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 » How Whisper Tracks Users Who Don't Share Their Location
blottsie (3618811) writes "On Thursday, the Guardian reported that secret-sharing app Whisper was tracking users' locations even when they opt-out of sharing their location. [See also this earlier, related story.] Whisper has denied the accusations—but this may be a matter of semantics. Whisper allegedly uses an outdated version of GeoIP by MaxMind, which uses your IP address to estimate your … [Link]
Mashable » Popular Kickstarter Project Anonabox Suspended After Scam Accusations
Kickstarter has frozen donations for Anonabox, an Internet router designed to make your online activity anonymous, amid growing backlash The suspension comes on the heels of the privacy tool's massively successful crowd-funding campaign earlier this week. The gadget was originally priced at $45 and runs on Tor, software that accesses Internet connections anonymously. Anonabox's pledges, at one point, surpassed $600,000. Then … [Link]
Slashdot » The Physics of Why Cold Fusion Isn't Real
StartsWithABang writes If you can reach the fabled "breakeven point" of nuclear fusion, you'll have opened up an entire new source of clean, reliable, safe, renewable and abundant energy. You will change the world. At present, fusion is one of those things we can make happen through a variety of methods, but — unless you're the Sun — we don't … [Link]
Mashable » What Happens When Apple Runs Out of Product Ideas?
Hot off the heels of Thursday's Apple event announcing the new iPad, Jimmy Kimmel has a suggestion for the company's next product: The iPod Retro In a video parodying Apple ads, employees announce that they're putting old iPods, that have been gathering dust in warehouses, back on the market — tapping into the ever-popular sentiment of nostalgia. "We don't care … [Link]
Mashable » Apple Users Complain iOS 8 Messes Up AirPrint on iPhones and iPads
If the other user issues reported with iOS 8 weren't enough, Apple's latest mobile operating system has reportedly caused problems with AirPrint, the tool that allows iOS devices to print over Wi-Fi, by stalling the job or altogether preventing printing. Numerous discussion threads on Apple forums have detailed customer issues with AirPrint after updating an iPhone or iPad to iOS 8. … [Link]
Mashable » 25 Years Later, Bay Area Braces for the Big One
SAN FRANCISCO — As the rest of the U.S. appeared to be freaking out about a disease that had infected at least three of its citizens, the Bay Area turned its attention Friday to a more serious public safety danger — one that is utterly inevitable, and that scientists are warning could be overdue. The earthquake that struck exactly a quarter … [Link]
Slashdot » Kickstarter Cancels Anonabox Funding Campaign
An anonymous reader writes: On Friday, the controversy surrounding Anonabox reached its zenith with Kickstarter officially canceling the project's funding campaign. Anonabox began with a modest goal of $7,500, but quickly reached its goal 82 times over. Then funders and interested parties began to scrutinize the project's claims, and that's when the project ran into trouble. From hardware that wasn't … [Link]
Mashable » How to Do a Clean Install of OS X Yosemite
Apple released OS X Yosemite to the masses on Thursday as a free upgrade, so plenty of users are likely already busy preparing to install the new operating system. As with OS X Lion, OS X Mountain Lion and OS X Mavericks, Apple makes it easy for users to install the upgrade by downloading Yosemite from the App Store and running … [Link]
Slashdot » South Korean ID System To Be Rebuilt From Scratch After Massive Leaks
AmiMoJo writes: South Korea's national identity card system may need a complete overhaul following huge data thefts dating back to 2004. The government is considering issuing new ID numbers to every citizen over age 17, costing billions of dollars. The ID numbers and personal details of an estimated 80% of the country's 50 million people have been stolen from banks … [Link]
Mashable » Ebola Pup Receiving Care From Top Veterinary Team
The City of Dallas wants you to know that Bentley, the dog owned by Ebola-stricken nurse Nina Pham, is in good hands — the gloved hands of highly trained veterinarians, in fact Due to the outpouring of public concern for Pham's cute-as-a-button pooch, Dallas Animal Services has been providing constant updates on his condition. Bentley's growing number of fans are sharing … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » WANT: The “Knowing” T-Shirt
This could quite possibly be one of the most awesome t-shirts of all time… because knowing is half the battle. 
[Knowing T-Shirt] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse [Comic]
Nice idea, but there’s one major flaw flaws with the design: the toilet feature doesn’t really work for ladies or when you need to go for a number 2. But I guess this would be the last of your worries if you’re surrounded by zombies, right? [Source: The Doghouse Diaries | Like The Doghouse Diaries on Facebook] [Link]
Mashable » University Disinvites Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photographer Over Ebola Fears
Syracuse University has disinvited a three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post photographer who returned from covering the Ebola crisis in Liberia 21 days ago and is symptom-free because of concerns there about the virus The university had asked Michel duCille, along with wife and Washington Post colleague Nikki Kahn, also a Pulitzer Prize winner, to attend a planned engagement for portfolio reviews … [Link]
Mashable » The New York Mets Prophesied This World Series on June 28
The San Francisco Giants will join the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 World Series thanks to Travis Ishikawa's incredible walk-off three-run homer against the Cardinals on Thursday night. There's video at the bottom of this post, which you've probably already seen — but is it really possible to watch an all-time classic sports moment too many times? It turns out, … [Link]
Slashdot » Google Releases Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK and Nexus Preview Images
An anonymous reader writes: As promised, Google today released the full Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK, along with updated developer images for Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2013), ADT-1, and the Android emulator. The latest version of Android isn't available just yet, but the company is giving developers a head start (about two weeks), so they can test their apps on the … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: PowerClerk Interconnect Reduces Solar Install Cost, Integrates Via API
Clean Power Research launches PowerClerk Interconnect to dramatically reduce software costs associated with solar power installs. Google has announced the launch of a new Tag Manager API. Plus: Tech Crunch and Makers Academy search for rockstar developers at London hackathon.
[Link]
Mashable » Finally, a Game That Lets Us Become Bread
Simulation games have given us the opportunity to do things we never thought possible — to inhabit jobs and roles much more important than our own. With just a small learning curve, these games have allowed us to become conductors, pilots, goats, surgeons, kings and even gods. And now, after years of waiting, we can be bread. See also: 10 … [Link]
Mashable » What It's Like to Hang Out in Taylor Swift's Living Room
Taylor Swift is the queen of hospitality In the months leading up to the release date of her upcoming album 1989, Swift invited hundreds of fans to private listening parties held in the living rooms of her many homes. Swift's team has since dubbed these parties the "1989 Secret Sessions." See also: A Comprehensive Guide to Taylor Swift's Grammys Dance … [Link]
Mashable » Atmospheric Quirk Made 1934 Drought the Worst in a Millennium
The catastrophic 1934 drought is one of the worst North American droughts on record, and was caused, in part, by an atmospheric condition that may have led to the current drought in California, a new study finds. The 1934 drought affected about seven times more land area than other large droughts that hit North America between the years 1000 and 2005, … [Link]
Slashdot » High-Tech Walkers Could Help Japan's Elderly Stay Independent
jfruh writes: You may have heard that Japan will deal with its aging population by relying more on robots. Osaka startup RT Works is showing what that might mean in practice: not humanoid robotic caregivers, but tech-enhanced versions of traditional tools like walkers. RT Works's walker automatically adjusts to help its user deal with hilly terrain, and can call for … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » How to Make Friends as an Adult [Comic]
[Source: Mr. Lovenstein | Like Mr. Lovenstein on Facebook] [Link]
Mashable » iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 Now Available for Preorder
Now that the dust has settled from Thursday's (not so magical) iPad event, Apple's latest iterations of the device — the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 — are now available for preorder at the Apple Store and online. The iPad Air 2 is Apple's thinnest tablet yet, and it's available in silver, space gray and — for the first … [Link]
Mashable » These Male Models Quarantined Themselves Because of Ebola
Two men who were on board a plane from Ohio with Amber Vinson, the second Dallas healthcare worker to contract Ebola, have decided to quarantine themselves These are not your average Joes, thoughAxl Goode and Taylor Cole work as models for adult romance novels (think Fabio). See also: 6 Strange Ebola-Themed Products for Sale Online According to the men, they were … [Link]
Mashable » Artsy's Incredible Online Database Brings Art to Your Fingertips
Marina Cashdan was born into art. A native New Yorker, Cashdan resided in a SoHo neighborhood brimming with creativity. Artistic thinking had a huge presence in Cashdan's upbringing: Her mother was a dancer and her father, an architect. "It had a real influence on me, whether or not I knew it at the time," she says. Today, Cashdan is the editorial … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Google Announces Improvements to Google Tag Manager Including New API
Google has just announced improvements to the Google Tag Manager tool which includes a new intuitive interface, more 3rd-party templates, and the new Google Tag Manager API. Google Tag Manager is a free tool designed primarily for marketers that makes it easy to add and update website and mobile app tags including conversion tracking, site analytics, and remarketing tags. … [Link]
Mashable » Batman and Villains Pop in 75th Anniversary Gallery of Mondo Art
LOS ANGELES — There are so many cool new Batman 75th anniversary Mondo posters here, you could hang them from the ceiling and call it the ultimate Batmobile. Art gallery/online store Mondo will opens its Batman 75th Anniversary Gallery show on Oct. 24 at the Mondo Gallery in Austin, Texas. Batman joins recent Mondo events for Marvel, Disney and Game of … [Link]
Slashdot » Fusion and Fission/LFTR: Let's Do Both, Smartly
TheRealHocusLocus writes: Disaster preppers have a saying, "two is one and one is none," which might also apply to 24×7 base load energy sources that could sustain us beyond the age of fossil fuel. I too was happy to see Skunkworks' Feb 2013 announcement and the recent "we're still making progress" reminder. I was moved by the reaction on Slashdot: … [Link]
Mashable » Snapchat to Begin Running Ads This Weekend
Advertising is coming to Snapchat. After months of reports, the company announced that ads will begin appearing in "Recent Updates." The post didn't outline which brands will be running ads See also: Ghost in the Shell: The Snapchat Privacy Illusion "An advertisement will appear in your Recent Updates from time to time, and you can choose if you want to watch … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Google Launches Android 5.0 Lollipop SDK
Google today delivered an updated set of tools to Android app writers. It published the latest preview images of Android 5.0 Lollipop for the Nexus 5 smartphone and Nexus 7 tablets, as well as released the Android 5.0 SDK. With these tools, developers have all they need to get their apps up to speed. Google made early versions of both … [Link]
Mashable » Bono Wears Sunglasses for Glaucoma, Not for Fashion
Here's one way to get everyone to stop talking about that messy iTunes situation: Bono has revealed that he always rocks sunglasses because he has glaucoma Let's all take this opportunity to apologize to Bono for the years of eyewear-related jokes See also: U2 Takes Us Behind the Scenes Of Its Surprise Album The U2 frontman discussed his chronic health … [Link]
Mashable » MasterCard's New Credit Card Will Come With a Fingerprint Scanner
MasterCard is introducing a credit card that comes with a fingerprint scanner to make paying for items at stores more secure. MasterCard's contactless payment option is hardly new, allowing users to tap a card at checkout (and bypass the PIN code process). But MasterCard is now teaming up with biometric tech company Zwipe to prevent people from paying for items this … [Link]
Mashable » The Westernization of the East: Iran's Booming Consumer Culture
During his visit to Cuba in 2012, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad noted that the capitalist system was in decay "On various stages it has come to a dead end — politically, economically and culturally," he said. See also: Iran Censors Controversial Instagram Account 'Rich Kids Of Tehran' Yet with the United States easing trade sanctions with Iran, it appears the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Why Brits and Americans Spell Differently
Have you ever wondered why Americans dropped the “u” from British words like “humour” and “behaviour”? And what about “theater” vs. “theatre” or “center vs. “centre?” Watch this enlightening episode of Anglophenia to find out! Siobhan Thompson explains the spelling divide between our nations. [Anglophenia] [Link]
Mashable » 'Lost' Actor Will Play Mysterious New Role in 'Game of Thrones'
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who played Mr. Eko in Lost, Simon Adebisi on Oz and Algrim in Thor: The Dark World, has joined the cast of HBO's Game of Thrones for the series upcoming fifth season. The actor will be playing a character named "Malko," who does not appear in the books, according to The Hollywood Reporter. See also: The Brutal Truth About … [Link]
Mashable » These Children Are Quite Literally The Stuff of Nightmares
New Zealand photographer George Silk (1916–2004) captured these eerie images for the Halloween 1960 edition of LIFE Magazine. The models were children of his family and friends Silk used a specially modified photo-finish camera to create the images. He had relied on the tool earlier in the year to capture athletes at the Olympic trials. Silk had created a ''strip" camera … [Link]
Slashdot » Lead Mir Developer: 'Mir More Relevant Than Wayland In Two Years'
M-Saunders writes Canonical courted plenty of controversy with it announced Mir, its home-grown display server. But why did the company choose to go it alone, and not collaborate with the Wayland project? Linux Voice has an interview with Thomas Voss, Mir's lead developer. Voss explains how Mir came into being, what it offers, and why he believes it will outlast … [Link]
Mashable » An Ebola Travel Ban Would Be More Trouble Than It's Worth
As of Thursday evening, 11 senators and 59 members of the House had spoken out in favor of a travel ban on flights to and from Ebola-stricken West African nations. But not much attention has been paid to what such a ban would look like, or if it could even reasonably work. How would a travel ban be implemented? Practically, the … [Link]
Mashable » Collapsed Bench Results in Greatest Team Photo Ever
Derry City FC is a pro soccer team in Ireland that just took possibly the most excellent team photo of all time — completely by accident When the squad went to take its season group shot on Thursday, seven players and a coach were supposed to be sitting on a bench in the front row. When the bench collapsed, all eight … [Link]
Slashdot » Tesla Teardown Reveals Driver-facing Electronics Built By iPhone 6 Suppliers
Lucas123 writes: The Tesla Model S gets attention because it's an EV that can go from from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.2 seconds and can travel 265 miles on a single charge. But, a teardown of the vehicle by IHS Technology has also revealed that Elon Musk avoided third-party design and build routes used traditionally by auto makers … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Dorkly Comic: If Comic Creators Could See Their Characters Now
If comic creators could see their characters now, a comic by Tony Wilson from Dorkly. 
[Source: Dorkly] [Link]
Mashable » Putin Parties All Night in Italy
KIEV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin flew into Milan late on Thursday where he was to attend peace talks with European leaders and Ukraine's president in the latest attempt to ease tensions over the conflict in eastern Ukraine But Putin started off his Italian trip by arriving eight hours late to the city, missing a meeting with German Chancellor Angela … [Link]
Mashable » Megan Amram Proves She Has Comedy in Her DNA With 'Let's Get Physics Y'all'
Parks and Recreation writer Megan Amram knows how to concoct some hilariously weird science Her forthcoming book, Science…For Her! is a satirical textbook with the tone of a women's interest magazine. See also: Megan Amram's Weird and Brilliant Comedy In her most recent comedic endeavor, Amram joined forces with Funny or Die to bring the book to life Olivia Newton-John-style, with … [Link]
Mashable » Fitz and Olivia Reunite in Explosive 'Scandal' Episode 4
If you're smelling gun powder in the air, that's because war is here. In Thursday's explosive episode of Scandal, "Like Father, Like Daughter," Jake's life is at stake, as well as the reputation of President Fitz's daughter Episode 4 introduces sexual terms, including "Eiffel Towering" and "Going to Paris," which I'm afraid to look up. It also turns the heat on, … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » How To Develop an Android Wear Application
Android Wear from Google is a platform that connects your Android phone to your wrist. Since its release earlier this year, Android Wear has garnered a lot of attention, both from a consumer angle and also from developers, who want to ensure that they understand and have their applications ready to take advantage of a new way in which users … [Link]
Mashable » Sting-Sung Cellphone Ringtones Are Better Than the Originals
Thursday's Apple event had one glaring omission: Where were the ringtones recorded by Sting (Stingtones)? The iconic musician stopped by The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to fill this void in the universe by performing his take on popular ringtones, including the iPhone's default tune "Marimba." Sting also recorded an outgoing voicemail to the melody of "Message in a Bottle" … [Link]
Slashdot » Debian Talks About Systemd Once Again
An anonymous reader writes: A couple of months ago the technical committee for Debian decided in favor of systemd. This is now a subject for discussion once again, and Ian Jackson says he wants a general resolution, so every developer within the Debian project can decide. After a short time, the required amount of supporters was reached, and the discussion … [Link]
Mashable » Watch Live: Hurricane Gonzalo Hits Bermuda
Update 6:10 p.m. ET: Visibility has been greatly reduced due to nightfall in Bermuda, but for updates you can turn to our main hurricane story as we follow the storm. A hurricane warning is in effect for Bermuda, where tropical storm force winds are expected to begin within hours, and a five to seven hour period of hurricane force winds … [Link]
Mashable » The U.N. Taking the Blame for the Ebola Outbreak Is Bullsh*t
The World Health Organization admitted on Friday that it botched attempts to stop the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, but experts say it should come as no surprise because the United Nations agency has been starved of resources "Nearly everyone involved in the outbreak response failed to see some fairly plain writing on the wall," WHO said in a draft internal … [Link]
Slashdot » Python-LMDB In a High-Performance Environment
lkcl writes: In an open letter to the core developers behind OpenLDAP (Howard Chu) and Python-LMDB (David Wilson) is a story of a successful creation of a high-performance task scheduling engine written (perplexingly) in Python. With only partial optimization allowing tasks to be executed in parallel at a phenomenal rate of 240,000 per second, the choice to use Python-LMDB for … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest stories on newscientist.com: nature's walking dead, Estonia's e-citizenship, poisonous frogs sing louder, Google's Express delivery, and more 
[Link]
Mashable » This Baby Minion Costume Just Won Halloween
Forget whatever costume you've got planned for your baby this Halloween. Your kid — no, all kids … no, all people — should be a minion this year The clip from America's Funniest Home Videos, which dates back to April but recently resurfaced, shows why Despicable Me will instantly make Oct. 31 an overwhelmingly adorable holiday. Sure, the costume's unusual … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » New iPads Feature Multi-Carrier SIM
Amid all the usual hype for thinner screens and bigger resolutions at the latest Apple launch event came a genuine breakthrough for the iPad: a reprogrammable SIM card that can work with multiple carriers. The iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3, which will take over as the most expensive models in the range in full and small sizes respectively, … [Link]
Mashable » Brazilian Police Arrest 'Quiet' 26-Year-Old Mass Murder Suspect
SAO PAULO, Brazil — Police in Brazil have arrested a man they say has confessed to killing at least 39 people in a four-year killing spree in the central-western state of Goiás. Tiago Henrique Gomes da Rocha, a 26-year-old security guard at a hospital, was arrested Tuesday in the state capital city, Goiânia, and has, according to police, confessed to at … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Jason Momoa Does Haka Dance for Game Of Thrones Audition [Video]
Translation: I die! I die! I live! I live! I die! I die! I live! I live! This is the hairy man Who fetched the Sun And caused it to shine again One upward step! Another upward step! An upward step, another.. the Sun shines!! *Note the words wakawhiti te ra are pronounced in Maori as ‘fa-ka fe tea te … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Locked-in people's awareness revealed by rainbow hair
A colourful visualisation of brain signals could offer a quick and easy way to identify people who are conscious but can't move or speak 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » Can Google Express deliver on same-day shopping?
Google has found another way to reach into our lives with its same-day delivery service. But it needs to harness new technology to make Google Express viable 
[Link]
Mashable » Christian Bale's 'Batman' Would Be an Amazing Steve Jobs
Just days ago, rumors swarmed that Christian Bale would sign on to play Steve Jobs in a new biopic The film hasn't even entered the production stages yet, but Conan, being Conan, put together his own "exclusive" sneak peek of the movie, with Bale putting a masked-vigilante spin on the late Apple founder The batsuit with a turtleneck. Think about … [Link]
Slashdot » How Curved Spacetime Can Be Created In a Quantum Optics Lab
KentuckyFC writes: One way to explore the link between quantum mechanics and general relativity is to study the physics that occurs on a small scale in highly curved spacetimes. However, these conditions only occur in the most extreme environments such as at the edge of black holes or in the instants after the Big Bang. But now one physicist has … [Link]
Mashable » Should the Ebola Quarantine Be Longer Than 21 Days?
Two to 21 days. If a person is exposed to the Ebola virus, that's the timeframe in which the symptoms of the disease can manifest. The disease kills about half of those it infects. That's the reality for the friends of Thomas Eric Duncan, the first victim of Ebola to die in the United States, who made contact with him before … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Black Beans! [Pic]
[Reddit | Dorkly] [Link]
Mashable » An 80-Foot Inflatable Tree in Paris Looks a Lot Like a Giant Butt Plug
Shield your eyes, art aficionados A giant inflatable sculpture was erected in Place Vendôme in Paris, France, on Oct. 16, and ever since, it has been making waves for locals and tourists alike. The reason may be fairly obvious: The sculpture, called "Tree," looks suspiciously like giant butt plug. See also: It's a Boy! Student Rescued From Vagina Sculpture in Germany … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Poisonous frogs evolve to sing longer and louder
The strong poison and bright warning patterns of the little devil frog mean it can sing shamelessly longer and louder in its efforts to woo a mate 
[Link]
Mashable » iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Launch in China and India
Apple continued its global rollout of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, launching them on Friday in the world's two most populous countries. The new iPhones are now available in China and India about one month after their initial launch in 10 countries, including the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The iPhones also came to Monaco on Friday. Apple plans to … [Link]
Mashable » Lots of People Are Seriously Wondering if Lysol Kills Ebola
“I’m glad given the Ebola scare you're still shaking my hand," Jon Stewart greeted his Daily Show guest Bill O'Reilly last night. Then he pushed a bottle of hand sanitizer toward O'Reilly and told him, "Everything is going to be ok." Stewart was poking fun at O'Reilly, who on his show The O'Reilly Factor has been freaking out about Ebola in … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Thor Gets a Cellphone [Pic]
These cellphone texts never cease to crack me up! Thanks Mylène! [Via RDJ] [Link]
Slashdot » Chemists Grow Soil Fungus On Cheerios, Discover New Antifungal Compounds
MTorrice writes: Many drugs that treat bacterial and fungal infections were found in microbes growing in the dirt. These organisms synthesize the compounds to fend off other bacteria and fungi around them. To find possible new drugs, chemists try to coax newly discovered microbial species to start making their arsenal of antimicrobial chemicals in the lab. But fungi can be … [Link]
Mashable » Apple Supplier Cuts More Than 700 Jobs After iPhone 6 Snub
An Apple supplier that had banked on the use of its sapphire crystal in the recently launched iPhone 6 has laid out plans to cut 727 jobs from its plant in Mesa, Arizona. GT Advanced Technologies was slated to play a big role in Apple's new iPhones, supplying the much-hyped sapphire glass for the smartphone's screens. But the company has stumbled … [Link]
Mashable » Missing Actress Misty Upham Found Dead in Ravine, Reports Say
SEATTLE — Police in the Seattle suburb of Auburn said Thursday that they believe they have found the body of missing actress Misty Upham, known for her roles in August: Osage County, 'Frozen River and Django Unchained. A woman's body was found in a ravine near the White River around 1 p.m. Thursday, police spokesperson Steve Stocker said. Items with Upham's … [Link]
Mashable » ISIS Holding Thousands of Women and Children as Slaves in Iraq and Syria
ISTANBUL, Turkey — The Islamic State is currently holding thousands of people hostage inside ISIS territory, having taken members of the minority Yazidi sect captive this summer during a brutal campaign across northern Iraq See also: Slave to Terror: One Woman Sold to ISIS Tells the Story of Her Escape While the United Nations has put the number of captives at … [Link]
Mashable » Obama Appoints 'Ebola Czar' to Coordinate U.S. Response
The United States of America has a new czar. President Barack Obama named Ron Klain, a man who served as chief of staff for Vice Presidents Al Gore and Joe Biden, as "Ebola czar," CNN's Jake Tapper reported Friday morning. While not an official government position, Klain will be responsible for the “whole of government Ebola response,” Politico reports, and report … [Link]
Lifehacker » 8 Uses for Your Outdated iPad
With iPad Air 2 preorders starting today, you might be ready to kick your old tablet to the curb. But when the march of technology sends your slate to the junk drawer, don't just sell it off . Recycle it into a high-powered specialist device.Read more… [Link]
Mashable » Amazon's Grocery Delivery Arrives in Brooklyn
Affluent hipsters in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn, New York, will now have another option for grocery delivery AmazonFresh, the online retail giant's food delivery service, started offering deliveries in Park Slope on Friday, the company confirmed on its website: See also: Google's 'Rivalry' With Amazon? It's Complicated 
Image: AmazonRe/code reports that Amazon plans to expand its delivery service to … [Link]
Slashdot » OS X 10.10 Yosemite Review
An anonymous reader writes: With the release of OS X 10.10 Yosemite, Ars Technica has posted one of their extremely thorough reviews of the OS's new features and design changes. John Siracusa writes that Yosemite is particularly notable because it's the biggest step yet in Apple's efforts to bring OS X and iOS together — new technologies are now being … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player – $28
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers the Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player for just $28 instead of the usual $35. If you were looking to purchase a super cheap streaming media player for your television, this is the one to get! Supports Netflix, YouTube, HBO GO, Hulu Plus, Pandora, Plex, MLB.TV, ESPN, Crunchroll, MLS, Crackle, … [Link]
Mashable » Argentina Launches Its First Satellite to Space
Argentina launched its first domestically built communications satellite Thursday. The ARSAT-1 satellite is the first to be constructed with local technology in Latin America. It was built by a crew of about 500 scientists over seven years at a cost of $250 million. The satellite was launched from a base in French Guiana and is to orbit 22,000 miles above Earth. … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Batman Saves Kid in Batman Begins, Kid Lets Batman Down [Pic]
[Humordash | GU] [Link]
Slashdot » Mixing Agile With Waterfall For Code Quality
jones_supa writes: The 2014 CAST Research on Application Software Health (CRASH) report states that enterprise software built using a mixture of agile and waterfall methods will result in more robust and secure applications than those built using either agile or waterfall methods alone. Data from CAST's Appmarq benchmarking repository was analyzed to discover global trends in the structural quality of … [Link]
Mashable » Samsung Chromebook 2: Good Enough, If You Live in the Cloud
Samsung's Chromebook 2 released in May had all the ingredients of a winner: a sleek design and a good keyboard and trackpad. If only it wasn't saddled with a slow processor designed for smartphones and tablets Oops? Let’s just pretend that model didn’t happen, okay? That's exactly what Samsung wants you to think. The refreshed Chromebook 2 is more or … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 17 February 2014
Time to Enable Two-Factor Authentication on Everything (Gizmodo) — instructions for enabling 2fa on Google, Facebook, and other common consumer Internet services. (via BoingBoing) Project Naptha — automatically applies state-of-the-art computer vision algorithms on every image you see while browsing … [Link]
Mashable » Health Care Worker Aboard Cruise Ship Monitored for Ebola Symptoms
Obama administration officials said a Dallas health care worker who handled a lab specimen from an Ebola-infected man from Liberia who died of the disease is on a Caribbean cruise ship where she has self-quarantined and is being monitored for any signs of infection. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement Friday that the woman had shown no signs … [Link]
Mashable » Turbo the Chihuahua Finally Meets the Man Who 3D Printed His Wheelchair
After Turbo, the chihuahua born without front legs, captured the Internet's heart over the summer, he caught the attention of Mark Deadrick, who makes his living designing rocket parts Deadrick learned about Turbo from Ashley Looper, a veterinary tech who took him in after he was abandoned at four weeks old. At the time, Turbo was using a temporary cart fashioned … [Link]
Slashdot » An Air Traffic Control System For Drones
An anonymous reader writes: Personal drones are become more popular, and many companies are trying to figure out ways to incorporate them into their business. So what do we do in 10 years, when the skies are full of small, autonomous vehicles? NASA and a startup called Airware are working on a solution: air traffic control for drones. "The first … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Epic Electric Guitar Cover of Megaman X5: X vs Zero [Video]
An awesome guitar battle from the X vs Zero theme song of Megaman X5. Enjoy! [Epic Guitar] [Link]
New Scientist – News » E-citizens unite: Estonia opens its digital borders
Estonia has invited people to register as e-residents – a step towards a world where a person's identity online matters just as much as their identity offline 
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O'Reilly News and Commentary » Use data or be data
Arguments from all sides have surrounded the question of whether or not everyone should learn to code. Trina Chiasson, co-founder and CEO of Infoactive, says learning to code changed her life for the better. “These days I don’t spend a … [Link]
Mashable » Australia's First 3D Printing Factory Aims to Shape Future of Manufacturing
MELBOURNE — As industry stalwarts Ford and Holden start to wind down local operations, there is an air of uncertainty around Australian manufacturing at the moment. But a new state-of-the-art facility in outer Melbourne is looking help shape its future, and is counting on a stockpile of cutting-edge 3D printers to lead the way. See also: The Inventor of Disposable Diapers … [Link]
Mashable » 'This Is a Very Serious Event': Bermuda Braces for Hurricane Gonzalo
Hurricane Gonzalo is on course to bring damaging winds and a life-threatening storm surge to Bermuda by Friday afternoon. As a Category 3 storm, Hurricane Gonzalo is the biggest hurricane threat the small island has faced since at least 2003, and if the storm's eye passes directly over the island, it could become the strongest storm to make landfall there since … [Link]
Slashdot » As Prison Population Sinks, Jails Are a Steal
HughPickens.com writes After rising rapidly for decades, the number of people behind bars peaked at 1.62 Million in 2009, has been mostly falling ever since down, and many justice experts believe the incarceration rate will continue on a downward trajectory for many years. New York, for example, saw an 8.8% decline in federal and state inmates, and California, saw a … [Link]
Mashable » PlayStation TV: Tiny Package But Gaming Power Needs Some Tweaks
Sony unveiled its pocket-sized set-top box in Japan last year, and since then us Western gamers have been clamoring for our own version of the PlayStation TV. The miniature device showed up in the U.S. on Tuesday, and Mashable spent time putting it through its paces. See also: 10 CEOs Pitch Their Disney Accelerator Startups in 6 Seconds The PlayStation TV … [Link]
Mashable » When Food Is Local, But Still Not Sustainable
Last night, like so many nights, I spent some of my very limited leisure time reading about native California plants on the Internet. I don't remember what tempted me to Google "native wild plum California," but there I was, and lo-and-behold there are 10 different species and subspecies of Prunus that grow wild in the Golden State (including our own desert … [Link]
Mashable » Megan Amram's Weird and Brilliant Comedy
If you don't recognize her name, you'll likely know Megan Amram by her Twitter avatar: a hilariously unflattering portrait of the comedian retracting her chin and closing one eye ever-so-slightly more than the other. It's perhaps the most immediate public example of Amram's unique comedic style — a mix of subtle satire and unhinged absurdity that's landed her writing jobs with … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Feedback: Einstein said: I didn't say that
A bee quote for the birds, Albert Einstein's 200 motels, spooky attribution at a distance and more (full text available to subscribers) 
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New Scientist – News » Mitochondrial replacement: no need for a rethink
Despite recent claims in New Scientist, there is no evidence mitochondrial replacement is unsafe, says UK government adviser Robin Lovell-Badge 
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Mashable » New Particle Could Help Explain What Holds Matter Together
A new exotic particle has been hiding out amidst the gobs of data collected by the world's largest atom smasher, physicists have discovered. The new particle, called Ds3*, is a meson — a type of unstable particle made of one quark and one antiquarkQuarks are subatomic particles and are the most basic building blocks of matter that make up protons and … [Link]
Mashable » The 11 Most Expensive Halloween Costumes on Amazon
After all is said and done — decorations hung, candy bought and costumes worn — celebrating Halloween adds up to more than just a few scares. This year, the National Retail Federation's annual Halloween consumer survey found that 67.4% of Americans celebrating the holiday will buy costumes, with the average spending per person coming to $77.52. Overall, the Halloween industry is … [Link]
Mashable » Why Threats Like Ebola Make Conservatives More Conservative
Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to die of Ebola in the United States, came to this country by air. He did not cross the U.S.-Mexico border. And yet, for some conservative politicians, the arrival of Ebola here has piqued concerns about the security of the southern border. "If people are coming through normal channels [with Ebola]," U.S. Senate candidate Scott … [Link]
Mashable » 10 Real-Life Haunted Locations Across the U.S.
With Halloween quickly approaching, commercial haunted houses across America are attempting to lure visitors to their scare factories. But these fabrications pale in comparison to our country's deep history that is filled with ghouls, ghosts, folklore and legends. Many of these tales have dominated America's history, creeping out those who believe in the paranormal for decades See also: 22 Haunted House … [Link]
Bad Science » I totally just touched my new book: Collected Journalism, out next week!
Excitement. My new book is out next week. It’s a collection of journalism, essays, academic papers, government reports (woo!) and other stuff. It’s called “I think you’ll find it’s a bit more complicated than that”. A copy just arrived and it is a beautiful, big, thing. The content is all completely different to Bad Science […] [Link]
Mashable » U.S. Tourist Locked in London Bookstore Tweets Himself to Freedom
LONDON—An American tourist, who accidentally got locked inside a London bookstore late Thursday night after the store had closed, eventually tweeted himself to freedom. See also: Twitter Now Lets You Listen to Audio in App While Browsing Your Timeline David Willis, from Dallas, Texas, was visiting the Trafalgar Square branch of the Waterstones bookstore a little before 9 p.m. and at … [Link]
Mashable » If You Printed All the Instagram Photos in a Year, How Far Would They Reach?
Every year, Instagram users upload 21.9 billion photos to the visual social network. Selfies, food porn, adorable animals — they all flood the favored photo app every second, and it would take multiple lifetimes just to double-tap them all. Kim Kardashian (the reigning queen of Instagram's most-liked photo) would have to spend 286 million years just to post that many selfies. … [Link]
Slashdot » Making Best Use of Data Center Space: Density Vs. Isolation
jfruh writes The ability to cram multiple virtual servers on a single physical computer is tempting — so tempting that many shops overlook the downsides of having so many important systems subject to a single point of physical failure. But how can you isolate your servers physically but still take up less room? Matthew Mobrea takes a look at the … [Link]
Mashable » Capture the Feeling of Fall for Our Photo Challenge
Autumn: ‘Tis the season of hot cider, cable knit sweaters and an irrational obsession with pumpkin products. As the weather cools and green fades from the trees, we’re reminded that winter is coming. Soonish But before we brace ourselves for the cold, let’s take a second to drink in the colors and feeling of autumn. There's apple picking, cozy coats and … [Link]
Mashable » Studio 54: The Star-Magnet of the 1970s
From the moment it opened in 1977, nightclub Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, New York City, was a magnet for stars. Fifty years earlier, the building had opened as The Gallo Opera House. CBS bought the building in the 1940s and used it as a TV and radio studio – it was the 52nd building bought by CBS and … [Link]
Slashdot » The Guardian Reveals That Whisper App Tracks "Anonymous" Users
New submitter qqod writes this story at The Guardian that raises privacy concerns over the Whisper app. "The company behind Whisper, the social media app that promises users anonymity and claims to be the “the safest place on the internet”, is tracking the location of its users, including some who have specifically asked not to be followed. The practice of … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » KPIs for APIs: API Calls Are the New Web Hits
This is the first post of a three-part series covering key performance indicators (KPIs) for APIs, based on John Musser's presentation at the Business of APIs Conference. You can read the second part here.
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New Scientist – News » Killer in the brain could help treat Parkinson's
The discovery of a possible trigger for the onset of Parkinson's disease could lead to new treatments for patients who still depend on a 50-year-old drug 
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Mashable » YouTube Video Sparks San Francisco Protest
Spurred by a viral YouTube video showing a tense confrontation between a group of tech workers and local kids playing pick-up soccer, residents and community groups rallied on the steps of San Francisco's City Hall Thursday — fighting a policy that allows people to rent out city parks. The video features a group of adults, some of whom are Dropbox employees, … [Link]
Slashdot » OpenStack Juno Released
darthcamaro writes The OpenStack Juno release is now generally available. This the 10th major release for the open-source cloud platform and introduces the Sahara Data Processing Service as the major new project. That's not the only new feature in Juno though, with 310 new features in total. The new features include cloud storage policy, improved IPv6 support, a rescue mode … [Link]
Mashable » Designer Beams Dystopian Runway Show to the Web to Launch H&M Line
If you believe designer Alexander Wang, all the dystopian, futuristic fashion you see on the silver screen in the latest Sci-Fi epics aren't visions from tomorrow, they represent the look of 2014. That was the message on Thursday when Wang live streamed a runway show from his website, officially launching his collaboration with retailer H&M. The tech-enabled, live event is unique … [Link]
Mashable » Artist Sketches Hong Kong Protests After Selling Everything for Wanderlust Dream
An artist from Portugal was on a journey around the world when his path crossed the protests in Hong Kong. He drew what he saw happening around him as the demonstrations took over the city — and the results are beautiful 35-year-old Luís Simões didn't plan on being in Hong Kong for this moment in history. It is the third historic … [Link]
Slashdot » Trans-Pacific Partnership May Endanger World Health, Newly Leaked Chapter Shows
blottsie writes WikiLeaks has released an updated version of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) chapter on intellectual property. The new version of the texts, dated May 2014, show that little improvement has been made to sections critics say would hurt free speech online. Further, some of the TPP's stipulations could have dire consequences for healthcare in developing nations. The Daily Dot … [Link]
Mashable » In Bargain of the Century, Virgin Australia Buys Out Airline for $1
SYDNEY — There isn't much you can buy for one lousy dollar anymore. Even a paddle pop will cost you more. What you can buy though, is a stake in an airline, albeit struggling, as Virgin has just done in Australia. Virgin Australia announced it is buying the remaining 40% of low-cost airline Tiger Australia for some shrapnel, after the airline … [Link]
Mashable » Get Ready for More Jerks Taking Pictures With iPads
It’s the bane of anyone attending a museum, sports event or concert: People holding up their iPads (and other tablets) to take photographs. Apple just gave those people a far more powerful weapon with the iPad Air 2. The new iPad has an impressive camera: It shoots 8-megapixel photos, has a large f/2.4 aperture to capture lots of light, includes a … [Link]
Mashable » Ebola Patient, Nina Pham, Cries While Talking to Doctor in New Video
Before being transported to the National Institutes of Health's clinical center to be treated for Ebola, Nina Pham, the first American to contract the disease, shared an emotional moment with her physician Dr. Gary Weinstein filmed the teary exchange with the nurse, as seen above, which was shared on YouTube Thursday, by Texas Health Resources, the parent company of the … [Link]
Mashable » LeBron James Denies Forgetting He's on the Cavs, But This Vine Doesn't Lie
LeBron James has a message for all you "non-basketball people." That message? He remembers that he plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers now — he's "coming home," in case you missed it — and is no longer a member of the Miami Heat James has to clarify all this because it looked like he had a senior moment when his current and … [Link]
Mashable » The GOP Is Not Afraid of Technology in 2014
The Democratic Party's tech team spanked Republicans during the 2012 presidential election, leaving the GOP with two years to rethink how their digital game plan could translate into votes for 2014's midterm elections Now, with those midterms less than a month away, two things seem clear: A group of Republicans are dedicated to evangelizing the promise of data-driven decision making, but … [Link]
Mashable » Hong Kong Riot Police to Small Group of Protesters: Move Out!
HONG KONG (AP) — Riot police cleared an offshoot Hong Kong pro-democracy protest zone in a dawn raid on Friday, taking down barricades, tents and canopies that have blocked key streets for more than two weeks, but leaving the city's main thoroughfare still in the hands of the activists. Hundreds of officers, some in helmets and shields, descended in the early … [Link]
The Joy of Tech » JoT #2060: If Apple products had online dating profiles.
Which would be your match? If you enJoyed, please retweet, Like, and share the URL! [Link]
Mashable » Why an NFL Star Has a 'Mighty Ducks' Neck Tattoo
Earlier this week, we went in-depth with the NBA player whose body is covered in emoji tattoos. Now here's the story behind NFL player Austin Pettis' decidedly righteous Mighty Ducks tattoo Pettis' ink burst into the mainstream consciousness on Monday Night Football this week, when just the top of his tat poked out of his jersey and ignited a wave of … [Link]
Mashable » Ahead of Return, New 'Twin Peaks' Book Will Add to Show's Mythology
Twin Peaks may be set for a return to TV, but a just-announced book from the show's co-creators is going to update fans on all the action in one of fiction's strangest towns ahead of the show's premiere Flatiron Books Thursday announced it will publish The Secret Lives of Twin Peaks, a novel that will explain what happened to all the … [Link]
Mashable » Big Man Gyrates With Bear, Things Get Weird at NHL Game
It's a classic sports tale: A hefty fan takes off his shirt and shakes everything his momma gave him to "Turn Down For What" at an NHL game. He guzzles beer. A person in a bear suit joins the party. The two engage in some mildly NSFW getting down A few days later the video (seen above) hits the front … [Link]
Slashdot » Google Fiber To Launch In Austin, Texas In December
retroworks writes WSJ blog reports on Austin, the third city to get fiber-optic high speed internet networks laid down by Google (Kansas City and Provo, UT were the first and second). The service averages 1 gigabit per second, about 100X the average US household speed, and costs $70-120 per month (depending on television). Google promotes the roll-outs by holding "rallies" … [Link]
Mashable » Dallas Nurse Leaves Trail of Ebola Fears After Cleveland Trip
Amber Joy Vinson, the second health care worker to be infected with Ebola who then flew on a plane to Cleveland, left officials scrambling to retrace her steps in the area and identify anyone who may be at risk of contracting the virus. She "should not have traveled on a commercial aircraft" because she had been exposed to the virus while … [Link]
Mashable » Drop, Cover and Take A Selfie: Earthquake Drills in the Twitter Age
SAN FRANCISCO — When the shaking starts, drop to the floor, take cover under sturdy furniture and take a selfie. As millions of Californians practiced earthquake survival in a statewide drill on Thursday, they documented every (mis)step on Twitter The annual Great California Shakeout improves earthquake safety by having schools, businesses and homes practice earthquake drills. August's Napa quake brought preparedness … [Link]
Mashable » There's No Tweet These 'Book of Life' Mariachis Can't Play Beautifully
LOS ANGELES — When the Book of Life mariachis take requests, they're literally taking requests for anything. Wednesday was "Mariachi My Tweet" night over at The Book of Life's Twitter feed, where the Los Angeles eight-piece Mariachi Los Toros (playing as the @BookofLifeMovie Mariachis) would turn any tweet into a catchy, dead-perfect mariachi melody. Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. PT, … [Link]
Mashable » Apple Magic Wears Thin at Underwhelming Launch
“It’s been way too long," read the press invites for Apple's iPad Air 2 launch event Thursday. Presumably this was an attempt at a pun on the fact that the new tablet is … thinner? Nope, that pun doesn't quite work, and neither did the event — which was easily the most underwhelming example of Apple stagecraft since Gil Amelio was … [Link]
Mashable » America's 4 Ebola Hospitals Can Only Hold 9 Patients
The two nurses who contracted Ebola in Dallas were transferred this week to two of the four highly specialized hospital centers in the U.S. that are designed to treat the disease, suggesting that health officials may have doubts about the ability of local hospitals to handle such patients. The problem: These four specially equipped biocontainment facilities — in Nebraska, Montana, Maryland … [Link]
Slashdot » White House Wants Ideas For "Bootstrapping a Solar System Civilization"
MarkWhittington writes Tom Kalil, the Deputy Director for Policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Senior Advisor for Science, Technology and Innovation for the National Economic Council, has an intriguing Tuesday post on the OSTP blog. Kalil is soliciting ideas for "bootstrapping a solar system civilization." Anyone interested in offering ideas along those lines to … [Link]
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