Turns out transportation angles lurk in every story. This week, the global reach of the coronavirus was top of mind, so we investigated how cruise ships—and one cruise in particular—helped spread the virus worldwide. Then, for a change of pace (pun intended), we looked into how digital footprints helped one data obsessive track down (we did it again) marathon cheats. Meanwhile, in California, a labor law is changing the way Uber and its drivers do business, which may end up affecting the price of a ride.
Plus, check out this new helicopter. It’s been a week; let’s get you caught up.
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Headlines
Stories you might have missed from WIRED this week
Self-Aware Toy of the Week
If you have $400 lying around, consider the collaboration between Hot Wheels and Tesla on a 1:10 scale Cybertruck, complete with fancy remote so you can “drive” it for up to 30 minutes per charge. And go ahead, tack on the included sticker, which makes it look like the window of your very fancy toy is shattered—just like the first Cybertruck unveiled in November. There’s also a 1:64 scale Cybertruck, which can be yours for just $20. As with the full-size electric carmaker, you can order the truck now, but it won’t show up for some months or years (in this case, in December).
Stat of the Week: 1,000
The number of electric pedal-assist bike-share cycles set to hit the streets of New York by next year, courtesy of Lyft-owned Citibike. The e-bikes are finally back in limited numbers this week; they were pulled off the streets 10 months ago for brake issues, which had reportedly hurt some NYC riders.
Required Reading
News from elsewhere on the internet
In the Rearview
Essential stories from WIRED’s canonWhat public health officials learned from the last coronavirus outbreak—the 2003 appearance of an illness named SARS.
More Great WIRED Stories
