Anyone who works as a freelancer these days has to be at least a bit familiar with techie things. But it isn’t just that. When I was a kid and those vaguely SF puppet shows were on the television and all the other kids wanted to be Greg Gogetem or Steve Savetheuniverse, I wanted to be the guy in a white coat and glasses called Doc or Brains. Here are some technology-related feeds I find useful and/or entertaining.
Slashdot » Why Did New Zealand's Moas Go Extinct?
sciencehabit writes "For millions of years, nine species of large, flightless birds known as moas (Dinornithiformes) thrived in New Zealand. Then, about 600 years ago, they abruptly went extinct. Their die-off coincided with the arrival of the first humans on the islands in the late 13th century, and scientists have long wondered what role hunting by Homo sapiens played in … [Link]
Mashable » The NFL Is Quietly Suing M.I.A and Her Middle Finger for $16.6 Million
The National Football League has ramped up its lawsuit against musician M.I.A., seeking $16.6 million in damages after she flashed her middle finger at the camera during the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. M.I.A. took to her Twitter account where she linked to the Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the news See also: NFL Player Finds Out on Twitter That the … [Link]
Mashable » March Came in Like a Lion, and Now That Lion Refuses to Leave
When it comes to U.S. weather, March is a notoriously fickle month. But even by March's capricious standards, the cold and snowy weather so far has been unusual, and when compared to the scorchingly hot March of 2012, it's difficult to remember that this is even the same calendar month. Two years ago at this time, the U.S. was experiencing one … [Link]
Mashable » Westboro Baptist Church Founder 'On the Edge of Death'
Fred Phelps, Sr., founder of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church famous for its extreme ideologies, was ex-communicated from the church in August and is close to death at a hospice in Kansas, according to a Facebook post written by one of his estranged sons early Sunday morning. Founded in 1955, the Kansas-based church is famous for its anti-gay sentiments and has … [Link]
Mashable » March Madness: The 15-Minute Guide
March Madness is back, which means three things: It's time to load up on snacks. It's time to invent the debilitating illness that will leave you no choice but to stay home from work on Thursday, when the games begin. It's time for basketball. And more basketball! So. Much. Basketball. But college basketball's Big Dance has a way of sneaking up … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Amazon Cloud Dominance Forces Microsoft, Oracle to Cooperate, and 8 New APIs
Oracle teams with Microsoft in cloud battle against Amazon. Twilio voice operations carry further. Plus: Mulesoft raises another $50 million for cloud API dominance, how APIs connect the world, and 8 new APIs. Oracle and Microsoft Become Cloud Bedfellows Against Amazon What is it about those Microsoft competitors whose names start with the letter A? First Apple zoomed past the Redmond … [Link]
Mashable » Apple's Jony Ive on Design Theft, the Joy of Ignorance and the iWatch
In a rare and wide-ranging interview, Apple's design chief Jony Ive offers a few new insights into one of the most secretive technology companies on the planet — and explained why he, like his late mentor Steve Jobs, takes it personally when other companies are given a pass on designs that look remarkably similar to Apple's. "It's theft," Ive told London's … [Link]
Mashable » Weather Service Poncho Offering Coupons on High-Allergy Days
Poncho, the text- and email-based weather service, is taking its first steps toward monetization by offering coupons. The coupons, from New York-based drug chain Duane Reade (a unit of Walgreens) will be sent out on days with high allergy indexes, and can be redeemed for over-the-counter remedies. Negotiated by OMD Ignition Factory, the promotion will run from now until June 7. … [Link]
Slashdot » Kickstarted Veronica Mars Promised Digital Download; Pirate Bay Delivers
ConfusedVorlon writes with word that Warner Bros backed out on their promise of digital downloads for backers of the Veronica Mars film "Backers were promised 'You will receive a digital version of the movie within a few days of the movie's theatrical debut.' Warner Bros are providing a non-downloadable ultra-violet coupon (although Veronica Mars is available for download through other … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » London Super Comic Con 2014 Cosplay in Pictures
During the last weekend, my friend Nick from Sneaky Zebra was covering the London Super Comic Con expo for us here at Geeks are Sexy, and as usual, he delivered some great photos of cosplayers attending the event. If you’re in the UK and are in need a great photographer for a special event, Nick is always looking for extra … [Link]
Mashable » Fashion Designer L'Wren Scott Found Dead
L’Wren Scott, fashion designer and longtime girlfriend of musician Mick Jagger, was found dead in her New York City apartment Monday of an apparent suicide, according to multiple reports. She was 49 Scott's body was discovered by her assistant at 10:02 a.m. ET. She was hanging from a scarf attached to a doorknob, the AP reported. The wire service said no … [Link]
Mashable » Were the Phones on Flight MH370 Ever Connected?
It’s been more than a week since Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, flying out of Malaysia and bound for Beijing, China, disappeared. The search for the plane, now part of a criminal investigation, spans thousands and thousands of miles. With the missing Boeing 777 are 239 souls, their fate unknown and the possibilities heart-wrenching. The desperation for resolution is so keen that … [Link]
Slashdot » IBM Distances Itself From the NSA and Its Spy Activities
An anonymous reader writes "NSA surveillance has raised concerns among customers globally about the safety of their data from U.S. government spying. More organizations, companies and countries are looking for ways to distant themselves from the NSA activities to safeguard the information of internet users. IBM is the latest to fall into the category of companies that do not want … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » ‘Game of Thrones’ Actors Try Out Oculus Rift at SXSW [Video]
The recent 2014 SXSW (South by Southwest) Festival in Austin, Texas featured a Game of Thrones exhibit. Within that exhibit, however, was a virtual reality simulator called Oculus Rift. Actress Maisie Williams (‘Arya Stark’) was one of the GoT actors on-site who tried the new gaming system. After stepping into a tiny cage-like room, she donned the Oculus Rift headset … [Link]
Mashable » Did Malaysia Airlines Plane Escape in the 'Shadow' of Another Jet?
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is missing — That much we know But as we near the conclusion of the 10th day since the the Boeing 777-200 disappeared from the skies, officials still have no clue of what became of the jet or the 239 souls on board. See also: Where Is the Plane? 19 Possible Scenarios We were told the transponders … [Link]
Slashdot » Algorithm Reveals Objects Hidden Behind Other Things In Camera Phone Images
KentuckyFC writes "Imaging is undergoing a quiet revolution at the moment thanks to various new techniques for extracting data from images. Now physicists have worked out how to create an image of an object hidden behind a translucent material using little more than an ordinary smartphone and some clever data processing. The team placed objects behind materials that scatter light … [Link]
Mashable » Twitter Testing 'Fave People' Feature
For those who follow hundreds of accounts on Twitter, you know how easy it is to miss tweets from the ones you care about most. Now, the microblogging site is testing a "Fave People" timeline that groups preferred users in one section. According to screen shots obtained by TechCrunch, the feature is being tested among a small group of Android users. … [Link]
Mashable » Forget Demographics, News Consumption Is Dictated by Topic
CNN has long been known to do well with breaking news events, particularly ones like the recent disappearance of Malaysian airliner Flight 370. The continuing mystery surrounding the missing plane has led to a ratings boost for the 24-hour news channel and its competitors. A new survey has shown why — the topic and speed of news stories are the biggest … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Embarcadero Appmethod Framework Strikes a Mobile Computing Balance
One of the unfortunate choices that developers have been required to make over the years is deciding whether to take advantage of the native capabilities of a mobile computing platform or rely on a Web-based approach that makes it simpler to leverage one code base across multiple platforms. Looking to put that issue to bed once and for all, Embarcadero Technologies … [Link]
Mashable » Google Games Store Now Lets You Send Gifts to Other Players
Google announced it will be adding several new features, aimed at users and developers, to its Play Games app marketplace. The new features include virtual gifts, cross-platform support for iOS and new analytics tools for developers. Google will make them available later this week. See also: 10 Free Android Apps You'll Use Every Day Google will be expanding multiplayer support to … [Link]
Slashdot » Pluto Regains Its Title As Largest Object In Its Neighborhood
sciencehabit writes "In 2005 astronomers discovered Pluto's biggest neighborhood rival: Eris, which they claimed definitely surpassed Pluto in size. Now, as astronomers report an analysis of methane gas in Pluto's atmosphere suggests that Pluto is about 2368 kilometers across, in which case it's larger than Eris and thus the champ of the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt, which boasts more than a thousand … [Link]
Mashable » WhatsApp: Your Data Is Safe With Us, Even From Facebook
WhatsApp, the standalone messaging app that Facebook purchased last month for $16 billion, is not in the business of data collecting The company, which will operate autonomously under Facebook's ownership, published a blog post Monday to address concerns that its recent acquisition may mean user data will be shared or that more will be collected. That's not the case, according to … [Link]
Mashable » YouTube Offers 90,000 Glimpses Into Ukraine's Turmoil
When it comes to following the evolving political crisis in Ukraine, social media has acted as a near-instant pipeline of informationTwitter has served up quick hits and standalone images. But YouTube has grown increasingly instrumental to documenting the events. More than 90,000 videos related to the Ukrainian crisis have been uploaded since Feb. 1, representing 82% more videos than were shared … [Link]
Mashable » Steve Jobs Said 'No' to a Real Apple TV, New Book Reveals
A year before he died, Steve Jobs told Apple executives in a secret meeting that he had no intention of entering the TV market, according to a new book. First reported by Business Insider, the book Haunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs by former Wall Street Journal reporter Iwatani Kane describes a "Top 100" meeting in 2010 where 100 of Apple's … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Hacked bacteria keep tabs on the health of the gut
Genetically modified bacteria that alter their behaviour according to conditions in the guts of mice could warn of disease and perhaps be part of a cure 
[Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » FI-WARE Open API Platform Offers 140M to Entrepreneurs
A project partnership funded by the European Commission has today announced it is making €100 million ($USD140 million) available to entrepreneurs and startups around the world who use the Future Internet’s Open API Platform FI-WARE to create a prototype ‘smart city’ application. FI-WARE is a smart city European private-public partnership funded by the European Commission and with investment from Spanish telco … [Link]
Mashable » A Third Person Dies of Injuries Sustained by SXSW Crash
Sandy Thuy Le, 26, became the third person to die from injuries sustained during a car crash outside of several nightclubs in Austin, Texas, during SXSW when she passed away Monday. She was hit outside The Mohawk music club early in wee hours of March 13. Le, who is from Pass Christian, Miss., sustained head injuries, according to the Associated Press, and had … [Link]
Slashdot » Paris Bans Half of All Cars On the Road
cartechboy writes "Pollution is becoming a very large issue in major cities due to the amount of vehicles on the road. To try and help this issue Paris just banned all vehicles on alternate odd and even license plates today and tomorrow. Of course, electric cars and hybrids are exempt from the new restrictions as they aren't part of the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » HONEST TRAILERS Presents ‘Frozen’ [Video]
This Honest Trailer for Frozen is the the first animated Honest Trailer ever! Let’s hope it won’t be the last, but if it is — what a way to go! Arguably the best one! [Screen Junkies] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » US to Give Up Key Internet Powers
The United States government says it wants to give up its regulatory powers over the Internet’s address system. It wants an independent body handling the coordination of DNS by September next year. The proposal comes from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, an agency of the US Commerce Department. It still retains several key administrative powers because of the way … [Link]
Mashable » White House to 20-Somethings: Sign Up for Healthcare Because YOLO
Hey, uninsured 20-somethings: The White House wants you to sign up for healthcare because YOLO. And cats. The government rolled out the ACA Bracket Monday, a March Madness-inspired GIF tournament that encourages the uninsured to sign up for healthcare before the March 31 deadline. The ACA Bracket page asks visitors to vote for their favorite reason for health insurance, each … [Link]
Mashable » As Crimea Celebrates a Crucial Vote, Uncertainty Fills the Streets
SIMFEROPOL, Crimea — Women shouted to each other from the train station in Simferopol, Crimea, on Monday morning. "Happy holiday!" they cheered. Around town, cars with Russian flags flying out their windows solicited honks and enthusiastic waves from the crowd In a referendum on Sunday, Crimea voted overwhelmingly to secede from Ukraine and "reunify" with Russia. The vote, which was organized … [Link]
Mashable » 'An Offer I Couldn't Refuse': 10 Early Employees Discuss Startup Life
Being one of the early employees at a startup or a rapidly growing small company is a whirlwind of evolving roles, shifting responsibilities and exciting opportunities — with a little bit of improvisation along the way. It can be both exciting and stressful, both rewarding and exhausting See also: 'Building the Beast': What It's Like to Be an Early Startup Employee … [Link]
Slashdot » OASIS Approves OData 4.0 Standards For an Open, Programmable Web
First time accepted submitter Dilettant writes "The OASIS members approved Version 4 of the OData standards, which now also feature the long requested compact JSON as primary format. OData helps "simplifying data sharing across disparate applications in enterprise, cloud, and mobile devices" through interfacing data sources via a REST like interface." 
Read more of this story at Slashdot. 
[Link]
Mashable » Rule-Breaking Dog Is Happier Than You'll Ever Be
Sometimes making yourself happy means harmlessly breaking a few rules The owner of this adorable dog doesn't let him climb onto her bed, but she's curious to see what happens when she leaves the apartment — so she set up a camera. The dog just can't suppress the desire to roll around on the comfy bed, even with the potential … [Link]
New Scientist – News » DNA evidence points to humans for demise of moas
New Zealand's flightless birds showed no sign of a population decline until humans arrived, suggesting we really were responsible for their extinction 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » Einstein's ripples: Your guide to gravitational waves
The first glimpse of primordial gravitational waves is a landmark in our understanding of the universe – but what exactly are these all-important ripples? 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » Goggle-eyed glasses swap your lying eyes for fake ones
Goggles that display lifelike virtual eyes can make you look wide-eyed and attentive, even if you are fast asleep – but they may freak people out 
[Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Doctors Meet Dogs in DOGTOR WHO Art Series [Gallery]
Christie, known as tee-kyrin on DeviantArt, is known for drawing animal-based art. Her recent series pairs dogs with Doctor Who to create…DOGTOR WHO! 
[via The Mary Sue] [Link]
Mashable » Steve Buscemi Trains Mayor de Blasio for Musical Debut
Steve Buscemi and Mayor Bill de Blasio got together to show off their thespian side. The Inner Circle Show is an annual gathering of NYC political journalists for a musical theater show that pokes fun at politics, while raising awareness and money for dozens of local charities See also: A New York Airbnb Trip Turns Into 'XXX Freak Fest' This … [Link]
Mashable » Venice Organizes Online Vote to Become Independent From Italy
It’s not just Crimea: the Italian region of Veneto, which includes the city of Venice, is holding a referendum to secede too. Local activists and parties have launched an online referendum to secede from Italy and declare an independent Republic of Veneto. Venice was at one time an independent republic, for about 1,100 years, before Napoleon deposed its last leader in … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest on newscientist.com: evolutionary traps, gravitational waves, clean energy can be cheap energy, missing plane mystery, Iron Man plants and more 
[Link]
Slashdot » Shuttleworth Wants To Get Rid of Proprietary Firmware
jones_supa writes "In a new blog post, the Ubuntu main man Mark Shuttleworth calls for an end to proprietary firmwares such as ACPI. His reasoning is that running any firmware code on your phone, tablet, PC, TV, wifi router, washing machine, server, or the server running the cloud your SAAS app is running on, is a threat vector against you, … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Exploring software, hardware, everywhere
Last week, Tim O’Reilly and I sat down in San Francisco and had a conversation about the collision of hardware and software. The fact that digital entrepreneurs see hardware as part of their available palette now is really interesting, as … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Zoologger: Baby assassin bugs lure in deadly ants
The nymphs of feather-legged assassin bugs are the only predators known that encourage their prey to physically attack them first 
[Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » How to Make Your Own Lightsaber
A fun infographic from Newark / Element 14 detailing what you need to do to build your own lightsaber at home! If you’re on the front page of the site, be sure to hit the “read more” link below for the full infographic! 
[Source: Newark / Element 14] [Link]
Mashable » Don Draper's Guide to Classy Day Drinking
St. Patrick's Day — everyone's favorite excuse to blow off work and go drink like there's no tomorrow. While the hordes rush out to guzzle green-tinted brews, there's only one man who can offer some helpful advice to ensure everybody has a good time: Don Draper. TV's hardest day drinker is here to dole out his wisdom on staying classy during … [Link]
Slashdot » Dorian Nakamoto Officially Denies That He Created Bitcoin
sumoinsanity writes "A succinct and comprehensive rebuttal has been distributed from this Mr Nakamoto about being the founder of Bitcoin. His statement reads in part: 'The first time I heard the term "bitcoin" was from my son in mid-February 2014. After being contacted by a reporter, my son called me and used the word, which I had never before heard. … [Link]
Mashable » 15 Joyful Photos of India's Vibrant Holi Festival
As many Western nations struggle to return to the vibrancy of pre-winter life, spring is ushered in across the Hindu world. Holi, the Hindu festival of color and love was celebrated over this weekend and into Monday. Beginning with an evening bonfire on the full moon in March, festival goers sing and dance into the night. The next day is filled … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Box’s OneCloud Surpasses 1,000 App Integrations
ProgrammableWeb last checked in on Box’s OneCloud platform last summer. Since then, Box has enjoyed nothing but success, and Box has announced that OneCloud has now surpassed the 1,000 mark for apps that integrate with the OneCloud ecosystem. With the announcement, Box reiterated the simple, straightforward goal it proclaimed with the OneCloud launch in 2012: “In March of 2012, we launched … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Upward Mobility: Animating the Leaves of Fall (in Australia)
One of nicest features of iOS development is that, frequently, you can pull off visual effects that look amazing without having to write a lot of code. It may be about to start the spring season here, but Down Under … [Link]
Slashdot » Origins of Blarney Stone Revealed
sciencehabit writes "Kissing the Blarney Stone, which involves hanging upside down from the battlements of Blarney Castle near Cork in Ireland, is meant to bestow eloquence and persuasiveness. Such claims are not known to have been put to the test in a clinical trial, but then not much is known about the rock itself. Some say it is made of … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » 3 Great Tips to Improve Your API Status Pages
There are major advantages to today’s applications being built atop APIs. If you’re reading ProgrammableWeb, there’s a good chance you know all about integrating with other services. The major disadvantage of modern distributed architecture is pretty obvious—someone else’s service could go down and it’s outside of your control. You might not even know a service is down, which is why many … [Link]
Mashable » Facebook and TED Team Up to Bring Exclusive Content to 'Paper'
TED says its conferences provide "ideas worth spreading," and Facebook apparently agrees. Facebook and TED on Monday announced a content collaboration for Paper, the company's standalone news reader and publishing app released in late January For the week, the Ideas section of Paper will feature TED material exclusively. The Ideas section within the app typically changes each day to highlight a … [Link]
Mashable » The Mashable Community's Best SXSW Photos
SXSW 2014 is officially over. This year's Austin-based gathering of the latest in tech, music and movies was packed with inspiring participants and attendees, and the Mashable community was there to catch it all in photographs. Last week's photo challenge garnered submissions ranging from Grumpy Cat selfies to beautiful pictures of Austin landmarks and portraits of the characters roaming 6th Street … [Link]
Mashable » Ray William Johnson Retires From YouTube
While it normally takes the average person anywhere from 30 to 40 years to retire, it takes a famous Youtuber about five. At least if you're Ray William Johnson. Johnson is a video blogger and host of the web-series Equals 3, where he discusses the latest viral videos. His channel currently has more than 10 million subscribers and his videos … [Link]
Slashdot » Big Bang's Smoking Gun Found
astroengine writes "For the first time, scientists have found direct evidence of the expansion of the universe, a previously theoretical event that took place a fraction of a second after the Big Bang explosion nearly 14 billion years ago. The clue is encoded in the primordial cosmic microwave background radiation that continues to spread through space to this day. Scientists … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Swirls of colour reveal primordial gravitational waves
This visualisation of eddies in cosmic background radiation gives a glimpse into the moments after the big bang 
[Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Kristen Bell Interested in Reprising ‘Frozen’ Role on Broadway!
Back in January, we told you that Disney will be bringing their smash hit “Frozen” to Broadway. Now, actress Kristen “Veronica Mars” Bell who voiced and sang the part of Anna in the Disney animated musical told Entertainment Weekly that she “hopes that they try” to ask her to reprise her role for the stage version. “Everybody in Frozen is … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Evolution's traps: When our world leads animals astray
From frogs swallowing light bulbs to beetles mating with bottles, the modern world is hijacking creatures' evolved instincts. Can we turn the trap into a tool? (full text available to subscribers) 
[Link]
Mashable » More Americans Are Celebrating St. Patrick's Day Than Ever Before
Ah, St. Patrick's Day — annual celebration of Irish pride, good beer, and more corned beef and cabbage than you can possibly eat. There are 39.6 million Americans who claim Irish heritage, but they aren't the only ones celebrating the holiday on March 17. In fact, 56.3% of the U.S. population celebrated St. Paddy's Day in 2013 — up from 54.4% … [Link]
Mashable » Microsoft Finally Adds 4G LTE to Surface 2
Dropping the other shoe on one of tech's worst-kept secrets, Microsoft has officially unveiled the cellular broadband-ready Surface tablet, officially called the Surface 2 (AT&T 4G LTE) . The update comes more than a year after Microsoft first launched the Surface tablet (originally called Surface RT), a few months after Microsoft's own Surface lead Panos Panay promised the mobile broadband option, … [Link]
Slashdot » Obama Administration Transparency Getting Worse
schwit1 writes "The government's own figures from 99 federal agencies covering six years show that halfway through its second term, the administration has made few meaningful improvements in the way it releases records. In category after category — except for reducing numbers of old requests and a slight increase in how often it waived copying fees — the government's efforts … [Link]
Mashable » Gchat Goes Down, Forcing People to Talk in Person
A number of users are reporting that Google’s chat service Gchat and Drive are both down. The earliest reports (noted via Twitter) began trickling in around 12 p.m. ET on Monday. See also: The Beginner's Guide to Gmail But Gmail in general is still up and running. A quick check of the status verification website DownForEveryoneOrJustMe indicates the service is still … [Link]
Mashable » Obama Blasts Russia With First Major Sanctions Since Cold War
U.S. President Barack Obama announced the "most comprehensive" set of sanctions against Russia since the Cold War during a speech at the White House on Monday, one day after citizens of Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. The President said he was ready to impose additional measures should Russia move to annex the Ukrainian peninsula.He better get ready … [Link]
Mashable » 'Smoking Gun' Found for Universe's Big Bang Expansion
Astronomers have found the first direct evidence of cosmic inflation, the theorized dramatic expansion of the universe that put the "bang" in the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, new research suggests. If it holds up, the landmark discovery — which also confirms the existence of hypothesized ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves — would give researchers a much better … [Link]
Mashable » The Cutest Grandma on Instagram Is Battling Cancer With 86,000 Friends
Instagram loves Betty Simpson. The 80-year-old great-grandmother collected more than 86,000 followers after her great-grandson Zach Belden started an account for her in January as a way to support Simpson's battle with cancer. See also: 19 Grandparents Snapping Cooler Selfies Than You Simpson refers to her supportive followers — including Pharrell Williams, who saw her bustin' a move to his hit … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Flying Drone Gets Impressive Footage of Erupting Volcano [Video]
Using a DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter drone with a GoPro camera strapped on, Shaun O’Callaghan filmed the eruption of Mount Yasur, a volcano located on the island nation of Vanuatu. Surprisingly, the drone and camera were still intact once Shaun was done filming. [Shaun O'Callaghan | Via] [Link]
New Scientist – News » Wet revolution: Where's the world water manifesto?
We need a fourth water revolution to cope with the world's shortages, says Fred Pearce: two new books reveal the problem but don't go far enough 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » First glimpse of big bang ripples from universe's birth
The first clear detection of primordial gravitational waves allows us to peer back further than we thought possible – and could unlock many cosmic secrets 
[Link]
Slashdot » Russian State TV Anchor: Russia Could Turn US To "Radioactive Ash"
An anonymous reader writes with a Ukraine news roundup. "'Russia is the only country in the world realistically capable of turning the United States into radioactive ash,' anchor Dmitry Kiselyov said on his weekly news show on state-controlled Rossiya 1 television. … His programme was broadcast as the first exit polls were being published showing an overwhelming majority of Crimeans … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » The dangers of data-driven list-making
Editor’s note: this post originally appeared on Tilt the Windmill; it is republished here with permission. Startupfest’s Pamela Perotti asked for my thoughts on this great Forbes piece by Lightspeed’s Barry Eggers about using big data to build top ten … [Link]
Mashable » Beer-Flavored Jelly Beans Will Trash Your Sweet Tooth
If you're stuck behind a desk on St. Patrick's Day instead of in front of a nice frothy pint o' Guinness, ole Jelly Belly has you covered. The jelly bean company released a special draft beer flavor that's been wildly popular since its release in January. We're basically one step closer to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. But before you pull … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Twilio Improves Audio Quality of VoIP Communications Service
Voice-over-IP (VoIP) makes it possible to embed telephony services within an application. But the quality of many of those VoIP calls can be highly inconsistent. To address that issue, Twilio today announced a public beta of its Global Low Latency (GLL) capability for Twilio client software. GLL is included in browsers that support WebRTC as a mechanism for invoking real-time communications … [Link]
Mashable » Next Up in MashableReads: 'The UnAmericans' by Molly Antopol
Our next selection for the MashableReads social book club is Molly Antopol's The UnAmericans. 
Molly Antopol, recently named one of The National Book Foundation's top "5 Under 35" authors, makes her short story debut with her collection The UnAmericans. The collection follows a multiplicity of voices ranging from a teenager coming of age during the Red Scare to a former dissident writer … [Link]
Mashable » A New York Airbnb Trip Turns Into 'XXX Freak Fest'
Ari Teman returned to his New York apartment building on Friday night to grab his suitcase for the weekend. The comedian and tech startup founder had made an agreement with a man named David to rent his apartment for the weekend through Airbnb. David said his brother and stepsister needed a place to stay for an upcoming wedding. See also: I … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » KILL BATS [T-Shirt]
Harley Quinn meets Kill Bill! 
[via Teepublic] [Link]
Slashdot » Endeavor Launch Pad Being Rebuilt Piece By Piece
dangle writes "The Exposition Park museum in LA is working to rebuild the Endeavor launch stack, a display that will take thousands of pieces to complete due to parts that are scattered at NASA facilities, museums and other places across the U.S. Most are one of a kind and impossible to replicate. Dennis Jenkins, who spent his entire 30-plus year … [Link]
Mashable » L.A. News Anchors Duck for Cover as Earthquake Hits
When a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck Los Angeles on Monday morning, it was timed perfectly for the morning shows. Striking at 6:26 a.m. local time with an epicenter just a few miles northwest of Westwood, Calif., the quake caused mild to moderate shaking in parts of the city. On KTLA-TV, a local news station in L.A., the morning anchors were … [Link]
Mashable » 19 Funny Earthquake Tweets About L.A.'s Sleep Deprived
Talk about a case of the Mondays: Los Angeles got an early start to the day when an earthquake rattled the city. Seismologists estimate the earthquake was magnitude 4.4, which already dropped from 4.7 — enough to cause mild to moderate shaking. So far, there have been no reports of damage or even power outages. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, … [Link]
Mashable » The Deep Web: Everything You Need to Know in 2 Minutes
In October 2013, the FBI shutdown Silk Road, a popular online black market where users could buy drugs, weapons, and even assassins. While this marketplace was operating on the Internet, you'd be hard-pressed to find it via Google. In fact, you would have to be part of a secret network that operates in a small portion of the Internet known … [Link]
Mashable » Report: This Is What Apple's Fitness Tracking App Looks Like
It’s been rumored for months that Apple will be stepping deeper into health and fitness tracking when it launches its next-generation iOS 8 software for mobile devices. Now a series of in-depth screenshots purportedly from Apple's "Healthbook" app has hit the web, revealing capabilities to track everything from steps taken and blood pressure to how you're sleeping at night and if … [Link]
Mashable » Vodafone to Buy Spanish Cable Operator Ono for $10 Billion
Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), the worlds second-largest wireless carrier, agreed to buy Spanish cable operator Grupo Corporativo Ono SA for 7.2 billion euros ($10 billion), including debt, to boost TV and broadband offerings. The purchase gives Vodafone 1.9 million customers in Spain, complementing its mobile service and helping it challenge Telefonica SA (TEF) and Orange SA. (ORA) The deal will generate … [Link]
Mashable » Ask A Dev: What's New With iOS 7.1?
In the latest video of our Ask a Dev series, Consulting Architect Conrad Stoll discusses the newest features of the latest iOS upgrade. See also: Apple Adds In-App Purchase Warning to iOS 7.1 Our developer experts are from Mutual Mobile, a leading development and design firm that builds mobile strategies for top companies such as Audi, Google and Citigroup. The … [Link]
Slashdot » Silicon Valley Billionaire Takes Out $201 Million Life Insurance Policy
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "The Mercury News reports that somewhere in Silicon Valley, a 'mystery billionaire' has bought what the Guinness Book of World Records says is the most valuable life insurance policy in history — a policy that will pay his survivors a cool $201 million. Was it Larry Ellison? Eric Schmidt? Elon Musk? Zuck? Nobody knows because … [Link]
Mashable » 4.4-Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Los Angeles
An earthquake was strongly felt across Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday morning, according to multiple social media reports and preliminary data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Preliminary data puts it as a 4.4 magnitude earthquake on the Richter Scale, which would be enough to cause mild to moderate shaking, with an epicenter of six miles northwest of Westwood and Beverly … [Link]
Mashable » Where's the Plane, Day 10: The Search Grows to 26 Nations
The number of countries involved in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane grew to 26 over the weekend — a "significant diplomatic, technical and logistical challenge," according to Hussein Hishammuddin, Malaysia's minster of defense and acting minister of transport. "Today, I can confirm that search and rescue operations in the northern and southern corridors have already begun," Hishammuddin said … [Link]
Slashdot » OKCoin Raises $10 Million To Become China's Largest Bitcoin Exchange
edibobb writes "Despite recent cryptocurrency crackdowns by the Chinese government, OKCoin announced a round of $10 million funding by three prominent venture capital firms and other investors. OKCoin is supposed to be the largest bitcoin exchange in China. From the article: 'Back in November 2013, the focus of the bitcoin community was on China – the world’s hub for bitcoin … [Link]
Mashable » Dorian Nakamoto: I'm Not Satoshi, I Don't Know Cryptography
Dorian Nakamoto, the man Newsweek claims is the creator of the digital cryptocurrency Bitcoin, denied being the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto once again. In a statement issued on Monday by his newly hired lawyer, Ethan Kirschner, Nakamoto said he "did not create, invent or otherwise work on Bitcoin." The 64-year-old went one step further than his previous denial, adding that he doesn't … [Link]
Mashable » This Old Spice Ad Will Make You Empathize With Stubble
If you thought you had seen everything from Old Spice, check this out: In its latest ad, the brand's spokesman and former NFL player Terry Crews acts out the role of a hair on his own face Crews argues with himself about whether he should shave, but his hesitant self loses out. He shaves the hair with an Old Spice-branded … [Link]
Slashdot » EU Project Aims To Switch Data Centers To Second Hand Car Batteries
judgecorp writes "An €2.9 million European Commission funded project aims to make data centers more efficient, and one of its ideas is to use second hand car batteries to power data centers. The GreenDataNet consortium includes Nissan, which predicts a glut of still-usable second hand car batteries in around 15 years, when the cars start to wear out. Gathered into … [Link]
Mashable » Flickr to Redesign Its Redesign and Other News You Need to Know
Welcome to this morning's edition of "First To Know," a series in which we keep you in the know on what's happening around the world. Today, we're looking at five important stories A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the coast of Chile on Sunday night local time, resulting in a small tsunami and the evacuation of three cities. No injuries were … [Link]
Slashdot » The Poor Neglected Gifted Child
theodp writes "'Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore,' explains The Boston Globe's Amy Crawford in The Poor Neglected Gifted Child, 'have national laws requiring that children be screened for giftedness, with top scorers funneled into special programs. China is midway through a 10-year "National Talent Development Plan" to steer bright young people into science, technology, and other in-demand fields.' It seems to … [Link]
Mashable » Mapping Voyager 1's Incredible 36-Year Trek Through Space
It’s a hard knock life for a planetary probe. Launched Sept. 5, 1977, the stalwart Voyager 1 spacecraft has been Earth's most distant ambassador since 1998. And it's still going. See also: Eye Candy for Space Geeks: 38 Stunning Photos From 'Cosmos' March 5 marked the 35th anniversary of Voyager's closest contact with Jupiter, when the spacecraft came within 217,000 miles … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: 62% Off EasyAcc 12000mAh External Battery Charger Pack for your Portable Gadgets – $37.99 + FREE Shipping
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon has the EasyAcc 12000mAh External Battery Charger Pack for just $39.99 plus free shipping. That’s 60% off the device’s regular price of $99.99. Please note that this battery pack can charge 2 Tablets or 3 Smart Phones simultaneously and can supply 600% to 700% of an iPhone 4 battery life. -EasyAcc … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Batman vs. Superman…vs. Captain America in 2016!
Last Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Captain America 3 will face off against the hugely-anticipated Batman vs. Superman on May 6, 2016. Originally, the May 6 date was an “Untitled Marvel Film,” but now, Marvel has revealed that it will be another adventure of The Cap. With Batman vs. Superman originally slated for a summer 2015 release, Marvel/Disney had … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Commencing Destruction of All Human Civilization [Comic]
And that’s how aliens crushed all traces of human resistance. [Source: ButterSafe] [Link]
New Scientist – News » How 3D printers forge new art from old etchings
In the Diverse Maniere exhibition, the real and the imaginary collide as high tech creates artefacts based on the work of an 18th-century master 
[Link]
Mashable » 5 Reasons You Need Marketing Skills (and How to Get Them)
I hate Facebook braggers as much as anyone, but I’ve got to admit that the world looks a lot more like a marketplace than it used to. A certain amount of branding and curation goes into our online personas, which inform others on our opinions, ideas, careers, and how we see the world. Given that reality, we’re all unofficially marketers. But … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Why I gave away the fossils I spent 20 years finding
The vast collection of amateur palaeontologist David Kohls is now fuelling research at the Smithsonian. He tells us how his passion for fossils caught fire 
[Link]
Mashable » Are You a Netspeak Know-It-All? Take This Quiz and LMK
There are a few key acronyms you should know when you venture online, IMHO. After all, if you don't know the lingo, your fellow WOW players will LOL you right out of the MMORPG. You don't want to be the Luddite who's baffled by a simple AFK, do you? See also: The Blogger's Meal Plan: 5 Secrets for Well-Balanced Content WPromote … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » #Ebook Deal/Day: Practical Reverse Engineering – $24.99 (Save 50%) Use code DEAL
Get "Practical Reverse Engineering" today using code DEAL and save 50%!This sale ends at 2:00 AM 2014-03-18 (PDT, GMT-8:00). [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 17 March 2014
De-Design the Web — quiz, can you recognise common websites from just their wireframes? For the non-designer (like myself) it’s a potent reminder of the power of design. Design’s front of mind as we chew on the Internet of Affordances. … [Link]
Mashable » To Recruit Your Next Great Candidate, Just Swipe Right
Alex Douzet, CEO and co-founder of TheLadders.com, remembers the days of "old-school recruiting," when recruiters had to reach out to prospective candidates by stealthily tracking down their work extensions or personal home phone numbers. Those days are long gone, and — as Douzet recognized nearly two years ago — there's a platform shift on the rise when it comes to developing … [Link]
Mashable » What Global Companies Should Know About Language Translation
Imagine having your company's press release read worldwide, or doing business with prestigious overseas clients. Your small business may not be there yet, but thanks to an increasingly global economy, those dreams are becoming a reality for many companies. As the business world continues to go global, the need for language-translation services is greater than ever. Translation experts shared their thoughts … [Link]
Slashdot » Prominent GitHub Engineer Julie Ann Horvath Quits Citing Harrassment
First time accepted submitter PvtVoid writes in with the story of Julie Ann Horvath alleging a culture of sexism at GitHub. "The exit of engineer Julie Ann Horvath from programming network GitHub has sparked yet another conversation concerning women in technology and startups. Her claims that she faced a sexist internal culture at GitHub came as a surprise to some, … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Clean energy or cheap energy? We can have both
Rising energy bills don't mean we should give up on cutting our carbon emissions. Quite the opposite, says policy researcher Reg Platt 
[Link]
Slashdot » Aussie Attorney General's War On Encrypted Web Services
Bismillah writes "If Attorney-General Brandis gets his way in the process of revising Australia's Telecommunications Interception Act, users and providers of VPNs and other encrypted services will by law be required to decrypt government intercepted data. Because, 'sophisticated criminals and terrorists.' New Zealand already has a similar law, the Telecommunications Interception and Computer Security Act. Apparently, large Internet service providers … [Link]
The Joy of Tech » JoT #1975: A sum-up of social networks
Present company excluded! Please retweet, Like, or share the URL, in an ironic fashion, if you enjoyed the comic! [Link]
Mashable » Police Turn to Social Media to Fight Crime, Dispel Rumors
Lieutenant Chris Bolton of the Oakland Police Department was skeptical of social media in 2011 As the Chief of Staff for Oakland's Chief of Police and a 13-year-vet at the time, he didn't see the benefits of having a department-monitored social media presence. "Without having tried [social media] and without knowing anyone else in law enforcement who was using it, I … [Link]
Slashdot » Gates Warns of Software Replacing People; Greenspan Says H-1Bs Fix Inequity
dcblogs writes "Bill Gates and Alan Greenspan, in separate forums, offered outlooks and prescriptions for fixing jobs and income. Gates is concerned that graduates of U.S. secondary schools may not be able stay ahead of software automation. 'These things are coming fast,' said Gates, in an interview with the American Enterprise Institute 'Twenty years from now labor demand for a … [Link]
Mashable » Viral Video Recap: Your Chance to Crush Stuff With Schwarzenegger and More
This week's viral videos come from all corners of the Internet, delivering animals, robots and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. If you loved the "First Kiss" viral video earlier this week, you’ll enjoy “First Sniff,” a parody of the video featuring dogs sniffing each other for the first time. Set to the same music and shot in black and white, … [Link]
Mashable » SXSW Crash Victim Treated to Private Concert in Her Hospital Room
AUSTIN, Texas — Mason Endres hugs a plush toy and closes her eyes Saturday in a hospital bed, days after an intoxicated driver crashed through barricades and struck her and others while fleeing police during South by Southwest. The bruised and broken 18-year-old hears music that isn't coming from a radio, television or laptop. It's live from her bedside courtesy of … [Link]
Mashable » Russia Could ‘Turn the U.S. Into Radioactive Ash,' News Anchor Says
The man hand-picked by Russian President Vladimir Putin to lead the country's state media appeared on a nightly news program on Sunday to say his country could "turn the U.S. into radioactive dust." In the clip, Dmitry Kiselyov, the recently installed head of Russia Today, stood before a giant mushroom cloud and proclaimed, "Russia is the only country in the world … [Link]
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