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 » 'True Blood' star Stephen Moyer reveals how Nelsan Ellis touched the cast with acting excellence

Sunday 9 July 23:39:07 UTC 2017

The outpouring of love and professional respect for True Blood actor Nelsan Ellis, who died on Saturday, has been overwhelming. But aside from the social media well wishes from his co-stars and fellow film and TV actors, one message stands out, and it's from none other than Ellis' True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer, aka the vampire Bill Compton. SEE ALSO: 'True … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Home Ends A Domestic Dispute By Calling The Police

Sunday 9 July 23:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Gizmodo: According to ABC News, officers were called to a home outside Albuquerque, New Mexico this week when a Google Home called 911 and the operator heard a confrontation in the background. Police say that Eduardo Barros was house-sitting at the residence with his girlfriend and their daughter. Barros allegedly pulled a gun on his girlfriend … [Link]

Mashable » RED's Hydrogen One patent drawings reveal how it's really a camera pretending to be a phone

Sunday 9 July 22:38:28 UTC 2017

We haven't touched it, and we're not even sure how it'll work, but RED's Hydrogen One phone is so mysterious that even its patent filing drawings are fascinating. And revealing. SEE ALSO: The world's first glasses-free holographic phone is coming, and it's not from Apple The modular phone, which promises to switch between "traditional 2D content, holographic multi-view content, 3D content, … [Link]

Slashdot » New Sharpened Images From Hubble Telescope Contradict Post-Big Bang Theories

Sunday 9 July 22:26:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes NASA: By applying a new computational analysis to a galaxy magnified by a gravitational lens, astronomers have obtained images 10 times sharper than what Hubble could achieve on its own. The results show an edge-on disk galaxy studded with brilliant patches of newly formed stars… The galaxy in question is so far away that we see … [Link]

Slashdot » Former Oculus Exec Predicts Telepathy Within 10 Years

Sunday 9 July 21:22:00 UTC 2017

Mary Lou Jepsen is a former MIT professor with 100 patents and a former engineering executive at Facebook, Oculus, Intel, and Google[x] (now called X) — and "she hopes to make communicating telepathically happen relatively soon." An anonymous reader quotes CNET: Last year Jepsen left her job heading up display technology for the Oculus virtual reality arm of Facebook to … [Link]

Mashable » Crafty orangutan escapes his zoo enclosure because the apes have had it with our crap

Sunday 9 July 21:12:36 UTC 2017

Given the current state of the world, let me be the first to say it: I, for one, welcome our new ape overlords. The Planet of the Apes movies aren't a reality… yet, but proof that primates are getting antsy surfaced on Sunday in South Carolina. A male orangutan at the Greenville Zoo escaped his enclosure, prompting a brief lockdown while … [Link]

Mashable » Greenpeace activists charged after unfurling 'Resist' banner at Trump Tower in Chicago

Sunday 9 July 20:23:09 UTC 2017

Activists protesting the Trump administration's rollback of U.S. environmental and climate policies are facing felony charges after unfurling a banner from Trump Tower in Chicago. Six people, including four Greenpeace USA activists, were charged on Sunday after "causing a disturbance" during a July 7 action, according to Chicago Police Department. The 50-by-35-foot sheet they unfurled from the tower's 16th floor caused … [Link]

Slashdot » Congressmen Propose a New Military Branch: The 'US Space Corps'

Sunday 9 July 20:18:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Gizmodo: This week, the House Armed Services Committee voted 60 to 1 in favor of the creation of a new military branch to be called the United States Space Corps… The United States Space Corps would be the first new branch of the military since 1947, when the Air Force was formed. The current proposal would … [Link]

Slashdot » Researchers Have Developed A Battery-Free Mobile Phone

Sunday 9 July 19:14:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes HotHardware: Researchers from the University of Washington are looking to make batteries a thing of the past when it comes to mobile phones. The team has developed a phone that uses "almost zero power" according to associate professor Shyam Gollakota, who co-authored a paper which detailed the breakthrough… The researchers designed the phone to harvest microwatts … [Link]

Mashable » Why is everybody so worked up about Donald Trump's Twitter account?

Sunday 9 July 19:00:00 UTC 2017

A ridiculous trend I’ve noticed among the public recently is how worked up everybody is over Donald Trump’s Twitter account. Yeah, a Twitter account for cryin' out loud. Freaking seriously? It’s just Twitter. It means nothing. Why is everybody so worked up over his Twitter account? All it is is a direct, unmediated source of his thoughts and opinions, viewable on … [Link]

Mashable » Bollywood's dad, Anupam Kher, on the unique warmth of 'The Big Sick'

Sunday 9 July 18:33:42 UTC 2017

When Kumail Nanjiani was casting his father in The Big Sick, his real father posed a challenge: Get Anupam Kher. For more than one generation of moviegoers who grew up with Indian cinema, Kher is the quintessential father figure. He's been in over 500 films and played a dad for a good three decades now. He's familiar to Western audiences because … [Link]

Mashable » Peppy doge chasing its own tail is all of us in 2017

Sunday 9 July 18:17:12 UTC 2017

I know you're feeling it too. The current year feels like a marathon where you're expected to sprint with every step. Different, often competing forces pull you in any number of directions each day. And yet, nothing changes. We're spinning around in one place without ever going somewhere. Kind of like this sweet, confused, little doge. SEE ALSO: These photos of … [Link]

Slashdot » Bruce Perens Warns Grsecurity Breaches the Linux Kernel's GPL License

Sunday 9 July 18:10:00 UTC 2017

Bruce Perens co-founded the Open Source Initiative with Eric Raymond. Now he's sharing a "strong opinion" that companies should avoid the Grsecurity security patch for the Linux kernel "because it presents a contributory infringement and breach of contract risk." Slashdot reader NewGnu shared Bruce's comments: [I]t would fail a fair-use test… Because of its strongly derivative nature of the kernel, … [Link]

Mashable » This week in apps: 'Pokémon Go' turns one, Google Earth live streams, and photo tricks

Sunday 9 July 17:48:43 UTC 2017

It wouldn't surprise us if you were so caught up in picking the best foods to eat at your Fourth of July party that you lost track of the new apps and updates this week. If that's the case, there's no need to worry. We've got you covered. SEE ALSO: The 'Third Thumb' prosthetic for anyone makes me really want an … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Why Improbable Ditched REST for gRPC

Sunday 9 July 17:45:11 UTC 2017

REST and JSON are the bread and butter of developers creating web APIs. Once apps reach a certain size, though, the lack of type safety and other issues start to grate. Michal Witkowski and Marcus Longmuir over at Improbable (the company that recently raised $500m) explain how they learned to stop loving REST and move to gRPC. [Link]

Mashable » Aerial videos capture terrifying wildfires scorching California

Sunday 9 July 17:35:08 UTC 2017

Menacing red-orange flames and towering plumes of smoke smothered parts of California this weekend amid record-breaking heat and bone-dry gusts. Firefighters and scientists filmed the latest rash of Western wildfires from helicopters, drones, and stationary cameras, offering smoldering views. Dozens of structures have been destroyed and thousands of people fled their homes, though no deaths have been reported. SEE ALSO: Summers … [Link]

Slashdot » Waymo Drops All But One Patent Claim Against Uber

Sunday 9 July 16:58:00 UTC 2017

Google's Waymo has dismissed three of its four patent-infringement claims against Uber. An anonymous reader quotes Fortune: This comes after Waymo was encouraged to drop the claims following U.S. District Judge William Alsup's request that both parties narrow their issues for the trial. Additionally, Waymo dropped all but one of the patent claims because Uber abandoned its "Spider" LiDAR design, … [Link]

Mashable » 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' is a hit, but it's still #2 behind that horrible one with Venom

Sunday 9 July 16:18:48 UTC 2017

Face it, Spidey fans: emo Peter Parker and dumpster fire Venom will never be scrubbed from our collective memories. Spider-Man: Homecoming opened with $117 million at the U.S. box office, based on Sunday estimates. That's a great start for Sony's second reboot, but it's still not enough to unseat the wall-crawler's top opener to date: Spider-Man 3 (2007), with $151.1 million. … [Link]

Slashdot » Group Files FCC Motion To Delay Net Neutrality Proceedings

Sunday 9 July 15:54:00 UTC 2017

"A public interest group wants the Federal Communications Commission to hold off on its proposal to kill net neutrality regulations," according to The Hill. An anonymous reader quotes their report: The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) filed a motion on Friday to delay the FCC's proceeding to undo its net neutrality rules, pending the release of documents the group has … [Link]

Mashable » Trump and Putin unironically discussed forming a 'cyber security unit'

Sunday 9 July 15:18:50 UTC 2017

It’s Sunday morning, so you know where this is going. President Trump today fired off a series of tweets about his July 7 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin — their first face-to-face meeting since Trump took office. Trump said he "strongly pressed" Putin about Russia's meddling in U.S. elections and that the Russian leader "vehemently denied" any interference. SEE ALSO: … [Link]

Mashable » Helmet lets kids "drive" their parents because self-respect is overrated

Sunday 9 July 15:00:00 UTC 2017

‘The Piggyback Driver' helmet will let kids feel like they're "driving" their parents when they get a ride on their shoulders. Read more…More about Kids, Parents, Driving, Kid, and Driver [Link]

Mashable » How to survive 'Game of Thrones' season if you don't watch 'Game of Thrones'

Sunday 9 July 15:00:00 UTC 2017

How many times a day do you hear the phrase, "You know what show you should check out? Game of Thrones?" I GET IT. It's a "phenomenal show." Fine, whatever. But I don't want to watch it. Don't ask me why. I just don't want to. But with Season 7 of Game of Thrones premiering July 16, it's time for all … [Link]

Mashable » Bite Helper might be the mosquito bite conqueror you've been searching for

Sunday 9 July 14:50:33 UTC 2017

My leg is itchy. Not all of it, just the now-healing spot where a mosquito bit me over the weekend. The scab is tiny, indicating I barely scratched it after the bite, but there’s still something there. I think I have Bite Helper to thank for not enduring a week’s worth of itchiness, though I can’t be certain. In a nutshell, … [Link]

Slashdot » Survey Finds Most Popular Linux Laptop Distros: Ubuntu and Arch

Sunday 9 July 14:50:00 UTC 2017

After collating 30,171 responses, Phoronixhas released some results from their first Linux Laptop Survey. An anonymous reader quotes their report: To little surprise, Ubuntu was the most popular Linux distribution running on the respondents' laptops. 38.9% of the respondents were said to be using Ubuntu while interesting in second place was Arch Linux at 27.1% followed by Debian at 15.3%. … [Link]

Mashable » This LEGO-style coffee mug is the official cure for the Mondays

Sunday 9 July 14:38:35 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Your choice of coffee mug can say a lot about you. Maybe it tells the office that you’re the "World’s Best Boss." Maybe it warns co-workers: “Don’t Talk to Me Until I’ve Had My Coffee.” Perhaps it displays your love of canines via a … [Link]

Mashable » Understand Google Analytics like a pro for just $29

Sunday 9 July 14:37:25 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Let’s face it: if you want your website to be successful, you need to use Google Analytics. Whether you’re writing a paleo lifestyle blog, selling USA flag pins, or trying to start your own underground fight club, Google Analytics is the best tool for … [Link]

Popular Science » Tips for keeping strangers off your Wi-Fi network

Sunday 9 July 14:36:00 UTC 2017

Router DIY Give digital trespassers the boot. Make sure you've got no unwelcome visitors loitering on your wireless network, stealing bandwidth you need for Netflix, or snooping on your browsing. [Link]

Mashable » This AR lunar model takes you as close to the moon as you can get (without a spaceship)

Sunday 9 July 14:00:00 UTC 2017

The moon may be 238,900 miles away from Earth, but with a new lunar model and accompanying AR app, it might as well be in the palm of your hand. AstroReality, a Bay Area-based startup whose co-founder is an astro-photographer, is creating hand-painted, 3D-printed moon models to bring the moon's surface down to Earth. SEE ALSO: 15 best items for those who … [Link]

Mashable » Australian journalist's blistering takedown of Trump goes viral

Sunday 9 July 13:57:38 UTC 2017

Critics of the U.S. media routinely accuse reporters of being mean to President Donald Trump. But just wait 'til they hear what this top Australian journalist has to say. Chris Uhlmann, the political editor at the government-backed Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), delivered scathing remarks on Trump's presidency after the U.S. leader attended his first G20 summit this weekend. SEE ALSO: G20 … [Link]

Slashdot » Silicon Valley's Latest Desperate Housing Idea: On A Landfill

Sunday 9 July 13:46:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Silicon Valley real estate developers want to construct a $6.7 billion housing complex over a former landfill with 5.5 million tons of municipal waste from the last 25 years. "The regulators were pretty skeptical at the start, I have to say," one of the firm's partners told a local newspaper. Besides the 1,680 units of housing, … [Link]

Mashable » Developers are using Apple's ARKit to give augmented reality dance lessons

Sunday 9 July 13:10:33 UTC 2017

While we've now had several weeks to get a feel for iOS 11, there's still one big, unanswered question about the update: augmented reality. Namely, whether or not the apps developers are building using Apple's ARKit will live up to the hype. And while we've seen quite a few impressive demos already, being able to land a SpaceX rocket in your … [Link]

Mashable » Not horror? 'A Ghost Story' is the most terrifying vision of the afterlife ever onscreen

Sunday 9 July 13:03:45 UTC 2017

Never die. That's one thing I'll be taking away from A Ghost Story, the most terrifying, bleak and lonely vision of the afterlife committed to screen since the 1998 candy-colored-psychosis hellscape What Dreams May Come starring Robin Williams, may he rest in peace. Lord may I live forever because nope, nuh-uh, nooooo thanks. SEE ALSO: Rooney Mara reveals she ate pie … [Link]

Slashdot » FSF Sees Hopeful Signs Before Sunday's 'Day Against DRM'

Sunday 9 July 11:42:00 UTC 2017

The Free Software Foundation's anti-DRM initiative "Defective By Design" argues that since last year's annual Day Against DRM, "we've seen cracks appearing in the foundation of the DRM status quo." The companies that profit from Digital Restrictions Management are still trying to expand the system of law and technology that weakens our security and curtails our rights, in an effort … [Link]

Slashdot » Google's New Startup Heats Your Home With Energy From Your Lawn

Sunday 9 July 7:38:00 UTC 2017

WindBourne shares an article about Google's plans for "an extremely cheap form of HVAC." CNN reports: A new startup called Dandelion, born from the secretive and futuristic lab "X" of Google's parent company Alphabet, says it will offer affordable geothermal heating and cooling systems to homeowners. Existing systems are typically expensive with big upfront installation fees, discouraging homeowners from adopting … [Link]

Slashdot » 48-Year-Old Multics Operating System Resurrected

Sunday 9 July 4:34:00 UTC 2017

"The seminal operating system Multics has been reborn," writes Slashdot reader doon386: The last native Multics system was shut down in 2000. After more than a dozen years in hibernation a simulator for the Honeywell DPS-8/M CPU was finally realized and, consequently, Multics found new life… Along with the simulator an accompanying new release of Multics — MR12.6 — has … [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk just gave us our first real look at the Tesla Model 3

Sunday 9 July 4:09:24 UTC 2017

The Tesla Model 3 is finally here. After months of hype, a bonkers production plan, and multiple prototypes spotted zooming around California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the first production Model 3. Production unit 1 of Model 3 is now built and going through final checkout. Pics soon. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2017 First Production Model 3 pic.twitter.com/TCa2NSUNI3 — … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: How Safe, Really, Is Paying For Things Online?

Sunday 9 July 1:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Due to the rash of intrusions into electronic payment systems lately, I've decided to go back to paying cash for everyday purchases, groceries, fuel, and anything else I pay for in person (which also has the positive effect of making balacing my checkbook every month that much easier). The question I have is: For the monthly … [Link]

John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons