Between loneliness, distractions (hello pandemic puppies) and wearing sweatpants every day, sometimes remote workers need a boost. Treat your favorite telecommuter to something special. If you buy something using our links,WIRED may earn a commission. wired.trib.al/XKHl2hw 1/9
If you're looking for a gift that's high on impact, but low on cost try the 1More ColorBuds. They have great audio quality and are an excellent fit. Perfect, for someone who loves to listen (to music, not people) as they work. 📸: Joseph Shin wired.trib.al/XKHl2hw 2/9
While not a conventionally romantic gift, nothing says I love you in 2021 like steady internet. If your giftee is buffering on video calls or complaining about internet speed, a Netgear Nighthawk AX4 Router might be just what they need. 📸: Amazon wired.trib.al/XKHl2hw 3/9
Remote workers' posture frequently resembles that of an aged goblin. A laptop stand can help alleviate poor posture and the ailments that accompany it, but they're also good tools for improving workspaces on the cheap. 📸:ObVus Solutions wired.trib.al/XKHl2hw 4/9
Late-night calls (Netflix binges) and slack updates can take a toll on any smartphone. So, give the gift of battery life with this Nimble Champ portable charger. 📸: Nimble wired.trib.al/XKHl2hw 5/9
Having your lunch al desko should always be a last resort. But at least with the Oxo Good Grips Sweep & Swipe Laptop Cleaner, you rid your keyboard of pesky crumbs and Cheeto residue. It's cheap and small enough to keep on a desk. 📸: Amazon wired.trib.al/XKHl2hw 6/9
Coffee is liquid gold, and nobody knows that more than telecommuters (particularly ones with kids). This battery-powered, temperature-controlling mug ensures that every sip sits at your giftee's ideal temperature.
📸: Amazon wired.trib.al/XKHl2hw 7/9
Why cry on the floor when you can do it on a Moon Pod Zero-Gravity Bean Bag Chair? It works for sitting, reclining, and lying down. 📸: Moon Pod wired.trib.al/XKHl2hw 8/9
Subscribe to WIRED and get unlimited access to our longform features, buying guides, and tech news wired.trib.al/QkeiDBd 9/9
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NEW: The alleged shooter is a 57-year-old white male; according to his ministry's website, he “sought out militant Islamists in order to share the gospel and tell them that violence wasn't the answer.” wired.com/story/shooting…
UPDATE: In a 2023 sermon reviewed by WIRED and delivered by the alleged shooter in the Democratic Republic of Congo, he preached against abortion and called for different Christian churches to become “one.” wired.com/story/shooting…
In another sermon in Matadi that year, Boelter railed against the LGBTQ community. “They're confused,” he said. “The enemy has gotten so far into their mind and their soul.”
SCOOP: Edward Coristine (“Big Balls”), Luke Farritor, and Ethan Shaotran were part of the original DOGE crew. They were brought in under short-term “special government employee” status. Supposed to be temporary. Spoiler: it’s not. wired.com/story/big-ball…
As of May 31 (Coristine & Farritor) and April 10 (Shaotran), the trio officially became full-time federal employees. Their roles at the General Services Administration (GSA) are now permanent.
According to documentation viewed by WIRED, they each maintain their “senior advisor” titles.
Their pay? GS-15 for Coristine & Farritor, one of the highest government salary grades. Shaotran’s at GS-14—just one step below. wired.com/story/big-ball…
In fact, federal workers from at least six agencies tell WIRED that DOGE-style work is escalating in their departments, and Trump himself said in a press conference today that “Elon's really not leaving.” wired.com/story/doge-elo…
Members of Musk’s early DOGE team, including Luke Farritor and Gavin Kliger, have met with a number of departments and agencies in recent days, seemingly continuing business as usual, WIRED has learned.
Over the last week, federal workers have been asked to urgently review contracts across the government, and sources say the pressure to slash contracts has drastically increased in recent weeks. wired.com/story/doge-elo…
NEW: Tulsi Gabbard, now the US director of national intelligence, used the same easily cracked password for different online accounts including a personal Gmail account and Dropbox over a period of years, leaked records reviewed by WIRED reveal. wired.com/story/tulsi-ga…
The password associated includes the word “shraddha,” which appears to have personal significance to Gabbard: This year, WSJ reported that she had been initiated into the Science of Identity Foundation, which ex-members have accused of being a cult. wired.com/story/tulsi-ga…
Security experts advise people to never use the same password on different accounts precisely because people often do so. As director of national intelligence, Gabbard oversees the 18 organizations comprising the US intelligence community.
DOGE is knitting together data from the Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, and IRS that could create a surveillance tool of unprecedented scope. wired.com/story/doge-col…
The scale at which DOGE is seeking to interconnect data, including sensitive biometric data, has never been done before, raising alarms with experts who fear it may lead to disastrous privacy violations. wired.com/story/doge-col…
“They are trying to amass a huge amount of data,” a senior DHS official tells WIRED. “It has nothing to do with finding fraud or wasteful spending … They are already cross-referencing immigration with SSA and IRS as well as voter data.” wired.com/story/doge-col…
American police are spending hundreds of thousands on Massive Blue’s unproven and secretive technology that uses AI-generated online personas designed to interact with and collect intelligence on “college protesters,” “radicalized” political activists, and suspected traffickers.
Massive Blue calls its product Overwatch, which it markets as an “AI-powered force multiplier for public safety” that “deploys lifelike virtual agents, which infiltrate and engage criminal networks across various channels.”
404 Media obtained a presentation showing some of these AI characters. These include a “radicalized AI” “protest persona,” which poses as a 36-year-old divorced woman who is lonely, has no children, is interested in baking, activism, and “body positivity.”