Talk Fuse

    Topic: Technology

    Technology covers the tools, companies and systems shaping how people work, communicate, create and access information. It includes artificial intelligence, software, consumer devices, space and digital infrastructure, as well as the policy, security and social questions that follow them.

    The topic matters because technological change increasingly affects everyday life and public decision-making. Coverage helps readers follow new developments, assess their practical impact and understand the debates around innovation, privacy, reliability and accountability.

    • 8 Best Password Managers (2026), Tested and Reviewed

      WIRED’s 2026 buying guide rounds up the password managers it recommends after hands-on testing, aimed at helping people move away from weak, reused passwords like “123456” and “password” towards long, randomly generated credentials stored securely. The guide argues that using a dedicated password manager is far more practical than trying to memorise dozens of strong…

    • Could a couch-to-5k for books get you back into reading?

      The article, written by a novelist and BBC broadcaster, argues that smartphones have eroded the sustained attention needed for reading books, even among people who once read voraciously. Prompted by a conversation with a doctor friend who wished for a “couch to 5k”-style programme to rebuild the habit, the author explores why this decline matters:…

    • The James Webb Telescope Is Changing Astronomers’ Understanding of the Ancient Cosmos

      The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has been overturning astronomers’ assumptions about the early universe, revealing objects and phenomena that established theories struggle to explain. Since coming online in 2022, JWST has spotted “little red dots,” black holes far larger than expected for their age, and ancient galaxies that don’t fit models of the universe’s…

    • Andy Burnham’s new AI minister says people ‘right to worry’ about new tech

      Andy Burnham’s newly created AI minister, Kanishka Narayan, has said the public is “right to worry” about artificial intelligence’s impact on jobs, even as he pushes for greater investment in the technology. Narayan became the UK’s first minister for AI after Burnham established the role upon becoming prime minister last month, and now leads a…

    • Boy George Fires Label Manager Who Refused To Release His AI Pro-Israel Song, Drops Diss Track About Soup Dragons Singer

      Boy George has caused controversy after releasing an AI-generated pro-Israel track titled “We Will Dance Again,” leading him to withdraw from a production of Jesus Christ Superstar and fire Tony Pontius, the manager of his indie label Boy George Presents, after Pontius refused to release the song. The singer framed the split as a consequence…

    • There Are 2 Eclipses This August. Here’s How to See Them

      August 2026 brings two eclipses visible across much of the world, offering skywatchers a rare double bill before the year’s celestial calendar closes. A total solar eclipse occurs on 12 August, followed by a partial lunar eclipse on 27–28 August, and together they mark the last of only four eclipses scheduled for the year. The…

    • The Best Kids’ Backpacks for the 2026 School Year

      This is a WIRED product roundup recommending backpacks for children heading back to school in 2026, rather than a conventional news story. It aims to help parents choose durable, comfortable bags that can withstand daily wear while carrying electronics, lunchboxes and other school essentials, with recommendations tested over weeks or years by the reviewer’s own…

    • US companies win billions in African data center deals in direct competition with China

      The US is winning a growing share of Africa’s data centre and AI infrastructure market, edging out China in a strategic technology contest across the continent. The Trump administration has paired diplomatic efforts with American companies to secure a wave of deals, even as several US states have grown wary of data centres domestically because…

    • Is It Possible to Make Smart Glasses That Aren’t Creepy?

      Smart glasses are booming, but the same features that make them useful—built-in cameras that can capture whoever the wearer looks at—have made them a lightning rod for privacy concerns, with Meta, the market leader, facing the sharpest criticism. Because the devices are worn passively rather than held up like a phone, and their recording indicators…

    • Stock market turmoil sheds stark light on the opaque AI economy

      Global markets were rattled last week by a series of Chinese semiconductor breakthroughs that appeared to challenge Western chipmakers’ dominance of the AI industry, triggering sharp swings in tech stocks worldwide. The turmoil began when Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT floated in Shanghai and soared in value, on the same day reports emerged that China had…