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 » YouTube Singer Peter Hollens Earns Record Deal From Sony Music
A capella singer Peter Hollens, who has premiered music videos on Mashable, has snagged a wicked record deal just days after unleashing a medley from the Wicked musical Sony Music announced Thursday that its classical and crossover label Sony Music Masterworks inked a deal with Hollens, who will release his debut album on Oct. 28 See also: Vine Star Shawn Mendes … [Link]
Slashdot » New Display Technology Corrects For Vision Defects
rtoz (2530056) writes Researchers at the MIT Media Lab have developed a new display technology that automatically corrects for vision defects without requiring glasses or contact lenses. This technique could lead to dashboard-mounted GPS displays that farsighted drivers can consult without putting their glasses on, or electronic readers that eliminate the need for reading glasses. The display is a variation … [Link]
Mashable » Smoke in the Air, Blood in the Streets: Gaza Before the Cease-Fire
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. The cease-fire is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. local time on Friday and continue through the weekend. Its goal is to allow Gazans a momentary reprieve to obtain urgently needed humanitarian relief, the parties … [Link]
Mashable » Proud Dad Jack Vale's iPhone Video of Daughter Singing Goes Viral
Like any proud parent, comedian Jack Vale is instinctively inclined to photograph his daughter's every impressive moment. So in mid-July, the YouTube prankster whipped out his iPhone camera and captured 12-year old Madysyn Rose singing Naughty Boy and Sam Smith's hit song "La La La." Now the video has reached a massive 17.5 million Facebook News Feeds since July 18. See … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Microsoft's CEO Kicks Off Company Wide Hackathon
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella aims to shake things up with a company hackathon. Airpush wins Dataweek and API World's most innovative company award. Plus: Android 4.5 Lollipop to feature a new camera API, and HMAC authentication recommended.
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Slashdot » Passport Database Outage Leaves Thousands Stranded
linuxwrangler (582055) writes Job interviews missed, work and wedding plans disrupted, children unable to fly home with their adoptive parents. All this disruption is due to a outage involving the passport and visa processing database at the U.S. State Department. The problems have been ongoing since July 19 and the best estimate for repair is "soon." The system "crashed shortly … [Link]
Mashable » Series of Gas Explosions Kill 15, Injure 228 in Taiwan
At least 15 people are dead and 228 injured following a series of gas explosions on the streets of a southern Taiwanese city late Thursday night. Locals had reported gas leaks in the city of Kaohsiung beginning around 9 p.m. local time, Focus Taiwan reported on its Facebook page, and explosions followed three hours later. Some witnesses had reported seeing a … [Link]
Slashdot » Why TiVo's Founders Crashed and Burned With Qplay
Velcroman1 (1667895) writes "Michael Ramsay and Jim Barton created a revolution with TiVo, a device that challenged the notion that we had to watch TV shows when they aired. And they hoped to do it again with Qplay, a device that challenged the notion that short-form videos had to be consumed one at a time, like snacks instead of meals. … [Link]
Mashable » San Francisco Airport Tests Beacon Sensors to Guide Blind Travelers
San Francisco International Airport is rolling out a pilot program later this year that could help blind travelers navigate within a terminal with the guidance of beacon technology Tiny sensors called beacons will be tested in one of the airport's newest terminals (Terminal 2, home to American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Airlines) and potentially expand to other terminals in the future. … [Link]
Mashable » Facebook Updates Slingshot With Unlimited Reactions
Facebook’s photo messaging app Slingshot was updated Thursday with new features for the first time since it launched last month Users can now react to reaction messages — somewhat of a departure from Slingshot's signature "shot-for-shot" dynamic. See also: Facebook's Slingshot: A Prettier, More Desperate Version of Snapchat Previously, a single reaction was the only way users could view a message … [Link]
Mashable » 6 Mistakes Many Marketers Make Daily
It used to be that "multi-channel marketing" meant ensuring that your print, TV and radio ads looked and sounded the same. Now, consumers have more channels than ever to interact with your brand, so creating an integrated marketing experience means getting everything right, from social to search, automation to analytics, and lead nurturing to LinkedIn See also: 10 Simple Google Calendar … [Link]
Mashable » Report: Drone Industry Could Soar to $11 Billion by 2024
Love them or hate them, drones are here to stay — at least for the foreseeable future. A new report detailing the growth of the drone industry finds that over the next 10 years, the amount of money spent annually on drones and their accompanying technologies will likely double worldwide. An estimated $6.4 billion is currently being spent each year on … [Link]
Mashable » 'Game of Thrones' Actress Had the Best Reaction to Being Replaced
Anyone in the market for a Princess? Former Game of Thrones actress, Aimee Richardson, who played Myrcella Baratheon, has been replaced for season 5 of the hit HBO show by actress Nell Tiger Free But Richardson dealt with the blow the best way possible — using a little social media humor. See also: 'Game of Thrones' Controversy: Did HBO Cut a … [Link]
Mashable » Apple Confirms It Will Lay Off 200 Beats Employees
Apple confirmed Thursday that it will gradually lay off 200 Beats employees, or nearly 29% of the 700 people currently working for the headphones company. The news comes as Apple's acquisition of Beats becomes official. While 700 Beats employees will begin working at Apple after the deal closes, only 500 of them will keep their jobs longer than a few months, … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Next rover will pull oxygen from Martian air
NASA's Mars 2020 rover will be bristling with new gadgets, including a camera with zoom, an enhanced laser, and equipment for turning CO2 into oxygen 
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New Scientist – News » Ghost of the cloud forest: Seeking the white possum
Jo Chandler enters Australia's lost world of species marooned by evolution to meet one of its rarest, a creature uniquely vulnerable to climate change (full text available to subscribers) 
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Slashdot » HP Gives OpenVMS New Life and Path To X86 Port
dcblogs (1096431) writes Hewlett-Packard has changed its direction on OpenVMS. Instead of pushing its users off the system, it has licensed OpenVMS to a new firm that plans to develop ports to the latest Itanium chips and is promising eventual support for x86 processors. Last year, HP put OpenVMS on the path to extinction. It said it would not validate … [Link]
Mashable » South Korea Sent 10,000 Choco Pies Over to North Korea in Balloons
North Korea got a sweet surprise from its neighbor to the south on Wednesday In South Korea, about 200 people — South Koreans along with North Korean defectors — packed 770 pounds of Choco Pies into plastic bags, which they attached to 50 giant balloons and released into North Korea from a park in the border city of Paju, according to … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Indoor Skydiver Becomes Spider-Man! [Video]
Looks fun! [ObiSix] [Link]
Slashdot » Peter Hoddie Talks About His Internet of Things Construction Kit (Video)
You remember Peter Hoddie, right? He was one of the original QuickTime developers at Apple. He left in 2002 to help found a startup called Kinoma, which started life developing multimedia players and browsers for mobile devices. Kinoma was acquired in 2011 by Marvell Semiconductor, whose management kept it as a separate entity. The latest creation from Peter and his … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Walgreens QuickPrints API-Powered Printicular App Passes Four Million Prints
MEA Mobile has just announced that over four million mobile phone photos have been printed using the company's Printicular App which is powered by the Walgreens QuickPrints API. Printicular allows users to print photos from their smartphone camera roll as well as pictures from social media accounts such as Instagram, Facebook, Google+, Dropbox, and more.
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ProgrammableWeb.com » CollabNet Extends ALM Reach Into Github and Garret
Almost by definition, IT organizations are struggling to cope with multiple application development projects involving any number of programming languages and tools. To make it simpler to manage all those projects, CollabNet this week released an upgrade to its application life cycle management (ALM) platform that now includes integration with Git and Gerrit software repositories.
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ProgrammableWeb.com » Why Node.js is Ideal for the Internet of Things
This article was prepared by a guest contributor to ProgrammableWeb. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the view of ProgrammableWeb or its editorial staff. Technology never stands still, and smart companies have their ears to the ground to determine the next big thing and what they need to do to get … [Link]
Mashable » Survey: Most Americans Would Consider Buying Self-Driving Cars
The United States is warming up to the idea of self-driving cars Most Americans would consider purchasing a self-driving car, according to a study by Insurance.com. The survey polled 2,000 licensed drivers, divided evenly between men and women, and found that 75% of are more apt to embrace driverless cars, in part because of the gradual increase in hands-free technology being … [Link]
Mashable » Inside Our New Nerdy Obsession 'The Quest'
Everealm, the fictional setting of ABC's new fantasy-meets-reality TV experiment The Quest, is a land under siege. But a prophecy predicts the kingdom will find salvation in one True Hero, to be picked from a lot of 12 strangers from another land. The actual identity of said hero is to be determined — and it's also the whole point of … [Link]
Mashable » Stephen Colbert Buys 'TheSarahPalinChannel.com'
Stephen Colbert wants in on Sarah Palin's new pay-to-watch channel. The former governor of Alaska recently launched her online subscription channel, which will cover "the ideas Washington doesn't want you to hear." Colbert, in his signature satirical way, poked fun at the idea on The Colbert Report. See also: Would You Pay $100 a Year to Hear What Sarah Palin Has … [Link]
Mashable » LinkedIn's New Tool for Salespeople Tries to Cut Down on Cold Calls
LinkedIn is best known as a tool for job seekers and recruiters, but it's also a burgeoning platform for "social selling," a business it hopes to boost with a new entity called Sales Navigator. Sales Navigator, which is designed for salespeople, leverages LinkedIn's network of 316 million-plus members to expose sales leads. If you work in a company with 500 employees, … [Link]
Mashable » LinkedIn Annihilates Second-Quarter Earnings Expectations
LinkedIn reported second-quarter earnings on Thursday after the market close that easily beat expectations The social network for professionals reported $534 million in revenue and a profit of $0.51 per share. Analysts had forecast around $511 million in revenue to translate into $0.39 per share of profit. See also: The Complete Guide to LinkedIn Etiquette The news sent LinkedIn shares sharply … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: When Is It Better To Modify the ERP vs. Interfacing It?
New submitter yeshuawatso writes I work for one of the largest HVAC manufacturers in the world. We've currently spent millions of dollars investing in an ERP system from Oracle (via a third-party implementor and distributor) that handles most of our global operations, but it's been a great ordeal getting the thing to work for us across SBUs and even departments … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Guardian of the Galaxy Trailer Gets ReDone in LEGO [Video]
The Guardians of the Galaxy trailer completely redone in LEGO! Directed by Forrest Whaley Animation by Sean Willets & Forrest Whaley Production Assistance provided by Paul Hollingsworth [forrestfire101 | Via] [Link]
Mashable » Media Overload: The Problem With Infinite Choice
The average American spends 13.6 hours consuming media every day from dozens of different sources. By 2015, analysts predict we'll watch close to 15.5 hours of media on a daily basis In short: Our culture has reached media over-saturation. And it’s affecting the way we consume and appreciate content. See also: The Finger Your Phone Can't Live Without (It's Not … [Link]
Mashable » Rapper Warren G Reads President Harding's Sexy Love Letters
Behold, the champion of the "sex letter": the 23rd president of the United States, Warren G. Harding. Back in the early 1900s, when sexting was off the table, you'd have to physically mail a letter to express your thoughts. And let's just say, President Harding was no stranger to the practice See also: 44 Obscure Facts You Didn't Know About … [Link]
Mashable » Twerking Ice Cream Cone Stars in Katy Perry's 'This Is How We Do' Video
Katy Perry's wacky video for "This Is How We Do," like most of her music videos, is a lot to absorb in one viewing. But we quickly caught the star of this one: the twerking ice cream cone. And if you squint your eyes, you might mistake her for Miley Cyrus See also: Katy Perry Will Write Hillary Clinton a … [Link]
Mashable » Doctor: Asking Patients About Gun Ownership Is a Healthcare Issue
If you’re a primary care provider and you’re doing a routine exam, it's common to ask whether somebody in the house owns a gun — and, if so, to discuss firearm safety. Several major medical societies actually recommend it, for very good reason. Studies have shown that access to firearms in the home is associated with an increased risk of suicide and being the victim … [Link]
Mashable » A Crazy Amount of People Tweeted About 'Sharknado 2'
As a quick look at your Twitter timeline on Wednesday night indicated, a ton of people Tweeted about Sharknado 2. But now we have solid proof that they took a bite out of the competition. The TV movie — about a tornado of sharks, in case you weren't familiar — generated an estimated 67 million Twitter impressions — a fancy way … [Link]
Mashable » You Can Watch the 'Doctor Who' Premiere in Theaters
What could make a season premiere of Doctor Who even better? Popcorn and a few hundred friends BBC America is teaming up with Fathom Events to host midnight screenings of the Doctor Who season premiere Aug. 23 in 12 cities, the network announced on Thursday. Additionally, more than 550 theaters nationwide will host two screenings on Aug. 25. Tickets for the … [Link]
Mashable » Michael Keaton in 'Birdman' Is as Meta as a Movie Trailer Gets
Michael Keaton is a washed-up actor who once played a superhero in a major motion picture and is making a desperate attempt to revive his career. No, we're not talking about Keaton doing Birdman — we're talking about Keaton in Birdman. SEE ALSO: 'Interstellar' Trailer Shows Alien Landscape, Big Black Hole Keaton never wanted for steady work after playing the … [Link]
Mashable » There's a Samsung Galaxy Note Hiding Inside the New Oculus Rift
The next-generation Oculus Rift virtual reality headsets have a phone hidden inside. The headset's screen is actually a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which iFixit revealed after it did a teardown of the Rift. The Galaxy Note screen, which still retains the Samsung logo, gives the Oculus an AMOLED, 75hz screen that can display a 1920x1080p resolution. See also: What Is … [Link]
Slashdot » UK Government Report Recommends Ending Online Anonymity
An anonymous reader writes with a bit of pith from TechDirt: Every so often, people who don't really understand the importance of anonymity or how it enables free speech (especially among marginalized people), think they have a brilliant idea: "just end real anonymity online." They don't seem to understand just how shortsighted such an idea is. It's one that stems … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Microsoft Pitching Universal Apps as the Way to Go
Microsoft wants developers to write universal apps, not apps that are limited to use only on a single form factor. The company debuted the idea of universal apps — those that will run on laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphones — earlier this year. Universal apps have a better chance at winning over consumers, and they transition from device to device … [Link]
Mashable » 'Wall-E' Inspires Dance Trio Above & Beyond's Lonesome Music Video
Imagine being the last person living on a post-apocalyptic earth. Just you, all alone. That's the premise of Above & Beyond's video for "Blue Sky Action," which the electronic dance trio let Mashable premiere on Thursday. It features vocals from Alex Vargas. See also: 8 Very Gaga Things Lady Gaga Said on Her Artpop Ball Tour "'Blue Sky Action' is … [Link]
Mashable » Judge: Microsoft Must Turn Over a User's Emails Stored Overseas
A federal judge ruled Thursday that Microsoft must turn over to the U.S. government a customer's emails stored in servers overseas, in an unprecedented case that could have wide-ranging effects on the digital privacy rights of both Americans and foreigners using U.S. email services. Judge Loretta Preska of U.S. District Court in Manhattan upheld the decision of a magistrate judge after … [Link]
Mashable » 1Password Unveils 'Holy Grail' of Password Managers for iOS 8
While much of the initial excitement around iOS 8's new extensibility features surrounded widgets and the potential for third-party keyboards, there's another type of app that will greatly benefit from these changes: password managers. AgileBits, the company behind the 1Password software, showed off the extension for iOS 8 that they are calling the "holy grail" of password managers. See also: The … [Link]
Mashable » Couple's Sign Language Car Dancing Will Brighten Your Day
American Sign Language interpreter Tina Cleveland and her fiancé Paul Sirimarco have a different approach to road trip sing-a-longs While some prefer to belt their personal rendition of Whitney Houston, the couple opted for a more unique interpretation of another karaoke classic: "You're the One That I Want" from Grease, performed entirely in sign language. See also: 9 Apps and … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » SyFy’s Z Nation: An Answer to AMC’s The Walking Dead [Trailer]
Coming this September, SyFy is jumping in the zombie TV series bandwagon with their new show, Z Nation, produced by Asylum, the same folks who made the Sharnado movies. Z Nation, produced by The Asylum (Sharknado), is an action-horror series about the epic struggle to save humanity after a zombie apocalypse. The cast also includes Michael Welch (The Twilight trilogy), … [Link]
Mashable » Comedians Are Really Bad at Tinder
It's so bad it's not even funny Comedians are people, too — so we can forgive them if they're as awful at online dating as we are See also: Heat Index: Find the Right Dating Site or App for You Mashable talked to a handful of professional funny people — including T.J. Miller and Terry Crews — and asked how … [Link]
Slashdot » CIA Director Brennan Admits He Was Lying: CIA Really Did Spy On Congress
Bruce66423 (1678196) writes with this story from the Guardian: The director of the Central Intelligence Agency, John Brennan, issued an extraordinary apology to leaders of the US Senate intelligence committee on Thursday, conceding that the agency employees spied on committee staff and reversing months of furious and public denials. Brennan acknowledged that an internal investigation had found agency security personnel … [Link]
Mashable » See-Through Mice: Disgusting to Us, Probably Useful to Scientists
Researchers have found a way to make see-through mice, but you won't find these critters scampering in your kitchen. The transparent rodents aren't alive and they're for research only, to help scientists study fine details of anatomy. See also: 5 Common Evolution Myths, Debunked Before they are treated with chemicals, the animals are euthanized and their skin removed. Researchers made their … [Link]
Mashable » Southwest and SeaWorld End 25-Year Marketing Partnership
After 25 years, Southwest Airlines and SeaWorld Entertainment are ending their marketing partnership. The airline has been criticized by animal rights activists for continuing the relationship, but SeaWorld said the decision was mutual. Officials at both companies said Thursday that the partnership wouldn't be renewed at the end of the year when the current contract expires. See also: Long-Anticipated World's Tallest … [Link]
Mashable » First 'Into the Woods' Trailer Brings Magic, But No Music
Our wish has been granted The first trailer for Into the Woods dropped Thursday, giving us a look at Disney's adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s magically-twisted musical about characters from several Brothers Grimm fairy tales See also: 10 Movie Stars With Surprising Musical Talents Unfortunately, the nearly two-minute trailer showcases no actual singing. But we do see the star-studded cast in their … [Link]
Mashable » NASA Unveils Its Next Mars Rover
NASA unveiled its plans for the 2020 Mars rover on Thursday, and though its design may look familiar, it's got a lot of new gadgets under the hood. The new rover will be based on the same framework as Curiosity, the two-ton rover that landed on Mars two years ago and is currently driving around, picking up dirt samples and drilling … [Link]
Slashdot » PHP Finally Getting a Formal Specification
itwbennett (1594911) writes "Despite becoming one of the most widely used programming languages on the Web, PHP didn't have a formal specification — until now. Facebook engineer and PHP core contributor Sara Golemon announced the initiative at OSCON earlier this month, and an initial draft of the specification was posted Wednesday on GitHub." 
Read more of this story at Slashdot. … [Link]
Mashable » Twitter Buys Password-Sharing Startup Mitro
Twitter has acquired password-sharing startup Mitro Founded in 2012 by Adam Hilss, Mitro had raised $2.4 million in funding. The company's primary product is a web browser extension that allowed users to store and share passwords, and the company had been backed by Google Ventures and Matrix Partners. See also: Who Won the World Cup: Facebook or Twitter? Mitro announced the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » What Really Happens at Comic Con: The Song [Video]
What it’s really like to be at San Diego Comic Con, songified. [DweebCast] [Link]
Mashable » 15 Magical Harry Potter Cocktails to Charm Your Palate
For Harry Potter's 34th birthday, cast a banishing charm on butterbeer in favor of something a little more grown up. In honor of the Birthday Boy Who Lived, we're adding a bit of magic to our drinks. These cocktails put the Patron in patronus. See also: 'Harry Potter' Actors: Then and Now Little Pink Blog contributors Sasha Muradali, Ashley Bryce and … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Dinosaurs shrank for 50 million years to become birds
The meat-eating theropod dinosaurs shrank 12 times in a row, going from over 200 kilograms to less than a kilogram, until they were small enough to fly 
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Mashable » Overstock to Pay Employee Bonuses in Bitcoin
Overstock, which began taking bitcoin in January and posted $1 million in sales two months later, is so enamored with the currency that it plans to offer employee bonuses in bitcoin too. Judd Bagley, a rep for Overstock, says the company is trying to figure out how to offer bitcoin bonuses by the end of the year. If an employee opts … [Link]
Mashable » Anti-Semitism Flares as Gaza Conflict Continues
Anti-Semitic vitriol often flares up in tandem with Israeli military action, and the recent conflict in Gaza is no exception. This week, Facebook removed a page that called for the death of "baby killer israeli jews" after complaints that the page constituted hate speech. The page, which was created last week as Israel continued a military campaign in Gaza, depicted Israeli … [Link]
Mashable » Selfies Have Ruined Everything for Black Cats
The only thing unluckier than crossing a black cat is being one. See also: 25 Pets That Don't Need Thumbs to Take a Cute Selfie According to the RSPCA, an animal welfare charity in the UK, animal owners are reportedly surrendering their black cats because they don't photograph well. "There is a national problem with rehoming cats of this color and … [Link]
Slashdot » Fotopedia Is Shutting Down; Data Avallable Until August 10
New submitter Randall Booth writes Fotopedia has sent notice to its users that it is shutting down. 'We are sorry to announce that Fotopedia is shutting down. As of August 10, 2014, Fotopedia.com will close and our iOS applications will cease to function. Our community of passionate photographers, curators and storytellers has made this a wonderful journey, and we'd like … [Link]
Mashable » CIA Admits It Searched Senate Computers
WASHINGTON — The CIA inspector general has found that CIA employees acted improperly when they searched Senate computers while the Senate was investigating the CIA's detention program. CIA Director John Brennan has now apologized to Senate Intelligence Committee leaders. Agency spokesman Dean Boyd said in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday that Brennan has convened an accountability board that … [Link]
New Scientist – News » How close are we to having a drug to treat Ebola?
As the Ebola virus death toll rises in West Africa, New Scientist rounds up the best contenders for treatments and vaccines 
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Mashable » Lego Fusion Is Digital Joy and Real-World Fun
It isn’t easy being mayor of a small, but growing town. People always want something or are hurting themselves in random accidents. You have to build, build, build and constantly remind the townspeople that there’s good stuff all around. Yet, in the end, nurturing your own miniature community is a joy. These are the lessons of the highly-entertaining Lego Fusion: Town … [Link]
Slashdot » iFixit Takes Apart the Oculus Rift DK2, Finds Galaxy Note 3 Display Inside
An anonymous reader writes with a teardown from iFixit of the Oculus Rift Development Kit 2: "iFixit's teardown reveals lots of interesting hardware within, including 40 infrared LEDs, a well-organized motherboard, and a display panel lifted directly from a Samsung Galaxy Note 3. They also took apart the IR tracking camera for good measure." The review is the usual iFixit … [Link]
Mashable » Vin Diesel Singing Sam Smith's 'Stay With Me' Is Too 'Surreal' to Ignore
Like the giant tree creature Groot, who Vin Diesel portrays in Guardians of the Galaxy, Diesel doesn't hold anything back for his cover of Sam Smith's "Stay With Me." The actor braved the chart-topping ballad during an interview with Capital FM. See also: Sam Smith Turns Whitney Houston's 'How Will I Know' Into Tender Ballad Smith caught wind of Diesel's rendition … [Link]
Mashable » U.S. Issues Travel Warning for Ebola-Hit Countries in Africa
This story was updated July 31 at 1:57 p.m. EST The U.S. on Thursday issued travel warnings for three countries hit by the Ebola outbreak: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The warning to avoid non-essential travel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was the first the agency has issued since 2003, which was in response to SARS in … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Motorola Solutions Offers Free Version of RhoMobile Suite Development Tools
There’s a fierce battle for the hearts and minds of mobile application developers, since the cost of a tool can be as significant as the robustness of the applications it can build. Recognizing that reality, Motorola Solutions Inc. this week released an update to its RhoMobile Suite of mobile application development tools that includes a free edition alongside two other … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Intel Opens Registration for $1 Million RealSense App Challenge
Intel has opened registration for its RealSense App Challenge.
[Link]
New Scientist – News » Rainbow slinky offers a way into Schrödinger's box
This wiry mass proves for the first time that we can predict the most likely way in which a quantum system will collapse – and perhaps, one day, control it 
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Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Playing Video Games: As a Kid vs. As an Adult [Comic]
[Source: DoghouseDiaries] [Link]
New Scientist – News » Comet mission must not keep space fans in the dark
The European Space Agency should change tack and not sit on pictures from a pioneering mission to a comet, says space science writer Daniel Fischer 
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Mashable » Lorde Will Pick Every Artist for 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay' Soundtrack
Lorde may never be a royal, but she's the perfect ruler for Lionsgate, which has tapped her to curate the Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 soundtrack. The 17-year-old "Royals" singer will not only select the artists who will appear on the soundtrack, she will also write and lend her vocals on the first single See also: 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay' Trailer: … [Link]
Slashdot » Nevada Construction Project Could Be Tesla/Panasonic Gigafactory
cartechboy (2660665) writes "Earlier in the week we heard that Tesla and Panasonic had reached an agreement to build the gigafactory together, and today that became official. Now it seems that things are farther along than anyone thought. In fact, construction of the plant might already be secretly underway in Nevada. This is of course interesting as Tesla hasn't officially … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Detergent treatment turns a mouse see-through
Using a combination of chemicals, researchers are able to look inside and through a whole animal for the first time 
[Link]
Mashable » Hedgehogs Aren't as Innocent as They May Seem
Small, spiky and adorable — humans give hedgehogs a lot of breaks But what kinds of motives and personalities do these critters really have? See also: 9 Sloth Facts Every Human Should Know AC Stuart, creator of Noob the Loser, has revealed the shocking truth about hedgehogs in this "behind the GIFs" comic. BONUS: The 75 Absolutely Cutest Animals on Instagram … [Link]
Mashable » What Celebrities Probably Binge-Watch on Netflix
Even the rich and famous need a good binge-watch from time to time. For a sketch on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon imagines what movies and TV shows would be on celebrities' Netflix queues. Fallon took on Kim Kardashian, Hillary Clinton, Rob Ford, and more See if you can guess the celebrity from the queue. Read more…More about Videos, Tv, … [Link]
Mashable » 5 Encouraging Therapy Apps for When You Need Some Support
If you're looking to connect with a therapist, your phone can come in handy. Many sophisticated apps in the mental health field have been developed to bring together patients and therapists. Whether you prefer virtual or face-to-face therapy sessions, apps may have the advice or information you're looking for. See also: 8 After-Work Apps to Melt Your Stress Away While therapy … [Link]
Mashable » Going Through a Nasty Divorce? There's an App for That
Breaking up is hard to do, but a new startup seeks to make the painful process of divorce a little easier. Wevorce has brought in about $1.7 million dollars, according to a filing from the companyVentureBeat found the filing, which details the company's fundraising efforts. See also: 10 Startups to Watch in 2014 Wevorce takes much of the divorce process online, … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Interstellar Trailer #3 is the Best Movie Trailer of 2014 so Far [Video]
The new trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is absolutely BRILLIANT. Best movie trailer I’ve seen in 2014 so far. I have the feeling that this is the kind of movie where people will by crying their eyes out for half of the time they’ll spend watching the film. When a wormhole (which theoretically can connect widely-separated regions of spacetime) is … [Link]
Mashable » 'Extant' Episode 4 Recap: 'Nobody's Perfect'
Despite all the action leading up to episode 4, Extant is missing a spark — that je ne sais quoi. The sci-fi show has cinematic visuals, a star lead and compelling narrative, but I still don't feel the urge to tune in every week. In short, it's not must-see TV. At least not yet. Why? If "Shelter" is any indication, blame … [Link]
Mashable » The Moon Is Not Actually Round, It's Shaped Like a Lemon
Earth’s powerful gravity tugged the moon into its oddball shape long ago, shortly after both bodies formed, a new study suggests. Tidal forces exerted during the early days of the solar system can explain most of the moon's large-scale topography, including its slight lemon shape, reports the study, which was published online on July 30 in the journal Nature. The new … [Link]
Mashable » The Ultimate '90s Guide to Cybersex
The '90s were great for many things — television, movies, having zealous cybersex on the net — you name it. Thanks to Found Footage Fest, we can all learn a thing or two from this jaw-droppingly hilarious guide (and totally NSFW, if you couldn't tell by this YouTube thumbnail) to cybersex on the World Wide Web, straight out of 1997. … [Link]
Mashable » NBA Becomes First Sports League to Put Its Twitter Handle on Every Game Ball
When the 2014-2015 NBA season tips off this fall, the league's official game ball will still be that familiar orange-brown hue. It will still be made by Spalding and will still have the same feel as last year See also: The Basketball World Cup: Who Team USA Should Bring to Spain But the ball will come with one change — a … [Link]
Slashdot » Grad Student Rigs Cheap Alternative To $1,000 Air Purifiers In Smoggy China
An anonymous reader writes "University of Virginia grad student Thomas Talhelm was living in Beijing on a Fulbright Scholarship during the winter of 2012-13, when air pollution was so bad scientists likened it to a nuclear winter. Those who could afford it were resorting to an expensive solution: air filters costing up to $1,000. Talhem built his own on the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Myrcella Baratheon Actress Gets Replaced; Reacts Hilariously [Vine Video]
Actress Aimee Richardson, playing the role of Myrcella Baratheon, daughter of Cersei Lannister, got replaced in the next season of Game of Thrones, and here’s her funny reaction to this rather unfortunate turn of event: (Don’t forget to un-mute the video!) You can follow Aimee on twitter right here, she’s hilarious. [Source: Aimee Richardson on Vine | Aimee Richardson on … [Link]
Mashable » Manila, Philippines, Dominates World's Biggest Freelance Marketplace
Popular online staffing sites Elance and oDesk merged in December 2013 to become Elance-oDesk. Though they each continued to maintain their separate platforms, the deal made effectively created the largest online company for freelance services in the world, dwarfing competitor Freelancer. 
Image: ElanceAmong other benefits to the merger, the Elance-oDesk partnership gives the public greater insight into the state of the … [Link]
Mashable » French Telecom Offers T-Mobile $15 Billion for Control of Company
Telecom operator T-Mobile has received a buyout offer from France's Iliad, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg Iliad reportedly offered to pay $15 billion in cash for more than half of T-Mobile, giving the French company control of the U.S. telecom operator. The deal values T-Mobile as a whole at around $27 billion. See also: Our Addiction … [Link]
Mashable » Sony Sold 3x as Many Consoles as Microsoft Last Quarter
Sony’s PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 consoles outsold the Xbox 360 and Xbox One three to one last quarter, though it remains unknown exactly how many of each console was sold. Sony's financial statement, released early Thursday morning, showed the company sold 3.5 million PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 consoles (combined) from April 1 to June 30, the first fiscal quarter … [Link]
Mashable » Giraffe Dies After Hitting Its Head on Highway Bridge
A giraffe being transported in an open-air truck bed on a highway in South Africa died Thursday after reportedly hitting its head on an overpass. “All we can ascertain at this stage is severe head trauma. We are continuing our investigation with the view to possibly lay criminal charges against those responsible,” Rick Allan of the Society for the Prevention of … [Link]
Slashdot » NASA's JPL Develops Multi-Metal 3D Printing Process
yyzmcleod (1534129) writes The technology to 3D print a single part from multiple materials has been around for years, but only for polymer-based additive manufacturing processes. For metals, jobs are typically confined to a single powdered base metal or alloy per object. However, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory say they have developed a 3D printing technique that allows for … [Link]
Mashable » Most of California Is Now in 'Exceptional Drought'
Just when Californians thought it couldn't get worse, the three-year drought that has enveloped the state intensified a little over the past week. Scratch that; it intensified a lot. The percentage of the state in the worst category of drought — known as "exceptional drought" — skyrocketed from 36.5% to 58.4% in the past week alone, according to statistics released on … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Tor Network May Have Been Compromised
The Tor Project says an attack on the network earlier this year may have left user identities exposed for up to five months. At the moment those behind Tor say they are uncertain exactly what the consequences of the attack, which ran from January 30 to July 4, are for users. The Tor Project says it believes the attack was … [Link]
Mashable » Heidi Klum Teaches Jimmy Fallon the Sexy 'German Roll'
Jimmy Fallon is one lucky fella The Tonight Show host got down and around with supermodel Heidi Klum in a recurring sketch called "This Is How We Roll." From what we can tell, it's basically Fallon's strategy for getting very, very close to very, very pretty celebrities 
But, it turns out, Heidi doesn't like the average American roll. She taught Jimmy … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » MUST READ: Toms Hiddleston’s Email to Joss Whedon After Perusing The Avengers Script [Pics]
After being almost done with the script for the Avengers, Joss Whedon sent a copy of it to Tom Hiddleston, who then replied with what has to be one of the best emails of all time: 
To which Joss replied: 
[Via IMGUR] [Link]
Mashable » Yo's New Service Lets Doctors' Offices and Restaurants Tap the Power of Yo
Yo, the startup known for its one-word messaging service, has released Yo Lineup, a tool to help doctors' offices and restaurants handle queues "We got an inquiry from a doctors' office in Miami that read about our restaurant solution and wanted the same," Yo founder Or Arbel said in an email. The result was the Yo Lineup service, which is free. … [Link]
Mashable » Americans Shouldn't Panic About Ebola, Experts Say
Last week, a former Minnesota resident died of Ebola in Nigeria. This week, the what-ifs are rampant. The victim's wife said her husband had been scheduled to fly to Minneapolis in mid-August to attend a birthday party for two of their children. "He could have brought Ebola here," she told The Daily Beast. Two other Americans in Africa have been diagnosed with … [Link]
Mashable » Dog Inspires a 6-Year-Old Brain Surgery Patient to Finish Therapy
A 6-year-old named Jack pushed through occupational therapy with some help from a furry friend. According to Jack's uncle and father, who submitted the video to Reddit and participated in comments on the thread, Jack recently had brain surgery and has difficulty moving the left side of his body. As you can see, one great source of inspiration is getting … [Link]
Mashable » Facebook's Internet.org App Brings Free Mobile Internet to Zambia
The Facebook-backed nonprofit Internet.org is bringing free data to parts of Zambia in Southern Africa as a part of a major initiative to connect the Internet with the two-thirds of the world's population who aren't online Internet.org is rolling out an app that provides free basic web services to Airtel subscribers in Zambia. The organization said it plans to introduce the … [Link]
Mashable » Adorable Armadillo Acts Just Like a Puppy
Armadillos aren't exactly the first animal to pop into your mind when you think of the cuteness spectrum of the animal kingdom. But Rollie, a southern three-banded armadillo that's built like a tank but plays like a puppy, will roll all over your heart. The armadillo is a member of the NEW Zoo, and some lucky intern captured this footage … [Link]
Slashdot » "BadUSB" Exploit Makes Devices Turn "Evil"
An anonymous reader writes with s snippet from Ars Technica that should make you (even more) skeptical about plugging in random USB drives, or allowing to persons unknown physical access to you computer's USB ports : When creators of the state-sponsored Stuxnet worm used a USB stick to infect air-gapped computers inside Iran's heavily fortified Natanz nuclear facility, trust in … [Link]
Mashable » Tesla Charges Ahead With Plans for Huge Battery 'Gigafactory' in U.S.
Tesla is charging ahead with Panasonic on plans for a giant new battery factory. The two companies announced their plans on Thursday to open a new factory in the United States. See also: The 12 Most Expensive Cars at the New York Auto Show Neither company has revealed where in the U.S. the facility might be built; the competition remains … [Link]
Mashable » Investigators Finally Reach MH17 Crash Site Amid Shaky Cease-Fire
KIEV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian government halted its military operation against Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine so that international investigators could access the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 for the first time since the jetliner was shot down two weeks ago. Australian and Dutch experts arrived at the site on Thursday afternoon. Just hours later, the press service for … [Link]
Mashable » Samsung Teases New Smartphones, But Its Future Remains Murky
Samsung earnings were as bad as the company had predicted, and the future isn't looking great, either. Its second quarter earnings marked Samsung's smallest profit in two years, bringing in $6.1 billion on sharply declining smartphone sales. See also: Samsung Debuts 4 Low-Cost Galaxy Phones The South Korean conglomerate still has the largest individual share of the global smartphone market at … [Link]
New Scientist – News » The secret system controlling your Facebook News Feed
No one really knows exactly how Facebook decides what we see when we log in. Reverse-engineering the algorithm behind it could help us find out 
[Link]
Mashable » Google Adds Amazon-Like Ratings to Searches
In an effort to compete with other online shopping destinations, namely Amazon, Google announced it was adding customer reviews to searches on Thursday. Searches for terms that could be construed as products, like "blender" or "lawnmower," will now include reviews on a five-star scale that are aggregated from merchants, third-party sites and editorial sites See also: The Man Who Turns Amazon … [Link]
Mashable » Charli XCX on 'Clueless,' the Spice Girls and '90s Fashion
Welcome to Throwback Tunesday, where Mashable amplifies the echoes of music past. With genre trends and throwbacks, we synthesize music and nostalgia. Twenty-one-year-old Charli XCX is accomplished beyond her years. The British alt-pop star wrote the chart-topping “Fancy” with Iggy Azalea — which held the number-one spot on the charts for seven consecutive weeks. Her infectious single “Boom Clap,” currently number … [Link]
Mashable » Twitter Transparency Report Reveals 46% Rise in Government Requests
Twitter released its biannual transparency report on Thursday, revealing a 46% increase in government requests for user information. See also: Those GIFs on Twitter Aren't Actually GIFs The report, which includes government information requests, removal requests and copyright notices from January through June 2014, shows how governments around the world increasingly use Twitter to get information about users. Here are some … [Link]
Mashable » Proud Dad Brian Williams Tells the World About His Daughter's New Acting Role
Aww, dad! Brian Williams reported Wednesday on his show, NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams, that his daughter Allison (of Girls fame) had snagged the role of Peter Pan in NBC's live-musical remake. See also: Brian Williams Raps 'Baby Got Back' His announcement was subtle and sweet: "Family members confirm she's been rehearsing for this role since the age of … [Link]
Slashdot » Unesco Probing Star Wars Filming In Ireland
First time accepted submitter wijnands (874114) writes Star Wars crews have started filming on the small Irish Island of Skellig Michael. This island, listed as a Unesco world heritage site, features the remains of a 6th century monastery as well as breeding populations of puffins , manx shearwaters, storm petrels, guillemots and kittiwakes. Currently the Irish navy has deployed one … [Link]
Slashdot » Nokia Buys a Chunk of Panasonic
jones_supa (887896) writes "Nokia's future as a company focused on providing network solutions, rather than mobile phones, looks to be bright. The company made big profits in the second quarter of 2014 after selling its mobile devices unit — the cornerstone of Nokia's rise in the 1990s — to Microsoft. Meanwhile Nokia has been buying up other businesses such as … [Link]
Mashable » Video: 'Star Trek' Creator's Son Kicks Off 2-Year Retrospective Project
Stardate 2016: It’s the near future, and one of America’s most beloved science fiction icons is celebrating a major milestone. Phasers on stun: Star Trek is turning 50. Back here in 2014, that event seems almost light years away, but it’s never too early to plan or start celebrating a franchise that spawned six TV series (the first episode aired … [Link]
Mashable » 10 Quick and Easy Digital Marketing Tools for Authors
Regardless of whether you're self-published or have a Big 5 publisher behind your book, all authors are doing the same thing: promoting themselves and their book. While marketing takes away time from what we authors do best — writing — it's a necessary evil. See also: 14 Google Tools You Didn't Know Existed Luckily, there are more than a few … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Anti-vaccine movement turns on vit K shots for babies
The health of infants is being put at risk as anti-vaccine groups discourage uptake of vitamin K for newborns, says Amanda Marcott 
[Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Up to 50% Off on Transcend Memory Products (Flash, MicroSDHC, External HD, USB keys, Etc.)
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers up to 50% off on select transcend memory products such as flash drives, microSDHC cards, external hard drives, USB keys, and even a few SSD upgrade kits for mac laptops. [Up to 50% Off on Transcend Memory Products] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Megaman X – Boomer Kuwanger’s Theme Cover Done by Epic Keyboard Guy [Video]
Another awesome video game music cover by Youtuber Epic Keyboard Guy. If you like what he’s doing, be sure to subscribe to Epic Keyboard Guy on Youtube! [Epic Keyboard Guy] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Why Do Our Hair and Eye Colors Change? [Science Video]
When babies are born, their eyes and hair are one color, but change within the first few years of their life! Why do hair and eye colors change? Trace explains the process of inheriting certain traits from your parents, and discusses why the colors change! [DNews] [Link]
Slashdot » Crytek USA Collapses, Sells Game IP To Other Developers
MojoKid (1002251) writes Game developer Crytek's problems have been detailed recently from various source, and it's now clear that it wasn't just the company's UK studios that were affected. Crytek announced today that it has officially moved development of its F2P shooter Hunt: Horrors of the Guilded Age to a German developer, ignoring the fact that the majority of the … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » SAP Selects Apigee as API Partner
Is this the biggest enterprise API deal ever? SAP chose Apigee Edge to power its new SAP API Management product. Apigee is now the preferred API management solution for SAP's 250,000+ customers.
[Link]
Mashable » 15 Creative Ways to Wear a Scarf in Summer
All weather can be scarf weather. If you can't bear to be apart from your winter wrap, this summer is going to be a long, scorching battle. Luckily, there are plenty of lightweight options for scarf enthusiasts who desperately need to accessorize, no matter how hot and sticky it gets. See also: Bundle Up With These 14 Nerdy Scarves Don't let … [Link]
Mashable » Runtastic Gets Into Wearables With Orbit Fitness Tracker
While many wearable tech companies focus on hardware first before developing a supporting app ecosystem, Runtastic is taking the opposite approach. The fitness-focused startup, known for its run-tracking apps, is getting into wearables with Orbit, its first fitness tracker. See also: 10 Apps That Will Help You Sleep Better The $119 Orbit tracks steps, distance, calories, active minutes, sleep and ambient … [Link]
Slashdot » Countries Don't Own Their Internet Domains, ICANN Says
angry tapir writes The Internet domain name for a country doesn't belong to that country — nor to anyone, according to ICANN. Plaintiffs who successfully sued Iran, Syria and North Korea as sponsors of terrorism want to seize the three countries' ccTLDs (country code top-level domains) as part of financial judgments against them. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Why local state is a fundamental primitive in stream processing
One of the concepts that has proven the hardest to explain to people when I talk about Samza is the idea of fault-tolerant local state for stream processing. I think people are so used to the idea of keeping all … [Link]
Mashable » Dance Your Heart Out While Exploring a Dungeon in 'Necrodancer'
Crypt of the Necrodancer doesn't just want you to slash enemies and loot their bodies. No, you need to have a sense of rhythm if you want to get anywhere in this game. Everything in Necrodancer, which may have one of the best names in gaming, happens on the beat, so you can only explore further if you tap, tap, … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Zoologger: Octopus mum broods for record-breaking time
A deep-sea octopus was seen brooding her eggs for four and a half years without a break to eat – the longest brooding period of any animal 
[Link]
Mashable » The Problem With College Rankings
As a Princeton professor, I really ought to love college rankings. The most famous of them, by U.S. News and World Report, currently places my employer first among national universities, nudging out Harvard and Yale. Forbes’s list of “America’s Top Colleges” has us at a respectable third. While Money’s brand-new “Best Colleges” ranking takes us down a notch to fourth, it still puts us ahead of the … [Link]
Mashable » Target Hires a New CEO
Target has hired Pepsi executive Brian Cornell as its new chairman and CEO as it continues to pick up the pieces from last year's huge data breach. Cornell replaces interim CEO John Mulligan, who is chief financial officer for the company. Mulligan stepped into the interim CEO post in May after Gregg Steinhafel resigned in the wake of a massive data … [Link]
Mashable » 10 Dorm Room Accessories That Give You Some Privacy
When you're living in a college dorm, maintaining privacy is a constant struggle. There are different levels of privacy. By the time you get to your senior year, you might not care anymore who sees you in a towel in the hallway. But sometimes you have horrible roommates, or just want a little space from your friends and co-inhabitants. If you're … [Link]
New Scientist – News » When NASA space crews play make believe
Two simulated trips to space, on a Hawaiian volcano and underwater off Florida, have just ended. What do these fake expeditions help astronauts learn? 
[Link]
Mashable » 5 Things All Small Businesses Must Know About Big Data
Confused about Big Data? You're not the only one. For most small business owners, Big Data is one big mystery. And if you don't understand Big Data, you probably also have no clue how this type of intelligence gathering works or how to start extracting valuable information from data sources you already have — which means your business is missing out … [Link]
Mashable » 3 Ways to Impress Colleagues When You're the Youngest on the Team
As they say, everyone has to start somewhere. But being the most junior member on a team is never an easy position, and it can be tough to gain trust and credibility when you’re learning the ropes surrounded by more tenured colleagues. Part of overcoming this sometimes-awkward stage is achieved simply through patience and hard work, but there are also some tangible things … [Link]
Mashable » Israel Vows to Destroy Hamas Tunnels
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will destroy the Hamas tunnel network in the Gaza Strip "with or without a cease-fire," as the military called up another 16,000 reservists to pursue its campaign in the densely-populated territory. Netanyahu's vow came as international efforts to end the 23-day-old conflict seemed to sputter despite concern over the mounting death … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 31 July 2014
Ocrad.js — open source OCR in Javascript, a port of GNU Ocrad software. HP’s IoT Security Research (PDF) — 70% of devices use unencrypted network services, 90% of devices collected at least one piece of personal information, 60% of those … [Link]
Slashdot » "ExamSoft" Bar Exam Software Fails Law Grads
New submitter BobandMax writes ExamSoft, the management platform software that handles digital bar exam submissions for multiple states, experienced a severe technical meltdown on Tuesday, leaving many graduates temporarily unable to complete the exams needed to practice law. The snafu also left bar associations from nearly 20 states with no choice but to extend their submission deadlines. It's not the … [Link]
Mashable » How to Not Go Broke When Buying Textbooks
College kids, get ready to spend your hard-earned summer cash on textbooks Vital to the college experience is the tradition of poring over hundreds of pages of reading each week. However, the average textbook is far more expensive than a regular book. Some can cost upwards of $100 — or more. The average college student spent about $1,200 for textbooks and … [Link]
Mashable » Samsung's New TV Can Become Curved at Will, Arrives to Korea August 1
In the last year or so, Samsung, LG and other TV manufacturers have placed big bets on curved TV sets which are, supposedly, more immersive than ones with regular, flat screens. Sometimes, however — if you have a big crowd watching TV, for example — the curved shape of the screen can be somewhat undesirable. See also: Battle of the Curved … [Link]
Mashable » A Shattered Childhood: The War on Gaza's Kids
GAZA CITY, Gaza—It was the first day of Eid, the Muslim celebration that caps the end of Ramadan, a day meant for celebration, joy and fun. But in Gaza, the day ended with bloodshed. More than 50 children were standing in line, waiting for their turn on a ramshackle ferris wheel, when a bomb hit, blasting the day of joy into … [Link]
Mashable » Rescue Cat Saves Family's Home From Massive Fire
SYDNEY — A newly-adopted cat has been credited with saving the home of its new family. Tilly, a tabby, alerted her owner Matt Clayton to a fire in the roof of the family home in Melbourne, Australia. See also: You've Gotta Be Kitten Me: Australia's First Cat Cafe Opens Three weeks ago Matt and his family went to rescue an animal … [Link]
Slashdot » Vint Cerf on Why Programmers Don't Join the ACM
jfruh writes "The Association for Computing Machinery is a storied professional group for computer programmers, but its membership hasn't grown in recent years to keep pace with the industry. Vint Cerf, who recently concluded his term as ACM president, asked developers what was keeping them from signing up. Their answers: paywalled content, lack of information relevant to non-academics, and code … [Link]
Mashable » Shazam's Song Recognition Superpowers Land On Desktop
Mac users can now take advantage of Shazam's music identifying service without touching their smartphone. The company added a Mac app to its lineup Thursday, the first time the music recognition service has been available on the desktop. See also: 23 Freaking Rad Spotify Playlists for Every Mood Much like auto-shazam on the mobile apps, when Shazam for Mac is enabled, … [Link]
Geek Culture » This year's Perseid Meteors go up against a Supermoon
My money is on SuperMoon. 🙁 [Link]
Mashable » LG's Latest 105-Inch TV Costs a Jaw-Dropping $117,000
Just when we thought Samsung pushed the limits with its $120,000 television, LG tossed its hat in the pricey-TV ring with an equally expensive set. First unveiled at the International CES earlier this year, the 105-inch 4K television costs $117,000, Ken Hong, LG's global communications director, told Mashable. For that much money, viewers get a screen with over 11 million pixels, … [Link]
Slashdot » Chinese Government Probes Microsoft For Breaches of Monopoly Law
DroidJason1 writes The Chinese government is investigating Microsoft for possible breaches of anti-monopoly laws, following a series of surprise visits to Redmond's offices in cities across China on Monday. These surprise visits were part of China's ongoing investigation [warning: WSJ paywall], and were based on security complaints about Microsoft's Windows operating system and Office productivity suite. Results from an earlier … [Link]
Mashable » Buying Drinks Through Your Phone Will Save PIN-only Australia
SYDNEY — Your autograph will soon be worth nothing more than the paper it's signed on. Starting from Friday, Australia is changing to a PIN-only country. Many believe there are only a handful of people who still use the caveman way, but the most serious concern for regular Australians is: How will I sign off my bar tab? See also: Digital … [Link]
Mashable » 'Sharknado 2: The Second One' Recap: A Storm of Ridiculousness
Like a bad fever dream, Sharknado 2: The Second One delivered just as much inconceivable ridiculousness as the first movie, which, as you'll recall, was the cult hit of summer 2013 With heaps of cheap effects, D-list celebrity cameos and more bad plastic surgery than you can fit into an episode of E! True Hollywood Story, it was everything we hoped … [Link]
Mashable » Facebook Users Get Sloth-ified by 'Sh*tty Watercolour'
Reddit’s favorite non-sh*tty sh*tty painter has branched out to other social networks. The artist, known to most of the Internet as "Sh*tty Watercolour," but whose actual human name is Hector Janse van Rensburg, has been sloth-ifying random Facebook users and messaging them the finished work. He's shared several of the portraits on Reddit. See also: 9 Sloth Facts Every Human Should … [Link]
Mashable » It's a Twitter Feeding Frenzy: Internet Reacts to 'Sharknado 2'
Days after the original Sharknado took the Internet in its jaws last year, Syfy confirmed a sequel for the cultural phenomenon: Sharknado 2: The Second One. The film premiered on Wednesday night, and like its predecessor, Sharknado 2 made similar waves on Twitter. See also: Run for Cover: 'Sharknado 3' Is Happening For the uninitiated, Sharknado's plot involves — yes, you … [Link]
Mashable » UN Official, No Stranger to Conflict, Breaks Down Over 'Appalling' Gaza Crisis
As spokesman for the the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Chris Gunness has certainly seen his share of tragedy in the past few weeks in Gaza. Hamas, a fundamentalist Islamic organization that operates in Gaza, is being pursued by Israel’s military there, and hundreds — if not thousands — of innocent Palestinian civilians have been caught in the crossfire. See … [Link]
Mashable » Dean Norris Was Trapped in a Dome With Mashable at Comic-Con
Comic-Con is a strange place. You can find yourself lining up for the bathroom alongside a stormtrooper, eating a stale pretzel next to a zombie, or in our case, trapped under a dome with one of the coolest guys on TV Dean Norris, who is arguably best known for his role as DEA agent Hank Schrader on Breaking Bad, spends … [Link]
Mashable » Super-Fast Battery Pack Can Fully Charge Your Phone in 15 Minutes
While electronics manufacturers continue to push the limits of how much innovation they can stuff into smartwatches, smartphones and even Bluetooth headphones, one challenge still hampers all of these devices: battery life We haven’t quite solved the problem of ever-waning battery life on our mobile gadgets, but one new device may be a game changer UNU's Ultrapak is a battery pack … [Link]
Slashdot » Google, Linaro Develop Custom Android Edition For Project Ara
rtoz writes with this excerpt from an IDG story about the creation of an Android fork made just for Google's modular cell-phone project : A special edition of Android had to be created for the unique customizable design of Project Ara, said George Grey, CEO of Linaro. … Android can already plug and play SD cards. But Grey said additional … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » San Diego Comic Con 2014 (SDCC) [Cosplay Music Video]
A fantastic new cosplay music video by my pals over at Sneaky Zebra! I think this is pretty much the best one they’ve done so far, and if you’ve seen our picture galleries of the event, there are plenty of shots featured in there that also appear in the video since Nick was doing both jobs (filming + photography) at … [Link]
Slashdot » SpaceShipTwo Flies Again
schwit1 writes "The competition heats up: For the first time in six months SpaceShipTwo completed a test flight [Tuesday]." The article linked is from NBC, which also has a deal with Virgin Galactic to televise the first commercial flight. It is thus in their interest to promote the spacecraft and company. The following two sentences from the article however clearly … [Link]
Mashable » Deadmau5 Takes Rob Ford on a Coffee Run in His Nyan Cat Ferrari
TORONTO — Rob Ford and Deadmau5 went on a coffee run together, proving opposites really do attract. The unlikely duo traveled to a local Tim Hortons drive-thru in Toronto earlier this week, and all 30 glorious minutes were caught on video. Deadmau5, a Canadian electronic musician based in the city, posted a YouTube clip of himself driving the embattled Toronto … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » BRICKNADO: a Sharknado-Themed LEGO Building Contest [Picture Gallery]
In celebration of Sharknado and its sequel, which will air tonight on SyFy, The Brother Bricks recently held a contest inviting their readers to create a LEGO model featuring sharks, nados, chainsaws, and anything else related to the silly made-for-tv movie. The contest is now over, but the entries are really fantastic. The site will announce the winners tonight, but … [Link]
Mashable » ATM Gives Out Surprise Gifts That Will Warm Your Heart
For a few lucky customers in Canada, one bank's special ATM dispensed a lot more than cash. As part of its "TD Thanks You" marketing campaign, TD Canada Trust asked its branch employees to pick some of their favorite customers for a special surprise. About 20 people were told that they would be helping "test out a new ATM," according … [Link]
Slashdot » Student Uses Oculus Rift and Kinect To Create Body Swap Illusion
kkleiner writes Using an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, Microsoft Kinect, a camera, and a handful of electrical stimulators, a London student's virtual reality system is showing users what it's like to swap bodies. Looking down, they see someone else's arms and legs; looking out, it's someone else's point of view; and when they move their limbs, the body they … [Link]
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