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.
ProgrammableWeb.com » Google Partners with Cisco to Integrate Services
At the Enterprise Connect 2014 conference this week Cisco announced it will be working more closely with Google to integrate conferencing services with various Google APIs. Rowan Trollope, Cisco senior vice president for collaboration, and Rajen Sheth, a product manager for Google Enterprise, took the stage to show a prototype of the Cisco Webex conferencing service running on a Chromebook. In … [Link]
Mashable » Pressed to Surrender, Ukraine Plans Military Evacuation of Crimea
KIEV, Ukraine — Faced with unrelenting pressure to surrender, Ukraine began to withdraw its military from the breakaway territory of Crimea, a day after Russia President Vladimir Putin formalized the annexation of the Black Sea peninsula and after a Ukraine soldier was killed by pro-Russian militiamen in Simferopol, Crimea's capital city The death marked the first bloodshed since Russian occupation began … [Link]
Slashdot » Officials: NSA's PRISM Targets Email Addresses, Not Keywords
wiredmikey writes "The US government's PRISM Internet spying program exposed by Edward Snowden targets suspect email addresses and phone numbers but does not search for keywords like terrorism, officials said Wednesday. Top lawyers of the country's intelligence apparatus including the NSA and FBI participated Wednesday in a public hearing on the controversial US data-mining operations that intercept emails and other … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » OFFICIAL TRAILER: The Giver [Video]
Before The Hunger Games, before Divergent, before the movie Equilibrium, there was Lois Lowry’s The Giver (and Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451). Like many of my generation, The Giver was my favorite book growing up and it was my first foray into Dystopian Literature. But despite the film’s star power, despite actor Jeff Bridges’ involvement and wanting to get an adaptation on … [Link]
Mashable » Moto 360 Smartwatch: What We Know and What We Don't
Motorola shared more details of the upcoming Moto 360, the company's first proper smartwatch, in a Google Hangout on Wednesday. During the interview, Jim Wicks, the lead designer on the Moto 360, offered insight into the story behind the watch's design and answered some questions about the device itself. See also: 5 Ways To Boost Productivity With Your Tablet Here's … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Google dodges bullet over Gmail scanning
A ruling this week means Google will have a much easier job of defending claims that it broke the law by scanning Gmail accounts. A range of people had looked to sue Google over the way it used automated scanning of messages both to produce targeted advertising that appears at the top of the inbox, and to gather information for … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Will Older Programmers Always Have a Harder Time Getting a Job?
Theseuss writes "Given the strong youth culture associated with the modern day Silicon Valley startup scene, many times it falls to the 40-year-old programmer to prove that he can still use the newest up-and-coming technology. Yet the rate at which the tech sector is growing suggests that in 20 years there will be a an order of magnitude more 'old-hat' … [Link]
Mashable » Boston Bombing Survivor Dances Onstage for First Time
VANCOUVER, Canada — After dance teacher Adrianne Haslet-Davis lost part of her leg in the Boston Marathon bombing last year, she made a promise to herself that she would perform again. So, Haslet-Davis spent the next year of her life working with Hugh Herr, who outfitted her with a revolutionary prosthetic limb, to relearn the basic dance moves that once came … [Link]
Mashable » Unusually Intense El Nino May Lie Ahead, Scientists Say
Since climate forecasters declared an "El Niño Watch" on March 6, the odds of such an event in the tropical Pacific Ocean have increased, and based on recent developments, some scientists think this event may even rival the record El Niño event of 1997-1998. If that does happen, then 2015 would almost be guaranteed to set a record for the warmest … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Readyforce Launches HackerHub, and 10 New APIs
Readyforce has announced a single hub for companies to discover, sponsor, and connect with student-run hackathons: HackerHub. W3C has published a working draft of a Clipboard API. Plus, the debate over an open government and APIs continues and 10 new APIs. Readyforce Launches HackerHub Readyforce, the leading career network for engineering students, has launched HackerHub. Hackathons have arisen as a valuable … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Drone-powered HoverBall could spice up games
Putting a drone in a ball could add an antigravity component to typical ball games, much like the winged snitch in the Harry Potter books 
[Link]
Mashable » Afghans, Cautiously Hopeful, Line Up to Determine Their Futures
If all goes according to plan on April 5, Afghanistan will hold its third presidential and provincial council elections since the fall of the Taliban. Elections are important in any country, but this one may mark the first peaceful democratic transfer of power from one Afghan leader to another. Hamid Karzai, who has led the country for eight years, is barred … [Link]
Slashdot » OpenSUSE 13.2 To Use Btrfs By Default
An anonymous reader writes "OpenSUSE has shared features coming to their 13.2 release in November. The big feature is using Btrfs by default instead of EXT4. OpenSUSE is committed to Btrfs and, surprisingly, they are the first major Linux distribution to use it by default. But then again, they were also big ReiserFS fans. Other planned OpenSUSE 13.2 features are … [Link]
Mashable » New Samsung Ad Burns the Kindle, Surface and iPad
Oh, you poor Luddite, with your keyboard, battery dock and mouse. You call that a tablet? It’s positively Neanderthal. And that iPad? Why can’t it do two things at once? Let’s not even get started on the Kindle, because that dinosaur only lets you read books. That’s the tart, smug and rather effective message in a new ad that will … [Link]
Slashdot » Jesse Jackson To Take On Silicon Valley's Lack of Diversity
New submitter wyattstorch516 writes "San Jose Mecury News reports that Jesse Jackson will lead a delegation to HP's next board meeting to discuss the hiring of technology companies in regard to African-Americans and Latinos. 'About one in 14 tech workers is black or Latino both in the Silicon Valley and nationally. Blacks and Hispanics make up 13.1 and 16.9 percent … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Cobra Commander’s NCAA Tournament Bracket [Video]
I don’t know much about sports, but somehow, this struck me as hilarious. G.I. Joe’s Cobra Commander gets March Madness … and fills out a very evil college basketball tournament bracket. [ADHD | Via TA] [Link]
Mashable » Taco Bell's New Breakfast Menu: An Investigation
When Taco Bell began testing its newest breakfast items last year, the move raised many questions Why would Taco Bell — often known as a late-night destination for undiscriminating, penny-pinching gourmands — start opening its doors in the early-morning hours? How would the fast food giant bring its Americanized spirit to Mexican-inspired breakfast cuisine? Would the absurd Waffle Taco be available … [Link]
Mashable » NSA: Tech Companies Knew We Collected User Data
Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and other tech giants knew of the existence of the Internet surveillance program PRISM, they just didn't know it was called that, according to the NSA's top lawyer. Rajesh De, the spy agency's general counsel, said that the companies knew that the NSA was collecting data from them. This revelation comes after months of repeated — and very … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Salty skies signal planetary growing pains
Thick, steamy atmospheres full of mineral vapours would reveal young planets that have just suffered huge collisions like the ones that helped make Earth 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » The stripy stick insect that walked with dinosaurs
The earliest known plant-mimicking stick insect has been found, preserved for 126 million years 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » Giant carnivorous chicken dinosaur is first of its kind
Meet Anzu – a feathered, flightless dinosaur that would have towered over humans and had forelimbs tipped with sharp claws 
[Link]
Slashdot » Your Car Will Soon Sense If You're Tired Or Not Paying Attention
cartechboy writes "Distracted driving is a large issue, and it's getting worse as we become more entangled with our technology. To help combat this growing problem Volvo is showing off new technology that allows the car to sense when a driver is tired or not paying attention. The system bathes the driver in infrared light that can pick up the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » HOW TO: Speak Dothraki [Video]
HODOR. 90′s TV commercials meet Game of Thrones in a parody that no one was asking for. Before Rosetta Stone, children relied on Muzzy, a lovable cartoon character who taught them how to speak in different languages. They included Dothraki, Valyrian, Hodor and White Walker. [Nacho Punch | Via] [Link]
Mashable » 7 Apps For a Hassle-Free Spring Break
Whether you've suffered your way through midterms or you're just ready to ditch the office for some warm weather, spring break is upon us. Grab your skimpiest bathing suit and load up on the SPF See also: 10 Romantic Vacation Spots Where You Can Actually Get Away But before you take off, you also might want to consider loading up your … [Link]
Mashable » Scientist: Iceland's Hekla Volcano Close to Erupting
Hekla volcano, one of Iceland's most active volcanoes, could be close to erupting, a University of Iceland geoscientist claims. The most prominent sign of an impending eruption is bulging ground on the northern side of the volcano. This surface swelling indicates magma (molten rock) is rising under the volcano, pushing up the ground as it fills fractures and pipes beneath Hekla. … [Link]
Slashdot » Google Android Studio Vs. Eclipse: Which Fits Your Needs?
Nerval's Lobster writes "Google's Android Studio is a development tool for Android based on the IntelliJ IDEA platform, one that managed to attract a lot of hype when it rolled out in mid-2013. Roughly a year later, the platform is still in 'early access preview,' and work on it is ongoing. Eclipse, on the other hand, is the granddaddy of … [Link]
Mashable » 15 Things That Happened at the 'Game of Thrones' Season 4 Premiere
The Game of Thrones cast stormed Lincoln Center on Tuesday for the New York City premiere of the show's highly-anticipated fourth season, which airs April 6 on HBO. There were dragons. There were Lannisters. There were Starks. And there was blood See also: Refresh Yourselves on 'Game of Thrones' in 25 Minutes Just kidding. There wasn't blood — but there was … [Link]
Mashable » Comcast's Uber-Inspired App May Ease Your Hatred of Cable Companies
Comcast wants to roll out an Uber-inspired app to help alleviate the frustrations of customers stuck waiting at home for the cable guy. CEO Brian Roberts teased an app during an interview with USA Today that would allow customers to make appointments and see the location of Comcast technician's vehicles. He lauded taxi and car service app Uber as "fantastic." See … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Pyrrha to Create Officially-Licensed ‘Game of Thrones’ Jewelry
Pyrrha — jewelry designers Wade Papin and Danielle Wilmore — has struck a deal with HBO to create and sell Game of Thrones necklaces and rings on the official HBO Shop site. Their pieces will be available starting April 4 — just two shorts days before the Season 4 premiere. The prices will start at $98 and run as high … [Link]
Slashdot » Unreal Engine 4 Launching With Full Source Code
jones_supa writes "Today Epic launched Unreal Engine 4 for game developers. Supported platforms are Windows, OS X, iOS and Android, with desktop Linux coming later. The monetization scheme is unique: anyone can get access to literally everything for a $19/month fee. Epic wants to build a business model that succeeds when UE4 developers succeed. Therefore, part of the deal is … [Link]
Mashable » Friendster Founder's Social News Service Opens to Public
Nuzzel, the social news service from Friendster founder Jonathan Abrams, is now open to anyone who wants to join. The service first launched in the fall 2012, and was previously invitation-only. See also: 8 Brutally Honest Facebook Notifications That Need to Exist Now Unlike many of Abrams' previous ventures, Nuzzel is not a new social network. Instead, it claims to find … [Link]
Mashable » See How Your March Madness Bracket Stacks Up Against Obama's
We know you've wondered how you would fare against U.S. President Barack Obama in a March Madness pool — and your wish has been granted The president went public with his 2014 bracket selections in a segment on ESPN this morning called "Barack-etology." Out of the six brackets Obama has filled out during his presidency, the only tournament champion he has … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Payfirma Launches Multichannel Payments API
Of all the markets being impacted by the booming API economy, perhaps none has seen as much activity and innovation as the payments space. The past several years have seen the launch of a number of disruptive and successful API-centric upstarts, including Stripe and Balanced. Meanwhile, entrenched players like PayPal and Verifone have responded with new offerings of their own. There’s … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Wanted: voice donors for people who can't speak
An iPhone app records samples of your voice to be converted into synthetic speech for someone who needs a similar voice 
[Link]
Slashdot » It Was the Worst Industrial Disaster In US History — and We Learned Nothing
superboj writes "Forget Deepwater Horizon or Three Mile Island: The biggest industrial disaster in American history actually happened in 2008, when more than a billion gallons of coal sludge ran through the small town of Kingston, Tennessee. This story details how, five years later, nothing has been done to stop it happening again, thanks to energy industry lobbying, federal inaction, … [Link]
Mashable » Dupe Your Boss With Bud Light's Digital March Madness Toolkit
It’s the sports fan's classic conundrum this time of year: March Madness is amazing, but the plethora of games all too often conflicts with your soul-crushing desk job The lucky few have compassionate bosses who allow liberal use of TV breaks. But what of the less fortunate among us? This year, Bud Light aims to make it easier than ever to … [Link]
Mashable » Taco Bell's Latest Marketing Innovation: Feature Phones
Last year Taco Bell made a splash for its Beefy Crunch Burrito relaunch by becoming one of the then-few brands to join Snapchat. So what does the fast food brand have in mind for its breakfast introduction? Feature phones. The brand is in the process of mailing out about 1,000 Samsung T404G phones from HipCricket to superfans and influencers. Recipients of … [Link]
Mashable » Netflix Nabs Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin for Original Series 'Grace and Frankie'
For its next original series, Netflix is workin' 9 to 5. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, who co-starred with Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman in the 1980 hit comedy film, are colleagues once more for Grace and Frankie, the story of two women thrust together when their husbands decide to marry. See also: 9 Netflix Original Series to Stream in 2014 … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Will new physics sail on gravitational waves?
The discovery of primordial ripples in space-time is exciting. But does it really herald a new era for cosmology? 
[Link]
Mashable » 10 Glowing Photos From Iran's Fire-Jumping Festival
This week, Iran celebrates Chaharshanbe Souri — also known as the Festival of Fire The ancient holiday has been celebrated since the Zoroastrian era, and perhaps even earlier. All over the country, participants celebrate by jumping over bonfires and fireworks as a symbolic purification for the oncoming spring and Persian New Year. See also: One 4-Year-Old's Sweet Best Friendship With a … [Link]
Slashdot » $30K Worth of Multimeters Must Be Destroyed Because They're Yellow
An anonymous reader points out a post at the blog of Sparkfun, a hobbyist electronics retailer. They recently received a letter from U.S. Customs saying a shipment of 2,000 multimeters was being barred from entry into the country. The reason? Trademark law. A company named Fluke holds a trademark on multimeters that have a 'contrasting yellow border.' Sparkfun's multimeters are … [Link]
Mashable » Pandora Raises Price of Ad-Free Streaming for Some Listeners
Pandora Media Inc., the biggest online radio service, raised the price of its advertising-free Pandora (P) One option for some users, citing rising royalty costs. Listeners who now pay $36 a year for the service will be asked to pay $3.99 a month, Pandora said today on its blog. For new subscribers, the price will be $4.99 a month, starting in … [Link]
New Scientist – News » The robot tricks to bridge the uncanny valley
Giving robots a series of small behavioural tics can make help them appear a lot more human, which makes us feel more comfortable interacting with them 
[Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Why deep belief matters so much
If you’re a programmer who reads the Internet, you’ll have heard of deep belief networks. Google loves them, Facebook just hired one of the pioneers to lead a new group, and they win Kaggle competitions. I’ve been using deep belief … [Link]
Mashable » Dropbox Will Soon Let You Link Business and Personal Accounts
Dropbox plans to give users the ability to switch between business and personal files without having to constantly sign in and out. The single-login feature is specifically useful to Dropbox for Business users, giving simultaneous access to corporate-controlled files as well as personal documents from a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. The cloud storage giant introduced single-login for beta testing late … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest on newscientist.com: a woman who's going to change the world, gravitational waves explained, New York occultation, statins for MS and more 
[Link]
Mashable » It's Been Exactly 29 Years Since Earth Had a Colder-Than-Average Month
It’s been exactly 29 years — or 348 consecutive months — since the last cooler-than-average month on this planet, according to new data released on Wednesday morning. The data, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), reflects the warming trend seen around the world during the past century, which scientists blame largely on the increasing amounts of manmade greenhouse gases … [Link]
Mashable » Mapmakers Debate How to Define Crimea
Much of the world is watching how the high-stakes tug-of-war over Crimea will play out, but few groups of professionals are more invested than cartographers. Cartographers are tasked with mapping the political dimensions of the globe. That means when a piece of land switches ownership between countries, it's their job to decide whether they want to make that change official. The … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » SURE, WHY NOT? Artist Creates Batman Villains as Sharks [GALLERY]
Jeff Victor, what goes on in your mind?! 
[via io9] [Link]
Mashable » Oppo Unveils Smartphone With Crazy Specs
If you can't get enough pixels, has Oppo ever got the smartphone for you. The Chinese smartphone maker has unveiled the Find 7, a phone that can capture pictures up to 50 megapixels. On top of that, it has a display that sports no less than 3 million pixels. The 50-megapixel camera spec, although technically more higher-res than the images captured … [Link]
Mashable » Official Trailer for 'The Giver' Packed With Big Names in Color
Prepare to relive your childhood, millennials. The first official trailer for the upcoming movie The Giver was released Wednesday. The movie is based on the bestselling 1993 young adult novel by Lois Lowry that follows a boy named Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) through 12 years of his life in a future Utopian society that is slowly revealed to be anything but … [Link]
Slashdot » Routing and DNS Security Ignored By ISPs
Bismillah (993337) writes "The re-routing of Google's public DNS servers last weekend was yet another example of how easy it is to 'steal the Internet' by abusing today's trust-based networks. Problem is, ISPs don't seem to care about that, or securing DNS which is another attack vector that doesn't require compromising end users' systems. Why isn't more done to secure … [Link]
Mashable » Christopher Walken Dancing Mashup Will Get Your Feet Tapping
Give me the music, give me the Walken Oscar-winning actor Christopher Walken may be one of the best actors of our generation (and also have some of the best hair), but it's his dance moves that beg for a tribute all their own See also: Hollywood's Best Dance Routines in One Foot-Tapping Supercut Fun fact: Walken, a trained dancer, tries … [Link]
Mashable » Android Wear Makes the Smartwatch Ecosystem Even More Fragmented
What does the Android Wear announcement mean for Samsung and other Android smartwatch makers? What does it mean for developers? Tuesday's debut of Android Wear made it clear that Google is committed to the wearables space, and smartwatches in particular. It makes sense: If wearables are going to be the next big platform, it's in Google's best interest to be there … [Link]
Mashable » Google and Facebook Control Two-Thirds of U.S. Mobile Ad Market
Mobile advertising is booming, but the rising tide is primarily lifting two boats. Facebook is nearly monopolizing the growth in the global mobile ad industry, having more than tripled its share of the market from 2012 to 2013, according to a report from eMarketer released on Wednesday. Google remains the dominant force with just under half of the mobile ad market … [Link]
Mashable » Business Is More than Fun and Games for GoldieBlox
As an engineering student at Stanford, Debbie Sterling couldn’t understand why there weren't more women in her classes — or in the engineering industry overall. So she decided to do something about it and created GoldieBlox, a line of products that pairs books with construction sets, allowing girls to build alongside Goldie, a confident, curious and accessible role model, in order … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Six Great Ways to Increase API Adoption
For a public API, adoption is key. Finding the right developers can be resource-intensive. Few can afford to blanket the web and every conference in advertising. Even if you could, the results might not be nearly as good as the methods covered below. In this post, I’ll provide an overview of five or six ways to increase API adoption, along with … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Decentralizing the Internet, One WebRTC API at a Time
Tsahi Levent-Levi has 15 years of experience in the telecommunications, VoIP and WebRTC industry, as an engineer, manager, marketer and CTO. Tsahi currently works as a product manager at Amdocs, and as an independent consultant, assisting companies in bridging the gap between technologies and business strategy in the domain of telecommunications. Tsahi is the author and editor of bloggeek.me, which … [Link]
Mashable » FX Releases Trailer for Upcoming 'Fargo' TV Series
Don'tcha know that the Coen Brothers are bringing their Academy Award-winning film Fargo to the small screen. The show shares the same name as the 1996 film, but the FX series will feature a slightly different plot while remaining true to its dark (very dark) comedy roots. In the trailer released Tuesday, a nebbish Martin Freeman is susceptible to menacing … [Link]
Mashable » How to Watch the Moto 360 Smartwatch Event
The Moto 360 — Motorola's new smartwatch powered by Google's Android Wear platform — has a lot going for it. It's sleek, attractive, round — characteristics many existing smart watches on the market don't offer. But there are still many questions to be answered and it's about time we get a deeper look at what to expect (see what we … [Link]
Mashable » From What Perspective Do Mashable Readers See the World?
In the hustle and bustle of modern life, it is hard to appreciate all of the people, places and things you interact with on a daily basis. Although you may interact with a myriad of people throughout the day, it is often difficult to see the world from any perspective other than your own We’ve been thinking a lot about experiencing … [Link]
Mashable » Back to Reality for the College Kid Behind 'Sochi Problems'
Alexander Broad once controlled the hottest thing online. Six weeks ago, the Twitter account he started, called @SochiProblems, aggregated the seemingly endless stream of photos showing shoddy infrastructure in the the 2014 Olympics' host city despite the games' enormous $51 billion budget With each new photo upload — dysfunctional toilets, putrid-looking tap water, hotel rooms still being built as guests moved … [Link]
Slashdot » Security Industry Incapable of Finding Firmware Attackers
New submitter BIOS4breakfast writes "Research presented at CanSecWest has shown that despite the fact that we know that firmware attackers, in the form of the NSA, definitely exist, there is still a wide gap between the attackers' ability to infect firmware, and the industry's ability to detect their presence. The researchers from MITRE and Intel showed attacks on UEFI SecureBoot, … [Link]
Mashable » Talkin' Brackets: Get Your March Madness Picks in Order
We know you're filling out your March Madness bracket instead of working right now. And we're to help. With only one day left before the Round of 64 begins, millions of Americans are scrambling to place themselves in position to win their bracket pool—or even take home $1 billion if they manage to predict a perfect bracket. See also: March … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » The Web is Eating Software
A few years ago, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen wrote that “software is eating the world”: Six decades into the computer revolution, four decades since the invention of the microprocessor, and two decades into the rise of the modern Internet, all … [Link]
Slashdot » Oculus Rift Developer Kit 2 Ready For Pre-Order Today
An anonymous reader writes "Today at GDC Oculus has revealed the second developer kit of their virtual reality headset, the Oculus Rift DK2. The new unit has a 1080p OLED screen with low-persistence capabilities, positional tracking thanks to an IR LED array and compatible camera, and a bunch of other improvements over the DK1. Pre-orders start today for $350 and … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Google Maps API Now Supports GeoJSON
Today, Google announced GeoJSON support for the Google Maps API. GeoJSON is an open source file format that eases visualization creation. The thought behind GeoJSON support lies in the data format’s ability to simplify code. In a blog post announcing the support, Jen Kovnats, Google Maps API Team Product Manager, commented: “Maps give us an easy way to visualize all types … [Link]
New Scientist – News » We'll live to see a low-carbon world: UN climate chief
Christiana Figueres has to persuade 194 countries to sign a deal in 2015 that will stop global warming. She tells us how she's going to change the world (full text available to subscribers) 
[Link]
Mashable » But Really, Where's the Missing Plane? Search Appears to Hit Brick Wall
Where’s the plane?! That's the question being asked at coffee shops and bars and dinner tables around the world See also: Malaysia Airlines Flight Officially Longest Disappearance in Modern Aviation As we near the two-week mark since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished after its takeoff from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the investigation into the plane's disappearance has appeared to hit a … [Link]
Mashable » Vietnam Sends Blogger to Prison for 15 Months
Vietnam has jailed a prominent opposition blogger for 15 months, accusing him of "abusing democratic freedoms" with his blog posts against the government. Pham Viet Dao, 62, was arrested in June 2013 for posting several articles against Vietnam's leaders. The authorities charged Dao, a former official at the Ministry of Culture and member of the Vietnam Writers Association, with a crime … [Link]
Mashable » White House Climate Change Data Portal Highlights Local Impacts
The Obama administration is teaming up with tech companies such as Google, Microsoft and Intel to roll out web-based tools for policy makers and the public to better understand likely climate change impacts in their communities. The White House announced its climate data initiative, which is part of the administration's broader "Climate Action Plan" unveiled in June 2013, on Wednesday morning. … [Link]
Mashable » With Facebook's New Tech, You'll Never Need to Know Friends' Faces Again
It’s easy for humans to identify faces in pictures on Facebook, but the method isn't as simple for computers. Sure, Facebook has a suggested prompt that predicts who you're trying to tag, but now the company is working on a technology that promises "near-human accuracy" so you won't have to do it yourself in the future. Facebook's API Group is developing … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Gauntlet (The 1985 Arcade Classic) Rises from its Ashes [Game Trailer]
Yep, it looks a little like Diablo, but when you think about it, Diablo probably inspired itself a little from the 1985 classic when it first came out. The official Gauntlet announcement trailer for the remade and modernized 2014 edition that takes the arcade classic to new heights with more immediate arcade action, class combos, and procedural dungeons. From Warner … [Link]
Slashdot » First Automatic Identification of Flying Insects Allows Hi-Tech Bug Zapping
KentuckyFC writes "Entomologists have never been able to identify flying insects automatically. But not through lack of trying. The obvious approach is to listen out for the frequency of the wing beat. But acoustic microphones aren't up to the job because sound intensity drops with the square of the distance, so flying insects quickly drop out of range. Now a … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Gravitational waves explained with a towel and apple
Need a giant IQ to understand the announcement about gravitational waves? Nonsense. Our video explains the basics using nothing but everyday objects 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » China vows to clear smog from its cities
At the moment hardly any of China's cities meet its national pollution standards, but the government aims to turn that around by 2020 
[Link]
Mashable » Toyota: We Lied About Acceleration Glitches, Twice
The U.S. Attorney's Office fined Toyota $1.2 billion on Wednesday because it lied about two incidents that led to unintended acceleration in its vehicles in 2009 and 2010 The fine, the largest that the U.S. Department of Justice has ever levied against an automaker, is subject to judicial review. The DOJ deferred prosecution against Toyota after the company admitted that it … [Link]
Mashable » Mattress Saves Cyclist Struck by Vehicle
It sounds like something out of a Looney Tunes skit. A cyclist riding along the shoulder of a rode is sideswiped by an improperly secured mattress that fell off a truck. The flying bed ended up providing the biker with a safe and squishy landing pad, leaving him both confused and comfortable. See also: It's a Bird, It's a Plane, … [Link]
Slashdot » Ex-Head of Troubled Health Insurance Site May Sue, Citing 'Cover-Up'
itwbennett writes "Carolyn Lawson, the former CIO for Oregon's troubled health care insurance website, is alleging that state officials engaged in a 'substantial cover-up' meant to deflect blame away from themselves and onto herself and the project's contractor, Oracle. Lawson, who was forced to resign in December, this week filed a tort claim notice, which is a required precursor to … [Link]
Mashable » Google Launches Nexus 5 and 7 in New European Countries
Google’s Nexus 5 smartphone and Nexus 7 tablet are now available for sale in eight new European countries, Android Police reports The list of countries now includes Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden See also: Google's Nexus 7 Comes to Europe, Australia and Japan The Nexus 7 has a 1.5GHz, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of … [Link]
Mashable » Oculus Rift to Deliver Second-Gen Virtual Reality Headset for Developers
Game developers interested in creating games in virtual reality will get an upgraded set of tools from the Oculus Rift team this summer, the company announced Wednesday morning. The second-generation Oculus Rift development kit is available for preorder starting Wednesday for developers. The virtual reality headset, which began as a Kickstarter campaign in 2012, now has 50,000 units in the hands … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Emotional Video of Physicist Learning His Big Bang Theory is Accurate
Russian-American Andrei Linde is a theoretical physicist and a physics professor at Stanford University in California. Linde was one of the main authors of the recently-confirmed inflationary universe theory. Stanford Assistant Physics Professor Chao-Lin Kuo surprised Linde on Monday with the news that his theory — his life’s work — was correct. [via Gizmodo] [Link]
Mashable » You Decide the Menu at the Next Hottest Restaurant
The stars did not align for Dinner Lab's first meal. Few tickets sold, and the silverware came from a nearby pawn shop. The roof collapsed at their temporary kitchen. One employee abruptly quit "We thought, maybe this is a sign we shouldn't be doing this," says CEO Brian Bordainick says of the venture Two years later the community dining experience, which … [Link]
Mashable » One 4-Year-Old's Sweet Best Friendship With a Bulldog
Little Harper has a BBFF — bulldog best friend forever. Photographer Rebecca Leimbach has spent the past four years documenting the budding relationship between her 4-year-old daughter Harper and her English bulldog, Lola. See also: Hammie the Bulldog Is Reddit's Cutest Cat Lover Leimbach told Mashable that she and her husband struggled with infertility for years before she became pregnant with … [Link]
Mashable » Venezuela's Ruling Party Wants to Jail Opposition Leader for Treason
The Venezuelan Congress wants prosecutors to open a criminal investigation into Maria Corina Machado, a 46-year-old congresswoman and opposition leader who has become one of the most prominent faces behind the protests that have been sweeping the country for six weeks. Members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, led by President Nicolas Maduro, asked the Attorney General to launch a … [Link]
Mashable » Why We're Hardwired to Binge on Netflix
Never before have we been such compulsive multi-taskers, blogging and tweeting using multiple devices and smartphones anywhere and everywhere, from trains to cafes. It seems a little backwards, then, that one of the top post-workday hobbies for many is enjoying the complex storylines of TV series such as Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and House of Cards, which engross us for … [Link]
Slashdot » Enlightenment E19 To Have Full Wayland Support
An anonymous reader writes "Full Wayland support has been added to Enlightenment 0.19. Building upon earlier Wayland support, Enlightenment can now act as its own Wayland compositor by communicating directly with the kernel's DRM drivers instead of having to rely upon Weston. The Wayland support is still considered experimental but it's now the first Linux desktop with full Wayland support." … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » LEGO Smartphone Robot SMASHES Rubik’s Cube Speed Record [Video]
The ARM-powered CUBESTORMER 3 robot has smashed the Guinness World Record for solving a Rubik’s cube, recording a time of 3.253 seconds at the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham, UK. [ARMflix | Via] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: 35% Off Certified Refurbished Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ Tablet – $129 + FREE Shipping
TODAY ONLY, Amazon has the Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ Tablet (Certified Refurbished – Includes a full one-year limited warranty, just like a brand-new Kindle Fire HD 8.9″) for just $129 plus free shipping. That’s 35% off the tablet’s regular list price of $199. -Certified Refurbished Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ Tablet – $199 $129 (35% Off) [Link]
Mashable » Data Missing From Malaysia Airlines Pilot 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 Pro-Russian forces quietly took over the Ukrainian naval base on Wednesday. While no shots were fired, men swept in and raised the Russian flag over the building, the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Billy Dee Dances a ‘Star Wars’ Cha-Cha on “Dancing with the Stars” [Video]
Billy Dee Williams, best known for playing Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars films (and those Colt 45 ads!) is 77 years old(!!) and he’s on this season’s Dancing with the Stars on ABC. The 18th season debuted on Monday, and Mr. Williams learned the cha-cha with is professional partner Emma. He definitely is having fun, but his footwork was … [Link]
Slashdot » More Troubles For Authors of Controversial Acid-Bath Stem Cell Articles
bmahersciwriter writes "Reports early this year about a strikingly simple method for deriving pluripotent stem cells were met with amazement and deep skepticism, then claims that the experiments were not reproducible, then accusations of copied and manipulated figures. Now, the first author of one of the papers is being lambasted for having copied the first 20 pages of her doctoral … [Link]
Mashable » Students Sue Google for Monitoring Their Emails
In a challenge to one of Google's more controversial practices, a group of students in California are suing Google, claiming that the company's monitoring of Gmail violates federal and state privacy laws The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California is currently hearing the complaint from nine students whose emails were subject to Google surveillance because Gmail is a … [Link]
Slashdot » Full-Disclosure Security List Suspended Indefinitely
An anonymous reader writes with news that John Cartwright has been forced to shut down the full disclosure list. The list was created in 2002 in response to the perception that Bugtraq was too heavily moderated, allowing security issues to remain unpublished and unpatched for too long. Quoting: "When Len and I created the Full-Disclosure list way back in July … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Roomba creator: Robot doubles need more charisma
iRobot's Colin Angle talks about why we name vacuum cleaners, bomb-disposing robots at the football World Cup – and how to create the perfect robot avatar 
[Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » If World War I Was a Bar Fight [Graphic]
I liked it ok, but I was not at all a “History Nerd” in school. Honestly, I’m still not. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria is LITERALLY all I remember from my education — high school plus college — about about how WWI began. I hope there are more of these. History can be confusing, but this would … [Link]
Slashdot » Facebook's Face Identification Project Is Accurate 97.25% of the Time
kc123 tips news that 'DeepFace,' the software research project created by Facebook engineers to identify people in pictures, is now accurate 97.25% of the time. In other words, it's almost as good at recognizing faces as humans, who are able to determine whether two photos show the same person 97.53% of the time. The article says DeepFace reaches that level … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Why Ruby blocks exist, part II
Last time, we showed how to useRuby’seachmethodwith blocks to process the elements of an array, and how it can save you a lot of repetitive looping code. That was just an introduction, though. In our previous examples, the block was … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » SONY Unveils Virtual Reality Prototype for the PS4 [Project Morpheus]
It looks like the Oculus Rift has a competitor in its backyard now: Sony’s new virtual reality headset for the PS4: Project Morpheus. 1080p display 1000Hz motion detection Only one headset at a time is supported Headset is currently connected to the PS4 by a 5-meter wire Positional/rotational head tracking Tracking is handled by the same camera that tracks PS4 … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 19 March 2014
The Transformation of the Workplace Through Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Automation — fascinating legal questions about the rise of the automated workforce. . Is an employer required to bargain if it wishes to acquire robots to do work previously performed … [Link]
Mashable » 13 Famous Quotes Modernized for the Internet
Centuries have passed and we're still slapping the thoughts of famous philosophers on posters for college dorm rooms. How could these words of wisdom possibly hold up in the TL;DR Internet era? We may never know. But that didn't stop us from trying See also: 10 Cliché Quotes That You Need to Let Go Already These beloved quotes from historic thinkers … [Link]
Mashable » How Quickly Did Your Country Adopt the Internet?
The World Wide Web is 25 years old. Looking back, it's tough to imagine a world without phrases like "vlog," "GIF" or "Klout score." I mean, how did people even meet rural singles from across the country before the web? Did they, like, talk — face to face? With their mouths? To celebrate the big 2-5, Esri created an interactive map … [Link]
Mashable » 8 Bizarre Futurist Predictions That Never Came True
Our visions of the future have always been more complex than hoverboards and self-lacing sneakers. Sure, there were the various tropes from many bad sci-fi movies (and a few good ones), such as food in pill form, flying cars, personal jetpacks and robot butlers. But futurists also envisioned brave new worlds that have since been entirely forgotten — the death of … [Link]
Slashdot » Overuse of Bioengineered Corn Gives Rise To Resistant Pests
An anonymous reader writes "Though warned by scientists that overuse of a variety of corn engineered to be toxic to corn rootworms would eventually breed rootworms with resistance to its engineered toxicity, the agricultural industry went ahead and overused the corn anyway with little EPA intervention. The corn was planted in 1996. The first reports of rootworm resistance were officially … [Link]
Slashdot » Lego Robot Solves Rubik's Cube Puzzle In 3.253 Seconds
SternisheFan sends this news from CTV: "The Cubestormer 3 took 18 months to build but only needed 3.253 seconds to solve [a Rubik's cube], breaking the existing record. Unveiled at the Big Bang Fair in Birmingham, U.K., the Cubestormer 3 is constructed from the modular children's building-block toy but uses a Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone with a special ARM chip … [Link]
Slashdot » Turing Award Goes To Distributed Computing Wrangler Leslie Lamport
alphadogg writes "Leslie Lamport, a Microsoft Research principal, has been named the winner of the 2013 ACM A.M. Turing Award, frequently called the 'Nobel Prize in Computing.' The computer scientist was recognized by the Association for Computing Machinery for 'imposing clear, well-defined coherence on the seemingly chaotic behavior of distributed computing systems, in which several autonomous computers communicate with each … [Link]
Mashable » A Glimpse at Wes Anderson's Centered State of Mind
Filmmaker Wes Anderson really has a thing for symmetry. In case you've been too distracted by his quirky film plots to notice, Vimeo user Kogonada spliced together several clips from Anderson's career, inserting a simple dotted line in the center to point out his increasing obsession with the middle of the frame. See also: 'Die Hard' Is Much Cuter When a … [Link]
Slashdot » Google and Viacom Finally Settle YouTube Lawsuit
An anonymous reader sends word that Google and Viacom have settled their copyright lawsuit over videos posted to YouTube. The case has been ongoing for seven years, with Viacom initially demanding $1 billion and losing in court, but then successfully appealing. 'At the heart of the matter was whether YouTube was responsible for the copyrighted material its users posted on … [Link]
Mashable » Scared New Mom Receives Touching Advice From Kids With Down Syndrome
These kids have a message for a scared mom-to-be: "Don't worry." The message was in response to a mother's heartfelt email to the Italian Down syndrome advocacy group Coor Down. She sent it in February after learning that her child will be born with Down syndrome as well. See also: The Real Identity of Andy's Mom in 'Toy Story' "I’m … [Link]
Slashdot » Sony Announces Virtual Reality Headset For PS4
An anonymous reader writes "Sony has announced 'Project Morpheus,' their project to develop a virtual reality headset for use with the PlayStation 4. 'Using a combination of Sony's own hardware, combining personal video viewers with PlayStation Move controllers, PlayStation engineers experimented with multiple prototypes.' They've been working on it for over three years — here's a picture of the current … [Link]
Mashable » Groundbreaking Surgical Procedure Uses 3D Printing to Repair Injuries
Doctors at a United Kingdom hospital have broken surgical boundaries by reconstructing the face of a motorcycle-crash survivor using 3D-printing technology. Stephen Power, 29, suffered severe injuries while returning home with friends in Wales nearly two years ago. He broke both of his cheekbones, eye sockets and his upper jaw, in addition to fracturing his skull. Power also broke both … [Link]
Slashdot » Python 3.4 Released
New submitter gadfium writes: "Python 3.4 has been released. It adds new library features, bug fixes, and security improvements. It includes: at standardized implementation of enumeration types, a statistics module, improvements to object finalization, a more secure and interchangeable hash algorithm for strings and binary data, asynchronous I/O support, and an installer for the pip package manager." 
Read more of … [Link]
Mashable » Google Voice to Merge Into Hangouts, Report Says
The creeping shadow that is Google+ is about to touch one of the company's most beloved products: Google Voice. The company's free VoIP phone-call, texting, voicemail and voicemail-transcription product will soon merge with the Google+ Hangouts apps on both iOS and Android, leading to the complete elimination of Google Voice as a separate service, according to 9to5Mac.See also: Google Voice Mistaken … [Link]
Mashable » March Madness Trumps Pro Sports Leagues in Postseason TV Ad Spend
You’ve filled out your bracket, you're brandishing your team's colors and you've set your sights on making the Final Four — now it's officially time for March Madness. The NCAA men's basketball tournament starts Tuesday, and according to trend data from Kantar Media, March Madness generates more TV ad revenue than any pro sports league's postseason broadcast. Last year, the NCAA … [Link]
Slashdot » Judge Tells Feds To Be More Specific About Email Search Warrants
An anonymous reader writes "In yet another example of the judicial branch of the government becoming more critical of federal mass acquisition of personal data, federal magistrate judge John Facciola in D.C. 'denied a government warrant request to search an unnamed user's @mac.com e-mail address, citing the request as being overbroad.' The judge further noted (PDF), 'While it is evident … [Link]
Mashable » Acer Aspire S7 Is a Laptop You'll Covet
Want a good looking, lightweight laptop? Then get an Apple MacBook. That's been the standard for the last five years — a machine that combines high fashion, sleek design and excellent function. It's about time a Windows machine looked and felt as good. The Acer Aspire S7 does all that and more with an excellent high-resolution touchscreen display and a … [Link]
The Joy of Tech » JoT #1976: Post Android wearables anxiety
Please retweet, Like, or share the URL, if you enjoyed the comic! [Link]
Mashable » Solar-Powered Toilet Turns Poop Into Charcoal-Like Pellets
Though typically uttered with more vulgar language, the off-color remark of "defecating a brick" usually signifies a person's shock. Once you see this solar-powered toilet, you may be inspired to do the same, quite literally. SEE ALSO: Photos of Tasty Tech Eye Candy Of The Week Led by Karl Linden, an environmental engineering professor at the University of Colorado, a team … [Link]
Mashable » Feds Bust Massive Child-Porn Ring
U.S. officials announced on Tuesday the arrests of 14 men in a child-porn ring that victimized more than 250 children, many of them young boys, who were the subjects of a secret, members-only website The website had more than 27,000 subscribers, according to Reuters. Victims were mostly young boys between 13 and 15 years old. Victims were located in 39 U.S. … [Link]
Mashable » Samsung Debuts the Ultimate Selfie Camera, the NX Mini
Everyone loves taking selfies (right, Ellen?). The problem: You're usually forced to use not just a smartphone camera, which is bad enough, but the crappier front-facing camera on it. Still, you need to see yourself on that LCD to frame the shot, so you grin and bear it, even though the part of you that likes good photos cries on … [Link]
Mashable » Sony Brings Virtual-Reality System 'Project Morpheus' to PlayStation 4
Sony is jumping into the virtual-reality field, bringing its own system called "Project Morpheus" to the PlayStation 4. Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida announced Project Morpheus at a Tuesday evening session at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco See also: Bring Down the Death Star in 'Trench Run' Virtual Reality Game "The game industry has grown by leverage experiences … [Link]
Slashdot » Code Combat: Free, Open Source, Multiplayer Programming Lessons
An anonymous reader writes "Looking for something to do this weekend? Code Combat recently released the first of their multi-player levels for the general public. Their goal is to enable users to learn JavaScript it a fun, game-structured way. There are a bunch of levels to teach programming basics and JavaScript syntax, showing users how to code the AI and … [Link]
Mashable » Anti-Social Networking App Helps You Avoid Friends You Don't Like
A new app claims to be the social network for the anti-social. While most social media apps focus on helping you get closer to your friends, Cloak uses location data to make it easier for you to avoid your connections. See also: 20 Things Your Most Annoying Friends Do on Facebook The app pulls in location information from your social networks … [Link]
Slashdot » Malware Attack Infected 25,000 Linux/UNIX Servers
wiredmikey writes "Security researchers from ESET have uncovered a widespread attack campaign that has infected more than 25,000 Linux and UNIX servers around the world. The servers are being hijacked by a backdoor Trojan as part of a campaign the researchers are calling 'Operation Windigo.' Once infected, victimized systems are leveraged to steal credentials, redirected web traffic to malicious sites … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Statins could slow progression of late-stage MS
A daily dose of the cheap cholesterol drug slowed brain shrinkage – a marker of multiple sclerosis progression – and slowed physical deterioration 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » Displaced pythons display record homing instinct
Burmese pythons are the most accomplished navigators of any known snake, able to cross dozens of kilometres over many months to find their way home 
[Link]
Mashable » At Last! 'SimCity' Players Get Offline Mode
Released almost exactly a year ago, SimCity (a revamped version of the classic city-building game by Will Wright) was a study in what might have been. The game looked beautiful and had fascinating, intricate concepts behind it, but was plagued by slow server troubles from Day One And, worst of all, there was no way to play it unless you … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Disney’s Maleficent [Official Trailer #3]
“Maleficent,” the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty,” reveals the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart and drove her to curse the baby, Aurora. In theaters May 30, 2014. [Disney Movie Trailers | Via The Mary Sue] [Link]
Mashable » For Watch Nerds, the Moto 360 Is a Sure Bet
Oh, Motorola, you crafty little minx. How did you know that a simple circle could turn a smart watch from a clunky embarrassment into a potential object of desire? I have no other way of explaining my visceral reaction to seeing the Moto 360 for the first time. Based on photos and videos, it looks as a watch should. The Moto … [Link]
Archive
18 Apr 2024 17 Apr 2024 16 Apr 2024 15 Apr 2024 14 Apr 2024 13 Apr 2024 12 Apr 2024 11 Apr 2024 10 Apr 2024 09 Apr 2024 08 Apr 2024 07 Apr 2024 06 Apr 2024 05 Apr 2024 04 Apr 2024 03 Apr 2024 02 Apr 2024 01 Apr 2024 31 Mar 2024 30 Mar 2024 29 Mar 2024 28 Mar 2024 27 Mar 2024 26 Mar 2024 25 Mar 2024 24 Mar 2024 23 Mar 2024 22 Mar 2024 21 Mar 2024 20 Mar 2024 19 Mar 2024 18 Mar 2024
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
You must log in to post a comment.