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 » 'The Snowman' movie poster is so bad, it became a meme

Friday 20 October 23:49:27 UTC 2017

The Snowman has been getting some lackluster reviews. So it only makes sense that the movie would get turned into a meme.   SEE ALSO: Michael Fassbender and James Corden almost defeated by an inanimate door People have been poking fun at the film's promotional poster, which features a crudely drawn snowman.  never getting tired of this. these posters should be … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Says 64 Percent of Chrome Traffic On Android Now Protected With HTTPS, 75 Percent On Mac, 66 Percent On Windows

Friday 20 October 23:20:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Google's push to make the web more secure by flagging sites using insecure HTTP connections appears to be working. The company announced today that 64 percent of Chrome traffic on Android is now protected, up 42 percent from a year ago. In addition, over 75 percent of Chrome traffic on both ChromeOS … [Link]

Mashable » Will Ferrell stars in PSA campaign to remind you to put your phone away

Friday 20 October 23:04:30 UTC 2017

Will Ferrell is here to remind you that technology can be terrible.   A new PSA campaign, produced by Common Sense Media, features the Emmy-winning comedic actor being unable to put down his phone and making his family's attempt at "device-free dinner" incredibly awkward.  SEE ALSO: Santa Claus is dead as hell The campaign was released in tandem with the … [Link]

Mashable » Apple makes an unexpected deal to improve cell service in Puerto Rico

Friday 20 October 23:03:19 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ aren't party balloons.","image":&~ may be Puerto Rico's best chance for communication","sources&q~ disaster,puerto rico,emergency,real-time,real-time video,x,real time,project loon,real-time-video,real time video,tmobile,relief efforts,hurricane maria","sec0":null,&~ disaster,puerto rico,emergency,real-time,real-time video,x,real time,project loon,real-time-video,real time video,tmobile,relief efforts,hurricane maria","videoSeriesName&q~ More about Google, Apple, Iphone, At T, and Puerto Rico [Link]

Mashable » 'Boyfriend Dungeon' is a game that let's you date weapons, because love hurts

Friday 20 October 22:44:50 UTC 2017

You know that feeling when you're in a particularly infuriating argument with your boyfriend or SO and just think to yourself, "Wow — wish I could turn you into a baseball bat and smack you with it." The newly announced Boyfriend Dungeon has you covered.  It's a dungeon-crawler that's Not Like Other Dungeon Crawlers (*winkwink*) because it's actually more about forging … [Link]

Slashdot » Arkansas Will Pay Up To $1,000 Cash To Kids Who Pass AP Computer Science A Exam

Friday 20 October 22:40:00 UTC 2017

theodp writes: The State of Arkansas will be handing out cash to high school students who pass an Advanced Placement test in computer science. "The purpose of the incentive program is to increase the number of qualifying scores (3, 4, or 5) on Advanced Placement Computer Science A exams," explained a press release for the Arkansas Advanced Placement Computer Science … [Link]

Mashable » Google is offering $1000 to anyone who can hack Tinder, Snapchat, Dropbox, and more

Friday 20 October 22:27:09 UTC 2017

Hackers, it's your time to shine.  Google, in collaboration with bug bounty platform HackerOne, has launched the Google Play Security Reward Program, which promises $1,000 to anyone who can identify security vulnerabilities in participating Google Play apps.  Thirteen apps are currently participating, including Tinder, Duolingo, Dropbox, Snapchat, and Headspace.  SEE ALSO: The 1982 'Blade Runner' film vs. the 1968 novel 'Do … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Google’s quantum computing plans threatened by IBM curveball

Friday 20 October 22:22:00 UTC 2017

A mathematical leap has let IBM simulate a 56-qubit quantum computer on a traditional machine, the biggest yet on a classical computer [Link]

Mashable » I'm not crying over a Burger King ad. You're crying over a Burger King ad.

Friday 20 October 22:17:39 UTC 2017

Burger King is taking a stand against bullying in a clever new ad that reveals what matters most to people: a bullied high school junior student or a bullied Whopper Jr.  If that sounds strange, just stick with us for a second. In the three-minute video, hidden cameras capture people's reactions to boys bullying a high school student. Everyone involved … [Link]

Slashdot » Body Camera Giant Wants Police To Collect Your Videos Too

Friday 20 October 22:00:00 UTC 2017

tedlistens shares a report from Fast Company: Axon, the police supplier formerly known as Taser and now a leading maker of police body cameras, has also charged into police software with a service that allows police to manage and eventually analyze increasingly large caches of video, like a Dropbox for cops. Now it wants to add the public's video to … [Link]

Mashable » This Photoshop fail from Netflix is actually pretty hilarious

Friday 20 October 21:52:09 UTC 2017

Hearing the term "Photoshop fail" will likely invoke strong feelings about the manipulations of models and actors' bodies with unrealistic beauty standards. But sometimes, Photoshop fails can be completely innocent, and totally hilarious. The most recent offender comes from Netflix, and it's actually pretty difficult to spotRedditor moofthestoof noticed that something was a little off with the cover photo for its … [Link]

Mashable » Bathe in Elon Musk's musk courtesy of this creepy air freshener

Friday 20 October 21:46:47 UTC 2017

What does a dream smell like? The promise of distant worlds? A hairline that defies time and space? Or, perhaps, something more terrestrial — a magical underground tunnel, whisking you away to destinations heretofore only envisioned one sunny afternoon daydream?  And, if you could ever pin that most elusive of scents down, package, and sell it, how much would it cost? … [Link]

Mashable » Apple is already being sued over one of the iPhone X's features

Friday 20 October 21:45:22 UTC 2017

The iPhone X isn't even out yet and Apple is already being sued over one of its biggest features. A developer is suing Apple for copyright infringement, alleging that Apple stole the "Animoji" name from the developer's app of the same name. SEE ALSO: How dancing emoji hijacked your job — and why there's no going back "This is a textbook … [Link]

Mashable » 9 mind-blowing facts about the avocado

Friday 20 October 21:45:00 UTC 2017

Avocados are everywhere now: on toast, in sushi, even in ice cream. Most people pick one up from the store like their college debt isn’t waiting for them at home. But did you know there’s more to this droopy fruit than meets the eye? From the history of the fruit to how to tell if they're ripe, here's a comprehensive breakdown … [Link]

Mashable » Bill Gates announced a massive investment in public education

Friday 20 October 21:24:00 UTC 2017

Billionaire Bill Gates is investing big time in public education. At the Council of the Great City Schools conference in Cleveland Thursday, Gates announced a hefty $1.7 billion investment from his foundation. Midway through his keynote address (the video of his speech is embedded above and starts around the 19-minute mark) he vowed to improve public education with a focus on … [Link]

Mashable » Nivea's controversial skin-lightening ad puts spotlight on the history of white supremacy

Friday 20 October 21:22:28 UTC 2017

The skincare company Nivea makes dozens of products for women and men around the world.  But what you probably didn't know until earlier this week is that Nivea also sells skin-lightening cream to consumers in Africa. SEE ALSO: Oh look, another insensitive, wannabe 'woke' ad campaign. While it's not the only company to market such products — L'Oréal and Pond's have … [Link]

Slashdot » Twitter Plans To End Revenge Porn Next Week, Hate Speech In Two

Friday 20 October 21:20:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: In the beginning of 2017, Twitter said it would take on harassment and hate speech. CEO Jack Dorsey said the company would embrace a "completely new approach to abuse on Twitter" with open dialogue along the way. For months, though, the company has offered few details about what it would do, … [Link]

Mashable » Learn how to find a job with this online course called 'Skills to Pay the Bills'

Friday 20 October 21:19:10 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. We know, being an adult is hard — especially when it comes to interviewing for jobs. This online course is about to be your career's saving grace. SEE ALSO: Become a master of professional social encounters in 5.5 hours Skills to Pay the Bills … [Link]

Mashable » The slip 'n' slide of solar panels are easier to transport and may save lives

Friday 20 October 21:15:00 UTC 2017

Renovagen is a company based out of the UK that specializes in solar energy. They have created a new system of solar panels that is portable and easy to use called 'Rapid Roll'. The panels are easy to roll out of a truck or trailer. The island, Flat Holm in Great Britain, is currently being powered by these roll-out panels. The … [Link]

Mashable » Bitcoin hits another milestone as it climbs past $6,000

Friday 20 October 21:12:25 UTC 2017

If you own Bitcoin, October has been good to you. The value of one bitcoin climbed over $6,000 for the first time on Friday less than two weeks after it pushed past $5,000. SEE ALSO: Bitcoin broke through $5,000—but there are major risks ahead Bitcoin reached as high as $6,063 on Friday, according to the research site CoinDesk, and was valued … [Link]

Mashable » Skateboard training wheels will help you avoid embarrassing wipeouts

Friday 20 October 21:04:31 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. The SkaterTrainer 2.0 will help you learn how to skate way better than all those hours of Tony Hawk: Pro Skater 2 ever will. These rubber stoppers slip right over your skateboard wheels and stop it from moving. Now when you try out tricks … [Link]

Mashable » If Jeff Bezos really wanted to rule the world, he'd pose for corny photos like he used to

Friday 20 October 21:01:47 UTC 2017

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos might be jacked and powerful now, but his photo shoot panache has really taken a nosedive. In the early years of Amazon (the mid-to-late '90s, when all style was perfect), Bezos seemed to have a penchant for corny, delightful photo opps. Jeff Bezos with a Pikachu and a drill, Jeff Bezos beside an insanely tall stack of … [Link]

Mashable » Beautifully bizarre art game 'Everything is going to be OK' is about how not OK everything is

Friday 20 October 20:59:37 UTC 2017

Listen, everything is absolutely not OK right now. The short list of not-OK things just happening in the news lately, for instance, includes the pervasive culture of sexual assault that rots our society and is finally coming to bear. Or that our earth appears in revolt of our human destructiveness, as more and more people die every week because of it. … [Link]

Mashable » There's a sexy fidget spinner costume because 2017 is trash

Friday 20 October 20:51:56 UTC 2017

Every year, the internet is flooded with needlessly sexy Halloween costumes. But we just may have found the worst offender — for 2017, at least. Image: dolls killCashing in on the last bit of leg the trend has, Dolls Kill has released a sexy fidget spinner costume, because Halloween is meant to be scary? The costume features remnants of a silver … [Link]

Mashable » 7 haunted houses across America you should definitely visit this Halloween

Friday 20 October 20:49:14 UTC 2017

There’s nothing more fun, or more terrifying, than running down a dark hallway with a menacing clown hot on your tail.  It's officially the Halloween season and possibly the only time of the year when you're brave enough to come face-to-face with a little (totally safe) terror. SEE ALSO: Halloween decorations are way freakier when you project them on your window … [Link]

Mashable » Pieces of a famous comet will fall to Earth this weekend

Friday 20 October 20:44:42 UTC 2017

This weekend, look up at night to see bits of Halley's Comet falling through Earth's atmosphere.  The Orionid meteor shower is set to peak in the overnight hours through the weekend, according to Sky & Telescope, and if you're in a dark part of the world, you should have a pretty good shot at seeing at least a few of the … [Link]

Slashdot » The AI That Has Nothing to Learn From Humans

Friday 20 October 20:40:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: Now that AlphaGo's arguably got nothing left to learn from humans — now that its continued progress takes the form of endless training games against itself — what do its tactics look like, in the eyes of experienced human players? We might have some early glimpses into an answer. AlphaGo Zero's latest games haven't … [Link]

Mashable » Uber now wants some drivers to pay it money—and there's no guarantee they'll benefit

Friday 20 October 20:18:17 UTC 2017

Pay now in order to potentially earn more later. It may sound like something straight out of a marketing scheme, but it's in fact the latest promise from Uber to a subset of its drivers. However, according to the ride-hail giant, this is not the latest revenue play from a company losing hundreds of millions of dollars a quarter, but rather … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » CloudRail Releases Universal Messaging API For Deploying Chatbots Across Platforms

Friday 20 October 20:03:51 UTC 2017

CloudRail, an API integration solution provider, has announced the release of its Unified Messaging API which allows developers to deploy chatbots and other conversational user interfaces (UI) across platforms. The API provides a unified interface bundling Facebook Messenger, Line, Telegram, and Viber together so that developers can deploy conversational UIs across these platforms using a single API. [Link]

Slashdot » Consumer Reports Refuses To Recommend Microsoft Surface Book 2

Friday 20 October 20:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Earlier in the year, the review group said that problems with reliability meant that it was impossible for it to recommend any Microsoft laptop or tablet. Now Consumer Reports says that this extends to the Surface Book 2, meaning that the device will not be recommended. Microsoft is likely to be similarly disappointed with Consumer Reports' … [Link]

Mashable » Trump gets a 10 on Puerto Rico response from San Juan mayor — but on a very different scale

Friday 20 October 19:48:25 UTC 2017

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz finally agrees with President Donald Trump on something: the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was a 10. Only for the mayor it's out of 100 — a failing grade, compared to Trump's perfect 10 out of 10 that he gave himself at a White House meeting with the Puerto Rico governor … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Volcanoes that spew stretchy ice could make dwarf planets bright

Friday 20 October 19:44:32 UTC 2017

Something strange is happening on dwarf planets Eris and Makemake. They’re tiny and cold, but they still show surprising signs of geologic activity, like real planets [Link]

Mashable » Watch a biker stop traffic to save a teeny kitten

Friday 20 October 19:40:12 UTC 2017

A motorcyclist driving on a freeway in Bangkok, Thailand, noticed the teeniest baby kitten in the middle of the road recently, so naturally, he stopped. The man managed to stop one lane of the busy highway, and was forced to ask a car to reverse a few inches so that he could retrieve the poor little cat. The cat was … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Thread Genius API Powers Visual Style Recommendation as a Service

Friday 20 October 19:38:19 UTC 2017

Thread Genius recently launched with a goal of improving content recommendation based on computer vision. At the heart of their strategy is the Thread Genius API. The Thread Genius API drives what the company has termed visual style recommendation as a service. The service helps API users make product recommendations to consumers based on the consumers' taste through the use … [Link]

Mashable » If you're hoping for an iPhone X at launch, get ready to wait

Friday 20 October 19:36:42 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ really do come true.","image":&quot~ iPhone X is here—and we are drooling","sources":~ event,wireless charging,augmented reality,facial recognition,real-time,real-time video,real time,real-time-video,real time video,iphone x,apple event 2017","sec0":null,&q~ event,wireless charging,augmented reality,facial recognition,real-time,real-time video,real time,real-time-video,real time video,iphone x,apple event 2017","videoSeriesName&qu~ More about Apple, Rumor, Ming Chi Kuo, Iphone X, and Tech [Link]

New Scientist – News » IBM’s 56-qubit curveball may hit Google quantum computing plans

Friday 20 October 19:30:00 UTC 2017

A mathematical leap has let IBM simulate a 56-qubit quantum computer on a traditional machine, the biggest yet on a classical computer [Link]

Mashable » Trump thinks he's the proud owner of an original Renoir painting. This art institute says otherwise.

Friday 20 October 19:28:14 UTC 2017

As if fake Melania wasn't enough, we learned from Trump biographer Tim O'Brien this week that the president's "original Renoir" painting may not even be the real deal. O'Brien told Vanity Fair's Inside the Hive podcast that he first pressed the Donald on the authenticity of the painting years ago while flying on his decked-out private jet. SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert … [Link]

Slashdot » Student Expelled After Using Hardware Keylogger to Hack School, Change Grades

Friday 20 October 19:20:00 UTC 2017

Catalin Cimpanu, writing for BleepingComputer: Kansas University (KU) officials have expelled a student for installing a hardware keylogger and using the data acquired from the device to hack into the school's grading system and chang his grades. KU did not release the student's name to the public, but they said the keystroke logging device had been installed on one of … [Link]

Mashable » How I broke Instagram Stories

Friday 20 October 19:16:01 UTC 2017

Hi, my name is Ray Wong and I have a very, very serious Instagram Stories addiction. There, I said it. Don't judge me. But I'm not your usual junkie. I posted so much on my IG Stories during my recent vacation in Japan that I broke it (well, sort of). And boy, was I pissed. SEE ALSO: Why the iPhone 8 … [Link]

Mashable » Russian photo studio lets you snap photos on a private jet for the Instagram likes

Friday 20 October 18:59:38 UTC 2017

The cruelest part of social media (aside from all the actually bad stuff) is not that it's brought us squiggle brows or existential crises, but that it has introduced us to the private jet plandid. Which is how we've ended up here: faking private jet photos for those sweet, sweet Instagram likes. SEE ALSO: The truth about detoxes and cleanses According … [Link]

Mashable » The Weather Channel wants you to know there's a more pressing issue than the weather right now

Friday 20 October 18:53:14 UTC 2017

The Weather Channel has a message for Americans: Puerto Rico is still in crisis.  The popular website of the IBM-owned company on Friday used its entire front page to remind visitors that the situation in Puerto Rico remains dire, exactly one month after Category 4 Hurricane Maria struck the island. Millions of residents remain without power, and many still lack access … [Link]

Mashable » An aquarium filled with bioluminescent plankton is the perfect gift

Friday 20 October 18:52:56 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Throw your sea monkeys in the garbage. There's a new tiny pet in town — and this one glows.  This fish bowl is filled with thousands of bioluminescent plankton called dinoflaggelates that glow blue when gently shaken. It looks like magic, but it's actually … [Link]

Mashable » Someone found out they failed their midterm in a hilariously tragic Twitter saga

Friday 20 October 18:40:07 UTC 2017

It’s not every day you learn about the fate of your GPA on Twitter, but that's where we are in the freakishly-connected world of 2017.  On Thursday morning, one Twitter user happened to notice that a professor was grading tests next to him on a flight, and he decided the best thing to do was to tweet about it.   "If … [Link]

Slashdot » Laptops Could Be Banned From Checked Bags on Planes Due To Fire Risk

Friday 20 October 18:40:00 UTC 2017

Readers share a report: Laptops could be banned from checked baggage on planes due to a fire risk under a proposal being recommended by an international air safety panel. According to a report, an overheating laptop battery could cause a significant fire in a cargo hold that fire fighting equipment aboard the plane would not be able to extinguish. That … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Dark energy survives neutron star crash test while rivals fail

Friday 20 October 18:37:00 UTC 2017

We saw gravitational waves and light at the same moment from a neutron star merger, which means Einstein was right and some alternative theories are dead [Link]

Mashable » While you're at work, your dog could be playing video games

Friday 20 October 18:31:37 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. A sensor lights up. You hit it. Another sensor lights up. You hit that one. A third sensor lights up and when you hit it you get a reward. No, I'm not describing Whack-A-Mole—it's CleverPet Hub, the first "gaming console" for dogs. (In the … [Link]

Mashable » Apple's New Emoji Are Finally Here

Friday 20 October 18:30:28 UTC 2017

Read more…More about Apple, Iphone, Emoji, Mashable Reels, and Sn Reels [Link]

New Scientist – News » Scotland has banned smacking children – so should everyone else

Friday 20 October 18:26:00 UTC 2017

Spanking children doesn’t make them better behaved – but it can put them at risk of mental illness, and should be outlawed everywhere [Link]

Mashable » Scarlett Johansson organized a special, star-studded benefit to help Puerto Rico

Friday 20 October 18:22:42 UTC 2017

It’s been exactly one month since Hurricane Maria slammed Puerto Rico, and as the island still struggles to recover from storm's devastating damage, celebrities like Scarlett Johansson are aiding in relief efforts. To raise additional funds for the island, Johansson organized a reading of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Our Town, and called on a few of her Avengers co-stars to … [Link]

Mashable » Solange calls out a UK magazine for Photoshopping her braids out of the cover

Friday 20 October 18:14:17 UTC 2017

If there's anything the beauty industry, the media, basically everywhere constantly fails at, it's celebrating one's own natural look.  The London Evening Standard magazine has done just that this week, with their cover photo of Solange Knowles. In the original picture, Knowles wore an elaborate braid above her head and the publication decided to Photoshop it out. For an artist who … [Link]

Slashdot » Smartwatches For Kids Are a Total Privacy Nightmare

Friday 20 October 18:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: Kids' smartwatches are usually intended to help parents feel at ease that their children are safe when they're not around. But as it turns out, a number of these devices may do more harm than good. A 49-page report on smartwatches for children details all the ways in which they are a security nightmare. … [Link]

Mashable » Easy Halloween costumes don't have to be boring

Friday 20 October 17:59:52 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Halloween is fast approaching and there are only so many shopping days left for you to figure out your costume.  For those of us who can't craft worth a damn and for whom the idea of sitting through YouTube makeup tutorials sounds exhausting, Halloween … [Link]

Mashable » Mario trades his overalls in for Peach's wedding dress in 'Super Mario Odyssey'

Friday 20 October 17:58:18 UTC 2017

Perhaps in an effort to further distance himself from his former occupation, Mario is ditching those blue-collar overalls for some high society frillsSuper Mario Odyssey will let Mario wear Peach's wedding dress. On the back of the Wedding Peach amiibo box, you can briefly see an image of Mario in Peach's gown, and he looks good as hell. It's at the … [Link]

Mashable » Turn your smartphone into a mobile photo editor with this little box

Friday 20 October 17:49:33 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Want to create quality content for your social media posts and rack up those sweet, sweet likes? Of course you do. For any photo-savvy adventurer who loves to blog about their latest outing, Gnarbox is here to make your digital camera footage into instant … [Link]

Mashable » Badass 'StarCraft' cosplay lights up with awesome LED accents

Friday 20 October 17:47:57 UTC 2017

The only thing that's better than badass cosplay is a badass cosplay that lights up. Cosplayer Svetlana Quindt (with the help of Instagram user Adafruit) created an amazing cosplay of the StarCraft character Nova (more specifically, a version of Nova found in Heroes of the Storm) complete with LED-enhanced armor and dreadlocks.  SEE ALSO: Comic Con cosplayers give their best tips … [Link]

Mashable » The strongest storm on Earth right now is heading for Japan

Friday 20 October 17:26:59 UTC 2017

Typhoon Lan has been undergoing rapid intensification on Thursday night and Friday, and will likely reach super typhoon status by Saturday morning. Such a threshold is crossed when a typhoon has sustained winds of at least 150 miles per hour. The storm is in a favorable environment for strengthening, and is likely on a collision course with highly populated areas of … [Link]

Mashable » Here are Julia Louis-Dreyfus' 'Veep' co-stars rooting her on, because we could all use a happy cry today

Friday 20 October 17:25:32 UTC 2017

Who’d have thought that one of the most caustic shows on television could yield one of the sweetest moments on Twitter? SEE ALSO: Joe Biden writes Julia Louis-Dreyfus the sweetest tweet ever, from one veep to another A few weeks ago, we got the very sad news that Julia Louis-Dreyfus had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Because 2017 is just the … [Link]

Slashdot » Japan's SoftBank Says It Could Invest as Much As $880 Billion in Tech

Friday 20 October 17:20:00 UTC 2017

SoftBank could commit as much as $880 billion to tech investments in the coming years, a gargantuan, unprecedented amount of cash that would amount to a seismic shift in tech-sector finance. From a report: "The Vision Fund was just the first step, 10 trillion yen ($88 billion) is simply not enough," CEO Masayoshi Son said in an interview with The … [Link]

Mashable » 3 reasons you should pay attention to the Google-led $1 billion Lyft investment

Friday 20 October 17:17:50 UTC 2017

Lyft got a major boost in the form of a billion-dollar investment round, and an earlier rumor was confirmed: CapitalG, Google parent company Alphabet's growth equity fund, led the round. The investment brings Lyft's post-money valuation up to $11 billion from $7.5 billion just six months ago, and places CapitalG Partner David Lawee on the company's board. The round gives Lyft … [Link]

Mashable » Make yogurt at home just by pushing a button

Friday 20 October 17:17:44 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Whether you're trying to fit a healthy meal into your diet or you just want to kick back with a nice, cool smoothie, yogurt can make for an awesome snack. But if the store-bought stuff is too preservative-y for your tastes, contains too much … [Link]

Mashable » Hype yourself up for 'Stranger Things 2' with the official soundtrack

Friday 20 October 17:16:18 UTC 2017

One of the few things of which I am irrevocably sure is that background scores are the purest art in the movie business. Because they have to move a story forward, these soundtracks often provide us with clues amidst their addictive melodiesStranger Things 2 is now musically available for streaming and purchase, and it's the perfect way to immerse yourself … [Link]

Mashable » 'Thor: Ragnarok' stands as the best-reviewed superhero movie of all time

Friday 20 October 17:10:18 UTC 2017

But can it last? With nearly 50 reviews recorded on Rotten Tomatoes as of midday Friday, Thor: Ragnarok is (so far) the best-reviewed superhero film of all time, scoring a 98% fresh rating that's four percentage points better than the next runners up, 94% fresh Iron Man and The Dark Knight (with the 1978 Superman just a step behind at 93%). … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Dimming the sun could save corals from bleaching and hurricanes

Friday 20 October 17:09:14 UTC 2017

Climate change will harm corals by overheating them and unleashing more violent hurricanes, but cooling the planet by geoengineering could reverse those effects [Link]

New Scientist – News » Songbird gets angry when its rivals are brilliant at singing

Friday 20 October 17:09:13 UTC 2017

Male tui songbirds signal their prowess with complicated songs, so they respond aggressively when they hear a particularly good vocalist [Link]

Mashable » Can we just talk about John Green's new novel 'Turtles All The Way Down' real quick?

Friday 20 October 17:07:33 UTC 2017

John Green is back! Earlier in October, John Green broke his writing hiatus and released a new YA novel, Turtles All the Way Down, his first book in six years.  The book follows Aza Holmes, a 16-year-old would-be detective living in Indianapolis who is trying to track down a missing billionaire, Russell Pickett, with her friend Daisy. But Pickett isn't the … [Link]

Mashable » Stitch Fix filed for an IPO, and here's what we learned

Friday 20 October 17:07:08 UTC 2017

After months of speculation, Stitch Fix filed for its IPO on Thursday.  The clothing subscription service bared all in its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. And it taught us a few things about a company readying to go public just as it faces competition from—who else?—Amazon.  Business is good Stitch Fix's business model is simple: it sends clothes it … [Link]

Mashable » Meet the young woman behind the 'chinstagram' trend

Friday 20 October 17:00:00 UTC 2017

Michelle Liu, otherwise known as 'Chinchelle',  is 'chinning' all over the world. Read more…More about Travel, Instagram, Funny, Mashable Video, and Trends [Link]

Mashable » Theory: Taylor Swift's new song 'Gorgeous' is about a cute dog she saw outside the club

Friday 20 October 16:49:52 UTC 2017

Taylor Swift released "Gorgeous," her new single from Reputation, on Friday. As you might expect, the song is all about someone who is gorgeous — and most people are thinking that's Joe Alwyn, Swift's current boyfriend and a pleasant-looking British man. Respectfully, these people are all wrong. As a close reading of the lyrics will show you, "Gorgeous" is about one … [Link]

Mashable » Texting your parents might not be so bad if you had a dad as funny as this

Friday 20 October 16:46:41 UTC 2017

Sometimes texting your parents isn't a chore.  Aggie (@selfconchass) posted a group text between her and her parents. Her mom decided to post a photo of herself in a wig and her dad couldn't help himself with a… unique reply. Now we know who's the jokester in the family.  SEE ALSO: Mom accidentally texts her daughter something very NSFW MY MOM … [Link]

Mashable » Turns out the government's airplane laptop ban was actually a huge fire risk

Friday 20 October 16:45:32 UTC 2017

Remember that time the United States government forced a bunch of passengers flying from overseas to put their laptops in checked luggage? Turns out placing those devices in your checked luggage could pose a huge fire and explosion risk on airplanes. If the lithium-ion battery inside a laptop heats up too much inside the checked baggage compartment of a plane, it … [Link]

Slashdot » MasterCard Has Finally Realized That Signatures Are Obsolete and Stupid

Friday 20 October 16:39:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: For years, credit card companies have relied on an illegible squiggly line as the frontline of defense against credit card fraud. Customers are forced to use a pen (how retro!) to scrawl their signature on bills at restaurants and sign digitally at cash registers — as if somehow in the age of chips, PINs, … [Link]

Mashable » Jessica Lessin is optimistic about the news — and 'The Information' is doubling down

Friday 20 October 16:30:00 UTC 2017

It’s not exactly the best moment for news, what with a president intent on attacking journalists and the public's abysmal trust in the media. So it's a little surprising to hear how optimistic Jessica Lessin is about the future.  But there are better days ahead for an industry that has been in a multi-decade, internet-enabled tailspin, she believes. "The reason I'm … [Link]

Mashable » A driver's adorable service dog made for the perfect Uber ride

Friday 20 October 16:12:23 UTC 2017

Uber rides can often be unexpected adventures. You never really know what you might find inside of a driver's car.  Twitter user, Spookygothgrama posted a screenshot yesterday of a conversation with her Uber driver.  SEE ALSO: Ikea is launching a pet furniture collection and it's purrfect This. Is the best uberpic.twitter.com/4hlDw8E5t9 — Southern Shawty (@Spookygothgrama) October 19, 2017 The driver said … [Link]

Mashable » Couple discovers message-in-a-bottle written in 1988

Friday 20 October 16:06:53 UTC 2017

Imagine walking along a shore just minding your own business when you notice a peculiar bottle floating on water in the distance. You decide to grab the bottle and notice there's a note tucked inside. Much to your surprise, the hand-written message is dated 1988. According to UPI, that's exactly what happened to a Georgia couple who have since tracked down … [Link]

Slashdot » Bitcoin Nears $6,000 For the First Time

Friday 20 October 15:57:00 UTC 2017

Bitcoin closed in on another milestone Friday, as the digital currency approached $6,000 for the first time to put its gain in 2017 to above 500 percent. From a report: The push higher comes just three days after bitcoin suffered its biggest one-day drop in a month on rising concern that regulators are increasingly targeting digital currencies. It's added almost … [Link]

Mashable » College student painstakingly built a Nintendo Switch clone that plays thousands of classic games

Friday 20 October 15:56:53 UTC 2017

Beating Nintendo to the punch, Tim Lindquist built a Nintendo Switch clone that plays thousands of classic games. The video above shows a timelapsed version of the process and it looks sick. The Nintimdo RP, as Tim calls it, has a Broadcom BCM287 processor running Linux, a 7-inch touch screen, equipped with emulators that contain a massive catalogue of games. … [Link]

Mashable » Someone dressed up as Pikachu and jumped the White House fence to get YouTube famous

Friday 20 October 15:52:40 UTC 2017

As the morning sun rose over the sprawling green grass of the White House lawn on Tuesday, a man — dressed as Pikachu — set down his bag and scaled the reinforced steel fence surrounding the temporary residence of the President of the United States. And it was all in search of internet fame. SEE ALSO: Olympic snowboarder dons Pikachu costume, … [Link]

Mashable » Paul Ryan tried to roast Donald Trump, and Twitter wasn't having it

Friday 20 October 15:43:03 UTC 2017

When people think "funny," I'm fairly confident Paul Ryan does not come to mind. Still, the Speaker of the House decided he'd try to roast Donald Trump and crack some jokes about Twitter during his keynote speech at Thursday's Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner. It went as horribly as you'd expect. Though the event is known for guest speakers breaking … [Link]

Mashable » Pick up this horror movie box set on Amazon and get it by Halloween

Friday 20 October 15:35:44 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Horrors in high-def. Monsters in monochrome. An army of creepy classic creatures are gathered on Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection Blu-Ray boxset, and you can nab it at 43% off in time for your Halloween horror movie night. SEE ALSO: Couples costumes for … [Link]

Mashable » The Ghastliest Video Games of 2017

Friday 20 October 15:26:51 UTC 2017

Read more…More about Gaming, Video Games, Mashable Reels, Scary Video Games, and Horror Games [Link]

Mashable » EPA's climate change website reappears, missing the word 'climate'

Friday 20 October 15:04:28 UTC 2017

On April 28, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) abruptly took down its long-standing treasure trove of online climate change resources, and put up a message stating that they were being updated to reflect the new priorities of the Trump administration. It's becoming more and more clear that one of those priorities is to downplay the threat of climate change. And one … [Link]

Mashable » 'Harry Potter' actress urges no more sloth selfies following grim undercover footage

Friday 20 October 15:01:56 UTC 2017

Warning: Some people may find the above video distressing.  The "Harry Potter" actress Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the film series, has appealed to people to think twice before sharing selfies with cute animals.  And more specifically, selfies with sloths, as today is International Sloth Day. SEE ALSO: Taking selfies with sloths sounds cute, but you could be … [Link]

Mashable » This backpack can carry all of your things — and you

Friday 20 October 15:00:00 UTC 2017

MOVPAK is an electric skateboard and a backpack all in one. The skateboard pops out from the bottom of the bag and pops back in after use. It can also reach speeds up to 15 mph and is remote controlled. The electric board takes 2 hours to charge and can ride for 9 miles on a single charge — allowing you … [Link]

Mashable » The truth about incognito mode (and how it can save you money)

Friday 20 October 14:58:12 UTC 2017

Cybersecurity expert Ondrej Krehel explains that your internet browser's incognito mode doesn't really keep you safe, but it does have advantages. Read more…More about Tech, Internet, Cybersecurity, Internet Browser, and Mashable Video [Link]

Mashable » Want to master digital marketing? Learn how for $15.

Friday 20 October 14:41:11 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. It’s never been easier to start your own business. On the flip side, it’s also never been harder to start your own business. Everyone and their mother is doing it and there are so many different digital ways to reach customers that it can … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft's Market Value Hits a Dot-Com Era Milestone: $600 Billion

Friday 20 October 14:40:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: Microsoft's value is returning to tech-bubble peaks. The software giant closed with a market value of $600 billion Thursday for the first time since January 2000, according to the Journal's Market Data Group. Shares rose 0.4 percent to $77.91, setting a fresh all-time high. For the year, Microsoft shares are up 25% and on … [Link]

Mashable » 'Geostorm' marketing prank proves people won't keep their cool in a real disaster

Friday 20 October 14:35:04 UTC 2017

Unsuspecting taxi passengers took a ride down a frozen street to experience a "Geostorm" to promote the new film by the same name. The stunt was created by viral marketers Thinkmodo. Read more…More about Film, Marketing, Movies, Funny, and Viral [Link]

Mashable » Made from metal and driven by the wind, these sculptures resemble pulsing alien creatures

Friday 20 October 14:30:00 UTC 2017

Anthony Howe is a sculptor who doesn't like static works of art. For the last 30 years, his material of choice has been metal, and his purpose: to make it come to life. Howe has built hundreds of kinetic sculptures that he says were plucked straight from his imagination. Today, some are scattered across the world, while others are blending in … [Link]

Mashable » The reviews for Michael Fassbender's new movie are savage AF

Friday 20 October 14:23:44 UTC 2017

In another world, a movie about a deranged serial killer who dismembers his victims and transplants their body parts with snowmen could be so entertaining. But this is not that world, and Tomas Alfredson's The Snowman (currently rocking 13% on Rotten Tomatoes) is an incoherent mess. Critics screened the film in time for its Oct. 19 debut and found nothing … [Link]

Mashable » Halloween costumes for your baby who can't say 'No' yet

Friday 20 October 14:20:26 UTC 2017

Babies. They're dumb.  And I'm not saying this like it's a bad thing. There are so many wonderful dumb things in this universe —  Channing Tatum and novelty hot dog toasters are perhaps the best examples. And babies, unlike Channing Tatum, will grow out of it.  Parents can even take advantage of this unique period in their child's life to make … [Link]

Mashable » This 94-year-old WWII veteran is crowdfunding a tour of refugee camps across the world

Friday 20 October 14:20:26 UTC 2017

Harry Leslie Smith is a World War II RAF veteran who will turn 95 in February 2018.  SEE ALSO: David Miliband wants you to know that the refugee crisis is still happening He is also an activist who's written several books on the Great Depression, which he experienced in Britain, the war and the rise of Neo-liberalism in the West. Recently, … [Link]

Mashable » NFL player Chris Long is giving back to the communities that have always been there for him

Friday 20 October 14:10:09 UTC 2017

For NFL player Chris Long, being a professional athlete means more than just playing football. He is using his platform to raise awareness and support education equality, which he views as an essential component to building a better future for our country. After donating his first six paychecks this season to create scholarships in his hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, Long has … [Link]

Mac For Translators » XLIFF Editors…

Friday 20 October 14:09:57 UTC 2017

There are plenty of "XLIFF Editors" that pop up on the Mac App market. A number of them are free, most are not super expensive. But all confuse "XLIFF" with the poor subset that Xcode outputs. And that confuses the people who need XLIFF editors the most: professional translators.XLIFF is an industry standard used in all the localization/translation world. Xcode … [Link]

Slashdot » On the Google Book Scanning Project and the Library We Will Never See

Friday 20 October 14:00:00 UTC 2017

For a decade, Google's enormous project to create a massive digital library of books was embroiled in litigation with a group of writers who say it was costing them a lot of money in lost revenue. Even as Google notched a victory when a federal appeals court ruled that the company's project was fair use, the company quietly shut down … [Link]

Mashable » Someone brought this macaroni and cheese to a potluck and thought, 'This is good'

Friday 20 October 13:56:26 UTC 2017

There are two types of people who come to a potluck: those who bring food, and those who bring napkins. Every once in a while, people will attempt to cross that inviolable boundary and pretend to be something they're not, putting the entire potluck at risk. Twitter user @coolstoryjanis' coworker, clearly a napkin-bringer, recently pretended that they were a "food potlucker" … [Link]

Mashable » This grill is made of cardboard and is totally sustainable

Friday 20 October 13:50:00 UTC 2017

The CasusGrill is the most environmental friendly grill you'll ever use. The cardboard grill is perfect for when camping, hiking, or on the beach. Its lightweight design makes it easy to carry and you can use it as bonfire fuel when you're done. Read more…More about Food, Mashable Video, Environment, Outdoors, and Global Warming [Link]

Mashable » The WeDo app may be the key to (finally) conquering your to-do list

Friday 20 October 13:43:33 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Staying on top of everything you have to do each day is sometimes tedious and sometimes overwhelming. There are the chores, the happy hour plans, the kids’ schedules — and that’s not even counting what you do at the office.  SEE ALSO: Emergency prep … [Link]

Mac For Translators » Evolution…

Friday 20 October 13:28:00 UTC 2017

This is a follow-up to the "Applescript everywhere" article that I published yesterday.As I mentioned in the update at the end of the article, I had written on this blog, back in November 2007, "I have never found a practical way to use AppleScript in my workflows…"That same year, 8 months earlier, I was talking about OmegaT in Tokyo. It … [Link]

Mashable » Snag a Lucero color changing smart bulb, no WiFi hub required

Friday 20 October 13:20:48 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. The Smart Bulb from Lucero is exactly what your next party needs. This advanced light bulb can shift colors through its companion app, which gives you access to more than 16 million different colors. You can set up rave lights for parties, mellow lights … [Link]

Mashable » Save $45 on these certified refurbished Amazon Tap speakers

Friday 20 October 13:02:10 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Save $45 today on certified refurbished Amazon Tap speakers. As the name suggests, give this speaker a tap and you can ask for music from your favorite streaming service like Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Pandora. With a WiFi connection, you can even ask Alexa to … [Link]

Slashdot » Tesla Hit With Another Lawsuit, This Time Alleging Anti-LGBT Harassment

Friday 20 October 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Earlier this week, Tesla was hit with a lawsuit for racial harassment in its factories. Now, a newer lawsuit has been filed against the company alleging anti-LGBT harassment. An anonymous reader shares a report from The Verge: A former employee at Tesla's Fremont factory filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the electric carmaker, alleging he was fired in retaliation after … [Link]

Mashable » The first speaker with Microsoft Cortana is a great listener

Friday 20 October 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ you'll be saying "Hey" to Cortana.","image":&q~ Kardon Invoke Cortana-enabled speaker review","sources":[{~ choice,cortana,smart speaker,harman kardon","sec0":null,~ choice,cortana,smart speaker,harman kardon","videoSeriesName&~ More about Microsoft, Highlights, Reviews, Mashable Choice, and Cortana [Link]

New Scientist – News » A home test kit may let you diagnose endometriosis years earlier

Friday 20 October 12:47:00 UTC 2017

It can take years to diagnose extreme period pain as endometriosis. The longer it goes untreated, the more it affects fertility – could a spit test change that? [Link]

Mashable » Oliver from 'Hannah Montana' tweets sweary rant about his character's terrible outfits

Friday 20 October 12:35:56 UTC 2017

Hannah Montana star Mitchel Musso has something he wants to get off his chest about the terrible outfits his character wore.  Musso played Oliver Oken, a character who often referred to himself "Smokin' Oken". But his outfits were anything but smokin'.  SEE ALSO: Miley Cyrus gets nostalgic about 'Hannah Montana,' encourages fans to play drinking game Years after Hannah Montana finished … [Link]

Mashable » Emergency prep 101: Invest in a solar-powered flashlight radio combo

Friday 20 October 12:19:28 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Do you have a plan in place for an emergency situation? Unfortunately, we all should. Even if you've been intending to put together an emergency kit but haven't quite gotten around to doing it, good intentions won't get you very far in an actual … [Link]

Mashable » Fox News forced to correct video showing 'retired Navy SEAL' veteran

Friday 20 October 11:42:59 UTC 2017

It was the perfect pro-Trump story in a time of controversy over veterans.  SEE ALSO: 97-year-old WWII veteran takes a knee in support of black athletes' right to protest On 8 October, Fox News published a video about John Garofalo, a multi-decorated Navy SEAL who had personally carved a ginormous — 4 foot, 150 pound — glass seal he wanted to … [Link]

Slashdot » First Mass-Produced Electric Truck Unveiled

Friday 20 October 11:30:00 UTC 2017

AmiMoJo shares a report from NHK WORLD: Japan's Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus has unveiled what it says is the world's first mass-produced electric truck, as automakers around the world go all out to develop cars that run on battery power. The vehicle can carry about 3 tons of cargo and travel about 100 kilometers on a single charge. The … [Link]

Mashable » This one lyric from 'Gorgeous' is proof that the old Taylor Swift is not dead

Friday 20 October 11:23:21 UTC 2017

Hey everyone, remember when Taylor Swift said that the old Taylor is dead?  Well, she might have been telling us a little white lie. One lyric in Swift's just-dropped song "Gorgeous" is proof that the old Taylor is very much alive and kicking.  SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift just dropped a new song and it's 'Gorgeous' On the off-chance that you were … [Link]

Mashable » The next tech bubble will last weeks, not years, and it will be gloriously insane

Friday 20 October 11:15:00 UTC 2017

I’ve been there for the early ICO (initial coin offering) days for cryptocurrencies. I've seen companies raise hundreds of millions of dollars within hours, and I've seen valuations for startups that don't even have a working product climb to billions.  And now that these clay giants have begun to crumble, I look back at the beginnings of the ICO craze, and … [Link]

Mashable » New 'Harry Potter' exhibition shows us J.K. Rowling's original pitch letter

Friday 20 October 11:06:12 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ Potter: A History of Magic Exhibition","sources&quot~ More about Harry Potter, Harry Potter A History Of Magic, British Library, Culture, and Harry Potter [Link]

Mashable » Tim Cook promises a new Mac mini will come some day

Friday 20 October 10:08:43 UTC 2017

You thought that just because Apple hasn't updated it in over three years, the Mac mini is dead? We don't blame you, but according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, there's still hope for Apple's tiny desktop computer.  The news comes via Cook's somewhat surprising response to a customer's letter, unearthed by MacRumors.  SEE ALSO: Tim Cook thinks you should stop whining … [Link]

Slashdot » Blue Origin Successfully Test Fires Game-Changing BE-4 Rocket Engine

Friday 20 October 10:00:00 UTC 2017

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture has successfully test-fired its BE-4 rocket engine, marking a key step in the development of its own New Glenn rocket as well as United Launch Alliance's next-generation rocket. GeekWire reports: ULA has been waiting for months to get good news about the BE-4 tests in West Texas. The company wanted to see a successful … [Link]

Mashable » Mary Berry talks about late son in deeply moving video about grief

Friday 20 October 9:44:44 UTC 2017

A group of British celebrities—including GBBO alumna Mary Berry—have shared what they would say to their late loved ones if they had one more minute with them.  The deeply moving video is part of a campaign by Child Bereavement UK, a charity which supports families when a child of any age dies, or when children are facing bereavement.  Mary Berry … [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk and 'Rick and Morty' creators met IRL at the SpaceX headquarters

Friday 20 October 9:37:31 UTC 2017

Elon Musk believes there's a one in billions chance that we live in a simulated reality. To demonstrate that the singularity is coming soon to our level of the Matrix, he just hang out IRL with the nihilistic, genius authors of Rick and Morty.  SEE ALSO: Elon Musk unveils his plans to build cities in space Call it fate or quantum … [Link]

Mashable » Ben Wyatt and Jean-Ralphio respond to 'Parks and Rec' fan theories

Friday 20 October 9:29:20 UTC 2017

Whoever suggested that Leslie Knope embezzled funds needs to go and have a long think about what they did. SEE ALSO: Michael Fassbender and James Corden almost defeated by an inanimate door Adam Scott and Ben Schwartz, a.k.a Ben Wyatt and Jean-Ralphio from the ineffable Parks and Recreation, went on The Late Late Show with James Corden and recorded their … [Link]

Mashable » New Yorkers reveal the craziest thing they've seen on the subway and it's so, so grim

Friday 20 October 9:10:18 UTC 2017

There aren't many things human beings can agree on, but one sure-fire opinion guaranteed to band together even the most hated of enemies is this: the subway is hell on earth. We can all agree on that, can't we? And after watching the clip above — in which random New Yorkers are asked to describe the craziest thing they've seen … [Link]

Mashable » Glass bridge ups the ante with Instagram-ready optical illusions painted on the floor

Friday 20 October 9:02:51 UTC 2017

Just when you thought you saw all the glass bridges China had to offer, this one just upped the stakes by painting a set of heart-dropping optical illusions into the floor. A transparent bridge over the famed Yellow River in Zhongwei, city, Ningxia, was just launched with a set of photo-ready illusions painted into sections of its 328 metre length. SEE … [Link]

Mashable » Guy finds roach legs in McDonald's coffee cup

Friday 20 October 8:46:23 UTC 2017

Turns out it's easier to identify cockroach legs at a glance than you thought. A man in Bangkok, Thailand, discovered several floating bits of brown flecks in his coffee at McDonald's. SEE ALSO: Latte art horrors: Order a 3D roach on a cup of joe Upon closer inspection, he found to his dismay that the little bits were most probably cockroach … [Link]

Slashdot » Facebook Security Chief Says Its Corporate Network Is Run 'Like a College Campus'

Friday 20 October 8:40:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: Facebook's security chief has told employees that the social media giant needs to improve its internal security practices to be more akin to a defense contractor, according to a leaked recording obtained by ZDNet. Alex Stamos made the comments to employees at a late-July internal meeting where he argued that the company … [Link]

Mashable » Research examines how you can control your dreams

Friday 20 October 7:50:03 UTC 2017

Lucid dreams are fun, but inducing has largely been a matter of trial and error. You might have an easier experience next time you hit the hay, off the back of new research by Australia's University of Adelaide that looked into more effective lucid dream induction techniques. The results have been published in the journal Dreaming. SEE ALSO: In love with … [Link]

Slashdot » Could VR Field Trips Replace the Real Thing?

Friday 20 October 7:00:00 UTC 2017

turkeydance shares a report from RTV6, which cites a new editorial in the journal Science that explores the question, "Could VR field trips replace the real thing?" Virtual field trips have been around for a while, but they used to be pretty boring: some photos, some text — basically a Wikipedia entry. But they've come a long way. Nearpod and … [Link]

Mashable » Australian military developing VR programs to train soldiers to be more resilient to pressure

Friday 20 October 6:58:44 UTC 2017

Black Mirror is way ahead of us again.  Virtual reality training is being developed as a method to equip troops with resilience training before deployment — something a Black Mirror episode toyed with in season three. Australia's Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne, has announced $2.2 million for a University of Newcastle project that aims to develop enhanced resilience training for … [Link]

Mashable » Barack Obama is back on the campaign trail, baby

Friday 20 October 6:23:27 UTC 2017

He’s back. After months out of the spotlight, Barack Obama spoke at his first campaign rally, backing New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Murphy in front of a crowd of Democrats on Thursday night. SEE ALSO: Trumps offends family of another fallen soldier, and this time a $25,000 check was involved Following dribs and drabs of commentary online, Obama returned to … [Link]

Mashable » Taylor Swift just dropped a new song and it's 'Gorgeous'

Friday 20 October 4:03:19 UTC 2017

Swifties, we've got another one. Taylor Swift has dropped a brand new track from her highly anticipated sixth album Reputation, dubbed "Gorgeous." SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift, Pop's Capitalist Mastermind It's the third track released from the pop monarch's upcoming album, following "Look What You Made Me Do," and "Ready for It," released earlier this year. Have a listen: With a vibe … [Link]

Mashable » KFC follows only 11 people on Twitter, for one mindblowing reason

Friday 20 October 3:35:01 UTC 2017

KFC is very selective about who it follows on Twitter.   This international fast food brand, owned by Yum! Brands, Inc., has strict standards, unlike the people who eat its $5 Fill Ups.  SEE ALSO: So yeah, this dude got a KFC tattoo on his body for some reason One dude on Twitter discovered this and couldn't believe it. He's going … [Link]

Slashdot » Senators Announce New Bill That Would Regulate Online Political Ads

Friday 20 October 3:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: As tech companies face continued scrutiny over Russian activity on their ad platforms, Senators today announced legislation meant to regulate political ads on the internet. The new bill, called the Honest Ads Act, would require companies like Facebook and Google to keep copies of political ads and make them publicly available. … [Link]

Mashable » Lawmakers try their hand at banning ticketing bots, but it's not the end of them

Friday 20 October 2:45:26 UTC 2017

The pain of narrowly missing out on concert tickets is an all too common feeling. While we might be quick to blame our reflexes, scalpers employing bots have been wreaking havoc in the now mostly digital ticket selling business.  SEE ALSO: Why Twitter's 30 million bots are here to stay The Australian state of New South Wales will ban these ticket … [Link]

Slashdot » Denuvo's DRM Now Being Cracked Within Hours of Release

Friday 20 October 2:20:00 UTC 2017

Denuvo, an anti-tamper technology and digital rights management scheme, isn't doing a very good job preventing PC games from being copied. According to Ars Technica, Denuvo releases are being publicly cracked within a day of their launch. From the report: This week's release of South Park: The Fractured but Whole is the latest to see its protections broken less than … [Link]

Mashable » Experts don't know if the fake news problem will get more or less awful

Friday 20 October 2:05:36 UTC 2017

If you're looking for good news about the future of false information on the internet, please close this little post and continue your search. Your eyes are wasting their time here.  A Pew Research Center study published on Thursday polled more than 1,000 experts of various kinds on how they view the future of fake news.  SEE ALSO: Donald Trump claims … [Link]

Slashdot » Verizon Loses 18,000 Pay TV Subscribers, Signals Delay For Live TV Streaming Service

Friday 20 October 1:40:00 UTC 2017

Verizon announced on Thursday that its FiOS video service lost 18,000 net pay TV subscribers in the third quarter, compared with the addition of 36,000 subscribers in the year-ago period and 15,000 subscriber drop in the second quarter. Hollywood Reporter reports: The company said the drop in the latest quarter was "reflecting the ongoing shift from traditional linear video to … [Link]

Mashable » Arianna Huffington has a solution to your annoying phone notification problem

Friday 20 October 1:37:32 UTC 2017

Uber board member, media mogul, and sleep crusader Arianna Huffington wants you to turn off your phone. That's easier said than done, of course, so she's teamed up with Samsung to make an app that will help you force yourself into it. SEE ALSO: Facebook just acquired tbh and its 5 million teen users It's called Thrive, and the goal, according … [Link]

Mashable » Twitter shares its roadmap to curb abuse

Friday 20 October 1:27:53 UTC 2017

Twitter prides itself on being "what's happening," but unfortunately for the company's users, what's frequently happening is unchecked harassment. CEO Jack Dorsey apparently has plans to change all that, and today put forth a roadmap for curbing abuse on the social media platform.  In an Oct. 19 post, the Twitter Safety team published a detailed calendar listing target dates and goals … [Link]

Mashable » Quentin Tarantino says he knew about Harvey Weinstein's abuses

Friday 20 October 1:02:22 UTC 2017

Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino had the goods on Harvey Weinstein decades ago — and could have done more to stop his abusive behavior.  That's what Tarantino, one of Weinstein's most frequent directorial collaborators, admitted Thursday in a mea culpa of a New York Times interview. He knew — because his own girlfriend had been abused by him.  SEE ALSO: How the 'casting … [Link]

Slashdot » How Google's Pixel 2 'Now Playing' Song Identification Works

Friday 20 October 1:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report from VentureBeat, written by Emil Protalinski: The most interesting Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL feature, to me, is Now Playing. If you've ever used Shazam or SoundHound, you probably understand the basics: The app uses your device's microphone to capture an audio sample and creates an acoustic fingerprint to compare against a … [Link]

Mashable » Lupita Nyong'o shares her own disturbing Harvey Weinstein experiences

Friday 20 October 0:47:19 UTC 2017

The list of women speaking out about their creepy experiences with Harvey Weinstein is only getting longer by the day. And as of today, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o has joined their ranks. In an essay for The New York Times, Nyong'o has outlined, in heartbreaking and occasionally stomach-churning detail, a series of interactions with Weinstein dating back to 2011 – well … [Link]

Mashable » Nintendo Switch gives users 2 big new features in update

Friday 20 October 0:46:53 UTC 2017

In an effort to catch up with consoles released a decade ago, Nintendo has finally added video recording and save transfers to the Switch.  Capturing video is now as easy as holding down the Capture button during gameplay, and recording up to 30 seconds of video.  SEE ALSO: These special grips let you finally play with the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons … [Link]

Slashdot » Amazon Spends $350K On Seattle Mayor's Race

Friday 20 October 0:20:00 UTC 2017

reifman writes: Until this summer, Amazon had never contributed more than $15,000 to a city political campaign in Seattle, but this year's different. The company is a lead funder in the Seattle Chamber of Commerce's PAC which dropped $525,000 Monday on Jenny Durkan's PAC, the centrist business candidate. Her opponent Cary Moon is an advocate for affordable housing, which complicates … [Link]

Mashable » Man compares a $10,000 dog with a $1 dog, and the results are shocking

Friday 20 October 0:08:31 UTC 2017

Before you run out and buy that budget $1 dog, please watch this video. Seriously though, the trend of comparing cheap and expensive food and products has reached an all-time high, so this parody from YouTuber jacksfilms is long overdue.  Read more… More about Funny, Parody, Viral Videos, Culture, and Animals [Link]

Mashable » Mom accidentally texts her daughter something very NSFW

Friday 20 October 0:00:27 UTC 2017

Happy ass-eating season everyone! Grace, a 23-year-old working in advertising in Boston recently had an extremely awkward conversation with her mom when she accidentally texted her something very NSFW. Thankfully, things weren't as they immediately appeared.  SEE ALSO: Grandma accidentally buys a super NSFW book for her granddaughter and it's hilarious !!!!!!!!! WHO DID THIS TO MY INNOCENT MOTHER !!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/zneJIzKu6f … [Link]

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