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.
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Sunday Night’s Alright For Star Gazers [Link]
This Sunday night will be a bonanza for those of you who like watching the sky. It’s a supermoon, meaning a full moon coinciding with the perigee, which is the close point in the moon’s orbit (as well as part of a magic spell.) That leads to a perceived difference in size as illustrated above and maximum brightness. More specifically … [Link]
Mashable » 'Twitch-speak': A Guide to the Secret Emoji Language of Gamers
Twitch, the popular video game streaming platform, is no stranger to the emoji craze — only its pictographic language is significantly different to the one on your iPhone keyboard As more and more people head to the site to watch their favorite streamers play their favorite video game, the interactive chat feature and its list of emoticons have grown as well … [Link]
Slashdot » Leaked Docs Show Spyware Used To Snoop On US Computers
Advocatus Diaboli writes Software created by the controversial UK-based Gamma Group International was used to spy on computers that appear to be located in the United States, the UK, Germany, Russia, Iran, and Bahrain, according to a leaked trove of documents analyzed by ProPublica. It's not clear whether the surveillance was conducted by governments or private entities. Customer e-mail addresses … [Link]
Mashable » Vine Challenge: Mix Up a Masterpiece With Your Food
If you enjoy food and appreciate art (and who doesn't), this challenge is for you We partnered with MasterCard to bring you our latest Mashable Vine Challenge: We're asking our readers to create food art animations that illustrate the idea of getting together — whether with a friendly circle of fruits, a carrot quartet, or salt and pepper duo forming hands … [Link]
Mashable » 'Apparently Kid' Got Auto-Tuned and It's Awesome
Auto-tune makes everything better. A video of 5-year-old Noah Ritter on a live news broadcast went viral this week, gaining more than 10 million views in just four days And now, Ritter is officially Internet famous — he's been auto-tuned by Schmoyoho, a YouTube channel that creates catchy tunes from popular videos. Like the old adage goes, children should be … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Scam Warning: Facebook Color Change
Facebook messages claiming to give you the chance to change the color of the site are, perhaps unsurprisingly, a phishing scam. Cheetah Mobile has the details: Once clicked, it leads users to a phishing website. Cheetah Mobile researchers have found this issue to be happening due to a vulnerability that lives in Facebook’s app page itself, allowing hackers to implant … [Link]
Mashable » Brady's Death Ruled a Homicide, 33 Years After He and Reagan Were Shot
This week's death of former White House press secretary James Brady has been ruled a homicide by the Virginia medical examiner, more than 33 years after Brady was shot during the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. Brady, who died Monday, had suffered from a series of health issues after the 1981 shooting, his family said. The homicide ruling raised questions … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Indix Unveils V1 of Its Product Intelligence API
Product intelligence platform Indix has unveiled version 1 of its API. Billing itself as the "world's largest product database," Indix, which was founded in 2010 by a former Microsoft executive, has amassed data on more than 400 million products, 400,000 sellers, 40,000 brands and 1,700 stores. Using the Indix API, developers can tap into this vast trove of data to … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Facebook Releases Graph API v 2.1
Facebook has released version 2.1 of its Graph API. The UK’s Office for National Statistics updates its API. Plus, an Office 365 API tools summer update.
[Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Guesswork Brings Machine Learning to the Masses
The benefits of machine learning are well-known. With the tremendous amounts of data being generated on a daily basis, the ability to analyze and interpret this data to make correct decisions is considered a strategic advantage by organizations. One of the key aspects to doing that is the ability to predict quickly and correctly the most likely scenario from the … [Link]
Slashdot » Russia Cracks Down On Public Wi-Fi; Oracle Blocks Java Downloads In Russia
Linking to a story at Reuters, reader WilliamGeorge writes "Russia is further constraining access to the internet and freedom of speech, with new laws regarding public use of WiFi. Nikolai Nikiforov, the Russian Communications Minister, tweeted that "Identification of users (via bank cards, cell phone numbers, etc.) with access to public Wifi is a worldwide practice." This comes on top … [Link]
Mashable » 'Hundreds' of Women Taken Captive by Islamic State Militants in Iraq
Hundreds of women from a religious minority group who had been stranded atop a mountain in northern Iraq have now been taken captive by Islamic militants, an Iraqi official said on Friday. See also: U.S. Launches Airstrikes Against Iraq Militants The women are Yazidis, an ethnoreligious group at the center of an international relief effort. Up to 40,000 of the Yazidis … [Link]
Mashable » CBS Making Shows for Netflix or Hulu Won't Hurt Its Profits
Les Moonves, CEO of CBS, surprised some on Thursday when he said on an earnings call that the broadcaster would begin to make shows for streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime For decades, television broadcasters have been some of the most dominant content distributors in the U.S. media market. In announcing that CBS will make shows that will appear … [Link]
Slashdot » Can We Call Pluto and Charon a 'Binary Planet' Yet?
astroengine writes The debate as to whether Pluto is a planet or a dwarf planet rumbles on, but in a new animation of the small world, one can't help but imagine another definition for Pluto. As NASA's New Horizons spacecraft continues its epic journey into the outer solar system, its Kuiper Belt target is becoming brighter and more defined. Seen … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amnesty International Uses Tinder To Raise Awareness [Link]
Whether you’re on the dating scene or not, you may be aware of the dating app Tinder which has a remarkably simple system: you see photos of potential matches in your area, swipe left to reject and right to approve, and get put in contact with anyone where you’ve mutually swiped right. Amnesty International has now detailed a campaign it … [Link]
Mashable » Jeremy Lin Defends Victimizing Own Mom in Hilarious 'Dunk Cam' Video
Remember all the way back to last summer when "dunk cam" — throwing down over unsuspecting friends while recording the ambush on Vine — was the Internet's hottest trend? Jeremy Lin, newly of the Los Angeles Lakers, may be a year late, but he did pick quite the victim: His own mother. Just look how he victimized the poor woman earlier … [Link]
Mashable » Harry Shearer Recreates Nixon's Resignation Speech for 40th Anniversary
Truth can also be funnier than fiction. Friday marks the 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon's resignation speech. But in the minutes before that fateful address on August 8th, 1974, the embattled non-crook was in better spirits than you might think. SEE ALSO: What Did Nixon Know?: Senator Who Asked Crucial Watergate Question Dies Harry Shearer — he of The … [Link]
Mashable » Professor: Women's Studies Programs Are Failing Women
For three years, I taught feminist theory to undergraduates while working on my Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley. There was a time when Berkeley was the epicenter of radical feminism: In the 1970s, women’s rights activists regularly stormed campus buildings, demanding birth control, abortion, self-defense classes, and childcare. But when I started teaching in 2007, nothing particularly radical was happening … [Link]
Slashdot » Study Finds That Astronauts Are Severely Sleep Deprived
sciencehabit (1205606) writes "Researchers tracked the sleep patterns of 85 crew members aboard the International Space Station and space shuttle and found that despite an official flight schedule mandating 8.5 hours of sleep per night, they rarely got more than five. In fact, getting a full night's rest was so difficult that three-quarters of shuttle mission crew members used sleep … [Link]
Mashable » You Will Soon Be Able to Text 911 for Help
In a move that brings emergency services into the 21st century, you'll soon be able to text 911 for urgent assistance. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a ruling that requires all cellular service providers to make texting 911 a possibility for its customers. The requirement will not only help save lives — especially in situations where a voice call … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Life Beyond the WRT54G Series?
First time accepted submitter jarmund (2752233) writes "I first got a WRT54GL in 2007. Now, 7 years later, it's still churning along, despite only having one of its antennae left after an encounter with a toddler. As it is simply not up to date to today's standards (802.11N for example), what is a worthy successor? I enjoyed the freedom to … [Link]
Mashable » Facebook Messenger Is No. 1 in App Store, Has One-Star Rating
The Facebook Messenger split has officially arrived, forcing users of the Facebook app to download it — but they're not happy about doing so. This has put the app in the unique position of being the number one free app in the App Store, but with about the most dismal rating an app can have See also: 8 Brutally Honest Facebook … [Link]
Mashable » This Is Not the Daniel Radcliffe You've Seen Before
If you fancy the Harry Potter film franchise and struggle to disassociate Daniel Radcliffe with his magical character, then the actor's references to a sexually transmitted disease and pubic hair in the romantic comedy What If might be a bit jarring to hear in theaters But every child star must grow up and take on different roles, and Radcliffe hilariously … [Link]
Slashdot » The ESports Athletes Who Tried To Switch Games
An anonymous reader writes "Michael Jordan's infamous attempt at baseball aside, athletes have sometimes switched sports successfully in the past — and perhaps a sure a sign as any that eSports are coming of age is pro gaming's top players are now trying to do the same. A new feature looks at the top players who've tried to make the … [Link]
Mashable » American Ebola Patient: 'I Am Growing Stronger Every Day'
An American patient who was diagnosed with Ebola and airlifted to the United States for treatment has released his first statement since the ordeal began. See also: Here's Why It's Safe to Bring Ebola Patients to the U.S. Doctor Kent Brantly, an American aid worker from North Carolina, said in a statement Friday he is "growing stronger every day." He was … [Link]
Mashable » If You Think 'The Knick' Patients Have it Bad … Go Back 50 Years
“[A] pauper in the almshouse is now rendered more comfortable and is cared for better after an operation than was a king but 50 years ago.” -J. Chalmers Dacosta, M.D, 1899 Steven Soderbergh’s newest project is The Knick, a medical drama that gives us a harrowing look at what life was like in a 1900s hospital. To the 21st watching this … [Link]
Mashable » Kevin Love Hate? Minnesota Fans Are Way Too Nice for That
NBA star Kevin Love looks to be on his way to join LeBron James in Cleveland after forcing a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, with whom he spent his first six seasons. So that's got to be enough to piss off even the famously nice denizens of Minnesota, right? Maybe they'll even take up the time-honored tradition of burning their … [Link]
Mashable » After Tropical Storm Iselle, Hawaii's Headache Turns to Hurricane Julio
While the worst case scenario of two hurricanes scoring direct hits on Hawaii in the same week — a meteorological feat that would be unprecedented in modern hurricane records — is no longer looking likely to occur, Hawaii is still paying close attention to Hurricane Julio. On Thursday night, Julio became the fifth major hurricane to form in the eastern Pacific … [Link]
Mashable » How Obama Helped Extremism Grow in Iraq
The uprising against the Syrian regime of Bashar Al-Assad was still young when moderate rebels made their plea to Washington: Provide us with arms so we might fight the dictator — and prevent the rise of more extremist groups. But President Barack Obama, who had come into office on the promise of drawing down American involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq, was … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Best Buy Launches Recommendations API
Best Buy just launched a Recommendations API, the latest in the retailer’s API catalog. The Recommendations API was designed to enhance the shopper's experience using a series of endpoints tailored to a particular user. Prior to launch, ProgrammableWeb caught up with Best Buy’s Kristen Womack to learn more.
[Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Now That’s A Disney Star Wars [Pic]
Biting satire on Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilms? Or young kids shunning gender play stereotypes? You be the judge. 
[Via: Reddit user svangsgaard] [Link]
New Scientist – News » Traffic light hackers could cause jams across the US
Researchers have hacked traffic lights across a Michigan city, and they warn that the weakness they found exists at 100,000 intersections in the country 
[Link]
Mashable » Report: Facebook Wants to Bring Oculus Rift to Hollywood
Would you strap a theater to your face? Facebook is in talks with Hollywood executives about designing feature films specifically for Oculus Rift, according to a new report in The Information. Such companion videos would release alongside traditional feature films, with full-length movies eventually coming directly to Rift, the report states. See also: Hollywood, Meet Oculus Rift: Studios Quietly Toying … [Link]
Slashdot » Skype Reverses Decision To Drop OS X 10.5 Support, Retires Windows Phone 7 App
An anonymous reader writes Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard users recently found that Skype no longer works on their system: despite upgrading to the latest version they still can't sign in. We got in touch with the Microsoft-owned company and after two days, we got confirmation that a solution was in the works. "We have a Skype version for Mac … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Fish Aims To Beat Pokemon [Link]
You may remember that earlier this year more than a million players worked together to beat Pokemon by issuing commands in a chat window of gaming streaming site Twitch. Now a fish is attempting to do the same, though it probably doesn’t know it: Two students have hooked a camera up to a fishbowl, divided the image into nine squares, … [Link]
Mashable » 5 Things You Need to Know About the New Iraq Conflict
When President Barack Obama authorized the military to bomb Islamist fighters in Iraq, he said they had moved uncomfortably close to American personnel stationed in the northern city of Erbil. He also authorized strikes and airdrops to aid a religious minority group, the Yazidis, who have fled into the mountains in northern Iraq to escape the militants See also: The Militants … [Link]
Mashable » If Your Favorite Movies Starred Sharks
It is an undisputed fact that everything in modern pop culture could benefit from the addition of a shark Since Shark Week is nearly upon us, we wanted to get this chum-chomping party started on Twitter. The concept is simple: Which movies would have been just a little better with a shark in the cast? See also: How Do the Biggest … [Link]
Mashable » Trend of Larger Tattoos Could Have Worrying Health Consequences
Evolutionary biologists argue that we humans climbed to the pinnacle of our mammalian tree as a result of a penchant for sun and sex. And that our human prowess was guided, if not driven by our adaptation to life on this sun-drenched planet (a remarkably high proportion of our genome is associated with UV receptors). While the potential dangers of too … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » How Fast Is Your State’s Internet? [Link]
Communications firm Broadview has put together a map of the average broadband speeds (apparently for downloads, though that isn’t clear) for each state. 
Using Akamai’s “State of the Internet” Report, we were able to find the average internet speed in each state. The speeds are measured in megabits per second (mbps) which is simply a measurement of data transfer speed … [Link]
Slashdot » Long-Wave Radar Can Take the Stealth From Steath Technology
AbrasiveCat (999190) writes "In the continuing game of cat and mouse between offensive and defensive technologies of war, the technology of radar stealth may have been matched by new multiple frequency radar systems. U.S Naval Institute News reports the Chinese and Russians may be developing such systems. The present radar systems use high frequency waves for accurately locating an incoming … [Link]
Slashdot » Long-Wave Radar Can Take the Stealth From Stealth Technology
AbrasiveCat (999190) writes "In the continuing game of cat and mouse between offensive and defensive technologies of war, the technology of radar stealth may have been matched by new multiple frequency radar systems. U.S Naval Institute News reports the Chinese and Russians may be developing such systems. The present radar systems use high frequency waves for accurately locating an incoming … [Link]
Mashable » Kristen Stewart Makes Another Troubled Friend in First 'Camp X-Ray' Trailer
Will Kristen Stewart's characters ever stop hanging with the "wrong" crowd? First it's sparkly vampires, then Beat-Generation ne'er-do-wells, a bunch of seriously messed-up punk rocker chicks, that Huntsman guy who was sent to kill her … and now it's a shady prisoner at Guantanamo Bay. SEE ALSO: Nice Try, Hollywood, But a Female Superhero Won't Solve Your Gender Problem Actually, … [Link]
Mashable » What Is the Ebola Virus? Everything You Need to Know in 90 Seconds
Ebola hemorrhagic fever can be one of most terrifying diseases on the planet, and the current outbreak in West Africa is concerning for many reasons But it's also important to keep this outbreak in context, because there is a lot of information out there that can make Ebola sound much more dangerous than it is See also: Understanding the Ebola … [Link]
Mashable » 'A Russian Peacekeeper in Ukraine Is an Oxymoron'
The United States warned Russia on Friday that it would consider any additional Russian moves into Ukrainian territory "an invasion of Ukraine," even if done under the pretense of a humanitarian mission. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, delivered the warning at a Security Council meeting focusing on the human rights situation in Ukraine's east, where government forces … [Link]
Mashable » Kanye and Jay Have Nothing on This Father-Daughter Rap Duo
Shopping mall cash. Getting good grades on papers and reports. Just kicking it with dad. These are just a few ingredients baked into the most charming rap video you will see this year. The song is performed by a 10-year-old girl and her impossibly cool father. If these two don't hit the road with Drake, music is ruined. 'Apparently Kid' … [Link]
Slashdot » Paint Dust Covers the Upper Layer of the World's Oceans
sciencehabit (1205606) writes Even when the sea looks clean, its surface can be flecked with tiny fragments of paint and fiberglass. That's the finding from a study that looked for plastic pollution in the uppermost millimeter of ocean. The microscopic fragments come from the decks and hulls of boats, and they could pose a threat to zooplankton, an important part … [Link]
Mashable » '2014 Baby-Sitters Club' Puts Millennial Spin on a Childhood Classic
Kristin, Claudia and Stacey never had to deal with twerking, gluten or Lil Jon Ann M. Martin's classic book series The Baby-Sitters Club was a staple for many growing up in the '80s and '90s. The books contained the coming-of-age stories, as the series' protagonists learned to deal with everything from diabetes to racism while running their own business. See also: … [Link]
Mashable » Etihad Airways Buys 49% Stake in Italy's Alitalia Airlines
Fast-growing Etihad Airways took effective control of Italy's loss-making national carrier Alitalia on Friday, injecting 560 million euros ($750 million) in a deal that will see the Gulf airline gain access to one of Europe's major markets. Etihad, which is buying a 49% stake in the Rome-based carrier, said Friday it will restructure Alitalia and even laid out the hope of … [Link]
Mashable » Rates of Late and Canceled Flights in U.S. Are Highest in Years
If your travel plans were thwarted because of a flight delay or cancellation this year, you weren't alone. The U.S. Department of Transportation said Thursday that among airlines' reporting figures, 71.8% of flights arriving in the U.S. in June were on time. That may seem high, but it's down from 76.9% the month before and 71.9% in June 2013. A flight … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Shrinky Dink Robot Uses Origami To Self-Assemble
A “flat-pack” robot can assemble itself before walking away. It works through a combination of origami and Shrinky Dinks. The robot is the work of Harvard graduate student Samuel Felton, who says he spent just $100 on the project. It follows previous work by his course advisor Robert Wood on a robotic inchworm and a self-folding lamp. The robot starts … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest on newscientist.com: why we need vitamin D more than ever, humans in China 100,000 years ago, US tornado onslaughts, paper planes and more 
[Link]
Slashdot » Cornering the Market On Zero-Day Exploits
Nicola Hahn (1482985) writes Kim Zetter of Wired Magazine has recently covered Dan Greer's keynote speech at Black Hat USA. In his lengthy address Greer, representing the CIA's venture funding arm, suggested that one way that the United States government could improve cyber security would be to use its unparalleled budget to buy up all the underground's zero-day vulnerabilities. While … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Limitless beauty of science in Eureka prize finalists
The shortlist of images for the 2014 New Scientist Eureka Prize for Science Photography journey from the deep sea to inner space to reveal stunning worlds 
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Mashable » Facebook's Newest 'Intern' Is a 6-Foot-8 NBA Star
MENLO PARK, California — Dressed smartly in a dark pullover and tan chinos, a black backpack slung over his shoulder as he strolls across the social networking giant's sprawling micro-society of a corporate campus on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Harrison Barnes looks almost like any other 20-something Facebook employee Then you remember a few things that set Barnes apart: he's 6'8", … [Link]
Slashdot » WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak An International Emergency
mdsolar (1045926) writes with news that, with the Ebola outbreak growing out of control, the WHO has declared an international health emergency. From the article: With cases rapidly mounting in four West African countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) today declared the Ebola outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), a designation that allows the agency to issue … [Link]
Mashable » Ex-Yahoo Employees Raise $1.5 Million to Reimagine Live Video Sharing
Bart Stein may not be a household name, but if you follow tech news, there's a good chance you've seen his face before. In October 2012, Stamped, a mobile recommendations app that Stein cofounded, was acquired by Yahoo. It marked the first acquisition by the Internet giant under Marissa Mayer, who had taken over as CEO three months earlier. In a … [Link]
Mashable » Airport Pianist Wows Travelers With a Beautiful Beethoven Cover
In an airport, pianos available to the public — small children and Billy Joel fans alike — often means trouble. But recently, airline passengers in Prague's Václav Havel Airport got a rare treat with music from someone who can actually play the piano well. Pianist Maan Hamadeh performed his take on Beethoven's "Fur Elise" before transitioning into an enjoyable version … [Link]
Slashdot » Oracle Hasn't Killed Java — But There's Still Time
snydeq (1272828) writes Java core has stagnated, Java EE is dead, and Spring is over, but the JVM marches on. C'mon Oracle, where are the big ideas? asks Andrew C. Oliver. 'I don't think Oracle knows how to create markets. It knows how to destroy them and create a product out of them, but it somehow failed to do that … [Link]
Mashable » Developers Can Now Build Apps for Google Fit
Developers can now get an early look at the all the tools that will come with Google Fit for Android software and start building apps for the fitness and health tracking platform. The Google Fit software development kit (SDK), announced this week, comes a little more than a month after the company unveiled the platform at its Google I/O conference in … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Del Toro’s The Book Of Life: New Trailer [Video]
The official blurb: From producer Guillermo del Toro and director Jorge Gutierrez comes an animated comedy with a unique visual style. THE BOOK OF LIFE is the journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that … [Link]
Mashable » U.S. Restricts All Flights From Using Iraqi Airspace
The FAA issued a restriction for flights over airspace in Iraq on Friday. The Notice-To-Airmen (NOTAM) restricts U.S. carriers "from flying in the airspace above Iraq due to the hazardous situation created by the armed conflict." The FAA had already restricted flights at or below 30,000 feet in the country. See also: Commercial Planes Routinely Fly Over Conflict Zones, From Ukraine … [Link]
Mashable » A 77-Year-Old Is the Raddest DJ in All the Land
In a time when everyone from Wall Street traders to trendy toddlers are calling themselves DJs, a 77-year old can still take people by surprise. Wirginia Szmyt, perhaps better known as DJ Wika, is believed to be the oldest DJ in the world — but she hardly considers her age a handicap See also: 23 Freaking Rad Spotify Playlists for Every … [Link]
Mashable » Iraq Militants Likely to Stand Strong Through U.S. Airstrikes
The United States on Friday bombed Islamist militants in Iraq who had moved within striking distance of American personnel But experts believe that it will take much more to dislodge the fighters of the Islamic State (formerly known as ISIS or ISIL.) See also: Live Updates: U.S. Launches Airstrike Against Iraq Militants The militants have led an astonishingly quick, brutal and … [Link]
Slashdot » Red Hat CEO: Open Source Goes Mainstream In 2014
ashshy (40594) writes Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst likes to post "state of the union" addresses at the end of every year. Last December, he said that open source innovation is going mainstream in 2014. In an interview with The Motley Fool, Whitehurst matches up his expectations against mid-year progress. Spoiler alert: It's mostly good news. 
Read more of this … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Sleep tight? Not a chance if you're in space
The most comprehensive astronaut sleep study to date found that astronauts' sleep debt starts well before blast off, and sleeping pills might not help 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » Ebola is a 'global emergency' as bodies litter streets
As the number of cases continues to rise the Liberian president has called for "extraordinary measures for the very survival of our state"
[Link]
Mashable » Will Arnett Shows Off His Karate Chops on 'The Tonight Show'
Arrested Development fans know that Will Arnett has a history with karate. Since Arnett plays a role in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, Jimmy Fallon decided the best way for the actor to display his best martial arts moves was with a round of "Karate Piñata" on The Tonight Show. Kanye and Jay Have Nothing on This Father-Daughter … [Link]
Mashable » As Tropical Storm Iselle Crosses Big Island of Hawaii, Its Impacts Spread
Tropical Storm Iselle is lashing the Big Island of Hawaii with winds close to hurricane force, high waves up to 25 feet in height as well as heavy rain. It is predicted to move across the Big Island, interacting with the nearly 14,000 foot tall peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, and emerging south of Oahu later on Friday local … [Link]
Slashdot » Network Hijacker Steals $83,000 In Bitcoin
An anonymous reader writes with news that bogus BGP announcements can be used to hijack work done by cryptocurrency mining pools. Quoting El Reg: Researchers at Dell's SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit (CTU) have identified an exploit that can be used to steal cryptocurrency from mining pools — and they claim that at least one unknown miscreant has already used the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Controversial Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Cover [Pic]
Publishers Penguin have come up with a new cover for a 50th anniversary edition of Roald Dahl’s Charlie & The Chocolate Factory that’s certainly got people talking. What do you think, readers? 
[Via: Buzzfeed] [Link]
New Scientist – News » Global warming may be to blame for tornado onslaughts
Although no more common than before, US twisters are increasingly arriving in intense bursts, sometimes more than 30 in a day 
[Link]
Mashable » Sporks Are the New Sharks and You're in Danger
In kitchens around the world, vicious sporks are lurking, ready to steal your snacks. Jimmy Kimmel played a cruel prank on his staff on Thursday, attacking hungry employees with sporks. The bizarre hybrid utensil attack was a parody of Discovery Channel's Shark Week, which premiers Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. ET. Kanye and Jay Have Nothing on This Father-Daughter Rap … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: 53% Off BenQ GL Series 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor – $179.99 + FREE Shipping
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon has BenQ’s GL Series 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor for just $179.99 plus free shipping. That’s 53% off on the monitor’s regular list price of $379.99. Whether you’re catching up on the latest show on the Internet or viewing documents, the BenQ GL2760H LED monitor is the perfect choice for you. Featuring … [Link]
Mashable » Instagramming Trendy Food Is a Basic Animal Instinct
The main factor separating humans from the rest of the animal kingdom isn't our ability to communicate, our bipedalism or our conscience — it's our food preparation. Birds can't tell the difference between cronuts and donuts, which is why we live in buildings and they live on piles of sticks See also: 12 Most Cliché Photos on Instagram In this comic … [Link]
Slashdot » 'Unparticles' May Hold the Key To Superconductivity
KentuckyFC (1144503) writes One curious property of massless particles like photons is that their energy or momentum can take any value across many orders of magnitude, a property that physicists call scale invariance. By contrast, massive particles like electrons always have the same mass regardless of their energy or momentum. So massive particles are not scale invariant. The concept of … [Link]
Mashable » 4 Reasons Microsoft's Surface Might Bite the Dust
Some grim numbers from Microsoft's Surface recently surfaced, sparking the kind of hand-wringing tech journalists engage in during the slow summer months. A report in Computerworld that tallied Microsoft's losses on the tablet device at $1.7 billion so far started the discussion about when exactly Microsoft will pull the plug on the product See also: Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Is the … [Link]
Mashable » Should We Fear Underwater Drones?
Drones are everywhere these days — even underwater Researchers across the world are beginning to experiment with automatic underwater vehicles (AUVS) for mapping and basic ocean exploration. Only 5% of our oceans have been explored at depths. With AUVs, though, that number could drastically increase over the coming years See also: World's Most Advanced Diving Suit Could Lead to a … [Link]
Mashable » Turkey's Controversial Prime Minister Leads High-Stakes Presidential Election
ISTANBUL—Sinan Ozer, a 35-year-old municipal councilor from Istanbul has been attending political rallies in support of Turkey's ruling party for much of his adult life The most memorable have been been those led by the party's leader, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose catalog of impassioned political speeches are vividly etched in his memory. See also: 'Twitter, Mtwitter!': Turkish Prime Minister's … [Link]
Mashable » 25 Nostalgic Tutorials for Totally Clueless '90s Kids
Go from whatever to all that and a bag of chips with a simple Internet search. The '90s may be so over, but that doesn't mean you can't be the raddest kid on the block. With a simple search of WikiHow.com, your glory days never have to end. If only there were so many helpful internet tools back then — you … [Link]
Slashdot » Yahoo To Add PGP Encryption For Email
Bismillah (993337) writes Yahoo is working on an easy to use PGP interface for webmail, the company's chief information security officer Alex Stamos said at Black Hat 2014. This could lead to some interesting standoffs with governments and law enforcement wanting to read people's messages. From the article: "'We are working to design a key server architecture that allows for … [Link]
Mashable » Live Updates: U.S. Launches Airstrike Against Iraq Militants
The U.S. reignited its involvement in Iraq after launching an airstrike against Islamic State militants in the northern part of the country on Friday. Mashable will update this story throughout the day. Follow live below. 3 things you need to know now: The U.S. launched an airstrike in northern Iraq, targeting a group of militants terrorizing the region. FAA has banned … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Monkey Self Portrait Sparks Copyright Battle
This great shot of a Macaque Nigra in Indonesia is — according to Wikipedia at least — in the public domain. That’s because although it came from a photoshoot by David Slater, the picture was actually taken by the monkey itself after getting its hands on the camera. Wikipedia says that means the picture can’t be copyrighted as it’s not … [Link]
Slashdot » IBM Creates Custom-Made Brain-Like Chip
An anonymous reader writes In a paper published Thursday in Science, IBM describes its creation of a brain-like chip called TrueNorth. It has "4,096 processor cores, and it mimics one million human neurons and 256 million synapses, two of the fundamental biological building blocks that make up the human brain." What's the difference between TrueNorth and traditional processing units? Apparently, … [Link]
Mashable » 13 Creative Party Themes for Your Summer Send-Off
Summer is only fun when you have three months to do absolutely nothing. As a gainfully employed adult, June, July and August basically just equal higher electric bills and an embarrassing amount of sweat. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun. The answer to your humidity woes is a simple one: party. See also: 12 Party Survival Tips for Wallflowers … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 8 August 2014
Everything You Wanted to Know About Synchronization But Were Too Afraid to Ask (PDF) — This paper presents the most exhaustive study of synchronization to date. We span multiple layers, from hardware cache-coherence protocols up to high-level concurrent software. We … [Link]
Mashable » Will the Michael Bay Backlash Shred the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle' Franchise?
Jonathan Liebesman is in defense mode. The director's latest project, the ultra shiny film reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is slated for release on August 8 — but it has been plagued every step of the way "Listen, what I'm finding out very quickly is you cannot please all the people all the time, especially with Ninja Turtles," Liebesman says … [Link]
Mashable » 70 Years of Smokey: The Story of America's Firefighting Bear
War propaganda doesn't typically have a long shelf life. Smokey Bear is an exception. The United States Forest Service launched the Smokey Bear anti-forest fire campaign on Aug. 9, 1944, making Saturday the character's 70th birthday. While generations of Americans consider Smokey synonymous with forest protection, it was actually the start of America's involvement in World War II that inspired his … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » A Team Fortress II Dance Party [Video]
A little mindless entertainment for you guys this morning. [crazyhalo] [Link]
New Scientist – News » How the weirdest designs can become great paper planes
A Japanese team has created a program that can improve the craziest design for a paper plane, ensuring it has the right aerodynamics to stay aloft 
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Mashable » How Do the Biggest Sharks in Pop Culture Stack Up?
Duh-dun. Duh-dun. Shark Week has resurfaced from the depths once again, which means it's time to obsess over blurry underwater footage and harrowing survival stories. The annual event reminds us to treat these creatures of the deep with deference and respect. Every other week of the year, sharks are cast as man-eating monsters and, occasionally, an airborne menace. See also: 10 … [Link]
Mashable » Should You Tell Your Boss That You're Searching for a New Job?
If you’re not thrilled with your current work situation, chances are you've probably discussed your options with family or friends. You may have even confided in your co-workers. But there’s probably one person you haven’t run it by: your boss. Whether you’re unhappy in your present position or simply seeking new challenges, you may be wondering if sharing your feelings with … [Link]
Mashable » Teens Are Breeding Grounds for Meningitis-Causing Bacteria, Literally
The reason why meningitis seems to strike during the teen years may be that teens' bodies are more likely to carry a chemical that fuels the growth of the bacteria that cause meningitis, according to a new study. In the study, the researchers discovered that the bacteria species that causes meningitis, Neisseria meningitidis, contains a cluster of genes that allows it … [Link]
Mashable » Malaysia Airlines to Get Major Overhaul
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia's state investment company said Friday it plans to make Malaysia Airlines fully government owned, removing it from the country's stock exchange before carrying out an overhaul of the carrier that is reeling from double disasters. Khazanah Nasional, which owns 69% of Malaysia Airlines, said it has proposed to the carrier's board that it buy out minority … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Feedback: Such lightness with their fear
Cleanse a foul infected world, where the pestilence did reign, the powdering tub of alcoholic infamy, and more (full text available to subscribers) 
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Mashable » Glowing Sharks Evolved Special Eyes to See Light in the Deep Ocean
In the "twilight zone" of the deep ocean, strange glowing sharks have evolved eyes that are adapted to see complex patterns of light in the dark, new research reveals. These bioluminescent sharks have a higher density of light-sensitive cells in their retinas, and some species have even developed other visual adaptations that help them see the glimmering lights they use to … [Link]
Slashdot » What Do You Do When Your Mind-Numbing IT Job Should Be Automated?
jfruh writes Not everyone has a job like Homer Simpson, who's been replaced at various times by a brick tied to a lever and a chicken named Queenie. But many IT workers have come up against mind-numbing, repetitive tasks that probably could be automated. So: what do you do about it? Well, the answer depends on how much power you … [Link]
Mashable » 11 Vines for When You Can't Contain Your Excitement
Reaction GIFs are so 2013 Now, when you need to convey your absolute joy over your favorite shows being renewed, you can add sound to moving images with Vine videos See also: The Ultimate Breakdown of the Weird World of Vine Responding with Vine in your next email to a friend just means you're one step closer to living in the … [Link]
Mashable » Israel, Hamas Resume Fire After 3-Day Truce in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel and militants from Gaza resumed cross-border attacks on Friday, after a three-day truce expired and talks brokered by Egypt on a new border deal for the blockaded coastal territory hit a deadlock. It was not clear if the renewed fighting would derail the Cairo negotiations, which are aimed at reaching a sustainable truce, or whether … [Link]
Mashable » Tropical Storm Iselle Lashes Hawaii, Weakened But Still Dangerous
Tropical Storm Iselle has made landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii at 2:30 a.m. local time, about five miles east of Pahala. Although the storm's winds had weakened below hurricane strength, Iselle still poses a threat to Hawaii's Big Island for several reasons Iselle is the first tropical storm to make landfall on the main Hawaiian Islands in 22 years, … [Link]
Slashdot » AMD Prepares To Ship Gaming SSDs
Lucas123 writes An AMD website in China has leaked information about the upcoming release of a line of SSDs aimed at gamers and professionals that will offer top sequential read/write speeds of 550MB/s and 530MB/s, respectively. AMD confirmed the upcoming news, but no pricing was available yet. The SSDs will come in 120GB, 240GB and 480GB capacities and will use … [Link]
Mashable » How Data Scientists Are Uncovering War Crimes in Syria
For more than three years, Syria has been crippled by a bloody civil war that has laid waste to cities and exacted a heavy civilian toll But because reporting in Syria is so dangerous, the bloodletting has largely taken place away from the media spotlight One group of researchers, though, is determined to document every single killing See also: U.S. Intelligence … [Link]
Mashable » WHO: Ebola Outbreak in West Africa Is a 'Public Health Emergency'
LONDON — The World Health Organization on Friday declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to be an international public health emergency that requires an extraordinary response to stop its spread. The WHO announced the Ebola outbreak — the largest and longest in history — is worrying enough to merit being declared an international health emergency. WHO declared similar emergencies for … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Human exodus may have reached China 100,000 years ago
The standard story is that modern humans left Africa 60,000 years ago, but fossils and genetics hint that an earlier migration made it to China 
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Mashable » Were 1.2 Billion Passwords Really Stolen? And Does It Matter?
The revelation that a Russian criminal gang successfully stole more than 1.2 billion passwords has left plenty of security professionals scratching their heads over whether the hack was legitimate — or if it even matters. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that a U.S. security firm revealed that a Russian criminal gang has stolen over 1.2 billion usernames and passwords … [Link]
Slashdot » UK Police Won't Comment On The Tracking of People's Phone Calls
Daniel_Stuckey writes You've maybe heard a bit about Stingray. Over the past couple of years, it has emerged that police forces in the US have been using the powerful surveillance tool, which tricks phones into connecting to a dragnet, to track mobile devices, and intercept calls and text messages. Meanwhile, the London Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) continue to remain tight … [Link]
Slashdot » Microsoft To Drop Support For Older Versions of Internet Explorer
An anonymous reader writes After January 12, 2016, only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for a supported operating system will receive technical support and security updates. For example, customers using Internet Explorer 8, 9, or 10 on Windows 7 SP1 should migrate to Internet Explorer 11 to continue receiving security updates and technical support. From the blog … [Link]
Slashdot » The Doctor Will Skype You Now
amkkhan writes Next time you need to go to the doctor, instead of making an appointment, why not just fire up your smartphone? New programs by companies such as Doctor on Demand and the University of Pittsburgh's AnywhereCare offer one-on-one conferencing with doctors, either over the phone or through video on your phone or computer – giving you all the … [Link]
Mashable » 6,500-Year Old 'Noah' Found in Museum Basement
A digitization project led a museum to discover a 6,500-year-old skeleton in its own basement Scientists at the Penn Museum in Philadelphia found "Noah," as the skeleton has been dubbed, languishing in an old wooden box after they digitized the records of a 1929 Iraqi dig British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley first uncovered the body in southern Iraq during the 1929-30 … [Link]
Slashdot » Facebook Acquires Server-Focused Security Startup
wiredmikey writes In a move to bolster the security of its massive global server network, Facebook announced on Thursday it was acquiring PrivateCore, a Palo Alto, California-based cybersecurity startup. PrivateCore describes that its vCage software transparently secures data in use with full memory encryption for any application, any data, anywhere on standard x86 servers. "I'm really excited that Facebook has … [Link]
Mashable » Iconic 'Breaking Bad' Items Could Go On Display at the Smithsonian
The same place that's home to Seinfeld's "Puffy Shirt" could soon play host to Heisenberg's hat. Curators at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History are currently in discussions with Breaking Bad's studio Sony about making some of the show's iconic pieces part of the national collections, a rep for the Smithsonian Institution tells Mashable. See also: 13 Devastating Emmy Snubs … [Link]
Mashable » Artist Stocks Entire Shop With Plushy Hand-Stitched Items
This corner store has everything — as long as you like your chips and soda soft and plushy. Lucy Sparrow's project The Cornershop is a typical convenience store, except everything inside it is made with felt. Hand-stitched chips, beer, magazines, ice cream — you name it — were created by the British artist as part of a temporary art installation. See … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Teen's App On Malaria Wins Y Combinator
A teenager has won the recent Y Combinator Hackathon with an App that has far reaching health implications. Ireland to hold its first Hackathon on Internet of Things. Plus: VoltDB claims IBM cloud 5x faster than AWS, and Money 20/20 announces a hackathon.
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Mashable » 'The Quest' Episode 2 Recap: Forget the Queen, Long Live the Malapropism
The early trouble with ABC’s fantasy-reality hybrid The Quest was the contestants’ inability to buy in — though the actors playing out the Game of Thrones-wannabe drama around them had no problem taking things seriously, the non-actor “Paladins” were struggling to hide their bemusement with it all. Well wipe those smirks off your faces, Paladins — stuff gets deadly serious in … [Link]
The Joy of Tech » JoT #2031: Done with the Internet!
Does the Internet hurt you more than help now? If you enjoyed the comic, please retweet, Like, or share the URL, or give up the Internet. [Link]
Mashable » Toddler Adorably Breaches White House Security
The Secret Service has confirmed that the perimeter of the White House was adorably breached Thursday evening — by the tiniest interloper in presidential history. A toddler, name unknown, eluded his parents, squeezed through a fence and arrived in a secure area of the White House lawn at around 8pm ET before being rounded up by Secret Service agents See also: … [Link]
Mashable » Faster, Better, Solar: Record-Breaking Student Car May Hit Streets by 2015
A team of students have built an electric car that will likely hold a key long-distance speed record once it has been certified by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The car, known as the Sunswift eVe, may even become the first street-legal solar-powered car in the world next year. See also: Businessman Creates Tesla 'Charging Road' From Beijing to Guangzhou … [Link]
Slashdot » Why the "NASA Tested Space Drive" Is Bad Science
StartsWithABang writes Just over a century ago, N rays were detected by over a hundred researchers and discussed in some three hundred publications, yet there were serious experimental flaws and experimenter biases that were exposed over time. Fast forward to last week, and NASA Tests Microwave Space Drive is front page news. But a quick analysis shows that it isn't … [Link]
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