Anti-secrecy activists publish a trove of ransomware victims' data

PLUS: The 2004 Darpa Gand Challenge, the Razor EcoSmart Sup review, and a plea for AI know-how. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 01.06.21   BOOK EXCERPT The Autonomous-Car Chaos of the 2004 Darpa Grand Challenge BY ALEX DAVIES The self-driving vehicles smashed, burned, flipped, and tipped. But the ambitious race through the Mojave launched an industry.   PRODUCT REVIEW Razor's E-Scooter Isn't Much of a Kick BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU This electric scooter offers a stable ride at a relatively affordable price, though its bulky design isn't the best for apartment-dwelling city slickers.   WIRED Q&A The US Needs More Foreign Artificial Intelligence Know-How BY WILL KNIGHT Jason Furman, a top economic adviser to President Obama, says good ideas come from everywhere—but Trump has dissuaded tech workers from coming to the US.   DDOSECRETS Activists Publish a Vast Trove of Ransomware Victims' Data BY ANDY GREENBERG WikiLeaks successor DDoSecrets has amassed a controversial new collection of corporate secrets and is sharing them in the name of transparency. GET WIRED Get one year of WIRED access for less than $1 per month. Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.   BUSTED Ticketmaster Pays Up for Hacking a Rival Company BY DAN GOODIN, ARS TECHNICA Employees admitted to using stolen passwords and URL guessing to access confidential data.   IDEAS There Should Be a Nobel Prize for Vaccine Logistics BY BENJAMIN MAZER Immunization against Covid-19 is not going perfectly, but at least it's going. Let's give credit where it's due.   DO IT YOURSELF Want a Better PC? Try Building Your Own BY JESS GREY AND BRENDAN NYSTEDT Assembling a computer yourself is a good way to learn about how it works. It's also a lost art—one due for a revival.   HELICOPTER RESEARCH For Marginalized Groups, Being Studied Can Be a Burden BY GRACE HUCKINS Academics often research minority communities in the hope of helping them. But too much time under the microscope can cause its own harms.   AMERICAN HUSTLE Stacey Abrams on How We'll Beat Back Voter Suppression BY GILAD EDELMAN The former Democratic candidate for Georgia governor talks democracy, election tech, and why speaking Klingon doesn't always help. As told to Gilad Edelman.     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