John Gordon Ross

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 » Artist locks himself inside a rock for a week, and tries to hatch eggs with his body warmth

Thursday 23 February 23:51:12 UTC 2017

With the way things have been going lately, you might just want to crawl under a rock and hang there for a bit. But what about crawling into a rock?  Well, French artist Abraham Poincheval is living out that reality — for seven full days. In a performance art piece called "Stone," Poincheval has wedged his body into a hole made … [Link]

Mashable » 'Overwatch' director on the game's diversity: 'normal things are normal'

Thursday 23 February 23:40:58 UTC 2017

The Overwatch developers' goal was not to make a diverse game, but an inclusive one. Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan spoke about Blizzard's hit competitive shooter game at the D.I.C.E. Summit Wednesday, discussing some of the design decisions that led to the game's colorful cast of characters and the team's overall goals for Overwatch. You can watch his whole discussion (starting … [Link]

Slashdot » Judge Rules Against Forced Fingerprinting

Thursday 23 February 23:40:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Stack: A federal judge in Chicago has ruled against a government request which would require forced fingerprinting of private citizens in order to open a secure, personal phone or tablet. In the ruling, the judge stated that while fingerprints in and of themselves are not protected, the government's method of obtaining the … [Link]

Mashable » World's longest ever golf putt puts your feeble minigolf efforts to shame

Thursday 23 February 23:39:17 UTC 2017

While many of us struggle at the local minigolf course, these guys are killing it. And from a great distance. Australian YouTubers, How Ridiculous, managed to sink a miraculous 120.6 metre (135.67 yard) putt, which just happens to be the new Guinness World Record for the longest putt ever in a non-tournament. Their ecstatic response is something else. The record … [Link]

Mashable » February heat wave: record highs beating lows by more than 100-to-1 ratio

Thursday 23 February 23:36:44 UTC 2017

There’s something about a warm February day that reminds you that something just isn't right. It gives you that nagging feeling that maybe global warming is real after all.  February 2016 has featured prolonged warm weather the likes of which many areas have not seen before, or have only experienced on rare occasions.  Taken as a whole, the month-to-date in the … [Link]

Mashable » The latest crop of #Influencers are lurking at your local Best Buy

Thursday 23 February 23:32:14 UTC 2017

Let’s say you work at Best Buy. You recommend laptops, show off TVs and try to explain what's so great about the newest iPhone. You probably never thought of yourself as an “influencer”—a buzzword that now encompasses anyone from Kardashians to mommy bloggers to Instagram stars. But one company is betting that your blue polo shirt offers advertisers the same sort … [Link]

Mashable » Amazon's Alexa has mad skills. 10,000 of them, to be exact.

Thursday 23 February 23:20:44 UTC 2017

Alexa: Congratulate yourself. Amazon’s digital assistant for the Echo and other devices officially has 10,000 skills, the company announced Thursday. SEE ALSO: New Facebook bot helps you find upcoming protests near you The lucky 10,000th skill: Beat the Intro, a game that tests your ability to recognize songs.  It joins a growing list of talents, including the ability to check your … [Link]

Mashable » Tech companies blast Trump for transgender rights reversal

Thursday 23 February 23:20:38 UTC 2017

Silicon Valley and the administration of President Donald Trump have played a kind of "will they won't they" game since the new president took office in the middle of last month.  Some have openly courted a relationship with Trump, such as Peter Thiel, a cofounder of surveillance-happy Palantir and of PayPal. Others, such as Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, initially courted Trump … [Link]

Mashable » How you can help protect trans kids right now

Thursday 23 February 23:01:03 UTC 2017

Trans kids need protection, and there are several ways you can advocate for their safety. On Wednesday, the Trump administration revoked Obama-era guidance that allowed transgender students to use public school restrooms matching their gender identity. The move has received massive backlash, spurring the hashtag #ProtectTransKids in an effort to show solidarity with trans youth. SEE ALSO: This photo series proves … [Link]

Slashdot » Cellebrite Can Now Unlock Apple iPhone 6, 6 Plus

Thursday 23 February 23:00:00 UTC 2017

Patrick O'Neill writes: A year after the battle between the FBI and Apple over unlocking an iPhone 5s used by a shooter in the San Bernardino terrorist attack, smartphone cracking company Cellebrite announced it can now unlock the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus for customers at rates ranging from $1,500 to $250,000. The company's newest products also extract and analyze … [Link]

Mashable » People would rather get peed on than support Trump? Pretty much.

Thursday 23 February 22:47:56 UTC 2017

Sorry, President Trump: You're not doing so well on OKCupid. Their users say they're more into the idea of getting peed on than supporting you. Sad! The dating behemoth recently updated their list of iconic questions to cover current events and the results are…pouring in. They've found that their users are more likely to be into getting pissed on than they … [Link]

Mashable » Patriots fans should be terrified after Tom Brady's latest Instagram

Thursday 23 February 22:38:18 UTC 2017

Kids, don't try this at home. Patriots fans, look away at all costs. New England quarterback Tom Brady appears to be celebrating his insane Super Bowl comeback and enjoying the NFL offseason by recklessly cascading down ski slopes and horrifying Patriots fans everywhere. If indeed it's him — but why would he post it if it wasn't? SEE ALSO: Players and … [Link]

Mashable » Reese Witherspoon gets a margarita! Mindy Kaling gets a margarita! Everybody with Oprah gets a margarita.

Thursday 23 February 22:32:47 UTC 2017

I implore you to carefully weigh every decision you've made in your life and determine where you went so wrong that you were not present on the magical set of A Wrinkle In Time.  Now, bartender Oprah has arrived to pour margarita salt in your wounds. She took it upon herself to distribute tequila and boundless joy to her fellow celebrities … [Link]

Slashdot » Valve Releases SteamVR For Linux

Thursday 23 February 22:30:00 UTC 2017

New submitter JustNiz quotes a report from GamingOnLinux: Valve has launched SteamVR for Linux officially in beta form and they are keen to stress that this is a development release. You will need to run the latest Steam Beta Client for it to work at all, so be sure to opt-in if you want to play around with it. VR … [Link]

Mashable » The 'Things I did on Ambien' subreddit is a wild ride of sleepy trips and Snapchat funtimes

Thursday 23 February 22:24:52 UTC 2017

Ambien: Well-known drug of choice for those with sleepytime problems. It works! But it can also make you trip balls.  Enter the subreddit r/ambien, where Redditors using the sleep aid tell the wild tales of things they did under the influence of the drug. At the top of the sub, a sticky post from eight months ago sets the perfect tone … [Link]

Mashable » This robot spy dog is like 'Westworld' for animals

Thursday 23 February 22:23:32 UTC 2017

If it looks like a dog, walks like a dog, and barks like a dog, it's a robot built to spy on real dogs by making those dogs trust it so much they don't realize their entire lives are being recorded.  Surveillance, Westworld-style!  SEE ALSO: Abandoned theme park is Westworld IRL and it's just as disturbing In order to get a … [Link]

Mashable » Activist heroically flies over barricade to seize Confederate flag

Thursday 23 February 22:16:46 UTC 2017

By climbing a flagpole outside the South Carolina's statehouse, Bree Newsome practically wrote the modern book on removing Confederate flags from public spaces. Apparently, not everyone read that book, so now we have a sequel. Black Lives Matter activist Muhiyidin d'Baha was arrested on Wednesday in South Carolina after epically leaping over a police tape barricade to snatch a Confederate flag … [Link]

Popular Science » Will drones pull rain from desert clouds?

Thursday 23 February 22:11:00 UTC 2017

Aviation A test flight of a drone brings an unmanned cloud seeding tool one step closer. A test flight of a drone brings an unmanned cloud seeding tool one step closer. [Link]

Slashdot » Website Builder Wix Acquires Art Community DeviantArt For $36 Million

Thursday 23 February 22:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Wix.com has made another acquisition to build out the tools that it provides to users to build and administer websites: it has acquired DeviantArt, an online community for artists, designers and art/design enthusiasts with some 325 million individual pieces of original art and more than 40 million registered members, for $36 million … [Link]

Mashable » The Weather Channel to Kenny G is the least necessary VR experience and we love it

Thursday 23 February 21:58:42 UTC 2017

Finally, you can get the weather report for Omaha in the 1990s in virtual reality — to the smooth sounds of Kenny G, no less.  This three-minute, 360-degree video is all about the "conditions at Omaha," with plenty of retro footage from The Weather Channel.  SEE ALSO: Watch the Women's March on Washington streamed in 360 degrees on Facebook Google … [Link]

Mashable » Everything we know about 'Game of Thrones' Season 7

Thursday 23 February 21:32:02 UTC 2017

Game of Thrones won't be back on our screens for a few more agonizing months, but that definitely won't stop us from obsessing over it in the meantime.  Now that the show has moved past the storylines published in George R. R. Martin's series of novels and we're entering the home stretch everyone involved is being even more secretive than usual … [Link]

Mashable » Witches worldwide plan to cast a spell on Trump, but they'll have some spiritual opposition

Thursday 23 February 21:30:14 UTC 2017

Witches of the world are uniting against the President of the United States, and it might just spark off a war of spells vs. prayers. A document has been circulating around the internet recently, detailing a "A Spell to Bind Donald Trump and All Those Who Abet Him (version 2.0)." Presumably, version 1.0 was unsuccessful, but witches are nothing if not … [Link]

Mashable » 6-month-old is better at plank pose than I am

Thursday 23 February 21:22:53 UTC 2017

To be fair, I'm out of practice. Still, plank posing for a full 34 seconds is an impressive feat for 6-month-old Rowan who's too young to say the words "plank pose," let alone pronounce the pose's proper name "phalakasana".  At this rate, Rowan should have defined baby abs by summer. [H/T: Cosmopolitan] Read more… More about Watercooler, Watercooler, and Video … [Link]

Slashdot » FCC Votes To Lift Net Neutrality Transparency Rules For Smaller Internet Providers

Thursday 23 February 21:20:00 UTC 2017

The Federal Communications Commission today voted to lift transparency requirements for smaller internet providers. According to The Verge, "Internet providers with fewer than 250,000 subscribers will not be required to disclose information on network performance, fees, and data caps, thanks to this rule change. The commission had initially exempted internet providers with fewer than 100,000 subscribers with the intention of … [Link]

Mashable » We finally unboxed Nintendo's Switch and turned it on

Thursday 23 February 21:05:51 UTC 2017

We finally opened the box. There's just over a week left until Nintendo launches its latest console, the Switch, on March 3. We showed off the box on Monday — look, Nintendo has weird rules, OK? — but now we're able to actually open it up and show you what's inside. What is inside? You get the Switch console itself (which … [Link]

Popular Science » On the origin of ice trays

Thursday 23 February 21:04:00 UTC 2017

Gadgets That cube in your cocktail is a product of evolution. That cube in your cocktail is a product of evolution. Read on. [Link]

Mashable » What's coming to Netflix in March

Thursday 23 February 21:03:49 UTC 2017

No matter what any land rodents say, we've got a good six more weeks of winter in half of this country. That's six more weeks of guilt-free binge season, so make the best of it — and check out the latest on Netflix this March. SEE ALSO: 'The Discovery' trailer will definitely mess with your mind Top pick: 13 Reasons … [Link]

Mashable » Tesla is so sure its cars are safe that it now offers insurance for life

Thursday 23 February 21:03:20 UTC 2017

In the self-driving future envisioned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, car owners might be saying "goodbye" to a whole lot more than steering wheels. Musk is so sure of the safety features bundled into Tesla vehicles that his company has begun offering some customers a lifetime insurance and maintenance package at the time of purchase.  No more monthly insurance bills. No … [Link]

Mashable » Seth Meyers interviews 'rogue' climate scientist worried about Trump

Thursday 23 February 20:55:52 UTC 2017

Climate scientists don't typically make the rounds on late-night talk shows. But thanks to President Donald Trump, they do now. Ben Santer, a prominent atmospheric scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Wednesday night — a rare step for someone employed by a government-run lab. "These are strange and unusual times, and it … [Link]

Mashable » 'Planet of the Apes' series director Matt Reeves to direct 'The Batman' starring Ben Affleck

Thursday 23 February 20:55:22 UTC 2017

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt may have poked fun at the idea of "Too Many Spider-Men," but "too many Batmen" is a problem yet to plague Hollywood.  Warner Bros. announced Tuesday that Matt Reeves will direct The Batman, the next film starring Ben Affleck's Caped Crusader, that Affleck himself was originally slated to direct.  “I have loved the Batman story since I was … [Link]

Mashable » Elmo, Big Bird and the gang answer the internet's most searched questions about 'Sesame Street'

Thursday 23 February 20:48:31 UTC 2017

“Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?" isn't the only question everyone has about the famed educational neighborhood.  SEE ALSO: 'Too Many Cookies' is the sweetest 'Too Many Cooks' parody ever All of your favorite Sesame Street residents got together to answer some of the internet's biggest questions about the furry friends and their home … [Link]

Mashable » 'EVE Online' players can use the game's virtual universe to identify real-life exoplanets

Thursday 23 February 20:45:54 UTC 2017

Finding planets that orbit stars other than our own is no simple task. Some scientists are calling on gamers to help sift through huge amounts of astronomical data to confirm the presence of exoplanets throughout our Milky Way galaxy. In its second foray into scientific crowdsourcing, the popular online multiplayer game EVE Online is collaborating with Massively Multiplayer Online Science, Reykjavik … [Link]

Slashdot » Social Media Are Driving Americans Insane

Thursday 23 February 20:40:00 UTC 2017

Deena Shanker, writing for Bloomberg: If you pull out your phone to check Twitter while waiting for the light to change, or read e-mails while brushing your teeth, you might be what the American Psychological Association calls a "constant checker." And chances are, it's hurting your mental health. Last week, the APA released a study finding that Americans were experiencing … [Link]

Mashable » Beyonce out at Coachella, will headline in 2018 instead

Thursday 23 February 20:36:14 UTC 2017

NEW YORK (AP) — Beyonce, who is pregnant with twins, will not perform at Coachella this year, but will headline the festival in 2018.In a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday, Beyonce's Parkwood Entertainment and festival producer Goldenvoice said the singer had to pull out of the famed festival "following the advice of her doctors to keep a less rigorous … [Link]

Mashable » This innovative wind turbine can withstand hurricane-force winds

Thursday 23 February 20:28:40 UTC 2017

‘IceWind’ has redesigned the wind turbine to be more efficient and durable by flipping the blades sideways. Read more…More about Real Time Video, Real Time Video, Real Time, Real Time Video, and Design [Link]

Mashable » Pluto and its 5 moons are about to be the nerdiest worlds ever

Thursday 23 February 20:18:29 UTC 2017

Get ready to geek out, space fans. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) — the body responsible for assigning official names to all cosmic objects discovered by Earthlings — has officially approved naming schemes for features on the surfaces of Pluto and its five moons.  This is good news for all you science fiction nerds out there. The IAU's naming scheme for … [Link]

Mashable » Billie Lourd's throwback photo with Carrie Fisher is so beautiful it hurts

Thursday 23 February 20:08:28 UTC 2017

Try to hold back your tears. It has been a very tough time for Billie Lourd after the passing of both her mother, Carrie Fisher, and grandmother, Debbie Reynolds, just a day apart in December.  The Scream Queens actress has stayed pretty quiet on social media since their deaths but she has treated us to pictures with Reynolds and Fisher. SEE … [Link]

Mashable » Oscar Isaac to join long list of hot guys who star in 'Hamlet'

Thursday 23 February 20:03:43 UTC 2017

Fangirls, rejoice! Following in the footsteps of Ethan Hawke, David Tennant, Benedict Cumberbatch and a cartoon lion, everyone's fictional boyfriend Oscar Isaac is taking on Shakespeare's most famous monologue-r.  SEE ALSO: Ranking the internet's boyfriends after the 2017 Golden Globes This summer at New York City's Public Theater, Isaac will headline Sam Gold's production of Hamlet, per the New York Times.  … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook will give you a chance to fly your own flag in your profile pic

Thursday 23 February 20:02:51 UTC 2017

Facebook just added almost 200 national flags to its Profile Frames feature, giving users an extra chance share their national pride with all their friends—or just make everyone quickly scrolling through their feeds double-check if their phone screen has a smudge when the flags fly past.     The small flags, which appear at the top corner of profile pictures, don't make … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » project44 Launches connectNG Platform and Refreshed Core Services API

Thursday 23 February 20:01:20 UTC 2017

project44, an enterprise SaaS integration platform and global supply chain APIs provider, has launched connectNG. The newly launched connectNG platform includes a complete refresh of the project44 core services API and security enhancements. The connectNG platform also features new interactive documentation and data collection, normalization, and enrichment capabilities. [Link]

Slashdot » Amazon Argues That Alexa Is Protected By the First Amendment in a Murder Trial

Thursday 23 February 20:00:00 UTC 2017

Amazon is sticking to its guns in the fight to protect customer data. The ecommerce giant has filed a motion to quash the search warrant for recordings from an Amazon Echo in the trial of James Andrew Bates, accused of murdering friend Victor Collins in Bentonville, Arkansas in November 2015. And it's arguing that the responses of Alexa, the voice … [Link]

Mashable » The Washington Post's new slogan is movie-poster worthy

Thursday 23 February 19:58:08 UTC 2017

The Washington Post has a new slogan: Democracy Dies in Darkness. That's not just something for its press materials. The words are now right there below the paper's name on the front page of its website. Image: washingtonpost.comPost owner Jeff Bezos, better known as CEO of Amazon, said the phrase in a 2016 interview with the paper's editor-in-chief Marty Baron.  When … [Link]

Popular Science » Watch scientists train bees to play with tiny soccer balls

Thursday 23 February 19:56:05 UTC 2017

Animals The study shows that bees can adapt to really weird circumstances Here's the buzz: bees are brilliant. [Link]

Mashable » Lorde is 'Saturday Night Live' musical guest in March so new music has to be coming soon, right?

Thursday 23 February 19:53:05 UTC 2017

Lorde and Scarlett Johansson will be Saturday Night Live's musical guest and host, respectively, on March 11.  This almost certainly means that we'll finally get to hear the magic Lorde has in store for her long-promised sophomore album.  SEE ALSO: Kate McKinnon and Hillary Clinton spotted processing this hellscape together Very excited to announce our March shows! #SNL pic.twitter.com/fmjjkeq8Vc — Saturday … [Link]

Mashable » This shape shifting model could be the future of design engineering

Thursday 23 February 19:47:55 UTC 2017

Designed at Harvard, this mesmerizing reconfigurable metamaterial could represent the future of design engineering.  Read more…More about Metamaterials, Harvard Research, Shape Shiting, Real Time Video, and Design Enginerring [Link]

New Scientist – News » Kids can pick up attitude from robots they play and learn with

Thursday 23 February 19:46:42 UTC 2017

Children using a companion robot to help solve puzzles or listen to them tell stories tried harder when it was programmed to have a can-do attitude [Link]

Popular Science » McDonalds' fancy new straw doesn't suck

Thursday 23 February 19:43:30 UTC 2017

Science And that's the problem We tested out McDonalds' crazy new straw. It's got some issues. [Link]

Mashable » Senator finds it hard to respond to criticism from a kid

Thursday 23 February 19:39:54 UTC 2017

My roughly 10-year-old cousin once wanted to take me on in ping-pong, using the table in my basementSure, I said. I let him get up 11-1, because I'm much older than he is, and what the hell do I care?  But then he started talking shit. Like, a surprising, not-marginal amount of shit for a 10-year-old. So I beat him. I … [Link]

Popular Science » NASA wants the internet to get hype about these new exoplanets

Thursday 23 February 19:33:00 UTC 2017

Space You can basically read fanfiction about them On Wednesday, NASA announced the discovery of seven "Earthlike" planets orbiting a nearby star. And then they rolled out a lot of goodies. [Link]

Mashable » Blind: the app where Uber employees are gossiping right now

Thursday 23 February 19:25:05 UTC 2017

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick has said change will come to his company after a blog post detailed horrific acts of sexism and repressive, Kafka-esque HR company culture.  SEE ALSO: Uber's ratings are in the toilet Yet, it seemed that some found their last straw, and weren't willing to wait out the change. A rumor circulated that 118 people, based in Uber's … [Link]

Mashable » Merriam-Webster subtweeted Kellyanne Conway on behalf of feminists everywhere

Thursday 23 February 19:23:57 UTC 2017

Who knew reference books could use Twitter so well? Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said Thursday afternoon at CPAC, "It's difficult," for her to call herself a feminist. She said she feels that modern feminism is, "very anti-male," and, "very pro-abortion." Shortly after her statement, Merriam-Webster—yes, the dictionary—squarely put her in her place on their Twitter with a nice little … [Link]

Slashdot » Tech Reporting Is More Negative Now Than in the Past

Thursday 23 February 19:21:00 UTC 2017

Wayne Williams, writing for BetaNews: A new study finds that tech reporting is generally more pessimistic now than in the past, and for two very different reasons. The new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), and based on textual analysis of 250 articles from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post from … [Link]

Mashable » The sci-fi propulsion system that will get us to TRAPPIST-1 fastest

Thursday 23 February 19:10:07 UTC 2017

800,000 years: That's how long (buzzkill) astronaut Scott Kelly said it'll take us to get to the TRAPPIST-1 star system and its seven newly-discovered, potentially life-supporting, Earth-sized worlds. That timeline, Kelly also notes, is using our current propulsion systems. Which max out at a robust, but not interstellar-ready 29,000 mph. But what if we could traverse those 235 trillion miles (40 … [Link]

Mashable » FCC commits $2 billion to expanding internet access in rural America

Thursday 23 February 19:08:48 UTC 2017

Internet access is still elusive in much of rural America, and the Federal Communications Commission is taking steps to close that gap.  The FCC on Thursday morning approved a plan to provide $2 billion for a program to encourage the development of broadband internet access to rural parts of the United States. Internet providers will compete for FCC support in a … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Bees learn to play golf and show off how clever they really are

Thursday 23 February 19:00:00 UTC 2017

Bumblebees have shown they can learn how to push a ball into a hole to get a reward, staking their claim to be considered tool users [Link]

Mashable » 10 marketing books to read in 2017

Thursday 23 February 18:58:22 UTC 2017

Interview after interview with top performers tends to reveal similar daily habits: an early wake time; a regular exercise regimen; and a designated time for reading.  Reading a lot won’t necessarily make you a great leader, but it seems great leaders tend to read a lot with rare exceptions. Great leaders read because it’s the most efficient way to gain the … [Link]

Mashable » Fugitive pig almost got away with it

Thursday 23 February 18:42:59 UTC 2017

A fugitive pig is headed back home to his rightful owners this week after a standoff with two Ohio police officers. A 911 dispatcher received a call Tuesday morning alerting the police to a pot-belly pig running loose through a Columbus neighborhood.  SEE ALSO: America's 8 most wanted household pets and barnyard animals Two officers managed to leash the pig before … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Says Almost Every Recent 'Trusted' DMCA Notices Were Bogus

Thursday 23 February 18:40:00 UTC 2017

Reader AmiMoJo writes: In comments submitted to a U.S. Copyright Office consultation, Google has given the DMCA a vote of support, despite widespread abuse. Noting that the law allows for innovation and agreements with content creators, Google says that 99.95% of URLs it was asked to take down last month didn't even exist in its search indexes. "For example, in … [Link]

Mashable » Scientists find new link between sugar and Alzheimer's

Thursday 23 February 18:39:53 UTC 2017

Scientists are finding more evidence that you should probably cut down on your sugar intake.  A group of U.K. researchers say they've spotted the molecular "tipping point" that could explain sugar's ties to Alzheimer's disease. Their findings provide further evidence that there might be a link between high blood sugar levels and the memory-robbing disease, though they don't prove that sugar … [Link]

Mashable » West Elm is offering people a refund for that disgraceful couch

Thursday 23 February 18:36:37 UTC 2017

Imagine a couch so abysmal that, for a moment, the people of the world cast aside their differing political opinions to rally together and hate on it.  This powerfully shitty piece of furniture exists in the form of a West Elm sofa named "Peggy," and after one brave and fed-up soul, Anna Hezel, decided to publicly put the couch on blast, … [Link]

Mashable » Animator turns everyday objects into delightful little cartoons

Thursday 23 February 18:31:56 UTC 2017

A cup of coffee just got a whole lot cuter. Youtube user Moonchay Animation uploaded this adorable video of everyday object come to life through the magic of animation. Suddenly, everything from plants and machinery to houses and bubbles have their own distinct personalities.  Check out these tumblr and Facebook pages to see what these real life doodles are up … [Link]

Mashable » Justin Bieber is so chill that he can walk around after pissing his sweatpants

Thursday 23 February 18:24:35 UTC 2017

Every son, daughter, mother, father, sister and brother should aspire to love themselves enough to walk around confidently in daylight in urine soaked sweatpants.  Justin Bieber appears to be doing just that in a video published by TMZ.  SEE ALSO: Untangling the The Weeknd's new toxic masculinity banger dissing Justin Bieber Justin Bieber is Pissed!!! (VIDEO) https://t.co/FfJdrWF18H — TMZ (@TMZ) February … [Link]

Mashable » Adorable cat brothers reunited thanks to Tinder

Thursday 23 February 18:15:52 UTC 2017

Dating apps usually bring people together, but in one very adorable case Tinder brought a pair of cats together. Butter and Ozzie, an especially cute pair of orange and white feline brothers, were separated when they were adopted by different families from a shelter in Petaluma, California. Their story would have ended there if a stroke of luck hadn't brought their … [Link]

Mashable » Please: You can come out as gay, you can't 'come out' as conservative

Thursday 23 February 18:15:43 UTC 2017

Once upon a (surprisingly-worse) time, only members of the LGBTQ community could come out to the world. For many, coming out was a long, stigmatizing journey that could fray family relationships while putting housing and employment opportunities at risk. To some people living outside the community, there was something so delightfully saccharine about these liberation stories. By the end of the … [Link]

Mashable » The Washington Post wants you to watch people scream at politicians

Thursday 23 February 18:13:11 UTC 2017

We’re used to seeing politicians give long-winded speeches, ask politely to complete their points, and respond to others with a smattering of polite applause. In reality, we'd rather watch randos scream at them. SEE ALSO: 5 Lessons From Obama's Twitter Town Hall The Washington Post has gifted the internet with a list of 30 videos in which politicians from Barack Obama … [Link]

Mashable » Kick off and sail the skies with this personal aircraft

Thursday 23 February 18:05:02 UTC 2017

‘Archaeopteryx’ is an impressive lightweight hang glider with a wing span of 45 feet. It's designed by a Swiss company called Ruppert Composite. Named after the dinosaur of the same name, it's capable of long-distance flights even in conditions with poor air currents. Read more…More about Real People, Real Time Video, Real Time Video, Real Time, and Startups [Link]

Mashable » GLAAD celebrates triumphs of black transgender trailblazers in new video

Thursday 23 February 18:04:15 UTC 2017

Black transgender activists are getting some much-deserved recognition this month. To mark Black History Month, LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD created a video to celebrate 14 influential black trans people, all of whom have made vital contributions to the movement. SEE ALSO: New docuseries shows what life is really like for queer and trans men of color The video, which … [Link]

Mashable » John Legend trolled Donald Trump like a champion

Thursday 23 February 18:00:07 UTC 2017

Donald Trump hasn't brought up his inauguration crowd size in a while, but that doesn't mean John Legend hasn't forgotten the controversy surrounding the president's claims.  When Legend found himself flying over the National Mall in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, he brilliantly took the opportunity to snap a pic and troll Trump with a cheeky Instagram caption.  SEE ALSO: Chrissy Teigen … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Has Demonstrated a Successful Practical Attack Against SHA-1

Thursday 23 February 18:00:00 UTC 2017

Reader Artem Tashkinov writes: Ten years after of SHA-1 was first introduced, Google has announced the first practical technique for generating an SHA-1 collision. It required two years of research between the CWI Institute in Amsterdam and Google. As a proof of the attack, Google has released two PDF files that have identical SHA-1 hashes but different content. The amount … [Link]

Mashable » Here are all the 'Stranger Things Season 2' tidbits for you to obsess over until fall

Thursday 23 February 17:47:51 UTC 2017

We have a release date. We have episode titles. We have an endless loop of Millie Bobby Brown videos to watch until Halloween, but what else can we pore over until Stranger Things comes back? For now we'll settle for nitpicking every known plot detail — it'll have to be October by then, right? Here's what we know for sure about … [Link]

Mashable » The Oscars movies get 'Honest Trailer' treatment

Thursday 23 February 17:42:44 UTC 2017

La La Land or "Hollywood Hand Job"? Honest Trailers thinks the movie's alternative title should be the later.  This week, the popular ScreenJunkies series from Defy Media poked fun at the nine Best Picture Oscar nominees with its classic trailer-spoof format. "It's that time of the year when L.A.'s pretty narcissists use their awards to take shots at D.C.'s ugly … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Social Media Needs A Travel Mode'

Thursday 23 February 17:20:00 UTC 2017

Maciej CegÅowski, a Polish-American web developer, entrepreneur, and social critic, writes on a blog post: We need a 'trip mode' for social media sites that reduces our contact list and history to a minimal subset of what the site normally offers. Not only would such a feature protect people forced to give their passwords at the border, but it would … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Extinct Neanderthals still control expression of human genes

Thursday 23 February 17:18:41 UTC 2017

Early humans may have outcompeted Neanderthals, but their influence lives on in DNA some of us inherited after the two interbred [Link]

Mashable » Inside Uber: Women either 'drink the Kool-aid' or suffer

Thursday 23 February 17:02:50 UTC 2017

Women working at Uber face a culture of sexism and harassment that takes a serious toll not just on their careers, but also their mental health. "I knew two women engineers who both experienced psychological trauma after being at Uber," a former engineer who worked for Uber said in a phone call Tuesday.  "Uber is also the only place where I’ve … [Link]

Mashable » The Apollo 11 exhibit is the next big national tour you need to catch

Thursday 23 February 17:00:14 UTC 2017

Space and science nerds, rejoice! A monumental piece of space exploration history — the Apollo 11 capsule — is soon launching a national tour, giving you a chance to get an up-close view of the spacecraft used in the first lunar landing. SEE ALSO: Seven Earth-sized planets orbit an alien star only 40 light-years away The Columbia capsule, which took Neil … [Link]

Mashable » 'Street Fighter V' is heading to TBS with $250,000 ELeague invitational

Thursday 23 February 17:00:00 UTC 2017

Street Fighter V is coming to Atlanta this spring with a $250,000 invitational hosted by ELeague, featuring 32 of the best SFV players in the world battling over several weeks with live coverage on TBS and Twitch. The ELeague Street Fighter V Invitational is running from the end of March to the end of May, with semi-regular live broadcasts on … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Plain packets help smokers quit by killing brand identities

Thursday 23 February 16:59:00 UTC 2017

Smokers no longer derive a sense of identity from cigarette brands after plain packaging rule was introduced in Australia, helping them to kick the habit [Link]

Mashable » Watch a bunch of chubby tigers take down a drone and try to eat it

Thursday 23 February 16:56:27 UTC 2017

A drone operator got a little too close to a group of excited Siberian tigers, and well, a drone looks a whole lot like a really awesome cat toy. According to The Independent, a sanctuary in China's Heilongjiang Province uses drones to help keep their tigers get in shape, though it doesn't seem to be working well because some of … [Link]

Mashable » 'Truth is hard' — fighting words from the New York Times new ad campaign

Thursday 23 February 16:45:50 UTC 2017

The Grey Lady would like to have a word. The New York Times is launching a new ad campaign around "The Truth," its first major TV marketing effort in more than a decade. The first ad will debut during the Academy Awards on ABC this Sunday. The ad addresses all the noise around modern media, particularly the arguments around bias and … [Link]

Mashable » Your next phone could shoot slow motion video at a whopping 960 fps

Thursday 23 February 16:45:00 UTC 2017

If you like recording slow motion videos with your smartphone, you're going to love what's coming in the future. While smartphones today can record impressive slow motion videos at 120 or 240 frames per second (fps), Sony has developed a new CMOS image sensor for phones that can record slow motion at 960 fps. SEE ALSO: Slow motion stunts with a … [Link]

Mashable » YouTube livestream of pregnant giraffe briefly pulled for nudity and sexually explicit content

Thursday 23 February 16:44:19 UTC 2017

A livestream of a pregnant giraffe waiting to give birth has struck controversy online after alleged animal rights activists successfully had the stream removed.  "This is the perfect example of why we can't have nice things," said Jordan Patch, owner Animal Adventure Park in New York. After the stream was taken down, Patch was visibly shook and vented his frustrations … [Link]

Popular Science » Meet China's triple-hulled warship of the future

Thursday 23 February 16:44:00 UTC 2017

From Our Blogs: Eastern Arsenal A trimaran vessel with all-electric propulsion, multiple helicopters, and anti-ship missiles. China Shipbuilding Trading Company plans for a high-tech trimaran warship with all-electric propulsion, multiple helicopters, and deadly missiles. Read on. [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Creates Skype Lite Especially For India

Thursday 23 February 16:40:00 UTC 2017

There's a new Skype app in town, and it is made just for India. According to a report on CNET: Microsoft is the latest US tech giant to help keep Indians connected. Skype Lite is a new version of the company's popular video and voice-calling app that's "built in India." Skype Lite functions much like its big brother Skype, but … [Link]

Mashable » #BootBae shows us the real function of high heel boots

Thursday 23 February 16:37:14 UTC 2017

Every once in a while, a video comes around to remind us we're not alone. In relationships, society tells us it's unattractive to be possessive, but it's hard to fight our feelings. When those feelings of possessiveness arise within us, we worry about coming off as overprotective, jealous, or even insecure. But not now, not today.  #BootBae is here to liberate … [Link]

Popular Science » How to protect your smartphone's lock screen

Thursday 23 February 16:34:11 UTC 2017

DIY Are you revealing more than you need to? Your phone's lock screen is intended to keep unwelcome visitors out of your phone, but sometimes they still tease out personal information. Here's how to stop them. [Link]

Mashable » 'Beauty and the Beast' just made a 'Harry Potter' reference, as if we weren't excited enough

Thursday 23 February 16:32:30 UTC 2017

Beauty and the Beast is not just an upcoming film. It's a meltdown-causing event. People have been losing their minds every time something new from the movie is released, whether its a song from the film sung by Ariana Grande or a new trailer. And now, a clip from the opening of the film has people freaking out once again and … [Link]

Mashable » A 'weather bomb' named Doris batters the UK

Thursday 23 February 16:29:26 UTC 2017

A large and rapidly intensifying storm struck northern Ireland and the UK on Thursday, plastering some areas with snow and bringing widespread wind gusts approaching or exceeding hurricane force.  The storm, named Doris by the UK Met Office, crossed Ireland as it intensified, before pinwheeling between Scotland and England. According to the Met Office, the storm underwent bombogenesis, which occurs when … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Voyager 1 might have seen Enceladus’ icy plumes 25 years early

Thursday 23 February 16:29:00 UTC 2017

A space image-processing enthusiast claims that he’s found signs of Saturn’s moon’s majestic plumes from 1980 – decades before they were discovered [Link]

Mashable » This new SD card from Sony is the fastest in the world

Thursday 23 February 16:23:46 UTC 2017

There’s a powerful new tool for photography enthusiasts.  Sony's new SF-G series, announced on Wednesday, comes with a bold claim: they're the "world's fastest SD cards." The cards are available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB, and they're directed towards both professional photographers and amateurs. SEE ALSO: Sony 4K TVs will be controllable with Google Assistant later this year The series is … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Dozy drivers pose big dilemma for next step in autonomous cars

Thursday 23 February 16:21:00 UTC 2017

Should we build cars that let drivers relax most of the time? Soporific test drives are highlighting risks in the road map, says Jamais Cascio [Link]

Mashable » Play fetch and crawl through tunnels in this dog-inspired bootcamp

Thursday 23 February 16:20:50 UTC 2017

‘Work Out Like A Dog' is a bootcamp models its exercise routines after canines. Yes, this is real. Participants fetch, sit, tunnel crawl, and play tug-of-war. The bootcamp hopes to inspire others to workout more with their pets.  Read more…More about Dog Exercises, Bootcamp, Bluecross, Work Out Like A Dog, and Dog [Link]

Mashable » Inauguration singer and her trans sister would like to talk to President Trump

Thursday 23 February 16:12:55 UTC 2017

One critic of the Trump administration's repeal of protections for transgender students in public schools should come as no surprise: Jackie Evancho, the 16-year-old inauguration performer and sister of a transgender woman currently suing her school district over the issue.  Evancho, a  former contestant on America's Got Talent, tweeted at Donald Trump Wednesday evening, asking for a meeting with her and … [Link]

Popular Science » That giant crack in Antarctica just keeps getting bigger

Thursday 23 February 16:10:24 UTC 2017

Environment It's a matter of weeks before a Delaware-sized iceberg hits the high seas The Delaware-sized Larsen C glacier is set to break off of the Antarctic ice shelf any day now. Read on. [Link]

Geek Culture » Wanderers

Thursday 23 February 16:05:58 UTC 2017

[Link]

Mashable » Harvard names Rihanna 'Humanitarian of the Year'

Thursday 23 February 16:05:47 UTC 2017

What a great time to be Rihanna. After celebrating her 29th birthday on Monday and besting Micheal Jackson's record for most Billboard Hot 100 singles two days later, the Caribbean singer probably thought the rest of this week would be as quiet as life could be for her. But she was wrong.  SEE ALSO: This parrot is like, really good at … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Hiring tool uses behavioural science to stop recruitment bias

Thursday 23 February 16:03:00 UTC 2017

The platform, which replaces CVs with a whole new way of recruiting, aims to remove bias – but won’t always lead to more diversity [Link]

Slashdot » Inside Uber's Aggressive, Unrestrained Workplace Culture

Thursday 23 February 16:00:00 UTC 2017

Excerpts from Mike Isaac's report for the New York Times: Interviews with more than 30 current and former Uber employees, as well as reviews of internal emails, chat logs and tape-recorded meetings, paint a picture of an often unrestrained workplace culture. Among the most egregious accusations from employees, who either witnessed or were subject to incidents and who asked to … [Link]

Mashable » The royal family tweets a message of care for those weathering Storm Doris

Thursday 23 February 15:58:59 UTC 2017

Storm Doris has blown into the UK with astounding force. Britons have been sharing their reactions all over social media with #StormDoris. SEE ALSO: All the times Britain celebrated the Queen's jubilees in the most British way imaginable Not to be left out of the conversation was the royal family. The Twitter account for Clarence House tweeted a picture of Camilla, … [Link]

Mashable » Eating oranges in the shower is a weird trend we can get behind

Thursday 23 February 15:57:23 UTC 2017

What’s the worst part about eating an orange? The mess, of course!  It's sticky and juicy and your hands end up smelling like oranges for hours afterward, which sounds nice in theory, but gets bad quickly. SEE ALSO: Reddit is obsessed with bridges right now, from Golden Gate to Jeff Now there is a solution to this serious issue. The subreddit … [Link]

Mashable » Google rolls out its new tool to fight disgusting internet trolls

Thursday 23 February 15:42:11 UTC 2017

As Twitter, Facebook, and other popular sites across the web continue to figure out how to fight trolling in the Age Of Trump, Google has taken its big step forward with the release of its Perspective API. SEE ALSO: Twitter just launched, and killed, a new abuse fix in 2 hours Created by Jigsaw (a Google-bases incubator) and Google’s Counter Abuse … [Link]

Mashable » Jordan Peele gets the elusive 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for 'Get Out'

Thursday 23 February 15:36:57 UTC 2017

In 2017, examining America's issues with racism is fertile ground for artists and activists alikeGet Out, from comedian Jordan Peele, puts black male protagonist Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) in his girlfriend's (Allison WIlliams) parents' regressive Southern town, where unsettling servants and multitudes of microaggression lead to true violence and horror.  The film earned a spectacular 100% on Rotten Tomatoes so far … [Link]

Mashable » Brits told to eat 10 fruit and veg a day, Twitter goes into utter meltdown

Thursday 23 February 15:32:06 UTC 2017

Britain is in meltdown today after new research revealed we should be eating ten portions of fruit and veg a day to cut the risk of early death. The study by Imperial College London analysed all available research on populations worldwide. It found that while the recommended five portions per day reduced the risk of disease, the greatest benefit comes from … [Link]

Mashable » How can Uber overcome the sexism in its company culture?

Thursday 23 February 15:29:33 UTC 2017

Welcome back to another week of MashTalk. On this week's podcast, the Mashable tech team chats about Uber's sexism in the workplace problems, Instagram's new albums feature, and the latest Apple rumors. As always, MashTalk is hosted by Tech Editor Pete Pachal with commentary from Chief Correspondent Lance Ulanoff and Senior Tech Correspondent Raymond Wong.  SEE ALSO: Why sexual harassment … [Link]

Popular Science » Taking manatees off the endangered species list doesn't mean we should stop protecting them

Thursday 23 February 15:28:54 UTC 2017

Animals Come for the sea cow pictures, stay for the environmental policy The fightin’ sea cows are making a comeback. Manatees have been on the endangered species list since 1972, but in the last few years they’ve been so abundant that they… [Link]

Mashable » The 27 hardest job interview questions, according to Glassdoor

Thursday 23 February 15:28:21 UTC 2017

Jobs interviews are always hard, but some come with trickier questions than others. Where do you see yourself in five years? How many ping pong balls fit in a school bus?  Glassdoor, the jobs- and career-focused site, compiled 27 of the toughest interview questions job seekers face in any field. The information came from job seekers and Glassdoor users who shared … [Link]

Mashable » You'll have to wait to play old Nintendo games on your Switch

Thursday 23 February 15:27:18 UTC 2017

Virtual Console, the subsection of Nintendo's online eShop that peddles downloadable games from across the company's history, won't be available for Switch owners at launch. The news is confirmed in a Feb. 23 email that also lists the three indie games that will be available in the eShop at launch. Two of those games are Shovel Knight. SEE ALSO: How to … [Link]

Slashdot » Most Scientists 'Can't Replicate Studies By Their Peers'

Thursday 23 February 15:20:00 UTC 2017

Science is facing a "reproducibility crisis" where more than two-thirds of researchers have tried and failed to reproduce another scientist's experiments, research suggests. From a report: This is frustrating clinicians and drug developers who want solid foundations of pre-clinical research to build upon. From his lab at the University of Virginia's Centre for Open Science, immunologist Dr Tim Errington runs … [Link]

Mashable » Finally, there's a Mike Tyson iPhone emoji for every situation

Thursday 23 February 15:05:28 UTC 2017

First things first: Yes, there's an ear emoji.  Mike Tyson on Thursday became the latest celebrity to release an emoji sticker application and the ear is right there among the portraits and catch-phrases and other ephemera, clenched between a bared set of teeth.   SEE ALSO: The most dad-ass dad sneaker of all time just became even more dad This is … [Link]

Mashable » Earth discovers its friendly new neighbors in this Google doodle

Thursday 23 February 15:01:44 UTC 2017

NASA’s discovery of seven Earth-sized planets in a solar system not too far away has space enthusiasts buzzing with excitement. Google has joined in on the celebration with a new animated doodle featured on its homepage. SEE ALSO: Seven Earth-sized planets orbit an alien star only 40 light-years away In the Google Doodle, Earth and its moon discover their friendly space … [Link]

Mashable » Google pledges $11.5 million to racial justice innovators across the U.S.

Thursday 23 February 15:00:00 UTC 2017

Google thinks science and data are key in advancing racial justice — and it's putting up millions of dollars to prove it. The tech giant's philanthropic arm, Google.org, is pledging $11.5 million to U.S. organizations dedicated to racial justice and criminal justice reform. The grants will be distributed over the next three years to 10 different nonprofits and initiatives, all working … [Link]

Mashable » Dog DGAF when poor owner shells out $1,000 after it swallows a bouncy ball

Thursday 23 February 14:55:54 UTC 2017

We love our pets unconditionally. But sometimes, they test that love. A lot. For example, Redditor Ferenginar's dog decided to swallow a $0.25 bouncy ball. You know, one that you get from those toy dispensers in malls or right by the exit in grocery stores. The problem was, the ball got stuck in the dog. And in the end, a bouncy … [Link]

Slashdot » Tech Breakthroughs Take a Backseat in Upcoming Apple iPhone Launch

Thursday 23 February 14:40:00 UTC 2017

Stephen Nellis, reporting for Reuters: The new iPhone is expected to include new features such as high-resolution displays, wireless charging and 3-D sensors. Rather than representing major breakthroughs, however, most of the innovations have been available in competing phones for several years. Apple's relatively slow adoption of new features both reflects and reinforces the fact smartphone customers are holding onto … [Link]

Popular Science » This tiny camera could give drones predator vision

Thursday 23 February 14:37:38 UTC 2017

Science It can be 3D printed in just one step A 3D-printed multi-lense camera can see stuff as eagles do. And it's super small. [Link]

New Scientist – News » How to be good: Can science show us how to save the world?

Thursday 23 February 14:30:00 UTC 2017

Effective Altruism promises a scientific revolution for how we do good. Are there hidden dangers? [Link]

Popular Science » Want people to volunteer as lab rats? Turn your science into a game.

Thursday 23 February 14:30:00 UTC 2017

Science Book Excerpt: Power Play: How video games can save the world One of the most successful examples of citizen science is Lab in the Wild, an experimental platform for conducting online behavioral experiments… [Link]

Mashable » As #DeleteUber rages, Lyft expands to 54 new cities

Thursday 23 February 14:23:12 UTC 2017

Lyft is having a big 2017, both due to reasons of its own making and, um, others.  On the Lyft side of things, the ride-hailing app on Thursday expanded its service to 54 new cities and four new states — its biggest launch day ever. That expansion is part of Lyft's goal to enter 100 new cities in 2017.  Lyft got … [Link]

Mashable » Jordan Peele reacts to 'Get Out' as Barack Obama: 'Surrounded by white people! Not fun'

Thursday 23 February 14:20:41 UTC 2017

Jay Pharoah, Fred Armisen, Reggie Brown — a handful of comedians took a crack at impersonating Barack Obama during his eight years in office, but let's be clear: No one had him down quite as cold as Jordan Peele. In an interview with Fandango, Peele was asked to react to his own movie — this weekend's critically lauded release Get … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Releases an AI Tool For Publishers To Spot and Weed Out Toxic Comments

Thursday 23 February 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Google today launched a new technology to help news organizations and online platforms identify and swiftly remove abusive comments on their websites. The technology, called Perspective, will review comments and score them based on how similar they are to comments people said were "toxic" or likely to make them leave a conversation. From a report on BBC: The search giant … [Link]

Mashable » This is what it's like to be killed off on 'Game of Thrones'

Thursday 23 February 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Anyone who's seen Game of Thrones will know that the phrase "All men must die" isn't just restricted to men. Margaery Tyrell, who went out in a blaze of green glory in the Season 6 finale, is just one of the show's latest victims. SEE ALSO: Emilia Clarke wraps up 'Game of Thrones' filming with an R. Kelly lip sync … [Link]

Mashable » Natalie Dormer reveals what it's like to become a video game character

Thursday 23 February 14:00:00 UTC 2017

This isn't the first time Natalie Dormer's voiced a video game character, but it's definitely the first time she's voiced a blue, inter-galactic space doctor. Dormer, who's previously starred as Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones, was announced as one of the main characters in the video game Mass Effect: Andromeda on Thursday. She'll be playing Dr Lexi T'Perro, an … [Link]

Mashable » Stephen Colbert slams Trump's new 'phone buddy', InfoWars' Alex Jones

Thursday 23 February 13:36:23 UTC 2017

The White House recently acknowledged that Alex Jones — the extremely loud right-wing conspiracy theorist who runs InfoWars — is an "occasional information source and validator" for Donald Trump.  But, as Stephen Colbert pointed on on Wednesday night's Late Show, Jones might not have much information to work with. He's too busy concocting a harmful alternative reality and hoping that … [Link]

Mashable » Here's why Uber drivers keep going on strike in its fastest growing market

Thursday 23 February 13:23:41 UTC 2017

Uber’s desperate attempt to turn India into its next big market isn’t chugging along smoothly.  On top of regulatory hurdles that Uber has faced in nearly every region it operates in, the company is struggling in "right-sizing" its business model in India even as it nears completing five years since arriving in the country, Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst at Greyhound … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Research Developing An AI To Put Coders Out of a Job

Thursday 23 February 13:00:00 UTC 2017

jmcbain writes: Are you a software programmer who voted in a recent Slashdot poll that a robot/AI would never take your job? Unfortunately, you're wrong. Microsoft, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, is developing such an AI. This software "can turn your descriptions into working code in seconds," reports MSPoweruser. "Called DeepCoder, the software can take requirements by the … [Link]

Popular Science » There are two kinds of AI, and the difference is important

Thursday 23 February 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Technology Most of today’s AI is designed to solve specific problems Artificial intelligence can solve many problems, but it won’t replicate the human brain anytime soon. [Link]

Mashable » 15 years after surviving communal riots, Muslim artist crafts idol for Hindu temple

Thursday 23 February 12:53:12 UTC 2017

It is a heartwarming story of overcoming adversity and rising above religion.  A 29-year-old Muslim man hailing from the once riot-stricken Indian city of Ahmedabad, now has an idol crafted by him installed inside a Hindu temple, The Times of India reports.   SEE ALSO: 'Pokémon Go' manages to hurt religious sentiments in India even before official launch Mohsin Shaikh, who … [Link]

Mashable » Apple takes a strong stance against Trump's rolling back of trans bathroom protection

Thursday 23 February 12:45:17 UTC 2017

Apple keeps speaking out against President Donald Trump's policies.  SEE ALSO: Internet stands up for trans kids as Trump rolls back protections In a statement, the company slammed the latest decision to pull back on Obama-era guidelines that give transgender students the right to use public school restrooms that match their gender identity.  "Apple believes everyone deserves a chance to thrive … [Link]

Mashable » This father singing with his baby in sign language is absolutely adorable

Thursday 23 February 11:58:57 UTC 2017

There's nothing quite as heartwarming as watching a father dote on his child. SEE ALSO: Dads can legit carry their babies like kangaroos with this pouch shirt In the video above, Kevin Nadrowski captures the joy he experiences with his daughter, Bayleigh, while singing "If You're Happy and You Know It." Both he and Bayleigh are deaf, and Nadrowski is … [Link]

Mashable » 'Bake Off' fans can breathe a sigh of relief, Nadiya is getting a cooking show

Thursday 23 February 11:47:58 UTC 2017

Great British Bake Off fans are still reeling after Mary Berry announced her departure from the show, but the BBC has just revealed that there's some good news on the horizon. Nadiya Hussain — who won the sixth series of the show in 2015 — is getting her own TV show on BBC Two, which will see her embark on a … [Link]

Mashable » Grandma sends pics to her granddaughter every day and we're not crying, you're crying

Thursday 23 February 11:40:09 UTC 2017

This is the sweetest, purest, kindest thing you'll see all day and we challenge you to find something even remotely comparable.  SEE ALSO: Joyful 92-year-old woman serves as bridesmaid at her granddaughter's wedding Sierra Sessions, from Salt Lake City, Utah, posted a series of screengrabs that will surely warm your cold, cold heart.  They show messages from her grandma from various … [Link]

O'Reilly News and Commentary » #Ebook Deal/Day: JavaScript Cookbook – $21.49 (Save 50%) Use code DEAL

Thursday 23 February 11:26:40 UTC 2017

Get "JavaScript Cookbook" today using code DEAL and save 50%!This sale ends at 2:00 AM 2017-02-24 (PDT, GMT-8:00). [Link]

Mashable » Leaked photo reveals Huawei P10 in all its glory

Thursday 23 February 11:20:55 UTC 2017

One of the most anticipated devices to come out of this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is the Huawei P10.  Now, what appears to be a full set of press-ready photos, courtesy of leaker Evan Blass, shows us how the device will look from all sides.  SEE ALSO: Huawei to launch P10 flagship phone on February 26 The phone seems … [Link]

Mashable » People are distraught their favorite Olympian got kicked out of the team

Thursday 23 February 11:12:26 UTC 2017

Ning Zetao, China's favourite Olympic heartthrob, has been forced to get off the national swim team and thirsty fans cannot believe their ears. The news started circulating after a leaked memo on Wednesday, detailing why the swimmer, who is ranked 12th internationally, will not be with the rest of the national team. SEE ALSO: Olympic swimmer babysits a random kid on … [Link]

Mashable » Drake reveals his love for Nando's in the most British way

Thursday 23 February 10:48:42 UTC 2017

Drake won the award for best international male solo artist at the Brit Awards on Wednesday. But, he deserved a second, unofficial award for posting the most British Instagram caption. SEE ALSO: Drake put in 'Work' for his birthday message to Rihanna Drake's celebratory photo about his win might not have looked out of the ordinary, but his caption spoke volumes … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Exoplanet discovery: Seven Earth-size exoplanets may have water

Thursday 23 February 10:43:47 UTC 2017

The small, cool star TRAPPIST-1 is one of the best places to look for life in the Milky Way: its seven rocky planets might all have water and atmospheres [Link]

Mashable » Seth Meyers shuts down Trump's wall by exposing the inconsistencies

Thursday 23 February 10:24:26 UTC 2017

Seth Meyers is not sparing his words when it comes to Donald Trump.  After slamming him for the "batshit crazy" press conference and the non-existent Swedish terror attack, the comedian used his most recent Closer Look segment to note the various and many inconsistencies about the president's plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.  First of all, there … [Link]

Mashable » You can almost taste McDonald's newest burger in this 'Star Trek' movie

Thursday 23 February 10:10:44 UTC 2017

Who needs to eat a burger IRL when you can just taste it virtually? McDonald's Japan has released a 4D "Star Trek" movie in promotion of its newest creation, the Yakki burger.  SEE ALSO: McDonald’s Japan takes burgers so seriously it's holding a full-blown election for them The Yakki burger is a pork-based burger with ginger and soy-sauce based Japanese sauce. … [Link]

Mashable » James Corden brutally tears apart that Britney Spears biopic

Thursday 23 February 10:07:02 UTC 2017

The internet called and James Corden responded.  The topic: that Britney Spears biopic, Britney Ever After, that left excruciated viewers in shock and despair.  During The Late Late Show, Corden ripped apart the TV movie sharing many concerns that Britney fans had poured on Twitter — from the ridiculous casting, cheesy dialogue and atrocious costume design.  “The role of Britney … [Link]

New Scientist – News » The EU’s renewable energy policy is making global warming worse

Thursday 23 February 10:01:00 UTC 2017

Independent report concludes the massive subsidies for wood energy are increasing greenhouse emissions, and are a waste of public money [Link]

Slashdot » Scientists Discover a Way To Get Every Last Drop of Ketchup Out of the Bottle

Thursday 23 February 10:00:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader schwit1 quotes a report from BBC: Scientists in Boston have found a way to get every last drop of ketchup out of the bottle. They have developed a coating that makes bottle interiors super slippery. The coating can also be used to make it easier to squeeze out the contents of other containers, such as those holding toothpaste, … [Link]

Mashable » This is how a huge conglomerate thinks millennials want to live

Thursday 23 February 9:48:07 UTC 2017

Artisanal coffee workshops. Social kitchens. Stationary bikes. These features, aimed at millennials, may eventually be part of luxury apartments belonging to The Ascott, the world's largest serviced apartment conglomerate. SEE ALSO: These 4 kitchen gadgets will kickstart your day The Singapore-headquartered hospitality giant, which has apartments all over Asia, Europe and the Middle East, has set up a "living lab" at … [Link]

Mashable » One telecom carrier is fixing a major privacy problem you probably don't know about

Thursday 23 February 9:33:40 UTC 2017

A telecom operator is trying to fix a major privacy problem that many of us are unaware about.  SEE ALSO: India's richest man is done with giving away 4G services for free to 100 million users Vodafone, India’s second largest telecom operator by subscribers, has introduced a new way for its subscribers, especially women, to top up talktime credit to their … [Link]

Mashable » People can't, can't, can't believe how much some are paying for Justin Bieber's concert tickets

Thursday 23 February 8:56:35 UTC 2017

We told you that Justin Bieber is performing in India for the first time.  Understandably, there's a lot of excitement, especially in millennials who can't have enough of the 23-year-old pop sensation.   But now there's a problem as we discovered once the tickets went on sale. SEE ALSO: Mumbai's designer cabs are so stunning that even Chris Martin sat in … [Link]

Mashable » The four-minute 'Alien:Covenant' prologue is surprisingly cheery

Thursday 23 February 8:51:25 UTC 2017

After the first poster and trailer for Alien:Covenant scared the bejeezus out of us, we expected something equally sinister from the new, four-minute prologue to the movie.  But it's exactly the opposite: We get to meet the crew of the colony ship Covenant before things start going awry, and while there's a lot of uneasy looks and one pretty scary … [Link]

Mashable » Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus rumored to have a 6.2-inch screen

Thursday 23 February 8:32:51 UTC 2017

At this rate of information leakage, we're likely to know every single detail about Samsung's upcoming flagship phone well before it launches.  Reliable leaks guy Evan Blass just posted a full set of specs for the larger version of the device, apparently named the Samsung Galaxy S8+. SEE ALSO: Leaked photos show just how sexy Samsung's Galaxy S8 could look Most … [Link]

Mashable » Baby panda just wants to cling onto his keeper and follow him everywhere

Thursday 23 February 8:05:56 UTC 2017

We can't let go of how cute this panda is. And neither can everyone else it seems — a video of the baby clinging on to its keeper has reached over 60 million views in less than a day since it was posted. SEE ALSO: Red panda cub is very attached to a fluffy toy that looks just like her The … [Link]

New Scientist – News » AI learns to write its own code by stealing from other programs

Thursday 23 February 7:58:44 UTC 2017

Software called DeepCoder has solved simple programming challenges by piecing together bits of borrowed code [Link]

Mashable » Enough is enough! Citizens of this country demand a public sex offenders registry

Thursday 23 February 7:45:46 UTC 2017

The US has it. The UK and Ireland have it. And now, an Indian state will have it too.  The southern state of Kerala has announced the institution of a Sex Offenders Registry following increasing attacks on women in the state. With this, it becomes the first Indian state to put out identification details of sex offenders in public domain, The … [Link]

Mashable » Japan launches an app that'll tell you where the nearest vacant toilet is

Thursday 23 February 7:22:09 UTC 2017

When you gotta go, you gotta go — until all the cubicles are full and there's a snaking line waiting. A Japanese company has the perfect solution: an app that shows the nearest vacant toilet. SEE ALSO: Japan is trying to help clueless tourists figure out their high-tech toilets According to telecommunications giant KDDI, the app will predict if toilets are … [Link]

Slashdot » NASA Scientists Propose New Definition of Planets, and Pluto Could Soon Be Back

Thursday 23 February 7:00:00 UTC 2017

Rei writes: After several years of publicly complaining about the "bullshit" decision at the IAU redefining what comprises a planet, New Horizons program head Alan Stern and fellow planetary geologists have put forth a new definition which they seek to make official, basing planethood on hydrostatic equilibrium. Under this definition, in addition to Ceres, Pluto and other Kuiper Belt objects, … [Link]

Mashable » Internet stands up for trans kids as Trump rolls back protections

Thursday 23 February 6:26:09 UTC 2017

In a significant setback, the Trump administration rescinded federal guidelines that give transgender students the right to use public school restrooms that match their gender identity. According to the Washington Post, officials from the Department of Justice and the Department of Education told the U.S. Supreme Court to "disregard memos" on transgender student rights.  SEE ALSO: This photo series proves trans … [Link]

Mashable » Gentle koala investigating his carer's arm is what dreams are made of

Thursday 23 February 5:58:08 UTC 2017

You have to love the story of an orphan made good, right? Dust the koala, who is under the care of a koala rescue service on Australia's east coast, was found injured and taken in by Port Stephens Koalas in January. Dust was roaming the streets without his mother, according to the shelter's Facebook post, weighing a measly 1.8 kilograms (3.96 … [Link]

Mashable » Users get message about Susan Fowler when trying to delete Uber

Thursday 23 February 4:45:55 UTC 2017

Some Uber users trying to delete the app are getting a notification from the company specifically mentioning the allegations of sexual harassment detailed over the weekend in a blog post by former employee Susan Fowler Rigetti. SEE ALSO: Why sexual harassment scandals like Uber's are bound to persist in tech A screenshot of one such interaction, confirmed to Mashable as authentic … [Link]

Mashable » Spiderman vs. Elsa videos have taken over YouTube and it's so confusing

Thursday 23 February 4:21:14 UTC 2017

Somewhere along the internet's path into content oblivion, Spiderman and Elsa videos on YouTube became a guaranteed and genuinely weird traffic winner. The premise is simple enough: Adults dress as characters from the Spiderman and Frozen franchise and act out wordless, often slightly violent skits to chirpy music.  As TubeFilter noted in early February, these short films, ostensibly for children, have … [Link]

Mashable » She let her dog poop in the airport, so he got his revenge

Thursday 23 February 3:57:08 UTC 2017

Traveling can be bad enough, but rude people can turn even a mediocre flight into an absolute nightmare. Comedian Steve Hofstetter was traveling through LAX on Tuesday when he encountered a rude passenger who let her dog poop on the airport floor and left it there for someone else to clean up. Hofstetter shared his story of revenge, which he admits … [Link]

Slashdot » Judge Blocks California Law Limiting Publication of Actor's Ages

Thursday 23 February 3:30:00 UTC 2017

mi writes: IMDb has a reason to rejoice. Politico reports: "A federal judge has barred the State of California from enforcing a new law limiting online publication of actors' ages. Acting in a case brought by online movie information website IMDb, U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria ruled Wednesday that the California law likely violates the First Amendment and appears … [Link]

Mashable » Can everyone quit hanging out with dolphins while we're stuck in the office?

Thursday 23 February 3:18:36 UTC 2017

Here’s a request: Please stop posting videos of incredible encounters with wildlife in stunning locations while we're working 9 to 5. It's just cruel. Take Luke Taylor, who caught vision of these dolphins hanging out at Tallow Beach, near Byron Bay, Australia on Feb. 17. The creatures can be seen swimming and jumping alongside the surfers.  SEE ALSO: Sir David Attenborough … [Link]

Mashable » How to use Instagram albums without losing all your followers

Thursday 23 February 2:16:23 UTC 2017

Instagram just introduced its most controversial feature since Stories. The app added the ability to attach up to 10 photos and video clips to a single post, which is either the absolute worst or, maybe, kind of okay — depending on where you stand. SEE ALSO: Instagram launches photo albums, sadly But no matter where you stand, the update will absolutely … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Adobe Unveils Its Open Standard-Based Digital Signatures Platform

Thursday 23 February 1:54:02 UTC 2017

Adobe has announced the unveiling of its cloud-based digital signatures platform built on an open standard based on the work of the Cloud Signature Consortium (CSC). Adobe used the recently released CSC API specification to update its digital signatures platform. [Link]

Mashable » People thought this band was hacked at the Brit Awards

Thursday 23 February 1:44:21 UTC 2017

The graphics department might have gotten a bit carried away during a performance at Tuesday's Brit Awards in London because everyone freaked out that the band The 1975 had been caught in an elaborate, on-air hacking fiasco. SEE ALSO: Katy Perry's Brit Awards performance included a sneaky jab at Trump Tweets started popping up from concerned viewers who thought the mean … [Link]

Mashable » Players and coaches react to Candice Wiggins' controversial claims about the WNBA

Thursday 23 February 1:42:07 UTC 2017

Former WNBA player Candice Wiggins said the league has a "very, very harmful" bullying culture, and though league officials have yet to comment, coaches and players are weighing in.  In a San Diego Union-Tribune story on Wiggins — who played on four teams over an eight-year career — she claimed that "98 percent" of WNBA players are gay, many of whom … [Link]

Slashdot » Paralyzed Man Uses Brain Implant To Type Eight Words Per Minute

Thursday 23 February 1:41:00 UTC 2017

A study published in the journal eLife describes three participants that broke new ground in the use of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) by people with paralysis. One of the participants, a 64-year-old man paralyzed by a spinal cord injury, "set a new record for speed in a 'copy typing' task," reports IEEE Spectrum. "Copying sentences like 'The quick brown fox jumped … [Link]

Mashable » Colby Rasmus' disgusting beard didn't last long enough to feel the internet's wrath

Thursday 23 February 1:32:22 UTC 2017

A warning to athletes — be wary of outlandish facial hair. It could lead to an internet trolling extravaganza.  Just ask Colby Rasmus, who showed up to MLB Spring Training this camp sporting a mighty fine neck beard. Perhaps the Tampa Bay Rays outfielder was looking for some new mojo, hoping to improve on his dismal .206 batting average from 2016, the … [Link]

New Scientist – News » You should be eating 10 pieces of fruit or veg every day, not 5

Thursday 23 February 1:31:00 UTC 2017

A review of 95 studies suggests we should be eating 10 portions of fruit and veg a day to reduce our chances of dying from a heart attack or cancer [Link]

Mashable » Margot Robbie's new ride looks straight out of the future

Thursday 23 February 1:26:39 UTC 2017

Who knew you needed an ambassador to spruik electric vehicles? Nissan does, and it's enlisted the services of Australian actress Margot Robbie to go riding around in its fancy EV sports concept car, the BladeGlider, around Monaco's Monte Carlo street circuit. SEE ALSO: Ford's self-driving cars won't have steering wheels because engineers maybe kept falling asleep The BladeGlider is a two-seater … [Link]

Mashable » Internet, meet Finland's adorable first dog, Lennu

Thursday 23 February 1:20:34 UTC 2017

The world has been suffering political dog content withdrawals. After all, everyone's still grieving the sudden withdrawal of the Obama family's dogs, Bo and Sunny, from the world stage.  Donald Trump, of course, has no pets. It makes sense then that the desperate gaze of pup-lovers worldwide has fallen on Finland and President Sauli Niinistö's badass pup, Lennu. SEE ALSO: Doggy … [Link]

Mashable » Guy pranks local school by pretending to be a kid and calling out sick

Thursday 23 February 1:18:47 UTC 2017

YouTube is filled with an enormous amount of "prank" videos, which typically end with being people just being jerks to others for a few clicks. Every once and a while, though, a classic prank will shine through the rest. Tim Bradbury of Tiny Tim Adventures is insanely good at imitating a cartoon-like voice of a child, so good that he … [Link]

Mashable » Don't want to use Uber? Waze Carpool expands to other cities.

Thursday 23 February 1:07:25 UTC 2017

Google-owned Waze wants to dominate the ride-hailing market. Thanks to the allegations of sexual harassment rocking top competitor Uber, it may actually stand a chance.  With timing that may or may not be coincidental, Chief Wazer Noam Bardin announced that his company plans to radically expand its carpool service, according to The Wall Street Journal. Initially launched in the U.S. last … [Link]

Mashable » Here's what the Ice Age tells us about future sea level rise

Thursday 23 February 1:00:00 UTC 2017

A new study on an ancient ice sheet may hold important clues about our planet's future. The research focuses on the Laurentide Ice Sheet, the massive expanse covering North America during the last Ice Age, which ended about 10,000 years ago. A team of scientists found that small spikes in the temperature of the ocean — not the air — likely … [Link]

Mashable » The emails Republicans don't want you to see

Thursday 23 February 0:52:16 UTC 2017

A trove of more than 7,500 emails and other documents were released on Wednesday revealing that President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) coordinated closely with his state's oil and gas industry while also leading an office responsible for regulating them.  The emails, released by the Oklahoma attorney general's office after losing a two-year legal battle with … [Link]

Slashdot » Owning a Cat Does Not Lead To Mental Illness, Study Finds

Thursday 23 February 0:50:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Cats host a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii that other research has linked to various mental illnesses. So, for some time, people have wondered whether cats are unsafe; for example, pregnant women are usually told to stay away from litter boxes. (They should still do this because transmission during pregnancy is very … [Link]

Mashable » iPhone users spent so much money in the App Store last year

Thursday 23 February 0:39:05 UTC 2017

Congratulations, iPhone users: you spent a ton of money on apps last year.  Right after the holiday season, Apple touted huge App Store sales. But now analysts at SensorTower have broken down the numbers at the user level to give us a better look at what people were spending their money on. SEE ALSO: So the App Store is basically Yelp … [Link]

Mashable » Hug a tree while you still can: U.S. forests are disappearing

Thursday 23 February 0:22:21 UTC 2017

The Amazon rainforest and Indonesia's peat swamps aren't the only places suffering from deforestation. On the mainland U.S., swaths of forests are steadily disappearing, too. It's not just that we're losing trees. The forests themselves are growing farther and farther apart, researchers say. A new study found that the average distance between forest patches increased by nearly 1,690 feet — or … [Link]

Mashable » A Swedish politician wants workers to take paid sex breaks

Thursday 23 February 0:21:59 UTC 2017

While some companies embrace standing desks and free snacks, one Swedish town's politician is hoping to give workers the greatest perk of all: the freedom to bone on the clock. The proposal comes from Per-Erik Muskos, a council member for Övertorneå. It requires companies to give workers an hour paid break to go home and give their partners the business.  SEE … [Link]

Slashdot » T-Mobile Promises Big LTE Boost From 5GHz Wi-Fi Frequencies

Thursday 23 February 0:10:00 UTC 2017

"T-Mobile USA is ready to deploy a new LTE technology over the same 5GHz frequencies used by Wi-Fi following U.S. government approval of the first 'LTE-U' devices," reports Ars Technica. "The Federal Communications Commission today authorized the first LTE-U (LTE for unlicensed spectrum) devices after a controversial process designed to ensure that cellular network use of the 5GHz band won't … [Link]

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