THIS ISSUE

摘要

A few times a year, I get to see demonstrations of some of the most mind-blowing technologies and designs-explode-your-head kind of stuff-and I can't tell a soul about them. Nobody, not even my wife. And certainly not you. Just imagine: You receive an invite from an engineering or product lead to come down and visit with a few folks at, er, Giant Tech Multinational to check out a new project, something they're excited about and want some feedback on. Most of the time, the people doing the asking are not household names-not the Musks or Sandbergs of the world. They're unsung talents, the ones doing the actual work of innovation, sleeves rolled up, meals skipped, families missed. But invitations to see this work usually include a catch or three: NDAs to be signed, recording devices surrendered, personal liabilities assigned, blood oaths sworn (kind of not kidding). Sometime later, in a windowless meeting room, I'm likely to find my jaw resting comfortably on the table or, depending on the import of the technology, the floor. At the end of the meeting, I invariably ask for the chance to tell wired readers about the progress. The people on the other side of the conference table have a lot of ways to say no. Afterward, I go scream into the nearest available pillow.