Burt Rutan + Paul Allen’s 385-Foot-Wide Strato­launch Airplane

On the runway of the Mojave Air & Space Port, the Strato­launch airplane sits waiting for its first flight later this year. To date, there’s been no aircraft bigger—or as ambitious. The wingspan of the Catamaran-style plane stretches 385 feet—a distance longer than a football field. Six engines power the beast, as well. Designed by aviation mastermind Burt Rutan, and funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the Strato­launch will …

The “Sextech” Patent Has Finally Expired

Since 1998, a patent on “teledildonics”—the connection of sexual-stimulant devices to computers, phones, or tablets has stunted innovation in the sector. The patent strictly protected the—arguably overly broad—idea behind the “method and device for interactive virtual control of sexual aids using digital computer networks.” The owners of the patent, in the eyes of analysts and competitors, seemed to own it solely to troll smaller companies …

The Phenomenon of Coming-Out Videos

Whether funny or solemn, earnest or playful, heartbreaking or heartwarming, the coming-out video has become a significant cultural phenomenon. They are also ever-evolving, as Justice Namaste for Wired writes. As social media changes the conversation, coming-out videos are shifting from diary-like stories to carefully crafted content—many including interviews, personal reflection, reactions, and advice for others in the very same situation. Namaste says, “By focusing so much …