How watermelon cupcakes kicked off an internal storm at Meta

PLUS: Google DeepMind's chatbot-powered robot is part of a bigger revolution. [View in browser]( | [Your newsletter preferences]( 07.12.24 [SUBSCRIBE TO WIRED]( [FOR UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THESE STORIES]( [A multiple-exposure photo of a binary code and the Google DeepMind logo]( FORWARD MOMENTUM | 2-MINUTE READ [Google DeepMind's Chatbot-Powered Robot Is Part of a Bigger Revolution]( BY WILL KNIGHT Robotics researchers are exploring how large language models can give physical machines more smarts.   [Image may contain: Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone, Indoors, Shop, Market, Grocery Store, Supermarket, Adult, and Person]( PING! | 1-MINUTE READ [Apple to Allow Rivals to Access ‘Tap and Go’ Technology]( BY MORGAN MEAKER In the latest iOS overhaul prompted by European Union rules, the smartphone maker will give third-party developers access to its payment technology.   [A photo illustration of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, juxtaposed next to a collage of texturized mouths with different expressions.]( FAST FORWARD | 2-MINUTE READ [OpenAI Is Testing Its Powers of Persuasion]( BY WILL KNIGHT Sam Altman is touting AI’s ability to sway people's behavior. His company is also wrestling with the risks.   [A photo illustration of textured watermelons.]( INTERNAL AFFAIRS | 9-MINUTE READ [How Watermelon Cupcakes Kicked Off an Internal Storm at Meta]( BY PARESH DAVE AND VITTORIA ELLIOTT Arab and Muslim workers at Meta allege that its response to the crisis in Gaza is one-sided and out of hand. “It makes me sick that I work for this company,” says one employee. ADVERTISEMENT   [Image may contain: Adult, Person, Advertisement, and Poster]( HARD TIME | 4-MINUTE READ [Notorious Hacker Kingpin ‘Tank’ Is Finally Going to Prison]( BY MATT BURGESS The cybercrime boss, who helped lead the prolific Zeus malware gang and was on the FBI’s “most wanted” list for years, has been [sentenced to 18 years and ordered to pay more than $73 million](. You might also like: Pressure grows in Congress to treat crypto investigator [Tigran Gambaryan](, jailed in Nigeria, as a hostage.   [A photo-illustration of Vice President Kamala Harris with a red and grayscale texture overlay.]( ► POLITICS LAB | 32-MINUTE EPISODE [The Kamala Harris Conspiracies Are Here]( BY LEAH FEIGER The far right is already spreading conspiracies about Vice President Kamala Harris after speculation that she may replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.   [Astro for Business robot]( NOT BOT | 3-MINUTE READ [Amazon Will Brick Its $2,350 Astro Robots Just 10 Months After Release]( BY SCHARON HARDING, ARS TECHNICA Business customers will get a refund, and the home version still exists. But … still.   [A photo illustration of letters A through E coming out of a person's head with web cursors clicking on them. All overlayed on top of repetitive question mark symbols.]( ALL OF THE ABOVE | 5-MINUTE READ [Q: Why Do We Love Online News Quizzes? A: Because They Make Us Smarter]( BY ELANA KLEIN Online quizzes became ubiquitous in a media landscape where engagement was king. But now they play a new role: deepening our understanding of current events.   ALCOHOL ALTERNATIVES | 7-MINUTE READ [The Best Nonalcoholic Wines, Chosen by a Bartender]( BY ANDREW WATMAN Nonalcoholic wine is a rapidly growing beverage category. Here are the best red, white, and sparkling options we’ve tasted.   Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world on [jobs.wired.com](. [Sr. Machine Learning Engineer]( [Adobe]( [Location: Edinburgh, Scotland]( [APPLY NOW]( [Data Scientist]( [Honeywell]( [Location: Kansas City, MO, USA]( [APPLY NOW]( ADVERTISEMENT   [WIRED logo image]( Thanks for reading. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Sign up here](. Plus, [browse more newsletters]( from WIRED. [(image) WIRED on Facebook]( [(image) WIRED on Twitter]( [(image) WIRED on Instagram]( [(image) WIRED on LinkedIn]( [(image) WIRED on YouTube]( [Podcasts]( [TikTok](   You’re receiving this email because you signed up for the Daily newsletter from WIRED. [Manage your preferences]( | [View our Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Have questions or comments? [Send us a message](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=Daily newsletter feedback). Need help? [Contact us](. Copyright © Condé Nast 2024. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.