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 » Usain Bolt's final race ended with an unexpected injury, but he's still a legend

Saturday 12 August 23:55:36 UTC 2017

This wasn't supposed to be how it ended. What should have been a triumphant finish to a momentous career ended in injury when Usain Bolt fell to the track in the midst of his last-ever race at the IAAF World Championships in London on Saturday. SEE ALSO: Usain Bolt's favorite fitness app is Kevin Hart's Snapchat Bolt had apparently developed a … [Link]

Slashdot » OpenSource.com Test-Drives Linux Distros From 1993 To 2003

Saturday 12 August 23:49:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes OpenSource.com: A unique trait of open source is that it's never truly EOL (End of Life). The disc images mostly remain online, and their licenses don't expire, so going back and installing an old version of Linux in a virtual machine and getting a precise picture of what progress Linux has made over the years is … [Link]

Slashdot » 'I'm a Teapot' Error Code Saved From Extinction By Public Outcry

Saturday 12 August 22:44:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Gizmodo: An anonymous reader quotes Gizmodo: It started back in 1998 as an April Fool's Day gag. Written up by Larry Masinter of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), error code 418 — "I'm a teapot" — was nothing more than a poke at the "many bad HTTP extensions that had been proposed". Despite its existence … [Link]

Mashable » Here's how to turn off autoplay videos on Facebook and Twitter

Saturday 12 August 22:22:50 UTC 2017

Autoplay videos can be one of the most frustrating parts of social media feeds. Facebook and Twitter turn this setting on by default to juice the view numbers for publishers and advertisers. But for users, it can be annoying at the least and, in some cases, downright disturbing—especially around violent news events. But there is hope. It takes less than a … [Link]

Slashdot » Study Finds Vaccine Science Outreach Only Reinforced Myths

Saturday 12 August 21:39:00 UTC 2017

Ars Technica reports on a study suggesting that "Striking at a myth with facts may only shore it up." Applehu Akbar writes: Researchers at the University of Edinburgh studied public attitudes toward vaccination in a group whose opinions on the subject were polled before and after being shown three different kinds of explanatory material that used settled scientific facts about … [Link]

Mashable » Detroit Red Wings are not pleased their logo is now white nationalist propaganda

Saturday 12 August 21:22:45 UTC 2017

Many Detroit Red Wings fans were confused to see their favorite team's logo waving among swastikas, confederate flags, and other symbols of hate at a massive white supremacist gathering in Virginia on Saturday. One widely shared video shows a group of racists carrying homemade shields marked with the team's insignia and chanting the Nazi slogan "blood and soil" as they poured … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Daily API RoundUp: Flinks, Semaphore CI, ReadyCloud

Saturday 12 August 21:07:01 UTC 2017

Every day, the ProgrammableWeb team is busy, updating its three primary directories for APIs, clients (language-specific libraries or SDKs for consuming or providing APIs), and source code samples. [Link]

Slashdot » Elon Musk + AI + Microsoft = Awesome Dota 2 Player

Saturday 12 August 20:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes the Verge: Tonight during Valve's yearly Dota 2 tournament, a surprise segment introduced what could be the best new player in the world — a bot from Elon Musk-backed startup OpenAI. Engineers from the nonprofit say the bot learned enough to beat Dota 2 pros in just two weeks of real-time learning, though in that training … [Link]

Mashable » Arya's new Valyrian steel dagger is even more interesting than we thought

Saturday 12 August 20:33:44 UTC 2017

Fair warning: This post contains spoilers for all of Game of Thrones books and episodes. It's excellent advice for lawyers and omniscient stoners in fantasy series: Don't ask a question you don't already know the answer to.  Arya Stark was handed a shiny, deadly new toy in episode 4 of Game of Thrones last weekend: A Valyrian steel dagger. She was … [Link]

Mashable » Trump blames 'many sides' for violence in Charlottesville

Saturday 12 August 20:22:30 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ many sides.'","image"~ are Trump's remarks on violence in Charlottesville","sources~ nationalism,charlottesville",&~ nationalism,charlottesville",&~ More about Racism, Trump, White Nationalism, Charlottesville, and World [Link]

Mashable » An amateur submarine inventor has been charged with a journalist's death

Saturday 12 August 20:14:23 UTC 2017

An amateur submarine builder is facing charges in connection with the disappearance of a Swedish journalist who was aboard his homemade ship for a story. The vessel sank early Friday morning off the Danish coast as the inventor, Peter Madsen, escaped to a nearby rescue ship. But he told police that he had dropped off the reporter, Kim Wall, at a … [Link]

Mashable » Watch an adorable one-month-old rhino calf greet his adoring public

Saturday 12 August 19:58:31 UTC 2017

Kendi the black rhino was born on July 17 at the Cincinnati Zoo. Since then, he's been venturing outside with his mom, Seyia, for short stints, using the time to get used to being outside and greet his adoring public. Friends, he is very cute and small. He also lives at the same zoo as Fiona the Hippo, who is … [Link]

Slashdot » iOS 10 Quietly Deprecated A Crucial API For VoIP and Communication Apps

Saturday 12 August 19:34:00 UTC 2017

neutrino38 warns that iOS 10 includes a significant change "overlooked by the general public": It deprecates an API that is crucial for VoIP and other instant messaging applications that enable keeping one socket active despite the fact that the application would run in the background. As a replacement, developers need to use PushKit: when an incoming call is to be … [Link]

Mashable » Anna Paquin spots her own 'True Blood' sex scene in the background of BBC News

Saturday 12 August 19:11:17 UTC 2017

Earlier this week, a BBC employee watching something on his computer somehow failed to realize his monitor was in full view on air, for millions of viewers at home.  SEE ALSO: 'True Blood' star Stephen Moyer reveals how Nelsan Ellis touched the cast with acting excellence He was watching a sex scene, and no one was quite sure what it was. … [Link]

Slashdot » The 2017 Hugo Awards

Saturday 12 August 18:34:00 UTC 2017

Dave Knott writes: The Hugo Awards, the most prestigious awards in science fiction, had their 2017 ceremony today, at WorldCon 75 in Helsinki, Finland. The winners are: Best Novel: The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin Best Novella: "Every Heart a Doorway" by Seanan McGuire Best Novelette: "The Tomato Thief" by Ursula Vernon Best Short Story: "Seasons of Glass and Iron", … [Link]

Mashable » The top 10 companies for diversity in tech, ranked by their own underrepresented employees

Saturday 12 August 18:06:03 UTC 2017

It’s been a tough week for diversity in tech.  Former Google engineer James Damore's memo has ignited a pointless debate about whether or not women are inherently less capable of careers as software engineers. With the memo treated among many as a legitimate piece of scientific analysis, it can be discouraging for those who see it as manipulating scientific studies to … [Link]

Mashable » Trump just weighed in on the riots, and here’s what he—and everyone else—had to say

Saturday 12 August 17:51:21 UTC 2017

After hours of silence, President Donald Trump finally commented on the white nationalist rally and related violence happening in Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday.  We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Lets come together as one! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2017 "We ALL … [Link]

Slashdot » Intel Unveils One-Petabyte Storage Servers For Data Centers

Saturday 12 August 17:34:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader #9,219 Guy Smiley shared this report on a new breed of high-density flash storage. The Inquirer reports: Intel has unveiled a brand new form factor for solid state disc drives (SSDs)… Intel Optane's new "ruler" format will allow up to a petabyte of storage on a single 1U server rack… By using 3D-NAND, the ruler crams in even … [Link]

Mashable » Hell yeah: This Backstreet Boys song contains a real, true fart noise

Saturday 12 August 16:58:08 UTC 2017

Producer Max Martin is no doubt responsible for some of your favorite pop songs, including Britney Spears' "Oops! …I Did It Again" and most of Taylor Swift's 1989. Apparently, he's also responsible for turning a Backstreet Boy's fart into a nice bass sound. Per a new interview from Billboard, Howie Dorough was putting so much heart and soul into recording Black … [Link]

Mashable » Protesters, journalists capture sobering images of racists marching in Charlottesville

Saturday 12 August 16:49:53 UTC 2017

Nazis, white nationalists, and other hate groups are marching in Charlottesville, Virginia ahead of a rally to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.  Hours before the rally was scheduled to start, racists streaming into Charlottesville have been marching through the city, where they've been met by counter-protesters. Shortly before 12 p.m. on Saturday, Virginia's governor … [Link]

Slashdot » Should Workplaces Be Re-Defined To Retain Older Tech Workers?

Saturday 12 August 16:34:00 UTC 2017

rgh02 submitted this article from Backchannel which argues companies "need to work harder and more persistently to attract, retain, and recognize talent" — especially older talent: We "elders" know perfectly well that our workplaces are by and large not about us. We don't drive how roles, functions, advancement, and success are seen. Career development options and the hierarchical career ladders … [Link]

Mashable » Take a bite out of summer with these corn-inspired sex toys

Saturday 12 August 16:28:00 UTC 2017

It’s peak corn season, friends. And what better to celebrate your favorite cobbed vegetable than by eating getting down and dirty with it? Yes, it’s all fine and dandy to gnaw on the real thing, but why confine yourself when there is such a lovely array of corn-inspired sex toys? Now, thanks to these ripe and ready gadgets, you can give … [Link]

Mashable » Ever since Nick Lachey covered up his 98 Degrees tattoo, I have not known what temperature it is

Saturday 12 August 15:51:48 UTC 2017

For years, I relied on Nick Lachey's infamous 98 Degrees sun tattoo to tell me what temperature it is outside. The answer, of course, was always 98 Degrees, even when it was January. This was my rock, my bible, my truth. Unfortunately, tragedy struckSeveral years ago, Nick Lachey covered up his 98 Degrees tattoo, replacing it with a solid black sun. … [Link]

Slashdot » Canonical Needs Your Help Transitioning Ubuntu Linux From Unity To GNOME

Saturday 12 August 15:34:00 UTC 2017

BrianFagioli quotes BetaNews: On August 24 and 25, the Ubuntu Desktop team will be holding a "Fit and Finish Sprint," where they will aggressively test GNOME. Canonical is also asking the Ubuntu community to help with this process. In other words, you might be able to assist with making Artful Aardvark even better. What makes this particularly cool, however, is … [Link]

Mashable » A round of applause for student counter-protesters who stood up to white supremacists at UVA

Saturday 12 August 14:58:23 UTC 2017

On Friday night, a band of cowardly racists marched through the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville. And while people on Twitter are rightfully condemning the hate rally (and making fun of its obviously mass-purchased tiki torches) they're also applauding the brave student counter-protesters who stood their ground. Per a local NBC affiliate, counter-protesters clashed with the white supremacists when the … [Link]

Mashable » 'Dota 2' pro destroyed by AI player from an Elon Musk start-up

Saturday 12 August 14:51:57 UTC 2017

Elon Musk, noted artificial intelligence worrywart, backs the tech firm behind a robot brain that was smart enough to take down a Dota 2 pro this week. The showdown took the form of an exhibition match staged on Friday at The International 2017, an annual esports tournament. OpenAI's Dota 2 bot faced off in a series of 1v1 matches against … [Link]

Slashdot » Chrome Extension Developers Under a Barrage of Phishing Attacks

Saturday 12 August 14:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Bleeping Computer: Google's security team has sent out warnings via email to Chrome extension developers after many of them have been the targets of phishing attacks, some of which have been successful and resulted in crooks taking over extensions. These phishing attacks have come into the limelight this past week when phishers managed to compromise the … [Link]

Mashable » Goats are the G.O.A.T.s of Instagram

Saturday 12 August 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Theodore is a goat — and a hero. But if you're one of his 6,816 followers on the Riley Farm Rescue Instagram account, you already knew that. He recently helped save another goat, Clarabelle, when she got stuck on the wrong side of a fence by running up to the owner's house screaming for help. His feat was praised by his … [Link]

Mashable » These headphones claim they can make you a better athlete

Saturday 12 August 14:00:00 UTC 2017

‘Halo Sport' is a headset lined with "primers" that send electric currents through your brain with the goal of stimulating the neurons that may help you train and exercise more efficiently. But we're skeptical. Read more…More about Tech, Mashable Video, Train, Electric, and Exercise [Link]

Mashable » Pantsuit Nation is growing up. Doing it right means talking about race.

Saturday 12 August 13:00:00 UTC 2017

When Pantsuit Nation became a viral phenomenon days before the election last November, the private Facebook group was focused on electing the first female president.  What it got instead was something uniquely American: a devastating reminder that this country's long, unresolved history of white supremacy continues to haunt us.  SEE ALSO: Wonder Woman's message is exactly what we need in these … [Link]

Mashable » Publishers put down pitchforks for Facebook, proceed into original video with caution

Saturday 12 August 13:00:00 UTC 2017

For all of Facebook's big talk about video, it was still just part of the almighty News Feed.  Publishers hoping to capture a moment of a user's attention looked for thumb-stopping moments, which gave rise to a new and not-terribly compelling format of video that remains endemic to Facebook. Watch is something different. Facebook's new original video program features TV-like shows … [Link]

Slashdot » Russian Group That Hacked DNC Used NSA Attack Code In Attack On Hotels

Saturday 12 August 13:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: A Russian government-sponsored group accused of hacking the Democratic National Committee last year has likely been infecting other targets of interest with the help of a potent Windows exploit developed by, and later stolen from, the National Security Agency, researchers said Friday. Eternal Blue, as the exploit is code-named, is one … [Link]

Mashable » A trip with your significant other to Australia is equivalent to an Ikea trip, trust us

Saturday 12 August 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Disclaimer: We are not trying to bad mouth Australia. It seems like a completely lovely place to live.  Elon Musk and Amber Heard decided to call it quits on Monday after a year of dating. Though they claim the split was due to their busy schedules, we have to speculate whether or not that was just the tip of the iceberg. … [Link]

Mashable » What in the world is growth hacking—and why you should learn to do it

Saturday 12 August 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Any young company claiming to be the next Apple or Amazon has its work cut out for it. But even those mega-giants of the tech world began in someone’s garage and—with the help of clever marketing—grew to what they are today. That, boys and … [Link]

Mashable » A new startup could revolutionize how young women think about their fertility

Saturday 12 August 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Fertility testing is an area of medicine that isn't really covered by insurance—and hasn't yet seen much innovation from the tech world.  Modern Fertility is trying to change that. The startup wants to be the first to revamp the experience of fertility testing and revolutionize how women think about their own fertility in the years before they're ready to have children.  … [Link]

Mashable » Learn the way of the Samurai with this keychain knife

Saturday 12 August 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. If you like the idea of having a Samurai sword, but you’re not really ready to take on the cost and responsibility — not to mention the social stigma of becoming that person with the sword — then a pocket knife could be a … [Link]

Popular Science » How to choose the right drone for you

Saturday 12 August 11:30:00 UTC 2017

DIY Take to the skies. Want to fly? Our consumer drone guide will explain the features you need to look for and recommend some of the best models that are currently on the market. [Link]

Slashdot » Uber and Lyft May Cause Lower Car Ownership In Big Cities, Says Report

Saturday 12 August 10:00:00 UTC 2017

A new study from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute has shed light on what may turn out to be a growing trend: lower car ownership in cities where ride-sharing services are available. SlashGear reports: While Uber and Lyft have both deployed in a number of cities, they have, at times, had to abandon those cities due to local … [Link]

Mashable » How the heart-stopping music for blockbuster film trailers gets made

Saturday 12 August 8:30:00 UTC 2017

In terms of box office takings, a trailer can make or break a movie. On the one hand, it could go viral. It could be like the IT teaser trailer. That one's had almost 31 million YouTube views at the time of writing, and it even set a record for the most online views in a single day. If the trailer … [Link]

Slashdot » NASA Looks At Reviving Atomic Rocket Program

Saturday 12 August 7:00:00 UTC 2017

Big Hairy Ian shares a report from New Atlas: When the first manned mission to Mars sets out, it may be on the tail of an atomic rocket engine. The Space Race vintage technology could have a renaissance at NASA after the space agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama signed a contract with BWXT Nuclear Energy to develop … [Link]

Mashable » Young refugees launch digital magazine to tell powerful stories of struggle and triumph

Saturday 12 August 4:01:00 UTC 2017

The Ritsona Kingdom flag has a simple design, but it's deep with meaning. A blue band at the top represents Greek territory, while a thicker swath of red below represents Turkish territory. Two yellow lines separate and intersect them both, symbolizing those who died on dangerous journeys across the Aegean Sea, as well as those who survived and are still trying, … [Link]

Slashdot » FBI Says Islamic State Used eBay, PayPal To Channel Money To the US

Saturday 12 August 3:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Islamic State allegedly used PayPal and fake eBay transactions to channel money to an operative in the U.S., The Wall Street Journal reports. The man who allegedly received the money was American citizen Mohamed Elshinawy, who was arrested last year in Maryland. The FBI claims that Elshinawy, in his early 30s, … [Link]

Mashable » The big loser during the eclipse? Solar power.

Saturday 12 August 2:56:35 UTC 2017

When the total solar eclipse hits on Aug. 21, it's going to be quite the party. The problem? Solar panels need the sun to generate electricity.  With the sun dimmed, solar energy sources will be affected. More than 100 million solar panels are expected to be affected, which will drop output by 20 percent — or the equivalent of all the … [Link]

Mashable » A skate park brings the kids of a small village in India together

Saturday 12 August 2:20:41 UTC 2017

In India's Janwaar village in Madhya Pradesh, where roads are still under construction and thatched mud houses are the only thing you can see, there’s a skatepark Built in April 2015, it’s the first skatepark in rural India where young kids are not just having fun, but breaking caste and education barriers. It took me 49 hours from India's capital, New Delhi, … [Link]

Slashdot » Vitamin B3 Supplement Can Prevent Miscarriages and Birth Defects, Says Study

Saturday 12 August 2:05:00 UTC 2017

brindafella writes: The landmark finding about vitamin B3, made by the Victor Chang Institute in Sydney, Australia, has been described as "the most important discovery for pregnant women since folate." The study has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. From News.com.au: "The historic discovery, believed to be among Australia's greatest ever medical achievements, is expected to forever … [Link]

Slashdot » Silicon Valley Billionaire Fails To Prevent Access To Public Beach

Saturday 12 August 1:25:00 UTC 2017

Robotron23 writes: Vinod Khosla, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, has lost his appeal to privatize Martins Beach — a publicly-owned strip of coastline in California. Having previously fenced off the land in a bid to render the area private, Khosla has been ordered to restore access by a California court. Khosla had previously demanded the government pay him $30 million … [Link]

Slashdot » Netflix Discussing Keeping Streaming Rights To Disney's Marvel, Star Wars Films

Saturday 12 August 0:45:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Netflix is in "active discussions" with Disney about keeping Marvel and "Star Wars" films after 2019, when new Disney and Pixar movies will stop appearing on the streaming service, a senior executive said late on Thursday. Disney announced on Tuesday that it was pulling new Disney and Pixar films from Netflix, starting … [Link]

Mashable » Taylor Swift excused from defamation case day after groping testimony

Saturday 12 August 0:36:00 UTC 2017

One day after Taylor Swift gave gripping court testimony about being groped by a radio DJ, the pop star was removed as a defendant in the man's $3 million defamation lawsuit against her. The federal judge presiding over the case said Friday the Denver DJ, David Mueller, couldn't prove Swift got him fired from his job at country music station KYGO-FM … [Link]

New Scientist – News » The BBC should stop giving unwarranted airtime to Nigel Lawson

Saturday 12 August 0:25:21 UTC 2017

The broadcaster had tough questions for Al Gore and then gave space to false claims of a prominent climate sceptic. This is a recipe for spreading misinformation [Link]

New Scientist – News » Why UK midwives are back-pedalling on natural childbirth

Saturday 12 August 0:25:20 UTC 2017

For decades, women have been encouraged to give birth naturally – that means avoiding all medicines and interventions. Now the Royal College of Midwives is changing its position [Link]

Mashable » Fan strikes 'Rick and Morty' gold — sells Szechuan sauce for $15,000 Schmeckles

Saturday 12 August 0:20:13 UTC 2017

No one worships useless, pointless nonsense like the Rick and Morty fanbase. And I say that with all the love in my plumbus. Season 3's surprise April Fools premiere ended with Rick's crazed, psychopathic rant about how his "9 Season character arc" would revolve around getting McDonald's discontinued Szechuan sauce back. It was the lunatic ravings of a madman, and Rick … [Link]

Slashdot » SoundCloud Saved By $170 Million Emergency Funding As CEO Steps Aside

Saturday 12 August 0:05:00 UTC 2017

Last month, SoundCloud announced it was cutting about 40 percent of its staff in a cost-cutting move to help it compete against larger rivals like Spotify and Apple. One week after that announcement, TechCrunch published a report claiming "the layoffs only saved the company enough money to have runway 'until Q4' — which begins in just 80 days." It now … [Link]

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