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 » O'Reilly Media Asks: Is It Time To Build A New Internet?

Sunday 30 July 23:39:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares an article from O'Reilly Media's VP of content strategy: It's high time to build the internet that we wanted all along: a network designed to respect privacy, a network designed to be secure, and a network designed to impose reasonable controls on behavior. And a network with few barriers to entry — in particular, the certainty … [Link]

Mashable » Angelina Jolie says 'Vanity Fair' mischaracterized new film's audition process

Sunday 30 July 22:49:19 UTC 2017

Director Angelina Jolie has faced a round of criticism since a July 26 Vanity Fair story described an audition process that many felt exploited the children trying out for the lead role of her upcoming film, First They Killed My Father. But Jolie says the story took the casting process out of context, turning a well-thought-out audition into a ploy that … [Link]

Slashdot » HackerRank Tries To Calculate Which US States Have The Best Developers

Sunday 30 July 22:39:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Palo Alto-based HackerRank, which offers online programmng challenges, "dug into our data of about 450,000 unique U.S. developers to uncover which states are home to the best software engineers, and which pockets of the country have the highest rate of developer growth." Examining the 24 months from 2015 through the end of 2016, they calculated the … [Link]

Slashdot » It Will Take Fedora More Releases To Switch Off Python 2

Sunday 30 July 21:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Phoronix: Finalizing Fedora's switch from Python 2 to Python 3 by default is still going to take several more Fedora release cycles and should be done by the 2020 date when Python 2 will be killed off upstream. While much of Fedora's Python code is now compatible with Py3, the /usr/bin/python still points to Python 2, … [Link]

Mashable » Passenger holding a baby gets punched trying to board a plane

Sunday 30 July 20:50:38 UTC 2017

I wonder if, at this point, airplane passengers are more afraid of turbulence or being assaulted by an airport/airline employee.  #QuestionsOf2017 SEE ALSO: Angry guy flings his powerbank on the ground in the airport, causing it to explode The latest example of passengers under attack by the air carrier they've paid to provide a service takes us to Nice, France, where … [Link]

Slashdot » Petition Asks Adobe To Open-Source Flash To Preserve Internet History

Sunday 30 July 20:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes BleepingComputer: A petition is asking Adobe to release Flash into the hands of the open-source community. Finnish developer Juha Lindstedt started the petition a day after Adobe announced plans to end Flash support by the end of 2020. "Flash is an important piece of Internet history and killing Flash means future generations can't access the past," … [Link]

Mashable » Rick Sanchez's series arc fulfilled: McDonald's appears to be bringing back Szechuan sauce

Sunday 30 July 20:05:05 UTC 2017

Just in time for the debut of Rick and Morty's third season on July 30, it appears Rick's series arc has been fulfilled: McDonald's Szechuan sauce is coming back. As revealed in a tweet by series co-creator Justin Roiland and another tweet by McDonalds, the fast food chain has created and bottled limited amounts of the sauce from 1998.  That's it … [Link]

Mashable » When you want to cause a political scandal on Twitter but you play yourself

Sunday 30 July 19:33:46 UTC 2017

Former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus is out of a job as of Friday, but his feud with new White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci still found a way to bubble up on Sunday.  Arthur Schwartz, a man who's been quoted as a "GOP operative" and "a spokesman for Scaramucci," threatened to leak opposition research on Priebus with a … [Link]

Slashdot » Should The Government Fix Slow Internet Access?

Sunday 30 July 19:28:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a story from Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight site about "the worst internet in America": FiveThirtyEight analyzed every county's broadband usage using data from researchers at the University of Iowa and Arizona State University and found that Saguache, Colorado was at the bottom. Only 5.6 percent of adults were estimated to have broadband… It has some of the … [Link]

Slashdot » Microbe New To Science Found In Self-Fermented Beer

Sunday 30 July 18:24:00 UTC 2017

sciencehabit writes: In May 2014, a group of scientists took a field trip to a small brewery in an old warehouse in Seattle, Washington — and came away with a microbe scientists have never seen before. In so-called wild beer, the team identified a yeast belonging to the genus Pichia, which turned out to be a hybrid of a known … [Link]

Mashable » Why #NoConfederate will be the talk of 'Game of Thrones' Twitter tonight

Sunday 30 July 17:56:41 UTC 2017

If you happen to scroll through Twitter during Game of Thrones tonight, you're likely to see some messages that are a little different than the typical flood of GoT reactions. The creators of the #NoConfederate hashtag are planning a social media campaign that pressures HBO to cancel the upcoming alternate history series Confederate. The show, which HBO states will "take place … [Link]

Slashdot » CNET Pranked By Web Site's Fake 'All Out War' Hack During DEFCON

Sunday 30 July 17:20:00 UTC 2017

In a piece describing the paranoid vibe in Las Vegas during the DEFCON convention, CNET reported Friday that the Wet Republic web site "had two images vandalized" with digital graffiti. But their reporter now writes that "my paranoia finally got the best of me, and it turned out to be an ad campaign." The images included a scribbled beard and … [Link]

Mashable » United passenger captures comforting video of smooth, successful baggage offloading

Sunday 30 July 17:08:11 UTC 2017

Ah, air travel. Such a simple, relaxing process that is at once both cheap and reliable. A clip captured by a Redditor on a United flight landing in O'Hare Airport on July 19 is a wonderful example of all that is good about flying in 2017. Watch it, won't you? For who among us doesn't find great comfort in witnessing the … [Link]

Slashdot » Unpaid Internships Lead To Lower-Paying Jobs, Study Finds

Sunday 30 July 16:16:00 UTC 2017

The Guardian reports: Almost every graduate taking an unpaid internship can expect to be worse off three years later than if they had gone straight into work. That is the shock finding of the first survey of its kind of the career trajectories of tens of thousands of students over a six-year period. The study, conducted by the Institute for … [Link]

Mashable » The far right has a new conspiracy theory about how the DNC was hacked

Sunday 30 July 15:40:08 UTC 2017

The far right will not rest until they've pinned a conspiracy on the folks at the Democratic National Committee, but they're having a hard time coming up with what that conspiracy is supposed to be.  It's only been weeks since folks from random trolls to Fox News promoted the idea that former DNC staffer Seth Rich — murdered in what police … [Link]

Mashable » Thousands of fans evacuate after Barcelona concert stage erupts in flame

Sunday 30 July 15:19:04 UTC 2017

Tomorrowland concert-goers just outside Barcelona, Spain had to evacuate on Saturday night after fire consumed one of the stages. Just over 22,000 fans were forced to leave, though no injuries were reported. SEE ALSO: Man's brand new Ferrari goes up in flames within an hour of purchasing it Video of the blaze shows smoke billowing from part of the stage as … [Link]

Slashdot » Honolulu Targets 'Smartphone Zombies' With Crosswalk Ban

Sunday 30 July 15:10:00 UTC 2017

Templer421 shares news from Reuters: A ban on pedestrians looking at mobile phones or texting while crossing the street will take effect in Hawaii's largest city in late October, as Honolulu becomes the first major U.S. city to pass legislation aimed at reducing injuries and deaths from "distracted walking." The ban comes as cities around the world grapple with how … [Link]

Mashable » 18 Yahoo Answers fails that will leave you scratching your head

Sunday 30 July 15:00:00 UTC 2017

Yahoo Answers is a mixed bag of useful information, helpful commenters, weird advice, and most of all, really, really dumb questions.  In search of some thoughtful answers, users post their most desperate queries, hoping a kind soul will shed some light and wisdom. But those important questions aren't always, let's say, well thought out. Luckily, Reddit is a gold mine for … [Link]

Mashable » Your most basic and burning questions about next month's solar eclipse, answered

Sunday 30 July 15:00:00 UTC 2017

A total solar eclipse will slice a path across much of the United States on August 21. Perhaps you've heard of it?  The big-time space event will be visible in some form or fashion across most of the U.S., and it's sure to impress for anyone within the 70-mile-wide strip of totality across the country (assuming the skies are relatively clear). … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Further Pledges Linux Loyalty, Joins Cloud Native Computing Foundation

Sunday 30 July 14:06:00 UTC 2017

BrianFagioli quotes BetaNews: Today, Microsoft further pledges its loyalty to Linux and open source by becoming a platinum member of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. If you aren't familiar, the CNCF is a part of the well-respected Linux Foundation (of which Microsoft is also a member). With the Windows-maker increasingly focusing its efforts on the cloud — and profiting from … [Link]

Mashable » Trump's White House feuds are even better reimagined as a pro-wrestling special

Sunday 30 July 14:00:00 UTC 2017

We’re just weeks away from the WWE's annual late-summer smörgåsbord of professional sports entertainment, SummerSlam. But for all the hype of the second-biggest pro wrestling show of the year (behind spring's WrestleMania), the real feuds are simmering in Washington, D.C. While stories about a White House at war with itself have been circulating for months, the situation hit a new level … [Link]

Mashable » Goofy found photos record WWI soldiers posing with fake military props

Sunday 30 July 14:00:00 UTC 2017

c. 1910-1912“Flight from the sand desert [i.e., military camp] Neuhammer.” Nuehammer Military Camp, Germany. Unidentified photographer.Image: Collection of Christopher B. SteinerWhile a variety of props – fake airplanes, hot air balloons, automobiles, trains — had been used in studio photography since the late 19th century, their popularity gained traction at the outbreak of World War I in Europe.Photographs were taken as … [Link]

Mashable » How to use WhatsApp on your computer to message more

Sunday 30 July 13:00:00 UTC 2017

WhatsApp is clearly a great messaging app — it just reached one billion daily users. But it's not always ideal to be holding huge conversations on your smartphone. You might not know that WhatsApp isn't just bound to your phone, though. You can use it on your computer, too. This lets you get a better look at photos, makes reading lengthy … [Link]

Mashable » Stop telling people not to worry about mosquito bites if you don't get mosquito bites

Sunday 30 July 13:00:00 UTC 2017

If you've ever been a victim of mosquitoes — and I don't mean one or two bites, I mean chronic, consistent biting and suffering — one of the hardest parts of the experience is simply getting someone to believe your story. They look at you like you're a bratty kid when you ask to eat dinner inside, rather than on their … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: What Can You Do With Old Coaxial Cable?

Sunday 30 July 12:02:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Theaetetus writes: I recently bought a house and the previous owner left some coax (mostly RG59) running between rooms for cable distribution. I'm a cord cutter and don't need cable, and I've already run CAT6e everywhere. But before I pull the RG59 out and try to seal the various holes he left, I figured I'd pick Slashdot's … [Link]

Popular Science » How to find a lost phone

Sunday 30 July 12:00:00 UTC 2017

DIY Step one: Stop panicking. Losing your smartphone can be a genuine hardship—we rely on our devices for everything from mobile banking to social networking. Here's how to get your phone back. [Link]

Mashable » Discover why Python is an essential programming language

Sunday 30 July 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. If you dream of earning big bucks as a programmer, you’ll need a broad knowledge of popular programming languages. Most experts would agree that Python is a great place to start. Why? Python has been a mainstay in web development for more than two … [Link]

Mashable » Here’s how to learn a new language during your daily commute

Sunday 30 July 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Learning a new language can be a passport to new experiences, new friends, maybe even a new love interest. But many people have a tough time getting over the hump from basic vocabulary to conversational comprehension. That’s because most language curriculums require a hefty … [Link]

Slashdot » After Emissions Scandal, Volkswagen Pledges Charging Stations Across The US

Sunday 30 July 7:58:00 UTC 2017

Here's how the Volkswagen emissions scandal ends in California — and the rest of America. An anonymous reader quotes the Bay Area News Group: In a decision with lasting implications for the growth of electric vehicles, state regulators on Thursday approved Volkswagen's plan to invest nearly $1 billion in California's EV network as penalty for its diesel-emission cheating scandal… San … [Link]

Slashdot » Will 'Smart Cities' Violate Our Privacy?

Sunday 30 July 4:54:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Computerworld's article on the implications of New York City's plan to blanket the city with "smart" kiosks offering ultrafast Wi-Fi. The existence of smart-city implementations like Intersection's LinkNYC means that New Yorkers won't actually need mobile contracts anymore. Most who would otherwise pay for them will no doubt continue to do so for the convenience. But … [Link]

Slashdot » US Voting Machines Cracked In 90 Minutes At DEFCON

Sunday 30 July 1:50:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes The Hill: Hackers at at a competition in Las Vegas were able to successfully breach the software of U.S. voting machines in just 90 minutes on Friday, illuminating glaring security deficiencies in America's election infrastructure. Tech minds at the annual "DEF CON" in Las Vegas were given physical voting machines and remote access, with the instructions … [Link]

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