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.

Slashdot » Fake WhatsApp App Downloaded 1 Million Times

Saturday 4 November 23:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes Fortune: Reddit users yesterday spotted an extremely convincing spoofed copy of the popular WhatsApp messenger on Google Play. The fake was downloaded by more than 1 million users, who instead of a messaging tool wound up with a bundle of ads… The fake WhatsApp was nearly indistinguishable from the real thing thanks to an invisible space … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » DBS Bank Launches New API Developer Platform

Saturday 4 November 23:01:33 UTC 2017

On Thursday, Singapore-based DBS Bank, Southeast Asia's biggest bank, announced a banking API developer platform that it says is "the largest by a bank anywhere in the world." [Link]

Mashable » Milo Yiannopoulos landed an unpaid writing gig, then lost it and got his editor got fired

Saturday 4 November 22:42:34 UTC 2017

Bite at the universe, and occasionally, the universe will, in fact, bite back. So goes the most recent development in the saga of noted troll and ex-Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos's rough week. On Thursday he lost his biggest benefactor, conservative billionaire Robert Mercer. And now, not only is he out of a job, but — get this — his presence with … [Link]

Slashdot » 9.6% of Facebook's Users 'May Be Fakes'

Saturday 4 November 22:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes the New York Times: Facebook estimates that about 200 million of its more than 2.07 billion users may be fakes… [Non-paywalled article here.] Colin Stretch, the general counsel of Facebook, told the Senate Intelligence Committee the company was doubling its review staff to 20,000 and using artificial intelligence to find more "bad actors"… Sean Edgett, Twitter's … [Link]

Slashdot » Advice To Twitter Worker Who Deactivated Trump's Account: 'Get A Lawyer'

Saturday 4 November 21:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes The Hill: A prominent attorney for cybersecurity issues has this advice to the unnamed Twitter worker said to have pulled the plug on President Trump's Twitter account: "Don't say anything and get a lawyer." Tor Ekeland told The Hill that while the facts of the case are still unclear and the primary law used to prosecute … [Link]

Mashable » Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard were forced to improvise when their kids, uh, walked in on them

Saturday 4 November 20:55:03 UTC 2017

You know what? Life is weird. Things happen. And if you're a parent, one of those things might be your kid accidentally walking in on you having sex. This even happens to famous people! For example, it happened to Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, which Bell graciously explained on Friday's The Talk.  Seems like they handled it well, though — … [Link]

Slashdot » Peter Thiel Could End Up Owning Gawker

Saturday 4 November 20:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Gawker's assets are now up for sale, and Page Six reports that they could be sold to a Hollywood movie studio which is "seriously interested" in adapting the site's stories into movies or TV shows — and is also looking into filming the story of Gawker itself. Another interested buyer is described as a "group of … [Link]

Mashable » A producer reportedly wanted 'Crazy Rich Asians' to star a white woman

Saturday 4 November 19:56:10 UTC 2017

Today in bad but unsurprising revelations: Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan was reportedly pressured by a film producer to make the book's Chinese-American protagonist, Rachel Chu, a white woman instead. Kwan detailed the experience, which happened before the book was even published, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. SEE ALSO: Author tweets about whitewashed book cover, and sparks discussion on … [Link]

Mashable » Harrison Ford: 'We’ve got people in charge of important sh*t who don’t believe in science'

Saturday 4 November 19:34:05 UTC 2017

Harrison Ford may be Hollywood's most entertaining grumpy, old man. His penchant for blunt real talk, especially on topics he cares about, is downright refreshing. Such was the case on Thursday night when Ford received an award from the environmental non-profit group, Conservation International. The actor used his acceptance speech that night to dish out some pointed criticism of Donald Trump … [Link]

Slashdot » A Third of the Internet Experienced DoS Attacks in the Last Two Years

Saturday 4 November 19:34:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader doom writes: Over a two year period, a third of the IPv4 address space have experienced some sort of DoS attack, though the researchers who've ascertained this suspect this is an underestimate. This is from a story at Science Daily reporting on a study recently presented in London at the Internet Measurement Conference. "As might be expected, … [Link]

Mashable » Send your finest holiday cards to this 9-year-old Christmas fan

Saturday 4 November 18:43:24 UTC 2017

Nine-year-old Jacob Thompson, who has stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma, will be celebrating his last Christmas this year. But he's still feeling the holiday spirit — and he'd love to get some homemade cards. SEE ALSO: This glow in the dark blanket acts as a cool forcefield for kids Per a GoFundMe page created by Jacob's parents, Jacob was admitted to the … [Link]

Slashdot » Appeals Court Rules: SCO v. IBM Case Can Continue

Saturday 4 November 18:34:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Freshly Exhumed quotes Ars Technica: A federal appeals court has now partially ruled in favor of the SCO Group, breathing new life into a lawsuit and a company (now bankrupt and nearly dead) that has been suing IBM for nearly 15 years. Last year, U.S. District Judge David Nuffer had ruled against SCO (whose original name was … [Link]

Slashdot » 3D Printing Doubles the Strength of Stainless Steel

Saturday 4 November 17:34:00 UTC 2017

sciencehabit writes: Researchers have come up with a way to 3D print tough and flexible stainless steel, an advance that could lead to faster and cheaper ways to make everything from rocket engines to parts for nuclear reactors and oil rigs. The team designed a computer-controlled process to not only create dense stainless steel layers, but to more tightly control … [Link]

Mashable » Amazon's new furniture line Rivet is here to compete with Ikea and West Elm

Saturday 4 November 16:43:38 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Amazon appears to be hellbent on dominating the world of retail from the mundane grocery stores to (possibly) high-stakes cryptocurrency trading.  SEE ALSO: Amazon's first Black Friday deals are here, and they're pretty awesome Amazon has saved most of their marketing hype for smart … [Link]

Slashdot » Are You OK With Google Reading Your Data?

Saturday 4 November 16:34:00 UTC 2017

Remember when Google randomly flagged files in Google Docs for violating its terms of service? An anonymous reader quotes InfoWorld: Many people worried that Google was scanning users' documents in real time to determine if they're being mean or somehow bad. You actually agree to such oversight in Google G Suite's terms of service. Those terms include personal conduct stipulations … [Link]

Mashable » 'Uptown Funk' has made carpooling awkward for Michelle Pfeiffer's kids

Saturday 4 November 16:32:16 UTC 2017

Michelle Pfeiffer was "flattered" — if a little perplexed — to be name-dropped in "Uptown Funk."  The mention was, however, a little embarrassing: for Pfeiffer when it randomly starts playing during a workout class, and for her kids when it comes on the radio in the carpool line. Wonder how they feel about "Riptide" by Vance Joy. Read more… More … [Link]

Mashable » Everyone needs a good handheld vacuum and this sleek Dyson one is $70 off

Saturday 4 November 16:29:26 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Small messes are constant, but big upright vacuums are possibly the most inconvenient appliance to have if your living space is limited. Stop using a crappy dustpan and get your hands on this sleek looking handheld Dyson DC34 that happens to be $70 off … [Link]

Mashable » Lush color photos capture the cityscapes of New York in Chicago in the '70s and '80s

Saturday 4 November 16:00:00 UTC 2017

1984Dave’s Restaurant, New York.Image: Wayne Sorce/Joseph Bellows GalleryBorn in Chicago in 1946, Wayne Sorce studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and went on to have a distinguished career in photography.In the 1970s and ‘80s, Sorce explored the urban landscapes of New York and Chicago with his large format camera, making precisely balanced compositions of color, geometry, and … [Link]

Mashable » How to clean up all the useless app subscriptions on iOS

Saturday 4 November 15:55:58 UTC 2017

Apps are essential to getting the most out of our smartphones, but the subscriptions that some of those apps rope us into are far from necessary once they fall out of regular rotation.  Even the best of us probably have an app sub or two we've forgotten about after signing up once and never using the program again, which can be … [Link]

Slashdot » Firefox Borrows From Tor Browser Again, Blocks Canvas Fingerprinting

Saturday 4 November 15:34:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: Mozilla engineers have borrowed yet another feature from the Tor Browser and starting with version 58 Firefox will block attempts to fingerprint users using the HTML5 canvas element. The technique is widely used in the advertising industry to track users across sites. Firefox 58 is scheduled for release on January 16, 2018. Canvas fingerprinting blocking is … [Link]

Mashable » Not to be dramatic but this dog has the cutest smile ever

Saturday 4 November 15:18:27 UTC 2017

Friends, please meet Layla the spaniel, an unspeakably adorable dog who loves to be pet. From the looks of this clip, it seems she also loves to wag her tail, cuddle, and deliver the most perfect soft smile we've ever seen. Layla, girl, you're doing amazing. Please keep it up. I will be sending this video to all my friends … [Link]

Mashable » How does the iPhone X really measure up?

Saturday 4 November 15:00:00 UTC 2017

We ran a few tests to see just how powerful the iPhone X really is. Read more…More about Apple, Iphone, Mashable Video, Test, and Iphone 7 [Link]

Mashable » George H.W. Bush on Donald Trump: 'I don't like him.'

Saturday 4 November 14:58:30 UTC 2017

There ain't no shade like ex-U.S. president shade, because ex-U.S. president shade comes from someone who was literally a leader of the free world. Today's shade-thrower is George H.W. Bush. The first President Bush pulls no punches in his frank take on Donald Trump. The detail, in the form of a direct quote, comes from author John Updegrove's upcoming book, The … [Link]

Slashdot » Software Freedom Law Center Launches Trademark War Against Software Freedom Conservancy

Saturday 4 November 14:34:00 UTC 2017

Long-time Slashdot reader Bruce Perens writes: The Software Freedom Law Center, a Linux-Foundation supported organization, has asked USPTO to cancel the trademark of the name of the Software Freedom Conservancy, an organization that assists and represents Free Software / Open Source developers. What makes this bizzare is that SFLC started SFC, SFLC was SFC's law firm and filed for the … [Link]

Mashable » What people in 1900 thought life would be like in the technological paradise of 2000

Saturday 4 November 14:00:00 UTC 2017

Personal flying machines.Image: Hildebrands/Public DomainIn 1900, German chocolate company Hildebrands produced a series of postcards imagining the wonders of life in the year 2000.The optimistic renderings envisioned people in Victorian fashions enjoying lives of boundless leisure and comfort enabled by a century of technological advancementThe predicted innovations range from accurate (live broadcasts of plays) to absurd (cities covered by weather-proof glass … [Link]

Mashable » Beyoncé recreated five Lil' Kim looks and they're all flawless

Saturday 4 November 13:54:20 UTC 2017

You thought Halloween was over four days ago? Oof, sorry. According to Beyoncé, it was actually Halloween yesterday.  The singer dazzled Instagram on Friday when she shared five — five — separate looks from her Lil' Kim costume this year. We're not exaggerating when we say that each is executed perfectly, from the hair to the accessories to the poses.  SEE … [Link]

Mashable » Kevin Spacey out at 'House of Cards,' Netflix says it won't work with him

Saturday 4 November 13:44:12 UTC 2017

Netflix is done with Kevin Spacey. The actor was suspended from House of Cards, and production on the show's sixth and final season has been shut down. Although Spacey hasn't returned to the set for work since reports of sexual misconduct first surfaced, producer Media Rights Capital made the suspension official on Friday evening. SEE ALSO: 'Star Trek: Discovery' actor alleges … [Link]

Mashable » Horse steals a bride's spotlight by posing with the biggest smile

Saturday 4 November 13:30:00 UTC 2017

Typically on a bride's wedding day, the last thing she wanta is to share the spotlight. However, there might be a few exceptions, especially if you're an adorable horse. Bride Patti Womer loves her two horses, Dutch and Cricket, and wanted the pair to play a part in her September wedding. But one of the horses stole the show as they … [Link]

Slashdot » Experts Propose Standard For IoT Firmware Updates

Saturday 4 November 13:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bleeping Computer: Security experts have filed a proposal with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) that defines a secure framework for delivering firmware updates to Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Filed on Monday by three ARM employees, their submission has entered the first phase of a three-stage process for becoming an official Internet … [Link]

Mashable » 5 moments when 'Stranger Things 2' was perfectly channeling Harry Potter

Saturday 4 November 12:55:43 UTC 2017

Stranger Things pulls from a known library of classic ‘80s movies, but it's also a classic story of a ragtag team of scrappy heroes fighting the battle of good versus evil. That's a tale as old as time —and the secret behind some of Hollywood's most successful and resonant stories. There are a lot of things you'd compare Stranger Things to … [Link]

Mashable » How civil rights activists harnessed the power of Amazon when America needed it most

Saturday 4 November 12:45:00 UTC 2017

When a group of civil rights activists saw the mounting need in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico following devastating hurricanes, they had an epiphany: It's on usUnsatisfied with the speed in which disaster relief flowed into ravaged areas, they made a choice. They weren't going to wait for the government or established nonprofits to respond. They would do it themselves. But … [Link]

Mashable » A timeline of the rogue Twitter employee's last day at work before deleting Trump's account

Saturday 4 November 12:00:00 UTC 2017

This post is a part of Mashable Humor. It is not real. We drew the bird, though, and think it's pretty good. A Twitter customer support employee is responsible for temporarily deactivating the account of President Trump for 11 minutes on Thursday night, just before 7:00 p.m. EST. According to a statement from the company, it was said employee's last day, … [Link]

Slashdot » Audacity 2.2.0 Released

Saturday 4 November 11:30:00 UTC 2017

Popular open-source audio editing software, Audacity, has received a significant update. The new version, dubbed Audacity 2.2.0, adds a range of features and options such as additional user interface themes, and the ability to customize themes for advanced users. It is also getting playback support for MIDI files, and better organised menus, the team wrote. You can find the complete … [Link]

Slashdot » Laika, the Pioneering Space Dog, Was Launched 60 Years Ago Today

Saturday 4 November 10:00:00 UTC 2017

sqorbit writes: Sixty years ago, the space race was in full swing. Russia had sent Sputnik into space with much success. In an effort to push farther, they rushed sending a dog into space in a re-purposed Sputnik rocket. The mission launched with no clear solution to a safe re-entry. Within a few hours of launch, temperature controls failed, killing … [Link]

Mashable » Master the entire Microsoft Office Suite for less than $40

Saturday 4 November 10:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Ok, let’s all just admit it. We’ve all had Microsoft Office under “skills” on our resumes for the last decade. And once we actually get an assignment that requires it, then the Googling starts. And the panicking. And the sweating. If you want to … [Link]

Mashable » A pressure cooker oven is definitely a thing and you need one

Saturday 4 November 10:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Binge-watching a couple episodes of Iron Chef America won't instantly turn you into a professional cook (unfortunately), but using gadgets approved by the show's prestigious alumni just might.  SEE ALSO: Want to make better French fries? Start with a mandoline slicer. Enter: the Wolfgang Puck … [Link]

Mashable » Transform your TV viewing experience with these trippy backlights

Saturday 4 November 10:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. The secret cabal of television industry leaders and tastemakers has gotten together and decided that the next big thing in TV technology is 4K. But 4K isn’t really that innovative. Sure, it’s a slightly higher resolution and it makes already really blue water look … [Link]

Mashable » 19 times Chrissy Teigen got hilariously angry with stuff on Twitter

Saturday 4 November 9:30:00 UTC 2017

Many celebrities are on Twitter, but not all celebrities are good tweeters. Far from it. Some of them are too promotional, some are too controversial, and others have accounts but barely tweet at all. SEE ALSO: 69 times Ryan Reynolds was hands down the funniest actor on Twitter Chrissy Teigen, meanwhile, is an example of an excellent tweeter. She's pretty much … [Link]

Slashdot » CBS To Reboot 'The Twilight Zone'

Saturday 4 November 7:00:00 UTC 2017

phalse phace writes: During CBS's Thursday evenings conference call for their 3rd quarter earnings, CEO Leslie Moonves revealed that CBS was planning to reboot the classic fantasy science-fiction television series "The Twilight Zone." According to the Hollywood Reporter, "the show hails from Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw banner, with Marco Ramirez set to pen the script and serve as showrunner." This wouldn't … [Link]

Slashdot » Equifax Investigation Clears Execs Who Dumped Stock Before Hack Announcement

Saturday 4 November 3:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: Equifax discovered on July 29th that it had been hacked, losing the Social Security numbers and other personal information of 143 million Americans — and then just a few days later, several of its executives sold stock worth a total of nearly $1.8 million. When the hack was publicly announced in September, … [Link]

Mashable » San Juan's mayor has a message for Moe from 'The Simpsons'

Saturday 4 November 3:08:08 UTC 2017

Moe the bartender and San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz both know what it's like to have paper towels thrown at them.  At least, that's the message from The Simpsons, which released a video on Friday night announcing the show had raised $25,000 for the people of Puerto Rico.  Apparently, Cruz appreciated the message.  Thank you Moe for understanding how we … [Link]

Slashdot » Chelsea Manning Archivist Excludes Hacktivist Jailed By Carmen Ortiz From Aaron Swartz Day

Saturday 4 November 2:05:00 UTC 2017

New submitter Danngggg writes: As you may recall from Slashdot last year, alleged Anonymous hacktivist Martin Gottesfeld has been imprisoned without bail since federal agents arrested him on board a Disney Cruise ship in February of 2016 to face hacking charges brought by controversial former U.S. attorney Carmen Ortiz. Though he's the only activist after Aaron Swartz to face a … [Link]

Slashdot » TorMoil Vulnerability Leaks Real IP Address From Tor Browser Users; Security Update Released

Saturday 4 November 1:25:00 UTC 2017

Catalin Cimpanu, reporting for BleepingComputer: The Tor Project has released a security update for the Tor Browser on Mac and Linux to fix a vulnerability that leaks users' real IP addresses. The vulnerability was spotted by Filippo Cavallarin, CEO of We Are Segment, an Italian company specialized in cyber-security and ethical hacking. Cavallarin privately reported the issue — which he … [Link]

Mashable » Spooked by Amazon, grocery store chain turns to … yoga pants?

Saturday 4 November 1:12:05 UTC 2017

Shoppers will soon be able to fill carts with yogurt and yoga pants at America's largest supermarket chain. Kroger said Friday that it's launching its own clothing line at around 300 of its stores next fall. The brand will encompass basic items for children and adults with a particular focus on activewear. SEE ALSO: If you shop at Target, we've got … [Link]

Slashdot » Alphabet Loses Another Trade Secret Claim In Its Lawsuit Against Uber

Saturday 4 November 0:45:00 UTC 2017

In a new order dated Nov. 2, Judge William Alsup said that Alphabet's self-driving arm Waymo cannot pursue one of the nine trade secrets it had accused Uber of misappropriating. The company had already been ordered to narrow its more than 120 trade secrets down to nine. Recode reports: The judge said, among other things, that the expert opinion that … [Link]

Slashdot » Some iPhone X Buyers Are Having Problems Activating Their Phones

Saturday 4 November 0:01:00 UTC 2017

Apple has started to ship the iPhone X across the United States, but some new iPhone X owners say they aren't able to start using their new phones due to carrier activation issues and congestion. From a report: A number of iPhone X owners on Twitter have reported having issues activating their new phones. The issue seems to be affecting … [Link]

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