John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

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Geekish

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 » U.S. officials said to point the finger at North Korea over Sony hack

Wednesday 17 December 23:47:51 UTC 2014

460566356Feed-tw Feed-fbThe U.S. government is set to announce that North Korea participated in the hacking of Sony Pictures Studios, according to multiple sources. Media organizations including CNN, NBC, the New York Times and the Associated Press all state unnamed officials have concluded that Pyongyang played a key role in the attackMashable has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the … [Link]

Mashable » BMW is developing a car that can be parked via smartwatch

Wednesday 17 December 23:43:29 UTC 2014

Bmw-smartwatchFeed-tw Feed-fbBMW is developing a remote-control valet parking system for cars that can be operated by a smartwatch. The sensor-filled BMW i3 car, which will be on display at the 2015 International CES in Las Vegas in January, integrates with smartwatch and can essentially self-park. According to the company, a driver could activate the "Remote Valet Parking Assistant" via an app, which … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Strikes Deal With Verizon To Reduce Patent Troll Suits

Wednesday 17 December 23:35:00 UTC 2014

mpicpp writes Google Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. struck a long-term patent cross-license agreement to reduce the risk of future patent lawsuits, the latest in a string of deals that signal a slowdown after years of aggressive patent wars. The deal effectively bars the companies from suing each other over any of the thousands of patents the companies currently own … [Link]

Mashable » You can now control the Nest thermostat with voice commands

Wednesday 17 December 23:34:22 UTC 2014

The-nest-thermostat-is-now-for-sale-at-apple-stores-58c5c5e887Feed-tw Feed-fbGoogle’s Nest thermostat owners just got a new hands-free perk: the ability to control the device by voice. This means the next time you want your home to be warmed to 70 degrees, you can just tell it so, without ever getting up from the couch. See also: 10 gifts to make your home a 'smart home' The company announced this … [Link]

Geek Culture » It's OK to be Smart on Climate Change, and deniers

Wednesday 17 December 23:10:04 UTC 2014

[Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Sony To Launch Google Glass Competitor Along With An SDK

Wednesday 17 December 23:04:35 UTC 2014

[Link]

Mashable » 'The hackers won': Celebs are flabbergasted that Sony pulled 'The Interview' after hackers' threat

Wednesday 17 December 23:02:15 UTC 2014

The-interview-posterFeed-tw Feed-fbSony Pictures canceled the Dec. 25 release of "The Interview" on Wednesday after hackers threatened a Sept. 11-style attack on movie theaters, causing the largest chains in North America to pull the film from their screens. See also: Sony nails 'The Interview' at festive, hack-free world premiere In a statement Wednesday, Sony said it was canceling "The Interview" release "in light … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Twitter Digits API Now Supports Custom Theming

Wednesday 17 December 22:59:52 UTC 2014

[Link]

Slashdot » Top Five Theaters Won't Show "The Interview" Sony Cancels Release

Wednesday 17 December 22:53:00 UTC 2014

tobiasly writes The country's top five theater chains — Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark, Carmike Cinemas and Cineplex Entertainment — have decided not to play Sony's The Interview. This comes after the group which carried off a massive breach of its networks threatened to carry out "9/11-style attacks" on theaters that showed the film. Update: Sony has announced that it … [Link]

Mashable » Data mining tops LinkedIn's list of the 'hottest skills of 2014'

Wednesday 17 December 22:47:32 UTC 2014

Data-scientistFeed-tw Feed-fbBig Data is netting big salaries. Whether its Moneyball, President Obama's election campaigns or just the social media-led explosion of information, "statistical analysis and data mining" topped LinkedIn's list of the 25 Hottest Skills That Got People Hired in 2014 Last year, the top skill was "social media marketing." Data mining was No. 5 See also: Warning: A computer science degree … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Summer Glau Brings Massive Killer Robot Friend to Her Ex’s Art Show [Videos]

Wednesday 17 December 22:37:14 UTC 2014

This the first episode of a web show featuring Summer Glau and her 10′ tall robot friend. Yes, that’s a pretty awesome concept for a show, and if you like the first episode, be sure to check out episode two and three below! Episode #2: Pug vs Giant Robot Episode #3: Giant Robots Have Feelings, Too Edit: and the “Behind … [Link]

Mashable » 'Serial' parody reveals what Sarah Koenig is probably feeling right now

Wednesday 17 December 22:22:13 UTC 2014

Serial1Feed-tw Feed-fbNobody was prepared for how popular the investigative podcast Serial would become — not even Sarah Koenig, the show's host and executive producer The show will air the first season's final episode on Thursday, which focuses on the 1999 murder of Baltimore high school student Hae Min Lee. So far, Koenig has been investigating and reporting on the murder for which … [Link]

Mashable » 14 budget-friendly image editors for small businesses

Wednesday 17 December 22:15:22 UTC 2014

Free-photo-editing-softwareFeed-tw Feed-fbAs a small-business owner, you may not have the budget to purchase industry leading software, however you still want to process images and photos for your website or offline media. These feature rich photo editing applications are capable of enhancing your images, creatively adding effects and filters, without breaking the bank, with many available free. We've collected 14 of the very … [Link]

Slashdot » NASA Tests Feasibility of 3D Printing on the Moon and Other Planets

Wednesday 17 December 22:10:00 UTC 2014

ErnieKey writes A major application of 3d printing that could revolutionize space travel would be using 3d printers to create structures on non-terrestrial bodies like the moon, other planets, and even asteroids. Researchers from NASA's Kennedy Space Center have been working to develop solutions to materials issues, and recently presented initial findings on the potential for using in-situ materials like … [Link]

Mashable » Air Canada flight diverted after passenger allegedly assaulted flight attendants

Wednesday 17 December 21:45:07 UTC 2014

5456286024_1f0efa0c6f_oFeed-tw Feed-fbA flight was diverted to Halifax, Canada, and a South African passenger was arrested after she allegedly assaulted two flight attendants on the plane traveling from London to Toronto. Air Canada Flight 869 was diverted just after 12 p.m., local time, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, according to police. The flight resumed its trip with the remaining 239 passengers and crew at … [Link]

Mashable » Cubans say 'meh' to historic diplomatic deal

Wednesday 17 December 21:35:08 UTC 2014

Havana-cuba-billboardFeed-tw Feed-fbHAVANA, Cuba — While the rest of the world followed the news about Cuba online or on their smartphones, people in Cuba found out about the prisoner swap and the historic reset of diplomatic relations with the U.S. somewhat differently. As a foreign journalist, I am allowed a dial-up connection. But that's a luxury only available to a few people, including … [Link]

Mashable » The Pope's most blessed baller moves of 2014

Wednesday 17 December 21:32:36 UTC 2014

Pope-and-birdFeed-tw Feed-fbThe Pope turned 78 on Wednesday — and he spent it eating cake and getting shout-outs from Presidents Obama and Castro after he helped broker a historic diplomatic break-through between the U.S. and Cuba. Props to the birthday boy who's had a pretty remarkable year. See also: The Pope Comes to America: Here's What His Holiness Should See Here are the … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook now auto-enhances photos posted from iPhones

Wednesday 17 December 21:28:50 UTC 2014

Facebook_enhanceFeed-tw Feed-fbFacebook is taking a page out of Google+'s playbook, and is now automatically editing photos posted to the social network from mobile devices. Smartphones and apps have made photographers out of everyone; the problem is that many of us still don't have pro-level photo-editing skills. Now, when a Facebook user posts an image using the iOS app, it is automatically "enhanced" … [Link]

Slashdot » Book Review: Build Your Own Website: A Comic Guide to HTML, CSS, and WordPress

Wednesday 17 December 21:28:00 UTC 2014

MassDosage writes "At the the risk of exposing my age I remember building my first website using a rudimentary Unix text editor (Joe) and carefully handcrafting the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) while directly logged on to the web server it was being served from. Back then Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) weren't even a glint in the eyes of their creators. … [Link]

Mashable » Evan Spiegel wanted to cry after Sony hack exposed Snapchat's game plan

Wednesday 17 December 21:25:41 UTC 2014

SpiegelFeed-tw Feed-fbEvan Spiegel, who has pushed the concept of ephemeral communication as Snapchat's CEO, said he was "devastated" by the publication of his archived emails that were included in the most recent round of the Sony hack "I felt like I was going to cry all morning, so I went on a walk and thought through a couple things," he wrote in … [Link]

Mashable » Tom Hiddleston sings carols, all is right in the world

Wednesday 17 December 21:24:00 UTC 2014

TomhiddlesFeed-tw Feed-fbTom Hiddleston is a man of many talents. In addition to being an accomplished actor and rumored swoon-causer, he is an excellent singer. Hiddleston and country artist Rodney Crowell recorded a video of them singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." To add to the utter adorableness of their rendition, Hiddleston cuddles a dog named Mono the entire time. See also: … [Link]

Mashable » New York governor to ban 'fracking,' a controversial gas-drilling technique

Wednesday 17 December 21:21:32 UTC 2014

FrackingFeed-tw Feed-fbALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration will move to prevent fracking in New York, citing unresolved health issues and dubious economic benefits of the widely used gas-drilling technique. See also: Government Warns of High Earthquake Risk in Oklahoma, Blames Drilling Environmental Commissioner Joe Martens said Wednesday that he was recommending a ban, and Cuomo said he would defer to Martens … [Link]

Mashable » Uber's plan to improve rider safety: biometric scans, 24/7 response teams

Wednesday 17 December 21:20:31 UTC 2014

Uber6Feed-tw Feed-fbAfter coming under fire for safety issues in recent days, Uber has responded with a blog post Wednesday that lays out a series of steps it plans to take The ride-hailing service touted multiple technological options, ranging from biometric scans to more polygraph exams, that its team is exploring in order to improve driver screening and rider safety See also: Driven: … [Link]

Mashable » A new way to help level the playing field for women buying cars

Wednesday 17 December 21:15:13 UTC 2014

CarsFeed-tw Feed-fbTara Weingarten estimates she's accompanied at least 50 women to the dealership to buy their cars. As a veteran automotive journalist for Newsweek and the founder of VroomGirls, a site devoted to women automotive enthusiasts, Weingarten grew frustrated with the traditional arrangement of pressured techniques and gendered salesmanship. "For women, buying a car is the final frontier of big purchases. Now … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » In 2014, People Searched Google Trillions of Times: The Last Year in Search [Video]

Wednesday 17 December 21:03:05 UTC 2014

In 2014, people searched the Internet TRILLIONS of times. What do these searches say about us? Find out in this video from Google featuring some of the most searched terms of the year. [Google] The post In 2014, People Searched Google Trillions of Times: The Last Year in Search [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Author Neal Stephenson Joins Augmented Reality Project

Wednesday 17 December 21:00:56 UTC 2014

A company working on augmented and virtual reality tech has appointed sci-fi writer Neal Stephenson as its “Chief Futurist.” Exactly what the company is up to remains something of a mystery though. Magic Leap recently received $542 million in start-up funding from investors led by Google, two of whose executives have joined Magic Leap’s board. There’s not a great deal … [Link]

Mashable » Charlie Sheen to guest star on 'The Goldbergs' as his character from 'Ferris Bueller'

Wednesday 17 December 20:59:29 UTC 2014

Sheen-goldbergsFeed-tw Feed-fb The Goldbergs is staging a crossover with Ferris Bueller's Day Off — sort of The show has enlisted former Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen to appear on the show as his character from the cult '80s teen film. You know, the arrestee who gave Jennifer Grey's Jeanie a reality check — and a make-out session (watch the … [Link]

Mashable » Day in the life: Musicians RAC and Matthew Koma play New York's Terminal 5

Wednesday 17 December 20:59:11 UTC 2014

MusictreatedstillFeed-tw Feed-fbMusicians André Allen Anjos (otherwise known as RAC) and Matthew Koma talk shop, from indie remixes to sold out shows. The Influencers André Allen Anjos (RAC) Ep 06 Music Copy 06.00_03_07_19.Still019 Image: André Allen AnjosPortland-by-way-of-Portugal producer and multi-instrumentalist André Allen Anjos, a.k.a. RAC, is a remix artist extraordinaire. In fact, RAC originally stood for "remix artist collective," and the name encompassed an international group of musicians … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » LET IT GO: The LOTR Parody [Video]

Wednesday 17 December 20:49:48 UTC 2014

A strangely appropriate Lord of the Ring-themed parody of “Let is Go” by the folks over at The Hillywood Show. [The Mary Sue] The post LET IT GO: The LOTR Parody [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Mashable » Career experts dish on key insights for best year-end review practices

Wednesday 17 December 20:49:39 UTC 2014

Career-in-review-bizchatsFeed-tw Feed-fbMashable hosted its third #BizChats Twitter chat on Tuesday, which featured career experts Lindsey Pollak, Nicole Williams and Dan Schawbel. See also: How to Reinvent Your Career Over the course of an hour, our career experts shared advice on the most important things on which professionals should be reflecting to help propel their careers forward in 2015. Check out some highlights … [Link]

Slashdot » Research Highlights How AI Sees and How It Knows What It's Looking At

Wednesday 17 December 20:46:00 UTC 2014

anguyen8 writes Deep neural networks (DNNs) trained with Deep Learning have recently produced mind-blowing results in a variety of pattern-recognition tasks, most notably speech recognition, language translation, and recognizing objects in images, where they now perform at near-human levels. But do they see the same way we do? Nope. Researchers recently found that it is easy to produce images that … [Link]

Mashable » Tips and tricks for sticking to a healthy routine on the go

Wednesday 17 December 20:45:38 UTC 2014

SneakersFeed-tw Feed-fbUnhealthy temptations abound when you're traveling: After all, it's easy to convince yourself that you deserve that 600-calorie donut after surviving the middle seat on a packed plane See also: How — and how not — to travel for running races But if you travel frequently, all of those excuses can add up. If fitness and nutrition is normally a part … [Link]

Mashable » Santa receives a fashion upgrade from high-end designers

Wednesday 17 December 20:38:29 UTC 2014

Fancy-santaFeed-tw Feed-fbSanta Claus has been in need of a fashion upgrade for at least 100 years Although St. Nicholas is instantly recognizable character with his red fur-lined jacket, black leather belt and boots with gold accents, he's a little out of the times See also: 10 last-minute gifts to save the holiday slacker Recognizing that Santa's look was so last century, creators … [Link]

Mashable » No comment: Why news websites are ditching comment sections

Wednesday 17 December 20:35:56 UTC 2014

Comments-section-removed-by-publishers-thumbFeed-tw Feed-fbChristopher Altchek first realized how difficult it is to manage a community of commenters in early 2012 when his news publication Mic (then operating under the name PolicyMic) was linked to by The Drudge Report, the conservative news powerhouse. "We had a really robust and really high-quality commenting section and commenting community. And that Drudge link really blew that community apart … [Link]

Mashable » Curiosity rover finds ancient water inside Martian rock

Wednesday 17 December 20:30:28 UTC 2014

Drill-thumbFeed-tw Feed-fbNASA’s Curiosity rover is continuing to help scientists piece together the mystery of how Mars lost its surface water over the course of billions of years. The rover drilled into a piece of Martian rock called Cumberland and found some ancient water hidden within it. Researchers were then able to test a key ratio in the water with Curiosity's onboard instruments … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Rhyme and reason: Writing poems in computer code

Wednesday 17 December 20:30:00 UTC 2014

Beyoncé's tweets as sacred text, error messages that tell a tragic tale and the looping program of a failing relationship: we parse a new literary phenomenon (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Slashdot » Manufacturer's Backdoor Found On Popular Chinese Android Smartphone

Wednesday 17 December 20:25:00 UTC 2014

Trailrunner7 writes that researchers at Palo Alto Networks have found a backdoor in Android devices sold by Coolpad. "A popular Android smartphone sold primarily in China and Taiwan but also available worldwide, contains a backdoor from the manufacturer that is being used to push pop-up advertisements and install apps without users' consent. The Coolpad devices, however, are ripe for much … [Link]

Mashable » Samsung says wearables will be the next 'power' trend in the workplace

Wednesday 17 December 20:08:11 UTC 2014

Moto-360-1Feed-tw Feed-fbWearable technology will be to 2015 what shoulder pads were to the 1980s. In a new trends report (first spotted by The Verge), Samsung says the next wave of "power dressing" for workplace leaders will include wearable technology. That's right — business professionals will be all about smartwatches and other wearables in 2015, which will become a status symbol of savviness … [Link]

Slashdot » What Will Microsoft's "Embrace" of Open Source Actually Achieve?

Wednesday 17 December 20:07:00 UTC 2014

Nerval's Lobster writes Back in the day, Microsoft viewed open source and Linux as a threat and did its best to retaliate with FUD and patent threats. And then a funny thing happened: Whether in the name of pragmatism or simply marketing, Microsoft began a very public transition from a company of open-source haters (at least in top management) to … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Lord of the Rings Mythology in a Nutshell [Video]

Wednesday 17 December 20:00:50 UTC 2014

Just before going to see the final Hobbit movie, familiarize yourself with the vastly complex mythology of The Lord of The Rings universe. If you don’t feel like going through The Silmarillion, this is the video to watch. [CGP Grey] The post The Lord of the Rings Mythology in a Nutshell [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Migme's Developer Program Monetizes Emerging Markets

Wednesday 17 December 19:59:51 UTC 2014

Migme, a social entertainment platform focused on emerging markets, has launched a developer program that gives developers access to the platform's functionality, as well as its growing user base. The APIs give full access, opening up the opportunities to innovate further and to tap into new markets to grow revenue. [Link]

Mashable » 5 cats that found fame before the Internet

Wednesday 17 December 19:55:14 UTC 2014

Cat_thumbFeed-tw Feed-fb Before Grumpy Cat, Lil Bub or General Meow were even conceived, there was an elite group of cats that managed to capture the world’s attention without help from YouTube, GIFs or Facebook Above, watch their remarkable tales (and tails!) BONUS: How not to make your cat Internet-famous Read more…More about Videos, Animation, History, Cats, and Memes [Link]

Mashable » Top 5 theater chains bow to hacker threat, won't show 'The Interview'

Wednesday 17 December 19:51:33 UTC 2014

The-interview_theaterFeed-tw Feed-fbLOS ANGELES — North America's top five theater chains have bowed out of The Interview, choosing not to show the comedy after hackers that have bedeviled Sony Pictures for nearly a month vaguely threatened attacks against any cinemas that show it, Mashable has confirmed. The mass defection reportedly has spurred talks within Sony of a premium VOD release, something the major … [Link]

Mashable » Netflix slams the door on offline viewing, doubles down on public Wi-Fi

Wednesday 17 December 19:28:15 UTC 2014

Netflix-histories-lawFeed-tw Feed-fbThere had been some hope that Netflix might offer its users the ability to download shows, and watch them in much the same way Spotify offers offline listening. However, those hopes have been dashed by Cliff Edwards, the company's director of corporate communications and technology. In an interview with TechRadar, Edwards puts it bluntly: "It's never going to happen." See also: … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Business at web speed

Wednesday 17 December 19:26:12 UTC 2014

Seven years ago, Steve Souders and Jesse Robbins came to the realization that they both worked within “tribes” that, while ostensibly quite different, were talking about many of the same things. Front-end developers and engineers were figuring out how to … [Link]

Mashable » 9 now-and-then images of melting glaciers

Wednesday 17 December 19:24:33 UTC 2014

10191042824_7aa805eeec_oFeed-tw Feed-fbEven as we witness rising sea levels, record high temperatures and increasingly violent storm systems, it's still easy for us to ignore the harbingers of global warming and convince ourselves that drastic climate change is either too far off in the future or only happening in distant lands. As well tell ourselves that, however, one of our national treasures, Glacier National … [Link]

Slashdot » The Joys and Hype of Hadoop

Wednesday 17 December 19:22:00 UTC 2014

theodp writes "Investors have poured over $2 billion into businesses built on Hadoop," writes the WSJ's Elizabeth Dwoskin, "including Hortonworks Inc., which went public last week, its rivals Cloudera Inc. and MapR Technologies, and a growing list of tiny startups. Yet companies that have tried to use Hadoop have met with frustration." Dwoskin adds that Hadoop vendors are responding with … [Link]

Mashable » UK airport staff vote to strike on the two days before Christmas

Wednesday 17 December 19:18:24 UTC 2014

Heathrow1Feed-tw Feed-fbLONDON — Travel plans across the UK in the days before Christmas could be affected if plans for a strike at the country's three busiest airports go ahead. Staff at air service provider dnata in Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports have backed plans for walkouts in protest over a pay dispute See also: Extreme airport sports make delayed flights exciting The … [Link]

Mashable » How to turn your entire team into brand evangelists

Wednesday 17 December 19:15:10 UTC 2014

HappyteamFeed-tw Feed-fbThis article is part of DBA, a new series on Mashable about running a business that features insights from leaders in entrepreneurship, venture capital and management. See also: How to successfully manage startup offices across multiple countries Consumer advocacy is crucial to growth — a fact that leads many companies to outsource their brand evangelist program. But most companies don't need … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Giant robotic insect takes its first steps

Wednesday 17 December 19:00:00 UTC 2014

A six-legged robot that moves its legs independently can walk over obstacles and rough terrain [Link]

Mashable » U.S. diplomatic relationship with Cuba won't change tourism — yet

Wednesday 17 December 18:59:01 UTC 2014

CubaFeed-tw Feed-fbPresident Obama announced Wednesday a new era in the relationship between the United States and Cuba. "With the changes I'm announcing today, it will be easier for Americans to travel to Cuba," Obama said, focusing on business relationships and the "free flow of information." But if a trip to Cuba has always been on your bucket list, it's not time to … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » HILARIOUS: 13 Dogs and 1 Cat Eating with Human Hands [Video]

Wednesday 17 December 18:56:19 UTC 2014

This totally wins the Internet for today. Plus, as this video shows, dogs are bad mannered. 😉 [Freshpet] The post HILARIOUS: 13 Dogs and 1 Cat Eating with Human Hands [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Mashable » '7th Heaven' actor Stephen Collins on sexual abuse: 'I did something terribly wrong'

Wednesday 17 December 18:53:19 UTC 2014

CollinsFeed-tw Feed-fbMore than two months after a troubling audio recording of 7th Heaven actor Stephen Collins apparently confessing to molesting underage girls was leaked to the public, the actor has admitted to the crimes In a statement to People, Collins, best known for playing pastor Eric Camden on the wholesome TV series, went into detail about the incidents, which took place over … [Link]

Mashable » Home improvement projects designed to make your house simply stunning

Wednesday 17 December 18:51:05 UTC 2014

Dyson_centertable_basic_1920x1080Feed-tw Feed-fbInstalling sinks, plugging drywall — home improvement doesn’t have to be all function over fashion. With the right direction and the right vision, home improvement can transform your living space in beautiful ways. See also: Simple home design ideas to impress the neighbors From small tweaks to total renovations, here are some of the home improvement projects guaranteed to turn your … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Vintage Computers Assemble to Create Christmas Symphony [Video]

Wednesday 17 December 18:41:23 UTC 2014

From The Glasgow School of Art: The ensemble: A collection of vintage Mac computers, a Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum + 1 and a SEGA Mega Drive perform a rendition of “Carol of the Bells” with lyrics re-written by Robert Florence & Philip Larkin in the Mackintosh Library at The Glasgow School of Art. HAIL THE MACHINES SWEET OLD MACHINES BLOW … [Link]

Slashdot » In Breakthrough, US and Cuba To Resume Diplomatic Relations

Wednesday 17 December 18:40:00 UTC 2014

HughPickens.com writes: Peter Baker reports at the NYT that in a deal negotiated during 18 months of secret talks hosted largely by Canada and encouraged by Pope Francis, the United States will restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba and open an embassy in Havana for the first time in more than a half-century. In addition, the United States will ease … [Link]

New Scientist – News » #RosettaWatch: Comet lander could wake up next year

Wednesday 17 December 18:32:00 UTC 2014

The Philae lander is getting enough sunlight to keep warm, team members say, and the Rosetta spacecraft may have already taken pictures of its landing spot [Link]

Mashable » Anna Kendrick is convinced this cat toy is actually a dildo

Wednesday 17 December 18:24:36 UTC 2014

CatdildoFeed-tw Feed-fb Thanks to Anna Kendrick, the cloud of mystery around one disturbingly phallic Christmas toy has finally been lifted. On Tuesday's Late Show With David Letterman, the Into the Woods costar wryly noted that there is a factory in an undisclosed location where workers plop mittens on dildos and then sell them to kids and cat owners. The logic checks out … [Link]

Mashable » Birthday boy Pope Francis got cake, chicken and props for U.S.-Cuba deal

Wednesday 17 December 18:11:41 UTC 2014

Vatican-pope-birthdayFeed-tw Feed-fbFor his 78th birthday, Pope Francis got a cake, cards, a tango demonstration and a hat-tip from both President Obama and Raul Castro for his hand in renewing U.S.-Cuba relations The Vatican said Wednesday that the pope also received 1,760 pounds of chicken meat for the poor. The meat, provided by a Spanish producer, will be distributed to soup kitchens. See … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Libscore Aims to Measure Popularity of JavaScript Libraries

Wednesday 17 December 18:08:35 UTC 2014

Libscore, a brand new tool that explores the popularity of third-party JavaScript libraries, was just announced by the project's sponsors Stripe and DigitalOcean. [Link]

Mashable » The types of guys you'll meet on Tinder

Wednesday 17 December 18:03:37 UTC 2014

Guys-on-tinderFeed-tw Feed-fb Anyone who's logged at least an hour on Tinder knows that the app is a hit-or-miss — and miss and miss — again dating platform For every nice person, there are at least five sleazebags lurking in your match folder. Comedian Michelle Markowitz imagines dates with seven types of guys you might find on Tinder. That includes the self-proclaimed pickup … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Stereotyping [Comic]

Wednesday 17 December 18:00:47 UTC 2014

[Source: Wrong Hands | Via Dueling Analogs] The post Stereotyping [Comic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist

Wednesday 17 December 18:00:00 UTC 2014

All the latest on newscientist.com: block rockin' beasts, evolution, asteroid soil for space farms, sexology, tsunami shield, Martian methane burps and more [Link]

Mashable » Sony clip-on device transforms regular glasses into wearable tech

Wednesday 17 December 17:58:30 UTC 2014

Sony-11Feed-tw Feed-fbSony is working on another wearable that's similar to Google Glass, the company announced Wednesday. But there's one big difference: The Sony module clips right onto typical eyeglasses. Google's version, for example, is itself a pair of glasses. Sony's device, on the other hand, is a separate module that transforms regular spectacles, sunglasses and other types of eyewear into wearable technology, … [Link]

Slashdot » Army To Launch Spy Blimp Over Maryland

Wednesday 17 December 17:57:00 UTC 2014

FarnsworthG writes: A multi-billion-dollar Army project will soon be able to track nearly everything within 340 miles when an 80-yard-long blimp is hoisted into the air over Maryland. Way to be subtle, guys. From the article: "Technically considered aerostats, since they are tethered to mooring stations, these lighter-than-air vehicles will hover at a height of 10,000 feet just off Interstate … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Star's flying visit could fling comets at Earth

Wednesday 17 December 17:46:00 UTC 2014

It might not happen for a quarter of a million years, but a nearby star coming closer to the sun could send planetary remnants hurtling to Earth [Link]

Slashdot » Backblaze's 6 TB Hard Drive Face-Off

Wednesday 17 December 17:31:00 UTC 2014

Esra Erimez writes: Backblaze is transitioning from using 4 TB hard drives to 6 TB hard drives in the Storage Pods they will be deploying over the coming months. With over 10,000 hard drives, the choice of which 6TB hard drive to use is critical. They deployed 45 and tested Western Digital (WD60EFRX) and Seagate (STBD6000100) hard drives into two … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Sinch's New SMS API Reaches Over 100 Countries

Wednesday 17 December 17:30:04 UTC 2014

Sinch, a cloud-based communications platform, has launched a new SMS API that enables apps to send SMS messages to users in over 100 countries. The SMS API adds to Sinch’s existing communications API portfolio that included IM and voice functionality. [Link]

Slashdot » New Cargo Ship Is 488 Meters Long

Wednesday 17 December 17:14:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes: The BBC reports on the construction of Prelude, a new ship that will be the world's longest vessel. It is 488 meters long and 74 meters wide, built with 260,000 tons of steel and displacing five times as much water as an aircraft carrier. Its purpose is to carry an entire natural gas processing plant as … [Link]

Mashable » Summer camp BFFs Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon sing 'Jumper'

Wednesday 17 December 16:36:07 UTC 2014

FallontimberlakeFeed-tw Feed-fb When you put teenage Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake in a cabin together, you know they're going to get into trouble The misbehaving duo stay up past lights out — on a Pop Rocks sugar high, of course — to play Truth or Dare. But when they team up for a truly beautiful Third Eye Blind cover, you really see … [Link]

Slashdot » Sony Leaks Reveal Hollywood Is Trying To Break DNS

Wednesday 17 December 16:33:00 UTC 2014

schwit1 sends this report from The Verge: Most anti-piracy tools take one of two paths: they either target the server that's sharing the files (pulling videos off YouTube or taking down sites like The Pirate Bay) or they make it harder to find (delisting offshore sites that share infringing content). But leaked documents reveal a frightening line of attack that's … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Mangrove forest planted as tsunami shield

Wednesday 17 December 16:30:00 UTC 2014

The 2004 tsunami killed 227,000 people in Indonesia. Fred Pearce visits Aceh to see the living coastal defences meant to soak up the energy of future waves [Link]

Mashable » Netflix comes to cord havers, will be available on Dish Network's set-top boxes

Wednesday 17 December 16:27:53 UTC 2014

Kevin-spacey-house-of-cards-netflixFeed-tw Feed-fbNetflix has struck its first deal with a major U.S. pay-TV company, bringing its content to Dish Network's set-top box Starting Wednesday, Dish subscribers that have the newest version of the company's digital video recorder — called Hopper — will be able to stream Netflix content for the standard $7.99 to $8.99 monthly fee. See also: 12 Signs You're Addicted to … [Link]

Mashable » European Parliament supports state of Palestine in principle

Wednesday 17 December 16:22:06 UTC 2014

H_51672205Feed-tw Feed-fbThe European Parliament adopted a resolution Wednesday that supports a state of Palestine in principle The resolution — "[The European Parliament] supports in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution, and believes these should go hand in hand with the development of peace talks, which should be advanced" — was carried by 498 to 88 votes, with 111 abstentions … [Link]

Mashable » After diplomatic deal, Cuba will expand Internet access

Wednesday 17 December 16:16:23 UTC 2014

Cuba_cFeed-tw Feed-fbThe Internet could be more accessible throughout Cuba following Wednesday's move towards full diplomatic relations with the U.S. See also: Cuba releases American Alan Gross, signaling shift in U.S. relations According to reports, Cuba is set to expand Internet access in the country, while the U.S. will allow the export of telecoms equipment to the island. MORE:Cuba to expand internet access; … [Link]

Mashable » BlackBerry tries to win over defectors with the BlackBerry Classic

Wednesday 17 December 16:02:42 UTC 2014

BbclassicFeed-tw Feed-fbBlackBerry has gone retro. The beleaguered mobile company launched a new smartphone on Monday, one that harkens back to BlackBerrys of a previous era, before the company's focus was on competing directly with the iPhone and Android. The BlackBerry Classic, which company CEO John Chen unveiled at an event in New York City, keeps the advancements of the company's BlackBerry 10 … [Link]

Mashable » Ev Williams wants Medium to be the next big thing — after he redefines 'big'

Wednesday 17 December 16:02:37 UTC 2014

Ev-williams-mediumFeed-tw Feed-fbFifteen minutes into an interview about Medium, Ev Williams is ready to rant The 2-year-old writing platform he helped start after cofounding Twitter has had a big year. It grew its audience to around 17 million unique visitors per month — up from 13 million in March, although external metrics are predictably lower than that — and has attracted high-profile submissions … [Link]

Mashable » How everyone really plays 'Shadow of Mordor'

Wednesday 17 December 16:00:12 UTC 2014

Shadow-thumbFeed-tw Feed-fbMiddle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is a Tolkien-fanboy's dream come true. Traversing the open world of Mordor, you control a kick-ass Middle Earth Batman with a slew of special abilities. With all that freedom and power, it's kind of shocking how many players spend all of their time in the game only doing one thing. See also: The 20-year evolution of … [Link]

Mashable » The shows you're DVRing — and those you're not

Wednesday 17 December 15:59:44 UTC 2014

GothamFeed-tw Feed-fbWhen it comes to breaking down the TV ratings for a given season, networks are putting less and less emphasis on overnight data, and for obvious reasons: The way we're DVR'ing these days, next-day ratings just aren't the whole picture Why report numbers that will be much more reflective of your total audience — and therefore impressive — three or seven … [Link]

Slashdot » NASA Study Proposes Airships, Cloud Cities For Venus Exploration

Wednesday 17 December 15:52:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes: IEEE Spectrum reports on a study out of NASA exploring the idea that manned missions to Venus are possible if astronauts deploy and live in airships once they arrive. Since the atmospheric pressure at the surface is 92 times that of Earth, and the surface temperate is over 450 degrees C, the probes we've sent to … [Link]

Mashable » 'Millionaire' contestant might have burger rings for brains

Wednesday 17 December 15:51:00 UTC 2014

240457-9e628c08-8581-11e4-b6d1-a55c994c6803Feed-tw Feed-fb Most people's embarrassing moments don't happen on live television. Unfortunately for Whitney Beseler, this wasn't to be the case in her life story — all because she thinks a burger ring is a commitment ring The Contiki tour manager who lives in Ballarat, Victoria, was a contestant on the popular Australian quiz show, Millionaire Hot Seat, and gave an hilariously … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Good Luck on Your Finals! [Comic]

Wednesday 17 December 15:40:13 UTC 2014

I’m so glad I’m done for good with studying and exams…. but even though I finished school in the 90s, I still miss it sometimes. [Source: According to Devin | Via Neatorama] The post Good Luck on Your Finals! [Comic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

New Scientist – News » Not again! First ever case of anxiety-induced déjà vu

Wednesday 17 December 15:30:00 UTC 2014

A 23-year-old man is the first person to report a feeling of persistent déjà vu that seems to be triggered by anxiety rather than a neurological condition [Link]

Mashable » Live updates: U.S. and Cuba strike historic deal

Wednesday 17 December 15:22:57 UTC 2014

Obama-castro-deal-01Feed-tw Feed-fbUPDATED: 11:24 a.m. EST In a historic turn of events, the U.S. and Cuba are starting talks that could normalize full diplomatic relations, marking the most significant shift in policy towards the communist island in decades. Stick with Mashable as we learn more about the deal. 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW Cuba released American Alan Gross into U.S. custody … [Link]

Mashable » 100,000 Christmas lights programmed to themes from 'Star Wars'

Wednesday 17 December 15:20:39 UTC 2014

Star-wars-lightsFeed-tw Feed-fb It takes a special kind of patience to engineer a spectacular Christmas light show set to themes from Star Wars — all in the close comfort of your front yard Despite the massive undertaking, however, YouTube user Tom BetGeorge from Newark, California, has done just that for a good cause The light display features giant, illuminated instruments that reflect BetGeorge's … [Link]

Mashable » Bad Santa: Man dressed as Father Christmas arrested in Glasgow

Wednesday 17 December 15:16:05 UTC 2014

Santa_c1Feed-tw Feed-fbA man dressed as Santa Claus was bundled into a police van after scaling a statue in Glasgow, Scotland, Wednesday. The imposter was apprehended after he mounted the Duke of Wellington statue in Royal Exchange Square. See also: British card shop apologises for 'offensive' Santa Claus council estate card The monument of the two-time British prime minister is an iconic landmark, … [Link]

Slashdot » New AP Course, "Computer Science Principles," Aims To Make CS More Accessible

Wednesday 17 December 15:10:00 UTC 2014

theodp writes: "CS Principles," explains the intro to a Microsoft Research talk on a new Computer Science Toolkit and Gaming Course, "is a new AP course being piloted across the country and by making it more accessible to students we can help increase diversity in computing." Towards this end, Microsoft has developed "a middle school computing toolkit, and a high … [Link]

Mashable » Redditor finds woman with ex-girlfriend's name to travel the world

Wednesday 17 December 15:01:30 UTC 2014

Globe1Feed-tw Feed-fbA Toronto man who made headlines last month by offering a free round-the-world air ticket to a woman with the same name as his ex-girlfriend has found Ms. Right. Jordan Axani, 28, and his then girlfriend, named Elizabeth Gallagher, booked heavily discounted round-the-world air tickets in May, but their relationship ended and he didn't want her ticket to go to waste. … [Link]

Mashable » Chris Pratt sings ode to Li'l Sebastian at 'Parks and Rec' wrap party

Wednesday 17 December 14:55:46 UTC 2014

Chris-prattFeed-tw Feed-fb Parks and Recreation wrapped on Dec. 12 after seven beloved seasons on NBC. Ever the charmer, Chris Pratt made sure the cast and crew's goodbye was sweet as child-sized Sweetums soda. Pratt teamed up with castmate Nick Offerman on acoustic guitar for a rousing cover of "5,000 Candles in the Wind" during the Parks wrap party. The song originally appeared … [Link]

Mashable » Inquiry finds Iraqi detainees were ill-treated by British soldiers

Wednesday 17 December 14:45:19 UTC 2014

Ap041024011680-1Feed-tw Feed-fbLONDON — An inquiry into the treatment of Iraqi detainees by British soldiers after a firefight more than 10 years ago has found that they were ill-treated, but it dismissed claims of torture and murder as "deliberate and calculated lies." Although some of the treatment, such as food and sleep deprivation, violated the Geneva Convention, the inquiry published Wednesday found it … [Link]

Slashdot » A New Law For Superconductors

Wednesday 17 December 14:27:00 UTC 2014

TaleSlinger sends word of a newly-discovered "mathematical relationship — between material thickness, temperature, and electrical resistance — that appears to hold in all superconductors." The work (abstract), led by Yachin Irvy, comes out of MIT's Research Laboratory of Electronics. Researchers found that a particular superconductor (niobium nitride) didn't fit earlier models estimating the temperature at which it changes from normal … [Link]

Mashable » How people celebrate Christmas on the beach

Wednesday 17 December 14:23:46 UTC 2014

Beach-131Feed-tw Feed-fbSun, sea, sand … and Santa? Christmas in warmer climates. Read more…More about Travel, Features, Vacation, Fun, and Santa [Link]

Mashable » Cuba releases American Alan Gross, signaling shift in U.S. relations

Wednesday 17 December 14:07:03 UTC 2014

GrossFeed-tw Feed-fbCuba has released American Alan Gross, who has been imprisoned for five years, according to a senior Obama administration official. The move could signal a shift in relations between the U.S. and Cuba. See also: Cuba Cracks Down on What Travelers Can Bring Into the Country Gross has departed Cuba on a U.S. government plane bound for the United States. The … [Link]

Slashdot » SpaceX To Attempt Falcon 9 Landing On Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship

Wednesday 17 December 13:44:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes: SpaceX has announced that at the conclusion of its next rocket flight, it will attempt a precision landing of its Falcon 9 first stage onto an autonomous ocean platform. They say the odds of success aren't great, but it's the beginning of their work to make this a reality. Quoting: "At 14 stories tall and traveling … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Ifeelgoods Launches API For Rewards Fulfillment

Wednesday 17 December 13:30:10 UTC 2014

Ifeelgoods, a platform that connects brands with digital rewards, has launched a Rewards Fulfillment API that allows on demand e-gifting. What this means is that brands and apps will be able to automate and streamline the process of rewarding users — a great feature for companies that want to easily create incentives to attract new customers or to keep their … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » An ecosystem of connected devices

Wednesday 17 December 13:26:59 UTC 2014

Editors note: This is an excerpt from our recent book Designing Multi-Device Experiences, by Michal Levin. This excerpt is included in our curated collection of chapters from the OReilly Design library. Download a free copy of the Experience Design ebook … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » 21st century communication with WebRTC

Wednesday 17 December 13:25:59 UTC 2014

As the web platform continues to evolve, tools have emerged for connecting people and computers in new and interesting ways. Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) stands out as one of the most significant and disruptive of these emerging technologies, allowing developers … [Link]

Mashable » Obama says he's been mistaken for valet because he's black

Wednesday 17 December 13:12:47 UTC 2014

Obama2Feed-tw Feed-fbHe may be president now, but Barack Obama says he's a black man who has been mistaken for the valet. Obama tells People magazine that every black professional male his age has had someone hand over their keys while waiting outside a restaurant. That happened to him, he said. See also: Refusing silence: Black poets protest and mourn in verse First … [Link]

Mashable » Church of England announces first female bishop

Wednesday 17 December 12:43:02 UTC 2014

Libby_lane_smaller_cFeed-tw Feed-fbLONDON — Reverend Libby Lane has been announced as the first female bishop for the Church of England. She will become the new Bishop of Stockport, filling a post that has been vacant since May, and marking an end to years of debate within the Church. See also: When we find aliens, which religions will still make sense? Lane will be … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Save BIG on these Popular Games for the PS4 and Xbox One

Wednesday 17 December 12:42:21 UTC 2014

For today’s edition of Deal of the day, here are a few good deals we stumbled on on the PS4 and Xbox One consoles. PS4 -The Last of Us Remastered – $49.99 $29.99 (40% off) -Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition – $59.99 $29.99 (50% off) -The Evil Within – $59.99 $24.99 (58% off) -Watch Dogs – $59.99 $24.99 (58% off) … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » You Could Be a Hero! [Pic]

Wednesday 17 December 12:41:59 UTC 2014

[Via GU] The post You Could Be a Hero! [Pic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Harry Potter Christmas Tree is Magical! [Pics]

Wednesday 17 December 12:40:09 UTC 2014

A Christmas tree sitting in a cauldron, featuring a railroad track and floating candles, all of this topped with owls. It can’t get much more awesome than that. Edit: My wife disagrees and thinks the owls make the whole thing look super creepy. Her exact words: “The owls look like they were taxidermied 100 years ago.” LOL. I disagree with … [Link]

Mashable » The best photos of 2014

Wednesday 17 December 12:31:53 UTC 2014

Mashable-photos-2014Feed-tw Feed-fbFrom fiery volcanos to mass protests, these are the images that defined our year. Handpicked by Mashable editors. Read more…More about Space, Israel, Photos, Weather, and Photography [Link]

Mashable » 17 Jimmy Kimmel videos we hate-loved in 2014

Wednesday 17 December 12:30:09 UTC 2014

Jimmy-kimmelFeed-tw Feed-fbJimmy Kimmel has come a long way since his Man Show days. The late-night host and his staff have perfected the viral formula, which includes any combination of the following: Kids, hidden cameras, celebs and cats. See also: 18 best Jimmy Fallon moments of 2014 Segments like "Celebs Reading Mean Tweets" and "Hey Jimmy! I Told my Kids I Ate All … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Smart shoes with lasers make strides in mobility

Wednesday 17 December 12:30:00 UTC 2014

Adding laser tips to ordinary shoes can improve the stride and pace of people with Parkinson's disease [Link]

Mashable » 10 predictions for content marketing in 2015

Wednesday 17 December 12:15:24 UTC 2014

Content-marketingFeed-tw Feed-fbIf 2014 was the year content became the connective thread for all marketing, 2015 is poised to be the year that brands actually understand their audiences, and finally prove return on investment. As we enter 2015 in a more mature industry (58% of B2B marketers plan to increase their content marketing budget over the next 12 months), marketers will now focus … [Link]

Mashable » A bad job is harder on your mental health than unemployment

Wednesday 17 December 11:45:50 UTC 2014

Bad_jobFeed-tw Feed-fbThere can be no doubt that the job market has been more resilient since the financial crisis than many imagined. Unemployment did not rise as far as was feared and the recovery in employment to pre-recession levels has been quicker than forecast by even the most optimistic labour economists. So, time for some self-congratulatory back-slapping among policy makers then? On the … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 17 December 2014

Wednesday 17 December 11:28:05 UTC 2014

USB Armory — another Linux-on-a-stick, but this one has some nifty dimensions and security applications in mind. Who’s the Boss? — The Elf on the Shelf essentially teaches the child to accept an external form of non-familial surveillance in the … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » #Ebook Deal/Day: Lightweight Django – $16.99 (Save 50%) Use code DEAL

Wednesday 17 December 11:27:17 UTC 2014

Get "Lightweight Django" today using code DEAL and save 50%!This sale ends at 2:00 AM 2014-12-18 (PDT, GMT-8:00). [Link]

Mashable » Australians cry together as Martin Place becomes floral shrine for Sydney siege victims

Wednesday 17 December 11:09:09 UTC 2014

Lead-sydneyFeed-tw Feed-fbSydney’s Martin Place was cleared of office workers pushing through peak hour on Wednesday evening. Instead, lines of mourners wait patiently to pay their respects to two strangers who were killed after being taken hostage during their peak-hour coffee run. On Tuesday morning, just a few posies of flowers marked the scene of the Sydney siege, where an armed man took … [Link]

Mashable » 7 baby steps for a holiday tech detox

Wednesday 17 December 11:04:12 UTC 2014

Holiday_detoxFeed-tw Feed-fbDitch the Kindle and grab a real book. During the holidays, it's difficult to appreciate free time and family when you're constantly plugged in. Technology is ingrained in our everyday lives, so taking time off is a foreign feeling See also: 10 tips for talking to your relatives during the holidays If you think parting with your devices is such sweet … [Link]

Slashdot » Economists Say Newest AI Technology Destroys More Jobs Than It Creates

Wednesday 17 December 10:47:00 UTC 2014

HughPickens.com writes: Claire Cain Miller notes at the NY Times that economists long argued that, just as buggy-makers gave way to car factories, technology used to create as many jobs as it destroyed. But now there is deep uncertainty about whether the pattern will continue, as two trends are interacting. First, artificial intelligence has become vastly more sophisticated in a … [Link]

Mashable » Plane makes dramatic emergency landing into Belfast airport

Wednesday 17 December 10:43:03 UTC 2014

H_02120260Feed-tw Feed-fbA plane travelling from Scotland made a dramatic emergency landing Tuesday evening into Belfast International Airport after one of its engines caught fire. See also: Video shows chaos on plane as turbulence forces emergency landing An emergency was declared at the airport after the plane, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, was diverted on its way from Glasgow to Belfast City airport, … [Link]

Mashable » 40 photographers team up to capture stunning London time-lapse

Wednesday 17 December 10:42:16 UTC 2014

Timelapse_cFeed-tw Feed-fbLONDON — Time-lapses might be pretty common these days but this one is spectacular. Earlier this month, more than 40 photographers clubbed together to produce 80 clips featuring 35,000 images for one awesome video. See also: Timelapse makes London commute appear relaxing The end result gives a pretty comprehensive glimpse into life in the city. Shortly after the sun rises on … [Link]

Mashable » 24 restaurants foodies couldn't stop talking about in 2014

Wednesday 17 December 10:30:54 UTC 2014

Baked-eggs-and-chorizoFeed-tw Feed-fbThis was the year of crisp doughnuts and slurpy ramen, two trends heavily reflected in the world of food blogging. From Sydney to New York, bloggers in 2014 turned out in droves to try the latest innovations in fried delicacies, slurpy noodles, brunch staples, upgraded junk foods and more. See also: 10 Pinterest trends coming for your boards in 2015 Urbanspoon … [Link]

New Scientist – News » DIY device to define the kilogram – using Lego

Wednesday 17 December 10:30:00 UTC 2014

Just in time for Christmas, instructions for a Lego watt balance, which can fix the official value of the kilogram, have been published [Link]

Slashdot » Spacecraft Spots Probable Waves On Titan's Seas

Wednesday 17 December 9:06:00 UTC 2014

sciencehabit writes: It's springtime on Titan, Saturn's giant and frigid moon, and the action on its hydrocarbon seas seems to be heating up. Near the moon's north pole, there is growing evidence for waves on three different seas, scientists reported at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Researchers are also coming up with the first estimates for the volume … [Link]

Mashable » 'The Voice' crowned a winner, but it wasn't the one we were expecting

Wednesday 17 December 8:57:35 UTC 2014

ThevoicefinaleFeed-tw Feed-fbThe Voice waited until the last five minutes of its two-hour finale to crown a winner, as reality singing competition to do, but don't worry, we won't make you wait Craig Wayne Boyd, the underdog country singer, won it all The odds were stacked up against Craig going into Tuesday night's season ender. The three of the other finalists were on … [Link]

Mashable » Pakistan mourns 148 killed in Taliban school attack

Wednesday 17 December 8:53:52 UTC 2014

Ap468366566247Feed-tw Feed-fbPakistanis mourned as mass funerals got underway Wednesday for 148 people, most of them children, killed the day before in a massacre by the Taliban at a military-run school in the country's troubled northwest. See also: Pakistan mourns #BlackDay in wake of Peshawar massacre Prayer vigils were held across the nation and in other schools, students spoke of their shock at … [Link]

Mashable » The countries with the most and least Internet freedom

Wednesday 17 December 8:09:37 UTC 2014

Iran-flag-internet-freedomFeed-tw Feed-fbInternet freedom around the world has declined for the fourth year in a row, as more countries introduce aggressive online censorship measures, according to a new report. Freedom on the Net 2014, the fifth-annual report released by independent watchdog organization Freedom House last week, found that of the 65 countries assessed, 36 experienced a negative trajectory in online freedom between May … [Link]

Mashable » If your favorite shows like 'Law & Order' had shameless product placement

Wednesday 17 December 7:55:14 UTC 2014

NissanFeed-tw Feed-fb Brought to you by Nissan. Okay, not really. Sketch comedy team Punctual Drunks imagines the long-running NBC show Law & Order, as written with shameless product placement by Nissan. All the jargon and mystery that you love about police method drama in a basic, car commercial package. It's a small price to pay for not having to sit through all … [Link]

Slashdot » Researchers Accidentally Discover How To Turn Off Skin Aging Gene

Wednesday 17 December 7:42:00 UTC 2014

BarbaraHudson sends this excerpt from The Province: While exploring the effects of the protein-degrading enzyme Granzyme B on blood vessels during heart attacks, professor David Granville and other researchers at the University of British Columbia couldn't help noticing that mice engineered to lack the enzyme had beautiful skin at the end of the experiment, while normal mice showed signs of … [Link]

Mashable » After mass arrests, Turkey's president tells world: buzz off

Wednesday 17 December 7:30:18 UTC 2014

Zaman-behind-barsFeed-tw Feed-fbWhen Turkish authorities arrested more than two dozen cops and prominent media personalities on Sunday, it set off what has become, by now, a predictable routine: International rights groups and Western countries expressed concern and condemnation, prompting Turkey's longtime leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to make clear how little he cares. "No one has authority to meddle in the steps taken by … [Link]

Mashable » Uber's on a rocky route to international expansion

Wednesday 17 December 7:00:34 UTC 2014

Uber-protest1Feed-tw Feed-fbIf Facebook's initial motto was "move fast and break things," then Uber's motto during its first few years might be "move fast and break (or at least change) laws." Uber has a track record of entering markets without receiving explicit approval from local regulators. The strategy, as some have documented, is to establish its presence in new markets and then, if … [Link]

Slashdot » ODF Support In Google Drive

Wednesday 17 December 6:51:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes: Google's Chris DiBona told a London conference last week that ODF support was coming next year, but today the Google Drive team unexpectedly launched support for all three of the main variants — including long-absent Presentation files. You can now simply open ODT, ODS and ODP files in Drive with no fuss. It lacks support for … [Link]

The Joy of Tech » JoT #2084: Don't judge a book buyer

Wednesday 17 December 6:14:12 UTC 2014

JoT thumbMay we suggest…? If you enJoyed the comic, please make a note to retweet or share the URL. Thanks! [Link]

Mashable » 14 photos that pop with color and light

Wednesday 17 December 6:00:02 UTC 2014

Vibrant_colorsFeed-tw Feed-fbEveryone can take photos in color, but it takes some extra skill to capture stunning, vibrant images. If you look at the very best photographs, there's usually a wow-factor involved — whether it's a unique angle, extreme minimalism, focus on one shade or an unconventional subject. Last week, we challenged you to share photos that pop with color. Parisian Instagrammer Aurélie … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Thought control makes robot arm grab and move objects

Wednesday 17 December 5:51:48 UTC 2014

By analysing brain activity linked to hand and arm movements, a team has created a robotic arm that a paralysed woman can control with her thoughts [Link]

Slashdot » Single Group Dominates Second Round of Anti Net-Neutrality Comment Submissions

Wednesday 17 December 5:42:00 UTC 2014

New submitter aquadood writes: According to the Sunlight Foundation's analysis of recent comment submissions to the FCC regarding Net Neutrality, the majority (56.5%) were submitted by a single organization called American Commitment, which has "shadowy" ties to the Koch brothers' network. The blog article goes on to break down the comments in-depth, showing a roughly 60/40 split between those against … [Link]

Mashable » Cats destroying Christmas trees is enough to ruin everyone's holiday

Wednesday 17 December 5:02:02 UTC 2014

CattreeFeed-tw Feed-fb The deadly battle between tree and cat continues. Tastefully Offensive's holiday supercut features our feline friends destroying everyone's holiday fun by attacking their owner's painstakingly decorated Christmas trees Be careful, kitty. Those Blue Spruces and Balsam Firs will have their prickly vengeance. If your favorite shows like 'Law & Order' had shameless product placement Mom calls C-SPAN to scold her … [Link]

Mashable » These 27 songs and albums are the new Grammy Hall of Fame inductees

Wednesday 17 December 4:58:29 UTC 2014

AbbaFeed-tw Feed-fbThey made you dance, jive and have the time of your life. Now, "Dancing Queen" singers ABBA along with Sly And The Family Stone, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, Sex Pistols, Willie Nelson and Alice Cooper are among the 2015 inductees into the Recording Academy's Grammy Hall of Fame See also: The 6 new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame … [Link]

Mashable » Kobo Aura H2O e-reader can swim, but it sinks next to the Kindle Voyage

Wednesday 17 December 4:47:28 UTC 2014

Koboh20Feed-tw Feed-fbIn a world of increasingly smart devices, it's no surprise that the e-reader herd is thinning. In August, Sony admitted defeat and unceremoniously backed out of the category — and aside from what was essentially a rebadged Samsung tablet, we’ve not heard so much as a peep out of the Barnes & Noble camp Amazon, naturally, still has a horse in … [Link]

Mashable » Obama signs $1.1T #Cromnibus bill into law with little fanfare

Wednesday 17 December 4:20:22 UTC 2014

Obama1Feed-tw Feed-fbWASHINGTON — With little fanfare to mark a rare bipartisan achievement, President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed a massive, $1.1 trillion spending bill that keeps the government operating over the next nine months. The legislation was a compromise that angered liberals and conservatives alike, but avoided a government shutdown and put off partisan clashes over immigration to next year. See also: … [Link]

Mashable » 10 stunning sports photos you probably missed in 2014

Wednesday 17 December 4:00:42 UTC 2014

SprotspicsthumbFeed-tw Feed-fbYou probably saw the photos of agonized Brazil fans after their country lost 7-1 to Germany during the World Cup. Many of us saw that enraged double middle-finger a Dutch speed skater flipped after losing a race, which spoke to the sore loser in all of us But here are 10 amazing sports photos that flew under the radar — stunning … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » 14 Famous Movie One-Liners You’ve Been Quoting Wrong for Years [Pic]

Wednesday 17 December 4:00:28 UTC 2014

[Via The Meta Picture] The post 14 Famous Movie One-Liners You’ve Been Quoting Wrong for Years [Pic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Slashdot » A Domain Registrar Is Starting a Fiber ISP To Compete With Comcast

Wednesday 17 December 3:36:03 UTC 2014

Jason Koebler writes: Tucows Inc., an internet company that's been around since the early 90s — it's generally known for being in the shareware business and for registering and selling premium domain names — announced that it's becoming an internet service provider. Tucows will offer fiber internet to customers in Charlottesville, Virginia — which is served by Comcast and CenturyLink … [Link]

Mashable » CNN's #AskACop triggers anti-police backlash

Wednesday 17 December 3:10:55 UTC 2014

CnnaskacopFeed-tw Feed-fbIt was a social media backfire just waiting to happen. When CNN called on Twitter users to offer up questions for a panel of police officers on an upcoming segment called "Cops Under Fire," it instead elicited a flood of sarcasm, outrage and derision centered on recent high-profile incidents of police violence Thanks to the backlash, the hashtag #AskACop climbed to … [Link]

Mashable » 'Saga' is the must-have graphic novel of 2014

Wednesday 17 December 3:03:11 UTC 2014

Saga-no-killingFeed-tw Feed-fbChances are you already have one graphic novel in your library. Right? Right? Seriously, people, if your shelves don't at least contain Alan Moore's Watchmen — named to many lists of the top 100 books of all time — or Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns or Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis or Art Spiegelman's Maus, then stop reading this right now and … [Link]

New Scientist – News » How to think about… Evolution

Wednesday 17 December 3:00:00 UTC 2014

Evolution is all about making freaks normal – but it doesn't always involve natural selection and the survival of the fittest (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Mashable » As Sony pushes ahead with 'The Interview' release, NY premiere nixed

Wednesday 17 December 2:45:43 UTC 2014

Sony.the_.interviewFeed-tw Feed-fbLOS ANGELES — Sony will release The Interview on Christmas Day as planned, leaving it up to individual theater owners to decide whether to show the film in light of new threats of physical attacks from hackers that have devastated the studio, Mashable has confirmed. Despite the push to move ahead as planned, the movie's New York premiere scheduled for Thursday … [Link]

Mashable » Latest Sony hack threat enters a new realm of crime

Wednesday 17 December 2:10:21 UTC 2014

Franco-rogenFeed-tw Feed-fbThe mysterious Sony Pictures hackers threatened violence for the first time on Tuesday, possibly breaking a new set of U.S. laws Before Tuesday, the hacking entity known as Guardians of Peace, or GOP, had released gigabytes of information and wrecked some of Sony's computer systems. But the latest message warns of attacks on any theater showing The Interview, a Seth Rogen … [Link]

Mashable » 13 minutes of Stephen Colbert laughing will fill your heart with joy

Wednesday 17 December 1:50:41 UTC 2014

StephencolbertFeed-tw Feed-fbOne of the worst things about saying goodbye to Stephen Colbert's willfully ignorant "Stephen Colbert" alter ego is that we'll no longer get to see him break character and giggle. We're not talking a momentary setback, either. He cracks up, blushes, and loses his mind — a far cry from the angry blowhard he portrays See also: 11 Times We've Seen … [Link]

Mashable » Pebble watch adds interactive Android Wear notifications

Wednesday 17 December 1:49:58 UTC 2014

Pebble_smartwatch_wearbable-1Feed-tw Feed-fbPebble just treated its Android users to an early Christmas present: An upcoming update that will bring Android Wear notifications to the smartwatch platform. The update, which is available now as a beta version, will be a major boost for the platform as it looks to compete with smartwatches from Google and Apple. Up until now, the vast majority of Pebble … [Link]

Slashdot » 11 Trillion Gallons of Water Needed To End California Drought

Wednesday 17 December 1:36:00 UTC 2014

mrflash818 points out a new study which found that California can recover from its lengthy drought with a mere 11 trillion gallons of water. The volume this water would occupy (roughly 42 cubic kilometers) is half again as large as the biggest water reservoir in the U.S. A team of JPL scientists worked this out through the use of NASA's … [Link]

Mashable » Katniss Everdeen and Bilbo Baggins struggle in a life without their fandoms

Wednesday 17 December 1:26:42 UTC 2014

AvbyteFeed-tw Feed-fb It's tough being a wildly popular movie franchise. AVByte's latest musical pays tribute to popular characters from The Hunger Games, The Hobbit, Harry Potter and other famous franchises as they navigate their lives after their successful movie sagas have left the theaters. Now Katniss Everdeen and Bilbo Baggins will have extra time to devote to their various Tumblr blogs. If … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Dynamsoft Barcode SDK now Supports JavaScript IntelliSense

Wednesday 17 December 1:05:46 UTC 2014

This article is a company-provided press release and ProgrammableWeb cannot vouch for the accuracy of the statements within. If you have questions regarding the information below, please contact the company that issued the press release. [Link]

Slashdot » Brain Stimulation For Entertainment?

Wednesday 17 December 0:56:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader writes: Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been used for years to diagnose and treat neural disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer's, and depression. Soon the medical technique could be applied to virtual reality and entertainment. Neuroscientist Jeffrey Zacks writes, "it's quite likely that some kind of electromagnetic brain stimulation for entertainment will become practical in the not-too-distant future." Imagine … [Link]

Mashable » NYPD offers $12,000 reward for suspects in officer protest 'assault'

Wednesday 17 December 0:52:26 UTC 2014

Bratton-protestersFeed-tw Feed-fbNew York's police department is on the hunt for seven suspects — four men and three women — who allegedly assaulted two officers during a protest on the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night. See also: Timelapse video reveals massive size of New York City protests The department is offering a $12,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction … [Link]

Mashable » Sci-fi legend Neal Stephenson joins virtual reality startup Magic Leap

Wednesday 17 December 0:39:55 UTC 2014

Nstph9870Feed-tw Feed-fbThe mystery surrounding Magic Leap, a company thought to be working on some sort of advanced virtual reality or augmented reality system, has just deepened — now that legendary sci-fi author Neal Stephenson has been added to the mix Stephenson, best known for his groundbreaking science fiction novel Snow Crash, will join the company as Chief Futurist — a title as … [Link]

Mashable » Dozens of new companies and banks now use Apple Pay, report says

Wednesday 17 December 0:18:40 UTC 2014

Apple_pay-7Feed-tw Feed-fbApple Pay is racking up more partners. Dozens of banks and retailers have signed on in recent weeks to work with Apple Pay, Apple's mobile payment platform that allows users to pay for things by tapping their phones at a point-of-sale terminal, Apple announced Tuesday, according to The New York Times. See also: Why Apple Pay Is the Most Secure Payment … [Link]

Slashdot » Verizon "End-to-End" Encrypted Calling Includes Law Enforcement Backdoor

Wednesday 17 December 0:14:00 UTC 2014

An anonymous reader sends this quote from TechDirt: As a string of whistle blowers like former AT&T employee Mark Klein have made clear abundantly clear, the line purportedly separating intelligence operations from the nation's incumbent phone companies was all-but obliterated long ago. As such, it's relatively amusing to see Verizon announce this week that the company is offering up a … [Link]

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