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 » A US Spy Plane Has Been Flying Circles Over Seattle For Days

Sunday 6 August 23:49:00 UTC 2017

turkeydance shares Thursday's report from The Drive: A very unique U.S. Air Force surveillance aircraft has been flying highly defined circles over Seattle and its various suburbs for nine days now… The aircraft, which goes by the callsign "SPUD21" and wears a nondescript flat gray paint job with the only visible markings being a U.S. Air Force serial on its … [Link]

Mashable » Download this: Astro's email app comes with a built-in assistant

Sunday 6 August 23:02:44 UTC 2017

No matter what line of work you're in, there's a good chance you could use a little (okay, a lot) less email in your life. Enter Astro, which won't let you ditch email for good (sadly), but it will help make overflowing inboxes more manageable.  SEE ALSO: Let's all take a deep breath and stop freaking out about Facebook's bots 'inventing' … [Link]

Slashdot » New Catalyst Is Better At Splitting Water Into Hydrogen And Oxygen

Sunday 6 August 22:49:00 UTC 2017

schwit1 shared an article from Phys.org: Splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen to produce clean energy can be simplified with a single catalyst developed by scientists at Rice University and the University of Houston. The electrolytic film produced at Rice and tested at Houston is a three-layer structure of nickel, graphene and a compound of iron, manganese and phosphorus. The … [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk celebrates Tesla Model S record-setting mileage trip

Sunday 6 August 22:18:32 UTC 2017

Elon Musk's Tesla vehicles are winning praise for innovative tech and overall design, but mileage (will it run out of juice?) is still the major concern for many electric car newbies.  But some of those concerns are getting erased in the wake of a new driving record set by a team driving a Model S in Italy.  SEE ALSO: Why Tesla’s … [Link]

Slashdot » High School Students Compete In 'Microsoft Office Championship'

Sunday 6 August 21:51:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: This week the L.A. Times described a 17-year-old from Virginia who'd spent several hours a day perfecting his technique in Microsoft Excel, "one of 150 students from 50 countries competing in the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship" at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. "At stake: cash, prizes and the clout that comes with being the best … [Link]

Mashable » Incoming Harvard freshmen class is the school's most diverse in 380 years

Sunday 6 August 21:13:17 UTC 2017

When former First Teen Malia Obama walks onto campus this coming fall, she'll be part of a historic class.  The Harvard University incoming class is reportedly the school's most diverse in the 380 years it has been around. Slightly more than half of the cohort, which consists of 2,056 people, will be made up of non-white students. SEE ALSO: This new … [Link]

Mashable » There's a delightfully tacky 'Guardians of the Galaxy' music video and you have to watch

Sunday 6 August 20:51:57 UTC 2017

James Gunn, who directed Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 has released a space-themed retro music video starring The Sneepers ft. David Hasselhoff ( a.k.a. Zardu Hasselfrau) performing Guardians' Inferno. SEE ALSO: Teen Groot will steal every 'Avengers: Infinity War' scene he's in, just watch The incredibly wacky video that looks straight out … [Link]

Slashdot » Celebrate Voyager's 40th Anniversary By Beaming A Message Into Outer Space

Sunday 6 August 20:49:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Noryungi writes: NASA will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the launch of the twin Voyager probes next month. So let us celebrate both the probes and the people who are still working on them, and nursing them in their final years. The New York Times fondly profiles Voyager's nine aging flight-team engineers who "may be the last … [Link]

Mashable » Meet the people using fish antibiotics as a cheap alternative to American healthcare

Sunday 6 August 20:35:32 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ fishy.","image":&quo~ are taking fish antibiotics and it's a bad idea","sources":[{&q~ video,comments,real time,real-time-video,stupid,real time video,antibiotic resistance,antibiotic","s~ video,comments,real time,real-time-video,stupid,real time video,antibiotic resistance,antibiotic","v~ More about Pets, Medicine, Healthcare, Antibiotics, and Science [Link]

Mashable » NFL star's Hall of Fame speech is a moving tribute to his ancestors and a call for us to unite

Sunday 6 August 20:16:32 UTC 2017

NOTE: The video above won't play unless you view it directly on YouTube. We've also included the same video in the embedded tweet below. LaDainian Tomlinson might have been getting inducted into the The Pro Football Hall of Fame, but to be honest, his speech deserves an award, too.  The former NFL running back was among the class of seven … [Link]

Mashable » 'Wonder Woman' has one more box-office goal to hit, and it's a doozy

Sunday 6 August 19:48:37 UTC 2017

In a matter of weeks we'll know exactly where Wonder Woman stands among all superhero movies at the domestic box office, all-time.  How does Top 5 sound? While cracking the top 4 is too tall an order, Wonder Woman — currently at No. 8 — has a shot at that No. 5 spot, overtaking Iron Man 3 and settling in behind … [Link]

Mashable » Donald Trump thanked a black entrepreneur on Twitter, but she might not be real

Sunday 6 August 19:40:16 UTC 2017

UPDATE: Aug. 6, 2017, 5:56 p.m. EDT A representative of heavy.com has contacted Mashable, explaining they have spoken with "the woman whose name was used to create multiple accounts connected to ProTrump45," who claims her identity has been stolen and plans to file a police report. Heavy's story has since been substantially altered, removing mentions of the real Mincy, who forcefully … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Engineer's Leaked 'Gender Diversity' Essay Draws Massive Response

Sunday 6 August 19:26:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: An engineer at Google's Mountain View headquarters circulated a 3,400-word essay internally that argued a "moral bias" exists at Google that's "shaming dissenters" and silencing their voices against "encroaching extremist and authoritarian policies." It attributes the gender gap in technology to biology-based differences in abilities (such as "speaking up" and "leading") and different personality traits (including … [Link]

Mashable » Marijuana company plans to turn a small California town into a stoner's paradise

Sunday 6 August 19:23:27 UTC 2017

Looks like there'll soon be a Vegas-like destination in a remote part of California, designed just for pot lovers. American Green Inc., a marijuana tech-based firm and self proclaimed "seed to sale" innovator from Arizona just bought a small California town called Nipton last Thursday. Yes, you read that right: a whole town. SEE ALSO: Public transit systems are rapping about … [Link]

Mashable » 16 simple tech pranks to confuse your friends

Sunday 6 August 19:00:00 UTC 2017

Technology has made lots of things in life easier and pranking just happens to be one of them.  If you feel like your friends and family haven't been pranked in awhile, then their time is probably due. We've compiled a list of simple and clever pranks that you can pull on your loved ones using the tech you already have. These … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Elon Musk's Hyperloop Is Doomed For the Worst Reason'

Sunday 6 August 18:22:00 UTC 2017

schwit1 quotes a Bloomberg column by Virginia Postrel: What makes Musk's Hyperloop plan seem like fantasy isn't the high-tech part. Shooting passengers along at more than 700 miles per hour seems simple — engineers pushed 200 miles-per-hour in a test this week — compared to building a tunnel from New York to Washington. And even digging that enormously long tunnel … [Link]

Slashdot » Should the Internet Be Secure By Default?

Sunday 6 August 17:18:00 UTC 2017

darthcamaro writes: There are lots of tools and different secure protocols that could be used by internet service providers to embed security into the fabric of the internet, making the internet secure by default, but that's not something that Facebook's Chief Security Officer, Alex Stamos wants to happen. Instead of security by default, his view is that carriers should be … [Link]

Mashable » Here's how to deal with harassment on Twitter

Sunday 6 August 17:10:59 UTC 2017

If Twitter has one major headache that never seems to go away, it's trolls. But things might now be starting to look up. The company, once content to do almost nothing to address harassment on its platform, has taken a new approach in recent months with a string of updates meant to crack down on abuse and hate. SEE ALSO: Twitter … [Link]

Mashable » 10 free ways to treat yo' self

Sunday 6 August 17:00:00 UTC 2017

As Donna and Tom always said, it's important to… And what excellent advice that is. Whether you're a little down, you've been slaying the game lately, or it's just a regular ol' Tuesday, everyone deserves a treat every now and again. SEE ALSO: You should probably think twice about buying Girl Scout cookies on Amazon But don't be fooled. Doing something … [Link]

Mashable » Silicon Valley luminaries are busily preparing for when robots take over

Sunday 6 August 16:55:52 UTC 2017

Until a couple of years ago, Antonio Garcia Martinez was living the dream life: a tech-start up guy in Silicon Valley, surrounded by hip young millionaires and open plan offices.  He'd sold his online ad company to Twitter for a small fortune, and was working as a senior exec at Facebook (an experience he wrote up in his best-selling book, Chaos … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » 4 Lessons to Learn When Integrating With Third Party APIs

Sunday 6 August 16:54:18 UTC 2017

Working with numerous third party APIs can be a headache. Damon Swayn of InSite should know. The InSite team has integrated countless APIs for its clients’ CRMs into its platform. Damon over at his Medium blog gives you the top four lessons he and his team have learned from working with third party APIs so you can build APIs that … [Link]

Mashable » You will want to be best friends with 'Girls Trip' breakout Tiffany Haddish

Sunday 6 August 16:46:04 UTC 2017

Tiffany Haddish, breakout star of the raunchy comedy Girls Trip, is not really surprised that her story about taking a swamp tour in New Orleans with costar Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband, Will Smith, went viral recently. The comedian, who stars in TBS's upcoming sitcom The Last O.G. alongside Tracy Morgan, told Jimmy Kimmel a seven-minute anecdote about taking the … [Link]

Slashdot » Who's Profiting From The WannaCry Ransoms?

Sunday 6 August 16:14:00 UTC 2017

CNN reports: For months, the ransom money from the massive WannaCry cyberattack sat untouched in online accounts. Now, someone has moved it. More than $140,000 worth of digital currency bitcoin has been drained from three accounts linked to the ransomware virus that hit hundreds of thousands of computers around the world in May. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian law firm wants NotPetya … [Link]

Mashable » Serena Williams' picture-perfect '50s-themed baby shower is giving us squad goals

Sunday 6 August 15:40:39 UTC 2017

Tennis legend and mama-to-be Serena Williams just celebrated her pregnancy with a star-studded '50s-themed baby shower at Nick's 50s Diner in West Palm Beach in Florida. Love you Rena ❤️🍼❤&#~ #shakerattleandroll2017 pic.twitter.com/buzyWLAKPT — LA LA (@lala) August 5, 2017 Williams' super cute bash was attended by some of her celeb pals, like Kelly Rowland, Ciara, La La Anthony, Eva Longoria, and … [Link]

Mashable » 10 people hospitalized after unexpected turbulence on an American Airlines flight

Sunday 6 August 15:35:29 UTC 2017

American Airlines Flight 759 headed from Athens, Greece to Philadelphia experienced extreme, unexpected turbulence that left 10 people (passengers and crew) hospitalized, according to reports. The flight had almost 300 people on board and eventually landed safely in Philadelphia. Jessica Huseman, a reporter on the flight, tweeted her experience after the plane had safely landed in Philadelphia.  SEE ALSO: American Airlines … [Link]

Slashdot » Syrian Open Source Developer Bassel Khartabil Believed Executed

Sunday 6 August 15:10:00 UTC 2017

TheSync writes: The Syrian open source developer, blogger, entrepreneur, hackerspace founder, and free culture advocate Bassell Khartabil was swept up in a wave of military arrests in March 2012. A CBC report states that his wife wrote on Facebook late Tuesday that she has received confirmation that security services executed Khartabil in October 2015 after torturing him in prison. Before … [Link]

Mashable » There's a new kind of snowflake in town: the 'Broflake'

Sunday 6 August 15:00:00 UTC 2017

Of all the moronic alt-right internet slang, of which there are truly endless examples, the word "snowflake" should be at the top of everyone's list. If you've been fortunate enough not to hear this word before, let me ruin it for you: snowflake is a derogatory term used against progressives deemed to be too soft on issues of national importance, including … [Link]

Mashable » Fat shaming at the doctor's office isn't just wrong. It backfires — and harms its victims.

Sunday 6 August 15:00:00 UTC 2017

In her new memoir Hunger, Roxane Gay details the everyday physical and psychological humiliations inflicted on her overweight body. If someone doesn't sneer at her size or comment on her food choices, they might pretend she doesn't exist at all, bumping and jostling her as they walk past. Never mind the persistent, ugly online harassment related to her size. SEE ALSO: … [Link]

Mashable » Michelle Obama's long journey to the White House is a story spanning five generations

Sunday 6 August 14:38:20 UTC 2017

Former First Lady Michelle Obama's family sure has come a long way in five generations. American filmmaker and Selma director Ava DuVernay shared a compelling tweet paying tribute to the former First Lady's great-great-great grandmother, Melvinia "Mattie" Shields McGruder, who was born a slave in South Carolina in 1844. SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama wished Barack Obama a happy birthday with some … [Link]

Mashable » Adele, confirmed angel, hosted a film screening for Grenfell survivors

Sunday 6 August 14:12:07 UTC 2017

Adele has arguably one of the greatest voices in the world, but she's proving she also has just as great of a heart.  On Thursday night, the singer reportedly hosted a screening of Despicable Me 3 for the children who survived the horrible June fire that destroyed much of 24-story Grenfell Tower in north London. The blaze resulted in 80 fatalities. … [Link]

Slashdot » It's the 40th Anniversary of Radio Shack's TRS-80

Sunday 6 August 14:06:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Smithsonsian: It was with minimal expectations that, on August 3, 1977, Tandy Corporation teamed up with Radio Shack to release the TRS-80, one of the first personal computers available to consumer markets. While Don French — a buyer for the Tandy Radio Shack consumer electronic chain — had convinced some Tandy executives of the need to … [Link]

Mashable » How Nike turned the shoe drop into a high-tech treasure hunt

Sunday 6 August 14:00:00 UTC 2017

About a hundred kick-hungry sneakerheads marched into Washington Square Park, smartphones held high, panning from side to side, on a late June afternoon in New York City. It was a mix of faces: parents, early high schoolers, 20-something urbanites. They paced in droves, pushing strollers, scooting atop bicycles, coasting on electric skateboards. Most strutted in sneakers so clean they looked as … [Link]

Mashable » Where to buy your eclipse glasses before the total solar eclipse on August 21

Sunday 6 August 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Ever since you were a kid, your parents probably told you not to look directly at the sun. The only issue with that is that if you want to watch the upcoming total solar eclipse on August 21, you kind of need to stare straight in our closest star's direction. Luckily, there are literally dozens of eclipse glasses you can use … [Link]

Popular Science » The best setup to live stream your video games

Sunday 6 August 12:00:00 UTC 2017

DIY Broadcast your play to Twitch or YouTube. Want to become a live streaming pro, sharing your video game prowess with Twitch and YouTube? These are the apps and devices you need for the sweetest of setups. [Link]

Mashable » This smartphone charging cable is practically bulletproof — because why not

Sunday 6 August 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Much fuss is made about the inspired design of Apple’s products, but the truth is, they’re not built to last forever. And if there's anything more frustrating than not having a charger, it's having one with an ugly, frayed cord that works only when … [Link]

Mashable » This Excel training will turn you into a data whisperer

Sunday 6 August 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Not many people put "Excel wizard" on their dating profiles — but just because it isn't the sexiest skill doesn't mean that ninja-level mastery of spreadsheets can't do wonders for your work life.  If you're looking to add some impressive new lines to your … [Link]

Mashable » No-show socks are terrible, but I'll never stop wearing them

Sunday 6 August 12:00:00 UTC 2017

No-show socks are my sworn enemy.  I hate them: the way they instantly slip off my heel the second I step outside my apartment, the way they pool around in my sneakers, and the way they still somehow peek over the sides of my loafers, rendering their name a lie. But I will never stop wearing them.  Why? When they work, … [Link]

Slashdot » Startup Unveils Revolutionary New Rechargeable Alkaline Batteries

Sunday 6 August 11:02:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader cdreimer quotes the New York Times: Alkaline batteries can be made far more cheaply and safely than today's lithium-ion batteries, but they are not rechargeable… Ionic Materials could change that equation with an alkaline battery the company said could be recharged hundreds of times. One additional benefit of the company's breakthrough: An alkaline battery would not be as … [Link]

Slashdot » Warner Music Files Copyright Claim on A Silent 'Star Wars' Video On YouTube

Sunday 6 August 7:58:00 UTC 2017

rgh02 writes: Earlier this summer, popular YouTube channel Auralnauts received some unfortunate news: Warner/Chappell had filed a monetization claim on their "Star Wars Minus Williams" video through YouTube's Content ID System. More than anything, the Auralnauts were confused — the video the music company was claiming rights over didn't have any music in it at all. In fact, the video … [Link]

Slashdot » Browser Extensions Are Undermining Privacy

Sunday 6 August 4:54:00 UTC 2017

pizzutz writes: Chrome's popular Web Developer plugin was briefly hijacked on Wednesday when an attacker gained control of the author's Google account and released a new version (0.49) which injected ads into web pages of more than a million users who downloaded the update. The version was quickly replaced with an uncompromised version (0.5) and all users are urged to … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Are Interactive Computing Devices Addictive?

Sunday 6 August 1:50:00 UTC 2017

This question came from two things noticed by Slashdot reader dryriver: "Myself and just about every other kid I was friends with in the 1980s were definitely addicted to computers when we were young, and stayed that way until we reached college." "There is increasing concern about everybody from young kids to people 60+ staring into smartphone, tablet computer and … [Link]

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