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.

Slashdot » Aircraft Responsible For 2.5% of Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Friday 2 January 23:50:24 UTC 2015

jIyajbe writes: Christie Aschwanden of FiveThirtyEight.com reports that the world's aircraft are responsible for roughly 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The industry as a whole puts out more CO2 than most countries, and emissions are expected to grow significantly over the next few decades. She writes, "Planes don't just release carbon dioxide, they also emit nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides … [Link]

Slashdot » How Civilizations Can Spread Across a Galaxy

Friday 2 January 23:04:00 UTC 2015

New submitter kanweg writes: If you look at the Milky Way at night, it appears not much is changing. But over time, stars get closer and further to each other. Coryn Bailer-Jones, an astrophysicist at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, found that of 14 stars coming within three light-years of Earth, the closest encounter is likely to … [Link]

Mashable » Yahoo search back up after Bing outage

Friday 2 January 22:55:12 UTC 2015

Yahoo-logoFeed-tw Feed-fbUPDATE, January 2, 2014, 5:00 p.m. PT Yahoo's search engine is back online.—Yahoo's search engine is down, after an outage that took down Microsoft's Bing search engine The site began experiencing a disruption at 4:26 p.m ET, according to downdetector.com, a website that monitors service disruptions on major websites. Yahoo Mail, Flickr and other Yahoo services appear to be unaffected. See … [Link]

Mashable » Saudi airline rep denies plan to separate men and women on flights

Friday 2 January 22:33:37 UTC 2015

SaudiaFeed-tw Feed-fbSaudia Airlines, the state-run airline of Saudi Arabia, does not have plans to separate passengers based on gender, according to an airline source quoted in stories claiming the opposite. Several Gulf area and UK media outlets reported that the airline planned to seat unrelated men and women after receiving complaints. See also: Thanks for flying with us! Your Wi-Fi charges are … [Link]

Mashable » If adults argued like adorable kids, the world would be a better place

Friday 2 January 22:14:05 UTC 2015

AdultsarguingFeed-tw Feed-fb This colors debate is getting pretty intense. Two parents perfectly lip sync their children's heated conversation about colors, as they playfully argue from the backseat. Let's hope their discussion on shapes is equally as riveting. Fisher-Price brings the tears in ad starring 2015's first babies Bunny and owl don’t care about anything except chilling out Son sings moving song to … [Link]

Slashdot » Red Hat Engineer Improves Math Performance of Glibc

Friday 2 January 22:01:00 UTC 2015

jones_supa writes: Siddhesh Poyarekar from Red Hat has taken a professional look into mathematical functions found in Glibc (the GNU C library). He has been able to provide an 8-times performance improvement to slowest path of pow() function. Other transcendentals got similar improvements since the fixes were mostly in the generic multiple precision code. These improvements already went into glibc-2.18 … [Link]

Mashable » 15 mobile trends to watch in 2015

Friday 2 January 21:29:36 UTC 2015

Social-media-mobile-chartFeed-tw Feed-fbWhat will the next year hold for mobile tech? As developers march toward a 5G moment — analysts suggest the next-level network milestone will arrive as soon as 2018–2020 — the size, shape, and functionality of our now ever-present portable devices are evolving in numerous and different directions Here's some of what we know: the number of mobile devices has now … [Link]

Mashable » Fisher-Price brings the tears in ad starring 2015's first babies

Friday 2 January 21:27:13 UTC 2015

Fisher-priceFeed-tw Feed-fb Created in just 24 hours, Fisher-Price's "Wishes for Baby" short film captures the hopes and dreams of new parents around the world. The film was directed by documentarian Patrick Creadon, who is himself a father of three, and features some of the first children born in 2015 "Parents are universally connected by the same wish for our children, built upon … [Link]

Slashdot » US Slaps Sanctions On North Korea After Sony Cyberattack

Friday 2 January 21:02:00 UTC 2015

wiredmikey writes: The United States imposed financial sanctions Friday on North Korea and several senior government officials in retaliation for a cyber attack on Sony Pictures. President Obama said he ordered the sanctions because of "the provocative, destabilizing, and repressive actions and policies (PDF) of the Government of North Korea, including its destructive, coercive cyber-related actions during November and December … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » 86 Viral Images That Were Fake in 2014

Friday 2 January 21:01:03 UTC 2015

One of the worst things about the web is the fact that the plethora of information you receive, be it visually or otherwise, is often not fact-checked or verified. Social media has only made this worse by someone finding a touching photo (like the one on the left seen above) and turning it into a viral image by sharing it … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Beautiful Star Wars R2-KT Ring [Pic]

Friday 2 January 21:00:50 UTC 2015

R2-KT first came into existence when 501st Legion founder Albin Johnson wanted to create a pink astromech for his daughter who was fighting brain cancer. Now the astromech is part of Star Wars canon, and jeweler Paul Michael wanted to pay homage to the robot by building a R2-KT ring that looks like it. [Paul Michael Design | Via FG] … [Link]

Mashable » College football hangover: Drinking up the New Year's madness

Friday 2 January 20:51:09 UTC 2015

OregonthumbFeed-tw Feed-fbNow that the dust has settled from Thursday's eight-hour marathon that was college football's inaugural final four — and now that you're hopefully, maybe finally over that New Year's hangover — let's make some sense of the madness Fist off, what were we doing all these years? What were we doing? America was a lost nation for decades, stubbornly refusing to … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » 7 People You Meet on an Airplane [Video]

Friday 2 January 20:02:47 UTC 2015

These are the 7 people you meet on an airplane… or on a bus… or while waiting at the dentist… or at the doctor’s office. [jasonhorton] The post 7 People You Meet on an Airplane [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Guardians of the Galaxy Potted Groot Statue is a Little Scary

Friday 2 January 20:01:40 UTC 2015

From Gentle Giant: This piece is a depiction of Groot, as he was in the Guardians of the Galaxy comic, while being tended to by Mantis, after being replanted by his best friend and partner, Rocket Raccoon. Featured standing in his pot, Gentle Giant Ltd. has included interchangeable snow, a scarf, and Holiday lights to decorate one of the greatest … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Dog Really Likes Rocket Raccoon! [Video]

Friday 2 January 20:00:14 UTC 2015

Everyone loves Rocket Raccoon, even this dog! [Jeff Gliever] The post This Dog Really Likes Rocket Raccoon! [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Mashable » Bunny and owl don’t care about anything except chilling out

Friday 2 January 19:57:20 UTC 2015

OwlbunnyFeed-tw Feed-fb Prep for your weekend with some relaxation inspiration This owl and bunny are unlikely friends, but they bond over their mutual love of kicking back and cuddling. Maybe if they're feeling ambitious, the duo will binge-watch Friends together. If adults argued like adorable kids, the world would be a better place Fisher-Price brings the tears in ad starring 2015's first … [Link]

Mashable » U.S. sanctions North Korea over Sony cyberattack

Friday 2 January 19:26:33 UTC 2015

Obama-north-koreaFeed-tw Feed-fbThe U.S. hit North Korea with sanctions on Friday in response to the hermit country's alleged role in the massive cyberattack on Sony Pictures. White House officials said the move is just the first part of the Obama administration's response to the hack, which "crossed a threshold" due to its destructive nature. The latest sanctions are meant to hold North Korea … [Link]

Slashdot » Vinyl's Revival Is Now a Phenomenon On Both Sides of the Atlantic

Friday 2 January 18:58:00 UTC 2015

New submitter journovampire sends this report about the resurgence of vinyl: Vinyl album sales smashed records on both sides of the Atlantic in 2014, as a format that recently seemed on its last legs hit astonishing new heights. …n the UK in 2014, vinyl album sales totaled of 1.3m – six times bigger than its tally just five years earlier … [Link]

Mashable » This ant-sized 'Ant-Man' teaser is too tiny to see, but you can try

Friday 2 January 18:40:41 UTC 2015

Ant-man2Feed-tw Feed-fb LOS ANGELES — In honor of Disney/Marvel making its first Ant-Man teaser "ant-sized," so, too, will this writeup be. A human-sized version arrives Tuesday during the premiere of Agent Carter on ABC. SEE ALSO: Carol Danvers, Marvel's first female superhero, is also the most powerful Get out your magnifying glass, and try to enjoy the teaser, aboveAnt-Man opens July 17. … [Link]

Mashable » Chick-fil-A admits to 'potential data breach' at some of its restaurants

Friday 2 January 18:34:12 UTC 2015

8737281892_4501af34b5_bFeed-tw Feed-fbChick-fil-A is investigating a credit card breach at some of its restaurants. The breach may have affected more than 9,000 customer cards, according to a report from security journalist Brian Krebs. The Atlanta-based chicken-restaurant chain, however, is vague about the breach, saying only that it has "received reports of potential unusual activity involving payment cards used at a few of our … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Crashing drops make mini-Armageddon craters

Friday 2 January 18:11:10 UTC 2015

Falling raindrops make craters that are surprisingly like the catastrophic impacts of asteroids [Link]

New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist

Friday 2 January 18:11:09 UTC 2015

All the latest on newscientist.com: festive science special, alcohol substitute, relativity meets quantum physics, 2015 preview, Jane Hawking and more [Link]

Mashable » Thunderstrike: The scary vulnerability in your Mac's Thunderbolt port

Friday 2 January 18:07:13 UTC 2015

Thunderbolt-security-flawFeed-tw Feed-fbAccording to a recent security presentation, attackers could infect Macintosh computers with a special kind of malware using the computer's Thunderbolt port. The attack, dubbed Thunderstrike, was showcased by security researcher Trammell Hudson at the Chaos Communications Congress in GermanyHudson is well known in the security community, particularly for his work reverse-engineering various devices and systems. See also: 2014 was the … [Link]

Mashable » 10 indie films we can't wait to see in 2015

Friday 2 January 18:04:37 UTC 2015

DanoFeed-tw Feed-fbStep away from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens hype for just a second. What indie films are you going to see this year? A slew of small films are hitting theaters soon, and we can't wait. From the cross-cultural romance Amira and Sam to the buzzworthy Jennifer Aniston vehicle Cake, it's going to be a busy year for independent cinema. … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Are Progressive Glasses a Mistake For Computer Users?

Friday 2 January 17:59:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader writes I'm a daily, all-day computer user and use two 19-inch monitors for my work. I'm at the age now where I need reading glasses, and my optometrist steered me to progressive lenses. I don't need any correction for distance, only reading. I'm trying very hard to get used to them, but I hate them. The focal … [Link]

Mashable » Mario Cuomo's legendary speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention

Friday 2 January 17:57:50 UTC 2015

Mario-cuomo-1984Feed-tw Feed-fb Mario Cuomo, the former governor of New York who died Thursday at the age of 82, was perhaps best known for a 1984 speech in which he criticized then-President Ronald Reagan for ignoring the plight of lower and middle class Americans. See also: 44 Obscure Facts You Didn't Know About U.S. Presidents "We must make the American people hear our … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » HOW TO: Make Light and Dark Side Cocktails for Your New Year Parties (Ft. The Star Wars Girls) [Video]

Friday 2 January 17:52:55 UTC 2015

Sure, we might already be in 2015, but it doesn’t mean that your new year parties are already over! In fact, I still have two coming up, one tonight, and one tomorrow, so in that spirit, here are two Star Wars-themed cocktails to help you celebrate the coming of the new year! Join LeeAnna Vamp and Stacey Bender while they … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” Trailer About a Trailer is Lacking a Trailer [Video]

Friday 2 January 17:47:53 UTC 2015

But at least, now you know when the next trailer (Avengers: Age Of Ultron) will air: on January 12th at 8:30 pm on ESPN… but it’ll probably get leaked on the web before that, right? 🙂 [Marvel] The post This “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” Trailer About a Trailer is Lacking a Trailer [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology … [Link]

Lifehacker » How to Beat TWC and Comcast's Bullshit Modem Rental Fees

Friday 2 January 17:45:00 UTC 2015

The only thing worse than paying out the tuchus for unreliable internet from Time Warner Cable and Comcast is being forced pay a monthly rental fee for a modem you need to access that crappy internet. Happy New Year! The fees on both TWC and Comcast are going up yet again. Here's how to buy your own modem so you can … [Link]

Mashable » A really devoted man spent $460 on surgery for his constipated goldfish

Friday 2 January 17:39:54 UTC 2015

GoldfishFeed-tw Feed-fbFor $460, you too can help your goldfish achieve bowel regularity A devoted fish owner in Norfolk, England, took his constipated fish to the veterinarian, only to learn that a lump near its backside was the cause. See also: 30 Instagram pets that colored our world in 2014 The procedure was completed at Toll Barn Veterinary Centre by Faye Bethell, according … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Personalised learning lets children study at their own pace

Friday 2 January 17:30:00 UTC 2015

A growing number of schools are turning to personalised learning to enable every child to progress at the best speed for them [Link]

Mashable » Nearly half of travelers want your pet out of airplane cabins, survey says

Friday 2 January 17:22:58 UTC 2015

Dog-airportFeed-tw Feed-fbThere are three kinds of people in this world: Dog people, cat people and people who would prefer to never deal with either. In a recent survey, 52% of U.S. adults responded "yes" when asked if a non-service animal should be allowed in the airplane cabin on a flight. The other half said they prefer animals be kept in cargo. Of … [Link]

Mashable » Polar vortex redux? Bone-chilling cold to envelop Midwest, East Coast

Friday 2 January 17:11:23 UTC 2015

ColdestmorningFeed-tw Feed-fbSo far, the winter of 2014-15 has not been particularly cold or snowy for much of the East Coast. In fact, the winter so far has been noteworthy for its frequent ups and downs, with wild swings from mild to cold conditions every few days. But the biggest swing — and in this case, a nosedive — is about to take … [Link]

Slashdot » Unofficial WhatsApp Library Gets End To End Encryption Before Official Clients

Friday 2 January 17:03:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader writes Earlier last year WhatsApp announced partnership with Open WhisperSystems to integrate the ratcheting forward secrecy protocol found in their app called TextSecure, into WhatsApp. The protocol is supposed to provide end-to-end encryption between WhatsApp clients. So far it has been implemented only in WhatsApp on Android, with the rest of platforms yet to come. The implementation … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Mars Rover Opportunity Suffers Memory Loss

Friday 2 January 17:00:15 UTC 2015

11 years into its mission on Mars, the rover Opportunity is suffering from bouts of amnesia according to Nasa. It plans to remotely hack Opportunity’s software to fix the problem. In a similar fashion to PCs on Earth, Opportunity has a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory, specifically flash memory and RAM. As with a PC, the idea is to … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Gravity's secret: How relativity meets quantum physics

Friday 2 January 17:00:00 UTC 2015

Some neat tricks with gravity could finally probe how it affects the quantum realm and allow us to devise a theory of everything, says Michael Brooks (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Mashable » Son sings moving song to cheer up his mom with Alzheimer's

Friday 2 January 16:48:08 UTC 2015

SongFeed-tw Feed-fb Musician Joe Fraley shared a video of himself singing to his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's. Although she's confused, Fraley comforts his mom by saying, "We're right here, right now," to help her stay in the moment. After Fraley posted the video to Reddit, users have been offering their support, and sharing their own experiences of coping with a loved … [Link]

New Scientist – News » 'Super-powered oven' suggests Venus once had continents

Friday 2 January 16:48:00 UTC 2015

The first lab analogue study of Venus's surface composition finds that it might be made of granite, a key component of Earth's continents [Link]

Mashable » Palace denies allegations about Prince Andrew in U.S. underage sex lawsuit

Friday 2 January 16:46:46 UTC 2015

Ap252154619688Feed-tw Feed-fbA woman has alleged in a court document in the United States that she was repeatedly forced to have sexual relations with Prince Andrew. Two news outlets have reported that the accusations against the Duke of York are contained in a motion filed this week in a court in Florida. The lawsuit is related to the case of financier Jeffrey Epstein … [Link]

Mashable » Fast-food chains have a New Year's resolution: Drop the junk

Friday 2 January 16:38:14 UTC 2015

Fast-food-real-food_willFeed-tw Feed-fbMajor fast-food chains made a resolution for 2015 to transform their junk food image. As people express distaste for food they think is overly processed, McDonald's, Taco Bell and other chains are trying to shed their reputation for serving reheated meals that are loaded with chemicals. That includes rethinking the use of artificial preservatives and other ingredients customers find objectionable. See … [Link]

Mashable » Oregon players mock FSU with 'no means no' chant at Rose Bowl

Friday 2 January 16:15:45 UTC 2015

Oregon-fsuFeed-tw Feed-fb Several Oregon players face team discipline after chanting 'no means no' after their Rose Bowl win against Florida State." The chant was to mock FSU quarterback Jameis Winston's allegations of sexual assault. Son sings moving song to cheer up his mom with Alzheimer's If adults argued like adorable kids, the world would be a better place Fisher-Price brings the tears … [Link]

Mashable » Report: Montblanc 'e-Strap' can turn any watch into a smartwatch

Friday 2 January 16:14:37 UTC 2015

MontblancFeed-tw Feed-fbWatch companies have a lot to worry about in 2015. It will be the year of the smartwatch, if Apple has anything to say about it, and traditional watch manufacturers will face new competition from those looking to bring smart notifications, calendar alerts and even phone calls directly to your wrist. See also: From Gym to Board Room: All 34 Apple … [Link]

Slashdot » 2014: The Year We Learned How Vulnerable Third-Party Code Libraries Are

Friday 2 January 16:03:00 UTC 2015

jfruh writes Heartbleed, Shellshock, Poodle — all high-profile vulnerabilities in widely used libraries that rocked the software industry in 2014. Sadly, experts are now beginning to believe that these aren't the only bugs lurking out there in widely used open source code, just the ones that grabbed the most attention. It's beginning to look like one of the foundation concepts … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Vitamin D's benefit may lie in syncing our body clocks

Friday 2 January 16:02:00 UTC 2015

The sunshine hormone seems to stave off a myriad of disorders – from cancer to infertility. Could vitamin D work by regulating our circadian rhythms? [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Savage Rogue Cosplay is Just Perfect [Pic]

Friday 2 January 16:00:08 UTC 2015

Here is a picture of Australian Geeks are Sexy friend Black Cat cosplaying as Savage rogue. Photography by Josh Florence. [Black Cat] The post This Savage Rogue Cosplay is Just Perfect [Pic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Mashable » Twitter's 'while you were away' recap is rolling out to more smartphones

Friday 2 January 15:53:38 UTC 2015

Twitter-while-you-were-away-thumbFeed-tw Feed-fbA new Facebook-esque feature is making its way into your Twitter app "While you were away" highlights tweets from your timeline that you may have missed while not using the app, possibly factoring in number of retweets and favorites a particular tweet received, along with other user habits. When you wake up in the morning, for example, Twitter might display tweets … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Why JSON Triumphed Over SOAP

Friday 2 January 15:50:04 UTC 2015

In recent years, JSON has prevailed as the leading protocol of choice for web-based APIs. However, this wasn't always so. [Link]

Mashable » New Department of Transportation rule helps musicians traveling by plane

Friday 2 January 15:30:32 UTC 2015

Guitar-baggageFeed-tw Feed-fbMusicians just got a little help from their friends at the U.S. Department of Transportation. The DOT issued a new rule that requires airline carriers to allow passengers to bring small musical instruments, such as violins and guitars, into the cabin See also: Thanks for flying with us! Your Wi-Fi charges are $1,171. "During the past year, the department has been … [Link]

Mashable » Senator Harry Reid suffers accident while exercising at home

Friday 2 January 15:18:09 UTC 2015

Harry-reidFeed-tw Feed-fbSenator Harry Reid's 2015 is off to a rough start The Senate's democratic leader was hospitalized in Nevada after he suffered an accident while exercising at home. Reid, 75, broke a number of ribs and bones in his face when a piece of equipment broke while he was using it, according to a statement from his office. See also: 10 things … [Link]

Mashable » Kid dancing with himself at a wedding will make you feel better about life

Friday 2 January 15:15:40 UTC 2015

KiddanceFeed-tw Feed-fb This kid has nothing to lose and nothing to prove — because he's dancing with himself. Harlan showed off his best solo dance moves at his aunt and uncle's wedding with some sort of hybrid of "the worm" and power crunches. Luckily, another attendant caught Harlan's dance innovation on video. Sometimes, you have to dance like nobody's watching. Son sings … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: 51% Off Select H&R Block Tax Software

Friday 2 January 15:10:31 UTC 2015

Yep, as the new year comes, so does the time to do your taxes, and Amazon knows that. That’s why for their “Gold Box” deal of the day, they’re offering 51% off on select H&R Block 2014 tax software (Windows or Mac.) Today only, enjoy savings on H&R Block 2014 Tax Software. Get a jump on tax season with the … [Link]

Mashable » Scribd raises $22 million to grow its ebook subscription service

Friday 2 January 15:08:12 UTC 2015

ScribdFeed-tw Feed-fbThe ebook subscription market continues to heat up. Scribd confirmed Friday that it has raised $22 million in funding to double down on its ebook subscription service See also: 10 startups to watch in 2015 “This new funding round will enable us to work towards achieving our goal of creating the most comprehensive library of the future for our millions of … [Link]

Mashable » Polar bear plunge around the world: Which country did it best?

Friday 2 January 15:02:31 UTC 2015

Polar-franceFeed-tw Feed-fb From France, to Alberta, to Oregon, people around the world shed their clothes and jumped into icy waters to start off 2015. If adults argued like adorable kids, the world would be a better place Fisher-Price brings the tears in ad starring 2015's first babies Bunny and owl don’t care about anything except chilling out 'Price Is Right' contestants think … [Link]

Slashdot » 2015 Means EU Tax Increase On Cloud Storage, E-books and Smartphone Applications

Friday 2 January 15:02:00 UTC 2015

schwit1 writes With the new year, a change in fiscal rules in the European Union is increasing the tax on many purchases of digital content like e-books and smartphone applications. Under the new rules, first approved in 2008, the tax rate on digital services like cloud storage and movie streaming will be determined by where consumers live, and not where … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Harry Potter vs. Star Wars [Pic]

Friday 2 January 15:00:08 UTC 2015

[Via TMS] The post Harry Potter vs. Star Wars [Pic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]

Mashable » Allstate's Mayhem guy sold your stolen stuff on New Year's Day

Friday 2 January 14:45:54 UTC 2015

MayhemFeed-tw Feed-fbHere’s a different way to sell insurance. On New Year's Day, Allstate blitzed TV and Twitter with #mayhemsale, a one-day campaign that featured the insurer's antihero spokesman Mayhem selling items he procured from other people's houses See also: The most memorable brand wins and fails of 2014 "I'm kind of a social media nerd," he explained. "I'm also kind of a … [Link]

Mashable » Undocumented immigrants line up before dawn to get driver's licenses in California

Friday 2 January 14:42:36 UTC 2015

La-dmvFeed-tw Feed-fbCalifornia on Friday will start taking driver's license applications from the nation's largest population of immigrants in the country illegally. See also: Immigration reform: What's happening and why it matters Undocumented immigrants at the state Department of Motor Vehicles' locations began lining up before sunrise, seeking a license in the first three years of a program aimed at boosting road safety … [Link]

Mashable » 5 tech trends that will dominate CES 2015

Friday 2 January 14:05:53 UTC 2015

Ces-tvsFeed-tw Feed-fbNew Year? It might have been memorable for Ryan Seacrest and Taylor Swift, but for technology, the clocks don't really change until this weekend, when the annual International CES gets underway in Las Vegas. In recent years, CES has been a showcase for some of the biggest trends in tech. The show accurately reflected the rise of 4K television (2014), the … [Link]

Slashdot » Box Office 2014: Moviegoing Hits Two-Decade Low

Friday 2 January 14:02:00 UTC 2015

mrspoonsi writes The number of people going to the movies in 2014 in North America slipped to its lowest level in two decades. According to preliminary estimates, roughly 1.26 billion consumers purchased cinema tickets between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31. That's the lowest number since 1.21 billion in 1995. Year-over-year, attendance looks to be off 6 percent from 2013, when … [Link]

Mashable » U2's Bono: I may never play guitar again

Friday 2 January 13:49:35 UTC 2015

BonoFeed-tw Feed-fbU2’s Bono says he's not sure he'll ever play guitar again and he has no one to blame but himself for the cycling accident in Central Park that left him hospitalized for months On Jan. 1, the singer posted a detailed, A-to-Z-styled intimation of everything that's been going on since the accident. See also: Bono's Central Park bike crash injuries are … [Link]

Mashable » U.S. Navy recovers 21 more bodies in AirAsia search, some belted into seats

Friday 2 January 13:32:03 UTC 2015

Ap753498328463Feed-tw Feed-fbAfter nearly a week of searching for the victims of AirAsia Flight 8501, rescue teams battling monsoon rains had their most successful day yet on Friday, more than tripling the number of bodies pulled from the Java Sea, some still strapped to their seats. See also: MH370 relatives view AirAsia crash with empathy, and envy Of the 30 corpses recovered so … [Link]

Slashdot » 2014: Hottest Year On Record

Friday 2 January 13:06:00 UTC 2015

Layzej writes Data from three major climate-tracking groups agree: The combined land and ocean surface temperatures hit new highs this year, according to the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United Kingdom's Met Office and the World Meteorological Association. If December's figures are at least 0.76 degrees Fahrenheit (0.42 degrees Celsius) higher than the 20th century average, … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Raise a toast to drugs that could replace alcohol

Friday 2 January 12:52:53 UTC 2015

Drugs that are taken instead of alcohol, or which reduce the urge to consume it, should be treated carefully, but if they reduce harm, they must be allowed [Link]

Mashable » 20 kids that are already having an awful new year

Friday 2 January 12:30:34 UTC 2015

KidFeed-tw Feed-fbMaybe this year will be better than the last? Congratulations everybody. You survived the holidays and made it into the new year. But just because the hangover has passed and you've kept your resolution for a few short days, doesn't mean that it's going to be a good year. See also: Laughing owl will brighten the darkest of days At least … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Feedback: Particle softly vanishes away

Friday 2 January 12:30:00 UTC 2015

Red tape cuts red tape, tying ministers up, modelling the festive tree and more (full text available to subscribers) [Link]

Mashable » The history (and politics) of clean drinking water

Friday 2 January 12:15:31 UTC 2015

Drinking-fountain-1951Feed-tw Feed-fbOn January 9, 2014, American Water warned 300,000 customers in and around Charleston, West Virginia, that local tap water was no longer safe. Ten thousand gallons of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol (MCHM), a chemical used to clean coal, had leaked from a rusty holding tank into the Elk River, upstream of the water treatment facility. State officials warned that exposure to the licorice-scented … [Link]

Mashable » Two passengers injured after plane blown off runway in Scotland

Friday 2 January 11:49:28 UTC 2015

Stornoway_airport_runwayFeed-tw Feed-fbTwo people have been taken to hospital after a plane was blown off a runway in Stornoway Airport in Scotland on Friday morning. See also: Air France flight makes emergency landing due to overheating seat Stornoway is located on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides. Corrected information from HIAL. Flight involved in Stornoway incident was BE6821 bound for Glasgow … [Link]

Mashable » 10 Ways to Write Better Emails

Friday 2 January 11:45:51 UTC 2015

Email_writingFeed-tw Feed-fbWant to make a new year’s resolution that you can actually stick to? One that will instantly improve your life and career, make your colleagues’ lives easier — and maybe change the world? Commit to writing better, simpler, clearer emails. The kinds of emails that people actually look forward to reading. Chances are, you’re going to spend over a quarter of … [Link]

Mashable » 10 inspiring quotes to jumpstart your year

Friday 2 January 11:30:17 UTC 2015

New-yearsFeed-tw Feed-fbAs we step into the start of another year, you're probably evaluating where you are and where you want to be. Will you finally write that novel? Are you itching to mark a few places off your travel wish list? Whatever it may be, it's important to stay inspired and keep your eyes on the prize See also: The best photos … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 2 January 2015

Friday 2 January 11:25:51 UTC 2015

Google’s Philosopher — interesting take on privacy. Now that the mining and manipulation of personal information has spread to almost all aspects of life, for instance, one of the most common such questions is, Who owns your data? According to … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » #Ebook Deal/Day: scikit-learn Cookbook – $13.49 (Save 50%) Use code DEAL

Friday 2 January 11:25:10 UTC 2015

Get "scikit-learn Cookbook" today using code DEAL and save 50%!This sale ends at 2:00 AM 2015-01-05 (PDT, GMT-8:00). [Link]

Mashable » Kim Jong-un can fly and land an airplane, apparently

Friday 2 January 10:48:33 UTC 2015

KimFeed-tw Feed-fb We've seen North Korean leader Kim Jong-un operate a tank in Sony Pictures' movie The Interview, but that was just fiction, right? Well, if you trust the country's propaganda machine, he can actually fly an airplane In a video that appeared on YouTube on Dec. 31, Kim Jong-un is seen flying and landing an airplane. The video was posted by … [Link]

Mashable » Madrid's Atocha train station evacuated following bomb scare

Friday 2 January 10:29:40 UTC 2015

Ap658694147215Feed-tw Feed-fbMadrid’s Atocha train station was evacuated Friday morning after a man threatened to blow up a train. See also: Queen's Guards moved back from public over fears of 'lone wolf' attacks Terrorist protocals were put into action, but shortly before 11 a.m. local time, police said the threat was a false alert They said the man was not carrying any explosives … [Link]

Slashdot » Study: Birds Slur Their Songs When Drunk, Just Like Humans

Friday 2 January 10:10:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader sends word of researchers getting zebra finches drunk for science. "In the latest example of strange science, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland got some finches drunk and watched what happened. Their main finding? Like drunk humans, boozed-up birds slur their 'speech.' For the study, the researchers gave grape juice to one group of … [Link]

Mashable » Rescue of yet another abandoned migrant ship off Italy underway with 450 onboard

Friday 2 January 9:42:22 UTC 2015

Ap75828723486Feed-tw Feed-fbAn Icelandic Coast Guard ship was towing a cargo vessel to Italy with about 450 migrants who were abandoned by smugglers, leaving the vessel navigating without a crew, authorities said Friday. See also: The Deadly Mediterranean Crossing That Migrants Risk Every Day Italian Coast Guard Cmdr. Filippo Marini said that after several hours of struggling in rough seas, rescue teams managed … [Link]

Slashdot » How We'll Program 1000 Cores – and Get Linus Ranting, Again

Friday 2 January 7:00:00 UTC 2015

vikingpower writes For developers, 2015 got kick-started mentally by a Linus Torvald rant about parallel computing being a bunch of crock. Although Linus' rants are deservedly famous for the political incorrectness and (often) for their insight, it may be that Linus has overlooked Gustafson's Law. Back in 2012, the High Scalability blog already ran a post pointing towards new ways … [Link]

Mashable » NASA touts journey to Mars, 3D printer in space as 2014 feats

Friday 2 January 6:13:16 UTC 2015

Yir2014-mavenFeed-tw Feed-fbNASA had a lot to look back on as 2014 faded away into the New Year, including the success of its spacecraft nicknamed MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) that entered Mars orbit in September and the first ever 3D printing in space in November NASA chronicles its Year in Review—in a blog post and in a video posted this week … [Link]

Mashable » Monopoly's Sydney Edition has no free parking and out-of-control rent

Friday 2 January 5:51:41 UTC 2015

SydneymonopolyFeed-tw Feed-fbMonopoly’s Sydney Edition has been around for years, but that didn't stop Twitter users from having some New Year's Day fun by creating a new version of the rules. Sarah Davis, who lives in Melbourne, was visiting Sydney when she spotted the local edition in Pitt Street Mall. She sent out a photo of the game with the hashtag #MonopolySydneyEdition, followed … [Link]

Mashable » 10 things in 2015 that could affect 2016 presidential campaign

Friday 2 January 5:30:21 UTC 2015

Hillary-2016Feed-tw Feed-fbThere’s a whole year of campaigning, positioning and politicking to go before the next campaign for president kicks off with the Iowa Caucus in early 2016 See also: Net neutrality: Where does America's next president stand? Here are 10 things to look out for this year that might tell us something about how that campaign to come (which is really already … [Link]

Mashable » Trippy timelapse shows how to solve a 17x17x17 Rubik's Cube in 7.5 hours

Friday 2 January 5:17:17 UTC 2015

CubeFeed-tw Feed-fb Some people have way too much time on their hands YouTuber Kenneth Brandon, a.k.aRedKB, is one such man. Kenneth is a fan of "twisty puzzles" according to his bio, he is also a fiend when it comes to Rubik's Cubes. Kenneth doesn't just solve a Rubik's Cube, he dominates it. And he is way too talented to be working on … [Link]

Slashdot » Hunting For a Tech Job In 2015

Friday 2 January 5:06:00 UTC 2015

Nerval's Lobster writes It's a brand new year, and by at least some indications the economy's doing pretty well, which means that a lot of people will begin looking for a new, possibly better job. If you're looking to trade up, here are some tips, some of which are pretty standard-issue ("Update resume," etc.), and others that could actually stand … [Link]

Geeks are Sexy Technology News » From Above: Astronaut Photography with Don Petit [Short Film]

Friday 2 January 4:34:24 UTC 2015

From SmugMug Films: You’ve never seen space like this. This short film gives an inside look at how NASA Astronaut Don Pettit captures breathtaking images of Earth’s most famous phenomena – aurora, star trails, city lights, and more – from the inside the International Space Station. [SmugMug Films] The post From Above: Astronaut Photography with Don Petit [Short Film] appeared … [Link]

Mashable » 390-pound offensive lineman scores brilliant touchdown

Friday 2 January 3:30:46 UTC 2015

BaylorFeed-tw Feed-fbIt was a memorable moment in what turned out to be a dismal finish for the Baylor University Bears at the Cotton Bowl Classic in Texas, Thursday The Michigan State Spartans could only watch in shock as the 6-foot-7, 390-pound offensive guard LaQuan McGowan took a touchdown pass from the 19-yard line before celebrating with a chest-bump to receiver Antwan Goodley … [Link]

Slashdot » Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit For Shrinking Storage Space In iOS 8

Friday 2 January 3:08:00 UTC 2015

An anonymous reader notes that Apple is being sued over claims that iOS 8 uses too much storage space on the company's devices. "Ever wonder why there never is enough space on your iPhone or iPad? A lawsuit filed this week against Apple Inc. alleges that upgrades to the iOS 8 operating system are to blame, and that the company … [Link]

Mashable » Sony offers holiday gift to PlayStation users affected by Christmas attack

Friday 2 January 2:23:45 UTC 2015

Playstation_4_stock-48Feed-tw Feed-fbSony is offering its PlayStation owners a five-day membership extension after the company's network was taken down on Christmas Day by an external attack. Owners — many of them new after receiving the console for Christmas — were unable to connect to the network due to a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on the Sony system. The attack bombarded the … [Link]

Mashable » Black woman denied spot in Rose Parade leads procession 56 years later

Friday 2 January 2:13:53 UTC 2015

WilliamsFeed-tw Feed-fbAfter being named "Miss Crown City" in 1957, Joan Williams was promised a seat on a float in the following Tournament of Roses Parade — but she wouldn't get to claim her prize until 56 years later because of the color of her skin. On Thursday, Williams, now 82, waved to a crowd of 700,000 people lining the parade route in … [Link]

Mashable » Former NY Gov. Mario Cuomo dies at 82

Friday 2 January 2:09:08 UTC 2015

CuomoFeed-tw Feed-fbMario Cuomo, the former governor of New York and father of current Gov. Andrew Cuomo, died Thursday of natural causes due to heart failure, his family announced in a statement. He was 82. Cuomo, known for his oratory skills, served as governor for three terms from 1983 to 1994. The democrat was the 52nd governor of New York. He also served … [Link]

Mashable » Photographer stunningly transforms shelter dogs into famous writers

Friday 2 January 1:30:18 UTC 2015

Charles-bukowski-cropped-1Feed-tw Feed-fbThere are more similarities between dogs and our literary heroes than we've been led to believe. For starters, both can wear infinity scarves convincingly Just ask Dan Bannino, the photographer behind "Poetic Dogs" who dressed up shelter dogs as his favorite authors with remarkable precision See also: Photographer Captures the Old-Soul Beauty of Senior Dogs Bannino told Mashable that, when he … [Link]

Slashdot » 65% of Cancers Caused by Bad Luck, Not Genetics or Environment

Friday 2 January 1:11:00 UTC 2015

BarbaraHudson writes The Wall Street Journal and the CBC are reporting that about two-thirds of cancers are caused by random chance. From the WSJ: "The researchers, from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, analyzed published scientific papers to identify the number of stem cells, and the rate of stem-cell division, among 31 tissue types, though not for … [Link]

Mashable » Defector plans to balloon drop 'The Interview' into North Korea

Friday 2 January 1:00:29 UTC 2015

Northkorea1Feed-tw Feed-fbA South Korean activist said Wednesday that he will launch balloons carrying DVDs of Sony's The Interview toward North Korea to try to break down what he considers a personality cult built around dictator Kim Jong-un. The comedy depicting an assassination attempt on Kim has heightened tensions between North Korea and the U.S., with Washington blaming Pyongyang for crippling hacking attacks … [Link]

Mashable » 'A nation of optimists': Russians are excited about 2015 despite it all

Friday 2 January 0:30:21 UTC 2015

Russia-new-yearFeed-tw Feed-fbAt the vast skating rink in Moscow's Gorky Park, Russians say they're looking forward to a 2015 that will be as smooth as the ice, despite the country's economic and political difficulties The ruble has sunk, tensions with the West are up, but the troubles seem to have produced a surge in national pride. See also: Why Russians are protesting: The … [Link]

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