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 » These adoptable animals can even melt Stormtroopers' hearts
Stormtroopers understand the importance of cuddling guinea pigs — and they want you to take one back to your Death Star This photo series for The Ottawa Humane Society pairs adoptable pets with their local 501st legion, a volunteer group that makes appearances as villainous Imperial Star Wars characters The 501st's motto: "Bad guys doing good." See also: Plastic Spacemen! How … [Link]
Slashdot » FAA: Big Tech Challenges For Massive Washington, DC Warbirds Flyover
coondoggie writes: It will be one of the largest gatherings of flying WWII aircraft in history as 56 famous vintage warbirds will fly through restricted airspace over the National Mall Friday in remembrance of the 70th anniversary of VE-Day or Victory in Europe Day. The huge flyover, dubbed "The Arsenal of Democracy," of so many different types of aircraft – … [Link]
Mashable » Elizabeth Olsen meeting Taylor Swift is pretty much how we all would react
Just a little reminder that even stars get star struck. Avengers: Age of Ultron> star Elizabeth Olsen stopped by The Late Late Show with James Corden on Wednesday night. During her interview, she told Corden and fellow guest Dana Carvey about her encounter with Taylor Swift at a speakeasy Apparently, Olsen wasn't much for words in front of the pop … [Link]
Mashable » 80 years of prom fashion in 2 minutes is a beautiful tribute to hairspray
The important thing to remember about prom fashion is that whatever you wear, it will make you cringe for the next two decades and then just look impossibly glamorous to all future generations Take a look back at the last 80 years of prom to see teens do The Charleston, moonwalk, and experiment with frosted lip gloss to see how … [Link]
Mashable » 'A Little Life' is your must-read book of 2015
“Wasn’t friendship it’s own miracle, the finding of another person who made the entire lonely world seem somehow less lonely.” So writes novelist Hanya Yanagihara in her epic ode to friendship, A Little Life. See also: 16 beautiful bookstores that will bind your love for reading A Little Life follows four students -– Jude, J.B., Malcolm and Willem -– over the … [Link]
Slashdot » Superfish Injects Ads In 1 In 25 Google Page Views
An anonymous reader writes: A new report from Google has found that more than 5% of unique daily IP addresses accessing Google — tens of millions — are interrupted by ad-injection techniques, and that Superfish, responsible for a major controversy with Lenovo in February is the leading adware behind what is clearly now an industry. Amongst the report's recommendations to … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Daily API RoundUp: CopyLeaks, PredicSis, Mobbr
Every day, the ProgrammableWeb team is busy, updating its three primary directories for APIs, clients (language-specific libraries or SDKs for consuming or providing APIs), and source code samples.
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Mashable » Paddy Ashdown says he'd eat his hat if exit polls are right, Twitter responds brilliantly
LONDON — Paddy Ashdown could be eating a marzipan hat come morning. The former Liberal Democrats leader said he'd publicly eat his hat if the exit polls turn out to be correct and his party suffers big losses, as long as it's made out of marzipan. See also: Election 2015 live: The UK votes Here he is, saying it on TV. … [Link]
Mashable » How some ladies are using Tinder to get free pizza
Typically, getting free food from a dating app would probably involve going out on a date first … but not for some rather hungry Tinder users Some women on Tinder have started playing "Tinder games" — and, in the same fashion as the real "Hunger Games," food is the main objective. After chatting with a prospective paramour for a bit, these … [Link]
Mashable » Idris Elba just broke an 88-year-old speed record because he's Idris Elba
Idris Elba is officially the fastest actor in Hollywood The British actor teamed up with Bentley on May 7 to break the British land speed record known as the "Flying Mile." The record was last set by Sir Malcolm Campbell in 1927. See also: 10 unbelievable GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ titles broken by companies 
According to a press release from Bentley, the record … [Link]
Slashdot » Keurig Stock Drops, Says It Was Wrong About DRM Coffee Pods
An anonymous reader writes: Green Mountain (Keurig) stock dropped by 10% this morning after a brutal earnings report. The reason? CNN Money reports that DRM has weakened sales of their Keurig 2.0. CEO Brian Kelley admits, "Quite honestly, we were wrong." Last year Green Mountain decided to make their new coffee machines work with licensed pods only. The company says … [Link]
Mashable » New 'walk-in comic book' uses augmented reality to show sexual assault survivors as heroes
When a young woman in New Delhi, India, was brutally gang-raped on a bus in December 2012, making international headlines, Ram Devineni wasn't going to stay silent. The filmmaker and artist marched in the streets alongside other protesters, calling for swift justice and systemic change to the all-too-common violence against women that plagues the country When he asked a Delhi … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » These Incredibly Detailed “Cut Out” Scenes from Star Wars are Entirely Made from Paper
Artist Marc Hagan-Guirey took some of his favorite scenes from the original Star Wars trilogy and recreated them with an X-acto knife and a single 8.27 by 11.7-inch sheets of paper. 
From CNN: “These are the product of a lot of patience and a lot of trial and error,” he says. “For me, though, I link this back to my … [Link]
Popular Science » Russian Cargo Spacecraft Will Burn Up During Reentry Today
Update: According to Roscosmos, the Progress fell to Earth somewhere over the Pacific Ocean at 10:04 p.m. EDT Thursday night. And thus, the saga of the rogue cargo… [Link]
Mashable » 7 of the most memorable and touching stories from Big Bird's AMA
Fans from all over asked Carroll Spinney, the puppeteer who brought Sesame Street's beloved Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch to life for the past 46 years, about his experiences on the set during a Reddit AMA on Thursday. Spinney also shared his most memorable moments and his favorite interactions with fans (some of which will break your heart). Spinney was … [Link]
Mashable » C.H.I.P. — the super tiny computer that only costs $9
If you thought the $35 Raspberry Pi 2 was a small and cheap computer, think again. Next Thing Co.'s open-source C.H.I.P. is an even smaller barebones microcomputer that only costs $9. Like the Raspberry Pi, C.H.I.P. can be used in a variety of ways. Connect the necessary parts — a keyboard, mouse, and a display — to it and it becomes … [Link]
Slashdot » Creating the Open Drone Ecosystem Takes Room To Experiment
An anonymous reader writes: Over on Forbes, Jono Bacon writes about the emergence of an open drone ecosystem spearheaded by the recently announced 3D Robotics SOLO which is largely Open Source and has an Open Source SDK. Bacon's argument is that innovation comes from where we least expect it, so open access to the code and tools is critical in … [Link]
Popular Science » This Is The First Baby Conceived With Controversial Mitochondrial Method
Zain Rajani was born 22 days ago in Toronto, Canada. To say he was much anticipated would be an understatement—his parents, Natasha and Omar Rajani, had been trying for… [Link]
Mashable » Cleveland Cavaliers foul out with ad that parodies domestic violence
On Wednesday evening, during a playoff game against the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers ran a minute-long arena video that made violence against women the punchline in a terrible joke about being a committed fan of the franchise The skit starts off sweetly with a couple in a kitchen, their television tuned to a Cavaliers game When the corny theme … [Link]
Mashable » Lego Parliament is the only UK election tracker you need
As of 6:05 a.m. BST 
The Lego Parliament is being built, brick by brick. Just as we did with the U.S. midterm elections, we're bringing you the UK general election in Lego. See also: Election 2015 live: The UK votes As the declarations pour in and each of the 650 seats are called, we're constructing the new parliament, showing you how the … [Link]
Mashable » New footage shows violent 2013 arrest of black Delaware man
Dash cam footage that captured the violent 2013 arrest of a 30-year-old black man by a Dover, Delaware, police officer was deemed no longer confidential by a federal judge and posted to the Dover Police Department's YouTube channel on Thursday. See also: Women who lost family to police violence turn grief into justice The video shows the man, Lateef Dickerson, … [Link]
Popular Science » MIT Tests Thinking SeaBots
In the ocean depths, off the western coast of Australia, a robot captain was listening to its subordinates. This isn't the plot of a science fiction. Instead it's part of a… [Link]
Slashdot » Centimeter-Resolution GPS For Smartphones, VR, Drones
agent elevator writes: UT Austin engineers have come up with a software fix that corrects for the errors GPS has when using the tiny antennas on smartphones. They demoed it using a VR setup and got 2-cm accuracy. For now it runs on a separate processor from the smartphone, but they say they'll fix that. The demo appears to have … [Link]
Mashable » Sarah Michelle Gellar wants to help DIY your Mother's Day
She’s already slayed vampires. Now Sarah Michelle Gellar has her sights set on conquering Pinterest. On Tuesday, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress joined the crafty social network, launching a variety of lifestyle and DIY boards in preparation for Mother's Day. Crafts, snack ideas and home decor inspiration — SMG has got you covered! See also: 10 Pinterest trends coming for … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Snake Gets Relaunch For Smartphone Era
The original cellphone casual game is back: Snake is being relaunched as Snake Rewind for Android, iOS and Windows. While the game dates back in various forms to the 1970s, its most famous version came preloaded on Nokia phones in the late 1990s, right at the time that owning a cellphone became genuinely mainstream. That made it popular not only … [Link]
Mashable » Top 10 Instagram emoji at the Met Gala — including a bee for Bey
The Met Gala's biggest celebs proved that social media cannot be stopped, no matter what Anna Wintour decrees See also: Rihanna's Met Gala dress: We found memes in a hopeless place Many attendees broke the social media and selfie ban on Monday In fact, almost half of all Met Gala Instagrams featured emoji in the captions. Instagram, which now allows you … [Link]
Mashable » If you're staying up all night, here's how to follow the UK election
LONDON — If you're a politics nerd or news junkie there's no bigger event than an election — it's our FA Cup, our version of the Super Bowl — a chance to stay up all night to watch the results as they roll in. See also: Election 2015 live: The UK votes With the major polls tied ahead of the UK … [Link]
Slashdot » No Justice For Victims of Identity Theft
chicksdaddy writes: The Christian Science Monitor's Passcode features a harrowing account of one individual's experience of identity theft. CSM reporter Sara Sorcher recounts the story of "Jonathan Franklin" (not his real name) a New Jersey business executive who woke up to find thieves had stolen his identity and racked up $30,000 in a shopping spree at luxury stores including Versace … [Link]
Popular Science » IBM’s Watson Comes To Cancer Clinics To Fine-Tune Treatments
Watson is a cognitive computing system with a reputation for handling data problems large and small, from culinary innovations to running an efficient business meeting to,… [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Sunlight Foundation to Roll Out a Unified API
The Sunlight Foundation has announced that it is rolling out new websites, mobile applications, a unified API and an enhanced data explorer tool in the coming months. The Sunlight Foundation is also in the process of developing two major platforms, one that focuses on the federal government and one that focuses on state governments.
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Mashable » Vodafone apologizes for shutting down Nepal earthquake survivor's phone
A United Kingdom woman who was caught in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake said she was hit with an expensive phone bill and a temporary block on service for calls she made in the wake of the disaster Sarah Khadka-Lowe told The Guardian that Vodafone charged her £157, or about $239, for roaming charges she incurred while notifying relatives that … [Link]
Mashable » In defense of paid media: 5 reasons it still matters
This article is part of SWOT Team, a series on Mashable that features insights from leaders in marketing, brand-building and public relations. Earned, owned, and paid media are how we typically slice up our communications mix. Back in 2009, as social media started changing the way we approach our communications programs, Forrester defined those terms. While the unbiased authority of influencers … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Finding new in the Web
At Fluent 2015, we brought together a variety of stories about front-end engineering – some technical, some social, some more intricately intertwined. From the very first day, it was clear that React was the big technical story of the conference, … [Link]
Mashable » If Neil deGrasse Tyson were more like a Super Saiyan on 'Cosmos'
This is how you get kids excited about science. YouTube user matt01ss re-edited some footage from FOX science mini series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey to transform host, Neil deGrasse Tyson into a powerful Super Saiyan from the Dragonball series. Rest assured; Goku is no match for Neil deGrasse Tyson. 
Tearjerker alert: Women from 5 to 50 describe what 'mother' means … [Link]
Mashable » iPhone 6 Plus is a rocket fuel for phablet sales in the U.S.
Sales of outsized smartphones, or phablets, have almost quadrupled in the United States over the past year — thanks mostly to Apple's new larger iPhones That's according to numbers from market research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, which found that phablet sales have spiked since the release of the iPhone 6 Plus. See also: Just How Different Are the iPhone 6 and … [Link]
Mashable » Fitbit files for $100 million IPO
Fitbit thinks it's finally fit for an IPO The wearable device maker filed paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday to raise as much as $100 million in a public offering. It will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker $FIT (of course). The company reported revenue of $745.4 million and turned a profit of $137.7 … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » I Scream for These Fake Ben & Jerry’s Horror Movie Ice Cream Flavors
Even though these Ben & Jerry’s horror movie ice cream flavors by John Squires and artist Frank Browning are fake, we kind of wish they’d be real, especially the “Klaatu Banana Nikto,” just because “Army of Darkness” rocked! Check ‘em all out below! 
The post I Scream for These Fake Ben & Jerry’s Horror Movie Ice Cream Flavors appeared first … [Link]
Slashdot » Electron Microscopes Close To Imaging Individual Atoms
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Science: Today's digital photos are far more vivid than just a few years ago, thanks to a steady stream of advances in optics, detectors, and software. Similar advances have also improved the ability of machines called cryo-electron microscopes (cryo-EMs) to see the Lilliputian world of atoms and molecules. Now, researchers report that … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Sense8: A New Netflix Series by The Wachowskis [Trailer]
I don’t know about you guys, but this new Netflix original series by The Wachowskis is really promising, and if it’s as good as Daredevil was, we’re really in for an awesome treat! One moment links 8 minds in disparate parts of the world, putting 8 strangers in each other’s lives, each other’s secrets, and in terrible danger. All 12 … [Link]
Mashable » Tearjerker alert: Women from 5 to 50 describe what 'mother' means to them
Get your tissues ready. It's almost impossible to put a mother's love into words, but in this video from The Cut, 45 women — from ages 5 to 50 — try to describe what the word "mother" means to them. Go ahead and call your mom now. 'Walk in Shanghai' is a high-definition vision of the city's urban appeal If … [Link]
Mashable » Stephen Colbert grants the wishes of more than 800 South Carolina teachers
Stephen Colbert will be funding every existing teacher grant request in the South Carolina public school system made through DonorsChoose.org, the late-night talk show host announced Thursday Colbert partnered with Share Fair Nation and ScanSource to fund nearly 1,000 projects for more than 800 teachers in 375 schools. Total donations for the project will come to $800,000, a substantial amount of … [Link]
Popular Science » Transgenic Cows Might Help Struggling Farmers In Africa
The answer to a deadly disease in Africa could be a babbling, bumbling band of baboons–or at least their genes, anyway. One-third of the African continent is almost completely free of cattle. About the size of the continental U.S., the region cannot support livestock because of the tsetse flies–tiny bugs no bigger than a half an inch–which live there. Molecular … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Google Unveils Cloud Bigtable, Big Data NoSQL Database Service
Google on Wednesday announced the launch of Google Cloud Bigtable, giving developers access to the same database technology behind Google Search, Gmail, YouTube and Analytics.
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Mashable » Uncle Joey will visit Netflix's 'Fuller House'
Netflix’s Full House sequel Fuller House just got, well, fuller. Dave Coulier, who played comedian-slash-uncle Joey Gladstone on the original series, has said he will be making a return visit to the show when it debuts on the streaming network in 2016. See also: 10 modern 'Full House' plots for Netflix to consider He broke the news in an Instagram post … [Link]
Mashable » Happy couple gets engaged at Ed Sheeran concert
Ed Sheeran, music's biggest softy, couldn't resist infusing his Wednesday night concert in Austin, Texas with a bit of romance Midway through an acoustic rendition of "All of The Stars," off the Fault In Our Stars soundtrack, Sheeran stopped, put down his guitar and said, "So, I never actually do this…" before inviting a couple on stage. Though Sheeran played … [Link]
Mashable » Vegemite-flavored chocolate bars will soon be a very real thing
Vegemite, an Australian savory spread made from yeast, veggies and spices, has many purposes. For example, it can even go with chocolate See also: Cadbury chocolate bar that packs 7 flavors into one will satisfy every sweet tooth Cadbury Australia confirmed that the limited-edition flavor pairing was, indeed, happening .@Cadbury + Vegemite. The most talked about flavour combination yet… is real! #ChocPlusWhat pic.twitter.com/rU7S7CgYQi — … [Link]
Mashable » Journal temporarily removes editorial claiming you can't 'outrun' obesity
A widely-publicized British Journal of Sports Medicine editorial claiming that exercise alone cannot induce significant weight loss without dietary changes has been “temporarily removed” by the journal due to an “expression of concern.” Retraction Watch first reported the temporary removal on Tuesday See also: You can't 'outrun' obesity: Study says exercise doesn't help weight loss “The article was taken down temporarily, … [Link]
Mashable » Rare video of post-WWII Berlin shows war-torn city in vivid color
A color video of Berlin in 1945 gives a vivid picture of a side of Germany not often seen — the country left to rebuild from the rubble of World War II. Civilians are seen cycling along damaged city streets and clearing piles of debris. The archive video was posted to YouTube this week, ahead of the 70th anniversary of … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Geek Recreates Original Dungeons & Dragons Cover Art with 50,000 LEGO Bricks
Eric Harshbarger took 2 months to build this epic 50,000 LEGO bricks version of the original cover art for the 1977 version of the basic Dungeons & Dragons set. The mosaic is 90″ tall and 75″ wide and features twenty different colors of bricks. The whole thing is attached to 30 extra large baseplates to bring some stability to the … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Rosetta's wrong water could be right after all
Comet 67P's water isn't like Earth's – it's interstellar stuff, from the same mould as the pristine material that made the solar system (full text available to subscribers) 
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O'Reilly News and Commentary » Making a business case for design decisions
Buy Articulating Design Decisions, by Tom Greever, currently in early release. Note: this post is an excerpt from the book. While every project is different and every client has unique needs, Ive found that there are some ways of explaining … [Link]
Mashable » Chicken soup for the Facebook soul: Social media helps fight homelessness in D.C.
American GreetingsThe ThankList is presented by American Greetings. We've all heard of a bucketlist, but what about a ThankList? It's a list of people you want to thank for shaping you as a person. And a step toward a world that's just a little bit nicer. Who’s on your ThankList?It's 1:30 p.m. – three hours before a morsel of food will … [Link]
Popular Science » Add Graphene To Spider Silk To Create The Strongest Fiber Yet
Your move, limpets. Earlier this year, the long-reigning champion of the Strongest Biological Material Competition, spider silk, was usurped by the upstart limpet teeth. [Link]
Mashable » News anchor wishes everyone a great 'dry hump day' on live TV
Amy Andrews is having a terrible dry hump day The Fox 2 Detroit anchor meant "dry" in reference to the weather — and happened to pair it (unfortunately) alongside the phrase "hump day" (a.k.a. Wednesday). She didn't mean the other thing The slip-up happened during the station's morning news broadcast. When your co-anchor has an embarrassing moment on live TV, … [Link]
Mashable » Woman dies by drowning in her storm shelter during Oklahoma City deluge
Oklahoma City endured an approximately eight-hour nonstop onslaught of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday into early Thursday morning, leaving the metropolitan area strewn with debris and impassable roadways As tornadoes descended upon the city's southern suburbs on Wednesday night, a woman in the 16500 block of South Midwest Boulevard entered her storm shelter, as instructed by meteorologists. However, she did not emerge … [Link]
Slashdot » FAA Program Tests Drones Flying Beyond Pilot's Line-of-Sight
itwbennett writes: FAA administrator Michael P. Huerta announced Wednesday a new Pathfinder Program under which the agency has partnered with three U.S. companies to explore three key types of unmanned operations, possibly paving the way for operations such as the aerial delivery of packages as proposed by companies like Amazon.com. One of the companies the FAA has partnered with is … [Link]
Mashable » Tech expert Newt Gingrich thinks virtual reality is the future
Newt Gingrich should be writing tech reviews. The former Speaker of the House and Republican presidential candidate blogged about his experience using the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, and his glowing review echoed the sentiments of many a smitten journalist. See also: Virtual reality, explained with some trippy optical illusions "That may sound ridiculous, but within a minute of putting on … [Link]
Mashable » Ed Helms brings back the Griswold family road trip in 'Vacation' trailer
Time to renew your Jelly of the Month Club membership — the Griswold family is back. Warner Bros. has released the red-band trailer for Vacation, a continuation of the popular Chevy Chase-helmed films of the '80s and '90s. Ed Helms stars as Clark's son Rusty, with the rest of the cast including Christina Applegate, Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Mann also … [Link]
Mashable » Willow Smith's new video is probably too genius for you to understand
Devout disciples of teenage geniuses Jaden and Willow Smith are having a rough week after Jaden quit Twitter Fortunately, Willow is here to pick up the pieces of our broken hearts with a new video that she co-directed for her new single, "F Q-C #7" (pronounced "Frequency 7"). See also: 6 really deep moments from Jaden and Willow Smith's bizarre interview … [Link]
Popular Science » Measles Vaccine Reduces Deaths From Other Diseases
The measles vaccine is generally considered to be one of public health’s great success stories; just over a century ago, in 1920, more than 7,500 Americans died from measles, but within the past 10 years, not one person has died from the disease. According to a study published today in Science, the measles vaccine has done more than protect against … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » What’s Your Biggest Fantasy? [Comic]
[Source: Pie Comic | Like “Pie Comic” on Facebook] The post What’s Your Biggest Fantasy? [Comic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Mashable » 20+ professional events in social media, development and design
The Mashable Events Board is a great place to find leading conferences in your industry, whether it's advertising, technology, media or public relations. This week, we're highlighting five events that can help move your career forward. If you don't find anything that's right for you, check out dozens of other events featured in our complete listing. Read more… 
Mashable » Facebook study shows that you — not an algorithm — are your own worst enemy
When it comes to walling ourselves off from opposing political views using social media, we are our own worst enemies. That's the conclusion of a new study by three researchers affiliated with Facebook, published today in the prominent journal Science The study examined data from 10.1 million Facebook users to find out how frequently we're exposed to stories from people with … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » GitHub Launches Advanced Support for Jupyter (Formerly IPython)
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New Scientist – News » Mercury's magnetic heart was beating soon after its birth
The planet's molten core became magnetic nearly 4 billion years ago – potentially making Mercury's magnetic field the most enduring in our solar system 
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New Scientist – News » Measles leaves you vulnerable to a host of deadly diseases
Here's another reason to vaccinate kids. Measles wipes our immune system memory, leaving us at risk of diseases such as meningitis and pneumonia 
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Mashable » Watch the new trailer for Netflix's trippy thriller 'Sense8'
The Wachowskis, the producing-directing team behind The Matrix and Jupiter Ascending, have teamed up with Netflix to bring their special brand of strange to the streaming network, and now there's a trailer for the new project Sense8, which stars Daryl Hannah and Naveen Andrews, follows the lives of 8 people in different parts of the world who are linked in … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Zoologger: Necrophiliac spider mite prefers its mate dead
This tiny wannabe lover waits for females to emerge from their larval stage to mate – but sometimes gets tricked by a dead one 
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Slashdot » Defense Distributed Sues State Department Over 3-D Gun Censorship
SonicSpike writes with word that Cody Wilson, whose projects to create (and disseminate the plans for) printable guns have fascinated some and horrified others, is not going to quietly comply with the U.S. State Deparment's demand that he remove such plans from the internet. Wilson, says Wired, is picking a fight that could pit proponents of gun control and defenders … [Link]
Mashable » Is the Apple Watch secretly waterproof?
The Apple Watch is water-resistant and Apple CEO Tim Cook even says he showers with his on. But can you actually take it for a swim without destroying its complex circuitry? The answer isn't so clear. A number of video tests suggest the Apple Watch is more water-resistant than Apple is letting on. See also: The top 10 tips and tricks … [Link]
Popular Science » The Army Wants Invisible Uniforms
There is no better way to survive a fight than not getting hit. Camouflage, the art of making troops look like plants or rocks, is a classic approach to increasing survival… [Link]
Mashable » Yelp is reportedly exploring a sale, and the stock shoots up 15% in joy
Is an acquirer about to give Yelp a positive review? Shares of the local-business review site spiked sharply on Thursday, shooting up around 15% in a matter of minutes. Investors were spurred by a report from the Wall Street Journal that the company was exploring a sale. Investors quickly bought up the stock on the hopes that an acquisition would value … [Link]
Mashable » Youngest ever Guantanamo detainee released after 13 years
Toronto-born Omar Khadr, the youngest ever detainee held in Guantanamo Bay's prison, was released from Canadian prison on bail Thursday. A judge refused a final attempt by the Canadian government to keep him jailed. Khadr, who was taken into custody at 15-years-old, was convicted of killing a U.S. soldier and spent 10 years in the U.S. detention center. See also: CIA … [Link]
Slashdot » Tesla To Unveil Its $35,000 Model 3 In March 2016
An anonymous reader with the news, as reported by Ars Technica, BGR, the WSJ, and more, that Tesla, in the course of the company's most recent earnings call, has announced plans to show off its much-anticipated Model 3 in March, 2016, and somewhat more tentative plans for actual availability; "late 2017" might be optimistic, but it's a start. You can … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Uganda's forests dwindle as illegal settlers hollow them out
Despite a government promise to reverse deforestation, settlers are continuing to destroy forest reserves and the wildlife that once thrived there 
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Mashable » China is blacklisting travelers who misbehave on vacation
Beijing is embarrassed by the bad behavior of some Chinese tourists, and it's getting serious about putting a stop to it. Authorities have blacklisted four people for misbehaving while traveling as part of an effort to improve the image of Chinese tourists, about 100 million of whom are visiting the world's tourist attractions while earning a reputation for rudeness. See also: … [Link]
ProgrammableWeb.com » Dropbox API V2 Brings Sync, Datastore API Deprecations
Dropbox recently announced the upcoming release of the Dropbox API version 2. The goal of the release is to simplify the developer experience.
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Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Pun-isher: When It Comes to Revenge He is Number… Pun [Video]
His family was murdered in cold blood. He turned justice into Punishment. He makes bad plays on words. He is: The Pun-isher. [ADHD] The post The Pun-isher: When It Comes to Revenge He is Number… Pun [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Mashable » Uncrewed, out-of-control Russian spaceship is about to meet its fiery end
An ill-fated (but uncrewed) Russian spaceship initially bound for the International Space Station will go down in flames tonight when it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere, updated reports suggest. The Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) currently predicts that the spacecraft should re-enter Earth’s atmosphere anytime between 6:13 p.m. and 9:51 p.m. EDT. (There is still a chance that estimate will be … [Link]
Mashable » Extra, extra: Print publications continue race against time to shift to digital
Time is racing against time. To be fair, so are most of its cohort who are still reliant on an advertising upturn for expensive print editions, including News Corp. Both companies reported sharp revenue declines this week Time Inc. reported another revenue decline in its first-quarter earnings report on Thursday, as the money generated from its traditional means (print ads, magazine … [Link]
Mashable » Couple in stock photo 'appalled' to see their faces on anti-gay marriage poster
A young couple featured in a stock photo used on an anti-gay marriage poster in Ireland is "appalled" that their image is being used for a cause they don't believe in. The photo, featured on a poster asking Irish voters to vote against same-sex marriage in the country's upcoming marriage referendum, shows a man and woman kissing the chubby cheeks of … [Link]
Mashable » UK polling places are as adorably British as it gets
Election officials smile as they operate a polling station inside a launderette in Oxford, England.Image: Alastair Grant/Associated PressMay 7 marks the day when the UK heads to the polls to vote for a new government. In truly British fashion, polling stations are far from the high school gym that so many Americans are used to seeing See also: Election 2015 … [Link]
Slashdot » NFL Releases Deflategate Report
_xeno_ writes: You may remember back in February that Slashdot covered the NFL asking Columbia University for help investigating Deflategate, a scandal where the New England Patriots were caught deflating their footballs in order to make them easier to catch. The Patriots claimed this was simply a result of the weather, while their opponents disagreed. Well, it's been months, but … [Link]
Mashable » Keurig caves on refillable K-Cups after 'underestimating the passion of the consumer'
Keurig is bringing back its controversial, refillable My K-Cup brewing pods after waking up to the fact that people won't buy their latest Keurig Brewers if they can't brew coffee their way. Later this year, the company will reintroduce My K-Cup, refillable brewing pods that let Keurig customers brew the grinds of their choice, in Keurig 2.0 brewers, CEO Brian Kelley … [Link]
Popular Science » Silver Makes Dead Bacteria Act Like Zombies
Chemists in Israel have discovered the walking dead of the microbial world. It turns out that bacteria slayed by silver can kill nearby living pathogens even after they're… [Link]
Mashable » Spotify will hold mystery news event just ahead of Apple's launch of Beats
As Apple reportedly readies for the launch of its Beats music streaming service next month, Spotify plans to get out ahead of the unveiling with a little news of its own. The Swedish-based company sent an invitation to members of the media on Thursday for an event that will be held on Wednesday, May 20 in New York City. The tagline … [Link]
Mashable » 'John Wick' and 'Grand Theft Auto V' are like peanut butter and violent jelly
We might never see a proper John Wick video game, but this trailer remake is Grand Theft Auto V is the next best thing. YouTube user Powerlight-13 used footage from Rockstar's latest crime adventure to piece it all together, laying the audio from the original trailer on top of the video. The final product is a surprisingly accurate recreation. John Wick tells … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Legolas to Gimli: Side by Side with a Friend [Video]
Bet you didn’t expect that! 🙂 Legolas and Gimli have a classic bromance. At least, that’s the way Legolas sees it. [BrotherhoodWorkshop] The post Legolas to Gimli: Side by Side with a Friend [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Mashable » Flickr's redesign makes it much easier to find the photo you're looking for
Yahoo is giving Flickr a big IQ boost. The company announced on Thursday it is refreshing its apps to take advantage of Flickr's image recognition abilities. The move is part of a greater effort to improve search, organizational features and streamline the uploading process, which will make it easier to move photos off your devices See also: 13 Spectacular Photos of … [Link]
Mashable » Send us your UK election confessions on WhatsApp
LONDON — We're not asking you how you voted, but we do want to hear from you about the UK general election. See also: The first-time voter's guide to the UK election Did you take your dog/ferret/horse to the polling station? Are you planning an election all-nighter? Will you be watching Dimbleby or Paxman? Are you an expat or just an … [Link]
Mashable » 'Snake Rewind' brings us back to the days of dumbphone gaming
Snake is about to have a second renaissance. The simple game of collecting pellets with an ever-moving, ever-growing line that can't double back over itself is set to return next week as Snake Rewind. It's a revamped version that marries the classic gameplay with all sorts of modern-day trappings, like power-ups, an in-game store (of course), social media integration and the … [Link]
Slashdot » Why Companies Should Hire Older Developers
Nerval's Lobster writes: Despite legislation making it overtly illegal, ageism persists in the IT industry. If you're 40 or older, you've probably seen cases where younger developers were picked over older ones. At times we're told there's a staffing crisis, that companies need to import more developers via H-1B, but the truth is that outsourcing and downsizing eliminated a subset … [Link]
Mashable » James Franco defends McDonald's wages, but why?
James Franco wrote a great ad for McDonald's as a great place to work in the Washington Post Thursday morning in a nostalgic op-ed about his days as a fast-food worker snarfing down fries straight from the hopper and testing out foreign accents on customers As a piece of business advice, however, it's horribly misguided. Titled "McDonald’s was there for me … [Link]
Mashable » The British election that had people dancing in the streets
Image: Jack Garofalo/Paris Match via Getty ImagesThe British election of 1959 was an unusual one. All three of the main political parties – the centre-right wing Conservative Party (the Tories), the centre-left wing Labour party, and the Liberal party – had brand-new leaders. For the Conservatives, this was Harold Macmillan who had just taken over from Anthony Eden. Eden had been unpopular after the … [Link]
Mashable » A parody medley to remember your favorite dead 'Game of Thrones' characters
Spoiler Warning: Don't watch this if you haven't seen the first four seasons of Game of Thrones. If you like associating your favorite songs with brutal, horrific violence and death, we have the parody song for you. This mash-up, created by the Warp Zone, features several popular characters who've died on Game of Thones, lamenting their fate to the tune … [Link]
Popular Science » Artificial Lightning Gives A Detailed View Of Thunder
Seeing sounds might seem like a product of too much coffee, but scientists in Florida have successfully imaged thunder. To produce these acoustic maps of thunder,… [Link]
Mashable » Impressionist recasts 'Lord of the Rings' with celebrity perfection
Well, Middle Earth was great while it lasted. Impressionist Jamie Costa painted a picture for us of what it would look like if Robin Williams, George W. Bush and Matthew McConaughey all formed a fellowship to help Gandelf destroy the ring. The outlook looks less than promising. Where's a hobbit when you need one? 'John Wick' and 'Grand Theft Auto … [Link]
Mashable » Playful baby foxes find a dog's toy ball
A Washington, D.C. resident had quite the surprise when some movement in his backyard set off his security lights. When he looked outside, there were two little fox kits that had wandered into his yard — and were very curious about his dog's tennis ball The toy was a delightful treat for the little foxes, who could hardly contain their … [Link]
Mashable » Blind mother-to-be surprised with 3D-printed ultrasound
For many mothers, getting a sneak peek at their baby inside their womb is a very special moment But that wasn't possible — at least in the conventional sense — for 30-year-old Tatiana Guerra from Brazil, who lost her vision at the age of 17. Guerra was given the opportunity to visualize her unborn baby, Murilo, by turning the ultrasound … [Link]
Mashable » Victory Day fail: Russia's tank to defeat all tanks breaks down mid-rehearsal
Russia’s highly anticipated new super tank broke down on Thursday during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade set to take place at Moscow's Red Square on Saturday, celebrating 70 years since the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The new Armata T-14, hyped as Russia's answer to the West's most powerful self-propelled artillery, stalled in front … [Link]
Mashable » Elon Musk reveals a tentative timeline for the $35,000 Tesla Model 3
If you want to know what Tesla's affordable electric car, the Model 3, will look like, you'll need to wait about a year. CEO Elon Musk revealed on a company earnings call Wednesday that the company plans to unveil the Tesla Model 3 — which is expected to cost about $35,000 before government subsidies — in March 2016, although he quickly … [Link]
Slashdot » US Appeals Court Says NSA Phone Surveillance Is Not Authorized By Congress
New submitter IronOxen writes: A panel of three federal judges for the second circuit overturned an earlier ruling. The court has ruled that the bulk collection of telephone metadata is unlawful, in a landmark decision that clears the way for a full legal challenge against the National Security Agency: "'We hold that the text of section 215 cannot bear the … [Link]
Popular Science » Ecosystems Suffer As Large Herbivores Stand On The Brink Of Extinction
Humans aren't the only ones suffering in a changing environment. While Californians grapple with drought, wild animals in the west are moving into cities, thirsty and… [Link]
Mashable » Taylor Swift to premiere star-studded 'Bad Blood' music video at Billboard Music Awards
Taylor Swift is shedding some bad blood at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. The singer will premiere her music video for "Bad Blood" at the awards show, which airs May 17. It's directed by Joseph Kahn, who also helmed the "Blank Space" video, and will be the fourth single from her hit album, 1989 See also: See Taylor Swift's setlist and … [Link]
Mashable » A bunch of random animals are just chilling at UK polling stations
LONDON — Millions of people came to vote in the general election Thursday, and many of them brought pets. #DogsAtPollingStations started trending on Twitter, but it wasn't just canines that made the effort. A lamb was spotted at Ed Miliband's station early in the day while cats and ferrets and a horse or two have joined the menagerie. See also: Election … [Link]
Mashable » Nicaragua 'selfie tour' brings new meaning to 'pics or it didn't happen'
If you took an amazing vacation but didn't post any drool-worthy photos on social media, did it even happen? A new tour option in Nicaragua could make you wonder. El Camino Travel is now offering a "selfie tour," which includes a personal photographer to provide dreamy, Instagram-ready images See also: Man's bull-running selfie in Spain is extreme — and illegal Each … [Link]
Mashable » TSA returns $100,000 watch to traveler who lost it at Newark airport
Travelers going through airport security often leave things behind, either on the conveyor belt or in those annoying plastic trays. Usually it's loose change or a driver's license, but sometimes it's something valuable — like a $100,000 gold and diamond watch. See also: How much change did you leave with the TSA this year? That's what one apparently high-rolling traveler left … [Link]
Slashdot » Counter-Strike Finally Gets the League It Deserves
An anonymous reader writes: Counter-Strike is the oldest eSport in the world today, with its roots stretching back to the dawn of the millennium. But unlike rival games like League of Legends or StarCraft 2, its pro scene has been mostly reliant on sporadic tournaments instead of a regularised league. That's changed with the announcement of the ESL ESEA Pro … [Link]
Mashable » NSA's bulk collection of Americans' phone records was illegal, court says
A federal appeals court in New York ruled that the bulk collection of Americans' phone records by the National Security Agency (NSA) is illegal The Thursday decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan found that the program "exceeds the scope of what Congress has authorized," according to the 97-page ruling See also: Edward Snowden sculpture freed from … [Link]
Mashable » Japanese zoo apologizes for naming a newborn monkey after the royal baby
Of all the names in the world for a newborn monkey, perhaps Charlotte wasn't the best choice. Just days after the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her second child, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana (a.k.a. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge), the Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden in southern Japan bestowed the name on a baby macaque. See also: Stop your guessing, the royal baby … [Link]
Mashable » What if Siri was your mom?
We all like to challenge Siri with intimate questions that you might ask your mother, like: "How do I know if a guy likes me?" or "Do you think I should take this job?" See also: 20 Moments When We Needed Siri and She Let Us Down But what if your mother was Siri? The Daily Dot decided to find … [Link]
Popular Science » An Atlantic City Casino That Claims It Can Extend Your Life
Last month, real estate tycoon Glenn Straub bought the Atlantic City casino formerly known as Revel for $82 million. Among the amenities he's adding to the property are… [Link]
New Scientist – News » Human vs machine as top poker pros take on AI
Over two weeks, four human poker players will duke it out against poker software in 80,000 hands of Heads Up No Limit Texas Hold‘em for a $100,000 cash prize 
[Link]
Mashable » Alibaba replaces CEO with a younger one less than 9 months after going public
What a difference a few months make. Alibaba surprised investors and industry watchers on Thursday by announcing plans to replace its current CEO less than nine months after the Chinese e-commerce giant raised $25 billion in the largest public offering in history. Daniel Zhang, Alibaba's COO since 2013, will take over as CEO this week from Jonathan Lu, an early employee … [Link]
Mashable » Unprecedented flooding and tornadoes in Oklahoma swallow cars and storm shelters
UPDATED, 12:32 p.m. ET: One fatality from the storms has been confirmed, according to the Weather Channel, with an Oklahoma woman found dead from drowning in her storm shelter. Oklahoma City, which is no stranger to severe weather, was hit by multiple large and capricious tornadoes on Wednesday evening along with record heavy rains that made the metro area virtually … [Link]
Slashdot » Export Ban Drives Cuba To Non-US Analytics Software To Boost Tourism
dkatana writes with some crucial lines from an article at InformationWeek: Currently Cuba receives around 2.8 million visitors every year, half of them from Canada. Mintur, the Cuban Tourist Ministry, estimates that if Americans were free to travel to Cuba today, the number of visitors would increase by two million the first year. Last year the Cuban government was interested … [Link]
Popular Science » Look At This Ferrari Designer’s Slick Spaceship Idea
Sure, space travel is cool, but rarely do iconic spacecraft look like works of art. Design constraints and real-world realities leave rockets less fantastical than those… [Link]
Mashable » Millennials give their moms worst Mother's Day gifts ever
What's a Mother's Day without a prank phone call that temporarily paralyzes your mother with fear? Elite Daily wrangled up a few millennials to carry out some pre-Mother's Day pranking on their moms. Some told their mothers they were pregnant, some told their mothers their girlfriends were pregnant and some told their mothers they were arrested for public urination. You … [Link]
Mashable » Jimmy Fallon, Kerry Washington sing a scandalous duet
Sorry, Jimmy Fallon, it looks like Olivia Pope handled your lips all the way to D.C. and back The scandalous Kerry Washington stopped by Wednesday's The Tonight Show and played "lip flip," revealing just how much she loves to sing about her own TV show. And how frighteningly comfortable she seems with using Fallon's lips. 'Walk in Shanghai' is a … [Link]
Mashable » Sports leagues respond to Periscope with panic and bans
Stephanie Wei was introduced to Periscope by a swing instructor a month ago at the Masters, the most prestigious tournament on the Professional Golf Association Tour. Last week, her use of the little live-streaming video app caused the PGA to revoke her credentials, banning Wei, a well-known golf blogger, from covering the PGA Tour for the rest of the season. Her … [Link]
Mashable » Friend who witnessed Michael Brown's shooting arrested
Dorian Johnson, the man who was with Michael Brown at the time of his death, was arrested on suspicion of drug charges and resisting arrest in St. Louis on Wednesday Johnson was with a group of men and allegedly had illegal narcotics on him, according to a report from St. Louis Post-Dispatch that cites a police source. See also: Women who … [Link]
Mashable » The curious history of the house on a cliff
c. 1890Image: John PopeThe first Cliff House was built in 1858, above Ocean Beach, in west San Francisco. It has been rebuilt five times since for various reasons, such as remodeling or damage.In 1894, the third, and most photographed, incarnation of the house was built by Adolph Sutro, a successful mining engineer. Sutro built the seven-story mansion in Victorian style, an … [Link]
Mashable » Shaq tripped, fell, lost a shoe and broke part of a TV set
Timber! Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal took a little tumble (read: he ate it, hard) during the Inside the NBA halftime show of the Rockets vs. Clippers game Wednesday night. He fell so hard, in fact, he lost a shoe and broke part of the show's set See also: Shaq cooks with an Easy-Bake Oven. What could go wrong? Here … [Link]
Slashdot » Voting With Dollars: Politicians and Their Staffers Roll With Uber
The Center for Public Integrity, an anonymous reader writes, has conducted an analysis of the relationship between one interesting group of riders (275 federal politicians and political committees) and ride-sharing services like Uber. From their report, it seems this group "together spent more than $278,000 on at least 7,625 Uber rides during the 2013-2014 election cycle." That's a roughly 18-fold … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » The tensor renaissance in data science
After sitting in on UC Irvine Professor Anima Anandkumars Strata + Hadoop World 2015 in San Jose presentation,I wrote a post urging the data community to build tensor decomposition libraries for data science. The feedback Ive gotten from readers has … [Link]
Mashable » The ballad of David Dimbleby: Why America should watch this UK election show
You could call the BBC's Election Night anchor David Dimbleby the British answer to Walter Cronkite, but it's perhaps more accurate to say that Dimbleby is what you'd get if Roger Moore and David Frost and Winston Churchill adopted a child and sprinkled him with extra gravitas You could also say Dimbleby is an institution, but it would be more accurate … [Link]
Mashable » Photos: 1960s beach culture on Australia's Gold Coast
The Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, has been known for its golden sands and beach bums for decades. But it's also home to Australia's meter maids, bronzed bods and glitzy nightlife — a trait that some consider to be a rip-off of the Miami scene. During the 1960s, '70s and '80s, events such as the Sun Girl Quest and the beer … [Link]
Popular Science » New Chinese Submarine Simulator Provides Clues To Future Naval Power
China's stealthiest nuclear attack submarine hasn't hit the water yet, but the Chinese Navy already has a simulator for the Type 095. [Link]
Slashdot » What To Say When the Police Tell You To Stop Filming Them
HughPickens.com writes: Robinson Meyer writes in The Atlantic that first of all, police shouldn't ask. "As a basic principle, we can't tell you to stop recording," says Delroy Burton, a 21-year veteran of DC's police force. "If you're standing across the street videotaping, and I'm in a public place, carrying out my public functions, [then] I'm subject to recording, and … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Amazon Deal of the Day: Up to 50% Off Select Tech Accessories (Laptop Backpacks, Keyboard Cases, Surge Protector, and More!)
For today’s edition of Deal of the Day, Amazon offers up to 50% on on select tech accessories such as laptop backpacks, keyboard cases for your iPad, a surge protector, and even more! [Up to 50% Off Select Tech Accessories] The post Amazon Deal of the Day: Up to 50% Off Select Tech Accessories (Laptop Backpacks, Keyboard Cases, Surge Protector, … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » The Second Month of the Siege [Comic]
[Source: Adam Ellis Comics on Facebook | Follow Adam Ellis on Twitter | Adam Ellis (Official)] The post The Second Month of the Siege [Comic] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News. [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Should We Let Pandas Go Extinct: A Scientific Approach to the Problem [Video]
Minute Earth takes a rational approach to the question: Should we let Pandas go extinct? While a lot of people may freak out if humanity simply decides to let pandas go, the explanation provided by Minute Earth makes total sense. [MinuteEarth] The post Should We Let Pandas Go Extinct: A Scientific Approach to the Problem [Video] appeared first on Geeks … [Link]
Geeks are Sexy Technology News » Los Angeles is Hosting a Cat Convention, Because Of Course It Is
Do you like cats? Do you like the Internet? Do you like conventions? Then CatCon L.A. 2015 is just purr-fect for you! 
The 2-day event will take place at the The Reef in Los Angeles, CA, from June 6-7 — but it isn’t actually cat-friendly, so leave those felines at home. According to the website: CatConLa is a two-day weekend … [Link]
Mashable » MashMe turns you into an animated character with just a webcam
Multiple services let you create a cartoonish version of yourself using a photograph. Now, a startup called MashMe lets you do that with video — just stand in front of a webcam, talk and gesticulate, and the resulting video replaces you with an animated character in real time The technology recognizes body movements, facial expressions and your voice; it senses when … [Link]
New Scientist – News » How I learned to see using my bat supersense
Born blind, Brian Borowski taught himself to echolocate while playing hide-and-seek with his brothers. He says that using the technique has opened up his world 
[Link]
Mashable » 'Game of Thrones' fan shows what Westeros would look like on Google Maps
What if you could navigate through George R.R. Martin's fictional continent of Westeros, where most of hit series Game of Thrones is taking place, on Google Maps? While you can't do that just yet, you can at least see what it would look like, as one fan of the series created a Google Maps-flavored Westeros map. See also: The Game of … [Link]
Slashdot » Microsoft Releases PowerShell DSC For Linux
jones_supa writes: Microsoft is announcing that PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) for Linux is available for download in form of RPM and DEB packages. DSC is a new management platform that provides a set of PowerShell extensions that you can use to declaratively specify how you want your software environment to be configured. You can now use the DSC platform … [Link]
Mashable » 10 questions to ask a data scientist hire
Bringing a data scientist onto your team can help your company make sense of trends, anticipate the future and make better business decisions overall. But it's a role that encompasses many things, from deep technical knowledge and training to an understanding of real-world business problems — which means you have to do your due diligence when making the hire I spoke … [Link]
Mashable » Nintendo attractions are coming to Universal Studios theme parks
Who needs a merry-go-round when you can ride a Mario-go-round? Nintendo and Universal Parks & Resorts announced Thursday that they're partnering up to bring theme park attractions based on the video game publisher's beloved characters and worlds to Universal properties. The collaboration is still in its embryonic stages, so that's about the extent of what's been revealed. See also: Theme parks are … [Link]
Mashable » Vance Joy on upcoming Taylor Swift tour and sometimes reading the comments
Singer-songwriter Vance Joy has struck relative gold in the music world. In just a few weeks, he'll support Taylor Swift on her 1989 World Tour, and be exposed to millions of fans along the way — 1.6 million in North America alone. The tour kicked off this Tuesday in Tokyo and will make its way to the U.S. on May 20, … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Ebola experience is a wake-up call for the WHO
The World Health Organization is in need of both reform and money to give it the best chance of dealing with potential global health threats in future 
[Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » Four short links: 7 May 2015
Predicting a Billboard Music Hit (YouTube) — Shazam VP of Music and Platforms at Strata London. With relative accuracy, we can predict 33 days out what song will go to No. 1 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. Psychological … [Link]
O'Reilly News and Commentary » #Video Deal/Day: Python Best Practices – $39.99 (Save 50%) Use code DEAL
Get "Python Best Practices" today using code DEAL and save 50%!This sale ends at 2:00 AM 2015-05-08 (PDT, GMT-8:00). [Link]
Slashdot » Sorority Files Lawsuit After Sacred Secrets Posted On Penny Arcade Forums
Limekiller42 writes: Lawyers for the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority have filed suit in Seattle's King County Superior Court against an unidentified person for "publicizing the sorority's secret handshake, robe colors and other practices." The well-written article is by Levi Pulkkinen of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and states that the sorority is seeking a restraining order and financial compensation for damages. 
Read … [Link]
Mashable » New video platform Project UROK makes it OK for teens to talk about depression and anxiety
Mara Wilson, writer and performer who made her name as a child actress in Matilda and Mrs. Doubtfire, is sitting in front of a gray screen, hair gathered in a messy bun, wearing a sweatshirt with a stylized cat face on it and a big blue pin that says "UROK." In a casual tone that previous generations could never have conjured … [Link]
Slashdot » Santa Clara County Opts Against Buying Stingray Due To Excessive Secrecy
An anonymous reader writes: The Santa Clara County (California) Board of Supervisors voted in February to acquire a Stingray device for the sheriff's office. However, the subsequent negotiations with Harris Corp. required such a level of secrecy that the county announced that it will forego the $500,000 grant and not buy the device. In a memo released Wednesday, the County … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Fire ants roll 'snowballs' to dig a tunnel
Different excavation techniques allow fire ants to tunnel through a range of materials – some small and slippery, others with grains the size of their heads 
[Link]
New Scientist – News » Dutch researchers feared dead after disappearing in the Arctic
Two experienced Dutch researchers went missing while researching thinning ice in the Canadian Arctic. A rescue team found their dog by a hole in the ice 
[Link]
Mashable » Intense wildfire season anticipated in the West
Amid one the West's worst droughts in centuries, more than 5,600 wildfires scorched more than 600,000 acres last year in California alone. It could happen again. With drought showing signs of worsening across the West and Upper Midwest, the Forest Service anticipates that it may spend up to $1.6 billion fighting wildfires in 2015, in a fire season that is expected … [Link]
Mashable » Bird makes huge dent in the nose of a Boeing airplane
The Boeing 737-800 is a 130-foot-long jet aircraft with more than 150 seats and a maximum takeoff weight of more than 70 tons. So what happens when that giant flying machine gets hit right in the nose by a bird? A pretty big dent, apparently This is exactly what happened to Turkish Airlines flight TK2004, a domestic flight from Istanbul to … [Link]
Mashable » New species of a toothy 'penis worm' discovered
You might have heard of vagina dentata — the mythical "toothed vagina" born of male paranoia. But have you heard of the carnivorous penis-shaped worm known as Ottoia prolifica? This 505-million-year-old phallus-like creature actually had a throat full of teeth. Now, scientists who took a close look at the teeth of fossilized penis worms (or priapulids) have discovered a new species. … [Link]
Mashable » The UK press are still attempting to sway voters on election polling day
LONDON — With the general election upon us (and Mashable running live coverage all day and night), the papers are trying one last time to influence the vote. See also: Election 2015 live: The UK votes There are no surprises and fewer of the personal attacks than on Wednesday, which saw the Sun's attack on Ed Miliband mercilessly mocked on Twitter. … [Link]
Mashable » 'Furious 7' trailer 'Family' wins top honor at Golden Trailer Awards
LOS ANGELES — The best movie trailer of the year has no friends. It's got family. The Furious 7 “Family” trailer (above) from Universal Pictures/AV Squad’s took Best of Show Prize on Tuesday night at the 16th annual Golden Trailer Awards in Beverly Hills. The trailer also won Best Action SEE ALSO: How 'Furious 7' said goodbye to Paul Walker: … [Link]
Mashable » Two countries care more about the UK election than the UK, Google says
LONDON — Nigeria and Micronesia are more interested in the UK general election than the UK, according to what they're searching for on Google. See also: Election 2015 live: The UK votes News Lab at Google measured interest by analysing search data from people across the globe and found that the UK is in third place behind Nigeria (a Commonwealth member … [Link]
Mashable » 4 tips to seeing if an educational app will actually help your child learn
Imagine someone telling you that a new technology would be available in five years that has the potential to revolutionize childhood and early education. But the downside is that you will have to choose from among 80,000 possible options. This is the problem currently facing many parents. Following the invention of the iPad in 2010, by January 2015 there were 80,000 … [Link]
Slashdot » LinkedIn Used To Create Database of 27,000 US Intelligence Personnel
An anonymous reader writes: A new group, Transparency Toolkit, has mined LinkedIn to reveal and analyze the resumes of over 27,000 people in the U.S. intelligence community. In the process, Transparency Toolkit said it found previously unknown secret codewords and references to surveillance technologies and projects. "'Transparency Toolkit uses open data to watch the watchers and hold the powerful to … [Link]
Mashable » A pet rat and a therapy dog have the cutest Instagram you've ever seen
Ok, so we all know that unlikely animal friendships are more likely to happen than you might think, but this mismatched pair is one of the strangest and cutest relationships we've ever seen. See also: Baby rhino and calf become adorable best friends at the San Diego Zoo That's right, somewhere in Chicago a 3-year-old Dutch Shepard therapy dog named Osiris … [Link]
New Scientist – News » Withdrawal drug could help cannabis addicts kick the habit
An extract of cannabis itself could be the perfect drug to treat the growing numbers of people who want to kick their habit but suffer withdrawal symptoms 
[Link]
Mashable » 6 Harry Potter characters we weren't sad to see go
This article contains major Harry Potter spoilers! Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling recently went on record to express her sorrow to fans over the death of Fred Weasley. Her remarks are likely prompting many fans to think about all of the other great characters who died throughout the series. Sirius Black. Dobby. Dumbledore. Lupin and Tonks. The list goes on… But … [Link]
Mashable » New 3D simulator predicts how a bushfire will spread in real-time
Australia’s bushfires are getting worse, and their devastating impact is set to increase as climate change takes full effect. Known as Spark, a new project from Australia's peak science research body, the CSIRO, will help those in charge of keeping us safe — from firefighters to local government — better predict the behaviour of big blazes that threaten Australian lives and … [Link]
Mashable » Election 2015 live: The UK votes
The first-time voter's guide to the UK election May 05, 2015 
Vote in the UK election, but don't take a selfie May 06, 2015 
After the UK election, is David Cameron toast? May 05, 2015 After months of campaigning, voters are finally headed to the polls today, but the outcome is far from certain. Who will emerge as the UK's … [Link]
Mashable » The 7 unexpected problems with having an Uber addiction
It started slowly. Just a little free Uber code from a friend and then you are watching those mini cars drive around the mini map like nobody's business. Sure, you've heard about the risks, but now you are too far gone. You realise it costs 20% more, but what is 20% when you are talking about the quality of your ride? … [Link]
Slashdot » C Code On GitHub Has the Most "Ugly Hacks"
itwbennett writes: An analysis of GitHub data shows that C developers are creating the most ugly hacks — or are at least the most willing to admit to it. To answer the question of which programming language produces the most ugly hacks, ITworld's Phil Johnson first used the search feature on GitHub, looking for code files that contained the string … [Link]
Slashdot » Netflix Open-Sources Security Incident Management Tool
alphadogg writes: Netflix has released under an open-source license an internal tool it developed to manage a deluge of security alerts and incidents. Called FIDO (Fully Integrated Defense Operation), the tool is designed to research, score and categorize threats in order to speed up handling of the most urgent ones. Read more of this story at Slashdot. [Link]
Mashable » Eerie 'X-Files' sounds recorded from the edge of space
Eerie sounds from the edge of space were recorded for the first time in 50 years aboard a NASA student balloon experiment. Infrasound microphones captured the mysterious hisses and whistles 22 miles (36 kilometers) above the Earth's surface last year. Daniel Bowman, a graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, designed and built the equipment. The instruments … [Link]
Mashable » How will the world look in 2030?
For six years, Mashable has brought together world leaders, grassroots activists and global citizens to discuss digital solutions to the some of the greatest challenges of our time.We're proud to carry on that tradition at our 2015 Social Good Summit in New York City, where speakers from around the globe will meet to discuss how communities can use technology and new media … [Link]
Mashable » 'You Sexy Thing' singer Errol Brown dies
Errol Brown, the lead singer of the band Hot Chocolate, has died in the Bahamas, his manager said Wednesday. He was 71. Manager Phil Dale said the singer, best known for hits "You Sexy Thing" and "It Started With A Kiss," died earlier Wednesday of liver cancer. Dale said Brown's death had come as a surprise. See also: Prince announces … [Link]
Mashable » See Taylor Swift's setlist and first photos from her '1989 World Tour'
Taylor Swift launched her "1989 World Tour" this week with two shows at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, bringing a makeshift New York City to life onstage for the opening number. Swift performed every song from 1989, which has gone on to sell an eye-popping 7 million copies as of April, plus two bonus tracks from the album and three older … [Link]
Mashable » Ancient Mayan city built on a grid probably had a powerful ruler
An ancient Mayan city followed a unique grid pattern, providing evidence of a powerful ruler, archaeologists working at Nixtun-Ch'ich' in Petén, Guatemala, have found. The city, which contains flat-topped pyramids, was in use between roughly 600 B.C. and 300 B.C., a time when the first cities were being constructed in the area. No other city from the Maya world was planned … [Link]
Mashable » Direct flights from Baltimore to Havana to begin in September
The floodgates to Cuba haven't opened, but the waters are rising. Island Travel & Tours will begin twice-weekly, non-stop flights between Baltimore, Maryland, and Havana, Cuba, beginning Sept. 30, 2015. This marks the second time in a week that a new direct charter flight has been announced between the countries which have for years had very limited connections. See also: JetBlue … [Link]
Mashable » Jaguar's new patent will let you control windscreen wipers with your eyes
When driving on a rainy night, it is an all too common problem to take a look through your car's rear windscreen, only to find it foggy and obscured. The issue is generally caused by the windscreen wiper cleaning the glass at intermittent or inopportune times — and Jaguar Land Rover might have a fix for that. See also: This solar-powered … [Link]
Slashdot » Self-Destructing Virus Kills Off PCs
mpicpp sends word about particularly bad virus making the rounds, with this snippet from the BBC: "A computer virus that tries to avoid detection by making the machine it infects unusable has been found. If Rombertik's evasion techniques are triggered, it deletes key files on a computer, making it constantly restart. Analysts said Rombertik was 'unique' among malware samples for … [Link]
Mashable » 'The Mindy Project' canceled at Fox, but could live on at Hulu
Good news and bad news Bad news first: The Mindy Project is done at Fox. Sorry, tis the season. The good news: That might not be the end of Mindy Lahiri's story Mashable can confirm that talks to bring the show to Hulu under a multi-season deal are currently underway Meaning, if the deal pans out — fingers, toes crossed — … [Link]
Mashable » 3 arrested for running a secret society's bizarre fake police force in Los Angeles
An aide to California's self-proclaimed "top cop" and two others were arrested after Los Angeles authorities alleged they had been running a bizarre and fake police department that claims to have roots in an ancient secret society Brandon Kiel, David Henry and Tonette Hayes were arrested under suspicion of impersonating police officers last week for their roles in the so-called "Masonic … [Link]
Mashable » See photos of a village in Nepal before and after a huge landslide
A satellite flying hundreds of miles above Earth caught sight of the aftermath of a deadly landslide that destroyed hundreds of homes in Langtang village in Nepal after an earthquake struck the region on April 25. The GeoEye-1 satellite (part of the DigitalGlobe constellation of satellites) captured a photo of the area on May 3 and shows the aftermath of the … [Link]
Mashable » Severe weather outbreak spawns tornadoes from Texas to Nebraska
UPDATED 6:08 a.m. ET: At least a dozen injuries have been reported but no deaths so far after a dramatic night of fast-moving, brief but powerful tornadoes and record flooding. The daily rainfall total at Oklahoma City was 7.10 inches of rain, obliterating the old record for wettest May day. Much of that rain fell in the span of just six … [Link]
Mashable » Daisy has a dilemma in this 'Bones' sneak peek
Bones is going super-sized on Thursday night with a double dose of new episodes and with it will come an equally big dilemma for Daisy Less than one year after the tragic death of Sweets, father to her bundle of joy, Daisy finds herself possibly looking to get back into the dating scene. Key word: possibly See also: 'Bones' is … [Link]
Slashdot » Global Carbon Dioxide Levels Reach New Monthly Record
mrflash818 writes: For the first time since we began tracking carbon dioxide in the global atmosphere, the monthly global average concentration of carbon dioxide gas surpassed 400 parts per million in March 2015, according to NOAA's latest results. “It was only a matter of time that we would average 400 parts per million globally,” said Pieter Tans, lead scientist of … [Link]
Mashable » Famous Australians caught in iconic 1980s commercials
Actress Naomi Watts, who was born in England but is considered an Australian export, has just had her teenage years dragged out of the past and splashed around the world. People Magazine unearthed one of Watts' first theatrical masterpieces — a Tampax commercial from the '80s. The clip had been sitting quietly under a layer of dust on YouTube since … [Link]
Mashable » Meerkat embraces developers and opens up its platform
Developers: You can now build apps on top of Meerkat. The live streaming service is opening up its platform to allow anyone to create apps that work with Meerkat, the company revealed Wednesday. See also: Meerkat now lets you watch some live streams without Twitter "We want to create a community for third party developers to interact and work together with … [Link]
Slashdot » Researcher: Drug Infusion Pump Is the "Least Secure IP Device" He's Ever Seen
chicksdaddy writes: This is a bad month for the medical equipment maker Hospira. First, security researcher Billy Rios finds a raft of serious and remotely exploitable holes in the company's MedNet software, prompting a vulnerability alert from ICS CERT. Now, one month later, ICS CERT is again warning of a "10 out of 10" critical vulnerability, this time in Hospira's … [Link]
Mashable » Rejected baby chimp matched with surrogate mom
A 2-month-old baby chimp recently went on an exciting journey from the the Maryland Zoo to Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa to finally meet her surrogate mom The little chimp, named Keeva, was born on March 12, but her mother chimpanzee was unable to care for the baby. “The birth seemed to be without complication and the baby appeared to … [Link]
Mashable » Google Glass chief is obsessed with watches, but not Apple Watch
Nest founder Tony Fadell has been pretty quiet since being tapped to lead efforts behind the next version of Google Glass, until now Now he's talking watches. But not smartwatches, analog watches. See also: The team behind Project Ara has a new wearable that will 'blow your socks off' The conversation with Fadell comes by way of Hodinkee, a site devoted … [Link]
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