The 50 Best Shows on HBO Max, WIRED’s Picks (February 2026)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Pitt, and Industry are just a few of the shows you need to be watching on HBO Max this month.

It’s finally time to retire the word ‘podcast’
It’s finally time to retire the word ‘podcast’

According to YouTube’s 2025 Recap feature, the podcast I consumed the most on its platform was Seth Meyers’ recurring segment “A Closer Look” on his show Late Night. Last year, I would have argued that this is not a podcast. That it is, in fact, a clip of a TV show. But in 2025, with […]

People Are Using Sora 2 to Make Disturbing Videos With AI-Generated Kids

Videos such as fake ads featuring AI children playing with vibrators or Jeffrey Epstein and Diddy-themed playsets are being made with Sora 2 and posted to TikTok.

Politics Is Fandom; Fascism Is Fanfic

From Zohran Mamdani’s campaign to the US government’s Halo memes, fandom has become the defining language of US politics.

Tech Disrupted Friendship. It’s Time to Bring It Back

Two decades ago social media promised to connect people with pals far and wide. Twenty years online has left us turning to AI for kinship. IRL companionship is the future.

The 52 Best Movies on Netflix, WIRED’s Picks (January 2026)

The Rip, Frankenstein, and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery are just a few of the movies you should watch on Netflix this month.

The 24 Best Movies on Amazon Prime, WIRED’s Picks (February 2025)

Sinners, Wicked, and Die Hard are just a few of the movies you should be watching on Amazon Prime Video this week.

The Avatar Game Is So Good, They Don’t Need to Make the Movies Anymore

See the new movie Avatar: Fire and Ash if you’d like. But if you really want to experience the big blue world of Pandora, the video game is where it’s at.

From Queer-Baiting to Neurodivergence: ‘Heated Rivalry’s Author Tackles Fan Theories and Controversy

“I didn’t expect this book to be analyzed like The Great Gatsby,” hockey smut author Rachel Reid tells WIRED.

The 28 Best Movies on Apple TV, WIRED’s Picks (January 2026)

F1: The Movie, CODA, and Highest 2 Lowest are just a few of the movies you should be watching on Apple TV this month.