John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

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Geekish

Anyone who works as a freelancer these days has to be at least a bit familiar with techie things. But it isn’t just that. When I was a kid and those vaguely SF puppet shows were on the television and all the other kids wanted to be Greg Gogetem or Steve Savetheuniverse, I wanted to be the guy in a white coat and glasses called Doc or Brains. Here are some technology-related feeds I find useful and/or entertaining.

Slashdot » From Uber To Eric Schmidt, Tech Is Closer To the US Government Than You'd Think

Saturday 23 April 23:30:00 UTC 2016

An anonymous reader shares an article on The Guardian: Alphabet's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, recently joined a Department of Defense advisory panel. Facebook recently hired a former director at the U.S. military's research lab, Darpa. Uber employs Barack Obama's former campaign manager David Plouffe and Amazon.com tapped his former spokesman Jay Carney. Google, Facebook, Uber and Apple collectively employ a … [Link]

Slashdot » Greece's Former Finance Minister Explains Why A Universal Basic Income Could Save Us

Saturday 23 April 22:30:00 UTC 2016

Charlie Sorrel, writing for FastCoExist: Next time you're having a fight with somebody who doesn't like the idea of a universal basic income, you might employ some of these arguments from Yanis Varoufakis, Greece's former finance minister. In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger, he not only refutes the usual arguments against the concept that the government should … [Link]

Mashable » Samsung Galaxy Note 6 could have curved screen and huge battery

Saturday 23 April 21:57:37 UTC 2016

Samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-plusFeed-tw Feed-fb With the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge launched and in the running for best Android smartphone of the year, all eyes are now on Samsung's other flagship phone: the Galaxy Note. Samsung's next Galaxy Note, presumably called the Galaxy Note 6, won't arrive until this summer, but we're already hearing some chatter about it. SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy S7 … [Link]

Mashable » Cam Newton made a surprise appearance at a middle school playground football game

Saturday 23 April 21:36:23 UTC 2016

0220c43e9f6d4ed59f5ce6c6e7749749Feed-tw Feed-fb Cam Newton has a new group of teammates. The Panthers quarterback was driving through Davidson, North Carolina when he passed a group of seventh-graders playing football on the Community School of Davidson playground. And when Newton noticed one of the kids was wearing a Cam Newton jersey, he did what any renowned NFL star would do — he hopped the … [Link]

Slashdot » Bill Nye Slams Donald Trump, Republicans On Climate Change

Saturday 23 April 21:30:00 UTC 2016

An anonymous reader writes: On the eve of Earth Day, environmental activist Bill Nye told CNN that while everybody is more aware of climate change "than ever before," we still have a long way to go (annoying auto-play videos). The science educator and engineer, who became an icon on his 1990s hit show "Bill Nye the Science Guy," criticized the … [Link]

Mashable » Prince performs alongside Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock in previously unreleased footage

Saturday 23 April 20:59:31 UTC 2016

PrincesnlFeed-tw Feed-fb Tales of Prince showing up at private, VIP after parties and rocking out are a huge part of entertainment industry lore. But we don't usually get to see those performances, until now Veteran Saturday Night Live cast member Tim Kazurinsky, who was at the SNL 40th anniversary after-party, just released mobile phone video he recorded of Prince performing "Let's Go … [Link]

Slashdot » Dutch Police Seize Encrypted Communication Network With 19,000 Users

Saturday 23 April 20:31:00 UTC 2016

An anonymous reader writes: Dutch police have seized and shut down Ennetcom, an encrypted communications network with 19,000 users, according to Reuters. The network's 36-year-old owner, Danny Manupassa, has also been arrested, and faces charges of money laundering and illegal weapons possession, while the information obtained in the seizure may also be used for other criminal prosecutions. "Police and prosecutors … [Link]

Slashdot » Chinese Conglomerate LeEco Wants To Give Away Its 'Tesla Killer' Electric Supercar For Free

Saturday 23 April 20:20:00 UTC 2016

Rishi Alwani, reporting for Gadgets 360 (edited and condensed for clarity): At an event in Beijing this week, Chinese technology conglomerate LeEco showed off its LeSEE self-driving electric supercar. A slide noted that LeEco's car can reach 130mph which is a fair bit behind of the Tesla Model S' top speed range of 140 to 155 mph. Nonetheless, the company … [Link]

Mashable » 'Simpsons' boss unearths script pages from the Prince episode that never got made

Saturday 23 April 20:11:56 UTC 2016

Prince-simpsonsFeed-tw Feed-fb Over the course of its nearly 600 episode run, The Simpsons has had a number of legendary musicians pass through its doors, but the chance to feature the late Prince is one missed opportunity the writers have seemingly not forgotten. In case you don't know the story: Years ago, Simpsons writer Mike Reiss revealed on DVD commentary that there had once been a … [Link]

Mashable » 8 huge USC linemen got stuck in a tiny elevator and made the most of it

Saturday 23 April 19:43:56 UTC 2016

Elevator-2Feed-tw Feed-fb There's a weight limit of about 2,500 pounds on most elevators, and typically that isn't something you have to think about. Of course, when you're a group of eight linemen on a Division 1 college football team, it can become an issue. This is the lesson learned by eight college athletes from USC, who became stuck on an elevator after … [Link]

Slashdot » Jihadis Twice As Likely To Be Students of Science Than Of Sharia

Saturday 23 April 19:31:00 UTC 2016

Bruce66423 writes: Time to cancel all the encouragement of studying STEM subjects, obviously… The Telegraph is reporting that prominent jihadists "are twice as likely to have studied science at university than subjects related to Islam," citing a new report by the Centre on Religion and Geopolitics. "The report, which analyzed the histories of 100 of the most prominent jihadist leaders … [Link]

Mashable » Every single iPad compared in one ultimate speed showdown

Saturday 23 April 19:28:47 UTC 2016

Every-single-ipad-speed-test2Feed-tw Feed-fb Mobile technology moves at an insane speed. Every year brings about faster and faster processors that make last year's "super fast" devices seem pathetically slow. The YouTube channel EverythingApplePro decided it would be fun to take every single iPad model ever created — all 12 of them right up to the new 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro — and compare … [Link]

Mashable » Pretty much everyone covers Prince at Coachella

Saturday 23 April 19:22:52 UTC 2016

Gettyimages-523292592Feed-tw Feed-fb The second weekend of Coachella is very clearly becoming a Prince party. The festival kicked off on Friday, just a day after the music icon died at the age of 57, and artists in Indio, California, honored him with performances of some of his most beloved hits. According to Billboard, LCD Soundsystem, Mavis Staples, Joey Bada$$, and Sufjan Stevens and … [Link]

Slashdot » Wikipedia May Get Delivered To The Moon

Saturday 23 April 18:31:00 UTC 2016

A new Meta page on Wikimedia.org reports: "A group of science enthusiasts from Berlin, Germany, are planning to send their own custom-built rover to the Moon. And they want to take Wikipedia with them." Sort of. Wikimedia Deutschland has been offered space on a data disc to be carried by one of the five image-gathering rovers still competing to land … [Link]

Mashable » Amazon Echo can now add events to Google Calendar

Saturday 23 April 18:21:08 UTC 2016

Echo07Feed-tw Feed-fbAmazon’s Echo digital assistant is one of its first bona fide hardware successes since the debut of the Kindle, and now the company is extending the device's reach deeper into Google's territory Now the helpful little voice-controlled helper can also add events to your Google Calendar See also: You can now order an Uber with Amazon Echo Simply saying, "Add an … [Link]

Mashable » Prince once kicked Kim Kardashian off his stage because she wouldn't dance

Saturday 23 April 17:44:08 UTC 2016

Prince_kim_kFeed-tw Feed-fb Kim Kardashian may be the only person in the world who wouldn't dance with Prince. In a throwback moment from Prince's 2011 show at Madison Square Garden, Prince repeatedly tries to get Kim K to jam out with him during her onstage appearance, but she just kind of … stands there. Eventually, Prince takes her by the arm and says, … [Link]

Mashable » 'Doctor Who' reveals the new companion

Saturday 23 April 17:37:11 UTC 2016

Screen_shot_2016-04-23_at_10.15.35_amFeed-tw Feed-fb Doctor Who officially has a new companion: Pearl Mackie. Don't know her? That's not surprising.  The actress does not have a huge list of TV credits to her name aside from a role on BBC1's Doctors. Most of her experience comes from stage roles, including one in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. “I'm incredibly excited to be joining … [Link]

Mashable » Unique coral reef ecosystem discovered in the Amazon river

Saturday 23 April 17:36:07 UTC 2016

Gettyimages-551424825_2Feed-tw Feed-fb A reef ecosystem unlike any seen before has just been discovered at the mouth of the Amazon River. Wedged between the French Guiana-Brazil border and the Maranhão State in Brazil, the reef lies underneath a plume of river water, helping to explain how it went undetected for so long, suggests a new study, which is published in the journal Science … [Link]

Slashdot » Slashdot Asks: Does It Matter That We've Reached Peak Smartphone?

Saturday 23 April 17:30:00 UTC 2016

Gizmodo, in its typical sensational voice, ran a story this week in which it argues that smartphones are in a "ridiculously boring place" right now. Alex Cranz with the publication expresses her discontent with some of the recently launched smartphones such as the iPhone SE, the LG G5, and the Galaxy S7. "These devices have not redefined the way we … [Link]

Mashable » Why messaging bots are a looming security threat

Saturday 23 April 16:55:56 UTC 2016

Messenger-botsFeed-tw Feed-fb Bots are taking over our messaging apps.  Last week, at its F8 developer conference, Facebook revealed the first wave of Bots for Messenger. These automated, interactive programs respond to natural language and allow users to shop, order food, read the news and get personalized weather forecasts — all without leaving the Messenger app. Separately, messaging app Kik also revealed its bot … [Link]

Mashable » Emotional student comes out to Obama at town hall in London

Saturday 23 April 16:54:37 UTC 2016

Screen_shot_2016-04-23_at_17.03.05Feed-tw Feed-fb LONDON — In an emotional moment, a student in London told U.S. President Barack Obama they identified as non-binary, and challenged the president to do more for transgender people. Maria Munir, 20, welled up in tears at the "town hall" style meeting as they said they hadn't told their parents about their identity.  Even getting the chance to address Obama … [Link]

Mashable » 'Humans of New York' creator writes touching tribute to his beloved dog

Saturday 23 April 16:43:32 UTC 2016

295649f2a35c41a7aaa70e43e1b4772dFeed-tw Feed-fb "Humans of New York" creator Brandon Stanton's dog Susie, who inspired hundreds to adopt senior dogs, passed away this week at age 16. In a tribute posted to the HONY Facebook page, Stanton wrote about Susie's powerful influence on his life — starting with her unexpected adoption. "I was photographing in Brooklyn one evening when I saw the coolest little … [Link]

Slashdot » The Android Administration: Google's Relationship With the Obama White House

Saturday 23 April 16:40:00 UTC 2016

theodp writes: The Intercept takes a look at Google's remarkably close relationship with the Obama White House, driving home its point with charts of When Google Visited the White House and how individuals have moved Back and Forth Between Google and Government. "Much of this collaboration could be considered public-minded," writes David Dayen. "It's hard to argue with the idea … [Link]

Mashable » VR headsets wouldn't be so nerdy if they looked like this

Saturday 23 April 16:17:40 UTC 2016

Dlodlo-v-one-vr-headsetFeed-tw Feed-fbVR headsets are not sexy. They're chunky ski mask-like goggles with a screen and lenses that you strap to your head with elastic bands But what if they weren't so big and ugly? During CE China in Shenzen, China, The Chinese company Dlodlo trotted out its V One VR headset, designed to look like a regular pair of sunglasses inspired by … [Link]

Mashable » Welcome to MashReads: A books section for the way we read today

Saturday 23 April 16:00:00 UTC 2016

Gettyimages-592009617Feed-tw Feed-fb POLONIUS: What do you read, my lord? HAMLET: Words, words, words. The Bard, as usual, hit on a universal truth. When you're reading, it's the words that matter, not their leather-bound container. Today, April 23, 2016, exactly 400 years after Shakespeare's death, the old-fashioned book business is hardly the picture of health — and yet, at the same time, we … [Link]

Mashable » 1985: Inside Brazil's massive Serra Pelada gold mine

Saturday 23 April 15:57:25 UTC 2016

GoldminethumbFeed-tw Feed-fbImage: Stephanie Maze/CORBISIn 1979, Genésio Ferreira da Silva, a farmer in the remote interior of Brazil, discovered a nugget of gold on his property and hired a geologist to see whether there was more to find.Within days, word had spread and a gold rush had begun. After five weeks, 10,000 speculators were scratching through the soil and finding nuggets as large … [Link]

Slashdot » Consumer Complaints About Broadband Caps Are Soaring

Saturday 23 April 15:40:00 UTC 2016

Karl Bode, reporting for DSL Reports: Consumer complaints to the Federal Communications Commission about broadband data caps rose to 7,904 in the second half of 2015 from 863 in the first half, notes a new report by the Wall Street Journal. The Journal filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the agency to obtain the data on complaints, which … [Link]

Mashable » Suicides spike for 10 to 14-year-olds

Saturday 23 April 15:37:14 UTC 2016

Gettyimages-122644834Feed-tw Feed-fb Dr. Petra Steinbuchel underst~ what it's like to be a 12-year-old grappling with suicidal feelings. As medical director of mental health and child development at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, Steinbuchel coun~ such patients as they experience sadness, anxiety and depression. Sometimes they talk about the hopelessness of poverty; others feel the crushing pressure of high expectations.  SEE ALSO: 7 skills to teach your … [Link]

Mashable » 'Headless Women of Hollywood' Tumblr reveals disturbing movie poster trend

Saturday 23 April 15:25:19 UTC 2016

PostersFeed-tw Feed-fb Why is the marketing side of Hollywood terrified of women's faces? The Tumblr "The Headless Women of Hollywood" highlights movie posters that all share a disturbing design feature: the women in them are faceless or headless. SEE ALSO: Women of Sundance: What indies can teach Hollywood about equality The Tumblr was started by stand-up comedian Marcia Belsky who, from the … [Link]

Mashable » MacBook versus Surface Pro 4: Battle of the ultra-lights

Saturday 23 April 15:18:32 UTC 2016

Msftsp4-macbookthumbFeed-tw Feed-fb It’s funny, and a little humbling, to realize you’ve been doing it wrong I mean, all this time, I was comparing the Surface Pro 4 to Apple’s giant iPad Pro. It made intuitive sense. Both have touch screens, both have detachable keyboards. Both are super thin and light. Both have multi-tasking. But I made a fundamental error. Only one of … [Link]

Mashable » Jimmy Fallon surprises restaurant with impromptu barbershop version of 'Ignition'

Saturday 23 April 14:48:17 UTC 2016

Screen_shot_2016-04-23_at_10.15.18_amFeed-tw Feed-fb Diners at Vancouver restaurant Le Crocodile were treated to an impromptu a cappella show Thursday night … starring Jimmy Fallon. According to Mahram Z. Foadi, who posted a clip of the mini-concert to YouTube, the Tonight Show host and his dining companions stood up in the middle of dinner to perform a delightful barbershop rendition of R. Kelly's "Ignition (Remix)." Thursday … [Link]

Mashable » Hairballs are coming: Kittens remake Season 5 of 'Game of Thrones'

Saturday 23 April 14:46:36 UTC 2016

Got-kittnes-no-logoFeed-tw Feed-fbGame of Thrones returns for its sixth season on HBO on April 24. To celebrate the return of your favorite show, Mashable gathered some cute little furry friends and placed them in the world of GoT: Game of Kittens. A purr-ody to put on replay until Sunday night Want your own little furry friend? You can help local shelter cats like … [Link]

Slashdot » North Korea Launches Missile From Submarine

Saturday 23 April 14:40:00 UTC 2016

schwit1 shares breaking news from CNN: North Korea has fired what is believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile off the east coast of the Korean peninsula, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday. The missile was fired at 6:30 p.m. local time (5:30 a.m. ET), South Korean officials said, and appears to have flown for about 30 … [Link]

Mashable » Apple's cute emoji-filled video explains how iMessages are powered by clean energy

Saturday 23 April 14:39:08 UTC 2016

Imessage-emoji-videoFeed-tw Feed-fb Under CEO Tim Cook, Apple has made it a priority to become more environmentally friendly than it has ever been before. In 2015, 93% of of the company's energy came from renewable energy. That includes the energy used to send your iMessages. Apple's made a cute little video — with emojis no less — explaining how every iMessage sent through … [Link]

Mashable » Three cheers for 'Hamlet,' the greatest Shakespeare play of all time

Saturday 23 April 14:04:51 UTC 2016

Hamlet-thumb-2Feed-tw Feed-fb No more questions of "To be or not to be," Hamlet — you ARE Shakespeare's greatest play ever written. This week, we've been hosting a This Be Madness Shakespeare bracket to search for Shakespeare's greatest play. We selected 32 of Shakespeare's most iconic works and had them battle head-to-head for the title of "The Best Shakespeare Play Ever Written." The plays were organized into … [Link]

Slashdot » First Successful Gene Therapy Against Human Aging?

Saturday 23 April 14:01:00 UTC 2016

An anonymous reader writes: For the first time data may show that a human being has been successfully rejuvenated by gene therapy, claims Bioviva USA. "In September 2015, then 44 year-old CEO of Bioviva USA Inc. Elizabeth Parrish received two of her own company's experimental gene therapies: one to protect against loss of muscle mass with age, another to battle … [Link]

Mashable » London street artist creates elegant tribute to 'the people's Prince'

Saturday 23 April 13:52:37 UTC 2016

FullsizerenderFeed-tw Feed-fb LONDON — A British street artist put the finishing touches Saturday on a suitably regal tribute to a most beloved artist. London-based artist Pegasus' homage to Prince now graces a wall near Turnpike Lane in North London. SEE ALSO: Prince fans come together to sing and celebrate the 'Purple One' Image: pegasus"Prince was one of my idols, a true visionary … [Link]

Mashable » Experience Coachella in your own little world… if you want

Saturday 23 April 13:32:28 UTC 2016

Headphones.coachellaFeed-tw Feed-fb At Coachella this year, it wouldn't be too surprising to occasionally see someone walking around alone with a pair of earbuds in, looking down at their phone and then looking up again, a curious smile on their face.  For a lot of people, it was their first time having the ability to control the sounds of the world around them. Coachella-goers … [Link]

Mashable » How Shakespeare helped create today's favorite troubled TV characters

Saturday 23 April 13:15:00 UTC 2016

5d6ae17b04ae434da41ba0d05394b0b6Feed-tw Feed-fb Though Shakespeare’s death didn’t attract much attention in 1616, it’s big news today. To mark its 400th anniversary, there has been no end of events, whether it’s the Folger Library’s First Folio Tour to all 50 states or a production of Hamlet that, to date, has been performed in 196 countries. As far away as Tehran, performances and exhibits have been … [Link]

Mashable » 15 fun things you can do with your smartphone photos to preserve memories

Saturday 23 April 13:12:03 UTC 2016

Artifact_uprising_wooden_box1_copy_720Feed-tw Feed-fb Take a look at your camera roll and it’s a safe bet that there are hundreds if not thousands of photos on there that do nothing but, well, sit there. Facebook says that 2 billion photos are shared daily on Facebook, and InfoTrends previously estimated that 1 trillion photos were taken in 2015 SEE ALSO: The 14 coolest gadgets for … [Link]

Mashable » 9 ways to spend an environmentally friendly day at the beach

Saturday 23 April 13:10:00 UTC 2016

Gettyimages-146514302Feed-tw Feed-fb Some of the most beautiful things in life are the most fragile. Case in point: beaches. Earth Day may be behind us, but taking care of the planet is a year-round job. Here are nine ways we can avoid becoming the garbage generation who ruined beaches forever: SEE ALSO: Stroll along Australia's beaches this summer with Google's Street View 1. … [Link]

Slashdot » Windows Phone Free-Fall May Force Microsoft To Push Harder On Windows 10

Saturday 23 April 13:01:00 UTC 2016

tripleevenfall quotes a report from PCWorld: Microsoft sold a minuscule 2.3 million Lumia phones last quarter, down from 8.6 million a year ago. Phone revenue declines will only "steepen" during the current quarter, chief financial officer Amy Hood warned during a conference call. That's dragged down Microsoft's results as a company, too. As the company's mobile device strategy continues to … [Link]

Mashable » Donald Trump piñatas deliver smashing sales

Saturday 23 April 13:00:00 UTC 2016

Img_2189Feed-tw Feed-fb It's almost always the hair. When Lorena Robletto, a retailer in downtown Los Angeles' Piñata District, gets a call for a custom Donald Trump piñata, the focus is on the Republican presidential candidate's signature combover. Customers want a high-quality coif.  And there has not been a day in the last two months that Robletto hasn't sold at least one Donald Trump … [Link]

Mashable » NBA says James Harden's game-winning shot that bored his teammates shouldn't have counted

Saturday 23 April 12:30:00 UTC 2016

29c2d131472a4e688bd048842bbd53c6Feed-tw Feed-fb James Harden's game-winning shot for the Houston Rockets against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night shouldn't have counted, the NBA admitted Friday.  The league said Harden should have been called for an offensive foul against Andre Iguodala as he worked to free himself for the game-winning shot with 2.7 seconds left to play.  But really — can you imagine … [Link]

Mashable » Newborn puppy that lost its mom finds unusual foster family

Saturday 23 April 12:00:00 UTC 2016

Dae2f4362bef436f8c9ca0a2c7759bb5Feed-tw Feed-fb After this cute pup named Bobby sadly lost its mother to a car accident, the Michigan Humane Society was able to pair up the dog with a new family — of cats. Bobby was just two days old when its mother was fatally struck by a vehicle, so it was important that the puppy found a new family as quickly … [Link]

Mashable » How two refugees created a design agency that's changing the world

Saturday 23 April 11:03:00 UTC 2016

46971655bb3040f1ae1dff874f0aa251Feed-tw Feed-fb Situated in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood, blocks away from a Whole Foods and the Morbid Anatomy Museum of death-obsessed hipsterdom, the cavernous storefront of social impact design studio Hyperakt stands out. The open studio is quiet — the only sound comes from the humming tubular vents overhead and a handful of staff who confer in whispers. Most of the others focus … [Link]

WIRED » Security This Week: If You Sue Ashley Madison, You’ll Have to Use Your Real Name

Saturday 23 April 11:00:59 UTC 2016

Security This Week: If You Sue Ashley Madison, You’ll Have to Use Your Real NameEach Saturday we round up the news stories that we didn’t break or cover in depth at WIRED, but which deserve your attention nonetheless. The post Security This Week: If You Sue Ashley Madison, You'll Have to Use Your Real Name appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

WIRED » Ratchet and Clank Remakes Itself, Yet Refines Nothing

Saturday 23 April 11:00:57 UTC 2016

Ratchet and Clank Remakes Itself, Yet Refines NothingTwo of the biggest games released this month, Ratchet and Clank and Dark Souls 3, remake experiences from gaming's past. But only one of them does it right. The post Ratchet and Clank Remakes Itself, Yet Refines Nothing appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

WIRED » VW’s Bleak Options for Dealing With 500,000 Recalled Diesels

Saturday 23 April 11:00:45 UTC 2016

VW’s Bleak Options for Dealing With 500,000 Recalled DieselsEmissions cheat Volkswagon is recalling nearly 500,000 cars, most of which will need to be broken down and scrapped for parts. The post VW's Bleak Options for Dealing With 500,000 Recalled Diesels appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

WIRED » Triangles in the Sky Tell the Story of the Universe’s Birth

Saturday 23 April 11:00:38 UTC 2016

Triangles in the Sky Tell the Story of the Universe’s BirthThe story of the universe’s birth—and evidence for string theory—could be found in triangles and myriad other shapes in the sky. The post Triangles in the Sky Tell the Story of the Universe's Birth appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

WIRED » The Average Webpage Is Now the Size of the Original Doom

Saturday 23 April 11:00:34 UTC 2016

The Average Webpage Is Now the Size of the Original DoomToday the average webpage is about the same size, data-wise, as the classic computer game Doom. The post The Average Webpage Is Now the Size of the Original Doom appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

WIRED » Space Photos of the Week: Hubble Spots a Big Blue Bubble

Saturday 23 April 11:00:16 UTC 2016

Space Photos of the Week: Hubble Spots a Big Blue BubbleSpace photos of the week, April 17–23, 2016. The post Space Photos of the Week: Hubble Spots a Big Blue Bubble appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

WIRED » The Magicians Is a Master Class in Book Adaptation

Saturday 23 April 11:00:11 UTC 2016

The Magicians Is a Master Class in Book AdaptationSyfy’s new show works magic with Lev Grossman's book series. The post The Magicians Is a Master Class in Book Adaptation appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

Mashable » Shakespeare is still reliable with the ladies, says online dating study

Saturday 23 April 10:43:13 UTC 2016

Gettyimages-51239265Feed-tw Feed-fb "Language was invented for one reason, boys, to woo women," Robin Williams' Dead Poets Society character, Mr. Keating, tells a class of boarding school teens by way of explaining the value of poetry. "And in that endeavor, laziness will not do."   This is a lesson today's lazier online daters would do well to take to heart. Because it seems that invoking … [Link]

Mashable » Google honors Shakespeare with doodle of his well-loved plays

Saturday 23 April 10:22:14 UTC 2016

Celebrating-william-shakespeare-5125440101416960-hp2xFeed-tw Feed-fb LONDON — Google marked the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death with a doodle on Saturday that featured some of bard's most well-known works. In the UK, the doodle reflected both Shakespeare and St. George's Day — the day that commemorates the patron saint of England, who is known for slaying a dragon. SEE ALSO: ShaKespeare plays reimagined as Kardashian … [Link]

Slashdot » Facebook Might Finally Kill Clickbait With New Algorithm Tweaks

Saturday 23 April 10:01:00 UTC 2016

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Next Web: Facebook is bringing two additional tweaks to its News Feed algorithm: time spent viewing and page post diversity. The former is an effort to weed out clickbait and bad content by attempting to quantify quality links. The change appears to be a mobile-first solution, as the announcement only states that … [Link]

WIRED » Review: Libratone Zipp

Saturday 23 April 9:48:01 UTC 2016

Review: Libratone ZippLibratone’s newest speaker does both AirPlay and Bluetooth, and lets you link multiple speakers together. The post Review: Libratone Zipp appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

Mashable » Feds drop New York fight with Apple because someone gave them iPhone passcode

Saturday 23 April 9:17:37 UTC 2016

Gettyimages-489943644Feed-tw Feed-fb NEW YORK — The U.S. Justice Department said it has withdrawn a request to force Apple to reveal data from a cellphone linked to a New York drug case after someone provided federal investigators with the phone's passcode. Federal prosecutors said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie that investigators were able to access the iPhone late Thursday … [Link]

Mashable » ShaKespeare plays reimagined as Kardashian dramas

Saturday 23 April 9:11:18 UTC 2016

ShakespeareFeed-tw Feed-fb LONDON — Shakespeare is hella dramatic. If his characters aren't committing coldblooded murder to further their quest for power; they're navigating the tricky terrain of lust and love, with — at times — devastating consequences. In 2016, 400 years on from Shakespeare's death, there's only one family capable of attempting — nay, emulating — that scale of drama (not the … [Link]

Mashable » How I learned to love my incessant blushing

Saturday 23 April 8:53:45 UTC 2016

B1014af94e8b49e88de83f56b5c3f603Feed-tw Feed-fb LONDON — It's a Saturday afternoon and I'm standing in line at a supermarket holding a lemon, and lemon-infused tonic. I also happen to be wearing a lemon print dress. Suddenly a voice from behind me says: "I take it you like lemons, then!".  I can feel the blood rushing to my face.  The thought of my puce face is making … [Link]

Slashdot » CERN Releases 300TB of Large Hadron Collider Data Into Open Access

Saturday 23 April 6:35:00 UTC 2016

An anonymous reader writes: The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, has released 300 terabytes of collider data to the public. "Once we've exhausted our exploration of the data, we see no reason not to make them available publicly," said Kati Lassila-Perini, a physicist who works on the Compact Muon Solenoid detector. "The benefits are numerous, from inspiring … [Link]

Mashable » Michelle McNamara, true crime writer and wife of Patton Oswalt, dies

Saturday 23 April 3:52:02 UTC 2016

OswaltFeed-tw Feed-fb Michelle McNamara, a true crime writer who founded the website True Crime Diary and the wife of writer, comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, has died, the Associated Press reported Friday. She was 46. Though Oswalt's publicist confirmed McNamara's death, no cause was given. She died in her sleep Thursday at the couple's Los Angeles home in "a complete shock to … [Link]

Slashdot » Neil deGrasse Tyson Says It's 'Very Likely' The Universe Is A Simulation

Saturday 23 April 3:01:00 UTC 2016

mspohr quotes a report from ExtremeTech: At the most recent Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate, [scientists gathered to address the question for the year: Is the universe a computer simulation? At the debate, host and celebrity astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson argued that the probability is that we live in a computer simulation.] This is the crux of Tyson's point: if we … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Vampire vine helps to destroy alien European weeds in Australia

Saturday 23 April 1:34:09 UTC 2016

The native devil's twine sucks life out of its victims, and holds promise as a control agent down under – causing most damage to invasive plants [Link]

WIRED » Don’t Text and Drive, or the Feds Will Slide Into Your DMs

Saturday 23 April 1:09:35 UTC 2016

Don’t Text and Drive, or the Feds Will Slide Into Your DMsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been reprimanding the distracted drivers of Twitter all month–and people are actually listening. The post Don't Text and Drive, or the Feds Will Slide Into Your DMs appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

Slashdot » US Suicide Rate Surges To Highest Level In Almost Three Decades, Says Report

Saturday 23 April 0:44:00 UTC 2016

An anonymous reader quotes a report from BBC: The suicide rate in the U.S. has surged to its highest level in almost three decades, according to a new report from the CDC. There was no explanation for the rise but some experts have pointed to increased abuse of prescription opiates and the financial downturn that began in 2008 as likely … [Link]

WIRED » Gadget Lab Podcast: Hello, Magic Leap. Peace Out, Snapchat

Saturday 23 April 0:01:25 UTC 2016

Gadget Lab Podcast: Hello, Magic Leap. Peace Out, SnapchatThis week: Magic Leap, Snapchat's game-losing fumble, and the new Vivaldi browser. The post Gadget Lab Podcast: Hello, Magic Leap. Peace Out, Snapchat appeared first on WIRED. [Link]

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