We’ve rounded up our picks for directors most likely to lead the Empire’s future. What do you think — are these directors right for the job? Are we totally out of it? Who’s on your shortlist?

The post Star Wars Shortlist: 13 Directors Who Could Rule the Empire appeared first on Hotwired.

One year ago, Mat Honan argued that Siri was “often quite dumb.” What are your thoughts? Are personal digital assistants ready for prime-time?  

The post “Siri, When Will Personal Digital Assistants Finally Work?” appeared first on Hotwired.

We already know the patent system is broken. And it desperately needs to be fixed: Patents affect and will continue to affect nearly every technology business or product we use. So for the next few weeks, Wired is running a special series of expert opinions – representing perspectives from academia to corporations to other organizations [...]

The post Let’s Go Back to Patenting the ‘Solution,’ Not the ‘Problem’ appeared first on Hotwired.

That’s a big claim. But whether you agree or not, one thing is clear: video game consoles have changed in recent years. The rise of higher quality tablet games has put the squeeze on both manufacturers, who now cram more and more multimedia functionality into their consoles, and developers, who are cornering the expensive, high-end [...]

The post Consolation Prize: The Game Console Is Dead. What Will Replace It? appeared first on Hotwired.

Microsoft is about to have its biggest product release in nearly 20 years. Before the end of the month, Windows 8, Windows RT, Surface RT, and Windows Phone 8 will all launch. While you can already pre-order some of these products right now, the party’s really just getting started. But are they already screwing it [...]

The post Why Windows Just Can’t Win appeared first on Hotwired.

Tuesday morning, “Fearless” Felix’s death-defying jump was postponed again due to strong winds, and disappointment spread throughout the web. Red Bull, which is sponsoring the stunt, assured fans that “it is definitely not off for good. We are just waiting to see when better weather conditions arrive.” Until then, join us and other fans at [...]

The post ‘Fearless’ Felix’s Supersonic Skydive Scrubbed by Wind appeared first on Hotwired.

Just before dawn, “Fearless Felix” will don a custom-made spacesuit and ascend high over the New Mexico desert in a capsule suspended beneath an immense helium balloon, then fall to earth from 120,000 feet. The Austrian adventurer hopes to break an unofficial record Col. Joe Kittinger set with a leap from 102,800 feet in 1960, [...]

The post Watch ‘Fearless’ Felix’s 23-Mile Supersonic Skydive Here Live appeared first on Hotwired.

Felix Baumgartner’s supersonic skydive from 23 miles up is many things: an attempt to set a record and, yes, an opportunity to sell a lot of Red Bull, but also a chance to learn more about free falling from extreme altitude — lessons that could be valuable as commercial space flight takes off.

The post What We Can Learn From ‘Fearless’ Felix’s Supersonic Skydive appeared first on Hotwired.