Could a janky, jury-rigged air purifier help fight Covid-19?

PLUS: traffic hacking, cheap deepfakes, and TikTok drama. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions  08.06.20   STOP AND GO Dutch Hackers Found a Simple Way to Mess With Traffic Lights BY ANDY GREENBERG By reverse engineering apps intended for cyclists, security researchers found they could cause delays in at least 10 cities from anywhere in the world.   DOUBLE TAKE Cheap, Easy Deepfakes Are Getting Closer to the Real Thing BY TOM SIMONITE Using open-source software and less than $100, a researcher was able to create plausible images and audio of actor Tom Hanks.   DARK PATTERNS The Subtle Tricks Shopping Sites Use to Make You Spend More BY LOUISE MATSAKIS Through deceptive designs known as "dark patterns," online retailers try to nudge you toward purchases you wouldn't otherwise make.   MOTHER OF INVENTION Could a Janky, Jury-Rigged Air Purifier Help Fight Covid-19? BY ADAM ROGERS Indoor air experts think: Sure, maybe. Why the hell not? We convinced the CEO of an air filter company to give it a try.   SPONSORED CONTENT Get Smart TV for your SmartTV Get access to CuriosityStream's library of thousands of documentaries and non-fiction TV shows for just $14.99 a YEAR with code WIRED.   ELECTION TECH Voting Machine Makers Are Finally Playing Nice With Hackers BY LILY HAY NEWMAN After years of secrecy, one major election tech company is giving more hackers a look under the hood.   SOCIAL MEDIA Trump's TikTok Drama Is a Distraction BY LOUISE MATSAKIS As the White House zeroes in on a single app, some experts say more pressing issues are going by the wayside.   PHOTOSHOP The Wonderful Instagram World Where Thor Is a Drag Performer BY JASON PARHAM And Meryl Streep holds a riding crop. And ... Digital satirist Ronald McDonkey's images challenge the idea of fame and our relationship to it.   PRODUCT REVIEW Sony's New Noise-Canceling Headphones Are Still the Best BY PARKER HALL The WH-1000XM4 silence the world better than most, and the mics are now actually usable on phone calls.     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