Google just denied cops a key surveillance tool

PLUS: School of Rock: The Physics of Waves on Guitar Strings, and more [View this email in your browser]( | [Manage newsletter subscriptions]( [WIRED logo and a robot carrying a WIRED magazine]( [12.16.23](   [red colorized photo of man playing guitar]( [DOT PHYSICS | 7-MINUTE READ]( [School of Rock: The Physics of Waves on Guitar Strings]( BY RHETT ALLAIN [Playing the guitar is an art form. But the good vibrations you hear are a science.](   [People wearing grey shirts crowded in a small grey room]( [PODCASTS | 90-MINUTE EPISODE]( [For All Mankind Deserves 7 Seasons]( BY GEEK'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY [Ronald D. Moore, the creator of the Apple TV+ series For All Mankind, has said there's a seven-season plan for the show. He should be able to execute it.](   [Twinkly Strings Multicolor Lights on a Christmas tree]( [GLOW GLOW GLOW | 1-MINUTE READ]( [The Best Smart Christmas Lights to Make Your Home Merry and Bright]( BY NENA FARRELL AND SIMON HILL [Stop scrambling with wall plugs, and control your smart lights with a voice command or a tap on your phone instead. Now that’s a Christmas miracle.](   [Google logo on an office building]( [SECURITY ROUNDUP | 3-MINUTE READ]( [Google Just Denied Cops a Key Surveillance Tool]( BY ANDY GREENBERG AND LILY HAY NEWMAN [Plus: Apple tightens anti-theft protections, Chinese hackers penetrate US critical infrastructure, and the long-running rumor of eavesdropping phones crystallizes into more than an urban legend.](   [Get Your WIRED Merch]( We’ve got a collection of WIRED-branded products sporting designs approved by our award-winning art department. Find the perfect gift for the tech-obsessed person in your life! Use promo code WIREDNEWS10 for 10% off. [SHOP NOW]( [GET WIRED]( [LIMITED TIME ONLY. Subscribe to WIRED for only $29.99 $5. That includes subscriber-only content like Steven Levy's Plaintext column, plus](FREE WIRED stickers as a special bonus! ADVERTISEMENT   [lanternfish]( [TWILIGHT ZONE | 12-MINUTE READ]( [All the Fish We Cannot See]( BY MOIRA DONOVAN [In a dark, unexplored layer of ocean, a hidden cache of fish might play an unexpected role in our climate’s future. It seems like a bad time for a new fishery.](   [Nintendo staff on stage at E3]( [GAME OVER | 3-MINUTE READ]( [The Death of E3 Signals the End of Gaming’s Most Extravagant Era]( BY MEGAN FAROKHMANESH [Now that any video game company can go online to hype up its big new releases, no one needs big events anymore.](   [GIFT GUIDE | 12-MINUTE READ]( [The 21 Best Gifts for the PC Gamer in Your Life]( BY GEAR TEAM [It’s dangerous to go alone! Take these headsets, keyboards, and mice and give them to your favorite PC gamer.](   [Notes app icon on a smartphone]( [RANTS AND RAVES | 4-MINUTE READ]( [The iPhone’s Notes App Is the Purest Reflection of Our Messy Existence]( BY ADRIENNE SO [This deceptively simple app, where we deposit both our grocery lists and our darkest thoughts, is the medium of our time.](   [We Need to Talk About Lab-Grown Meat]( [Animal-free meat alternatives are an important climate solution, but their future is far from guaranteed. Read the Pocket Collection by WIRED's Matt Reynolds.]( [WIRED in partnership with Pocket]( 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? [Reply to this email](mailto:hello@wired.com?subject=Daily newsletter feedback). Need help? [Contact us](. Copyright © Condé Nast 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.