John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

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Geekish

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

Slashdot » Did China Hack The CIA In A Massive Intelligence Breach From 2010 To 2012?

Sunday 21 May 23:34:00 UTC 2017

schwit1 quotes the International Business Times: Both the CIA and the FBI declined to comment on reports saying the Chinese government killed or imprisoned 18 to 20 CIA sources from 2010 to 2012 and dismantled the agency's spying operations in the country. It is described as one of the worst intelligence breaches in decades, current and former American officials told … [Link]

Mashable » Twitter has all the answers for Trump's 'orb of doom' photo

Sunday 21 May 22:42:05 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook“By touching this glowing orb, you hereby swear your eternal allegiance to the international Legion of Doom, got it?"  That's just one of the many theories that began swirling around social media on Sunday when Donald Trump appeared in photos clutching a mysterious, illuminated globe in a darkened room alongside Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Egypt's President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi.  SEE … [Link]

Slashdot » Ex-IBM Employee Guilty of Stealing Secrets For China

Sunday 21 May 22:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Fortune: A former developer for IBM pled guilty on Friday to economic espionage and to stealing trade secrets related to a type of software known as a clustered file system, which IBM sells to customers around the world. Xu Jiaqiang stole the secrets during his stint at IBM from 2010 to 2014 "to benefit the National … [Link]

Mashable » Bride bucks bridal shower norms for a party with her male friends

Sunday 21 May 22:19:14 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookAs one of four women in a class of 60, Brazilian computer engineering student Rebeca Brantes didn't know how to have the bridal shower she dreamed of because her friends were mostly men.  But since gendering a simple wedding party tradition is a bit silly anyways, Brantes decided to invite her pals along to be bridesmales and the resulting photographs are … [Link]

Mashable » Get your own bag of (real) moon dust for just $4 million

Sunday 21 May 22:02:15 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookOn the outside, the plain white bag seems unremarkable. But inside, it's laced with an exquisite and extremely valuable material: moon dust.  Neil Armstrong stuffed this sack with the world's first samples of lunar rocks during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Traces of dust still remain in the outer decontamination bag, which includes a label reading "LUNAR SAMPLE RETURN." Sotheby's … [Link]

Slashdot » How AI Can Infer Human Emotions

Sunday 21 May 21:39:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes OReilly.com's interview with the CEO of Affectiva, an emotion-measurement technology company that grew out of MIT's Media Lab. We can mine Twitter, for example, on text sentiment, but that only gets us so far. About 35-40% is conveyed in tone of voice — how you say something — and the remaining 50-60% is read through facial … [Link]

Mashable » Sasheer Zamata is leaving SNL, and these five moments are why you'll miss her so much

Sunday 21 May 21:37:27 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookNews of Bobby Moynihan and Vanessa Bayer leaving Saturday Night Live dominated the season finale this past Saturday, but it turns out, ET Online confirmed that another cast member also bid a sneaky farewell to the show without much fanfare—Sasheer Zamata.   Zamata joined the SNL cast in 2014, after the show specifically sought to cast a black female comedian after … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook's been making it up all along and we're left holding the bag

Sunday 21 May 20:42:37 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookOn Sunday afternoon we learned about Facebook’s internal content moderation rules from a massive leak by The Guardian. It confirmed what a lot of people had long suspected: Facebook is making it up as they go along and we’re the collateral damage. The leaked moderator documents cover how to deal with depictions of things like self-harm and animal cruelty in exceedingly detailed ways. … [Link]

Slashdot » Vint Cerf Reflects On The Last 60 Years

Sunday 21 May 20:34:00 UTC 2017

Computerworld celebrated its 50th anniversary by interviewing Vinton Cerf. The 73-year-old "father of the internet" remembers reading the early issues of the magazine, and reflects on how much things have changed since he gained access to computers at UCLA in 1960, "the beginning of my love affair with computing." I worry 100 years from now our descendants may not know … [Link]

Mashable » People are not okay with the leaked Facebook guidelines on sexual, violent content

Sunday 21 May 19:57:58 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookOn Sunday, The Guardian revealed internal documents from Facebook that uncovered how the social media corporation moderates everything from hate speech to live streams.   The guide—which is filled with examples of how to handle sexual content, animal abuse and violent deaths—has pried open the conversation regarding online ethics, and people have begun to hop on Twitter to share their immediate … [Link]

Mashable » Secret Facebook documents reveal how site battles violent content

Sunday 21 May 19:40:03 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookFacebook’s closely guarded, secret guidelines for monitoring violence, hate speech, and revenge porn have been revealed for the first time after an investigation by the Guardian. They show the extremely fuzzy and imperfect line between what's considered dangerous material and acceptable content on the world's leading social network. Internal documents obtained by the Guardian explore the murky waters that moderators and … [Link]

Popular Science » This week in tech: Google I/O, new Amazon tablets, and adorable selfie filters

Sunday 21 May 19:34:12 UTC 2017

Technology 16 serious, fun, and silly tech stories you might have missed Hey, did you hear? Google talked artificial intelligence, Android O, and VR at its annual I/O developers' conference. Read on to see what else was happening in the… [Link]

Slashdot » FCC Won't Release DDoS Logs, And Will Probably Honor Fake Comments

Sunday 21 May 19:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes ZDNet on the alleged denial of service attack which blocked comments supporting net neutrality. In a ZDNet interview, FCC chief information officer David Bray said that the agency would not release the logs, in part because the logs contain private information, such as IP addresses. In unprinted remarks, he said that the logs amounted to about … [Link]

Slashdot » Soon You'll Be Able To Build Your Own 4G Network Over Wi-Fi Frequencies

Sunday 21 May 18:34:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Esther Schindler writes: An industry consortium called MulteFire wants to help you build your own LTE-like network that uses the Wi-Fi spectrum, with no need for carriers or providers, writes Andy Patrizio. Just don't expect to get started today. "In its basic specification, MulteFire Release 1.0 defines an LTE-like network that can run entirely on unlicensed spectrum … [Link]

Slashdot » Texas Legislature Clears Road For Uber and Lyft To Return To Austin

Sunday 21 May 17:34:00 UTC 2017

schwit1 shared this article from the Austin Monitor: The Texas Legislature has cleared the road for Uber and Lyft to return to Austin on their own terms. On Wednesday, the state Senate overwhelmingly approved House Bill 100 on second and third readings, sending the statewide ride-hailing regulations to Governor Greg Abbott's desk for his signature. If Abbott signs it, as … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » PFS Will Continue to Welcome API Developers to Integrate with Their Core Banking Platform

Sunday 21 May 17:29:50 UTC 2017

Prepaid Financial Services (PFS) Ltd, an alternative banking provider and e-money issuer today announced that they will continue to welcome all API developers who are looking to integrate their solution into a full end to end banking platform that can support current accounts, SEPA payments, Faster payments and merchant acquiring solutions. [Link]

Mashable » Lady Gaga pens touching note for her late best friend

Sunday 21 May 16:57:23 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookSonja Durham passed away from stage IV cancer this past weekend, and if you do not know who she was directly, Lady Gaga can fill you in. Durham was one of Gaga's closest friends, and the inspiration behind the singer's "Grigio Girls." After her passing, Gaga penned an emotional note on Instagram in honor of her best friend.  SEE ALSO: Lady … [Link]

Mashable » Over 100 students walked out of a commencement speech in protest of VP Mike Pence

Sunday 21 May 16:36:33 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookVice President Mike Pence's commencement address to the University of Notre Dame Class of 2017 didn't go as smoothly as he probably would have liked it to, thanks to protesters who walked out as the vice president began his remarks.  The protest, which was organized by the University of Notre Dame student activist coalition We StaND For, saw over 100 students … [Link]

Slashdot » Movie Piracy Blackmail Plot Fails In India, Six Arrested

Sunday 21 May 16:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quote's TorrentFreak's report about "a plot against Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, a record-breaking movie taking India by storm." Someone posing as a "film anti-piracy activist" told the company that a pirated copy of the movie had been obtained and if a ransom wasn't paid, a leak onto the Internet would be inevitable… Following the call Arka Mediaworks … [Link]

Mashable » Magnificent portraits record early 20th century Norwegian villagers in stunning detail

Sunday 21 May 16:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebookc. 1912-1920A wedding.IMage: Fylkesarkivet i Sogn og FjordaneOlai Fauske was born in 1887 to a farming family in the Norwegian county of Sogn og Fjordane. With chronic health problems and no inheritance rights to the family farm, he decided to start a career as a photographer.After training in Bergen, he set up a business in the small town of Førde, where … [Link]

Slashdot » New Battery Technology Draws Energy Directly From The Human Body

Sunday 21 May 15:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes BleepingComputer: A team of eleven scientists from UCLA and the University of Connecticut has created a new energy-storing device that can draw electrical power from the human body. What researchers created is a biological supercapacitor, a protein-based battery-like device that extracts energy from the human body and then releases it inside an electrical circuit â" the … [Link]

Mashable » How to post Google Photos' awesome animations to Instagram

Sunday 21 May 15:31:56 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookIf you use Google Photos, you know the service is so much more than just the best way to store and back up all your photos and videos into the cloud. Using advanced machine learning, Google Photos can intelligently identify people, places, and things — and it's all easily searchable. One of the cooler things in Google Photos is the Assistant … [Link]

Mashable » Nicki Minaj shares that she has been quietly helping to develop a village in India

Sunday 21 May 15:23:06 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookEarlier this month, Nicki Minaj treated her fans with a Twitter spree that paid off student loan debt and tuition costs of students who needed help—but it seems the generous move was just the tip of the iceberg. On Saturday, the rapper shared that she has also been contributing to an unnamed hamlet in India, helping develop various aspects to improve … [Link]

Mashable » Someone made a fidget spinner for adults

Sunday 21 May 15:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe Infinity Cube is an upgraded fidget toy for your restless hands. This cube is meant to improve focus and relieve anxiety and stress. It's perfect for brainstorming ideas at work, answering your phone calls, or when you're outside waiting for a friend.  Read more…More about Boredom, Anxiety, Stress, Mashable Video, and Relieving Stress [Link]

Mashable » Presidential pets, ranked

Sunday 21 May 15:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookFor far too long, White House pets have escaped public criticism, shielded by a facade of cuteness. It's time to break that precedent and admit the truth: not all White House pets are created equal. Some are fluffier than others, and some just have quirkier names. In order to determine each and every pet's worth in this world, we present the … [Link]

Mashable » Watch SNL's Weekend Update break down Trump and James Comey

Sunday 21 May 14:45:37 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook As they have done all season long, Michael Che and Colin Jost took turns to explain the insane news week that had the world on the edge of their seats.  Top of mind for "Weekend Update:" to hilariously break down the he-said-he-said between President Donald Trump and former FBI Director James Comey—all while comparing Trump to Fyre festival organizer Ja … [Link]

Slashdot » Indian Election Officials Challenges Critics To Hack Electronic Voting Machine

Sunday 21 May 14:34:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader erodep writes: Following the recent elections in India, there have been multiple allegations of electoral fraud by hacking of Electronic Voting Machines… Two weeks ago, a party even "demonstrated" that these machines can be hacked. The Election Commission of India has rubbished these claims and they have thrown an open challenge, starting June 3rd to hack these EVMs … [Link]

Mashable » Tense photos capture the atmosphere as New Yorkers wait for news on D-Day

Sunday 21 May 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookPeople in Times Square watch the news ticker on the New York Times building.Image: Library of CongressImage: Library of CongressAt 6:30 a.m. London time on Tuesday, June 6, 1944, the German news agency DNB issued the first reports that thousands of Allied paratroopers were touching down near the mouth of the Seine River, with fierce fighting near the city of Caen.When … [Link]

Slashdot » Endless OS Now Ships With Steam And Slack FlatPak Applications

Sunday 21 May 13:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Steam and Slack are now both included as Flatpak applications on the Endless OS, a free Linux distribution built upon the decades of evolution of the Linux operating system and the contributions of thousands of volunteers on the GNOME project. The beauty of Flatpak is the ability to bridge app creators and Linux distributions using a … [Link]

Mashable » Watch Katy Perry and Migos' awkward dinner party performance on SNL

Sunday 21 May 13:28:39 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook It's not quite the song of the summer, but Katy Perry's "Bon Appetit" made it's way to the Saturday Night Live season finale with an interesting performance that's hard to forget.  Perry, who began the song "spread like a buffet," danced on a table adorned with fruit like an uncomfortable aunt at a dinner party. Thankfully, all three members of … [Link]

Mashable » Vanessa Bayer bids 'SNL' farewell in these final hilarious sketches

Sunday 21 May 13:23:13 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Vanessa Bayer didn't get a big send-off in her final Saturday Night Live episode. But she did star in nearly every sketch of the night. In the sketch above, Bayer makes a splash (I'm not sorry) as a weary wife on a Jurassic Park water ride at Universal Studios. In other sketches, she played an ineloquent meteorologist and a hard-to-please … [Link]

Mashable » 'The Meyerowitz Stories' is the best film Adam Sandler's been in for a long, long time

Sunday 21 May 12:47:30 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookIf there's one thing people have been talking about a lot at Cannes this year, it's Netflix. The distributor's inclusion in the festival's main competition has kicked off a huge back-and-forth debate — stoked by comments from jury members Pedro Almodovar and Will Smith — that doesn't look like it'll be dying down anytime soon. Now that their two films have … [Link]

Mashable » Tom Hanks revives David S. Pumpkins and can we have more please?

Sunday 21 May 12:40:02 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Nearly two dozen emcees appear in Saturday Night Live's new hip-hop video, but only one is worth remembering.  It's David S. Pimpkins. That's right — as in David S. Pumpkins. Pimpkins is the (super stereotypical) pimp alter ego of Pumpkins, the delightful Halloween boogeyman played by Tom Hanks. Pumpkins first blessed us with his presence last fall as an exuberant, … [Link]

Mashable » How to protect yourself when social media is harming your self-esteem

Sunday 21 May 12:36:09 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookSocial media can help us feel more connected to our friends, even when we're far away. But, for many of us, the culture of of oversharing and #humblebragging can have a serious impact on our self-esteem. SEE ALSO: One social network ranked worst for young people's mental health and wellbeing With 10 million new photographs uploaded to Facebook every hour, experts … [Link]

Slashdot » Netgear Adds Support For "Collecting Analytics Data" To Popular R7000 Router

Sunday 21 May 11:29:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Netgear's latest firmware update for the R7000 includes new support for collecting analytics data. The update release notes include this caution: NOTE:It is strongly recommended that after the firmware is updated to this version, log back in to the router s web GUI and configure the settings for this feature. An article on Netgear's KB states … [Link]

Mashable » These smart sprinkler systems will change your lawn (and maybe your life)

Sunday 21 May 11:15:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThere are many frontiers in the quest to add intelligence to our homes — even on the outside. You may be blessed with a small yard, as I am. Lawns require a lot of attention, much of which I am not willing to give. I hate yard work and hate every-other-day watering most of all.    SEE ALSO: 5 smart appliances … [Link]

Slashdot » The Working Dead: Which IT Jobs Are Bound For Extinction?

Sunday 21 May 7:24:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader snydeq shares an InfoWorld article identifying "The Working Dead: IT Jobs Bound For Extinction." Here's some of its predictions. The president of one job leadership consultancy argues C and C++ coders will soon be as obsolete as Cobol programmers. "The entire world has gone to Java or .Net. You still find C++ coders in financial companies because their … [Link]

Mashable » 'SNL' says goodbye to Bobby Moynihan with one more Drunk Uncle for the road

Sunday 21 May 6:06:03 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Only one SNL character could possibly be interested in Making America Drunk Again. After nine seasons on SNL, Bobby Moynihan did his last show on Saturday, and of course Drunk Uncle stopped by "Weekend Update" to talk about Donald Trump. SEE ALSO: Dwayne Johnson and Tom Hanks seem kinda serious about a White House run He said some stuff but … [Link]

Mashable » Alec Baldwin bid a poignant farewell to Trump on 'Saturday Night Live' finale

Sunday 21 May 4:43:36 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Alec Baldwin performed his now infamous Donald Trump impression for perhaps the final time on Saturday Night Live’s season finale, and it was as moving as it was hysterical. Well, depending on how you think this presidency is going to turn out.  Baldwin’s Trump played a soulful piano version of Leonard Cohen’s "Hallelujah," a winking callback to the way Kate … [Link]

Slashdot » Attackers DDoS WannaCry Kill Switch

Sunday 21 May 4:19:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes VentureBeat: As of late Friday, after many of the deadlines threatening data deletion had passed, few victims had paid ransoms. According to Elliptic Enterprises, only about $94,000 worth of ransoms had been paid via Bitcoin, which works out to less than one in a thousand of the 300,000 victims who were reportedly affected by WannaCry… While … [Link]

Mashable » Dwayne Johnson and Tom Hanks seem kinda serious about a White House run

Sunday 21 May 4:11:43 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookWhen Dwayne Johnson told a journalist earlier this month that a run for president was "a real possibility," there was a part of us that kinda … took it seriously? Why not, right?  Well, start the countdown clock for 2020, because we're choosing to believe — and you're going to love his choice for running mate. Johnson, hosting Saturday Night Live … [Link]

Slashdot » Possible Radioactive Leak Investigated At Washington Nuclear Site

Sunday 21 May 1:14:00 UTC 2017

Authorities are investigating radioactive material found on a worker's clothing one week after a tunnel collapse at the waste nuclear waste site in the state of Washington. Around 7 p.m. Thursday, Washington River Protection Solutions, a government contractor contractor in charge of all 177 underground storage tanks at the nuclear site. detected high radiation readings on a robotic device that … [Link]

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