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.
ProgrammableWeb.com » Apigee Extends Edge API Analytics Depth and Scope
With organizations now routinely monetizing APIs, developers are being asked to provide more insight into how data is flowing into and out of those APIs. To help developers achieve that goal Apigee this week announced that it has extended the analytics capabilities of the Apigee Edge API platform.
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Slashdot » Marissa Mayer's Reinvention of Yahoo! Stumbles
schnell writes The New York Times Magazine has an in-depth profile of Marissa Mayer's time at the helm of Yahoo!, detailing her bold plans to reinvent the company and spark a Jobs-ian turnaround through building great new products. But some investors are saying that her product focus (to the point of micromanaging) hasn't generated results, and that the company should … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Clustering bitcoin accounts using heuristics
Editor’s note: well explore present and future applications of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies at our upcoming Radar Summit: Bitcoin & the Blockchain on Jan. 27, 2015, in San Francisco. A few data scientists are starting to play around with cryptocurrency … [Link]
Mashable » A picture about tech addiction won National Geographic's 2014 photo contest
This year's National Geographic photo contest winner highlights humans in the wild (read: public transportation) doing what they do best: staring at their cellphones The winning image, titled "A Node Glows in the Dark," was taken by Brian Yen in Ocean Park, Hong Kong See also: The best photos of 2014 "I feel a certain contradiction when I look at the … [Link]
Mashable » NASA reveals what carbon dioxide looks like from space
SAN FRANCISCO — NASA revealed the first-ever images of the global atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, the key long-lived global warming gas. The imagery, taken over the course of three months, reveals details about springtime biomass being burned in the Southern Hemisphere, as well as photosynthesis from plants worldwide The data comes from a new NASA satellite known as the Orbiting … [Link]
Slashdot » Ars Reviews Skype Translator
Esra Erimez writes Peter Bright doesn't speak a word of Spanish but with Skype Translator he was able to have a spoken conversation with a Spanish speaker as if he was in an episode of Star Trek. He spoke English. A moment later, an English language transcription would appear, along with a Spanish translation. Then a Spanish voice would read … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Restlet Java Framework Debuts Version 2.3
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.
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Slashdot » Extracting Data From the Microsoft Band
An anonymous reader writes The Microsoft Band, introduced last month, hosts a slew of amazing sensors, but like so many wearable computing devices, users are unable to access their own data. A Brown University professor decompiles the app, finds that the data is transmitted to the Microsoft "cloud", and explains how to intercept the traffic to retrieve the raw minute-by-minute … [Link]
Mashable » Obama dials in to 'Ask the Governor' talk show
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has fielded calls on hundreds of subjects during his monthly "Ask the Governor" radio show. But this call was one of a kind. "Uh, Governor, this is Barack Obama, formerly of Somerville," the caller began Thursday. "I've got a few complaints about service in and around the neighborhood, but I've moved down south since that time." See … [Link]
Mashable » Fearful of 'pranksters,' officials want taller White House fence
The Department of Homeland Security released a report on Thursday (PDF) outlining the need for a new, taller fence at the White House. See also: How You Can Visit the White House Without Going to Washington The recommendation came alongside a slew of ideas to beef up the Secret Service, including personnel training and new leadership, but the fence, the report … [Link]
Mashable » Yet another mid-air fight nearly causes plane to make emergency landing
First, there was a crying baby. Two women reportedly complained to another passenger, Chan Juan Sung, that her baby was making too much noise, and that she should do something about it. Chan shouted back, and at one point, the two other women — who were sitting in front of Chan — responded by reclining their seats all the way back. … [Link]
Slashdot » "Team America" Gets Post-Hack Yanking At Alamo Drafthouse, Too
Slate reports that even old movies are enough to trigger a pretty strong knee jerk: Team America, World Police, selected as a tongue-in-cheek replacement by Dallas's Alamo Drafthouse Theater for the Sony-yanked The Interview after that film drew too much heat following the recent Sony hack, has also been pulled. The theater's tweet, as reprinted by Slate: "due to circumstances … [Link]
Mashable » What sports fans are buying this holiday season
Your go-to game-day jersey, your favorite MLB cap, those authentic NBA shorts you can't live without — if you bought the item online, it probably came from Fanatics The web's largest online sports e-retailer doesn't just sell items on its own site, it also runs the online shops of every major American sports league, as well as those of dozens of … [Link]
Mashable » 'Serial' finale leaves behind murky journalistic legacy
Spoiler alert: if you haven't listened to the finale of Serial and don't want to hear it discussed, don't read past this paragraph. In Thursday's finale of Serial, co-producer and narrator Sarah Koenig stays focused on the central question from which the podcast rarely wavered: Did Adnan Syed kill Hae Min Lee? That is a particular question, different from others like … [Link]
Mashable » 7 tech companies that may go public in 2015
Facebook had the blockbuster IPO of 2012Twitter was the marquee tech public offering in 2013. And Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba raised $25 billion this year in the world's largest public offering ever Which tech company will be the big IPO of 2015? There's certainly no shortage of contenders See also: The 13 best business quotes of 2014 CB Insights, a venture … [Link]
Mashable » Uber driver accused of rape after company promises better background checks
An Uber driver in Boston has been charged with raping his passenger — less than a day after the company promised it would "develop more ways … to ensure the safety of riders." The driver, 46-year old Alejandro Done, was arraigned without bail in Cambridge, Massachusetts, late Wednesday. Prosecutors allege he told a female passenger she'd need to pay in cash, … [Link]
Mashable » Why it's possible North Korea was behind the Sony hack
Something strange is afoot in the Sony hack. The "leaks" from the administration to the New York Times, the Associated Press, and CNN are clearly official leaks: deliberate communication from the administration to the press. Now one possibility is that Obama, like Bush, is trying to "WMD" the press: using official leaks to deceive the public. The other possibility is the … [Link]
Mashable » Jawbone's next fitness tracker delayed until 2015
If the Jawbone UP3 fitness tracker was on your holiday wish list, here's some bad news: you're not getting one anytime too soon. The company confirmed to Mashable on Thursday that availability for the newly-announced Jawbone UP3 ($179) has been pushed back until next year, citing an issue with production. See also: 14 health and fitness wearables and gadgets worth giving … [Link]
Slashdot » Grinch Vulnerability Could Put a Hole In Your Linux Stocking
itwbennett writes In a blog post Tuesday, security service provider Alert Logic warned of a Linux vulnerability, named grinch after the well-known Dr. Seuss character, that could provide attackers with unfettered root access. The fundamental flaw resides in the Linux authorization system, which can inadvertently allow privilege escalation, granting a user full administrative access. Alert Logic warned that Grinch could … [Link]
Mashable » 'Team America: World Police' screenings canceled in wake of Sony hack
LOS ANGELES — Now it's just getting silly. Paramount Pictures has apparently forced the cancellation of planned screenings of Team America: World Police across the U.S. in the coming days, presumably over fears of the bogeymen from North Korea. The Dallas-Fort Worth Alamo Drafthouse, Capitol Theatre in Cleveland and the Plaza Atlanta all tweeted the cancellations Thursday: SEE ALSO: 'The … [Link]
Mashable » If the Sony hackers are North Korean, good luck prosecuting
If the hackers who scared Sony Pictures into scrapping "The Interview" are North Korean, the United States and Japan might as well give up trying to prosecute them. Online crime has far outpaced the international laws meant to regulate it, and it would be near impossible for the U.S. or Japan (where Sony is based) to extradite online criminals from a … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Microsoft Extends Data Reach Across Hybrid Clouds
Microsoft has moved to make database services running on the Microsoft Azure cloud more accessible by enhancing the level of support it provides Java and PHP developers, while also making available a data management gateway based on an implementation of OData that they created using RESTful APIs.
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New Scientist – News » How to think about… Alien contact
First, try not to think about what alien life might be like. Then wonder whether we have any chance of finding it (full text available to subscribers) 
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ProgrammableWeb.com » Open APIs Hold the Key to the Future of Banking
It’s tempting to see banking as one of the most conservative industries out there. After all, the foundations of modern banking go back nearly six centuries. But banking as we know it is changing fast, undergoing one of the biggest transformations in recent history. The reason for this change?
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Mashable » 'Jingle Bells' kid knows how we all truly feel about the holidays
They're here, people — the holidays are here Look, we all can't be as festive as Mariah Carey or Martha Stewart. The simple fact is that some people just despise this time of year At least you aren't alone, holiday haters — the kid in the video, above, completely understands your Christmas woes. 10 weirdest things that have been pulled … [Link]
Mashable » 'Starbucks lovers' and other catchy misheard lyrics of 2014
We're about to rock your world: Taylor Swift is not singing about Starbucks in "Blank Space." As a service to the music industry, YouTubers Pleated Jeans created a mashup of this year's funniest misheard lyrics, and in turn, has made us reconsider everything we know about our favorite pop songs — not to mention our brains. It's also possible that … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: What Can I Really Do With a Smart Watch?
kwelch007 writes I commonly work in a clean-room (CR.) As such, I commonly need access to my smart-phone for various reasons while inside the CR…but, I commonly keep it in my front pocket INSIDE my clean-suit. Therefore, to get my phone out of my pocket, I have to leave the room, get my phone out of my pocket, and because … [Link]
Mashable » This Chris Pratt 'Jurassic World' tweet will give you so many feels
Okay, let's get this out of the way: Dang, Chris Pratt, what have you been eating for breakfast? Because you're looking fine And now we return to our regularly scheduled programming. See also: 'Jurassic World' trailer arrives in all its deadly hybrid-dinosaur glory Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow tweeted out an image Wednesday of Chris Pratt posing next to a velociraptor … [Link]
Mashable » Say farewell to 'Colbert Report' with a Google Street View studio tour
The Colbert Report ends on Thursday, as host Stephen Colbert gears up to become the next host of The Late Show. But for those of us who never made it into the studio audience, Google is offering a tiny silver lining. Adding to its Google Maps Street View collection, the company is making it possible for users to take a virtual … [Link]
Slashdot » Australia Moves Toward New Restrictions On Technology Export and Publication
An anonymous reader writes Australia is starting a public consultation process for new legislation that further restricts the publication and export of technology on national security grounds. The public consultation starts now (a few days before Christmas) and it is due by Jan 30th while a lot of Australians are on holidays. I don't have the legal expertise to dissect … [Link]
Mashable » The Kim Jong-un death scene is leaked online
LOS ANGELES — You won't be seeing The Interview anytime soon, but the 28 seconds that most enraged North Korea, and may very well have doomed the film to oblivion, hit the Internet on Thursday. Though dozens of websites embedded the clip early, they began coming down by late afternoon. The scene is the film's climax, and it's funnier if you … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Apps For Europe Will Reward Best Open Data App With 5,000 EUR
Apps For Europe, a support network for turning ideas for data-based apps into viable businesses, is running a competition to find the best open data applications and startups in Europe. The winner will receive a prize of €5,000 and an invitation to Brussels to pitch for network partners and European Commission representatives. The competition is open until Dec. 31, with … [Link]
Mashable » San Francisco's 25,000-LED light installation to stay permanently lit
When it was installed on the western span of San Francisco's Bay Bridge, the jaw-dropping public art installation "The Bay Lights" was only slated to stay lit for two years The 1.8-mile, 25,000 LED light sculpture — which officially lit up in March 2013 — was installed as a temporary piece to celebrate the bridge’s 75th anniversary. Now, after a … [Link]
Mashable » Texas plumber baffled after truck ends up in the hands of Syrian rebels
A Texas plumber was left bewildered after a truck he sold last year resurfaced this week — in the hands of Syrian rebels. One of Mark Oberholtzer's old work trucks appeared in a photo tweeted by a Syrian rebel group, prompting an influx of threatening phone calls to the plumber. See also: The barber, the baker, the plumber: Syrian children on … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Three Person Genetics Fertility Treatment A Step Closer
The British government has proposed rules for legalizing a fertility technique that uses material from three people. The practice would be restricted to a very few cases and only two of the people would be legally classed as parents. The technique is called mitochondrial transfer and is designed to prevent the inheritance of some genetic disorders. Such disorders involve mitochondria … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Do Carrots Really Help You See Better? [Science Video]
From the American Chemical Society: You heard it from your mom over and over again. “Eat your carrots, they’ll help you see better!” So is it true? We teamed up with chemist Chad Jones, host of the Collapsed Wavefunction podcast, to crack the carrot case wide open. [Reactions] The post Do Carrots Really Help You See Better? [Science Video] appeared … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » When a Hyundai Veloster Becomes the Boba Fettmobile [Pics + Video]
Ivor Fett is a Boba Fett-style Hyundai Veloster. The design comes from artist Rebekah Steig Knuth and the vinyl wrap was created by the folks over at Knuthart Studios. 
[Ivor Fett | Joshua Knuth | Via] The post When a Hyundai Veloster Becomes the Boba Fettmobile [Pics + Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Slashdot » India Successfully Test Fires Its Heaviest Rocket
vasanth (908280) writes India on Thursday moved forward in rocket technology with the successful flight testing of its heaviest next generation rocket and the crew module . The 630-tonne three-stage rocket, Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III, carried active solid boosters, liquid core stage and a passive cryo stage and a crew module to test its re-entry characteristics. This rocket … [Link]
Mashable » Double amputee controls bionic arms with his mind
Prosthetic technology has made huge leaps in recent years, but the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is pushing it into Six Million Dollar Man territory Scientists recently equipped double amputee Les Baugh with a pair of Modular Prosthetics Limbs (MPL) that he controls with his mind. But it wasn’t easy for Baugh, a Colorado man who lost both arms … [Link]
Mashable » New teaser for 'Orphan Black' Season 3: 'This is war'
The trailer for the upcoming new season of Orphan Black is here and, holy clone, we're excited And as if the trailer above weren't enough of a gift, BBC America has also announced the premiere date: April 18 See also: 9 Delightful and Horrifying Moments From 'Orphan Black' Season 2 Finale As you'll recall, the Season 2 finale of Orphan … [Link]
Slashdot » Cause and Effect: How a Revolutionary New Statistical Test Can Tease Them Apart
KentuckyFC writes Statisticians have long thought it impossible to tell cause and effect apart using observational data. The problem is to take two sets of measurements that are correlated, say X and Y, and to find out if X caused Y or Y caused X. That's straightforward with a controlled experiment in which one variable can be held constant to … [Link]
Mashable » 'Serial' conclusion leaves podcasters cautiously optimistic about the future
As far as pop culture phenomenons go, Serial is up there The podcast, centered around the 1999 Baltimore murder of a high school student, came out of nowhere to become one of the most-talked about stories of the year. In the process, it boosted the medium of podcasting to never-before-seen heights and generated no shortage of debate about the intersection of … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Weird Al Yankovic Performs AMAZING Magic Trick! [Video]
And the ending is just PERFECT! [alyankovic] The post Weird Al Yankovic Performs AMAZING Magic Trick! [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Quadriplegic Woman Controls Complex Robotic Arm With Her Mind [Video]
Thanks to a wi-fi brain implant and with the help of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Jan Scheuermann can control a complex robotic arm to complete certain basic tasks such as picking up objects and move them around. The technology isn’t perfect yet: Scheuermann sometimes fails to grab things that are presented to her and hasn’t succeeded yet in … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Christmas as Envisioned by Popular Movie Directors [Video]
Christmas morning as seen through the eyes of Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Alfred Hitchcock, M. Night Shyamalan, Michael Bay, and more! [Fourgrounds Film | Via IO9] The post Christmas as Envisioned by Popular Movie Directors [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Mashable » Taxes on iOS apps are about to change in the EU
Apple users who live in the European Union could be seeing price changes in the App Store very soon. Apple recently sent out an email to iTunes Connect users with a warning about the upcoming change to value-added tax (or VAT) rates that will hit the EU on Jan. 1, 2015. Right now, Apple applies a uniform value-added tax rate throughout … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » What you need to know for the hardware-software convergence
As I noted in “Physical and virtual are blurring together,” we now have hardware that acts like software, and software that’s capable of dealing with the complex subtleties of the physical world. So, what must the innovator, the creator, the … [Link]
Slashdot » Will Ripple Eclipse Bitcoin?
First time accepted submitter groggy.android writes This year's biggest news about Bitcoin may well turn out not to be the repeat of its surge in value last year against the dollar and other state currencies but its impending eclipse by another independent but corporate-backed digital currency. Popularly known as Ripple, XRP shot up in value last year along with other … [Link]
Mashable » Andrew W.K.'s holiday party survival guide
’Tis the season for giving, for tidings of comfort and joy — and for holiday parties. Parties of the office variety, in particular, can be dangerous territory with their many dicey variables. So, when navigating these booze-and-coworker-infused gatherings this season, who better to advise than than expert partier Andrew W.K.? The "Party Hard" musician stopped by Mashable HQ to show … [Link]
Mashable » Amy Poehler is terrified of drones in trailer for final 'Parks and Rec' season
The final season of Parks and Recreation begins January 13, so stock up on tissues now before you have to say goodbye to your favorite residents of Pawnee. The series jumps ahead to 2017, which naturally means drones and a new name for Jerry — he's Terry now. See also: 'Parks and Rec' cast say goodbye from set in saddest fashion … [Link]
Mashable » 'Minecraft' is getting a story-based spinoff game
From the people who brought you games based on the dramatic worlds of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, comes a story-based Minecraft spinoff. The iconic block-building game, which is often played in sandbox mode without a story, is getting the Telltale Games treatment in Minecraft: Story Mode. The narrative-driven game is due out "some time" in 2015 for a … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Tech Support for Mom [Comic]
Been there, done that. Except for the part with the cliff. [Source: For Lack of a Better Comic] The post Tech Support for Mom [Comic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Slashdot » After 40 Years As a Double Amputee, Man Gains Two Bionic Arms
MojoKid writes Les Baugh, a Colorado man who lost both arms in an electrical accident 40 years ago, is looking forward to being able to insert change into a soda machine and retrieving the beverage himself. But thanks to the wonders of science and technology — and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) — he'll regain some of those … [Link]
Mashable » Spoiler Alert: The Internet reacts to the season finale of 'Serial'
Much to the dismay of its avid listeners around the world, the wildly popular podcast Serial released the final episode of its first season on Thursday. Over the course of 12 episodes, Sarah Koenig and her team examined the 1999 murder of Baltimore high school student Hae Min Lee and the state's case against Adnan Syed, Lee's ex-boyfriend who is currently … [Link]
New Scientist – News » #Rosettawatch: first snaps of Philae's arrival on 67P
This first photo by ESA's Philae lander after its touchdown on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was a warning sign that things hadn't gone to plan 
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New Scientist – News » Plant extract trumps nicotine patches to quit smoking
For decades, smokers in eastern Europe have used cytisine from laburnum trees to help them quit. Good results in a new trial could make cytisine much more popular 
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Mashable » Putin assumes stroke survivor is drunk in presser gaffe
Russian President Vladimir Putin's marathon press conference on Thursday was not without a hiccup, after he implied that a stroke survivor was drunk. While fielding hours of questions from reporters, Putin interrupted a reporter who asked him about the regulations around a specific Russian alcoholic beverage. In response, he said while chuckling, "You've already had yours," implying that the reporter was … [Link]
Slashdot » Did Alcatraz Escapees Survive? Computer Program Says They Might Have
In June of 1962, three prisoners escaped the penitentary on Alcatraz, in an elaborate plot that was dramatized in a Clint Eastwood movie. A question that has long puzzled the public is whether these men ever made it to shore; the many factors that made Alcatraz a secure prison include sharks, cold water, and contrary currents. Still, some artifacts from … [Link]
Mashable » Pakistan grants bail to main Mumbai attack suspect
A Pakistani anti-terrorism court on Thursday granted bail to the chief suspect in the Mumbai attack trial, a defense lawyer said, a decision immediately criticized by India. See also: Pakistan mourns #BlackDay in wake of Peshawar massacre The lawyer, Rizwan Abbasi, said the judge, Kausar Abbas, during a hearing in the garrison city of Rawalpindi found that there was not enough … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This “Star Wars” Christmas Light Show is Nothing Short of Amazing [Video]
From Tom BetGeorge: Here’s my tribute to my favorite songs on Star Wars! Featured on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight and twice on ABC’s Good Morning America. I sequenced the show using LOR, mixed the music/sound effects with Digital Performer, and filmed it using a 35′ lift at 3am 🙂 This is now my second year decorating. I built … [Link]
Mashable » If tampon ads were created by men
One of life's greatest mysteries will forever be the imagery used in tampon ads — Why is everyone in tennis whites during their time of the month? What is that blue liquid? Why does everyone have such shiny hair? But an even greater mystery to men is the general concept of periods. And ovaries. And uteruses. And PMS So improv … [Link]
Slashdot » Hackers Compromise ICANN, Access Zone File Data System
Trailrunner7 writes with this news from ThreatPost: Unknown hackers were able to compromise vital systems belonging to ICANN, the organization that manages the global top-level domain system, and had access to the system that manages the files with data on resolving specific domain names. The attack apparently took place in November and ICANN officials discovered it earlier this month. The … [Link]
Mashable » Despite the accusations, there's still little evidence linking North Korea to the Sony hack
After weeks of rumors and speculation, it looked like the mystery surrounding the hackers who hit and embarassed Sony Pictures in the last few weeks may have finally been solved: North Korea did it, according to anonymous U.S. officials quoted in various news reports on Wednesday. "We have found linkage to the North Korean government," said one of the anonymous sources … [Link]
Mashable » Wristband notices when you fall asleep and records your TV show
LONDON — Wearable technology is great, but so much of it is obsessed with getting you fit. Apps can track your heartbeat, encourage you to hit the gym, and remind you just how many calories were in that last donut. But what about a product designed for more relaxed individuals? Wouldn't it be helpful, say, if a wristband could tell if … [Link]
Slashdot » Reaction To the Sony Hack Is 'Beyond the Realm of Stupid'
rossgneumann writes North Korea may really be behind the Sony hack, but we're still acting like idiots. Peter W. Singer, one of the nations foremost experts on cybersecurity, says Sony's reaction has been abysmal. "Here, we need to distinguish between threat and capability—the ability to steal gossipy emails from a not-so-great protected computer network is not the same thing as … [Link]
Mashable » Serial's $2,500 phone bill and the prison calling racket
The final installment of "Serial," a cult-favorite podcast reinvestigating a 15-year-old murder case, will begin just like every other episode with the names of two companies: First a partially mispronounced plug for the show's sponsor, then an unpaid mention of a prison telecom provider"This is a Global Tel-Link pre-paid call from Adnan Syed, an inmate at a Maryland correctional facility." For … [Link]
Mashable » Show us your best vintage holiday photos for Throwback Thursday
The Christmas tree is as synonymous with the holiday season as Santa Claus and presents. In the United States alone, roughly 33 million trees were sold in the last year, according to a recent Mashable Spotlight piece that delved into the bustling Christmas tree market. Oregon is known as one of the world's biggest producers of Christmas trees, so chances are … [Link]
Mashable » California gets more rain and a big mudslide
The latest in a string of storms noisily marched across Southern California on Wednesday, hurling lightning bolts, coating mountains with snow and unleashing downpours that triggered a freeway-blocking mudslide before mostly moving on. "It was rather rare to see lightning all night long, as this storm system moved across the region," the National Weather Service said, noting that the tempest's instability … [Link]
Slashdot » To Fight Currency Mismatches, Steam Adding Region Locking to PC Games
will_die writes Because of recent currency devaluation Steam has now added region locking for games sold in Russia and CIS. Brazil and local area and Indonesia and local area are also being locked. If you purchase a game from one of those regions you cannot gift it to somone outside of the area. So someone from Russia can gift a … [Link]
Mashable » Effort to cure HIV suffers major setback
Six patients with HIV who were given blood-cell transplants similar to one that cured a man known as "the Berlin patient" have died. Researchers say it's a major disappointment for efforts to cure infection with the AIDS virus So far, Timothy Ray Brown, a U.S. man treated in Germany, remains the only person thought to have been cured of infection with … [Link]
Mashable » Every big moment of 2014 in one honest Christmas medley
In case you've been living under a rock for the past year — but still really enjoy festive Christmas music — this medley is for you Improv group Pop Roulette remixed classic holiday tunes such as "Jingle Bells" and "Joy to the World" with the most noteworthy moments of 2014, including George Clooney getting married, Solange Knowles and Jay Z's … [Link]
Mashable » The 15 truthiest Stephen Colbert quotes, America
You can kick and scream, America, but Stephen Colbert's character from The Colbert Report will be dead and gone come Friday The final episode of The Colbert Report airs Thursday, and although the real Stephen Colbert will grace our screens as the new host of the Late Show, replacing David Letterman, his exaggerated character will be missed See also: 13 minutes … [Link]
Mashable » Marcel the Shell sings a haunting rendition of 'Landslide'
If anyone understands heartbreak and country music, it's this shell Jenny Slate, the creator and voice of the squeaky persona Marcel the Shell, performed a beautiful cover of a Fleetwood Mac song on Tuesday's Conan, as only a shell could do Just when you thought "Landslide" couldn't get anymore emotional… If tampon ads were created by men Every big moment … [Link]
Mashable » The beginner's guide to creating a podcast, according to the pros
Podcasts are so hot this season With the outpour of podcast obsessions (thanks, Serial), we've probably all thought to ourselves, "How hard can it be?" It seems like everyone with a social media following has tried his hand at the storytelling medium. But not everyone succeeds To get a behind-the-scenes look at creating a podcast, we reached out to the hosts … [Link]
Slashdot » Who's To Blame For Rules That Block Tesla Sales In Most US States?
cartechboy writes The common assumption among Tesla fans seems to be that state auto-dealer lobbyists are working with Republican legislators to enact laws banning direct sales of Tesla's electric cars to retail buyers. Is it true? The New York Times published an article with some data points that assesses the supposition. While the article mainly focuses on the conflict between … [Link]
Mashable » Amazon's Prime Now offers 1-hour delivery in Manhattan
Amazon upped the ante in the shipping wars by announcing Prime Now — a service offering one-hour delivery. Though the service is now up and running, it's only available in a very select region of Manhattan, the ZIP Code 10001, the area west of Fifth Ave. between 24th St. and 36th St. That zone is close to the 34th St. location … [Link]
Mashable » Have a haunted holiday and win a chance to watch 'The Babadook' for free
The holidays are here, and with them come a little extra time to sit back, relax and catch up on the year's best movies This fall, Mashable announced the launch of MashFlix, our online and offline film club. For our first feature film, we screened horror flick The Babadook at New York City's IFC Center. The film proved to be hauntingly … [Link]
Mashable » Islamic State could be behind botched cyberattack on Syrian dissidents
A botched cyberattack aimed at unmasking Syrian dissidents has experts worried that the Islamic State group is adding malicious software to its arsenal. See also: Egyptian Cyber Army: The hacker group attacking ISIS propaganda online Internet watchdog Citizen Lab says an attempt to hack into systems operated by dissidents within the self-styled caliphate could be the work of hackers affiliated with … [Link]
Slashdot » Councilmen Introduce Bills Strongly Regulating UAV Use in NYC
SternisheFan passes on this excerpt from an Ars Technica article: On Wednesday Councilman Dan Garodnick introduced a bill to the New York City council seeking to ban all use of drones except those operated by police officers who obtain warrants. A second, parallel bill introduced by councilman Paul Vallone would place more stringent restrictions on drone use but stop short … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: 50% Off Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food – $16.26 (+ OTHER GREAT DEALS!)
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon has Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food for just $16.26 plus free shipping. That’s 50% off on the book’s regular list price of $34.99. More than just a cookbook, Cooking for Geeks applies your curiosity to discovery, inspiration, and invention in the kitchen. Why is medium-rare steak … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Person Wins Christmas This Year: Star Wars BB-8 Ornament [Pic]
[Source: IMGUR | Via NA] The post This Person Wins Christmas This Year: Star Wars BB-8 Ornament [Pic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » YOU SHALL NOT PASS: Sir Ian McKellen Teaches Cookie Monster to “Resist” [Video]
From Sesame Street: You shall not pass! Please resist!The word resist means to control yourself and stop yourself from doing something you really want to do, though that’s not a word that Cookie Monster really understands. Ian McKellen demonstrates. [Sesame Street] The post YOU SHALL NOT PASS: Sir Ian McKellen Teaches Cookie Monster to “Resist” [Video] appeared first on Geeks … [Link]
Slashdot » US Links North Korea To Sony Hacking
schwit1 writes Speaking off the record, senior intelligence officials have told the New York Times, CNN, and other news agencies that North Korea was "centrally involved" in the hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment. It is not known how the US government has determined that North Korea is the culprit, though it is known that the NSA has in the past … [Link]
Mashable » Making sense of the minority police officer experience
If you have ever been near the front of an anti-police brutality protest — which have exploded across the country since grand juries in Missouri and New York exonerated white cops for killing unarmed black men — you have heard people talk shit to the police. Some of it is banal, some clever and some visceral. But most can agree that … [Link]
Mashable » OMG: British boys using more text speak in classroom than girls
LONDON — You might expect to see GR8, IRL, IMHO and BTW in text or Whatsapp messages, but one in seven British school boys uses text speak in the classroom. See also: The Evolution of Texting in Television and Film New research from the National Literary Trust released this week shows that 14.6% of boys interviewed for the survey agreed with … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Fear artificial stupidity, not artificial intelligence
Stephen Hawking thinks computers may surpass human intelligence and take over the world. We won't ever be silicon slaves, insists an AI expert 
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Mashable » Chaos in Kenyan parliament over new security bill
Kenya's parliament has been forced to adjourn after disruptive opposition members of parliament attacked government plans to push through a new security bill. Dramatic scenes unfolded Thursday as MPs shouted, danced and shredded copies of the bill, forcing National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi to call for a 30-minute adjournment. There were also reports of fist-fights between lawmakers See also: Brutal … [Link]
Mashable » Obesity can be a disability, European Court rules
Europe’s highest court ruled on Thursday that obesity can be a disability. See also: Crash test dummies are growing to match obese Americans The European Court of Justice said in its ruling that if obesity hinders "full and effective participation of that person in professional life on an equal basis with other workers, and the limitation is a long-term one, such … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Multitalented giant clams keep corals reefs healthy
The molluscs provide homes, safety, privacy and food to many creatures, which makes it all the more important to stop their decline 
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O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 18 December 2014
Popular Chinese Android Smartphone Backdoored By Manufacturer — Coolpad is the third largest smartphone builder in China, and ranks sixth worldwide with 3.7 percent global market share. It trails only Lenovo and Xiaomi in China and is the leader of … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » #Ebook Deal/Day: R Object-oriented Programming – $13.49 (Save 50%) Use code DEAL
Get "R Object-oriented Programming" today using code DEAL and save 50%!This sale ends at 2:00 AM 2014-12-19 (PDT, GMT-8:00). [Link]
Mashable » GIF novels and BitTorrent bundles: 2014's most unusual album releases
LONDON — Forget streaming, and don't even think about CDs – in 2014 you needed GIFs, BitTorrent bundles and one-off works of art to stand out from the album release crowd. This year saw even more artists think outside the jewel case when it came to releasing their latest efforts, and it made for an interesting year for music fans. See … [Link]
Slashdot » Startup Helps You Build Your Very Own Picosatellite On a Budget
Zothecula writes A Glasgow-based startup is reducing the cost of access to space by offering "satellite kits" that make it easier for space enthusiasts, high schools and universities alike to build a small but functional satellite for as little as US$6,000 and then, thanks to its very small size, to launch for significantly less than the popular CubeSats. 
Read more … [Link]
Mashable » ''Twas the Night Before Christmas,' as told in GIFs
This Christmas Eve, like many before, families will gather on one of the only evenings when children anxiously await bedtime to read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Clement Clark Moore composed this poem, formally known as "A Visit from St. Nicholas," in 1822. So it's about time someone gave it an upgrade for the modern children of today See also: 18 … [Link]
Mashable » 6 standout moments from Putin's marathon speech
KIEV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin faced difficult questions from the media at his annual marathon press conference Thursday in Moscow amid the country’s worst economic crisis since the 1998 default. European and U.S. sanctions against Russia over Putin’s invasion and annexation of Crimea, and his political and military support to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine — along with the … [Link]
Mashable » Three men on trial for 'insulting' Buddhism in Myanmar
A man from New Zealand and two Burmese men have gone on trial in Myanmar, charged with insulting Buddhism. The trio, who worked at the V Gastro Bar in Yangon, were arrested last week after posting an online advertisement showing a psychedelic image of Buddha wearing headphones. See also: Myanmar is far from the democracy Obama wants it to be The … [Link]
Mashable » See the biggest stories of 2014 through the eyes of Wikipedia
In December, it is customary for Google, Twitter, Facebook and other web giants to go back and take a look at the biggest events of the year. Now, for the first time in its history, Wikipedia has released a year in review video, showing some of the most important stories its users have read and edited throughout 2014. The stories … [Link]
Mashable » Nick Jonas imitates Tom Hanks by playing 'Jealous' on 'Big' piano
Standing where Tom Hanks stood in the 1980s, Nick Jonas played his hit song "Jealous" on FAO Schwarz's foot-operated piano, the same one Hanks popularized in the film Big. Hanks, as Josh Baskin in the 1988 classic, memorably performed "Chopsticks" and "Heart and Soul" on the ground-level electric piano See also: Hallelujah for Nick Jonas' live gospel choir remix of 'Jealous' … [Link]
Slashdot » RFID-Blocking Blazer and Jeans Could Stop Wireless Identity Theft
An anonymous reader writes A pair of trousers and blazer have been developed by San Francisco-based clothing company Betabrand and anti-virus group Norton that are able to prevent identity theft by blocking wireless signals. The READY Active Jeans and the Work-It Blazer contain RFID-blocking fabric within the pockets' lining designed to prevent hacking through radio frequency identification (RFID) signals emitted … [Link]
Slashdot » Over 9,000 PCs In Australia Infected By TorrentLocker Ransomware
First time accepted submitter River Tam writes Cybercriminals behind the TorrenLocker malware may have earned as much as $585,000 over several months from 39,000 PC infections worldwide, of which over 9,000 were from Australia. If you're a Windows user in Australia who's had their files encrypted by hackers after visiting a bogus Australia Post website, chances are you were infected … [Link]
Mashable » Freshpet's doggie Christmas tribute will give you paws
What holiday dinner would be complete without the texting teenager, the drunk uncle, the eccentric aunt, the hideous Christmas sweaters and the new girlfriend as an awkward plus one? Now what if these guests were all animals? Not just poorly mannered, mind you, but actual furry, four-legged creatures. Freshpet, a natural pet food company, launched a short video this week … [Link]
Mashable » The 11 most useful web tools of 2014
There’s no shortage of great websites, apps and programs available on the Internet. Some, however, rise above the rest Your 2014 list of our 11 most useful tools of 2014 covers everything from creating charts to making your computer screen a little easier on the eyes. Of course there's plenty we missed, but these are some of the tools that came … [Link]
Slashdot » Terrestrial Gamma Ray Bursts Very Common
Rambo Tribble writes It was long thought that gamma ray bursts were the exclusive province of deep space sources. More recently it was found that storms could produce such emissions, but such occurrences were thought rare. Now, data from NASA's Fermi satellite suggest such events happen over a thousand times a day. Per Prof. Joseph Dwyer, from the University of … [Link]
Mashable » The 13 best business quotes of 2014
From the General Motors recalls to the Sony hacks to the stunning string of multi-billion dollar tech acquisitions this year, some of the biggest stories of 2014 were from the business world. Playing starring roles in such stories, CEOs and other captains of industry often offered their own idiosyncratic commentaries on the events. Unencumbered by the restraints of mere mortals and … [Link]
Mashable » How to travel safely with your pet this holiday season
It’s the holidays once again, and that means making travel plans not just for you, but for your furry friends. Whether you're thinking about taking your pet with you, or leaving them behind with family, friends or a sitter, you'll want to be sure they're safe. See also: Baby and dog battle for most adorable jumper Tens of thousands of pets … [Link]
Mashable » Stephen Colbert's 10 best 'Better Know a District' segments
As The Colbert Report winds to a close in its 10th season, we'd like to take some time to appreciate one of the show's best and funniest segments, "Better Know a District." The bit, in which Stephen Colbert attempts to interview a representative from each of the 435 voting districts in the House of Representatives, began in Oct. 2005. It turned … [Link]
Mashable » Positive prankvertising takes off in WestJet's wake
Hardworking single moms, adorable kids and homesick expats got exactly what they wanted for the holidays, courtesy of brands that designed prank-style gift-giving extravaganzas Calculated marketing move, you say? Oh lighten up, Ebenezer, and revel with the rest of us in a trend that’s become known unofficially as Punk’d with Positivity. See also: The top 20 most-shared ads of 2014 The … [Link]
Slashdot » Over 9,000 PCs In Australia Infected By TorrentLocker Ransomware
First time accepted submitter River Tam writes Cybercriminals behind the TorrenLocker malware may have earned as much as $585,000 over several months from 39,000 PC infections worldwide, of which over 9,000 were from Australia. If you're a Windows user in Australia who's had their files encrypted by hackers after visiting a bogus Australia Post website, chances are you were infected … [Link]
Mashable » Elaborate stunt proves all Christmas carolers should have a 20-piece band
In one of Improv Everywhere's most elaborate stunts yet, a family in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey opens their door to a caroling quartet. Then, a 20-piece brass band piles out of a moving truck behind them. But why stop there? A 20-piece band just doesn't seem like enough Christmas cheer to go around, good thing the comedy group also has … [Link]
Mashable » 'The Interview' is over: How a threat in broken English knocked Sony out
LOS ANGELES — “The world will be full of fear." There's no way the hackers who brought Sony Pictures Entertainment to its knees, forcing the studio to shut down The Interview after a cascade of mortifying security and strategic failures over the past few weeks, could have known how right their statement would turn out to be. See also: U.S. officials … [Link]
Mashable » This iPad case doubles as an extended battery and LTE hotspot
iPad cases are a dime a dozen these days, but a new Indiegogo project has a unique take on the market. The FiiV is a case for the original iPad Air or any version of the iPad mini that offers up a 10,000mAh external battery and an LTE mobile hotspot. See also: Apple iPad Air 2: Thin, Beautiful and Powerful … [Link]
Mashable » LG to launch next version of WebOS for smart TVs at CES
WebOS is getting another update from LG The company plans to launch the next version of its smart TV platform at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show. See also: LG is about to take TVs to the next level with quantum dots If you remember, WebOS is the mobile operating system created by Palm to power the company's early smartphones. In 2010 … [Link]
Slashdot » Google Proposes To Warn People About Non-SSL Web Sites
mrspoonsi writes The proposal was made by the Google developers working on the search firm's Chrome browser. The proposal to mark HTTP connections as non-secure was made in a message posted to the Chrome development website by Google engineers working on the firm's browser. If implemented, the developers wrote, the change would mean that a warning would pop-up when people … [Link]
Mashable » Use hands to tell a story for our photo challenge
Hands are usually used to create art, but they can also be a beautiful subject So much of what we do on a daily basis involves our two hands. Whether you're carrying an object, petting an adorable kitten, writing a notes or signing a document, most tasks require you to flex your palms and wiggle your fingers. See also: 12 Fun … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Amazon Updates Maps API, Adds 3D Vectoring and Fluid Movement
Amazon recently released Amazon Maps API version 2.0. The mapping API has long enabled developers to add maps to their apps for Amazon’s Fire Tablets and the Fire Phone. The revised API takes Amazon Maps to the next level, thanks to support for 3D vectoring and fluid movement through map environments.
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Slashdot » Startup Magic Leap Hires Sci-Fi Writer Neal Stephenson As Chief Futurist
First time accepted submitter giulioprisco writes Magic Leap, a secretive Florida augmented reality startup that raised $542 million in October, hired renowned science fiction writer Neal Stephenson as its "Chief Futurist." Stephenson offers hints at the company's technology and philosophy: "Magic Leap is bringing physics, biology, code, and design together to build a system that is going to blow doors … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Google Closes Freebase, Launches Knowlege Graph API
Google is shuttering Freebase, a community-curated database of well-known people, places, and things, and providing a tool that will enable its data to be imported into the Wikidata project. Originally started by a company called Metaweb, Google became Freebase’s owner when the search giant acquired Metaweb in 2010. In a Google+ post yesterday, the Freebase team explained its decision to … [Link]
Mashable » Sony ends 'The Interview' and hands hackers a terrifying new script
Today. This moment. Right now. We’ve turned a corner and the sidewalk is rolling up behind us. There is no turning back from this. The brazen Sony hack has led to this: The first major theatrical release ever canceled because of a threat from anonymous hackers. It's the unexpected end to a terrifying movie. They won. We lost No one knows … [Link]
Slashdot » Navy Develops a Shark Drone For Surveillance
An anonymous reader writes The Navy is testing a new underwater drone called GhostSwimmer, which is designed to a look like a shark and conduct surveillance work. It is being adapted by the chief of naval operations' Rapid Innovation Cell (CRIC) project, Silent NEMO, in Norfolk, Va.. GhostSwimmer is 5 feet long and weighs almost 100 pounds. It can operate … [Link]
Mashable » San Francisco 49ers drop Ray McDonald following sexual assault investigation
The San Francisco 49ers announced Wednesday that defensive lineman Ray McDonald is to be released from the team following reports that he is a suspect in a sexual assault investigation. 49ers General Manager Trent Baalke said during a press conference that the team had decided to cut McDonald in light of "a pattern of poor decision-making." See also: NFL approves fresh … [Link]
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