Anyone who works as a freelancer these days has to be at least a bit familiar with techie things. But it isn’t just that. When I was a kid and those vaguely SF puppet shows were on the television and all the other kids wanted to be Greg Gogetem or Steve Savetheuniverse, I wanted to be the guy in a white coat and glasses called Doc or Brains. Here are some technology-related feeds I find useful and/or entertaining.
Mashable » Australia's Oldest Prime Minister Dies at 98
SYDNEY — Gough Whitlam, the long-lived 21st prime minister of Australia, died on Tuesday aged 98. Whitlam was the only prime minister to be alive in the lifetime of all 27 Australian prime ministers. The first prime minister of Australia, Edmund Barton, died in 1920, while the second, Alfred Deakin, passed away in 1919. Young Whitlam graced the world with his … [Link]
Slashdot » China Staging a Nationwide Attack On iCloud and Microsoft Accounts
New submitter DemonOnIce writes: According to The Verge and an original report from the site that monitor's China's Great Firewall activity, China is conducting a large-scale attack on iCloud and Microsoft accounts using its government firewall software. Chinese users may be facing an unpleasant surprise as they are directed to a dummy site designed to look like an Apple login … [Link]
Mashable » New Satellite Images Show Dramatically Changed Landscape in Battle for Kobani
A new series of satellite images of the northern Syrian town of Kobani before and after Islamic State (ISIS) militants moved into the town shows the massive scope of the refugee crisis caused by the battle for the strategic location Since the end of September, the town has been under siege by ISIS militants. Kurdish fighters have led the defense of … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » LinguaSys launching GlobalNLP API for natural language processing in the cloud
Human language technology company LinguaSys is this week launching an API offering that allows developers to use its GlobalNLP natural language processing software in the cloud. [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » ‘World of Warcraft’ Movie Coming to BlizzCon 2014!
Earlier this month, Moon director Duncan Jones tweeted out this, in response to another tweet about the lack of World of Warcraft updates: @WMF_Official Well, if you look at the calendar, you HAVE to think there would be SOMETHING in the next month… 😉 — Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) October 7, 2014 Then a few days later, BlizzCon released the schedule … [Link]
Mashable » Vice President Biden Touts Plan to Improve NYC's 'Third-World' Airports
NEW YORK — Vice President Joe Biden, who infamously dubbed New York City's outdated LaGuardia Airport "a third-world country," joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a news conference Monday to discuss plans to improve the region's airports. Biden, the White House's loudest voice on the need to update the nation's crumbling infrastructure, was gently teased by Cuomo, who announced a design competition … [Link]
Slashdot » GNU Emacs 24.4 Released Today
New submitter Shade writes Well over one and a half years in the works, the latest and greatest release of GNU Emacs was made officially available today. Highlights of this release include a built-in web browser, improved multi-monitor and fullscreen support, "electric" indentation enabled by default, support for saving and restoring the state of frames and windows, pixel-based resizing for … [Link]
Mashable » Australian Bees Engage In Warfare Over Territorial Disputes
MELBOURNE — When not busy fighting off deadly snakes, killer sharks and venomous spiders, residents of Brisbane, Australia, may have noticed the odd swarm of bees floating around engaging in fierce and deadly battles And as the bodies pile up, researchers have started to wonder: what exactly is creating all the buzz? Could it be related to the bees' mating habits? … [Link]
Slashdot » More Eye Candy Coming To Windows 10
jones_supa writes Microsoft is expected to release a new build of the Windows 10 Technical Preview in the very near future, according to their own words. The only build so far to be released to the public is 9841 but the next iteration will likely be in the 9860 class of releases. With this new build, Microsoft has polished up … [Link]
Mashable » NFL Star Taunts Raiders Fans in MVP Troll Performance
Arizona Cardinals star defensive end Darnell Dockett was injured for his team's game in Oakland on Sunday, meaning he had to stand in street clothes on the sideline while Raiders fans hurled insults at him and his teammates all afternoon Dockett, however, got the last laugh — and then some See also: All of Peyton Manning's NFL-Record 509 TDs in 1 … [Link]
Mashable » Satya Nadella Unveils New Initiative for Ebola Research
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella seems like an unlikely player in the fight against Ebola But Microsoft's top executive unveiled a new Azure-powered research initiative aimed at furthering Ebola research along with other updates to its cloud platforms during a press event in San Francisco on Monday. See also: Hands On With the Windows 10 Preview During the enterprise-focused event, Nadella again … [Link]
Mashable » Tim Cook Says iPad Sales Slump is a 'Speed Bump'
Apple’s iPad sales have fallen in the past three quarters — but CEO Tim Cook doesn't see that as a sign that the product line is doomed "To me, I view it as a speed bump, not a huge issue," Cook said during a fiscal 2014 fourth-quarter call with analysts on Monday Cook pointed out that if you compare fiscal 2014 … [Link]
Mashable » Bryan Cranston Tweets Perfect Response to Mom Who Wants 'Breaking Bad' Toys Banned
Bryan Cranston tweeted the perfect response to a mom in Florida. Last week, Susan Schrivjer started a petition to get Breaking Bad action figures banned from Toys R Us stores, claiming the toys were a bad influence on children. Imagine that. “It's about drugs, you're selling it in a children’s toy store,” Schrivjer said to FOX 4 News See also: 15 … [Link]
Mashable » Apple's 2014: By the (Ridiculously Large) Numbers
Apple had quite a fiscal 2014, introducing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, the Apple Watch and Apple Pay — not to mention its a high-profile acquisition of Beats Electronics. It also put up some impressive financial numbers on Monday, once again beating expectations for its fourth quarter earnings that ended Sept. 28. See also: How to Use Apple Pay: What … [Link]
Mashable » Dock Selfie Goes Horribly Wrong on Live TV
Dock 1, Guy 0. Remember that time a stranger busted you while taking a selfie? This is significantly worse than that. GoPros and Drones Are Taking Selfies to New Heights Man Drops Himself Into Volcano and Takes a Selfie Father Films Daughter Taking Selfies in the Backseat 2 Bananas, 1,135 Feet and 1 Ridiculously Dangerous Selfie Read more… More about … [Link]
Mashable » Chili's Cook Fired for Posting Shirtless Photos on Facebook
We’ll have the Triple Dipper with a side of chest hair. (At least we hope that's just chest hair.) Chili's Grill & Bar fired a cook after he posted topless photos of himself posing inside the restaurant's kitchen, ABC Action News reports See also: Pro Tip for Online Daters: Don't Sneak Into Your Ex's House by Chimney The photos were originally … [Link]
Mashable » NCAA Mascots Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake It Off
NCAA mascots totally understand that haters are gonna hate, hate, hate. The friendly — or in the case of “Purdue Pete,” horrifying — mascots of the Big Ten NCAA conference decided to throw aside their team allegiances and band together to make their own “Shake It Off” video. Watch as Sparty, Lil’ Red, Herky the Hawk and other Big Ten … [Link]
Mashable » How Nigeria and Senegal Halted Ebola When Other Countries Failed
On July 20, the Ebola outbreak that had been simmering in West Africa for months, growing more out of control by the day, arrived in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. It came in the form of a Liberian-American airline passenger named Jonathan Sawyer, who had left a treatment center in Monrovia, Liberia, against medical advice, and flown through Ghana and Togo … [Link]
Mashable » Monica Lewinsky: 'I Was Periodically Suicidal'
Monica Lewinsky made her first public appearance in over 10 years at the Forbes Under 30 Summit on Monday, speaking out against the "reputation-shredding power of the internet." Now 41, the former White House intern spoke out against cyber bullying, saying that she hoped to help others by sharing her experience. Lewinsky spoke about Tyler Clementi's death after his college … [Link]
Mashable » Taylor Swift's 'Welcome to New York' Sounds a Lot Like a Robyn Song
Push play. No, this is not a dance hit from Swedish singer Robyn you're hearing It's Taylor Swift's new single "Welcome to New York," the third released track from her upcoming pop album 1989. But it sounds like Robyn's "Call Your Girlfriend." Here's Robyn's electropop hit "Call Your Girlfriend" to refresh your eardrums and memory: Though the lyrics have nothing in … [Link]
Slashdot » Help ESR Stamp Out CVS and SVN In Our Lifetime
mtaht writes ESR is collecting specifications and donations towards getting a new high end machine to be used for massive CVS and SVN repository conversions, after encountering problems with converting the whole of netbsd over to git. What he's doing now sort of reminds me of holding a bake sale to build a bomber, but he's well on his way … [Link]
Mashable » Naked Russian Artist Cuts Off His Ear in Protest
Editor’s Note: This story contains graphic images. KIEV, Ukraine — The controversial Russian performance artist and political activist who nailed his scrotum to the cobblestones of Moscow’s Red Square last year sliced off his earlobe in his latest protest against the return of repressive Soviet-era policies. Naked and sitting atop a wall at Moscow’s Serbsky State Scientific Center for Social and … [Link]
Mashable » All of Peyton Manning's NFL-Record 509 TDs in 1 Infographic
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning broke the NFL's career touchdown pass record with an 8-yard toss to Dmaryius Thomas on Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers, giving him 509 scoring passes in his career Manning then threw another touchdown pass later in the game to break the NFL career touchdown pass record and give him 510 for his career. (Fun … [Link]
Mashable » Apple Reports Stellar 4th Quarter
Apple handily beat Wall Street's estimates Monday, reporting earnings per share of $1.42 and revenues of $42.12 billion for its fiscal 2014 fourth quarter, which ended Sept. 28 Analysts had been expecting earnings of $1.31 and revenues of $39.8 billion. Apple also said international sales accounted for 60% of revenues for the quarter iPad sales were the only sour note for … [Link]
Mashable » How to Use Apple Pay: What You Need to Know
Apple Pay, Apple’s take on the digital wallet, is finally here. If you have an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, you can officially start buying things with the touch of a finger and by waving your phone over an enabled Point of Sale (POS) system. See also: How Apple Pay Will Work With the New iPads But for all the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » ‘Final Fantasy’ Designer Creating New Line of Batman Figures [Pics]
DC Comics’ Batman turned a whopping 75 years old this year. As part of the commemoration, video game company Square Enix — most famous for the Final Fantasy series — is releasing a new line of Batman action figures created by FF character designer Tetsuya Nomora. And below is his interpretation of Catwoman. Given what his conception of Batman (above) … [Link]
Slashdot » NASA's HI-SEAS Project Results Suggests a Women-Only Mars Crew
globaljustin writes "Alan Drysdale, a systems analyst in advanced life support and a contractor with NASA concluded, "Small women haven't been demonstrated to be appreciably dumber than big women or big men, so there's no reason to choose larger people for a flight crew when it's brain power you want," says Drysdale. "The logical thing to do is to fly … [Link]
Mashable » Sharks (the Kind With Fins) Will Descend Upon Washington D.C. in 'Sharknado 3'
The suited sharks of Washington D.C. are going to meet real sharks in the next installment of Syfy's Sharknado franchise The network announced on Monday that Sharknado 3 will see the finned flying terrors devour the entire Eastern seaboard, starting with a stop in Washington D.C. before heading down for some sun in Orlando, Florida "No seaboard city below our nation's … [Link]
Mashable » Help Name Rosetta Mission's Comet Landing Site
The European Space Agency doesn't want the first-ever soft landing on a comet to take place at "Site J." ESA officials are asking the public to come up with a better name for the spot on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko where the Rosetta mission will drop a lander during a historic, unprecedented maneuver on Nov. 12. If your entry is selected, you'll have … [Link]
Mashable » A Mysterious Submarine Is Lurking in Sweden, and Fingers Point to Russia
The Swedish Navy is poking around the waters of the Stockholm archipelago after a mysterious submarine was sighted three times in the surrounding area over the past several days A four-day search has turned up nothing thus far, but some Swedes are directing serious side-eye at Russia, whose military aircraft have continually violated Swedish air sovereignty over the past several months. … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Today in APIs: Facebook Doubles Bug Bounty for Advertising
Facebook ponies up even more for developers finding bugs. Apple squeezes out more performance with Metal. Plus: Stitch engineers win $1 million Salesforce hackathon, and tips on creating APIs from Netbean's creator. [Link]
Mashable » Lone Stars: 11 Up-and-Coming Austin Musicians to Watch
Weird and wonderful, one of the very first things that comes to mind when you think of Austin, Texas, is the city’s vibrant music scene. In fact, Austin describes itself as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” and all signs point to the accuracy of that statement. The city’s penchant for performance is evident in the prevalence of festivals, like … [Link]
Slashdot » Debian's Systemd Adoption Inspires Threat of Fork
New submitter Tsolias writes It appears that systemd is still a hot topic in the Debian community. As seen earlier today, there is a new movement shaping up against the adoption of systemd for the upcoming stable release [of Debian], Jessie. They claim that "systemd betrays the UNIX philosophy"; it makes things more complex, thus breaking the "do one thing … [Link]
Mashable » Are You For or Against the Pumpkin Spice Latte?
The Pumpkin Spice Latte, otherwise known as the "PSL," is one of the most controversial drinks of all time. Debates rage on through coffee shops as to whether it's a fun seasonal treat or, frankly, a fad that needs to go away. So which side are you on? See also: 7 Things You Didn't Know About Starbucks We hit the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Google To Promote Piracy-Free Media Sites… At A Cost
Google has announced tweaks to downgrade the position of links to piracy websites in its results. But the way it is doing so is still upsetting legitimate content providers. The changes, already dubbed the “Pirate update” in the search industry in reference to the previous “Panda” update, cover three tactics to try to make results for movie, music and other … [Link]
Mashable » A 'My Little Pony' Movie Is Prancing Into Theaters in 2017
LOS ANGELES — If a pop culture time machine sent you back to the 1980s, would you even realize it? From Reading Rainbow to Jem and the Holograms to Rainbow Brite — and now My Little Pony — it's like the 19-inch color TV you used to watch after school every day became a sentient AI and is making all the … [Link]
Mashable » 'Very Addicting': Fabien Cousteau on Living Underwater for a Month
As his record-breaking 31-day mission underwater drew to a close, Fabien Cousteau was in no rush to go topside. "I felt like I could stay down another month," Cousteau said. "As a matter of fact, I was almost panicking coming up." Cousteau, 47, belongs to a "watery family." He's the grandson of the late Jacques Cousteau — perhaps the most famous … [Link]
Mashable » Japanese Man Gets 2 Years in Prison for 3D Printing Guns
For the first time in history, a man has been jailed for making a weapon with a 3D printer On Monday, a court sentenced Yoshitomo Imura, 28, to two years in prison for making two 3D printed guns at his home in Kawasaki, Japan, according to local news reports Japan's strict gun control laws prohibit anyone from possessing or manufacturing guns … [Link]
Mashable » Delightful Twerking Turtle Will Wiggle Its Way Into Your Heart
Move over, Miley. This turtle loves bathtime so much, it can't help but shake its shell in celebration. Naturally, YouTube user Banana Flamingo set the reptile's dance to Jason Derulo's "Wiggle." The original video was uploaded to YouTube by user Joey Tang, who filmed his pet turtle receiving a relaxing bath. With moves like that, this little guy could teach … [Link]
Slashdot » Manga Images Depicting Children Lead to Conviction in UK
An anonymous reader writes with this news from the UK, as reported by Ars Technica: A 39-year-old UK man has been convicted of possessing illegal cartoon drawings of young girls exposing themselves in school uniforms and engaging in sex acts. The case is believed to be the UK's first prosecution of illegal manga and anime images. Local media said that … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Quantum computers: The world's first buyers' guide
With the first quantum computer already on the market, and more in the offing, should you splash the cash? Here's our verdict on the best buys out there [Link]
Mashable » Fitbit Surge Will Be the Closest Thing to a Fitbit Smartwatch
Just a few days after purported photos of two new Fitbit fitness trackers leaked online, a new report says the company appears to be readying a third product for launch — one that's part smartwatch. Alongside the Fitbit Charge and Charge HR, another product called the Fitbit Surge will launch soon specifically for serious athletes, according to The Verge. Beyond health … [Link]
Mashable » The Simpsons Met Their Doppelgangers on 'Treehouse of Horrors XXV'
On Sunday's annual Halloween-themed "Treehouse of Horror" episode of The Simpsons, Homer, Marge and the kids played host to the ghostly spirits of Simpsons past The original version of the family from The Tracy Ullman Show dropped by 742 Evergreen Terrace to haunt their current-day counterparts, eventually convincing the family to kill each other and to live as ghosts in … [Link]
Mashable » 5 Things to Watch for in Apple's Q4 Earnings
There are still two months left in the calendar, but Apple's fiscal 2014 is over. How did it go? We'll find out on Monday afternoon. Analysts are expecting a strong quarter, even though the period from June 28 to Sept. 28 is typically a weak one for the company; its new devices have only on sale for a short period. In … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » “Let’s Get Physics, Y’all” [Parody Music Video]
Okay, so, like, girls, science is, like, so NOT basically basic, am I right? Luckily, comedian Megan Amram has written, like, a book or something that helps our brains or whatever understand science-y things. It’s called Science…For Her! or something, and it’s, like, so totally available on November 4th or whatever. She even made a music video with the help … [Link]
Mashable » Drake's Basketball Skills Started From the Bottom, Still There
Despite Drake's claim that "music and sports are so synonymous," his basketball skills aren't quite on par with his musical talents At the University of Kentucky's Midnight Madness event on Friday, Drake airballed a three-point shot during his turn in the layup line. To be fair, the rapper did nearly make the shot on his second attempt, but it was … [Link]
Mashable » Fall Foliage Is Worth Billions to New England's Economy
JAFFREY, New Hampshire — On Mount Monadnock, hikers file up the 3,165-foot peak in lockstep, protected from drizzling rain by a luminous golden canopy of leaves. They're not just gazing at foliage — they're looking at cold, hard cash. Money really does grow on trees in autumn in New England, and all six states are raking it in. Officials say tourists … [Link]
Mashable » Watch This 1-Minute Horror Movie With the Lights On
Director Ignacio F. Rodó needs only one minute to terrify leave you genuinely disturbed Rodó's creepy and award-winning horror short "Tuck Me In" is based off of a two-sentence horror story submitted to an AskReddit thread by Juan J. Ruiz aka justAnotherMuffledVo. Don't forget to check underneath your bed tonight. And the closet, too — just for safe measure. Watch … [Link]
Slashdot » 'Endrun' Networks: Help In Danger Zones
kierny writes Drawing on networking protocols designed to support NASA's interplanetary missions, two information security researchers have created a networking system that's designed to transmit information securely and reliably in even the worst conditions. Dubbed Endrun, and debuted at Black Hat Europe, its creators hope the delay-tolerant and disruption-tolerant system — which runs on Raspberry Pi — could be deployed … [Link]
Mashable » Horrifying Puppy-Sized Spider Will Fling Butt Hairs in Your Eyes
The South American Goliath birdeater, the world's largest spider, weighs about as much as a puppy, has a 12-inch leg-span and probably causes all who look in its eyes to turn to stone. Entomologist Piotr Naskrecki detailed a run-in he had with one of the creatures in the rainforest of Guyana on his blog, "The Smaller Majority." See also: Exotic Pets … [Link]
Mashable » Marcel the Shell Returns With Provocative Thoughts on Shrimp
Marcel the Shell's tales of his sky-rocketing cholesterol and adventures in Dorito hang gliding have charmed the Internet since 2010. Now he's back with a precious new video In this new clip, we're treated to Marcel's thoughts on shrimp ("They're the idiots of the sea."), and the surprising place he needs to wear deodorant. The tiny, talking, shoe-wearing shell is … [Link]
Mashable » Epic Beats Ad Celebrates LeBron James' Return to Ohio
A striking, cinematic new ad for Beats headphones celebrates LeBron James' return to Ohio in stylish fashion. A shortened version of the spot debuted during during NFL action on Sunday, but the concept really shines in the extended two-and-a-half minute cut, embedded above. Over the Hozier track "Take Me to Church," James cruises the streets of his hometown of Akron, … [Link]
Mashable » True Player Ruth Bader Ginsburg Loves 'Notorious RBG' Meme
In non-Taylor Swift-related, Tumblr-inspired shirt news, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg loves the Notorious RBG T-shirt. She also claims to own a "large supply" of tees adorned with the meme. NPR's Nina Totenberg sat down with Ginsburg on Sunday for an interview at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, and asked Ginsburg about her love for Tumblr See … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Why language is neither an instinct nor innate
The ideas of Noam Chomsky, popularised by Steven Pinker, come under fire in Vyvyan Evans's book The Language Myth: Why language is not an instinct [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Open data for open lands
President Obama’s well-publicized national open data policy (pdf) makes it clear that government data is a valuable public resource for which the government should be making efforts to maximize access and use. This policy was based on lessons from previous … [Link]
Mashable » Apple Pay's Anonymity Makes Some Retailers Think Twice
Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook loves to talk about the security features of his mobile-payments system. Apple Pay won’t collect information about what people buy — and it’s designed to ensure no one else can, eitherMerchants have good reason to be excited about Apple Pay, which goes live on Monday at some 220,000 shops and restaurants. But some retailers are … [Link]
Slashdot » Barometers In iPhones Mean More Crowdsourcing In Weather Forecasts
cryptoz (878581) writes Apple is now adding barometers to its mobile devices: both new iPhones have valuable atmospheric pressure sensors being used for HealthKit (step counting). Since many Android devices have been carrying barometers for years, scientists like Cliff Mass have been using the sensor data to improve weather forecasts. Open source data collection projects like PressureNet on Android automatically … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Comet immortalised before close call with spacecraft
A comet making its first trip in from the Oort cloud was caught on camera before a near miss with four spacecraft currently orbiting the Red Planet [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Drive-Thru Alien Chestburster Prank [Video]
The perfect way to freak people out at drive-thrus. [MagicofRahat | Via] [Link]
Mashable » 'Downton Abbey' Episode 5 Recap: A Night for Fights
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, please avert your eyes. LONDON, ENGLAND — Downton Abbey is gearing up for the last few episodes of the season but — with Episode 5, at … [Link]
Mashable » Obama Casts His Ballot Already, Urges Early Voting
President Barack Obama has been urging Democrats to head to the polls way ahead of election day on Nov. 4 — so it was no surprise to see him practicing what he preaches Obama was one of the first to cast his ballot on Monday, the first day he could do so at his home in Chicago. See also: Crazy Ebola … [Link]
Mashable » The 'iPod for Dogs' Helps Soothe Pet Anxiety
Dogs suffer various levels of anxiety when traveling or separated from their owners. And just like humans, different noises and sounds can have a positive effect on how they react to stress. The iCalmDog, dubbed the "iPod for dogs," is a device that uses calming music specifically designed to soothe pups with anxiety issues. See also: 15 Dogs With Jobs That … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Number of eggs a woman has predicts heart attack risk
A woman's biological clock may also tell her cellular time. The number of eggs a woman has shows how fast her cells are ageing and predicts her heart disease risk [Link]
Mashable » Death of the Wallet? An Exploration of Mobile Payments
While today’s Apple Pay launch is exciting for iPhone owners, it must be reiterated that Apple is neither the first, nor the only player in the mobile payments space. Many technology companies and payment startups have played in the space for years, forcing changes in consumer behaviors and helping people warm up to storing their precious credit card information on a … [Link]
Mashable » 'Royals' Banned by San Francisco Radio Stations During the World Series
Lorde will never be the queen bee of San Francisco. The San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals start the World Series on Tuesday, but San Francisco's 104.5 KFOG and 96.5 KOIT have already drawn first blood. On Friday, the radio stations announced a self-imposed ban on Lorde's "Royals" for the duration of the series, as a show of solidarity against … [Link]
Mashable » U.S. Airdrops Arms and Ammo for Forces Fighting in Kobani
U.S. forces delivered weapons, ammunition and medical supplies by aerial drop to fighters combatting Islamic State militants in the northern Syrian town of Kobani early Monday The town, located just yards from the Turkish border, has been the scene of intense battle between Kurdish forces and ISIS militants, who attacked the area in late September. See also: How the Media's Focus … [Link]
Slashdot » An Algorithm to End the Lines for Ice at Burning Man
Any gathering of 65,000 people in the desert is going to require some major infrastructure to maintain health and sanity. At Burning Man, some of that infrastructure is devoted to a supply chain for ice. Writes Bennett Haselton, The lines for ice bags at Burning Man could be cut from an hour long at peak times, to about five minutes, … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Roundtable Rival: Lindsey Stirling’s Amazing New Steampunk-ish Music Video
Check out Lindsey Stirling’s amazing new music video for “Roundtable Rival,” a song part of her brand new album, Shatter Me. [Shatter Me | Lindsey Stirling] [Link]
Mashable » Report: Microsoft Poised to Launch Smartwatch With 2-Day Battery
Microsoft’s first attempt at a high-tech watch, back in 2004, was perhaps a little ahead of its time. But now it's 2014, and the tech company is planning to launch a new smartwatch in the coming weeks, according to a report in Forbes. See also: Finally a Smartwatch That Runs Windows. The Catch: It’s Windows 95 The smartwatch is expected to … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest stories on newscientist.com: world's oldest genitals, secret spaceplane returns home, arthritis genes leak from fetus to mother, wearable tech tracks workers, Vietnam loses taste for rhino horn, and more [Link]
Mashable » Gwen Stefani Drops 'Baby Don't Lie' From First New Album Since 2006
It's no lie — Gwen Stefani's solo comeback begins now The No Doubt singer has released "Baby Don't Lie," the first track from her upcoming third studio album. A music video for the single will debut Tuesday, but a sneak peek will arrive Monday night during The Voice, on which Stefani is a coach this season See also: Maroon 5's … [Link]
Mashable » iOS 8.1 Available for Download: Apple Pay Launches, Camera Roll Returns
Apple users can now download the latest version of iOS 8, and with it comes a handful of new features, including Apple Pay, iCloud Photo Library, device continuity (accessing whatever you need on every device) and the return of the Camera Roll. iOS 8.1 comes just a few weeks after the launch of the first iteration of iOS 8 for iPhones … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » ‘Conan’ Previews What Christian Bale-As-Steve-Jobs Might Be Like [VIDEO]
With rumor mill abuzz with news that Christian Bale might play Steve Jobs in a movie about Apple by writer Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Newsroom) Conan — naturally — showed just to what that movie may be like. [Team Coco / via Devour] [Link]
Mashable » 8 Things Recruiters Notice About Your Resume at First Glance (and 4 Things That Don't Matter)
This question originally appeared on Quora. When recruiters look through a stack of resumes for candidate screening, what is the vital information they focus upon? Answer by Ambra Benjamin, engineering recruiter at Facebook, previously LivingSocial, Google and Expedia. I think this varies from recruiter to recruiter and also depends on the role for which you're applying. For one, I don't look … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Vodafone India Searches for Best API Use via appStar 2014
Vodafone India, India's leading telecommunications service provider, has launched appStar 2014. appStar 2014 offers brands, e-tailers, app developers, and more the opportunity to show off API skills through app development that utilize Vodafone's network APIs. [Link]
Slashdot » Developers, IT Still Racking Up (Mostly) High Salaries
Nerval's Lobster (2598977) writes Software development and IT remain common jobs among those in the higher brackets, although not the topmost one, according to a new study (with graph) commissioned by NPR. Among those earning between $58,000 and $72,000, IT was the sixth-most-popular job, while software developers came in tenth place. In the next bracket up (earning between $72,000 and … [Link]
Mashable » World's Oceans Set All-Time Heat Record for Third Time This Year
For the third month this year, the world's oceans set a record for the warmest they have ever been since at least 1880, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported on Monday September had the highest global average sea surface temperatures of any month on record since instrument record-keeping began, with a global average temperature of 61.1 degrees Fahrenheit. This … [Link]
New Scientist – News » In defence of offering egg freezing to women workers
The critics are wrong – offering egg freezing to female staff is a welcome boost to their family ambitions, says pregnancy expert Chavi Eve Karkowsky [Link]
Mashable » John Oliver Improves the Supreme Court With Dogs
The Supreme Court won't allow cameras to capture their judicial arguments because they don't want their words taken out of context. They do, however, release audio footage, which John Oliver gently reminds them is just as (if not even more) dangerous. Inspired by national treasure Keyboard Cat, Oliver synced up audio from SCOTUS arguments with footage of adorable dogs in … [Link]
Mashable » 'The Hunger Games' Is the Next Film Franchise With a Google Promotion
LOS ANGELES — Are Google and Hollywood, like, an item now? Anyone else notice these two have been getting a lot cozier lately? Several weeks after Christopher Nolan's Interstellar became the first official movie website co-created by Google, Lionsgate has partnered with YouTube to promote The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 with "District Voices," the latest campaign from Google’s … [Link]
Mashable » China Intercepts iCloud Logins in Apparent Attempt to Steal Passwords
Chinese authorities are attacking users who are connecting to Apple's iCloud website in what appears to be a surveillance push to steal users' login credentials, according to a Chinese censorship monitoring group. In the attack, which was first reported on Saturday, less than 24 hours after the new iPhone 6 went on sale in China, connections to iCloud.com were hijacked and … [Link]
Mashable » Pro Tip for Online Daters: Don't Sneak Into Your Ex's House by Chimney
That’s not Santa Claus in your chimney, it's that girl you met online. Search and rescue crews had to remove a woman who was stuck in a chimney early Sunday morning in Thousand Oaks, California, CBSLA.com reports See also: 10 Worst Types of First Messages in Online Dating The woman, 30-year-old Genoveva Nunez-Figueroa, was allegedly attempting to enter the home of … [Link]
Slashdot » Google Changes 'To Fight Piracy' By Highlighting Legal Sites
mrspoonsi writes Google has announced changes to its search engine in an attempt to curb online piracy. The company has long been criticised for enabling people to find sites to download entertainment illegally. The entertainment industry has argued that illegal sites should be "demoted" in search results. The new measures, mostly welcomed by music trade group the BPI, will instead … [Link]
New Scientist – News » China set to launch probe on round trip to the moon
The Chinese space agency's newest space launch will test atmospheric re-entry technology ahead of a more complex mission to collect moon rocks in 2017 [Link]
Slashdot » How Lobby Groups Rejected the Canadian Government's Plan To Combat Patent Trolls
An anonymous reader writes Michael Geist reports that according to documents recently obtained under the Access to Information Act, the Canadian government quietly proposed a series of reforms to combat patent trolls including new prohibitions on demand letters, powers to the courts to stop patent forum shopping, and giving competition authorities the ability to deal with patent troll anti-competitive activity. … [Link]
Mashable » Smart Carry-On Lets You Track Bag's Location and Charge Other Devices
A campaign to crowdfund the "world's first smart, connected carry-on" reached its goal of $50,000 in two hours and one minute on Indiegogo Monday. Bluesmart luggage connects to a mobile app that allows travelers to track the bag's proximity, digitally lock and unlock it, check the bag's weight, show travel data and track routes. The creators are not the first to … [Link]
Mashable » A London Family's Groceries Came With a Side of Deadly Brazilian Spider
A Brazilian wandering spider, one of the world's most venomous, was discovered along with a bunch of bananas in a family's grocery bag in London. The bananas, ordered online from Waitrose, were delivered to Tim and his wife Lisa, the Daily Mail reported See also: Your 10 Biggest Fears, According to Yahoo As he was unpacking the bananas, Tim found … [Link]
Slashdot » Ubuntu Turns 10
Scott James Remnant, now Technical Lead on ChromeOS, was a Debian developer before that. That's how he became involved from the beginning (becoming Developer Manager, and then serving on the Technical Board) on the little derivative distribution that Mark Shuttleworth decided to make of Debian Unstable, and for which the name Ubuntu was eventually chosen. On this date in 2004, … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » What If WALL-E Was a Christopher Nolan Film? [Interstellar Parody]
Here is what WALL-E would look like if it was directed by Christopher Nolan. [Bobby Burns] [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Superhero Origins: Jubilee From X-Men
In the Marvel universe, anyone can end up a superhero, even a seemingly ordinary mall rat such as Jubilee! Check out this short video explaining the origin story of the character! [AskMojo] [Link]
Mashable » Lufthansa Pilots Embark on 35-Hour Strike, the 8th One This Year
Pilots at Lufthansa airlines in Germany began striking for the eighth time this year on Monday. The 35-hour strike has led to the cancelation of about 1,450 flights The dispute is over proposed changes to retirement and pension plans. Pilots want Lufthansa to continue to make a transition payment to those who want to retire early while the company wants to … [Link]
Mashable » 'Ori and the Blind Forest' Will Melt Your Heart and Your Thumbs
The first thing that strikes you about Ori and the Blind Forest is the gorgeous atmosphere. The dark, natural whimsy evokes a Miyazaki film, and the physics of flowing water and swaying trees alone were enough to pique my attention. But playing through two sections of a preview build brought this game's rich mechanics and difficulty to the fore. Ori's … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Save up to 47% on Films in Amazon’s Iconic Directors Sale
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers up to 47% off on movies from iconic directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Martin Scorsese, and more! There’s plenty of amazing movies in there such as the LOTR trilogy, A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Hugo, and more! [Save up to 47% on Movies From … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Hear: The App That Let’s You Anonymously Talk… and Stalk!
By Kazzie Ch – Robot Sucré Guest Blogger What if I were to tell you that you could listen to people’s conversations without feeling totally weird about it? Never mind eavesdropping on your table neighbor at Starbucks. We’ve done this already; it’s not exciting anymore. Also, I don’t care about your pumpkin-spiced latte. There’s a new VoIP app in the … [Link]
Mashable » Monica Lewinsky Joins Twitter
Monica Lewinsky joined Twitter on Monday. The former White House intern of blue dress fame kicked off her tweets with the simple message "#HereWeGo." Within the hour, her account was verified See also: 9 Amazing Artists to Follow on Twitter Lewinsky's bio describes her as a "social activist. public speaker. contributor to vanity fair. knitter of things without sleeves." #HereWeGo — … [Link]
Slashdot » Microsoft Gearing Up To Release a Smartwatch of Its Own
SmartAboutThings writes The smartwatch market is still in its nascent form, but with Apple releasing its AppleWatch in early 2015, things are going to change. And Microsoft wants to make sure it's not late to the party, as it has been so many times in the past. That's why it plans on releasing its own smartwatch, which would be the … [Link]
Mashable » Giants vs. Royals: A World Series That Defies All Logic
SAN FRANCISCO — What happens when an immovable object made of pure cosmic mojo collides with an unstoppable force of hurtling feel-good juju? We're about to find out in MLB's 2014 World Series, when the San Francisco Giants square off against the Kansas City Royals in a best-of-seven series beginning Tuesday night in Kansas City, Missouri. See also: 10 Pro Sports … [Link]
Mashable » Hong Kong Airport Introduces Ebola Questionnaire
Hong Kong International Airport introduced a new health screening questionnaire to screen travelers for the deadly Ebola virus. See also: Nigeria and Senegal Free of Ebola Virus Passengers arriving in Hong Kong who have travelled to a handful of countries in West Africa within three weeks or hold passports from one of those countries are encouraged to take the voluntary questionnaire … [Link]
Mashable » Nazi War Criminals Collected Millions in Social Security Benefits
Dozens of suspected Nazi war criminals and SS guards collected millions of dollars in U.S. Social Security benefits after being forced out of the United States, an Associated Press investigation has found. The payments, underwritten by American taxpayers, flowed through a legal loophole that gave the U.S. Justice Department leverage to persuade Nazi suspects to leave the U.S. If they agreed … [Link]
Slashdot » IBM Pays GlobalFoundries $1.5 Billion To Shed Its Chip Division
helix2301 writes with word that Big Blue has become slightly smaller: IBM will pay $1.5 billion to GlobalFoundries in order to shed its costly chip division. IBM will make payments to the chipmaker over three years, but it took a $4.7 billion charge for the third quarter when it reported earnings Monday. The company fell short of Wall Street profit … [Link]
Mashable » Amazon Voyage Is So Ready for Your Reading Trip
In a world of ultra-thin, brilliant color, high-definition tablets and giant smartphones, are e-readers still relevant? It's the question I get most often when talking about the portable digital reading devices. My answer is always the same, yes. E-readers are as close as technology gets to a physical book-like reading experience and Amazon's latest Kindle, the premium-priced Voyage, comes closer to … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Campaign blunts Vietnamese demand for rhino horn
Polls suggest that Vietnam is losing its taste for rhino horn, but rhino poaching is still on course to break records again this year [Link]
New Scientist – News » Secret US spaceplane lands after 674-day mission
What was it doing up there? A robotic, top secret US spaceplane landed in California on Friday, after a record-breaking 22 months in orbit [Link]
Slashdot » The Largest Ship In the World Is Being Built In Korea
HughPickens.com writes Alastair Philip Wiper writes that at 194 feet wide and 1,312 feet long, the Matz Maersk Triple E is the largest ship ever built, capable of carrying 18,000 20-foot containers. Its propellers weigh 70 tons apiece and it is too big for the Panama Canal, though it can shimmy through the Suez. A U-shaped hull design allows more … [Link]
Mashable » Nepal Ends Blizzard Rescue Efforts as Death Toll Nears 40
Nepal wrapped up rescue operations in its northern mountains Monday, saying all the hikers believed to have been stranded on a trekking route by a series of deadly blizzards are now safe. At least 39 people, including trekkers from Canada, India, Israel, Slovakia, Poland and Japan, died in the blizzards and avalanches that swept the Himalayas last week, battering the popular … [Link]
Mashable » Foursquare Launches First Ad Campaign, Now Claims 55 Million Users
Two months after introducing a new logo and app, Foursquare is rolling out its first ad campaign. The outdoor campaign, created by Judd Branding, will run in New York and Chicago. The ads, which will run on New York City subways and on Chicago's bike share kiosks, illustrate how people with very different tastes can use Foursquare to find what they're … [Link]
Mashable » IBM Paying $1.5 Billion to Shed Its Chip Division
IBM will pay $1.5 billion to Globalfoundries in order to shed its costly chip division. IBM will make payments to the chipmaker over three years, but it took a $4.7 billion charge for the third quarter when it reported earnings Monday. See also: Apple's IBM Deal Marks the Real Beginning of the Post-PC Era The company fell short of Wall Street … [Link]
Mashable » Nigeria and Senegal Free of Ebola Virus
The World Health Organization declared Nigeria officially free of Ebola on Monday, after six weeks with no new reported cases of the virus, calling it a "spectacular success story." How #Nigeria handled the outbreak is a spectacular success story that shows that #Ebola can be contained http://t.co/LyfE3s9b2C — WHO (@WHO) October 20, 2014 There had been a reported 20 cases of … [Link]
Mashable » Freelancers, Break Free From Billing by the Hour
I spent the first few years of my freelance career earning an income the way most freelancers do: working project-to-project and billing by the hour. Sure, I made enough to pay the bills. And the job came with perks like being able to work from anywhere. But if I wanted to take a vacation I’d have to take a pay cut, … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Disney Releases ‘ Tomorrowland’ Teaser Trailer
In case you missed it, Disney recently released a 2-minute teaser trailer for their upcoming sci-fi film Tomorrowland, based on the Disney theme park of the same name. Here’s the official description on YouTube: Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (George Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark … [Link]
Mashable » How to Watch the Partial Solar Eclipse on Thursday
Millions of people across North America could have a chance to observe a partial solar eclipse next week, weather permitting. Although the Oct. 23 partial solar eclipse may not be as spectacular as a total eclipse, it is still a beautiful and interesting event to witness. The sight of the moon gradually moving across the face of the sun fills most … [Link]
Bad Science » Weirdly long and fun Absolute FM radio interview
Taking epidemiology to the streets: here’s a long, long interview I did last week on Absolute FM (lovely Geoff Lloyd’s lovely Hometime Show). Posting here because it’s unusually good and long for pop media. In between the rock classics, we talk about screening, Ebola, government statistics, and good quality sperm. My lovely new book – I […] [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 20 October 2014
Fix Mac OS X — each time you start typing in Spotlight (to open an application or search for a file on your computer), your local search terms and location are sent to Apple and third parties (including Microsoft) under … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: LTE Hotspot As Sole Cellular Connection?
New submitter iamacat writes I am thinking of canceling my regular voice plan and using an LTE hotspot for all my voice and data needs. One big draw is ability to easily use multiple devices without expensive additional lines or constantly swapping SIMs. So I can have an ultra compact Android phone and an iPod touch and operate whichever has … [Link]
Mashable » Amnesty International: Extrajudicial Killings in Ukraine Misrecorded and Misreported
KIEV, Ukraine – Amnesty International said it has found evidence of extrajudicial killings by pro-Russian separatists and Kiev regular and irregular forces in eastern Ukraine, but not to the extent reported by Russian media and authorities. Through interviews with several local residents in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including victims, family members, eyewitnesses, local officials, medical personnel and fighters on both sides, … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Wearable tech lets boss track your work, rest and play
How will our lives change as more and more firms digitally monitor their employees' movements and health, at work and beyond. We're about to find out [Link]
Mashable » The End of 'Walking Dead' Episode 2 Will Haunt Us Forever
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Episode 2 of The Walking Dead season 5. Look, The Walking Dead is a gross show. A wonderful, action-packed, disgusting show that has trained us to have stomachs of steel. But the end of episode 2 easily ranks among the greats in the Horrific Hall of Fame. Congrats, moment henceforth known as the #BobBQ Scene. As the … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Europe's new scientific revolution
It's great to see scientists across the continent protesting in unison about funding and jobs, says the editor of a website exploring European research issues [Link]
Slashdot » The Woman Who Should Have Been the First Female Astronaut
StartsWithABang writes We like to think of the Mercury 7 — the very first group of NASA astronauts — as the "best of the best," having been chosen from a pool of over 500 of the top military test pilots after three rounds of intense physical and mental tests. Yet when women were allowed to take the same tests, one … [Link]
Mashable » People Look Like Their Pets and It's a Problem
While being compared to a pet may seem like an insult, it's actually somewhat of a confirmed phenomenon. We perceive animals and their owners to look like each other Of course, if the resemblance is too similar, things start to get eerie. Really eerie. See also: Marnie the Dog Imitates Selfie King James Franco Poorly Drawn Lines explores that side of … [Link]
Mashable » 'The Good Wife' Season 6, Episode 5: From Scandal to Spotlight
It’s no secret that Alicia Florrick is one of the most complex, interesting female characters on television. But Alicia isn't the token interesting female character on The Good Wife, she's one of many compelling female characters the show has to offer. This week's episode found the women of The Good Wife sometimes on opposing sides, but the conflict they faced only … [Link]
Mashable » An Entrepreneur Ate a Smart Pill to Show How to Track Your Data
SYDNEY — One entrepreneur from Melbourne is putting his health on the line for the love of his new app. Chris Koch ate a device inside a tablet at 12 p.m. local time on Monday as part of a competition to promote his business, Pop!, to prove you can keep track of your data anywhere. Even inside his stomach See also: … [Link]
Mashable » 'Once Upon a Time' Put a Cool Twist on 'Fantasia' In the Latest Episode
Romance was in the air on Once Upon a Time Sunday night, but per usual, there was magic and darkness lurking close behind it. Emma and Hook went on their first official date and though Hook (or "Killian" as he asks Emma to call him) finally was able to get his hand back from Rumplestiltskin, it came with a price. We … [Link]
Mashable » Aussie Surfer Scales Massive Pine Tree to Check Out the Waves
SYDNEY — A surfer in South Avalon, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, took prime position to check out the swell last Thursday. In an impressive feat, local lad Lachie Rombouts climbed 40 metres up the Norfolk Island Pine tree to do his daily surf check See also: 'It's Not the Shark's Fault': Aussie Teen Surfer Laughs After Shark Bites Her Leg Photographer … [Link]
The Joy of Tech » JoT #2061: Where's all the social media love?
Why are my RTs MIA? If you enJoyed the comic, you know what to do. 😀 [Link]
Slashdot » 3-D Printed "Iron Man" Prosthetic Hands Now Available For Kids
PC World (drawing on an article from 3DPrint.com) notes that inventor Pat Starace has released his plans for a 3-D printable prosthetic hand designed to appeal both to kids who need it and their parents (who can't all afford the cost of conventional prostheses). The hand "has the familiar gold-and-crimson color scheme favored by Ol' Shellhead, and it's designed with … [Link]
Mashable » No Actual Guitars Were Smashed in OSU Marching Band's Classic Rock Tribute
Ohio State University's marching band is known for its complicated routines that are just as much about what you see on the field as what you hear. During Saturday's matchup against Rutgers University, the OSU's Buckeyes played some of classic rock's biggest hits. Fans were treated to The Who's "Pinball Wizard," while the band formed a pinball machine, as well … [Link]
Mashable » Recruiters Are From Mars, Job Seekers Are From Venus
In the midst of the job search, it feels like you’ve been waiting forever to get a call back from your recruiter. After you finally get the nerve to call, you hear, "We’ll keep your resume on file." Does that mean the recruiter will call you as soon as a position opens up? Or is he just being nice? There’s a … [Link]
Mashable » BlackBerry's Comeback Plan Is Bearing Fruit — So Far
For Järn Harry, his BlackBerry Z10 has one killer feature that iPhones just can't match: a blinking red light. "I look at the iPhone, and I don't know if there's a message or not," Harry says. As the head of new business ventures for Comptel, a Helsinki-based software firm, Harry finds BlackBarry unmatched for running business apps. He is also a … [Link]
Slashdot » If You're Connected, Apple Collects Your Data
fyngyrz (762201) writes It would seem that no matter how you configure Yosemite, Apple is listening. Keeping in mind that this is only what's been discovered so far, and given what's known to be going on, it's not unthinkable that more is as well. Should users just sit back and accept this as the new normal? It will be interesting … [Link]
Mashable » 'It's Not the Shark's Fault': Aussie Teen Surfer Laughs After Shark Bites Her Leg
Warning: Graphic images Australian teenager Kirra-Belle Olsson posted photos on Facebook of the injuries she sustained in a shark attack on Friday, as she made it clear it was not the shark's fault. The 13-year-old Rip Curl-sponsored surfer was bitten on the leg by a wobbegong shark while surfing at Avoca Beach, on the central coast of New South Wales. She … [Link]
Mashable » 'Doctor Who' Episode 9 Recap: Terror in Two Dimensions
This recap contains spoilers for the most recent episode of Doctor Who, "Flatline." Don't say we didn't warn you. The Doctor is a hard man to understand. We mere mortals find it difficult to grasp when he gets giddy over things he hasn't encountered before –- because 9 times out of 10, that thing is probably trying to kill everyone In … [Link]
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