On a cool September evening, Judy Johanson curled up on her living room sofa with her iPad, carefully examining mouse brains. Her husband, Steve, slept just a few feet away. It was granular work, especially for a woman who for 24 years ran a daycare center. Judy scrolled through hundreds of slides, searching them, one by one, for tiny black spots. The task might have appeared deeply tedious—but Judy was in the zone. While Steve dreamed, she was joining thousands...

There are two schools of thought regarding wireless headphones. There’s the AirPods camp, which believes true wireless is the only wireless, and the best way to listen to music is with two individual buds shoved into your ear canals. To the other crew, wires going behind your head or around your neck aren’t so bad; in fact, they might be better, since they’re harder to lose and easier to manage. To them, the only cord that must be severed is...

Apple is hosting a big iPhone launch event in Cupertino on September 12. David, Arielle, and Michael open up their iPhones and ask Siri to predict what’s coming on Tuesday. All the hosts have so far are rumors, leaks, and guesses, but that’s more than enough to get them excited. Some notes: David tells us what to expect on Tuesday. Also from David, a sit-down with the Apple engineers trying to make Siri feel more human. Liz talks to an...

Garmin’s Fenix line has long been among the best—if not the best—multisport watches money can buy. These capable wrist-puters add performance tracking and GPS-based mapping to just about every outdoor activity. Critics have been vocal about the watches’ bulk, so there was much rejoicing earlier this year when Garmin announced multiple, slimmed-down versions of the watch, including the slender 5S. Of all the new options, I decided to test the Fenix 5X, which is the exact same size as the...

Houston’s music, like the city itself, is a sprawl of possibility and community—and a deluge didn’t change...