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 » The US Government Funds A War On Online Fake News
An anonymous reader quotes the Washington Post: Congressional negotiators on Wednesday approved an initiative to track and combat foreign propaganda amid growing concerns that Russian efforts to spread "fake news" and disinformation threaten U.S. national security. The measure, part of the National Defense Authorization Act approved by a conference committee, calls on the State Department to lead government-wide efforts to … [Link]
Mashable » People are naming their kids – and dogs – after 'Stranger Things' characters
Instead of looking at family history or honoring relatives, people are relying on pop culture for name inspiration when it comes to their children — and pets. SEE ALSO: New element names are the scientific equivalent of dad jokes Popular baby names this year include plenty of references to the sci-fi hit series Stranger Things. Baby Center released its annual list … [Link]
Mashable » RIP photo maps, the best part of Instagram that apparently no one else used
This week marked the death of Instagram's photo maps. What are photo maps? Only the best Instagram feature that apparently no one used except for me. The little location button on every user's profile led to a map of the world featuring every geo-tagged photo. From other users' photo maps, you could figure out which city people lived in, check out … [Link]
Mashable » Loyal dog still waits for college student to get off her former bus every day
Eighteen-year-old Carly Dunn left her hometown of Duluth, Georgia this year and headed off to college. Unfortunately, no one thought to tell Bo, the family dog. As a result, Bo still waits every afternoon for Carly to get off the school bus — just like she used to in high school. SEE ALSO: Watch dogs try cat toys for the first … [Link]
Slashdot » Our Brains Use Binary Logic, Say Neuroscientists
"The brain's basic computational algorithm is organized by power-of-two-based logic," reports Sci-News, citing a neuroscientist at Augusta University's Medical College. hackingbear writes: He and his colleagues from the U.S. and China have documented the algorithm at work in seven different brain regions involved with basics like food and fear in mice and hamsters. "Intelligence is really about dealing with uncertainty … [Link]
Mashable » Reggie Bush to honor slain football star Joe McKnight with custom NFL cleats
Before he was shot to death at age 28 in an apparent road rage incident this week, before he played for two NFL teams and before he starred on the college field at USC, Joe McKnight was touted as "the next Reggie Bush." Now, in a bittersweet coda to a life that was taken too soon, Bush will honor McKnight's memory … [Link]
Mashable » Almost 20 years later, 'Titanic' gets a retro remake
It’s been nearly 20 years since the release of Titanic, one of the top-grossing movies of all time. Now you can revisit Jack and Rose's forbidden love story in 8-Bit Cinema's animated short, which gives their struggle to escape the sinking ship the pixelated look and feel of a classic arcade game. Subscribe to CineFix for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/cinefix&#~ Read more…More … [Link]
Mashable » An Apple fan just saved you $300 (Apple Book not included)
Some made fun of Apple's attempt at self reflection with its debut of the Apple Book, a minimalist photo book showing off the company's product design history. The punch line? The paper book about Apple's often expensive products costs $300. Despite the $300 price tag for what amounts to a catalog, some Apple fans rushed to snag the book. One in … [Link]
Slashdot » It Will Soon Be Illegal To Punish US Customers Who Criticize Businesses Online
An anonymous reader writes: Congress has passed a law protecting the right of U.S. consumers to post negative online reviews without fear of retaliation from companies. The bipartisan Consumer Review Fairness Act was passed by unanimous consent in the US Senate, a Senate Commerce Committee announcement said. The bill, introduced in 2014, was already approved by the House of Representatives … [Link]
Mashable » 7 can't-miss apps: Hardbound, Sundial, Super Cat Tales and more
The shopping madness from Black Friday and Cyber Monday has subsided, but you may have missed some of this week's best new apps. Each weekend, we round up a few of our favorite new and updated apps. This week's list includes an app that delivers you original, interactive news, and a music throwback app that tells you what you were listening … [Link]
Mashable » 10 PlayStation Experience reveals you might have missed
By now you've seen all the big news around games like Marvel vs. Capcom, The Last of Us, and Uncharted. But there was plenty more revealed during the 2016 PlayStation Experience keynote. SEE ALSO: Beloved 'Destiny' exotic Ice Breaker returns this winter If you want to see everything, just go re-watch the whole keynote. But if you want the TL;DR of … [Link]
Mashable » Cristiano Ronaldo strikes peak Ronaldo locker room pose
Real Madrid and FC Barcelona played to a 1-1 draw in soccer's vaunted "El Clásico" match Saturday, but it's Cristiano Ronaldo who won the postgame. The preening, preternaturally talented superstar stole the show in a teammate's celebratory photo after a late goal salvaged the day for Madrid. SEE ALSO: Budding soccer star Christian Pulisic is America's saving grace Sergo Ramos headed … [Link]
Slashdot » VM-Neutral Node.js API Unveiled, As NodeSource Collaborates With Microsoft, Mozilla, Intel and IBM
An anonymous reader writes: This week saw the first proof of concept for Node.js API (or NAPI for short), "making module maintainers' lives easier by defining a stable module API that is independent from changes in [Google's JavaScript engine] V8 and allowing modules to run against newer versions of Node.js without recompilation." Their announcement cites both the efforts of the … [Link]
Mashable » 'Uncharted: The Lost Legacy' kicks the crap out of the Bechdel test
After beating the stuffing out of no-good soldiers on a moonlit rooftop, Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross engage in a terse exchange that has everything to do with being a professional and nothing to do with men. They don't just pass the Bechdel test, they knock its teeth out. The upcoming Uncharted 4 tie-in is a standalone story, seemingly starring … [Link]
Mashable » Meet your new hero, an ascot-wearing, wine-swilling lawyer busted for anti-Trump graffiti
A Philadelphia lawyer busted for anti-Trump graffiti last week did his part to make the whole scenario as cringingly memorable as possible. Duncan Lloyd, an assistant city solicitor, was caught on surveillance tape standing by while a second man sprayed "F*ck Trump" onto the side of a new, upscale Fresh Market grocery store. SEE ALSO: 'Trumpgrets' is the Tumblr page for … [Link]
Mashable » NASA photo reveals a startling 300-foot-wide rift in Antarctic Ice Shelf
The breakup of the massive Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica is getting closer and will eventually produce an iceberg the size of Delaware prowling the Southern Ocean, according to new NASA data. On Friday, NASA released an astonishing new image taken by researchers flying above the ice shelf on Nov. 10 showing the crack is getting longer, deeper and wider. … [Link]
Mashable » Beloved 'Destiny' exotic Ice Breaker returns this winter
Ice Breaker, the beloved exotic sniper rifle from Year One of Destiny known for its ability to regenerate ammo, is coming back. It'll be a part of Destiny: Rise of Iron – The Dawning, the game's winter eventThe Dawning also brings back 2015's Sparrow racing event (with new tracks) as well as a new set of challenges for the game's … [Link]
Slashdot » Drupal Event Apologizes For Giving Out Copies Of Playboy
An anonymous reader writes: The organization team for a regional Drupal event apologized Thursday for distributing copies of Playboy to attendees. The magazines were distributed in welcome bags, according to a statement from the organizers of DrupalCamp Munich, and "were provided by Burda, a major German publisher, who also provided other technical magazines as part of their sponsorship. These magazines … [Link]
Mashable » 'The Last of Us: Part II' is real, the trailer is here, and, wow.
The 2016 PlayStation Experience keynote concluded with a brief, purely cinematic look at Naughty Dog's hoped for follow-up to The Last of Us. Titled The Last of Us: Part II, the teaser finds a grownup, guitar-strumming Ellie in a rundown forest cabin. From the look of things, she just finished scrapping with a group of bad dudes and paused for … [Link]
Mashable » Spectacles Snapbot lands at Six Flags Magic Mountain, California
Behold: Yet another Spectacles-selling Snapbot has appeared. The latest Snapbot to show up finds itself in a pitch-perfect place to rip the Spectacles you buy from its loins right out of their packaging, for immediate use: California's Six Flags, Magic Mountain. SEE ALSO: Snapchat Spectacles: The teardown In recent weeks, Snap's Bluetooth-connected camera glasses have been trickling out everywhere from Venice … [Link]
Mashable » Treat-balancing dog exhibits a willpower the rest of us can only dream of
Imagine someone placing a delicious cookie on your nose. Who among us would not eat that cookie? Well, this dog has more willpower than the rest of us — and is great at balancing treats on its nose to boot. According to its owner, the practice is a daily routine to beef up the pet's communication skills. And, yes, the … [Link]
Mashable » 'Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite' teaser reveals Captain Marvel, Iron Man
The rumored "Marvel vs. Capcom 4" is a real thing, and it's called Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. A teaser released during the PlayStation Experience 2016 keynote teased just a handful of characters: Mega Man and Street Fighter's Ryu on the Capcom side, and Iron Man and Captain Marvel on the Marvel side. It's not yet clear if the game will … [Link]
Mashable » Airbnb sells out hosts in NYC lawsuit settlement
After rallying hosts to fight a New York state law that fines them for posting technically illegal listings on Airbnb, the company has abandoned the cause. Airbnb settled a lawsuit against New York on Friday on the condition that fines for violating the state's apartment rental rules would only be leveled against hosts and not the company. The law was always … [Link]
Slashdot » China's New 'Social Credit Score' Law Means Full Access To Customer Data
AnonymousCube shares this quote about China's new 'Social Credit Score' law from an insurance industry magazine: "Companies are also required to give government investigators complete access to their data if there is suspected wrong-doing, and Internet operators must cooperate in any national security or crime-related investigation." Note that China has an extremely flexible definition of "national security". Additionally computer equipment … [Link]
Mashable » Atlas humanoid robot can now tiptoe over rubble to track down wayward humans
In this latest episode of How We're Making Robots That Will Be Able to Hunt You Down Wherever You Go, our old friend the Atlas humanoid robot has learned a scary new trick: walking over pretty much any unexpected obstacle. SEE ALSO: Elon Musk thinks universal income is answer to automation taking human jobs We've seen the Atlas show off its … [Link]
Mashable » Watch Chris Pratt attempt a card trick that only 'works 50% of the time'
Is Chris Pratt actually good at magic tricks? We do not know. But this one turned out okay. On the Graham Norton Show this week, Pratt debuted a trick called "Burn 'em," which allegedly "works 50 percent of the time." Not great odds when you're performing for a TV audience. But after a lot of random shuffling from participant will.i.am, … [Link]
Slashdot » Chrome 55 Now Blocks Flash, Uses HTML5 By Default
An anonymous reader quotes Bleeping Computer: Chrome 55, released earlier this week, now blocks all Adobe Flash content by default, according to a plan set in motion by Google engineers earlier this year… While some of the initial implementation details of the "HTML5 By Default" plan changed since then, Flash has been phased out in favor of HTML5 as the … [Link]
Mashable » MashReads Podcast: 'The Sun Is Also A Star' is a beautifully woven YA novel about love
Do you believe in love at first sight? That is the question posed by The Sun Is Also A Star, the latest novel by New York Times bestselling author Nicola Yoon. SEE ALSO: MashReads: Hear an exclusive audio excerpt from Nicola Yoon's 'The Sun is Also a Star' The Sun Is Also A Star follows two strangers, romantic poet Daniel and … [Link]
Mashable » Never-before-seen photos capture the wild audience at a 1970 Bowie performance
Image: Tom Busby/The RoundhouseIn March 1970, London music venue The Roundhouse (a one-time railroad structure celebrating its 50th anniversary this year) held what they billed as “Seven Nights of Celebration” in a “Living Theatre Environment.”The weeklong festival, “Atomic Sunrise,” was a collaboration between regular performers at the venue’s Sunday Implosion gigs and The Living Theatre, a radical experimental theatre company.While the … [Link]
Mashable » Technology improvements aid Instagram's drone photographers
Drones are getting easier to use and are coming equipped with better cameras that allow more photographers to take advantage of them. Here are 12 of the best accounts pushing the limits of drone photography by showing you how different the world looks with a change of perspective. From epic landscapes to quirky self-portraits, take a look at how versatile aerial … [Link]
Slashdot » Encryption Backdoor Sneaks Into UK Law
Coisiche found a disturbing article from The Register about the U.K.'s new "Snoopers' Charter" law that has implications for tech companies around the world: Among the many unpleasant things in the Investigatory Powers Act that was officially signed into law this week, one that has not gained as much attention is the apparent ability for the U.K. government to undermine … [Link]
Mashable » Chrissy Teigen rescued John Legend from a 'Tonight Show' pants malfunction
Chrissy Teigen is many things: author, model, Twitter hero. And now, a rescuer of pants. Teigen saved the day on Friday's Tonight Show, where she and husband John Legend played a tense game of charades against Jimmy Fallon and Chelsea Handler. As Legend wiggled around like the Little Mermaid (shh — that was the answer), Teigen noticed something awry in … [Link]
Mashable » 'Trumpgrets' is the Tumblr page for Trump supporters who just can't take him anymore
Throughout his campaign, supporters of Donald Trump loyally stood by his in-your-face bombast, from that very lewd Access Hollywood clip to the blunt insults he threw time and time again. In their eyes, The Donald could do no wrong. Now the "Trumpgrets" Tumblr is bringing to life those #MAGA voters who do have a critical thing or two to say about … [Link]
Slashdot » Perl Advent Calendar Enters Its 17th Year
An anonymous reader writes: Thursday brought this year's first new posts on the Perl Advent Calendar, a geeky tradition first started back in 2000. Friday's post described Santa's need for fast, efficient code, and the day that a Christmas miracle occurred during Santa's annual code review (involving the is_hashref subroutine from Perl's reference utility library). And for the last five … [Link]
Mashable » These incredible color postcards of 1890 Switzerland are anything but neutral
Vispach Bridge and the Matterhorn, Valais.Image: Library of CongressThese pictures of the sublime landscapes and stately towns of Switzerland were created using the Photochrom process, a technique for applying color to monochrome images with nuance and precision.Invented in Switzerland by an employee of a printing company, Photochrom was a time-consuming and delicate process.First, a tablet of lithographic limestone would be coated … [Link]
Mashable » Hey Snapchat, just sell Spectacles normally already, will ya?
What started out as a fun, entertaining way to get people hyped about Spectacles is now just frustratingly annoying. That's right, I'm talking about how Snapchat Snap is still milking Spectacles out with its extremely limited release using Snapbot vending machines. It's been three weeks already. Either sell me the damn camera glasses without me needing to stalk your website or … [Link]
Slashdot » Of 8 Tech Companies, Only Twitter Says It Would Refuse To Help Build Muslim Registry For Trump
On the campaign trail last year, President-elect Donald Trump said he would consider requiring Muslim-Americans to register with a government database. While he has back-stepped on a number of campaign promises after being elected president, Trump and his transition team have recently resurfaced the idea to create a national Muslim registry. In response, The Intercept contacted nine of the "most … [Link]
Mashable » 30 gifts for the person in your life obsessed with ‘Fixer Upper’
We all know someone that caught the Fixer Upper fever. Randomly yelling "shiplap," calling all children "kiddos" and distressing perfectly good furniture are all telltale signs that someone has caught the remodeling fever. Not that you can blame them — the empire built by Chip and Joanna Gaines lifted up by their popular HGTV show is addictive and cozy as hell. … [Link]
Slashdot » Survey Says: Elon Musk Is Most Admired Tech Leader, Topping Bezos and Zuckerberg
First Round Capital conducted a poll of 700 tech company founders and found Elon Musk to be the most admired leader in the technology industry. Elon Musk received 23 percent of the votes; 10 percent said Amazon's Jeff Bezos, 6 percent said Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and 5 percent wrote in Steve Jobs. First Round writes: "We launched … [Link]
Slashdot » Alien Life Could Thrive In the Clouds of Failed Stars
sciencehabit writes: There's an abundant new swath of cosmic real estate that life could call home — and the views would be spectacular. Floating out by themselves in the Milky Way galaxy are perhaps a billion cold brown dwarfs, objects many times as massive as Jupiter but not big enough to ignite as a star. According to a new study, … [Link]
Slashdot » Paris, Madrid, Athens, Mexico City Will Ban Diesel Vehicles By 2025
The mayors of four major global cities — Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens — announced plans to stop the use of all diesel-powered cars and trucks by 2025. The leaders made their commitments in Mexico at a biennial meeting of city leaders. BBC reports: At the C40 meeting of urban leaders in Mexico, the four mayors declared that they … [Link]
Mashable » The NFL is way overthinking this GIF thing
The NFL is finally modifying its overbearing social media policy, but making things quite complicated in the process. In a memo reportedly sent out to all 32 teams on Friday, the NFL announced it would amend the social media policy it instituted two months ago, which prevented teams from posting GIFs and videos during games. Teams are allowed to do so … [Link]
Slashdot » Nikola Motor Company Reveals Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck With Range of 1,200 Miles
An anonymous reader quotes a report from ValueWalk: Nikola Motor Company just unveiled a huge class 8 truck which will run on hydrogen fuel cells. Nikola claimed that the truck's operational range will be as much as 1,200 miles (1,900 km), and it will be released in 2020. Nikola designed the Nikola One for long-haul transport across a large landmass. … [Link]
Mashable » 'Rogue One' cast gets mildly political, stands up for diversity
It says a lot about post-election politics — and the traditional caution of Hollywood — that when actors in a major movie make a non-controversial statement about the importance of diversity in society, it is cause for wild applause. But that's what happened Friday at the Rogue One Q&A at Lucasfilm, which was livestreamed on TwitterPeople's deputy editor and moderator JD … [Link]
Mashable » Why YouTubers are so mad at YouTube, again
LOS ANGELES — PewDiePie is so mad at YouTube that he's calling it quits once he hits 50 million subscribers. Why? Felix Kjellberg is among a handful of frustrated creators who claim they have seen their video views decline and their subscribers suddenly disappear. Some YouTubers even say they have lost 30 to 40 percent of their usual views. The … [Link]
Slashdot » The 'USB Killer' Has Been Mass Produced — Available Online For About $50
New submitter npslider writes: The "USB Killer," a USB stick that fries almost everything that it is plugged into, has been mass produced — available online for about $50. Ars Technica first wrote about this diabolical device that looks like a fairly humdrum memory stick a year ago. From the report: "The USB Killer is shockingly simple in its operation. … [Link]
Mashable » This Chrome extension shows you how biased your social feed is
Ever wonder if your Facebook feed is only telling you one side of the story? Well, research has shown that it can do just that. Social media feeds can morph into echo chambers of your political beliefs, telling you only what like-minded friends and family think, and in doing so, ignoring the news and political material that would challenge them. A … [Link]
Mashable » Man who allegedly admitted to killing football star Joe McKnight released without charges
The man who admits to killing Joe McKnight — a former high school and USC football star who was shot Thursday — was released without charges on Friday. Ronald Gasser, 54, admitted to shooting McKnight three times at an intersection in the New Orleans Area around 3 p.m. on Thursday, authorities said at a press conference Friday. McKnight's killing is being … [Link]
Mashable » High school football team uses mannequin challenge as secret weapon
This is far from the first mannequin challenge, but it might be the most practical. We've seen athletes dabble in the mannequin challenge during the trend's peak over the past couple months. But most of those attempts were just for show. The Del Oro High School football team busted out the mannequin challenge long enough to distract its opponents after … [Link]
Mashable » Why Charles Barkley ripping the Warriors for playing 'girl basketball' is so misinformed
Make of this one what you will, folks. Former NBA star and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley says he's no fan of the Golden State Warriors. Not because of their recent successes, though, and not because they added yet another superstar by signing Kevin Durant this summer. Barkley dislikes the Warriors because they play "girl basketball." SEE ALSO: How Steph Curry … [Link]
Slashdot » Hackers Steal $31 Million at Russia's Central Bank
The Bank of Russia has confirmed Friday that hackers have stolen 2 billion rubles ($31 million) from correspondent accounts at the Russian central bank. Central bank security executive Artiom Sychev said it could've been much worse as hackers tried to steal 5 billion rubles, but the central banking authority managed to stop them. CNNMoney reports: Hackers also targeted the private … [Link]
Mashable » Apple addresses iPhone 6S battery problems — on its Chinese website
Good news iPhone 6S owners with battery woes: Apple has finally issued a statement to explain those unexpected battery shutdowns. Bad news (at least for non-Chinese 6S owners): It appears that the statement is only visible on its Chinese language website. SEE ALSO: Apple's working on a fix for mass iCloud calendar notification spam Turns out, the malfunctioning iPhones have batteries … [Link]
Slashdot » Mercedes Unveils Digital Headlights That Project Street Signs, Markings Onto the Road Ahead
An anonymous reader quotes a report from New Atlas: Mercedes has just announced a conceptual new set of lamps that can not only adapt their light distribution to cater to the environment, but can project high-res visual aids onto the road ahead, such as makeshift zebra crossings for nearby pedestrians. The new system is dubbed Digital Light and features two … [Link]
Mashable » People want to elect Hillary so bad, they created the biggest Change.org petition ever
More than 4.6 million people are calling for the Electoral College to make Hillary Clinton the next president of the United States — in the biggest Change.org petition ever. The site has been around for nine years and has seen hundreds of thousands of petitions created in dozens of countries involving millions people. But the one for Clinton is now officially … [Link]
Archive
20 Apr 2024 19 Apr 2024 18 Apr 2024 17 Apr 2024 16 Apr 2024 15 Apr 2024 14 Apr 2024 13 Apr 2024 12 Apr 2024 11 Apr 2024 10 Apr 2024 09 Apr 2024 08 Apr 2024 07 Apr 2024 06 Apr 2024 05 Apr 2024 04 Apr 2024 03 Apr 2024 02 Apr 2024 01 Apr 2024 31 Mar 2024 30 Mar 2024 29 Mar 2024 28 Mar 2024 27 Mar 2024 26 Mar 2024 25 Mar 2024 24 Mar 2024 23 Mar 2024 22 Mar 2024 21 Mar 2024 20 Mar 2024
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
You must log in to post a comment.