Live translation on the new AirPods will be huge

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WIRED Gear Thank Me Later by Adrienne So

09.30.25

I will preface this by saying that I know that most Tech People (™) prefer Google hardware. It's beautiful, and the features tend to be more exciting. Whatever it is, Google usually does it first—the Pixel Buds have had live translation for years. With that said, I still think Live Translation on the AirPods Pro 3 will be huge. Having this feature on the wireless headphones with the world's biggest market share will make more people aware of it. I'm paraphrasing editor Parker Hall when I say that we all need more ways to understand each other, not less.

I'm actually freezing to death here.

I went out camping this weekend to test a few (embargoed) things. While you're waiting for that, we ran so much good stuff over the weekend that it was a little hard to choose. In addition to what I linked to below, writer Jacob Roach satisfied my morbid curiosity about what happens to passwords after you die, and Luke Larsen explains why it takes three days to charge my Goal Zero power station if I use the wrong cable, plug, or port. Read on for more! As always, send tech tips to me at adrienne_so@wired.com.

Adrienne So

Senior Associate Reviews Editor

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Are Power Banks Allowed on Flights?

Writer Simon Hill covered what kinds of power banks you can take on flights, and I'm going to take this opportunity to point out once more that I'm always the only one who has a laptop power bank whenever I go anywhere. You should all have them. I know it's (relatively) heavy, but you're just going to have to get stronger.

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These Are Our 15 Favorite WIRED Gifts for Bird Lovers

I am not a birder, because I don't have the patience, but last week editor Kat Merck and I discovered that we have one of the same favorite books. That's Owls of the Eastern Ice, which is part an observation of the endangered, magnificent Blakiston's fish owl and also a romping travelogue through far eastern Russia. (Anyway, you can see birds much closer to home with a Birdfy smart bird feeder.)

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I Made Coffee and Dinner for My Kids for Months on Backpacking Stoves

Reviewer Scott Gilbertson and I have both been experimenting with ways to go camping and hiking with offline maps (read Scott's review of AllTrails here for more). I will be writing more next week, but in the meantime, my tip is to always keep a PocketRocket in your cooking bin, even if you normally car camp with a Coleman. There is nothing worse than waking up after a freezing night and realizing you have no way to make hot coffee in the morning.

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Nothing Ear (a) Earbuds

While I'm talking about headphones, this seems like a good time to mention that our favorite Nothing Ear (a) earbuds are on sale because the company recently launched a new AirPods-style bud, the Nothing Ear 3. We'll be updating our roundups soon, so check back for our review then.

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✚ Plus: Explore the WIRED 101 in full

If we were all renting a cabin for the weekend, and you and I were the first ones up, as always, I might bring up one of these things!

I was at the Sisters Folk Festival this weekend and saw this band, Crying Uncle. There's no other way to describe what happened at this show except that they tore the roof off. Recommend!
The rains started this week, and this is my favorite rain jacket right now. Scott's fabric explainer is a good starting point as to why different rain jackets can have such different prices. (I'm updating this guide after Prime Day.)
We're also working on seasonal apparel guides, and these are my favorite dog- and kid-walking shoes right now. They're waterproof and have good traction, and the BOA fit system makes them easy to get on and off.