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.

Slashdot » Chicago School Official: US IT Jobs Offshored Because 'We Weren't Making Our Own' Coders

Sunday 24 September 23:37:00 UTC 2017

theodp writes: In a slick new video, segments of which were apparently filmed looking out from Google's Chicago headquarters giving it a nice high-tech vibe, Chicago Public Schools' CS4ALL staffers not-too-surprisingly argue that creating technology is "a power that everyone needs to have." In the video, the Director of Computer Science and IT Education for the nation's third largest school … [Link]

Mashable » A year after Colin Kaepernick's first protest, his absence looms larger than ever

Sunday 24 September 23:12:42 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookIt’s strange to look back on it now, as the U.S. president scolds the NFL for a perceived lack of patriotism, but when then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision not to stand for the national anthem first draw attention last year, the football world wasn't impressed. Everyone from superstar quarterback Drew Brees to Kaepernick's old coach Jim Harbaugh to 49ers legend Jerry … [Link]

Slashdot » Google AMP Flaw Exploited By Russian Hackers Targeting Journalists

Sunday 24 September 22:49:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Russian hacktivist group Fancy Bear (also referred to as APT28, Sofacy, and Strontium) has been using a flaw in Google's caching of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) to phish targets, Salon reports. To make matters worse, Google has been aware of the bug for almost a year but has refused to fix it… The vulnerability involves how … [Link]

Slashdot » Richard Stallman vs. Canonical's CEO: 'Will Microsoft Love Linux to Death?'

Sunday 24 September 21:34:00 UTC 2017

TechRepublic got different answers about Microsoft's new enthusiasm for Linux from Canonical's founder and CEO Mark Shuttleworth, and from Richard Stallman. Stallman "believes that Microsoft's decision to build a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) amounts to an attempt to extinguish software that users are free to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve." "It certainly looks that way. But it … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Star Trek: Discovery' Premieres Tonight

Sunday 24 September 20:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes EW.com: Tonight CBS will premiere the first new Star Trek TV series in 12 years at 8:30 p.m. on the company's regular broadcast network. Immediately afterward, the second episode of Star Trek: Discovery will stream exclusively on CBS All Access — the company's $6 per month streaming service… CBS saw an opportunity to leverage the built-in … [Link]

Mashable » Man's encounter with bears is the most Canadian thing you’ll ever see

Sunday 24 September 20:17:28 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook If a bear happens to enter your yard, experts say you should attempt to scare it away with loud noises, creating a negative experience for the wild animal. This way, bears won't lose their fear in humans, which can become incredibly dangerous.  Jordan Cote took a more polite approach.  "How a Canadian responds to wildlife," Cote wrote on Facebook along … [Link]

Mashable » #TakeAKnee protests are about police violence, not the military or the Constitution

Sunday 24 September 20:12:26 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookAn unprecedented number of NFL players kneeled or otherwise protested during pre-game national anthems this Sunday after Donald Trump spent his weekend feuding with the league over the peaceful act. The hashtag #TakeAKnee (and a variant, #TakeTheKnee) trended on Twitter all day Saturday and Sunday as players and some team owners and front offices defied the president's repeated attacks with public … [Link]

Mashable » Now you can sleep on the cool side of the pillow literally all night

Sunday 24 September 20:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook‘Moona’ is a water-based system that regulates the temperature of your pillow. It connects to an app that tracks your motion throughout the night, and adjusts the temperature accordingly. Cool water is pumped through the system to induce sleepiness, and warm water to gently wake you.  Read more…More about Apple, Iphone, Smartphones, Mashable Video, and Apps And Software [Link]

Mashable » Donald Trump is running out of people to piss off

Sunday 24 September 19:50:49 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookDonald Trump is running out of people to piss off.  Sure, he's already on the bad side of plenty of Americans: immigrants, women, minorities, generally any decent people. Now, we can add professional athletes to the list. SEE ALSO: The first NFL game of Sept. 24 started with a powerful, unprecedented protest The president has whipped up what is perhaps his … [Link]

Mashable » Walmart wants to deliver groceries to your fridge while you're not home

Sunday 24 September 19:44:39 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookWalmart is now offering to stock your fridge for you—even if you're not home.  The big-box giant is teaming with a smart lock startup called August Home to test a service in which workers would use a temporary door code to deliver groceries straight to your kitchen. "Think about that—someone else does the shopping for you AND puts it all away," … [Link]

Slashdot » Civilian Drone Crashes Into a US Army Helicopter

Sunday 24 September 19:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes the New York Post: It was nearly Black Hawk down over Staten Island — when an Army chopper was struck by an illegally flying drone over a residential neighborhood, authorities said Friday. The UA60 helicopter was flying 500 feet over Midland Beach alongside another Black Hawk, when the drone struck the chopper at around 8:15 p.m. … [Link]

Mashable » 'Silicon Valley' shows how ridiculous the new iPhone X truly is

Sunday 24 September 19:26:01 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Sometimes, it takes the cast of Silicon Valley to poke fun at the real world Silicon Valley. While the show masterfully ribs its own version of tech industry, a new cut from Funny or Die mashed scenes from Silicon Valley with Apple's iPhone keynote to reveal the ridiculousness that is the IRL iPhone X.  Sure, the iPhone X is an … [Link]

Slashdot » Can We Reduce Cow Methane Emissions By Breeding Low-Emission Cattle?

Sunday 24 September 18:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Popular Science: Raising cattle contributes to global warming in a big way. The animals expel large amounts of methane when they burp and fart, a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide. U.S. beef production, in fact, roughly equals the annual emissions of 24 million cars, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. That's … [Link]

Mashable » Trump’s buddy Tom Brady links arm with teammate during national anthem

Sunday 24 September 18:14:12 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe NFL vs. President Donald Trump showdown is really heating up now that Trump's good buddy Tom Brady is getting involved.  The 45th U.S. president called on NFL owners to fire any players that kneel or protest during the pre-game national anthem at a rally on Friday. Unfortunately for Trump, he overlooked the fact that peaceful protest is a form of … [Link]

Mashable » Is Nintendo the most 'punk' video game company? We asked Reggie Fils-Aime.

Sunday 24 September 17:51:37 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook“Nintendo and the Switch are really punk." Those are the words from the industry's most-recognized punk (or post-punk) video game developer: Goichi Suda. He told me his perspective on Nintendo and its newest piece of hardware — the Switch — when I sat down to ask him about his own image as the "punk rock" developer of games. SEE ALSO: The … [Link]

Mashable » The internet had some fun with Darren Aronofsky on his 'mother!' Reddit AMA

Sunday 24 September 17:44:12 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookWell, we may never get the answers to our most burning (see what I did there?) mother! questions. On his Reddit AMA, director Darren Aronofsky did his best to remain both vague and overly explicit about the most divisive movie of the year. Aronofsky, best known for his other enigmatic films like Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream, answered a … [Link]

Mashable » Download this: Ikea's AR app lets you preview furniture before you buy

Sunday 24 September 17:33:55 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookApple dropped iOS 11 this week and, in addition to a load of new features, the update brings the first wave of augmented reality apps created using the company's new ARKit tech.  But one of the best use cases of ARkit so far is not a game or an app to make your selfies more interesting: It's from Ikea.  SEE ALSO: … [Link]

Slashdot » Equifax Hit With 'Dozens' of Lawsuits from Shareholders and Consumers — Plus a Possible Class Action

Sunday 24 September 17:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes the Washington Post: Since it announced a massive data breach earlier this month, Equifax has been hit with dozens of lawsuits from shareholders, consumers and now one filed by a small Wisconsin credit union that represents what could be the first by a financial institution attempting to preemptively recoup losses caused by alleged fraud the hack … [Link]

Mashable » 576 border collies gathered together for a borking good time

Sunday 24 September 17:19:37 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook A magical thing happened on Sunday: 576 border collies with smiling faces gathered together, apparently breaking the unofficial record for the most border collies in one place at one time. The event, which was put on by the Border Collie Owners of South Australia, was held in Willaston Oval. The group confirmed on its Facebook page that 576 collies attended … [Link]

Mashable » Little girl has no idea how to use a GameBoy because it doesn't have a touchscreen

Sunday 24 September 16:41:25 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Prepare to feel old. Picking up an old Game Boy will likely fill most with pure nostalgia. Toss it into the hands of today's youth and they'll likely be utterly confused. The problem? Most kids play games on tablets or phones, which all have touch screens. Watch as this little girl tries her very best to use the screen on … [Link]

Mashable » #TakeAKnee protests spread to the MLB for the first time last night

Sunday 24 September 16:38:15 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookPresident Trump might not have mentioned Major League Baseball during his weekend attack on professional sports, but players were listening all the same.  The day after Trump's rally speech in Alabama, in which he called out football players for taking a knee during the national anthem, Oakland A's catcher Bruce Maxwell became the first professional baseball player to join the protest, … [Link]

Slashdot » Amazon Starts Charging For Cloud Computing Resources By the Second

Sunday 24 September 16:30:00 UTC 2017

AmiMoJo writes: "Back in the old days, you needed to buy or lease a server if you needed access to compute power," remembers Amazon's AWS blog. "When Amazon launched EC2 back in 2006, the ability to use an instance for an hour, and to pay only for that hour, was big news. The pay-as-you-go model inspired our customers to think … [Link]

Mashable » Former astronaut and NFL player bashes Trump with the perfect takedown

Sunday 24 September 15:59:24 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookLeland Melvin — former astronaut, NFL player, engineer, author, and owner of the best damn official NASA photo of all time — shared a perfect takedown of President Donald Trump to his Facebook page on Saturday. In his post, Melvin condemned Trump for many of his recent actions, calling them both "boorish and disgusting." The post touches on multiple incidents, including … [Link]

Popular Science » Show your social savvy with these advanced Snapchat tricks

Sunday 24 September 15:57:00 UTC 2017

Snapchat DIY Become an expert Snapchatter. Even if you consider yourself a photo expert, Snapchat has plenty of hidden features you might not have uncovered—yet. Here's how to find and use them. [Link]

Slashdot » Cloudflare Pays First $7,500 Bounties In War Against Patent Troll

Sunday 24 September 15:30:00 UTC 2017

Cloudflare declared war on a group of lawyers that files patent lawsuits against tech firms, by offering bounties for the discovery of patent-invalidating "prior art." Now an anonymous reader writes: On Thursday, Cloudflare announced it has paid out the first $7,500 to people who discovered documents that could help invalidate Blackbird's patents. The money is part of a $100,000 war … [Link]

Mashable » The first NFL game of Sept. 24 started with a powerful, unprecedented protest

Sunday 24 September 15:25:07 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookLess than 48 hours after President Donald Trump began vocally lashing out at NFL players, some of those players struck back on the field.  During an Alabama rally for senatorial candidate Luther Strange, Trump went way off script and began calling any football players who took a knee during the national anthem a "son of a bitch." He doubled down on … [Link]

Mashable » Stevie Wonder takes both knees 'For America' after Trump's unhinged NFL comments

Sunday 24 September 15:10:08 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook It's not just NFL players who are taking knees. Legendary musician Stevie Wonder knelt down on both during a festival in New York on Saturday evening. "Tonight, I'm taking a knee for America," Wonder said as his son, Kwame Morris, assisted him at the Global Citizens Festival in Central Park. "But not just one knee, I'm taking both knees. Both … [Link]

Slashdot » Governments Turn Tables By Suing Public Records Requesters

Sunday 24 September 14:30:00 UTC 2017

schwit1 quotes the AP: Government bodies are increasingly turning the tables on citizens who seek public records that might be embarrassing or legally sensitive. Instead of granting or denying their requests, a growing number of school districts, municipalities and state agencies have filed lawsuits against people making the requests — taxpayers, government watchdogs and journalists who must then pursue the … [Link]

Mashable » Cry your eyes out with these five essential 'This Is Us' episodes

Sunday 24 September 14:25:41 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Maybe you started watching This Is Us because you craved a new drama. Maybe you missed Parenthood or couldn't resist Milo Ventimiglia Sterling K. Brown. Whatever the reason, millions of viewers tuned in for NBC's breakout drama of the 2016-2017 season, and the Pearsons became the most adored family on American television. Season 2 returns in a few days, so … [Link]

Mashable » Trump proposed an NFL boycott because irony means nothing in 2017

Sunday 24 September 14:19:10 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookDonald J. Trump, the 45th president of the United States, has explicitly asked football fans to give up on the National Football League "until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country." In other words: He's calling for a boycott. If NFL fans refuse to go to games until players stop disrespecting our Flag & Country, you will see change take place … [Link]

Mashable » Take a 'cell-fie' using your phone and this small microscope adapter

Sunday 24 September 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThis device lets you turn a regular microscope into a digital one, allowing you to record and take pictures of cells and other tiny things. Read more…More about Apple, Iphone, Photography, Science, and Mashable Video [Link]

Mashable » Gorgeous photos record idyllic country life in Victorian England

Sunday 24 September 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook“Window Call."Image: William Grundy/London Stereoscopic Company/Getty ImagesThese images of rural life in Victorian England were shot by William Morris Grundy, and acquired after his death by the London Stereoscopic Company.Born in Birmingham in 1806, Grundy took up photography in 1855 and made dozens of stereoscopic photos, primarily posed genre scenes of rustic pursuits such as hunting, fishing, and farming.After his death … [Link]

Mashable » Since no one else will, I’m taking it upon myself to be the Scrooge of fall

Sunday 24 September 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookEveryone’s favorite season is finally here. A time of perfect weather, vibrant leaves, and pumpkin spice lattes — I don't know of anyone who doesn't love fall. But, I won't settle.  For every favorite season, there must be a Scrooge to even out the playing field. Any takers? No? Well not to worry, I took one for the team and became … [Link]

Slashdot » ARM TrustZone Hacked By Abusing Power Management

Sunday 24 September 13:30:00 UTC 2017

"This is brilliant and terrifying in equal measure," writes the Morning Paper. Long-time Slashdot reader phantomfive writes: Many CPUs these days have DVFS (Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling), which allows the CPU's clockspeed and voltage to vary dynamically depending on whether the CPU is idling or not. By turning the voltage up and down with one thread, researchers were able … [Link]

Mashable » How to customize iOS 11's Control Center

Sunday 24 September 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Https%3a%2f%2fvdist.aws.mashable.com%2fcms%2f2017%2f9%2f86cf2c30 847a 894b%2fthumb%2f00001 Read more… {"player":{"descript~ 11 is available now.","image":"~ iOS 11 finally turns the iPad into a 'real' computer… mostly","sources":[{~ utility,operating system,real-time,real-time video,real time,apple iphone,real-time-video,real time video,ios 11,tech news,ios update","sec0":null,~ utility,operating system,real-time,real-time video,real time,apple iphone,real-time-video,real time video,ios 11,tech news,ios update","videoSeriesName&~ More about Iphone, Tech Utility, Customize, Ios11, and Control Center [Link]

Mashable » This app could be the key to speaking a second language

Sunday 24 September 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJust to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. The world is getting smaller thanks to technology, media, more convenient travel, and — let's be honest — Netflix. It's becoming more valuable than ever to learn a second, third, or fourth language—and it's also easier than ever thanks to all of the above.  … [Link]

Mashable » How to clean up your iPhone storage in iOS 11

Sunday 24 September 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Https%3a%2f%2fvdist.aws.mashable.com%2fcms%2f2017%2f9%2f86cf2c30 847a 894b%2fthumb%2f00001 Read more… {"player":{"descript~ 11 is available now.","image":"~ iOS 11 finally turns the iPad into a 'real' computer… mostly","sources":[{~ utility,operating system,real-time,real-time video,real time,apple iphone,real-time-video,real time video,ios 11,tech news,ios update","sec0":null,~ utility,operating system,real-time,real-time video,real time,apple iphone,real-time-video,real time video,ios 11,tech news,ios update","videoSeriesName&~ More about Iphone, Storage, Tech Utility, Ios11, and Ios 11 Utility [Link]

Mashable » It may be time to replace your pillows and you can do it now for under $40

Sunday 24 September 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJust to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. They say a good pillow can be the key to a good night's sleep. They also say you should replace your pillow every year. If neither of these things has proved true in your life, you're not alone—and these bamboo pillows could be a … [Link]

Slashdot » Are Companies Overhyping AI?

Sunday 24 September 11:30:00 UTC 2017

When it comes to artificial intelligence, "companies have been overselling the concept and otherwise normal people are taking the bait," writes Hackaday: Not to pick on Amazon, but all of the home assistants like Alexa and Google Now tout themselves as AI. By the most classic definition, that's true. AI techniques include matching natural language to predefined templates. That's really … [Link]

Slashdot » Saudi Arabian Textbook Shows Yoda Joining The UN

Sunday 24 September 7:30:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Mikkeles quotes the BBC: Saudi Arabia's education minister has apologised for the production of a school textbook in which the Star Wars character Yoda is seen superimposed on a photograph of the late King Faisal… The image, which shows the diminutive Jedi Master sitting beside King Faisal as he signs the UN Charter in 1945, was created … [Link]

Slashdot » Experian Criticized Over Credit-Freeze PIN Security and 'Dark Web' Scans

Sunday 24 September 3:30:00 UTC 2017

Security researcher Brian Krebs complains that Experian's identity-protecting credit freezes are easily unfrozen online. An anonymous reader quotes the Verge: Experian makes it easy to undo a credit freeze, resetting a subject's PIN through an easily accessible account recovery page. That page only asks for a person's name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number…data [that] was compromised in … [Link]

Slashdot » Inside Amazon's Warehouses: Thousands of Senior Citizens and the Occasional Robot Mishap

Sunday 24 September 1:30:00 UTC 2017

Amazon aggressively recruited thousands of retirees living in mobile homes to migrate to Amazon's warehouses for seasonal work, according to a story shared by nightcats. Wired reports:From a hiring perspective, the RVers were a dream labor force. They showed up on demand and dispersed just before Christmas in what the company cheerfully called a "taillight parade." They asked for little … [Link]

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