Cities struggle to regulate facial-recognition technology, Eliud Kipchoge prepares for an epic race, and Tern’s new folding bike makes getting around a snap. Here’s the news you need to know, in two minutes or less.
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Today’s Headlines
Cities examine proper—and improper—uses of facial recognition
The Knickerbocker Village, a roughly 1,600-unit affordable housing complex, is conducting a social experiment: Management installed a facial-recognition system in each of its 12 building lobbies and outdoor courtyard entrances in 2013, making the large residential community one of the first in New York City to do away with keys. While the intent is convenience, the system has created problems for tenants who often find themselves locked out due to technology malfunctions. It’s just one example of communities struggling to regulate facial recognition in the absence of federal rules. But the conversations are starting: New York City councillors faced a number of proposals on Monday about how to reconcile facial recognition with individual privacy, and the city of Portland may vote on regulation this fall.
Eliud Kipchoge is set to break the 2-hour marathon barrier
Tomorrow, Eliud Kipchoge will endeavor to break the two-hour marathon mark in Vienna, Austria. The two-hour barrier has eluded elite athletes for more than a century, and only in the past few years have they even come close. (Kipchoge holds the official world record of 2:01:39, which he set at the Berlin Marathon in 2018.) WIRED senior writer Robbie Gonzalez takes a look at the forces at play for Kipchoge on race day, including those infamous Vaporfly shoes.
Fast Fact: $8.4 Billion
That’s the amount Pacific Gas & Electric has accrued in liability claims from victims of past wildfires.
WIRED Recommends: Cheap Phones
Your phone is destroying your life anyway, so why shell out the dough? WIRED rounds up affordable phones that’ll do the job but don’t break the bank.
News You Can Use
Google’s latest gaming technology promises “negative latency.” Say what? This means Stadia can reduce lag time to the point where it’s basically nonexistent—making games on the service more responsive than even those on PCs and consoles.
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