John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons

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Geekish

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 » 'Strangers' is the sweetest new series on Facebook Watch

Sunday 17 September 23:45:05 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Https%3a%2f%2fvdist.aws.mashable.com%2fcms%2f2017%2f9%2f4196a2c4 253b afd8%2fthumb%2f00001 Read more… {"player":{"descript~ dare you not to get addicted.","image":&~ is the sweetest new series on Facebook Watch","sources":[{&~ watch,strangers","sec0&qu~ watch,strangers","videoSe~ More about Facebook, Streaming, Facebook Watch, Strangers, and Entertainment [Link]

Slashdot » Typing By Brain Arrives: No Surgery Necessary

Sunday 17 September 23:34:00 UTC 2017

mirandakatz writes: 2017 has been a coming-out year of sorts for the brain-machine interface. But the main barrier to adoption is the potentially invasive nature of a BMI: Not many people are going to want to get surgery to have a chip implanted in their brains. A New York company may have found a solution to that. It's created a … [Link]

Mashable » Here's what inspires the White Helmets, Syria's special group of heroes

Sunday 17 September 23:12:49 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookIn the war-torn Middle East, a special group of heroes is working tirelessly to rescue those who are negatively affected by opposition areas. Syria Civil Defense — also known as the White Helmets — consists of around 3,000 volunteers who put their lives on the line to keep civilians safe from perilous attacks and harmful destruction. Khaled Khatib and Mounir Mustafa, … [Link]

Mashable » The 'Stranger Things' kids on the Emmys red carpet is the cutest thing you'll see today

Sunday 17 September 23:11:46 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookUntil the inevitable moment a This Is Us cast member makes us all weep during tonight's Emmy Awards, we can find comfort in all the bold and beautiful looks served on the red carpet. Hollywood stars made their way down the carpet for the 69th award ceremony looking fresh and ready to snag their respective winged statues in feathers, sequins, classic … [Link]

Mashable » Emmys 2017: Here's the full winners list

Sunday 17 September 23:04:02 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookWill This Is Us win big, or is Handmaid's Tale going all the way?  The 2017 Emmys, hosted by Stephen Colbert, air this evening.  SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things' kids go on an awards show scavenger hunt and can we come next time? A full list of winners, updating live, is below.  DRAMA SERIES Better Call SaulThe CrownThe Handmaid’s Tale — WINNERHouse … [Link]

Mashable » How your morning cup of coffee can help save the world

Sunday 17 September 22:57:22 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookEditor’s note: Bambi Semroc is a senior strategic adviser in Conservation International's Center for Environmental Leadership in Business. In this role, she leads the Sustainable Coffee Challenge, an industry-wide effort to make coffee the first sustainable agricultural product in the world. By 2050, the area suitable for growing coffee around the world is projected to be cut in half. I don't … [Link]

Slashdot » There's a Logic To How Squirrels Bury Their Nuts

Sunday 17 September 22:34:00 UTC 2017

sandbagger shares an announcement from the University of California: Like trick-or-treaters sorting their Halloween candy haul, fox squirrels apparently organize their stashes of nuts by variety, quality and possibly even preference, according to new UC Berkeley research… Fox squirrels stockpile at least 3,000 to 10,000 nuts a year and, under certain conditions, separate each cache into quasi "subfolders," one for … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » What API Providers Can Learn from the Lego Developer Experience

Sunday 17 September 21:56:39 UTC 2017

Lego is not the first thing product owners would think of when looking for a model onboarding process. But they should. At least that is Cristiano Betta’s theory over at his blog, who will tell you the lessons you can learn for your API from the Lego onboarding experience. [Link]

Mashable » Boise State's football dog is a good boy who fetches the tee after kickoffs

Sunday 17 September 21:46:04 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookIs the Boise State football dog an elite quarterback? No, but he could be, if someone just gave him a chance. Boise State's dog (a good boy) is what's called a kickoff specialist. By that, we mean that he runs onto the field like a happy idiot and gets the tee after kickoff. SEE ALSO: 8 Dogs Who Accomplished More Than … [Link]

Mashable » This app collects women's stories to fight harassment in developing countries

Sunday 17 September 21:40:40 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookAfter a 23-year-old woman died from being brutally gang-raped on a bus in New Delhi, India back in 2012, ElsaMarie D'Silva — an aviation professional turned social entrepreneur — was compelled to join the global conversation surrounding sexual violence against women. In hopes of making cities safer for women, D'Silva and a group of friends developed Safecity — an app that … [Link]

Slashdot » Linux Foundation President Used MacOS For Presentation at Open Source Summit

Sunday 17 September 21:34:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader mschaffer writes:It appears that Jim Zemlin, President of the Linux Foundation, was using MacOS while declaring "2017 is officially the year of the Linux desktop!" at the Open Source Summit 2017. This was observed by several YouTube channels: Switched to Linux and The Lunduke Show. Finally it was reported by It's FOSS. if, indeed, this is the year … [Link]

Mashable » This no-electricity anesthesia machine is saving lives across the developing world

Sunday 17 September 21:28:18 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookFor many hospitals in rural parts of the developing world, electricity is unreliable at best. In the course of one day there can be brownouts and power spikes. Electricity may cut off for hours or even days at a time, without any warning. If this happens during surgery or forces surgeons to postpone operations — and it does — it will … [Link]

Mashable » How one software engineer is using an app to fight hunger in Nigeria

Sunday 17 September 21:24:06 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookGrowing up having experienced the struggles of hunger firsthand, Oscar Ekponimo made it his life's mission to use his talents to help others without food. Now a software engineer living in Abuja, Ekponimo developed Chowberry — an innovative web app working to provide affordable nutrition to millions of Nigerians who are malnourished and suffering from hunger. SEE ALSO: New app lets … [Link]

Slashdot » Essential Phone Now Supported By All Four Major Carriers (Including Verizon)

Sunday 17 September 21:04:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes the Verge: Essential's debut smartphone has received approval to run on Verizon, meaning it's now supported by all four major US carriers. Sprint was the device's launch partner, so it of course had support, and both AT&T and T-Mobile gave tacit support ahead of the phone's launch. But Verizon, for some reason, said it couldn't guarantee … [Link]

Slashdot » Idaho Wants To Establish America's First 'Dark Sky Preserve'

Sunday 17 September 20:34:00 UTC 2017

schwit1 shares a story from the AP: Tourists heading to central Idaho will be in the dark if local officials get their way. The first International Dark Sky Reserve in the United States would fill a chunk of the state's sparsely populated region that contains night skies so pristine that interstellar dust clouds are visible in the Milky Way… Supporters … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Bodega' CEO Apologizes, Insists They'll Create More Jobs

Sunday 17 September 19:34:00 UTC 2017

Remember those two ex-Googlers who started a company to replace mom-and-pop corner stores with automated vending kiosks? An anonymous reader writes: The company's CEO has now "apologized in the face of mounting outrage," according to CNN. CEO Paul McDonald had shared a vision with Fast Company of a world where centralized shopping locations "won't be necessary" because there'll be a … [Link]

Mashable » The woman who co-wrote 'Despacito' is on a mission to make a difference

Sunday 17 September 19:26:50 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookWhen Erika Ender, the Panama-born singer and songwriter behind the smash hit "Despacito," first began pitching songs to male recording artists 25 years ago, she was told a few times that they were too feminine. So she tested a theory. She shortened her credit to "E. Ender" and had men sing the vocals. Suddenly, Ender says, male musicians wanted her songs. … [Link]

Mashable » Pete Souza's latest Instagram lets Trump know who the real 'Rocket Man' is

Sunday 17 September 19:01:53 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookIf Pete Souza keeps it up with his Instagram responses to President Trump, we're going to start thinking he doesn't like the guy! On the morning of Sept. 17, Trump referred to Kim Jong-un as "Rocket Man" in a tweet (shortly before retweeting a video in which he hits Hillary Clinton with a golf ball — it's been a big day … [Link]

Slashdot » Chinese Scientists Are Developing A Vaccine Against Cavities

Sunday 17 September 18:34:00 UTC 2017

A vaccine against tooth decay "is urgently needed" writes Nature — and a team of Chinese scientists is getting close. hackingbear writes: Scientists at Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences developed low side effects and high protective efficiency using flagellin-rPAc fusion protein KFD2-rPAc, a promising vaccine candidate. In rat challenge models, KFD2-rPAc induces a robust rPAc-specific IgA response, … [Link]

Mashable » Dad of the year proves anyone can get into esports

Sunday 17 September 18:17:05 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe youth are into all sorts of things these days, and sometimes it can be difficult for their parents to keep up. This dad put in the effort, though. SEE ALSO: 'Counter-Strike' team fails to show up to finals match, forfeits $50,000 prize During the ESL One New York Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament this weekend, dozens of parents descended upon Barclays … [Link]

Popular Science » The very best ways to boil water quickly, anywhere

Sunday 17 September 18:15:00 UTC 2017

Gadgets Three vessels built for maximum efficiency and temperature control. Three vessels built for maximum efficiency and temperature control. Sometimes a watched pot does boil. [Link]

Slashdot » Trump's Officials Suggest Re-Negotiating The Paris Climate Accord

Sunday 17 September 17:34:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader whh3 brings surprising news from the Wall Street Journal. "Trump administration officials said Saturday the U.S. wouldn't pull out of the Paris Agreement, offering to re-engage in the international deal to fight climate change, according to multiple officials at a global warming summit." Today an anonymous reader writes: Even an official White House statement in response to the … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Bashware' Attacks Exploit Windows 10's Subsystem for Linux

Sunday 17 September 16:34:00 UTC 2017

Mark Wilson quote BetaNews: While many people welcomed the arrival of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) in Windows 10, it has been found to be a potential security issue. A new technique known as a Bashware has been discovered by security researchers that makes it possible for malware to use the Linux shell to bypass security software. While administrator access … [Link]

Mashable » Watch the first-ever U.S. youth poet laureate perform a stunning poem about social change

Sunday 17 September 16:21:48 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThis summer, 19-year-old Amanda Gorman sat down to outline her priorities. As the very first U.S. youth poet laureate, a position she earned for her literary talent as well as her record of community engagement and leadership, she asked herself, "What do I want to accomplish?" Since Gorman took on the inaugural role, she's embarked on a national tour across the … [Link]

Mashable » 'There are not two sides to every story.' Read Amber Tamblyn's raw op-ed on sexual harassment

Sunday 17 September 16:15:53 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook“For women in America who come forward with stories of harassment, abuse and sexual assault, there are not two sides to every story, however noble that principle might seem," writes Amber Tamblyn in a New York Times op-ed, following her Twitter exchange with James Woods. Woods' criticism of an upcoming film depicting a relationship between a 24-year-old and a 17-year-old led … [Link]

Mashable » We pray that you enjoy, and are not instead disgusted by, this collection of cute fruit bats

Sunday 17 September 16:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookEveryone loves a good baby animal picture. But for whatever reason, people seem to be largely repelled by baby fruit bats.  We don't know why fruit bats get a bad rap, so we've decided to try to change things. SEE ALSO: Rare baby white koala looks for a name on Facebook We've compiled a collection of baby fruit bat pictures that … [Link]

Mashable » India, Connected: How the Rockefeller Foundation is bringing electricity to thousands of villages across India

Sunday 17 September 16:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookPaid Content By: The Rockefeller FoundationAs of 2017, 1.3 billion people around the world do not have access to electricity. Of those, 290 million men, women, and children are in India, unable to power their homes, livelihoods, and their dreams. Access to energy is a critical first step in powering basic needs such as clean water, securing food, access to health … [Link]

Mashable » 'Mother!' takes a 'Black Swan' dive at the box office, but that might be good news

Sunday 17 September 15:51:53 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookBlack Swan didn't open big either, for what it's worth. Mother!, the latest mindf*ck from writer/director Darren Aronofsky with stars Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem, is off to a seemingly slow start at the box office. Despite opening this weekend in more than 2,300 theaters, the current three-day domestic estimate is $7.5 million.  SEE ALSO: Audiences are all WTF about 'mother!' … [Link]

Mashable » There's gonna be a lot of people in tears when they realize they won't get an iPhone X until 2018

Sunday 17 September 15:25:15 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Https%3a%2f%2fvdist.aws.mashable.com%2fcms%2f2017%2f9%2f2b44ea31 f798 fd79%2fthumb%2f00001 Read more… {"player":{"descript~ left out some good stuff… and some bad stuff.","image":&quo~ things Apple didn't tell us about the iPhone X","sources":[{&quot~ 8,iphone x","sec0":null,&quot~ 8,iphone x","videoSeriesName"~ More about Tech, Gadgets, Apple, Iphone, and Supply [Link]

Mashable » Nintendo hid a copy of the NES game 'Golf' on every Switch

Sunday 17 September 14:33:18 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookIn the long history of weird Nintendo moments, this one stands out. Tucked away deep within the Nintendo Switch operating system is the data for an NES original, Golf. It's playable by one or two players using Switch Joy-Cons and it even appears to support motion controls… or it would, if anyone knew how to unlock it. SEE ALSO: 'Doom' is … [Link]

Slashdot » IBM Open Sources Their Own JVM/JDK As Eclipse OpenJ9

Sunday 17 September 14:30:00 UTC 2017

IBM has open sourced a "high performance, scalable virtual machine" with "a great pedigree… [it's] at the core of many IBM enterprise software products." Slashdot reader dxb1230 writes: IBM has open sourced their JDK/JVM implementation named J9 as OpenJ9. The community now has an alternative implementation of Java which has been well tested on enterprise workloads and hardware. This unlike, … [Link]

Mashable » Donald Trump's latest retweet proves once again what an immature child he is

Sunday 17 September 14:27:31 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJust for once, it would be delightful to wake up, hop on Twitter, and not see Donald Trump acting like a complete idiot. Our immature commander-in-chief has once again outraged everyone with an unhinged Twitter retweet. On Sunday morning, Trump retweeted a GIF depicting his golf swing hitting a golf ball right into Hillary Clinton's back, forcing her to fall over. … [Link]

Mashable » 1951: Shepherds in the mountains of Wales gather their flocks for shearing

Sunday 17 September 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookSheep farmer Pyrs Williams with his flock at Hafod-y-Llan.Image: Grace Robertson/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesNamed for Snowdon, the country’s highest peak, the Welsh region of Snowdonia is a land of open, mountainous terrain and glacially carved valleys.With climate and soil unsuitable for most agriculture, the area has been a center for sheep farming for centuries.In 1951, the same year that the Snowdonia … [Link]

Popular Science » Girl soccer players are five times more likely to return to the game after a concussion than boys

Sunday 17 September 13:30:00 UTC 2017

soccer Health Overall, 40 percent of youth soccer players play through the pain, according to a recent study. Girls’ soccer players were five times more likely to return to the field on the same day they got a concussion as boys, and they often didn't tell their coach about the… [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: What's the Best Business Model for An Open Source Developer?

Sunday 17 September 13:26:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: I'm interested in creating really good open source software. However, unless programmers have an incentive to work on their projects for long periods, many projects are be abandoned. There's many business models surrounding free/libre open source software: support (pay for help, or additional features), premium (pay for more advanced software), hosting (pay for using the software … [Link]

Popular Science » Six apps to add blockbuster special effects to your smartphone videos

Sunday 17 September 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Special FX DIY And…action! Anyone can shoot videos on their phone—so rev your films up with special effects. These six apps will help you put together clips that stand out from the crowd. [Link]

Mashable » Pretend you're on 'The Wire' with this virtual burner phone

Sunday 17 September 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJust to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Work, dating, communicating with sketchy people on Craigslist: even if you’re not a shady character, you probably have some activity that you’d like to keep private. SEE ALSO: Channel your inner Uber driver with this car mount for your smartphone But there’s no reason … [Link]

Mashable » This famed Kickstarter product solves one of life's most random problems

Sunday 17 September 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJust to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Running, and even walking, with too many keys in your pocket is the worst. They can poke you, distract you, and even make your pants fall down. The struggle is real. But you can stop all of this from happening by ditching your bulky … [Link]

Mashable » The absolute worst pumpkin-related food crimes

Sunday 17 September 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookSome pumpkin foods are delicious: fresh pumpkin cupcakes, for example, frosted with cream cheese icing, or crumbly, barely-sweet pumpkin scones. Pumpkin pie! Others are sick crimes. SEE ALSO: People are mad at Starbucks for its confusing rollout of the Pumpkin Spice Latte While the primary focus of pumpkin-season debate remains the Pumpkin Spice Latte (which is more delicious over ice, by … [Link]

Slashdot » New Book Argues Silicon Valley Will Lead Us to Our Doom

Sunday 17 September 11:22:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Zorro quotes the San Diego Union-Tribune: To many Americans, large technology firms embody much of what's good about the modern world. Franklin Foer has a different perspective. In his new book, "World Without Mind," the veteran journalist lays out a more ominous view of where Big Tech would like to take us — in many ways, already … [Link]

Slashdot » Will Linux Innovation Be Driven By Microsoft?

Sunday 17 September 7:18:00 UTC 2017

Adobe's VP of Mobile (and a former intellectual property lawyer) sees "a very possible future where Microsoft doesn't merely accept a peaceful coexistence with Linux, but instead enthusiastically embraces it as a key to its future," noting Microsoft's many Linux kernel developers and arguing it's already innovating around Linux — especially in the cloud. An anonymous reader quotes InfoWorld: Even … [Link]

Slashdot » Python's Official Repository Included 10 'Malicious' Typo-Squatting Modules

Sunday 17 September 4:14:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes BleepingComputer: The Slovak National Security Office (NBU) has identified ten malicious Python libraries uploaded on PyPI — Python Package Index — the official third-party software repository for the Python programming language. NBU experts say attackers used a technique known as typosquatting to upload Python libraries with names similar to legitimate packages — e.g.: "urlib" instead of … [Link]

Slashdot » Is Online Advertising Worthless?

Sunday 17 September 1:27:18 UTC 2017

turkeydance shares a story from ZeroHedge: Category 1 storm clouds are gathering over what has traditionally been one of the most lucrative, and perhaps only profitable, sectors to come out of Silicon Valley in decades: online advertising. Two months ago, it was P&G which fired the first shot across the "adtech" bow when not long after it announced it was … [Link]

Mashable » So … what is Jennifer Lawrence's 'mother!' really about?

Sunday 17 September 0:49:38 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookWarning: Major spoilers for mother! are ahead. Well, that was something. Jennifer Lawrence's mother! has finally arrived in theaters, and the general reaction can be summed up in three letters: WTF? SEE ALSO: Jennifer Lawrence's 'mother!' is designed to get people talking, that's for sure It's clear that writer-director Darren Aronofsky is trying to say something with his new work, and … [Link]

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