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.
Slashdot » Federal Government Removes 7 Americans From No-Fly List
An anonymous reader writes: In response to a district judge ruling that declared the Department of Homeland Security's Traveler Redress Inquiry Program unconstitutional, the federal government has annouced its removal of seven Americans from its no-fly list (PDF). The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is representing a total of 13 people suing to get off that list, and the government … [Link]
Mashable » Assassination Attempt Sends Ukrainian Rebel Figurehead to Russian Hospital
KIEV, Ukraine — A separatist figurehead from eastern Ukraine is unconscious and being treated in a Russian hospital after gunmen opened fire on his SUV, sending it crashing into a concrete pillar, according to local reports. The attack on Pavel Gubarev, 31, comes as factions within the separatist group vie ahead of self-organized elections on Nov. 2 to decide on the … [Link]
Mashable » News Anchors Do Elaborate Dance Routine During Commercial Break
This just in: News anchors get really freaking bored during commercial breaks WGN-TV's Robert Jordan and Jackie Bange have found what may be the best use of a break in all of television. The Chicago-based anchors have choreographed an uber-elaborate handshake/dance routine to fill the dead air See also: News Bloopers Prove Live TV Is Delightfully Painful 
The routine is so … [Link]
Mashable » Express Yourself: NBA's Mike Scott Explains His Sweet Emoji Tattoos
Mike Scott of the Atlanta Hawks is a very good basketball player, but he's not an NBA star. For one night last April though, he was a star of the Internet when a Hawks playoff game was broadcast on national TV and millions of previously clueless fans realized something amazing about him Mike Scott has emoji tattoosLots of them. Everywhere See … [Link]
Mashable » 5 Tips For Dipping Your Toe Into 'Hearthstone'
Hearthstone, a digital card game featuring the characters of Blizzard’s World of Warcraft universe, has quickly become a sensation. While the free game has been out on Mac and PC for sometime, it's taken off on iPad. In less than a year, the title has maintained a steady number of downloads in the U.S., hovering around rank 100 for all games … [Link]
Slashdot » VeraCrypt Is the New TrueCrypt — and It's Better
New submitter poseur writes: If you're looking for an alternative to TrueCrypt, you could do worse than VeraCrypt, which adds iterations and corrects weaknesses in TrueCrypt's API, drivers and parameter checking. According to the article, "In technical terms, when a system partition is encrypted, TrueCrypt uses PBKDF2-RIPEMD160 with 1,000 iterations. For standard containers and other (i.e. non system) partitions, TrueCrypt … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Firefly Online: 3D Environment Engine Sneak Peek [Video]
Check out this quick Firefly Online 3d environment engine sneap peek, which was unveiled at NYCC 2014 this weekend. From Firefly Online: What you’re seeing in this video is *not* a cinematic. It is a live recording of the Firefly Online 3D Environment Engine at work, which creates the encounter maps for the game. This brief “walkthrough” of a procedurally-generated … [Link]
Mashable » Experience the Controversial Art of Colorizing Photographs
History is remembered in black and white The art of colorizing photographs has been around for over 175 years but in the past few years, the skill has grown increasingly popular. Technological advancements in photo editing have changed the way we view these photographic time capsules, adding depth and colors to previously monochromatically historical events. See also: If Disney Princesses Were … [Link]
Slashdot » Pentagon Unveils Plan For Military's Response To Climate Change
An anonymous reader writes Rising sea levels and other effects of climate change will create major problems for America's military, including more and worse natural disasters and food and water shortages that could fuel disputes around the world, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Monday. From the article: "The Pentagon's 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap (PDF) describes how global warming will … [Link]
Mashable » Hong Kong Students Rebuild Barricades With Chairs, Crates, Signs, Whatever
HONG KONG — For the past two and a half weeks, the barricades that protesters have used to block several main traffic arteries in this bustling metropolis have been, well, fairly unexciting. They consisted mainly of metal railings held together with tough plastic strips, and of course, plenty of umbrellas. See also: Russian Daredevils Hack Billboard on Top of Hong Kong … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Oceanleap Plunges Into API Platform for Wearables
Oceanleap builds an API platform for an anticipated flood of wearable devices. The Orwellian side to the IoT. Plus: Marketing firms are mining your selfies, and hackers aim to help stop the spread of ebola. Oceanleap Offers Plunge into Wearables with API Platform Oceanleap has just released a platform aimed at integrating data from wearables in sporting, health, fitness, and … [Link]
Mashable » NYPD Heckles Comedian While Arresting Someone During His Show
The show must go on … unless the cops show up. During a recent performance at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in New York, police officers arrested a man while comedian Adam Newman was on stage. The comic was taping his set to potentially submit to Conan O'Brien, when he caught a few NYPD officers who were not a fan … [Link]
Mashable » 5 Great Moments From the Latest 'Once Upon a Time'
Once Upon a Time didn't waste any time letting the Snow Queen jump into action After her introduction last week, she used her powers left and right in the latest episode, "Rocky Road." Season 4, Episode 3 certainly lived up to its name with some magical ice cream and some bumpy terrain for Emma & Co. while giving us answers in … [Link]
Mashable » Kim Jong-un Seen for First Time in 40 Days, North Korea Says
Kim Jong-un is back. After a 40-day absence that fueled rumors of a coup in North Korea, Kim Jong-un was spotted giving "field guidance" at a newly-built apartment complex, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. However, there is no photographic evidence of the appearance. See also: Where the Hell Is Kim Jong-un? Kim's visit to the Wisong Scientists Residential … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Google Offering Doctor Video Chats To Symptom Searchers
It’s no secret plenty of us with health concerns check symptoms by typing them into Google long before we go to see the doctor. Now Google may remove that time gap altogether. The company has confirmed it is testing a feature that will offer to connect people searching for health related terms to speak to a doctor via video chat. … [Link]
Mashable » Denmark Moves to Ban Animal Sex Due to Rise in Bestiality Tourism
Banning sex with animals seems like a pretty obvious move in any civilized society, but it took a rise in bestiality tourism for Denmark to make a move. Norway, Sweden and Germany have outlawed bestiality in the past three years, which has led to an increase in underground animal sex tourism in Denmark, according to The Independent. The ban is supported … [Link]
Mashable » A Retired Businessman Unearthed $1 Million Worth of Viking Treasures in Scotland
One of the biggest troves of Viking artifacts in modern history has been discovered in southwest Scotland by an amateur treasure hunter Derek McLennan, a 47-year-old retired businessman, made the discovery last month using a metal detector. The haul of more than 100 objects included armbands, gold rings and an Early Medieval cross. The artifacts have been dated to the ninth … [Link]
Slashdot » Netflix To Charge More For 4K Video
Mr D from 63 points out that watching Netflix in Ultra high-definition is going to cost you a little extra per month. A higher-resolution, 4K stream from Netflix will cost more. The company has boosted its monthly price for streaming ultrahigh-definition television and movies to $11.99 per month, citing the higher expenses associated with that content. In May, Netflix announced … [Link]
Mashable » My Friend the ISIS Captive
Seeing a beloved friend as an ISIS hostage jars the soul I stared at my Twitter feed, trying to process that the man I once called a legend of emergency relief could appear in the now-familiar orange jumpsuit, with a black-clad executioner looming over him Abdul-Rahman Kassig, whom I knew as Peter, appeared on screen after the beheading of British aid … [Link]
Mashable » Hazmat Crew Swarms Boston Flight After Ebola Scare
A hazmat crew boarded an Emirates Airlines flight when it landed at Boston's Logan International Airport on Monday after reports that at least five people on board had flu-like symptoms The incident comes amid growing fears in the U.S. over the spread of the deadly Ebola virus by those traveling from outside the country. It was later determined the passengers had … [Link]
Slashdot » Password Security: Why the Horse Battery Staple Is Not Correct
First time accepted submitter Dadoo writes By now, everyone who reads Slashdot regularly has seen the XKCD comic discussing how to choose a more secure password, but at least one security researcher rejects that theory, asserting that password managers are the most important technology people can use to keep their accounts safe. He says, "In this post, I'm going to … [Link]
Mashable » Death Count Tied to Defective GM Ignition Switch Rises to 27
DETROIT — At least 27 people have died and 25 people have been seriously injured in crashes involving General Motors cars with defective ignition switches. Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who was hired by GM to compensate victims, updated the total death count on Monday. See also: Despite 29 Million Recalls, GM's Sales Aren't Bad Feinberg says he has received 178 death claims … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest on newscientist.com: goggles that remake reality, Ebola in the rich world, lung cancer's weak spot, sidewinding snake-bot and more 
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Mashable » 'The Walking Dead' Season Premiere Was the Most-Watched Episode Ever
We knew the season premiere ratings for The Walking Dead would be big, but nothing quite prepared us for this According to AMC, the Season 5 premiere delivered the highest ratings in series history, with 17.3 million viewers and 11 million adults in the 18-49 demographic. This figure, the network says, is expected to exceed 22 million viewers after time-shifted playback … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Wonder stuff: Heat scavengers promise energy bonanza
A new breed of structures called skutterudites could finally tap the floods of energy our machines waste as heat (full text available to subscribers) 
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Mashable » Hurricane Gonzalo Slipping Past Puerto Rico En Route to Bermuda
Hurricane Gonzalo is bringing a wet and windy day to areas from the British Virgin Islands to Vieques and Culebra, along with the U.S. Virgin Islands. The storm is intensifying quickly as it moves north-northwestward, likely skipping what could have been a damaging encounter with Puerto Rico. Instead, the storm appears likely to become a powerful hurricane over the open waters … [Link]
Slashdot » Secretive X-37B Military Space Plane Could Land On Tuesday
schwit1 writes After twenty-two months in orbit, on its second space mission, the Air Force plans to bring the X-37B back to Earth this coming Tuesday. From the article: "The exact time and date will depend on weather and technical factors, the Air Force said in a statement released on Friday. The X-37B space plane, also known as the Orbital … [Link]
Mashable » Alaska to Issue Marriage Licenses After Same-Sex Ban Struck Down
Same-sex couples in Alaska began submitting applications for marriage licenses on Monday after a federal judge struck down the state's gay marriage ban Sunday night Gov. Sean Parnell has called the ruling unconstitutional, saying it will be appealed. However, the state instructed Alaska’s bureau of vital statistics to begin accepting applications from same-sex couples beginning Monday See also: A Week for … [Link]
Mashable » 98,000 Hacked Snapchat Photos and Videos Posted Online
Rumors that a massive collection of private Snapchat pictures and videos had been hacked surfaced on Friday, with claims on 4chan that the data would be posted online. However, many believed the threat to be a hoax, as there was no proof of an actual hack. It seems the threat was real, however. On Sunday, a collection of almost 98,000 files … [Link]
Mashable » New Data Explains Why Himalayan Glaciers Are Mysteriously Expanding
Glaciers around the world are melting, retreating and even vanishing altogether. But in the mountainous Karakoram region of Asia — home to K2, the second highest peak on Earth — the glaciers aren't melting. If anything, some are expanding. Now, scientists have found an explanation for this mysterious glacial stability. While precipitation is increasing across the Himalayas, most of this moisture … [Link]
Mashable » Workplace Weaknesses: What's the Best Way to Answer This Dreaded Job Interview Question?
This question originally appeared on Quora. In a job interview, should you answer the the question, "What's your biggest weakness?" with a humble brag? Answer below by Quora user Jason Ewing. Honestly: No. I hate this question because of the number of "humble brag"-type answers that I get: The overly cliched "I work too hard" or "I get too excited about … [Link]
Mashable » In Ebola-Ravaged Liberia, No Education Plan for 1.4 Million Students
Ebola’s deadly grip on Liberia has forced education to fall by the wayside. Public and private schools were shut down in July, and no additional plan was provided on how children would continue their education. Nearly three months later, the doors of the 4,413 schools remain closed with no indication of when they will reopen for 1.4 million school-aged children currently … [Link]
Mashable » Should the West Negotiate With ISIS?
The Islamic State now occupies significant swaths of Iraq and Syria, has pushed as far as the border with Turkey and has succeeded in dragging "the West" into two civil wars in the Middle East. The West's offensive, spearheaded by the U.S. and supported by the UK and others, is to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS. But in the face of … [Link]
Mashable » Veteran Regains Prosthetic Leg After NFL Fan Steals It Outside Stadium
The NFL is weird. America is weird. Philadelphia is weird. People are weird All of these facts congealed into one narrative on Sunday night in what we'll call the Case of the Missing Prosthetic Leg: a Vietnam veteran's artificial limb was allegedly stolen by a woman in a Philadelphia Eagles jersey outside the team's stadium before a home game against the … [Link]
Mashable » 'This Is What Democracy Looks Like': Ferguson October in Photos
Hundreds of people from around the country gathered in St. Louis over the weekend for four days of planned demonstrations protesting the shooting of Michael Brown. Dubbed Ferguson October, the protests were also used as a platform to bring racism in America and officer-related shootings to the forefront See also: Raw City: Inside Ferguson's War at Home More than two months … [Link]
Slashdot » Google Rejects 58% of "Right To Be Forgotten" Requests
gurps_npc writes CNN Money has a short, interesting piece on the results of Google implementing Europe's "Right to be Forgotten." They are denying most requests, particularly those made by convicted criminals, but are honoring the requests to remove salacious information — such as when a rape victim requested the article mentioning her by name be removed from searches for her … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Automatic authors: Making machines that tell tales
It's one of the toughest challenges in artificial intelligence: teaching a computer to understand us so well that it can write a story we'll want to hear (full text available to subscribers) 
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New Scientist – News » Fish love skyscraper-style living under oil platforms
Oil rigs are rarely lauded by conservationists, but fish seem to love them – they have more fish living around them than natural rocky reefs do 
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Mashable » 'Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel' Is More Expansion Than Full Game
Borderlands is a franchise built on fan love. The genre-bending shooter/RPG hybrid cemented itself as something special after 2012's Borderlands 2, with a long stream of additional downloadable content and new characters to satisfy players. Overall, all that stuff was great, but it was just building upon that game. The biggest problem with Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, out this week, is it … [Link]
Mashable » Secret Air Force Space Plane Might Land Tomorrow
The U.S. Air Force's mysterious X-37B space plane will return to Earth this week — possibly as early as Oct. 14 — after 22 months in orbit on a secret mission. The robotic X-37B space plane, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, will land at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, where Air Force officials are gearing up for … [Link]
Mashable » Songwriter Uses iOS 8 Autocomplete to Generate Lyrics
Songwriter Jonathan Mann writes a new song every single day, so you can't blame him for accepting help every once in a while For his latest tune, Mann uses the QuickType feature from the latest iOS 8 update to generate lyrics for the aptly titled "iOS Autocomplete Song." The results are occasionally nonsensical (or maybe deeply poetic), but humans have … [Link]
Mashable » Southwest and Virgin America Launch Routes From Dallas Love Field Airport
Southwest Airlines and Virgin America launched new long-distance routes from Dallas Love Field on Monday. The opening marks the end of the Wright Amendment, the decades-old law that had prohibited flights out of the airport in order to protect Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Love Field, which is home base for Southwest and something of an experiment for Virgin, is located closer … [Link]
Slashdot » Book Review: Scaling Apache Solr
First time accepted submitter sobczakt writes We live in a world flooded by data and information and all realize that if we can't find what we're looking for (e.g. a specific document), there's no benefit from all these data stores. When your data sets become enormous or your systems need to process thousands of messages a second, you need to … [Link]
Mashable » iPad Air 2 Photo Leak May Show More Powerful A8 Processor
Apple is likely to unveil two next-generation iPads at its event this week, but leaked photos that purport to show inside the new iPad could satisfy your Apple hunger until Thursday rolls around. The photos, which were published by the blog Apple.club.tw, allegedly reveal the tablet's logic board, processor and Touch ID sensor, which is Apple's fingerprint scanner. See also: The … [Link]
Mashable » Samsung Says It's Developing Wi-Fi That's Five Times Faster
Samsung said it is developing Wi-Fi that is five times faster than the maximum possible speed of what's available today. Samsung is building 60GHz Wi-Fi technology, which would speed up data transmissions to 4.6 gigabits per second — the equivalent of 575MB per second. That would be a five-fold improvement from today's maximum of 866 megabits per second, or 108MB per … [Link]
Mashable » 'Harry Potter' Fan Theory Uncloaks the Parallels in 'Deathly Hallows'
There are a lot of Harry Potter fan theories out there. But, every so often, one Potterhead comes along with a theory that's so inspired, you'll drop your bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans just from the shock and awe. One such fan on Reddit has a theory about the parallels of four main characters in Harry Potter and the … [Link]
Mashable » Facebook Stickers Are Now Available in Comments
Facebook comments just got more interesting. The social network expanded its stickers feature to comments on Timeline, Groups and Events posts Monday See also: 20 Things Your Most Annoying Friends Do on Facebook Stickers, Facebook's big emoji-like icons, have been available within Messages and in the Messenger app for sometime but were not available outside of messages. Stickers in comments will … [Link]
Slashdot » Smart Battery Tells You When It's About To Explode
sciencehabit writes Material scientists have found a clever way to alert users of damaged batteries before any hazard occurs. A typical lithium-ion cell consists of a lithium oxide cathode and a graphite anode, separated by a thin, porous polymer sheet that allows ions to travel between the electrodes. When the cell is overcharged, microscopic chains of lithium, called "dendrites," sprout … [Link]
New Scientist – News » How big data algorithms see us – while they eat us up
From home shopping to homeland security, big data's sausage machine is devouring us all, according to Christian Rudder's future-looking Dataclysm 
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Mashable » Reddit's General Manager Steps Down at Important Juncture
Reddit's general manager has stepped down, leaving the company without one of its most veteran employees during an important period for the website. Erik Martin, who had been with Reddit for six years, announced on Twitter that he would be leaving the company. Hard decision, but after 6 outstanding yrs I’m leaving reddit. Thank you to everyone who helped me … [Link]
Mashable » That Time Columbus Used a Lunar Eclipse to Scam for Food
Monday marks Columbus Day for people in the United States, but did you know there was a lunar twist to the famous explorer's journey? On Oct. 12, 1492, Columbus came ashore on an island northeast of Cuba, which he later named San Salvador (Holy Savior). Over the next 10 years Columbus would make three more voyages to the "New World." On … [Link]
Slashdot » Interviews: Ask Florian Mueller About Software Patents and Copyrights
Florian Mueller is a blogger, software developer and former consultant who writes about software patents and copyright issues on his FOSSPatents blog. In 2004 he founded the NoSoftwarePatents campaign, and has written about Microsoft's multi-billion-dollar Android patent licensing business and Google's appeal of Oracle's Android-Java copyright case to the Supreme Court. Florian has agreed to give us some of his … [Link]
Mashable » Pentagon Now Views Global Warming As An Immediate Security Threat
The Defense Department sees global warming as a challenge to be managed in the present day, rather than one that will rear its head only in the future This shift in thinking comes as the sprawling department puts in place a wide range of measures to ensure that its bases do not sink below the sea as the oceans rise, that … [Link]
Mashable » Freakiest News of the Day: 'American Horror Story' Renewed for Season 5
FX wants another chapter of Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story The network announced today the anthology series has been renewed for a fifth installment, following the premiere of Season 4, which it said is now the most-watched telecast in FX history. The 13-episode new season will debut Oct. 2015. See also: 'American Horror Story' Premiere: Television Killed the Freak Show Star … [Link]
Mashable » Daniel Snyder Fools No One by Having Navajo President at Washington Game
Eyebrows raised across America on Sunday afternoon when Washington Redskins team owner Daniel Snyder was shown during a game seated beside Ben Shelly, president of the Navajo Nation. Snyder has for months been fighting a growing chorus of calls to change the team name, so at first glance it seemed to be an odd pairing indeed Could Snyder have somehow found … [Link]
Mashable » Did Burger King Rip Off 'Billy on the Street'?
Burger King has a new ad, featuring a very loud, slightly manic young man asking people on the street how much they think their chicken nuggets would cost Comedian Billy Eichner saw a resemblance between the ad and his own act, known best through Funny or Die's Billy on the Street. Eichner called out the fast food chain on Twitter … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Fantastic Black Widow Cosplay by Vera-Chimera
Model and Costume: Vera-Chimera Photo: Andy Wana Photography [Via WOCC] [Link]
Mashable » Vatican Strikingly Changes Tone on Gays and Cohabitation
VATICAN CITY — Catholic bishops showed unprecedented openness Monday to accepting the real lives of many Catholics today, saying gays had gifts to offer the church and should be accepted and that there were "positive" aspects to a couple living together without being married. A two-week meeting of bishops, known as the synod, arrived at its halfway point with a document … [Link]
Mashable » Kid on Local TV Shows Us the True Meaning of Fierce
Harness this kid as your spirit animal, Internet — you'll need him to get through the winter. This kid is ****Flawless. He doesn’t diva for the fame, he divas for the love of diva-ing. The incident happened on KLAS Las Vegas and as far as we could tell the news crew had no idea it was happening. Also, take notice … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Landlord Secure API Offers Rental Security Features for Landlords
If you're in the property game, you know the value of tenant referencing, insurance, tenant tracing and so on. Complete rental security is on the top of the list when it comes to looking after your property investment. Landlord Secure, a U.K.-based company, tackles this very issue by offering a range of services for landlords, tenants and agents. With its … [Link]
Mashable » Mature Vandal Draws Penis on Prized Banksy Piece
Another day, another penis drawing Police in Kent, England are investigating the vandalism of a prized piece of artwork completed by the famous street artist known as Banksy. The crime is believed to have taken place on Oct. 11 See also: The Tipping Point Between Vandalism and Art Banksy's piece, "Art Buff", depicts a woman looking longingly at an empty plinth, … [Link]
Mashable » Where's HomeKit? Smart Home Companies Gear Up for Apple Launch
This week is another big one for Apple. The company is holding an event on Thursday, and we'll likely see the launch of its next-generation iPads and iMacs. It's unknown if we can expect to see other hardware launches, too, like a new Apple TV box — or the official arrival of HomeKit alongside it There's a good chance Apple will … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Why Can't Google Block Spam In Gmail?
An anonymous reader writes Every day my gmail account receives 30-50 spam emails. Some of it is UCE, partially due to a couple dingbats with similar names who apparently think my gmail account belongs to them. The remainder looks to be spambot or Nigerian 419 email. I also run my own MX for my own domain, where I also receive … [Link]
Mashable » Dallas Healthcare Worker With Ebola Identified
The family of the Dallas healthcare worker who contracted Ebola identified the nurse as Nina Pham, 26, WFAA reports. Pham graduated from Texas Christian University's nursing program in 2010. She was infected sometime in the last two weeks while caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, who died from the virus last week It is the first transmission of the virus in the … [Link]
Mashable » 8 Up-and-Coming Artists in the London Music Scene
London’s influence on music didn't end with the Beatles' British Invasion. Take Ben Lovett of Grammy-winning British four-piece Mumford and Sons. Beyond Mumford’s success, Lovett’s efforts have helped catapult several other British artists to stardom, including Ellie Goulding — he produced her 2010 release Lights. Additionally, Lovett founded London-born label and promotion team, Communion, in 2006. Communion has since expanded its … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Elixir of the Undead Zombie Wine Bottle Holder
Just the perfect thing to bring a little horror to your next Halloween party! After years spent underground, this thirsty zombie needs a drink! Place a bottle in this gruesome guy`s supplicating upturned hands and let him drown his deathly sorrows. The zombie`s hands and mouth will securely hold most 750 milliliter wine bottles at an angle which will help … [Link]
Mashable » 19 Outrageously Oversized Cosplay Props Fit for a Giant
When it comes to cosplay, props make the man (and woman). After all, what's Daenerys Targaryen without a human-sized dragon by her side? Attendees at this year's New York Comic Con brought their prop A-game, with larger-than-life weaponry that really rounded out their awe-inspiring outfits See also: 21 Cosplayers Doing Everyday Things While the props were truly outrageous, they left us … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest on newscientist.com: good life vs good death, desktop black hole's Hawking radiation, volcanoes on the moon, anti-ageing exercise and more 
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Mashable » Finland's Prime Minister Blames Apple for Country's Economic Woes
You know you've really made it as a business when you can be blamed for an entire country's economic collapse During an interview with CNBC on Monday (watch below), the prime minister of Finland suggested that Apple was at least partly to blame for the country's recent economic troubles. See also: Finland Eyes Programming Classes for Elementary School Students "We have … [Link]
Slashdot » The Correct Response To Photo Hack Victim-Blamers
Bennett Haselton writes As commenters continue to blame Jennifer Lawrence and other celebrities for allowing their nude photos to be stolen, there is only one rebuttal to the victim-blaming which actually makes sense: that for the celebrities taking their nude selfies, the probable benefits of their actions outweighed the probable negatives. Most of the other rebuttals being offered, are logically … [Link]
Mashable » Australian PM Vows to 'Shirt-Front' Putin at G20 Summit
MELBOURNE — Since flight MH17 was shot down by pro-Russian separatists in July, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott hasn't been afraid to talk the talk as far as Vladimir Putin is concerned After imposing trade sanctions and openly criticising a perceived lack of action in the wake of the tragedy, Abbott has vowed to "shirt-front" the Russian president when he … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Fan Asks JJ Abrams Star Wars Math Question, JJ Abrams Answers [Pic]
A kid named cody recently asked J.J. Abrams a Star Wars-themed math question via the power of social media, and when JJ heard about the question, he decided to send the kid his answer. J.J. Abrams is making Star Wars Episode 7. He rented three speeder bikes which was 700 imperial credits to start. He must pay 100 imperial credits … [Link]
Slashdot » Raspberry Pi Sales Approach 4 Million
Eben Upton's reboot of the spirit of the BBC Micro in the form of the Raspberry Pi would have been an interesting project even if it had only been useful in the world of education. Upton wanted, after all, to give the kind of hands-on, low-level interaction with computing devices that he saw had gone missing in schools. Plenty of … [Link]
Mashable » Don't Stop Her Now: Foxes Sings Queen's Classic Hit on 'Doctor Who'
Aboard the Orient Express during the latest Doctor Who episode, British singer Foxes plays a character who sings a bluesy rendition of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" amid the tuxedo-clad Doctor landing the TARDIS inside the train. The BBC video above features scenes from the "Mummy on the Orient Express" episode as well as what appears to be moments from … [Link]
Mashable » Bloody Veggie Burger Looks Like the Real Thing
Even the freshest veggie burgers can't compete with the juicy, distinctively meaty flavor of an all-beef patty. It's this exact perception of the veggie patty that Stanford University professor Pat Brown aims to change. The Impossible Cheeseburger, developed by Brown's company Impossible Foods, is nothing like the dense, mishmash of veggie burgers sold at the grocery store. Brown's burger is made … [Link]
Mashable » Louisiana Doesn't Want Ebola Patient's Incinerated Waste
Louisiana’s attorney general is trying to stop Dallas Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan's incinerated belongings from going into a Louisiana landfill. See also: Ebola Author Says Outbreak Is 'Part of a Pattern' of Emerging, Deadly Diseases Six truckloads of material were collected from Duncan's apartment and incinerated at a facility in Port Arthur, Texas on Friday. The material, which included linen, … [Link]
Mashable » 'Downton Abbey' Episode 4: Change, Love and Changing Loves
Editor’s note: The following article contains spoilers about the new season of Downton Abbey, which has started airing in the UK. If you wish to remain spoiler-free until the season starts in the United States on Jan. 4, 2015, please avert your eyes. LONDON — Halfway through Season 5 of Downton Abbey, plenty of story lines are coming to a turning … [Link]
Slashdot » Birth Control Pills Threaten Fish Stocks
BarbaraHudson writes Experimental research has shown that small amounts of estrogen in waste water can lead to rapid large-scale changes in fish populations. From the article: "The lead researcher of a new study is calling for improvements to some of Canada's waste water treatment facilities after finding that introducing the birth control pill in waterways created a chain reaction in … [Link]
Mashable » Russia Claims to Have Ebola Vaccine
Russian officials say the country is well on its way to completing an Ebola vaccine and will soon be testing in clinical trials. While the logistics behind the development and testing are unclear, Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs Olga Golodets told the press on Monday that scientists were “about to finish work on developing the vaccine.” See also: Ebola … [Link]
Slashdot » PETA Is Not Happy That Google Used a Camel To Get a Desert "StreetView"
First time accepted submitter flopwich writes Google used a camel-mounted camera to get a 'street view' of a stretch of desert in the United Arab Emirates. PETA's director Ingrid E. Newkirk is upset about it, saying they should have used jeeps. "These days, jeeps are in common use in the desert, as are light planes and even dune buggies, and … [Link]
Mashable » 10 Halloween Costumes Everyone Will Be Wearing in 2014
Those planning to be the only Elsa at the Halloween party might want to let that one go. It's likely she'll be the number one costume we'll see this year. Mashable asked the data miners at Google Trends to share what costumes people are searching the most, and unsurprisingly, Queen Elsa tops the list. She's joined by a few of her … [Link]
Mashable » Guy Jumping 1,200 Feet Into Rooftop Pool Is All About That BASE
No matter how amazing your weekend was, you probably didn't drop in for the best party entrance of all time BASE jumpers John Van Horne, Matt Frohlich and Andy Lewis took a terrifying plunge off of the 1,099-foot Kuala Lumpur Tower in Malaysia, landing safely in a rooftop pool party on another building. It's safe to say they were the … [Link]
Mashable » Deadly Storms Sweep Arkansas
A powerful storm system swept across Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma, killing at least one person and injuring four others, emergency officials said on Monday. Millions of people are now in the path of hurricane-force winds and possible tornadoes. The storms destroyed a home near Ashdown, about 150 miles southwest of Little Rock, but it wasn't immediately known whether the damage was … [Link]
Mashable » New Plane Design Is Only for Families That Actually Like Each Other
An airline in the UK has announced its plans to "revolutionize holiday flying" with family and couple seating. Thomson Airways is the largest charter airline in the world, and it primarily operates flights to resorts. The new design is part of its five-year plan to add seating options for resort travelers from the UK to destinations in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and … [Link]
Slashdot » Hawking Radiation Mimicked In the Lab
Annanag writes *Nothing* escapes a black hole, right? Except 40 years ago Stephen Hawking threw a spanner in the works by suggesting that, courtesy of quantum mechanics, some light particles can actually break free of a black hole's massive pull. Then you have the tantalizing question of whether information can also escape, encoded in that so-called 'Hawking radiation'. The only … [Link]
Mashable » John Oliver Is Leading the War Against Pumpkin Spice
The pumpkin spice obsession has gone too far What started as a shamelessly Instagrammed beverage is now invading aisles of the grocery store it has no business in — it's even being deep fried. See also: John Oliver and Cookie Monster Deliver the Last Word on News John Oliver, never afraid to tackle the tough issues, has a few things … [Link]
Mashable » Twitter Users in France Can Transfer Money Through Tweets
The next time you want to wire money to someone, you can turn to Twitter — that is, if you live in France Groupe BPCE, one of the largest banks in France, is enabling money transfers via tweets through its electronic money subsidiary, S-Money. The initiative was first announced last month and is reportedly scheduled to be unveiled at media event … [Link]
Mashable » After a Long Run at Theaters, Get Ready for 'Resident Evil' on TV
Resident Evil is coming to the small screen after an extensive movie franchise based on the video game, according to a new report The television series will be produced by Constantin Film, a German production house, its chairman Martin Moszkowicz told Variety. Work would begin after the series' final film, which is in production. See also: 5 Video Games That Would … [Link]
Slashdot » Linux Foundation Launches Open Source Dronecode Project
garymortimer writes with news about a project that hopes to create an open source code platform for drones. "The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux and collaborative development, today announced the founding of the Dronecode Project. The Project will bring together existing open source drone projects and assets under a nonprofit structure governed by … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » New York Comic Con (NYCC) 2014 Cosplay in Pictures – Sunday [Gallery]
Here is the picture gallery for Sunday, the last day at New York Comic Con 2014. Thanks to Rich from Aggressive comix for taking the time to take pictures for us! I have also added a few cc-licensed pictures from Flickr user Richie S, including the header picture above, to complete the gallery! Enjoy! If you’ve missed our photos from … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Up to 71% Off “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” Box Sets
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers to 71% Off on the “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” and “Angel” box sets. You can get Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Series for just $58.99 instead of $199.98 (71% Off) and Angel: The Complete Series for $49.99 instead of $139.98 (64% Off). [Up to 71% Off "Buffy The Vampire … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Thomas Jefferson Was a Timelord [Pic]
Presented without comment. [Source: Geek Universe] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Science of Wildfires [Video]
SciShow explains the science of wildfires, what causes them, and why they’re getting more frequent and severe. [SciShow | Via] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » What is Wind and Where Does it Come From? [Science Video]
Wind: It’s always there, but where does it come from? Wind is everywhere. The air is constantly moving, sometimes gently, sometimes violently. Why? Pressure, temperature and rotation come together to make wind. Here’s how. [It's Ok To Be Smart | Via UD] [Link]
Slashdot » Statisticians Uncover What Makes For a Stable Marriage
HughPickens.com writes Randy Olson, a Computer Science grad student who works with data visualizations, writes about seven of the biggest factors that predict what makes for a long term stable marriage in America. Olson took the results of a study that polled thousands of recently married and divorced Americans and and asked them dozens of questions about their marriage (PDF): … [Link]
Mashable » iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Coming to 36 More Countries This Month
Apple has announced its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones will arrive in 36 more countries in October. See also: Two Weeks Later, Here's What Users Think of the iPhone 6 Plus The company's new 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch phones will hit stores on the following dates: Oct. 17: China, India and Monaco Oct. 23: Israel Oct. 24: Czech Republic, French … [Link]
Mashable » How the Media's Focus on Kobani Obscures the War in Syria
ISTANBUL, Turkey—As the world's attention is gripped by the Islamic State's advance on the small Kurdish town of Kobane in northeastern Syria, other towns in Syria are being overrun by forces loyal to the dictator Bashar al-Assad largely without notice See also: 'The Turkish Government Killed My Son' Though local journalists and activists have tried to draw attention to a mounting … [Link]
Mashable » To Hide From WWII Bombs, London Goes Dark
Even before World War II began, the British Air Ministry had predicted that the United Kingdom would be bombed at night. One of the very few precautions the nation could take was the elimination of man-made light. In July 1939 – two months before the declaration of war – the British government distributed Public Information Leaflet No, 2, which set out … [Link]
Slashdot » First Man To Walk In Space Reveals How Mission Nearly Ended In Disaster
wired_parrot writes Nearly fifty years after the first spacewalk by soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, he's given a rare interview to the BBC revealing how the mission very nearly ended in disaster. Minutes after he stepped into space, Leonov realised his suit had inflated like a balloon, preventing him from getting back inside. Later on, the cosmonauts narrowly avoided being obliterated … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Welcome to the Working Week [Comic]
[Source: Fowl Language | Fowl Language on Facebook] [Link]
New Scientist – News » Lunar volcanoes suggest the moon may still be warm
Newly found patches on the moon suggest lunar volcanism lasted far longer than thought – and that radioactive elements may keep the interior warm today 
[Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Resume Driven Development
I had a conversation recently with Martin Thompson (@mjpt777), a London-based developer who specializes in performance and low-latency systems. I learned about Martin through Kevlin Henney’s Tweets about his recent talk at Goto Aarhus. We talked about a disturbing trend … [Link]
Mashable » Can All U.S. Hospitals Safely Treat Ebola?
A breach of infection control resulting in a Dallas health worker getting Ebola raises fresh questions about whether hospitals truly can safely take care of people with the deadly virus, as health officials insist is possible. Even in the United States, with the best conditions and protective gear available, mistakes can happen that expose more people to Ebola, the new case … [Link]
Mashable » Esquire Names Penelope Cruz 'Sexiest Woman Alive'
Penelope Cruz is Esquire's "sexiest woman alive." Cruz, 40, is the 11th woman to be given the title by the magazine. Previous honorees include Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Rihanna, Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson. See also: The 60 Best Celebrity Ice Bucket Challenge Videos The Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Vanilla Sky actress tells Esquire that she had "an attraction to drama" … [Link]
Mashable » 8 Common Myths About Working From Home
The ability to work from home is an increasingly popular and coveted perk in modern workplaces, and it's not hard to see why. From an employee perspective, the benefits of avoiding a commute are obvious, but employers also see benefits: Overhead costs go down if you don't have to provide desk space and equipment for your staff, and you'll never have … [Link]
Mashable » How to Get the Most Out of Your Promoted Tweets
Twitter’s Promoted Tweets is one of the most effective ways to run a Twitter marketing campaign. It's affordable, easy to use and gives you access to a wide range of targeting and ad-management tools that let you reach the right customers at the right time — all while staying in control of your ad dollars. But with more than 271 million … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Atul Gawande: Aim for a good life, not a good death
We tend to view the end of life as a medical problem, but too often neglect the life we have left, says the surgeon and New Yorker writer (full text available to subscribers) 
[Link]
Mashable » How to Know If Becoming a Manager Is Right for You
As a child, I’m fairly certain I never told anyone I wanted to be a manager when I grew up. As it turns out, though, managing has been one of the most rewarding challenges of my career. But, while I strongly recommend everyone try supervising at least one person during his or her career, the gig definitely isn’t for everyone. If … [Link]
Mashable » The Google Doctor Will See You Now
It seems Google is trying to bring an end to all the fake "diagnoses" resulting from folks searching for their symptoms and arriving at the wrong conclusions — or at least alleviate the problem An image posted to Reddit shows a Google search for knee pain, and an option for the user to video chat with a doctor about their … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 13 October 2014
Angular JS Style Guide — I love style guides, to the point of having posted (I think) three for Angular. Reading other people’s style guides is like listening to them make-up after arguments: you learn what’s important to them, and … [Link]
Slashdot » Samsung's Wi-Fi Upgrades Promise Speeds Up to 4.6Gbps
The Register describes an advance in wireless speed announced by Samsung, which could make possible Wi-Fi speeds of up to 4.6Gbps in any device equipped with the new technology. By using “wide-coverage beam-forming antenna” and “eliminating co-channel interference, regardless of the number of devices using the same network” Samsung says it has cracked the problem and that products using its … [Link]
Mashable » Australians Infuriated Over Racist Shirt in Supermarkets
SYDNEY — Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has pulled a racist singlet from their shelves, after a Twitter user posted a photo of the worrying merchandise. Coming in assorted sizes and with an Australian flag emblazoned on the front, a slogan on the shirt reads: "If you don't love it, leave." George Craig spotted the shirt in Cairns, Queensland and shared a … [Link]
Mashable » Crowd Tries to Charge Hong Kong Democracy Protest
HONG KONG — An angry crowd tried to charge barricades used by pro-democracy protesters to occupy part of downtown Hong Kong as a standoff with authorities dragged into a third week. Several hundred people, many of them middle aged or older men, gathered in front of barricades on a main road Monday, chanting, "Open the road!" See also: Hong Kong's Umbrella … [Link]
Mashable » Maker to Produce Themed Highlight Specials for Disney's TV Channels
LOS ANGELES — In a reversal of the poles between YouTube and television, Maker Studios announced Monday that it is creating a branded block of specials that will air on parent company's Disney Channel and Disney XD. The alpha YouTube multichannel network, which Disney paid nearly $1 billion for back in March, also is working on TV-first content for Disney Channels … [Link]
Slashdot » WhatsApp's Next Version To Include VoIP Calls and Recording
An anonymous reader writes that WhatsApp is adding a feature that may elevate it for many users' purposes: VoIP. "Apps like Viber, Skype, Tango and Google Hangout already support VoIP, which allows you to make voice calls over a broadband connection. Beyond WhatsApp's huge pool of over 600 million active users, which will undoubtedly disrupt cell service providers' payment model, … [Link]
Mashable » Dance Party Breaks Out on Australian Train, Monday Becomes Brighter
SYDNEY — Is your Monday getting you down? This will change everything. One guy from Perth, Western Australia, is trying to affect the way we interact in the world. Social artist Peter Sharp uses his performance art to cheer people up and try to create a better world, starting with himself. See also: Australian Public in Mourning as 'The Block' Shatters … [Link]
Mashable » Australian Public in Mourning as 'The Block' Shatters Every Single Dream
SYDNEY – Last night, millions of Australians sat in their lounge rooms with ugly crying faces This morning, news sites across the country were flooded with stories: 'THE BLOCK SHOCK,' they screamed. Fingers were pointed, heads were dropped. Could our favourite reality show really end like this? The Block, an Australian renovation television show, which follows five teams of two as … [Link]
Mashable » Drone Beat: Swarming Boat Robots, the Other Drone Memo and More
The U.S. government uses them to bomb alleged terrorists in far-away places. Tech companies like Amazon, Google and Facebook are all toying with the idea of using them, and now they're a photographer's secret weapon. Drones are a big part of our lives, whether we see them or not. Drone Beat collects the best and most important stories every week. If … [Link]
Mashable » Ashton Kutcher's Lenovo Commercial Doubles as Ad for His Tech Investments
When Lenovo unveiled its updated line of Yoga tablets last week, one of them created with input from "product engineer" Ashton Kutcher, the company also released a video to accompany the launch showing the actor using the product The "Day in the Life" of Kutcher video (above) shows the actor and enthusiastic startup tech investor shuffling around what is supposed … [Link]
Mashable » Samsung Level Headphones Hold Their Own Against Beats, But Need a Remix
As the market for premium over-the-ear headphones has become ever=more mainstream — powered in part by celebrity-driven audio models like Beats (recently acquired by Apple) — other major players are taking a fresh look at the space Chief among them is Samsung, the South Korean electronics giants that took on Apple in the smartphone space and, at least by current … [Link]
Mashable » Bathurst 1000 Brings Out True Blue Aussies for a Weekend of Grog, Barbies and Revheads
SYDNEY — It is the cream of the Australian crop or the absolute worst of humanity, depending on which angle you look at it from. The Bathurst 1000, a car race on Mount Panorama in the New South Wales country town of Bathurst, attracted a diverse crowd over the weekend for race day on Sunday. The revheads were in their element … [Link]
Mashable » Why 'The Walking Dead' Premiere Was One of the Best Episodes Ever
Warning: Spoilers ahead for the Season 5 premiere of The Walking Dead. Is it OK to cry during a zombie show? It's weak, I know. But how was I expected to react during a sweet reunion and a gooey moment where a father got to hold his previously missing baby daughter? The two scenes that came at the end of this … [Link]
Mashable » 6 Ways Batman Ruled Comic Con Because He's the Goddamn Batman
NEW YORK — From the 4-month-old infant dressed as "Bat Baby" at Fox's Gotham panel to the 86-year-old Adam West reminiscing about his stint as the classic Caped Crusader, it was impossible not to catch a whiff of Batman something at New York Comic Con It's an understatement to say Batman took over Comic Con this weekend because organizers took no … [Link]
Mashable » Federal Judge Strikes Down Gay Marriage Ban in Alaska
A federal judge on Sunday struck down Alaska's first-in-the-nation ban on gay marriages, the latest court decision in a busy week for the issue across the country. It wasn't immediately clear when marriage licenses would be issued to same-sex couples in the state, however the state does have a three-day waiting period between applications and marriage ceremonies. See also: A Week … [Link]
Slashdot » Independent Researchers Test Rossi's Alleged Cold Fusion Device For 32 Days
WheezyJoe (1168567) writes The E-Cat (or "Energy Catalyzer") is an alleged cold fusion device that produces heat from a low-energy nuclear reaction where nickel and hydrogen fuse into copper. Previous reports have tended to suggest the technology is a hoax, and the inventor Andrea Rossi's reluctance to share details of the device haven't helped the situation. ExtremeTech now reports that … [Link]
Slashdot » Oxytocin Regulates Sociosexual Behavior In Female Mice
Chipmunk100 writes In a research article in the journal Cell scientists report that there is a subset of neurons that are vital in social interest of female mice for males during estrus, the sexually receptive phase of their cycle. They say that these neurons are responsive to oxytocin. The level of oxytocin rise when we hug or kiss a loved … [Link]
Mashable » U.S. Journalist With Ebola Has Made 'Great Progress'
Doctors said Sunday that the health of Ashoka Mukpo, a patient being treated for Ebola at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, is improving. "With the Ebola virus, you never relax completely, but we think he has made great progress," Phil Smith, a doctor and infectious disease expert at the medical center said in a press conference. See also: What We … [Link]
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