Geekish

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

Mashable » Google Home spreads bizarre right-wing conspiracy theory

Sunday 5 March 23:47:26 UTC 2017

I don't want to alarm anyone, but if Google Home is to be believed, Barack Obama is planning a coup. SEE ALSO: Google Home Super Bowl ad caused some Google Homes to go bonkers With Trump making unfounded accusations against Obama this weekend, it makes sense that Google's smart speaker would indulge in a right-wing conspiracy theory. First, Danny Sullivan of … [Link]

Slashdot » FBI Dismisses Child Porn Case Rather Than Reveal Their Tor Browser Exploit

Sunday 5 March 23:47:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Federal prosecutors just dropped charges against a child pornography suspect rather than reveal the source code for their Tor exploit. Of the 200 cases they're prosecuting nationwide, this is only the second one where the FBI has asked that the case be dismissed. "Disclosure is not currently an option," federal prosecutors wrote in a court ruling … [Link]

Mashable » Enjoy NOAA's vital satellite imagery, while you still can

Sunday 5 March 22:59:37 UTC 2017

U.S. satellites help us predict and prepare for powerful storms, even before they arrive at our door. The data let us to monitor climate change and map the effects on coastlines, glaciers, oceans and land. With satellite systems, we can tell when it's safe to fly a plane, steer a ship or drive a car. This research — and far more … [Link]

Slashdot » What Happens When Robots Can Deliver Your Groceries?

Sunday 5 March 22:44:00 UTC 2017

"What if you could get groceries in less than two minutes without even leaving your apartment?" asks VentureBeat. "Another beer…? Think guacamole would go extremely well with those Doritos you just opened?" Several grocery-delivery startups are already working to make this a reality. Slashdot reader moglito summarizes their vision of autonomous indoor-delivery robots from automated refrigerators servicing high-rise apartment buildings. … [Link]

Mashable » These beloved characters are still a couple in the 'sequel' to 'Love, Actually'

Sunday 5 March 22:42:25 UTC 2017

Everyone’s in a tizzy about the upcoming "sequel" to either beloved or loathed Christmas film Love, Actually and now you can get more excited because two key characters are still together. SEE ALSO: 'Love Actually' is actually a huge bummer The short film follow-up, debuting on Red Nose Day on March 24, will feature a bevy of the original film's characters, … [Link]

Mashable » 'Feud: Bette and Joan' is about so much more than Hollywood's most infamous catfight

Sunday 5 March 22:34:49 UTC 2017

It was perhaps the most legendary metaphorical co-star catfight of Hollywood’s Golden Era. And it looks like Ryan Murphy is going to capture the conflict in all its spotlight-stealing, thunder-taking, glamorously bitchy glory. FX’s latest Murphy-helmed limited series, Feud: Bette and Joan, which premieres March 5, chronicles the notoriously combative off-screen relationship/rivalry/personal hatred between two bona fide movie icons of their … [Link]

Mashable » There's a secret message in Nintendo's Switch Pro controller. Here's how to find it.

Sunday 5 March 21:45:10 UTC 2017

Nintendo appreciates you. It's right there in the fine print. The Switch Pro Controller — a $70 add-on for Nintendo's new console that lets you play Zelda with the form factor of an Xbox gamepad — hides a secret message. It's nothing subversive or anything like that; just a brief utterance of thanks. SEE ALSO: Nintendo Switch vs. Wii U: Which … [Link]

Slashdot » Windows 10 Build 15048 Has a Windows Mixed Reality Demo You Can Try

Sunday 5 March 21:34:00 UTC 2017

Microsoft's big push into mixed reality involves headsets from multiple manufacturers (including ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo), and developer kits with Acer's headset will begin a phased rollout this month. But Windows 10's latest "Insider Preview" build already includes a mixed reality simulator with a first-person 3D environment that can be navigated with the W, A, S and D keys. Slashdot … [Link]

Mashable » Hundreds of marines accused of sharing nude photos in secret Facebook group

Sunday 5 March 21:26:48 UTC 2017

The U.S. Department of Defense is investigating a new online scandal: a secret Facebook group where hundreds of marines shared nude photos of female service members and veterans. SEE ALSO: Marine Corps to make job titles, boot camp gender neutral The secret group, "Marines United," featured hundreds of photos and, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting in conjunction with nonprofit … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Browser Usage Drops 50% As Chrome Soars

Sunday 5 March 20:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Network World's report about new statistics from analytics vendor Net Applications: From March 2015 to February 2017, the use of Microsoft's IE and Edge on Windows personal computers plummeted. Two years ago, the browsers were run by 62% of Windows PC owners; last month, the figure had fallen by more than half, to just 27%. Simultaneous … [Link]

Mashable » Here's who we think will fly to the moon with SpaceX

Sunday 5 March 19:58:19 UTC 2017

From the moment that SpaceX's Elon Musk announced the company's intention to send two unnamed people in a long loop around the moon in 2018, people started speculating about who those mystery passengers might be. Musk didn't give out many clues about the individuals who contracted the company for the flight, aside from saying that they put down a hefty deposit … [Link]

Mashable » Kellyanne Conway makes mistakes, just like the Oscars, says Kellyanne Conway

Sunday 5 March 19:47:48 UTC 2017

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway got the spotlight treatment from CBS Sunday Morning and it was not a disappointment. SEE ALSO: Why Kellyanne Conway was on the couch and oh lord this is so dumb The 13-minute clip touches on a lot of things, like Kellyanne's family life, the threats she's received as being one of President Trump's most visible aides, and … [Link]

Slashdot » Hidden Backdoor Discovered In Chinese IoT Devices

Sunday 5 March 19:34:00 UTC 2017

"A backdoor has been found in devices made by a Chinese tech firm specializing in VoIP products," reports TechRadar. An anonymous reader quotes their article: Security outfit Trustwave made the discovery of a hidden backdoor in DblTek's devices which was apparently put there to allow the manufacturer access to said hardware — but of course, it's also open to being … [Link]

Mashable » J.K. Rowling slams Trump adviser who called a woman an 'ugly b*tch' on Twitter

Sunday 5 March 18:48:32 UTC 2017

J.K. Rowling doesn't suffer fools. This weekend, Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone said some pretty disgusting things on Twitter. SEE ALSO: J.K. Rowling is scared sh*tless after watching Trump's press conference Some he deleted, some he left up — like this attack on Republican strategist and CNN contributor Ana Navarro. Really? @ananavarro is fat, stupid and fucking Al Cardenas https://t.co/psEHE7etuv… — … [Link]

Mashable » Nintendo Switch vs. Wii U: Which 'Zelda' plays better?

Sunday 5 March 18:47:33 UTC 2017

There are two versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild available to buy. Only one of them requires a new console purchase, which has lots of Nintendo fans wondering which is better. Is it more stable on established hardware like the Wii U or the newer Switch? The results, according to the experts at Digital Foundry, are … [Link]

Slashdot » Underwater Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Project Completes Its First Practical Test

Sunday 5 March 18:34:00 UTC 2017

What if you built massive concrete spheres — 98 feet in diameter, with 10-foot walls — under the ocean to help generate electricity during peak periods? Slashdot reader nachtkap reports that German researchers just finished testing their 1:10-scale prototype StEnSEA: It was retrieved from Lake Constance, where it was submerged at a depth of 100 meters [328-feet] since November. The … [Link]

Mashable » Huge 'Logan' opening might not beat 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine'

Sunday 5 March 17:55:37 UTC 2017

Logan is right now looking at an estimated $85.3 million opening box office in the United States. It's a great start, but the actual box office total — to be revealed on Monday — wouldn't have to drop much to put Logan's opening behind X-Men Origins: Wolverine. That "gem" — which has a higher-than-you'd-expect 38 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes — … [Link]

Slashdot » Third-Party Vendor Issues Temporary Patch For Windows Vulnerability

Sunday 5 March 17:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: "A vulnerability discovered by Google Project Zero security researchers and left without a patch by Microsoft received a temporary fix from third-party security vendor ACROS Security," according to Bleeping Computer. Microsoft is set to officially patch the flaw on March 15, after it previously pushed back February's Patch Tuesday for next month. "According to Google researchers, … [Link]

Mashable » A reminder from 'SNL': For the love of god, do not use feminism to pick up chicks

Sunday 5 March 17:22:14 UTC 2017

The year is 2017. Hillary lost the election, and dudes are walking around wearing tees reading "The Future Is Female" hoping it will help them get laid. Saturday Day Night Live got very real about the performative wokeness plauge with Cecily Strong as a woman fending off a series of self-proclaimed feminist suitors who lose their chill when they're rejected. … [Link]

Mashable » MashReads Podcast: 'History Is All You Left Me' is a heartbreaking novel about teenage grief

Sunday 5 March 17:16:58 UTC 2017

It’s an uncomfortable feeling to read a novel about death and grief, especially when the one who has passed away and the ones who are grieving are young. But for Adam Silvera, author of History Is All You Left Me, that's the point. SEE ALSO: 'Tiny Beautiful Things' is the advice column at its best "I didn't want to force quippy … [Link]

Mashable » Dazzling color postcards of the cities and countryside of the 1890s Netherlands

Sunday 5 March 17:00:00 UTC 2017

Girls on Marken Island.Image: Library of CongressThese postcards of the windmills, canals and cities of the late 1890s Netherlands were created using the Photochrom process, a technique for applying lifelike color to black-and-white images.Invented in the 1880s by Hans Jakob Schmid, an employee of a Swiss printing company, the process begins with applying a light-sensitive emulsion to a lithographic limestone tablet … [Link]

Mashable » 'SNL' goes after Trump's wiretap accusations in Weekend Update

Sunday 5 March 16:43:53 UTC 2017

This much is true of the Donald Trump White House: it's given purveyors of news-based comedy endless amounts of material to work with. In their latest segment, Saturday Night Live Weekend Update hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost took on everything from Vice President Mike Pence's email woes to Trump's tweeted allegation (without evidence, of course) that President Barack Obama … [Link]

Slashdot » More Fast Food Restaurants Are Now Automating

Sunday 5 March 16:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Wendy's is adding self-service ordering kiosks "to at least 1,000 restaurants, or about 15% of its stores," reports the Los Angeles Times, while McDonald's and Panera Bread are now planning to add kiosks to every restaurant. "Lots of restaurants, not just fast-food chains, are really trying to mitigate the costs of higher wages," says one market … [Link]

Mashable » Father John Misty reminds you to take a shower with his song about VR sex with Taylor Swift

Sunday 5 March 16:15:14 UTC 2017

Somewhere at one of her multiple multi-million dollar residences, Taylor Swift probably sneered and whispered into her cat's ear, "I made that bitch famous," watching Father John Misty's Saturday Night Live debut. "Bedding Taylor Swift every night inside the Oculus Rift," he sang in the opening lines off his new song, "Total Entertainment Forever." We will assume a courtesy phone … [Link]

Mashable » No one can keep a straight face in this 'SNL' sketch about chocolate

Sunday 5 March 15:45:38 UTC 2017

It's always a beautiful gift when even one of the professional laugh-makers on Saturday Night Live loses their composure during a particularly funny sketch. But the hallmark of real success on SNL? When the whole room loses it. That's the feat cast member Beck Bennett pulled off in his turn as a disgruntled ex-employee who turns to a life of … [Link]

Mashable » Emma Watson schools critics on what feminism actually means

Sunday 5 March 15:42:39 UTC 2017

Emma Watson has taken umbrage with critics who say her posing braless for Vanity Fair makes her a bad feminist. "Feminism is about giving women choice," she said in a BBC News interview to promote her upcoming film, Beauty and the Beast"It's about equality," she stressed. "It's not … I really don't know what my tits have to do with it. … [Link]

Slashdot » Streaming TV Sites Now Have More Subscribers Than Cable TV

Sunday 5 March 15:34:00 UTC 2017

Nielsen reported this week that millennials "spend about 27% less time watching traditional TV than viewers over the age of 35," possibly threatening the dominance of cable TV. An anonymous reader quotes Axios: Streaming service subscribers (free or paid) increased again (68% in 2016 vs. 63% in 2014) and have caught up with the percentage of paid TV service providers … [Link]

Mashable » 'SNL' movie trailer skewers spineless Republicans over Trump

Sunday 5 March 15:11:27 UTC 2017

"Republican Movie" continues the grand Saturday Night Live tradition of sketches like "The Day Beyoncé Turned Black," which package humorous commentary into faux movie trailers. Republican members of Congress are the targets this time. Which ones? All of them. The G.O.P.'s majority control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives means real, transformative opposition to the Trump administration … [Link]

Mashable » This artist paints landscapes with her fingers and the results are epic

Sunday 5 March 15:00:00 UTC 2017

Artist Zaria Forman uses her fingers to paint landscapes and raise awareness for climate change. Read more…More about Real Time Video, Real Time Video, Real Time, Arctic, and Landscape [Link]

Slashdot » Local Police Departments Are Building Their Own DNA Databases

Sunday 5 March 14:34:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader schwit1 quotes the Associated Press: Dozens of police departments around the U.S. are amassing their own DNA databases to track criminals, a move critics say is a way around regulations governing state and national databases that restrict who can provide genetic samples and how long that information is held. The local agencies create the rules for their databases, … [Link]

Mashable » A collection of rare photos features men of the late 1800s in surprisingly intimate embraces

Sunday 5 March 14:00:00 UTC 2017

c. 1880sImage: Metropolitan Museum of ArtIn 2008, Columbia University librarian Herbert Mitchell passed away, bequeathing a trove of curios to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.Mitchell was an obsessive collector of historical ephemera, from quotidian trade catalogs of wallpapers and plumbing supplies to tintype occupational portraits and other rarities.Among the daguerreotypes, tintypes and ambrotypes he bequeathed to the Met are a number … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: How Would You Handle A Bogus Copyright Infringement Notice?

Sunday 5 March 11:34:00 UTC 2017

Very long-time Slashdot reader Andy Smith writes: Yesterday I received an email from my ISP telling me that I had illegally downloaded an animated film called Cubo and the Two Strings. I'd never heard of the film and hadn't downloaded it. The accusation came from a government-approved group called Get It Right From a Genuine Site. I contacted that group … [Link]

New Scientist – News » To advance science we need to think about the impossible

Sunday 5 March 10:00:00 UTC 2017

Science sets out what we think is true – but when it gets stuck, it’s time to explore what we think isn’t [Link]

Slashdot » Strange New Social Media Trend: Licking Nintendo Switch Cartridges

Sunday 5 March 8:34:00 UTC 2017

Now that the Nintendo Switch has launched, "lots of people are just licking their video games," reports McClatchy. According to IGN, the tech company coated the cartridges, which are roughly the size of a SIM card, in a bittering agent called denatonium benzoate, which is also used in rat poison and antifreeze to deter human consumption. The chemical is also … [Link]

Mashable » Kate McKinnon's Kellyanne Conway will sit and text just about anywhere on 'SNL'

Sunday 5 March 6:26:57 UTC 2017

If a meeting with representatives from historically black colleges wasn't important enough for Kellyanne Conway to get off her damn phone and take her feet off the couch, an hour and a half of live television ain't gonna do it either. Conway has been a fixture on Saturday Night Live this season, with Kate McKinnon playing the president's advisor in increasingly … [Link]

Mashable » Kate McKinnon plays Jeff Sessions as Forrest Gump in 'SNL' cold open

Sunday 5 March 5:51:15 UTC 2017

In the immortal words of Mr. Gump: "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." So if you're Octavia Spencer, you just might serve a very special kind of pie to Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions on Saturday Night Live. SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert skewers Jeff Sessions for lying, as expected Spencer made an … [Link]

Slashdot » The City of Munich Might Stick With Linux

Sunday 5 March 4:34:00 UTC 2017

Munich's "LiMux" project brought FOSS software to their city's IT administration — until a vote last month on whether to abandon Linux and return to Windows. "Since this decision was reached, the majority of media have reported that a final call was made to halt LiMux and switch back to Microsoft software," reports the Free Software Foundation Europe. "This is, … [Link]

Slashdot » After 19 Years, DMOZ Will Close, Announces AOL

Sunday 5 March 2:34:00 UTC 2017

Its volunteer-edited web directory formed the basis for early search offerings from Netscape, AOL, and Google. But 19 years later, there's some bad news. koavf writes: As posted on the DMOZ homepage, the Open Directory Project's web listing will go offline on March 14, 2017. Founded in 1998 as "Gnuhoo", the human-curated directory once powered Google and served as a … [Link]

Mashable » Forget Facebook and Google: The ad world thinks this tech giant is 'terrifying'

Sunday 5 March 2:20:20 UTC 2017

The mad men and women of the ad industry have plenty of reasons to toss and turn at night. Money is increasingly trickling from television commercials to digital media — a market that Facebook and Google currently have in a duopolistic chokehold. Inter-agency competition is at a fever pitchUnconventional upstarts are eating their lunch. If Don Draper were around today, there's … [Link]

Mashable » What happens when the LGBTQ community celebrates? A 24-hour party and great photos.

Sunday 5 March 1:15:35 UTC 2017

Image: Getty ImagesThe streets of Sydney ran rainbow with plenty of sequins and leather on show Saturday night as the city hosted the 2017 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The parade, which celebrates LGBTQ culture and activism, began as a march and protest in 1978. Met with police violence at the time, the annual event now draws crowds from … [Link]

Slashdot » Which Linux Browser Is The Fastest?

Sunday 5 March 0:34:00 UTC 2017

ZDNet's Networking blog calls Firefox "the default web browser for most Linux distributions" and "easily the most popular Linux web browser" (with 51.7% of the vote in a recent survey by LinuxQuestions, followed by Chrome with 15.67%). But is it the fastest? An anonymous reader writes: ZDNet's Networking blog just ran speed tests on seven modern browsers — Firefox, Chrome, … [Link]

Mashable » Obsessed with the Trump-Russia drama? You're doing it right.

Sunday 5 March 0:08:52 UTC 2017

Maybe your spouse is worried about you. Perhaps it's your employer. They've noticed marked declines in your attention in recent weeks. Just stop refreshing the New York Times and Washington Post, they say. Turn off CNN. Or if you're into the harder stuff: Stop. Checking. Twitter. Maybe you too have started to wonder whether you're getting too obsessed with the Trump-Russia … [Link]

John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons