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 » Matthew McConaughey, Staunch Fanny-Pack Advocate
Matthew McConaughey has been on a tear: the Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club, stealing the show in The Wolf of Wall Street, flattening time as Rust Cohle in True Detective. Pundits have been calling it a "McConaissance" (Cohle would cringe). But the point here is that, at a Sunday afternoon MLB game at Fenway Park, McConaughey used his larger-than-ever celebrity to register his staunch support for … [Link]
Mashable » 18 Reactions to ‘Shake It Off’ That Taylor Swift Could Write a Song About
Say what you will, Taylor Swift is just going to shake it off. Swift debuted debuted her new music video on Monday via Yahoo Live Stream. The pop star announced an upcoming pop album, titled 1989, and then further surprised fans with a full music video of one of her new songs, "Shake It Off." See also: Ew, Taylor Swift Plays … [Link]
Slashdot » Rightscorp's New Plan: Hijack Browsers Until Infingers Pay Up
A few weeks ago, Rightscorp announced plans to have ISPs disconnect repeat copyright infringers. mpicpp (3454017) wrote in with news that Rightscorp announced during their latest earnings call further plans to require ISPs to block all web access (using a proxy system similar to hotel / college campus wifi logins) until users admit guilt and pay a settlement fine (replacing … [Link]
Mashable » Iraqi Forces Retake Iraq's Largest Dam, Obama Says
BAGHDAD — Iraqi and Kurdish forces recaptured Iraq's largest dam from Islamic militants Monday following dozens of U.S. airstrikes, President Barack Obama said, in the first major defeat for the extremists since they swept across the country this summer. Militants from the Islamic State group had seized the Mosul Dam on Aug. 7, giving them access and control of enormous power … [Link]
Mashable » Civilians Fleeing Rebel-Held City in Ukraine Are Attacked
KIEV, Ukraine — Ukraine accused pro-Russia separatists of killing dozens of civilians in an attack early Monday on a convoy fleeing a besieged rebel-held city. The rebels denied any attack took place, while the U.S. confirmed the shelling of the convoy but said it did not know who was responsible. The refugees were attacked with Grad rockets and other weapons imported … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » What if Michael Bay Directed “UP”? [Video]
This one takes a while to get going, but if you’ve ever wondered what happens when you replace ordinary balloons with hydrogen balloons… [Link]
Mashable » Taylor Swift Dismisses Haters in 'Shake It Off' Video
Move over, Cyndi Lauper — Taylor Swift is here to take your '80s throne. Kind of On Monday, the 24-year-old singer revealed a new single and music video called "Shake It Off" and announced an '80s-influenced album, appropriately titled "1989" — the year of Taylor's birth See also: A Comprehensive Guide to Taylor Swift's Grammys Dance Moves Swift announced the … [Link]
Slashdot » Munich Reverses Course, May Ditch Linux For Microsoft
alphadogg (971356) writes with news that the transition from Windows to GNU/Linux in Munich may be in danger The German city of Munich, long one of the open-source community's poster children for the institutional adoption of Linux, is close to performing a major about-face and returning to Microsoft products. Munich's deputy mayor, Josef Schmid, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that user … [Link]
Slashdot » Women Founders Outpace Male Counterparts In Certain Types of Kickstarter Funding
Nerval's Lobster writes Women outpace men when it comes to raising money for technology projects through crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter, according to a new study by researchers at New York University and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Jason Greenberg (NYC) and Ethan Mollick (Wharton/UPenn) chose 1,250 Kickstarter projects in five categories: games and technology, where founders … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » JK Rowling Fleshes Out Undersung Harry Potter Character
While she’s moved on to a series of adult novels, JK Rowling hasn’t abandoned the Harry Potter universe. She’s just added a new piece to her free membership site Pottermore in the form of a biography of Celestina Warbeck, a half wizard, half muggle singer: Celestina Warbeck is one of my favourite ‘off-stage’ characters in the Harry Potter series, and … [Link]
Mashable » Prepare for Feelings: Brittney Griner Proposes to WNBA Star Girlfriend
Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson have been WNBA opponents since Griner entered the league by becoming the first overall pick of the 2013 WNBA Draft. But now Griner and Johnson have something else in common besides being fellow WNBA All-Stars — they're engaged to be married. The couple made sports history when Griner proposed to Johnson late last week. Depending on … [Link]
Mashable » Marvel's 'Ant-Man' Adds 'Mad Men' Star John Slattery, Actually Starts Shooting
John Slattery, Judy Greer and rapper T.I. have been added to the cast of Marvel's Ant-Man, the studio said Monday, sneaking the new cast into a press release announcing the start of production. Whoa, wait — start of production? As in, cameras rolling, action, all that? Because right around Memorial Day in May, this seemed downright impossible SEE ALSO: A Big, … [Link]
Mashable » J.K. Rowling Publishes Story About Enchanting 'Harry Potter' Character
Seven years after the release of the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, we're meeting a magical character barely mentioned in the wizarding world thus far — Celestina Warbeck Author J.K. Rowling released a short story Monday on her website Pottermore.com introducing the new witch. The story was excerpted on Today Warbeck is a famous songstress in the … [Link]
Mashable » 18 Elvis Week Photos to Commemorate the King
Thirty-seven years after Elvis Presley’s death, the commitment to celebrating The King’s legacy is unwavering, as evidenced by the flood of fans arriving in Memphis, Tennessee, for a 10-day celebration called “Elvis Week.” That’s the official name from Elvis Presley Enterprises, the business arm of Presley’s estate, which orchestrates nonstop events all week for fans from around the world who make … [Link]
Mashable » 'Flappy Bird' Creator to Launch New Game 'Swing Copters' This Week
The creator of Flappy Bird is launching his follow-up game this week, and if the teaser trailer for Swing Copters is any indication, it'll be just as addictive and frustrating. The game, which looks extremely similar to Flappy Bird and features a little guy with a helicopter attached to his helmet, will hit app stores on Thursday, according to gaming site … [Link]
Mashable » After the Gold Rush: Neil Young's Pono Crowdfunds More Cash
Apparently what comes after the gold rush is another gold rush. PonoMusic, the high-resolution music service founded by rock star Neil Young, made headlines earlier this year when its Kickstarter campaign successfully raised $6.2 million, making it the third most successful project in Kickstarter history at that time. Now, just four months after that campaign ended, Young's company is crowdfunding again … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Game of Thrones Mug Has Surprise Inside
Give this to your friends filled with some tea or coffee and watch their confusion after they take a few sips. 
Description from Big Bad Toy Store: A few sips of your beverage and a familiar creature will be revealed. A few more sips and you will see a sculpted version of the Stark house sigil: a stately gray direwolf, … [Link]
Slashdot » The Data Dome: A Server Farm In a Geodesic Dome
1sockchuck writes In a unique approach to data center design, the new high-performance computing center in Oregon is housed in a geodesic dome. The new facility at the Oregon Health and Science University requires no mechanical air conditioning, using outside air to racks of servers reaching densities of 25kW per cabinet. The design uses an aisle containment system to separate … [Link]
Mashable » All Men Must Ink: How HBO Tattooed 111 'Game of Thrones' Fans
There’s devotion to a TV show, and then there's getting its images permanently inked on your body. Thanks to an HBO promotion, and the artists from San Diego tattoo shop Left Hand Black, Game of Thrones fans were able to get tattooed for free — presuming they queued up for hours at a little-known location just outside Comic-Con last month HBO … [Link]
Slashdot » Linux Kernel Git Repositories Add 2-Factor Authentication
LibbyMC writes For a few years now Linux kernel developers have followed a fairly strict authentication policy for those who commit directly to the git repositories housing the Linux kernel. Each is issued their own ssh private key, which then becomes the sole way for them to push code changes to the git repositories hosted at kernel.org. While using ssh … [Link]
Mashable » Tearjerker Ad From Thailand Will Have You Singing Along
Let’s all repeat this together: We will not get sucked in by the latest heartrending mini-movie from a Thai insurance company. Will. Not. Cry. Oh please. Who are we kidding? Grab a hankie and play along. This music-themed commercial for Thai Life revolves around an awkward school kid who teaches himself to play guitar, and starts busking, to help pay … [Link]
Mashable » The Evolution of Texting in Television and Film
Texting is quickly becoming our favorite form of communication — even in movies. YouTube channel Every Frame a Painting explores the evolution of how texting and the Internet have been represented on TV and in theaters. From the 1995 movie Hackers to BBC's Sherlock, filmmakers are finding more interesting and beautiful ways to communicate onscreen through text. 'Wizard Wars' Creator … [Link]
Mashable » 'Wizard Wars' Creator and Justin Flom Do 13 Magic Tricks in 2 Minutes
Magic is all around us — at least, that's what the magicians on Syfy's upcoming reality competition show, Wizard Wars, will show viewers. On the show, skilled illusionists are challenged to create mind-blowing tricks out of household objects — from a water gun to Spam. (Assuming you keep Spam in the cupboard.) SEE ALSO: Save Your Magic Tricks for Humans … [Link]
Slashdot » Software Combines Thousands of Online Images Into One That Represents Them All
Zothecula writes If you're trying to find out what the common features of tabby cats are, a Google image search will likely yield more results than you'd ever have the time or inclination to look over. New software created at the University of California, Berkeley, however, is designed to make such quests considerably easier. Known as AverageExplorer, it searches out … [Link]
Mashable » Streamy Nominees: Jerry Seinfeld, Barack Obama … and, Hey, Mashable!
LOS ANGELES — Nominees for the fourth annual Streamy Awards have been announced, and some of the usual suspects are there — Video Game High School, Smosh, Jenna Marbles, et al. — but as the show explodes along with online video, some fun surprises are on the guest list for the Sept. 7 show at the Beverly Hilton. This year brought … [Link]
Mashable » Bao Bao's Birthday: Smithsonian Celebrates Baby Panda's Adorable First Year
After a year of bamboo, growth and lazy days spent in trees, giant panda cub Bao Bao celebrates her first birthday on August 23 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. To celebrate the exciting milestone, the Smithsonian Channel takes a peek back at Bao Bao's first year as she grows from a teensy, 4.5-ounce cub into a playful … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Batman Enemy Taxonomy [Poster]
Pop Chart Lab has a great poster for sale that tries to categorize Batman’s numerous foes. Here’s a small section: 
Check out a zoomable picture of the whole thing or buy the poster at Pop Chart Lab. [Via: Neatorama] [Link]
Slashdot » Microsoft's Windows 8 App Store Is Full of Scamware
Deathspawner writes Windows 8 brought a lot to the table, with one of its most major features being its app store. However, it's not a feature that Microsoft seems too intent on keeping clean. As it is today, the store is completely littered with misleading apps and outright scamware. The unfortunate thing is that to find any of it, all … [Link]
New Scientist – News » How the human brain folds itself up
Forget neurons migrating to the "hills" of the folds in our brains, the folded shape of our cortex can be explained by simple expansion 
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New Scientist – News » Essence of man: Y size doesn't matter
The Y chromosome, which makes men male, has been shrinking for 180 million years. But there's more to this rotting husk than anyone suspected (full text available to subscribers) 
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New Scientist – News » African pygmies evolved their short stature twice
East and West African pygmies evolved their stature independently, possibly because it was a beneficial trait in an environment packed with low obstacles 
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Mashable » The 37 Best Celebrity Ice Bucket Challenge Videos
Pouring ice over your head for a good cause has gone Hollywood. The popular ice bucket challenges for ALS have taken over our News Feeds, and thousands of people, even some famous names, have done their part to keep the hashtag going since late July. CEOs, actors, musicians and athletes have put together creative and entertaining videos to help raise millions … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Bacteria battle cancer cells to shrink human tumours
The tendency of Clostridium novyi to kill mammal cells has been used to shrink tumours in dogs and people, so the bacteria could help fight some cancers 
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Slashdot » The Cost of Caring For Elderly Nuclear Plants Expected To Rise
mdsolar writes with this story about the rising costs of keeping Europe's nuclear power plants safe and operational. Europe's aging nuclear fleet will undergo more prolonged outages over the next few years, reducing the reliability of power supply and costing plant operators many millions of dollars. Nuclear power provides about a third of the European Union's electricity generation, but the … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Outright Development Announces Custom API Design Services
Outright Development, a custom software development provider, has announced a new service dedicated to building custom APIs for its clients. Prior to the API service, Outright Development focused on custom mobile and web application development. However, with the API economy continuing to grow, Outright Development found custom API services were a must to keep the company relevant and moving forward. … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Review: How CodePen Team PRO Features Stack Up
CodePen is an online playground for front-end Web developers created by full stack developers Alex Vazquez and Tim Sabat, along with front-end developer and designer Chris Coyier. CodePen is not only an in-browser code editor for HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and other languages, but also a Web development community in which users can collaborate on coding projects and showcase their work. … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Meeting the human faces of the internet's dark places
Jamie Bartlett's encounters with the characters behind subversive currencies and online erotica make fascinating reading, but The Dark Net is really about us 
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Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Around The World In 84 Rubik Moves [Video]
Harvard graduate Nuseir Yassin solved a Rubik’s Cube in 84 steps. That’s not impressive in itself, but what did make it notable is that he travelled to ask locals in cities across eleven countries to perform one step each and filmed the results. As he put it: 11 countries. 84 moves. 30 females. 54 males. 1 monkey. 1 snake. 1 … [Link]
Slashdot » Plan Would Give Government Virtual Veto Over Internet Governance
An anonymous reader writes The debate over Internet governance for much of the past decade has often come down to a battle between ICANN and the United Nations. The reality has always been far more complicated. The U.S. still maintains contractual control over ICANN, while all governments exert considerable power within the ICANN model through the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). … [Link]
Mashable » Soccer Fan Becomes 'Legend' After Epic Pitch Invasion, Rogue Free-Kick
Pitch invaders: an immature, pointless scourge on the beautiful game of soccer. But every rule has exceptions, and a mischievous 22-year-old soccer fan from England named Jordan Dunn shattered the aforementioned statute in classic fashion this weekend. His kamikaze sprint onto the pitch during an opening-day English Premier League match on Saturday could not have gone any smoother, as he managed … [Link]
Mashable » Kanye West and Paul McCartney Come Together for Possible Album
Who’s the walrus now? The New York Post's Page Six reports that Kanye West has secretly been recording tracks with Paul McCartney "that could develop into an album," and if anything ever comes of it, we'd love to be a fly on the wall for the moment when they decide who gets top billing. SEE ALSO: Lights Out: Paul McCartney Rocks … [Link]
Mashable » Evidently, Dads Who Work From Home Are 'More Likeable' Than Moms
A new study suggests fathers may have an easier time requesting work-life balance than mothers The finding is an exasperating twist in the debate about how to best support women who want both a flourishing career and family For years, advocates have argued that flexible workplace policies could reduce gender inequality both on the job and at home. But the new … [Link]
Slashdot » WikiLeaks' Assange Hopes To Exit London Embassy "Soon"
An anonymous reader writes "Julian Assange has hosted a press conference in which he indicated he is soon about to leave the embassy of Ecuador in London. From the article: "WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has spent over two years in Ecuador's London embassy to avoid a sex crimes inquiry in Sweden, said on Monday he planned to leave the … [Link]
Mashable » This Corgi Getting a Massage Is All You Need Right Now
Everyone knows cats love massages, but corgis like a deep tissue rubdown just as much. With his half-open eyes and unwillingness to move, this cute corgi totally digs his pooch pampering session. Stay chill, corgi 
'Wizard Wars' Creator and Justin Flom Do 13 Magic Tricks in 2 Minutes The Evolution of Texting in Television and Film If Michael Bay Ruined … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Dust Particles May Be From Interstellar Space
Researchers in the US are getting excited about seven dust particles, each no wider than one-50th the diamater of a human hair. Why? Because they may originate from another solar system. The samples were collected by the Stardust spacecraft (pictured as artist’s impression) from the dust left by the comet Wild 2. Although Stardust collected the dust in 2002 and … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest on newscientist.com: fast-forward geology, hallucinogenic fossil, faulty thinking and climate change, Alzheimer's epigenetics and more 
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Mashable » Hackers Breach Hospital Network, Steal 4.5 Million Patient Records
A group of hackers, believed to be from China, has breached a large American hospital network, stealing 4.5 million patients' records. The target of the attack, Community Health Systems, revealed the breach in a regulatory filing on Monday. The hackers obtained the "patient names, addresses, birthdates, telephone numbers and social security numbers," but no credit card numbers or "medical or clinical … [Link]
Mashable » What Are the Qualities of an Excellent General Manager?
This question originally appeared on Quora.What does it take to be a great general manager for a web [or tech] company?Answer by Ian McAllister, general manager of Amazon. [Based on my experience], below are a few qualities that a great general manager should possess. An excellent manager: Sets the (right) vision: A strong manager thinks about business the right way, and … [Link]
Slashdot » Selectable Ethics For Robotic Cars and the Possibility of a Robot Car Bomb
Rick Zeman writes Wired has an interesting article on the possibility of selectable ethical choices in robotic autonomous cars. From the article: "The way this would work is one customer may set the car (which he paid for) to jealously value his life over all others; another user may prefer that the car values all lives the same and minimizes … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 18 August 2014
Oolite — open-source clone of Elite, the classic space trading game from the 80s. Who Owns the Robots Rules The World (PDF) — interesting finding: As companies substitute machines and computers for human activity, workers need to own part of … [Link]
Slashdot » Researchers Find Hundreds of Thousands of Woefully Insecure IoT Devices
mask.of.sanity writes "More than 140,000 internet-of-things devices, from routers to CCTV systems contain zero-day vulnerabilities, backdoors, hard coded crackable passwords and blurted private keys, according to the first large scale analysis of firmware in embedded devices. Four researchers from EURECOM France found the flaws when conducting a simple but systematic, automated, and large-scale analysis of 32,356 firmware images running on … [Link]
Mashable » If Michael Bay Ruined 'Up'
Quick cuts and ridiculous explosions make every movie better — well, not really As the backlash against Michael Bay's recent release of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie continues, the American public is finally fighting back against the action-packed tactics that movie producers and directors have been using to fool us into liking their movies. Some movies, like Up, … [Link]
Mashable » Summer Movie Bucket List: 8 Ultimate Movies to Watch
Summertime is for fun outdoors, for adventuring, for lounging on the beach and, perhaps most importantly, for taking the time to relax. What better way to combine all these perks than watching movies that celebrate the season and all it encompasses? Get inspired to make the most of your summer before it ends with these ultimate movies. Break out the popcorn … [Link]
Mashable » Best Buy Confirms It Accidentally Leaked Moto 360 Smartwatch Details
Best Buy updated its website this weekend with details about Motorola's unreleased Moto 360 smartwatch, despite the manufacturer's efforts to keep the specs quiet ahead of its launch The device is expected to debut next month at a Motorola press event on September 4. See also: 10 Beautiful Moto 360 Smartwatch Concepts Best Buy removed the page from its website by … [Link]
Mashable » Justin Timberlake and 25,000 Fans Sing 'Happy Birthday' to 8-Year-Old
Justin Timberlake paused his usual playlist of "Suit and Tie" and "SexyBack" to sing "Happy Birthday" to an 8-year-old fan. Marika Rosenthal Delan and her husband brought their son Julian, who lives with autism, to the packed August 11 show at San Jose's SAP Center stadium to celebrate Julian's birthday See also: Justin Timberlake Challenges Jimmy Fallon to the #IceBucketChallenge … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » An Army Of Pikachus [Video]
Presented without comment or explanation. Because, frankly, we don’t have one. [Via: Geekologie] [Link]
Slashdot » Machine Vision Reveals Previously Unknown Influences Between Great Artists
KentuckyFC writes Art experts look for influences between great masters by studying the artist's use of space, texture, form, shape, colour and so on. They may also consider the subject matter, brushstrokes, meaning, historical context and myriad other factors. So it's easy to imagine that today's primitive machine vision techniques have little to add. Not so. Using a new technique … [Link]
Mashable » Xbox One Update Offers a More Facebook-Like News Feed
An Xbox One update arriving on consoles Monday will give users a cleaned up activity feed with commenting, liking and sharing akin to most modern social networks Detailed by Xbox spokesperson Larry Hryb on his blog Monday morning, the Xbox One activity feed allows users to see more relevant status updates, such as uploaded video clips and achievements. They can also … [Link]
Mashable » The IT Guy Saves the Day in Panasonic's Shameless ToughPad Comic
Able to withstand intense cold or heat, physical shocks and even drowning, the Panasonic ToughPad is kind of a superhero gadget. Apparently thinking its primary customers might be teenage boys, the company is taking that description literally in its marketing material for the device: a comic book. Unbreakable Valor No. 1, a shameless paid promotion if there ever was one, depicts … [Link]
Mashable » This Is Probably the Worst Commercial You'll See Today
Redditors are hailing this as "the worst local commercial I have ever seen." While that may be true for topofthecc, we can probably all agree that it's pretty bad and probably the worst you'll see today. The back-to-school ad, for a shopping center in St. Joseph, Missouri, has many cringe-inducing elements, including '80s, Fat Boys-style rapping, off-key singing and perhaps … [Link]
Mashable » Washington Post Stories Briefly Feature Amazon 'Buy It Now' Buttons
For a few hours this weekend, it looked like Jeff Bezos had finally showed his hand with The Washington Post. Several readers pointed out on Twitter over the weekend that a Washington Post story about the book Charlie and The Chocolate Factory included multiple Amazon "Buy It Now" buttons within the text of the article. See also: Is the Internet Too … [Link]
Mashable » Live Updates: Ferguson Police Establish 'Organized Protest Zone'
Mashable is following the latest from Ferguson, where protesters and police squared off this week over the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown. 3 things you need to know: Missouri's governor ordered the National Guard to Ferguson after another night of protests — but lifted a curfew. A preliminary autopsy revealed Michael Brown was shot six times — including a "kill shot" … [Link]
Mashable » iPhone 6 May Include a Lightning Cable With Reversible USB Plug
Anyone who's ever plugged a USB cable into a computer port knows the struggle of forcing it in the wrong way up But now there's good news for Apple users: the company may be introducing a reversible Lightning cable for the iPhone 6 that allows you to plug it into USB ports from either end or orientation, with no "right" or … [Link]
Slashdot » Xiaomi's Next OS Looks Strikingly Similar To iOS
stephendavion writes Looks like Chinese device maker, Xiaomi, is taking its "Apple of the East" tag too literally. First, their CEO brazenly copies Steve Jobs' signature look, sitting cross-legged on the floor. And now, Xiaomi's latest version of Android shamelessly rips off iOS 7. MIUI 6, which is Xiaomi's upcoming edition of Android for its latest phones and tablets, looks … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Han To Shoot First On Blu-ray?
According to Comicbook.com, Disney plans to release the original Star Wars trilogy on Blu-ray in its original, non-special edition form. Whether anyone believes that is another matter. For its part, the site says that “two independent reliable sources” say: According to our sources, Disney has plans to release the original cut of the Star Wars trilogy on Blu-ray. Our sources … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Up to 71% Off “Star Trek: The Next Generation – Complete Series” and other Star Trek TV Series
On today’s edition of Deal of the Day, and this week only, save up to 71% on Star Trek: The Next Generation Complete Series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Complete Series, Star Trek Voyager: The Complete Series, and Star Trek: Enterprise: The Complete Series. [Up to 71% Off "Star Trek: The Next Generation – Complete Series" and other Star Trek … [Link]
Mashable » Fear Spreads in Liberia After 30 Ebola Patients Vanish
Panic has set in in Liberia's capital of Monrovia after almost 30 Ebola patients vanished from a quarantine center and looters ran off with contaminated materials The incident happened in Monrovia’s highly populated West Point township. See also: What Is ZMapp, the Ebola Serum? According to the United Nation's Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), the West Point "shantytown" has about … [Link]
Mashable » Fans Lobby Nintendo to Name 'Zelda' Character After Robin Williams
More than 100,000 fans have signed a petition to convince Nintendo to name a character in its Legend of Zelda after Robin Williams. Nintendo has acknowledged the effort, but has not announced plans to do so. The Oscar-winning actor, who took his own life last week, was an avid gamer and such a fan of Legend of Zelda that he named … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Would You Pay For Websites Without Trolls?
First time accepted submitter carbon_tet writes I read two articles this week that made me wonder: "Would anyone actually pay for a website without trolls?" The first, was about web trolls and civility on the internet, and the second about the ad-based internet. It seems that public comments unavoidably have trolls, or they degrade very quickly until someone makes a … [Link]
Slashdot » Daimler's Solution For Annoying Out-of-office Email: Delete It
AmiMoJo writes Sure, you can set an out-of-office auto-reply to let others know they shouldn't email you, but that doesn't usually stop the messages; you may still have to handle those urgent-but-not-really requests while you're on vacation. That's not a problem if you work at Daimler, though. The German automaker recently installed software that not only auto-replies to email sent … [Link]
New Scientist – News » A worm with legs? No, you're not seeing things
In life this weird-looking fossil was Hallucigenia, a creature like a worm – although the spines, head and legs might suggest otherwise 
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Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Facebook Testing ‘Satire’ Tag
Facebook has confirmed it is experimenting with labelling some links as satire to help users confused by spoof headlines. Arstechnica’s Sam Machkovech spotted that “[Satire]” has been added to the start of the text in some links to the Onion. At the moment the text only appears in the related articles section, which shows three suggested links after you’ve already … [Link]
Mashable » 20 Moments When We Needed Siri and She Let Us Down
Oh, Siri, you try so hard. We have to give you some credit, though — you've made a valiant effort at trying to understand our questions, commands and concerns. But when it comes to artificial intelligence, you still have improvements to make. Plus, your sassy attitude has gone on long enough See also: 13 Robots Who Don't Know How to Robot … [Link]
Slashdot » Feds: Red Light Camera Firm Paid For Chicago Official's Car, Condo
An anonymous reader writes "The former CEO of Redflex, a major red light camera vendor, and John Bills, former Managing Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Transportation, have been indicted on federal corruption charges stemming from a contract with the City of Chicago. According to the indictment, a friend of Bills was hired as a contractor and paid $2 million. … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Bill Gates Geeks Out The Ice Bucket Challenge
You’d think pouring a bucket of ice over your head to raise money and awareness for charity would be a simple task, in logistical terms at least. When you’re Bill Gates, though, there’s no situation that doesn’t lend itself to a bit of engineering. For those who’ve somehow missed it, the challenge is to raise awareness for the ALS Association, … [Link]
Mashable » 25 People to Make You Feel Better About Monday
Despite all of our hopes, wishes and dreams, Monday has arrived once again. We tried our best to fight it, but no one can't stop the work week from starting. However, we can help ease the discomfort of the daily grind with a bit of humor. See also: 15 Worst High Fives in Bro History So before you go and tell … [Link]
Mashable » The 10 Most Ridiculous Things in 'The Expendables 3'
Editor’s note: Every week Mashable presents "Let’s Talk About," a look back at the biggest WTF stuff from the weekend’s new releases. If you haven’t seen the movie, be warned: This is a SPOILER MINEFIELD. This week: Let's talk about The Expendables 3 … I'd never go so far as to call Expendables 3 a good movie, but depending on your … [Link]
Mashable » Tumblr Partner Will Now Scan Photos for Clues About Brand Affiliation
Every day, users post about 130 million photos on Tumblr. Starting this week, the Yahoo-owned media brand will start to parse all those images for clues to users' brand affiliations Tumblr is inking a deal this week with Ditto Labs, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, firm that has analyzed photos posted on social media for brand-related data. That doesn't mean that if you … [Link]
Mashable » Missouri Governor Sends National Guard to Ferguson
FERGUSON, Mo. — Missouri's governor on Monday ordered the National Guard to a St. Louis suburb convulsed by protests over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen, after a night in which police used tear gas to clear protesters off the streets well ahead of a curfew. Gov. Jay Nixon said the National Guard would help "in restoring peace … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Zoologger: The secret hop of the Californian flea seed
Say hello to the California jumping gall wasp – its larvae just love hopping all over the place 
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Mashable » Dad Channels Old America in Vintage-Inspired Photo Series
Photographer Tyler Orehek's time machine is his camera. Orehek's photographs channel early and mid-20th century America through the eyes of his two young children, Tyler and Lauren See also: Kids Challenge the Monsters Under Their Bed in Cute Photo Series Orehek told Mashable that his father's tales of growing up in Great Depression-era Brooklyn provided heavy inspiration for his vintage aesthetic … [Link]
Mashable » What Do You Wear to Work When Your Job Has No Dress Code?
Raise your hand if you don't know what "business casual" actually means. That's what we thought. As fashion changes and younger generations rise up the ranks at companies, the official office dress code is a threatened species. While some sectors, such as law, finance and construction, have clear rules about what to wear to work, other industries lack a universal uniform. … [Link]
Mashable » Julian Assange Plans to Leave Ecuadorian Embassy 'Soon'
After being holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for two years, Julian Assange said on Monday that he will leave the building "soon" — although he refused to specify when or on what terms The founder of WikiLeaks held a press conference on Monday, following rumors that he was going to surrender and hand himself in to the London … [Link]
Slashdot » Ebola Quarantine Center In Liberia Looted
An anonymous reader writes The BBC and other outlets are reporting that a major quarantine center for patients who have been infected with the Ebola virus in Liberia has been looted and ransacked. Reports vary on the motive of the attack, but officials have confirmed that the Ebola patients are missing and that the quarantine center's medical supplies have been … [Link]
Mashable » Aided by U.S. Airstrikes, Kurdish Troops Retake Mosul Dam
Iraq’s army spokesman says security forces and Kurdish fighters have taken back the strategic Mosul Dam, the country's largest, from Islamic militants who captured it less than two weeks ago. Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi told The Associated Press that Kurdish peshmerga forces and Iraqi anti-terrorism troops retook the dam on Monday. See also: Airstrikes Target Islamic State Militants at Iraq Dam … [Link]
Mashable » 'The Leftovers' Episode 8 Recap: A Tale of Two Kevins
Forget the Book of Revelation — we need to talk about Kevin. Mapleton's Police Chief is spiraling out of control, and a murder-y darkness bubbles beneath his controlled model-citizen exterior. By day, Kevin Garvey keeps the peace, takes care of his troubled daughter (and her couch-surfing friend), and tries to rehabilitate a rabid dog; by night, he gets blackout drunk, possibly … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Understand faulty thinking to tackle climate change
The amorphous nature of climate change creates the ideal conditions for human denial and cognitive bias to come to the fore, says George Marshall 
[Link]
Slashdot » Fighting Invasive Fish With Forks and Knives
An anonymous reader writes "NPR commentator Bonny Wolf has a unique solution to battle the threat of invasive fish species in our waterways. She proposes we fight them with a knife, fork, and a few lemon wedges. From the article: "Take the , which has made its way into tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. It competes with native species for … [Link]
Mashable » Michael Brown Autopsy Reveals Six Gunshot Wounds
Michael Brown died after being shot six times — twice in the head — according to a private autopsy performed on Sunday. The New York Times broke the story that a separate autopsy had been performed by the former chief medical examiner of New York City at the request of Brown's family. See also: Justice Department Orders Second Autopsy of Michael … [Link]
The Joy of Tech » Communing with nature.
it’s only natural… If you enjoyed the comic, please retweet, Like, or share the URL. Thanks! [Link]
Slashdot » Facebook Tests "Satire" Tag To Avoid Confusion On News Feed
An anonymous reader writes "In an attempt to keep you from having to explain to your crazy relatives that despite what they read, Vice President Biden *didn't* get a grow light delivered to the White House under a fake name, Facebook is testing a "satire" tag on news feeds. A Facebook representative issued the following statement to Ars Technica: "We … [Link]
Slashdot » ICANN Offers Fix For Domain Name Collisions
An anonymous reader writes with news about ICANN's fix for conflicting domain names. This kind of problem — when an internal server's DNS name conflicts with one of the new Top Level Domain (TLD) names — is going to start happening more and more often. With over 300 new TLDs available to be used by August 2014 and 1,100 more … [Link]
Mashable » Hours Before Curfew, Protesters Clash With Police in Ferguson
In the hours leading up to the midnight curfew in Ferguson, Mo., police in riot gear and military equipment fired tear gas and smoke projectiles into a large crowd of protesters, still angered over the killing of teenager Michael Brown by a local police officer 
A person is treated with milk at the local McDonald's after being hit with tear … [Link]
Mashable » Drone Beat: Strikes in Iraq, Crashes in Yellowstone and More
The U.S. government uses them to bomb alleged terrorists in far-away places. Tech companies like Amazon, Google and Facebook are all toying with the idea of using them, and now they're a photographer's secret weapon. Drones are a big part of our lives, whether we see them or not. Drone Beat collects the best and most important stories every week. (This … [Link]
Slashdot » Windows 8.1 Update Crippling PCs With BSOD, Microsoft Suggests You Roll Back
MojoKid writes Right on schedule, Microsoft rolled-out an onslaught of patches for its "Patch Tuesday" last week, and despite the fact that it wasn't the true "Update 2" for Windows 8.1 many of us were hoping for, updates are generally worth snatching up. Since the patch rollout, it's been discovered that four individual updates are causing random BSoD issues for … [Link]
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