Search stories from WIRED MIDDLE EAST
Culture
The Escape Issue
Gear
How to Stop Google’s AI Overviews From Spoiling Everything
Google’s AI Overviews don’t know when to keep quiet. Here’s why–and how to stop their summaries from ruining your next watch.
Culture
Big Tech Is Hitting Ctrl+Z. The Rest of Us Are Looking for The Esc Key
Google and Meta quickly reversed two easily abused AI features. But undoing a launch does not undo the damage it leaves behind.
How To and Advice
How To Disable Music Videos in Spotify
A recent update made video playback the default for songs and podcasts with a visual component. If you just want to listen to music – and save your data and battery – follow these tips.
How To and Advice
What the Gulf Summer Heat Does to Your Smartphone, and How To Fix It
Your phone’s thermal design is built around a global average climate. But Gulf summers don’t exactly fit that model.
THE ESCAPE ISSUE
YouTube Star AboFlah Made Streaming His Life. He Wants His Kids to Live Offline
AboFlah talks about his new goals, streaming for charity, and when it's time to log off.
.jpg)
Movies and TV
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is the Superhero Movie the Online Generation Needs
The movie packs emotional punches that land especially hard in the age of AI and endless scrolling.
THE ESCAPE ISSUE
How Escaping Overstimulation Became Big Business
Overstimulation made ambient YouTube a digital refuge. Now AI is industrialising the internet's favourite form of escape.
.jpg)
THE ESCAPE ISSUE
There’s a Third Person in Your Relationship. It’s AI
AI is becoming a relationship mediator, rewriting texts and settling arguments – but outsourcing conflict may come at an emotional cost.
Culture
Roger Waters and Mona Miari Refuse to Become “Comfortably Numb”
Millions watch Gaza on their phones. Little changes. In a nine-minute reworking of a 47-year-old song, Roger Waters and Mona Miari refuse the numbness the feed is selling.
Power play
How Morocco Turned Football Into a Tool of Statecraft
The kingdom’s World Cup ambitions stretch far beyond the pitch, intertwining football with diplomacy, domestic politics and the contested future of Western Sahara.
Science
Gaza’s Water Crisis Is Becoming a Heat Emergency
As temperatures rise, Gaza’s destroyed water and sanitation systems are turning extreme heat into a deadly crisis.
Culture
The Internet Put Lamine Yamal’s Girlfriend on Trial
Lamine Yamal’s girlfriend became the target of an online investigation, exposing how little Gen Z has learnt about digital hygiene.
Science
Do You Actually Need Electrolytes?
Electrolyte powders promise better hydration, energy and recovery. But unless you’re losing serious fluid, water and food probably have you covered.
Culture
Over Half of All New Music Uploaded to Deezer Is AI Generated
Deezer now receives around 90,000 fully AI-generated tracks every day – and says most streams of them are fraudulent.
Gear
Which Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 or Flip8 Phone Should You Buy?
Samsung’s folding phone family has a new middle child with a fresh form factor, but which of its eighth-gen foldables is right for you?
Gear
OpenAI Finally Enters the Hardware Market With the Launch of Codex Micro
The result of its collaboration with tech company Work Louder, OpenAI describes Codex Micro as “your control center for autonomous work with agents.”
Science
Even Just a Little Sleep Deprivation May Lead to Weight Gain, Study Finds
Weight-watchers might lose sleep over a new study that points to the possibility of mild sleep deprivation over the long term leading to weight gain.
Culture
The 9 Best Shows to Stream This Month
From House of the Dragon to Silo, these are the series dominating streaming platforms across the Middle East right now.
Science
How To Heatproof a City: The Gulf’s Blueprint for a Hotter World
As temperatures rise, Gulf cities are pioneering smarter ways to stay cool – from shaded streets to AI-designed neighbourhoods.
Culture
The Odyssey Is Playing on 41 Perfect Screens, But None of Them Are in the Middle East
Christopher Nolan shot his Homer epic on a format so rare the projectors had to be rescued from storage. The Gulf didn’t get one – so what, exactly, are we missing?