Gallery: Meet the Woman Who Launched a Billion Clicks
01Susan Kare Command icon
In the foreword to *Icons*, Steve Silberman notes that the "command" icon, found on nearly every Apple keyboard and described as a stylized castle seen from above, was originally a common symbol used at Swedish campgrounds to denote an interesting sightseeing location.
02Susan Kare Spotted dog from Cairo font
"This icon was originally a dog character in the Cairo 'hieroglyphic' font that shipped with the original Macintosh," Kare writes in *Icons*. "A version of this image was used in Mac software for a time to indicate portrait or landscape mode."
03Susan Kare floppy disk icon
"This icon meant 'save' and was created when saving to a disk was the only option," Kare writes in Icons. "It continued to be a symbol as hard disks became commonplace, but illustrates why a metaphor as a solution would have been better for icon longevity." Circa 1984.
04Susan Kare fill icon
"The pouring paint can was the cursor for 'fill' in the original MacPaint application; the 'hot spot' was the single pixel at the lower edge of the paint," Kare writes in *Icons*.
05Susan Kare MacPaint Pencil icon
"This was the cursor for freehand drawing in MacPaint, angled so the 'hot spot' at the bottom edge of the point could also be used for toggling single pixels from black to white," Kare writes in *Icons*.
06Susan Kare watch cursor
The stopwatch, Kare's effort to modernize the standard hourglass "wait" icon.
07Susan Kare trash icon
Trash, one of Kare's most classic Mac icons.
08Susan Kare SPJ 2011
Steve Jobs, 2011
U.S. Patent number: 81437, Issue date: 1868)09Susan-Kare-Queen-of-hearts-Windows-3-solitaire-card
"A playing card from the windows 3.0 Solitaire deck, which was limited to the VGA 16-color palatte," Kare writes in *Icons*.
10Susan Kare Dog
In *Icons*, Kare states that this 11-pixel-tall dog face icon is described as resembling an Australian shepherd named Becca.
11Cigarette icon
"The cigarette was one of a collection of 'bad habits' icons designed for a bookstore at the Museum of Modern Art in New York," Kare writes in *Icons*.
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
Herman Miller Promo Codes: Save Up to 40% Off
Whether you’re looking for a Herman Miller promo code or discounts in their sale, here is how to save on the world's best ergonomic office furniture in October 2026.
Nena Farrell