Inside the NYPD's secret fund for surveillance tools

PLUS: Gymnasts Make the Wolf Turn Look Easy. Physics Shows It's Not, and more

View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 08.10.21   DOT PHYSICS | 5-MINUTE READ Gymnasts Make the Wolf Turn Look Easy. Physics Shows It's Not BY RHETT ALLAIN The spin seems simple if you're just watching it on TV. But it's a complex move that requires understanding your center of mass.   PIKACHU, GO! | 3-MINUTE READ 'Pokémon Unite' Is the Perfect, Simple Game We Need Right Now BY CECILIA D'ANASTASIO Every round of this addictive summer jam contains small successes, big successes, big failures, and finally, the catharsis of a win or loss.   TOWN VS. GOWN | 7-MINUTE READ Smart Cities, Bad Metaphors, and a Better Urban Future BY ADAM ROGERS Shannon Mattern's new book, A City Is Not a Computer, digs into the data, dashboards, and language that keep people from building better, safer communities.   WATCHED | 4-MINUTE READ The NYPD Had a Secret Fund for Surveillance Tools BY SIDNEY FUSSELL Documents reveal that police bought facial-recognition software, vans equipped with x-ray machines, and "stingray" cell site simulators—with no public oversight. GET WIRED Summer Sale! Ending Soon: Get WIRED for $10 $5. You can't see into the future, but you can subscribe to WIRED. Subscribe now.   BATTLE PAC | 7-MINUTE READ 'Pac-Man 99' Is a Battle Royale Game That's Actually Accessible BY STEPHEN K. HIRST Cool fact: The ghosts' hunting algorithm, which is the key to the original game and to Ms. Pac-Man, is apparently also present in 99.   PRIVACY | 4-MINUTE READ A 5G Shortcut Leaves Most Phones Exposed to Stingrays BY LILY HAY NEWMAN You may not have the full story about what network you're on—and how well you're protected.   JUICED | 4-MINUTE READ Biden Wants More EVs on Roads. What About Charging Stations? BY AARIAN MARSHALL The president called for 40 percent of new cars to be electric by 2030. But motorists still fret about running out of juice—even if it rarely happens.   EDUTAINMENT | 1-MINUTE READ Robots, Microscopes, and Other Fun Ways to Help Kids Learn BY SCOTT GILBERTSON Learning isn't limited to school. Grab some of these tools and turn your kids into curious scientists exploring their world.   APPLE | 10-MINUTE READ Here's How to Try All the Top New iOS 15 Features Now BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU The next version of Apple's iPhone operating system debuts this fall, but you can try the public beta—at your own risk.     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   Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.