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 » Not Just Equifax. Rival Site Transunion Served Malware Too — and 1,000 More Sites

Saturday 14 October 23:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Ars Technica: Equifax isn't the only credit-reporting behemoth with a website redirecting visitors to fake Adobe Flash updates. A security researcher from AV provider Malwarebytes said transunioncentroamerica.com, a TransUnion site serving people in Central America, [was] also sending visitors to the fraudulent updates and other types of malicious pages… Malwarebytes security researcher Jerome Segura says he … [Link]

Slashdot » 8.5-Ton Chinese Space Station Will Crash To Earth In a Few Months

Saturday 14 October 22:34:00 UTC 2017

dryriver writes: China launched a space laboratory named Tiangong 1 into orbit in 2011. The space laboratory was supposed to become a symbol of China's ambitious bid to become a space superpower. After two years in space, Tiangong 1 started experiencing technical failure. Last year Chinese officials confirmed that the space laboratory had to be scrapped. The 8.5 ton heavy … [Link]

Mashable » Hurricane Ophelia smashes an Atlantic intensity record, heads for Ireland Monday

Saturday 14 October 22:08:17 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookUPDATE: Oct. 15, 2017, 5:19 p.m. EDT Ex-Hurricane Ophelia is forecast to track directly over Ireland on Monday, bringing destructive wind gusts of greater than 80 miles per hour. The storm will also bring strong, damaging winds to the northern parts of the UK, including Scotland. Met Eireann, the Irish national meteorological agency, issued a rare "red warning" for the entire … [Link]

Slashdot » Ransomware Sales On the Dark Web Spike 2,502% In 2017

Saturday 14 October 21:34:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader rmurph04 writes: Ransomware is a $6.2 million industry, based on sales generated from a network of more than 6,300 Dark Web marketplaces that sell over 45,000 products, according to a report released Wednesday by cybersecurity firm Carbon Black. While the authors of the software are earning six-figure incomes, ransom payments totalled $1 billion in 2016, according to FBI … [Link]

Mashable » Why is your dongle called a 'dongle?'

Saturday 14 October 21:30:29 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookDongles have become a pervasive aspect of our existence.  New iPhone users who refuse to abandon the headphone jack are common dongle users. Dongle streaming devices are regularly employed in our homes, drooping from the television. Even Google is making more dongles now, to accompany its new Pixel 2 phones.  Yes, Google, which earlier this week declared its massive, all-in commitment … [Link]

Mashable » Disorganized techies will love this device

Saturday 14 October 21:15:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe 'Side Winder' is designed to keep your bulky and fragile 'MacBook' charger from fraying. It could also help to keep your electronics more organized. Read more…More about Apple, Mashable Video, Mac, Tim Cook, and Broken [Link]

Mashable » School district removes 'To Kill a Mockingbird' from reading lists for the most alarming reason

Saturday 14 October 21:03:53 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookTo Kill a Mockingbird has a long history atop banned books lists, but here's a new reason: the 20th century classic about racism in small-town Alabama "makes people uncomfortable."  The Biloxi School District in Mississippi removed the novel by Harper Lee from an eighth-grade reading list after receiving complaints about the book's language, the Biloxi Sun Herald reported.  “There were complaints … [Link]

Mashable » Harvey Weinstein expelled from motion picture academy

Saturday 14 October 20:45:14 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookHarvey’s out; will Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski be the next to go? The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has voted to revoke the lifetime membership of Harvey Weinstein in the wake of dozens of sexual misconduct allegations — immediately prompting questions about whether Cosby and Polanski will be able to retain their memberships. The decision to expel the … [Link]

Slashdot » What Will Replace Computer Keyboards?

Saturday 14 October 20:34:00 UTC 2017

jeffengel writes:Computer keyboards will be phased out over the next 20 years, and we should think carefully about what replaces them as the dominant mode of communicating with machines, argues Android co-founder Rich Miner. Virtual reality technology and brain-computer links — whose advocates include Elon Musk — could lead to a "dystopian" future where people live their lives inside of … [Link]

Mashable » Barack and Michelle Obama choose artists to paint their official portraits

Saturday 14 October 20:25:33 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe Smithsonian revealed on Friday the two artists set to paint official portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama, and the former first couple's choices are inspired.  Kehinde Wiley, well known for portraits of young black men that incorporate elements of Western art, will paint the former president. Baltimore artist Amy Sherald will paint the former first lady.  SEE ALSO: Obamas say … [Link]

Mashable » Here's a list of the places you shop that have been hacked

Saturday 14 October 20:13:12 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookHackers are winning. This summer, they infiltrated HBO and stole unreleased material. Last month, they breached Equifax — the consumer credit reporting agency — and gathered information on over 140 million Americans. But hackers also raid places that seem a bit closer to home: the places we buy burgers, drink beer, and shop for refrigerators.  Below, Mashable compiled a timeline of … [Link]

Mashable » Video shows Courtney Love warning women about Harvey Weinstein in 2005

Saturday 14 October 19:38:39 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookTwelve years ago, Courtney Love was asked if she had any advice for women considering a move to Hollywood. She issued a warning about Harvey Weinstein. TMZ posted video Saturday of Love on the red carpet for the 2005 Comedy Central roast of Pamela Anderson. In the clip, a reporter asks Love: "Do you have any advice for a young girl … [Link]

Slashdot » How Open Source Software Helps The Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Saturday 14 October 19:34:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Esther Schindler quotes Hewlett Packard Enterprise: When you handle trillions of dollars a year in transactions and manage the largest known vault of gold in the world, security and efficiency are top priorities. Open source reusable software components are key to the New York Fed's successful operation, explains Colin Wynd, vice president and head of the bank's … [Link]

Slashdot » Startup Plans To Clean Up Cigarette Butts Using Crows

Saturday 14 October 18:34:00 UTC 2017

AmiMoJo writes: A startup in the Netherlands is developing the "Crowbar," a bird feeder that takes discarded cigarette butts as payment for dispensing food. A camera recognises cigarette filters and rejects any other objects placed in the Crowbar. The idea isn't entirely original, a gentleman in the US has already built a similar device and trained crows to deposit coins. … [Link]

Mashable » California inmates battle wildfires for $1 an hour

Saturday 14 October 17:58:52 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookAs wildfires rage across northern California, a group of low-paid firefighters is on the front lines.  Inmates in California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation have been fighting wildfires for $1 an hour. Some have worked as long as 72 hours straight.  The men and women fighting the wildfires work throughout 43 adult conservation camps in the state, CNN reported. As part … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Google, IBM, and Others Introduce Grafeas Open Source API

Saturday 14 October 17:50:35 UTC 2017

Google, IBM, along with a number of other technology companies have announced Grafeas, an open source API that stores, queries, and retrieves crucial metadata on all types of software components. Using the Grafeas API, companies can combine data with other metadata to build a comprehensive model for security and governance at scale. [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Employees Can Now Work In Treehouses

Saturday 14 October 17:34:00 UTC 2017

Microsoft's campus now features three outdoor treehouses for its employees. An anonymous reader quotes CNBC: More than 12 feet off the ground, the treehouses feature charred-wood walls, skylights, at least one gas fireplace, Wi-Fi and hidden electrical outlets. Employees can even grab a bite at an outdoor extension of the indoor cafeteria. The "more Hobbit than HQ" treehouses are designed … [Link]

Mashable » The hidden feminist message buried inside 'Blade Runner 2049'

Saturday 14 October 17:30:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookSpoiler alert: This post contains plot details for Blade Runner 2049. Blade Runner 2049 is a cinematic marvel full of haunting, vivid, messy messages about what it means to be human.  As a solemn odyssey through the anxieties of modern man, 2049 tells the story of a futuristic capitalist society finally reckoning with its systemic oppression of mother nature and, by … [Link]

Mashable » People are obsessed with this clip of Britney Spears painting

Saturday 14 October 17:08:01 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookBritney Spears is truly living her best life. The proof? This clip Britney tweeted on Friday, which shows the singer 1) painting beautiful flowers, 2) listening to Mozart, 3) sporting luxurious loungewear, and 4) sitting on a lush terrace. SEE ALSO: We've been underestimating Kesha for way too long "Sometimes you just gotta play!!!!!!" she wrote. Reader, I screamed. And to … [Link]

Mashable » Move over Batman and Robin — this comics team is the real dynamic duo

Saturday 14 October 17:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe DC Comics event Dark Knights: Metal was meant to shake things up in a visceral way. As co-publisher Dan DiDio said in a New York Comic Con panel last weekend, DC "could not sit back and rest on [its] legacy." That's why the power team of writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo were tasked with telling a story that … [Link]

Slashdot » Dutch Police Build a Pokemon Go-Style App For Hunting Wanted Criminals

Saturday 14 October 16:34:00 UTC 2017

"How can the police induce citizens to help investigate crime? By trying to make it 'cool' and turning it into a game that awards points for hits," reports CSO. mrwireless writes: Through their 'police of the future' innovation initiative, and inspired by Pokemon Go, the Dutch police are building an app where you can score points by photographing the license … [Link]

Mashable » Bob Weinstein on Harvey: 'He should never be allowed back, ever.'

Saturday 14 October 16:01:10 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookBob Weinstein—brother of Harvey and cofounder of Miramax and its successor, The Weinstein Company—has faced lots of questions over the past week.  His priority: Figuring out the future of the Weinstein Company. And everyone else's: How much did Bob know, really?  SEE ALSO: Terry Crews had a very personal response to Harvey Weinstein's victims The younger Weinstein responded to both questions … [Link]

Mashable » 1980: Gene Simmons rocks a photo studio in full 'Demon' mode

Saturday 14 October 16:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookImage: Waring Abbott/Getty ImagesAfter a slow start in the early 1970s, New York glam-metal band KISS rose to stardom after adopting their signature makeup and stage personas.The Starchild, Demon, Catman, and Space Ace achieved massive commercial success not only through their albums and concerts but through their characters, which they licensed to comic books, costumes, toys, board games and other merchandise.In … [Link]

Slashdot » Toshiba's Fast-Charging Battery Could Triple the Range of Electric Vehicles

Saturday 14 October 15:34:00 UTC 2017

Big Hairy Ian quotes New Atlas: A key focus of electric vehicle (EV) makers is maximizing the range users can get from each charge, and for that reason new battery technologies are poised to play a huge part in driving their adoption. Toshiba has developed a new fast-charging battery it claims could allow EVs to travel three times as far … [Link]

Mashable » Mayim Bialik's thoughts on sexual harassment miss the point: It's men that need to fix this.

Saturday 14 October 15:33:40 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookIn the New York Times, actress Mayim Bialik weighed in on the Harvey Weinstein saga by detailing her own experience with the culture of Hollywood — one that differs from that of many of her peers. It's okay that Bialik's experience is unique. Every woman's is, and valid to boot. What's not okay is Bialik's fundamental misunderstanding of how harassment works … [Link]

Mashable » Persimmons are better than pumpkins. Don't fight me on this.

Saturday 14 October 15:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookBefore the first official day of fall arrived, we were already bombarded with every pumpkin-flavored item in the market. Pumpkin is the favorite that all the other vegetables and fruits hate this time of year. What about the other fall produce trying to make their comeback after the summer’s heat?  They need some love too.  There’s always a few that try … [Link]

Mashable » Bodycam footage shows harrowing rescue from California wildfires

Saturday 14 October 14:43:15 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe sheriff's department in Sonoma County, California released bodycam footage showing officers driving through a flame-ridden neighborhood on Sunday in search of residents trapped by wildfire. In the footage, which was taken around midnight, deputies shout "sheriff's office!" as they comb the area. At one point, they come upon a woman in a wheelchair outside her home and hoist her inside … [Link]

Mashable » Twitter's Jack Dorsey promises changes to anti-harassment policies after #WomenBoycottTwitter

Saturday 14 October 14:40:54 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJack Dorsey got the message. Probably. All day Friday, many women refused to tweet in protest of Twitter's decision to suspend actress Rose McGowan's account as she spoke out against Harvey Weinstein and sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood.  Late Friday night, Dorsey — Twitter's co-founder and CEO — responded to the #WomenBoycottTwitter movement. Protesters compared the company's enforcement of a … [Link]

Slashdot » Tesla Just Fired Hundreds Of Workers

Saturday 14 October 14:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes the Bay Area Newsgroup: Tesla fired hundreds of workers this week, including engineers, managers and factory workers, even as the company struggles to expand its manufacturing and product line… The company said this week's dismissals were the result of a company-wide annual review, and insisted they were not layoffs. Some workers received promotions and bonuses, and … [Link]

Mashable » A Japanese immigrant's beautiful portraits of 1990s Harlem

Saturday 14 October 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookImage: Courtesy of Katsu Naito & TBW BooksIn 1983, 18-year-old Katsu Naito arrived in New York City from his small hometown of Maebashi, Japan.With little English, he worked as a chef in a Japanese restaurant to earn his green card, and in his spare time unwound by studying Diane Arbus photo books in a SoHo bookstore.By 1988, he had settled in … [Link]

Mashable » Apple AirPods killed the best thing about sharing headphones

Saturday 14 October 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookAirPods have ruined the headphone-sharing game, and I for one refuse to stay silent while decades of adorable eye-gazing, face-bumping, and shoulder-resting memories fade away. I recently tried Apple's wireless ear buds for the first time, and while they may offer a certain sense of freedom and convenience, they've completely killed the intimacy that existed between two people sharing a single … [Link]

Mashable » How to help survivors of the devastating Northern California wildfires

Saturday 14 October 13:30:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookWhen multiple wildfires began raging early Monday morning in towns an hour north of San Francisco, residents fled their homes with little more than the clothes they were wearing and whatever valuables they could grab.  The fast-moving flames incinerated entire neighborhoods in the city of Santa Rosa with little to no warning.  SEE ALSO: 'We're just existing': What it was like … [Link]

Mashable » 'We're just existing': What it was like to survive the deadly Northern California wildfires

Saturday 14 October 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookLuana Cobb and her son Dan were asleep when a wildfire blew into Coddingtown Mobile Estates in Santa Rosa, California, early Monday morning.  SEE ALSO: How to help survivors of the devastating Northern California wildfires Luana, 83, awoke to the sound of cars honking and people shouting. She went outside and heard neighbors screaming to get out. Soon, she says, a … [Link]

Slashdot » Russia Reportedly Used Pokemon Go In an Effort To Inflame Racial Tensions

Saturday 14 October 13:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Russia's far-ranging campaign to promote dissension in the United States reportedly included an effort to weaponize Pokemon Go. CNN reported that in July 2016, a Tumblr page linked to Russia's now-notorious Internet Research Agency promoted a contest encouraging people sympathetic to the Black Lives Matter movement to play the game near … [Link]

Mashable » Bitcoin broke through $5,000—but there are major risks ahead

Saturday 14 October 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookBitcoin is on an amazing bull run. The cryptocurrency easily surpassed $5,000 per coin and is currently trading at about $5,500—and many are wondering why.  The cryptocurrency's main issues haven't been resolved. Despite the recent upgrade, it's still too slow to be a dependable payment platform, and the people running the show remain sharply divided over how Bitcoin should move forward.  … [Link]

Mashable » What to do with the pumpkin guts after you carve your jack-o-lantern

Saturday 14 October 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe most delightful of all Halloween crafts, jack-o'-lantern carving, has a less delightful side effect: an abundance of pumpkin guts.  Luckily, there are quite a few things you can do with said guts—so many, in fact, that you won't have to say the word "guts" for long.  SEE ALSO: 17 Halloween costumes that people need to stop wearing Here are a … [Link]

Mashable » Brighten your space with this programmable desktop greenhouse

Saturday 14 October 11:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJust to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. The EcoQube Air is a desktop greenhouse that will brighten your space — and maybe even your mood, too.  This lovable Indiegogo hit is more than just a planter though: perfect for those without a green thumb, it is ridiculously easy to keep alive. … [Link]

Mashable » How to master marketing and user engagement for less than $30

Saturday 14 October 11:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJust to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. There’s a reason that companies are willing to pay big to marketing pros — even the best business won’t go far if no one knows how to reach potential customers. And it’s not just big companies that need marketing. Whether you run a one-person … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Slashes Prices of Its USB-C Headphone Dongle Following Minor Outrage

Saturday 14 October 10:00:00 UTC 2017

At its hardware event last week, Google unveiled its two new flagship smartphones: the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. While these devices feature high-end specifications and the latest version of Android, they both lack headphone jacks, upsetting many consumers who still rely heavily on wired headphones. To add insult to injury, Google announced a USB-C adapter for a whopping … [Link]

Mashable » How one podcast is looking to history to try stop America from spinning out of control

Saturday 14 October 8:30:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe United States of America is swinging – culturally, legally, and of course, politically.  For Jad Abumrad, so-called public radio royalty, best known for bringing us the joys of Radiolab, the key to a more perfect union is finding a pivot point (the law) and using it to peel the layers of the onion (history) that has lead to the teary … [Link]

Slashdot » Microwave Tech Could Produce 40TB Hard Drives In the Near Future

Saturday 14 October 7:00:00 UTC 2017

Western Digital has announced a potential game changer that promises to expand the limits of traditional HDDs to up to 40TBs using a microwave-based write head, and the company says it will be able to the public in 2019. Gizmodo reports: Western Digital's new approach, microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR), can utilize the company's existing production chain to cram a lot … [Link]

Slashdot » Magic Mushrooms 'Reboot' Brain In Depressed People, Study Suggests

Saturday 14 October 3:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Magic mushrooms may effectively "reset" the activity of key brain circuits known to play a role in depression, the latest study to highlight the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics suggests. Psychedelics have shown promising results in the treatment of depression and addictions in a number of clinical trials over the last decade. … [Link]

Slashdot » Latest iOS Update Shows Apple Can Use Software To Break Phones Repaired By Independent Shops

Saturday 14 October 2:05:00 UTC 2017

The latest version of iOS fixes several bugs, including one that caused a loss of touch functionality on a small subset of phones that had been repaired with certain third-party screens and had been updated to iOS 11. "Addresses an issue where touch input was unresponsive on some iPhone 6S displays because they were not serviced with genuine Apple parts," … [Link]

Slashdot » Over 500 Million PCs Are Secretly Mining Cryptocurrency, Researchers Reveal

Saturday 14 October 1:25:00 UTC 2017

Ad blocking firm AdGuard has found that over 500 million people are inadvertently mining cryptocurrencies through their computers after visiting websites that are running background mining software. The company found 220 popular websites with an aggregated audience of half a billion people use so-called crypto-mining scripts when a user opens their main page. Newsweek reports: The mining tool works by … [Link]

Mashable » Tesla fires hundreds of workers companywide amid production struggles

Saturday 14 October 1:17:04 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookTesla just made some drastic changes to its workforce. The automaker fired between 400 and 700 workers from its south Bay Area headquarters and production plant this week, the San Jose Mercury first reported. The company claims the employees were fired for subpar job performance rather than laid off. "Like all companies, Tesla conducts an annual performance review during which a … [Link]

Mashable » Striking images reveal wineries devastated by wildfires

Saturday 14 October 1:10:31 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookRemarkable photos reveal how badly California's wineries have been damaged in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres of wine country since Sunday. SEE ALSO: How California's firestorm spread so mind-bogglingly fast: From 'Diablo' winds to climate trends Paradise Ridge Winery in Santa Rosa, California is just one of the dozens of wineries that was ravaged by the massive … [Link]

Slashdot » Samsung Electronics CEO Resigns Over 'Unprecedented Crisis'

Saturday 14 October 1:05:00 UTC 2017

According to BBC, Samsung Electronics chief executive Kwon Oh-hyun has resigned, saying the company is in an "unprecedented crisis." It's the latest management upheaval at the firm after the heir of the entire Samsung Group was imprisoned for corruption in August. From the report: Mr Kwon is one of three co-chief executives of Samsung Electronics. His resignation comes on the … [Link]

Slashdot » Steve Wozniak Announces Tech Education Platform 'Woz U'

Saturday 14 October 0:45:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Steve Wozniak, the Apple co-founder who changed the world alongside Steve Jobs, has today announced the launch of Woz U. According to the release, Woz U will start as an online learning platform focused on both students and companies that will eventually hire those students. Woz U is based out of Arizona, … [Link]

Mashable » Microsoft literally built treehouses for its employees

Saturday 14 October 0:37:34 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookMicrosoft is known for maintaining a fun workplace, from its free candy to its awesome art collection. Its latest perk: treehouses.  The company announced on its blog Friday that it has created three treetop meeting spaces at its corporate headquarters in Redmond, Washington.   The treehouses were built by Pete Nelson, host of the Animal Planet series Treehouse Masters. They were … [Link]

Slashdot » Apple To Ditch Touch ID Altogether For All of Next Year's iPhones

Saturday 14 October 0:05:00 UTC 2017

Earlier this week, a report said that Apple is planning to equip next year's iPad Pro with the hardware necessary for Face ID. Now, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it appears the company is taking that one step further with its 2018 iPhones. All of the iPhones Apple plans to produce next year will reportedly abandon the Touch … [Link]

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