WIRED Articles: Housing, AI, Tech, and Media

The Death of the Starter Home

Buying a first house used to mark entry into adulthood—and the beginning of wealth-building. But a shifting economic landscape is threatening to close the door on this American milestone.

Designing the Dream House of an 87-Year-Old Tech Visionary

An icon of Silicon Valley’s counterculture, Stewart Brand is confronting his final years in a home that embodies the self-sufficient, DIY ethos of his famous Whole Earth Catalog.

My Father Wants to Age in Place. AI Will Be Watching

Devices that monitor seniors for safety are appealing to worried loved ones and underresourced home care agencies.

Traditional Home Insurance Is Collapsing. Here’s What Could Fill the Gap

A new, AI-assisted model of insurance is quietly exploding in disaster-prone areas—and may be coming for FEMA too. Is it the answer to climate change, or a trap?

What Do Americans Spend on Housing?

WIRED surveyed readers on their housing costs. The answers paint a stark portrait of unaffordability, climate adaptation, and the death of the homeowner dream.

Need a New Lamp? Here Are 7 Bright Ideas

These clever lights—each one an exemplar of innovation in materials, design, and function—will beautify your home.

What Do We Need From Our Homes Right Now?

The global editorial directors of WIRED and Architectural Digest on teaming up to help you understand how we live today, and what comes next.

Paramount Refused to Air an Ad Criticizing Its Merger With Warner Bros.

The commercial was submitted by the Freedom of the Press Foundation to run during Donald Trump’s UFC event. It criticized the $111 billion merger as a threat to the First Amendment.

Microsoft’s New Surface Laptop and Surface Pro Get Faster—and Way More Expensive

Microsoft has finally refreshed its premium Surface Laptop and Surface Pro with new chips, but the update comes with a steep price hike.

TikTok Shoppers Thought They Were Bidding on iPhones. Instead, They Won Teddy Bears

Sellers on TikTok used pricey items to lure bidders to “Surprise Sets” livestreams, but most of the auctions yielded only cheap prizes. Gambling experts are concerned about the potential for harm.

Streamer IShowSpeed Is Gen Z’s ESPN

At 21, Speed has pushed the limits of streaming by transforming a distinctly solo format into a global group chat. His song for this year’s World Cup is becoming the tournament’s unofficial anthem.