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 » 'Dreamer' dies after attempting to save Harvey victims

Monday 4 September 23:54:57 UTC 2017

Alonso Guillen, a 31-year-old "Dreamer" from Texas, died after he and two friends ventured into surging Harvey floods to save lives, according to local reports. Guillen, who was born in Mexico and moved to Texas as a teenager, was a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provides visas to immigrants who were brought to the U.S. … [Link]

Slashdot » 80% of UK Government IT Projects Suffer Delays Due To Tax Clampdown

Monday 4 September 23:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: The vast majority of UK government IT projects are suffering delays due to freelancers quitting over the IR35 tax clampdown, according to a survey of contractors. Of 405 IT freelancers surveyed by Contractor Calculator, 79 per cent said the projects they have been working on were delayed as a result of contractors leaving. In … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Daily API RoundUp: PDF Otter, MicroEdge, NeutrinoAPI

Monday 4 September 22:57:00 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]

Mashable » The Rise and Fall of Chipotle

Monday 4 September 22:53:13 UTC 2017

Read more…More about Chipotle, Mashable Reels, Business, and Food [Link]

Mashable » Firefighter saves fiancée's wedding dress from Harvey-flooded home

Monday 4 September 22:18:51 UTC 2017

When firefighter Kyle Parry waded through his flooded home in neck-deep water this week, he wondered: did his fiancée's wedding dress survive? Parry returned to his Lumberton, Texas home last Monday after spending the weekend responding to victims of Hurricane Harvey. He could only grab a few belongings and stuffed his fiancée's wedding dress on the top shelf of a closet, … [Link]

Slashdot » Fish Are Eating Lots of Plastic

Monday 4 September 22:00:00 UTC 2017

Matthew Savoca, writing for the Washington Post: As you bite down into a delicious piece of fish, you probably don't think about what the fish itself ate — but perhaps you should. More than 50 species of fish have been found to consume plastic trash at sea (alternative source – a little old). This is bad news, not only for … [Link]

Mashable » Savage grandma cosplaying as Olenna Tyrell is the queen we need

Monday 4 September 21:11:56 UTC 2017

Dragon Con 2017 found the most savage grandma of all time: an 85-year-old woman dressed as The Queen of Thorns a.k.a. Lady Olenna Tyrell of Highgarden from Game of Thrones. We can all go home now; I've found the best #Cosplay at #dragoncon2017 A post shared by Dravyn🦇 (@xdigupherbones) on Sep 2, 2017 at 10:28am PDT She even rolled around the … [Link]

Slashdot » Creator of Opera Says Google Deliberately Undermined His New Vivaldi Web Browser

Monday 4 September 21:00:00 UTC 2017

The latest allegation against Google? Jon von Tetzchner, creator of the web browser Opera, says the search giant deliberately undermined his new browser, Vivaldi. Rowland Manthorpe, writing for Wired: In a blogpost titled, "My friends at Google: it is time to return to not being evil," von Tetzchner accuses the US firm of blocking Vivaldi's access to Google AdWords, the … [Link]

Mashable » 27 wrenching tweets capture the mental trauma 'Dreamers' face

Monday 4 September 20:29:01 UTC 2017

President Donald Trump is expected to announce plans Tuesday to end an Obama Administration program known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that gives work permits to undocumented immigrants who arrived as children — also known as "Dreamers." The controversial rollout of Trump's anti-immigration campaign promise is already being marred by public outcries from some of the biggest and … [Link]

Slashdot » Demise of Yellow Pages Confirmed as Yell Aims For Digital Transformation

Monday 4 September 20:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: Yell, the parent company of Yellow Pages confirmed the demise of the long published listings directory as it plans to transition into a fully digital marketing service provider for UK businesses. The final print cycle of Yellow Pages will be published in January, 2018 and the final edition will be distributed in 2019 in … [Link]

Mashable » Fall movie preview: What to watch if you're obsessed with superheroes

Monday 4 September 19:59:02 UTC 2017

Welcome to our 2017 fall movie preview. Today, we'll kick things off with our most highly anticipated superhero (and superhero-adjacent) movies.  Summer is coming to an end, and with it the summer movie season. But fear not – that just means we've got a jam-packed slate of fall movies to look forward to now.  SEE ALSO: Celebrate your superhero fandom with … [Link]

Mashable » The Lily drone is back in perhaps the saddest rebirth in gadget history

Monday 4 September 19:36:10 UTC 2017

The Lily drone is one of the biggest failures in Kickstarter history — and now it's making a comeback in perhaps the saddest possible way. After raising more than $34 million during its initial crowdfunding campaign in 2015, the company was forced to shut down when it couldn't actually finance production of the drone.  Now, the Mota Group (who recently bought … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Why poor countries often stay poor – and how they can get rich

Monday 4 September 19:13:00 UTC 2017

Developing countries often struggle to boost their economies even with the help of foreign aid. But there might be a way to escape this poverty trap [Link]

Slashdot » Silicon Valley Courts Brand-Name Teachers, Raising Ethics Issues

Monday 4 September 19:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: One of the tech-savviest teachers in the United States teaches third grade here at Mapleton Elementary, a public school with about 100 students in the sparsely populated plains west of Fargo. Her name is Kayla Delzer. Her third graders adore her. She teaches them to post daily on the class Twitter and Instagram accounts … [Link]

Mashable » Michelle Obama, Serena Williams recreate Beyoncé's 'Formation' look for her birthday

Monday 4 September 18:59:39 UTC 2017

To honor Queen Bey's 36th birthday on Sept. 4, Beyoncé's famous family and friends — including former First Lady Michelle Obama — decided to literally get in formation, and recreate the musicians's fierce iconic look. The message on the website read: "Happy Birthday Beyoncé – From you family and friends." In addition to Obama, 17 others posed for the black-and-white photos … [Link]

Mashable » May the Schwartz be with you: 7 facts you probably didn't know about 'Spaceballs'

Monday 4 September 18:41:58 UTC 2017

We’re celebrating another 30th anniversary this week with Star Wars comedy spoof, Spaceballs. Watch out, because the Schwartz was with us when we set out to find some obscure facts about this '80s space adventure spoof.  For more movie-related content, visit Cinefix. Read more…More about Mashable Video, Cinefix, Things You Didn T Know, Cult Classic, and Spaceballs [Link]

Mashable » 'Dreamers' flood Twitter with messages of hope as Trump decides their fate

Monday 4 September 18:29:47 UTC 2017

Undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children shared their stories in droves on Twitter after Politico reported Sunday that President Donald Trump is expected to end the Obama-era program keeping them safe from deportation. In recent days Trump has toyed with a will-he-or-won't-he storyline around the program's future. During the election campaign he promised to shut it down. Trump … [Link]

Mashable » Your next Beats Studio headphones could rock for 22 hours

Monday 4 September 18:00:00 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ look, wicked new audio technology.","image"~ on Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones","sources&quot~ by dre","sec0":null,&qu~ by dre","videoSeriesName&quo~ More about Gadgets, Apple, Audio, Headphones, and Beats [Link]

Slashdot » Amid Crackdown On Torrent Websites, Some Users Move To Google Drive To Distribute Movies and Shows

Monday 4 September 18:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: As crackdown on torrent sites continues around the world, people who are pirating TV shows and movies are having to get a little more creative. Cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Kim Dotcom's Mega are some of the popular ones that are being used to distribute copyrighted content, according to DMCA … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Seismic tests hint North Korea’s nuke is its first hydrogen bomb

Monday 4 September 17:51:50 UTC 2017

Kim Jong-un’s latest test is probably an order of magnitude bigger than the last one, about a year ago – and suggests the nation has developed a worrying new capability [Link]

Mashable » Jay-Z sings sweet 'Happy Birthday' song for Beyoncé at Made in America fest

Monday 4 September 17:34:07 UTC 2017

Did your husband have a huge concert crowd serenade you for your birthday? No? Well, Beyoncé's did. To mark Queen Bey's royal 36th birthday, Jay-Z led Budweiser Made in America festival attendees in Philadelphia in singing a "happy birthday" song for his ultra-famous wife during his set on Sunday night. #PressPlay: The crowd helps #JayZ sing happy birthday to #Beyonce at … [Link]

Popular Science » What is the 'red glare' in the Star Spangled Banner?

Monday 4 September 17:26:56 UTC 2017

Science A history of rocket technology. Ever wondered what the rockets in “rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air” are? What were rockets in 1814—when the Star Spangled Banner was written? [Link]

Popular Science » Last Week in Tech: Oh man, look at all these sweet 'Star Wars' toys

Monday 4 September 17:23:57 UTC 2017

Gadgets Put that hot dog down and look at all this cool new stuff you missed Avoid awkward small talk at your Labor Day barbecue and catch up on the latest tech news with one handy article! [Link]

Slashdot » One of the World's Most Influential Math Texts is Getting a Beautiful, Minimalist Edition

Monday 4 September 17:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: A couple of years ago, a small publisher called Kroncker Wallis issued a handsome, minimalist take on Isaac Newton's Principia. Now, the publisher is embarking on its next project: Euclid's Elements. The publisher is using Kickstarter to fund this new edition. Euclid's Elements is a mathematical text written by Greek mathematician Euclid around 300 … [Link]

Mashable » Malicious hackers attack media startup after Hillary Clinton endorses it

Monday 4 September 16:55:52 UTC 2017

Hillary Clinton just can't catch a break. The former Democratic presidential candidate endorsed a relatively unknown startup called Verrit this weekend — and in the process, inadvertently made them a target for cybercriminals. The strange turn of events started on Sunday evening with a simple tweet from the former Secretary of State, offering her personal support for a startup called Verrit. … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Some of Uranus’s small moons are doomed to collide

Monday 4 September 16:50:00 UTC 2017

The first measurement of the mass of a small Uranian moon suggests it will be obliterated after smashing into one of its neighbours in the next million years [Link]

Mashable » Google honors 'Mr. Trololo' Eduard Khil with his own lovely doodle video

Monday 4 September 16:45:38 UTC 2017

Is this the best Google Doodle ever? If you like trolling people, you'll probably think so. Russian singer Eduard Khil has been immortalized today, on what would have been his 83rd birthday, in a brand new Google Doodle. The Soviet-era singer enjoyed a successful career in his native Russia for most of his life, but in 2009, he became something … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Asteroid Florence buzzes Earth in closest fly-by since 1890

Monday 4 September 16:42:00 UTC 2017

A 4.4-kilometre-wide space rock whizzed past Earth on its closest orbit in over a century. This asteroid won’t get this close again until after 2500 [Link]

Mashable » What to do if someone AirDrops you an unsolicited dick pic on public transport

Monday 4 September 16:36:54 UTC 2017

It seems that even when underground on public transport we're not safe from unsolicited dick pics, thanks to a horrifying new form of "cyber-flashing."  SEE ALSO: OkCupid launches anti-dick pic pledge to cut down on harassment. But, is it enough? People are receiving unsought sexually explicit photos via AirDrop on their iPhones while travelling on public transport and hanging out in … [Link]

Mashable » Devastating photos show the wrath of largest wildfire in Los Angeles County history

Monday 4 September 16:35:51 UTC 2017

The largest wildfire in Los Angeles County history had consumed 7,000 acres by Sunday evening, prompting California Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency earlier that day. SEE ALSO: Powerful Hurricane Irma is a growing threat to the East Coast, but details still unclear More than 700 residents from the Burbank, Glendale, and Sunland-Tujunga neighborhood in Los Angeles had … [Link]

New Scientist – News » ‘Impossible’ star explosions made by gas and solar wind pile-up

Monday 4 September 16:30:00 UTC 2017

Stellar explosions often shine brighter than is theoretically possible without blowing up entirely. Debris cloud smash-ups could be amplifying the light [Link]

New Scientist – News » Weird fish fossil changes the story of how we moved onto land

Monday 4 September 16:30:00 UTC 2017

The 370-million-year-old fish Hongyu chowi doesn’t fit into the evolutionary picture we have created to explain our ancestor’s move from sea to land [Link]

Mashable » Uber beware: Didi-backed Taxify is coming after you in London

Monday 4 September 16:03:50 UTC 2017

A new ride-sharing app is ready to give Uber a headache, at least in London. SEE ALSO: Team of rivals: The startups Uber competes against around the world Estonian company Taxify, backed by China's Didi Chuxing, is launching in the UK capital with the outright aim of snatching thousands of drivers and passengers away from Uber.  Operating in 19 countries across … [Link]

Slashdot » AI Could Lead To Third World War, Elon Musk Says

Monday 4 September 16:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: Elon Musk has said again that artificial intelligence could be humanity's greatest existential threat, this time by starting a third world war. The prospect clearly weighs heavily on Musk's mind, since the SpaceX, Tesla and Boring Company chief tweeted at 2.33am Los Angeles time about how AI could led to the end of the … [Link]

Mashable » These stock photos put rescue animals center frame

Monday 4 September 15:53:59 UTC 2017

For creatives looking to do a little good, a new collection of stock photos featuring rescue animals lets licensees donate to a Los Angeles-based animal shelter with each download. The project is a collaboration between Saatchi & Saatchi LA, Getty Images, and the Amanda Foundation, a Beverly Hills animal hospital and nonprofit rescue organization that saves animals from kill shelters throughout … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Controversial footprints suggest we evolved in Europe not Africa

Monday 4 September 15:32:00 UTC 2017

A set of 5.7-million-year-old footprints, found on a Greek island, suggest that our earliest ancestors strayed far beyond their supposed African homeland [Link]

Mashable » Meet the female astronaut making record-breaking space history

Monday 4 September 15:19:47 UTC 2017

After spending 288 days on her latest mission, record-breaking astronaut Peggy Whitson has finally returned to Earth, closing the book on a chapter of space history that will provide inspiration for many for years to come.  Whitson, 57, has been on three different missions and it all accumulates to 665 days – nearly two years – longer than any American has … [Link]

Mashable » You can now pay for fried chicken by just scanning your face

Monday 4 September 15:10:01 UTC 2017

It’s now way easier to pay for a bucket of fried chicken in China. A KFC restaurant in Hangzhou, China is testing a new facial recognition payment system that lets you pay for your meal by simply smiling at a camera. The new payment method called "Smile to Pay" was launched in partnership with Alipay, the popular mobile and online payment … [Link]

Slashdot » China Bans Companies From Raising Money Through ICOs

Monday 4 September 15:00:00 UTC 2017

Regulators are about to begin scrutinizing China's initial coin offerings — an industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars. From a report: Local outlet Caixin reported that a notice, issued by a working committee that oversees risk in the country's internet finance sector, said new projects raising cash or other virtual currencies through cryptocurrencies will be banned. It added that … [Link]

Mashable » Zayn Malik is bald now, and fans are in deep, deep mourning

Monday 4 September 14:42:38 UTC 2017

Zayn Malik is sporting a new hairdo yet again, but this time, it doesn't involve any hair at all. He's gone ahead and shaved his head COMPLETELY bald. Yes, really. The 24-year-old British singer's mom, Trisha Malik posted a photo on Instagram posing with a VERY bald Zayn and his girlfriend, Gigi Hadid. They were celebrating Eid-al Adha, a Muslim holy … [Link]

Mashable » Man gets gloriously confused by friend's festival advice

Monday 4 September 14:07:14 UTC 2017

If there's one thing that never fails to win the internet's heart, it's a simple misunderstanding. SEE ALSO: Festival-goer's 'Uptown Funk' dance routine is probably better than yours The following message exchange, which took place between Justine Stafford and her friend Jim after he arrived at the Electric Picnic music festival, is the perfect example of this. Told my friend to … [Link]

Slashdot » Ethanol: A Lethal Injection For Tumors

Monday 4 September 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Scientists have known for some time that ethanol can kill cancer cells, but several limitations held it back from becoming a broadly used treatment. A team at Duke University has recently developed a new type of ethanol solution that can be injected directly into a variety of tumors to potentially offer a new, safe, and cheap form of cancer treatment. … [Link]

Popular Science » This spacecraft is thinner than a human hair and can capture space debris

Monday 4 September 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Space Earth’s orbit is becoming dangerously crowded with space junk. Brane Craft is a super-thin spacecraft that will mop up small pieces of debris in Earth's orbit. [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk thinks AI will be the most likely cause of WW3

Monday 4 September 13:54:04 UTC 2017

Ever wondered if there would ever be another world war, and what will cause it?  Worry no more, as CEO of everything Elon Musk has the answer: artificial intelligence.  More precisely, "competition for AI superiority at national level most likely cause of WW3," he tweeted Monday.  SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's self-taught AI bot destroyed an esports pro in 'Dota 2' China, … [Link]

Mashable » How this 16th century love triangle anticipated the 'Disloyal Man' meme

Monday 4 September 13:45:29 UTC 2017

They say time is circular and the same things keep happening all over again. They're right. SEE ALSO: Meet the Disloyal Man, star of the internet's new favorite meme Take the "Disloyal Man" (or "Guy Looking Back") meme.  You'd say it's just a hilariously corny stock-picture-turned-viral-meme featuring a bizarre love triangle.  pic.twitter.com/AAwMIs9mgz — n1m (@n1m161) August 19, 2017 When the meme … [Link]

Mashable » People are sharing their cringeworthy school photos and advice to stop bullying

Monday 4 September 13:26:56 UTC 2017

It’s that time of year again. The summer holidays have drawn to a close, and one million children up and down the country will be getting ready to go back to school this week. But, over half of those children will be affected by bullying, according to an anti-bullying campaign launched today.  SEE ALSO: Facebook is no longer the worst social … [Link]

Mashable » 15 GIFs that ALMOST ended in disaster

Monday 4 September 13:00:00 UTC 2017

While these GIFs may keep you on the edge of your seat, find comfort in that fact that everything turns out OK in the end. We promise.  SEE ALSO: Let these silly 'Game of Thrones' GIFs soothe your battered soul Regardless, these near misses will definitely get your heart rate going and your palms sweating, so brace yourselves. For more anxiety-inducing … [Link]

Mashable » Hotel has an incredibly strange offer for lonely customers

Monday 4 September 12:03:59 UTC 2017

Plenty of people travelling for work end up staying on their own at hotels. It can get lonely, too. Some may alleviate this with a call to the family or a friend. Others put a film on, or get room service. SEE ALSO: Watch this sea monster of a fish easily flip a fishermen's boat If you're staying at a specific … [Link]

Mashable » These truly wireless earbuds are more than $100 less than AirPods

Monday 4 September 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Wireless is truly the way to go these days, and earbuds are no exception — especially after the uproar following the wake of the jackless iPhone 7. The ensuing protest has since died down, and we've all adapted for the better. Case in point: … [Link]

Mashable » This app will do all the SEO heavy-lifting for you

Monday 4 September 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. In today's digitally driven world, it's no longer a surprise to any business that in order to remain viable and competitive, it's essential to have a strong online presence. When it comes down to search, Google is king: there are more than 2.3 million … [Link]

Mashable » Finally Nintendo acknowledges that Mario is no longer a plumber

Monday 4 September 11:58:22 UTC 2017

The history of videogames is full of unsolved mysteries, such as what happens inside a Poké Ball or what are those bloody "bug in a jar" objects in Skyrim.  SEE ALSO: We obviously need these Nintendo-themed 'Rocket League' cars in 'Mario Kart' But nothing rivals Mario = plumber, as you never actually see the mustachioed, red-wearing Italian doing any plumbing in … [Link]

Mashable » Royal baby news announced on Beyoncé's birthday: A conspiracy theory

Monday 4 September 11:44:24 UTC 2017

You’ve gotta hand it to the royal family: choosing to spill the beans about a third royal baby on Beyoncé's birthday is a bold, bold move.  SEE ALSO: A third royal baby's on the way to rival George and Charlotte's cuteness But, was this just an innocent coincidence? Or, is the British royal family secretly jealous of Her Majesty the Kween, … [Link]

Slashdot » Jury Finds Nintendo Wii Infringes Dallas Inventor's Patent, Awards $10 Million

Monday 4 September 11:30:00 UTC 2017

A jury has ruled that Nintendo must pay $10.1 million because its Wii and Wii U systems infringe a patent belonging to a Dallas medical motion-detection company. Ars Technica reports: iLife sued Nintendo (PDF) in 2013 after filing lawsuits against four other companies in 2012. The case went to a jury trial in Dallas, and yesterday the jury returned its … [Link]

Mashable » Graphs and a killer opera soundtrack make these mundane tasks a gripping watch

Monday 4 September 11:28:10 UTC 2017

Even the most ordinary tasks can be made dramatic with an operatic chorus narrating them. In this short film for kids aired on Japanese national TV, "Unendurable Line" features seemingly boring things such as pressing down on a spring, or stacking blocks before they fall over. The video of each task is accompanied by a graph describing the action. But … [Link]

Mashable » Girl casually finds 'Excalibur' at the bottom of the same lake it was hurled

Monday 4 September 10:58:39 UTC 2017

This is 7-year-old Matilda Jones, and she's just casually found "Excalibur", the legendary sword, in the same lake where it was thrown according to the King Arthur myth:  Image: SWNS.comMatilda was paddling in Dozmary Pool, in Cornwall, with her dad Paul when she stumbled across the 4ft long metal sword.   SEE ALSO: SXSW attendees free Excalibur like ‘King Arthur’ and … [Link]

Mashable » China bans ICOs for being full of fraud and pyramid schemes

Monday 4 September 10:36:01 UTC 2017

The ICO — Initial Coin Offering — has recently become a very popular way to fund a startup, as it adheres to few rules requiring little to no regulative oversight. Companies such as Tezos and Bancor raised hundreds of millions of dollars within days by letting investors purchase their newly created cryptocurrencies (also known as tokens) with Ethereum or Bitcoin.  But … [Link]

Mashable » This woman's message exchange with her grandma has gone gloriously viral

Monday 4 September 10:29:52 UTC 2017

You may think you have a cool grandma, but your grandma surely isn't this cool. On Saturday, Charlie from Lincoln, UK, tweeted three screengrabs of a recent message exchange she'd had with her grandmother. SEE ALSO: This 88-year-old lady has better streetwear style than you The tweet was captioned "get a best friend like me". In the two days since it's … [Link]

New Scientist – News » It took these monkeys just 13 years to learn how to crack nuts

Monday 4 September 10:14:29 UTC 2017

The long-tailed macaques of Thailand already used stone hammers to split open shellfish, and now they have worked out how to use them to crack open nuts [Link]

New Scientist – News » Online hate victims must speak out if the law is to stop the mob

Monday 4 September 10:14:28 UTC 2017

In England and Wales, posting online material motivated by hostility or prejudice merits the same sentence as shouting racist abuse, but prosecutions are rare [Link]

Mashable » Shiny, new 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' stamps are here and they even feature Porgs

Monday 4 September 10:13:47 UTC 2017

Everyone is waiting for The Last Jedi to hit the theatres, but in the meantime you can whet your appetite with these new stamps featuring all the main characters — and there are even Porgs. SEE ALSO: These are the droids you're looking for The UK's Royal Mail announced a special series of eight stamps, illustrated by UK digital artist Malcom … [Link]

Mashable » Badass 'Star Wars' toys reveal new info about Supreme Leader Snoke

Monday 4 September 9:54:46 UTC 2017

Apart from being very large and unpleasant-looking, we didn't find out a whole lot about Supreme Leader Snoke in The Force Awakens. What's his end game? Where does he come from? What does he even look like when he's not sitting in that unnecessarily dark and misty room? SEE ALSO: If you've ever wanted to build your own droid, Star Wars … [Link]

Mashable » A third royal baby's on the way to rival George and Charlotte's cuteness

Monday 4 September 9:31:23 UTC 2017

Prince George and Princess Charlotte might be the cutest children in all the land, but they're about to get a rival to their cuteness. Yep, you guessed it, there's a third royal baby on the way.  SEE ALSO: Prince George is tired of your niceties and wants you to board the plane immediately In an official statement released Monday, the Duke … [Link]

Mashable » 'The Witcher' turns 10 and it all gets very emotional

Monday 4 September 9:00:43 UTC 2017

2017 is a great year for The Witcher, Andrzej Sapkowski's beloved fantasy-novels-turned-videogame.&#1~ Netflix recently announced it is developing a show based on the adventures of Geralt and Ciri, which may or may not become the streaming service's own Game of Thrones.  And the videogame series is 10 years old this month!  SEE ALSO: Incredible 'Witcher 3' cosplayer is our new … [Link]

New Scientist – News » We ignore what doesn’t fit with our biases – even if it costs us

Monday 4 September 8:00:00 UTC 2017

We tend to pay more attention to information that confirms our own beliefs and biases, and we are prepared to lose money to stick to our guns [Link]

Slashdot » With Android Oreo, Google Is Introducing Linux Kernel Requirements

Monday 4 September 7:29:00 UTC 2017

Mark Wilson shares a report from BetaNews: As is easy to tell by comparing versions of Android from different handset manufacturers, developers are — broadly speaking — free to do whatever they want with Android, but with Oreo, one aspect of this is changing. Google is introducing a new requirement that OEMs must meet certain requirements when choosing the Linux … [Link]

Mashable » Camera lenses literally melted during the solar eclipse

Monday 4 September 6:12:22 UTC 2017

Will people ever learn? A camera rental company found its cameras and lenses severely damaged after people took them to shoot the solar eclipse last month. This, despite warning users not to point their cameras directly at the sun. SEE ALSO: The most epic images from the 2017 total solar eclipse Online rental shop LensRentals told renters that solar filters had … [Link]

Mashable » Red floating 'It' balloons are appearing near drains and we're fine, you're fine, everyone's fine

Monday 4 September 4:55:38 UTC 2017

Blissful folks thinking they'd enjoy a casually murder clown-free Monday morning were in for a rude awakening today.  Red balloons popped (sorry) up in Sydney's CBD, as part of a widespread and undeniably budget-conscious marketing campaign for the release of Stephen King novel turned movie It this Thursday. SEE ALSO: This toddler dressed up as the creepy clown from 'It' … [Link]

The Joy of Tech » JoT #2449: Apple Event invite awkwardness!

Monday 4 September 4:47:02 UTC 2017

iPhone 7 didn't get an invite! [Link]

Slashdot » Near Earth Asteroid 'Florence' Makes a Close Pass

Monday 4 September 4:22:00 UTC 2017

kbahey writes: A big, bright, near-Earth asteroid, known as 3122 Florence, made a safe fly by Friday night. Florence is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object. At its closest, it was about 7 million km (4.4 million miles) away from earth. It is still visible in amateur telescopes over the next few days where it would be seen to move … [Link]

Mashable » This fearless artist was lifted by 20,000 balloons for 9 hours

Monday 4 September 4:02:04 UTC 2017

What does an extreme fear of happiness look like? If you just pictured 20,000 party balloons lifting a human from the ground, you might be on the money. Performed over nine hours on Sunday at the Sydney Opera House, artist Noëmi Lakmaier's piece Cherophobia saw the artist tied to a frame and lifted from the stage using 20,000 multi-coloured helium balloons … [Link]

Mashable » Apple ARKit app lets you record Mannequin Challenge style videos with virtual objects

Monday 4 September 3:57:56 UTC 2017

While some developers working with ARKit are trying to figure out how to make augmented reality apps for productivity, even more are using it to let us have fun in new ways.  That's definitely the idea behind a new app from Ataru Tou called MagicMovieCamera, which lets you place various virtual objects in real spaces and then record yourself reacting those … [Link]

Slashdot » Power Company Kills Nuclear Plant, Plans $6 Billion In Solar, Battery Investment

Monday 4 September 1:09:00 UTC 2017

Socguy writes: After being unable to complete the Levy County Nuclear Plant a few years ago, Duke energy abandoned it, leaving rate payers on the hook. Duke is now in the process of settling legal action as a result. As part of the settlement Duke will construct or acquire 700MW of solar capacity over four years in the western Florida … [Link]

Mashable » Only Australian lamb is fit for this very holy, good ol' spring barbecue

Monday 4 September 1:05:03 UTC 2017

If you threw a dinner party for Jesus, Ganesha, Moses, Zeus, Buddha and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, what would you serve?Lamb, obviously. Australian Lamb wants you to go straight for the sheep, with their new spring ad bringing the world's religious figures together for a casual barbecue — serving lamb, of course. No stranger to a viral ad campaign, … [Link]

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