The cable news network's president, Rebecca Kutler, wants to leverage its massive online and TV audience to create a fan community. First up: letting you chat with Rachel Maddow. Even if you're a casual consumer of MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, you know the names: anchors like Chris Hayes, Stephanie Ruhl, and yes, the one and only Rachel Maddow. The network has built a stable of talent who've amassed a massive number of casual viewers, plenty of fans and more than a few obsessives. Now, the network's president, Rebecca Kutler, is looking to build that entire audience into something more akin to a fandom--turning casual viewers and fanatics alike, whether on TV or online, into paying members of an MS NOW media universe. To do it, she's launching an ambitious subscription program, called Membership, designed to connect MS NOW consumers much more directly to the Hayeses and Maddows of the world. Sure, plenty of news providers now offer subscriptions, WIRED included (and by the way, you can subscribe here). But what struck me about Kutler and Co.'s efforts was both their methodical approach--they surveyed 18,000 people before landing on a final offering--and their resolute focus on MS NOW's deep bench of talent as the locus of their paid program.

From cordless vacuums to the best wireless earbuds we've tested, some of our favorite tech is on sale for Labor Day this year. The last long weekend of summer has arrived, and with it, a slew of cart-worthy deals. While summer won't officially end for a few weeks, something about Labor Day feels like the last hurrah, and it makes for the perfect time to snag on-sale gadgets to set you up for a smooth fall and holiday season. The sales started early this year, but they're still going strong with plenty of our favorite tech gear discounted during the holiday weekend. You can shop everything from high-quality headphones to Dyson vacuums and Apple AirTags.

Forget email surveys or long calls spent on hold. Voicebox lets people send customer feedback by recording a voice note on their phone. Some of the hottest software this year revolves around capturing voices . Whether it's the sharp dictations of Wispr or the always-listening ears of Granola, voice-centered software currently feels inescapable. Voice dictation is getting so sharp, in fact, that I often write drafts in my notepad and then dictate aloud to my laptop.

Don't let busted pipes or an overflowing washing machine dampen your day. Water plays an essential role in our homes, but it can also wreak havoc. Burst pipes, leaky toilets, and misbehaving appliances can stop your day in its tracks. Water leak detectors help reduce the risk by alerting you to problems quickly so you can act to prevent severe damage. Around one in 60 insured homeowners file a claim related to water damage or freezing every year, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and the average cost of the property damage is about $15,000. The longer a leak goes undetected, the more damage it does, destroying furniture and decorations, spawning mold and fungi, and even threatening structural integrity. I've tested many smart leak detectors over the past few years, and these are my favorites. Insurers love them, so before you go shopping, it's worth checking with yours to see what they offer or recommend, and whether installing a leak sensor can reduce your premiums. Shaped like a drop of water, this versatile standalone device alerts you within seconds of detecting a leak and offers compelling extras like temperature tracking at a reasonably affordable price.

The studio released an official catch-up list ahead of December's release. We've got links to watch every one of the movies if you want to get up to speed. Marvel and Disney+ have issued a stacked watch list for fans ahead of the cinema release of on December 18. The Marvel Cinematic Universe can be complex terrain to navigate. Its 38 movies and 25 series to date span varying superhero plot lines, crossovers, and multiverse action, with the latest release likely to spare no less lore and real fan knowledge.

Macs are fantastic computers, but you'll need one of these great displays to complete your work-from-home setup. The Mac Mini is back. And so is the Mac Studio . They've been nearly impossible to buy for most of 2026 thanks to the rising demand for running AI models locally . Prices have risen, yes, but when new models go on sale in late September, they'll finally be out in the wild. And with that, you'll want a decent monitor to match. Whether you need something basic or you're a content creator looking for a high-end display, one of these monitors I've tested below should do the trick.

Restaurant menus with AI-generated food images are going viral for their off-putting aesthetic. But AI's impact on modern menus runs even deeper. I can't stop staring at the AI-slop images of Mexican food I see during my morning walk to work. On the menu posted outside, the taco truck displays lunch options that appear uncanny and unappetizing, as if an alien who's never eaten human food before drew a taco from memory. This food truck is not alone in putting AI-generated images on its menu.

The game starts as a reheated, but evolves into something much more focused. I drink the blood of my fourth rat tonight. It's only got so much life to give, so as soon as I drain it, I know I'll need to feed again. My hunger is not fulfilled. My health bar is only half full.

While companies promise they can help users monitor gut health, experts suggest that smart toilets provide little in the way of benefits to the average person. It was only a matter of time before wellness trackers --already out there trying to optimize our heart rate, sleep, stress, steps, blood sugar, and menstruation--came for perhaps the most private biosignal of all: our poop. The global gut health market is expected to reach nearly $106 billion by 2029, and a handful of companies are betting they can use stool data to provide in-depth health insights, nudge people to change their diets or lifestyles, and advise them to see a doctor if their bathroom habits seem amiss. But gastroenterologists are skeptical that products that rely on AI to analyze images of what's going on in your toilet bowl are worth the price just yet, and data-privacy advocates warn that people can get locked into long-term subscriptions just to access their own health data. Among the companies touting smart toilets are Kohler Health--an offshoot of the eponymous plumbing giant that sells its device for $449 plus $130 for an annual family membership--and Throne, a startup that raised $10 million in July.

The Cybercab Is Almost Here. The electric-auto maker will officially debut its steering-wheel-free robotaxi on Thursday. But building the vehicle is the easy part. Matte gold, sloped, and steering-wheel-free, the Tesla Cybercab seems designed to catch the eyes of looky-loos. Now rubberneckers may have more opportunities: Tesla is set to host an event on Thursday at its Austin, Texas, headquarters to debut the Cybercab.