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Why Soccer Still Defies Statistical Analysis

WIRED

Sarah Rudd, who once ran analytics for Arsenal, made her name applying the tenets of probability theory to movements on the pitch. Even she admits not everything can be solved with data. The role of advanced analytics in sports is a contentious subject. To its defenders, data-driven pragmatism is a natural evolutionary step in the way we play and watch games. For detractors, the approach prioritizes results above all else and drains the soul from a pursuit that should be spontaneous and joyful.


Some Women Are Obsessively Testing Their Vaginas to Optimize Them

WIRED

Biohacker Bryan Johnson recently bragged about his girlfriend's "top 1%" vagina as the at-home vaginal microbiome test industry is thriving. Farrah was fed up with her vagina . For the past two years, the 29-year-old dancer from Ohio had been dealing with severe pelvic pain and vaginal odor. "It was like 8/10, horrible core pain," she says. When she visited doctors, she told them what she thought the culprit was: an allergic reaction to soy oil in a vat of water she'd swam in during a pirate-themed dinner theater performance. But they didn't believe her.


Alienware Area 51 review: Absurd speed, serious outlet anxiety

PCWorld

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This is one powerful laptop. Alienware's beefy 16-inch Area 51 packs excellent CPU and GPU performance, though battery life suffers. The Alienware Area 51 is a laptop with history. The first Alienware Area 51 desktop was released back in 1998, and then came the Area 51 laptops in the 2000s. Fast forward to today and the Alienware Area 51 is still among the most powerful laptops available and capable of record-setting performance.


Epson Lifestudio Grand Plus Review: Rich Colors, Gemini Support

WIRED

The configuration process is outdated. Google Home did not recognize the projector on my network. Ultrashort-throw (UST) projectors offer more flexibility than traditional (long-throw) models. No one can ever step in front of one and block the projection, since the unit doesn't require distance and can sit up close to the screen rather than at the back of the room. This also lets all your streaming gear, a soundbar, and a game console connect close to the screen.


The Creators of 'Hacks' Really, Really, Really Hate AI

WIRED

Ahead of the hit show's finale, cocreators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello talk about media consolidation, the perils of censorship, and why they find AI "deeply disturbing." If you're a WIRED reader who uses AI in any creative context, I'd suggest staying far, far away from anyone involved in the TV show . In an interview earlier this year, actor Hannah Einbinder (who plays young comedy writer Ava Daniels on the show) described AI creators as "losers," "not artists," and "not special." In a wide-ranging conversation for ahead of the series finale on HBO Max, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello were resolute about the value of human creativity--and what can be lost when AI enters the picture. If their work on is any indication, Downs and Aniello (along with their third cocreator, Jen Statsky) would be wise to stick with the tough, tiring, absolutely-no-shortcuts approach they take to making entertainment. Across five excellent seasons--if you haven't seen the show, I really do recommend it-- has been praised for its sharp writing and wit, and its thoughtful portrayal of Deborah Vance and Ava's complex, constantly evolving relationship. The show has also acted as something of a mirror for the real-world entertainment industry, weaving in plotlines that tackle everything from media consolidation to corporate censorship to, yes, artificial intelligence. The show's cast and creators have been on a media whirlwind as it all comes to an end. When they came knocking on WIRED's door, we jumped at the chance to chat, and I was lucky enough to spend an hour with Downs and Aniello--both WIRED subscribers, much to my delight--earlier this month. KATIE DRUMMOND: Lucia Aniello and Paul Downs, who I just learned are married, congratulations and welcome to . You should have been there. You should have been there. Ugh, why didn't we bring you? We are going to renew for our 10-year at the same place though. Lucia was born in Italy, so it was closer to a lot of family. And you were married in what year? You have time to find your look. A major priority for me in my life is perfecting my look. We do work at Condé Nast, and my boss is Anna Wintour.


I'll never buy another laptop without Windows Hello

PCWorld

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. I'll never buy another laptop without Windows Hello It's so important, I even go out of my way to add it to my desktop PCs! I review a lot of laptops here at PCWorld, and I'm always surprised when I unbox one without biometric hardware. Fingerprint readers and infrared (IR) cameras for facial recognition are both great--and some laptops even have both! But then you have those that skip the biometric hardware entirely, which is a huge loss these days.


Beatbot Pool-Cleaning Robots Are on Sale

WIRED

Just in time for summer, Beatbot's pool-cleaning robots are on sale through the end of the month. If you're on the hunt for smarter pool care, these are some of the best pool-cleaning robots on the market, and we haven't seen them sell for less. Whether you're tired of paying the pool guy or just don't want to deal with whatever scary stuff is floating in the water, these robots can help. Be sure to check out our related buying guides for more summer outdoors coverage, including the best bug sprays, the best sunscreens, and the best fitness trackers . This surface skimmer is slow and methodical with its approach, which means it won't slam into your pool's walls while doing its job.


What Happens When You Try to Treat OCD With Psilocybin

WIRED

Colloquially, OCD is known as the doubting disorder. In his new book, Simone Stolzoff explores whether treating that uncertainty with magic mushrooms can help people through it. Adam Strauss is standing in his New York City apartment, holding the limp cord of his headphones, trying to choose between the two MP3 players on his desk: the iPod and the iRiver, its Korean counterpart. He tries different songs, different genres, different instruments. The iRiver tends to sound better overall, but the iPod offers a little more nuance in the midrange. The iPod has a better battery life, but the iRiver still lasts eight hours-- longer than he's ever continuously listened to music. Then again, he's never owned an MP3 player. He goes back and forth, back and forth, testing vocal ranges, button resistance, interface aesthetics. It would be one thing if it were just Adam's decision of which MP3 player to buy. After all, it was 2003, the height of the personal audio device revolution, and Adam was a 29-year-old audiophile. For Adam, it was also other decisions-- what shirt to wear to work, what to order for lunch, even what side of the street to walk down. At one point, in an effort to simplify his decisionmaking process for what to wear, Adam bought 11 identical blue button-down shirts. But he quickly found variations in each shirt's fit and fading. He believed there was a shirt to pick; each morning he would spend 20, 30, then 45 minutes trying to find it. If he could only determine which shirt was best, he could control his fate.


Inside LAUSD's alleged 22-million money-laundering scheme, 'the largest' in district history

Los Angeles Times

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Inside LAUSD's alleged $22-million money-laundering scheme, 'the largest' in district history This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Los Angeles Unified is seeking to recover $22 million from a contractor after alleging that a former district manager steered lucrative IT contracts to the company in exchange for kickbacks. Peng and Sampath have denied wrongdoing.


Why the Future of College Could Look Like OnlyFans

The New Yorker

Universities have become generic, one professor and former dean argues. In the A.I. era, students may demand something they can't get elsewhere. Last week, I asked whether, as a forty-six-year-old father of two, I should keep contributing to my children's college funds, or if perhaps some combination of anti-establishment fervor, A.I., and a shifting economy could save me some money. I don't have a particularly good answer yet, at least not one good enough to inspire the purchase of a midlife-crisis car, my son's and daughter's futures be damned. But, after wrestling with that query in Part 1 of what will be a series of articles, I think there may be a better one to ask. The question is not, I think, "How will A.I. change higher education?" I wanted to talk with someone who stood outside the polite consensus which holds that college as we know it will survive, if only because, as I wrote last week, humans will always want to differentiate their children from other people's children.