COMPUTING & GAMING

Today on WIRED     March 31, 2022 As Covid Restrictions End, Offices Have a Sick-Pay Problem By Megan Carnegie In the midst of a Covid-19 flare-up and almost two calendar years into the pandemic, England last week dropped all its protective measures against the spread of the virus. In doing so, it is following the lead of countries like Denmark, Switzerland, and the Dominican Republic, which have removed legal requirements to self-isolate after a positive test.   In these countries, there is no longer a support net that enables people to avoid financial penalties if they fall ill. Until now in England, employees have been able to claim statutory sick pay (SSP) from the first day of illness, which amounts to £96.35 ...

Today on WIRED     March 30, 2022 Russians Need VPNs. The Kremlin Hates Them By Morgan Meaker Since the start of war in Ukraine on February 24, Russian authorities have tried to turn their country's internet into an island, severing its ties with the global internet. Almost 400 news websites, 138 finance sites, 93 antiwar sites, and three social media platforms have been blocked,  according to Top10VPN.com .   As the number of blocked sites grew, huge numbers of Russians turned to VPN companies—which connect users in one country's censored internet to a server in another country, where there are less restrictions—as bridges out of Moscow's shrinking internet. After Russia invaded Ukraine, VPN companies say the...