Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
💻

Wired (magazine)

technology Maturity 9-11

Wired is a magazine.

wired logo.svg
wired logo.svg
It tells us about new tools. It talks about how tools change our world. It comes out every two months. We can read it on paper or online. Do you like new gadgets?

44 words

Wired is a magazine about new tools.

wired logo.svg
wired logo.svg
It looks at how tools change our world. It talks about money and how people live.

It started in 1993. Two partners started it in San Francisco.

Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg
Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg
They wanted to show how computers change things.

Many people like to read it. It comes out every two months. You can read it on paper. You can also read it online.

It has many different versions. Some are for the UK. Some are for Japan.

It has won many awards. It even made up a new word. That word is crowdsourcing. It is a very famous magazine.

114 words

{ "text": "Wired is a famous magazine about new technology.

wired logo.svg
wired logo.svg
It looks at how tech changes our culture, money, and politics. The magazine started in January 1993. Two partners, Louis Rossetto and Jane Metcalfe, launched it. They wanted to show how digital tools change our lives.
Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg
Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg
They even used a special high-end press to print it. This made the magazine look very bold and bright.\n\nWired is more than just a paper magazine. It has a large website too. The magazine was once published every month. Now, it comes out every two months. This means there are six issues each

106 words

Wired is an American magazine that explores how new technology changes our world. It looks at how digital tools affect our culture, our money, and our politics.

wired logo.svg
wired logo.svg
The magazine is published by a company called Condé Nast. You can read it in a printed book or online. It has been around since it first launched in January 1993. The magazine helps people understand the digital revolution as it happens.
Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg
Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg

This magazine works by looking at more than just computers. It focuses on the people, companies, and ideas behind the machines. The editors look for how technology moves through our lives. They even helped create the word "crowdsourcing." This is a way for many people to work together on a task. They also have a fun yearly tradition called the Vaporware Awards. The magazine uses bold designs with bright colors and shiny metals. It was even printed on a special high-end press to make it look unique.

Louis Rossetto and Jane Metcalfe started Wired in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. They wanted to build a magazine that was not boring.

Geekipedia.jpg
Geekipedia.jpg
At first, it was hard to find people to give them money. Many business leaders said no to their big ideas. Their big break came at a meeting called the TED Conference in 1992. A man named Nicholas Negroponte agreed to be their first investor. Soon after, a software entrepreneur named Charlie Jackson also put money into the company. By September 1992, the team moved to San Francisco to start working.

Wired has a very busy history with many different numbers and places. The magazine was published every month until the year 2024. Now, it comes out every two months with six issues each year.

Wired nextfest logo.png
Wired nextfest logo.png
The magazine has won many National Magazine Awards for being excellent. It has grown into many different countries around the world. There are special editions for the UK, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the Czech Republic. The business headquarters are in New York City, but the editors work in San Francisco. It has grown from a small idea into a global brand.

You can see the influence of Wired in many things you use today. For example, they helped start the first websites that had ads. They created the "banner ad," which is a type of digital advertisement. This helped show how companies could reach people on the internet. The magazine also helped people understand the World Wide Web very early on. It is like a guide for the digital age we live in now. Just as some magazines define a time, Wired helps define our digital culture. It connects the tools we use to the way we live our lives.

459 words

Wired is a prominent American magazine that examines the intersection of emerging technology and society. It explores how digital tools impact culture, the economy, and politics.

wired logo.svg
wired logo.svg
Published by Condé Nast, the brand exists in both print and online editions. Since its launch in January 1993, it has acted as a voice for the digital economy. The magazine is known for setting trends in both print and web design. Its editorial office is located in San Francisco, while its business headquarters are in New York City.
Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg
Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg

The magazine's core mission is to look beyond hardware and software. It focuses on the people, companies, and ideas within the "language industries." This approach examines the social and political issues surrounding technological shifts. To achieve this, the magazine uses high-end production methods. For example, it was originally printed on a state-of-the-art, six-color press. This press was typically used for annual corporate reports rather than magazines. This helped Wired stand out with bold designs using fluorescents and metallics.

Creating Wired was a difficult process for founders Louis Rossetto and Jane Metcalfe. They originally conceived the idea in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. They initially worked on a small magazine called Electric Word. To fund Wired, they received early support from Dutch entrepreneur Eckart Wintzen. His company, Origin, bought the first 1,000 subscriptions. However, the founders faced 12 months of constant rejection from investors. They moved to San Francisco to find a better media market. Their breakthrough occurred at the 1992 TED Conference. There, Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the MIT Media Lab, became their first investor. Soon after, entrepreneur Charlie Jackson also deposited investor money into the account.

The early team included several key figures who shaped the brand. Rossetto served as Editor and CEO, managing content and strategy. Metcalfe acted as President and COO, overseeing finance and operations. Kevin Kelly served as the founding executive editor. John Plunkett acted as the creative director and designed the magazine's "Manifesto." The team also included managing editor John Battelle and production supporter Eugene Mosier. Other early contributors included Ian Charles Stewart, who helped write the business plan. This diverse group of "Wired Ones" launched the first issue as a quarterly on January 6, 1993.

Geekipedia.jpg
Geekipedia.jpg

Wired's growth was rapid due to strong circulation and advertising. After the first issue, it moved to a bi-monthly schedule. By September 1993, it became a monthly publication. The magazine won its first National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 1994. It also won design awards in 1996 and a second General Excellence award in 1997. The brand expanded globally with international editions. These include Wired UK, Wired Italia, Wired Japan, Wired Germany, and Wired Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2024, the publication changed its schedule again. It moved from a monthly format to a bi-monthly schedule with six issues per year.

Wired also pioneered many elements of the modern internet. In October 1994, they launched the Hotwired website. This was one of the first websites to feature original content and Fortune 500 advertising. They are credited with inventing the banner ad, a type of digital advertisement. This allowed companies like ATT, Volvo, and MCI to reach users on the web. By the end of 1995, Hotwired ranked sixth among all websites for revenue. This was ahead of major sites like ESPN, CNET, and CNN. The magazine also launched the HotBot search engine in 1996. These innovations helped define the early era of online journalism.

The magazine's influence extends to the very language we use today. Wired is credited with coining the term "crowdsourcing." This refers to the practice of obtaining information or input from a large group of people. They also established an annual tradition known as the Vaporware Awards. Beyond language, Wired helped shape the discourse of the digital revolution. It provided deep coverage of the World Wide Web after CERN put it in the public domain. It also explored major stories, such as the laying of fiber optic datalinks between London and Japan. By connecting technology to human experience, Wired became a symbol of a major cultural movement.

689 words
🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:wired logo.svg
wired logo.svg
File:Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg
Wikia and Wired Building location-9387.jpg
File:Wired cover June 1997 "Pray".jpg
Wired cover June 1997 "Pray".jpg
File:Wired Wilco.jpg
Wired Wilco.jpg
File:Wired nextfest logo.png
Wired nextfest logo.png
File:Geekipedia.jpg
Geekipedia.jpg
Up Next
💻
Time (magazine)
Technology
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.