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.

Mashable » Retro-style adventure game is the X-Files/Twin Peaks parody you need

Wednesday 9 August 23:59:18 UTC 2017

Being a Spooky Detective (as agent Mulder might call it) in the town of Twin Lakes City is no easy task. But in the new point-and-click pixel art game The Darkside Detective, released yesterday, Francis McQueen is the man for the job, investigating the "strange happenings" in a town where the "citizens are too dumb to notice."  In the trailers for … [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk's promises about self-driving Teslas might have been overblown

Wednesday 9 August 23:44:34 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ 3's base model will cost $35,000.","image":&q~ first sleek Model 3s are on the road","sources":[{&q~ musk,future,future tech,standalone-featured,real-time,~ video,real time,real-time-video,real time video,elon musk tesla,real time news","sec0":null,&q~ musk,future,future tech,standalone-featured,real-time,~ video,real time,real-time-video,real time video,elon musk tesla,real time news","videoSeriesName&qu~ More about Tesla, Autopilot, Self Driving Cars, Enhanced Autopilot, and Tech [Link]

Mashable » 'Own the School Year Like a Hero' sign displayed above Walmart gun rack

Wednesday 9 August 23:32:54 UTC 2017

A poorly placed back-to-school campaign sign was apparently spotted above a gun rack at a Walmart store. Twitter user @ismailkidd tweeted out a photo of the sign, which urged children to "own the school year like a hero." The sign was seen in the sports section of a Walmart on Wednesday.  SEE ALSO: A few ways Walmart could spend $18 million … [Link]

Slashdot » T-Mobile To Launch Its Own Branded Budget Smartphone

Wednesday 9 August 23:20:00 UTC 2017

In a throwback to a time when carriers differentiated themselves by branding and selling exclusive phones, T-Mobile announced Wednesday that it's launching its very own budget Android smartphone called the Revvl. CNET reports: The Revvl, which runs on Android Nougat, offers pretty basic specs: a 5.5 inch HD display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera a … [Link]

Mashable » Krispy Kreme will debut a special doughnut for the eclipse, and it looks delicious

Wednesday 9 August 23:10:31 UTC 2017

Krispy Kreme is going dark. In celebration of the Aug. 21 solar eclipse, the iconic doughnut chain announced a chocolate spin on its classic glazed doughnut, and we, for one, cannot wait to try it.  SEE ALSO: Your most basic and burning questions about next month's solar eclipse, answered Check out this ad with the chocolate cascading over the doughnut, and … [Link]

Mashable » Hundreds of frozen pizzas left on highway after truck crashes

Wednesday 9 August 23:08:58 UTC 2017

Pizza lovers suffered a huge loss on Wednesday after a truck crash left a highway littered with boxes of frozen pizza.  Westbound traffic on I-30 near Little Rock, Arkansas, was at a standstill on Wednesday as cleaning crews attempted to remove remnants of the wreck from the road. It appears as if most of the pizzas were Tombstone and Digiorno.  The … [Link]

Popular Science » Build a backyard theater that's better than the local cinema

Wednesday 9 August 23:00:25 UTC 2017

Gadgets Make your backyard theater as Regal as an AMC 12 items—from projector to popcorn—to make your own backyard movie theater as Regal as an AMC. [Link]

Mashable » Enough with the online collectible card games

Wednesday 9 August 23:00:02 UTC 2017

Yesterday’s announcement of a collectible card game based on Dota 2 was the moment that the video game industry reached its saturation point with card games. When Hearthstone came out in 2014, Blizzard unwittingly set off an avalanche of copycat online collectible card games. Developers undoubtedly saw the success of the World of Warcraft-based card game and thought, "Hey, we can … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Financial APIs Have Seen Two Growth Spikes

Wednesday 9 August 22:52:04 UTC 2017

Editor's note: Be sure to check out our research on the overall growth of Web APIs since 2005. At the time of writing, this is the most recent data we have, but check the research page to see if we have a more updated article. We will be continually updating the growth chart. [Link]

Mashable » Teen arrested over hundreds of bomb threats allegedly sold them for $30 on the dark web

Wednesday 9 August 22:48:58 UTC 2017

An Israeli teenager named Michael Kadar stands accused of sending bomb threats to 245 Jewish Community Centers and schools across the United States. That number — 245 — seems stunningly high, and that might be because he had a list of clients who paid him to make the threats. What we know from newly unsealed court documents is that Kadar is … [Link]

Slashdot » Disney Sued For Allegedly Spying On Children Through 42 Gaming Apps

Wednesday 9 August 22:40:00 UTC 2017

schwit1 shares a report from The Washington Post (Warning: may be paywalled; alternative source): The Walt Disney Co. secretly collects personal information on some of their youngest customers and shares that data illegally with advertisers without parental consent, according to a federal lawsuit filed late last week in California. The class-action suit targets Disney and three other software companies — … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook is finally ready for its next big move: Taking on TV

Wednesday 9 August 22:24:31 UTC 2017

Updated Aug. 9, 2017, at 6:17 p.m. PDT with additional show details. Updated Aug. 9, 2017, at 4:23 p.m. PDT with more information from Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg has been preaching video as our future for the last couple years. On Thursday, he's launching the next big step in the company's quest to dominate every last second of your waking life. Facebook … [Link]

Slashdot » Maybe Americans Don't Need Fast Home Internet Service, FCC Suggests

Wednesday 9 August 22:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares an excerpt from a report via Ars Technica: Americans might not need a fast home Internet connection, the Federal Communications Commission suggests in a new document. Instead, mobile Internet via a smartphone might be all people need. The suggestion comes in the FCC's annual inquiry into broadband availability. Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act requires the … [Link]

Mashable » Finn is still crushing on Rey in 'The Last Jedi'—but may end up with another woman

Wednesday 9 August 21:53:53 UTC 2017

He may have held his ground bravely against Kylo Ren in lightsaber combat, but ex-Stormtrooper Finn hasn't changed much in The Last Jedi.  When the John Boyega character comes out of the coma where we left him at the end of The Force Awakens, he's feeling pretty much the same way he did for most of that movie — wanting to … [Link]

Mashable » YouTube CEO perfectly sums up why Google engineer’s memo is so hurtful

Wednesday 9 August 21:47:01 UTC 2017

Another Google executive has spoken out against the sexist memo written by a former engineer at the company. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki wrote about how the memo brought up the pain associated with the sexism she and others in the tech industry have faced for years. The op-ed, published by Fortune Wednesday, perfectly sums up why the memo, which some within … [Link]

Mashable » Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 might copy a feature the iPhone's had since 2015

Wednesday 9 August 21:37:36 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ is what we've been waiting for.","image":"~ gonna delay the Galaxy S8 again, report says","sources":[{&q~ headset,delay,vr experience,standalone-featured,vr camera,real-time,real-time video,real time,vr headsets,real-time-video,galaxy s8,real time video,samsung galaxy s8,s8,s8+","sec0":nu~ headset,delay,vr experience,standalone-featured,vr camera,real-time,real-time video,real time,vr headsets,real-time-video,galaxy s8,real time video,samsung galaxy s8,s8,s8+","videoSeriesNa~ More about Android, Samsung, Galaxy Note 8, Tech, and Smartphones [Link]

Mashable » Netflix CEO let Peter Thiel know damn well what he thought of Donald Trump

Wednesday 9 August 21:34:30 UTC 2017

Remember those heady days of August 2016, just a year ago before the Trump presidency had us genuinely wondering how to prepare for a nuclear attack? SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg says 'diversity' is why Peter Thiel should remain on Facebook's board That happened to be when Silicon Valley big shot and New Zealand fanboy Peter Thiel was being pretty vocal about … [Link]

Mashable » This children's toy is both cute and creepy

Wednesday 9 August 21:33:37 UTC 2017

‘Fingerling’ is a new robotic monkey toy from WowWee that reacts to touch with movements of its head and makes noises when air is blown on it. They toy is set to release Friday, Aug 11. Read more…More about Mashable Video, Toys, Toy, Monkey, and Tech Toys [Link]

Mashable » Nuclear war with North Korea 'would be suicidal', climate experts warn

Wednesday 9 August 21:23:07 UTC 2017

It’s winter, 2018, in Iowa, five months after the last of the nuclear bombs detonated across megacities in northeast Asia, from Seoul to Tokyo to Shanghai. Radioactive fallout was the initial concern, but now something else is going awry: the weather. American farmers accustomed to snow and cold during the winter would be forgiven for mistaking their corn and wheat fields … [Link]

Mashable » This deluxe fidget spinner is setting records for the longest spin

Wednesday 9 August 21:20:44 UTC 2017

Japanese bearing company NSK has built the longest running fidget spinner at 12 minutes or more. The design uses small, high-precision balls and a weighty brass ring to ensure smooth spinning and maximum centrifugal force. Read more…More about Viral, Toys, Toy, Spinning, and Engineering [Link]

Slashdot » Blocking a Key Enzyme May Reverse Memory Loss, MIT Study Finds

Wednesday 9 August 21:20:00 UTC 2017

A better treatment for Alzheimer's patients may be on the horizon thanks to new research from MIT. Researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have discovered that they can reverse memory loss in mice by blocking an enzyme called HDAC2. From the study: For several years, scientists and pharmaceutical companies have been trying to develop drugs that block … [Link]

Mashable » Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is here for legal weed

Wednesday 9 August 21:18:39 UTC 2017

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson got real about marijuana during a Facebook Live question session Monday. The episode of StarTalk with co-host comedian Chuck Nice turned into a conversation about legalizing weed. One viewer asked if Tyson agreed with the late astronomer Carl Sagan that marijuana should be legalized. SEE ALSO: George R.R. Martin is working with Neil deGrasse Tyson on … [Link]

Mashable » Labrador retriever loves splashing around in her pool, and you'll love watching her

Wednesday 9 August 21:17:54 UTC 2017

Dogs and humans alike gotta enjoy those summertime vibes while they last. The weather is warm and the skies are clear, so that makes it the perfect time for taking a dip in the pool. To enjoy those summer vibes, Teal the Labrador retriever took some time to splash around in her backyard pool and make a few waves.  "Teal … [Link]

Mashable » Disney to pull its movies from Netflix…parents, brace yourselves

Wednesday 9 August 21:14:25 UTC 2017

Disney is planning to remove its films from NetflixThe entertainment titan wants to launch its own streaming service, but don't worry, none of this happening until 2020. Enjoy the Disney binge watching on Netflix while you can.  Read more…More about Entertainment, Netflix, Disney, Mashable Video, and Real Time [Link]

Popular Science » Does drinking hot liquids on a hot day actually cool you off?

Wednesday 9 August 21:00:00 UTC 2017

Ask Us Anything Yes, technically, but not nearly enough. When it's boiling out, should you reach for an iced tea, or a nice hot cuppa? It turns out, the old wives' tale might have some support, but not quite enough. [Link]

Mashable » Watch how this service dog helps its owner during a seizure

Wednesday 9 August 20:57:17 UTC 2017

A woman who suffers from seizures shared a training video which highlights how her service dog Colt helps her from injuring herself. Janaye endured a traumatic brain injury in 2012, which makes it extremely dangerous if she were to hit her head, such as in a seizure. Thankfully, her pup Colt is always by her side to protect her from … [Link]

Mashable » Poor raccoon gets rescued after being stuck in peanut butter jar

Wednesday 9 August 20:52:48 UTC 2017

We’ve heard about getting caught red-handed with your hand in the cookie jar, but what about getting caught with your head stuck in a peanut butter jar? It sounds a little embarrassing, but that’s what happened to raccoon out wandering in someone's yard out on Long Island, New York. The little creature was probably super hungry for some peanut butter, so … [Link]

Mashable » Giant inflatable chicken with Trump’s hairdo lands near White House

Wednesday 9 August 20:48:14 UTC 2017

A giant inflatable chicken with golden locks is back at the White House.  Back in April the so-called "Trump chicken" became a mascot during the Tax March. Now the inflatable poultry with a Trump-like hairdo is back, popping up Wednesday in the Ellipse park just behind the White House. SEE ALSO: Giant Trump-rooster statue appears in China in case you … [Link]

Slashdot » Apple Employees Rebelling Against Apple Park's Open Floor Plan, Report Says

Wednesday 9 August 20:45:00 UTC 2017

During a new episode of The Talk Show podcast on Daring Fireball, John Gruber touched on the topic of the open floor plans that Apple has implemented within its new campus, Apple Park. A WSJ profile of Jony Ive, where he talked about Apple Park, mentioned how programmers, engineers, and other employees had already expressed concerns about working in such … [Link]

Mashable » We've got the sweet little notes Gen. Kelly tucks into Trump's lunchbox every day

Wednesday 9 August 20:37:27 UTC 2017

President Trump is only human: he needs inspo just like the rest of us.  A new report by VICE alleges that aides now give the president two folders full of positive, pro-Trump news clippings on a daily basis to help ease his mood. And while we weren't unable to obtain any of those folders ourselves, we were able to find something … [Link]

Slashdot » Prison Time For Manager Who Hacked Ex-Employer's FTP Server, Email Account

Wednesday 9 August 20:05:00 UTC 2017

Catalin Cimpanu, writing for BleepingComputer: Jason Needham, 45, of Arlington, Tennessee was sentenced last week to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release for hacking his former company's FTP server and the email account of one of his former colleagues. Needham did all the hacking after he left his former employer, Allen & Hoshall (A&H), a design … [Link]

Popular Science » This smart window uses electricity to quickly change from clear to dark

Wednesday 9 August 20:02:43 UTC 2017

Technology Bright news. New technology for smart windows, described today in the journal Joule, might actually be an intelligent idea. Read on. [Link]

Mashable » The ad industry is still hilariously corrupt, report says

Wednesday 9 August 19:59:12 UTC 2017

Ad agencies are using smoke-and-mirror tricks to drive up production costs on their clients' dime, according to a new report from an advertiser trade group. The Association of National Advertisers, which reps big brands like Procter & Gamble, General Motors, and Walmart, found that advertising giants have been known to route lucrative contracts for production and post-production work on commercials to … [Link]

Mashable » A note to stars considering big-ticket TV revivals: Don't.

Wednesday 9 August 19:58:57 UTC 2017

It’s 2017 so everywhere you turn there's a film reboot or a beloved TV series getting revived. The latest is the forthcoming 12-episode coda to Will & Grace from NBC — of which a second season has already been ordered, because in the Peak TV era, more is definitely more. In an interview with Deadline, NBC President Bob Greenblatt detailed some … [Link]

Mashable » 5 bible passages that prove Trump's advisor is right: God supports Trump 'taking out' Kim Jong-un

Wednesday 9 August 19:53:19 UTC 2017

It’s hard to be surprised by anything in the news that contains the word "Trump" anymore. But this came close. SEE ALSO: A few ways Trump has been 'acting sharper' in meetings Robert Jeffress, one of President Trump’s evangelical advisers, said this in relation to the United States' rising tensions with North Korea: “In the case of North Korea, God has … [Link]

Mashable » This couple had a tech-themed wedding that was super Instagram-worthy

Wednesday 9 August 19:47:24 UTC 2017

Jessica Naziri is the founder of TechSesh.co. Being a lover of technology, Naziri incorporated tech gadgets in her wedding.  Her headpiece was 3D-printed, the bouquets were made out of USB cables, and there was even a drone flying around.  Guests were given portable charging packs as favors to remember the wedding. Now that's how you do a tech-themed wedding right. Read … [Link]

Popular Science » Gigantic dinosaur finally has a name of its own

Wednesday 9 August 19:45:47 UTC 2017

Science He who must be named. This morning, the Titanosaur that has been on display in the American Museum of Natural History received an official scientific name alongside a study done by… [Link]

Mashable » Sorry, but you're doing your pa$$w0rds all wrong

Wednesday 9 August 19:37:39 UTC 2017

Maintaining a set of strong, unique passwords is tough work these days — and yet it's never been more important. With so much time spent online, keeping digital ne'er-do-wells out of our accounts is a basic prerequisite for making it through the day.  But here's the thing: It turns out that the "strong" password requirements we've all come to know aren't … [Link]

Mashable » James Corden speaks out on Chester Bennington's 'Carpool Karaoke' episode

Wednesday 9 August 19:33:16 UTC 2017

It’s up to Chester Bennington's family to decide whether the Carpool Karaoke episode he starred in will run, James Corden said.  "We consider it to be not our decision to make. We will navigate it as delicately as possible and just adhere to whatever wishes they would want because, there's no, I don’t think there’s any other way we could deal … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Type 1 diabetes may be halted by experimental immunotherapy

Wednesday 9 August 19:30:00 UTC 2017

For the first time, an immunotherapy approach for treating type 1 diabetes has been found to be safe, and it seems to stop the condition from getting worse [Link]

Mashable » I tried my best to answer your most pressing 'Game of Thrones' questions

Wednesday 9 August 19:29:17 UTC 2017

Hey there, fellow of Game of Thrones fans. Isn't Game of Thrones great? I think so, too. I'm just a casual fan, but I think it's a pretty good show.  Every week after the new episode airs, I go online and see a new batch of unanswered questions about the program. For instance, "What is Vayrian steel?" and "What's the deal … [Link]

Mashable » Why Facebook had to kill its Groups app

Wednesday 9 August 19:25:49 UTC 2017

For the last few months, Mark Zuckerberg and other top Facebook execs have been gushing about groups.  The way they see it, Facebook Groups, which let like-minded users communicate outside of the main News Feed, is an integral part of social network's future as it passes the 2 billion user mark.  So it may have come as a surprise to see … [Link]

Slashdot » In Less Than Five Years, 44 Trillion Cameras Will Be Watching Us

Wednesday 9 August 19:25:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: It was a big deal for many when Apple added a second camera to the back of the iPhone 7 Plus last year. In five years, that will be considered quaint. By then, smartphones could sport 13 cameras, allowing them to capture 360-degree, 3D video; create complex augmented reality images onscreen; and mimic with digital processing … [Link]

Mashable » Florida man discovers huge snake has been living in his attic for years

Wednesday 9 August 19:23:35 UTC 2017

Out of all the stuff that can go wrong in Florida, finding out that a snake has been hiding out in your attic is probably low on the list. Bob van der Herchen recently had the pleasure of discovering a 6-foot boa constrictor living in the attic of his home in Englewood, Florida, rent free. According to WFLA, van der … [Link]

Mashable » Security camera captures cat narrowly escaping a coyote

Wednesday 9 August 19:19:18 UTC 2017

A security camera recording the front porch of a Denver, Colorado home captured a tense moment between a cat and a coyote.  Homeowner Jason Zaffuto says he was working in his home in the early hours on Monday when his family dog alerted him of a commotion outside. Zaffuto and his wife have been feeding a stray cat outside their … [Link]

Mashable » Is TV on the internet still cheaper than cable?

Wednesday 9 August 19:14:46 UTC 2017

If you pay around $100 a month, you can get old-fashioned cable: every channel, even the ones you don't want, all bundled together.  For just $10 a month, you can get all of Netflix. But is it really that cheap—and is it enough?  Streaming costs are inching upward as streaming services become more competitive with each other and media companies that … [Link]

Mashable » IKEA made a 25-minute ASMR video, and you might find it very soothing

Wednesday 9 August 19:13:17 UTC 2017

IKEA is delving into the world of ASMR. The company released a 25-minute ad touting its dorm room collection on Tuesday, but there's a twist: the clip is also an ASMR wonderland featuring a soft-voiced speaker, rustling sheets and pillows, and lightly clanging clothes hangers. Perhaps it will deliver the tingly sensations you're looking for. Perhaps it will deeply annoy … [Link]

Mashable » #AintNoCinderella: Why women in India are sharing midnight selfies on social media

Wednesday 9 August 18:59:59 UTC 2017

Women in India are posting selfies on social media at midnight for an important and empowering reason. After Chandigarh resident Varnika Kundu shared a harrowing experience on Facebook, detailing how she had almost been abducted by two men while driving home around midnight, her call for women to be proactive about safety gained attention from thousands.  But while many have offered … [Link]

Mashable » Mark Hamill reveals his 'jaw dropped' after reading 'The Last Jedi'

Wednesday 9 August 18:56:00 UTC 2017

Ever since The Force Awakens left us (and Rey) at the edge of a literal cliff with legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker, we've been waiting with bated breath to know more about their first meeting. According to a new Entertainment Weekly interview, though, we shouldn't hold our breath for the hero we once knew. And audiences won't be the only one's reeling. … [Link]

Mashable » 5 active duty transgender service members are suing Donald Trump over military ban

Wednesday 9 August 18:52:55 UTC 2017

Heads up, Trump: Your tweets have consequences. Toward the end of July, President Donald Trump sent out three infamous tweets banning transgender people from serving in the military, and now he's being sued for them. SEE ALSO: Ivanka learned about her dad's transgender military ban just like the rest of us — on Twitter "After consultation with my Generals and military … [Link]

Mashable » Beat the cold with the PolarSeal heated sports pullover

Wednesday 9 August 18:50:50 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Cold winter months make it hard to stay active outside. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately, depending on how you feel about working out) PolarSeal heated tops were created as a possible solution.  SEE ALSO: Fund this Kickstarter campaign for your shot at a seriously smart … [Link]

Slashdot » An Image Site Is Victimizing Countless Women and Little Can Be Done

Wednesday 9 August 18:45:00 UTC 2017

Allison Tierney, reporting for Vice: An international anonymous photo-sharing site where people post explicit photos without consent is playing host to the victimization of countless women. In the Canadian section of Anon-IB alone, there are currently over a hundred threads — often organized by region, city, or calling out for nudes of a specific woman to be posted publicly. "Hamilton … [Link]

Mashable » Make your childhood dreams come true and become a video game developer

Wednesday 9 August 18:42:22 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. If you love playing video games, then making video games is probably your dream job. But it doesn’t have to just be a dream. With the 2017 Zero to Hero Game Developer Bundle, you’ll learn all the skills you need to make video game … [Link]

Mashable » That 'Fallout' board game borrows from the series in clever ways

Wednesday 9 August 18:34:27 UTC 2017

War might never change, but it definitely evolves with changing times. We got our first peek at Fallout: Wasteland Warfare — based on Bethesda's hit RPG series — back in April, but now Fantasy Flight Games is back with more. If you've been wondering how Fallout could possibly work as a tabletop adventure, read on. SEE ALSO: Retro-style game about Syrian … [Link]

Mashable » The Commuter Diaries: When a 9-to-5 office job won’t cut it

Wednesday 9 August 18:31:33 UTC 2017

Paid Content BySamsoniteTo hell with offices: Desks, chairs, cubicles — who needs ‘em. Matt Bennett has certainly proven that you don’t need a cubicle to flourish. Bennett (who goes by Matty Bee) is the owner and head chef of The Lucky Bee — a Thai street food-inspired joint situated in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Bee opened the restaurant with his husband, … [Link]

Mashable » Robert Pattinson's quest for a NYC hot dog is pure art

Wednesday 9 August 18:30:55 UTC 2017

Robert Pattinson is on a mission. A mission so crucial and dangerous that he risks his identity and his life for it. He NEEDS a NYC hot dog and he needs it NOW. SEE ALSO: Robert Pattinson was totally joking about dog sex in his new movie In a hilariously dramatic short film made to accompany his GQ profile, Pattinson takes … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Early humans may have seen a supervolcano explosion up close

Wednesday 9 August 18:30:00 UTC 2017

Two ancient teeth found on Sumatra suggest early humans were there when the island’s supervolcano erupted 71,000 years ago [Link]

New Scientist – News » DeepMind dojo will train AI to beat human StarCraft players

Wednesday 9 August 18:30:00 UTC 2017

The next big game in AI’s sights is so close to real life that cracking it could lead to major advances in artificial intelligence. One player is ready [Link]

New Scientist – News » We can stop hacking and trolls, but it would ruin the internet

Wednesday 9 August 18:30:00 UTC 2017

A new way to run the internet would scupper ransomware and hacking, but its authoritarian backers could control everything we do online [Link]

New Scientist – News » ‘Three parent’ technique must not be marketed in US, says FDA

Wednesday 9 August 18:30:00 UTC 2017

The US Food and Drug Administration has asked John Zhang, who pioneered a technique to prevent mitochondrial disease, to stop performing the procedure [Link]

New Scientist – News » Ancient skull belonged to a cousin of the ape common ancestor

Wednesday 9 August 18:30:00 UTC 2017

A 13-million-year-old skull found in Kenya provides the best evidence yet for the African origins of the ancient species that gave rise to all living apes [Link]

Mashable » Tesla Model 3 rumored to be undercut by the next Nissan Leaf

Wednesday 9 August 18:26:03 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ 3's base model will cost $35,000.","image":&q~ first sleek Model 3s are on the road","sources":[{&q~ musk,future,future tech,standalone-featured,real-time,~ video,real time,real-time-video,real time video,elon musk tesla,real time news","sec0":null,&q~ musk,future,future tech,standalone-featured,real-time,~ video,real time,real-time-video,real time video,elon musk tesla,real time news","videoSeriesName&qu~ More about Tesla, Nissan, Model 3, Electric Vehicles, and Chevrolet [Link]

Mashable » 'Pokémon' is finally getting a console release, but don't get your expectations up too high

Wednesday 9 August 18:24:21 UTC 2017

The Pokémon developers are feeling the pressure around their upcoming Nintendo Switch game, the first time a main Pokémon RPG is coming to consoles. In an interview with Game Informer, developer Game Freak's Junichi Masuda and Shigeru Ohmori acknowledged the pressure they're feeling from Pokémon fans and discussed what it's like to work under those high expectations. SEE ALSO: Misty and … [Link]

Mashable » Interactive audio map plots the sounds of protests around the world

Wednesday 9 August 18:18:45 UTC 2017

Protests often take shape in order to amplify the voices of activists and communities around the world. A new audio project is making sure those voices stay heard, long after the protests end. "Protest & Politics," created by UK-based artist Stuart Fowkes, is an interactive map that marks the locations of noteworthy protests over time, along with field recordings from people … [Link]

Mashable » Bill Murray saw 'Groundhog Day' on Broadway last night and was extremely Bill Murray

Wednesday 9 August 18:17:25 UTC 2017

When one recalls the 1993 fantasy-comedy Harold Ramis classic Groundhog Day, a few things come to mind: Bill Murray, snow, groundhogs, time, consequence, and of course….The Panama Canal? SEE ALSO: David Letterman is coming back to TV with Netflix deal Well, now Groundhog Day is playing on Broadway. And last night, Bill Murray was in attendance to view one of his … [Link]

Mashable » 'Game of Thrones' episode 5 photos show Jon and Daenerys getting closer

Wednesday 9 August 18:15:31 UTC 2017

HBO has released the first photos for Game of Thrones Season 7, episode 5, "Eastwatch," which — as we saw in the ominous teaser trailer — will feature the Night King and his army of White Walkers on the move. As The Hound revealed after his creepy vision in the season premiere, the wights are seemingly targeting the Night's Watch stronghold … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » What is an API Fragment?

Wednesday 9 August 18:05:30 UTC 2017

An API fragment is a portion of an API specification, which is why understanding it starts at the API specification level. An API spec consists of a plan of how your API should look structurally – like a blueprint of a house. [Link]

Slashdot » Mass Market Hopes For Battery-free Cell Phone Technology

Wednesday 9 August 18:05:00 UTC 2017

Mark Hanrahan, writing for Reuters: Researchers in the United States have unveiled a prototype of a battery-free mobile phone, using technology they hope will eventually come to be integrated into mass-market products. The phone is the work of a group of researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle and works by harvesting tiny amounts of power from radio signals, … [Link]

Mashable » The Coen Brothers (!!!) are coming to Netflix for a Western anthology series

Wednesday 9 August 18:01:18 UTC 2017

“We are streaming motherfuckers!”  So say Joel and Ethan Coen, who will write, direct and executive produce a new Western anthology series for Netflix. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs will hit Netflix in 2018 and feature six tales about the American frontier. The project will star Tim Blake Nelson as Buster, and many others. “The Coens are visionary directors, masterful storytellers, … [Link]

Mashable » A guide to all the Disney titles you'll be losing on Netflix

Wednesday 9 August 17:51:28 UTC 2017

On Tuesday, Disney made waves by announcing that it would be terminating its deal with Netflix, and, because of that, would be allowing its contracts with Netflix to expire, meaning all Disney original and Pixar movies from the platform will likely be gone by 2019.  Some titles are still up in the air — Rogue One? Marvel? Will I ever get … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Are atheists really morally depraved? The idea defies logic

Wednesday 9 August 17:30:19 UTC 2017

Even in secular countries people are instinctively biased against atheists, a study has found. But the prejudice will hopefully die out soon, says Bob Holmes [Link]

Slashdot » In Response To Anti-diversity Memo, YouTube CEO Says Sexism in Tech is 'Pervasive'

Wednesday 9 August 17:25:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has responded to the Google anti-diversity memo, writing in a column for Fortune that the questioning of women's abilities is "pervasive" in tech and that the memo is "yet another discouraging signal to young women who aspire to study computer science." Wojcicki opens by saying her daughter asked her, "Is it true … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Add Programmable Voice to Your Node.js Apps with Express

Wednesday 9 August 17:18:59 UTC 2017

This tutorial explains how to make and receive phone calls with Node.js and the Nexmo Voice API. With Nexmo's Voice API, you can build high-quality programmable voice applications in the cloud and handle tasks such as managing outbound and inbound calls in JSON, recording and storing calls, creating a conference call, sending text-to-speech messages in 23 languages, and so on. … [Link]

Mashable » Someone invented a hammock-like towel to fight boob sweat and the internet approves

Wednesday 9 August 17:07:43 UTC 2017

The Ta-Ta Towel is an invention to combat uncomfortable breast sweat and it's sweeping the internet. Read more…More about Design, Women, Beauty, Clothing, and Boobs [Link]

Mashable » New footage of Tesla's Gigafactory reveals (once again) just how huge the facility will be

Wednesday 9 August 16:50:53 UTC 2017

A recent aerial video is giving us a firsthand look at the updates to the new Tesla Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada … and once again showing just how huge the facility will be once its completed.  As we already know, the factory, which is located in the middle of the desert, is humungous. Though the building is still under construction, … [Link]

Slashdot » Monsanto Was Its Own Ghostwriter For Some Safety Reviews

Wednesday 9 August 16:45:00 UTC 2017

Reader schwit1 writes: Dozens of internal Monsanto emails, released on Aug. 1 by plaintiffs lawyers who are suing the company, reveal how Monsanto worked with an outside consulting firm to induce the scientific journal Critical Reviews in Toxicology to publish a purported independent review of Roundups health effects that appears to be anything but. The review, published along with four … [Link]

Mashable » The one type of relationship that all women definitely aren't swiping for

Wednesday 9 August 16:40:42 UTC 2017

In the Tinder generation, casual sex is a mere swipe away. But fast-swiping hasn't killed the romance of dating, nor has it replaced it with a casual hookup culture. Turns out that friends-with-benefits relationships and one-night hookups are actually the least desired types of relationship sought on dating apps, according to the largest ever international sex and tech survey.  SEE ALSO: … [Link]

Mashable » This hands-free stroller wants to make parents' lives just a bit easier

Wednesday 9 August 16:36:57 UTC 2017

Smartbe is a stroller that can move on its own, meaning parents can run and shop hands-free. The secret? Motion tracking. In case you're worried about the stroller taking off on its own, parents can attach a stop chord to their wrists. Prices range from $399 to $3,199 depending on the features you choose.  This Indiegogo campaign was also funded in … [Link]

Mashable » You’ll be able to see a hidden planet during the total solar eclipse

Wednesday 9 August 16:31:23 UTC 2017

On August 21, as the moon passes in front of the sun, casting its dark shadow along a 70-mile-wide path of the total solar eclipse across the United States, an alien sky will appear overhead. Slowly, the sky will turn from bright daylight to darkness, revealing a darkened, midday sky as the total phase of the eclipse descends upon the planet.  … [Link]

Popular Science » How art could help encourage kids to study science

Wednesday 9 August 16:28:33 UTC 2017

Science "You gotta Crash and Learn." STEAM is a growing movement in education to teach art and science together. Learn why it makes the former Mythbuster's host so excited, and how it can help kids learn to… [Link]

Mashable » Jennifer Lawrence seriously had a 'Kardashian tent' on the set of her latest film

Wednesday 9 August 16:19:09 UTC 2017

After filming particularly harrowing scenes from the upcoming psychological thriller Mother!, Jennifer Lawrence would take a break to retreat to her off-set "happy place:" A tent plastered with photos of the Kardashians. As Lawrence revealed in her Vogue September issue cover profile, the film crew built a Kardashian-themed escape for the actress to preserve her "well-being" throughout a challenging shoot. SEE … [Link]

Mashable » A few ways Walmart could spend $18 million instead of corporate propaganda

Wednesday 9 August 16:15:55 UTC 2017

Walmart dropped $18 million on ads to boast about how much its doing to buy American products and train its workforce, according to a report from The New York Times. The ads are meant to help repair Walmart's reputation, particularly around how it treats its massive workforce. The company has been on the receiving end of plenty of criticism over its … [Link]

New Scientist – News » England’s dire north-south health gap is a scandal that must end

Wednesday 9 August 16:09:58 UTC 2017

The north-south divide in England needs fixing or the country risks more despair, premature death and political earthquakes, says James Bloodworth [Link]

Slashdot » Brits Look at Google and Facebook Every 210 Seconds, Says Survey

Wednesday 9 August 16:05:00 UTC 2017

Ad companies Facebook and Google slurp one in every three and a half minutes that Britons spend online, according to a survey. From a report: This, says audience metrics company Verto Analytics, accounts for 17 per cent of British adults' time online, the equivalent of 42.7 million days a month across Google, YouTube and Gmail. Similarly, Facebook-owned sites, including the … [Link]

Mashable » Calm down people, the Moscow Mule is probably not going to poison you

Wednesday 9 August 15:57:49 UTC 2017

Iowa’s latest advisory bulletin certainly makes for a catchy headline.  The state's Alcoholic Beverages Division stated that, in keeping with Food and Drug Administration guidelines, copper should not come into direct contact with foods that have a pH below 6.0.  That includes vinegar, fruit juice, wine, and everyone's favourite brunch cocktail: the uber-popular Moscow Mule.  SEE ALSO: Prosecco and rosé popsicles … [Link]

Mashable » 7 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Planet of the Apes’

Wednesday 9 August 15:49:23 UTC 2017

Read more…More about Planet Of The Apes, Mashable Reels, Entertainment, and Movies Tv Shows [Link]

Mashable » This handy device is like a wallet for your keys

Wednesday 9 August 15:43:01 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Let’s face it: your key situation is out of control. Between house keys, work keys, car keys, and secret hideout keys, there are way too many door-openers in your pocket. Sure, you can put them all on a single carabiner or get some of … [Link]

Mashable » Who is Dickon in 'Game of Thrones' and why does he matter?

Wednesday 9 August 15:36:50 UTC 2017

It’s hard to believe that just a month ago Game of Thrones fans were upset about a cameo, because the latest bit player in the war of the seven kingdoms is clearly a born star. Young Dickon Tarly — yes, that's his real name, don't laugh…yet — is out here stealing hearts on the battlefield during the Loot Train Attack and … [Link]

Slashdot » Playing Action Video Games May Be Bad For Your Brain, Study Finds

Wednesday 9 August 15:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report:Playing first-person shooter video games causes some users to lose grey matter in a part of their brain associated with the memory of past events and experiences, a new study by two Montreal researchers concludes. Gregory West, an associate professor of psychology at the Universite de Montreal, says the neuroimaging study, published Tuesday in the … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook cracks down on sketchy bait and switch ads

Wednesday 9 August 15:29:49 UTC 2017

Facebook is taking aim at scammers who use bait-and-switch tricks to sneak sketchy ads past its inspectors. Hackers have long been able to bypass the social network's rules against ads for things like diet pills, pornography, and gambling through a practice called "cloaking." Cloaked ads are made to link to a different page when clicked by the company's vetting team.  SEE … [Link]

Mashable » Commuting snake hitches a ride home on a Boston train

Wednesday 9 August 15:28:35 UTC 2017

Everyone’s on the daily grind, including one very busy, commuting snake. Twitter user Anne Keane posted a short video of a man casually holding his pet snake on the Boston Red Line. The snake is enjoying its ride, taking in the sights and sounds and probably smells of the people around him.  Snake. On the train@mbta uh…what's the policy here? #redline … [Link]

Mashable » New NYC commuter themed-beer will get you drunk while you wait for your delayed train

Wednesday 9 August 15:25:09 UTC 2017

This summer in New York City has been dubbed the "Summer of Hell," for many reasons (including the extreme, stifling heat), but mainly for the long train delays caused by Penn Station's emergency track repairs.  Commuting has been an absolute nightmare for New Yorkers, but one brewing company is capitalizing on the disaster by making Penn Station commuters' travel just a … [Link]

Mashable » Microsoft is slowly rolling out a faster and smarter Outlook.com

Wednesday 9 August 15:23:48 UTC 2017

Microsoft launched a new Outlook.com email beta on Tuesday. The upgrade claims to use a more responsive web development for a better and faster search interface, along with other frills. SEE ALSO: Microsoft Paint is getting evicted from Windows One of those frills is a conversation-style inbox. The new layout makes it easier to keep track of a longer string of … [Link]

Mashable » YAS KWEENS! 'Broad City' now has a line of sex toys

Wednesday 9 August 15:21:24 UTC 2017

Alright kweens, time to update your sex toy collection.  One of the largest sex toy retailers, Lovehoney, has teamed up with Comedy Central and Broad City for a line of sex toys fit for your precious package. On Aug. 9, the company officially launches its Broad City Pleasure Collection, inspired by Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer's sex-positive show.  SEE ALSO: Concerned … [Link]

Mashable » 5 times it's actually OK to break the rules at work

Wednesday 9 August 15:19:22 UTC 2017

I recently read a newsletter by Raghav Haran, job search strategist and B2B content marketer, on how he picked up a new language in eight weeks and bypassed his college’s requirement that you need two years of language classes to graduate. In his story, he wrote something that really stuck with me: It’s true, right? We see people all the time … [Link]

Mashable » The first serious AR phone is finally here

Wednesday 9 August 15:15:06 UTC 2017

Asus’ Zenfone AR provides an advanced augmented reality experience that can be utilized with Google Expeditions, a virtual reality teaching tool and a number of other similar apps.  Read more…More about Tech, Google, Technology, Augmented Reality, and Vr [Link]

Mashable » Deeply enjoyable mosquito killing machines that are somehow legal to buy

Wednesday 9 August 15:09:56 UTC 2017

If you're one of the millions who suffer from CMBS (Chronic Mosquito Bite Syndrome), the one joy you might have is in killing them: be it with the palm of your hand or a delightful mass-killing mosquito machine that should definitely be taken off the market. But fly swatters are so 1980s. Rolled up newspapers are actually medieval. Let the machines … [Link]

Mashable » The iPhone 8 might be smart enough to know when to shut up

Wednesday 9 August 14:47:26 UTC 2017

The iPhone 8 is expected to have a front-facing biometric sensor for scanning your face. Its most obvious use seems likely to be scanning your face to verify your identity to unlock the phone, but it might also help suppress one of the most grating parts of the iPhone experience. This week's bountiful HomePod firmware leak was loaded with info (including … [Link]

Mashable » Drake was also not happy Chris Brown commented on Rihanna's Insta

Wednesday 9 August 14:45:09 UTC 2017

Drake really is all of us, sometimes. When Rihanna posted an Insta of her at Crop Over Fest, an annual Barbados Carnival she attends every year, the internet swooned over her beautiful jeweled bikini. Everyone was happy, until Chris Brown decided to comment on it. For some reason, the singer, who was arrested for assaulting Rihanna in 2009, thought it was … [Link]

Slashdot » How a Port Misconfiguration Exposed Critical Infrastructure Data

Wednesday 9 August 14:45:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Attacks hitting companies' electrical systems are possible, especially when information that provides insight into those systems' weak points is freely accessible online. If you think that such a thing is unlikely, you probably haven't yet heard about the most recent discovery made by UpGuard researchers: an open port used for rsync server synchronization has left the … [Link]

Mashable » Bruce Springsteen is coming to Broadway

Wednesday 9 August 14:36:51 UTC 2017

Here’s an unexpected pairing: Bruce Springsteen is headed to Broadway this fall. Performances for Springsteen on Broadway will begin Tuesday, October 3, with an official opening on Thursday, October 12. Springsteen will perform five shows a week through November 26th at the Walter Kerr theater on Broadway. SEE ALSO: Bruce Springsteen Reinterprets Lorde's 'Royals' Some theater insiders view the move (which … [Link]

Mashable » Google repeatedly shuts down questions on sexism—and that's a problem

Wednesday 9 August 14:25:28 UTC 2017

Software engineer Erica Baker ignited a firestorm inside Google two years ago when she and coworkers listed their salaries in a spreadsheet. The sampling appeared to show that there were differences potentially based on gender and ethnicity.  A firestorm, again, is occurring inside Google. It's a different scenario with software engineer James Damore, but it once again involves a shared document … [Link]

Popular Science » UK climate report confirms 2016 was really hot

Wednesday 9 August 14:25:27 UTC 2017

Environment New findings are in line with NASA and NOAA estimates. The United Kingdom's Global and Regional Climate report for 2016 mirrors NASA and NOAA's conclusion that 2016 was hot and climate change is to blame. [Link]

Slashdot » Developers Explain Why iOS Apps Are Getting Bulkier

Wednesday 9 August 14:05:00 UTC 2017

Reader joshtops shares a report: Apps are getting bigger in size, in part because developers add new features, something many users obviously appreciate, developers say. "Apps are getting bigger because iOS devices are more powerful, and developers are building more and more complex things for them without considering the impact the size will have around the world," developer Stephen Troughton-Smith … [Link]

Mashable » This company's making it stupid easy to build an Alexa-powered smart home

Wednesday 9 August 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Piecing together a smart home shouldn't be hard. And yet it is, because there's no one company that makes everything you need. You've got to decide what smart home platform to buy into, and if you want a voice assistant to connect all your various devices, like smart light bulbs, plugs, speakers, etc. Then you have to figure out how they … [Link]

Mashable » 20 questions you're too embarrassed to ask about the solar eclipse

Wednesday 9 August 13:34:04 UTC 2017

The 'Great American Eclipse' is occurring on Aug. 21 and will be viewable from a huge chunk of the U.S. Here are 20 answers to questions you've probably been wondering about the solar eclipse.  Read more…More about Space, Science, Mashable Video, Sun, and Stars [Link]

Popular Science » Consumer drones are causing problems for the military

Wednesday 9 August 13:29:55 UTC 2017

Military New rules ban Army from using commercial drones, allow bases to shoot them down. New rules ban Army from using commercial drones, allow bases to shoot down drones… [Link]

Mashable » Good Day Westeros: The 'Game of Thrones' battle we've all been waiting for

Wednesday 9 August 13:28:03 UTC 2017

On Good Day Westeros we're talking about Game of Thrones episode four, The Spoils of War. Daenerys unleashes Drogon, the Stark children are reunited, and Tyler is still lost. Read more…More about Entertainment, Mashable Video, Game Of Thrones, Got, and Drogon [Link]

Mashable » Latest rumor claims iPhone 8 won't be late after all

Wednesday 9 August 13:14:23 UTC 2017

After a recent slew of rumors pointing to this or that iPhone 8 feature being problematic, one would think that there's no way Apple's next flagship will come on time (which would be sometime in September). But now a new note from often-accurate analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, obtained by AppleInsider, claims that Apple's latest and greatest phone won't be late after all.  … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Over-mothered puppies more likely to fail guide dog training

Wednesday 9 August 13:14:00 UTC 2017

Puppies receiving the most care from their mothers grow into adult dogs that lack the impulse control and problem solving ability of a successful guide dog [Link]

Mashable » Acer made a rugged Chromebook to withstand student life

Wednesday 9 August 13:02:45 UTC 2017

Keep dropping your laptop? Acer has just the fix: A rugged Chromebook designed to resist drops, spills, and other punishment — possibly making it the ideal laptop for the life of a student. The new model, the 11.6-inch Chromebook 11 C771, is a relative beast physically, measuring 0.82 of an inch thick and weighing about 3 pounds. By contrast, Apple's MacBook … [Link]

Mashable » Artist paints offensive tweets he received outside Twitter's HQ to highlight how Twitter handles abuse

Wednesday 9 August 13:00:48 UTC 2017

Facebook and Twitter are often under fire in Europe for failing to clamp down on hate speech on their platforms. Germany, in particular, has recently passed a legislation, nicknamed the "Facebook law", under which social media companies could face a fine of up to €50m (£43m; $57m) if they fail to remove "obviously illegal" content after receiving notification or complaint.  … [Link]

Slashdot » Google May Be In Trouble For Firing James Damore

Wednesday 9 August 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Google fired engineer James Damore after he wrote a 10-page document about "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber." taustin writes from a report via Inc. about the potential legal trouble the company may face from firing the "anti-diversity" engineer: Whether Demore is right or wrong, whether one agrees with him or not, Google may have legal trouble for firing him. Employees are … [Link]

Mashable » Valve announced a game that's not 'Half-Life 3' and the crowd's response says it all

Wednesday 9 August 12:48:36 UTC 2017

Artifact is Valve Corporation's first new game that isn't a VR tech demo to be announced since Dota 2, which released in 2013. And… well… it's not called Half-Life 3. That last point is likely what prompted the hilarious group response in the above video, featuring the immediate aftermath of Artifact's reveal at Valve's annual Dota 2 tournament, The International. … [Link]

Mashable » Why you should be concerned that Dany is going mad with power on 'Game of Thrones'

Wednesday 9 August 12:46:34 UTC 2017

The Game of Thrones power rankings determines which character is most likely to sit on the Iron Throne at the end of the series next year: not the power behind it, but officially ruling Westeros. Our judgment is based on information available at the end of each episode. You can read last week's rankings here.   This isn't so much a … [Link]

Mashable » Harry Potter's childhood home is for sale and it looks super magical

Wednesday 9 August 12:38:44 UTC 2017

It may be the site of some fairly traumatic fictional memories, but the house in Godric's Hollow where Harry Potter was born is also pretty darn magical. And it's up for sale online and it's not that pricey*. SEE ALSO: You definitely can't buy this Harry Potter-inspired lingerie on Diagon Alley For the fairly-expensive-but-also-totally-w~ price of £995,000 ($1,292,714), this Grade I … [Link]

Mashable » Stephen Colbert is pretty confident we're all gonna die now

Wednesday 9 August 12:25:04 UTC 2017

It took just a little over six months for President Trump to threaten nuclear war with one of the world's most unpredictable regimes, and frankly, I'm impressed he's held out this long. Of course, Trump's speech promising "fire and fury" could very well mean the end of this world, as Stephen Colbert astutely pointed out on Late Night with Stephen … [Link]

Mashable » Being afraid to come out in a country that just elected a lesbian prime minister

Wednesday 9 August 11:39:37 UTC 2017

“If I came out, I would lose my job."  Ivan is a primary school teacher in a village outside Serbia's capital Belgrade. His sexual identity would not be accepted by his colleagues or the parents of his pupils. This is a troubling sign of the everyday discrimination LGBTQ people face every day, especially considering that the country's new leader is a … [Link]

Mashable » University will offer places over Snapchat because Gen Z hates phone calls

Wednesday 9 August 11:32:10 UTC 2017

The most dreaded day of the year is almost upon us: A Level results day. One British university wants to try something slightly unusual this year by offering students university places on Snapchat.  SEE ALSO: Say hi to Sarahah, the anonymous messaging app ruining Snapchat for teens Amidst the nerves, tears and sighs of relief Aug. 17, Staffordshire University in the … [Link]

Mashable » This old 'Game of Thrones' book quote could be huge for Daenerys

Wednesday 9 August 11:27:48 UTC 2017

Warning: Contains an onion-load of spoilers for Game of Thrones Season 7. It's now been well-established that Ser Davos is fast becoming one of the greatest characters in Game of Thrones. We're not going to list all the reasons why again here, because frankly there are just far too many. SEE ALSO: This 1 image sums up just how circular last … [Link]

Mashable » Why 'Firestick that s—t' became shorthand for pirating our favorite films and TV shows

Wednesday 9 August 11:15:00 UTC 2017

Firestick that shit.  It's a phrase I picked up last year, but I'd assumed it was just another passing internet colloquialism related to using Amazon's Fire TV Stick.  Oh how naive.  Over time, I quickly began to glean that this was in fact the new slang for using a Fire TV Stick to somehow pirate movies and TV. But I've run … [Link]

Mashable » BBC accidentally airs a very NSFW scene in the background of the nightly news

Wednesday 9 August 10:55:50 UTC 2017

Have you always wondered what other BBC people do in the background during a BBC News live broadcast?  SEE ALSO: BBC newsman totally hates his life because he has to report on surfing dogs Well, we might have an answer, and it's very NSFW.  Last night, one member of the BBC newsroom was caught watching a very steamy sex scene … [Link]

Mashable » John Boyega describes a glorious London adventure with Harrison Ford

Wednesday 9 August 10:17:27 UTC 2017

John Boyega is already cool enough as it is, but he's even cooler when he casually talks about hanging out with Harrison Ford. SEE ALSO: 17 times 'Star Wars' actor John Boyega was laugh-out-loud funny on Instagram The tale above starts with the pair taking a trip to Southeast London for Nigerian food, and ends with Harrison Ford essentially straddling … [Link]

Slashdot » Cyber Threats Prompt Return of Radio For Ship Navigation

Wednesday 9 August 10:00:00 UTC 2017

Jonathan Saul reports via Reuters: The risk of cyber attacks targeting ships' satellite navigation is pushing nations to delve back through history and develop back-up systems with roots in World War Two radio technology. Ships use GPS (Global Positioning System) and other similar devices that rely on sending and receiving satellite signals, which many experts say are vulnerable to jamming … [Link]

Mashable » The most powerful figures in 'Star Wars' history will face each other once and for all

Wednesday 9 August 9:57:31 UTC 2017

Kathleen Kennedy must've known that one day she would have to face her former master, no matter how many light-years George Lucas drifted into the outer-rim territories of Star Wars. But this battle of destiny, between the two most powerful figures in the franchise's 40-year history, won't take place on the sprawling catwalks of some architectural marvel floating above a city … [Link]

Mashable » You can now fulfill your lifelong dream of sleeping in Donald Trump's childhood bed for $725 a night

Wednesday 9 August 9:45:41 UTC 2017

Everyone has a different idea of what the American dream entails.  SEE ALSO: Bizarre moments from Sean Spicer's short stint at the White House But for some, the dream of sleeping in President Donald Trump's childhood home can now be fulfilled for only $725 (£574) a night. Trump's Tudor-style 5-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom childhood home in Jamaica Estates, Queens, is now listed on … [Link]

Mashable » J.K. Rowling rips into Donald Trump and Fox News with 2 brutally effective tweets

Wednesday 9 August 9:18:56 UTC 2017

If there's one person who's mastered the art of the one-tweet shutdown, it's J.K. Rowling. Whether the person on the receiving end is a troll hiding behind a frog avatar or the president of the United States, Rowling only needs 140 characters. SEE ALSO: J.K. Rowling has a blazing reaction after Trump bans trans people from the military On Monday, she … [Link]

Mashable » Americans are asked to find North Korea on a map and you probably know where this is going

Wednesday 9 August 9:08:38 UTC 2017

The war of words between North Korea and U.S. President Donald Trump escalated dramatically overnight, with Pyongyang threatening to carry out missile strikes on the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.   It's the story of the day, and the majority of Americans — a staggering 75% — think North Korea's nuclear weapons program is a critical threat toward the United … [Link]

Mashable » Irish vet fails computerised English oral test, despite being fluent

Wednesday 9 August 8:56:32 UTC 2017

Call it a case of lost in translation if you like, but Australian English has given one Irish vet quite the headache. Louise Kennedy, a vet who has been working in Queensland, Australia, but is originally from Wicklow, Ireland, failed an English fluency test despite being native in the language, according to the Irish Independent. SEE ALSO: Ditch your keyboard in … [Link]

Mashable » The biggest threat in 'Game of Thrones' is something no one is prepared for

Wednesday 9 August 8:40:30 UTC 2017

Warning: Contains a dangerously high number of Game of Thrones spoilers. It may not be as glamorous as White Walkers or dragons, but there's one Game of Thrones threat we badly need to discuss: food. Or rather, the lack of it. SEE ALSO: This 1 image sums up just how circular last night's 'Game of Thrones' episode was With some minor … [Link]

Slashdot » Can Primordial Black Holes Alone Account For Dark Matter?

Wednesday 9 August 7:00:00 UTC 2017

thomst writes: Slashdot stories have reported extensively on the LIGO experiments' initial detection of gravity waves emanating from collisions of primordial black holes, beginning, on February 11, 2016, with the first (and most widely-reported) such detection. Other Slashdot articles have chronicled the second LIGO detection event and the third one. There's even been a Slashdot report on the Synthetic Universe … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Church floodlights are driving away the bats that roost there

Wednesday 9 August 6:05:04 UTC 2017

Churches are often floodlit at night to show off their architecture – but the lights are preventing bats from roosting in the ancient buildings [Link]

New Scientist – News » Penguin tail feathers reveal secrets of where they swim for food

Wednesday 9 August 6:05:03 UTC 2017

Conservationists need to track penguin populations, but tagging hundreds of birds is impractical. A technique borrowed from forensics offers a solution [Link]

New Scientist – News » Largest ever dinosaur may have been as long as 7 elephants

Wednesday 9 August 6:05:02 UTC 2017

Analysis of fossils from six Patagotitan mayorum dinosaurs suggests the animals may have weighed 62 tonnes and measured more than 35 metres from nose to tail [Link]

Mashable » Here's the first 6 minutes of the 'Carpool Karaoke: The Series' premiere

Wednesday 9 August 3:46:27 UTC 2017

James Corden's mega-popular segment now has an Apple flavor. You can catch the first six minutes of the premiere episode of Carpool Karaoke: The Series, which released on Tuesday night, as part of a 16-episode season for Apple Music. Will Smith is the first guest, and they open with a rendition of "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It." Then they get into … [Link]

Slashdot » Leaked Federal Climate Report Finds Link Between Climate Change, Human Activity

Wednesday 9 August 3:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report from The New York Times (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source): The average temperature in the United States has risen rapidly and drastically since 1980, and recent decades have been the warmest of the past 1,500 years, according to a sweeping federal climate change report awaiting approval by the Trump administration. The draft … [Link]

Mashable » Jerry Seinfeld hugs it out … in front of a mural of his failed Kesha hug

Wednesday 9 August 3:11:47 UTC 2017

There was quite the kerfuffle when Jerry Seinfeld turned down a hug from singer Kesha during a red carpet interview back in June—not once, but twice. But one thing is for sure, Seinfeld loves hugs. Well, ones with his longtime manager George Shapiro, at least. SEE ALSO: Jason Alexander just met his doppelgänger—and it's a mannequin In Melbourne, Australia, for a … [Link]

Mashable » Guy creates a super cool maze for his cats using 50 cardboard boxes

Wednesday 9 August 1:46:55 UTC 2017

If there's anything certain about cats, it's their love for cardboard boxes. So, in celebration of the made up holiday National Cat Day, Cole and Marmalade's human, Chris Poole, decided to created a cat maze using 50 small cardboard boxes. Poole has completely lost use of his living room but at least his cats are happy. The best part about … [Link]

Slashdot » AI Factory Boss Will Tell Workers and Robots How To Work Together

Wednesday 9 August 0:50:00 UTC 2017

tedlistens writes from a report via Fast Company: Robots are consistent, indefatigable workers, but they don't improvise well. Changes on the assembly line require painstaking reprogramming by humans, making it hard to switch up what a factory produces. Now researchers at German industrial giant Siemens say they have a solution: a factory that uses AI to orchestrate the factory of … [Link]

Mashable » Russian influencers and bots aren't afraid to turn on Republicans

Wednesday 9 August 0:41:11 UTC 2017

Back in March, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham talked about Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential election at a CNN town hall, and he had a message for members of his party.  "I promise you, we could be next.” SEE ALSO: China starts blocking mentions of Putin online, in case you say anything nasty about him On Monday, a report from the … [Link]

Mashable » Why Trump's fiery language about North Korea sounds eerily familiar

Wednesday 9 August 0:21:55 UTC 2017

President Trump didn't mince words with his threat to North Korea after its warning about retaliation against the U.S. for UN sanctions. From his vacation in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump on Tuesday shot back at the dictatorship with: "They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." There's a reason that frightening rhetoric sounds familiar: It's … [Link]

Slashdot » Disney To Pull Its Movies From Netflix and Start Its Own Streaming Service

Wednesday 9 August 0:10:00 UTC 2017

Disney announced today that it will end its distribution deal with Netflix and launch its own streaming service in 2019. "The move is a real blow to Netflix, which secured a valuable streaming deal with Disney back in 2012 — before streaming had really taken off," reports The Verge. "The deal only kicked into effect last year, so Netflix is … [Link]

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