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 » How Can Businesses Close 'The Cybersecurity Gap'?

Sunday 18 June 23:34:00 UTC 2017

Companies can't find enough qualified security personnel, and fixing it requires "a fundamental shift in how businesses recruit, hire, and keep security talent," according to a VentureBeat article by an Intermedia security executive: The trickle of security students emerging from post-secondary schools may not be fully prepared to tackle complicated security issues — what we need are people who can … [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk's Father's Day was all sci-fi and tech, of course

Sunday 18 June 23:02:05 UTC 2017

Like many dads around the world, Elon Musk is spending his Father's Day making bad dad jokes and receiving the gift wrapped fruits of being a good parent. SEE ALSO: Watch mesmerizing footage of SpaceX's historic rocket landing First, Musk took to Twitter to let his kids (who must be sci-fi fans, too) know that he's not just a space and … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Prerequisites to Consider Before Moving to Microservices

Sunday 18 June 23:00:07 UTC 2017

Microservices look like a universal solution to all the problems of managing a large monolithic app. However, software legend Martin Fowler recommends holding your horses. You shouldn’t even consider using microservices unless your team has some core competencies. He explains what they are over at his blog. [Link]

Slashdot » Physicists Discover A Possible Break In the Standard Model of Physics

Sunday 18 June 22:34:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader freddienumber13 write: A series of experiments has shown that tau particles have decayed faster than predicted by the standard model. This has been observed at both CERN and SLAC. This suggests that the standard model for particle physics is incomplete and further research is required to understand this new area of physics. Nature adds: One of the key … [Link]

Mashable » A record-smashing heat wave will scorch the southwestern U.S.

Sunday 18 June 22:23:07 UTC 2017

A brutal heat wave is expected to scorch the southwestern U.S. this week, with some cities likely to see all-time record high temperatures. The National Weather Service (NWS) said this will likely be one of the most intense heat waves seen in many years across desert Southwest, including parts of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. SEE ALSO: Heat scorches eastern U.S. … [Link]

Mashable » Google posts Financial Times op-ed outlining YouTube plans to combat terrorism

Sunday 18 June 22:05:14 UTC 2017

Following a wave of terrorist attacks in the UK in recent months, Google's senior vice-president and general counsel, Kent Walker, used one of the leading publications in the country to outline a plan to combat the use by terrorists of Google's tools. SEE ALSO: Theresa May renews her call for internet regulation following the London Bridge attack On Sunday, Walker posted … [Link]

Slashdot » Community Ports 'Visual Studio Code' To Chromebooks, Raspberry Pi

Sunday 18 June 21:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes InfoWorld: A community build project led by developer Jay Rodgers is making Visual Studio Code, Microsoft's lightweight source code editor, available for Chromebooks, Raspberry Pi boards, and other devices based on 32-bit or 64-bit ARM processors. Supporting Linux and Chrome OS as well as the DEB (Debian) and RPM package formats, the automated builds of Visual … [Link]

Mashable » This airline gave a free lifetime pass to a baby born mid-flight

Sunday 18 June 21:17:47 UTC 2017

An Indian airline has given its youngest customer the ultimate birthday present. Jet Airways on Sunday said it awarded a free lifetime travel pass to a baby boy born during a flight from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, to Kochi in southwest India. SEE ALSO: Airline to charge you a $30 fee to bring your baby onboard The boy is the first baby … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Announces New Measures To Fight Extremist YouTube Videos

Sunday 18 June 20:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes CNET: YouTube will take new steps to combat extremist- and terrorist-related videos, parent company Google said Sunday. "While we and others have worked for years to identify and remove content that violates our policies, the uncomfortable truth is that we, as an industry, must acknowledge that more needs to be done. Now," Kent Walker, Google's general … [Link]

Mashable » Recommendation: Take a food-themed road trip this summer

Sunday 18 June 20:11:02 UTC 2017

A summer vacation doesn't need to cost you a month's salary, but you'd be forgiven for thinking that it should. Between May and August, Instagram becomes a minefield of people you don't know sitting poolside at The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs or whatever. Suddenly, your Brooklyn staycation seems lacking. I know that nothing is what it appears on social media. … [Link]

Slashdot » Auto Makers Threatened By Both Tech Company Autos And Ridesharing

Sunday 18 June 19:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Car and Driver: For automakers, the first bit of bad news is that people seem quite receptive to buying a vehicle from a tech brand such as Apple or Google, according to Capgemini's 17th Cars Online report, which surveyed some 8000 consumers in eight countries… Consumer interest in buying cars from tech brands has grown from … [Link]

Mashable » Why the hell didn't any of you tell me about Orbeez?

Sunday 18 June 19:00:00 UTC 2017

Life is a series of crushing disappointments, and this is no exception: I have recently learned that Orbeez, which are tiny, absorbent polymer balls that expand to 100 times their original size when wet, and which YouTube personalities love to purchase by the millions and pour into pools, have existed for years. And none of you posers thought to tell me! … [Link]

Mashable » This '4D' printing method could make packing for outer space much easier

Sunday 18 June 18:59:24 UTC 2017

These tiny objects made with 3D printers can dramatically expand when exposed to heat. Scientists have created a pair of compact, unfurling structures that could pave the way for innovations in biomedical devices or space exploration, where payloads can cost tens of thousands of dollars per pound. SEE ALSO: Start printing your breakfast with this pancake bot A team at the … [Link]

Slashdot » Louisville's Fiber Internet Expansion Opposed By Koch Brothers Group

Sunday 18 June 18:34:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader simkel shared an article from the Courier-Journal: A group affiliated with the Koch brothers' powerful political network is leading an online campaign against Mayor Greg Fischer's $5.4 million proposal to expand Louisville's ultra-fast internet access… Critics argue that building roughly 96 miles of fiber optic cabling is an unnecessary taxpayer giveaway to internet service providers, such as Google … [Link]

Mashable » Seems like Miley Cyrus and Dolce & Gabbana are in an Instagram feud over Melania Trump

Sunday 18 June 18:04:41 UTC 2017

The greatest celebrity social media beefs are the ones we never saw coming, and Miley Cyrus vs. Dolce & Gabbana over Melania Trump certainly checks that box. What a truly dizzying collection of proper nouns! It started, as these things often do, with one of the less famous members of a famous family getting a pretty sweet modeling gig thanks to … [Link]

Slashdot » Garry Kasparov: The World Should Embrace Artificial Intelligence

Sunday 18 June 17:34:00 UTC 2017

"Chess champion Garry Kasparov was beaten at his game by a chess-playing AI," writes dryriver. "But he does not think that AI is a bad thing." From Kasparov's interview with the BBC: "We have to start recognizing the inevitability of machines taking over more and more tasks that we used to do in the past. It's called progress. Machines replaced … [Link]

Mashable » The unique thrill of vintage shopping on Instagram

Sunday 18 June 17:00:00 UTC 2017

In an effort to buy less, buy thoughtfully, and — let's be honest — look cool, I have turned more frequently toward secondhand and vintage shopping. So far, it's great. Each piece I buy is more likely to be well-cut, breathable, and of high quality. Basically, I wear a lot more linen now. Score! My personal epiphany is nothing new. People … [Link]

Mashable » Thanks to Beyoncé's twins, the internet is happy about something for once

Sunday 18 June 16:38:37 UTC 2017

After a few rough days/weeks/months on planet earth, we needed something purely delightful, like the birth of two potentially preternaturally talented and definitely adorable babies. Beyoncé kindly delivered, as she does. With the possible exception of Kim Kardashian, seems like pretty much everyone on the internet is just really happy for her and Jay Z. For one precious day, Twitter, a … [Link]

Mashable » Beyoncé's dad tweeted about the twins and is probably having a great Father's Day

Sunday 18 June 16:33:43 UTC 2017

Matthew Knowles is the first member of the Carter-Knowles dynasty to speak out on the birth of the twins. Beyoncé's dad tweeted (and Instagrammed) a happy birthday card to the twins on this very special Father's Day for him. "They're here," he wrote, but kept all other details private. He will presumably make soldiers out of the twins. SEE ALSO: The … [Link]

Slashdot » Gaming Group Seeks Volunteers To Create Accessibility Guidelines For Tabletop Games

Sunday 18 June 16:30:00 UTC 2017

Meeple Like Us is a group of gaming academics, developers, hobbyists and enthusiasts with a keen interest in board games, tabletop games, video games, and all things in-between, co-founded by long-time Slashdot reader drakkos. Today he reminds us that accessibility "has become an increasingly visible part of video game development." It's even become something of a selling point for many … [Link]

Slashdot » New 'Lupin III' Commentary Track Celebrates The Glories Of Ignoring Copyrights

Sunday 18 June 15:30:00 UTC 2017

In 2004, film critic Roger Ebert "realized that auteurs weren't the only ones who had things to say about movies, and suggested that experts in other fields or even just fans of the movies could create MP3 commentary tracks to discuss their favorite films, which could then be downloaded and played alongside them." This inspired Slashdot reader #14,247 to produce … [Link]

Popular Science » Don't believe the hype about Russia's hypersonic missile

Sunday 18 June 15:23:16 UTC 2017

In foreground, Russian Kirov Class battlecruiser 'Pyotr Velikiy', with HMS Dragon in background Military Not about the speed, it's about how it uses that speed. Russia tested a hypersonic missile but we don't know enough to know if it's scary yet… [Link]

Slashdot » Tableau Software Drops Its 'Twitter Crowd Favorite' Data Viz Contests

Sunday 18 June 14:28:00 UTC 2017

theodp writes: As part of its 'Iron Viz' data visualization contests that lead up to its annual conferences, Tableau Software ($4.8B market cap) has awarded $500 gift cards to 'Twitter Crowd Favorites', contestants whose data viz draw the most 'votes' (tagged Tweets) on Twitter. But no more. As it expanded Iron Viz eligibility to China, Tableau said it 'just didn't … [Link]

Mashable » The wait is over to find out the sexes of Beyoncé's twins

Sunday 18 June 14:23:34 UTC 2017

After Beyoncé and Jay Z did such a great job of being themselves, they kindly welcomed miniature versions into the world. The superstar couple's twins are reportedly a boy and a girl. What a perfect Father's Day gift for Jay Z, who is the only dad in the entire world today. SEE ALSO: Jay Z calls out bail bond industry in … [Link]

Mashable » The tale of a celebrity president who colluded with a foreign dictator

Sunday 18 June 14:18:52 UTC 2017

The Dystopia Project is Mashable's book series looking at what dystopian fiction has to teach us in our new political climate. You can read past entries here. The first time I read The Plot Against America was the same year Philip Roth published it, 2004. Back then I thought it a thoroughly readable cautionary tale set in an alternate America — … [Link]

Mashable » In 1940, people turned their frowns upside down for 'National Headstanding Week'

Sunday 18 June 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Elsinore Assistant Police Chief Barker takes inverted aim.Image: Bob Landry/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesDown with the Dome. Junk the Jitters with Bottoms Up.Hub CrehanIn October 1940, with war raging in Europe and a contentious presidential campaign nearing its conclusion, anxiety was running high in America.To Hub Crehan, a young newspaper editor in Elsinore, California, it seemed the world had turned upside … [Link]

Mashable » The ICO is a revolutionary new way to get funded, and everyone wants in

Sunday 18 June 13:53:07 UTC 2017

A few days ago, a startup called Bancor raised around $153 million in two hours and twenty-five minutes. The ICO, short for initial coin offering, followed several similar, equally successful funding events, and the numbers are rising. Prediction market Augur raised around $5.2 million over two months in 2015; this year, its competitor Gnosis raised $12 million in just 15 minutes. … [Link]

Mashable » Coconut oil is not a magical health food after all

Sunday 18 June 13:39:13 UTC 2017

Coconut oil is an all-natural wonder: It's skin moisturizer, hair conditioner, coffee creamer, butter substitute, and delicious on toast. But it's not a magical health food, a group of doctors said. The oil is 82 percent saturated fat, and studies show it raises "bad" cholesterol levels just as much as butter, beef fat, or palm oil, the American Heart Association (AHA) … [Link]

Slashdot » Linux Kernel 4.14 Will Be An LTS Release

Sunday 18 June 13:24:00 UTC 2017

prisoninmate writes: Development of the Linux 4.14 kernel series did not even start, as the version that's being developed these days is Linux 4.12, which should be promoted to stable early next month, but Softpedia reports that renowned Linux kernel maintainer Greg Kroah-Hartman announced earlier this morning that the upcoming Linux 4.14 kernel series will be an LTS (Long Term … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook and Google are destroying bad online ads, which is great until they own the world

Sunday 18 June 12:28:19 UTC 2017

The world of online advertising remains split: there's the Wild West and then there's the corporate dystopia. In the wild west, dozens of shadowy firms churn out annoying two-bit ads for a quick buck; fake news sites feed off ad exchanges not entirely unlike those that serve the country's paper of record; Russian cybercriminals routinely bilk the world's biggest brands out … [Link]

Mashable » Boomer Phelps' Instagram is the best thing about social media these days

Sunday 18 June 12:27:21 UTC 2017

If social media usage ever becomes an Olympic sport — which is truly not that unthinkable at the rate we’re moving — there will be but one participant worthy of a gold medal: Boomer Phelps. The one-year-old son of Olympic legend Michael Phelps and his wife, Nicole, first captured the hearts of America while cheering on his dad from the stands of … [Link]

Slashdot » European Parliament Committee Endorses End-To-End Encryption

Sunday 18 June 11:21:00 UTC 2017

The civil liberties committee of the European Parliament has released a draft proposal "in direct contrast to the increasingly loud voices around the world to introduce regulations or weaken encryption," according to an anonymous Slashdot reader. Tom's Hardware reports: The draft recommends a regulation that will enforce end-to-end encryption on all communications to protect European Union citizens' fundamental privacy rights. … [Link]

Mashable » Not just for scares: Horror films like 'It Comes at Night' have something to say

Sunday 18 June 11:21:00 UTC 2017

It Comes at Night is billed as a horror movie, and it’s a pretty creepy one at that – full of tension and dread and stomach-turning imagery. But writer-director Trey Edward Shults doesn’t just want to scare you in the theater. His hope is that his film will linger with you long after the credits roll. SEE ALSO: Summer movie preview: … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: How Do You Prepare For The Theft Of Your PC?

Sunday 18 June 7:18:00 UTC 2017

A security-conscious Slashdot reader has theft insurance — but worries whether it covers PC theft. And besides the hassles of recreating every customization after restoring from backups, there's also the issue of keeping personal data private. I currently keep important information on a hidden, encrypted partition so an ordinary thief won't get much off of it, but that is about … [Link]

Slashdot » The Right To Repair Movement Is Forcing Apple To Change

Sunday 18 June 4:14:00 UTC 2017

The executive director of Repair.org says Apple has "decided to be nicer to consumers in order to stop them from demanding their right to repair," according to Motherboard. Slashdot reader Jason Koebler shared this article: It's increasingly looking like Apple can no longer ignore the repair insurgency that's been brewing: The right to repair movement is winning, and Apple's behavior … [Link]

Mashable » Hey Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian also just announced two new members of her family

Sunday 18 June 4:08:53 UTC 2017

Look, we're not saying there's any wrong time to announce that you've brought two literal snowballs into the family, but right after news that Beyoncé's twins were born is an interesting choice. Especially if, like Kim Kardashian, you're rumored to have some bad blood with Queen Bey. And yet, here's Kim K (who has often expressed disinterest in pets because they're … [Link]

Mashable » Beyoncé and Jay Z reportedly welcome newborn twins, holy trinity complete

Sunday 18 June 1:59:26 UTC 2017

The queen of the Bey-hive is now officially a mother of three, according to the Daily News and Us Weekly. Us Weekly cited multiple sources for the news but included no other details. The couple are already parents to Blue Ivy, age 5. SEE ALSO: Ok, so what's the deal with Beyoncé's twins? A ranking of the rumors. And it's quite … [Link]

Slashdot » Debian 9 (Stretch) Will Be Released Today

Sunday 18 June 1:10:00 UTC 2017

The Debian Project has been liveblogging today's release of Debian 9 (Stretch) using the Twitter hashtag #releasingstretch. Some of the announcements: The oldstable suite (wheezy) has now been renamed to oldoldstableDebian jessie now been renamed to oldstable!The Debian stretch suites have now been renamed to stable!The draft debian-devel-announce post is ready, archive docs are being cleaned up This release is … [Link]

John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons