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.

Slashdot » What Happens When Software Companies Are Liable For Security Vulnerabilities?

Saturday 17 June 23:06:00 UTC 2017

mikeatTB shares an article from TechRepublic: Software engineers have largely failed at security. Even with the move toward more agile development and DevOps, vulnerabilities continue to take off… Things have been this way for decades, but the status quo might soon be rocked as software takes an increasingly starring role in an expanding range of products whose failure could result … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Daily API RoundUp: Meya, Rakam, GetBadges, Linkfire

Saturday 17 June 22:48:37 UTC 2017

Every day, the ProgrammableWeb team is busy, updating its three primary directories for APIs, clients (language-specific libraries or SDKs for consuming or providing APIs), and source code samples. [Link]

Mashable » You can watch the last glorious Adam West cameo in this unaired episode of 'Powerless'

Saturday 17 June 22:20:30 UTC 2017

Adam West may have passed away last week, but memorials to the iconic Batman actor continue to pour in.   Along with the flood of tributes from his peers and admirers on social media and the touching Bat-signal display on the Las Angeles City Hall building, West's last media appearances are making the internet rounds.    The actor, who died at … [Link]

Slashdot » Venezuelans Flock To Cryptocoins Amid Spiralling Inflation

Saturday 17 June 22:02:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Bloomberg: Demand for digital coins is soaring in Venezuela amid an escalating political crisis that has protesters demanding that President Nicolas Maduro step down. Inflation has spiraled to the triple digits, debasing the bolivar and depleting savings, while citizens struggle to find everything from food to medicine on store shelves. "If you're going to be in … [Link]

Mashable » Ryan Reynolds gives us a peek at 'Deadpool 2'

Saturday 17 June 21:20:40 UTC 2017

Deadpool, one of the most successful Marvel franchises (number eight all-time) isn't delivering a sequel until 2018, but while we wait, lead actor Ryan Reynolds is giving us a peek behind the scenes.  SEE ALSO: The first 'Black Panther' trailer is here and it's absolutely amazing On Saturday, Reynolds shared a set-photo on Twitter and Instagram revealing that Deadpool will once … [Link]

Mashable » Check out how easy it'll be to hail one of Airbus' conceptual autonomous flying taxis

Saturday 17 June 21:18:10 UTC 2017

Hailing a flying taxi will someday be as easy as pulling out your phone and pressing a button.  That's the future presented by a number of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft projects, and major transportation movers and shakers, most notably Uber and its partners, have outlined plans to take the ride hailing services currently stuck on the ground to put … [Link]

Slashdot » Announcing 'build', Auto-Configuration In 1000 Lines Of Makefile

Saturday 17 June 20:58:00 UTC 2017

Christophe de Dinechin created the XL programming language — and as descubes he's also Slashdot reader #35,093. Today he shares his latest project, a simple makefile-based build system that he's split from ELFE/XL: Most open-source projects use tools such as autoconf and automake. For C and C++ projects, build is a make-based alternative that offers auto-configuration, build logs, colorization, testing … [Link]

Mashable » Tesla mechanics rescue a cute kitten that got stuck inside a Model X bumper

Saturday 17 June 20:52:18 UTC 2017

Of all the things that could possibly go wrong with your electric self-driving car, finding a kitten inside your bumper may be the cutest of them all. An unnamed Model X owner uploaded two clips to YouTube on Saturday that show a teeny kitten trapped inside the bumper of his vehicle. "So this morning, I heard a meow in my … [Link]

Mashable » Google Doodle honors first Native American physician

Saturday 17 June 20:19:00 UTC 2017

Google honored a deserving figure in American history on Saturday: Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Native American to earn a medical degree.  Picotte was illustrated as the Google homepage's Google Doodle on Saturday in honor of what would have been her 152nd birthday.  Image: screenshot/googlePicotte was a doctor and an activist. The Omaha Native American physician advocated for land, and … [Link]

Mashable » The deck of cards has been reinvented

Saturday 17 June 20:00:00 UTC 2017

The makers of Air Deck playing cards wanted to optimize a convenient deck for travel. The slim, stylish cards are also super durable, boasting a tear-resistant and waterproof material. Read more…More about Games, Design, Card Games, Game, and Magic [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Will Disable WannaCry Attack Vector SMBv1 Starting This Fall

Saturday 17 June 19:54:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Starting this fall, with the public launch of the next major Windows 10 update — codenamed Redstone 3 — Microsoft plans to disable SMBv1 in most versions of the Windows operating systems. SMBv1 is a three-decades-old file sharing protocol that Microsoft has continued to ship "enabled by default" with all Windows OS versions. The protocol got … [Link]

Mashable » 'Louie' the 132-year-old lobster freed after spending 20 years in a restaurant

Saturday 17 June 19:51:43 UTC 2017

After spending 20 years in a small tank in a restaurant in New York, this crustacean has been freed back into the wild. In honor of National Lobster Month, the town of Hempstead, New York on Long Island teamed up with restaurant Peter's Clam Bar to release a massive 22-pound lobster on Friday, believed to be 132 years old. Town Supervisor … [Link]

Slashdot » Studio-Defying VidAngel Launches New Video-Filtering Platform

Saturday 17 June 18:52:00 UTC 2017

Last December VidAngel fought three Hollywood studios in court for the right to stream filtered versions of movies. Now fogez reports that "they have come up with a new tactic in their attempts to bring filtering choice into the streaming media equation. Instead of leveraging the legal loophole that landed them in court, VidAngel is now going to insert themselves … [Link]

Mashable » 'Stranger Things' action figures come with a special treat

Saturday 17 June 18:43:17 UTC 2017

Since you've already binged Stranger Things twice, and played the VR game, the only thing left to do is to start making up your own stories using the new Stranger Things action figures.  SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things' Season 2 will have 'more horror' Funko unveiled six official, Netflix-approved action figures for characters from the show including Eleven, Lucas, Mike, Will,
Dustin, and … [Link]

Mashable » Prince George was not impressed at the Queen's birthday parade

Saturday 17 June 18:32:21 UTC 2017

London celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's 91st birthday with Trooping the Colour, her annual birthday parade, on Saturday.  The Queen's great-grandson, however, was not impressed. Three-year-old Prince George watched the parade from a balcony (and behind a window) at Buckingham Palace with his family.  Looks like a boring parade.Image: David Hartley/REX/Shutterstock Same.Image: Tim Rooke/REX/ShutterstockPrince George's 4th birthday is next week, and the … [Link]

Popular Science » Female elk are practically bulletproof by age 9

Saturday 17 June 18:30:00 UTC 2017

Animals They learn to outsmart hunters as they get older. Older female elk don't mess around. [Link]

Mashable » Alt-right protestors tried to shut down Julius Caesar and Twitter got heated

Saturday 17 June 18:27:21 UTC 2017

Alt-right figures Jack Posobiec and Laura Loomer attempted to shut down a performance of Shakespeare in the Park's controversial, Trump-themed production of Julius Caesar by storming the stage and condemning other audience members for their participation in the spectacle. The show was paused, but ultimately, not shut down.  Loomer, a writer for right-wing Canadian website Rebel Media, took to the stage, … [Link]

Mashable » Get the perfect photo of your dog every single time with this gadget

Saturday 17 June 18:00:00 UTC 2017

Flexy Paw is a smartphone attachment that anchors a treat above your lens, creating the perfect attention grabbing point for a pet. Users can get a professional photo with ease. Read more…More about Tech, Iphone, Dogs, Animals, and Pets [Link]

Mashable » Dad demonstrates a major design flaw in the BabyBjörn

Saturday 17 June 17:55:52 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ demonstrates a major design flaw in the BabyBjörn","sources&~ videos,web culture","sec0":null~ videos,web culture","videoSeriesName~ More about Funny, Parenting, Viral Videos, Web Culture, and Culture [Link]

Slashdot » Xerox Alto Designer, Co-Inventor Of Ethernet, Dies at 74

Saturday 17 June 17:46:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Ars Technica: Charles Thacker, one of the lead hardware designers on the Xerox Alto, the first modern personal computer, died of a brief illness on Monday. He was 74. The Alto, which was released in 1973 but was never a commercial success, was an incredibly influential machine… Thomas Haigh, a computer historian and professor at the … [Link]

Slashdot » Original Colossal Cave Adventure Now Playable On Alexa

Saturday 17 June 16:42:00 UTC 2017

Last month Eric Raymond announced the open sourcing of the world's very first text adventure. Now Slashdot reader teri1337 brings news about their own special project: A few old-timers here may recall with fond memories the phrase "Somewhere nearby is Colossal Cave…" Well, a voice-playable version of Colossal Cave "Adventure" is now available on Amazon Echo devices as a [free] … [Link]

Mashable » Security cam catches guy finding an unpleasant surprise outside his home

Saturday 17 June 16:28:01 UTC 2017

A man exits a home, walks down the front steps, and stops dead in his tracks. He looks  shook, and takes no time running back up the porch steps to the front door. "What's up?" another man asks with a slight fear is his voice. Thankfully, the terror was caused by a pretty adorable family of skunks that were barreling … [Link]

Mashable » Spider-Man VR gives you the power to become the web slinger

Saturday 17 June 16:20:39 UTC 2017

The beauty of virtual reality is that it allows you to become anyone or anything you can dream of, and in this case the technology is letting you become the amazing Spider-Man.  In the run-up to the release of the film Spider-Man: Homecoming in July, Sony has released a VR version of Spider-Man that lets you don the superhero's costume, … [Link]

Mashable » What is Careem? Uber's major rival in the Middle East escalates the ride-hailing battle

Saturday 17 June 16:17:04 UTC 2017

Uber’s been too busy dealing with the fallout of its corporate culture in the United States to make too many headlines about its presence abroad recently.  But a major regional rival got a significant batch of funding this week — upping the game for Uber in the Middle East.  Careem, Uber's biggest rival in 80 cities across 12 countries in the … [Link]

Mashable » Girl Scouts will become white hat hackers with new cybersecurity badges

Saturday 17 June 15:38:12 UTC 2017

Girl Scouts will soon be ready to take over your IT department.  The organization is teaming up with Palo Alto Networks, an internet security company, to introduce a set of new badges to promote computer and internet literacy and cybersecurity. The initiative aims to foster educational programs across all ages of the Girl Scouts, with a major emphasis on providing access … [Link]

Slashdot » Pentagon Cyberweapons 'Disappointing' Against ISIS

Saturday 17 June 15:38:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes the New York Times: It has been more than a year since the Pentagon announced that it was opening a new line of combat against the Islamic State, directing Cyber Command, then six years old, to mount computer-network attacks… "In general, there was some sense of disappointment in the overall ability for cyberoperations to land a … [Link]

Mashable » 'Teacher of the year' makes a statement for Pride Month in photo with Trump

Saturday 17 June 14:55:13 UTC 2017

Rhode Island's best teacher didn't turn down his opportunity to meet the president of the United States — but he did make a statement about his values.  Nikos Giannopoulos, voted teacher of the year for 2017 in Rhode Island, visited the White House back in April. When the official White House photo of Giannopoulos, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania … [Link]

Mashable » Bill Cosby sexual assault case ends in mistrial, but new trial date coming

Saturday 17 June 14:39:38 UTC 2017

Bill Cosby remains free on bail after a Pennsylvania jury on Saturday convinced the judge that they were hopelessly deadlocked, but the district attorney took the unusual step of immediately announcing that a new trial date would be set. The jury of seven men and five women spent a week shuffling between deliberations and the courtroom, telling the judge multiple times … [Link]

Slashdot » Snowden's Former Employer Under Criminal Investigation For Fraudulent Billing

Saturday 17 June 14:34:00 UTC 2017

McGruber writes: Booz Allen Hamilton, the contracting firm that was Edward Snowden's employer when he leaked classified information from the NSA has announced that it is under a federal civil and criminal investigation of its billing practices. The disclosure in a regulatory filing sent shares of parent company Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp. tumbling $7.33, or 18.6 percent, to $32 … [Link]

Popular Science » Nest Protect Smoke + CO Alarm review: Fewer false alarms and no more midnight battery chirps

Saturday 17 June 14:30:00 UTC 2017

Gadgets Smarts make this connected detector worth the extra cost. App-based alerts, diligent monitoring, and pleasant sounds make this one of the best detectors around. [Link]

Mashable » Woman's colorful L.A. loft is a total unicorn dream

Saturday 17 June 14:29:34 UTC 2017

One California woman is living out all your wildest unicorn and mermaid fantasies by turning her downtown Los Angeles apartment into a rainbow, bubblegum dream. Social media queen, decor designer, and the brain behind Studio Mucci, Amina Mucciolo lives her life in color. From her hair, to her clothes, to her bubbly personality, she lives her life on full volume. In … [Link]

Mashable » Remembering Leonard Nimoy looks at the full life and private struggle of a beloved actor

Saturday 17 June 14:15:54 UTC 2017

The love for Leonard Nimoy lives long and prospers, but does the world really need two Nimoy documentaries, one from each of his biological children? Logically speaking, yes it does. “Our films are very different,” said Julie Nimoy, referring to her new documentary, Remembering Leonard Nimoy, and For the Love of Spock, the 2016 crowd-funded documentary by her brother Adam.  SEE … [Link]

Mashable » Too much is never enough on Lorde's vital 'Melodrama'

Saturday 17 June 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Youth is a high stakes game, and no one captures the perils and euphoria of growing up quite like the oldest adolescent that ever lived shedding her teenage skin.  On Pure Heroine, Lorde was a dedicated outsider who'd never been on a plane, but imagined endlessly what it must be like with a cool, criticial distance. On Melodrama, she's skydiving, terrified … [Link]

Mashable » Beat the summer heat with a pet-like cooler that follows you around

Saturday 17 June 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Two engineers of Hacker House created an autonomous 'Follow Me Cooler' that you can DIY. It uses Bluetooth to create GPS coordinates so it can follow you around or make its way to a friend across the park. If you're up for the challenge, you can build one of these yourself. It requires an Arduino Uno, some off-the-shelf hardware, and a … [Link]

Mashable » Newly discovered WWII photos reveal a striking record of life on a Navy ship

Saturday 17 June 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Military Aircraft Aboard U.S.S. Yorktown with Sailors Performing Exercises, 1943.Image: Fons Iannelli, Courtesy Steven Kasher Gallery, New YorkShortly after the entry of the United States into World War II, the Navy established the Naval Aviation Photographic Unit to create images for pilot recruitment campaigns.The Navy was competing with the Army Air Corps for a limited pool of skilled airmen, and needed … [Link]

Mashable » This week in apps: Hide Instagram selfies, Father's Day photos, and other digital updates

Saturday 17 June 13:51:54 UTC 2017

It’s possible that you couldn't keep up with the latest and greatest app updates this week considering all the internet buzz around Jeff Session's testimony. If that's the case, take a chill pill. We've kept up for you. SEE ALSO: 10 classic apps Apple is killing with iOS 11 Each week we round up the most important app news along with … [Link]

Mashable » Would a fidget spinner spin forever in space?

Saturday 17 June 13:30:48 UTC 2017

Space. It's the final frontier.  We all know that NASA and other space agencies around the world want us to boldly adventure into the solar system, and send people and robotic explorers deep into our cosmic neighborhood.  But what about fidget spinners?  SEE ALSO: Somebody made a giant rocket-powered fidget spinner so you don't have to The Earthly fad — popular … [Link]

Slashdot » Research Suggests Effects of Shift Work or Jet Lag On Our Body Clocks Can Be Reduced By Simply Changing Meal Times

Saturday 17 June 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Jonathan Johnston reports via Quartz: Around one in five people in Western countries could be putting their health at risk simply by going to work. This is because working shifts outside of the rest of the population's normal hours has been linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even declines in brain function. Scientists think this is because our … [Link]

Mashable » Katy Perry's messy wokeness won't solve her identity crisis

Saturday 17 June 13:00:00 UTC 2017

In Katy Perry's haphazard and controversial rebranding as a woke pop star, she seems ready to admit she's often out of her depth. These days only three words now comprise her Twitter bio: "i know nothing." It's a refreshing dose of humility from a celebrity who seems constantly torn between her good intentions and ego. Most of us are, of course, … [Link]

Mashable » Governments shouldn't pretend to be startups — no matter what politicians say

Saturday 17 June 12:30:00 UTC 2017

The hot new name in tech is France, a centuries-old startup that provides security, healthcare, and education in exchange for taxes.  Newly elected French president Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that the country needs to "think and move more like a startup" and, presumably, less like a stodgy social democracy. SEE ALSO: Trump's treasury secretary is 'not worried at all' about … [Link]

Mashable » 5 crowdfunded products that actually delivered on the hype

Saturday 17 June 11:34:19 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Online crowdfunding platforms — such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo — can make you an overnight success if you play your cards right.  Whether it’s bankrolling a movie continuation of a cult TV show, or getting a VR prototype off the ground (before being sniped … [Link]

Mashable » This is the incredible 'Wonder Woman' origin story you won't see at the movies

Saturday 17 June 11:30:00 UTC 2017

If you are looking for a new superhero obsession, look no further than Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, come to end Ares' wrath upon this world. A.K.A Wonder Woman. Since she hit the silver screen in the new Wonder Woman movie (and let's be honest: she completely stole the show in 2016's Batman v Superman), Diana has been wowing audiences. … [Link]

Slashdot » Air Force Budget Reveals How Much SpaceX Undercuts Launch Prices

Saturday 17 June 10:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: In 2014, the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a report on cost estimates for the U.S. Air Force's program to launch national security payloads, which at the time consisted of a fleet of rockets maintained and flown entirely by United Launch Alliance (ULA). The report was critical of the non-transparent nature … [Link]

Slashdot » Chinese Satellite Breaks Distance Record For Quantum-Key Exchange

Saturday 17 June 7:00:00 UTC 2017

slew writes: Science Magazine reports a team of physicists using the Chinese Micius satellite (launched back in August 2016) have sent quantum-entangled photons from a satellite to ground stations separated by 1200 kilometers, smashing the previous world record. Sending entangled photons through space instead of optical fiber networks with repeaters has long been the dream of those promoting quantum-key exchange … [Link]

Slashdot » Former CenturyLink Employee Accuses Company of Running a Wells Fargo-Like Scheme

Saturday 17 June 3:30:00 UTC 2017

A former CenturyLink employee has filed a lawsuit this week claiming she was fired for "blowing the whistle on the telecommunications company's high-pressure sales culture that left customers paying millions of dollars for accounts they didn't request," reports Bloomberg. From the report: The plaintiff, Heidi Heiser, worked from her home for CenturyLink as a customer service and sales agent from … [Link]

Slashdot » You Can Hack Some Mazda Cars With a USB Flash Drive

Saturday 17 June 1:50:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: "Mazda cars with next-gen Mazda MZD Connect infotainment systems can be hacked just by plugging in a USB flash drive into their dashboard, thanks to a series of bugs that have been known for at least three years," reports Bleeping Computer. "The issues have been discovered and explored by the users of the Mazda3Revolution forum back … [Link]

Mashable » Bright pink houses attract crowds looking for the perfect selfie, and the neighbors are pissed

Saturday 17 June 1:15:25 UTC 2017

These houses in Los Angeles are so pink the entire internet seems to have noticed. Everything from the walkway to the hedges to the trash bins are bright pink. SEE ALSO: Pink pineapples are here to make fruit even more Instagrammable It's not a permanent look. The vacant LA homes are part of a large-scale art piece, and they're being demolished … [Link]

Slashdot » Watchdog Report Finds Alarming 20 Percent of Baby Food Tested Contains Lead

Saturday 17 June 1:10:00 UTC 2017

According to an analysis released Thursday by the nonprofit advocacy group, the Environmental Defense Fund, twenty percent of 2,164 baby foods sampled between 2003 and 2013 by the Food and Drug Administration tested positive for lead. Ars Technica reports: Lead is a neurotoxin. Exposure at a young age can permanently affect a developing brain, causing lifelong behavioral problems and lower … [Link]

Mashable » A woman at E3 + a dead phone + Reddit = absolute chaos

Saturday 17 June 0:32:39 UTC 2017

For all the good Reddit can do, it can make an enormous mess of things, and then it can react badly when the mess it makes backfires. It's E3 week, which is usually supposed to mean a cavalcade of video game announcements and fan disappointment. It usually doesn't mean a coordinated online manhunt, involving the local authorities, for a woman whose … [Link]

Slashdot » Firm Responsible For Mirai-Infected Webcams Hires Software Firm To Make Its Products More Secure

Saturday 17 June 0:30:00 UTC 2017

chicksdaddy writes from a report via The Security Ledger: After seeding the globe with hackable DVRs and webcams, Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Ltd. of Hangzhou, China will be working with the U.S. firm Synopsys to "enhance the security of its Internet of Things (IoT) devices and solutions." Dahua, based in Hangzhou, China said it will with Mountain View based Synopsys … [Link]

Slashdot » Alleged KickassTorrents Owner Considers 'Voluntary Surrender' To the US

Saturday 17 June 0:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TorrentFreak: Earlier this year a Polish court ruled that Artem Vaulin, the alleged owner of the defunct torrent site KickassTorrents, can be extradited to the United States. The decision came as a disappointment to the defense team, which quickly announced an appeal. Vaulin has since been released on bail and currently resides in … [Link]

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