PLUS: Ikea’s latest gaming collection is a collab with Xbox.
Voice-to-text is having a moment, driven by rapid advances in large-language models. Relay, a new startup founded by ex-Nothing employees, wants to lead that shift. Launching today on macOS (with other platforms planned soon), the software lets you hit a hot key and speak into any text field. Beyond standard transcription, Relay catches misspeaks, strips out filler words, and executes in-line actions—like generating a Google Calendar invite while you dictate a message to a colleague. While it currently uses your computer's built-in mic, Relay plans to release its own hardware, the Relay Q, in early 2027: a handheld device designed so you can whisper notes without annoying your desk neighbors.
This week also saw the debut of Ikea’s latest gaming collection, designed in collaboration with Xbox. There are several pieces that take direct design cues from the Xbox hardware, like the green D-pad cushion. The star of the show, however, is the thumbstick stool. WIRED’s Jeremy White interviewed the designer to explore the process of turning a thumb-controlled joystick from a gaming controller into a living room seating accessory.
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By Julian Chokkattu
The Relay Q, due next year, is the latest attempt to reposition voice as the most seamless method for human-computer interaction.
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By Jeremy White
Xbox and Ikea collab alert! This unique nine-piece collection for gamers arrives this fall and has a slew of Easter eggs.
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By Reece Rogers
From halting my doomscrolls to automating air-quality checks, Apple’s streamlined Shortcuts app is my favorite iOS 27 feature.
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The last time I chose to perform anything resembling a science experiment was probably when I realized I could drop Mentos into a liter of Coke to create a fizzy volcano in third grade. Reading WIRED’s guide to squeezing more juice out of a dead battery taught me that building a simple electrical circuit—a far more sophisticated endeavor than my candy and soda concoctions—isn’t nearly as intimidating as it might seem to a self-proclaimed non-STEM person like myself. If you want to make the most of your batteries, read Rhett Allen’s approachable manual. —writes Elana Klein.
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By Aarian Marshall
“It never crossed my mind that they would be so bold as to sell our private data for AI,” says one former Spirit Airlines flight attendant.
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By Kat Merck
Don’t wait for the next salmonella-based recall—an immersion circulator can make any store-bought egg safe to handle and eat, even in raw preparations.
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By Boone Ashworth
Tethered display glasses are truly practical face computers. They trade bulky spatial computing for simplicity: Plug in, recline, and get a massive screen right in front of your nose.
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By Aarian Marshall
A Chinese agency says the two recalls affecting some 3 million vehicles can mostly be fixed by over-the-air updates—but they will also require physical warning stickers and camera-related updates.
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By John Brandon
These premium projectors bring the moviegoing experience to your living room (sans popcorn).
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By Jeremy White
Say hello to a revamped collection of perfectly proportioned 38-mm Speedmasters.
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