John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

John Gordon Ross header image 3

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 » Hands On With the Samsung Galaxy Tab S

Thursday 12 June 23:58:58 UTC 2014

Samsung_galaxy-tab-s-tabletsFeed-tw Feed-fb Samsung may have just delivered the first true challengers to the Apple iPad Air and iPad Mini With Retina Display: The Samsung Galaxy Tab S. The Galaxy Tab S describes two tablets, one 10.5 inches ($499) and the other 8.4 inches ($399), with the exact same internal specs and features. Both are running Android 4.4 "KitKat," feature 2,560 x 1,600 … [Link]

Mashable » Samsung: Not Afraid of the iPad Anymore

Thursday 12 June 23:58:33 UTC 2014

SamsunggalaxytabsFeed-tw Feed-fbApple’s dominance of the tablet market is so overwhelming that most other players in the space tend to "counter-program." Rather than try to match the iPad feature-for-feature or spec-for-spec, they go out of their way to differentiate and offer features the iPad simply doesn't have. Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets, for instance, are really virtual storefronts for the company's popular services. The … [Link]

Mashable » 'Splatoon' Brightens Up Nintendo's Wii U Line-Up With Multi-player Madness

Thursday 12 June 23:51:03 UTC 2014

Wiiu_splatoon_scrn01_e3Feed-tw Feed-fbNintendo’s latest project invites players to dive head first into paintSplatoon, a brand new franchise from the publisher, takes competitive gaming and turns into a brightly colored mess. Nintendo unveiled Splatoon for the Wii U, a completely new property, at this year’s E3 convention. While we only saw a vertical slice of the game, it showed a lot of potential and … [Link]

Slashdot » Japanese Stem Cell Debacle Could Bring Down Entire Center

Thursday 12 June 23:48:00 UTC 2014

sciencehabit (1205606) writes Shutting down the research center at the heart of an unfolding scientific scandal may be necessary to prevent a recurrence of research misconduct, according to a report released at a press conference in Tokyo today. A committee reviewing conduct at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (CDB) in Kobe, Japan, found lax oversight and a failure on … [Link]

Mashable » Smudge, the Googly-Eyed Baby Bear, Just Wants Your Love

Thursday 12 June 23:44:50 UTC 2014

Smudge1Feed-tw Feed-fb Smudge is a lucky little bear cub with eyes that you can't help but love. Animals Asia and their "Peace by Piece" campaign saved the cub with peepers that resemble real-life googly eyes. Bears like Smudge are often kept in poor conditions in areas such as China, where they are farmed for the bile they produce. The bile is used … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Carma Launches API for Carpooling

Thursday 12 June 23:38:30 UTC 2014

Carma has launched an API with a carrot: $2.5 million in prizes for developers to create apps. Black Girls Code holds Love is Respect Hackathon. Plus: Nclose offers Layer 7 API management, and the State Department creates a Fishackacton. [Link]

New Scientist – News » Oil works threaten health of people in Peruvian Amazon

Thursday 12 June 23:30:00 UTC 2014

People from one of Earth's most isolated forested regions have long claimed that oil drilling is poisoning them – now we have strong proof this is the case [Link]

Mashable » Ukraine Says Tanks Have Rolled in From Russia

Thursday 12 June 23:16:44 UTC 2014

Checking-papers-slovianskFeed-tw Feed-fbKIEV, Ukraine — Senior Ukraine officials said on Thursday that three tanks and other military vehicles had trundled into the restive eastern region of the country from Russia, igniting a firefight between Ukrainian and pro-Kremlin groups. “Today militants on the east of Ukraine for the first time used tanks that, according to the Ukrainian intelligence, arrived from the Russian Federation,” read … [Link]

Mashable » Netflix Food Truck Throws 'Orange Is the New Black' Crazy Pyes

Thursday 12 June 23:15:04 UTC 2014

Oitnb-food-truckFeed-tw Feed-fb Netflix is throwing pies for you this week, just like Crazy Eyes from Orange Is the New Black angrily did for prison newbie Piper Chapman in Season 1. The streaming service opened a food truck in New York City on Thursday, doling out two free OITNB-themed goodies: Crazy Pyes pies and "chocolate-and-vanilla swirl" ice cream — swirl as in interracial … [Link]

Mashable » Samsung Unveils Its Flagship Tablet, the Galaxy Tab S

Thursday 12 June 23:08:53 UTC 2014

Galaxy-tab-s-1Feed-tw Feed-fbSamsung unveiled on Thursday the Galaxy Tab S, calling it its new flagship tablet, at an event Thursday evening in New York City. It comes in two sizes: 8.4 and 10.5 inches. Samsung is positioning the Tab S as a high-end tablet with an emphasis on entertainment and consumption. Samsung name-checked Google, Netflix and Flipboard as important content providers for the … [Link]

Slashdot » Game Characters Controlled By Player's Emotions

Thursday 12 June 23:03:00 UTC 2014

vrml (3027321) writes As the player feels inner anger rising, the in-game character gets angry too and starts shouting and smashing things. Then, the player relaxes and the game character calms down and smiles. This is the kind of game control supported by a system demonstrated in a video released today by the Human-Computer Interaction Lab of the University of … [Link]

Mashable » Store Abandons 'Anti-Homeless' Spikes After Citizens Protest

Thursday 12 June 22:49:04 UTC 2014

Spike-removalFeed-tw Feed-fb“Anti-homeless” spikes sighted around London have sparked outrage from ordinary citizens and the city's mayor Panels of one-inch metal spikes were first spotted outside of luxury apartments near London Bridge before they were also seen outside a Tesco store on Regent Street. The spikes are supposedly designed to prevent homeless people from using those spaces to sleep, and organizations have either … [Link]

Mashable » Sarah Paulson's 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Character Will Terrify You

Thursday 12 June 22:32:45 UTC 2014

AmericanhorrorstoryfreakshowFeed-tw Feed-fbThanks for the nightmares, Sarah Paulson The actress on Thursday took to Twitter to reveal her character in the next installment of FX's horror anthology, American Horror Story: Freak Show — and it's a terrifying two-headed woman. "So excited to be playing Bette AND Dot this season," Paulson tweeted. "Two heads are better than one!" SEE ALSO: Tracy Morgan's New Show … [Link]

Slashdot » US Pushing Local Police To Keep Quiet On Cell-Phone Surveillance Technology

Thursday 12 June 22:18:00 UTC 2014

schwit1 (797399) writes with this story from the Associated Press, as carried by Yahoo News: The Obama administration has been quietly advising local police not to disclose details about surveillance technology they are using to sweep up basic cellphone data from entire neighborhoods, The Associated Press has learned. Citing security reasons, the U.S. has intervened in routine state public records … [Link]

Mashable » Lara Croft Teams Up With Gods in Download-Only Arcade Title

Thursday 12 June 22:16:21 UTC 2014

Lara.croft_.tomb_.raiderFeed-tw Feed-fbLara Croft is raiding even more tombs at this year’s E3. In addition to the next-gen adventure announced, she’ll also return in a top-down adventure game called Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris. The Temple of Osiris is a sequel to the popular Tomb Raider spinoff game Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, which was released as a download-only … [Link]

Mashable » Even Jon Snow Would Charleston to This Jazzy 'Game of Thrones' Theme

Thursday 12 June 22:10:19 UTC 2014

JazzgotFeed-tw Feed-fb This post contains spoilers from Game of Thrones. Read at your own discretion. Cheer up, Jon Snow. This jazz band has just the thing to turn that frown upside down. The New Orleans-style jazz band Swamp Donkeys performed a funky version of the usually intense Game of Thrones theme song at B.B. King's Blues Club in New York City on … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Realistic Mortal Kombat: Sub-Zero vs. Johnny Cage

Thursday 12 June 22:00:23 UTC 2014

Watch as Sub Zero’s fatality faces the harsh reality of basic physics. [Pete Holmes] [Link]

Mashable » It's More Than Just Ali Rowghani: A Look at Who's Left Twitter

Thursday 12 June 21:54:07 UTC 2014

Twitter_aliFeed-tw Feed-fbTwitter has spent the last six months dealing with a user growth problem, but it appears the company may have a retention problem too, at least when it comes to high level executives Since the end of January, just a few months after the company's November IPO, Twitter has lost its head of product, head of engineering, head of design and, … [Link]

Slashdot » Starbuck's Wireless Charging Stations Won't Won't Work Most Devices

Thursday 12 June 21:36:00 UTC 2014

Lucas123 (935744) writes "Starbucks today announced that after beta-testing wireless charging in several locations, it will roll it out to all of its cafes in the U.S. Unfortunately, the Powermat wireless chargers they chose to use doesn't support the overwhelming number of mobile devices that are enabled for wireless charging using the Qi standard. Of the 20 million consumer devices … [Link]

Slashdot » Starbuck's Wireless Charging Stations Won't Work With Most Devices

Thursday 12 June 21:36:00 UTC 2014

Lucas123 (935744) writes "Starbucks today announced that after beta-testing wireless charging in several locations, it will roll it out to all of its cafes in the U.S. Unfortunately, the Powermat wireless chargers they chose to use doesn't support the overwhelming number of mobile devices that are enabled for wireless charging using the Qi standard. Of the 20 million consumer devices … [Link]

Mashable » Hillary Clinton Takes (Another) Jab at Putin

Thursday 12 June 21:17:37 UTC 2014

Hillary-putinFeed-tw Feed-fb During a talk before the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton let it all out – a jab at Russian President Vladimir Putin, her shock at the on-going situation in Iraq and a reaction to Eric Cantor's primary loss While reflecting on her time as Secretary of State, she discussed … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » More Office Workers Switching To Fetal Position Desks [Video]

Thursday 12 June 21:00:50 UTC 2014

Wellness experts say curling up in a ball on the floor is the healthiest way to deal with the non-stop agony of the workday, that’s why more and more workers switch to fetal position desks. Oh, and don’t take this too seriously, this is from the Onion News Networks after all! [The Onion] [Link]

Mashable » Watch Brazil's Cringeworthy Own Goal Again and Again

Thursday 12 June 20:56:14 UTC 2014

Marcelo-vieiraFeed-tw Feed-fbAs expected, host country Brazil had the honor of scoring the first goal of the 2014 World Cup. What we didn't expect: it went in the wrong net. Left back defender Marcelo Vieira was the unfortunate owner of the foot that accidentally the cringe-inducing own goal, giving first-game Croatia an early 1-0 lead. (Brazilian star Neymar leveled the score before half … [Link]

Slashdot » John Hawley and His Dr. Who-Inspired Robot K-9 (Video)

Thursday 12 June 20:53:00 UTC 2014

By day John Hawley is a mild-mannered open hardware evangelist for Intel. But after hours he is the master of K-9, a robot dog he works on a little at a time. Yes, this is a Whovian thing, which is why John's K-9 looks so much like the Doctor's. But K-9 is also a pretty good dog on his/her own. … [Link]

Mashable » iTunes and App Store Return After Brief Outage

Thursday 12 June 20:47:25 UTC 2014

App-storeFeed-tw Feed-fbApple’s App Store, iTunes Store and Apple TV services are back up and running, following a brief outage Thursday afternoon These services experienced a disruption that made the App Store, iTunes Store and some Apple TV features inaccessible to some users See also: 10 Better Alternatives to Your iPhone's Native Apps An Apple spokesperson confirmed to Mashable the issue was resolved … [Link]

Mashable » 22 Twitter Reactions to the World Cup Opening Ceremony

Thursday 12 June 20:45:01 UTC 2014

Soccer-heads-world-cupFeed-tw Feed-fbThe World Cup began Thursday with a decidedly odd opening ceremony. Though Brazil spent a fortune trying to merge culture, nature and acrobatics, it did not score a goal (we are allowed at least one futbol pun) with spectators Instead, the world was reminded that humans in their adult form should never dress like foliage. And that Pitbull is no Shakira … [Link]

Mashable » Harrison Ford Injures Ankle in 'Star Wars' Set Millennium Falcon Mishap

Thursday 12 June 20:40:41 UTC 2014

Harrison.ford_.ankle_Feed-tw Feed-fbHarrison Ford badly injured his ankle while shooting Star Wars: Episode VII, Disney confirmed in a statement Thursday, with reports surfacing that a hydraulic door of the Millennium Falcon may have fallen on the 71-year-old actor. Ford was airlifted to a hospital after the incident at Pinewood Studios in London, where director J.J. Abrams is shooting the sequel. See also: J.J. … [Link]

Mashable » East Pacific Ocean Spawns Record Second Category 4 Hurricane Before July

Thursday 12 June 20:39:04 UTC 2014

6_11_14_andrew_viirscristinaFeed-tw Feed-fbThe eastern Pacific Ocean is primed for powerful hurricanes this year, as proven during the past two weeks. First, Hurricane Amanda — the first storm of the young season — exploded to high-end Category 4 status in late May. Now, just two weeks later, Hurricane Cristina, which also formed off the west coast of Mexico, rapidly intensified between June 11-12, winding … [Link]

Mashable » The Life and Times of 'Eugene Goostman,' Who Passed the Turing Test

Thursday 12 June 20:27:03 UTC 2014

Not_eugene_goostmanFeed-tw Feed-fbEugene Goostman is a smart-ass teenager, living in Ukraine and currently conducting conversations with inquisitive souls around the world. There's only one problem: Eugene is not a boy, he's a program. And he — or it — made headlines earlier this week when a new version of the chat bot finally passed a version of the Turing Test. Developed by PrincetonAI … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: PC-Based Oscilloscopes On a Microbudget?

Thursday 12 June 20:11:00 UTC 2014

New submitter fffdddooo (3692429) writes I know it's something that people used to ask every few years, but answers get old so quickly. I'm an electronics teacher, and I'm wondering if it's possible to find some oscilloscope (and why not spectrum analyser?) for recommending to my students, to be able to work at home. I'm thinking of something near $50-$70. … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Salesforce Wear Tackles Enterprise Wearable Tech Market

Thursday 12 June 20:09:59 UTC 2014

Wearable devices are quite the rage these days, and both wearable device manufacturers and developers are still learning how best to design and implement truly useful wearable applications. When it comes to the enterprise, the Salesforce platform is recognized as a leader, and the company believes the time has come for developers to extend wearable devices into the enterprise. … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » SumAll Launches New Integration Feature Using GitHub API

Thursday 12 June 20:09:56 UTC 2014

API aggregation service SumAll has released a new GitHub API integration allowing businesses to track team productivity and better monitor the full bug tracking development lifecycle. The new integration is a clear example of the value that aggregating various APIs into one visual data layer can bring to the enterprise and to small business. [Link]

Mashable » There Really Is a Reason This Brand Sent Its Skincare Product Into Space

Thursday 12 June 20:08:22 UTC 2014

Kiehls.jpgFeed-tw Feed-fb Hey, look guys -– a tricked-out mini-spaceship sailing 23 miles above earth! Also, go wash your greasy faces. Personal care company Kiehl’s has made the connection between outer space and men’s skin care in a social media-based contest and a cheeky science-fair-on-steroids video that debuted this week. So…what is the connection? There truly is one, promises Kiehl’s and its advertising … [Link]

Mashable » Anti-World Cup Protesters Hit by Stun Grenades and Tear Gas

Thursday 12 June 20:06:01 UTC 2014

Brazilworldcupprotest1Feed-tw Feed-fbSAO PAULO, Brazil — Anti-World Cup protesters had barely started to gather at São Paulo's Carrão metro station on Thursday when military and riot police began taking action against the planned demonstration Stun grenades and tear gas were launched with fury as about 100 protesters grouped and taunted the officers See also: Brazil's Issues With the World Cup in One Painting … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Spectacular Domino Rally Stunt Screen Link [Video]

Thursday 12 June 20:00:49 UTC 2014

From Youtuber FlippyCat: I set out to create a domino screen link showing the many stunts from Domino Rally toy sets I’ve collected over the years. After a lot of time and effort to make these things work, this is the result! [FlippyCat | Via LS] [Link]

Mashable » 'Bulletproof' Blanket Is No Match for a School Shooting

Thursday 12 June 20:00:30 UTC 2014

Moore-oklaFeed-tw Feed-fbLike many parents in the wake of a disaster, Steve Walker wanted solutions. In the aftermath of the 2012 school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the 2013 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma, Walker dreamt up a Bodyguard Blanket that he promised would help protect children from a gunman's bullet or falling debris. Local and national news outlets around the … [Link]

Mashable » Bergdahl's Letters From Prison Show He Knew Controversy Was Coming

Thursday 12 June 19:52:42 UTC 2014

BoweFeed-tw Feed-fbTwo letters sent from a Taliban prison by Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to his family and obtained by The Daily Beast show Bergdahl knew a potential firestorm of controversy awaited him if he was ever set free Bergdahl, the last American prisoner of war, was transferred from Taliban control on May 31 in exchange for five captives the United States had held … [Link]

Mashable » 17 Wildest Things at the World Cup Opening Ceremony

Thursday 12 June 19:45:25 UTC 2014

Weird-world-cup1Feed-tw Feed-fbOlé, olé, the World Cup has begun Brazil marked the beginning of its futbol festivities on Thursday with a grand opening ceremony that confused most viewers, but did manage to give us a plethora of ideas for our next Halloween costumes See also: 10 World Cup Twitter Accounts You Need to Follow There were dancing trees and running flowers and human … [Link]

Mashable » Top Twitter Exec Leaves The Nest, But Growing Pains Remain

Thursday 12 June 19:43:40 UTC 2014

RowghaniFeed-tw Feed-fbTwitter can't reignite growth without cracking a few egg shells, or at least that appears to be the company's approach. Just in the first half of this year, Twitter's head of product, head of engineering and now its chief operating officer have stepped down from their positions at the company. Each time, the language Twitter used to announce their departures was … [Link]

Mashable » 'True Detective' Creator Says Season 2 Casting Rumors Are All Wrong

Thursday 12 June 19:34:47 UTC 2014

True.detective1Feed-tw Feed-fbTrue Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto has put to bed some rumors you've heard about Season 2: There is no cast in place, only one person has been approached … and it's not even an actor whose name has been circulated. "Literally, not a single rumor about casting that has been printed anywhere has any truth to it whatsoever,” Pizzolatto said during … [Link]

Mashable » Alaskan Biologists Remind Everyone That Baby Moose Are Not Pets

Thursday 12 June 19:34:07 UTC 2014

Moose-babyFeed-tw Feed-fbANCHORAGE, Alaska – State biologists are reminding people not to touch moose calves or try to take them home as pets following a string of incidents involving people handling the animals, including one household that had a calf in the living room “as if it was a puppy.” Moose are being born in Alaska this time of year, and biologists say … [Link]

New Scientist – News » The Bitcoin spin-off currency that's also an archive

Thursday 12 June 19:30:00 UTC 2014

Making machines solve meaningless puzzles to create bitcoins is a waste of computing power. What if the process could be tweaked to store knowledge instead? [Link]

Slashdot » Facebook Lets Users Opt Out of Targeted Ads

Thursday 12 June 19:16:34 UTC 2014

mpicpp (3454017) writes Facebook users who are annoyed by the targeted ads that pop up in their News Feed will soon have more control over what they see. Like Google, Facebook collects all kinds of information on its users and uses that information to serve up targeted ads. For some people, especially privacy advocates, it seemed a little creepy to … [Link]

Slashdot » Portland Edges Closer To Google Fiber

Thursday 12 June 19:16:33 UTC 2014

Rambo Tribble (1273454) writes Portland, Oregon has taken another step toward finalizing a franchise agreement with Google Fiber. In a unanimous vote, the city council has approved the prospective contract. While existing Internet Service Providers fume, Mary Beth Henry, manager of Portland's Office for Community Technology, pointed out that Google is prepared to make a major investment in the city's … [Link]

Mashable » It's Not All Electronic: The Tabletop Games of E3

Thursday 12 June 19:16:07 UTC 2014

Tabletop-e3Feed-tw Feed-fbAt an event called the Electronic Entertainment Expo, you’d expect to see lots of screens. True to form, there are computers, smartphones, tablets, and projectors everywhere. But at the IndieCade booth, attendees got the chance to look at some innovative new projects that are all about analog See also: 13 Valuable Lessons From Video Games Stephanie Barish, the founder and CEO … [Link]

Mashable » Ruby Dee, Decorated Actress, Activist and Writer, Dead at 91

Thursday 12 June 19:06:38 UTC 2014

Ruby.dee_.obit_Feed-tw Feed-fbRuby Dee, the multitalented and highly decorated actress, writer and activist has died at the age of 91. Dee died Wednesday in her home in New Rochelle, New York, of natural causes, her personal representative confirmed Thursday. See also: 10 Maya Angelou Quotes That Will Lift You Up She was best known for starring in the 1961 film A Raisin in … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Adventures of Dr. Smiths: Tetris Psychotherapist [Comic]

Thursday 12 June 19:00:15 UTC 2014

[Source: Barely Amusing | Like Barely Amusing on Facebook | Via Dueling Analogs] [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » A Happy Father’s Day from Breaking Bad’s Walter White Jr. [Video]

Thursday 12 June 19:00:12 UTC 2014

In honor of Father’s day, Breaking Bad’s RJ Mitte (Walter White Jr.) pays tribute to his television dad, Walter White. [Screen Junkies] [Link]

New Scientist – News » The father enigma: Why do nature's devoted dads care?

Thursday 12 June 19:00:00 UTC 2014

From male pipefish pregnancies to single-father frogs, evolution has produced some truly doting dads – and made the job surprisingly rewarding (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Mashable » Man Arrested, Sues City Over Parody Twitter Account

Thursday 12 June 18:54:13 UTC 2014

Twitter_bird1Feed-tw Feed-fbA seemingly harmless Twitter parody account led to a real-life armed house raid, seized property, an arrest, and now a lawsuit. On April 15, seven police officers raided a man's house in Peoria, Illinois, in an effort to unmask him as the owner of a Twitter account parodying the city's mayor. Almost two months later, the owner of that account has … [Link]

Slashdot » Tesla Releases Electric Car Patents To the Public

Thursday 12 June 18:37:00 UTC 2014

mknewman (557587) writes with a welcome followup to the broad hints that Tesla might release some of its patents for others to use patents that it has amassed. Now, Elon Musk writes on the company's blog: Yesterday, there was a wall of Tesla patents in the lobby of our Palo Alto headquarters. That is no longer the case. They have … [Link]

Mashable » For James Franco and Seth Rogen's Next Act: Mocking Kim Jong-un

Thursday 12 June 18:32:53 UTC 2014

Franco-rogenFeed-tw Feed-fb The men who hilariously recreated Kanye West's "Bound 2" music video and spoofed his Vogue cover with Kim Kardashian are now mocking North Korea's Kim Jong-un in the upcoming action-comedy flick The Interview Starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, the film is seemingly a continuation of the two actors' off-screen bromance, as evidenced in the movie's first trailer, above See … [Link]

Mashable » 'Call of Duty' Creative Director Talks Storytelling and Kevin Spacey

Thursday 12 June 18:32:51 UTC 2014

Call-of-duty-2Feed-tw Feed-fbThe annual video game franchise Call of Duty is still going, with the newest title, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, hitting this fall. It puts you in a super-soldier's exoskeleton to fight corporate terrorists in the not-too-distant future. While that brings with it some gameplay ideas that are new to the franchise, the game's creative director is every bit excited about … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Law by algorithm: Are computers fairer than humans?

Thursday 12 June 18:30:00 UTC 2014

From speeding fines to determining how long police can track a suspect, algorithms seem good at doling out justice – but their objectivity may be an illusion [Link]

Mashable » Terrible Dad Humor to Make Your Kids Roll Their Eyes

Thursday 12 June 18:12:10 UTC 2014

Dad-nailFeed-tw Feed-fb Everyone's a comedian. And you, fathers of the world, are no exception. But who are we kidding? You already knew that. Every time you dished out a prompt, "Hi, Hungry! I'm Dad," after we asked you for food, you knew what you were doing. Every time you made a cringe-worthy pun in a public setting, you enjoyed yourself a little … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » What if Disney Made Doctor Who? [Geek Art]

Thursday 12 June 18:00:28 UTC 2014

Click Picture to EnlargeClick Picture to Enlarge She wished for a prince, she got thirteen. A fantastic illustration by artist Stephen Byrne. [Stephen Byrne] [Link]

New Scientist – News » Massive 'ocean' discovered towards Earth's core

Thursday 12 June 18:00:00 UTC 2014

A huge expanse of water trapped in a layer of the Earth's mantle could help explain the origin of our oceans [Link]

Mashable » 10 World Cup Twitter Accounts You Need to Follow

Thursday 12 June 17:56:21 UTC 2014

Mario-balotelliFeed-tw Feed-fbIt’s finally here. Four years have passed, and you're all ready to watch the opening match of the most competitive tournament in sports history. But is your Twitter feed ready — perfectly curated to deliver you the best news and information about the World Cup? We're here to help ensure that you've got your social media ducks in a row. See … [Link]

Slashdot » Cisco Spending Millions of Dollars Secretly Purchasing New Juniper Products

Thursday 12 June 17:56:00 UTC 2014

FrankPoole (1736680) writes According to a CRN investigative report, Cisco has been spending millions of dollars over several years to secretly purchase Juniper Networks' products, including new QFabric and MX series routers, for use in its 'competitive analysis lab,' where the products are tested and reverse engineered. According to the report, some of the Juniper products purchased by Cisco were … [Link]

Mashable » To Avoid Water Shortage During World Cup, Brazil Taps Reserves for First Time

Thursday 12 June 17:52:36 UTC 2014

6_12_14_andrew_croatiateamFeed-tw Feed-fbThe World Cup is kicking off during one of the worst droughts on record in Sao Paulo, with the biggest impacts being felt in and around the rapidly growing metropolitan area of 18 million Officials are going to great lengths to prevent widespread water supply and electricity disruptions during the games, but scientists say a more comprehensive program that addresses both … [Link]

Mashable » 17 'Game of Thrones' #TBT Photos Worthy of the Nostalgia Throne

Thursday 12 June 17:46:39 UTC 2014

Game-of-thrones-throwback-thursdayFeed-tw Feed-fbPrior to beheading enemies and patronizing brothels, the Game of Thrones actors wore shoulder pads and embraced '90s fashion. It's #ThrowbackThursday in Westeros, y'all. See also: 'Game of Thrones' + Disney = A Twisted Fairy Tale Something about Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish with Justin Timberlake's '97 highlights just doesn't make him seem as sinister. And would a brunette Daenerys Targaryen fall for … [Link]

Mashable » Why The World Cup Exoskeleton Kickoff Is More Than Impressive

Thursday 12 June 17:42:46 UTC 2014

World-cup-exoskeletonFeed-tw Feed-fbIf all goes according to plan, on June 12 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Sao Paolo, Brazil, with hundreds of millions of people watching, a paralyzed person wearing a robotic suit will walk onto the field and kick the first ball of the tournament. The person will be wearing a cap full of electrodes that will detect … [Link]

Mashable » Hackers Take Down World Cup-Affiliated Sites, Tease 'More Still to Come'

Thursday 12 June 17:32:33 UTC 2014

WorldcupFeed-tw Feed-fbHackers have reportedly attacked a series of World Cup-related websites, including government sites and official partners of the upcoming games in Brazil, kicking them offline. According to a Reuters report, a hacker affiliated with hacktivist group Anonymous says it's responsible for the cyberattacks. Among those kicked offline earlier this week include World Cup sponsor Hyundai and government state Mato Grosso (where … [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk to Other Carmakers: Steal our Technology

Thursday 12 June 17:30:21 UTC 2014

Elon-musk.jpgFeed-tw Feed-fbWant to start your own electric car company? You now have the technology to do so. Tesla has made the unorthodox move of pledging not to pursue litigation against any company that uses its technology "in good faith." In a blog post cheekily titled "All Our Patent Are Belong To You," Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk wrote that the company … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Extremists in Iraq now control the country's rivers

Thursday 12 June 17:26:00 UTC 2014

The ISIS group that has taken over several Iraq cities has also gained power over both its major rivers, allowing it to use water as a weapon of war [Link]

Mashable » NBA to Crown Social Media MVPs for Players' Best Tweets, Selfies

Thursday 12 June 17:18:40 UTC 2014

Lebron-wadeFeed-tw Feed-fbSure, throwing down an amazing slam dunk may get you on SportsCenter, but creating a really funny tweet? NBA players are rewarded for that as well The league will begin handing out its third annual NBA Social Media Awards on Friday, the first day in a 10-day stretch where top tweets, Vine videos, and social media MVPs from around the league … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » How To Use Dailymotion API to Leverage Video Search

Thursday 12 June 17:14:07 UTC 2014

In our series on video APIs, we have so far focused on the YouTube Data API–in particular, on its subset devoted to video search. But YouTube is not the only video hosting service on the Net, and competitors are gaining slices of the market. One key contender is Dailymotion, a French social video site. [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Dropcam Debuts Beta API Program

Thursday 12 June 17:14:06 UTC 2014

Dropcam today announced the Dropcam API Beta Program, through which companies and developers will be able to access the tools necessary to add Dropcam to their own products. The company makes and sells cloud-based cameras that can be used to provide real-time video footage of businesses and homes. In addition to the cameras, Dropcam sells service packs for recording and … [Link]

Slashdot » Interviews: Bruce Perens Answers Your Questions

Thursday 12 June 17:14:00 UTC 2014

A while ago you had the chance to ask programmer and open source advocate Bruce Perens about the future of open source, its role in government, and a number of other questions. Below you'll find his answers and an update on what he's doing now. Share on Google+ Read more of this story at Slashdot. [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Robotic Exoskeleton To Kick Off World Cup

Thursday 12 June 17:00:57 UTC 2014

A paralyzed person will today ceremonially kick off the World Cup. At least that’s the plan, thanks to a robotic exoskeleton controlled by thoughts. The equipment is a demonstration of the Walk Again Project, an international collaboration of universities, tech and neuroscience centers. It’s the latest development in research into the idea that detecting electrical signals in specific parts of … [Link]

Mashable » ABC's 'Game of Thrones'-Like Reality Show 'The Quest' Fully Explained

Thursday 12 June 16:56:38 UTC 2014

The.quest_Feed-tw Feed-fb The Quest: It's kind of the perfect summer reality TV show, especially for you Game of Thrones fans looking for a way to get through those otherwise empty "Winter is coming" months. We've seen teases of ABC's fantasy/reality series, but this clip fully explains exactly what The Quest is going to be: 12 reality contestants, engaged in a real competition that's … [Link]

Mashable » Man Relives Childhood With a 300-Foot Homemade Slip 'N Slide

Thursday 12 June 16:50:45 UTC 2014

SlipnslideFeed-tw Feed-fb Slip n' slides are a great way to enjoy your summer afternoon — but if you're over age 7, those dinky store bought slides just aren't going to cut it. Using recycled cardboard, pallets and a large roll of plastic, Derek Salamanca took matters into his own hands, and built the ultimate DIY slip 'n slide See also: Listen to … [Link]

Mashable » The Quietest Character on 'OITNB' Has a Punk Rock Past

Thursday 12 June 16:45:58 UTC 2014

NormaFeed-tw Feed-fbOn Orange is the New Black, Norma Romano may be Red's mute former sidekick, but offscreen she's far from silent. In the ultimate #TBT discovery, Jim DeRogatis of WBEZ.org unearthed actress Annie Golden's hard-rocking past as lead singer of The Shirts, a power pop band that headlined New York's CBGB's in the 1970s. See also: Keep Frenemies Close With These 10 … [Link]

Mashable » Just a Typical Day: Orc Spotted in Amsterdam Shopping Mall

Thursday 12 June 16:34:56 UTC 2014

MaxresdefaultFeed-tw Feed-fb The only thing Orcs love more than war is low, low prices. As part of a makeup project, artist Rossanne Puck Aafjes styled 7-foot-tall actor Olivier Richters as a fearsome Uruk-hai from Lord of the Rings. The duo decided to tour a shopping mall in Amsterdam to see how people would react. See also: WTF! 15 Videos That Will Make … [Link]

Slashdot » Egyptian Blogger Sentenced to 15 Years For Organizing Protest

Thursday 12 June 16:33:00 UTC 2014

The Guardian reports that Alaa Abd El Fattah, "one of the activists most associated with the 2011 uprising that briefly ended 60 years of autocratic rule, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for allegedly organising a protest – an act banned under a law implemented last November, and used to jail several revolutionary leaders. … Abd El Fattah was … [Link]

Mashable » Nintendo's King Boo Terrorizes E3

Thursday 12 June 16:31:27 UTC 2014

Screen-shot-2014-06-12-at-10.33.39-amFeed-tw Feed-fb Attendees at E3 were haunted by the specter of famed Nintendo villain King Boo. Luckily, all you need to do to stop him is turn around and look at him. See also: Nintendo Just Unveiled a Slew of New Games Boo Gif 1Boo Gif 2 Boo Gif 3Boo Gif 4 Boo Gif 5Check out the E3 prankster in the video above, and make sure to subscribe to Mashable on YouTube for more. Read … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist

Thursday 12 June 16:30:00 UTC 2014

All the latest on newscientist.com: the big silence of the universe's birth, Brazilian science, battery yarn, blood test for antidepressants and more [Link]

Mashable » George R.R. Martin Will Kill Off a Facebook Employee for $20,000

Thursday 12 June 16:28:05 UTC 2014

GeorgerrmartinFeed-tw Feed-fbAll men must die, and it's time for a Facebook employee to meet his maker (no, not Mark Zuckerberg). George R.R. Martin announced a charity campaign last week offering to kill two people in his epic series A Song of Ice and Fire for a cool $20,000 donation to the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. Facebook employee David Goldblatt jumped at the … [Link]

Mashable » George H.W. Bush Goes Skydiving for His 90th Birthday

Thursday 12 June 16:22:38 UTC 2014

Skydive1Feed-tw Feed-fbSkydiving has become something of a birthday tradition for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush. 41 celebrated his 90th birthday by leaping from a plane at a height of about 10,000 feet over Kennebunkport, Maine, on Thursday, where he spent most of his childhood. Bush suffers from Parkinson's disease, which has kept him bound to a wheelchair for most of the … [Link]

Mashable » Feedly Crippled by Second Round of Cyberattacks

Thursday 12 June 16:21:35 UTC 2014

FeedlyFeed-tw Feed-fbRSS reader Feedly has been hit with a second round of cyberattacks and has pulled its service while it works on a fix, the company confirmed on Thursday. In a blog post on Feedly's website, the company said it is "currently being targeted by a second DDoS attack and are working with our service providers to mitigate the issue." See also: … [Link]

Mashable » The Brick-and-Mortar Business Evolution: Storefronts Now Act Like Startups

Thursday 12 June 16:04:50 UTC 2014

SweetgreenFeed-tw Feed-fbWhether it's a software company bootstrapping its way from a San Francisco studio or a shoe shop opening its doors somewhere on Main Street — technically speaking, every new business could be called a startup at the beginning. But certain characteristics of certain startups — in the tech-sector, in particular — are different from shoe stores, bakeries and your typical boutique. … [Link]

Mashable » Sensor-Enabled Smart Cup Can Tell You Exactly What's in Your Drink

Thursday 12 June 16:00:34 UTC 2014

Vessyl-1Feed-tw Feed-fbHealth tracking and connected devices came back into the spotlight last week during WWDC when Apple announced its upcoming HomeKit and HealthKit platforms, which tackle health tracking and the Internet of Things, respectively. A new startup is combining the two with Vessyl, a sensor-enabled cup that can perform a detailed analysis of what's inside. See also: 10 High-Tech Gadgets for a … [Link]

Mashable » World Cup Fever Is Real, and These Stories Prove It

Thursday 12 June 16:00:19 UTC 2014

Spain_winnersFeed-tw Feed-fbEvery sport has its base of diehard fans, but few events seems to make people go quite as crazy as the World Cup. With people watching around the world, times of matches are bound to prove inconvenient for some. So people are sneakily watching at work, or setting their alarms for the middle of the night, or putting everything else in … [Link]

Mashable » This Is How Astronauts Play Soccer in Zero Gravity

Thursday 12 June 15:37:31 UTC 2014

Iss_soccerFeed-tw Feed-fb Sure, you can bend it like Beckham, but try scoring a goal in zero gravity. Astronauts Steve Swanson and Reid Wiseman and Alexander Gerst celebrated the start of the World Cup on Thursday in Brazil by kicking around a soccer ball aboard the International Space Station. But they might be rooting for different teams: Swanson and Wiseman are from the … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Epic Tale of a Young Geek on His Journey to LARPING Kinghood [Music Video]

Thursday 12 June 15:35:50 UTC 2014

Follow the journey of a young geek on the path to become the ultimate larp fighter. One of the coolest music video I’ve seen in a while! [Mastodon | Via IO9] [Link]

Slashdot » Cable Companies Duped Community Groups Into Fighting Net Neutrality

Thursday 12 June 15:32:36 UTC 2014

walterbyrd (182728) writes Last week, it transpired that the big cable companies were bankrolling fake consumer groups like Broadband for America and The American Consumer Institute. These 'independent consumer advocacy groups' are, in truth, nothing of the sort, and instead represent the interests of its benefactors, in the fight against net neutrality. If that wasn't bad enough, VICE is now … [Link]

Mashable » Louis C.K. Urges TMZ to Remove Chilling Video of Tracy Morgan Crash

Thursday 12 June 15:32:07 UTC 2014

Tracy-morgan-flowersFeed-tw Feed-fbComedian Louis C.K. and filmmaker Judd Apatow are asking TMZ to remove a video recorded at the scene of Saturday's car crash involving 30 Rock actor Tracy Morgan. A tractor trailer struck a limousine bus on the New Jersey Turnpike, killing comedian James McNair and injuring Morgan and three others who were in the limo. See also: Tracy Morgan's New Show … [Link]

Slashdot » Why United States Patent Reform Has Stalled

Thursday 12 June 15:22:00 UTC 2014

ectoman (594315) writes Proponents of patent reform in the United States glimpsed a potential victory late last year, when the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3309, the Innovation Act, designed to significantly mitigate patent abuse. Just months ago, however, the Senate pulled consideration of the bill. And since then, patent reform has been at a standstill. In a new analysis … [Link]

Mashable » World Cup 2014: Ready or Not, Let the Games Begin

Thursday 12 June 15:08:38 UTC 2014

World_cupFeed-tw Feed-fbSeven years and $11 billion later, the World Cup is poised to begin in Brazil on Thursday. Schools will close for the day and offices are wrapping up the workday early. Hundreds of millions of TV sets around the world are tuning into the same event. At 4 p.m. ET today, the 2014 FIFA World Cup is slated to begin with … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » 7 Foot Tall Dude Goes Shopping as an Uruk-Hai [Video]

Thursday 12 June 15:00:59 UTC 2014

From Olivier Richters: This make-up was made by “Rossanne Puck Aafjes” for her graduation assignment at the study Allround Grimeur. We went to the shoppingmall afterwards to see the reaction of random people to the costume, just for fun. [Olivier Richters] [Link]

Mashable » Court Rules It's Illegal for Police to Track Your Cellphone With No Warrant

Thursday 12 June 14:58:07 UTC 2014

Man-cellphone-privacyFeed-tw Feed-fbPolice will have a harder time tracking your past whereabouts thanks to a landmark ruling that extends privacy protections in the digital age Citing the Fourth Amendment, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Wednesday that obtaining phone records from your carrier without a search warrant is unconstitutional. This is the first time a federal appeals court has ruled … [Link]

Mashable » Starbucks to Start Offering Wireless Charging in San Francisco

Thursday 12 June 14:52:48 UTC 2014

Starbucks-wireless-chargingFeed-tw Feed-fb Starbucks is planning to add another bit of ambiance to its stores: wireless charging for smartphones. The company has announced it's in the early stages of a national deployment of Powermat chargers — little circular pads embedded in counters and tabletops that juice up compatible devices. See also: $54.75 Will Buy You the World's Most Expensive Starbucks Drink Pads will … [Link]

Slashdot » Mozilla To Sell '$25' Firefox OS Smartphones In India

Thursday 12 June 14:40:00 UTC 2014

mrspoonsi (2955715) writes Mozilla, the organisation behind the Firefox browser, has announced it will start selling low-cost smartphones in India within the "next few months". Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, the firm's chief operating officer suggested the handsets, which will be manufactured by two Indian companies, would retail at $25 (£15) [note: full article paywalled]. They will run Mozilla's … [Link]

Mashable » Beats Announces Athlete-Friendly Powerbeats 2 Wireless Earphones

Thursday 12 June 14:38:00 UTC 2014

Powerbeats2-wireless-red-frontFeed-tw Feed-fbBeats on Thursday announced the latest member of its headphone family, Powerbeats 2 Wireless earphones. This announcement comes two weeks after Apple confirmed that it is buying the company for $3 billion and follows the Solo 2 headphones as the latest member of the Beats headphone family. See also: With Beats, Apple Has Its Next iPod Like the Solo 2 headphones … [Link]

Mashable » Bill Murray Crashed an Engagement Photo Shoot Because He's Bill Murray

Thursday 12 June 14:30:29 UTC 2014

Billmurrayphotobomb_thumbFeed-tw Feed-fbNothing says eternal love like Bill Murray Erik Rogers and Ashley Donald were taking their engagement photos in Charleston, South Carolina, when Bill Murray stumbled across the photo shoot. And like any other fun-loving Ghostbuster, he decided to hang around for a pic or two billmurrayphotobomb Image: Fia Forever Wedding PhotographySee also: These Movie-Themed Engagement Photos Deserve an Oscar Don't they make … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Blood molecule predicts success of antidepressants

Thursday 12 June 14:30:00 UTC 2014

People offered antidepressants could eventually benefit from a test to predict whether the drug will work for them [Link]

New Scientist – News » Elastic battery yarn could power smart clothes

Thursday 12 June 14:12:00 UTC 2014

A stretchy lithium-ion battery made from carbon nanotubes can be woven into smart textiles to power lights and sensors [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Save $79 on Amazon Fire TV + Kindle Fire HDX 7″ Bundle – $249

Thursday 12 June 14:10:14 UTC 2014

For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers $79 off on the Amazon Fire TV + Kindle Fire HDX 7″ Bundle. Get it today for just $249 + FREE shipping instead of $328. Save $79—Includes both Amazon Fire TV and Kindle Fire HDX 7″, Wi-Fi, 16GB, with Special Offers for only $249 Second Screen—Fling movies, TV shows and … [Link]

Mashable » The Onion's 'ClickHole' Opens, Prepares to Swallow the Internet

Thursday 12 June 14:06:48 UTC 2014

Clickhole-1Feed-tw Feed-fbRest your fingers — they're going to be doing a whole lot of clicking. ClickHole, the viral parody site from The Onion, launched on Thursday. The site skewers digital media in much the same way it lampoons traditional print media. It includes all the classic viral media formats — listicles, quizzes and even some "sponsored" content See also: 9 Social Media … [Link]

Mashable » Metronomy on Nostalgia, Humble Beginnings and 'Computer Music'

Thursday 12 June 14:01:13 UTC 2014

BandFeed-tw Feed-fbWelcome to Throwback Tunesday, where Mashable amplifies the echoes of music past. From genre trends to throwbacks, we synthesize music and nostalgia. This week, we checked in with U.K.-based quartet, Metronomy, who released their fourth studio album Love Letters earlier this year. The album in and of itself is a bit of a throwback — Metronomy recorded on analog tape for … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » World War B (As in Blocks) [World War Z Parody]

Thursday 12 June 14:00:54 UTC 2014

A funny parody of World War Z featuring LEGO minifigs and their clones. There’s something wrong with them! They look like us but act different! [Adult Swim] [Link]

Slashdot » Google Engineer: We Need More Web Programming Languages

Thursday 12 June 13:59:00 UTC 2014

itwbennett (1594911) writes Web applications may one day surpass desktop applications in function and usability — if developers have more programming languages to choose from, according to a Google engineer. 'The Web is always available, except when it is not,' said Gilad Bracha, software engineer at Google and one of the authors of Google Dart, speaking to an audience of … [Link]

Mashable » Report: Google in Talks to Acquire Stake in Virgin Galactic

Thursday 12 June 13:41:40 UTC 2014

Virgin-galacticFeed-tw Feed-fbRichard Branson may prove to be a key part of Google's satellite plans, according to a new report. Sky News reports that Google is in advanced talks to take a small stake in Branson's space flight company Virgin Galactic and to pursue a joint venture together. Google is reportedly looking to spend about $30 million for a 1.5% stake in the … [Link]

Slashdot » The Computer Security Threat From Ultrasonic Networks

Thursday 12 June 13:18:00 UTC 2014

KentuckyFC (1144503) writes Security researchers in Germany have demonstrated an entirely new way to attack computer networks and steal information without anybody knowing. The new medium of attack is ultrasonic sound. It relies on software that uses the built-in speakers on a laptop to broadcast at ultrasonic frequencies while nearby laptops listen out for the transmissions and pass them on, … [Link]

New Scientist – News » First predator fish crushed armoured prey in its jaws

Thursday 12 June 13:17:00 UTC 2014

A metre-long hunter fish that lived 423 million years ago was the first fish to be a top predator, suggesting that backboned animals like us come from China [Link]

Mashable » Twitter COO Ali Rowghani Resigns

Thursday 12 June 13:12:05 UTC 2014

AliFeed-tw Feed-fbTwitter COO Ali Rowghani has resigned. Rowghani, the former CFO at Pixar, joined Twitter in 2010 and was named COO in 2012. Last fall, he was put in charge of Twitter's product group, a key concern for the company, which has been experiencing a slowdown in growth the past few years. Rowghani's move, which the company announced Thursday morning, comes after … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » That Looks Fun: AquaPod Water Bottle Rocket

Thursday 12 June 13:00:48 UTC 2014

From Vat19: Launch a 2L bottle over 100 feet into the air with AquaPod! Combining a readily-available launch vehicle (a 2L bottle) with water and air pressure, AquaPod delivers amazing results easily and safely. Simply partially fill a 2L bottle and slip it over the launch tube, add air pressure with any standard bike pump, and then pull the launch … [Link]

Mashable » 60+ Events in Marketing, Media and More

Thursday 12 June 13:00:19 UTC 2014

5742046381_e7c080482f_o_finalFeed-tw Feed-fbThe Mashable Events Board is a great place to find leading conferences in your industry, whether it's advertising, technology, media or public relations. This week, we're highlighting five events that we think can help move your career forward, from those in Colorado to Boston. If you don't find something that's right for you, check out more than 60 events featured in … [Link]

Mashable » After Taking 2 Cities, Militant Group Vows to March on to Baghdad

Thursday 12 June 12:52:23 UTC 2014

Iraq-soldierFeed-tw Feed-fbBAGHDAD — The al-Qaida-inspired group that led the charge in capturing two key Sunni-dominated cities in Iraq this week vowed on Thursday to march on to Baghdad, raising fears about the Shiite-led government's ability to slow the assault following the insurgents' lightning gains. Fighters from the militant group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant took Saddam Hussein's … [Link]

Slashdot » The Government Can No Longer Track Your Cell Phone Without a Warrant

Thursday 12 June 12:37:00 UTC 2014

Jason Koebler (3528235) writes The government cannot use cell phone location data as evidence in a criminal proceeding without first obtaining a warrant, an appeals court ruled today, in one of the most important privacy decisions in recent memory. "In short, we hold that cell site location information is within the subscriber's reasonable expectation of privacy," the United States Court … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » The role of Wi-Fi in the Internet of Things

Thursday 12 June 12:34:28 UTC 2014

This article is part of a series exploring the role of networking in the Internet of Things. In my previous post we evaluated a point-to-point networking technology, specifically Bluetooth, to determine its applicability to our building monitoring and energy application. … [Link]

Mashable » Keep Frenemies Close With These 10 Tips From 'Orange is the New Black'

Thursday 12 June 12:30:10 UTC 2014

OitnbfrienemyFeed-tw Feed-fbIt’s best to keep everyone on your good side — even your enemies You never know when you may need a favor, leverage or information from somebody you don't particularly care for, so keeping your frenemies close can be beneficial for both of you See also: 9 'Orange Is the New Black' Actresses In and Out of Character Luckily, the inmates … [Link]

Mashable » Hands On With 'Far Cry 4': For the '80s Action Movie Geek in Us All

Thursday 12 June 12:15:45 UTC 2014

Far-cry-4-3Feed-tw Feed-fbThe pitch behind Far Cry 4, an open-world first-person shooter due out later this year, is that you can approach any situation however you want. We got some hands-on time with the game at E3 in Los Angeles this week, so we decided to put that to the test. Ubisoft's Far Cry franchise has you attacking enemy bases, securing territory, hunting … [Link]

Mashable » ZTE Grand S Pro Brings Plenty of Power for $99

Thursday 12 June 12:14:05 UTC 2014

ZteFeed-tw Feed-fbZTE announced the ZTE Grand S Pro, a smartphone that delivers pretty impressive specs for the affordable price of $99 with a two-year contract. Available on Thursday at U.S. Cellular, the ZTE Grand S Pro has a 5-inch, 720×1280 pixel screen, a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor, a 13-megapixel shooter on the back (and a 2-megapixel one on the front), 2GB … [Link]

Mashable » The World Cup Madness Begins Now

Thursday 12 June 12:07:48 UTC 2014

Mm0028_worldcup_3Feed-tw Feed-fb Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, but in the U.S., where football, baseball and basketball rule, not everyone is convinced In the new Mashable Minute, Elliott Morgan explains just what it took for him to finally get interested in this year’s World Cup! On Wednesday, Elliott helps you avoid fake online reviews Read more…More about Social Media … [Link]

Mashable » You Can Buy Ryan Gosling's Soul for $15 on Etsy

Thursday 12 June 12:00:27 UTC 2014

SouljarFeed-tw Feed-fbEtsy is a wonderland of handmade and vintage items. You can buy knitted crafts, custom made jewelry, artisanal soap and even human souls. Yes, you read that correctly. Etsy store SoulsRUs is a purveyor of "freshly reaped" human souls — namely celebrities like Ryan Gosling, Justin Bieber and Jennifer Lawrence, to name a few. At 15 bucks a pop (plus $5 … [Link]

Mashable » 270 Dead in Ukraine's Anti-Terrorist Operation, Health Ministry Says

Thursday 12 June 11:38:54 UTC 2014

Ukraine-checkpoint-corridorFeed-tw Feed-fbKIEV, Ukraine — A total of 270 people have died in Ukraine's embattled eastern regions since the start of the country's anti-terrorist operation nearly two months ago, Ukraine's Health Ministry said on Wednesday. The death toll comes as the newly appointed president called for a “humanitarian corridor” to be created for civilians caught in combat zones, and as Kiev began trilateral … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Doctors with iPads could transform hospital care

Thursday 12 June 11:32:00 UTC 2014

Modern medicine creates mountains of data – a suite of iPad apps called Medopad aims to integrate it all and place it in the palm of a doctor's hand [Link]

Mashable » Non-Profit Turns Discarded Soda Bottles Into Thatch Roofing

Thursday 12 June 11:30:32 UTC 2014

Plastic-bottle-thatchFeed-tw Feed-fbPerhaps the iconic image of developing-world poverty is a small collection of huts with thatched roofs. Unfortunately for those living in such places, these roofs are terrible. They leak and, when water-logged, often collapse. The grasses used to fabricate them are becoming scarcer. Insects and other undesirable critters live in them. People moving out of poverty quickly ditch thatch, upgrading to materials such as corrugated … [Link]

Mashable » 9 Sloth Facts to Stuff Your Brain With Cute

Thursday 12 June 11:30:09 UTC 2014

Sloth-thumbFeed-tw Feed-fbIt’s hard to chart exactly when sloths began their journey to viral stardom. Many slothistorians point to Kristen Bell's sloth meltdown, others to this video of a sloth crossing the street to "I Believe I Can Fly." Gradually brace yourselves because the adorably cute-faced and hauntingly long-limbed Internet sensations known as sloths are experiencing another big moment See also: 15 Perfectly … [Link]

Mashable » Amazon Launches Music Service, Adds Another Element to Prime

Thursday 12 June 11:16:04 UTC 2014

Bezos-amazonFeed-tw Feed-fbThe already crowded streaming music market now has to contend with Amazon. The ecommerce company has introduced a music element to Prime, adding to the video and literary media offerings of the subscription service. Starting Thursday, Prime members will have access to Amazon's music service at no extra cost. Prime Music, as Amazon is calling the service, will provide many of … [Link]

Mashable » 10 Hilarious and Heroic Dads to Salute This Father's Day

Thursday 12 June 11:06:44 UTC 2014

Hanks2Feed-tw Feed-fbPeople across the nation will celebrate Father's Day on June 15 in the form of cards, gifts and breakfast in bed Moms are pretty badass, but let's not forget about how awesome dads can be. See also: The Year's Raddest Tech Gifts for Father's Day From the heroic fathers who have literally saved lives to the creative dads who make childhood … [Link]

Mashable » Ad Firm Designs a Fun Office for Grownups

Thursday 12 June 11:00:22 UTC 2014

Wk_ad_agency_stairsFeed-tw Feed-fbCredit Google with turning the workplace into a gigantic dorm room. After the tech giant opened its Googleplex in 2006, seemingly every startup and creative agency tore down walls and installed a foosball table. But does an office have to look fun to be a fun place to work? Not according to Wieden+Kennedy, which took a decidedly different tack for its … [Link]

Mashable » 11 DIY Father's Day Gifts That Are Way Better Than a Tie

Thursday 12 June 10:30:48 UTC 2014

CoastersFeed-tw Feed-fbThere comes a point where store bought gifts just don't do justice to how much you love your dad. Your old man has done a lot for you over the years. Besides putting a roof over your head, your father was there to help you when you were in trouble, fixing your toys and gadgets and generally being your go-to superhero … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 12 June 2014

Thursday 12 June 10:29:51 UTC 2014

Norbert Weiner (The Atlantic) — His fears for the future stemmed from two fundamental convictions: We humans can’t resist selfishly misusing the powers our machines give us, to the detriment of our fellow humans and the planet; and there’s a … [Link]

Mashable » Google Marks the Start of World Cup With an Animated Doodle

Thursday 12 June 10:02:51 UTC 2014

Google-world-cup-doodleFeed-tw Feed-fbToday, the soccer craze starts — it's the first day of the World Cup, with the opening match being Brazil vs. Croatia at 4 p.m. ET Now, Google marks the occasion with an animated doodle, portraying the company logo in Brazil, with the letters joyously jumping in front of a soccer ball See also: How to Watch the 2014 World Cup … [Link]

Mashable » The History of Soccer: From Violent Pastime to Multi-Million Dollar Industry

Thursday 12 June 10:00:08 UTC 2014

Soccer-gameFeed-tw Feed-fbWith the World Cup about to kick off, there are many out there who have no idea about the history of this long-loved sport. If you love football, you’re probably only aware of its history from recent times. But football has a long, gruesomely violent, and hugely interesting past. And so begins a tale of how a violent peasant pastime became … [Link]

Mashable » The World Is Watching: Catch Up Before the Cup

Thursday 12 June 10:00:03 UTC 2014

World-cupFeed-tw Feed-fbThe teams have arrived. The players are ready. The eyes of the world have turned to Brazil to watch the world's most popular sports tournament. On Thursday, the fans will enter Arena Corinthians in Sao Paolo, Brazil, to watch Brazil and Croatia take the first shots in a month-long clash of nations — four years in the making. But before the … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook Will Now Tell You Why You're Seeing Those Ads

Thursday 12 June 9:57:41 UTC 2014

Facebook-page-likeFeed-tw Feed-fbFacebook is addressing the ick factor related to targeted advertising with a new feature that lets you discover why the company is showing you the ads you’re seeing. There is also a mechanism to opt out of such targeting The company in 2012 introduced ads that were served up based on the sites you visited. So if you visit Zappos for … [Link]

Slashdot » Cable Companies Duped Community Groups Into Fighting Net Neutrality

Thursday 12 June 9:55:00 UTC 2014

walterbyrd (182728) writes Last week, it transpired that the big cable companies were bankrolling fake consumer groups like Broadband for America and The American Consumer Institute. These 'independent consumer advocacy groups' are, in truth, nothing of the sort, and instead represent the interests of its benefactors, in the fight against net neutrality. If that wasn't bad enough, VICE is now … [Link]

Mashable » Ranking the Most Popular Characters in 'Game of Thrones'

Thursday 12 June 9:30:47 UTC 2014

Tyrion-lannisterFeed-tw Feed-fbWatching Game of Thrones every Sunday is an emotionally unstable experience. One minute you hate a character, and the next, you're practically sympathizing with them. You don't have to be well-liked in Westeros to claim the Iron Throne. But that doesn't mean we can't rank the top 10. So who won the throne of popularity in Season 4? See also: 6 … [Link]

Mashable » World Cup Day 1: What You Need to Know

Thursday 12 June 9:00:35 UTC 2014

Neymar1Feed-tw Feed-fbRejoice, sports fans, it's finally here! After months of excitement, anticipation and controversy of different stripes, the 2014 World Cup kicks off Thursday Brazil, the host country of this year's Cup, gets things started with a Group A match against Croatia at 4 p.m. ET in the day's only action. The coming weeks will bring 62 more matches, then the World … [Link]

Mashable » Mozilla to Bring Low-Cost Firefox Smartphones to India and Indonesia

Thursday 12 June 8:02:39 UTC 2014

Mzzl0987adfasFeed-tw Feed-fbEarlier this year, during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, we told you about Mozilla's plans to bring smartphones into even the poorest regions by introducing a $25 dollar device Now the organization has launched a major new effort in that plan by announcing plans to bring its low-cost smartphone to India in the next few months See also: New Mozilla … [Link]

Slashdot » Synaptics Buys Key Apple Supplier

Thursday 12 June 7:38:00 UTC 2014

Rambo Tribble (1273454) writes Synaptics Inc., of touchpad fame, is acquiring Renesas SP Drivers Inc, a division of Japanese chipmaker Renesas Electronics Corp. Renesas SP is the exclusive supplier of Apple's display driver chips for the iPhone. While Synaptics is a major supplier of touchscreen technology to clients such as Samsung, they have not done business with Apple for some … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Science, not soccer, will boost Brazil

Thursday 12 June 7:00:00 UTC 2014

Brazil shouldn't bank on football solving its social and financial problems – science and technology are a more reliable route to success [Link]

Mashable » Girl World Meets Game World in 8-Bit 'Mean Girls'

Thursday 12 June 6:00:55 UTC 2014

Meangirls8bitFeed-tw Feed-fb On Wednesdays, we … play video games? YouTube channel CineFix is celebrating the 2004 hit movie Mean Girls with a nostalgic 8-bit tribute video, proving high school is really just a game. And now that Cady Heron has gone from rising Queen Bee to video game heroine, the stakes are even higher. See also: 'Mean Girls' Emoji Is the Closest … [Link]

Mashable » Microsoft Fights U.S. Government Over Rights to Data on Foreign Servers

Thursday 12 June 5:00:05 UTC 2014

Us_microsoftFeed-tw Feed-fbMicrosoft is challenging a data request from the U.S. government in an unprecedented case that could have sweeping ramifications for online privacy around the world. In December 2013, the U.S. government obtained a search warrant requesting information about an email user for an investigation apparently involving drugs and money laundering. But Microsoft is refusing to cooperate because the data in question … [Link]

Slashdot » Cybercriminals Ramp Up Activity Ahead of 2014 World Cup

Thursday 12 June 5:00:00 UTC 2014

wiredmikey (1824622) writes With the FIFA World Cup 2014 kicking off this week in Brazil, cybercriminals and scammers are working hard to take advantage of visitors to the World Cup in Brazil and those following the world soccer tournament online. In recent months, several security vendors have published advisories about the various scams, phishing and malware operations that target Internet … [Link]

Mashable » 'The Crew' Driving Game Lets You Compete or Collaborate on the Road

Thursday 12 June 4:38:14 UTC 2014

Tc_screen_yosemite_e3_140609_4pm_1402147780Feed-tw Feed-fbE3 is often where we see the year’s biggest trends in gaming take shape. Some of the buzzwords right now are “open world,” “seamless coop” and “next-gen.” One game putting all of these elements into play is Ubisoft and Ivory Tower’s The Crew. Billing itself as an “action-driving MMO,” the game offers car fans a chance to race across the roads … [Link]

Mashable » Lytro Debuts New File Format, Partners With 500px

Thursday 12 June 3:33:16 UTC 2014

Lytro-cameraFeed-tw Feed-fbLytro’s cameras first entered the spotlight because they enabled users to change the focus of images after they were already shot. But one obstacle holding the light-field platform back — other than expensive hardware — is that the greater photography ecosystem isn't equipped to handle Lytro's "living pictures," which use a file type not widely supported on the web. But that's … [Link]

Mashable » New DARPA Tech Could Enable Soldiers to Climb on Vertical Surfaces

Thursday 12 June 3:15:46 UTC 2014

Darpa-climberFeed-tw Feed-fb The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is working on technology that could enable soldiers to climb on flat, vertical surfaces, similar to geckos The latest development in DARPA's Z-Man program, which aims to develop biologically inspired climbing aids, is a type of adhesive called "Geckskin" that is strong enough to suspend a climbing human. See also: 10 Innovations Poised to … [Link]

Slashdot » Gecko Feet Inspire Hand-Held Spider-Man Paddles

Thursday 12 June 2:36:00 UTC 2014

ygslash (893445) writes DARPA is developing hand-held paddles that can be used to scale vertical walls. The adhesion technology employed in the paddles is based on Van der Waals force, inspired by the feet of certain species of geckos known for their excellent climbing ability. In a recent test, a man weighing almost 100 kg (220 lbs) and carrying a … [Link]

Mashable » Google Is Making It Easier to Keep Up With the World Cup

Thursday 12 June 2:27:48 UTC 2014

Fifa-world-cup-2010Feed-tw Feed-fbGoogle is going for the goal in its coverage of this year's FIFA World Cup. Google launched a World Cup website — as a part of its Google Trends section — on Wednesday to make it easier for fans to get the latest stats, player news and live game updates in one spot. Users who now search for "World Cup" or … [Link]

Mashable » This Isn't Your Average Cover, No Diggity, No Doubt

Thursday 12 June 1:59:28 UTC 2014

NodiggitypicFeed-tw Feed-fb This reimagining of Blackstreet's "No Diggity" won't have you to revisiting the '90s — instead, it will take you by the hand and sit you down in a haze-filled lounge of the 1920s Think: sultry vocals via Jessica Rabbit, horns and a lot of sustained eye contact See also: 15 A Cappella Covers of '90s Theme Songs The video comes … [Link]

Mashable » 24 Must-Read Books for Summer 2014

Thursday 12 June 1:30:57 UTC 2014

Summer-readingFeed-tw Feed-fbNothing completes the summer like a good book. Whether you're soaking up sun on an exotic beach, or taking a staycation in your hometown, we've assembled the season's most-talked-about titles for you to enjoy From full-length novels to short stories and compelling non-fiction, there's something for everyone in Mashable's list of must-read summer books of 2014. Our recommendations include a fun … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: DatAnywhere API Opens Up Secure File Search

Thursday 12 June 1:27:40 UTC 2014

Veronis launches DatAnywhere API to make files securely searchable within a business. The Federal Social Media Registry API verifies government accounts, now used by Facebook. Plus: Cloud APIs and Programmatic Interfaces, and Adobe releases a Gamepad API. [Link]

Mashable » The Evolution of the Adidas World Cup Soccer Ball

Thursday 12 June 1:08:25 UTC 2014

Heroball9870Feed-tw Feed-fb As soccer fans around the globe gear up to take in the World Cup on Thursday, a number of companies are using the event to push their tech-focused efforts into the spotlight But long before the Twitter World Cup hashtag campaigns and Google Maps' virtual tours of the playing fields, for years Adidas, one of the oldest sports wear brands … [Link]

Slashdot » Human Blood Substitute Could Help Meet Donor Blood Shortfall

Thursday 12 June 0:55:00 UTC 2014

Zothecula (1870348) writes According to the World Health Organization, over 107 million blood donations are collected around the globe every year, most of which goes on to help save lives. However, while the need for blood is global, much of that which is donated is not accessible to many who need it, such as those in developing countries. And of … [Link]

Mashable » Google Launches New Platform to Connect Businesses With Customers

Thursday 12 June 0:28:22 UTC 2014

Google_connectsFeed-tw Feed-fbGoogle wants to create a better business directory and, this time, they mean business. On Thursday the tech giant launched Google My Business, a one-stop way for merchants to manage their presence on a variety of the company's properties including search, maps and Google+ See also: 20 Searches Made Ridiculous by Google Autocomplete Business owners that had been using Places for … [Link]

Mashable » 'Pretty Little Liars' Premiere Tweeted More Than 'The Walking Dead' Finale

Thursday 12 June 0:17:55 UTC 2014

Pretty-little-liars-season-5-premiereFeed-tw Feed-fbPretty Little Liars continues to be a big social hit The show's Season 5 premiere, which aired Tuesday on ABC Family, generated 1.04 million tweets, according to SocialGuide, topping the number of tweets generated by the Season Four finale of AMC's The Walking Dead (1.01 million). See also: 'Pretty Little Liars' Renewed for 2 More Seasons The episode also ranked among … [Link]

Slashdot » Aliens and the Fermi Paradox

Thursday 12 June 0:14:00 UTC 2014

First time accepted submitter sayhem (1842674) writes Various explanations for why we don't see aliens have been proposed—perhaps interstellar travel is impossible or maybe civilizations are always self-destructive. But with every new discovery of a potentially habitable planet, the Fermi Paradox becomes increasingly mysterious. There could be hundreds of millions of potentially habitable worlds in the Milky Way alone. This … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Devil's claw looms over World Cup's armadillo mascot

Thursday 12 June 0:01:00 UTC 2014

Brazil's three-banded armadillos are vulnerable to extinction, because an ornamental plant from Madagascar is smothering their shrub-land home [Link]

Archive

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  17 Mar 2024  16 Mar 2024  15 Mar 2024  14 Mar 2024  13 Mar 2024  12 Mar 2024  11 Mar 2024  10 Mar 2024  09 Mar 2024  08 Mar 2024  07 Mar 2024  06 Mar 2024  05 Mar 2024  04 Mar 2024  03 Mar 2024  02 Mar 2024  01 Mar 2024  29 Feb 2024  28 Feb 2024  27 Feb 2024  

No Comments

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.