Anyone who works as a freelancer these days has to be at least a bit familiar with techie things. But it isn’t just that. When I was a kid and those vaguely SF puppet shows were on the television and all the other kids wanted to be Greg Gogetem or Steve Savetheuniverse, I wanted to be the guy in a white coat and glasses called Doc or Brains. Here are some technology-related feeds I find useful and/or entertaining.
Mashable » Not so fast: Internet Explorer isn't dead just yet
Microsoft’s beleaguered web browser gets its fair share of critique from frustrated users, but it seems just as many Windows users love the browser, including actress Zooey Deschanel Upon hearing news that the browser may be shelved in favor of the as yet unnamed Windows 10 browser, currently codenamed Project Spartan, Deschanel took to Facebook with an emoji mourning IE's apparent … [Link]
Mashable » New Twitter tool makes it slightly easier to report threats to police
Twitter’s new harassment-reporting tool is making it easier for users to report threatening tweets to the police. Sort of. Users who report threatening tweets now have the option of receiving an emailed report, summarizing the tweet, when it was sent and other information that may be relevant to law enforcement. See also: Twitter updates privacy policy to address revenge porn It's … [Link]
Mashable » Benjamin Netanyahu claims 'great victory' despite slight lead in Israel elections
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to have fended off a strong challenge from the country's opposition leader in parliamentary elections Tuesday, emerging from an acrimonious campaign in a slightly better position to form Israel's next government. But with the sides nearly evenly divided, a victory by Netanyahu's Likud Party still was not guaranteed. His chief rival, Isaac Herzog … [Link]
Slashdot » Apple Reportedly Working On an Online TV Service
An anonymous reader writes: According to a Wall Street Journal report (paywalled) Apple is in negotiations with media companies to develop an online TV service. The service will include a bundle of roughly 25 channels, so less popular channels will have a very difficult time fighting for a spot. Most major networks should be present, although NBC's participation is dubious … [Link]
Mashable » Kathie Lee Gifford and Matt Lauer share an awkward kiss for the Twizzler Challenge
The Ice Bucket Challenge may have found its uncomfortable successor in the Twizzler Challenge The challenge is essentially that spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp — two people snack on a single Twizzler until their mouths meet. Kathie Lee Gifford and Matt Lauer demonstrated just how supremely awkward it is on this morning's Today show. See also: 14 Stunning Photographs … [Link]
Mashable » Dazzling and widespread Aurora displays may take place tonight
Thanks to a rare, severe geomagnetic storm, the Northern Lights may be visible on Tuesday night in areas far to the south of its typical home in the Arctic The northern tier of the U.S., from Washington State to Michigan, as well as parts of Europe and Asia saw the colorful phenomenon on Monday night, just as the G4 solar storm … [Link]
Mashable » Lorde sends cupcakes to bullied 'X-Factor' contestant
Lorde is taking a cue from BFF Taylor Swift and delivering random acts of kindness After X-Factor New Zealand contestant Joe Irving was humiliated on Sunday night's live show, Lorde stepped in and sent the aspiring singer cupcakes with a note of encouragement. See also: 17 Things We Learned From Lorde's Twitter Feed Natasha Kills, a notoriously harsh judge on the … [Link]
Slashdot » White House Proposal Urges All Federal Websites To Adopt HTTPS
blottsie writes: In an effort to close security gaps that have resulted in multiple security breaches of government servers, the Obama administration on Tuesday introduced a proposal to require all publicly accessible federal websites to use the HTTPS encryption standard. "The majority of federal websites use HTTP as the as primary protocol to communicate over the public Internet," reads the … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Race to find the first exomoon heats up
Speedier ways to search for moons outside the solar system are good news for alien hunters: these would be some of the best places to look for life 
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Mashable » As snowfall records are set, ferry gets stuck in sea ice off Nova Scotia
While the all-time snowfall record in Boston may have received most of the media attention in the U.S., Canada has had its fair share of unusually severe winter weather this season as well Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland have been slammed by back-to-back-to-back-to-back (you get the point) severe winter storms, producing a broad area of sea ice cover and … [Link]
Slashdot » NVIDIA's GeForce GTX TITAN X Becomes First 12GB Consumer Graphics Card
Deathspawner writes: When NVIDIA announced its GeForce GTX TITAN X at GTC, no one was surprised that it'd be faster than the company's previous top-end card, the GTX 980. But what did impress many is that the company said the card would sport a staggering 12GB of VRAM. As Techgage found, pushing that 12GB is an exercise in patience — … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Can the blockchain replace SSL?
Bitcoin made the blockchain concept famous, and is the most visible application of the concept of a distributed transaction database. But many computer scientists, technology enthusiasts and investors believe that the blockchain's most powerful applications are yet to be developed.
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Mashable » 17-million-year-old whale skull helps place humanity's first steps
A 17-million-year-old beaked whale fossil is helping researchers solve a puzzle about the likely birthplace of humanity in East Africa, a new study finds. The whale (Ziphiidae) lived when the East African plateau was substantially lower and covered by dense forests, the researchers said. Scientists have long tried to figure out when the uplift occurred, because when it did, the moisture … [Link]
Mashable » Competitive eater chugs 7 Shamrock Shakes in under 5 minutes
While everyone else was out chugging green beer, champion eater Matt Stonie was guzzling Shamrock Shakes Most recently, we watched the 22-year-old break the bacon-eating record, demolishing 182 pieces in just five minutes. But that almost looked easy for Stonie in comparison to him drinking the green-tinted milkshakes At the end of the video, Stonie washes down his shakes with … [Link]
Mashable » The Jackson 5 get a classical remix in 'I Want You Bach'
Bach is back. So are the Jackson 5 in a funky, yet classical rendition of I Want you Back mashed up with five melodious themes written by Bach. According to the video's description, "electric cello, grand piano, harpsichord, Baroque cello, talk box, and kick drum have never giggled together." Until now, of course. What's especially impressive is that half of … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Coal bust may be behind stall in carbon emissions
For every one new coal plant, two were shelved or cancelled since 2010, a change that may be reducing our carbon dioxide emissions 
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Mashable » Man charged in murder of 'Food Network Star' contestant and her husband
A North Carolina man has been charged with the murder of a pregnant former Food Network Star contestant days after she and her husband were reported missing Family members of chef Cristie Schoen Codd, who was featured on Season 8 of Food Network Star in 2012, and her husband, JT Codd, filed a missing persons report on March 15, after attempts … [Link]
Mashable » When taking a taxi is cheaper than an Uber
The crowdsourced cab service, Uber, is currently taking the world by storm. Commuters use the service's smartphone app to order a car, a request that is forwarded to the nearest available driver who then makes the pick up. Uber itself determines the cost of the fare so no money changes hands in the cars. Uber determines its fares by the service … [Link]
Slashdot » Nintendo Finally Working On Games for Smartphones
Several readers sent word that Nintendo is finally bringing its games to mobile devices. It's partnering with Japanese game publisher DeNA to develop games for phones and tablets based on Nintendo's popular game IPs. (Existing games will not get mobile ports, however.) DeNA first approached Nintendo about using the company's characters in mobile games back in 2010, Iwata said, and … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » POP PSYCH: Super Mario Goes To Therapy [Video]
In this episode of Pop Psych, a web show that analyzes what’s wrong with various fictional characters, hostess Tessa Goss takes a good look at the inside of Mario’s mind and explains why Mario keeps on doing the same thing over and over again throughout most of his games. [Wisecrack] The post POP PSYCH: Super Mario Goes To Therapy [Video] … [Link]
Mashable » Republicans seek to push climate change off national security agenda
House Republicans are seeking to cut funds from the Pentagon and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) budgets that are directed at researching the national security implications of climate change In a sweeping budget proposal rolled out on Tuesday, which presents the yin to the Obama administration's yang when it comes to spending priorities, lawmakers identified national security-related climate change research as a … [Link]
Mashable » Is this Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs?
LOS ANGELES — Could this be our first look at Michael Fassbender as the NeXT Steve Jobs? Instagram user @seannung on Tuesday posted this photo of a poster purportedly showing the 12 Years a Slave actor as Jobs in an ad, presumably used for background at some point in the upcoming Steve Jobs movie. We've seen pictures of Fassbender dressed as … [Link]
Slashdot » Facebook Introduces Payment System
An anonymous reader writes: Today Facebook announced a new feature for its Messenger services: the ability to send money to friends. The payment system will work by connecting debit cards from Visa or Mastercard — no credit cards, and no bank accounts. The company claims they aren't trying to make money on it, since it'd be such a small business … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Risky business: Winning at poker is all about the odds
When should you bluff and when should you fold? To decide, players need to understand probability, says professional gambler Vanessa Selbst (full text available to subscribers) 
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Mashable » Syrian activists say chemical attacks killed 6 in Idlib province
Syrian activists have accused the Assad regime of carrying out a chemical attack on the town of Sarmin in the northern province of Idlib on Monday Images and videos circulating on social media support this claim, though no official confirmation has been made. See also: 83% of the lights in Syria have gone dark The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » TriageLogic Announces Clinical Answering Service API
TriageLogic, a clinical call center solution that offers nurse triage services and software, has announced its Answering Service API. What this means is that any Web-based answering service will have the ability to send calls directly to a nurse triage call center when required.
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Mashable » Mitt Romney will box Evander Holyfield for charity. God bless America.
If your dream since the 2012 presidential election has been to see Mitt Romney get punched in the face, it looks like you're finally in luck. Well, kind of That's right — forget Mayweather-Pacquiao, because Romney-Holyfield just became the hottest boxing match of 2015. Romney will step into the ring with the heavyweight legend in a bout for charity on May … [Link]
Mashable » 11 questions hiring managers never want to hear
This question originally appeared on Quora.What have you heard a great candidate ask during an interview that loses them the job?Answer below by Erin Berkery-Rovner, career advisor and former recruiter. I've heard variations of bad questions in so many industries, so I've put them into a few categories. The "I actually don't want to do this job" questions We don't have … [Link]
Mashable » Riva Turbo X takes Bluetooth sound to new heights, but for a price
Some audio nuts insist Bluetooth speakers are nothing more than a bunch of cheap speaker drivers shoved into flimsy plastic boxes. They’re mostly right But a few companies have been trying to elevate the sound of the Bluetooth speaker to real hi-fi quality. One of them is ADX, a group of U.S.-based engineers working in conjunction with Chinese mega-manufacturer Wistron. … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Enthusiastic Swedish Pop Song Sign Language Interpreter is a True Star [Video]
Tommy Krångh is a pop song sign language interpreter, and a very enthusiastic one it seems. Check out his amazing performance while he was doing an enterpretation of the song “Möt mig i Gamla Stan” by Swedish singer Magnus Carlsson. And here’s another video of him signing for “I Am Free” by Swedish artist Jon Henrik Fjällgren. [Via TO] The … [Link]
Mashable » How one teenage girl is using film to fight child sex trafficking
Rebecca Dharmapalan's parents always called her a rebel without a cause. Growing up in Oakland, California — the birthplace of the Black Panther Movement, parts of the Free Speech and Disability Rights Movements, and more recent movements like Occupy Oakland — she was constantly surrounded by an activist culture, but wasn't sure where to jump in. But at age 16, … [Link]
Slashdot » Mickey Delp Makes 'Walk Up and Play' Electronic Instruments (Video)
There he was at SXSW with a tableful of beeping and booping electronic (musical) instruments made by his company, Delptronics, surrounded by kids and adults listening to and playing the instruments. One of the adults was Slashdot's Timothy Lord, who pointed his videocam at Mickey and asked (slightly paraphrased), "What's going on here?" 
Read more of this story at Slashdot. … [Link]
Mashable » Google: Here's what we did wrong with Google Glass
AUSTIN, Texas — As everybody knows, Google made some mistakes with Google Glass. Now the man who led the project has come out and said exactly where he believes the company went wrong. "We made one really great decision, and one not so great," explained Astro Teller, the head of Google X division where Glass was conceived and managed, to a … [Link]
Mashable » Elon Musk: In the future, human-driven cars may be illegal
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The days of humans driving their own cars are numbered, accordingElon Musk The reason, he said, is advances in sensor and software technology will eventually make cars' onboard computers safer and better drivers than humans wielding "two-ton death machines." The Tesla CEO shared his thoughts on the future of self-driving vehicles during the keynote presentation at NVIDIA's … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » WaveMaker Releases Rapid API Development Suite for Enterprise
Enterprise platform-as-a-service WaveMaker today released its WaveMaker DevPortal. The new product extends the company's Rapid API Developer and Deployment platform to create an end-to-end enterprise solution for quickly spinning up APIs that can be consumed across a company’s application development. WaveMaker is confident its solution covers all stages of API management from creation to consumption by doing the following: … [Link]
Mashable » BuzzFeed's 200 million visitors? Small potatoes
BuzzFeed draws 200 million people to its site every month. To the site's co-founder, Jonah Peretti, that's small potatoes. When Peretti took the stage at sun-drenched media lovefest SXSW in Austin this week, he pointed to a far more dazzling number: 18.5 billion That's the number of impressions BuzzFeed earns from the powerful social trifecta of Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest See … [Link]
Mashable » Parents are pissed at Lego for offering 'beauty tips' to 5-year-old girls
Beauty tips are now available for 5-to-12-year-olds, courtesy of Lego. Some parents are less than thrilled with the company for a magazine spread titled "Emma's Beauty Tips" in the March-April Yellow Brick edition of Lego Club magazine See also: 10 countries where gender equality is closer to reality Sharon Holbrook first spotted the spread in her 7-year-old daughter's magazine and wrote … [Link]
Mashable » Michael Jordan: Champion athlete, professional cigar smoker
Michael Jordan is a man of many talents The basketball player, turned baseball player, turned golfer donned casual golfing attire Friday at the Derek Jeter Celebrity Invitation in Las Vegas. In typical Jordan fashion, he was smoking a cigar right on the green. When it came time for the sports star to tee off, he didn't hand off his cigar to … [Link]
Mashable » Rewriting history won't save the NYPD
If you're a journalist, Wikipedia is the anonymous source you can never quote. There are several reasons why we're generally discouraged from citing it, but chief among them is probably the easiest to guess: You can never be sure who is writing. The diligence of the site's editors is admirable, but Wikipedia remains the research equivalent of "for entertainment purposes only." … [Link]
Slashdot » Microsoft Is Killing Off the Internet Explorer Brand
An anonymous reader writes: The Verge reports that Internet Explorer as we know it will be taking a back seat to Microsoft's new browser, Project Spartan, in Windows 10 and future projects. IE will still exist, and stick around for compatibility issues, but Project Spartan will be the default way users interact with the internet. Microsoft wants to distance itself … [Link]
Mashable » The most expensive Apple Watch is diamond-studded and costs $115,000
Behold, the only thing greater than the Apple Watch Edition, the $114,995 diamond-studded Lux Watch Omni, an 18-karat gold customized version of Apple's smart watch Offered in both 38mm and 42mm sizes, Brikk, the company behind the customization, also sells a pink gold and a platinum version of the pricey watch See also: How the Apple Watch is made For the … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Final Fantasy XV Summon Will Blow Your Mind with Awesomeness [Video]
Watch as one of the characters from the upcoming Final Fantasy XV summons Ramuh, a recurring character and summoned creature from the Final Fantasy universe. As most recurring summons have, Ramuh has maintained the same basic appearance across the series with minor variations. Ramuh typically appears as an old man with a large beard and mustache, balding and wearing flowing … [Link]
Mashable » You can now pay your friends through Facebook Messenger
Facebook’s long-awaited payments feature is finally here. On Tuesday, the social network announced a new feature for Messenger that lets users send and receive money to one another. The feature will roll out to Facebook users in the U.S. across desktop, Android and iOS over the next few months. See also: Facebook Messenger Hack Reveals Mobile Payments Service Users who add … [Link]
Mashable » Egypt will require tourists to obtain visas in advance
Individual tourists who are traveling to Egypt will have to obtain a visa in their home country beforehand, beginning on May 15. The change could be bad news for the tourism industry that has struggled to improve since the 2011 uprising. Foreign Ministry spokesman Badr Abdellaty announced the change on Tuesday, adding that it will not affect tour groups. See also: … [Link]
Mashable » Adorable duckling pretends humans are interesting, tries to stay awake
Times you might try and insist you're awake, when you're clearly fading fast: 1. It's Monday morning.2. You got way too drunk and should probably just go home.3, You didn't realize the movie was going to be three hours long.4. You are a fuzzy duckling hanging out in the park and being that cute is just exhausting 
Woman shows what … [Link]
Mashable » How to watch March Madness online
The NCAA Tournament's all-day basketball orgies during the workweek are awesome. But they make figuring out how to watch March Madness online critical. How else are you going to pretend at productivity while actually partaking in one of sports' greatest spectacles? Watching March Madness online is actually quite simple — and we'll explain right here how to make your slacker hoop-dream … [Link]
Mashable » Move over, Kim: Kendall and Kylie are working on a mobile game, too
Kylie and Kendall Jenner are following in big sister Kim Kardashian's mobile game success by working on an app of their own. The sisters, who rose to fame on the popular reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, are working with Glu Mobile to build a game that features the "voices, likenesses and creative influences of Kendall and Kylie," according … [Link]
Mashable » Spirit Airlines's celebration of 69th plane is as mature as you'd expect
Spirit Airlines is up to its usual tricks, turning a new plane acquisition into an advertisement laden with innuendo. "WE'RE CELEBRATING! WE HAVE A NEW PLANE!" the airline said in a promotion. See also: America's most-hated airline creates 'State of Hate' report "We've been waiting to hit 69 planes for years. It's our favorite number — ever since we were twelve … [Link]
Mashable » Bud Light's St. Patrick's Day tweet has users seeing red instead of green
Go home Bud Light, you're drunk. Bud Light posted a questionable tweet from its account on Tuesday morning marking St. Patrick's Day that many on Twitter interpreted as a suggestion that the brand thinks it's acceptable to touch or grab a woman without her consent See also: Real-Time Marketing: Only the Dumb Survive 
Image: Screengrab, MashableBud Light deleted the tweet after … [Link]
Mashable » Clickbait! Brands! Viral marketing! How SXSW became the Internet IRL
AUSTIN, Texas — There was an anti-AI protest here at South by Southwest on Sunday. Perhaps you heard about it on NPR or saw it on the BBC or read about it in USA Today Groups of students gathered on street corners and hoisted signs expressing fear at the forthcoming rise of the machines, the singularity, Artificial Intelligence, whatever you want … [Link]
Mashable » Top CMOs discuss hot marketing trends at SXSWi
Monday morning in Austin, dozens of marketers converged at the Marketo Engagement Lounge to discuss the modern marketing landscape. The lively panel of CMOs — Deirdre Bigley, of Bloomberg LP, Carlos Becil of Equinox, Sanjay Dholakia of Marketo and Stacy Martinet of Mashable — touched on storytelling, organizing successful marketing teams, how best to leverage real-time data and more. To kick … [Link]
Mashable » Woman shows what 100 years of beauty look like in North and South Korea
Styles may change, but true beauty never dies. In the latest installment of the "100 Years of Beauty" project from The Cut (here are the first and second ones), stylist Tiffany Lee shows how beauty is portrayed and viewed in Korea. She begins by transforming her hair and makeup into a classic look from each decade, and then splits into … [Link]
Slashdot » SimCity's Empire Has Fallen and Skylines Is Picking Up the Pieces
sarahnaomi writes: Colossal Order's SimCity-like game, Cities: Skylines, sold more than half a million copies in its first week. The first 250,000 of those were sold in the first 24 hours, making it the fastest-selling game its publisher, Paradox Interactive, has ever released. Only a week before Skylines was released, game publisher Electronic Arts announced that it was shutting down … [Link]
Mashable » Penn State fraternity suspended as police investigate secret Facebook page
A fraternity at Penn State University has been suspended as police investigate allegations that members used a private, invitation-only Facebook page to post photos of nude and partly nude women, some apparently asleep or passed out. A former member of Kappa Delta Rho at the university's flagship campus in State College tipped police off to the page, telling them in January … [Link]
Mashable » Inside the Meerkat Bubble, where the air is fine
Two weeks ago, I’d never heard of Meerkat, the Twitter-integrated, video-live-streaming sensation that became the darling of SXSW Interactive 2015. Now I’m sitting at my desk, live-streaming me writing this post while 63 people watch Meerkat is not some sort of breakthrough innovation. There are other broadcasting platforms like Google Hangouts and Ustream. I’ve used those tools, but not with the … [Link]
Mashable » Who is the Air Force veteran who allegedly tried to join ISIS?
An Air Force veteran from New Jersey has been charged with attempting to travel to Syria and join Islamic State (ISIS) militants. A grand jury indicted Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh, of Neptune, New Jersey, on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist group and obstruction of justice. See also: Why children of the west are drawn to ISIS … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Today on New Scientist
All the latest on newscientist.com: how wolf-dogs hounded out Neanderthals, crows' generosity, Mars One hiccup, a worm with Spiderman tactics, and more 
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ProgrammableWeb.com » Tado Launches API, IFTTT Integration for Smart Thermostats
European smart thermostat provider tado unveiled an API this week. Tado, which is based in Germany and launched in November 2012, has become one of the leading smart thermostat solutions for heating applications in the EU and claims tens of thousands of personal and business users. It also offers tado Cooling, a smart thermostat solution for cooling applications, to users … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » NEVER GIVE UP! [Comic]
[Source: Comics by Kotor] The post NEVER GIVE UP! [Comic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Mashable » 7 most 'Community' moments from the new episodes of 'Community'
Warning: This post contains spoilers about the first two episodes of Community, which debuted on Yahoo Screen Tuesday morning. Community is back from the dead and living out its new life on Yahoo Screen, and while resurrection can really change a person, it hasn't done much of anything to Community. Thank goodness. If anything, the show seems more comfortable in its … [Link]
Mashable » 15 other uncomfortable subjects your Starbucks barista can talk to you about
Starbucks doesn't have to be just a place to get a morning latte, it can also be your nagging mother-in-law. The coffee chain recently launched a #RaceTogether campaign, encouraging baristas to engage in conversations with customers about race by writing "Race Together" on cups See also: Caffeinate Your Monday With 11 Celebrity-Inspired Starbucks Drinks look starbucks if i dont want to … [Link]
Slashdot » Data Research Reveals When Taking a Yellow Cab Is Cheaper Than an Uber
An anonymous reader writes A team of data scientists have come up with a system to identify times when regular yellow taxis are cheaper alternatives to an Uber [in New York]. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Nanmur in Belgium have compared a broad dataset of both yellow taxi and Uber fares in New York and … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Another hiccup for Mars One's mission to the Red Planet
A shortlisted candidate for a mooted one-way trip to Mars has spoken out about problems with plans for the ambitious mission 
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Slashdot » New Site Mocks Bad Artwork On Ebook Covers
An anonymous reader writes A British newspaper is celebrating "the world's worst ebook artwork", as discovered by the creator of a new Tumblr feed. 'It's the hubris of it that people get a kick out of — the devil-may-care attitude of an author who, with zero arts training, says to themselves: "How hard can it be?" Two different authors simply … [Link]
Mashable » Who knew folding tables could be so mesmerizing?
Here's something you don't say every day: That is one really impressive folding table set. Izzy Swan's "Eizzy Folding Table" is a crazy piece of portable furniture. The full set starts out as a modest 20"x20"x30" rolling box, but transforms into a full four-seat table set with just a few simple steps. The Eizzy set also seems sturdy, as it … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Internet Explorer Gets A Death Sentence
Microsoft has confirmed it is effectively ditching the Internet Explorer browser and brand. It will be kept on in Windows 10 for compatibility purposes only. It’s been known for some time that Microsoft was working on a new browser project, codenamed Spartan. Now the company has confirmed this will be the primary browser in Windows 10. The system will also … [Link]
Mashable » 136-year-old pair of Levi's blue jeans was built to last
SAN FRANCISCO — The oldest pair of blue jeans in the Levi's archive are kept in a fire-proof safe to which only two people know the combination. They are wide and durable enough to wear over long johns while out harvesting timber or mining silver in 1879, the year they were produced. Back then, the relic went by a different, old-timey … [Link]
Mashable » D’oh yeah! 'Simpsons’ fan recreates opening sequence in Minecraft
Minecraft released a Simpsons skin pack in late February, featuring Lisa, Bart, Homer, Marge and other favorite denizens of Springfield. Now, YouTuber Bearly Regal has used those skins to recreate the famous opening sequence of the show, as well as a tour of the town, including looks inside Krusty Burger and Moe's Tavern But there are some limits to building … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » What is REALLY Inside Jell-O [Science Video]
It’s as American as apple pie and twice as wobbly, but what’s really inside Jell-O? Aside from collagen, the translucent gelatin sweet treat features collagen, sugar, artificial flavoring, and, oh yeah, chopped-up pig and cow hides soaked in acid. [WIRED] The post What is REALLY Inside Jell-O [Science Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Mashable » 'What are you, f*cking drunk?': Jon Stewart blasts media on Secret Service 'crash'
There wasn't even a crash — if anything, it was just a love-tap to the gate of the White House. During Monday's Daily Show, Jon Stewart blasted the media for its recent coverage of a "Secret Service crash." See also: Jon Stewart unleashes 16 years of Fox News hatred in six-second Vine "No crash and no damage," he said, pointing out … [Link]
Slashdot » Global Learning XPRIZE Senior Director Matt Keller Answers Your Questions
A couple of weeks ago you had a chance to ask former Vice President of One Laptop per Child, and current Senior Director of the Global Learning XPRIZE Matt Keller about education and the competition. The XPRIZE challenges teams from around the world to develop open source software that will allow children in developing countries to teach themselves basic reading, … [Link]
Mashable » Nintendo slips console news into its mobile announcement, codenamed NX
While Nintendo spent the majority of its unexpected Tuesday announcement talking about plans to expand into mobile gaming, it doesn't plan to leave console-building behind Nintendo President Satoru Iwata announced the company was working on a new console, codenamed "NX," in his Tuesday address in Japan. He declined to give any further details, such as whether the NX would be a … [Link]
Mashable » LGBT group makes St. Patrick's Day history, but not everyone is pleased
New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade made history on Tuesday For the first time in its 254-year celebration of all things Irish, an LGBT group is among the marchers, marching behind a banner identifying themselves as the OUT@NBCUniversal group. The group making history is an alliance of LGBT employees of NBC Universal — a corporate sponsor of the parade. See also: … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Diamond-coated carbon forest wins photo prize
A surreal image of a nanocarbon structure that is being developed to improve display screens is the winner of a recent photo competition 
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New Scientist – News » Worm throws Spiderman web – here's how it does it
The curious velvet worms use Spiderman's tactic to catch prey and fend off predators – a technique that may help us stick wounds together 
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Geek Culture » Happy Green Aurora Day!
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Slashdot » Researchers Find Same RSA Encryption Key Used 28,000 Times
itwbennett writes In the course of trying to find out how many servers and devices are still vulnerable to the Web security flaw known as FREAK, researchers at Royal Holloway of the University of London found something else of interest: Many hosts (either servers or other Internet-connected devices) share the same 512-bit public key. In one egregious example, 28,394 routers … [Link]
Slashdot » 3D Audio Standard Released
CIStud writes The Audio Engineering Society (AES) has released its new 3D Audio Standard (AES69-2015), covering topics such as binaural listening, which is growing due to increased usage of smartphones, tablets and other individual entertainment systems that offer audio using headphones. AES states that an understanding of the way that the listener experiences binaural sound, expressed as head-related transfer functions … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » By Grabthar’s Hammer, You Need to Sign This Petition!
I sure did! Remember Galaxy Quest, the greatest sci-fi homage comedy ever made? 
(Unsurprisingly, Professor Snape looks less than impressed.) Well, Karine Marois of Quebec remembered that in the movie, the cast members gather at a convention 18 years after their show was cancelled. The film was released in 1999…so 1999 + 18 = 2017! Marois created a petition at Change.org … [Link]
Slashdot » White House Office of Administration Not Subject to FOIA, Says White House
An anonymous reader writes with this story at USA Today: The White House is removing a federal regulation that subjects its Office of Administration to the Freedom of Information Act, making official a policy under Presidents Bush and Obama to reject requests for records to that office. The White House said the cleanup of FOIA regulations is consistent with court … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Virtual zombie apocalypse can prepare us for disaster
How would you behave in a catastrophic event? I'm exploring how we do it in virtual worlds to help us prepare, says Matthieu Guitton 
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Slashdot » Ex-NSA Researcher Claims That DLL-Style Attacks Work Just Fine On OS X
An anonymous reader writes Ex-NSA and NASA researcher Patrick Wardle claims to have developed a reliable technique of Shared Library replacement which renders Apple's OSX operating system just as vulnerable to exploitation as Windows has been (via its 'DLL' shared libraries) for years. Speaking at CanSecWest, Wardle explained that Apple's refusal to encrypt software downloads via its App Store allows … [Link]
Slashdot » Fraud Rampant In Apple Pay
PvtVoid writes with this report from the New York Times, excerpting: An industry consultant, Cherian Abraham, put the fraud rate [for Apple Pay] at 6 percent, compared with a traditional credit card fraud rate that is relatively minuscule, 10 cents for every $100 spent. [i.e. one tenth of one percent]. The vulnerability in Apple Pay is in the way that … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Lets build open source tensor libraries for data science
Data scientists frequently find themselves dealing with high-dimensional feature spaces. As an example, text mining usually involves vocabularies comprised of 10,000+ different words. Many analytic problems involve linear algebra, particularly 2D matrix factorization techniques, for which several open source implementations … [Link]
Slashdot » This App Lets You Piggyback Facebook's Free Internet To Access Any Site
sarahnaomi writes In countries like Zambia, Tanzania, or Kenya, where very few have access to the Internet, Facebook is bringing its own version of the net: Internet.org, an app that gives mobile users free access to certain sites such as Google, Wikipedia and, of course, Facebook. While the initiative has clearly positive goals, it's also been criticized as an "imperialistic" … [Link]
Mashable » Malaysia is getting a new airline called flymojo
A new Malaysian airline, flymojo, Tuesday inked an agreement to buy 20 CS100 aircraft from Bombardier Inc., giving the Canadian manufacturer its first customer for the plane in Southeast Asia. A joint statement said the deal, signed in preliminary form on the sidelines of an airshow in northern Langkawi island, is worth $1.47 billion based on the CS100's list price. Flymojo … [Link]
Slashdot » Analysis: People Who Use Firefox Or Chrome Make Better Employees
HughPickens.com writes: In the world of Big Data, everything means something. Now Joe Pinsker reports that Cornerstone OnDemand, a company that sells software that helps employers recruit and retain workers, has found after analyzing data on about 50,000 people who took its 45-minute online job assessment, that people who took the test on a non-default browser, such as Firefox or … [Link]
Mashable » 3 changes to get more 'yes' answers to your networking requests
Please tell me you've read Adrian J. Hopkins' recent Daily Muse article, "How to Handle Requests for Favors or Your Time." If not, make sure you check it out (and bookmark it) Hopkins examines what connecting with someone really entails and walks through the steps of assessing whether you have the time and energy to help a new contact. His article … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Save $30 on the iClever® 6-Port 50W 10A Fast USB Desktop Charger – $19.99 + Other Deals
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon has the iClever® 6-Port 50W 10A Fast USB Desktop Charger for just $19.99 instead of $49.99. That’s $30 off on the charger’s usual list price of $49.99. Please note that you have to use promo code EVEREST1 at checkout to take advantage of this offer. Alternative offers on this item (These … [Link]
Mashable » Benedict Cumberbatch dons a top hat as Sherlock heads to Victorian London
LONDON — Sherlock is heading to Victorian London. The show's co-creator, Steven Moffat, confirmed the news at SXSW in Austin on Monday. Speculation has been rife since Benedict Cumberbatch — and his faithful assistant Watson played by Martin Freeman — were pictured in full Victorian clothing last year See also: Lost Sherlock Holmes story found in an attic in Scotland Moffat … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » It Can Get Awful Lonely in the Black [Comic]
[Source: Comics by Kotor] The post It Can Get Awful Lonely in the Black [Comic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Tale of Blood Drinker and His Unlikely Hero [Video]
Mikey dropped out of college to become an unlikely hero. This is his story. [Holomax] The post The Tale of Blood Drinker and His Unlikely Hero [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » This Notorious B.I.G. and ‘Dinosaurs’ Lip Sync Will Complete Your Life [VIDEO]
Seriously. I’m not accusing YouTuber Benjamin Roberts of being “under the influence” or anything, so let’s just say he’s a genius. A genius for realizing that when you combine Biggie with Earl Sinclair of “Dinosaurs” fame, you achieve perfection. Warning: Language [via YouTube] The post This Notorious B.I.G. and ‘Dinosaurs’ Lip Sync Will Complete Your Life [VIDEO] appeared first on … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Two Siblings Play ‘Frozen’ Medley While Facing Away from Piano
You may think you have seen every Frozen cover or parody by now, but the truth is, these two siblings take it to new levels. I don’t even really have words for this. Man, I wish my sister and I could do something this cool. Yes, wordplay intended. [Image via, H/T to LaughingSquid] The post Two Siblings Play ‘Frozen’ Medley … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Feathered apes who say thanks with shiny trinkets
The eight-year-old girl showered with gifts by crows is not the only recipient of avian generosity, says crow and cognition expert Nicola Clayton 
[Link]
Mashable » 10 classy cocktails for a tasteful St. Patrick's Day
Day drinking on St. Patrick's Day in the U.S. is no elegant affair Fact: The chances of being barfed on increases by about 10,000 percent on March 17. Do yourself (and your laundry machine) a huge favor, and stay away from the local bar at whatever cost See also: The 17 Worst Things About St. Patrick's Day Instead, stay home and … [Link]
Mashable » Nintendo enters alliance to develop games for smartphones
TOKYO — After years of scoffing at the threat from smartphones, Nintendo Co. is doing an about face and entering an alliance with Japanese mobile game company DeNA Co. to develop games for mobile devices. The announcement Tuesday means that Nintendo's trademark game characters such as Super Mario and Pokemon could finally come to smartphones and tablets. Such characters have been … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 17 March 2015
Sirius — UMich open source “intelligent Personal Assistant” (aka Siri, Cortana, Google Now, etc.). Text recognition, image recognition, query processing components. They hope it’ll be a focal point for research in the area, the way that open source operating systems … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » #Video Deal/Day: Learning Linux Mint – $24.98 (Save 50%) Use code DEAL
Get "Learning Linux Mint" today using code DEAL and save 50%!This sale ends at 2:00 AM 2015-03-18 (PDT, GMT-8:00). [Link]
Mashable » 10 things everyone says while drunk and what they really mean
Sadly, there's no Google Translate for drunk people. Not yet. Not everyone runs their mouth when drinking, but everyone has said something they didn't mean while they were at the bar, out to brunch or celebrating a holiday like St. Patrick's Day. See also: 21 Types of Drunk Texters That Everyone Knows They say a drunk mind speaks a sober heart. … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Risky business: When will the next avalanche come?
We know plenty about what makes avalanches more likely, but when they actually happen is still a bit of a lottery, says avalanche predictor Mark Diggins (full text available to subscribers) 
[Link]
Mashable » 9 natural remedies to beat spring allergies
The roses are in bloom, but you can't stop and smell them — because you're on your third box of Claritin. Once spring comes, so do those itchy eyes and sneezes associated with seasonal allergies. Hay fever, a common allergic rhinitis causing sneezing, nasal congestion and eye irritation, affects up to 30% of the population worldwide. See also: 12 must-have supplies … [Link]
Mashable » Hozier and 12 other Irish acts you should be listening to this St Patrick's Day
Whiskey in the Jar may be a perennial St Patrick's Day favourite, but it's not exactly bragging rights material There's a lot to like when you look at the multitude of Irish musical exports in recent years, from singer songwriters to ambient minimalism and catchy electro pop to synth fiddle-infused house. See also: How to share music on Pinterest Here are … [Link]
Mashable » Prince Harry announces he's leaving the British Army
LONDON — Prince Harry will be looking for a new job in June after he ends his ten-year military career. See also: Prince William and Kate now have official Twitter and Instagram accounts The prince, who is fourth in line to the throne, has undertaken two tours of duty in Afghanistan. He was the first British royal to see combat since … [Link]
Mashable » Bands and brands unite at SXSW to put $1 million of instruments in schools
AUSTIN, Texas — You can never be too busy to pay it forward Rock band Portugal The Man, amid hustling to complete its eighth studio album, has found time to help a new generation of students potentially transform into musicians by joining StubHub at SXSW to infuse schools with $1 million of musical instruments See also: Doing it for the kids: … [Link]
Mashable » Israel heads to the polls as Netanyahu rules out Palestinian state
Israelis were voting in parliament elections Tuesday, after a heated three-month campaign that focused on economic issues but ended with a dramatic last-minute pledge by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. See also: A Chuck Norris endorsement is like a roundhouse kick to Israel's ballot box Netanyahu's comments marked a reversal of long-standing promises to … [Link]
Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Good Keyboard?
An anonymous reader writes: After five years of service, my keyboard is dying, and I'm starting to look for a new one. Since it's for my primary machine, and I spend a lot of hours there for both work and leisure, I'd like to invest in a high-quality replacement. What do you recommend? I've been using a Logitech G15, and … [Link]
Mashable » United Airlines flight grounded after passenger tries to enter cockpit
A flight headed from Washington, D.C., to Denver had to return to Dulles International Airport Monday after a passenger failed to comply with crew instructions. Spokesman Luke Punzenberger said in a statement that Flight 1074 returned after takeoff Monday evening. He says local law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate and detained the passenger See also: Flight attendants say United … [Link]
Mashable » Some powerful unexpected pairings make ‘The Voice’ more intense than ever
The battle rounds of The Voice are in full swing, which means the mood has slightly altered and the coaches are knee-deep in their work with the artists. While some coaches chose to pair singers with similar voices, age or demeanors, tonight we saw some unlikely pairings which led to a more difficult decision Last week, Blake used both of his … [Link]
Mashable » GE found a reason for the Internet of Things: Better barbecue
AUSTIN, Texas — Can data improve even the most low-tech of cooking methods, the barbecue? GE thinks the answer is a resounding yes, and it's brought a custom-built 14-foot smoker to SXSW Interactive to prove it. In the storied history of barbecue in the South, there have been bigger barbecues, but never one as wired with technology. GE's smoker is laden … [Link]
Slashdot » Deploying Solar In California's Urban Areas Could Meet Demand Five Times Over
Lucas123 writes: About 8% of terrestrial surfaces in California have been developed, ranging from cities and buildings to park spaces. If photovoltaic panels, along with concentrating solar power, were more effectively deployed in and around those areas, it could meet between three and five times what California currently uses for electricity, according to a new study. The study from the … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Adobe Announces Document Cloud Service and APIs
Adobe, a leading digital marketing and media solutions company, has just announced the upcoming launch of Adobe Document Cloud, a set of integrated services that includes the all new Acrobat DC, e-Sign Services, new Mobile Link feature, and document management functionality. Adobe also announced two new mobiles apps, Acrobat Mobile and Fill and Sign, as well as Adobe Document Cloud … [Link]
Slashdot » New 3D Printing Process Claimed To Be 25X Faster Than Current Technology
ErnieKey writes: Carbon3D, a startup based in Redwood City, CA. has just announced a new breakthrough 3D printing technology called Continuous Liquid Interface Production technology (CLIP). The process works by using oxygen as an inhibiting agent as a UV light rapidly cures a photosensitive resin (abstract). "Conventional 3D printers usually take several hours to print an object — because with … [Link]
Slashdot » World's Most Powerful Laser Diode Arrays Deployed
Zothecula writes: The High-Repetition-Rate Advanced Petawatt Laser System (HAPLS) under construction in the Czech Republic is designed to generate a peak power of more than 1 petawatt. The key component to this instrument – the laser "pump" – will be a set of solid-state laser diode arrays recently constructed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. At peak power, this electronic assemblage … [Link]
Mashable » 20 songs to listen to while you watch Friday's solar eclipse
On Friday morning, many in Europe will be fortunate enough to view a total solar eclipse. See also: When and how to watch Friday's total solar eclipse So we put together a Music Monday playlist full of interstellar songs to celebrate the occasion. You may belt "Total Eclipse of the Heart" while watching the eclipse at your own risk. Have something … [Link]
Slashdot » Judicial Committee Approves FBI Plan To Expand Hacking Powers
Presto Vivace sends this report from the National Journal: A judicial advisory panel Monday quietly approved a rule change that will broaden the FBI's hacking authority despite fears raised by Google that the amended language represents a "monumental" constitutional concern. The Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules voted 11-1 to modify an arcane federal rule to allow judges more … [Link]
Mashable » Adobe brings 'Photoshop magic' to the PDF with 2 new mobile apps
When speaking about their software, Adobe engineers often reference something called "Photoshop magic." The idea refers to the underlying tech that powers its popular image-editing software and mobile apps. Now Adobe is bringing its "Photoshop magic" to two new mobile apps that have nothing to do with image editing: Acrobat Mobile and Fill and Sign, both of which help users create … [Link]
Mashable » Apple working on an Internet TV subscription service — report
Apple is working on an Internet television service that would offer 25 channels including three of the major broadcast networks, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The service would feature ABC, CBS and Fox as well as a variety of cable channels including ESPN and FX for between $30 and $40 per month, according to the report. Subscribers … [Link]
Mashable » 49ers' Chris Borland retires, fearing head trauma: 'I don't think it's worth the risk'
Chris Borland, a linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers who has only been in the NFL for one season, has quit, citing fears about long-term effects to his health. The 24-year-old graduate of the University of Wisconsin said he notified the 49ers organization on Friday after discussing the decision, which he said was ultimately "simple," with family and medical professionals, according … [Link]
Mashable » Headset offers virtual reality you can control with your hands
In the last few months we've seen virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift cleverly paired with the Leap Motion gesture controller to deliver a more interactive experience, but one company has managed to merge the two concepts into one device The Impression Pi is a wearable VR headset that embeds the ability to track your gestures into the hardware itself … [Link]
Slashdot » Politics Is Poisoning NASA's Ability To Do Science
An anonymous reader writes: Phil Plait just published an article about how politics is interfering with NASA's ability to perform vital scientific experiments. As expected when we heard that Ted Cruz would be made head of the committee in charge of NASA's funding, the Texas senator is pushing hard for NASA to stop studying Earth itself. Plait writes, "Over the … [Link]
Mashable » Kleiner Perkins' Mary Meeker calls it 'the best place to be a woman' in venture capital
SAN FRANCISCO — Despite former junior partner Ellen Pao's stories of all-male outings and unwanted sexual advances, famed venture capitalist Mary Meeker testified on Monday that she has never witnessed any gender discrimination at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers The powerful venture capital firm is facing a $16 million gender bias lawsuit brought on by former junior partner Ellen Pao in … [Link]
Mashable » Judge who presided over Robert Durst acquittal in Texas murder: 'He's very dangerous'
Former Galveston County Judge Susan Criss, who presided over Robert Durst's 2003 trial, is now a criminal and family lawyer — and is free to talk about his acquittal in the murder and dismemberment of neighbor Morris Blake, whose body parts were found in Galveston Bay, Texas, in 2001. Criss, who appeared in the fourth episode of The Jinx, spoke with … [Link]
Slashdot » How Police Fight To Keep Use of Stingrays Secret
v3rgEz writes: The NY Times looks at how local police are fighting to keep their use of cell phone surveillance secret, including signing NDAs with Stingray manufacturer Harris Corp and claiming the documents have been lost. It's part of a broader trend of local agencies adopting the tactics of covert intelligence groups as they seek to adopt new technology in … [Link]
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