John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

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Geekish

Anyone who works as a freelancer these days has to be at least a bit familiar with techie things. But it isn’t just that. When I was a kid and those vaguely SF puppet shows were on the television and all the other kids wanted to be Greg Gogetem or Steve Savetheuniverse, I wanted to be the guy in a white coat and glasses called Doc or Brains. Here are some technology-related feeds I find useful and/or entertaining.

Mashable » Google Maps Now Allows You to Measure Exact Distances

Wednesday 9 July 23:57:45 UTC 2014

G-maps-distancesFeed-tw Feed-fbGoogle rolled out a small but significant update to Google Maps Tuesday, which allows you to measure the exact distance between two or more points on a map. The search giant announced the new feature — currently limited to the desktop version of Maps — in a post on its Google+ page See also: How to Get the Most Out of … [Link]

Slashdot » Homestar Runner To Return Soon

Wednesday 9 July 23:53:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes with good news for everyone who loves Strong Bad.Back in April, Homestar Runner got its first content update in over four years. It was the tiniest of updates and the site went quiet again shortly thereafter, but the Internet's collective 90s kid heart still jumped for joy…The site's co-creator, Matt Chapman, popped into an episode of … [Link]

Slashdot » Cosmic Mystery Solved By Super-sized Supernova Dust

Wednesday 9 July 23:48:12 UTC 2014

astroengine writes: 'How cosmic dust is created has been a mystery for some time. Although the textbooks tell us that the dusty stuff that builds the planets — and, ultimately, the complex chemistry that forms life (we are, after all, made of 'star stuff') — comes from supernova explosions, astronomers have been puzzled as to how delicate grains of dust … [Link]

Slashdot » Gamestop's Ludicrous Idea: Require Preorders To Unlock Custom Game Content

Wednesday 9 July 23:48:11 UTC 2014

MojoKid writes: One of the great universal truths of modern gaming is that preorder bonuses suck. The term refers to the practice of ordering a title at some point before it actually ships in order to get access to a variety of minor outfit tweaks, a few starting weapons, or boosts to early gameplay. Today, some publishers take this practice … [Link]

Mashable » Instagram Doodler Makes Whimsical Drawings on Her Bathroom Mirror

Wednesday 9 July 23:14:35 UTC 2014

MirrordrawingsFeed-tw Feed-fbYou don't need coffee for a good morning pick-me-up. All you need is a good set of markers. Helene Meldahl — a "born doodler," as she calls herself — is a Norwegian student living in Washington D.C. Meldahl, in addition to being an intern at the Norwegian Embassy, is an actor, singer and stand-up comedian. See also: Snapchat User Turns Himself … [Link]

Mashable » South Sudan's Bloody Anniversary

Wednesday 9 July 23:13:38 UTC 2014

CelebrationFeed-tw Feed-fbMALAKAL, SOUTH SUDAN — Three years ago this week, the people of South Sudan danced in the streets to celebrate the birth of their nation. Today, the young country is riven by a brutal civil war, largely ignored by the rest of the world. Thousands of South Sudanese have been killed and at least 1.5 million civilians have been displaced by … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » TL;DR: The Lord of the Rings in 90 Seconds [Video]

Wednesday 9 July 23:00:06 UTC 2014

Everything you need to know about most epic trilogy of all time, in the time it takes to microwave popcorn. [Mashable] [Link]

Slashdot » A Brief History of Patenting the Wheel: What Goes Around Comes Around

Wednesday 9 July 23:00:00 UTC 2014

v3rgEz writes Marc Abrahams, founder of the Ig Nobel Prize, has put together a fascinating history of people patenting the wheel, including one inventor that did it to prove how ridiculous Australia's patent system was and another that put wheels on a wheel so it could wheel while it wheels. From the article: "I discovered today that the Australian patent … [Link]

Mashable » 'Orphan Black' Renewed for Season 3

Wednesday 9 July 22:26:28 UTC 2014

OrphanblackfinaleFeed-tw Feed-fbNo surprise here: Orphan Black has been renewed for a third season. BBC America made the announcement Wednesday at the top of its presentations during the Television Critics Association press tour, which takes place over the next two weeks in Los Angeles. See also: 9 Delightful and Horrifying Moments From 'Orphan Black' Season 2 Finale Production on the 10-episode new season of … [Link]

Slashdot » Dubai's Climate-Controlled Dome City Is a Dystopia Waiting To Happen

Wednesday 9 July 22:17:00 UTC 2014

Daniel_Stuckey writes: Dubai is building "the world's first climate-controlled city" — it's a 4.3 mile pedestrian mall that will be covered with a retractable dome to provide its shoppers with air conditioning in the summer heat. The Mall of the World, as it's called, will become the sort of spectacular, over-the-top attraction Dubai is known for. Shortly after, it will … [Link]

Mashable » 'Game of Thrones' Visual Effects Reel Shows How Westeros Comes to Life

Wednesday 9 July 22:16:33 UTC 2014

Gameofthrones_vfxFeed-tw Feed-fbEffects are coming A new video by VFX studio Macklevision shows the extensive CGI work that goes into bringing Game of Thrones' Westeros (and Essos) to life See also: Couple's Extreme 'Game of Thrones' Wedding Is Fit for King's Landing The video focuses on scenes from the show's fourth season, including the wedding of Joffrey Baratheon, the city of Braavos and … [Link]

Mashable » Farmer's Lost iPhone Survives 9-Month, 7,000-Mile Journey

Wednesday 9 July 22:08:13 UTC 2014

Grain_siloFeed-tw Feed-fbDrop an iPhone, and you run the risk of cracking its beautiful glass screen. But bury it in 280,000 pounds of grain, and it might just survive a trip around the world. Oklahoma farmer Kevin Whitney made this inadvertent discovery when he lost his iPhone 4 while working in one of his grain silos, according to local TV station KFOR. "I … [Link]

Slashdot » The Video Game That Maps the Galaxy

Wednesday 9 July 21:58:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes "Video game designers and astronomers have been working different ends of the same problem: how to chart a galaxy full of stars. Astronomers start with observation, finding new and better ways to look into the sky and record what they can see. Game devs take the limited data we have as a starting point, and assume … [Link]

Mashable » The Potato Salad Kickstarter Guy Isn't in This for the Money

Wednesday 9 July 21:37:32 UTC 2014

Potato_saladFeed-tw Feed-fbEven the humble potato salad can do some good in the world. To many people on the Internet, the unorthodox potato salad Kickstarter seemed like a big joke. But its creator, Zack Danger Brown, is determined to use his potato salad as a force for good. See also: There's a Potato Salad Raising Thousands of Dollars on Kickstarter brown Image: Kickstarter Zack … [Link]

Slashdot » The Pentagon's $399 Billion Plane To Nowhere

Wednesday 9 July 21:36:00 UTC 2014

schwit1 writes with an update on the U.S. government's troubled F-35 program, the cost of which keeps rising while the planes themselves are grounded. A fire in late June caused officials to halt flights for the entire fleet of $112 million vehicles last week. Despite this, Congress is still anxious to push the program forward, and Foreign Policy explains why: … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 9 July 2014

Wednesday 9 July 21:29:51 UTC 2014

Developer Inequality (Jonathan Edwards) — The bigger injustice is that programming has become an elite: a vocation requiring rare talents, grueling training, and total dedication. The way things are today if you want to be a programmer you had best … [Link]

Mashable » 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay' Teaser: Beetee Hijacks Snow's Address

Wednesday 9 July 21:14:29 UTC 2014

Hunger-games-mockingjay-snow-beeteeFeed-tw Feed-fb "The Mockingjay lives." With those three words, Quarter Quell escapee Beetee defiantly interrupts President Coriolanus Snow's latest televised address to Panem citizens in the second teaser video for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. See also: 12 'Hunger Games' Districts Re-imagined in Stunning Instagrams Beetee's message lets everyone know that Katniss — the Mockingjay, and face of the rebellion … [Link]

Mashable » American Apparel Strikes Deal to Save Company (and Maybe Even Dov Charney)

Wednesday 9 July 21:10:44 UTC 2014

AmericanFeed-tw Feed-fbAmerican Apparel has struck a takeover agreement with hedge fund Standard General in a deal that will remove founder Dov Charney and four other members of the clothing company's board of directors. However, Charney is not completely done at the retailer. The terms of the agreement dictate that he will stay on as a "strategic consultant" until the end of the … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Microsoft Opens up Xbox Music API

Wednesday 9 July 21:07:18 UTC 2014

Third-party developers now have access to a library of 38 million tracks, along with artist artwork and information, thanks to Microsoft’s release of the Xbox Music API. Microsoft states that “We want to make it very easy for you to start experimenting and integrating with Xbox Music.” [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Uber Capitlized on the Rise of APIs

Wednesday 9 July 21:07:17 UTC 2014

Emerging tech startups such as Uber are continually empowered by new technologies to create robust tools. The mapping, location, driver optimization, payment, and rating services within the Uber app are all driven by cloud-based APIs, making it possible for Uber to have the necessary feature-set without wasting resources becoming an expert in all fields. [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Internet of Things is Here, tech Giants Seek Standards

Wednesday 9 July 21:07:16 UTC 2014

According to Reuters, in-vehicle infotainment systems, headsets, wearable computers, home appliances, and other connected devices that comprise the Internet of Things are estimated to reach a market size of $7.1 trillion by 2020. [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Dorkly Comic: Owning a PC is Just Like Owning a Dog

Wednesday 9 July 21:00:53 UTC 2014

Yep, owning a computer is just like owning a dog. Another great comic by Tony Wilson from Dorkly. [Source: Dorkly] [Link]

Mashable » Game Developer Diversity Is Needed to Further Industry Boom

Wednesday 9 July 21:00:44 UTC 2014

Female-playing-rock-band-3Feed-tw Feed-fbAn encouraging report by the International Game Developers Association recently found that women now make up 22% of the computer game workforce. This is a massive improvement from the previous figure of just 4% of the UK industry in 2009. But it doesn't go far enough. A serious sector ought to have a workforce that reflects wider society. Until it does, … [Link]

Mashable » A Weakened Neoguri Still Poses a Major Threat in Japan

Wednesday 9 July 20:58:13 UTC 2014

7_9_14_andrew_neoguriwomenFeed-tw Feed-fbOnce a fearsome "super typhoon" that delivered a long duration blow to Okinawa, where nearly two feet of rain reportedly fell, tropical storm Neoguri will soon make landfall on the highly populated mainland island of Kyushu, Japan. It has weakened to just a shadow of its former self, with maximum sustained winds of just 70 miles per hour as of 11 … [Link]

Slashdot » Will Google's Dart Language Replace Javascript? (Video)

Wednesday 9 July 20:54:00 UTC 2014

Seth Ladd, Google Web engineer and Chrome Developer Advocate, is today's interviewee. He's talking about Dart, which Wikipedia says is 'an open-source Web programming language developed by Google.' The Wikipedia article goes on to say Dart was unveiled at the GOTO conference in Aarhus, October 10–12, 2011, and that the goal of Dart is 'ultimately to replace JavaScript as the … [Link]

Mashable » AMC Aims to Lure Moviegoers With Recliner Seats, Dine-in Menus

Wednesday 9 July 20:30:33 UTC 2014

Amc-movie-theaterFeed-tw Feed-fbTo fill more seats, AMC Entertainment is taking a bunch of them out. The Wall Street Journal reports that the movie theater chain is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to install fully reclining La-Z-Boy-style loungers in more than a third of its auditoriums. That will mean fewer chairs, but AMC is betting it will also translate into higher ticket sales. The company has already had … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Medical app amasses evidence against war-zone rapists

Wednesday 9 July 20:30:00 UTC 2014

Hundreds of women are raped in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo every day. A new app for doctors could help prosecute some of the perpetrators [Link]

Mashable » 'Homestar Runner' Co-Creator Confirms the Cartoon's Imminent Return

Wednesday 9 July 20:27:36 UTC 2014

SbemailFeed-tw Feed-fbPopular early 2000s web cartoon Homestar Runner is headed back into production, one of its creators confirmed, thanks to a lot of fan enthusiasm in an April Fools' joke Series co-creator Matt Chapman broke the good news this week on the Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin Show podcast. He said they realized they could bring Homestar, Strong Sad and the Cheat back … [Link]

Mashable » A Caffeinated Tech Industry Fuels Artisanal Coffee's Third Wave

Wednesday 9 July 20:15:37 UTC 2014

Blue-bottle-coffeeFeed-tw Feed-fbBarry Goffe marketed business software at Microsoft for more than a decade, fueled by enough coffee to fill a hot tub. Java flowed so deeply through Goffe’s veins that he and his team of database marketers had specialty mugs made with Oracle-baiting slogans, which they gleefully handed out at the Comdex trade show in 2000. Today, Goffe is hawking coffee supplies … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Your Smartphone Could Be An Emergency Crew’s Eyes

Wednesday 9 July 20:00:47 UTC 2014

A British fire service is developing an app that will let callers send live video of an incident to give emergency staff more information before they arrive on the scene. West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) wants other services from around the country such as police and ambulance to get involved in the tech behind the app. It’s named 999eye after … [Link]

Mashable » Argentina Beats Netherlands 4-2 on Penalties for Date With Germany

Wednesday 9 July 19:50:45 UTC 2014

Argentina-celebrationFeed-tw Feed-fbYou were probably still in shock after Brazil's utter humiliation by Germany on Tuesday, but the World Cup's second semifinal kicked off Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, and it looked to be a doozy: Argentina vs. Netherlands in São Paulo for a berth in Sunday's final Could Lionel Messi sustain his brilliance to bring La Albiceleste one win from glory? Or … [Link]

Mashable » Most Millennials Would Sacrifice Work Friends for a Promotion

Wednesday 9 July 19:45:47 UTC 2014

Under_the_bus1Feed-tw Feed-fbNavigating a career is always tough, and millennials — now the single largest age group in the U.S. — face an especially crowded and competitive environment. But admit defeat they will not. A new survey of 11,500 people worldwide conducted by LinkedIn shows millennials in particular aren't letting anyone stand in the way of their ascent, especially not their work buddies. Anyone who has befriended one of … [Link]

Mashable » The Evangelical Crusade Against Immigration

Wednesday 9 July 19:39:50 UTC 2014

Flag1Feed-tw Feed-fbThe protesters were fuming mad. They had come out in droves to block the buses carrying children fleeing poverty and violence in Central America from reaching a Border Patrol processing center in the sleepy Southern California town of Murrieta Carrying gigantic American flags and oversized placards decrying "illegals," they jeered at the children behind the windows. Fearing further escalation, federal officials … [Link]

Mashable » Climbers Find Frozen Body of Missing Mountaineer 32 Years After His Death

Wednesday 9 July 19:39:37 UTC 2014

Mont_blancFeed-tw Feed-fbTwo mountaineers scaling Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, on Thursday discovered the frozen body of a climber who disappeared there 32 years ago. The body was identified as Patrice Hyvert, an aspiring mountain guide who was last seen alive on March 1, 1982, when he set off for a solo climb, Le Dauphine reported. The then-23-year-old was scaling the … [Link]

Mashable » Robbie Amell Cast as Firestorm on CW's 'The Flash'

Wednesday 9 July 19:36:18 UTC 2014

RobbieamellFeed-tw Feed-fbFormer Tomorrow People star Robbie Amell is coming back to the CW in a pretty hot role Amell is set to join the cast of The Flash, the spin-off of cousin Stephen Amell's Arrow coming to the network in fall. He will recur in the role of Ronnie Raymond, the fiance of Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker), one of two S.T.A.R. Labs … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist

Wednesday 9 July 19:33:10 UTC 2014

All the latest on newscientist.com: the threat of superintelligent computers, virtual body hack, minds behind Mars missions, skin can smell and more [Link]

New Scientist – News » Should you eat wheat? The great gluten debate

Wednesday 9 July 19:30:00 UTC 2014

A staple food for millennia, wheat is now accused of causing everything from gut ailments to mental disorders. Linda Geddes separates the facts from the chaff (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Slashdot » UK Computing Student Jailed After Failing To Hand Over Crypto Keys

Wednesday 9 July 19:28:00 UTC 2014

stephendavion sends news that Christopher Wilson, a 22-year-old computer science student, has been sent to jail for six months for refusing to hand over his computer encryption passwords. Wilson has been accused of "phoning in a fake warning of an impending cyber attack against Northumbria Police that was convincing enough for the force to temporarily suspend its site as a … [Link]

Mashable » Hard Proof That Wiping Your Phone Doesn't Actually Delete Everything

Wednesday 9 July 19:26:47 UTC 2014

Data_smartphoneFeed-tw Feed-fbHave you ever sold an old smartphone on eBay? You might be interested to know that the apps, photos and even Google searches on your phone can still be recovered — even if you performed a factory reset. The team at security software company Avast purchased 20 different phones on eBay and unleashed data-recovery tools on them to see what they … [Link]

Mashable » U.S. Flight Delays Were Terrible in May

Wednesday 9 July 19:16:10 UTC 2014

PlaneFeed-tw Feed-fbMore flights were late and more customers complained to the government about flights in May, the Department of Transportation reported Wednesday. The largest airlines in the U.S. arrived on time for 76.9% of flights in May, the Air Travel Consumer Report said. That's down from 79.6% in April, and 79.4% in May of last year. See also: Teen Arrested After Tweeting … [Link]

Mashable » Google Chromecast Will Soon Be a Little More Like Apple TV

Wednesday 9 July 19:15:12 UTC 2014

07-09-14_chrome_castFeed-tw Feed-fbAndroid smartphone and tablet owners will soon be able to mirror with Chromecast. Google said it would update its Chromecast app this week to support mirroring between Android smartphones and tablets and televisions, a feature first announced at the Google I/O developer conference in June. See also: Google's Secret Weapon for Android TV: Games Google's $35 dongle already allows users to … [Link]

Mashable » King's Court: LeBron James NBA Free Agency Drama Hits Fever Pitch

Wednesday 9 July 19:03:13 UTC 2014

LbjFeed-tw Feed-fbWe’re all just servants in King James' court That's the only thing that's certain amid the escalating, never-ending drama surrounding this summer's NBA free agency of LeBron James, the world's greatest basketball player See also: Why Does This NBA Player Have Emoji Tattoos? Will he stay in Miami with the Heat? Will return to the Cavaliers of Cleveland, the city whose … [Link]

Slashdot » Blueprints For Taming the Climate Crisis

Wednesday 9 July 18:45:00 UTC 2014

mdsolar sends this story from the NY Times: Here's what your future will look like if we are to have a shot at preventing devastating climate change. Within about 15 years every new car sold in the United States will be electric. … Up to 60 percent of power might come from nuclear sources. And coal's footprint will shrink drastically, … [Link]

Mashable » Select Xbox 360 Owners Get $75 Credit to Upgrade to Xbox One

Wednesday 9 July 18:35:32 UTC 2014

Xbox_one_console-8Feed-tw Feed-fbMicrosoft is rewarding its "best customers" who have not yet upgraded from the Xbox 360 to the Xbox One with a $75 credit to do so, according to a poster on the video game forum NeoGAF. Microsoft confirmed Tuesday that select Xbox 360 owners in the United States would receive an upgrade offer when they signed in to Xbox Live. The … [Link]

Mashable » Interactive Map Pinpoints Every NYC Reference in Songs

Wednesday 9 July 18:30:34 UTC 2014

New-york-cityFeed-tw Feed-fbThere are countless songs that reference New York City, from its neighborhoods to familiar streets — and now you can see them all on a map. The specific geography of NYC references in songs is detailed in this long list on Wikipedia, but that's not very fun or user friendly. Constantine Valhouli, a real estate developer with a knack for viral … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Teaser Trailer #2 – The Mockingjay Lives [Video]

Wednesday 9 July 18:30:21 UTC 2014

Have you noticed that Peeta is subtly shaking his head? Do you think that there’s a meaning to this? The worldwide phenomenon of The Hunger Games continues to set the world on fire with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Inbox Launches Revolutionary Email Platform

Wednesday 9 July 18:25:02 UTC 2014

Earlier this week, Inbox, an email platform company, sprang onto the startup stage by announcing its new developer API and cloud service for building email apps. [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Microsoft Opens Xbox Music API, Affiliate Program to Third-Party Developers

Wednesday 9 July 18:25:01 UTC 2014

Earlier this year, Microsoft unveiled an API for its Xbox Music service at the company's Build developer conference. Last week, Microsoft announced that the API is now open to third-party developers. [Link]

Mashable » FIFA Suspends Nigeria Football Federation

Wednesday 9 July 18:05:36 UTC 2014

Nigeria-world-cupFeed-tw Feed-fbFIFA on Wednesday suspended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) because of "government interference." The suspension follows a warning from FIFA last week that foreshadowed this punishment See also: Brazil Star David Luiz's Post-Loss Interview Is a Total Heartbreaker The NFF was served with Nigerian high-court proceedings earlier this month following the team's round-of-16 exit from the World Cup after losing to … [Link]

Slashdot » Tor Project Sued Over a Revenge Porn Business That Used Its Service

Wednesday 9 July 18:03:00 UTC 2014

redletterdave writes: The Tor Project has been sued in the state of Texas over a revenge porn website that used its free encrypted communications service. The plaintiff in the case — Shelby Conklin, a criminal justice major at the University of North Texas — alleges a revenge porn site called Pinkmeth "gained unauthorized access to nude photographs" she owned and … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Cosplay of Heroes Con 2014 [Video]

Wednesday 9 July 18:00:49 UTC 2014

A fun video from our pals over at Distractotron covering some of the best cosplay of Heroes Con 2014. [DistractotronChannel] [Link]

New Scientist – News » Swimming, climbing robots explore the hostile Arctic

Wednesday 9 July 18:00:00 UTC 2014

The biggest experiment of its kind is camped out on the ocean north of Alaska. The machines could revolutionise our understanding of Arctic sea ice [Link]

Mashable » This Is How Halle Berry and Jimmy Fallon Roll

Wednesday 9 July 17:45:10 UTC 2014

Halle_jimmyFeed-tw Feed-fb For his next trick, Jimmy Fallon will make Halle Berry's career reappear. Berry is back and she's on a roll — literally. The Extant star partnered with Fallon to form what he called a "human hamster wheel," but it looks more like a paired somersault on some gym mats. See also: 14 Extreme Selfies That Push Duck Face Off a … [Link]

Mashable » Iranian Journalist Gets 50 Lashes and 2 Years in Prison for 'Propaganda'

Wednesday 9 July 17:38:16 UTC 2014

JournalistFeed-tw Feed-fbIran is sending yet another journalist to prison. Marzieh Rasouli, an arts and culture local journalist and blogger, was taken into custody on Tuesday to start serving her sentence of 2 years in prison and 50 lashes for "propaganda" against the state and "disruption of public order." Rasouli was arrested in 2012, also on the accusation of working with BBC Persian … [Link]

Mashable » 5 Ways Big Data Is Changing Real Estate

Wednesday 9 July 17:28:36 UTC 2014

HousesdataFeed-tw Feed-fbReal estate has traditionally been a game won or lost based on old-fashioned networking and shoe-leather style hard work — deeply dependent on timing, detecting trends and more than a little bit of luck It may not be that way for much longer, however. Big data is changing the way real-estate professionals, buyers, sellers — and even banks — think about … [Link]

Mashable » 'The New Yorker' Makes Articles Free Online, But New Paywall Coming

Wednesday 9 July 17:24:57 UTC 2014

New_yorkerFeed-tw Feed-fbBack in 2001, before a single line of code had been typed for many of today's most prominent online publications, The New Yorker launched its website and put up a paywall. The goal was to lure in new paying readers and help fund the high caliber reporting and editing efforts that made The New Yorker one of the most respected publications … [Link]

Mashable » 'The Last Kingdom' Is BBC America's Answer to 'Game of Thrones'

Wednesday 9 July 17:23:15 UTC 2014

CornwellFeed-tw Feed-fbBBC America may have just found its answer to HBO's Game of Thrones. The network is picking up the historical drama The Last Kingdom, a show based on epic Bernard Cornwell's best-selling book series, The Saxon Stories , the company announced Wednesday See also: Boom! 10 Great Fireworks Moments From Pop Culture The story, set in the year 872, centers on … [Link]

Slashdot » A Brain Implant For Synthetic Memory

Wednesday 9 July 17:21:00 UTC 2014

the_newsbeagle (2532562) writes "People who have experienced traumatic brain injuries sometimes lose the ability to form new memories or recall old ones. Since many veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan suffered TBIs, the U.S. military is funding research on an implantable device that could do the job of damaged brain cells." Lofty goals: "To start, DARPA will support the development of … [Link]

Mashable » Exaggerated Soccer Injuries Look Ridiculous Off the Field

Wednesday 9 July 17:19:59 UTC 2014

EverydayfoulFeed-tw Feed-fb World Cup flopping is an art, a tradition and a major frustration for spectators. The way some players flail and scream at the slightest physical contact on the field, only to be fine moments later, makes you wonder if FIFA is handing out Academy Awards instead of the World Cup trophy at the end of the tournament. See also: Your … [Link]

Mashable » Life After Aereo: TV Startups Continue With Little Worry

Wednesday 9 July 17:03:18 UTC 2014

Tv_supremecourtFeed-tw Feed-fbThe Supreme Court's Aereo decision didn't kill the online TV business, or even add a chilling effect. If anything, it's business-as-usual for these busy startups. Numerous companies that spoke with Mashable each said the ruling on Aereo, in particular its relatively narrow language, will do little to slow the industry. Justice Stephen Breyer's majority decision found that Aereo's resemblance to a … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » GROOVY: Evil Dead – Ash Vinyl POP Figure

Wednesday 9 July 17:00:40 UTC 2014

Bruce Campbell’s Ash has been given the Pop! Vinyl treatment with this Army of Darkness Ash Pop! Vinyl Figure! Ash looks true to form with his chainsaw arm and shotgun. When you see just how cool the 3 3/4-inch tall Army of Darkness Ash Pop! Vinyl Figure looks you’ll want to collect the rest in the Army of Darkness line … [Link]

Mashable » Are Emoji Taking the Emotion Out of Our Communication?

Wednesday 9 July 17:00:28 UTC 2014

Emoji_final-1Feed-tw Feed-fbA few weeks ago, after I said goodbye to a friend who was moving across the country, I texted her an emoji of a crying face. She replied with an image of chick with its arms outstretched. This exchange might have been heartfelt. It could have been ironic. I’m still not really sure. It's possible that this friend and I are … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Colour-changing metal to yield thin, flexible displays

Wednesday 9 July 17:00:00 UTC 2014

Nanoscale sheets of a unique alloy can take on different hues with the flick of a switch, offering a way to make full-colour displays for wearable computers [Link]

New Scientist – News » Killer frog fungus could be its own nemesis

Wednesday 9 July 17:00:00 UTC 2014

Dead spores of a lethal chytrid fungus could serve as a vaccine to protect amphibians against the disease [Link]

New Scientist – News » Evolution of placentas upended fish sexual politics

Wednesday 9 July 17:00:00 UTC 2014

When animals evolved placentas to feed their young, it may have allowed them to be less picky about their sexual partners [Link]

Mashable » Talk Digital Marketing Trends With #Mashies Twitter Chat

Wednesday 9 July 16:59:08 UTC 2014

MashietwitterFeed-tw Feed-fbIn 2013, Mashable hosted the first-ever Mashies awards program to celebrate the best and most creative work in digital marketing, and it's returning once again to highlight the cutting-edge campaigns and people powering the industry in 2014. In preparation for the awards program, we will be hosting a #Mashies Twitter chat on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET on our @MashBusiness account … [Link]

Mashable » The Iron Dome of Censorship: How Free Is Israel's Media?

Wednesday 9 July 16:58:11 UTC 2014

Bombing1Feed-tw Feed-fbThis week Israel launched Operation Protective Edge, a massive offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the military to “take off the gloves” and declared: "Hamas chose escalation and it will pay a heavy price for it.” Since then, hundreds of air strikes have hit the Gaza strip, killing at least 41 people, including civilians. Hamas … [Link]

Mashable » Ryan Gosling Is (Maybe) Expecting a Baby; World in Shock

Wednesday 9 July 16:55:44 UTC 2014

RyangoslingFeed-tw Feed-fbFeel that pain? It's just your uterus weeping. (Yes, even you, men.) OK Magazine broke the news that Ryan Gosling's longtime girlfriend Eva Mendes is allegedly seven months pregnant with his beautiful spawn — which is to say, OK Magazine crushed our collective souls. But big emphasis on allegedly. (Gosling's reps did not immediately return Mashable's request for comment.) See also: … [Link]

Mashable » New York City Is Fed Up With Misbehaving Spider-Men in Times Square

Wednesday 9 July 16:48:45 UTC 2014

SpidermanFeed-tw Feed-fbNew York City tourists posing for photos with Elmo and Cookie Monster in Times Square may be surprised at the recent sordid history of several people who pose as characters there. The Times Square Alliance met with New York officials Wednesday to discuss concerns over recent arrests and accusations of bad behavior by characters. Panhandling is legal in the city, and … [Link]

Mashable » New Adobe Flash Security Hole Means It's Time to Update Again

Wednesday 9 July 16:46:06 UTC 2014

Flash_updateFeed-tw Feed-fbAdobe announced an update to Flash on Tuesday that could stop hackers from stealing information via cookies. The update applies to Flash 14.0.0.125 or earlier versions on Macs and PCs, meaning users should update to 14.0.0.145. Those who are unable to update to the current version can download Flash 13.0.0.231 here. See also: How to Get Your Adobe Flash Fix on … [Link]

Mashable » By 2100, New York Will Be as Hot as Southwest Florida

Wednesday 9 July 16:40:12 UTC 2014

Nyc-heat-waveFeed-tw Feed-fbIn 2100, summer high temperatures in New York will be similar to current summer high temperatures in southwest Florida, according to a new report from Climate Central, a climate news and research group The report shows how America's summer weather will essentially migrate from south to north as the climate continues to warm, based on computer model projections and recent trends. … [Link]

Slashdot » Interviews: Ask Juan Gilbert About Human-Centered Computing

Wednesday 9 July 16:40:00 UTC 2014

Awarded the first Presidential Endowed Chair at Clemson University, and being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), are just a couple of Juan Gilbert's more noteworthy honors. Juan is the Associate Chair of Research in the Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department at the University of Florida where he leads the Human … [Link]

Mashable » Producer Defends Britney Spears After 'Alien' Without Auto-Tune Leaks

Wednesday 9 July 16:36:14 UTC 2014

Britney-spears-autotuneFeed-tw Feed-fb William Orbit, one of the producers and writers for Britney Spears' "Alien," has rushed to defend the pop star after a raw version of the song without Auto-Tune surfaced online this month. He said the recording came from a warmup session, explaining the pitchy vocals. "I'd like to affirm that ANY singer when first at the mic at the start … [Link]

Mashable » 10 Simple Kickstarter Campaigns You Should Have Thought Of

Wednesday 9 July 16:30:25 UTC 2014

Kickstarter_thoughtsFeed-tw Feed-fbLet’s face it — had you known you could make $60,000 on potato salad, you would have quit your day job a long time ago. Kickstarter's latest success story has the Internet simultaneously rolling its eyes and pounding its fists. Because anyone could have thought of that, right? See also: How to Successfully Fund Your Game With Kickstarter But that's not … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » HOLY SHARKNADO BATMAN: The First Full Sharknado 2 Trailer is Out! (+ Sharknado 1 Recap) [Video]

Wednesday 9 July 16:22:10 UTC 2014

The first full trailer for Sharknado 2 is out! Haven’t seen the first one yet? Be sure to check out this short summary before watching the second one on Wednesday July 30 at 9PM on the Syfy channel. Warning: Blood and gore. [Movies Clip TRAILER] [Link]

Mashable » Iraqi Police Find 50 Bodies Near Baghdad

Wednesday 9 July 16:21:58 UTC 2014

IsfFeed-tw Feed-fbIraqi security forces found the handcuffed and blindfolded bodies of at least 50 men in a town south of Baghdad on Wednesday. The men were discovered in the village of Khamissiya, whose residents are predominantly Shiite Muslim. They were all 25 to 40 years old and seemed to have died several days ago from gunshots to the head or chest. Iraqi … [Link]

Mashable » The Story Behind the Sweetest Moment of the Brazil-Germany World Cup Match

Wednesday 9 July 16:17:44 UTC 2014

Brazil3Feed-tw Feed-fbHey World Cup fans, here's a little story about a man, a trophy and good sportsmanship. This die-hard Brazil fan was all set to own Germany in Tuesday's match. See also: 27 World Cup Memes to Help Brazil Laugh Away the Pain Brazil A Brazil's supporter poses with a World Cup trophy replica prior to the quarter-final football match between Brazil and … [Link]

Mashable » Sigourney Weaver Returns as Ripley for 'Alien: Isolation' Game

Wednesday 9 July 16:15:57 UTC 2014

Sigourney-weaverFeed-tw Feed-fbSigourney Weaver and other cast members of the 1979 Alien movie are reprising their roles for bonus content for Sega's upcoming Alien: Isolation game. Weaver will return as Ellen Ripley, a role she hasn't revisited in 17 years. She is joined by Tom Skerritt, playing Dallas, Veronica Cartwright as Lambert, Harry Dean Stanton as Brett and Yaphet Kotto as Parker. They … [Link]

Mashable » 'Too Much Emotion, Not Enough Effort': Brazilians Cope With World Cup Loss

Wednesday 9 July 16:05:50 UTC 2014

Brazil-sadFeed-tw Feed-fb Click "CC" in the video above to view English subtitles. By now, the images are everywhere: Brazilian fans in utter shock and disbelief after seeing their team trounced by Germany, 7-1, in a match that destroyed their hopes of winning a sixth World Cup before a home crowd The headlines of horror on Brazil's front pages Wednesday morning won't make … [Link]

Slashdot » Meet the Muslim-American Leaders the FBI and NSA Have Been Spying On

Wednesday 9 July 16:04:00 UTC 2014

Advocatus Diaboli (1627651) writes The National Security Agency and FBI have covertly monitored the emails of prominent Muslim-Americans — including a political candidate and several civil rights activists, academics, and lawyers — under secretive procedures intended to target terrorists and foreign spies. From the article: "The individuals appear on an NSA spreadsheet in the Snowden archives called 'FISA recap.' Under … [Link]

Mashable » First Game to Hit Android Wear Smartwatches Is a Surprise to No One

Wednesday 9 July 16:02:03 UTC 2014

Moto-360-4Feed-tw Feed-fbJust a few days after the first batch of Android Wear apps hit the Google Play store, developers have added their own software for Google's collection of new smartwatches. Surprising no one, the first smartwatch gaming app to hit the platform is Flappy Bird — that is, a knock-off of the popular, addictive mobile game. See also: The Heartbleed Hit List: … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Fascinating Stories of How The Elements Got Their Names [Science Video]

Wednesday 9 July 16:00:50 UTC 2014

Ever wonder what all those names on the periodic table actually mean? There’s a whole lot of fascinating history on Mendeleev’s table. Some carry names from antiquity, some are named for people, some are named for places, and some are named for mythical beings. Discover the etymology of the elements! [It's OK To Be Smart] [Link]

Mashable » Structure Sensor Is an iPad-Powered 3D Scanner With Great Potential

Wednesday 9 July 16:00:31 UTC 2014

Thumbnail-ipad3dscanner-sarahfisher-1216Feed-tw Feed-fbThe device strapped onto my iPad drew more than a few stares. It hugged two opposing corners and added an oblong silver-and-glass mound to the back with what looked like a blinking, red laser eye. "It’s the Structure Sensor," I explained, and it allows any iPad with a lightning connector to scan and import 3D images of rooms, objects and people. … [Link]

Mashable » Fabien Cousteau Uses Adventure to Reveal 'Alarming' Deep-Sea Discoveries

Wednesday 9 July 15:55:01 UTC 2014

Fc1_kip_evansFeed-tw Feed-fbFifty years after his grandfather, Jacques-Yyves, introduced the world to wonders under the sea, Fabien Cousteau is using the novelty of discovery to shed light on deeper environmental issues. Cousteau, 46, emerged on July 2 from exploring 63 feet below the waters off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. There, he and a rotating team of six aquanauts spent 31 consecutive … [Link]

Mashable » Seinfeld Emoji Are Real, and They're Spectacular

Wednesday 9 July 15:45:33 UTC 2014

Seinfeld_emojisFeed-tw Feed-fbThree collaborators made a collection of Seinfeld-inspired emoji that could be coming to your iPhone very soon A free iOS app called Seinfeld Emoji has been submitted to the Apple App Store (and is awaiting approval). Potential emoji include everything from Jerry wearing Google Glass to other series-related objects like the marble rye and puffy shirt. See also: Why Is Everyone … [Link]

Mashable » The Selfie: 5 Facts About Social Media's Most Annoying Fad

Wednesday 9 July 15:41:52 UTC 2014

Rob-nailFeed-tw Feed-fb Vanity is timeless. As long as there's been a way to capture images, some ass hat person has used it for horn-tooting and self-gratification We're all guilty of taking selfies — but where did the trend begin? Click the video above to learn all about its origins and psychology For more trivia and jokes each week — most of which … [Link]

Mashable » Violent Storms Kill 5, Leave Thousands Without Power in 7 States

Wednesday 9 July 15:37:55 UTC 2014

7_9_14_andrew_stormsFeed-tw Feed-fbExtreme heat and humidity, combined with strong winds aloft to spark a deadly round of widespread severe thunderstorms in the eastern U.S. on Tuesday. The storms left five dead, and nearly 200,000 people remained without power on Wednesday Four of the deaths occurred in the rural New York town of Smithfield, which is located between Syracuse and Utica. At least four … [Link]

Slashdot » Alcatel-Lucent's XG-FAST Pushes 10,000Mbps Over Copper Phone Lines

Wednesday 9 July 15:26:00 UTC 2014

Mark.JUK (1222360) writes The Bell Labs R&D division of telecoms giant Alcatel-Lucent has today claimed to set a new world record after they successfully pushed "ultra-broadband" speeds of 10,000 Megabits per second (Mbps) down a traditional copper telephone line using XG-FAST technology, which is an extension of G.fast (ITU G.9700). G.fast is a hybrid-fiber technology, which is designed to deliver … [Link]

Mashable » A Quick-Thinking Pilot Bought Pizza for Everyone on His Stranded Flight

Wednesday 9 July 15:25:25 UTC 2014

PizzaFeed-tw Feed-fbAn airline pilot on a delayed flight went above and beyond to keep passengers happy. A Frontier Airlines flight headed from Washington, D.C., to Denver was diverted to Cheyenne, Wyoming, because of storms, where it was on the tarmac for two hours on Monday night. One passenger, Logan Marie Torres, told a local television station that the pilot, Berhard Brandner, “realized … [Link]

Mashable » Skin Cells Can Detect Aromas That Accelerate Wound Healing

Wednesday 9 July 15:15:50 UTC 2014

SkinFeed-tw Feed-fbHumans have about 350 different types of olfactory receptors in the nose, which detect odors and start a signalling process that then messages the brain. These receptors work together to give us a sense of smell. But the nose is not the only place where olfactory receptors are found. Cells in other tissues of the body use these receptors to react … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Boycott threat is headache for human brain project

Wednesday 9 July 15:02:00 UTC 2014

Hundreds of neuroscientists say they will boycott an ambitious €1.2 billion European attempt to simulate the brain in a bust-up over funding [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Go Where No Man Has Gone Before With This Star Trek TOS Sublimation Shirt

Wednesday 9 July 15:00:10 UTC 2014

st3 From 80stees: Sublimation is the final frontier of shirt designs. And, this sublimated shirt shows the cast of Star Trek alongside the USS Enterprise. The Starfleet crew members shown on this shirt are James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Leonard McCoy, Montgomery Scott, Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu, and Pavel Chekov. The back of the shirt shows the logo for the popular … [Link]

Slashdot » DHS Mistakenly Releases 840 Pages of Critical Infrastructure Documents

Wednesday 9 July 14:58:50 UTC 2014

wiredmikey (1824622) writes The Operation Aurora attack was publicized in 2010 and impacted Google and a number of other high-profile companies. However, DHS responded to the request by releasing more than 800 pages of documents related to the 'Aurora' experiment conducted several years ago at the Idaho National Laboratory, where researchers demonstrated a way to damage a generator via a … [Link]

Slashdot » Physicists Spot Potential Source of 'Oh-My-God' Particles

Wednesday 9 July 14:36:00 UTC 2014

sciencehabit (1205606) writes For decades, physicists have sought the sources of the most energetic subatomic particles in the universe — cosmic rays that strike the atmosphere with as much energy as well-thrown baseballs. Now, a team working with the Telescope Array, a collection of 507 particle detectors covering 700 square kilometers of desert in Utah, has observed a broad 'hotspot' … [Link]

Mashable » Obama’s Wild Night in Denver: Beers, Fist Bumps and a Horse Head

Wednesday 9 July 14:33:47 UTC 2014

Obama-beer-denverFeed-tw Feed-fb“The Bear” was certainly loose in Denver on Tuesday night. President Obama was in the Mile-High City for a dinner with five Americans who wrote him letters about the economy — but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t time for a little fun! First up, that dinner… Obama greeted diners at the Wazee Supper Club and complimented the bartender on his mustache. … [Link]

Mashable » Brazil Woke Up to the Saddest Front Pages This Morning

Wednesday 9 July 14:24:10 UTC 2014

Brazil-front-pagesFeed-tw Feed-fb“Massacre!” "Fiasco!" "Humiliation!" "Shame!" Those were just a few of the words blasted in all-caps block letters across the front pages of Brazil's newspapers the morning after its World Cup team suffered a horrendous 7-1 loss to Germany on Tuesday See also: The Miserable Agony of Being a Brazil Fan Today With Brazil down two star players, the match was a … [Link]

Mashable » Brazil's Devastating Defeat Was the Most Tweeted Sports Game Ever

Wednesday 9 July 14:23:05 UTC 2014

BrazilFeed-tw Feed-fbGood news for Twitter; bad news for Brazil. There were 35.6 million tweets during the World Cup match on Tuesday which saw Brazil lose to Germany 7-1. This makes the match the most discussed sporting event in Twitter's history, according to the social network. See also: 21 World Cup Memes to Help Brazil Laugh Away the Pain With 35.6 million Tweets, … [Link]

Mashable » Brace Yourselves: Wines of Westeros Are Coming

Wednesday 9 July 14:06:14 UTC 2014

Wines-of-westerosFeed-tw Feed-fb We've seen Game of Thrones-themed beers, but what about wines? Introducing the Wines of Westeros. The line of 12 red and white wines is named and labeled after the houses and characters from the series See also: Stunning 'Game of Thrones' Puzzle in All Its 3D Glory It's a side project for Australian ad agency Common Ventures, not an official … [Link]

Mashable » Germany Is Hunting for a Possible Second U.S. Spy

Wednesday 9 July 14:04:41 UTC 2014

Angela-merkelFeed-tw Feed-fbThe German government may have discovered a second United States spy only a week after it arrested an alleged American double agent. German authorities are searching Berlin for a man in the nation's military reportedly with connections to U.S. spies and operating for a U.S. intelligence agency, though which intelligence agency is unknown, according to the Associated Press. An investigation is … [Link]

Slashdot » Normal Humans Effectively Excluded From Developing Software

Wednesday 9 July 13:57:00 UTC 2014

theodp (442580) writes Over at Alarming Development, Jonathan Edwards has an interesting rant entitled Developer Inequality and the Technical Debt Crisis. The heated complaints that the culture of programming unfairly excludes some groups, Edwards feels, is a distraction from a bigger issue with far greater importance to society. "The bigger injustice," Edwards writes, "is that programming has become an elite: … [Link]

Mashable » George Clooney Slams Daily Mail in Op-Ed Over 'Completely Fabricated' Story

Wednesday 9 July 13:37:55 UTC 2014

ClooneyFeed-tw Feed-fbGeorge Clooney: 1Daily Mail: 0 Clooney wrote an angry op-ed, which was published Wednesday on USA Today, calling out the "irresponsibility" of a Daily Mail story that he said was "completely fabricated." See also: Celebrities Still Don't Care About Your Mean Tweets The Mail story, which appeared on Monday, reported that Clooney's fiancée's mother opposed their marriage due to religious reasons and … [Link]

Slashdot » Climate Change Skeptic Group Must Pay Damages To UVA, Michael Mann

Wednesday 9 July 13:18:00 UTC 2014

ideonexus (1257332) writes In January of 2014, the American Traditions Institute (ATI) sought climate scientist Micheal Mann's emails from his time at the University of Virginia, a request that was denied in the courts. Now the Virginia Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that ATI must pay damages for filing a frivolous lawsuit. Thus ends "Climategate." Hopefully. Share on Google+ Read … [Link]

Mashable » Israel Intensifies Gaza Bombing as Hamas Fires Rockets Back

Wednesday 9 July 13:17:50 UTC 2014

ExplosionFeed-tw Feed-fbJERUSALEM — The Israeli army on Wednesday intensified its offensive on the Gaza Strip, striking Hamas sites and killing at least 14 people on the second day of a military operation it says is aimed at quelling rocket fire against Israel. The offensive has set off the heaviest fighting between Israel and the Islamic militant group Hamas since an eight-day battle … [Link]

Mashable » Microsoft Beefs Up Windows Phone's Software With Video Tuner

Wednesday 9 July 13:04:48 UTC 2014

WindowsFeed-tw Feed-fbEven the most ardent Windows Phone critics are usually willing to acknowledge that while the platform may be struggling on the software side, the hardware — particularly the cameras — tend to be pretty darn good Now, Microsoft has rolled out Video Tuner, new video editing app meant to help bring the platform's video editing software up to scratch with the … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Virtual body-hack lets you become someone else

Wednesday 9 July 12:44:00 UTC 2014

A new virtual reality system lets you control someone else's limbs to experience living in their body. Sandrine Ceurstemont gives it a go [Link]

Slashdot » Buzz Aldrin Pressures Obama For New Space Exploration Initiative

Wednesday 9 July 12:42:00 UTC 2014

MarkWhittington writes: While he has initiated the social media campaign, #Apollo45, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the first moon landing, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin is also using the occasion to campaign for an expansion of American space exploration. According to a Tuesday story in the Washington Post, Aldrin has expressed the wish that President Obama make some sort … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » There are many use cases for graph databases and analytics

Wednesday 9 July 12:30:37 UTC 2014

The rise of sensors and connected devices will lead to applications that draw from network/graph data management and analytics. As the number of devices surpasses the number of people — Cisco estimates 50 billion connected devices by 2020 — one … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Signals from Foo Camp 2014

Wednesday 9 July 12:29:37 UTC 2014

Foo Camp, our annual gathering in Sebastopol, Calif., brings together people we know and admire, and those we’d like to know better. It’s also a way for us to discover the ideas emerging at the edges of technology, business, art, … [Link]

Slashdot » How Japan Lost Track of 640kg of Plutonium

Wednesday 9 July 12:24:01 UTC 2014

Lasrick sends this quote from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Most people would agree that keeping track of dangerous material is generally a good idea. So it may come as a surprise to some that the arrangements that are supposed to account for weapon-grade fissile materials—plutonium and highly enriched uranium—are sketchy at best. The most recent example involves several … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: 74% Off on the National Geographic Magazine (12 Issues) – $19 + FREE Shipping

Wednesday 9 July 12:22:07 UTC 2014

For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon has the National Geographic Magazine (12 issues) for just $19 plus free shipping! That’s 74% off on the magazine’s regular list price of $71.88. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, the flagship magazine of the National Geographic Society, chronicles exploration and adventure, as well as changes that impact life on Earth. Editorial coverage encompasses people … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Man Does Taekwondo Quadruple Kick, Hits All Four Targets, Lands on his Feet [Video]

Wednesday 9 July 12:21:05 UTC 2014

Most impressive! [Ali Raza | Via LS] [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » When the Death Star Meets Up [Tattoo]

Wednesday 9 July 12:20:47 UTC 2014

Tattoo by Kenny Brown @ Jack Brown’s Tattoo Revival – Fredburg, VA. [Source: Mayflowers5 on Reddit] [Link]

Mashable » Edward Snowden Seeks Extended Asylum in Russia

Wednesday 9 July 12:03:14 UTC 2014

Edward-snowdenFeed-tw Feed-fbEdward Snowden may be in Russia for a little while longer. The former NSA contractor, who leaked 1.7 million top-secret documents that exposed the agency's massive surveillance tactics, petitioned Russia for an extension on his asylum, according to his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena. See also: The 10 Biggest Revelations From Edward Snowden's Leaks "The procedure is very simple if a citizen of … [Link]

Mashable » Tinder Suit Has Echoes of Past Wall Street Discrimination Cases

Wednesday 9 July 12:00:27 UTC 2014

Tinder-sexismFeed-tw Feed-fbFor close watchers of ascendant, powerful industries and their problems dealing equitably with female employees, the lawsuit filed last week against technology startup Tinder caused an eerie sense of deja vu. A female employee alleged that she wasn't taken seriously by her male bosses and colleagues; that she was pursued, inappropriately, for a romantic relationship by a man she was working … [Link]

Mashable » Men Prefer Electric Shocks to Being Alone With No Phone

Wednesday 9 July 11:45:27 UTC 2014

Man_phoneFeed-tw Feed-fbFor many people, being forced to spend a few minutes alone with their thoughts is an unpleasant experience, new research suggests. A series of studies revealed that people would rather do an activity, such as listening to music or playing with a smartphone, than sit alone in a room for several minutes. In fact, some people — especially men — would … [Link]

Mashable » World Cup Preview: Argentina Meets the Netherlands in Last Semifinal Match

Wednesday 9 July 11:37:48 UTC 2014

Messi1Feed-tw Feed-fbThere’s only one spot left in the World Cup finals. As Argentina and the Netherlands prepare to take the pitch on Wednesday for their semifinal match, both squads end goals will weigh heavily on the minds of every player. See also: World Cup Reset: Enter the All-Out-War Stage For the Netherlands, making the finals in back-to-back World Cups remains the top … [Link]

Mashable » Faking It on Twitter

Wednesday 9 July 11:33:12 UTC 2014

Faketwitter_thumbnail_playFeed-tw Feed-fb Faking stuff is bad, right? Well, not always Elliott Morgan outs some of Twitter’s greatest fake accounts and discusses his struggle to get that cool blue checkmark. Yesterday, Elliott looked at some cool ways to make flat beer useful Read more…More about Social Media and Youtube [Link]

Mashable » 20 Bits of Boozy Wisdom to Soak In

Wednesday 9 July 11:30:04 UTC 2014

CocktailsFeed-tw Feed-fbBenjamin Franklin, who was often referred as the "The First American," may have actually loved alcohol more than he loved America. "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy," the founding father once famously said. See also: 16 Beer Quotes Worthy of a Toast Now here we are in 2014, the year of "turnt up" and … [Link]

Mashable » Report Details Climate Change Effects on 289 National Parks

Wednesday 9 July 11:00:26 UTC 2014

WildfireFeed-tw Feed-fbOn July 2, the National Park Service released a report by two of its scientists that confirms that 289 of America’s parks and historic sites are experiencing climate change. That is, many are getting and staying hotter for longer, enduring more severe spikes in temperature, experiencing biblical deluges, or losing beach to erosion and rising tides. No great surprise, really, and … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Neoguri super-typhoon in Japan is El Niño harbinger

Wednesday 9 July 10:59:00 UTC 2014

Wrinkled early Pacific typhoon has led to half a million people in Japan being advised to leave their homes – and is probably sparked by a developing El Niño [Link]

Mashable » Seattle City Attorney Buys Legal Pot for 'Personal Enjoyment'

Wednesday 9 July 10:46:11 UTC 2014

Pete-holmesFeed-tw Feed-fbSEATTLE — Surrounded by thousands of packages of marijuana, Seattle's top prosecutor sought some advice: Which one should he buy? A new day, indeed. Twenty months after voters legalized recreational cannabis for adults over 21, Washington state's first few licensed pot shops opened for business Tuesday, catering to hundreds of customers who lined up outside, thrilled to be part of the … [Link]

Mashable » 10 Best Hotels in the U.S. for Foodies

Wednesday 9 July 10:30:02 UTC 2014

FoodFeed-tw Feed-fbOf all the reasons to get out of town, good food might top the list If a hotel is only as great as the food it serves, then it's important to be sure you've booked a place that seriously knows how to wine and dine. See also: 14 Luxurious Vacation Homes for a Greek Island Getaway Mashable asked TripAdvisor to pore … [Link]

Mashable » The Beginner's Guide to Skype

Wednesday 9 July 10:04:16 UTC 2014

Learn_skype-2Feed-tw Feed-fbSkype Pinterest pin Skype, the popular Internet calling app, has been around for quite some time. The (mostly) free service launched in 2003, and has become one of the easiest and cheapest ways to stay in touch with others across the world Whether you're traveling internationally or want to save money when calling others, Skype has become a great option because it's accessible … [Link]

Mashable » See the First Trailer for Ridley Scott's 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'

Wednesday 9 July 8:01:05 UTC 2014

Exodus-gods-and-kingsFeed-tw Feed-fb The first trailer for Ridley Scott's new movie, Exodus: Gods and Kings is out. Following in the footsteps of Darren Aronofsky's Noah, it's a biblical story which promises to be a visual spectacle In the movie, Christian Bale plays Moses, leading the Israelites from Egypt. A lot of focus seems to be placed on the friendship of Moses and the … [Link]

Slashdot » Dwarf Fortress Gets Biggest Update In Years

Wednesday 9 July 7:40:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes Dwarf Fortress, the epic, ASCII text-based, roguelike citybuilding game, just released its biggest update in years. The game is notable for its incredible depth, and the new release only extends it. Here are the release notes — they won't make much sense if you don't play the game, but they'll give you a sense of how … [Link]

Mashable » Australia's Prime Minister Hungover on Live Television

Wednesday 9 July 7:14:01 UTC 2014

Abbott2Feed-tw Feed-fb Australia's Prime Minister and Japan's Prime Minister enjoyed a bonding session after a momentous trade deal and at least one of the men woke up a little rough around the edges. It seems Prime Minister Shinzo Abe might have treated Prime Minister Tony Abbott to a barrel of Sake on Tuesday night, as the powerful men celebrated signing the Japan-Australia … [Link]

Mashable » What Lifts You: The Intersection of Street Art and Social Media

Wednesday 9 July 6:43:29 UTC 2014

Kelsey-thumb-properFeed-tw Feed-fb Kelsey Montague, an up-and-coming pen and ink artist, is taking her work to the public in a big way Montague's newest piece of street art looms large over a busy block in New York's Nolita neighborhood. Combined with the hashtag #whatliftsyou, the artwork depicting angel wings is not only a strong statement about positivity, it's also fine-tuned to engage Instagram's … [Link]

Slashdot » The Billionaire Mathematician

Wednesday 9 July 6:15:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes Dr. James Simons received his doctorate at the age of 23. He was breaking codes for the NSA at 26, and was put in charge of Stony Brook University's math department at 30. He received the Veblen Prize in Geometry in 1976. Today, he's a multi-billionaire, using his fortune to set up educational foundations for math … [Link]

Mashable » New Leak: NSA and FBI Reportedly Spied on Prominent Muslim-Americans

Wednesday 9 July 5:26:38 UTC 2014

Hooshang-amirahmadiFeed-tw Feed-fbThe NSA and the FBI spied on five prominent Muslim-Americans between 2002 and 2008, according to newly revealed documents provided by Edward Snowden to The Intercept. A spreadsheet containing 7,485 email addresses includes the emails of five high-profile Muslim-Americans, and reveals that the spying agency has wide latitude when targeting Americans under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a law that allows … [Link]

Slashdot » Plasma 5 Release Candidate Announced

Wednesday 9 July 5:05:00 UTC 2014

sfcrazy writes: The KDE Community has announced the first release of Plasma 5. It's a release candidate, so it's meant for testing and preview purposes, like the developer preview of Android L. The final release will be announced next week, so this is the last chance for testers and developers to find issues and get them fixed before the release. … [Link]

Slashdot » Avast Buys 20 Used Phones, Recovers 40,000 Deleted Photos

Wednesday 9 July 4:20:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes: The used smartphone market is thriving, with many people selling their old devices on eBay or craigslist when it's time to upgrade. Unfortunately, it seems most people are really bad at wiping their phone of personal data before passing it on to a stranger. Antivirus company Avast bought 20 used Android phones off eBay, and used … [Link]

Mashable » Israel's Largest Offensive in Gaza Strip in 2 Years Kills 25

Wednesday 9 July 4:18:09 UTC 2014

Israel-offensiveFeed-tw Feed-fbJERUSALEM — Israel on Tuesday launched its largest offensive in the Gaza Strip in nearly two years, carrying out a blistering aerial assault on scores of targets and killing 25 people in what officials called an open-ended operation aimed at ending weeks of heavy rocket fire. As Gaza militants unleashed salvos on cities including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Israel mobilized forces … [Link]

Slashdot » Watch Dogs Graphics and Gameplay: PC Vs. Xbox One, With Surprising Results

Wednesday 9 July 3:17:00 UTC 2014

MojoKid writes: Normally, the question of whether a game runs better on the PC or a console is a no-brainer, at least for PC users. Watch Dogs, however, with its problematic and taxing PC play, challenges that concept. And since the gap between consoles and PCs is typically smallest at the beginning of the console generation, HotHardware decided to take … [Link]

Mashable » Australia Embraces #TimCahilling After Striker Tweets Shock Over Brazil's Loss

Wednesday 9 July 3:04:54 UTC 2014

CahillFeed-tw Feed-fbAustralia didn't exactly kick the ball out of the park at this year's World Cup, but Socceroos striker Tim Cahill has taken to thrashing Brazil on Twitter. With one hand covering his mouth and eyes wide open, his expression says it all: What. A. Shocker. See also: 20 World Cup Memes to Help Brazil Laugh Away the Pain Brazil's 7-1 loss … [Link]

Mashable » BlackBerry: Here's Why We Built a Square Phone

Wednesday 9 July 2:30:35 UTC 2014

Blackberry-passport-spreadsheet-productivityFeed-tw Feed-fbSquares are better than rectangles, according to BlackBerry. The brand is previewing its newest phone, the Passport, which has received flack for its square design, wide screen and cumbersome size. But the company also seems to be trying to salvage Passport's reputation by making a case for the phablet See also: 10 Reasons to Switch Back to a Flip Phone The … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Rosetta Flash' Attack Leverages JSONP Callbacks To Steal Credentials

Wednesday 9 July 2:14:00 UTC 2014

New submitter newfurniturey writes: A new Flash and JSONP attack combination has been revealed to the public today. It has been dubbed the "Rosetta Flash" attack. JSONP callback functions normally return a JSON blob wrapped in a user-specified callback function, which the browser will then execute as JavaScript. Nothing out of the ordinary here. However, the new attack has leveraged … [Link]

Mashable » Apple Posts Behind-the-Scenes Footage of San Francisco's Pride March

Wednesday 9 July 2:02:53 UTC 2014

Aplprd80870Feed-tw Feed-fb Apple has repeatedly offered public support for the rights of its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, and last month, the company doubled down on those sentiments by marching in San Francisco's Pride march At the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted about the march, but now the company has uploaded video footage of its preparation for and participation in … [Link]

Mashable » Seoul: North Korea Fired Projectiles Into Sea in Test-Fire

Wednesday 9 July 1:29:24 UTC 2014

North-korea-missileFeed-tw Feed-fbSEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched two projectiles Wednesday morning into the sea off its east coast, in an apparent continuation of a recent series of missile and artillery test launches, a South Korean defense official said. The launch was presumed to be of Scud missiles, but the official, who asked for anonymity because of department rules, had no other … [Link]

Mashable » Brazil Star David Luiz's Post-Loss Interview Is a Total Heartbreaker

Wednesday 9 July 1:25:54 UTC 2014

LuizFeed-tw Feed-fb With his mane of hair, all-out playing style and irrepressible exuberance, defender David Luiz was — er, is — the heart and soul of the 2014 World Cup's host team HIs tearful television interview following Brazil's 7-1 semifinals humiliation by Germany is one of the saddest post-game interviews you'll see in all of sports, given the pressure on Luiz and … [Link]

Mashable » Photo of Samsung's Rumored Virtual Reality Headset Leaked Online

Wednesday 9 July 1:25:53 UTC 2014

Smsng9087adfFeed-tw Feed-fbBack in May, reports surfaced claiming that Samsung was working on a virtual-reality headset similar to the Oculus Rift — and now it appears that an image of the device has been leaked Reportedly called the Gear VR, the device is shown in a photo from the side view, and includes graphic overlays briefly describing how it functions See also: Oculus … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Apttus Bridges Divide Between Excel and Salesforce1

Wednesday 9 July 1:05:43 UTC 2014

As part of an effort to bridge a historic divide between spreadsheets and customer-relationship management (CRM) software, Apttus today unveiled X-Author for Excel software, which leverages the APIs that Salesforce.com exposed in its Salesforce1 platform to present users with an Excel-style user interface. [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Newegg now uses BitPay to allow BitCoin payments

Wednesday 9 July 1:05:42 UTC 2014

​Bitpay's API allows for businesses and employees to accept BitCoin for their services and goods. Now with the addition of Newegg to it's repertoire of business affiliates, BitPay is receiving more credence as a leader in the march toward the legitimization of BitCoin as a secure digital payment system. [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » ​Apartment Guide releases API for Reputation.com

Wednesday 9 July 1:05:40 UTC 2014

Apartment Guide, an online resource for apartment owners and seekers, has just announced a new partnership with Reputation.com. They have released a Review API, enabling Reputation.com to aggregate Apartment Guide's 190,000 Resident Ratings & Reviews for analysis and reporting purposes. [Link]

Mashable » Defeat Could Haunt Brazil for Generations

Wednesday 9 July 1:05:36 UTC 2014

451870520Feed-tw Feed-fbIt’s a well-known (and oft-paraphrased) quote from the late legendary Liverpool FC manager Bill Shankly, but it bears repeating. "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death," Shankly said. "I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more than that." Now consider that supporters of the national Brazilian side make Liverpool's … [Link]

Mashable » Shazam Debuts Fifth Harmony's Video as More Artists Test Digital Tactics

Wednesday 9 July 1:01:49 UTC 2014

Fifth-harmony-bossFeed-tw Feed-fb Music-identification app Shazam is one of the many unconventional outlets with which artists are experimenting to promote their music. On Tuesday, the women of Fifth Harmony became the latest artists to debut a music video on Shazam before releasing it widely on Vevo and YouTube, where videos normally premiere nowadays Fifth Harmony's video for the quintet's banging dance single "Boss," … [Link]

New Scientist – News » 410-million-year-old arachnid crawls back to life

Wednesday 9 July 1:00:00 UTC 2014

Open source software reconstructs the gait of one of the first land predators [Link]

Slashdot » A Box of Forgotten Smallpox Vials Was Just Found In an FDA Closet

Wednesday 9 July 0:35:01 UTC 2014

Jason Koebler writes: The last remaining strains of smallpox are kept in highly protected government laboratories in Russia and at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. And, apparently, in a dusty cardboard box in an old storage room in Maryland. The CDC said today that government workers had found six freeze-dried vials of the Variola virus, which causes smallpox, … [Link]

Mashable » Notorious Yemeni Bomb Maker Looms Behind Latest Airline Threat

Wednesday 9 July 0:28:50 UTC 2014

Yemeni-bomberFeed-tw Feed-fbThe latest airport security measures put in place by U.S. officials — who are concerned that al-Qaeda in Yemen is trying to develop a bomb that could go undetected during passenger screening — are again putting a spotlight on a notorious Yemeni bomb maker who has evaded capture after several high-profile terror attempts. American officials announced on Monday that passengers traveling … [Link]

Mashable » Military Researchers Design Real-life 'Transformer' Plane

Wednesday 9 July 0:27:29 UTC 2014

Trnsfrmr870809Feed-tw Feed-fb UK aerospace and defense contractor BAE Systems have taken the wraps off several concepts it envisions as possible tools for the military in the decades to come — and if these designs are any guide, future battlefields are going to look like the set of a science fiction movie. The most interesting of the concepts is called the Transformer, a … [Link]

Mashable » Don't Forget: Humiliated Brazil Still Has to Play Again on Saturday

Wednesday 9 July 0:02:46 UTC 2014

Brazil-fans-sadFeed-tw Feed-fbAn hour later, it's still a shock: a 7-1 final score and utter humiliation for World Cup host Brazil at the feet of Germany in the tournament's semifinal Brazilian players were teary-eyed after the match, fans sobbed openly and supporters worldwide tried to make sense of the surreal scene. But what many forgot is this: Brazil still has to take the … [Link]

Slashdot » US Tech Firms Recruiting High Schoolers (And Younger)

Wednesday 9 July 0:00:00 UTC 2014

ShaunC writes: Is there a glut of qualified American tech workers, or isn't there? Some companies like Facebook and Airbnb are now actively courting and recruiting high school students as young as 13 with promises of huge stipends and salaries. As one student put it, "It's kind of insane that you can make more than the U.S. average income in … [Link]

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