Table of contents for June 2018 in WIRED

Erin Griffith was working as a business reporter at Buyouts magazine when the Great Recession hit, laying bare the unscrupulousness of financial firms. Today, as a senior writer at WIRED reporting on the murky world of cryptocurrency (see her roundup of the sector’s darker side on page 23), she’s experiencing some déjà vu. “There’s a lot of fraud, junk companies, and shady characters that are operating with almost no regulatory oversight in the crypto industry now,” she says. For a break from that strange world, we sent Griffith to San Diego to meet Henry, the first AI-enhanced male sex robot. Check out her story on page 34. Contributing editor Garrett M. Graff literally wrote the book on special counsel Robert Mueller. The Threat Matrix, published in 2011, chronicles Mueller’s time…

THE BITCOIN HODLERS, ICO hustlers, and Lambo-owning crypto millionaires would like you to know that the cryptocurrency revolution is upon us. Before long you’ll be making breakfast on the blockchain! But as the trustless, decentralized world of digital tokens expands—and Fortune 500 companies, banks, restaurant chains, and even countries (ahem, Venezuela) cautiously wade in—a credibility problem persists. Silk Road and AlphaBay may be gone, but that hasn’t stopped fraudsters, gamblers, sex workers, and drug dealers from cashing in. Sex Escorts, cam girls, and other sex workers now speak fluent crypto. (See: r/GirlsGone-Bitcoin.) At a club in Las Vegas, strippers accept tips in bitcoin, while PinkDate—the “Tinder of escorting”—claims it sold 40 million tokens in a recent coin offering. Gambling Illegal online betting is much easier when money transfers can be…

THE INTERNET MAKES SENSE in metaphors. Superhighways, clouds, pages, links. Facebook is a town square. Wikipedia, a kind of brain. So what about 4chan, the imageboard site where users post just about anything, with anonymity and impunity? If you trust 4channers themselves, it’s the internet’s soul. Well, that’s alarming. 4chan has never been a nice place. Most people don’t spend time there, but most people feel its effects, everything from fake news to doxing. Outsiders prefer different metaphors: Cesspool. Swamp. Sea of trolls. There was a time, a couple of decades ago, when trolls didn’t really exist online—but communities of prototrolls were beginning to crawl out of the primordial ooze of the early web. One was a Japanese collective called Ayashii Warudo, sometimes translated as Nameless World, where users engaged…

CRACK OPEN SOME of today’s best compact cameras and you’ll find Sony sensors embedded in their guts. However, the Japanese giant hoards its best work for its own Alpha line of mirrorless cameras. The latest, Sony’s A7 III, has a 24-megapixel, full-frame CMOS sensor that’s the stuff of a silicon junkie’s dreams. Its 693 phase-detection points and 425 contrast points boost autofocus speed, giving you sharp, finely detailed shots of moving subjects. While Sony’s prograde A9, with its superfast electronic shutter, costs more than twice as much, the A7 III gets you almost all of the way there, blending performance and value into a supremely easy-to-handle machine. That’s good—you’ll need the extra dough for an epic piece of glass like Sony’s exemplary $799 35-mm f/2.8 prime lens. $1,998 and up…

HACKERS WHO DISABLE power grids and detonate gas pipelines have been the villains of popular cyberparanoia for decades. Until recently, they were as easy to dismiss as Die Hard’s Bruce Willis–thwarted infrastructural cyberpocalypse, circa 2007. But hackers are starting to catch up with Hollywood. In just the past year, researchers have uncovered two unprecedented pieces of malicious code that targeted industrial control systems. One, linked to Russian hackers, cut off up to a third of the electricity to the Ukrainian capital in 2016. Another, of more mysterious origin, shut down an oil and gas facility in Saudi Arabia last year. That second digital weapon had the ability to silently turn off safety systems, which could have led to a lethal fiasco. It’s been almost a decade since the NSA reportedly…

IN THE BRIEF HISTORY of Crispr, nothing has gotten more attention than the possibility of using the gene-editing technology to cure disease. Human trials are just beginning for Crispr therapies that would fight cancer and treat sickle cell anemia. But those won’t be the first medical applications of Crispr to hit the market. No, that honor will go to diagnostics that are similar to a home pregnancy test, except that when you pee or spit or bleed on them, they reveal whether you’ve contracted a virus or which mutations are driving your cancer. The very precise Crispr technology, which snips DNA to introduce or excise genetic material, can be programmed to target a genetic sequence known to reside only in a specific genome. With a bit of extra engineering, the…

FOR INTERNET IDEALISTS, the blockchain is an intoxicating technology. Blockchains support cryptocurrencies, yes, but these high-concept databases also allow many online services to have distributed ownership—that is, they don’t have to be controlled by a central authority. Want to ditch Uber? At least three groups are building ridesharing apps using the blockchain. Care to stop shopping on Amazon? A rudimentary decentralized marketplace called OpenBazaar is available. Need to store some data? Sure, you can tap into other users’ spare disk space using the blockchain-based Storj. No other architecture offers such a radical alternative to how things work today—one that could bring data-and power-hoarding megacorporations crashing down, to be replaced by decentralized alternatives. “We now have a way to build data systems and applications that doesn’t create this monster at the…

THE COMMERCIAL WEB steams on as a hopped-up, strung-out system of hyperlinks, engineered to mix Barnumesque humbug with authentic reports, and to overlap ads and news—the better to sucker the eye. But the spirit of mischief that used to define the web has curdled. In place of pranks and profiteering are now exploitation, malice, fraud, racketeering, and warfare. Consider last year’s breakthrough: deepfakes, in which the images and voices of real people are animated in photorealistic pornography and fake news. Digital confections like these exploit individuals, corrupt information space, and undermine the reliability of all digital artifacts. Lost in the funhouse, we’re told to be afraid—and to process every symbol we encounter with heightened diligence. The new catchphrase for web users is “Verify, then trust.” That is, before you so…

Adderall, shmaderall. Certain biohackers prefer taking teeny-tiny amounts of psychedelic drugs to boost focus. But how much is a microdose, exactly? Here’s our semi-scientific guide. Hint: If you feel the trees breathing, you’re doing it wrong. Acid MICRODOSE (5–10 MCG): Users claim that a microhit of LSD clears mental locks and helps with depression. It’s often taken first thing in the morning with distilled water—chlorine can kill key compounds. OVERDOSE: Visions, cosmic oneness, epiphanies about epiphanies. Mushrooms MICRODOSE (0.1 G): A taste of psilocybin (or its synthetic version, which is often used in clinical trials) brings on a low-key wave of zenlike happiness. They say. OVERDOSE: Warps in spacetime. Ibogaine Hydrochloride MICRODOSE (2 MG): This drug, extracted from iboga roots, can produce a calm focus that, unlike Adderall, also acts…

Fujifilm Instax Square SQ10 BEST FOR: Instagram natives Fujifilm’s first squareframe instant camera is an analog-digital hybrid. Capture up to 50 images with the digital sensor, apply Instagram-like effects and tweaks on the dial switch, then commit only the best shots to film. It’s a bit like a miniature printer, using light to expose the Instax Square film. This hybrid approach means no more wasted shots and unlimited reprints for your friends. $279 Lomography Lomo’Instant Square BEST FOR: Artsy lo-fi fanatics Unfold this uniquely styled camera, peer through its optical viewfinder, and capture square analog gold without dwellling over the ones and zeroes. Controls include exposure compensation, a bulb flash mode for long exposures, and a multiple-exposure option. A close-up lens makes for sharp selfies and colored flash filters let…

IN THE PAST YEAR, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, has come to obsess over artificial intelligence. He wants his country to start catching up to the US and China, and he wants to ensure that the smartest minds in AI choose Paris over Palo Alto. This spring, he gave a long speech laying out his vision and explaining that the French government will spend about $1.85 billion in the coming years to support research in the field, encourage AI startups, and collect data that can be used and shared by engineers. Afterward he gave an exclusive interview to WIRED about his plans. (This version has been edited and condensed; the full interview is available at WIRED.com.) NICHOLAS THOMPSON: It seems that you feel there are French or European values that…

THE RETAIL CARNAGE in America feels unstoppable, as empty malls turn the suburbs into a hellscape of bleak parking lots and shuttered buildings. But, if they haven’t yet gone bankrupt, a few big-box operators and mall stalwarts see a glimmer of light: They’re going dark. Instead of abandoning nonviable stores, though, these companies are thinking about turning them into warehouses and fulfillment centers. Because we’ll still require stuff in our mobile, I-want-it-now, same-day-delivery future, and that stuff requires logistics. After closing 63 of its outlets this year, for example, Sam’s Club has begun converting around 10 of them into distribution centers for its ecommerce operations. Many of these retailers are considering using robots to assist with the picking and packing. Amazon already has its somewhat reliable warehouse bots, and competitors…

THE LONG-HAUL TRUCKing industry is rumbling toward a crisis. The general crumminess of the job—weeks at a time away from home and family; long, boring hours—makes it so hard to find and keep drivers that, right now, this $676 billion industry needs about 50,000 more humans just to keep up with rising demand from a growing population and improving economy. By 2026, that number could hit 174,000, according to the American Trucking Associations, the industry’s largest trade group. You know who doesn’t get bored or sleepy, miss their family, or demand a salary and benefits? Robots. And the highways on which trucks spend nearly all their time make for the easiest kind of computer-controlled driving. Just stay between the lines, don’t hit the car up ahead, and keep on rolling.…

Star Wars references. Dorky tweets. Goofy videos. FCC chair Ajit Pai just wants to be one of the tech nerds. But as a master of Beltway maneuvers, he seems to be trying to destroy everything tech nerds believe in. March, Ajit Pai, the 45-year-old chair of the Federal Communications Commission, took to the internet—a community he joyfully inhabits and grudgingly regulates—to pay tribute to his favorite movie. “It’s not just, like, my opinion, man: 20 years ago today, #TheBigLebowski—the greatest film in the history of cinema—was released,” Pai wrote on Twitter. “Decades on, the Dude still abides and the movie really ties us all together.” And sure enough, the response to Pai’s cheerful tweet was united. You’re out of your element Ajit. —@JohnsNotHere Yes, Ajit. Stop trying to mingle with…

Amazon Amazon has partnered with manufacturers like Toyota and Sony to incorporate its AI interface in their devices. Meanwhile, the company is hosting a $3.5 million competition to build a bot that can successfully engage in idle chitchat. Apple Siri, the most widely recognized virtual assistant, is now also running Apple’s HomePod. Over the past few years, Apple has been reworking Siri so that it not only responds to your needs, it anticipates them. Facebook Facebook users can order flowers or schedule a ride-share by pinging a bot on Messenger. But not every launch has gone so smoothly. Earlier this year, the company shuttered M, its part-AI personal assistant, because it required too much human intervention. Google Armed with its database of search results, Google Home is six times more…

AUGUST 7, 1944 Robert Swan Mueller III is born in New York City, the son of DuPont executive Robert Swan Mueller II and Alice (Truesdale) Mueller. He grows up in Philadelphia with four younger sisters. 1962 Graduates from the elite St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, where he is captain of the soccer, lacrosse, and hockey teams. John Kerry is a teammate. 1962–66 Mueller attends Princeton, his father’s alma mater, with plans to become a doctor—until organic chemistry trips him up. He earns a degree in politics and marries Ann Cabell Standish four months later. 1966 Enlists in the Marine Corps weeks after graduation and later attends the Officer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia. 1968 Deploys to Vietnam, where he leads a rifle platoon. He returns home one year…

PREPPING FOR A big presentation is stressful, and your boss isn’t making it any better. He’s leering at your coworker Rachel in the middle of a meeting (!), asking if she’s bringing a date to the company dinner (!!). I mean, what do you do? Say something? Take it to HR? Talk to Rachel? Every choice feels kinda wrong—even though you’re just seeing all this in a virtual-reality headset. ¶ The discomfort is the point, says Morgan Mercer, founder of Vantage Point, the company behind the VR demonstration. Traditionally, on-the-job harassment training has been a choice between the lesser of two borings—schlocky video or snoozy slide deck—but Mercer wants to put you in the room. ¶ She’s a survivor of sexual violence herself; she knows the subject can be hard…

WHEN CRIMINALS ARE plotting, so are vigilant police departments. Officers are increasingly turning to software and predictive analytics to anticipate when and where misdeeds are likely to occur. But big data is just one component in a growing arsenal of high tech policing tools. As agencies around the country push for faster, savvier law enforcement, they’re looking more and more like the pre-crime unit in Minority Report. Drone Response The Louisville, Kentucky, police department recently unveiled a proposal to send self-guided drones to investigate alerts from gunshot-detecting sensors, transmitting video footage back to HQ. But privacy groups are perturbed by drone monitoring—already used elsewhere in searches and surveillance. In May, the International Association of Chiefs of Police technology conference included a seminar on “developing public approbation” for drones. Telltale Tats…

HOW MUCH DO YOU SLACK OFF AT WORK? ¶ If you’re the average white-collar drone, the odds are it’s an astonishing amount. A 2015 survey by a UK firm asked 1,989 office workers how many hours they spent “productively working” each day. The average: A paltry two hours and 53 minutes. The rest of those eight-hour workdays consisted of kicking back: checking social media, reading news, or talking to friends. ¶ Viewed one way, this is absolutely dismal. We’re supposed to live in the age of 24/7 “crushing it,” right? We’re the Adderall generation! Sleep is for the weak! ¶ Ah, but maybe these employees subconsciously understand something about the nature of work. Science is increasingly finding that there’s enormous value in working much less each day—and relaxing far more.…

1 Wave Hello There’s a chip inside the Clips loaded with a version of Google’s computer vision code. It can learn to recognize faces, so train it to know yours. When you first get the camera, wave and smile at it, and take a lot of selfies and ussies. It can also recognize pets—give your cat plenty of screen time too. 2 Place It The rubbery case serves as a kickstand and a clip (get it?) for fastening the device to an object. Proper positioning is key. Clamp it to a chairback to capture kitchen antics, or face it inward from a bike’s handlebars to see your kid’s reaction to their first ride. Don’t clip it to your belt—too much movement turns your videos into unshareable mush. 3 Show Emotion…

SOMETIMES THE FUTURE shows up so fast it hits us in the face, like a brick wall in a VR headset. Other times the miraculous promises of technology—the rearrangement of our very DNA, the blockchain-enabled toppling of Facebook—are frustratingly slow to arrive. But either way, the future is coming, and we should be ready. In the following pages we lay out a series of predictions, starting with some changes that are immediately upon us. Then, looking down the road, we get ever-bolder in our prognostications, year by not-so-far-off year…

BY NOW WE ALL KNOW that sharing our personal data is the price of free stuff online. We clicked Yes to terms of service (that we never read), agreeing to relinquish our photos, locations, the things we “like”—all just to log on to a social network or take some (seemingly benign) quiz. In exchange we got free email, music, searches, a parking spot in the cloud. But the cost turned out to be steep, making us marks for Russian instigators, hackers, and targeted ads that seem to know us a little too well. The information we share is about to get even more intimate. For years, companies have been trying to pry into our minds, looking for clues in our facial expressions. It was easy enough to recognize a smile…

VR AND AR ARE CREEPing into industrial uses from sales to surgery—but the technologies have yet to liberate most dead-eyed cubicle drones from their mouses and monitors. They will though. Eventually. First will come the ability to use your usual software and apps in VR. That’s already arriving: Apps like Bigscreen and Virtual Desktop allow you to interact with your desktop windows in VR environments. You can use your regular keyboard (fast, if you can touch-type) or “press” letters on a floating virtual keyboard (very, very slow). Logitech is even developing a kit that will let users track their IRL keyboards in VR. One hurdle is that it takes a beast of a computer to handle the CPUsurping demands of high-end VR headsets. The laptops that can do this? Ginormous.…

Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) should not speed up, slow down, or manipulate network traffic for discriminatory purposes. It needs its own glossary. Blocking and Throttling The crudest types of net neutrality violations. Blocking means exactly what it sounds like, while throttling refers to deliberately slowing the flow of data. Paid Prioritization Without net neutrality, ISPs could prioritize—that is, speed up—the flow of data from certain sites, giving an advantage to companies that pay tolls. Title I and Title II ISPs want to be covered under Title I of the Telecommunications Act, which is fairly lenient. But net neutrality advocates prefer Title II, which would treat ISPs as “common carriers” and allow tougher regulation. Common Carrier A legal concept that says certain entities—like railroads and…

One day in the summer of 1969, a young Marine lieutenant named Bob Mueller arrived in Hawaii for a rendezvous with his wife, Ann. She was flying in from the East Coast with the couple’s infant daughter, Cynthia, a child Mueller had never met. Mueller had taken a plane from Vietnam. After nine months at war, he was finally due for a few short days of R&R outside the battle zone. Mueller had seen intense combat since he last said goodbye to his wife. He’d received the Bronze Star with a distinction for valor for his actions in one battle, and he’d been airlifted out of the jungle during another firefight after being shot in the thigh. He and Ann had spoken only twice since he’d left for South Vietnam.…