deadlines is pretty important: Christmas. Today on the show, we're joined by WIRED's Senior Business Editor Louise Matsakis to talk through the latest on tariffs.Articles mentioned in this episode  Donald Trump Is Already Ruining Christmas OpenAI Adds Shopping to ChatGPT in a Challenge to Google The Agonizing Task of Turning Europe's Power Back On You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky @zoeschiffer.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Under the new Trump administration, more and more visa holders and foreign visitors are being detained or denied entry at the border. It's also becoming more common for people to be questioned or detained because of content on their phones, laptops and cameras. In today's episode, we'll tell you what you need to know about your carrying devices across the US border, and how to stay safe. Plus, we share some pretty spectacular recommendations for your downtime.You can follow our hosts on Bluesky—Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

China has long been a really important market for Tesla and for Elon Musk, but after the rising US tariffs and rising competition in the electric vehicle market – Tesla may be on the outs in China. Today on the show, we're joined by Zeyi Yang, senior writer at WIRED, to talk about what it all means for Elon Musk's company. Articles mentioned in this episode  DOGE Is Building a Master Database to Surveil and Track Immigrants Stumbling and Overheating, Most Humanoid Robots Fail to Finish Half-Marathon in Beijing You can follow Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky @zoeschiffer.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

There have been a number of protests in the past few months pushing back against President Trump's most recent policy changes, and we're likely to see more. Today on the show, WIRED's Senior Editor of Security and Investigations, Andrew Couts, talks us through the technology being used by law enforcement to surveil protests, how surveillance tech has evolved over the years, and what it means for anyone taking to the streets or posting to social media to voice their concerns. Plus, we share WIRED tips on how to stay safe, should you choose to protest. You can follow our hosts on Bluesky— Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The trial between the US Federal Trade Commission and Meta began this week—and the future of the company is at stake. The FTC wants Meta to sell off two prized assets, Instagram and WhatsApp, arguing that it acquired them illegally to suppress competition. Today on the show, Senior Writer Paresh Dave joins host Zoë Schiffer to talk about what we know right now about the government's case—and what we learned when Mark Zuckerberg took the stand Monday. Articles mentioned in this episode FTC v Meta Trial: The future of Instagram and Whatsapp is at stake  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It's been total chaos since President Trump announced tariffs last week. Despite the endless reporting on this story, none of it really makes any sense yet. So today, we attempt to make sense of how the tariffs could revamp the entire tech industry and what you can do to deal with this new normal. You can follow our hosts on Bluesky— Michael Calore is @snackfight, Lauren Goode is @laurengoode, and Katie Drummond is @katie-drummond. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

WIRED's Louise Matsakis joins Zoë Schiffer, WIRED's Director of Business & Industry, to talk about this week's market madness and why the US probably won't have armies of people screwing in little screws to make iPhones anytime soon.Articles mentioned in this episode:  Trump Tariffs Hit Antarctic Islands Inhabited by Zero Humans and Many Penguins Trump and DOGE Defund Program That Boosted American Manufacturing for Decades Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It's long been believed that Silicon Valley is a hotbed for libertarian ideals, but where did that idea come from? Aside from some high-profile tech founders and investors who either identify as libertarian or express libertarian-esque beliefs, does this set of ideologies really define the Valley? And what is libertarianism anyway?  You can follow Michael Calore on Bluesky at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on Bluesky at @laurengoode, and Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky @zoeschiffer. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The mission of Silicon Valley's entrepreneurs has long been to change the world. But, how do you know whether a pursuit is good or bad? ACTS17 collective, a Christian faith based group of tech entrepreneurs, says a strong relationship with God is the answer. Today on the show, we talk about the people promoting a faith-based approach to tech, we learn what a  “good quest” is,  and we ask, what impact religion will have on the type of ventures the valley pursues in the future? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

She sits in on his business meetings, defends him on X, and travels to give talks about how she raised him, the richest man in the world — but who is Elon Musk's mother? Today on the show, we learn all about the model, influencer and author, Maye Musk, while dissecting her most recent travels to China and her possible influence on foreign politics. Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.You can follow Michael Calore on BlueSky at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on BlueSky at @laurengoode,  and Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky @zoeschiffer. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

WIRED's Vittoria Elliot joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to discuss what real government auditors think of DOGE's work, and what happened during DOGE's first six weeks. Articles mentioned in this episode: ‘It's a Heist': Real Federal Auditors Are Horrified by DOGE, Inside Elon Musk's ‘Digital Coup', Donald Trump Held Another Million-Dollar ‘Candlelight' Dinner—With Elon Musk in Tow Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

If you've spent time in San Francisco or Phoenix in the last couple years, chances are you've probably seen a self-driving car making its way around. This week, we're joined by WIRED's Aarian Marshall to talk about the race to flood our streets with self-driving cars. We'll get into safety regulations, the pros and cons of robo taxis, and we imagine a future where driverless cars become mainstream. You can follow Michael Calore on Bluesky at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on Bluesky at @laurengoode, and Zoë Schiffer on Bluesky @zoeschiffer. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

WIRED Senior Editor Leah Feiger joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to discuss some breaking news about why Elon Musk would want a government shutdown. Plus, WIRED's Emily Mullin joins for an update on misinformation surrounding the latest measles outbreaks in the United States.Articles mentioned in this episode: Elon Musk Has Wanted the Government Shutdown; This Is How Measles Kills; The Worst 7 Years in Boeing's History—and the Man Who Won't Stop Fighting for Answers Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Silicon Valley is obsessed with solutionism. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that when it comes to a declining birth rate some of the valley's elite have a clear answer: more babies at all costs. Today on the show, we talk about the pronatalism movement and how ideas around increasing birth rates are trending among some of the valley's biggest and wealthiest names. Articles mentioned in this episode:This Woman Will Decide Which Babies Are BornYou can follow Michael Calore on BlueSky at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on BlueSky at @laurengoode, and Zoë Schiffer on BlueSky at @zoeschiffer. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

WIRED's Director of Business & Industry Zoë Schiffer and Katie Drummond, Global Editorial Director, talk about credit card freezes and AI technology at DOGE, and how each is a move from the Twitter playbook.Articles mentioned in this episode: DOGE Puts $1 Spending Limit on Government Employee Credit Cards, Elon Musk's $1 Spending Limit Is Paralyzing Federal Agencies, DOGE Is Working on Software That Automates the Firing of Government Workers, Elon Musk's DOGE Is Working on a Custom Chatbot Called GSAi Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

We've been so busy at WIRED, covering politics, science, culture, security, gear and so much more, that this week we decided to do something a little different – we're talking through three stories from February that we just can't stop thinking about. In today's episode, we talk about the Tesla backlash, a saga involving deepfaked images, and we dive into the world of microchips. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

WIRED's Deputy Editor Brian Barrett joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to talk about the many conflicts of interests within DOGE which are popping up across the federal government, including most recently at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Plus, they unpack the chaos which followed an email that Elon Musk sent to federal workers over the weekend.  Articles mentioned in this episode: DOGE Staffers at HUD Are From an AI Real Estate Firm and a Mobile Home Operator, These Are the SpaceX Engineers Already Working Inside the FAA, DOGE Put Him in the Treasury Department. His Company Has Federal Contracts Worth Millions, Elon Musk Threatens FBI Agents and Air Traffic Controllers With Forced Resignation if They Don't Respond to an Email, DOGE Email Throws Federal Agencies Into Chaos and Confusion, No, 150-Year-Olds Aren't Collecting Social Security Benefits, The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

The relationship between Sam Altman and Elon Musk goes back to the early days of OpenAI– then, a non-profit research lab. But now, the two men find themselves in a very public feud over the billion dollar AI company. Today on the show, we catalogue their friendship-turned-feud and how the company that started it all still remains core to their beef. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Andrew Couts, WIRED's Senior Editor of Security and Investigations, joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to talk about how The 1974 Privacy Act is being leveraged as Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency continues to collect massive amounts of sensitive federal data. Plus, they discuss how you can protect yourself from government surveillance. Articles mentioned in this episode: The 50-Year-Old Law That Could Stop DOGE in Its Tracks—Maybe, The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance, How a 'NULL' License Plate Landed One Hacker in Ticket Hell Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Dating apps have evolved a lot over the years, with apps dedicated to any romantic niche– dog lovers, astrology heads, and big, bushy beards. Despite the seemingly endless options of dating platforms, the industry seems to be at a low. So this week, we talk about the current state of dating apps and what it means for those looking for love (or something like it). Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Wired Politics Senior Editor Leah Feiger joins Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond to talk about the latest at DOGE and the inexperienced engineers holding key positions at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. They discuss how Wired's been preparing for this moment since the first assassination attempt on Trump last summer, and how, despite the unprecedented chaos of this moment, the courts will catch up. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On a Sunday in January, TikTok users were greeted with a notification in the app which said that TikTok was no longer available to use in the U.S., but that it hoped to be back soon. The following day, President Trump took office and signed an executive order keeping the app around another 75 days. But, it's still unclear what will happen with TikTok after those 75 days are up. This week, we break down years of drama around the potential ban on TikTok, and we ask each other: what makes this app so unique and so uniquely vulnerable? Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

It wasn't that long ago that one of Silicon Valley's most prominent and influential venture capitalists, Marc Andreessen, was a major supporter of the Democratic Party. So how did he, in such a short time, transform into a top advisor to the Trump administration? This week, we retrace Andreesen's steps–from his early days at Netscape to his current role of “unpaid intern” at DOGE. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

With the news that Meta is ending its third-party fact-checking program, we dig into the future of content moderation. From Community Notes to automated systems, how do you manage trust and safety for a site with two billion daily active users?Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.You can follow Michael Calore on BlueSky at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on BlueSky at @laurengoode, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads @reporterzoe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Sometimes you just need a little help. That's where the robots come in! But, have we actually reached a place where AI is more helpful than working with a human expert? This week, we compare notes on our week with AI assistants. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

What do Dogecoin and the Department of Government Efficiency have in common? Elon Musk, of course. This new government committee led by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy is being tasked with cutting the federal budget. So this week, we examine the Silicon Valley mindset behind it. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In her new FX docuseries “Social Studies,” the artist and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield delves into the post-pandemic lives—and phones—of a group of L.A. teens. Screen recordings of the kids' social-media use reveal how these platforms have reshaped their experience of the world in alarming ways. On this episode of Critics at Large, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss how the show paints a vivid, empathetic portrait of modern adolescence while also tapping into the long tradition of fretting about what the youths of the day are up to. The hosts consider moral panics throughout history, from the 1971 book “Go Ask Alice,” which was first marketed as the true story of a drug-addicted girl's downfall in a bid to scare kids straight, to the hand-wringing that surrounded trends like rock and roll and the postwar comic-book craze. Anxieties around social-media use, by contrast, are warranted. Mounting research shows how screen time correlates with spikes in depression, loneliness, and suicide among teens. It's a problem that has come to define all our lives, not just those of the youth. “This whole crust of society—people joining trade unions and other kinds of things, lodges and guilds, having hobbies,” Cunningham says, “that layer of society is shrinking. And parallel to our crusade against the ills of social media is, how do we rebuild that sector of society?”Listen to and follow Critics at Large here:  http://swap.fm/l/tny-cal-feeddrop Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Wearable tech, self-driving cars and AI mishaps. There were a lot of new product launches this year – some more successful than others. This week on Uncanny Valley, we talk about the tech out there that we are most excited about and the tech that has us most terrified for the coming year. Plus, we share our gifting recommendations.  Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.You can follow Michael Calore on BlueSky at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on BlueSky at @laurengoode, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads @reporterzoe. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In a post-Twitter world, text-based social media apps have taken a new shape. X, BlueSky, and Threads are home to wildly different types of discourse. So, which of these apps are actually worth our time?  This week on Uncanny Valley, we talk about the state of text-based social apps and how they impact journalism. And finally, we ask–is it time to quit?  Write to us at uncannyvalley@wired.com.You can follow Michael Calore on Mastodon at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on Threads and @laurengoode, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads @reporterzoe. 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.You can follow Michael Calore on Mastodon at @snackfight, Lauren Goode on Threads and @laurengoode, and Zoë Schiffer on Threads @reporterzoe.

It's long been believed that Silicon Valley is a hotbed for libertarian ideals, but where did that idea come from? Aside from some high-profile tech founders and investors who either identify as libertarian or express libertarian-esque beliefs, does this set of ideologies really define the Valley? And what is libertarianism anyway?