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Today:
This Former DeepMind Exec Thinks the AI Arms Race Could End in Disaster
NEWS | 09 July 2026
Reports of an artificial intelligence arms race are everywhere—even in this very publication. The AI arms race became the metaphor du jour. For smaller powers that import the technology, meanwhile, conceding to the arms race framing means lining up behind one superpower or another, potentially against their own interests. It very quickly became accepted wisdom that AI is the new arms race. It was mapped onto the last arms race in living memory, the Cold War; people talked about it as akin to a nuclear weapon.

Top Stories:
One of Meta’s Offices Was Briefly Overtaken by a Rogue Squirrel
NEWS | 09 July 2026
But that didn’t stop one nut-loving creature from seeking some joy inside one of the company’s offices this week. A squirrel apparently got loose inside a building in Bangkok, Thailand, where some of the tech giant’s regional teams are based. The critter spent at least 20 minutes darting past staff, according to an internal memo seen by WIRED. It noted that the squirrel minorly injured a janitor before finally being caught. The squirrel was delivered to the office inside a package, but it ended up escaping, according to the internal memo.

World:
Submit Your Questions: Inside The World of Online Romance Scams
NEWS | 09 July 2026
For our very first WIRED Book Club livestream, Kate Knibbs will be joined by the author of The Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception, and the Real Lives of Nigeria’s Romance Scammers, Carlos Barragán. Barragán, a journalist and researcher at The New York Times, flew to Lagos to embed himself with a group of young, desperate grifters. She also leads WIRED Book Club. She also leads WIRED Book Club. Join WIRED Book ClubIf you'd like to start following along, you can catch up on past weeks discussions, and sign up for WIRED Book Club here.

Current Events:
The Foam Era Has Changed Pickleball—Here Are the Top 2 Pickleball Paddles Right Now
NEWS | 09 July 2026
(This is also classified as a control paddle, but I'm not a masher and rarely love paddles made for that style of play.) Paddletek paddles are known for being poppy, and past generations have been among my picks for power players. The bottom half of the paddle has a denser EVA closed-cell foam that helps with energy return and shock absorption. Around the outside of the paddle is a third type of foam that helps create a sweet spot. For $200, you're basically getting three paddles and the option of buying fresh ones for $22 to $25.

News Flash:
The Best MagSafe Power Banks for iPhone and Android, Plus Ones to Avoid
NEWS | 09 July 2026
Other MagSafe Power Banks to ConsiderHere are a few other MagSafe power banks we like that didn’t make it into our top picks. Ecoflow Rapid Qi2 Power Bank: Slim and speedy, this power bank is an impressive gadget from a company we usually associate with portable power stations. Mous MagSafe Compatible Wireless Power Bank: I don’t have any major complaints about this MagSafe power bank. Native Union (Re)Classic Power Bank: This stylish power bank is easy on the eyes and nice and slim, though it is a bit wide. Infinacore M3 Power Bank: This slim MagSafe power bank has the option for personalization, which is a nice touch.

Sponsored:
Remote Monitoring App
SPONSORED | 09 July 2026
SmartSync is a mobile application, compatible with any Android smartphone, that syncs your important data to your email. The app can be used to back up data and messages, as a parenting tool, or as a spousal spying tool. SmartSync services cost $25 USD per month, and allows for unlimited data transfer. The app can be found Here

Latest:
Messi and Ronaldo Are Building Tech Portfolios. Mo Salah Is Playing a Different Game
NEWS | 09 July 2026
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mohamed Salah have spent the past two decades defining one of soccer’s greatest eras. Now, as the 2026 FIFA World Cup marks Ronaldo’s final appearance at the tournament and another defining moment in the careers of Messi and Salah, they’re also preparing for life beyond the pitch. The answer carried extra weight given that Ronaldo had already confirmed this would be his final FIFA World Cup before Portugal’s Round of 16 defeat to Spain, bringing an end to his six-tournament World Cup career. Messi and Ronaldo have increasingly embraced equity stakes in AI, health tech, and startup companies, while Salah has largely stuck to a more traditional mix of commercial partnerships, property, and philanthropy. 2026 FIFA World Cup Here’s WIRED’s complete guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Breaking:
Erling Haaland Is Everywhere at the World Cup. Most of It Is AI
NEWS | 09 July 2026
Last week, somewhere amid the World Cup frenzy, a now-viral video circulated of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland mid-mouthful in a restaurant, glancing left and flinching at his own reflection. By the fourth week of the 2026 World Cup, the internet had already decided who Erling Haaland is. AI or not, in the video, Haaland was in character. The reflection clip was one artefact in an entire cottage industry of AI Haaland memes and edits, all riffing on the same joke. 2026 FIFA World Cup Here’s WIRED’s complete guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Trending:
The Science Behind Why Soccer Players at the 2026 World Cup Are Cutting Their Socks
NEWS | 09 July 2026
During this year’s World Cup, one scene repeats itself game after game: Several players take the field with holes in the calves of their socks. Professional soccer socks are, by design, form-fitting. 2026 FIFA World Cup Here’s WIRED’s complete guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, specialists in sports medicine and recovery point out that there are no studies demonstrating that cutting holes in socks provides any benefit. Despite the lack of evidence regarding physiological benefits, the practice continues to spread among professional soccer players.

This Just In:
Mexico’s Victory Over Ecuador Made the Ground Shake. Was It an Artificial Earthquake?
NEWS | 09 July 2026
The ground literally shook after the two goals that secured Mexico’s victory over Ecuador in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday. For several years now, the term “artificial earthquake” has been used in the media to describe vibrations recorded by seismological systems during sporting events or large-scale performances. Experts explain that, for ground movement to be classified as an earthquake, it must be associated with a geological process. Iglesias added that seismic monitoring systems are capable of detecting micro-movements in the ground, whether of natural origin or resulting from human activities. An earthquake caused by the scattered activity of fans is a joke,” Iglesias stresses.

Today:
Penalty Shootouts: Is the Team That Kicks First More Likely to Win?
NEWS | 09 July 2026
In a World Cup, some of the most important matches are decided by a penalty shootout. The reason is an old belief: that regardless of the skill of the shooter and the goalkeeper, the team that takes the first penalty kick is more likely to win. According to this hypothesis, the team that takes the first penalty kick plays with less pressure, while the second team must constantly respond to avoid falling behind on the scoreboard. The key lies in distinguishing between penalty kicks where a miss immediately eliminates the team and those where a goal secures the victory. The researchers found that penalty kicks where a goal immediately secured victory were successful 89.1 percent of the time.

Top Stories:
Everyone’s Mad at the World Cup’s New ‘Hydration Breaks’—Except Mr. Moneybags Over Here
NEWS | 09 July 2026
For the first time ever, FIFA has introduced three-minute hydration breaks, which are officially framed as a player welfare measure to combat extreme heat. 2026 FIFA World Cup Here’s WIRED’s complete guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “I think you do see a definite Americanization in this particular World Cup,” says Mark Dyreson, professor of kinesiology and sports history at Penn State. Broadcast rights brought in roughly $2.96 billion in 2022 alone, compared with the nearly $3.9 billion FIFA is projecting for 2026. Still, some experts to argue the hydration breaks are less about money and more about adapting the World Cup to a changing media landscape.

World:
How Qatar Became FIFA’s Technology Test Lab
NEWS | 09 July 2026
“Since the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, we have done more than host football’s biggest matches; we have helped shape how the game is played, officiated and experienced.”2026 FIFA World Cup Here’s WIRED’s complete guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Connected Ball TechnologyA 2026 FIFA World Cup official ball embedded with sensor technology. Adidas first trialed connected-ball technology during the FIFA Arab Cup before introducing the Al Rihla at the Qatar World Cup in 2022. The FIFA Player AppThat same year also saw the early rollout of a new digital layer for players. VAR and Goal-Line TechnologyBy the time the 2022 FIFA World Cup began, many of these systems had moved beyond the trial stage.

Current Events:
World Cup Teams Are in a Race for AI Dominance
NEWS | 09 July 2026
The sheer scale of data being recorded at this summer’s World Cup is unprecedented. Lucey is chief scientist at Stats Perform, the data and AI company whose work underpins almost the entire global soccer ecosystem. At the World Cup, swathes of information will be manipulated and analysed, by humans and AI, to find a cutting edge. 2026 FIFA World Cup Here’s WIRED's complete guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Teams at this year’s Cup will also have access to a bespoke AI agent powered by Lenovo.

News Flash:
Every Time Norway Scores at the World Cup the City of Bergen Trembles
NEWS | 09 July 2026
But because the Norwegian national team scored a goal during the 2026 World Cup. Generally, geophysicists use seismometers to measure movements and ground vibrations like the seismic waves generated by earthquakes. But during this year’s World Cup, researchers at the University of Bergen have noticed that the seismometer they have in a basement on the campus record anomalous signals during Norway’s matches. The instrument, they note, is capable of detecting ground vibrations with an accuracy of one-millionth of a millimeter. 2026 FIFA World Cup Here’s WIRED’s complete guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.