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 » Twitter May Be Close to Unveiling a Native Shopping Service

Wednesday 6 August 23:57:12 UTC 2014

Twitter-Feed-tw Feed-fbTwitter appears to be moving closer to adding payments to its app. Several users recently reported seeing a new “payments and shipping” option in the settings of Twitter's Android app. See also: Why Facebook and Twitter Are Embracing Ecommerce However, the option isn’t yet functional, as users who have spotted it said it doesn’t actually do anything. "Payments and shipping" could … [Link]

Slashdot » Idiot Leaves Driver's Seat In Self-Driving Infiniti, On the Highway

Wednesday 6 August 23:48:00 UTC 2014

cartechboy writes Self-driving cars are coming, that's nothing new. People are somewhat nervous about this technology, and that's also not news. But it appears self-driving cars are already here, and one idiot was dumb enough to climb out of the driver's seat while his car cruised down the highway. The car in question is a new Infiniti Q50, which has … [Link]

Mashable » Putin's Approval Rating Hits All-Time High at 87%

Wednesday 6 August 23:44:58 UTC 2014

Putin_smilesFeed-tw Feed-fbRussian President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings soared to an all-time high of 87% this week, leaving just 13% of his countrymen and women shaking their heads at the man who's helped send eastern Europe into crisis. President Putin's high rating comes on the heels of the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 — hit by a rocket believed to be fired … [Link]

Mashable » What Our Coffee Pod Obsession Tells Us About Ourselves

Wednesday 6 August 23:30:43 UTC 2014

Coffee-cupFeed-tw Feed-fbMornings just aren’t the same. Late sleepers, once troubled only by the quiet gurgle of the boiling kettle, are now shaken from their slumber by the guttural sounds of steaming water being forced through aluminum or plastic coffee pods. Conveniently secreted into the coffee machine’s collecting receptacle, the pangs of guilt from the latte socialists (and others) are only tweaked when … [Link]

Mashable » Patient at NYC's Mount Sinai Hospital Tests Negative for Ebola Virus

Wednesday 6 August 23:28:17 UTC 2014

Mount_sinaiFeed-tw Feed-fbA male patient who has been kept in isolation at New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital since Monday has tested negative for the Ebola virus, officials said. "We would like to report that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have determined that the patient kept in isolation since Monday, Aug. 4, 2014 at The Mount Sinai Hospital has tested negative … [Link]

Slashdot » Ecuador To Forge Ahead With State-Backed Digital Currency

Wednesday 6 August 23:05:00 UTC 2014

First time accepted submitter jaeztheangel writes Ecuador's government has approved plans to start a new Digital Currency backed by the state. With defaults in recent history, and dwindling oil reserves it will be interesting to see how this decision turns out. From the article: "Congress last month approved legislation to start a digital currency for use alongside the U.S. dollar, … [Link]

Mashable » 19th-Century Authors Perfectly Mixed With 21st-Century Rappers

Wednesday 6 August 23:02:52 UTC 2014

3623619145_2daf5d53c4_oFeed-tw Feed-fbYou’ve never heard rap music with a 19th century twist — until now. For the new series "19th Century French Authors vs. 21st Century American Rappers," blogger and artist Kate Gavino illustrates what would happen if modern day rappers could work with French writers from the past. See also: 14 Stunning Photographs That Bridge Past and Present "What do 21st century … [Link]

Mashable » Why Is Everyone in Your Facebook Feed Dousing Themselves in Ice Water?

Wednesday 6 August 22:58:51 UTC 2014

AlsthumbFeed-tw Feed-fbIs it just us, or is everyone really into cold showers lately? Your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds may be peppered with videos of your friends dumping buckets of ice water on their heads to raise awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease. See also: A Teen Walked 40 Miles With His Brother on His … [Link]

Mashable » What You Need to Do in the Wake of Russian Hackers' Massive Data Breach

Wednesday 6 August 22:57:41 UTC 2014

RussialoginFeed-tw Feed-fbAfter an 18-month investigation, a U.S. security firm recently uncovered what's being called the largest security breach in recent history, conducted by a group of Russia-based hackers. While Minneapolis-based Hold Security discovered that hacker group CyberVor stole 1.2 billion username and password combinations, along with more than 500 million email addresses, the details surrounding the breakdown are a bit unclear: According … [Link]

Slashdot » San Jose Police Apologize For Hiding Drone Program, Halts Until Further Review

Wednesday 6 August 22:22:00 UTC 2014

v3rgEz (125380) writes As part of MuckRock's Drone Census, the San Jose twice denied having a drone in public records requests — until the same investigation turned up not only a signed bid for a drone but also a federal grant giving them money for it. Now, almost a full year after first denying they had a drone, the department … [Link]

Slashdot » San Jose Police Apologize For Hiding Drone Program, Halt Until Further Review

Wednesday 6 August 22:22:00 UTC 2014

v3rgEz (125380) writes As part of MuckRock's Drone Census, the San Jose twice denied having a drone in public records requests — until the same investigation turned up not only a signed bid for a drone but also a federal grant giving them money for it. Now, almost a full year after first denying they had a drone, the department … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » What Light Can Teach Us About the Universe [Science Video]

Wednesday 6 August 22:05:29 UTC 2014

Humanity has long been looking at the universe and asking the big questions: How did it begin? How will it end? Cosmologists are searching hard for the answers, but where do they even start? The answer is light. Pete Edwards outlines the six unique messages that light carries which, when put together, disclose a stunning amount of information to astronomers. … [Link]

Mashable » Major Security Vulnerability in WordPress, Drupal Could Take Down Websites

Wednesday 6 August 21:44:46 UTC 2014

Wp-securityFeed-tw Feed-fbIf your website runs on a self-hosted WordPress installation or on Drupal, update your software now. Nir Goldshlager, a security researcher from Salesforce.com's product security team, has discovered an XML vulnerability that impacts the popular website platforms WordPress and Drupal. The vulnerability uses a well-known XML Quadratic Blowup Attack — and when executed, it can take down an entire website or … [Link]

Mashable » Email Addresses With Non-Latin Characters Now Work in Gmail

Wednesday 6 August 21:44:45 UTC 2014

Gmail_internationalFeed-tw Feed-fbMany of the world's languages don't use the Latin alphabet, yet email is dominated by the letters A to Z. Google wants that to change. The company announced it's adding support for non-Latin characters and accented letters to Gmail See also: 10 Gmail Hacks to Help You Master Your Inbox This change means people with email addresses containing letters not in … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » MuniRent Uses APIs to Create Airbnb-Type Platform for City Machinery

Wednesday 6 August 21:42:57 UTC 2014

Code for America’s Accelerator Program Class of 2014 includes online platform startup MuniRent. Co-founders Alan Mond and Julien Vanier spoke to ProgrammableWeb about how APIs make their civic tech startup possible. [Link]

Slashdot » China Bans iPad, MacBook Pro, Other Apple Products For Government Use

Wednesday 6 August 21:40:00 UTC 2014

MojoKid (1002251) writes "China seems to be on a mission to isolate itself from the world, at least in terms of technology. After banning Windows 8 on government PCs and raiding several of Microsoft's offices in China as part of an anti-trust investigation, Chinese officials have now prohibited purchase of several Apple products for government use. The list of banned … [Link]

Mashable » Discuss the Culture of Startups in Our #StartupDiversity Twitter Chat

Wednesday 6 August 21:30:20 UTC 2014

Diversity-twitter-chatFeed-tw Feed-fbThere is a lot to like about startups. For many, the pursuit of making your own mark on the world, while innovating your respective industry, tops any other type of professional lifestyle. But while the challenges and struggles entrepreneurs face in the pursuit of success are well documented, there is a segment of the startup industry that face an even tougher … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Datacenter HDD Wipe Policy?

Wednesday 6 August 21:23:00 UTC 2014

New submitter socheres (1771002) writes I keep a Slackware server hosted at various datacenters on leased hardware for personal / freelance business use. I have been doing this for the last 10 years and during this time I moved my stuff to several datacenters, some small and some big name companies. No matter the hosting company, since I choose to … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Tip Leads To Child Porn Arrest In Pennsylvania

Wednesday 6 August 21:01:00 UTC 2014

Shades of the recent arrest based on child porn images flagged by Google in an email, mrspoonsi writes A tip-off from Microsoft has led to the arrest of a man in Pennsylvania who has been charged with receiving and sharing child abuse images. It flagged the matter after discovering that an image involving a young girl had been allegedly saved … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Bitcoin Rival Aims To Help Medical Research

Wednesday 6 August 21:00:15 UTC 2014

A new crypto-currency is designed to aid medical research as well as function as a medium of exchange. CureCoin, which launched in May but is now being promoted through a publicity campaign, works along the lines of similar currencies such as Bitcoin, but its creation process involves medical research. The units of a crypto-currency aren’t released in one batch in … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Discharging Ebola survivors makes the pain worthwhile

Wednesday 6 August 21:00:00 UTC 2014

As well as a flood of patients, the only working Ebola treatment centre in Sierra Leone has to deal with rumours of organ harvesting, says doctor Anja Wolz [Link]

Mashable » Antarctica Station Housing 13 People Loses Power in Dead of Winter

Wednesday 6 August 20:49:34 UTC 2014

Halley-stationFeed-tw Feed-fbAntarctica is currently in the depth of its long winter season, with temperatures plunging to nearly minus-67 degrees Fahrenheit, hurricane-force winds and lack of sunlight. This is precisely the wrong time of year for an Antarctic outpost to lose electrical and heating power, but that worrisome scenario playing out at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) Halley Station on the edge of … [Link]

Mashable » 'Terminator: Genisys' Is the New Movie Title You'll Have to Look Up Every Time

Wednesday 6 August 20:37:39 UTC 2014

Arnold.schwarzenegger.terminator.genisysFeed-tw Feed-fbAs if accurately typing out "Arnold Schwarzenegger" wasn't already annoying enough, his return to the Terminator role will have you checking and double-checking IMDB for months, after the actor Instagrammed a photo Wednesday with the revelation that the film will be called — or rather, spelled — Terminator: Genisys. Originally Terminator: Genesis, the new tytle — er, title — swaps an … [Link]

Mashable » Oxygen Generator on the Next Mars Rover Could Jumpstart Colonization

Wednesday 6 August 20:30:25 UTC 2014

Mars-rover-2020Feed-tw Feed-fbNASA’s next Mars rover could help humans get a foothold on the Red Planet. Most of the seven instruments for the six-wheeled robot, which is scheduled to launch toward Mars in 2020, are designed to help scientists identify and sample rocks that may harbor evidence of past Mars life, NASA officials announced on July 31. The rover will cache such samples … [Link]

Mashable » Google Acquires Directr, a Small Business Video Marketing Startup

Wednesday 6 August 20:29:35 UTC 2014

YoutubeFeed-tw Feed-fbGoogle’s YouTube has acquired Directr, a startup aimed at helping small businesses create promotional videos. Directr markets a mobile app on iOS that provides small businesses with a way to create and publish videos. See also: 10 Simple Google Calendar Tips and Tricks to Boost Your Productivity Details of the deal were not disclosed, but Directr is a relatively small operation, … [Link]

Mashable » Man Drunkenly Writes Petition for Weird Al to Perform at Super Bowl

Wednesday 6 August 20:26:15 UTC 2014

Weird-al-super-bowlFeed-tw Feed-fbA man walks into a bar and then submits a Change.org petition, urging the National Football League to pick Weird Al Yankovic as next year's Super Bowl halftime show headliner This is not a joke The petition, which already has more than 7,500 supporters as of Wednesday afternoon, resulted from football fan Ed Ball's recent bar outing during which he says … [Link]

Mashable » Dogs Totally Understand Your Love of Long, Hot Showers

Wednesday 6 August 20:26:14 UTC 2014

RottweilerFeed-tw Feed-fb A Rottweiler named Lena understands your love of a nice, relaxing shower. The video, which was originally uploaded in March 2013 but recently picked up steam on Reddit, can help remind us of life's simple pleasures. Look at the perfectly zen expression on her doggy face; she knows the importance of a hot shower after a long day. Barack Obama … [Link]

Mashable » 'Batman v Superman' Steps Off Showdown With 'Captain America 3'

Wednesday 6 August 20:22:12 UTC 2014

Batman.v.superman.dawn_.of_.justiceFeed-tw Feed-fbEven Batman's gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em. Warner Bros. has shifted up its release date for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice by six weeks to March 25, 2016, moving it off the May 6, 2016 date that Marvel had also staked for Captain America 3. SEE ALSO: Nice Try, Hollywood, But a Female Superhero … [Link]

Mashable » Get Together and Create Food Art for Our Vine Challenge

Wednesday 6 August 20:19:24 UTC 2014

Food_art_mash_v2Feed-tw Feed-fbOne of life's greatest pleasures is sharing good food with good company. We partnered with MasterCard to bring you this week’s Mashable Vine Challenge. Make mealtime fun by creating food art animations on your plate. We want to see unique Vine videos that use edible items to explore the concept of getting together. See also: Sit Back and Enjoy These 6-Second … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft's Olivier Bloch Explains Microsoft Open Source (Video)

Wednesday 6 August 20:16:00 UTC 2014

Most of us don't think of Microsoft when our thoughts turn to open source. This is probably because the company's main products, Windows and Office, are so far from open that just thinking about them probably violates their user agreement.. But wait! says Olivier Bloch, Senior Technical Evangelist at Microsoft Open Technologies, Inc., we have lots and lots of open … [Link]

Mashable » Woman Flew From San Jose to Los Angeles Without a Ticket

Wednesday 6 August 20:01:47 UTC 2014

SjcFeed-tw Feed-fbA woman who had been arrested six times for trying to sneak onto flights at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) managed to take a Southwest flight from San Jose to Los Angeles — without a ticket. Marilyn Jean Hartman, 62, was arrested on suspicion of trespassing late Monday at LAX, after arriving from San Jose International Airport (SJC) aboard Southwest Airlines … [Link]

Mashable » Breaking the Green Ceiling: Women in the Legal Pot Industry

Wednesday 6 August 20:00:19 UTC 2014

MarijuanaFeed-tw Feed-fbThink of your stereotypical marijuana user — it's probably a man. What you've imagined isn't wrong. While roughly half of men admit to having tried marijuana, only a third of women say the same. But the disparity highlights a problem for the marijuana industry: They're leaving half the population's money on the table One way they're combatting it is by helping … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Cold potatoes could counter health effects of red meat

Wednesday 6 August 20:00:00 UTC 2014

A diet supplemented with digestion-resistant starch, found in cold potatoes and bananas, could reduce the risk of colon cancer for meat-eaters [Link]

Mashable » Who Should Decide If Cellphone Calls Are Allowed on Flights?

Wednesday 6 August 19:30:03 UTC 2014

PhoneFeed-tw Feed-fbAs the FCC moves to lift its ban on in-flight cellphone use, a ban that has been in place for more than 20 years, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is preparing to step in and lay down the law. Airlines, meanwhile, argue that the decision for in-flight phone use should be left up to them. See also: Know Before You Go: … [Link]

Mashable » Adam Carolla Isn't Backing Down Against Patent Troll

Wednesday 6 August 19:27:11 UTC 2014

CarollaFeed-tw Feed-fbAdam Carolla is tired. Tired of talking about, traveling for and thinking on the patent lawsuit over his podcast that has now been going on for about a year and a half. He’d rather be working. “I’m supposed to be in an edit bay working on an independent movie that I’m directing or working on my podcast instead of talking to … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » 18F Releases New Tools to Facilitate API Enablement

Wednesday 6 August 19:26:36 UTC 2014

Federal government agency 18F, which operates as an "intrapreneurial" lab within government to encourage rapid adoption of new tech tools and strategies, has released a further series of resources and tools to facilitate API-enablement of government services. While 18F is committed to helping government agencies rapidly prototype and implement a new generation of tech tools, the resources it is releasing … [Link]

Slashdot » Xiaomi Arrives As Top Smartphone Seller In China

Wednesday 6 August 19:26:00 UTC 2014

New submitter redseo writes Xiaomi, known as the Apple of China, and recently enjoying its new-found fame and glory in the Indian market, has achieved yet another milestone. It has overtaken Samsung, to become China's best selling smartphone manufacturer, in Q2 2014. Xiaomi sold total of 15 million smartphones in China in Q2, which is a three-fold increase from a … [Link]

Mashable » YouTuber Grace Helbig Is Making an E! Talk Show Pilot

Wednesday 6 August 19:07:53 UTC 2014

GracehelbigFeed-tw Feed-fbCould Grace Helbig be the next Chelsea Handler? Well, that's a bit of a leap. But not out of the realm of possibility these days, as Mashable has confirmed that the YouTube star, known for her day-in-the-life style vlogs, has landed a comedy/talk show pilot at E!. #itsGrace will go live a little late today. Shooting some fun sh*t firstpic.twitter.com/kobleB9xvi — … [Link]

Mashable » Ancient Penguins Were Roughly the Size of LeBron James

Wednesday 6 August 19:00:41 UTC 2014

PenguinsFeed-tw Feed-fbA penguin that lived more than 35 million years ago was the largest ever, and would stand twice as tall as today's largest penguin, according to new fossil evidence. Palaeeudyptes klekowskii would have stood about 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighed around 250 pounds, according to analysis of new bones found on Seymour Island in Antarctica by an Argentinian museum … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Who's flying this thing? End in sight for pilots

Wednesday 6 August 19:00:00 UTC 2014

Computer pilots could make human error a thing of the past. But would you get on a plane flown by a machine instead of a captain? (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Mashable » Device Lets Doctors Remotely Diagnose Malaria Using Standard Cell Phones

Wednesday 6 August 18:45:30 UTC 2014

Malaria-testingFeed-tw Feed-fbRemote diagnostics is an emerging field that allows healthcare workers to perform tests on patient samples in the field and to get results interpreted by medical experts remotely. This is a groundbreaking approach to providing affordable healthcare to patients in some of the world’s poorest countries. Providing healthcare in this way, though, often means using expensive equipment, supplying extensive training and … [Link]

Slashdot » Rosetta Achieves Orbit Around Comet

Wednesday 6 August 18:45:00 UTC 2014

schwit1 (797399) writes with an update on the European Space Agency's comet-exploring craft Rosetta: "Rosetta has successfully achieved orbit around Comet 67P/C-G and has transmitted its first close up images. More information here (1) and here (2) about the rendezvous and what science the mission scientists plan to do as they orbit the comet." As pointed out earlier by reader … [Link]

Mashable » 5 Horrifying Fast Food Facts

Wednesday 6 August 18:43:43 UTC 2014

Ff-nailFeed-tw Feed-fb Here in the 21st century, we like things to happen immediately Want to Google obesity trends in America? All it takes is thirty seconds and a smartphone. Want a quick meal that only costs three dollars and knocks a cool six months off your life span? Even easier. See also: 10 Strange Food Combinations You Have to Try In the … [Link]

Mashable » How Big Data Helps Us Cope With Climate Change

Wednesday 6 August 18:43:30 UTC 2014

Weather-animated-image1Feed-tw Feed-fb It may not be raining cats and dogs, but the weather certainly hasn't been tame or consistent lately. And, yes, everybody's talking about it. This last winter was the coldest in the Midwest and the record warmest in California … which is now in the throes of an extreme drought. It's a weird world of weather we're living in As … [Link]

Mashable » In Voice of Dumbledore, J.K. Rowling Pens Letter to Shooting Survivor

Wednesday 6 August 18:42:06 UTC 2014

JkFeed-tw Feed-fbHarry Potter author J.K. Rowling has sent a personalized letter, reportedly in the voice of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, to shooting victim Cassidy Stay Stay, 15, was the sole survivor of a shooting in her Houston, Texas, home on July 9, in which an ex-family member killed both her parents and four siblings. See also: J.K. Rowling Publishes New Harry Potter … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Personality Quiz: How “Badass” Are You? [Comic]

Wednesday 6 August 18:41:18 UTC 2014

Reminds me of something I’d see on Buzzfeed. 🙂 [Source: Good Noose Comics | Like "Good Noose Comics" on Facebook] [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Se7en as an 8-Bit (And 16-Bit!) Video Game

Wednesday 6 August 18:40:17 UTC 2014

Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Ways to Die… Or is that Seven boss fights?? CineFix presents Se7en, retold via old-school 8-bit (Ok, 16 bit 😉 game tech. No quarters or controllers required! [CineFix] [Link]

Mashable » Gmail Just Made Unsubscribing From Annoying Emails a Lot Easier

Wednesday 6 August 18:36:11 UTC 2014

Gmail_unsubscribe1Feed-tw Feed-fbDecluttering your Gmail inbox just got a lot easier. Google announced it would move the unsubscribe button to the top of messages in Gmail to make it easier to unsubscribe from newsletters, social media notifications and other promotional emails. See also: 10 Ways You're Using Gmail Wrong Previously, emails that offered an unsubscribe option usually had it buried in tiny text … [Link]

Mashable » Shhh! The Bag of Chips Might Be Listening

Wednesday 6 August 18:30:08 UTC 2014

Final-9169Feed-tw Feed-fbBe careful, the plants have ears. Or, more accurately, they are ears. In a boon to eavesdroppers, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have figured out a way to reproduce speech by analyzing the surface vibrations of everyday objects. In one experiment, for example, the researchers shot high-speed video through soundproof glass of a potato chip bag sitting on the floor while … [Link]

Mashable » T-Mobile CEO Trolls Sprint and New CEO After Merger Talks End

Wednesday 6 August 18:20:52 UTC 2014

John-legere.jpgFeed-tw Feed-fbHell hath no fury like a CEO spurned. A day after Sprint's bid to buy T-Mobile fell through and Sprint installed a new CEO, outspoken T-Mobile CEO John Legere has taken to Twitter do some trolling. Legere denigrated Sprint with a few deft tweets: If you needed just one more reason to leave Sprint and join T Mobile….Now you might just … [Link]

Mashable » Hillary Clinton and Stephen Colbert Wage Fierce Name-Dropping Battle

Wednesday 6 August 18:17:19 UTC 2014

HillarythumbfinalFeed-tw Feed-fbHillary Clinton is a person of many talents. And with the release of her memoir, Hard Times, you can add one more talent to that list: name-dropping like a champ The former secretary of state and potential 2016 presidential candidate dropped by The Colbert Report on Tuesday, because that's just what you do when you need to set the record straight. … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: "Real" Computer Scientists vs. Modern Curriculum?

Wednesday 6 August 18:05:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes At work yesterday, I overheard a programmer explaining his perception of the quality of the most recent CS grads. In his opinion, CS students who primarily learn Java are inferior because they don't have to deal with memory management as they would if they used C. As a current CS student who's pursing a degree after … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » How Captain America: The Winter Soldier Should Have Ended [Video]

Wednesday 6 August 18:00:12 UTC 2014

Before going into battle, Cap and Team discuss their options and realize they’ve had something very useful in their possession all along. [Hishe] [Link]

Mashable » Kobe or Jordan? YouTube Mashup Proves Spooky Similarities

Wednesday 6 August 17:59:51 UTC 2014

KobemjFeed-tw Feed-fb Any NBA fan worth his salt knows Kobe Bryant patterned his Hall of Fame game after Michael Jordan. But this? We're getting into supernatural territory here. YouTube video editor Youssef Hannoun released the video above on Wednesday. It shows Kobe Bryant making the exact same plays as Jordan in the exact same spots with the exact same mannerisms over and … [Link]

Mashable » Barack Obama Proves He's 'Fancy' With Iggy Azalea Cover

Wednesday 6 August 17:45:34 UTC 2014

BarackFeed-tw Feed-fb "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea is officially the song of summer — President Obama even says so. YouTube channel Barack Dubs cobbled together a video of President Obama rapping the hit song. It's so good you'll actually believe Obama is in the "Murda Bizness." (Helen) Mirren, Mirren, on the Wall… Sherlock and The Doctor Join Forces in 'Wholock: The Musical' Tonight … [Link]

Mashable » Putting 'Push for Pizza' Through Its Paces

Wednesday 6 August 17:42:58 UTC 2014

Pepperoni-pizzaFeed-tw Feed-fbLike many New Yorkers, I couldn't resist the notion of an app that promises push-button pizza. That's the idea behind Push for Pizza, created by five Brooklyn teenagers and unveiled Tuesday. Turns out Push For Pizza is about as simple as advertised. You press the pizza-shaped button, select a local pizza place and type of pizza — right now, unfortunately, only … [Link]

Slashdot » Facebook Seeks Devs To Make Linux Network Stack As Good As FreeBSD's

Wednesday 6 August 17:30:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes Facebook posted a career application which, in their own words is 'seeking a Linux Kernel Software Engineer to join our Kernel team, with a primary focus on the networking subsystem. Our goal over the next few years is for the Linux kernel network stack to rival or exceed that of FreeBSD.' Two interesting bullet points listing … [Link]

Slashdot » Researchers Make Fruit Flies Perform Aerobatics Like Spitfire Pilots

Wednesday 6 August 17:16:00 UTC 2014

KentuckyFC (1144503) writes Researchers from Cornell University glued a tiny magnetic bar to the back of fruit flies and allowed them to fly through an electromagnet. Pulsing the magnet then causes the flies to roll in mid-air, like victorious Spitfire pilots. The work isn't entirely frivolous. The team was studying how fruit flies achieve stable flight when they ought to … [Link]

Mashable » 2014 MTV VMA Performers: Maroon 5, Usher, Ariana Grande and More

Wednesday 6 August 17:06:44 UTC 2014

Maroon-5-vmaFeed-tw Feed-fbMTV is slowly roping in more performers for the MTV Video Music Awards, with several announcements still to come until the big show airs Aug. 24 live from Los Angeles. Though not nominated, Maroon 5 is the latest addition to the lineup. Adam Levine and his bandmates will perform a song, possibly "Maps," from their upcoming fifth album See also: 10 … [Link]

Mashable » Airlines Waive Fees for Changing Tickets to Hawaii as Storms Approach

Wednesday 6 August 17:05:20 UTC 2014

HawaiianFeed-tw Feed-fbVacationers’ plans to relax on a beach in Hawaii will hit a snag this week as two powerful storms head toward the islands. Hurricane Iselle, currently a Category One hurricane with the potential to bring strong winds to the Big Island as it makes landfall on Friday, and Hurricane Julio, which could also cause rain, winds and big waves in the … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Douchebag Bosses [Comic]

Wednesday 6 August 17:00:22 UTC 2014

Yep, been there, done that. [Source: Jesie Castro | Follow Jesie Castro on Twitter] [Link]

New Scientist – News » Missing mercury pollution is enough for mass poisoning

Wednesday 6 August 17:00:00 UTC 2014

Thousands of tonnes of mercury have been emitted by industry but now cannot be found, suggesting the lethal pollutant is lurking somewhere [Link]

Mashable » The Unprecedented Hurricane Scenario Playing Out in Hawaii This Week

Wednesday 6 August 16:57:29 UTC 2014

RainbowthumbFeed-tw Feed-fbThis story was last updated at 2:40 p.m. ET. Two tropical cyclones, Hurricanes Iselle and Julio, are spinning their way toward the Hawaiian Islands. Iselle is expected to make landfall on the Big Island on Friday morning local time, most likely as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds between 39 and 73 miles per hour Julio is now projected to … [Link]

Mashable » That Time Chris Pratt Sang Naked on 'The O.C.'

Wednesday 6 August 16:52:54 UTC 2014

Chris-pratt-youngFeed-tw Feed-fb Chris Pratt is the new Jennifer Lawrence. The Internet just can't get enough of him. The Guardians of the Galaxy star/suddenly six-packed goofball has won over fans with his charm and rapping skills, leaving us all looking back at his career before the A-list See also: Star-Lord Class of '97: Chris Pratt's High School Yearbook Photo In 2006, Pratt appeared … [Link]

Mashable » 'Girl Meets World' Renewed for Season 2

Wednesday 6 August 16:46:00 UTC 2014

GmwfixedFeed-tw Feed-fbDisney Channel wants more Girl Meets World The Boy Meets World spin-off, starring Rowan Blanchard as Riley, the young daughter of Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel), has received an order for Season 2, the network said Wednesday See also: 10 New Summer Series to Keep Your TV Addiction Alive The show, which premiered in June, will begin production on … [Link]

Slashdot » Wikipedia Reports 50 Links From Google 'Forgotten', Issues Transparency Report

Wednesday 6 August 16:35:00 UTC 2014

netbuzz (955038) writes The Wikimedia Foundation this morning reports that 50 links to Wikipedia from Google have been removed under Europe's "right to be forgotten" regulations, including a page about a notorious Irish bank robber and another about an Italian criminal gang. "We only know about these removals because the involved search engine company chose to send notices to the … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Uncertainty surrounds massacre of indigenous group

Wednesday 6 August 16:31:00 UTC 2014

The recent incident in which an isolated Amazon group claimed they had been massacred reminds us there is no clear way to protect such tribes [Link]

New Scientist – News » First encounter highlights plight of the uncontacted

Wednesday 6 August 16:29:07 UTC 2014

The widely reported encounter in which an uncontacted Amazon group claimed they had been massacred reminds us there is no clear way to protect such tribes [Link]

New Scientist – News » Japanese paper cuts make graphene extra stretchy

Wednesday 6 August 16:29:06 UTC 2014

Taking inspiration from kirigami helps make superstrong graphene flexible enough to use in body sensors or flexible TV screens [Link]

Slashdot » Interviews: Dr. Andy Chun Answers Your Questions About Artificial Intelligence

Wednesday 6 August 16:01:00 UTC 2014

Recently, you had the chance to ask CIO for the City University of Hong Kong and AI researcher Andy Chun about his system that keeps the Hong Kong subway running and the future of artificial intelligence. Below you'll find his answers to those questions. Share on Google+ Read more of this story at Slashdot. [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Honest Trailer: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze [Video]

Wednesday 6 August 16:00:18 UTC 2014

Before you see the Ninja Turtles reboot, relive TMNT’s most infamous on-screen adventure: the totally tubular, Vanilla Ice-flavored ’90s time capsule that is “TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze!” [Screen Junkies] [Link]

Mashable » Lyft Takes Aim at Public Transit With New Carpool Service

Wednesday 6 August 16:00:15 UTC 2014

Lyft_compFeed-tw Feed-fbWhile Lyft recently made headlines for its legal battles with New York City taxi regulators, the ride-sharing app's latest service is taking aim at a new transportation sector: public transit. The company unveiled a new low-cost ride-sharing service for San Francisco users on Tuesday called Lyft Line. See also: 10 Excellent Apps to Improve Your Commute Lyft Line, which is rolling … [Link]

Mashable » 2 Years on Mars: Curiosity's Best Photos From the Red Planet

Wednesday 6 August 15:39:22 UTC 2014

Curiosity-marsFeed-tw Feed-fbTwo years ago, the world held its breath as NASA attempted one of its most daring missions of the 21st century — landing a $2.5 billion, 1-ton rover on Mars After enduring the now-famous "seven minutes of terror," the world heard those fateful words: "touchdown confirmed." NASA's ambitious Curiosity rover had all four wheels safely on Mars See also: How the … [Link]

Mashable » Double-Decker Tour Bus Driver Arrested in Times Square Crash

Wednesday 6 August 15:37:33 UTC 2014

Times-square-bus-crashFeed-tw Feed-fbOne of the drivers involved in a double-decker tour bus crash that injured 14 people in Times Square on Tuesday has been arrested. William Dalambert, of Irvington, New Jersey, was charged with driving while ability impaired, according to police. It wasn't immediately clear if this means he was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or something else; police say tests will … [Link]

Geek Culture » How to orbit a comet!

Wednesday 6 August 15:34:42 UTC 2014

If you've been following the Rosetta Mission, and you should, you know there's some amazing new images of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. What's also interesting is how the orbit was achieved… congrats ESA! [Link]

Mashable » Surfing Pig Hangs Four (Hooves) in Hawaii

Wednesday 6 August 15:30:34 UTC 2014

SurfingpigFeed-tw Feed-fb Cowabunga! Or should we say pig-abunga? Enter Kama the pig. This pig favors three-foot-high Hawaiian waves, and serves as the mascot of Sandy Beach Park on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The agile pig took up the intense sport after his adoptive parents, Kai Holt and his family, noticed his swimming prowess when he fell into a swimming pool. After … [Link]

Mashable » Putin Restricts Imports From Countries That Are Sanctioning Russia

Wednesday 6 August 15:30:23 UTC 2014

Putin-importsFeed-tw Feed-fbPresident Vladimir Putin is restricting imports of food and agricultural products from the countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia for its hand in the Ukraine conflict Putin's decree, which the Kremlin released on Wednesday, says the imports will be "banned or limited" for one year. Though the decree doesn't name specific countries or products, it has an order for government … [Link]

Mashable » Star-Lord Class of '97: Chris Pratt's High School Yearbook Photo

Wednesday 6 August 15:25:08 UTC 2014

ChrisprattyearbookFeed-tw Feed-fbThe Guardians of the Galaxy press tour has afforded us many special Chris Pratt moments: Chris Pratt rapping, Christ Pratt braiding a girl's hair, Chris Pratt talking about his junk But if you thought the actor's charisma and charm were Hollywood manufactured, think again See also: Chris Pratt Gives Us a Personal Tour of Star-Lord's Ship, the Milano Redditor warped_and_bubbling reveals … [Link]

Slashdot » Aaron's Law Is Doomed and the CFAA Is Still Broken

Wednesday 6 August 15:20:00 UTC 2014

I Ate A Candle (3762149) writes Aaron's Law, named after the late internet activist Aaron Swartz, was supposed to fix U.S. hacking laws, which many deem dated and overly harsh. But the bill looks certain to wither in Congress, thanks to corporate lobbying, disagreements in Washington between key lawmakers and a simple lack of interest amongst the general population for … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Beautiful: Singing the Halo Theme in an Empty Church [Video]

Wednesday 6 August 15:00:01 UTC 2014

It sounds even better than the version in an empty stairwell! [rdub205] [Link]

Mashable » NASA Tests Google Glass Underseas to See How It Would Work in Space

Wednesday 6 August 14:58:28 UTC 2014

NeemoFeed-tw Feed-fb NASA is looking into using Google Glass to assist astronauts working in space. NEEMO, the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations program, is testing Glass and similar devices to stay current on scheduled tasks, which they say would be easier than checking the computer. See also: 10 Weirdest Things Found in Outer Space The astronauts tried out Glass at NASA’s Aquarius … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Saturn moon may host its own Dead Sea

Wednesday 6 August 14:57:00 UTC 2014

A lab model of hydrocarbon lakes on Titan shows the liquids may be saturated with benzene, with underground cave networks carved out of its deposits [Link]

Mashable » Hotel Owner Apologizes for Policy That Charged $500 for Bad Reviews

Wednesday 6 August 14:56:31 UTC 2014

Check-in-imageFeed-tw Feed-fb“Union Street Guest House went viral for all the wrong reasons," Chris Wagoner, the owner of the hotel called out for charging guests $500 for bad online reviews, wrote Tuesday. Wagoner's lengthy apology is a response to the public outrage sparked by the policy listed on the hotel's website, which included the charge as part of an agreement for booking the … [Link]

Mashable » What One Magazine Means for Gay Life in Turkey

Wednesday 6 August 14:48:39 UTC 2014

186572139Feed-tw Feed-fbFor years, gay life in Turkey has been hidden underground. But the founders of the country's first gay lifestyle magazine aims to change that with the publication of Gay Mag — a glossy magazine which debuted this week. See also: Why Women Can't Get Enough of Turkey's Prime Minister Launched with the financial support of an app developer in Seattle, the … [Link]

Slashdot » Justin.tv Shuts Down Amid Reports Google Is Acquiring Twitch

Wednesday 6 August 14:40:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes Twitch today announced that the Justin.tv website, mobile apps, and APIs are no longer in service. A very simple explanation is given for the shutdown: since rebranding the company to Twitch Interactive in February 2014, all resources are now focused on Twitch.tv. The news today will almost certainly further fuel the rumors that Google is acquiring, … [Link]

Mashable » Famous People: Facebook's New Elite

Wednesday 6 August 14:33:02 UTC 2014

Mm0064_facelebrityFeed-tw Feed-fb Facebook rolled out a new app last month that strictly caters to famous people Well, sort of. The app, Facebook Mentions, lets public figures and celebrities — anyone who's verified, really — see what fans are saying about them in a dedicated mentions feed. See also: 20 Things Your Most Annoying Friends Do on Facebook Elliott gives his take (while … [Link]

Mashable » If You Met Your Soul Mate Through Online Dating, Thank This Guy

Wednesday 6 August 14:30:43 UTC 2014

Thede31Feed-tw Feed-fb The online dating and matchmaking industry is enormous and thriving. If you’ve seen commercials for "Farmers Only" and the like, you know that nearly every interest and predilection has a place for online coupling (or tripling, if you're into polyamory). However, it wasn’t long ago that algorithmic matchmaking was just an idea in need of brilliant programming. In the latest … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Grizzly bears become 'diabetic' when they hibernate

Wednesday 6 August 14:30:00 UTC 2014

Insulin resistance allows hibernating bears to break down their fat stores, and finding out how they do it could lead to therapies for type 2 diabetes [Link]

New Scientist – News » Cool your jets: NASA's quantum spaceship is doubtful

Wednesday 6 August 14:28:00 UTC 2014

A research paper suggesting the possibility of a futuristic spaceship engine is most likely the result of an experimental error, says Phil Plait [Link]

Mashable » Nina Dobrev Proves Vampires Can Chug Beer

Wednesday 6 August 14:23:33 UTC 2014

Ninadobrev_fallonFeed-tw Feed-fb Who says vampires can't play beer pong? Vampire Diaries actress Nina Dobrev stopped by The Tonight Show Tuesday and played a round of giant beer pong with Jimmy Fallon It also seems vampires are really good at chugging beer. James Franco Teaches You How to Take the Perfect Selfie Who Sounds Better on Helium: Morgan Freeman or Jimmy Fallon? ATM … [Link]

Mashable » 4 Billion Miles in 10 Years: Rosetta Spacecraft Finally Reaches Comet

Wednesday 6 August 14:16:28 UTC 2014

Rosetta-cometFeed-tw Feed-fbAfter traveling 4 billion miles over the past decade, the European Space Agency's Rosetta probe reached its destination: a comet orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. The arrival marks a huge milestone for mankind in space and is a huge step toward Rosetta's next goal, landing a spacecraft on a comet. Rosetta rendezvoused with the comet known as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on Wednesday after … [Link]

Mashable » Apple Says App Store Has Created Nearly 500,000 Jobs in Europe

Wednesday 6 August 14:12:31 UTC 2014

Laptop-9478Feed-tw Feed-fbApple has about 16,000 employees throughout Europe, but the company says it helps support many more jobs than that. Apple created a dedicated webpage this week touting research findings from Vision Mobile, which claims that the Cupertino company created or supports 629,000 jobs in Europe. See also: Top 25 Free iPhone Apps of All Time In particular, Apple says its App … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Save 65% or More On Select OtterBox Waterproof iPhone 5 & iPhone 5S Cases

Wednesday 6 August 14:10:44 UTC 2014

For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers 65% or more on select OtterBox waterproof iPhone 5 & iPhone 5S cases. Waterproof: fully submergible up to 6.6 ft. (2 m) for 30 minutes (IP-X8) Drop proof: protects device from drops up to 6.6 ft. (2 m) Dust proof: blocks entry of dust and debris particles (IP-6X) Two-piece case … [Link]

Slashdot » Alleged Massive Account and Password Seizure By Russian Group

Wednesday 6 August 14:02:00 UTC 2014

New submitter Rigodi (1000552) writes "The New York Times reported on August 5th that a massive collection of stolen email passwords and website accounts have been accumulated by an alleged Russian "crime ring". Over 1.2 billion accounts were compromised … the attack scheme is essentially the old and well known SQL injection tactic using a botnet. The Information has been … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » How Fox Reacted to Guardians of the Galaxy [Comic]

Wednesday 6 August 14:00:50 UTC 2014

guardfox [wishforagiraffe – Reddit] [Link]

Mashable » The New Foursquare Is Here, and It's Surprisingly Good

Wednesday 6 August 14:00:07 UTC 2014

Foursquare-8Feed-tw Feed-fbThe check-in is deadFoursquare, the service that popularized telling the world where you are, has fully removed the act of checking into venues from its app in Wednesday's major update to iOS and Android, version 8.0. Those who still want to announce their location can do so with Swarm, the company's spin-off app, which debuted in May. Swarm is all about … [Link]

Mashable » A Pop-Up Spa in the Overheated Subway? Yes, Please.

Wednesday 6 August 13:55:13 UTC 2014

Subwayspa1Feed-tw Feed-fb In the summer, the New York City subway platforms are hot. And not just normal hot, but give-me-a-massage-and-cucumber-wate~ hot. On the plus side, the sweltering heat in the subway makes it the perfect place for a pop-up spa. The group Improv Everywhere (or should we say, "Improve" Everywhere) took the opportunity to turn the humid hell of the 34th Street … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Terracotta Army's vibrant make-up was made of ox glue

Wednesday 6 August 13:54:00 UTC 2014

Fire, looting and fresh air have ravaged the once-colourful Terracotta Army. Now a 2000-year-old trade secret reveals how to restore it [Link]

New Scientist – News » Rosetta arrives – and sends images of 'superstar comet'

Wednesday 6 August 13:32:00 UTC 2014

After a 10-year journey, the European Space Agency's Rosetta probe has reached comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and sent back tantalising photos [Link]

Mashable » Sprint Names a New CEO

Wednesday 6 August 13:30:51 UTC 2014

Marcelo-claure.jpgFeed-tw Feed-fbSprint, which just backed off from its bid to buy T-Mobile, has named a new president and CEO: former Brightstar Corp. founder and CEO Marcelo Claure. Claure, who was a member of Sprint's board, replaces Dan Hesse, who served as president and CEO since 2007. Under Hesse's watch, Sprint merged with Softbank and overhauled its national network. Claure, 43, will start … [Link]

Mashable » 11 Essential Grilling Tips From Iron Chef's Michael Symon

Wednesday 6 August 13:30:47 UTC 2014

Grilling-burgers-and-veggiesFeed-tw Feed-fbChef Michael Symon is serious about meat The award-winning Food Network chef shares perfectly cooked burgers, steaks and barbecue with the masses at his four restaurants in Cleveland and Detroit: Lola, Lolita, B Spot and Roast. See also: The 9 Hottest Summer Grilling Recipes, Based on Your Searches But it's his own backyard where he serves the juiciest slabs of meat, … [Link]

Slashdot » 40% Of People On Terror Watch List Have No Terrorist Ties

Wednesday 6 August 13:21:00 UTC 2014

Advocatus Diaboli (1627651) writes with the chilling, but not really surprising, news that the U.S. government is aware that many names in its terrorist suspect database are not linked to terrorism in any way. From the article: Nearly half of the people on the U.S. government's widely shared database of terrorist suspects are not connected to any known terrorist group, … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » How Do Rockets Work? [Science Video]

Wednesday 6 August 13:00:07 UTC 2014

This week Reactions makes first contact with the kerbalnauts! Through the fun of Kerbal Space Program, we examine the chemistry of rockets. Featuring Doane College Postdoctoral Fellow Raychelle Burks, Ph.D., we look at solid and liquid propellants and the “ride-able explosion” that is a rocket launch. [Reactions] [Link]

Mashable » 12% of Gamers Hallucinate Sound Effects After They Stop Playing

Wednesday 6 August 12:45:23 UTC 2014

Call-of-dutyFeed-tw Feed-fbWhether it's an explosion, a scream or a voice saying, "go, go, go," some video gamers continue to hear sound effects long after they have stopped playing, a new study finds. Psychology researchers surveyed more than 1,200 people through online gaming forums who said they had experienced hallucination-like perceptions, thoughts and behaviors after gaming. Of this group, 12% reported hearing imaginary sounds … [Link]

Slashdot » Digia Spinning Off Qt Division Into New Company

Wednesday 6 August 12:42:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes with news that, after a six year journey, Qt will once again be maintained by a standalone company. From the Digia weblog: … Even though the open source project and the commercial side of Qt are highly dependent upon each other, they have over the last years drifted apart. … Because of the separation between the … [Link]

Mashable » Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Illustrated by Renaissance Namesakes

Wednesday 6 August 12:30:19 UTC 2014

ThumbFeed-tw Feed-fbOver the course of a decades-long career, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have changed a bit. In their new reboot, the heroes in a half-shell have grown into hulking, digital badasses. But one thing remains the same: their namesakes The Ninja Turtles are named after four artists of the Italian Renaissance: Da Vinci, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo. So, what would the … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Deadliest Ebola outbreak being driven by urbanisation

Wednesday 6 August 12:30:00 UTC 2014

Increased city living rather than the virus evolving seems to be behind the unprecedented epidemic, which means it is unlikely to go global [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 6 August 2014

Wednesday 6 August 12:29:44 UTC 2014

Mesa: Geo-Replicated, Near Real-Time, Scalable Data Warehousing (PDF) — paper by Googlers on the database holding G’s ad data. Trillions of rows, petabytes of data, point queries with 99th percentile latency in the hundreds of milliseconds and overall query throughput … [Link]

Slashdot » Hack an Oscilloscope, Get a DMCA Take-Down Notice From Tektronix

Wednesday 6 August 12:01:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes with the news that Hackaday published an article on the poor security of the add-on modules that Tektronix sells as expensive add-ons to unlock features in certain of its oscilloscopes. The reader writes: "It has come to attention of Tek's legal eagles and they now want the article to be taken down. Perhaps they can ask … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Magnificent Groot (Guardians of the Galaxy) Pendant [Pic]

Wednesday 6 August 12:00:04 UTC 2014

From artist Danica Asurdzic: Groot pendant made of copper wire and gemstones. I’ve used blue sheen labradorite for his eyes, and for the back (flying rocket, inspired by Milano colors – blue, orange and white) I used clear quartz points, orange carnelian from Botswana, blue obsidian – as a “magnifying glass” – for the tiny white opal behind it (you … [Link]

New Scientist – News » How to stop toxic blooms clogging up Lake Erie

Wednesday 6 August 11:43:00 UTC 2014

Parts of Ohio were without drinking water for several days after toxic bacteria built up in Lake Erie. The challenge now is to stop it happening again [Link]

Mashable » 11 Sad Thoughts at the End of Summer

Wednesday 6 August 11:30:07 UTC 2014

SchoolFeed-tw Feed-fbOnly a few short weeks left until Labor Day! The unofficial last holiday of summer has always held a nostalgic amount of finality. As a kid (if you were lucky), it may have been the last day before school starts. For others, it's in memoriam to the white items in your wardrobe. See also: 10 Differences Between Freshman Year in High … [Link]

Mashable » Passengers Save Man Trapped Between Train and Platform in Australia

Wednesday 6 August 11:26:51 UTC 2014

Train-stationFeed-tw Feed-fb You know those "mind the gap" signs at train stations that warn commuters of a dangerous space between the train and the platform? A passenger at a Perth train station did not heed the sign, but, luckily, other travelers were there to help free his trapped leg Wednesday morning. A video of the incident shows the man getting stuck between … [Link]

Mashable » 4 Things You Need to Hear But Your Employee Won't Tell You

Wednesday 6 August 11:15:03 UTC 2014

MppmangersemployeesFeed-tw Feed-fbWhen it comes to the roles of the office, managers talk and employees listen. Right? In many situations, that’s true. Managers give instructions, provide coaching, and convey department and individual goals. But listening as a manager is just as important. Listening is your key to finding out what makes your employees excited to come to work — or what is pushing … [Link]

Slashdot » MIT Considers Whether Courses Are Outdated

Wednesday 6 August 10:42:00 UTC 2014

jyosim (904245) writes People now buy songs, not albums. They read articles, not newspapers. So why not mix and match learning "modules" rather than lock into 12-week university courses? A committee at MIT exploring the future of the elite school suggested that courses might now be outdated, and recommended creating learning modules that students could mix and match. The report … [Link]

Mashable » Haunting Photo Series Documents the Rural Lives of Former City Dwellers

Wednesday 6 August 10:30:23 UTC 2014

ScrublandsFeed-tw Feed-fbPeople often dream of leaving the hustle and bustle of the city, but few actually do it, especially as a permanent lifestyle change. In his series entitled "Scrublands", photographer Antoine Bruy focuses on people across Europe who have abandoned their busy city lives for a self-sufficient lifestyle in remote, rural areas, often without electricity or running water. See also: Photographer Profiles … [Link]

Mashable » Hacks, Pranks and Feds: Vegas Is Ready For Black Hat and Def Con

Wednesday 6 August 10:28:43 UTC 2014

Def-conFeed-tw Feed-fbLAS VEGAS — Almost one year ago, I was strolling down the hallways of the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, where more than 15,000 people had gathered for the famous Def Con conference, the annual event where hackers, cybersecurity researchers, and some feds come to catch up on all the latest hacks and newly found computer bugs It was the last … [Link]

Mashable » 10 Dos and Don'ts for Back-to-School Social Media Etiquette

Wednesday 6 August 10:28:42 UTC 2014

BacktoschoolsocialmediaFeed-tw Feed-fbBack-to-school season is almost in full swing, and with it comes a new set of social media rules In the age of social network overload, it's easy to forget that one little social media blunder can come back to haunt you. As you meet new people this fall semester, you'll want to navigate the social media world responsibly, and keep your … [Link]

Mashable » 20 People Reveal What Makes Them Feel Beautiful

Wednesday 6 August 9:32:26 UTC 2014

StellaFeed-tw Feed-fbBeauty. It's different for everyone — thank goodness. Photographers Viola Gaskell and Alison Luntz took to the streets of Seattle and New York City to ask people one simple question: What makes you feel beautiful? From having a healthy family to wearing a trendy outfit, responses ran the gamut The project, called "What Makes Me Feel Beautiful," is a project for … [Link]

Mashable » Inside RT: News Network or Putin's Propaganda Machine?

Wednesday 6 August 9:30:28 UTC 2014

Inside-rtFeed-tw Feed-fbMashable’s Evan Engel traveled to Moscow for a close-up look at the controversial RT news network. For the past several years, the RT network has sought to establish itself as a mainstream global news provider. But during the crisis in Ukraine, much of RT's coverage has slanted so much toward the Russian point-of-view that some of its own correspondents have publicly … [Link]

Mashable » Breathing on Anti-Counterfeit Drug Labels Reveal Hidden Images

Wednesday 6 August 9:30:13 UTC 2014

DruglabelFeed-tw Feed-fbMedicine bottles of the future could have secret images — such as the iconic face of Marilyn Monroe — hidden on their clear plastic labels that appear when you breathe on them. Researchers at the University of Michigan are developing a way to fight off drug counterfeiting — which kills more than 700,000 people each year, according to a 2009 report … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Israel withdraws, but Gaza's health system is on brink

Wednesday 6 August 9:11:00 UTC 2014

UN says Gaza's medical services and facilities are on the verge of collapse, with 370,000 children needing counselling [Link]

Mashable » Watch: Rosetta Spacecraft Meets Comet

Wednesday 6 August 8:32:37 UTC 2014

Rosetta-cometFeed-tw Feed-fbHere’s a chance to witness a world first: the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Rosetta spacecraft is scheduled to meet the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet today at 4AM ET Launched in March 2004, Rosetta completed several fly-bys of Earth and Mars and imaged two asteroids before entering hibernation in June 2011. It was awaken from its slumber on Jan. 20, 2014, to finally fulfill … [Link]

Mashable » Metalheads Unite at the Wacken Open Air Music Festival

Wednesday 6 August 8:30:40 UTC 2014

Wacken-open-air-festival-01Feed-tw Feed-fbMore than 75,000 necks are probably sore today. Thousands of heavy metal lovers congregated in Wacken, Germany for the 2014 Wacken Open Air music festival this past week. From Thursday to Saturday, concertgoers of all ages camped out and rocked out, while sporting some cool outfits. SEE ALSO: The Song Remains Insane: For Some Advertisers, Heavy Metal Is a Punchline Wacken Open … [Link]

Slashdot » Gmail Recognizes Addresses Containing Non-Latin Characters

Wednesday 6 August 7:55:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes In response to the creation in 2012 by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) of "a new email standard that supports addresses incorporating non-Latin and accented Latin characters", Google has now made it possible for its Gmail users to "send emails to, and receive emails from, people who have these characters in their email addresses." Their … [Link]

Mashable » Arnold Schwarzenegger Confuses Australia With Austria — Hey, It Happens

Wednesday 6 August 7:30:37 UTC 2014

Arnold.jpgFeed-tw Feed-fb Arnold Schwarzenegger was already a multi-hyphenate, with action star, bodybuilder, entrepreneur, author and (randy) former governor on his CV. Schwarzenegger has recently added comedic spokesman to his credits, proving he knows how to laugh at himself like only a non-girly man can. The seven-time Mr. Olympia and Maria Shriver’s cheating ex-husband seems to be making a side career out of … [Link]

The Joy of Tech » JoT #2030: The Watcher-Watcher Daisy Chain!

Wednesday 6 August 6:39:07 UTC 2014

JoT thumbWe’re all connected… If you enjoyed the comic, please retweet, Like, or share the URL, thanks! [Link]

Mashable » Retailers Who Take Bitcoin Love It

Wednesday 6 August 6:30:47 UTC 2014

Bitcoin_shopFeed-tw Feed-fbIf you've been following the news about Bitcoin, you've probably come away with the idea that the currency is unstable, potentially lucrative and more of a novelty than an actual payment method that people use on a daily basis. Retailers who take Bitcoin say something different. For them, the currency is a viable, preferable alternative to credit cards that don't carry … [Link]

Mashable » School of Doodle: The Online Campaign to Unleash Girls' Creativity

Wednesday 6 August 5:30:11 UTC 2014

School-of-doodle-01Feed-tw Feed-fbA new Kickstarter project aims to spark teenage girls' creativity online — with a little help from Pussy Riot and Yoko Ono School of Doodle has already received $86,787 on Kickstarter, exceeding its fundraising goal of $75,000. Maybe backers are drawn to the rewards — $5,000 will get you an original signed doodle from donors like Courtney Love, Arianna Huffington and … [Link]

Slashdot » European Rosetta Space Craft About To Rendezvous With Comet

Wednesday 6 August 5:09:00 UTC 2014

Taco Cowboy (5327) writes After a long 10-year journey spanning some four (4) billion kilometers, Rosetta, an interplanetary space craft from the ESA (European Space Agency), is on its final approach to comet Comet 67P (or comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko). The last in a series of 10 thruster firings over the past few months has slowed Rosetta to the pace of a … [Link]

Mashable » Glassdoor's New Tool Reveals Which Tech Companies Have the Best Benefits

Wednesday 6 August 4:30:10 UTC 2014

BenefitsFeed-tw Feed-fbAs tech companies such as Facebook, Google and Apple try to lure top talent, job seekers can now compare the benefits packages of all these places using a new tool on job site Glassdoor. Glassdoor, which lets anonymous employees write reviews of companies, launched a new feature on Wednesday that enables users to read reviews and see rankings of the benefits … [Link]

Mashable » Some New Zealand Ski Resorts Are Losing Money Due to Lack of Snow

Wednesday 6 August 4:06:34 UTC 2014

New-zealandFeed-tw Feed-fbWELLINGTON, New Zealand — Winter has rolled into its third month in New Zealand, and Nick Jarman says he's going stir crazy as he stares out at the driving rain on the small ski area he manages in the Southern Alps. The Craigieburn Valley Ski Area is one of several areas that haven't opened for a single day this season, and … [Link]

Mashable » Uber Unveils UberPool, a Program That Lets You Split Fares With Strangers

Wednesday 6 August 3:59:51 UTC 2014

UberFeed-tw Feed-fbUber announced that is testing an option that enables its users to split fares on rides with strangers who are traveling on a similar route. UberPool works like the regular Uber service, except it pairs users up with another rider, and notifies them of their co-rider's first name. Launched in private beta, users can sign up to get notified when UberPool … [Link]

Mashable » You Can Now Embed Tweets Within Tweets on Twitter.com

Wednesday 6 August 3:35:18 UTC 2014

Wooden-twitter-birdFeed-tw Feed-fbBack in June, Twitter started allowing users to embed a tweet within another tweet when using iOS or Android. Now the same function is available on Twitter.com Prior to the change, embedded tweets would show up as links at the end of a Twitter post when viewed on a computer screen. Now users see a minimized version of the embedded tweet … [Link]

Mashable » Conan O'Brien Tries to Save California's Water With Dry Humor

Wednesday 6 August 2:59:50 UTC 2014

Conan-obrienFeed-tw Feed-fbConan O'Brien has joined the battle against the Californian drought with a series of water conservation PSAs. The six short videos rolled out Tuesday across social media as well as TV and radio networks Working with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the drought awareness program Save Our Water, O'Brien and his sidekick, Andy Richter, humorously deliver important tips on … [Link]

Slashdot » Verizon Throttles Data To "Provide Incentive To Limit Usage"

Wednesday 6 August 2:29:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes About a week ago, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asked for Verizon's justification on its policy of throttling users who pay for unlimited data usage. "I know of no past Commission statement that would treat 'as reasonable network management' a decision to slow traffic to a user who has paid, after all, for 'unlimited' service," the … [Link]

Mashable » Russian Hacker Group Steals 1.2 Billion Internet User Passwords

Wednesday 6 August 2:19:28 UTC 2014

Kyhnds897870Feed-tw Feed-fbA U.S. security firm has uncovered what appears to be the largest Internet security breach in recent memory, conducted by a group of Russia-based hackers. According to Milwaukee-based firm Hold Security, which conducted an 18-month investigation into the breach, the online gang stole 1.2 billion username and password combos, as well as more than 500 million email addresses See also: How … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » CollabNet Extends ALM Reach Into Git and Gerrit

Wednesday 6 August 1:48:17 UTC 2014

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. [Link]

Mashable » The Airlines That Have Halted Flights to West Africa Over Ebola Concerns

Wednesday 6 August 1:11:22 UTC 2014

OneworldFeed-tw Feed-fbMore than 1,200 cases of Ebola have been diagnosed in the worst-ever outbreak of the disease. Although Ebola is only spread through close contact with bodily fluids, the fear of it spreading through air travel is motivating some airlines to take precautions. The World Health Organization has emphasized that Ebola is spread by close contact with the bodily fluids of people … [Link]

Mashable » Ricky Gervais Resurrects His 'Office' Character in New Film

Wednesday 6 August 1:02:01 UTC 2014

Davidbrent-theofficeFeed-tw Feed-fbWhat has David Brent been up to in the years since the end of The Office UK? Ricky Gervais is about to show us Gervais is set to star in Life on the Road, a film that will show his character's life after he left Wernham Hogg, the fictional paper company at the center of the show, which spawned a U.S. … [Link]

Mashable » Here's Peter Dinklage With a Mullet and a Bazooka

Wednesday 6 August 1:01:07 UTC 2014

DinklageleadFeed-tw Feed-fbYou probably didn't need another reason to love Peter Dinklage. But here it is anyway: A photo leaked Tuesday of Dinklage with a stellar '80s-era mullet and bazooka on the set of his upcoming film Pixels See also: So, This Is Leonardo DiCaprio Running Shirtless With a Squirt Gun dinklagelead Image: John R. Kennedy Splash News If the subreddit PhotoShop Battles is … [Link]

Mashable » Chris Pratt Gives Us a Personal Tour of Star-Lord's Ship, the Milano

Wednesday 6 August 0:34:59 UTC 2014

Chris.pratt_.milanoFeed-tw Feed-fb It's probably better that Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt doesn't have a black light. Although Marvel's $94-million hit has been in theaters for a handful of days now, Disney isn't done releasing goodies online — the latest being a personal tour of Star-Lord's muscle car of a spaceship, the Milano. SEE ALSO: The Major Element Missing From Guardians … [Link]

Mashable » Vine Updates iOS App With Customizable Notifications, Improved Sharing

Wednesday 6 August 0:25:40 UTC 2014

NewvineimageFeed-tw Feed-fbVine’s iOS notifications just got a little more like Twitter's. The video-sharing app released an update Tuesday, rolling out customizable notifications, improved sharing and a revamped home screen. See also: 9 Smile-Inducing Vine Videos to Bring You Joy "We’ve heard feedback that you want more control over notifications and which you receive, both via push notifications and in the Activity tab," … [Link]

Mashable » 'Divergent' Behind-the-Scenes: Director Explains 8 Concept Images, Set Photos

Wednesday 6 August 0:21:06 UTC 2014

Divergent.thm_Feed-tw Feed-fbIt’s almost not fair that while other studios' young-adult adaptations crash and burn around them, Lionsgate/Summit keeps cranking out hits. No one was sure whether Divergent, the combined studios' follow-up to The Twilight Saga and blue-chip franchise The Hunger Games, would fly in a market getting more crowded with teen dystopias by the year. It flew all right, to the tune … [Link]

Slashdot » Edward Snowden Is Not Alone: US Gov't Seeks Another Leaker

Wednesday 6 August 0:04:00 UTC 2014

bobbied (2522392) writes Apparently Edward Snowden is not alone. CNN is reporting that recent leaked documents published by The Intercept (a website that has been publishing Snowden's leaked documents) could not have been leaked by Snowden because they didn't exist prior to his fleeing the USA and he couldn't possibly have accessed them. Authorities are said to be looking for … [Link]

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