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 » Julian Assage Taunts US Government For Forcing Wikileaks To Invest In Bitcoin

Sunday 15 October 23:34:00 UTC 2017

Saturday's tweet from Julian Assange says it all: "My deepest thanks to the US government, Senator McCain and Senator Lieberman for pushing Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, AmEx, Moneybookers, et al, into erecting an illegal banking blockade against @WikiLeaks starting in 2010. It caused us to invest in Bitcoin — with > 50000% return." Assange's tweet was accompanied by a graph showing … [Link]

Slashdot » Dubai Police Get Hoverbikes

Sunday 15 October 22:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Mashable: The Dubai police, which already has luxury patrol cars, self-driving pursuit drones, and a robot officer, just announced it will soon have officers buzzing around on hoverbikes, which look like an early version of the speeder bikes used by the scout troopers on Endor in Return of the Jedi. The force (see what I did … [Link]

Mashable » Toddler has adorable reaction every time she hears this song

Sunday 15 October 21:50:51 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook While most little kids don't have a refined taste for music, this little girl named Abby has made it clear that she has a love for '80s pop rock. As demonstrated by her father, every time Abby hears the tune "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the band The Proclaimers, she stops what she's doing, puts a huge smile on … [Link]

Slashdot » Pentagon Turns To High-Speed Traders To Fortify Markets Against Cyberattack

Sunday 15 October 21:29:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader Templer421 quotes the Wall Street Journal's report [non-paywalled version here] on DARPA's "Financial Markets Vulnerabilities Project": Dozens of high-speed traders and others from Wall Street are helping the Pentagon study how hackers could unleash chaos in the U.S. financial system. The Department of Defense's research arm over the past year and a half has consulted executives at high-frequency … [Link]

Mashable » Ai Weiwei debuts 'Good Fences Make Good Neighbors' in NYC in response to the refugee crisis

Sunday 15 October 21:05:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookChinese artist, filmmaker, photographer, and activist Ai Weiwei premiered his latest installation of public art in New York City this week. The piece is curated by Public Art Fund New York. 'Good Fences Make Good Neighbors' will be up from October 12th to February 11th all over the city. In order to draw attention to the global migrant and refugee crisis, … [Link]

Mashable » Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are officially engaged

Sunday 15 October 20:52:03 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookGames of Thrones star Sophie Turner and musician Joe Jonas are officially engaged. "I said yes," the 21-year-old actor posted on Instagram on Sunday, along with an image of the two holding hands with a GIANT rock on her finger. (It's unclear if Jonas' hand was being held down by the weight of the stone or with love.) SEE ALSO: Shakira … [Link]

Mashable » Woody Allen's response to Harvey Weinstein's behavior is as gross as you'd expect

Sunday 15 October 20:50:06 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookUPDATE: Oct. 16, 2017, 1:26 a.m. UTC Woody Allen has clarified his comments regarding the sexual assault allegations directed at Harvey Weinstein, giving Variety a statement: “When I said I felt sad for Harvey Weinstein I thought it was clear the meaning was because he is a sad, sick man … I was surprised it was treated differently. Lest there be … [Link]

Slashdot » Pizza Hut Leaks Credit Card Info On 60,000 Customers

Sunday 15 October 20:24:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes McClatchy: Pizza Hut told customers by email on Saturday that some of their personal information may have been compromised. Some of those customers are angry that it took almost two weeks for the fast food chain to notify them. According to a customer notice emailed from the pizza chain, those who placed an order on its … [Link]

Slashdot » Apple's Tim Cook Shares What He Learned From Steve Jobs

Sunday 15 October 19:19:00 UTC 2017

Speaking at Oxford, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared a lesson learned from the "spectacular" commercial failure of the Power Mac G4 Cube in 2000 — and from his mentor Steve Jobs. An anonymous reader quotes Business Insider: "It was a very important product for us, we put a lot of love into it, we put enormous engineering into it," Cook … [Link]

Mashable » James Corden gets slammed over distasteful Harvey Weinstein jokes

Sunday 15 October 19:14:03 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJames Corden is under fire after delivering number of jokes about Harvey Weinstein while hosting the amfAR Gala, an AIDS research benefit, in Los Angeles on Friday. Yep. He made rape jokes at an AIDS benefit. "This is a beautiful room. It’s a beautiful night here in L.A. So beautiful, Harvey Weinstein has already asked tonight up to his hotel to … [Link]

Mashable » Prisoners in Texas donate more than $50,000 for Harvey relief

Sunday 15 October 18:22:54 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookAfter Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas and Louisiana in late August, prison inmates in Texas reached out with a helping hand. More than 6,600 incarcerated individuals in Texas dipped into their limited commissary funds to donate to the American Red Cross, pooling together more than $53,000 for Harvey relief efforts, WPXI in Pittsburgh reported today. SEE ALSO: This is how veterans are … [Link]

Slashdot » China's Scientists Set New International Record — For Faked Peer Reviews

Sunday 15 October 18:14:00 UTC 2017

China now has more laboratory scientists than any other country in the world, reports Amy Qin in the New York Times, and spends more on research than the entire European Union. But in its rush to dominance, China has stood out in another, less boastful way. Since 2012, the country has retracted more scientific papers because of faked peer reviews … [Link]

Mashable » The heartwarming moment a family discovers their dog survived a deadly California wildfire

Sunday 15 October 17:54:32 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook A family was elated to discover that their Bernese Mountain Dog, Izzy, somehow managed to survive the wildfires that have ravaged areas of California.  Jack Weaver and his brother-in-law Patrick Widen hiked miles to Weaver's mother's home in Santa Rosa earlier this week. Despite being turned away by police, the men managed to make their way to the property for … [Link]

Slashdot » Elon Musk Teases Reddit With Bad Answers About BFR Rocket

Sunday 15 October 17:09:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Rei writes: On Saturday evening, Elon Musk took questions in a Reddit AMA (Ask-Me-Anything) concerning SpaceX's new design for the BFR (Big F* Rocket). But unlike the 2016 IAC conference where many audience questions seemed to be trolling Musk, this time the tables were turned. Asked why Raptor thrust was reduced from 300 tons to 170, Musk … [Link]

Mashable » Will this list of sexual cartoon bees finally convince you to start applying for jobs?

Sunday 15 October 17:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookEveryone has that one weird thing about them. Sometimes that thing is looking at sultry bee drawings. But, on the other hand, most everyone needs a job.  That's why we've compiled a list of inappropriately-drawn cartoon bees, but we hope this doesn't distract you from your job search. Why sexy bees? I don't know. Why are you here when you should … [Link]

Mashable » House cat perfectly photobombs a live news report of cougar sightings in Mississippi

Sunday 15 October 16:40:57 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook A house cat found the perfect opportunity to photobomb a live news segment.  Fox13's Scott Madaus was teasing a live report from a field in Hernando, Mississippi where someone claims they spotted a cougar one day earlier.  SEE ALSO: Watch these hilarious over the top Halloween fails "I'm Scott Madaus, live in Hernando, Mississippi where there have been spottings of … [Link]

Geek Culture » a-ha! (don't make me cry!)

Sunday 15 October 16:33:37 UTC 2017

[Link]

Mashable » German soccer team joins NFL players in taking a knee

Sunday 15 October 16:27:23 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookBefore a soccer match in Berlin, German team Hertha Berlin (Hertha BSC) linked arms and took a knee, mirroring professional athletes in the U.S. taking a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice. SEE ALSO: Texas high-school players take a knee, get kicked off football team Hertha BSC players took to the field and took a … [Link]

Slashdot » Scientists Selectively Trigger Suicide In Cancer Cells

Sunday 15 October 16:04:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Baron_Yam quotes SciTechDaily: A team of researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine reveals the first compound that directly makes cancer cells commit suicide while sparing healthy cells. The new treatment approach was directed against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells but may also have potential for attacking other types of cancers…. AML accounts for nearly one-third … [Link]

Mashable » Magnificent images capture the ancient and modern wonders of 1800s Egypt

Sunday 15 October 16:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookA Bicharin soldier. The Bicharin are a tribe of the Beja nomadic ethnic group that live in southern Egypt and Sudan.Image: Rijksmuseum via EuropeanaC. and G. Zangaki were two Greek brothers who were active photographers in Egypt from the 1870s to 1890s.Apart from that, little information about them survives (even their first names are disputed).Produced mainly as souvenirs for European tourists, … [Link]

Mashable » Woman tests limits of pet-friendly motel with her horse

Sunday 15 October 15:55:50 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook A pet-friendly hotel may be your only option when traveling with your furry friends, but what about when you're traveling with your horse? Lindsey Partridge was checking into her motel in Georgetown, Kentucky earlier this month when she overheard that the guest in front of her had a dog with her. Realizing the hotel was pet-friendly, she decided to use … [Link]

Mashable » This personal tea brewer will get your tea right every time

Sunday 15 October 15:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookNot everyone has access to traditionally made tea'Teamosa' lets tea drinkers customize the flavor and strength of their brew. Read more…More about Tech, Business, Science, Food, and Mashable Video [Link]

Slashdot » Unpatched Exploit Lets You Clone Key Fobs and Open Subaru Cars

Sunday 15 October 14:59:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Tom Wimmenhove, a Dutch electronics designer, has discovered a flaw in the key fob system used by several Subaru models, a vulnerability the vendor has not patched and could be abused to hijack cars. The issue is that key fobs for some Subaru cars use sequential codes for locking and unlocking the vehicle, and other operations. … [Link]

Mashable » Small Canadian town transfigures itself into a magical Harry Potter wonderland

Sunday 15 October 14:32:57 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookThe small town of Blyth, Ontario is looking extra magical this weekend as it opens its arms to thousands of visiting Harry Potter fans for its annual Festival of Wizardry. SEE ALSO: A Virginia donut shop made Harry Potter Butterbeer doughnuts for all the poor muggles out there For the second year in a row, the people of Blyth have turned … [Link]

Mashable » A new book of colorized historical photos brings the past to life

Sunday 15 October 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebookc. 1930An overhead view of people on 36th St. between 8th and 9th Aves., New York. Manhattan’s Garment District has been the center of the American fashion industry since at least the turn of the twentieth century – in 1900, New York City’s garment trade was its largest industry by a factor of three. The entire fashion ecosystem, from fabric suppliers … [Link]

Slashdot » In a Cashless World, You'd Better Pray the Power Never Goes Out

Sunday 15 October 13:54:00 UTC 2017

schwit1 quotes the Mises Institue: When Hurricane Maria knocked out power in Puerto Rico, residents there realized they were going to need physical cash — and a lot of it. Bloomberg reported that the Fed was forced to fly a planeload of cash to the Island to help avert disaster. "William Dudley, the New York Fed president, put the word … [Link]

Mashable » 'SNL' Weekend Update unleashed fiery burns on Harvey Weinstein

Sunday 15 October 13:11:14 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Saturday Night Live devoted an entire sketch to the misdeeds of Harvey Weinstein, and really just missed the mark in a big way. But the weekly sketch comedy series didn't drop the ball entirely, thanks to Weekend Update. The show's news-of-the-week-focused segment spent a good minute-and-a-half belching fire at the disgraced Hollywood executive. There's still some question as to whether … [Link]

Mashable » Sad Melania Trump finds solace in customer service calls on 'SNL'

Sunday 15 October 12:44:59 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Does anyone ever pause to consider how Melania Trump is feeling these days? Saturday Night Live sure does. In the weekly sketch comedy series' latest First Lady bit, guest host Kumail Nanjiani swoops in as a patient, empathetic call center operator in Pakistan.  When Melania chases away the sadness with mail-ordered Gucci handbags, Nanjiani's nameless operator to help her with … [Link]

Mashable » Kumail Nanjiani's advice to 'SNL'-watching racists: 'An informed racist is a better racist.'

Sunday 15 October 12:08:48 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Kumail Nanjiani opened his first hosting gig on Saturday Night Live with a searing stand-up comedy monologue that, in large part, took aim at the many different flavors of racist in the U.S. and the world. It's great TV. For close to eight minutes, Nanjiani pokes at online trolls, Islamophobes, critics of "race-mixing," and ignorant racists, the last of which … [Link]

Mashable » Here's how easy it is for anyone to use Facebook like Russian actors did

Sunday 15 October 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookIt only takes about five minutes to buy a Facebook ad with a link to a fake anti-Muslim story and aim it at residents of a Michigan electoral battleground county whom the social network's algorithms perceive to be "very conservative." This capability is at the heart of an ongoing controversy around revelations that a Russian troll farm gamed Facebook's ad targeting … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Edge Beats Chrome and Firefox in Malware-Blocking Tests

Sunday 15 October 11:49:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Computerworld:Microsoft's Edge easily beat rival browsers from Google and Mozilla in third-party tests of the behind-the-scenes services which power anti-malware warnings and malicious website-blocking… NSS Labs says Windows 10's default browser is better at blocking phishing and socially-engineered malware attacks than Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox… According to NSS Labs of Austin, Texas, Edge automatically blocked … [Link]

Mashable » Unlock your inner graffiti artist with these liquid chalk markers and board

Sunday 15 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 no reason that drawing with chalk should be child's play. Feel like a kid again and unleash your inner creativity with the Liquid Chalkboard Creative Bundle. SEE ALSO: Want to become an animator? Start with these tools. This 3-piece art supply bundle includes … [Link]

Mashable » This pocket-sized sensor can duplicate colors on demand

Sunday 15 October 11:00:00 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookJust to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. From photography to painting your bedroom, sometimes exact color comparison can be the difference between perfection and disaster.  Assuming that you're in fact not some sort of color wizard, The Nix Mini Color Sensor could be an awesome tool to feed your innate perfectionism. … [Link]

Slashdot » SUSE Shares Linux-Themed Music Video Parodies

Sunday 15 October 7:44:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader troublemaker_23 quotes ITWire: German Linux company SUSE Linux is well-known for its Linux and other open source solutions. It is also known for producing videos for geeks and debuting them at its annual SUSECon conference. This year, in Prague, was no different. The company, which marked its 25th year on 2 September, came up with two videos, … [Link]

Mashable » Kellyanne Conway as Pennywise is everything you’ve ever wanted from 'Saturday Night Live'

Sunday 15 October 6:01:11 UTC 2017

Twitter FacebookMaybe you see it. The resemblance. Kellyanne Conway. Pennywise from IT. Kellywise the Dancing Clown. The writers at Saturday Night Live sure did. SEE ALSO: 'SNL's' response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal proves that they probably shouldn't have bothered Tonight’s offering in the ongoing cinematic saga of Kellyanne vs. Anderson Cooper featured Alex Moffat’s Cooper (clad in a yellow raincoat, natch) finding … [Link]

Mashable » 'SNL's' response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal proves that they probably shouldn't have bothered

Sunday 15 October 5:27:00 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Saturday Night Live was roundly criticized last week for pulling punches on the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse scandal that has rocked Hollywood, allegedly cutting jokes regarding the producer during dress rehearsal because they "fell flat," according to the New York Times. Tonight’s weak effort, featuring a roundtable of actresses including Kate McKinnon’s doddering old Debette Goldry, missed the mark, illustrating … [Link]

Mashable » Football isn't the only thing Trump wants Pence to boycott in this week's 'SNL' cold open

Sunday 15 October 4:26:20 UTC 2017

Twitter Facebook Alec Baldwin returned to Saturday Night Live to remind us all what a distracted seven days President Trump had last week. You know, unlike all the other weeks he’s been president thus far. Coming to us live from “Harassburg, Pennsylvania,” Baldwin’s Trump declares his intention to talk about taxes and fix all the problems eight years of Obama wrought on … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: How Can You Apply For A Job When Your Code Samples Suck?

Sunday 15 October 3:39:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous Slashdot reader ran into a problem when looking for a new employer: Most ask for links to "recent work" but the reason I'm leaving my current job is because this company doesn't produce good code. After years of trying to force them to change, they have refused to change any of their poor practices, because the CTO is … [Link]

Slashdot » Cord-Cutters Drive Cable TV Subscribers to a 17-Year Low

Sunday 15 October 1:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes the Washington Post: On Wednesday, AT&T told regulators that it expects to finish the quarter with about 90,000 fewer TV subscribers than it began with. AT&T blamed a number of issues, including hurricane damage to infrastructure, rising credit standards and competition from rivals. The report also shows AT&T lost more traditional TV customers than it gained … [Link]

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