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.
New Scientist – News » Linking cannabis and suicide doesn't prove causation
A study linking daily cannabis use to suicide got a lot of coverage earlier this week, but, Michael Slezak says, correlation does not mean causation 
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Mashable » California Stays Intact as Initiative to Carve Up State Fails to Qualify for Ballot
A proposal to split up California into six states failed to qualify for the November ballot. The California Secretary of State's office, which oversees elections, said on Friday that the initiative didn't gather enough signatures from registered voters. The campaign for the proposal, which said in July that it had gathered 1.3 million signatures, said they plan to challenge the decision. … [Link]
Slashdot » City of Turin To Switch From Windows To Linux and Save 6M Euros
jrepin writes: The municipality of Turin in Italy hopes to save 6 million Euro over five years by switching from Windows XP to Ubuntu Linux in all of its offices. The move will mean installing the open source operating system on 8,300 PCs, which will generate an immediate saving of roughly €300 per machine (almost €2.5m altogether, made up from … [Link]
Mashable » Man Says George Zimmerman Stalked Him After Threatening to Kill Him
George Zimmerman seems to have an endless supply of get-out-of-jail-free cards. Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who shot and killed unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012, had another run-in with police this week. A man told police that Zimmerman pulled his truck up next to him at a light and shouted, "Why are you pointing your finger at me? I'll f*cking … [Link]
Mashable » Tim Cook: TV Is Stuck Back in the 1970s
Apple is still very interested in your TV set. Just days after Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus phablet and revealed the Apple Watch, the company's first new product category entry in years, he's back on TV talking about Apple's continuing interest in yet another key consumer category: televisions. See also: Apple iPhone 6 Plus … [Link]
Mashable » Beyonce and Nicki Minaj Slay Live Performance of 'Flawless'
Be still my heart … It's Queen Bey and the Queen of Rap, together on stage Beyoncé invited Nicki Minaj on stage on Friday for a surprise performance during a Paris stop of Yoncé's "On the Run" tour. The duo performed a remixed version of "Flawless," a song the two dropped in early August — the collaboration was also a surprise … [Link]
Slashdot » Verizon Working On a La Carte Internet TV Service
An anonymous reader writes: One of the reasons people have been fleeing cable TV in droves is the idea that they're paying for hundreds of channels but only using a handful. Even though that's not really true, Verizon is now working on an internet TV service that lets people pick and pay for only the channels they want. Verizon CEO … [Link]
Mashable » 26 U2 Albums Hit iTunes Top Albums Chart at Once After Apple Stunt
U2’s surprise free album on iTunes was ridiculed by some iPhone users for forcing its way onto their devices this week, but U2 is having the last laugh as the Apple stunt for the band's new Songs of Innocence inspired fans to purchase other U2 titles on iTunes At one point Thursday afternoon, 26 U2 titles charted simultaneously on iTunes top … [Link]
Mashable » Solar Storm Nearing Peak Could Cause Vivid Northern Lights Display
Thanks to two solar flares that occurred in rapid succession late this week, a widespread and potentially vivid display of the Northern Lights is possible for many parts of the U.S. and Canada. This could include parts of the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest, including cities such as Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Missouri, and Portland, Oregon. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric … [Link]
Mashable » Ben Savage From 'Boy Meets World' Is a Director Now
As curly-haired Cory Matthews on Boy Meets World, Ben Savage grew up on TV, but these days, the 33-year-old is having milestones behind the camera. Friday night's episode of Girl Meets World, the Disney Channel spinoff centered on the young daughter (Rowan Blanchard) of Cory and Topanga (Danielle Fishel), marks Savage's first foray into directing, a move the actor said has … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Batman Always Swipes Left #Batman #Tinder #Batinder [Video]
Seems like Batman has a thing for naughty ladies… [Source: Frank_Macchia] [Link]
Mashable » Everything You Didn't Know About Doug Ford, Rob's Less Infamous Brother
TORONTO — With Toronto Mayor Rob Ford pulling out of the city's mayoral race, his brother Doug is stepping into the limelight. The lesser-known Ford, who will be replacing his younger brother in the race, was confirmed as a mayoral candidate just before 2 p.m. on Friday — the deadline to register to enter the election, as well as to withdraw … [Link]
Mashable » Real-Life 'Frozen' Is Coming to Epcot
Now we never have to let it go. A Frozen attraction is headed to Epcot, Disney announced Friday. The Arendelle recreation will be created (fittingly) in the Norway Pavilion, replacing the Maelstrom ride See also: Disney Taking 'Frozen' Out of Cryo for a Springtime Short Film “We’ve made Frozen a part of the guest experience in a number of ways already, … [Link]
Slashdot » Congress Can't Make Asteroid Mining Legal (But It's Trying, Anyway)
Jason Koebler writes: Earlier this week, the House Science Committee examined the American Space Technology for Exploring Resource Opportunities in Deep Space (ASTEROIDS) Act, a bill that would ensure that "any resources obtained in outer space from an asteroid are the property of the entity that obtained such resources." The problem is, that idea doesn't really mesh at all with … [Link]
Mashable » Frat's Taylor Swift Lip Dub Is More Charming Than Taylor Swift
If you're looking for a good, wholesome Taylor Swift sing-along, look no further than this surprisingly earnest clip from the Beta Mu chapter of Delta Sigma Phi at Kentucky's Transylvania University You might be thinking to yourself, "I've seen these fraternity videos and they're all rife with keg stands and misogyny." But thankfully this "Shake It Off" lip dub is … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » 512GB SD Card On The Marker
SanDisk is launching a 512 gigabyte SD card. It’s initially going to be targeted at professional camera crews shooting in high resolutions. The new card will cost an eyewatering $800. That said, as PC Pro points out, SanDisk started selling a 512 megabyte card back in 2003 for $170. Byte for byte, that makes the new model more than 200 … [Link]
Mashable » Wintry Summer Blast Arrives in the West With Record Cold and Snow
The takeaway from the weather across the U.S. this week: Sometimes, seasons just come early The calendar may still say summer, but old man winter barreled his way in to ruin the fun, dumping up to 20 inches of snow across the Rockies and sending temperatures plunging to as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit in Wyoming, with wind chills — yes, … [Link]
Mashable » Revenge of the Phablet: What iPhone 6 Plus Mania Says About Smartphones
Pre-orders for Apple's new iPhones are off and running, and there's already a clear winner: the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus is sold out, well ahead of the "standard" model, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 The big screen is officially the big hit. It's certainly possible Apple made more iPhone 6's than it did 6 Pluses, but early buzz shows interest in the … [Link]
Mashable » The 'Star Wars' Galaxy Is So Much Sweeter With Sesame Street
In a cookies and milk galaxy far, far away, all the Star Wars characters you know and love are sweeter — and edible! — Sesame Street characters. Among the gluttonous crew: Princess Leia (Princess Parfait-a), Luke Skywalker (Luke Pie-walker), and Han Solo (Flan Solo) Naturally, Flan Solo is played by Cookie Monster, and he's probably going to have a nibble … [Link]
Mashable » A 512GB SD Card Has More Storage Than Your Computer
You can now get an SD card with more storage than your average PC. SanDisk announced the Extreme Pro SDXC card (UHS-1) on Friday, the world's first SD card with room for 512 gigabytes of data — more than a half a terabyte of storage. To put that into perspective, 128GB is starting capacity for most Ultrabooks and the MacBook Air, … [Link]
Mashable » NFL Star Adrian Peterson Deactivated After Indictment in Child Injury Case
UPDATE, Sept. 13, 7:30 a.m.: Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson flew to Texas and turned himself in at the sheriff's office in Montgomery County early Saturday, USA Today reports. He was booked on a charge of injury to a child (his son), and released on $15,000 bond. Authorities released his mug shot: JUST IN: Adrian Peterson turns self in to … [Link]
Slashdot » SanDisk Releases 512GB SD Card
Lucas123 writes: SanDisk has announced the world's highest capacity SD card, a 512GB model that represents a 1,000-fold increase over the company's first 512MB card that it shipped a decade ago. The SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I memory card has a max read/write rate of 95MB/s and 90MB/s, respectively. The card is rated to function in temperatures from -13 to … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » WANT: D20 Bowl Set [Pics]
The perfect bowls for RPG and tabletop geeks! From Thinkgeek: “Do you hear that?” “Where is that low growling coming from?” If your stomach’s rumbling is setting the atmosphere for the game, it’s time to break out the D20 Bowl Set. These bowls go together like chips and queso. Like Funyuns and Cheetos. Like, dare we say it, dungeons and … [Link]
Mashable » Intel Unveils a Connected Wheelchair, With Help From Stephen Hawking
It’s not just light bulbs and thermostats joining the Internet of things — Intel has now given the wheelchair a new layer of connectivity. On Tuesday, the company announced its newest smart device in partnership with world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking. The new connected wheelchair was designed by a team of engineering interns at Intel as part of the company's Intel … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Live Event Highlights Innovations in Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform Live will be held on Nov. 4 in San Francisco. The daylong event will feature Google leaders discussing innovations in the Google Cloud Platform and multiple deep-dive sessions to help introduce the toolset for cloud developers to build and deploy their applications using Google technologies.
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ProgrammableWeb.com » Payment Security, Authentication Key Concern for Apple Watch Users
A few days ago, Apple made several big announcements including the upcoming launch of the company's new contactless payment technology Apple Pay in October, the US release of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on September 19 (pre-order available on September 12), and the ">
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ProgrammableWeb.com » Appmethod Offers Platform for Building Connected IoT Apps
Software firm Embarcadero Technologies this week announced a major release for its Appmethod platform, which enables developers to build natively compiled applications for connected devices across multiple platforms using a single, shared C++ codebase.
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ProgrammableWeb.com » API Strategy and Practice will Focus on Mainstreaming APIs
API Evangelist and 3scale’s API Strategy and Practice Conference will be held Sept. 24-26 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. ProgrammableWeb spoke with 3scale CEO Steven Willmott, about what participants can expect.
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Slashdot » CERN Tests First Artificial Retina Capable of Looking For High Energy Particles
KentuckyFC writes: Pattern recognition is one of the few areas where humans regularly outperform even the most powerful computers. Our extraordinary ability is a result of the way our bodies process visual information. But surprisingly, our brains only do part of the work. The most basic pattern recognition—edge detection, line detection and the detection of certain shapes—is performed by the … [Link]
Mashable » 6 Vines That Bring Stories and Doodles to Life
Last week, we challenged you to give life to something on paper in a Vine. Canadian artist couple Daniel Lynds and Sundi Richard guest-hosted the contest, kicking it off with a few of their own examples. "Something about the #OffThePage theme may have been a bit daunting at first, but after a few submissions, things picked up," they said. "Ultimately we … [Link]
Mashable » Millions Watched an Alleged Serial Abuser Play for the Ravens Last Night
Are you not entertained, America? As announcer Chris Berman amply displayed during his commentary on Monday Night Football this week, widespread allegations of domestic abuse and love of the game can be awkward to juggle when you're an NFL fan. Now, despite a bruising week of controversy for the country's most popular sports league, it seems viewers are far from giving … [Link]
Mashable » 'Smart Ring' Is Basically a Pager
What's more practical than a ring that vibrates when you have a text message? A phone See also: 3 High-Tech Eyeglasses That Do Things Google Glass Can't In the newest episode of Mashable Minute, Elliott compares MOTA's new SmartRing to a pager. They're basically one in the same Earlier this week, we told you about a dog in Oregon that … [Link]
Mashable » WHO: 'If We Are Going to War With Ebola, We Need the Resources to Fight'
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Friday that the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa is continuing to spiral out of control, and that hundreds of doctors and nurses are needed from the global community and local governments in order to slow, and eventually stop, the transmission of the deadly virus. The WHO's situation report said the virus is spreading especially … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The “Luigi Death Stare” Rap [Video]
Not sure if dressing up as Luigi and throwing people death stares is such a good idea though… [Hot Chocolate Party] [Link]
New Scientist – News » Just obeying orders? Rethinking obedience and atrocity
Ordinary people can commit atrocities simply by following orders, iconic 1960s experiments concluded – but this notion of the "banality of evil" is wrong (full text available to subscribers) 
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Slashdot » Harvard's CompSci Intro Course Boasts Record-Breaking Enrollment
alphadogg writes: Harvard College's CS50, the school's Introduction to Computer Science course for undergrads, has attracted about 1 in 8 students this fall — a new record for the school and yet another sign of just how hot this field is becoming for the job-hungry. Overall, 818 undergrads (or 12% of the student body) signed up for the challenging course … [Link]
Mashable » Rob Ford's Brother Doug: Replacement Candidate, YouTube Co-Host
Now that Rob Ford pulling out of his mayoral re-election campaign in Toronto, his brother Doug has stepped in to take his spot on the ballot It's the latest partnership between the two brothers, who have worked together both in politics (Doug is a Toronto city councilor) and on YouTube. Their YouTube show "Ford Nation" ran for five glorious episodes … [Link]
Slashdot » Software Patents Are Crumbling, Thanks To the Supreme Court
walterbyrd writes: In June, when the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a software patent, many in the tech industry hoped it would be the beginning of sweeping changes to how the patent system handles software. Just a few months later, lower courts are making it happen. Quoting Vox: "By my count there have been 10 court rulings on the patentability of … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Email in Real Life [Part I and II]
Two funny commercials from SolarWinds show what people would look like if they’d start acting the same way in person as they do via email. [SolarWinds on Youtube | Via Neatorama] [Link]
New Scientist – News » Ultimate human stem cells created in the lab
A new type of human stem cell, never seen in nature, should be better at making replacement organs than existing stem cells 
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Mashable » Acer's Selfie Hat Takes Wearables to Scary Place
Hats off to Acer. They just brought ridiculous selfie tech to a new level Last Monday, we were blessed with the Selfie Brush, and today the selfie gods have delivered once more with the Selfie Hat See also: 10 Essentials for the Perfect Selfie 
Image: Acer This latest weird development in selfie tech is basically a giant sombrero and holds an … [Link]
Mashable » Woman Tests Beauty Standards With Bold Photoshop Experiment
Journalist Ester Honig's photography series, Before and After, explored what it is to be beautiful. By Photoshopping her image using beauty standards in several different countries, Honig showed how many different ways a woman's face can be distorted to fit society's standard of beauty. Fellow journalist and close friend to Honig, Priscilla Yuki Wilson took the series one step further by … [Link]
Slashdot » HP Buys Cloud Provider, Gets Marten Mickos To Head Its Cloud Division
jfruh writes: In 2010, HP tried to buy its way into the analytics game by shelling out billions for Autonomy, a deal that was a famous disaster. But that isn't stopping the company from making big buys: it will be buying Eucalyptus, a cloud provider headed by ex-MySQL AB CEO Marten Mickos, and bringing Mickos in to head the new … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Icequake before and after snapped by NASA scouts
NASA scientists practising for a future satellite mission chanced across a magnitude 6 earthquake rearranging Arctic terrain 
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New Scientist – News » Urban wastelands worth millions for what they give us
Abandoned lots in cities may seem like a waste of space, but the ecosystem services they provide can be worth hundreds of millions of dollars 
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Mashable » Independence Could Be a Big Win for Scotland's Film Industry
The current independence referendum presents the film-making community in Scotland with an unprecedented opportunity to develop a film culture befitting a modern nation state. They should seize it without hesitation. That appears to be the dominant position emerging from a series of well-attended industry events exploring the potential impact of independence on filmmaking in Scotland. It is often stated that Scotland … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » KANTAICON 2014: Cosplay on an Aircraft Carrier [Video]
KantaiCon takes place on the USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier, as well as a neighboring destroyer and submarine. The ships are located at Patriot’s Point in South Carolina. [Beat Down Boogie] [Link]
New Scientist – News » Pinpoint key ports to stop aquatic invaders
Finding the hubs and ships most likely to spread invaders could go a long way to stopping species from doing billions of dollars in damage 
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Mashable » Google-Backed Nonprofit Startups Tackle World's Toughest Problems
Don’t say the tech world never did anything for the greater good. Amid the general Bay Area furor over tech shuttles and rapid gentrification, there are plenty in the industry who are paying it forward. Many of them were at Google's San Francisco offices Wednesday night to support the first cohort of five nonprofit startups from the accelerator program Fast Forward. … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest stories on newscientist.com: woman found with missing cerebellum, supermarkets driving deforestation, spongy ceramics, shark-eating Spinosaurus, and more 
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Slashdot » Liquid Sponges Extract Hydrogen From Water
New submitter gaelfx writes: Researchers at Glasglow University have an interesting method for separating the hydrogen out of water: Liquid Sponges. Most methods of extracting the hydrogen involve some form electrolysis, but these generally require some pretty expensive materials. The researchers claim that they can accomplish this using less electricity, cheaper materials and 30 times faster to boot. With both … [Link]
Mashable » Rob Ford Quits Toronto Mayoral Race; Brother Will Replace Him
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is withdrawing from his reelection campaign, but will reportedly be replaced by his brother, Doug. Members of the mayor's administration got to City Hall approximately 60 minutes before the 2 p.m. withdrawal deadline and filed papers for Doug just before registration closed See also: Deadmau5 Takes Rob Ford on a Coffee Run in His Nyan Cat Ferrari … [Link]
Mashable » This Is War: New York Coalition Launches Campaign Against Airbnb
Friday morning in New York City, affordable housing advocates rallied in front of city hall to combat "illegal hotels," which they say take away stock from the housing supply. The group, which is calling itself the #ShareBetter Coalition and includes dozens of local politicians, identifies short-term rental site Airbnb as a primary opponent. Airbnb, however, says the campaign is the work … [Link]
Mashable » Woman Still Searching for Owner of Wedding Photo Found at Ground Zero 13 Years Ago
Thirteen years after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, one woman is still searching for the owner of a wedding photo discovered at Ground Zero. Elizabeth Stringer Keefe tweeted a scan of the weathered photo out to her Twitter followers on Thursday night and called for others to retweet it. Since then, the photo has been retweeted more … [Link]
Slashdot » Kickstarter's Problem: You Have To Make the Game Before You Ask For Money
An anonymous reader writes with this piece about Digital Knights, the studio behind the Kickstarter campaign project Sienna Storm, which was cancelled this week after the team raised only 10% of their $180,000 target, despite a compelling concept (a card based espionage game) and a reputable team including the writer of the original Deus Ex, Sheldon Pacotti. The team is … [Link]
Mashable » Honey Bee the Blind Cat Is Queen of the Wild Frontier
Honey Bee is a sweet, blind cat who traverses the wild like a feline Davey Crockett. She was discovered in Fiji, where local veterinarians at Animals Fiji nursed her back to health Now, Honey Bee spends her days wandering along hiking trails with her owners. Sometimes she perches atop their backpacks for a quick break; other times, she stops for … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Stringy fields may make the universe swell faster
Dark energy's latest guise comes from the world of string theory, and could help bring our universe's chance of existing down to reasonable odds 
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Geeks are Sexy Technology News » What it is to be Human [Comic]
Sigh… life is such a simple thing when you’re a cat… or a dog! 🙂 [Source: Pie Comic by John McNamee] [Link]
Mashable » Here's 'Something Good': Ryan Adams Performing on David Letterman
It has been three long years since Ryan Adams' last album, but he's back with the song "Gimme Something Good" off his new, self-titled album Adams joined David Letterman on the Late Show Thursday night and blew everyone out of the water — including Letterman, who basically begged for an encore Preach, Ryan Adams. Preach. Rob Ford's Brother Doug: Replacement … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » 6 Questions You Should Ask About Prediction APIs
In an upcoming talk at APIcon UK, I'll introduce you to Machine Learning through the use of prediction APIs. As machine learning and predictive analytics services become more widely embraced in the business world, predictive APIs are starting to open up. But are predictive APIs right for your organization? And, if so, which ones?
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Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Advice On Building a Firewall With VPN Capabilities?
An anonymous reader writes "I currently connect to the internet via a standard router, but I'm looking at bulking up security. Could people provide their experiences with setting up a dedicated firewall machine with VPN capabilities? I am a novice at Linux/BSD, so would appreciate pointers at solutions that require relatively little tweaking. Hardware-wise, I have built PC's, so I'm … [Link]
Mashable » Why Twitter Is Raising Another $1.8 Billion
It’s déjà vu all over again Twitter announced Friday that it will raise $1.8 billion in a convertible debt offering. It had said earlier in the week that it planned to raise $1.3 billion, but there was reportedly strong demand for the debt sale See also: Twitter Isn't Essential and Probably Never Will Be The move marks Twitter's first foray into … [Link]
Mashable » From County Fair to Hollywood: 'Apparently Kid' in His First Ad Campaign
Five-year-old Noah Ritter, a.k.a. the "apparently kid," is completely over the word "apparently," according to his appearance on The Ellen Show on Thursday. His new favorite word? Seriously. But his first ad campaign, debuting Friday, suggests he’s still big on the word apparently. See also: 16 Creepiest Targeted Facebook Ads Since his claim to fame at a county fair last … [Link]
Mashable » Escaped Ohio School Shooter Caught After Manhunt
A convicted teenage killer escaped from an Ohio prison along with two other inmates Thursday night, trying to elude his three life sentences But he was found outside a church just a few hours later on Friday morning, a mere hundred yards from the prison. Police officers had quickly set up a perimeter around the jail to keep the prisoners from … [Link]
Slashdot » iPhone 6 Sales Crush Means Late-Night Waits For Some Early Adopters
Even after the months of hype and speculation, the behind-the-scenes development and manufacture, and then the announcement Tuesday, it seems Apple's servers weren't quite ready for the workout they got from would-be early adopters of its newest iPhone. Preorders through Verizon Wireless and AT&T largely started without a hitch at midnight, though some customers on Twitter have since complained about … [Link]
Mashable » 'Grand Theft Auto V' Is Ready for Next Gen, So Mark Your Calendars
Grand Theft Auto V is coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this November and will arrive on PCs at the beginning of 2015, Rockstar Games announced on Friday. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game is coming out Nov. 18, but PC players will have to wait until Jan. 27, 2015GTA broke records for the fastest entertainment … [Link]
Mashable » Grandmaster Flash and Facebook Are Accidentally Trolling Your Grandparents
Grandma’s just keeping it old school. There are bound to be a few mishaps as more parents and grandparents build an online presence. While some interactions with the elder generations on Facebook might be embarrassing, there's always that one Facebook fail that makes friending your relatives totally worth it. See also: Adorable Dancing Grandma Charms Entire Internet The Tumblr Grandpa and … [Link]
Mashable » How Andy Warhol Painted a Bathroom for $400
Image: Ken HeymanAndy Warhol was a young and quite unknown artist when photographer Ken Heyman met him at a dinner party in 1959. To help the struggling Warhol (and after some bargaining), Heyman agreed to pay Warhol $400 to paint a bathroom in his Manhattan apartment. This did not just involve a coat of paint “When I arrived home, he … [Link]
Mashable » Chris Pratt's #TBT Reveals His Alter Ego, 'Douchemaster McChest'
Chris Pratt's past continues to deliver entertainment equal to his on-screen roles A few weeks ago, Pratt told DJ Whoo Kid that he once lived in a van, smoking weed every day while rapping to Dr. Dre's album "2001", and on Thursday he dropped this Throwback Thursday photo on Twitter, showing off his first headshot/alter ego, "Douchemaster McChest" See also: 12 … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Augmented Thrill Ride Project: The very first Oculus Rift VR rides on real roller coasters
From Gamesmold: In February 2014, I approached the german roller coaster manufacturer Mack Rides with the idea of extending a real roller coaster by wearing an Oculus Rift headset during the ride. I was wondering if it would be possible to replace the real environment by a synchronized virtual ride. At Mack Rides, they also saw the potential and entered … [Link]
Mashable » Rumor: Retina Display MacBook Air Coming in New Colors Next Year
Now that we officially know more about the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch, it's only natural for the Apple rumor mill to shift gears and start predicting what's next for other products See also: The Apple Watch and New iPhones: Everything You Need to Know To start, it looks like the MacBook Air laptop may be … [Link]
Mashable » Woman's Lack of Cerebellum Goes Undiagnosed for 24 Years
Doctors in China were surprised to find that a young woman who had lived a normal life for more than two decades was actually missing an important part of her brain, according to a new report of her case. The 24-year-old's strange condition was discovered when she went to doctors because of a monthlong bout of nausea and vomiting. The patient … [Link]
Mashable » 'Sesame Street' Helps Jimmy Fallon Share Childhood Stories
We've all done some pretty strange things when we were younger because, well — kids are weird Remembering the bizarre things that kids do, Jimmy Fallon read tweets with the hashtag #WhenIWasAKid on Thursday's Tonight Show, and he even got a little bit of help from some of his friends. See also: John Oliver and Cookie Monster Deliver the Last … [Link]
Mashable » Student Tells Obama That She 'Really Wanted Beyonce'
What an honor it must be, as a young, impressionable student, to have a sitting United States president visit your school. Unless, you know, you were expecting Beyoncé. When President Obama, the first lady and volunteers arrived at a public charter school in Washington, D.C. on Thursday to take part in the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance, one … [Link]
Mashable » Jennifer Lawrence Sizzles in 'Serena' Trailer
On-screen power couple Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper are back together in yet another film. But it may not make it to a theater near you anytime soon. In Serena, a film based on Ron Rash's 2008 novel of the same name, Lawrence and Cooper play newlyweds Serena and George Pemberton who set out to build a timber empire in … [Link]
Mashable » Two U.S. Navy Jets Crash in Pacific
LEMOORE, Calif. — Two U.S. Navy jets crashed into the western Pacific Ocean, where one pilot was rescued and another was missing, the Pentagon said Friday. A search for the missing pilot was underway. #BREAKING MT @US7thFleet: #USNavy F/A-18 Hornets crash in Pacific Ocean. We will continue to release updateshttp://t.co/hOarswxHHJ — U.S. Navy (@USNavy) September 12, 2014 The F/A-18C Hornet fighter … [Link]
Slashdot » Windows Tax Shot Down In Italy
An anonymous reader writes Italy's High Court has struck a blow to the practice of forcing non-free software on buyers of PCs and laptops. According to La Repubblica, the court ruled on Thursday that a laptop buyer was entitled to receive a refund for the price of the Microsoft Windows license on his computer. The judges sharply criticised the practice … [Link]
Mashable » Toronto Film Festival: What Got the Most Buzz on Social Media
TORONTO — In terms of getting social media buzz out of the Toronto International Film Festival, it helps to go early. Having Robert Downey Jr. in your film doesn't hurt, either. Downey Jr.'s drama The Judge, which opened at the festival on Sept. 4, not only enjoyed the most social media volume overall, but got the biggest bounce from pre-festival … [Link]
Mashable » Baby Bear Playing With a Flag Pole Is Having the Best Day Ever
You're not having as much fun as this bear right now. While at the Mountainside Golf Course at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort in Vancouver, Canada, golfer Andi Dzilums spotted the little bear playing with a flag pole on the course, and captured it for our viewing pleasure. After the bear was done having a ball, he went and literally had … [Link]
Mashable » Eerie 'Walking Dead' Season 5 Image Will Give You Chills
The start of The Walking Dead's new season is about a month away, but a new image from Season 5 has us thinking it may be the best — and scariest — season yet In the exclusive character portrait below, one of several being released this week, Lauren Cohan's character Maggie is seen seemingly trapped in the boxcar where we last … [Link]
Mashable » Russia's 'Facebook' Cracking Down on ISIS Accounts
The Islamic State may soon be running out of social networks When Twitter ramped up its crackdown on several accounts in the wake of the brutal beheading of James Foley, the militants were forced to move on to different social networks like Diaspora and VKontakte (or VK), the Russian equivalent of Facebook, looking for more permissive digital pastures See also: The … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Water-splitter could make hydrogen fuel on Mars
A safer, low-input way to make hydrogen fuel cells could make it feasible to use renewable energy to heat homes and fuel rockets 
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Slashdot » Direct Sales OK Baked Into Nevada's $1.3 Billion Incentive Deal With Tesla
The new battery factory that Tesla has announced it will build in Nevada comes with some nice perks: specifically, with a package of tax incentives, road construction, and legislative protection from the kind of dealer cartels that have hindered Tesla's ability to sell cars in some other states. A Bloomberg wire story gives some details about the size of the … [Link]
Mashable » Russell Crowe's Son Tells Him to 'Get Out of My Face' on National TV
SYDNEY — He may be the gladiator to most, but to actor Russell Crowe's son, he is just an annoying dad. As Crowe's rugby league team scored another try in Friday's National Rugby League match in Sydney, his 10-year-old son, Charles, put him in his place. Russell Crowe's son ain't scared of no Gladiator #getoutofmyface https://t.co/KJAp82miEQ — Matthew Nesvadba (@MattNesvadba) September … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Curiosity reaching science peak after years of driving
Mars rover Curiosity has spent the past two years driving to a mineral-rich layered peak called Mt Sharp, and it finally arrived. Now the real science can begin 
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Slashdot » L.A. TV Stations Free Up Some Spectrum For Wireless Broadband
alphadogg (971356) writes An effort to free up some of the airwaves used by TV broadcasts and make them available for wireless broadband took a big step forward this week in the U.S. Two TV stations in Los Angeles, KLCS and KCET, have agreed to share a single frequency to deliver their programming freeing up a channel that can be … [Link]
Mashable » Google Offering $100,000 in Cloud Platform Credits for Startups
Google announced a program on Friday that offers $100,000 in cloud platform credits for one year in addition to 24/7 tech support for qualifying startups. The initiative, which Google introduced at the Google for Entrepreneurs Global Partner Summit, is available for startups around the world "through top incubators, accelerators and investors." Google is working with more than 50 partners to provide … [Link]
Mashable » Malala Yousafzai's Alleged Shooters Arrested in Pakistan
The militants who were allegedly involved in the shooting of teenage activist Malala Yousafzai have been arrested, according to Pakistani officials. Pakistani Army spokesman Asim Bajwa said Friday during a news conference that authorities had arrested 10 members of the extremist group known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) suspected of shooting Yousafzai in 2012, following her prominent activism in favor of … [Link]
Mashable » 20 Ways the Pumpkin Spice Obsession Has Gone Too Far
Take one last look at the things you love most in your life, because come October, everything will have been pumpkin-spiced Though the highly frothed-at-the-mouth-over PSL has yet to officially make its return to Starbucks, the epidemic is already in full force — just take a quick stroll down the snack section of your local grocery store or take a dive … [Link]
Slashdot » Turning the Tables On "Phone Tech Support" Scammers
mask.of.sanity writes A security pro has released a Metasploit module that can take over computers running the Ammyy Admin remote control software popular among "Hi this is Microsoft, there's a problem with your computer" tech support scammers. The hack detailed in Matthew Weeks' technical post works from the end-user, meaning victims can send scammers the hijacking exploit when they request … [Link]
Mashable » What $1,500 in Rent Gets You in 11 U.S. Cities
Are you tired of spending $1,500 per month for a closet with a sink? Then Missoula, Montana might be the move for you. Location has long been the key to how much a house or apartment is worth, and some locations in the United States are, to put it mildly, really damn expensive. If you have $1,500 to spend in New … [Link]
Mashable » Should You Trust a Site to Check If Your Gmail Password Was Leaked?
In the wake of the latest leak involving 5 million Gmail addresses and (some) passwords, the advice was the same one we give in every situation like this: Change your password — especially if you re-use it on multiple services and websites. But if you're checking to see if your email address and password is on the leaked list, beware of … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Incredible Book Deals You Have to Check Out!
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, here are a few geekworthy books (at low, low prices) you absolutely have to check out! -The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Mass Market Paperback) – $7.99 $4.83 (40% Off) If you haven’t read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy yet, do yourself a favor and do so. And at $4.83, it’s … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » A Comic No One Can Hate [Comic]
Cartoonist Sarah Zimmerman wants us to love her, but getting love online is not a trivial task! [Source: Sara Zimmerman – Unearthed Comics | Like "Unearthed Comics" on Facebook] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Why are Stars Star-Shaped? [Science Video]
As we all know, stars are big hot balls of plasma, so why do we draw stars that have points? [Minute Physics] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » A Lightning Quick Method on How to Remove Peel from Certain Fruits [Video]
Great way to peel fruit. Clever food hack to quickly remove the peel from certain fruits. Simple to do and could be handy when making a fruit salad. Perfect for a kiwi or mango, and even works with avocado. [DaveHax] [Link]
Slashdot » Hewlett-Packard Pleads Guilty To Bribing Officials in Russia, Poland, and Mexico
Charliemopps writes Hewlett-Packard and three subsidiaries pleaded guilty Thursday to paying bribes to foreign officials in Russia, Mexico and Poland and agreed to pay $108 million in criminal and regulatory penalties. For over 10 years Hewlett-Packard kept 2 sets of books to track slush-funds they used to bribe government officials for favorable contracts. From the article: According to the Justice … [Link]
Mashable » The Definitive Ranking of Television's Best Bromances
Though the term "bromance" was only added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary in 2011, the relationship form has been a staple in TV comedy since the days of Cheers. All male friendships are not bromances, however. Gaining the classification takes more than just chest-bumping and telling topical jokes while drinking the light beer of the show's sponsor. It's a hard-earned title, given … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Feedback: Taking Einstein's name in vain
Delusions of gravitas, we request help collecting Einstein fakes, egregious Ebola exploitation and more (full text available to subscribers) 
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Mashable » The Women Fighters Taking on ISIS
ERBIL, Iraq—As the Islamic State fighters tore through northern Iraq in a murderous rampage, the women were called to come down from the mountains One woman known as Ozlem, a longtime fighter with a Kurdish guerrilla group, was sent to defend Makhmour, a town with more than 12,000 Kurds. Ozlem, whose nom de guerre means “longing,” eagerly left to confront the … [Link]
Mashable » Same-Sex Couples From Texas Flock to New Mexico for Weddings
Hacienda Doña Andrea de Santa Fe is the perfect place for a dream wedding dream. Located in a picturesque New Mexican village, the popular wedding venue has a colorful, tiled interior outdone only by its dramatic views. The mountain-top venue typically hosts about 50 weddings per year, but since Santa Fe County began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in August … [Link]
Mashable » What It Costs to Be a Tourist Across the U.S.
Hotels, Big Macs and Starbucks coffee — these are a few of the mainstays all tourists can depend on When traveling to popular U.S. cities like Los Angeles, Miami and New York, prices for things like fast food and movie tickets tend to vary. Some people swear that a Starbucks drink in one city costs way more in another city — … [Link]
Mashable » For Those With Less in Scotland, a Tough Vote on Independence
How do you vote when you have little or nothing to lose? Whose message do you choose to hear, when you feel no one has been listening to you? See also: Young People in Scotland Want Independence Mags Macdonald has lost a good deal over the past decade. She was working as a medical secretary when she was diagnosed with an … [Link]
Mashable » Nicole Kidman's Dad Antony Dies in an Accident in Singapore
SYDNEY — The father of Australian actress Nicole Kidman has died after an accident in Singapore on Friday morning. Dr Antony Kidman was visiting his daughter Antonia, her husband Craig Marran and her six children when he fell after breakfast in his hotel room, the Australian Women's Weekly reported. Antony's wife Janelle is reportedly in Sydney, while Nicole is thought to … [Link]
Mashable » Historical Photographs Come to Life as Creepy GIFs
Before 1987, there were no GIFs. It's depressing to think about so many historical events that have taken place without the high honor of being turned into an animated meme. Thankfully, artist Kevin Weir is here to upgrade old photos into strange and compelling GIFs in his series called The Flux Machine See also: 21 Weird GIFs You Can't Unsee 
Image: … [Link]
Slashdot » German Court: Google Must Stop Ignoring Customer E-mails
jfruh writes If you send an email to support-de@google.com, Google's German support address, you'll receive an automatic reply informing you that Google will not respond to or even read your message, due to the large number of emails received at that address. Now a German court has ruled (PDF) that this is an unacceptable response, based on a German law … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 12 September 2014
Google Knowledge Vault and Topic Modeling — recap of talks by Google and Facebook staff about how they use their knowledge graphs. I found this super-interesting. djinni — A tool for generating cross-language type declarations and interface bindings. monit — … [Link]
Mashable » Apple Store Issues Haunt iPhone 6 Pre-Orders
Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch has been quite rocky since the pre-orders for the two devices went up at 3 a.m. ET The Apple Store has been unavailable for certain periods of time since the launch (for us, at least two hours), and those who have been able to access it have had problems actually going through with … [Link]
Mashable » Oscar Pistorius Guilty of Culpable Homicide of Model Girlfriend
Cleared of murder and premeditated murder, Oscar Pistorius was convicted on Friday of culpable homicide of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year Judge Thokozile Masipa ordered Pistorius to stand before she delivered the verdict, AP reported. The sentence for a culpable homicide conviction is at the judge's discretion, and it can range from a suspended sentence and a … [Link]
Slashdot » UK Ham Radio Reg Plans To Drop 15 min Callsign Interval and Allow Encryption
First time accepted submitter product_bucket writes A consultation published by the UK Radio Regulator Ofcom seeks views on its plan to remove the mandatory 15 minute callsign identifier interval for amateur radio licensees. The regulator also intends to permit the use of encryption by a single volunteer emergency communications organization. The consultation is open until 20th October, and views are … [Link]
Mashable » Australian Art Director Named 'Australia's Biggest Wanker' By Reddit
SYDNEY — A 28-year-old art director from a Sydney advertising agency did an interview with a magazine about his style. Next thing, he was labelled 'Australia's biggest wanker' on reddit See also: Bridesmaid Leaves Dress on Bus, Sparks Frantic Last-Minute Hunt Now it has turned into the wanker battle of the century. What went down? Tongue-in-cheek article get published about a … [Link]
Mashable » Young Girl Dies After Being Flung From Ride At Adelaide Show
SYDNEY — An eight-year-old girl has died after being flung from a ride at the Royal Adelaide Show. ABC News reported the girl fell from the Air Maxx 360 on to concrete just before 12:30 p.m. local time on Friday. Ambulance crews treated the victim at the scene, before she was rushed to Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital. The girl died … [Link]
Slashdot » If Tesla Can Run Its Gigafactory On 100% Renewables, Why Can't Others?
Lucas123 writes Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said his company's Gigafactory battery plant, the world's largest, will be "self contained" and run on solar, wind and geothermal energy. The obvious problem with renewable sources is that they're intermittent at any given location, but on a larger scale they're quite predictable and reliable, according to Tom Lombardo, a professor of engineering … [Link]
Mashable » Michael Che to Join Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live
Comedian Michael Che is set to sit in the anchor's chair on Saturday Night Live's popular segment, Weekend Update. Previously a senior correspondent on The Daily Show, Che will join current anchor Colin Jost, marking the first time Weekend Update has had two male anchors. Che will replace Cecily Strong, who will continue to be on the NBC show. See also: … [Link]
Mashable » Australia Raises Terror Threat Alert Level to High, Meaning Attack 'Likely'
SYDNEY — Australia's terror alert level was raised to "high" by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) on Friday. The move, which had been expected for the last week, was announced by Prime Minister Tony Abbott at a press conference in Melbourne ASIO independently determines the threat level. "The advice is not based on knowledge of a specific attack plan but … [Link]
Mashable » North Korea Supports Scottish Independence
As the world takes sides on Scotland's upcoming independence vote, the "yes" camp just gained an unexpected supporter. According to a report from The Telegraph, North Korea backs Scottish independence, and hopes to increase trade with the nation if it leaves the United Kingdom See also: Mesmerizing Time-Lapse Video Is a Window Into North Korea Choe Kwan-il, managing editor of pro-North … [Link]
Mashable » Google Street View Lets You Take 'Virtual Walk' Through Egyptian Relics
Google has brought its street view technology to one of the world's most iconic archaeological sites, the company announced Wednesday "Now the Egypt of your imagination can be brought to life with new Street View imagery in Google Maps, and you can take a virtual walk among the stunning monuments and rich history of this ancient civilization," Google said in a … [Link]
Mashable » Bridesmaid Leaves Dress on Bus, Sparks Frantic Last-Minute Hunt
SYDNEY — There is a national hunt underway after a woman left her bridesmaid's dress on a Sydney bus. Caitlin Box had travelled to Australia from London for her cousin's wedding, when in a jet lagged haze on Monday she boarded a bus to Bondi Beach in Sydney and left the grey dress she had picked up for the wedding on … [Link]
Mashable » 5 Types of Games We'd Love to See on an Apple Watch
When the Apple Watch was announced, its creators touted its potential for expanding communication, health tracking, navigation and more. But what wasn't mentioned was its potential impact on gaming. Gaming may not be an obvious vertical for wearables due to the small screen size, but there are certainly fun ideas that the always-with-you technology presents. And while we know Apple's smartwatch … [Link]
The Joy of Tech » JoT #2045: iWatch makes the man!
I’m too non-sexy for my WATCH? If you enJoyed, please retweet, Like, or share the URL. Thanks! [Link]
Mashable » Devon Still: The Feel-Good NFL Story You Probably Missed This Week
Amid all the bad news coming out of the NFL lately, one story that emerged from the league is about as uplifting as it gets — even if casual sports fans probably missed it altogether This is the story of Devon Still, the Cincinnati Bengals and a powerful statement in support of anyone affected by pediatric cancer See also: Stay or … [Link]
Slashdot » Scientists Capture the Sound Made By a Single Atom
Jason Koebler writes Researchers at Columbia University and Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology say that they have, for the first time, "captured" the sound a single atom makes when it is excited—a single "phonon," as it were. So, why do this? For one, the team wanted to simply see if it could capture the softest sound ever made, which is … [Link]
Mashable » How to Preorder an iPhone 6
Preorders for Apple's new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus open up in the early hours of Friday morning. Whether you choose to go through Apple, your carrier or another major retailer, here's everything you need to know about how to preorder a new iPhone. See also: How to Trade in Your Old iPhone for the iPhone 6 Preorders for both new … [Link]
Mashable » Stunning Video Shows Freedivers Swimming With Tiger Sharks
SYDNEY — This video may make you rethink your views on sharks. An Australian woman and her Spanish husband got up close and personal with tiger sharks to show the world their beauty. See also: If Your Favorite Movies Starred Sharks Christina and Eusebio Saenz de Santamaria, who are record-breaking freedivers, went to Tiger Beach in the Bahamas to deep dive … [Link]
Slashdot » Chrome OS Can Now Run Android Apps With No Porting Required
An anonymous reader writes On Thursday, Google launched "App Runtime for Chrome (Beta)" which allows Android apps to run on Chrome OS without the need for porting. At the moment, only Duolingo, Evernote, Sight Words, and Vine are available on the platform with the rest of the Play Store's offerings to come later. Google "built an entire Android stack into … [Link]
Mashable » Google Reveals First Wave of Android Apps for Chromebooks
As promised during Google I/O earlier this year, the first Android apps for Chromebooks have arrived. Machines running Google's Chrome OS can now run the Vine, Evernote, Duolingo and Sight Words Android apps on their desktops. See also: 25 Best Free Android Apps The first class of apps are part of Google's App Runtime for Chrome (beta), the project that Google's … [Link]
Mashable » 'Married With Children' Spinoff In Early Development
Another day, another long-gone TV show that a studio is trying to bring back to life The latest? Married…With Children Sony Pictures Television is in very early stages of developing a spinoff to the Fox sitcom, which ran from 1987 to 1997, Mashable confirmed. See also: 5 Movies That Need a TV Reboot E! Online first reported the possible return, which … [Link]
Mashable » 'The Imitation Game': The Enigma Is Praise for This Cumberbatch Clunker
TORONTO — The Imitation Game is ostensibly about how Alan Turing and a team of fellow cryptographers cracked Enigma, the German cipher that allowed the Nazis to communicate via open radio waves during WWII — though the film's other messages are so painfully obvious and insistent that they may as well be broadcast in neon lights. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Turing, … [Link]
Mashable » Pandora Signs BMG Licensing Deal to Strengthen Royalty Process
Pandora inked a licensing deal Thursday with music giant BMG for the rights to large catalogs from Broadcast Music Inc. and American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, two organizations that collect royalties for songwriters and artists such as Adele, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, One Direction and Rihanna. The publisher deal with ASCAP and BMI comes just weeks after Pandora secured its … [Link]
Mashable » Will the iPhone 6 Plus Fit in Your Pocket? We Found Out
The iPhone 6 Plus, as I noted when I got my hands on one, is a whole lot of phone. So much so that many iPhone owners and potential upgraders had the same thought when they saw it unveiled — is that thing even going to fit in my pocket? Apple wouldn't let us stuff the devices in our pockets … [Link]
Slashdot » U.S. Threatened Massive Fine To Force Yahoo To Release Data
Advocatus Diaboli writes The U.S. government threatened to fine Yahoo $250,000 a day in 2008 if it failed to comply with a broad demand to hand over user data that the company believed was unconstitutional, according to court documents unsealed Thursday that illuminate how federal officials forced American tech companies to participate in the NSA's controversial PRISM program. The documents, … [Link]
Mashable » Australian Police Leave Suitcase With 230 Grams of Explosives At Airport for Three Weeks
SYDNEY — A woman discovered an explosive device inside a suitcase left by Australian Federal Police at Sydney Airport. Following the discovery, the authorities admitted accidentally leaving the suitcase with 230 grams of plastic explosives at the airport for more than three weeks. Police said the explosives were not live. See also: 13 Ridiculous Travel Accessories No One Will Ever Need … [Link]
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