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So, this was kind of a big week in the WIRED world: Twitter filed its IPO; the best website to buy, um, all kinds of things got shut down (along with the U.S. government); and we got one step closer to … lightsabers (seriously). These are the 12 stories to read NOW to make sure you're wired, too.
Twitter and How You Can Get Rich, Too
After hearing that Twitter filed to go public this week, most people probably wondered how to get in on that action. Well, the good news is that Twitter co-founder Ev Williams (who we learned this week owns 12% of the company, making him a paper billionaire) recently gave a talk at insider indie fest XOXO that revealed his secret formula for becoming rich. [WIRED Business]
Oh and about that Twitter IPO? Quartz has a terrific round-up of all the things you need to know. [Quartz]
Silk Road, the NSA, and How you Can Stay Anonymous Online, Too (Or Not)
The internet has been fascinated by the mystery of who might be behind the notorious Silk Road -- the underground website that allowed users to anonymously buy and sell drugs and other illegal items using Bitcoin. Well, the Feds think they got their man: 29-year-old Ross William Ulbricht, who allegedly operated the site under the alias “Dread Pirate Roberts." Front to back, this is a pretty incredible story. [WIRED ThreatLevel]
Besides Bitcoin, users of Silk Road relied on the anonymizing software Tor to hide their transactions. The latest installment of the NSA/Guardian document saga reveals that the NSA has been attempting to crack Tor for years -- with little success. [The Guardian]
__iPhone Seem Like It's Possessed? Here's How to Deal with It. But Don't Dismiss iOS 7. __
Compass on your new iPhone acting spooky? iMessages disappearing into The Void? Don't be scared: These are just the little problems that surface pretty much every time Apple releases a new iPhone. The quirks can be kind of annoying, but eventually things will get ironed out. Until then, check out our list of known iPhone 5s and iOS 7 issues -- along with our suggestions for how to manage them. [WIRED Gadget Lab]
And there’s a big, yet undersold feature of iOS 7 -- iBeacon, which enables your device to communicate with tiny Bluetooth sensors. Read this interesting take on how it can transform local commerce and retail. [Steve Cheney]
First Tesla Ever on Fire? No Big Deal. But Lightsabers? Huge Deal.
The first Tesla Model S that caught on fire also caught fire online too: the 0:31 second clip was uploaded to YouTube just a few days ago and already has more than 2 million views. But cool down. Despite the frantic headlines (the company's stock price took a hit as a result), this is not the big deal that some people are making it out to be. It could have happened to anybody (really). [WIRED Autopia]
But you know what is a big deal? Lightsabers. Physicists at MIT and Harvard have created a new form of matter that they're comparing to a real-life version of the favorite weapon of the Jedi Knights. You read that right. Real lightsabers. Not toy or replica ones. So, there’s that. [Nature]
Science Shuts Down. But Designer Babies Are Coming!
It turns out that the federal government's shutdown kinda sucks for science and medicine. Listen to (or read) this NPR interview with Matthew Hourihan of the American Association for the Advancement of Science about how. [NPR Science Friday]
Remember that movie Gattaca, about a dystopian and creepy future where parents are able to choose the genetic makeup of their children? That's definitely not the kind of thing 23andMe plans to make possible with the technology it was just granted a patent for. [WIRED Science]
Gravity, Gravity, Gravity
Alfonso Cuarón's new space thriller Gravity -- which we just saw and absolutely freakin’ loved -- puts to use some insanely nifty tech to make its floating-in-space scenes seem real. Best part? A NASA astronaut with more than 4,330 hours under her spacesuit's belt called the film's star Sandra Bullock (from the International Space Station!) to offer tips for moving around in zero gravity [WIRED Underwire]
But seriously, you gotta see Gravity. In a theater. Preferably one with a ridiculously ginormous IMAX screen -- the movie was made to be seen that way. In fact, we'd even go so far as to say don't read our review; just go see it now. But if you must (only minor spoilers follow)… [WIRED Underwire]
