TikTok is paying creators. Not all of them are happy

PLUS: The orange Bay, AI drone warfare, a new 'Dune' trailer, and the return of the Blackberry. View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions 09.10.20   AS THE WORLD BURNS The Bay Area Turned Orange. All Eyes Are on PurpleAir BY MATT SIMON Catastrophic wildfires are spewing smoke all over the West Coast. This website lets you track the respiratory crisis in real time—with a few caveats.   NO CASTLING AI Ruined Chess. Now, It's Making the Game Beautiful Again BY TOM SIMONITE A former world champion teams up with the makers of AlphaZero to test variants on the age-old game that can jolt players into creative patterns.   MOVIES The First Dune Trailer Makes Some Epic Promises BY ANGELA WATERCUTTER Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic is a bear to adapt. But director Denis Villeneuve appears to be giving his all—in the middle of a pandemic, no less.   SOCIAL MEDIA TikTok Is Paying Creators. Not All of Them Are Happy BY LOUISE MATSAKIS Users say the platform's new Creator Fund is opaque and riddled with problems. The company says it's listening.   NATIONAL SECURITY A DHS Official Says He Was Punished for Not Pushing Trump's Agenda BY LILY HAY NEWMAN Brian Murphy says he was pressured to alter reports on Russia and white supremacy—and that he was fired for refusing to budge.   THE BUZZ Anduril's New Drone Offers to Inject More AI Into Warfare BY WILL KNIGHT A swarm of Ghost 4s, controlled by a single person on the ground, can perform reconnaissance missions like searching for enemy weapons or soldiers.   RESURRECTED BlackBerry Is Planning a Comeback. For Some, It Never Left BY SOPHIE CHARARA, WIRED UK Loyalists had been mourning the physical keyboards (and Brick Breaker) until Onward Mobility announced a new 5G Android Blackberry arriving in 2021.   PRODUCT REVIEW The Surface Duo Is a Buggy Mess, but It's a Promising Start BY JULIAN CHOKKATTU The company's first dual-screen phone points to a future for mobile technology that is both exciting and disappointing.   OPINION Ad Mergers Won't Save Journalism. Strict Merger Rules Would BY DANIEL HANLEY The abandoned Taboola-Outbrain chumbox merger illustrates the need for bright-line rules to give media companies a fighting chance.     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