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 » Airbnb Lets You Sleep in Ikea for the Night
SYDNEY — You can now live your own version of the movie 500 Days of Summer — by staying a night in an Ikea store. For real: you could be sleeping on the beds, cooking with fake ovens, eating all the meatballs How? In what may well be the partnership of the century, Airbnb has coupled with everyone's favourite Scandinavian flat-packing … [Link]
Slashdot » How Does Tesla Build a Supercharger Charging Site?
cartechboy writes Tesla's Superchargers are the talk of the electric car community. These charging stations can take a Model S battery pack from nearly empty to about 150 miles of range in around 30 minutes. That's crazy fast, and it's nothing short of impressive. But what does it take to actually build a Tesla Supercharger site? Apparently a lot of … [Link]
Mashable » See Jake Gyllenhaal's Worm Turn in New 'Nightcrawler' Trailer
“If you want to win the lottery, you've got to make the money to buy a ticket." So says Jake Gyllenhaal, who couldn't be more right, at least as far as playing the lottery is concerned, in this new trailer for Nightcrawler. Well, what remains of Jake Gyllenhaal, anyway, who left a whole lot of himself on a treadmill somewhere to … [Link]
Mashable » U.S. Copyright Office: Photos Taken by a Monkey Can't Be Copyrighted
The U.S. Copyright Office has settled the recent debate over the so-called monkey selfie, declaring in updated rules that a piece of content produced by an animal can't be registered. Neither can content created by ghosts and gods. Seriously. See also: Very Important Analysis of the Monkey Embroiled in the Wikimedia Copyright Controversy "The Office will not register works produced by … [Link]
Mashable » The Absorbing Man Is Coming to 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'
Get ready for the arrival of "Crusher." Marvel announced Thursday that the Absorbing Man — aka Carl "Crusher" Creel — will face off against Coulson and Co. in the season premiere of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., airing Sept. 23 See also: Marvel vs. DC: Who Has More Superhero Style? He will be played by Brian Patrick Wade, best known for his … [Link]
Slashdot » FCC Warned Not To Take Actions a Republican-Led FCC Would Dislike
tlhIngan writes Municipal broadband is in the news again — this time Chief of Staff Matthew Berry, speaking at the National Conference of State Legislatures, has endorsed states' right to ban municipal broadband networks and warned the (Democrat-led) FCC to not do anything that a future Republican led FCC would dislike. The argument is that municipal broadband discourages private investment … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » *The* Axis of Awesome [Video]
After using the phrase “axis of awesome” to headline a piece on Doctor Who in Rio earlier today, I remembered where I’d heard it before. It’s a good a reason as any to remind folks of the Australian band of that name showing why four chords in particular may sound familiar. [Link]
Mashable » The Grim and Growing Business of Kidnappings in the Middle East
The execution of American journalist James Foley at the hands of Islamic militants, gruesomely displayed in a video that surfaced this week, was a palpable reminder of the shadowy business of kidnappings in the Middle East. For years, extremist groups like the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for Foley's murder, have plied this grisly trade. In the process, they have earned … [Link]
Mashable » Folks, We Have a New Contender for Cheesiest Local Ad
It's tough to make a successful local ad. With low budgets, poor lighting and cheesy graphics, there's a lot that can go wrong But that didn't stop this "Ancient European" restaurant from trying its best to make the perfect commercial for its fine dining establishment. This ad has it all: white suits, talking fish and big, important questions about what … [Link]
Mashable » Hands On With the New Vine: 6-Second Videos Will Never Be the Same
The new camera features on Vine aren't just shiny and new. They've totally changed the platform It’s been nearly two years since Twitter acquired Vine and added it to the canon of notable social media platforms. Six-second looping videos simply weren’t “a thing” before Vine proved that our short attention spans were, in fact, good for something. See also: 10 Reasons … [Link]
Slashdot » Latest Wikipedia Uproar Over 'Superprotection'
metasonix writes: As if the problems brought up during the recent 2014 Wikimania conference weren't enough, now Wikipedia is having an outright battle between its editor and administrator communities, especially on the German-language Wikipedia. The Wikimedia Foundation, currently flush with cash from its donors, keeps trying to force flawed new software systems onto the editor community, who has repeatedly responded … [Link]
Mashable » Jamie King Relied on Uber to Get Her to the Hospital to Give Birth
The app-based car service Uber received some unexpected free press from actress Jamie King and talk show host Conan O'Brien on Wednesday. King decided to hail a reliable Uber car instead of calling an ambulance to take her to the hospital when she thought she may be going into labor in October "They say three minutes away, and an ambulance … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » An Axis of Awesome
What’s cooler than Doctor Who and Clara? Doctor Who and Clara in Rio. And what’s cooler than Doctor Who and Clara in Rio? Doctor Who and Clara in Rio filmed on a drone cam. Watch out for the special surprise guest! [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Chain Lands New Funding to Expand Bitcoin Platform Offering
Chain landed $9.5 million in new funding that will allow it to expand its enterprise bitcoin infrastructure. Plus, Hailo launches public API on the same day Uber launched its API.
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ProgrammableWeb.com » WhitePages Opens Contact Graph API and New Developer Portal
WhitePages is opening up developer access to its huge graph database of people and businesses. Their new platform is called the WhitePages PRO Contact Graph and accessed via a RESTful web service called the Graph API.
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ProgrammableWeb.com » Addepar and HackerRank Host Record-Breaking Hackathon
Addepar, an interactive investment analysis solution provider, teamed up with HackerRank to host a record-breaking hackathon. The eight-hour global event attracted 3,800 coders and developers to tackle eight challenges.
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Mashable » 55 Gorgeous Views That Show Hawaii Is the Dreamiest State in the U.S.
Happy birthday, Hawaii! Fifty-five years ago Thursday, America welcomed its youngest and most tropical state. But let's be honest: When it comes to states, Hawaii is a bit of an outcast. See also: 15 Gorgeous Vacation Spots Proving Heaven Is a Place on Earth Sitting some 2,400 miles off the coast of California, the beautiful archipelago has a diverse and awe-inspiring … [Link]
Slashdot » Future Hack: New Cybersecurity Tool Predicts Breaches Before They Happen
An anonymous reader writes: A new research paper (PDF) outlines security software that scans and scrapes web sites (past and present) to identify patterms leading up to a security breach. It then accurately predicts what websites will be hacked in the future. The tool has an accuracy of up to 66%. Quoting: "The algorithm is designed to automatically detect whether … [Link]
Mashable » How to Shift PR From Vanity Metrics to Value-Driven Measurement
This article is part of SWOT Team, a new series on Mashable that features insights from leaders in marketing, brand-building and public relations. Vanity, to any degree, is typically a substitute for things (or people) that lack true substance. The truth is, in our modern, self-obsessed culture, we all suffer from some level of vanity — but beyond a certain threshold, … [Link]
Slashdot » NASA's Space Launch System Searches For a Mission
schwit1 writes: Managers of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) are searching for a mission that they can propose and convince Congress to fund. "Once SLS is into the 2020s, the launch rate should see the rocket launching at least once per year, ramping up to a projected three times per year for the eventual Mars missions. However, the latter won’t … [Link]
Mashable » Report: Tesla OS Update Could Let You Start the Model S With an iPhone
Tesla did away with the need for gas, and now, according to a new leak, it's planning to throw away the keys. The newest Tesla Model S OS update will reportedly allow owners to start and unlock their electric cars with an iPhone. See also: Faster, Better, Solar: Record-Breaking Student Car May Hit Streets by 2015 Based on screenshots obtained by … [Link]
Slashdot » At Home with Tim O'Reilly (Videos 5 and 6 of 6)
Today's videos are parts five and six of our casual interview with Tim O'Reilly, founder of O'Reilly Media and one of the most influential open source boosters around. (You supplied the questions. He supplied the answers.) We had a lot more to say about Tim Tuesday when we ran parts one and two of our video interview with him. Yesterday … [Link]
Mashable » Welcome to Google Street View, Indonesia
Google launched Street View in Indonesia on Thursday, allowing users to see panoramic cityscapes and underwater views of the country's striking coral reefs With a population of nearly 250 million, Indonesia is Google's biggest market in Asia thus far. The project was announced in partnership with Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy in 2012 and took two years to develop … [Link]
Mashable » Walmart Slashes iPhone 5C Price to 97 Cents
Walmart has drastically cut the prices of the iPhone 5C and 5S, suggesting an upcoming debut of the iPhone 6 (which, granted, Apple hasn't even announced yet) The iPhone 5S (16GB) has been reduced from $99 to $79, and the iPhone 5C (16GB, in any color) has been reduced from $29 to just 97 cents. The new prices are available with … [Link]
Slashdot » New Research Suggests Cancer May Be an Intrinsic Property of Cells
cranky_chemist sends this report from NPR: "Cancer simply may be here to stay. Researchers at Kiel University, the Catholic University of Croatia and other institutions discovered that hydra — tiny, coral-like polyps that emerged hundreds of millions of years ago — form tumors similar to those found in humans. Which suggests that our cells' ability to develop cancer is "an … [Link]
Mashable » Marvel vs. DC: Who Has More Superhero Style?
It’s not about who has the greatest superpowers or the coolest gadgets. It's about who looks good while kicking crime's butt. Visual shopping site PicClick.com analyzed the 50 most popular Marvel and DC Comics superheroes for their costume choices and set up heroes with similar styles to go head-to-head for the ultimate fashion showdown. See also: 9 Unexpected Cosplay Costume Ideas … [Link]
Mashable » U.S. Colleges Pull Students From Israel as Conflict Rages On
HARTFORD, Conn. — Some colleges in the United States are pulling students from overseas study programs in Israel as the conflict in Gaza rages, though the relative calm beyond the immediate battle areas is raising questions in some quarters about why they had to leave. Colleges say security was the top concern, citing advisories about hazardous travel from the U.S. State … [Link]
Slashdot » Microsoft Lobby Denies the State of Chile Access To Free Software
walterbyrd writes: Fresh on the heels of the entire Munich and Linux debacle, another story involving Microsoft and free software has popped up across the world, in Chile. A prolific magazine from the South American country says that the powerful Microsoft lobby managed to turn around a law that would allow the authorities to use free software. "An independent member … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Alpacamon [Pic]
If you’ve ever wondered what Pokemon characters would look like if they were alpacas (which admittedly may be unlikely), artist Lopaki has you covered. Here’s a taster of the full collection, available to view at Deviantart. 
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Mashable » Shailene Woodley Sheds the Teen Thing in 'White Bird in a Blizzard' Trailer
Shailene Woodley is 22 in real life, but with teen roles in films like The Spectacular Now, Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars, we still think of her as a perpetual high schooler. And though she plays a 17-year-old in Gregg Araki's White Bird in a Blizzard, we can safely say she's turning a corner into very adult territory. … [Link]
Mashable » Old Coders: When Programming Is a Second Career
Liz Beigle-Bryant took her first programming class, BASIC, in 1973. At the time, computers were part of the math departments instead of the engineering departments, she recalls. And because she had a background in family art, everyone at her high school discouraged her from doing so. Beigle-Bryant, now 57, didn't revisit coding again until a couple of years ago, when she … [Link]
Mashable » Spotify Serendipity Maps People Playing the Same Song at the Same Time
Spotify already tells users what their friends are listening to. Now it's expanding that idea to international proportions, thanks to a new tool. Serendipity records where and when at least two people start playing the same song within a tenth of a second of each other. The map quickly zooms in on the two users and plays the song for a … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Everyone API Puts Valuable Telephone Data at Developers' Fingertips
Having a better knowledge of who it is that marketing efforts are being aimed at is imperative for the success of any product or application. Telephone data that provides accurate information, such as a person's name, address and gender, gives the marketer or developer a real advantage and a much better chance of hitting the mark.
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ProgrammableWeb.com » ProgrammableWeb's API Conference Is Coming To London
Earlier this year (May 2014), ProgrammableWeb ran its first every API conference in San Francisco. Called APIcon, I billed it as an API conference that was for the API community by the API community. The event included developer workshops (many of which were standing room only), conference sessions for API stakeholders in just about any stage of their API journey, … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » USA.gov Releases Corporate Consumer Contact API
USA.gov has just released an API that allows programmatic access to a curated list of contact information for consumer-related corporations.
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Slashdot » Book Review: Social Engineering In IT Security Tools, Tactics, and Techniques
benrothke writes When I got a copy of Social Engineering in IT Security Tools, Tactics, and Techniques by Sharon Conheady, my first thought was that it likely could not have much that Christopher Hadnagy didn't already detail in the definitive text on the topic: Social Engineering: The Art of Human Hacking. Obviously Hadnagy thought differently, as he wrote the forward … [Link]
Mashable » Live Updates: Gov. Jay Nixon Orders National Guard Out of Ferguson
Mashable is following the latest from Ferguson, where protesters and police are squaring off over the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown. See Wednesday's live coverage here. 3 things you need to know on Thursday, Aug. 21: Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon orders the National Guard to "withdraw" from Ferguson. Activists demand the resignation of Ferguson's mayor and police chief. Protests remained peaceful … [Link]
Slashdot » How Game Developers Turn Kickstarter Failure Into Success
Nerval's Lobster writes When you ask random strangers on the Internet to give you money, there are no guarantees. That's true in almost any scenario, including when video game developers use Kickstarter to crowdfund the creation of a game. While 3,900 or so games have been funded on Kickstarter, more than 7,200 game projects failed to hit their goal. Within … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Postmortems, sans finger-pointing: The OReilly Radar Podcast
Editor’s note: you can subscribe to the O’Reilly Radar Podcast through iTunes, SoundCloud, or directly through our podcast’s RSS feed. When you’re dealing with complex systems, failure is going to happen; it’s a given. What we do after that failure, … [Link]
Mashable » Those Free AOL CDs Were a Campaign for Web Domination. It Worked.
For his day job, Brian McCullough is the CEO of ResumeWriters.com and has founded several companies in the online careers space. He started the Internet History Podcast as a crowd-sourced history project in February of this year. You can subscribe to the podcast here. Jan Brandt is a legend in the world of marketing. She singlehandedly led the famous AOL “carpet-bombing” … [Link]
Slashdot » Metamaterial Superconductor Hints At New Era of High Temperature Superconductors
KentuckyFC writes: Superconductors allow current to flow with zero resistance when cooled below some critical temperature. They are the crucial ingredients in everything from high-power magnets and MRI machines to highly sensitive magnetometers and magnetic levitation devices. But one big problem is that superconductors work only at very low temperatures — the highest is around 150 kelvin (-120 degrees centigrade). … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Assassins Creed Goes Back To The Stone Age [Video]
This imaginative, if not exactly 100% official, trailer wonders how the franchise’s journey through history might go. [Link]
New Scientist – News » Trippy tots: How to see the world as a baby
We've all been there, and none of us remembers. But psychedelic drugs, love and travel are just some of the ways we can roll parts of our brain back to infancy (full text available to subscribers) 
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Mashable » 40+ Tech Events From Dallas to Las Vegas
The Mashable Events Board is a great place to find leading conferences in your industry, whether it's advertising, technology, media or public relations. This week we're highlighting five events that we think can help move your career forward. If you don't find something below that's right for you, check out the dozens of event listings on our board. You can sort … [Link]
New Scientist – News » China sting shows censors fear posts that incite unrest
Undercover look into the secrets of China's online censorship system shows how anything that encourages collective action makes the authorities nervous 
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New Scientist – News » Earliest stars lived short, fiery lives
The chemical fingerprint of an ancient star suggests its predecessors were more massive than thought, ending up as huge supernovae 
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New Scientist – News » Hummingbirds turned savoury into sweet to taste nectar
Birds lost the taste receptors for sugar, but hummingbirds clearly have a sweet tooth. Now we know how they regained it 
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Mashable » 8 Vines of Transformations Happening Before Your Very Eyes
We partnered with Hewlett-Packard for this week's Mashable Vine Challenge, in which we asked you to create tricky transformations in stop-motion or clever live-action videos We saw turns, flips, slides and just pure magic in these Vines. Food items vanished, objects grew out from other objects, plants and animals transformed. It was an impressive collection of submissions, to say the least … [Link]
Mashable » How to Make Your Own Dancing Baby Groot
You don't need CGI to grow your own sentient tree friend. The arboreal superhero from Guardians of the Galaxy is arguably the most popular character to come out of the franchise — especially in his twig-like, baby form. Patrick Delahanty, creator of AnimeCons.com, was so much of a fan he had to create a Groot of his own. See also: You, … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: What Do You Wish You'd Known Starting Out As a Programmer?
snydeq writes: Most of us gave little thought to the "career" aspect of programming when starting out, but here we are, battle-hardened by hard-learned lessons, slouching our way through decades at the console, wishing perhaps that we had recognized the long road ahead when we started. What advice might we give to our younger self, or to younger selves coming … [Link]
Mashable » Facebook Launching 'Mentions Box' Device During Emmys
LOS ANGELES — Like a child shaking an Etch A Sketch with both hands, celebrities on Monday's Emmys red carpet will be shaking a new toy created by Facebook. Facebook told Mashable that on Aug. 25 it will debut the Facebook Mentions Box, an interactive device that stars will wield to answer questions from fans. It's similar to the InstaStop Video … [Link]
Mashable » Russia Shutters 4 McDonald's Locations for 'Sanitary Violations'
The Russian government closed four McDonald's restaurants in Moscow on Wednesday for alleged sanitary violations, though many believe the move was designed to be a dig at the United States. Many western European nations, including the U.S., have periodically ramped up sanctions against Moscow for months now, following Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in March. Russia has responded … [Link]
Mashable » Report: Windows 9 Will Debut as Early as Sept. 30
Windows 9 may be coming even before you begin thinking about a Halloween costume. A new report says Microsoft will give the world a first look at the new version of Windows on Sept. 30 or soon afterward at a press event to announce a developer build of the software. The Verge reports the date is tentative, but the general timeframe … [Link]
Mashable » Chris Pratt Visits Hospital in 'Guardians' Garb, Recognized as Star-Lord
Finally, Star-Lord is getting recognized. Chris Pratt showed up at Children's Hospital Los Angeles on Wednesday night in full Ravager garb (that's the name of his space-gang, for the 12 of you who didn't see Guardians of the Galaxy). SEE ALSO: Know Your Groots: 11 Sentient Trees Branched Out of Pop Culture Star Lord (@prattprattpratt) cheered up our patients by sharing … [Link]
Mashable » Instagram Rolls Out Deeper Analytics for Advertisers
Instagram launched a suite of deeper analytics for advertisers on Thursday that are targeted to offer greater visibility into how their campaigns are performing on the network. The new metrics, like impressions, reach and engagement, will provide data to marketers almost in real time. The program is being rolled out to Instagram's several dozen ad partners, including Levi's, Hollister and Taco … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Prison & Courtroom Security Scanners May Be Vulnerable
Security researchers say a widely-used airport security scanner can be fooled fairly simply. Although the model in question was dropped from airports last year, it’s still used in prisons and courthouses. The model in question is the Rapiscan Secure 1000, which the TSA dropped after controversy over the way it produced what effectively appeared to be nude images of passengers. … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest on newscientist.com: why are IQs falling? Google's Knowledge Vault, last days of Neanderthals, ever-bigger spiders in Australia and more 
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Slashdot » Experimental Drug Stops Ebola-like Infection
sciencehabit writes: An experimental treatment against an Ebola-related virus can protect monkeys even when given up to 3 days after infection, the point at which they show the first signs of disease. The virus, known as Marburg, causes severe hemorrhagic fever—vomiting, diarrhea, and internal bleeding. In one outbreak, it killed 90% of people it infected. There are no proven treatments … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » All-Bacon Restaurant Comes To Montreal
At Bar Brutus in Montreal, which opens soon, you’ll never be asked “do you want bacon with that?” because everything is bacon. For example, the “HOT PIG,” a bacon meat sausage with bacon garnish. 
And,naturally, the bacon poutine with Jagermeister sauce. 
A “Waffledog.” 
Check out the Bar Brutus Facebook page for more of their dishes, including chicken wings with bacon … [Link]
Mashable » 'Baby Got Class' Is the Back-to-School Anthem for Parents
These kids are going to be very popular on the first day of school. The Holderness family, known for the viral #XMAS Jammies video last December, made a new parody to get parents their kids pumped for the first day of school. Parents Kim and Penn rap about the struggles of back to school preparations ("This says two-pocket folders? Is … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Building pipelines to facilitate data analysis
In every data analysis, you have to string together many tools. You need tools for data wrangling, visualisation, and modelling to understand what’s going on in your data. To use these tools effectively, you need to be able to easily … [Link]
Mashable » GoPro Documents a Day in the Life of a Pizza Tool
You're about to get very hungry. Genius YouTube user and pizzeria employee haberdashery12 attached a GoPro to the tool used to pull pizzas out of the oven. The result is a mouthwatering look at the simple life of a pizza pan. We'll take ours with extra cheese. Folks, We Have a New Contender for Cheesiest Local Ad Jamie King Relied … [Link]
Slashdot » Dramatic Shifts In Manufacturing Costs Are Driving Companies To US, Mexico
hackingbear writes: According to a new Cost-Competitiveness Index, the nations often perceived as having low manufacturing costs — such as China, Brazil, Russia, and the Czech Republic — are no longer much cheaper than the U.S. In some cases, they are estimated to be even more expensive. Chinese manufacturing wages have nearly quintupled since 2004, while Mexican wages have risen … [Link]
Mashable » 2 American Ebola Patients Discharged; 'No Public Health Threat'
The two American patients diagnosed with Ebola in July have been released from the hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, where they were receiving treatment After 19 days in isolation in a special unit at the Emory University Hospital, Dr. Kent Brantly, 33, was discharged on Thursday. Nancy Writebol, 59, who had been held with Brantly, was released on Tuesday, which the university … [Link]
Mashable » Chromebooks Can Now Run Apps… Sort Of
One of the criticisms of Chromebooks is that they can't run apps per se — pretty much everything they run is done through the Google Chrome browser. That keeps the machines nimble, but limits the kinds of experiences they can serve up. Unless of course those experiences are adapted to run through a browser, and that's exactly what Citrix has enabled. … [Link]
Mashable » All Your Questions About Fantasy Football, Answered
While the real NFL action is still several weeks away, many football fanatics will be drafting their fantasy football teams this weekend. To prepare for their drafts, nerds everywhere will be poring over spreadsheets and statistics, trying to predict the answers to this year's big questions: Can Peyton Manning repeat his historic success from last year? Will Rob Gronkowski stay … [Link]
Mashable » Choo-Choo-Choose to Look at Simpsons-ized Characters in TV and Film
After 25 seasons, The Simpsons has crafted a style very much its own. Big eyes, overbites, small chins, (mostly) yellow skin — they're instantly recognizable. Belgian illustrator Adrien Noterdaem, creator and operator of the "Simpsonized" Tumblr site, is an expert in the style, and has recreated pop culture icons as Springfield inhabitants since 2013. See also: 12 Reasons Lisa Simpson Should … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Terry Gilliam’s Lost Commentary For The Fisher King [Video]
If you thought the director commentary track debuted with DVDs, think again. This is taken from the (now out of print) 1991 Laserdisc release. This is audio only, so you’ll need to source the movie elsewhere for the full effect, but the uploader has added a series of still shots from production and the movie itself. [Via: Blastr.com] [Link]
Mashable » Goliath Grouper Gobbles Up a 4-Foot Shark in 1 Bite
Shark Week may be over, but clearly, not everyone got the message. A group fishing off the coast of Bonita Springs, Florida, accidentally hooked a 4-foot-long blacktip shark, but lurking in the waters below was an even bigger catch: a Goliath grouper fish Before the fishers could unhook the shark, the grouper chomped it up in one bite — like … [Link]
Mashable » Red Bull, Jaguar Among the First Advertisers on SoundCloud
Red Bull and Jaguar will be among the first five advertisers on SoundCloud, the six-year-old audio platform that began running ads on Thursday as a way to compensate artists and labels. Other advertisers, including Squarespace, Comedy Central and Sonos, will began running ads as part of Premier, a new invite-only subscription SoundCloud tier that promises to compensate artists and labels. Premier … [Link]
Slashdot » Interviews: Andrew "bunnie" Huang Answers Your Questions
A while ago you had a chance to ask Andrew "bunnie" Huang about hardware, hacking and his open source hardware laptop Novena. Below you'll find his answers to those questions. 
Read more of this story at Slashdot. 
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Mashable » Wisdom Teeth Surgery Drugs Take #IceBucketChallenge to Next Level
What was missing from the deluge of #icebucketchallenge videos clogging up your Facebook feed? Surgery drugs. Megan was so passionate about helping the ALS cause that she participated immediately following her wisdom-teeth extraction surgery — bloody mouth and all The video was posted on YouTube Thursday by Ansley Rezzo and on Reddit by user _depression. [UPDATE 2:11 p.m. The video … [Link]
Mashable » 'World of Warcraft' Source Code May Reveal a Robin Williams Tribute
Fans may have discovered Blizzard's plans to memorialize actor Robin Williams in World of Warcraft by examining an upcoming expansion to the game. Gaming site Wowhead discovered three character models named "Robin " in the upcoming Warlords of Draenor expansion for the massively multiplayer online game. One appeared to be a genie, a fitting tribute to Williams' role in Aladdin. See … [Link]
Mashable » Watch Kermit the Frog Sing 'Let It Go'
Frogs can sing — don't let anyone ever tell you differently Kermit the Frog dropped by Mashable for our newest episode of Monumental to talk about his favorite songs from this summer Every week on Monumental, a rotating group of panelists will debate and decide the top four — or "Mount Rushmore — of a familiar topic in pop culture. … [Link]
Slashdot » Couchsurfing Hacked, Sends Airbnb Prank Spam
Slashdot regular (and Couchsurfing.org volunteer) Bennett Haselton writes with a report that an anonymous prankster hacked the Couchsurfing.org website and sent spam to about 1 million members, snarkily advertising their commercial arch-rival Airbnb as "the new Couchsurfing." (Read on below for more on the breach.) As of now, the spam's been caught, but not the spammer. Read more of this … [Link]
Mashable » Report: Tumblr Is Growing, But Not Helping Yahoo's Bottom Line
Yahoo does not have a traffic problem. Neither does Tumblr. Yahoo does have an ad problem, though — and it's not clear whether Tumblr can do much to fix that. Those are the takeaways from a new report from eMarketer in its first forecast of Tumblr's users and advertising prospects. See also: Marissa Mayer's 2-Year Report Card at Yahoo: C- The … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » A Riddle For You
Courtesy of training firm Robust IT. (Clue: there’s an element of inconsistency in the answer.) 
Scroll for the answer: – – – – – – – – – – – – – Answer: The cashier deciphered the message as “I owe nothing for I ate nothing.” [Link]
Mashable » 5 'Simpsons' Facts You Might Not D'oh!
The Simpsons debuted all the way back in 1989. That roughly makes you as old as Mr. Burns' father (almost.) See also: We Built the Entire Lego 'Simpsons' House in One 10-Hour Sitting On Aug. 21, the FXX network will broadcast the show's 552 episodes over a 12-day period To make sure you're prepared, we're talking all things Simpsons in … [Link]
Mashable » Look Back on the 'Emo Era' With the Bands That Created It
Welcome to Throwback Tunesday, where Mashable amplifies the echoes of music past. With genre trends and throwbacks, we synthesize music and nostalgia. The explosion that was the emo/pop punk/post-hardcore scene in the early and mid-2000s was more than a genre trend. It was a movement, blasting from teens’ bedrooms across American suburbs. With strongholds in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and … [Link]
Mashable » Soon, Your Food May Dine on Insects
As the world grows hungrier for animal protein, insects could be the new way to feed livestock. Most farmers go to great lengths to keep insects at bay. For a growing cadre of livestock and fish producers though, bugs have never been so welcome. Despite the appearance of some insect-based foods on store shelves — protein bars and tortilla chips made … [Link]
Mashable » Google Opens Chrome to Cuba — for Those Who Can Get Online
Internet users in Cuba — the few who have access to the web, that is — can now download Google's popular browser Chrome. Google announced that it made Chrome available in Cuba on Wednesday, blaming the delay on U.S. export controls and sanctions against the communist country. See also: The Internet in Cuba: 5 Things You Need to Know The Cuban … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: 40% Off Player’s Handbook (Dungeons & Dragons – 5th Edition) – $29.97
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon has Dungeons & Dragons: The 5th Edition Player’s Handbook for just $29.97. That’s 40% off on the handbook’s regular list price of $49.95. Everything a player needs to create heroic characters for the world’s greatest roleplaying game The Player’s Handbook® is the essential reference for every Dungeons & Dragons® roleplayer. It … [Link]
Slashdot » The 2014 Hugo Awards
Dave Knott writes: WorldCon 2014 wrapped up in London this last weekend and this year's Hugo Award winners were announced. Notable award winners include: Best Novel: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie Best Novelette: "The Lady Astronaut of Mars" by Mary Robinette Kowal Best Novella: "Equoid" by Charles Stross Best Short Story: "The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere" by … [Link]
Mashable » Product Hunt, the Reddit for What’s New in Tech, Is Now an App
If you like to keep close tabs on what Silicon Valley is up to, you probably know Product Hunt, the site that serves up a daily list of new software products and services, ranking them with Reddit-like upvotes. Product Hunt now has a product of its own, an iOS app that brings an enhanced experience to iPhone users. See also: 10 … [Link]
Mashable » Jared Leto Shares His Deepest Thoughts With the World
Jared Leto had some kind of spiritual transcendence on The Tonight Show Wednesday, and we have Hollywood's Powers That Be to thank for it The Oscar-winning actor and Jimmy Fallon performed a bizarrely hilarious skit called "Intense Staredown," which was basically akin to a marijuana-induced Ricola commercial. The two men donned robes and recited deep thoughts such as, "Sexual energy … [Link]
Mashable » The Most Connected Man Is You, Just a Few Years From Now
DENVER, Colorado — Chris Dancy, the self-described "most connected guy in the world," reclines in a throne in the corner of his home office. The walls around him are a scrapbook of his life, pinned with foreign currency, concert tickets and pictures of his icons, like Michael Jackson and Andy Warhol. In between stories of his travels, he mentions his newfound … [Link]
Slashdot » Study: Ad-Free Internet Would Cost Everyone $230-a-Year
Several readers sent word of research into the cost of internet content without ads. They looked at the amount of money spent on internet advertising last year in the U.K., and compared it to the number of U.K. internet users. On average, each user would have to pay about £140 ($230) to make up for the lost revenue of an … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Goldfish Battle At Street Fighter
First came a million people playing Pokemon together by issuing commands in a chatroom. Then came a goldfish playing Pokemon by issuing commands by moving to different areas of his bowl. Now comes two goldfish doing battle in Street Fighter, again with their movements being tracked and turned into controller button presses. Watch live video from FishPlayStreetFighter on www.twitch.tv Things … [Link]
Mashable » Oh, This Bracelet? It's Just My Wearable Device Charger
Wearable devices are increasingly seen as tools primarily designed to track your life, but a new entrant into the category has a far more practical mission: charging your devices The QBracelet looks like a stylish piece of wrist candy, but is in fact a portable charger capable of delivering juice to your iPhone or Android device See also: iPhone Case Lets … [Link]
Mashable » Square Goes After Small Businesses With New Suite of Analytics Tools
Square has a new pitch for local businesses: more data for less money. Square launched a suite of analytics tools on Thursday intended to help sellers track how their business is performing in real-time. The service, called Square Analytics, is free and integrates with Square's point-of-sale system. See also: 10 Startups to Watch in 2014 Merchants using Square previously had access … [Link]
New Scientist – News » More autopsies on a body don't mean more answers
Medical examiner Judy Melinek says we shouldn't expect extra autopsies to shed new light on what happened in the Michael Brown shooting in Missouri 
[Link]
Slashdot » Calif. Court Rules Businesses Must Reimburse Cell Phone Bills
New submitter dszd0g writes The Court of Appeal of the State of California has ruled in Cochran v. Schwan's Home Service that California businesses must reimburse employees who BYOD for work. "We hold that when employees must use their personal cell phones for work-related calls, Labor Code section 2802 requires the employer to reimburse them. Whether the employees have cell … [Link]
Mashable » 'The Simpsons' Marathon on FXX: When to Watch the Highest-Rated Episodes
The Simpsons are taking over FXX And while it may seem appealing to stay up for 12 days (Aug. 21 to Sept. 1) to catch all 25 seasons, it's impossible. Also, more dangerous than an all-syrup Squishy See also: 12 Reasons Lisa Simpson Should Be the First Lady President So we've put together a guide to help you catch some of … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Swelling Australian cities harbour ever bigger spiders
Arachnophobes have more reason to steer clear of Australia: as its cities get more built-up, urban spiders are getting larger 
[Link]
Mashable » The Delicious Health Benefits of Beer
Beer, it's the nectar of the gods — and it can help your health, too. Though there's not a nutritional label on the bottle, there are some small benefits to drinking the golden brown liquid (in moderation, of course). The yeast, water, grains and even the alcohol all contribute to a slightly healthier you See also: 10 Unusual Uses for Your … [Link]
Slashdot » Professor Steve Ballmer Will Teach At Two Universities This Year
redletterdave (2493036) writes "When Steve Ballmer announced he was stepping down from Microsoft's board of directors, he cited a fall schedule that would "be hectic between teaching a new class and the start of the NBA season." It turns out Ballmer will teach an MBA class at Stanford's Graduate School of Business in the fall, and a class at USC's … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » George Takei Documentary Trailer [Video]
Here’s the trailer for a documentary to be released tomorrow looking at the life of Star Trek’s George Takei. Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei boldly journeyed from a WWII internment camp, to the helm of the starship Enterprise, to the daily news feeds of five million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband Brad on this star’s … [Link]
Mashable » 11 'True Blood' #TBT Photos That Definitely Don't Suck
Even vampires must come to terms with the end — at least, those on True Blood. The HBO series will run its final episode this Sunday, and there are a number of ways the show might end. However, rather than looking forward, we decided to take a look back at some of the characters before they resided in Bon Temps, Louisiana. … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Race to electrify rural Africa could help the West too
Investments in mini grid systems aimed at powering up remote parts of Africa may provide a test bed for rural energy infrastructure elsewhere in the world 
[Link]
Mashable » U.S. Ebola Patient to Be Released From Hospital
Kent Brantly, the American doctor who was diagnosed with Ebola when working in Liberia, will be released from the hospital on Thursday, according to multiple news reports. The doctor was working in Liberia treating Ebola patients when he was diagnosed with the disease and flown to the United States for treatment at Atlanta's Emory University Hospital. He has now recovered and … [Link]
Mashable » 17 Musical Lyrics to Express Your Internet Struggle
We already burst into songs from musicals in everyday situations. Why not do it when we're sitting in front of a computer? The Internet brings a unique array of daily struggles. Sometimes, the drama that computers and smartphones add to our lives gets to be too much, or the daily grind of the Internet gets us down, and musicals are the … [Link]
Mashable » Google Glass Update Brings Access to All Your Phone Contacts
Google has updated its Glass software, letting you access all of your phone's contacts (as opposed to only 10) on Glass The top 20 contacts are now available by voice, while the rest can be accessed by swiping See also: Google Glass Gets Fancy New Frames and Shades Other changes include a new way to choose how you message a contact … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 21 August 2014
Dat — an open source project that provides a streaming interface between every file format and data storage backend. See the Wired piece on it. Smithsonian Crowdsourcing Transcription (Smithsonian) — 49 volunteers transcribed 200 pages of correspondence between the Monuments … [Link]
Mashable » Avoid the Post-Vacation Return-to-Work Slump
I’ve just come back from a month in Portland, Oregon, and let me tell you, leaving the 80 degree heat, clear blue skies, friendly smiles, delicious food, and big welcomes and coming home to the beautiful laughable English weather, crappy service, bad attitudes, and indifferent shrugs has been quite the challenge. It’s the time of year for it. You may be … [Link]
Mashable » 12 Lifelogging Apps to Help You Raise Your Baby
Whether you're a new or veteran parent, there's no doubt that taking care of little one keeps you on your toes. Staying on top of your child's doctor appointments, eating habits, sleep schedule and more can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are plenty of apps out there to lend you a hand. From tracking your baby's development to storing important health … [Link]
Slashdot » The First Particle Physics Evidence of Physics Beyond the Standard Model?
StartsWithABang writes It's the holy grail of modern particle physics: discovering the first smoking-gun, direct evidence for physics beyond the Standard Model. Sure, there are unanswered questions and unsolved puzzles, ranging from dark matter to the hierarchy problem to the strong-CP problem, but there's no experimental result clubbing us over the head that can't be explained with standard particle physics. … [Link]
Mashable » Hackers Compromise 51 UPS Stores Across the United States
A gang of cybercriminals from Eastern Europe, which is believed to be behind this year's high profile breaches of Target, P.F. Chang’s, Neiman Marcus and other retailers has also compromised 51 UPS Stores across the United States. People who have used their debit or credit cards at UPS Stores between Jan. 20, 2014 and Aug. 11, 2014 may have gotten their … [Link]
Mashable » Israeli Airstrike Kills 3 Senior Hamas Leaders
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed three senior leaders of the Hamas military wing on Thursday, the militant group said, in what is likely to be a major blow to the organization's morale and a significant scoop for Israeli intelligence. The strike near Rafah, a town in the southern part of the coastal territory, was one … [Link]
New Scientist – News » It would be stupid to ignore a drop in human intellect
The long-term rise in IQ scores might be coming to a halt, but we should focus on improving social conditions rather than worrying about idiocracy 
[Link]
Slashdot » National Science Foundation Awards $20 Million For Cloud Computing Experiments
aarondubrow writes The National Science Foundation today announced two $10 million projects to create cloud computing testbeds — to be called "Chameleon" and "CloudLab" — that will enable the academic research community to experiment with novel cloud architectures and pursue new, architecturally-enabled applications of cloud computing. While most of the original concepts for cloud computing came from the academic research … [Link]
Mashable » SchoolGuard App Is a Panic Button That Alerts All Police Within 20 Miles
A new smartphone system may help law enforcement respond faster to school shootings or other emergenciesSchoolGuard is an app with a button that, when pushed, alerts all police officers within a 20-mile radius of the school at risk. Many school districts have police notification systems in place in case of an active shooter or other emergency situation, but in many cases, … [Link]
Mashable » Docking Station Makes Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 Indistinguishable From a Desktop
Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 is ready for work. I tote the tablet/ultraportable hybrid everywhere and am almost always pleasantly surprised by how, with its optional Type Cover, effective it can be in any situation that might require a full-blown PC. However, it hadn’t supplanted my go-to Lenovo laptop — until now. And that's all thanks to its new $199.99 docking station. … [Link]
Mashable » Ice Bucket Challenge Raises $8.6 Million in 24 Hours
The Ice Bucket Challenge raised $8.6 million in 24 hours, flooding the ALS Association with donations Barbara Newhouse, the nonprofit organization's president, said she hopes the gift will be a "game-changer" in the fight against the degenerative disease. However, it's not yet clear how the ALS Association plans to spend its windfall. The charity revealed on Wednesday that it had received … [Link]
Slashdot » China Pulls Plug On Genetically Modified Rice and Corn
sciencehabit writes China's Ministry of Agriculture has decided not to renew biosafety certificates that allowed research groups to grow genetically modified (GM) rice and corn. The permits, to grow two varieties of GM rice and one transgenic corn strain, expired on 17 August. The reasoning behind the move is not clear, and it has raised questions about the future of … [Link]
Mashable » Gaza Protesters in New York City Seek Solidarity With Ferguson
UPDATED: 12:30 a.m. ET on Aug. 21 Pro-Palestinian protesters scored a major propaganda victory Wednesday with the unfurling of a giant Palestinian flag from one of the most visible bridges in New York City. The flag reads "Gaza. Boycott Divestment Sanctions," and was unfurled around 7 p.m. ET. It was removed by New York police roughly 30 minutes later. It appears … [Link]
Mashable » Netflix Plus Oculus Hack Shows What Binge-Watching in Virtual Reality Is Like
Netflix may be using Internet distribution as a means to disrupt the traditional broadcast and cable-network model, but this week, the company showed off a brand new experiment that could become a future reality: Oculus meets Netflix The mashup, appropriately dubbed Oculix, shows a user sitting in front of his laptop while wearing the virtual-reality headset to peruse Netflix's catalog … [Link]
Mashable » Bondi Hipsters Show Reality of Australian Men in Old Spice Ad
SYDNEY — With all the hype surrounding the hilarious Old Spice ads, it was only a matter of time before Australia got its very own version. The Bondi Hipsters — known for their irreverent videos about Australian hipster culture — have gotten on board with the "man smells" company to create a ridiculous video in response to the hugely popular … [Link]
Mashable » Iceland Evacuates Area Near Bardabunga Volcano Over Eruption Concerns
Authorities in Iceland have evacuated areas surrounding the country's largest glacier amid worries that Bardarbunga, a sub-glacial volcano there, will soon erupt. Around 3,000 small earthquakes have been detected since Aug. 16, and unusual seismic activity continued into Wednesday. Iceland's civil protection agency said a volcanic eruption "cannot be ruled out," and evacuated about 300 people, most of them tourists. See … [Link]
Mashable » Emergency Responders Are Building a Star Trek-Style Communication Device
Mashable » Mo'ne Davis and Team Still Alive After Little League World Series Loss
Mo’ne Davis entered Wednesday's Little League World Series showdown as America's darling, a 13-year-old girl whose dynamite pitching led her team from Philadelphia to the national stage and landed her on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week Her team's opponents from Las Vegas entered as an afterthought, a high-powered squad of heavy hitters that had been relegated to de facto … [Link]
Mashable » For Conflict Journalists, Kidnappings Loom as a Part of the Job
In the wake of a video showing the murder of photojournalist James Foley, the world has been reminded that members of the media now occupy a new place in conflict zones — as valuable hostages for groups desperate for money and attention. News of the Foley video spread quickly on Tuesday — and the group behind it, the Islamic State, had … [Link]
Slashdot » How Argonne National Lab Will Make Electric Cars Cheaper
ashshy writes Argonne National Lab is leading the charge on next-generation battery research. In an interview with The Motley Fool, Argonne spokesman Jeff Chamberlain explains how new lithium ion chemistries will drive down the cost of electric cars over the next few years. "The advent of lithium ion has truly enabled transportation uses," Chamberlain said. "Because if you remember your … [Link]
Mashable » 7 Nasty Things Australians Are Saying About Iggy Azalea
SYDNEY — She is the most successful export Australians just don't seem to care about. Her name is Iggy Azalea and the 24-year-old is hot property in the American music scene right now. She even topped Billboard's "Songs of the Summer" contest with her track "Fancy," which those in the know have called a game changer. There is feverish debate about … [Link]
Mashable » A Powerful Video Every Ice Bucket Challenge Hater Needs to See
Anthony Carbajal was diagnosed with ALS at age 26, and he has a tearful message for all the Ice Bucket Challenge critics. So before you complain about your Facebook Newsfeed being overrun by friends and family dumping icy water on their heads, take a few minutes to hear Anthony's story. Naked Kermit the Frog Risks Life for Ice Bucket Challenge … [Link]
Mashable » Melbourne Beats Out Sydney in Liveability and Food
SYDNEY — Melbourne is getting a lot of good press this week. First, it was declared Australia's most liveable city, and now it has the best restaurant in the country. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index ranked Melbourne no. 1 out of 140 cities around the world for the fourth year in a row. Melbourne beat out Vienna in Austria … [Link]
Mashable » Ferguson Updates: 'No Molotov Cocktails Tonight, No Fires, No Shootings'
Mashable is following the latest from Ferguson, where protesters and police are squaring off over the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown. See Tuesday's live coverage here. 3 things you need to know on Wednesday, Aug. 20: Attorney General Eric Holder visited the city and called for "concrete action," telling community members change is possible. St. Louis County police said they arrested … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Is it OK to Pee in the Ocean?
Putting aside the social and cultural issues for a moment, the American Chemical Society says yes, it’s just fine. [More clips from the ACS's Reactions series.] [Link]
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