Gallery: Why Your Phone Freaks Out When You Get Off a Plane
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED0120140522-SFO-CELLULAR-006edit
AT&T is in the process of adding a distributed antenna system (DAS) to San Francisco International Airport's Terminal 2. The DAS helps your mobile phone work in hard-to-reach indoor spots around the network.
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED0220140522-SFO-CELLULAR-016edit
A pair of AT&T mobile antennas. They're the two cones that look like coffee cups popping through the roof. SFO has strict guidelines about the look and placement of mobile antennas.
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED0320140522-SFO-CELLULAR-031edit
Metal such as the gridwork shown here is the mobile engineer's worst enemy. Wireless waves can't pass through it, and it can lead to dead spots within the airport.
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED0420140522-SFO-CELLULAR-063edit
This mobile head-end room is the brains of the DAS. It's where the radio signals picked up by the antennas are connected to the AT&T backbone. On the left are the big grey radio base station cabinets. On the right is a close up of the rack that holds the DAS head-end equipment used to convert to radio signals to fiber-optics.
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED0520140522-SFO-CELLULAR-155edit
Wireless Install Technician Nathan Ram replaces a ceiling tile in the terminal after installing an AT&T antenna. Engineers can only work between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., when the airport is nearly empty.
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED0620140522-SFO-CELLULAR-189edit
Another would-be dead spot -- the entrance to the airport's baggage processing area. You can see the wireless antenna up top here.
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED0720140522-SFO-CELLULAR-207edit
AT&T will eventually wire up the entire baggage processing area, which is a dead zone right now. Why do they need wireless access here? In case there's an emergency and workers need to reach 911 emergency services.
Ariel Zambelich/WIRED0820140523-SFO-CELLULAR-253edit
Special Projects Division Foreman Samuel M. Melendez (center) and Wireless Install Tech Oscar Zapata stand beneath a remote near an employee break area in the depths of SFO.
Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ Becomes ‘Assisted Driving’ in Europe
The automaker has been criticized for misleading drivers with the feature’s name. Now it’s renaming it for European regulators.
Aarian Marshall
Book Publishers Are Quietly Using More AI. Staff Are Revolting
Workers at three major publishing houses tell WIRED that LLMs are being used for publicity, cover art, back cover copy, and emails, as some execs push junior staff to champion the tech.
Adam Morgan
NASA Just Made Nearly 1 TB of Artemis II Data Available to the Public
The data drop includes photographs, audio, video, and astronauts’ notes that will be used to study the moon and prepare for future human missions.
Jorge Garay
The DOJ Is Weighing Perjury Charges Against Cassidy Hutchinson
The Justice Department is considering a perjury and obstruction-of-justice case against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide who testified against Donald Trump to the January 6 committee.
Hugo Lowell
I’m Still Convinced the iPod Was the Perfect Gadget
Apple’s original music player got many things right. Chief among them: It didn’t connect to the internet.
Steven Levy
I’ve Tested the 3 Mac Desktops That Apple Makes, and There’s a Clear Winner
Apple’s Mac desktops have become some of the most sought-after computers this year, driven by surging interest in agentic AI. Here’s which model to buy depending on your use case.
Luke Larsen
Dunking on Dating App Profiles Is Content Gold. People Are Getting Sick of It
Relationship coaches, TikTokers, and disgruntled singles alike frequently shame bad profiles, as more apps experiment with blocking screenshots.
Jason Parham
The Best Battery-Powered Leaf Blowers for Taking Back Your Weekend
It’s finally time to ditch the gas canister—I tested these cordless leaf blowers on gravel, wood chips, and even a 5-pound concrete paver.
Sal Vaglica
Even Law & Order Is Terrified of AI
In its 26th season premiere, the procedural legal drama paints a damning picture of power-mad AI CEOs.
Ej Dickson
A New Mexico Community Was a Place to Build a Life. Then a Hypersonic Missile Factory Showed Up
Castelion—a next-generation defense tech company—is building a facility in Rio Rancho Estates that documents show could pose a major fire and chemical hazard to neighboring communities.
Yulia Almazova
America’s Hybrid Hype Has Hit the Used Market
Demand is so high that some used cars are selling for more than new ones.
Aarian Marshall
Lovehoney Promo Code: Toys, Lingerie, and Gift Set Discounts
Save on Lovehoney, including bestselling toys, lingerie, and popular gift sets for date nights, self-care, and couples’ play.
Amanda Chatel