Amid coronavirus fears, a mask shortage could spread globally

PLUS: Electromagnetic hypersensitivity, Nintendo Switch, and nerve agent-defying cloth. View this email in your browser  02.04.20   BAD TIMES The Iowa Caucus Tech Meltdown Is a Warning BY LILY HAY NEWMAN The Iowa results will come in eventually, thanks to a paper trail. But it underscores just how much can go wrong when you lean on unnecessary, untested tech.   WAGONEER An Artist Used 99 Phones to Fake a Google Maps Traffic Jam BY BRIAN BARRETT With his "Google Maps Hack," artist Simon Weckert draws attention to the systems we take for granted—and how we let them shape us.   DEVICE LOCKED To These People, Electronic Devices Are the Enemy BY MICHAEL HARDY Electromagnetic hypersensitivity isn't accepted as a medical diagnosis. But some claim they suffer from it anyway.   SUPPLY CHAIN Amid Coronavirus Fears, a Mask Shortage Could Spread Globally BY MARYN MCKENNA Most of the world's supply of masks and respirators comes from China, and a supply chain gap poses a risk to everyday health care beyond the viral epidemic. GET WIRED   Get 1 year of WIRED access for less than $1 a month.   Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else.   Subscribe now   DEALS Best Nintendo Switch Deals, Bundles, and Essentials BY JEFFREY VAN CAMP The best Nintendo Switch console deals, and all the essentials you'll need when you own one.   DRESS TO KILL This Cloth Destroys Deadly Nerve Agents in Minutes BY SOPHIA CHEN Chemists are collaborating with the US Army to build uniforms that can quickly break down toxic substances, protecting soldiers from chemical weapons.   INFORMATION ECOLOGY The Internet Is a Toxic Hellscape—but We Can Fix It BY WHITNEY PHILLIPS The first step to cleaning up the smog of disinformation? Embrace your anxiety.   IDEAS America Needs a Ministry of (Actual) Truth BY JOSH WILBUR Today's deepfakes are more sophisticated than any state fakery in 1984. But Orwell can help us snuff out an AI-generated dystopia.   PRIVACY This Identity Activist Wants to Make Facebook Obsolete BY MOLLY SCHWARTZ, WIRED UK Your digital self is fragmented and owned by third parties. Kaliya Young has a plan to change that—and make tech fairer for all.     This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or Manage your newsletter subscriptions