John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

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Geekish

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.

Mashable » Afghan Journalists to Boycott News About Taliban

Friday 21 March 23:30:23 UTC 2014

Sardar-ahmadFeed-tw Feed-fbAfghan journalists have a message for the Taliban: trying to drum up media coverage of their terror campaigns by murdering civilians will not work any more. That's according to a group calling itself "the gathering of Afghan journalists," which issued a statement in response to the death of AFP journalist Sardar Ahmad Gunmen stormed the Serena Hotel Thursday evening armed with … [Link]

Mashable » Officials Resort to 'Looking Out of Aircraft Windows' for Missing Jetliner

Friday 21 March 23:17:30 UTC 2014

AustraliamalaysiaairlinesFeed-tw Feed-fbTwo weeks after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing with 239 people aboard, the search for the missing jetliner has gone analog. Ten State Emergency Services volunteers from Western Australia have joined the hunt over the Indian Ocean as observers on two commercial jets, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority announced in a Saturday morning media briefing. See also: Where Is the … [Link]

Mashable » 'Divergent' Gets a Sequel After Less Than a Day in Theaters

Friday 21 March 23:00:40 UTC 2014

DivergentFeed-tw Feed-fbHollywood studios usually wait to see at least a full weekend of a given movie's box-office returns before approving sequels. But in the case of Divergent, Summit/Lionsgate is feeling pretty dauntless. After the movie gained an eye-popping $4.9 million in receipts for Thursday late-night screenings alone, the studio has greenlit Insurgent, the second installment of the dystopian young-adult franchise (is there … [Link]

Slashdot » Getting Misogyny, Racism and Homophobia Out of Gaming

Friday 21 March 22:48:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes "A central theme for several talks at this week's Game Developers Conference has been how to deal with the abuse generated by a small segment of gamers. BioWare's Manveer Heir says he wants the industry to stop being scared of challenging the most outspoken and vituperative members of the gaming community. His GDC talk focused on … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Will robots doing TED talks spark an AI breakthrough?

Friday 21 March 22:41:00 UTC 2014

The X Prize Foundation challenges AI researchers to create robots capable of spontaneous high-level presentations, but the prize has drawn swift criticism [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Census Bureau Remains Dedicated to API Strategy, and 7 New APIs

Friday 21 March 22:30:13 UTC 2014

US Census BureauThe US Census Bureau continues to expand its API capabilities with new economic indicators. Plus, DirectX 12 will compete with AMD’s Mantle, and 7 New APIs. US Census Bureau Adds New Indicators to API In 2012, The US Census Bureau launched its first API. The API allows developers to build apps that interact and use US economic and population data. A … [Link]

Mashable » 9 Smile-Inducing Vine Videos to Bring You Joy

Friday 21 March 22:30:06 UTC 2014

Smile_thumbFeed-tw Feed-fbWe rang in the second-annual International Day of Happiness on March 20. Thousands of people joined in the celebration by sharing uplifting messages on social media. See also: Spread Joy on the International Day of Happiness To recognize this happy holiday, Mashable teamed up with the United Nations Foundation and All Natural Vines to host a special challenge. We encouraged our … [Link]

Mashable » The Internet's Search for MH370, Visualized

Friday 21 March 22:22:35 UTC 2014

Prayformalaysiaairlines370Feed-tw Feed-fbWhere is that plane?! That's the question we've all been asking since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 mysteriously vanished after taking off on March 8. Seeking answers, we've collectively turned to the Internet. See also: Where Is the Plane? 19 Possible Scenarios Twitter has turned into a near-constant stream of news, rumors, and theories, many tweeted with the hashtag #MH370. In fact, … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » How Many John McClane Would It Take To Survive Through Die Hard 1 to 5? [Video]

Friday 21 March 22:00:31 UTC 2014

From Screen Junkies: John McClane made it through Die Hard in 4 lives – how many does he need to finish all five movies?! We closed out the Die Hard saga and asked a real doctor to find out! [Screen Junkies] [Link]

Mashable » MLB Pitchers Avoid Helmets Despite Injury Risk

Friday 21 March 22:00:19 UTC 2014

Mark-sheldon-cincinnati-redsFeed-tw Feed-fbCincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman was struck in the face with a line drive during a spring training game. The scary mishap left him collapsed on the mound before he was taken off the field on a stretcher with fractures above his left eye and nose, and the remainder of the game was cancelled. He has a mild concussion and will … [Link]

Mashable » Marvel 'Mystery' Movie: 9 Things Fox Could Have Up Its Spandex Sleeve

Friday 21 March 21:43:24 UTC 2014

DeadpoolFeed-tw Feed-fbFox kicked up a storm of speculation when it announced its plans for a “mystery” Marvel movie for summer 2018. While limited in scope by the characters it owns, the possibilities sure are juicy. On Thursday night, Fox put a pin in July 13, 2018, for the unnamed comic-book film. It also set a few more concrete details, including a sequel … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » MusicGraph API-Driven Party Play App Wins Big at SXSW

Friday 21 March 21:30:01 UTC 2014

MusicGraphLast December, Senzari launched the MusicGraph music recommendation and data access engine as well as the new MusicGraph API. Earlier this month, Senzari opened the MusicGraph API to the public, unveiling the API at the first-ever annual SXSW Music Hackathon Championship. Among the apps included in the list of overall grand prize finalists is Party Play which uses the MusicGraph API … [Link]

Slashdot » The Net Routes Around Censorship In Turkey

Friday 21 March 21:27:00 UTC 2014

lpress writes: "Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been embarrassed by social media over corruption, vowed yesterday to 'eradicate Twitter.' He followed through by cutting off access, but users soon found work-arounds like posting by email and using VPNs. The hashtag #TwitterOlmadanYaayamam (I can't live without Twitter) quickly rose to the top of Twitter's worldwide trending topics." Share on Google+ Read … [Link]

Mashable » Samsung Galaxy S5 Comes to Sprint Users in April for $0 Down

Friday 21 March 21:15:37 UTC 2014

Samsung-hands-on-mwc-130Feed-tw Feed-fbFor $0 down on Sprint, Samsung's hotly anticipated Galaxy S5 could be yours beginning April 11. Through the Easy Pay program customers who grab the S5 will still need to make 24 monthly payments of $27.09. Alternatively, if you pick up the new flagship smartphone on Sprint's Framily Plan with Easy Pay, the carrier will give you a Samsung Galaxy Tab … [Link]

Mashable » Pocket Reveals Prototype of Android Wear App

Friday 21 March 21:00:57 UTC 2014

Moto-360Feed-tw Feed-fbPocket, the company behind the popular iOS and Android app that allows users to save articles to read later, revealed a prototype for a new version of its app designed for Android Wear, Google's brand-new wearables platform aimed at creating a consistent user experience across devices. The company released an early version of its software development kit that will give other … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Avengers Octopus Plushies [Pics]

Friday 21 March 21:00:09 UTC 2014

These cute Avengers-themed octopus plushies were made by etsy user Darcy and are available for purchase at her store, OctopodesGarden. Unfortunately, only a few are available right now, but the store should be fully restocked in the next few weeks. Darcy also take custom orders for those who are interested. [Source: OctopodesGarden on Etsy.com | Via] [Link]

Mashable » Reddit Plans to Offer Embeds for Breaking News Discussions

Friday 21 March 20:45:05 UTC 2014

Reddit-ukraine-1Feed-tw Feed-fbReddit is planning to offer embeds for breaking news threads, a move that could help news organizations tap into instant live blogs of newsworthy events. Erik Martin, general manager for Reddit, says the embeds will likely roll out this summer. They would let blogs and news organizations repackage the live reporting feature that Reddit introduced in beta last month See also: … [Link]

Slashdot » Spacecraft Returns Seven Particles From Birth of the Solar System

Friday 21 March 20:45:00 UTC 2014

sciencehabit writes "After a massive, years-long search, researchers have recovered seven interstellar dust particles returned to Earth by the Stardust spacecraft. The whole sample weighs just a few trillionths of a gram, but it's the first time scientists have laid their hands on primordial material unaltered by the violent birth of the solar system. Once the sample panel was back … [Link]

Mashable » Emerging and Developing Nations Want Internet Freedom

Friday 21 March 20:15:46 UTC 2014

Turkey-twitter-protestsFeed-tw Feed-fbMost people in countries with unrestricted Internet access take it for granted, forgetting that many countries around the world have censored, limited or no Internet access — even though it's a human right, according to the United Nations. This doesn't mean citizens don't understand and advocate for their right, though. Twitter was blocked in Turkey on Thursday, after Turkish Prime Minister … [Link]

Mashable » White House: Twitter Ban Undermines Turkey's Freedoms

Friday 21 March 20:11:16 UTC 2014

Erdogan-obamaFeed-tw Feed-fbNobody, except perhaps Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, seems very happy about Turkey's ban on Twitter. It has caused an uproar among Turkish citizens, who are finding ways get around the ban, Turkey's own president, and now the White House. The Obama administration condemned the ban in an emailed statement on Friday, stating that blocking Twitter undermines a citizen's "ability to … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Good Technology Offers API Providers Access to Enterprise Mobility Platform

Friday 21 March 20:06:58 UTC 2014

New data on enterprise mobility uptake suggests the industry is just taking off. Current opportunities for developers are in the utilities and energy and financial services sectors, with business intelligence and social business being key application use cases. Good Technology – which publishes an enterprise mobility quarterly report – is already leveraging the results to guide their industry partnerships and new … [Link]

Mashable » Florida's Burmese Pythons Are Eerily Good With Directions

Friday 21 March 20:04:37 UTC 2014

Burmese-pythonFeed-tw Feed-fbMost snakes don't boast strong internal navigation systems, but Burmese pythons have evolved unusually accurate internal maps and compasses that guide them home from many miles away, according to a new report. Burmese pythons — one of the largest species of snakes in the world, capable of growing more than 18 feet long — are native to southern Asia. However, they … [Link]

Slashdot » Level 3 Wants To Make Peering a Net Neutrality Issue

Friday 21 March 20:04:00 UTC 2014

New submitter thule writes "A story at Gigaom talks about how Level 3 is trying to pull peering into the net neutrality issue. Regulating peering could hamper how the Internet is interconnected, potentially turning it into a bureaucratic mess. Should peering be regulated?" Reader raque points out that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is banging the net neutrality drum, too: "Some … [Link]

Mashable » Pebble Sold 400,000 Smartwatches in 2013

Friday 21 March 20:00:43 UTC 2014

Pebble_smartwatch_wearbable-39Feed-tw Feed-fbPebble is definitely proving the smartwatch market is growing. The company sold 400,000 devices last year, snagging somewhere around $60 million in revenue. And in 2014, the company is well on track to double that revenue number. Talking with Fortune, company officials seem to be very confident with Pebbles place in the wearable device market, even with the growing amount of … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Supercomputer Watson To Fight Cancer

Friday 21 March 20:00:07 UTC 2014

IBM’s Jeopardy!-winning supercomputer Watson is to start exploring genetics in an attempt to tackle a rare brain cancer. Watson famously beat two champion Jeopardy players in a three-day challenge in 2011. While supercomputers can process information far more quickly than humans, the victory was significant as it showed Watson was able to process language and link concepts. IBM later made … [Link]

Mashable » Shelby.tv's Latest App Doesn't Check Your ID at the Door

Friday 21 March 19:40:36 UTC 2014

Shelby-tv-thumbnailFeed-tw Feed-fbThree years in, the YouTube and Vimeo video-discovery service Shelby.tv is lowering the barrier to entry into its world of nonstop, must-see videos (that your friends love). Its latest iPad app no longer asks you to sign up or provide any kind of social media credentials to start consuming video. For new users, Shelby.tv's free, updated iPad app, which launches on … [Link]

Slashdot » Speedy Attack Targets Web Servers With Outdated Linux Kernels

Friday 21 March 19:15:00 UTC 2014

alphadogg writes "Web servers running a long-outdated version of the Linux kernel were attacked with dramatic speed over two days last week, according to Cisco Systems. All the affected servers were running the 2.6 version, first released in December 2003. 'When attackers discover a vulnerability in the system, they can exploit it at their whim without fear of it being … [Link]

Mashable » PepsiCo Promises Not to Buy Sugar Grown on Contested Land

Friday 21 March 19:00:09 UTC 2014

Pepsi-sugar-1Feed-tw Feed-fbFive months ago, antipoverty group Oxfam called out some of the world's largest food and beverage companies for buying sugar, palm oil, and soy from suppliers that kick people off their land to make way for plantations. On March 18, PepsiCo, one of the companies named by Oxfam, announced new rules for its suppliers specifically prohibiting the practice. In one example … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Europe's home-grown space shuttle gears up for launch

Friday 21 March 18:58:00 UTC 2014

The IXV is Europe's first attempt in 16 years to build a spaceship that can re-enter Earth's atmosphere – it could one day carry astronauts into space [Link]

Mashable » Instagram Photos With Faces Get 38% More Likes

Friday 21 March 18:50:31 UTC 2014

BieberFeed-tw Feed-fbInstagram photos that include faces are far more likely to get likes from followers than those without, a new study suggests. According to a report conducted at Georgia Tech, people are more drawn to photos that feature the face. In fact, of 1.1 million randomly-selected Instagram photos analyzed with face detection software, those with faces were 38% more likely to get … [Link]

Slashdot » Google's Project Tango Headed To International Space Station

Friday 21 March 18:32:00 UTC 2014

itwbennett (1594911) writes "A pair of Google's Project Tango phones, the prototype smartphone packed with sensors so it can learn and sense the world around it, is heading to the International Space Station on the upcoming Orbital 2 mission where they will be used to help develop autonomous flying robots. Work on the robots is already going on at NASA's … [Link]

Mashable » HootSuite Bounces Back After DDoS Attack

Friday 21 March 18:28:52 UTC 2014

Hootsuite-3Feed-tw Feed-fbHootSuite has bounced back from a denial of service (DoS) attack on Thursday morning that prevented users from accessing the social media platform. The attack started around 9:45 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, according to a blog post from CEO Ryan Holmes on the HootSuite website See also: The Beginner's Guide to HootSuite Holmes said no customer data was at risk. "While … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Interview with AudioCommon’s CEO Phil Cohen

Friday 21 March 18:28:08 UTC 2014

One of the breakout stars from this year’s SXSW festival took his passion for music and his desire to create a new collaborative experience for musicians and the entire music industry to a deeper, more enriching level. MIT grad Philip Cohen has created a new cloud-based platform that transforms the way music is created. AudioCommon allows musicians across the globe … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » When Snow White Goes Steampunk [Cosplay]

Friday 21 March 18:11:20 UTC 2014

I love this fantastic interpretation of a “steampunkified” Snow White by Swedish cosplayer enjoithis. The costume is based on the artwork of Deviantart user noflutter. The whole costume, excluding gloves because of my lazyness, is made by me. The costume contains: Shoe covers, stockings, bloomers, hoop skirt, petticoat, dress, corset, goggles, miniature hat, breathing apparatus (back) and mask. All of … [Link]

Mashable » Kimye Finally Nabs 'Vogue' Cover

Friday 21 March 18:05:20 UTC 2014

KanyekimvogueFeed-tw Feed-fbIt’s finally safe to say — Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have made it If the millions of dollars and fame weren't enough proof that the duo were the new Hollywood "it" couple, Kardashian and West grace the cover of Vogue's April 2014 issue. It's a feat few imagined could happen img-apriltest_104557289055.jpg_guides_hero See also: Kanye West's 'Bound 2' Video Reveals a NSFW … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » An Honest Way to End a Boring Conversation [Comic]

Friday 21 March 18:00:32 UTC 2014

[Source: Fowl Language | Like Fowl Language on Facebook] [Link]

Mashable » 1.2 Million Tweets Sent in Turkey, Despite Ban

Friday 21 March 17:55:45 UTC 2014

Twitter_turkey_2Feed-tw Feed-fbThey really are occupying Twitter. One day after Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced an attempt to "eradicate" Twitter, Turkish users have employed SMS, DNS, VPN and Tor to send over one million tweets in defiance of the ban. “We will eradicate Twitter,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had said at a campaign rally on Thursday. “I don’t care what … [Link]

Slashdot » Fluke Donates Multimeters To SparkFun As Goodwill Gesture

Friday 21 March 17:42:00 UTC 2014

Actually, I do RTFA writes "We recently heard about the confiscation of a delivery of multimeters to SparkFun for infringing on Fluke's trademark. One common thread in the discussions was the theme that Fluke should have let that shipment through as a goodwill gesture to SparkFun and the Maker community. Well, Fluke did one better. They announced they were sending … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Rise of robot reporters: when software writes the news

Friday 21 March 17:30:00 UTC 2014

Earlier this week, a robot wrote a breaking news story about an earthquake. But this is not the first machine to carry a press pass [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Let there be (intelligent) light

Friday 21 March 17:29:18 UTC 2014

New technologies often manifest their most dramatic effects through things that are commonplace, even prosaic. Consider the electric light: it’s ubiquitous and, well, boring. But meld it with some modern technology and you get intelligent lighting — wirelessly networked LED … [Link]

Mashable » #Sellotape: The New Sticky Selfie Trend

Friday 21 March 17:26:08 UTC 2014

Tape_face-3Feed-tw Feed-fbThe Internet has resorted to office supplies for the latest photo trend. And this new selfie craze is one that we hope doesn't stick. (Sorry.) Sellotape selfies, named after the British brand of clear adhesive tape, involves wrapping your head with tape, contorting it into a horrifying version of yourself. See also: Man Takes Selfies for Proof to the IRS The … [Link]

Mashable » Spring Blizzard 'Bomb' May Target Areas From New York to Boston

Friday 21 March 17:02:14 UTC 2014

3_21_14_andrew_blizzardpicFeed-tw Feed-fbCue the cursing, tomato throwing, and eventually, hiding under a blanket: Winter is far from over in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The National Weather Service's (NWS) technical forecast discussion (i.e. a discussion meant for the agency's forecasters and weather nerds around the country) on Friday morning said it all: "NOR'EASTER BOMB INDICATED OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST LATE TUESDAY NIGHT…" The translation: … [Link]

Mashable » Why None of the NSA's Ideas Are Worth Spreading

Friday 21 March 17:01:18 UTC 2014

RichardledgettnsadeputydirectortedFeed-tw Feed-fbWhat’s the National Security Agency's idea worth spreading? TED's Chris Anderson put the trademark question to NSA Deputy Director Richard Ledgett on Thursday during an interview at the Vancouver conference. Ledgett's answer: "Learn the facts." See also: How TED Got Edward Snowden and the NSA Deputy Director Onstage In true TED style, that's a surprising, thought-provoking statement. The problem is that … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Winterfell’s Newspaper Obituaries Section [Pic]

Friday 21 March 17:00:03 UTC 2014

[Source: Sands Media | Via] [Link]

Slashdot » Some Sites That Blue Coat Blocks Under "Pornography"

Friday 21 March 17:00:00 UTC 2014

Bennett Haselton writes this week with a dissection of the effects of one well-known, long-known problem with so-called Internet filters. "The New Braunfels Republican Women, the Weston Community Children's Association, and the Rotary Club of Midland, Ontario are among the sites categorized as 'pornography' by Blue Coat, a California-based Internet blocking software company. While the product may not be much … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » MachineShop Leverages RESTful APIs to Help Normalize the IoT

Friday 21 March 16:58:11 UTC 2014

MachineShop plans to deliver a service that normalizes all the data being collected across the Internet of Things (IoT). The MachineShop service, formally launched this week with $3 million in funding, normalizes data formats across a wide range of APIs. It connects devices in a way that provides access to a common set of business logic, event management and communications services … [Link]

Mashable » Top 5 Awkward News Stories of the Week

Friday 21 March 16:50:05 UTC 2014

Ktla-1Feed-tw Feed-fb While most broadcast news networks continue their coverage of the crisis in Ukraine or the mysterious disappearance of Flight MH370, our very own Lamarr Wilson has been tracking the 500-Pound "Chicken from Hell". See also: Top 3 Awkward Moments From CES 2014 Lamarr has rounded up this week's most awkward news stories for his Mashable show Socially Awkward. Check out … [Link]

Mashable » Microsoft Updates Privacy Policy After Accessing Blogger's Hotmail

Friday 21 March 16:49:50 UTC 2014

Microsoft-hackerFeed-tw Feed-fbNot long after Microsoft defended how it accessed a blogger's private Hotmail account to determine if a former employee stole trade secrets, there was an outcry over the privacy implications Now, Microsoft is making a change to its privacy policy that would require its legal team — not its internal investigations department — to look into cases to see if a … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Feedback: Going down the tubes with CO2

Friday 21 March 16:48:38 UTC 2014

Global flattening, acrostic topology, Gove me the word and more (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Mashable » The Top 10 Most-Followed Twitter Accounts

Friday 21 March 16:30:10 UTC 2014

Top-10-thumb-webFeed-tw Feed-fbFriday is Twitter's eighth birthday — and boy, has it come a long way. In that time, the social networking site has evolved into an invaluable resource for news (and it's not a bad place to find out what Katy Perry is up to). With more than 51 million followers, the pop star is — for now, at least — the … [Link]

Slashdot » Is This the End of Splitscreen Multiplayer, Or the Start of Its Rebirth?

Friday 21 March 16:19:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes "A new history of splitscreen multiplayer looks at how the phenomenon went from arcade necessity to console selling point, and eventually evolved into today's online multiplayer networks like Xbox Live. The article digs up some surprising anecdotes along the way — like the fact that the seminal Goldeneye N64 deathmatch mode was very much an afterthought, … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Turkey's Twitter takedown can't stop citizens tweeting

Friday 21 March 16:15:00 UTC 2014

Turkish prime minister Recep Erdoğan has blocked the country's access to Twitter – but users are finding clever ways to get round the ban [Link]

New Scientist – News » Less gloopy oceans will slow climate change

Friday 21 March 16:03:00 UTC 2014

As the seas warm they will become less viscous, which may be good news because carbon will sink faster to the seabed where it is out of harm's way [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Champion of Liberty [Comic]

Friday 21 March 16:00:22 UTC 2014

[Source: Dragonart | Dragonart on Facebook] [Link]

Mashable » Watch an Adorably Teary-Eyed Boy Learn He'll Be a Big Brother

Friday 21 March 15:54:51 UTC 2014

BrotherFeed-tw Feed-fbEvery life-changing moment should come with a sweet, quiet video like this. Eleven-year-old Logan had no idea what to expect when he sat down in front of a camera and was told to read a special message from a sheet of paper. The video cuts in as Logan is reading off his plans for the year — just before the unexpected … [Link]

Mashable » Google Goes Mythbusting About Google Glass

Friday 21 March 15:50:25 UTC 2014

Google-glass-pics-summer-interns-2013-10-of-19Feed-tw Feed-fbGoogle Glass hasn't had a great month. It was a factor in an alleged assault, got banned in more restaurants, and one of its earliest advocates had harsh words for the device. Now Google has begun the damage control. In a lengthy post on Google+, the Glass team attacked several myths about the device, aimed at people who don't yet have … [Link]

Slashdot » Linux May Succeed Windows XP As OS of Choice For ATMs

Friday 21 March 15:36:00 UTC 2014

Dega704 sends this news from ComputerWorld: "Some financial services companies are looking to migrate their ATM fleets from Windows to Linux in a bid to have better control over hardware and software upgrade cycles. Pushing them in that direction apparently is Microsoft's decision to end support for Windows XP on April 8, said David Tente, executive director, USA, of the … [Link]

Mashable » Teen's Stunt Exposes That WTC Has No Working Surveillance Cameras

Friday 21 March 15:26:15 UTC 2014

WtcFeed-tw Feed-fbA 16-year-old boy snuck his way to the top of the tallest building in the United States earlier this week — and there is no video to prove it. Justin Casquejo's climb up 1 World Trade Center in New York City, considered by some to be among the biggest targets for terrorists in the world, brought to light that the building doesn't … [Link]

Mashable » Rockin' Nun Shocks 'The Voice of Italy'

Friday 21 March 15:10:11 UTC 2014

Nonrock.16.9Feed-tw Feed-fb This is not your average nun. The Catholic church is no stranger to music, but when 25-year-old Sister Cristina Scuccia appeared on The Voice of Italy, she floored the audience and judges with her performance. See also: Beyonce's 'Drunk in Love' Goes Vintage With Swing Cover The nun performed a stellar rendition of "No One" by Alicia Keys in full … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Cosplay Dreams – London Super Comic Con (LSCC) 2014 [Cosplay Music Video]

Friday 21 March 15:00:01 UTC 2014

A fun cinematic depiction of cosplayers at London Super Comic Con (LSCC) 2014. If you’ve missed our picture gallery from LSCC 2014, be sure to check it out right here! [Johnnie & Todd's Den] [Link]

Slashdot » Back To the Moon — In Four Years

Friday 21 March 14:54:00 UTC 2014

braindrainbahrain writes "Gene Grush, a former division chief at NASA Johnson, has written a series of articles on how the U.S. can return to the Moon in four years. He says not only can we land there, but we can actually build a base on the Moon as well. How is this feasible? A public/private partnership between NASA and a … [Link]

Mashable » IRS Phone Scam Sweeps the Nation and Other News You Need to Know

Friday 21 March 14:51:25 UTC 2014

Irs1Feed-tw Feed-fb 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. In the disturbing news of the day, The Charlotte Observer reports police in Lincolnton, N.C., are currently looking for a man suspected of posing as a podiatry student. … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Lava fossilised this Jurassic fern down to its cells

Friday 21 March 14:36:00 UTC 2014

This incredibly detailed fossil shows individual chromosomes splitting – courtesy of a mini-catastrophe 180 million years ago [Link]

Mashable » How Long Would You Last in a Zombie Apocalypse?

Friday 21 March 14:30:26 UTC 2014

Zombie-1Feed-tw Feed-fbZombies are everywhere but in real life, taking over our TV screens, comic books and crawling the web. We always joke about an apocalypse, but never really get down to the bottom of this faux-nomenon — if zombies were real, how long would you last? A survey technology company called Qualtrics put that question to the test with a zombie-themed survey. … [Link]

Mashable » MasterCard, Visa Cut Off Some Russian Banks Over U.S. Sanctions

Friday 21 March 14:22:23 UTC 2014

Mastercard-russia-.jpgFeed-tw Feed-fbIn an echo of the Cold War, MasterCard and Visa have stopped processing payments by some Russian banks after the United States issued sanctions over Russia's recent annexation of Crimea. A MasterCard representative says the brand has pulled out of Rossiya, Sobinbank and SMP Bank, but is still doing business with all other Russian banks. Reps from Visa could not be … [Link]

Mashable » Fighting Turkey's Twitter Ban With DNS Graffiti

Friday 21 March 14:13:31 UTC 2014

Dns-twitter-graffitiFeed-tw Feed-fbWhen Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he wold eradicate Twitter, he wasn't joking. The Prime Minister's office issued a statement on Thursday stating that Turkish officials had "no option" other than to ban the service, which had been used to release damaging information about him. But the edict was met with controversy and retaliation, both from Turkish citizens and … [Link]

Slashdot » DirectX 12 Promises Lower-level Hardware Access On Multiple Platforms

Friday 21 March 14:12:00 UTC 2014

crookedvulture writes "Microsoft formally introduced its DirectX 12 API at the Game Developers Conference yesterday. This next-gen programming interface will extend across multiple platforms, from PCs to consoles to mobile devices. Like AMD's Mantle API, it promises reduced CPU overhead and lower-level access to graphics hardware. But DirectX 12 won't be limited to one vendor's hardware. Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day – The TV Super Sale: Up to 65% Off Select TV Shows + Other Great Deals

Friday 21 March 14:10:34 UTC 2014

For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers up to 65% off on select TV shows such has Dexter, NCIS, CSI, and more! -Up to 65% Off Select TV Shows -Up to 65% Off Seasons of Star Trek: TNG -72% Off The Ice Age 1-4 Collection and Ice Age Christmas (5 Movies) [Link]

Mashable » Let Oculus Rift Take You to the Supermarket

Friday 21 March 14:09:34 UTC 2014

Oculus.jpgFeed-tw Feed-fb Using the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift, you can experience the world of Game of Thrones, games like Portal 2 and even Jerry's apartment from Seinfeld. But how about using this immersive technology to simulate a trip to the supermarket? Not very exciting you say? Well, you've never tried a Tesco in VR See also: Taco Bell's Latest Marketing Innovation: … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Whats Up With Big Data Ethics?

Friday 21 March 14:02:47 UTC 2014

by Jonathan H. King & Neil M. Richards If you develop software or manage databases, you’re probably at the point now where the phrase “Big Data” makes you roll your eyes. Yes, it’s hyped quite a lot these days. But, … [Link]

Mashable » An Open Letter to Jimmy Kimmel

Friday 21 March 14:00:47 UTC 2014

Jk-2Feed-tw Feed-fbDear Jimmy Kimmel, You've trolled humankind for years, but let's focus on the acts that have most recently infected the web. It was clear you found your YouTube groove last April when you humiliated interviewed Coachella fans in "Lie Witness News." See also: It's All Fun and Games 'til Jimmy Kimmel Ruins Everything The subsequent series followed a similar formula, exploiting … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Star Wars R2-D2 Swim Trunks [Pic]

Friday 21 March 14:00:02 UTC 2014

It may not be as sexy as Black Milk’s iconic R2-D2 swimsuit, but for male geeks, it’s the next best thing. [Available @ Amazon.com | Via] [Link]

Mashable » These Dancers With Down Syndrome Will Make You 'Happy'

Friday 21 March 13:58:51 UTC 2014

WdshappydaythumbFeed-tw Feed-fb Watching people dance to almost any song is usually a happy experience. Watching those living with Down syndrome dance to the snappy beats of Pharrell's soon-to-be-played-out "Happy" is something approaching joy. Since 2012, the world has been celebrating World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st. This 21st day in the third month of the year was chosen, according to the … [Link]

Mashable » Crimea Crisis Wreaks Havoc on Local Tourism

Friday 21 March 13:46:22 UTC 2014

Crimea-beachFeed-tw Feed-fbWhat happens to a travel destination when it becomes embroiled in political protest and armed conflict? Like Cyprus and Egypt before it, Crimea is about to find out. Crimea's cities and coastal regions boast beautiful resorts, centuries-old castles and black sand beaches. The peninsula has been considered a vacation destination since the late 1800s. The annual high season for tourism to … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » iBeacon basics

Friday 21 March 13:30:35 UTC 2014

As any programmer knows, writing the “hello, world” program is the canonical elementary exercise in any new programming language. Getting devices to interact with the world is the foundation of the Internet of Things, and enabling devices to learn about … [Link]

Slashdot » MtGox Finds 200,000 Bitcoins In Old Wallet

Friday 21 March 13:29:00 UTC 2014

thesandbender writes: "Today brings news that MtGox has 'found' 200,000 Bitcoins in a 'forgotten' wallet that they thought was empty (PDF). The value of the coins is estimated to be $116 million USD, which happens to cover their $64 million USD in outstanding debts nicely and might offer them the chance to emerge from bankruptcy. There is no explanation yet … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Terrifying Pikachu Cakes [Pics]

Friday 21 March 13:00:53 UTC 2014

Twitter user Kira Hime Teitoku recently acquired some adorable Pikachu-shaped molds and decided to try her hand a replicating the picture on the product’s box using a pound cake recipe. Behold the terrifying result: The she proceeded to lovingly wrap each little Pikachu in plastic one by one: [Source: @1226Kirahime | Via] [Link]

Slashdot » Inside NSA's Efforts To Hunt Sysadmins

Friday 21 March 12:47:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes "The Snowden revelations continue, with The Intercept releasing an NSA document titled 'I hunt sys admins' (PDF on Cryptome). The document details NSA plans to break into systems administrators' computers in order to gain access to the networks they control. The Intercept has a detailed analysis of the leaked document. Quoting: 'The classified posts reveal how … [Link]

Mashable » Mt. Gox Finds 200,000 Forgotten Bitcoins in Old Wallet

Friday 21 March 12:46:07 UTC 2014

Bitcoin_walletFeed-tw Feed-fbMt. Gox, the troubled Bitcoin exchange, claims it has found 200,000 bitcoins that it had "forgotten" about. The Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, which is now under bankruptcy protection, announced the find on its website. Mark Kapeles, the head of the exchange, said the cache was found March 7. The bitcoins — worth about $118 million at the time of writing — were … [Link]

Mashable » Turkey's President Slams the Twitter Ban — on Twitter

Friday 21 March 12:20:21 UTC 2014

Abdullah-gulFeed-tw Feed-fbTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledged to eradicate Twitter on Thursday, but Abdullah Gül, the current president of Turkey, had an entirely different view. He couldn't have chosen a better platform to express it on: Twitter. “A complete shutdown of social media platforms cannot be approved,” Gül tweeted on Friday. "Also, as I mentioned many times before […] it is … [Link]

Slashdot » Mathematician Gives Tips On How To Win $1 Billion On NCAA Basketball

Friday 21 March 12:03:00 UTC 2014

Hugh Pickens DOT Com (2995471) writes "Jake Simpson reports at The Atlantic that Mathematician Tim Chartier, a Davidson College professor who specializes in ranking methods, teaches a math-heavy form of bracketology — the science of predicting the annual NCAA college basketball tournament at Davidson College in North Carolina. Chartier's academic research is in ranking methods where he looks at things … [Link]

Mashable » The Illustrated History of Twitter

Friday 21 March 12:00:59 UTC 2014

Post-thumb-twitterFeed-tw Feed-fb Take 140 characters, put them in a blender and mix for eight years. What do you get? About $31 billion That's the secret recipe behind Twitter, the social networking powerhouse celebrating a birthday today. Whether you're an addict, a casual tweeter or still a skeptic, Twitter has grown into a necessity in the world of breaking news and culture See … [Link]

Mashable » Too Many Facebook Hashtags Seriously Hurt Your Brand

Friday 21 March 11:43:04 UTC 2014

Facebook-hashtags-brand-chartFeed-tw Feed-fbYou really need to stop using so many hashtags on your brand's Facebook Page, according to a new report (though, it's probably a good rule of thumb for your personal page, too). Social media marketing company Socialbakers released data this week showing that the more hashtags a brand uses in a Facebook post, the less engagement it receives See also: How … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Deal/Day: Ban Bossy. Encourage Young Women to Lead-and Profit in Business + Save 50% on Ebooks

Friday 21 March 11:33:44 UTC 2014

View the ebooks now > [Link]

Mashable » 21 Clever Promposals You'd Never Turn Down

Friday 21 March 11:30:17 UTC 2014

PromthumbFeed-tw Feed-fbProm is just around the corner, and the heat is on for high schoolers hoping to accompany their dream date. It's the most important dance of the most important year of pre-adult life, so seniors everywhere are determined to make it the best night ever. Gone are the days when you could simply ask the object of your affection to prom. … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 21 March 2014

Friday 21 March 10:31:07 UTC 2014

Hack — PHP with types, generics, collections, lambdas. From Facebook. Solve Hard Things Early — Build great habits around communication and decision-making when everyone still knows each other well. Marginally Useful (Paul Ford) — The last two decades have suggested … [Link]

Mashable » If Pop Culture's Coolest Cars Were 'Transformers'

Friday 21 March 10:30:06 UTC 2014

DarrwnFeed-tw Feed-fbOptimus Prime, say hello to Optimus Delorean.Canadian illustrator Darren Rawlings imagined iconic vehicles from pop culture as autobots from the Transformers franchise See also: 23 Whimsical Disney Posters That Took a Trip Down the Rabbit Hole In this neat new series, cars like Herbie, Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine and the Dukes of Hazzard Gran Torino get the Transformer treatmentBack to the … [Link]

Mashable » Considering a Digital Detox? Just Google "Nature" Instead

Friday 21 March 10:15:40 UTC 2014

Scottish-highlands-disconnectingFeed-tw Feed-fbThis year some people might consider the idea of a digital detox vacation. Perhaps a trip to the Scottish Highlands, where communities deprived of decent broadband are wondering whether to market themselves as digital-free destinations in an attempt to flip a lack of poor reception into "meaningful and emotional experiences". A digital detox can be simply achieved by disconnecting yourself from … [Link]

Mashable » T-Mobile to Offer Samsung Galaxy S5 With No Down Payment

Friday 21 March 9:52:32 UTC 2014

Samsung-galaxy-s5Feed-tw Feed-fbT-Mobile will be offering the Samsung's new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, for $0 down and 24 monthly payments of $27.50, the company has announced The Galaxy S5 will become available for pre-order March 24, and it will hit T-Mobile stores on April 11 See also: Samsung Galaxy S5 Scans Fingers, Doesn't Fear Water AT&T has also revealed the pricing for … [Link]

Slashdot » The Myth of the Science and Engineering Shortage

Friday 21 March 9:29:00 UTC 2014

walterbyrd (182728) writes in with this story that calls into question the conventional wisdom that there is a shortage of science and engineering workforce in the U.S. "Such claims are now well established as conventional wisdom. There is almost no debate in the mainstream. They echo from corporate CEO to corporate CEO, from lobbyist to lobbyist, from editorial writer to … [Link]

Mashable » The 10 Highest-Rated Tech Company CEOs

Friday 21 March 9:03:13 UTC 2014

ZuckerbergFeed-tw Feed-fbMove over, Mark Zuckerberg — there's a new top CEO in town Glassdoor, a website that catalogs information about workplaces, published a list of the top 50 highest rated company CEOs, based on employee feedback. In 2013, Zuckerberg, Facebook's well-known CEO, topped the list with a 99% approval rating. He's been bumped down a few notches this year, but still managed … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Facing up to the limits of DNA-based forensics

Friday 21 March 8:00:00 UTC 2014

A new crime-fighting technique lets police reconstruct a suspect's appearance from DNA – but we must be alert to its potential for misuse [Link]

Mashable » Beyonce's 'Drunk in Love' Goes Vintage With Swing Cover

Friday 21 March 7:40:52 UTC 2014

Queen_bee-1Feed-tw Feed-fb If Beyonce lived in the Roaring Twenties, you'd be drinking all of your bathtub gin to this tune YouTube cover band Scott Bradlee and Post Modern Jukebox created a swing-inspired rendition of Beyoncé's "Drunk in Love." The band has racked up fans with their knack for transforming pop songs into other genres, such as bluegrass, swing and doo-wop See also: … [Link]

Slashdot » Could Earth's Infrared Emissions Be a New Renewable Energy Source?

Friday 21 March 7:04:00 UTC 2014

Zothecula (1870348) writes "Could it one day be possible to generate electricity from the loss of heat from Earth to outer space? A group of Harvard engineers believe so and have theorized something of a reverse photovoltaic cell to do just this. The key is using the flow of energy away from our planet to generate voltage, rather than using … [Link]

Slashdot » Flies That Do Calculus With Their Wings

Friday 21 March 6:07:00 UTC 2014

DudeTheMath (522264) writes "Cornell University scientists studied how fruit flies respond to flight disturbances (instead of wind gusts, they used carefully controlled magnetic pulses) and found that the flies recover in as little as three wing beats (at 250 per second) by doing some kind of calculus in a little 'integrated circuit' of neurons that control the wings directly. The … [Link]

Mashable » Dear Dictators: Yes, Please Try to Block Twitter

Friday 21 March 5:29:37 UTC 2014

Ap604284114958Feed-tw Feed-fbSo how was your day, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan? We're guessing it didn't go quite the way you intended. For example, several million fewer people on this planet didn't associate your name, if they knew it at all, with the word "dictator." But that was the top worldwide trending hashtag for many long primetime hours on Twitter Thursday — … [Link]

Slashdot » Pine Tree Has Largest Genome Ever Sequenced

Friday 21 March 4:26:00 UTC 2014

sciencehabit (1205606) writes "Using a single pollinated pine seed, researchers have sequenced the entire genome of the loblolly pine tree–and it's a doozy. The tree's genome is largest yet sequenced: 22.18 billion base pairs, more than seven times longer than the human genome. The team found that 82% of the genome was made up of duplicated segments, compared with just … [Link]

Mashable » Now Gmail Encrypts Messages Sent to Google Servers

Friday 21 March 3:45:53 UTC 2014

GmailFeed-tw Feed-fbStarting Thursday, Gmail will always use an encrypted HTTPS connection for sending and receiving email. Gmail has supported HTTPS since 2004 (an option to enable HTTPS as the default setting for a particular account was added in 2008) and in 2010, Google made HTTPS connections the default user option. See also: Turn on Gmail's 2-Step Verification – Now Now, Gmail will … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Handmade Polymer Dragon Figurines Are Perfect Gaming Buddies

Friday 21 March 3:30:21 UTC 2014

Etsy seller How Many Dragons make 2″-tall polymer clay dragons by hand and many of them are meant to hold your gaming dice! You can also build your own! [Link]

Mashable » 3 Ways to Tweet from Turkey

Friday 21 March 3:23:00 UTC 2014

ErdoganFeed-tw Feed-fbTwitter went down in Turkey following Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's pledge to eradicate Twitter in the country. The service may be officially banned — but Turkey's 10 million Twitter users are still finding ways to tweet. See also: Dear Dictators: Yes, Please Try to Block Twitter despite the ban, my #turkish timeline is busier than ever.People were ready, change … [Link]

Mashable » Andy Serkis Goes From Gollum to Directing 'Jungle Book' Movie

Friday 21 March 3:08:13 UTC 2014

Ap979559105049Feed-tw Feed-fbAndy Serkis is finally getting his shot in the director's chair, by gollum The affable Brit has signed on to helm a live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book for Warner Bros., a person with knowledge of the deal confirms to Mashable. Serkis has lent his formidable voice and motion-capture talents to a number of major special-effects films, most memorably as Gollum … [Link]

Mashable » Learn Dothraki With This Nostalgic Muzzy VHS Parody

Friday 21 March 2:31:41 UTC 2014

Muzzy-dothrakiFeed-tw Feed-fb If you only know how to count to three in French, chances are your language skills came exclusively from the Muzzy commercials that flooded our airwaves as kids We think that might be the case for the funny crew over at Nacho Punch. The sketch group combined the nostalgic commercial with Game of Thrones to see what it'd be like … [Link]

Mashable » Next on 'This American Life': The End of a 17-Year Distribution Deal

Friday 21 March 2:06:30 UTC 2014

Ap070205068680Feed-tw Feed-fbThis American Life won't be on Public Radio International anymore, but Ira Glass' popular anthology program will be … somewhere. Eventually. After a 17-year-run that redefined Saturday afternoon for millions of listeners, the distribution agreement will terminate this summer, PRI announced Thursday. “During our most recent negotiation, it became clear that our organizations’ expectations regarding our futures were different,” PRI executive … [Link]

Slashdot » How Did Bill Nye Become the Science Guy?

Friday 21 March 2:00:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes "Whether he's debating creationists, taking selfies with President Obama, or 'Dancing with the Stars,' Bill Nye the Science Guy is no stranger to the spotlight. But what about the man behind the public persona? How did Bill Nye become the Science Guy?(video) Bill Nye has made his debut on the PBS series, The Secret Life of … [Link]

Mashable » White House May Ditch BlackBerry for Android

Friday 21 March 1:43:56 UTC 2014

WhitehouseFeed-tw Feed-fbPresident Obama may abandon his beloved Blackberry in favor of an Android device before he leaves office. White House officials are in the early stages of testing new smartphones, including handsets from LG and Samsung, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. See also: 7 Outdated Technologies the U.S. Military Still Uses Citing a source familiar with the plans, … [Link]

Mashable » Court Fines General $20,000 For Sexual Misconduct

Friday 21 March 1:11:59 UTC 2014

Ap233848337971Feed-tw Feed-fbAn Army general said to be the highest ranking officer ever to be court-martialed plead guilty on Thursday to having inappropriate relationships with several junior female officers, thereby avoiding charges of sexual assault. United States Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair was docked $20,000 in pay but avoided jail time for carrying on a three-year relationship with one captain and having "inappropriate" … [Link]

Mashable » Using YouTube for Social Good: The 2014 DoGooder Award Winners

Friday 21 March 0:50:52 UTC 2014

Youtube-dogooder-awards-2014Feed-tw Feed-fbYouTube officially announced the winners of the 2014 DoGooder Video Awards last week, recognizing the most creative and inspiring videos from non-profits and individuals over the past year. This year's winners, specifically, showcase the fight against cancer, support of mental health and the stories of refugees in the United States. The awards program, now in its eighth year, is presented in … [Link]

The Joy of Tech » JoT #1977: first tweet/final tweet

Friday 21 March 0:39:37 UTC 2014

JoT thumb Please retweet, Like, or share the URL, if you enjoyed the comic! [Link]

New Scientist – News » Invisible: What your brain refuses to see

Friday 21 March 0:30:00 UTC 2014

You see only what your mind wants you to see, and this exerts a profound influence on your behaviour (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Mashable » Search Intensifies for Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane

Friday 21 March 0:12:57 UTC 2014

AusmalayairlinesFeed-tw Feed-fbThe search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 intensified Friday morning as authorities in Australia sought out two mysterious objects, spotted by a U.S. satellite, that could be a piece of the missing jetliner. See also: Australia Finds 2 Objects That May Be From Missing Malaysia Airlines Plane There has been no new sign of the objects since Australia Prime Minister Tony … [Link]

Slashdot » College Grads Create Fake Tesla Commercial That Elon Musk Loves

Friday 21 March 0:00:00 UTC 2014

cartechboy (2660665) writes "Two University of Southern California grads were looking to start a digital content company so they decided to roll the dice and create a home-made (but incredibly professional looking) television commercial for Tesla — just to see if they could get some attention for it. Well, apparently, mission accomplished. R.J. Collins and James Khabushani took $1,500 and … [Link]

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