How to handle holiday gatherings during Covid-19

PLUS: Netflix's number one show, big tech's election day blind spot, and how to avoid arguing online. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 10.28.20   TV Why 'The Queen's Gambit' Is the No. 1 Netflix Show Right Now BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER The new miniseries, based on the book by Walter Tevis, revels in the joy of watching someone else play a game beautifully—and our obsession with genius.   ELECTION 2020 Big Tech's Election Plans Have a Blind Spot: Influencers BY ARIELLE PARDES Platforms like Facebook and Google are sharing their plans to pause political ads around Election Day. That's won't stop all paid campaigning.   NO COMMENT How to Stop Getting Into Pointless Arguments Online BY ELIZABETH GRACE SAUNDERS It's easy to want to keep talking until you "win," but in reality, no one's winning.   'DIFFICULT SITUATION' What Should You Do About Holiday Gatherings and Covid-19? BY MATT SIMON Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, there's no perfectly safe way to socialize. But here are some tips on how to talk to your relatives about risk—or opting out.   SELECT START The Most Glorious Video Game Music to Level Up Your Workday BY WHITSON GORDON Turns out these soundtracks can help you beat Bowser and boost productivity. Here are our favorite tunes, from high-fantasy suites to retro beats.   PRODUCT REVIEW The Backbone One Takes iPhone Gaming to New Levels BY LOURYN STRAMPE This iPhone controller and its app are so immersive and well designed, I forgot I was playing on my phone.   OVERHEARD The AI Company Helping the Pentagon Assess Disinfo Campaigns BY WILL KNIGHT Primer can quickly sort through hundreds of sources to identify, say, Russian interference in Azerbaijan. It sells its tech to Walmart too.   REPLAY 'Among Us' Was Hit With Pro-Trump Spam BY JULIE MUNCY The attack comes just days after US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez played the game in a wildly popular Twitch stream.   MESSAGING New Research Reveals the Hidden Downsides of Link Previews BY DAN GOODIN, ARS TECHNICA The feature is convenient, but it can also leak sensitive data, consume bandwidth, and drain batteries. And some sites are worse than others.     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or Manage your newsletter subscriptions