Anyone who works as a freelancer these days has to be at least a bit familiar with techie things. But it isn’t just that. When I was a kid and those vaguely SF puppet shows were on the television and all the other kids wanted to be Greg Gogetem or Steve Savetheuniverse, I wanted to be the guy in a white coat and glasses called Doc or Brains. Here are some technology-related feeds I find useful and/or entertaining.
Slashdot » Can the NSA Really Track You Through Power Lines?
mask.of.sanity writes Forensics and industry experts have cast doubt on an alleged National Security Agency capability to locate whistle blowers appearing in televised interviews based on how the captured background hum of electrical devices affects energy grids. Divining information from electrified wires is a known technique: Network Frequency Analysis (ENF) is used to prove video and audio streams have not … [Link]
Mashable » Say 'Happy Fourth!' With These Creepy Vintage Postcards
The Fourth of July fills most people's minds with visions of the beach, barbecue, fireworks and jello shots. If you were living in the 1900s, you’d add greeting cards to the list (and probably remove the jello shots). According to American University, Fourth of July postcards were popular in the early 20th century. Traditionally coming in packs of six, it was … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: BlockCypher Claims MultiSig API Could Have Prevented BitCoin Theft
BlockCypher MultiSig API could have save saved $1 billion in Bitcoin theft. Expanding the Yo App concept. Plus: Google Play Services with Android wearable devices is out, and what is an SDN API? BlockCypher Offers MultiSig API for Beefed Up Security BlockCypher's new MultiSig API could have been used by MtGox, Silkroad and others to prevent nearly $1 billion in … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Burst into Android's "L" with a New Lens: Massive Camera 2 API Update
With the announcement of the new design-centric OS "L," Android is sharpening up user experience and performance, unveiling an updated camera API with a robust feature set. [Link]
Mashable » A Hysterically Sobbing Politician Is Sad But Also Kind of Hilarious
Crying politicians are nothing new. John Boehner has been known to shed more than his fair share of tears now and again But this week, a video of a Japanese politician sobbing throughout a press conference made waves, racking up more than 3 million views on YouTube since it was uploaded on Tuesday. See also: How to Talk About Politics … [Link]
Slashdot » New Class of Stars Are Totally Metal, Says Astrophysicist
KentuckyFC writes Stars form when clouds of gas and dust collapse under their own gravity, generating enough heat and pressure to fuse the atoms inside them together. When this cloud of dust and gas is the remnants of a supernova, it can contain all kinds of heavy elements in addition to primordial hydrogen, helium and lithium. Now one astrophysicist has … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Stop-Motion Transformers Short Film is Actually Better Than “Age of Extinction”
An awesome short stop-motion transformers movie featuring the constructicons! Thanks Scott! [harrisloureiro] [Link]
Mashable » World Cup Taps Shakira, Santana and Wyclef for Closing Ceremony
Before the final two squads in the World Cup face off on July 13 in Brazil, FIFA will get fans pumped up for the last winner-take-all match with the customary closing ceremony. Organizers unveiled the ceremony's entertainment on Thursday, tapping Shakira, Santana and Wyclef, and Brazilian stars Carlinhos Brown, Alexandre Pires and Ivete Sangaloto, to perform. See also: Katy Perry Sued … [Link]
Mashable » The Many Jimi Hendrix Faces of André 3000 in 'All Is By My Side'
André Benjamin has the Hendrix swagger down, and we know he can write a song. But how's his air guitar? And more importantly, can he make guitar shred-face while doing it? In this first full trailer for Jimi: All Is By My Side, we not only get to hear Benjamin do Hendrix's spaced-out Seattle hippy voice, but we also get … [Link]
Slashdot » Comcast Executives Appear To Share Cozy Relationships With Regulators
v3rgEz (125380) writes A month before Comcast's announcement of a $45B takeover of rival Time-Warner, Comcast's top lobbyist invited the US government's top antitrust regulators to share the company's VIP box at the Sochi Olympics. A Freedom of Information Act request from Muckrock reveals that the regulators reluctantly declined, saying "it sounds like so much fun" but the pesky "rules … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Court Could Order Google To Delete Misdirected Email
Goldman Sachs has asked a US court to force Google to remotely delete a message sent to the wrong address. The e-mail, sent last week, was meant to go to an address ending in gs.com, but mistakenly went to the same username but at gmail.com instead. That’s particularly unfortunate as the e-mail included “highly confidential brokerage account information.” The message … [Link]
Slashdot » Duolingo is a Free, Crowdsourced Language Learning App (Video)
This is an interview with Duolingo engineer Franklin Ditzler. He's not a smooth marketing guy getting all rah-rah about the company and what it does, just a coder who enjoys his job and seems to like where he works and what he's doing. Note that Duolingo is a free language teaching tool, and they seem determined to keep it free … [Link]
Mashable » Katy Perry Sued by Christian Artists Claiming She Stole 'Dark Horse'
Four Christian musicians filed a lawsuit against Katy Perry in a federal court this week, claiming her chart-topping hit "Dark Horse" ripped off their 2008 song "Joyful Noise." The complaint, obtained by Mashable from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, refers to the case as a copyright lawsuit with defendants Perry, featured artist Juicy J, Capitol Records … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Visions of our future in a broken world
How will future generations live in a world transformed by climate change and overconsumption? Explore the imaginings of writers, artists and filmmakers [Link]
Mashable » You Can Get Google to Unsend an Email — if You're Goldman Sachs
Ever wish you could take back an email that you sent by mistake? If you're Goldman Sachs and you have enough lawyers, you can convince Google to help you. Google is preventing a Gmail user from accessing an email that a Goldman Sachs employee mistakenly sent with sensitive client information, Goldman said Thursday. See also: HOW TO: Undo "Send" in Gmail … [Link]
Slashdot » Use of Encryption Foiled the Cops a Record 9 Times In 2013
realized (2472730) writes "In nine cases in 2013, state police were unable to break the encryption used by criminal suspects they were investigating, according to an annual report on law enforcement eavesdropping released by the U.S. court system on Wednesday. That's more than twice as many cases as in 2012, when police said that they'd been stymied by crypto in … [Link]
Mashable » Exercise Your Right to Knowledge With These 46 First Lady Facts
Most people refer to Michelle Obama as the First Lady, but the Secret Service call her Renaissance The codename, more of a tradition than a security measure, is one of 46 interesting facts found in Mental Floss' most recent video about America's First Ladies. See also: 10 Jello Shot Recipes to Get You Star-Spangled Blasted So before you go and … [Link]
Mashable » Why Hurricane Arthur Is a Weather Forecaster's Worst Nightmare
Hurricane Arthur is the type of storm hurricane forecasters dread — it is intensifying, gaining speed and tracking much closer to land than originally anticipated Rather than grazing the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a strong tropical storm or minimal Category 1 hurricane, it is likely to make landfall as a Category 2 — or possibly even Category 3 — … [Link]
Mashable » How to Take Photos of Fireworks That Don't Completely Suck
You know what's great about the Fourth of July? Flooding your Instagram feed with pictures of fireworks. But snapping shots of those glittery spectacles is harder than it looks. They may be huge and colorful, but taking a photo of light at night is a tricky feat. See also: 12 Americans Taking the Fourth of July a Little Too Seriously Don't … [Link]
Mashable » Uber Now Legal in London, Still Faces Speed Bumps in U.S.
Uber is free to put its pedal to the metal in London. UK regulators have declared that the San Francisco-based ridesharing startup is indeed operating legally in the city, says Time, clearing the way for Uber to operate openly in the British capital See also: Sorry, Taxis: You're History The decision was came Thursday from Transport for London (TfL), the city's … [Link]
Mashable » Wait for It… Twitter Collectively Holds Its Breath in World Cup Shootouts
The moment of anticipation between when the World Cup referee blows the whistle and when the player takes his shot is one of those rare times in sports when just about everyone is holding their breath. And, as it turns out on Twitter, holding their tweets. Data from Twitter highlights how activity ebbs and flows dramatically during shootouts, with users glued … [Link]
Slashdot » California Property Tax Exemptions For Solar Energy Systems Extended To 2025
New submitter DaveSmith1982 writes with word from PV Tech that A property tax exemption for solar power systems in California has been extended to 2025, following the passing of a bill as part of the annual state budget. Senate Bill 871 (SB871) was approved during the signing of the budget by governor Jerry Brown, which took place last week. The … [Link]
Mashable » Boom! 10 Great Fireworks Moments From Pop Culture
If you're not a skittish poodle, chances are you're looking forward to Fourth of July fireworks. (If you are, congrats! You're a dog that can read!) In prep for the big fire shows in the sky taking place across this land we call the U-S of A, we've scoured the dry, weedy parts of our memories for the ten best fireworks … [Link]
Mashable » Privacy Group Urges Investigation Into Facebook for Emotion Study
A privacy and digital rights group has launched the first challenge in the United States against Facebook for its controversial emotion manipulation study. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a public interest research center, filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), accusing Facebook of failing to inform its users of the experiment, deceptive trade practices and of effectively manipulating … [Link]
Mashable » Return to Sender: Elvis' Planes May Soon Be Leaving Graceland
The Pride of Elvis Presley Airways may soon depart Graceland for destinations unknown. For 30 years visitors have toured the Lisa Marie and the Hound Dog II as part of a rock-and-roll pilgrimage to Graceland, the theme park built around Presley's home in Memphis, Tennessee. But now Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), which operates Graceland, has asked the owner to remove the … [Link]
Slashdot » Researchers Disarm Microsoft's EMET
wiredmikey (1824622) writes "Security researchers have found a way to disable the protection systems provided by the latest version of Microsoft's Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET), a software tool designed to prevent vulnerabilities from being exploited by using various mitigation technologies. Others have managed to bypass EMET in the past, but researchers from Offensive Security have focused on disarming EMET, … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » A True Childhood Story [Comic]
[Source: The Odd 1s Out] [Link]
Mashable » Map Shows Hurricane Arthur's Fury Through the Lens of Instagram
Hurricane Arthur, the first named storm of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, is on the edge of Category 2 status as it rendezvous with North Carolina. Hurricane Arthur's giant eye, 30 miles wide, made landfall in North Carolina Thursday night — appropriately enough, at Cape Lookout. Stick with Mashable for the latest updates. Below, we're gathering Instagram photos from people in … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Android Wear Apps Get Boost From Google Play Services 5.0 Rollout
Developers, time to rev those mobile app engines. Google Play Services 5.0 has been rolled out to nearly all Android devices, bringing with it compatibility with Android Wear devices. If you're itching to get on the ground floor with wearables, the tools are now all available. [Link]
Mashable » Sunrise's Smart Calendar Lands on Mac
While there is no shortage of "smart" calendar apps to choose from, many are limited to only one platform Sunrise, which is available on iOS, Android and web, is one of the few exceptions. The app became available to even more users on Thursday when it added a native Mac app to its lineup See also: 9 Excellent Apps For Discovering … [Link]
Mashable » Overpass Collapses in World Cup Host City; at Least 1 Dead
SÃO PAULO — An overpass in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte collapsed Thursday, killing at least one person and injuring 22, according to the local health secretary. Belo Horizonte is one of Brazil's 12 World Cup host cities. The overpass, which was under construction, crashed onto the traffic below, crushing at least four vehicles — a bus, two trucks and … [Link]
Slashdot » NSA Considers Linux Journal Readers, Tor (And Linux?) Users "Extremists"
New submitter marxmarv writes If you search the web for communications security information, or read online tech publications like Linux Journal or BoingBoing, you might be a terrorist. The German publication Das Erste disclosed a crumb of alleged XKeyScore configuration, with the vague suggestion of more source code to come, showing that Tor directory servers and their users, and as … [Link]
Mashable » Superman Looks Like He Could Use an Umbrella
Superman is clearly not happy about the Fourth of July weekend weather system hitting Gotham. Warner Bros. released this first image of Henry Cavill as Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on Thursday, and while it's hardly the first look at the Man of Steel (we saw him in, um, Man of Steel), it's most definitely the scowliest. This … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Thor’s Beautiful Maiden of Midgard [Pic]
[Source: Text from Superheroes] [Link]
Mashable » 12 Americans Taking the Fourth of July a Little Too Seriously
The Fourth of July is a time for Americans to celebrate and reflect on how great it is to be an American. Most of us like to think of ourselves as true patriots, but until you dye your mustache, or turn your dog into Uncle Sam, or wrap your entire truck in a bald eagle, you're merely just an average American … [Link]
New Scientist – News » How to kill knotweed: Let slip the bugs of war
Mention biocontrol and people think of the cane toad catastrophe. But a sap-sucking bug could be the only way to win the war against the world's worst weed (full text available to subscribers) [Link]
Mashable » Clean Bandit on Perilous Video Shoots, Mozart and Technology
Welcome to Throwback Tunesday, where Mashable amplifies the echoes of music past. With genre trends and throwbacks, we synthesize music and nostalgia. Life is full of unexpectedly great pairings: Bacon and peanut butter, cats and the Internet and so on and so forth. Electro beats meet classical music (yes, like Beethoven) when it comes to UK-based quartet Clean Bandit, and fans … [Link]
Mashable » Luis Suarez Reportedly Nibbling at $120 Million Transfer to FC Barcelona
The bite felt 'round the world got Uruguayan soccer star Luis Suarez ejected from the World Cup — but he may now be on the way to realizing a professional dream via transfer to the iconic Spanish club FC Barcelona. The Guardian reported the deal that Suarez's current club, Liverpool, is nearing with Barcelona will be worth £70 million (about $120 … [Link]
Mashable » Airport Security Is Increasing: What to Expect If You're Traveling to the U.S.
Increased security measures have started at airports abroad with direct flights to the United States. U.S. intelligence officials are concerned that al-Qaeda is trying to develop a new, improved bomb that could go undetected through airport security. See also: Get Ready to Pay More for Airport Security Although there is no indication that such a bomb exists (or that a specific … [Link]
Mashable » How a Facebook Poke Between Strangers Led to a Marriage Proposal at HQ
The "poke" is one of Facebook's most-cryptic features, but for Steve Kawalit and Nafis Joon, a simple poke seven years ago was the catalyst for their recent engagement It's a love story for the social media generation: He pushes the poke button in 2007, giving her a digital nudge to convey his existence. She responds and they mingle online. They meet … [Link]
Slashdot » FCC Proposal To Limit Access To 5725-5850 MHz Band
New submitter thittesd0375 (1111917) writes New rules adopted by the FCC will greatly limit the amount of bandwidth available in the unlicensed U-NII band used to deliver internet to rural areas. The filters required to comply with the new rules would shrink the available frequencies from 125MHz to only 45MHz. Petitions to reconsider this ruling can be submitted here and … [Link]
Mashable » Survey: YouTube More Popular Than Live TV
A new survey from Adroit Digital suggests that YouTube is now more popular than live TV Out of 2,000 people surveyed (U.S. respondents over 18 who own a television, smartphone and personal computer), 68% of viewers said they consume video content from YouTube, 51% consume video from live television and 49% consume content from Netflix. For this story and more, … [Link]
New Scientist – News » First life-friendly exoplanet may not exist after all
Touted since 2007 as a top contender for hosting life, the rocky world Gliese 581 d may be no more than sunspots, according to a re-analysis of its signal [Link]
New Scientist – News » Cool planet hints at potential for life in double stars
It is an unlikely spot for life, but a chilly exoplanet orbiting one star in a binary system suggests possible locations for more habitable worlds [Link]
New Scientist – News » Magnetic messages let smartphones receive secret data
The magnetometer sitting in your smartphone can do more than just tell which way to go: it can also be used to receive messages [Link]
Mashable » Android L Is a Game Changer for Developers
In our latest Ask a Dev video, Android engineer Justin Holmes discusses the big changes that have come with Google's Android L announcement at last week's Google I/O. The newest version of Android, codenamed Android L for now, will bring developers 5,000 new APIs, a new application runtime, 64-bit support and Material Design. See also: Google Overhauls Android With L … [Link]
Slashdot » Austrian Tor Exit Node Operator Found Guilty As an Accomplice
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from TechDirt: Three years ago we wrote about how Austrian police had seized computers from someone running a Tor exit node. This kind of thing happens from time to time, but it appears that folks in Austria have taken it up a notch by… effectively now making it illegal to run a Tor … [Link]
Mashable » Chris Colfer's Twitter Hacked: Fox Says He's Not Leaving 'Glee'
It appears Glee star Chris Colfer was the victim of a Twitter hacking. Colfer's verified account stated Thursday morning that the actor was being let go from the show for "personal reasons." But Fox said in a statement issued minutes later Thursday that the star is not leaving Glee — his account was simply hacked. "Rumors of his dismissal from Glee … [Link]
Mashable » One Man, 29 Flawless Celebrity Impressions
Step aside, Christina Bianca. The Internet has a new champion of celebrity impressions, and his name is Rob Cantor In a recent YouTube upload, Cantor tackles the voices of 29 celebrities — ranging from the deep, raspy intonation of Louis Armstrong to the powerhouse soprano Christina Aguilera — in an original song called "Perfect." See also: This Isn't Your Average … [Link]
Mashable » Susan Sarandon Was the Original Selfie Queen in 'Thelma & Louise'
Step aside, teenage girls — Susan Sarandon was taking selfies before most of you were even born The actress stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live Wednesday and recreated the most iconic selfie of Hollywood: Thelma and Louise, circa 1991 See also: 10 Celebrities Who Mastered the #TBT Instagram Photo Kimmel stepped in as Thelma, donning a wig and retro jean jacket. … [Link]
Mashable » 10 Vacation Reads for a Literary Summer
One of the greatest parts of summer is sitting on the beach with a good book in hand. For our beach trips, we're excited to read The Vacationers, Emma Straub's New York Times bestselling novel and the official MashableReads book club selection. Straub's new novel about the inevitable that happens during family vacations is is the ultimate summer read and a … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Famous Actors as Superheroes [Picture Gallery]
These awesome superhero illustrations featuring famous actors (other then the ones currently impersonating the characters in current Hollywood movies) were designed by French artist Alex Tuis. I would have loved to see Arnold play the part as Collusus when he was younger! [Source: Alex Tuis – Creature Designer | Via] [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Zend Upgrade Improves Quality of PHP Code
PHP may not be the hippest programming language these days, but it’s still the workhorse that most web application were built with. To make it simpler to build those applications, Zend this week announced the availability of its Zend Server 7 platform, which includes tools that immediately allow developers to spot potential issues with a piece of code as they … [Link]
Mashable » 19 Insane Local Laws That Can Ruin Your Fourth of July
The Fourth of July combines some of the best things known to mankind and the best parts of being an American — all in one special day. If you can find a single holiday that beats the combination of birthday parties, freedom, blowing stuff up, meat cooked over an open flame, liberty, summer, representative democracy, Sousa marches, spun sugar, soft-serve ice … [Link]
Mashable » 8 Cities With Spectacular Fourth of July Fireworks
More than 15,000 fireworks shows will help kick off Fourth of July celebrations around the country this weekend. And that's just the professional shows. In total, about 213 million pounds of fireworks are sold annually in the United States, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association. See also: 7 Games to Bring Out Your Patriotic Side for the Fourth of July While … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Dinosaurs Were Just Really Big Chickens: A Song about Growing Up [Video]
A fantastic song by “The Doubleclicks” about kids growing up to one day become… big kids, even when they’re old! [The Doubleclicks | Like "The Doubleclicks" on Facebook | Via The Mary Sue] [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest on newscientist.com: plan for a happy planet, lost humans live on in Tibetan genes, primordial soup, smart homes, cosmic supervoid and more [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Hosting Services That Don't Overreact To DMCA Requests?
tobiasly (524456) writes I run a few websites which are occasionally the target of bogus DMCA takedown requests. Even a cursory look at these requests would reveal that the content these requests try to have removed are not even eligible for copyright (for example, someone named "John Smith" decides he wants to have every instance of his name removed from … [Link]
Mashable » Will Facebook Backlash Kill Scientists' Data Dream?
The difference between Facebook users and lab rats? Lab rats can see who's conducting the experiment. Facebook's 2012 experiment on 689,003 unsuspecting users has stoked controversy for breaking ethical norms that are widely recognized by academics and researchers. Facebook has apologized, though this is far from the first study that the social network has performed on its users. See also: How … [Link]
Mashable » At Long Last, Facebook Messenger Arrives on iPads
Facebook’s dedicated chat app, Facebook Messenger, is finally available for the iPad. The popular chatting app was previously only available on mobile for the iPhone, but the social network pushed out an update on Thursday that includes full native iPad support. In the past, users could use Facebook Messenger on the iPad, but only as an enlarged iPhone app. See also: … [Link]
Mashable » Couple's Extreme 'Game of Thrones' Wedding Is Fit for King's Landing
Game of Thrones and happy weddings usually go together like a Lannister and a Stark — not at all. But one brave couple, Kerry Ford and Darren Prew, broke Westerosi traditions by throwing a Game of Thrones-themed wedding with (spoiler alert) a happy ending. The ceremony, set at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, England, involved the entire bridal party dressing up … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Frisky flower uses bellows to blast pollen at birds
A group of South American plants has evolved bulbous organs in their flowers that spray pollen at pollinating birds because birds eat the male flower parts whole [Link]
Mashable » Google Begins Removing Old Articles in UK After 'Right to be Forgotten' Ruling
Some of the largest news publications in the UK expressed frustration this week after Google notified them that it would be removing select articles from search results following the "right to be forgotten" in the European Union The BBC complained that a 2007 article about the ousting of Merrill Lynch's CEO had been pulled from certain Google searches in EuropeThe Guardian … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Magnetic bubble may give space probes a soft landing
Next year, NASA will test plasma parachutes for spacecraft – a way to glide safely to the surface of Earth or Mars without huge heat shields [Link]
Mashable » What Teens Are Really Into These Days
Image: Time TrabbleTurn on the nightly news and you're bound to hear about some absurd new trend popular among the youths of today E-cigarettes, Snapchat sexts, bubbling (OK, that last one's fake) — teenagers are living in a whole new emoji-filled world. See also: How 13-Year-Olds Really Use Snapchat In this comic, Mikey Heller of Time Trabble imagines the plight … [Link]
Mashable » Fear and Rumors Hinder Containment of Ebola Outbreak
It sounds like the perfect script for a horror movie: A virus with no vaccine and no cure kills hundreds of people; despite containment efforts, it keeps spreading. But it's actually all too real in West Africa, where doctors have said Ebola is now "out of control." While scientists dig for clues that could help develop medicine or better vaccine, the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » LOL: The Man Who Does Porky Pig’s Voice Has Total Job Security [Video]
I tried doing a full sentence talking like that and I failed miserably. [Matt Hilton | Via Reddit] [Link]
Mashable » Live Updates: Hurricane Arthur Roars Up the East Coast
6 things you need to know now: Hurricane Arthur is gaining strength and forward speed, which means it will hit land stronger and earlier than expected — bad news for anyone who waited to make last-minute preparations. As of 2 p.m. ET, Hurricane Arthur had maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour, and was moving north-northeast at 13 miles per … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Toy Wars: Two Dads Battle it Out with Kids’ Toys [Video]
This is the best thing you’ll see all day! The video reminds me a little of what my friends Nick and Gary from Sneaky Zebra did a while ago in Prop Wars. (See below!) Thanks Andrew! [andrewmfilms] [Link]
Slashdot » Microsoft Backs Open Source For the Internet of Things
dcblogs writes Microsoft has joined a Linux Foundation effort to create an open platform for the Internet of Things. The AllSeen Alliance is an effort to standardize device communications. The code that it champions, called AllJoyn, was initially developed by Qualcomm but was subsequently made open source. Big vendors have been recruited to support it, and the AllSeen Alliance now … [Link]
Slashdot » Judge Frees "Cannibal Cop" Who Shared His Fantasies Online
AthanasiusKircher (1333179) writes The story is classic: Boy meets Girl. Boy likes Girl. Boy goes on the internet and writes about his fantasies that involve killing and eating Girl. Boy goes to jail. In this case, the man in question, NYC police officer Gilberto Valle, didn't act on his fantasies — he just shared them in a like-minded internet forum. … [Link]
Mashable » Dutch Santa Claus Sidekick 'Black Pete' Is a Negative Stereotype, Court Rules
An Amsterdam court ruled on Thursday that the traditional Dutch figure known as Black Pete, the sidekick to the Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus, is a negative stereotype of black people and the city must rethink its involvement in holiday celebrations involving him. Black Pete is usually portrayed by white people in blackface makeup, with thick red lips and a frizzy … [Link]
Mashable » Louis Zamperini, War Hero and Subject of Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken,' Dies
Louis Zamperini, the U.S. Olympic track star and World War II hero whose remarkable survival story is the basis for the upcoming Angelina Jolie-directed movie Unbroken, has died at age 97. Zamperini died Wednesday after a bout with pneumonia, his family said in a statement from Universal Pictures, which is releasing Unbroken in December. “After a 40-day-long battle for his life, … [Link]
Mashable » American Teenager Arrested After Falling in Love With ISIL Terrorist Online
A Colorado teenager has been arrested after reportedly falling in love with a radical Islamist militant online and trying to join him in Syria, according to authorities. The FBI arrested Shannon Maureen Conley, 19, as she was trying to board a flight to Germany on April 8, en route to Turkey's border with Syria, according to court documents unsealed on Wednesday. … [Link]
Mashable » Why FIFA Is Glad Some Big Names Are Out of the World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo, Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney, Mario Balotelli, Luis Suarez, together currently valued in the transfer market at nearly $500 million, are playing no further part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But in one respect, FIFA has reason to be happy that they all headed home earlier than expected — and that's down to injury insurance. The players are all … [Link]
Mashable » Just a Herd of Exploding Goats Singing the National Anthem, NBD
Reason no. 358 to love the United States of America: We have goats singing the National Anthem World Wide Interweb's Independence Day present to the country is a herd of goats harmonizing to the Star Spangled Banner, and then bursting in air, just like the song says. There will never be anything more patriotic than this video right here See … [Link]
Mashable » 'Once Upon a Time' Finds Its Elsa
Once Upon a Time has found its Elsa Actress Georgina Haig, of Fringe fame, will join the fourth season of ABC's fantasy drama, playing the character from the 2013 animated hit Frozen. Executive producer Adam Horowitz confirmed the news on Twitter Thursday morning. See also: 10 New Summer Series to Keep Your TV Addiction Alive Haig joins previously announced new cast … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Google and Apple battle for the key to your smart home
The internet of things is about to go from buzzword to reality as your house wakes up to dozens of communicating appliances – but who will own the hub? [Link]
Mashable » Microsoft's Upcoming Wearable Might Not Be a Smartwatch
Microsoft is reportedly working on a wrist-mounted wearable that works with your smartphone, and it might not be a smartwatch. Tech site WinSuperSite reports that Microsoft’s upcoming device is more akin to a fitness tracker like Fitbit and Samsung Gear Fit, citing unnamed Microsoft insiders. See also: The History of Wearable Tech, From the Casino to the Consumer The report … [Link]
Slashdot » Employees Staying Away From Internal Corporate Social Networks
jfruh (300774) writes As social networks proliferated in the early '10s, so did the idea of a corporate social network — a Facebook-like community on an intranet where employees could interact. Unfortunately, corporate users are staying away in droves, perceiving the systems as one more in-box they'd have to take care of and getting their social-networking fix from Facebook and … [Link]
Mashable » Android Wear Apps Hit the Google Play Store
The Android Wear smartwatch apps are here. A new update to Google Play services brings the first batch of apps that work with Android Wear capable smartwatches, such as the LG G and the Moto 360. Google Play 5.0 (up from 4.5) was first announced at the company's Google I/O Developer Conference in San Francisco last week, but the update is … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Switching From SAS To Python Or R For Data Analysis and Modeling?
An anonymous reader writes "I work for a huge company. We use SAS all the time for everything, which is great if you have a bunch of non-programmer employees and you want them to do data analysis and build models… but it ends up stifling any real innovation, and I worry we will get left behind. Python and R both … [Link]
Mashable » Here's Some Good U.S. Economic News for Your July 4 Weekend
A series of employment reports highlight that employment is finally catching up to the broader U.S. economic recovery. The unemployment rate dropped to 6.1%, the lowest rate since September 2008, and the U.S. economy added a robust 288,00 jobs in June — the fifth straight month of big gains. The U.S. trade deficit fell 5.6% to $44.4 billion as exports hit … [Link]
Mashable » Adorable Little Boy Comforts Girl on the First Day of School
We've found our knight in tiny armor A little girl in Taiwan was homesick on her first day of preschool, but her friend was the perfect gentleman, promising to comfort her, protect her and even nap next to her. This is what wedding vows should look like, people. See also: 23 Kids Having a Worse Monday Than You According to … [Link]
Slashdot » IeSF Wants International Game Tournaments Segregated By Sex [Updated]
RockDoctor (15477) writes The Guardian is reporting that a Finnish heat of an international gaming competition is being segregated into male and female branches in accordance to international rules. The International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) want "eSports" to be recognised as equivalent to physical sports. And that, it seems, requires that competitors be segregated on grounds of sex. Which may be … [Link]
Slashdot » IeSF Wants International Game Tournaments Segregated By Sex
RockDoctor (15477) writes The Guardian is reporting that a Finnish heat of an international gaming competition is being segregated into male and female branches in accordance to international rules. The International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) want "eSports" to be recognised as equivalent to physical sports. And that, it seems, requires that competitors be segregated on grounds of sex. Which may be … [Link]
Mashable » 7 Games to Bring Out Your Patriotic Side for the Fourth of July
Well I'm proud to be an American, because at least I know I'm free … to play video games Sure, you could kick back and watch fireworks for the Fourth of July, but why not spend that time relishing in some of the most patriotic pieces of electronic entertainment out there? See also: You Do You, America While patriotism takes many … [Link]
Mashable » HTC Finally Turns a Profit
HTC is back in black, at least for now The Taiwan-based company released its unaudited results on Thursday, posting a net profit of 2.26 billion New Taiwan dollars (or a little less than $76 million) for the June quarter. That beat analyst estimates for a profit of 2.17 billion New Taiwan dollars. See also: Stellar Reviews Aren't Helping HTC's Bottom Line … [Link]
Mashable » 10 Jello Shot Recipes to Get You Star-Spangled Blasted
Ah, the Fourth of July, a day of controlled explosions, patriotism and copious amounts of food and alcohol Millions of Americans will make the annual journey to their nearest backyard barbecue this Independence Day, but in order to lure guests to your celebration, you're going to need to stand out among the crowd of potato salads and hamburgers. That's right, we're … [Link]
Slashdot » Goldman Sachs Demands Google Unsend One of Its E-mails
rudy_wayne (414635) writes A Goldman Sachs contractor was testing internal changes made to Goldman Sachs system and prepared a report with sensitive client information, including details on brokerage accounts. The report was accidentally e-mailed to a 'gmail.com' address rather than the correct 'gs.com' address. Google told Goldman Sachs on June 26 that it couldn't just reach into Gmail and delete … [Link]
Mashable » Peeps Is Planning 365 Straight Days of Holiday Celebrations
Those little green men that might drop from outer space at any moment? Don’t fret –- they’re as sweet as a marshmallow confection, and they come in (mini) pieces in honor of Wednesday's World UFO Day. Easter cult favorite candy Peeps is latching onto a year’s worth of obscure holidays to debut its new half-bite-sized product called Peeps Minis. Colorful, "peepified" … [Link]
Mashable » 5 Upcoming Events to Help Move Your Career Forward
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. If you don't find something that's right for you, check out dozens of event listings featured in our complete listing. Read more… On the Events … [Link]
Slashdot » Senate Budgetmakers Move To End US Participation In ITER
Graculus (3653645) writes Budgetmakers in the U.S. Senate have moved to halt U.S. participation in ITER, the huge international fusion experiment now under construction in Cadarache, France, that aims to demonstrate that nuclear fusion could be a viable source of energy. Although the details are not available, Senate sources confirm a report by Physics Today that the Senate's version of … [Link]
Mashable » That Lightning in NYC Last Night… :-O
Forget the fireworks. Mother Nature had her own pre-Independence Day celebration on Wednesday night when a storm rolled through New York City, bringing with it lightning brighter than the bulbs of Times Square Those with the speediest of fingers were able to capture some of the cloud-to-ground strikes over the iconic skyline. A few of our favorites from Manhattan, Queens and … [Link]
Mashable » Top Vacation Spots on Earth
Where would you travel if you could go anywhere? Elliott travels around the globe to highlight extraordinary vacation spots that might just prove that heaven is a place on Earth. Yesterday, Elliott looked at the topic of flying cars, which we totally should've had, like, 10 years ago Read more…More about Vacation, Social Media, and Youtube [Link]
Mashable » 12 Reasons Lisa Simpson Should Be the First Lady President
Who’s more American than that spikey haired 8-year-old from Springfield, U.S.A.? It's not clear if Hilary Clinton will run for President in 2016, but there's still hope for a female president. Precocious third grader Lisa Simpson isn't just smart, she's resourceful, fair minded and one heck of a saxophone player. See also: 11 Times 'The Simpsons' Predicted the Future of Technology … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Real-Life “Spidey-Sense” [Comic]
[Source: Fowl Language | Like Fowl Language on Facebook] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: 40% or More Off Select iOttie Smartphone Car Mounts
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers 40% off or more on select iOttie car mounts, available for most of the currently popular smartphone models on the market. [40% or More Off Select iOttie Smartphone Car Mounts] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Secret Social Life of Plants [Science Video]
Yep, plants can communicate between each others, so when a plant gets attacked, it can send a signal to nearby plants (or insects in certain cases) to help them activate specific protection mechanisms. [Minute Earth] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Which Was The Best Game? ZELDA: A Link to the Past or Ocarina of Time? [Video]
Warning: Language. From Egoraptor: Is Ocarina of Time REALLY the masterpiece we all say it is? What did it do to change how Zelda games are made? How much hate mail WILL I get for this?! [Egoraptor] [Link]
Mashable » World Cup Quarterfinals: How to Pick a New Favorite Team
There is a cruel paradox to the World Cup. The better it gets — the higher the quality rises, the closer we get the World Cup final (this year on July 13) — the more fans are left on the outside looking in. The United States learned heartbreak the hard way on Thursday when, despite the valiant efforts of new American … [Link]
Slashdot » Facebook Fallout, Facts and Frenzy
redletterdave (2493036) writes Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said the company's experiment designed to purposefully manipulate the emotions of its users was communicated "poorly". Sandberg's public comments, which were the first from any Facebook executive following the discovery of the one-week psychological study, were made while attending a meeting with small businesses in India that advertise on Facebook. "This … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Nanoscale Monet is world's tiniest masterpiece
This recreation of Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise is just 300 micrometres across – its bold colours are the product of cunning nanotech [Link]
Mashable » 10 Kids Who Can't Even Handle Fireworks Right Now
There’s nothing like seeing your very first fireworks display in celebration of our great nation's independence. The Fourth of July can be an overload of excitement for toddlers and young children. There's so much to take in: tons of awesome food, everyone is in a great mood and there is no shortage of colorful fireworks. See also: A GoPro Drone Is … [Link]
Mashable » Russia Blocks 'House of Cards' Filming at UN
UNITED NATIONS — Diplomats say Russia has refused to allow the U.S. television series "House of Cards" to film in the U.N. Security Council chamber. The show's producers approached the United Nations, and the 15 council members were asked whether they would allow the use of the chamber when the council wasn't in session, but Russia said "no," the diplomats said. … [Link]
Mashable » The Man Who Turns Amazon Reviews Into Comedic Works of Art
You can buy 55 gallons of lube on Amazon. If you want to know if it's worth buying, you can read a review by James O. Thach. Thach likes to leave reviews, more akin to short stories, on bizarre Amazon products (like the aforementioned lube, Justin Bieber singing toothbrushes and fake vomit). But instead of merely trolling, he turns it into … [Link]
Mashable » Current ISIS Conflict in Iraq, Syria, Has WWI Roots
The sweeping advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has given rise to a lively debate about who should bear ultimate responsibility for the disintegration of Iraq and Syria. On one hand, many commentators have pointed the finger at George W. Bush and Tony Blair who, they argue, as the architects of the 2003 invasion, fundamentally destabilized Iraq … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Biggest void in universe may explain cosmic cold spot
A cold spot in the big bang's afterglow may be a "shadow" of the biggest known hole in the cosmos – not a sign of a collision with another universe [Link]
Mashable » 9 Ways to Stretch Your iPhone's Life When the End Is Near
Apple typically releases its next-generation iPhone in September of each year, sparking a nationwide effort in the months ahead for users to hold on to their dying, dwindling devices for as long as possible before upgrading. It's not just a matter of wanting the newest toy from Apple; the shelf-life of smartphones is typically low, between 18 and 24 months. This … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 3 July 2014
DropBox Opensources Go Libraries — including memcache and a general abstraction for caching layers. Transparency with Salaries (NPR) — Atkison has meetings like this all the time. He says it gives him a chance to explain why some employees make … [Link]
Mashable » Arthur Strengthens Into a Hurricane, Heads Towards North Carolina
RODANTHE, N.C. — Arthur strengthened to a hurricane early Thursday and threatened to give North Carolina a glancing blow on Independence Day, prompting the governor to warn vacationers along the coast not to risk their safety by trying to salvage their picnics and barbecues. Forecasters expect the center of Arthur to either briefly make landfall near the Outer Banks, or come … [Link]
Mashable » 6 Architecture Projects That Revolutionize City Life
Life in a city can be dirty, cramped and inefficient, and the way it's built can make those aspects even worse. However, sometimes architects go beyond simply making functional spaces to create a more positive impact on their homes. From vertical gyms to man-made marshes, architectural design can build solutions to key urban problems. See also: The Best Apps for the … [Link]
Slashdot » Site of 1976 "Atomic Man" Accident To Be Cleaned
mdsolar writes with news about the cleanup of the site that exposed Harold McCluskey to the highest dose of radiation from americium ever recorded. Workers are finally preparing to enter one of the most dangerous rooms in the world — the site of a 1976 blast in the United States that exposed a technician to a massive dose of radiation … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Twitters Latest Ad API partner: Glow Digital Media
Glow received an invitation to build into the Twitter Ads API. This is huge for Glow’s mission; to build close links with the best partners where the best audiences can be found. Twitters massive reach, coupled with experience running Facebook campaigns, gives Glow the ability to offer a wide range of measurement and reporting functions through its integrations with a … [Link]
Slashdot » Solar-Powered Electrochemical Cell Used To Produce Formic Acid From CO2
Zothecula writes Rising atmospheric CO2 levels can generally be tackled in three ways: developing alternative energy sources with lower emissions; carbon capture and storage (CCS); and capturing carbon and repurposing it. Researchers at Princeton University are claiming to have developed a technique that ticks two of these three boxes by using solar power to convert CO2 into formic acid. With … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Drop the eco-pessimism – you can make a greener world
After six years cleaning up England's environment, Chris Smith, the Environment Agency's outgoing chair, is in no mood for surrender [Link]
Mashable » Imagining a New Way to Read, One 3D-Printed Book at a Time
Blind and visually impaired children will now be able to experience classic picture books like Goodnight Moon and Harold and the Purple Crayon with the help of 3D printing technology. Researchers at the University of Colorado have created a new project that can convert standard picture books into 3D-printed pages, letting children with visual impairments follow the raised illustrations by touch … [Link]
Mashable » 'Jurassic Goat' Theme Will Fill You With Wonder
From the YouTube user who brought us "Game of Goats" comes "Jurassic Goat," the Jurassic Park theme reimagined with the sweet voices of screaming goats Marca Blanca has collected a choir of Internet goats and layered them over the famous soundtrack note for note. See also: 'Game of Goats' Unseats Joffrey Baaa-ratheon as King It brings a new sense of … [Link]
Slashdot » Tibetans Inherited High-Altitude Gene From Ancient Human
sciencehabit writes A "superathlete" gene that helps Sherpas and other Tibetans breathe easy at high altitudes was inherited from an ancient species of human. That's the conclusion of a new study, which finds that the gene variant came from people known as Denisovans, who went extinct soon after they mated with the ancestors of Europeans and Asians about 40,000 years … [Link]
Mashable » Man Flies Across Kuala Lumpur Skyline in Clever Lexus Ad
Citizens of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, recently observed an otherworldly sight — an illuminated man who appeared to be traipsing across the skyline. The feat was made possible via strobe lights and a team of stuntmen clad in bespoke suits created by Hollywood costume designer Vin Burnham and technical director Adam Wright. A computer system using DMX software also wirelessly triggered … [Link]
Mashable » Japan Says It Will Lift Some Sanctions on North Korea
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday, local time, that his government has decided to lift some of its sanction on North Korea. The move is in return for North Korea's agreement to reinvestigate the fate of Japanese who were abducted by North Korean agents in the 1970s and 1980s. See also: U.S. Pledges No New Land Mines, But … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Amazon Web Services Introduces T2 for EC2
Amazon Web Services recently introduced T2 instances, designed to reduce costs for applications that don’t consistently use CPU but need to be able to boost to high performance. The lowest-cost Amazon EC2 option starts for $0.013 cents an hour or $9.50 per month. This EC2 option is ideal for developer environments, small databases, and web servers. [Link]
Mashable » Twitter Users Demonstrate the Power of #1Connection
To celebrate Social Media Day on June 30, 2014, Mashable asked our followers on Twitter to engage in #1Connection, an experiment that spanned the entire globe. The aim of #1Connection was to celebrate the unique ability of social media to connect us with people who we would never normally meet, and to help people expand their network by one meaningful connection. … [Link]
Mashable » Memorial for a Murdered World Cup Star, 20 Years Later
The Colombian defender Andres Escobar was killed outside a nightclub in Medellin, Colombia, on July 2, 1994, days after he scored an own goal in the 1994 World Cup against the USA, the host country of the tournament. Twenty years later, Colombian fans and streetfootballworld, a non-profit urban culture program in more than 60 countries, are honoring Escobar's death in Rio … [Link]
Mashable » One Girl Is Going on 100 Dates This Summer and Documenting It All
Elise Moreno is a woman on a mission. She plans to go on 100 dates in one summer Like a Carrie Bradshaw for the millennial generation (minus the drama and expensive shoes), the 25-year-old is dating various men she meets through dating site OKCupid, and then chronicling it all on her Tumblr "100 Dates of Summer." See also: 7 Super-Specific Dating … [Link]
Mashable » Google's Smarty Pins Game Tests Your Geography Knowledge
Google unveiled a fun new game this week that tests players' geography and trivia skills Called "Smarty Pins" the game starts players off with 1,000 miles (or 1,609 kilometers if they're not based in the United States), and asks them to drop a pin on the city that corresponds with the correct answer to a given question. If the answer is … [Link]
Slashdot » Cybercrooks May Have Stolen Billions Using Brazilian "Boletos"
wiredmikey writes Researchers with RSA have discovered a Boleto malware (Bolware) ring that compromised as many as 495,753 Boleto transactions during a two-year period. Though it is not clear whether the thieves successfully collected on all of the compromised transactions, the value of those transactions is estimated to be worth as much as $3.75 billion. A Boleto is essentially a … [Link]
Mashable » Microsoft Reportedly Prepping Office for Android Tablets
Microsoft is reportedly working on a version of its Office productivity suite optimized for Android tablets. The company is currently preparing a beta version, which will soon be tested with a select number of users, The Verge reported, and a full launch is planned for later this year. It appears the Android-tablet apps will debut before the touch version of Office … [Link]
Mashable » French Startup BlaBlaCar Raises $100 million
French ridesharing startup BlaBlaCar closed a $100 million round of funding Wednesday — making it one of the most well-funded French startups ever, according to The Wall Street Journal. The investors include both European and American companies, including Index Ventures, which has also invested in Dropbox and King Digital. See also: The Beginner's Guide to Airbnb BlaBlaCar first launched its ridesharing … [Link]
Mashable » Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on Substance Use: 'You Name It, I've Abused It'
TORONTO — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted to using "every drug you can probably think of" in one-on-one interviews Wednesday. Ford, who recently returned to work at Toronto City Hall after a two-month stint in rehab, said he has used cocaine, marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms — but denied using heroin. "You name it, I've abused it," he told CP24. See also: … [Link]
Mashable » The Facebook Manipulation Study's Mysterious Connection to the Military
New statements from the U.S. military related to Facebook's controversial emotion-manipulation study have further muddied the origin of the News Feed experiment some have called "creepy." On Wednesday, an Army spokesperson told Mashable that someone at Cornell University sent a proposal in 2008 to the U.S. military for funding. Though the army never funded it, the spokesperson said, that proposal was … [Link]
Mashable » You Can Actually Play Tetris on This T-Shirt
Some computer games fade into the history books of technology. Then there are games like Tetris, which endure for decades, defying advancements in computer graphics and processor speeds to gain new players every year. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tetris back on June 6, game enthusiast Marc Kerger applied his programming and hardware skills toward creating what might be … [Link]
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