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Press Contacts Jenna Landry Deputy Director, Communications 212.286.6877 O 212.286.5254 F Jenna_Landry@wired.com Christina Valencia Manager, Communications 415.276.5190 O 415.276.5216 F Christina_Valencia@wired.com

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Wired March 2010: Issue Highlights

To interview the editors, or for more information on the stories below, please contact Jenna Landry at jenna_landry@wired, 212-286-6877 or Christina Valencia at christina_valencia@wired.com, 415-276-5190

COVER: The Future of Money, pg. 70 | Download Cover PDF (254 KB) | Download Article PDF (3 MB)

The reign of the bank and credit cartel is nearly over. Forget transaction fees from your credit card or bank: Services like Twitpay, Zong, and Square offer new ways to buy, sell and save that are flexible, frictionless, and (almost) free. The Future of Money cover package also charts a brief history of currency technology, and traces the complex routes a consumer payment take as it moves through the financial system.

Driven by Distraction, pg. 16 | Download Article PDF (352 KB)

Updating your Facebook page when you should be checking spreadsheets. It's just goofing off, right? No way, writes WIRED contributor Brendan Koerner. "Humans weren't designed to maintain a constant focus on just one task. We need breaks to relieve our minds of the pressure to perform— pressure that can lock us into a single mode of thinking. Regularly stepping back from the project at hand can be essential to success. And social networks are particularly well suited to stoking the creative mind." So keep up the frivolous tweeting at work. Your random thoughts about Lady Gaga's lingerie might actually help you debug that code.

Of Mice and Men, pg. 82 | Download Article PDF (414 KB)

For a century the humble lab mouse has been one of the most important tools in the history of science. Now the inbred rodent is helping to re-program the human genome. Scientists are using mice to explore the limits of biological systems, sending it into a future where flesh gets blended with code. No longer a tiny stand-in for a human, the new lab mouse is a kind of genomic explorer. "It is a living laboratory where scientists can tinker with all that goes on between gene and trait," explains contributor Gary Wolf.

The Dotcom Boom, 10 Years After, pg. 88 Download Article PDF (2 MB)

The Nasdaq hit 5,049 on March 10, 2000— then it promptly nose-dived, never to see that level again. WIRED takes a look back at the boom, which launched and crushed a million dreams. Writers Mathew Honan and Steven Leckart delve into the genius results of the boom (the iPod, search advertising, and TiVo) and the losers (pop-up ads, Windows 2000, and yes, online greeting cards).

Inside the Box, pg. 96 Download Article PDF (1.7 MB)

When it comes to finding stuff online, there's Google— and there's everyone else. WIRED Senior Writer Steven Levy takes an exclusive look at the algorithm that rules the Web. This year the search engine will get 550 or so tweaks to its fabled formula, each one intended to maintain or even grow Google's commanding 65 percent share of the online search market. "It's why Google is such a fearsome competitor. It has built a machine nimble enough to absorb almost any approach that threatens it— all while returning high-quality results that its competitors can't match," writes Levy.

Introducing PLAYBOOK Blog — The WIRED World of Sports — on WIRED.com

WIRED.com's new blog about the world of sports, training, and fitness— all through the unique WIRED perspective of science and technology.