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 » American football won't last much longer, because it's killing itself

Sunday 10 December 23:50:17 UTC 2017

Football is violent, but the public's disgust with the damage caused by America's most popular game might finally have reached a critical point this season. The sport is killing itself, and the most powerful arbiter of its practice, the NFL, might just let that death happen by not taking care of its players.  SEE ALSO: Toys for Tots is partnering with … [Link]

Mashable » Netflix drops super-charged trailer for Marvel's 'Jessica Jones' Season 2

Sunday 10 December 23:27:55 UTC 2017

"If you say with great power comes great responsibility, I swear I'll throw up on you." Jessica Jones is back for a second season, with Netflix dropping a teaser trailer and premiere date at CCXP in Sao Paulo over the weekend. The Marvel series will return on March 8, 2018 at 12:01 a.m. PT in all locations where Netflix is … [Link]

Slashdot » Launch of Bitcoin Futures Trading Crashes CBOE Site

Sunday 10 December 23:17:00 UTC 2017

"5PM CT is the start of Bitcoin futures trading and the $CBOE website appears to be down," one market watcher posted on Twitter (and his observation was quickly confirmed by other cryptocurrency-watching accounts and confirmed by CBOE). "I'm guessing watching Bitcoin futures start trading is a more popular spectator sport than anticipated." Bitcoin futures will also begin trading on the … [Link]

Mashable » Please enjoy this happy panda bear rolling in the snow

Sunday 10 December 22:35:07 UTC 2017

At least there's someone in Washington with a reason to feel happy. Mei Xiang the panda, who calls D.C.'s National Zoo her home, is loving the freshly fallen snow in the U.S. capital this weekend. The zoo kindly shared a video our panda friend's frolics and… well… it's delightful. SEE ALSO: The greatest wins and fails in the wild 🐼❤️❄&#~ #MeiXiang’s … [Link]

Slashdot » Top iOS Apps of 2017: Bitmoji Beats Snapchat, YouTube, and Facebook Messenger

Sunday 10 December 22:27:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes CNN: Apple has unveiled its list of most downloaded iOS apps of the year, and topping the list is free custom emoji app Bitmoji… Bitmoji soared to the top of the list, thanks to an integration with Snapchat. (Snapchat's parent company acquired Bitmoji last year for an unknown amount)… Users must download the Bitmoji app to … [Link]

Mashable » 'Star Wars' porg is available on Snapchat as your adorable AR friend

Sunday 10 December 21:26:57 UTC 2017

And you thought the dancing hot dog was the best thing ever. SEE ALSO: Congrats world, you watched Snapchat's dancing hot dog 1.5 billion times Meet your new best friend on Snapchat: Porg.  It's creepy. It's adorable. It's an ad for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which held its premiere in Hollywood this weekend and arrives in theaters on Friday.  When … [Link]

Slashdot » Coinbase Warns During Times of High Volatility, Access Could Become 'Unavailable'

Sunday 10 December 21:22:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes City AM: A leading bitcoin exchange has warned that customers may be unable to get their money out quickly in the event of a crash in the cryptocurrency's price. Writing in a blog post last week, Coinbase's co-founder and chief executive Brian Armstrong, said despite "sizeable and ongoing" increases in the firm's technical infrastructure and engineering … [Link]

Slashdot » Exhausted Amazon Drivers Are Working 11-Hour Shifts For Less Than Minimum Wage

Sunday 10 December 20:17:00 UTC 2017

schwit1 quotes the Daily Mirror: Drivers are being asked to deliver up to 200 parcels a day for Amazon while earning less than the minimum wage, a Sunday Mirror investigation reveals today… Many routinely exceed the legal maximum shift of 11 hours and finish their days dead on their feet. Yet they have so little time for food or toilet … [Link]

Mashable » There's a ton of snow in Buffalo, and also a football game if you can see through it

Sunday 10 December 20:13:25 UTC 2017

If you hadn't heard, snow finally came to the Northeast this weekend.  The wintry pounding continues in frigid Buffalo, New York, with intense lake effect snow bands — and even some lightning — hitting the area. Image: Radarscope via Andrew FreedmanSuch snow bands occur when cold air blows over the relatively warm water of a lake picking up moisture, and dumping … [Link]

Slashdot » Did Programming Language Flaws Create Insecure Apps?

Sunday 10 December 19:12:00 UTC 2017

Several popular interpreted programming languages are affected by severe vulnerabilities that expose apps built on these languages to attacks, according to research presented at the Black Hat Europe 2017 security conference. An anonymous reader writes: The author of this research is IOActive Senior Security Consultant Fernando Arnaboldi, who says he used an automated software testing technique named fuzzing to identify … [Link]

Mashable » The latest 'Ready Player One' trailer is filled with a bunch of new geeky references

Sunday 10 December 18:50:18 UTC 2017

New Ready Player One trailers are quickly turning into a game of "spot the reference." Sure, there's plenty of excitement for director Steven Spielberg's first crack at live-action sci-fi/fantasy since 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  But let's be real: Many of us are here, poring over the new trailers, to see which of our favorite … [Link]

Mashable » Cards Against Humanity tries to disrupt wealth inequality with latest campaign

Sunday 10 December 18:36:45 UTC 2017

Cards can make people laugh, and they can make them rich.  We're not talking about gambling. Rather, it's another round of Cards Against Humanity trying to "save America" with a fundraising campaign.  SEE ALSO: Sorry, Cards Against Humanity can't stop Trump's wall For day three of the effort, Cards Against Humanity attempted to tackle wealth inequality. The issue is pervasive not … [Link]

Mashable » A kid questioned his bullies and got support from the entire internet

Sunday 10 December 18:22:39 UTC 2017

Bullies suck, but sometimes the best way to deal with them is to call out their deplorable actions in public. One kid and his mother took to the internet to talk about his bad treatment at the hands of other kids, and ended up finding more support than they could've ever expected.  SEE ALSO: I'm not crying over a Burger King … [Link]

Slashdot » FCC Refuses Records For Investigation Into Fake Net Neutrality Comments

Sunday 10 December 18:04:00 UTC 2017

"FCC general counsel Tom Johnson has told the New York State attorney general that the FCC is not providing information for his investigation into fake net-neutrality comments, saying those comments did not affect the review, and challenging the state's ability to investigate the feds." Variety has more: The FCC's general counsel, in a letter to New York Attorney General Eric … [Link]

Mashable » Alcoholic gift ideas that say, 'Your political opinions are worth hearing'

Sunday 10 December 18:00:00 UTC 2017

Around the holidays everyone always has those special family members they want to avoid having conversations with at all costs. But alas, these problematic individuals are still family, and they need presents too. SEE ALSO: 11 seasonal candle scents you really, really need to try this fall To help ease the pain, we've compiled list of obviously alcoholic gift ideas that … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft's 'Malware Protection Engine' Had A Remote Code Execution Flaw

Sunday 10 December 16:59:00 UTC 2017

Slashdot reader Trax3001BBS shares an article from The Register: Microsoft posted an out-of-band security update Thursday to address a remote code execution flaw in its Malware Protection Engine. Redmond says the flaw, dubbed CVE-2017-11937, has not yet been exploited in the wild. Because it is an out-of-band critical fix, however, it should be installed as soon as possible. For most … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Daily API RoundUp: Salesforce Einstein, ThingScale, Mailforce

Sunday 10 December 16:37:07 UTC 2017

Every day, the ProgrammableWeb team is busy, updating its three primary directories for APIs, clients (language-specific libraries or SDKs for consuming or providing APIs), and source code samples. [Link]

Mashable » Starbucks Christmas Tree Frappuccino tastes like sugar and regret (but I took many photos)

Sunday 10 December 16:16:57 UTC 2017

Nothing says Christmas like a cold cup of sugar.  At least that's what I kept telling myself as I took a sip, and another one of the Christmas Tree Frappuccino. It's Starbucks' latest concoction that has people running out to corporate coffee shops, where they spend $5 and most likely take a bunch of smartphone photos to later post on social … [Link]

Mashable » We might not get another season of 'Stranger Things' until 2019 because next year's gonna suck too

Sunday 10 December 15:59:19 UTC 2017

Read more… {"player":{"descript~ is back.","image":&quot~ from 'Stranger Things' is beefing up to play Hellboy","sources":[~ out,workout,real-time,training,real~ video,stranger things,trainer,real time,weightlifting,real-time-video,~ harbour,real time video,daddy,hellboy,jim hopper","sec0":null,~ out,workout,real-time,training,real~ video,stranger things,trainer,real time,weightlifting,real-time-video,~ harbour,real time video,daddy,hellboy,jim hopper","videoSeriesName&~ More about Game Of Thrones, Stranger Things, David Harbour, Stranger Things Season 3, and Entertainment [Link]

Mashable » 'SNL' Weekend Update gets real about Al Franken, Roy Moore, and sexual misconduct

Sunday 10 December 15:54:41 UTC 2017

Saturday Night Live might have badly dropped the ball at one point this week, but the latest episode's Weekend Update sketch delivered, at least. The usual rapid-fire barrage of one-liners from hosts Michael Che and Colin Jost touched on the news of the day — Jerusalem, Donald Trump's health, a looming possible government shutdown — but the sketch really landed … [Link]

Slashdot » New Satellite Experiment Helps Confirm Einstein's Equivalence Principle

Sunday 10 December 15:54:00 UTC 2017

Part of Einstein's theory of general relativity posits that gravity equals inertial mass — and for the first time in 10 years, there's new evidence that he's right. Slashdot reader orsayman reports: Most stories around space today seem to revolve around SpaceX, but let's not forget that space is also a place for cool physics experiments. One such experiment currently … [Link]

Mashable » Pro-tip: Watch your dog so they don't eat 21 pacifiers

Sunday 10 December 15:08:33 UTC 2017

Dogs eat anything.  Okay, maybe not anything, but we do know of one dog that ate 21 pacifiers and that should serve as a warning for pet owners everywhere.  SEE ALSO: You can now have matching PJs with your dog A 4-year-old Shar-Pei named Dovey underwent surgery last week after his owners were concerned about how much weight he had lost … [Link]

Mashable » 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' premiere left the first audience to ever see the movie visibly stunned

Sunday 10 December 15:02:41 UTC 2017

  Cheers, chills, and Chewbacca, too. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a movie of massive moments, jaw-dropping decisions, and megatons of involuntary audience participation. There is no fighting it: Every crowd — not just the first to see it — is going to devolve. Loudly. SEE ALSO: 'The Last Jedi' first premiere reactions are here and – you guessed it … [Link]

Slashdot » Touting Government/Industry 'Partnership' on Security Practices, NIST Drafts Cybersecurity Framework Update

Sunday 10 December 14:49:00 UTC 2017

Remember NIST, the non-regulatory agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce? Their mission expanded over the years to protecting businesses from cyberthreats, including a "Cybersecurty Framework" first published in 2014. "The original goal was to develop a voluntary framework to help organizations manage cybersecurity risk in the nation's critical infrastructure, such as bridges and the electric power grid," NIST wrote … [Link]

Mashable » 'Saturday Night Live' turns a sexual harassment sketch into a WTF bad comment on double standards

Sunday 10 December 14:35:19 UTC 2017

Wait. What?  Last week's "Welcome to Hell" sketch was Saturday Night Live at its best, turning a pop music video into a scathing rebuke of a culture that's enabled egregious acts of sexual misconduct. This week's "Sexual Harassment Charlie" sketch, on the other hand, was SNL at its absolute worst. SEE ALSO: Female senators asked Al Franken to resign. The … [Link]

Mashable » Which houseplants make the best gifts?

Sunday 10 December 14:00:00 UTC 2017

A houseplant is the gift that keeps on giving. It purifies the air and will spruce up virtually any residence. But which houseplants make the best gifts? Whether you're looking for a living room focal point or a cute little Instagram plant, you have a couple nice options. One thing to remember: unless you recipient is a Plant Master, you'll want … [Link]

Mashable » Get a comprehensive set of online courses in computer science for 97% off

Sunday 10 December 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. If you thought you missed your chance to major in computer science when you opted for art history in college, there's good news after all. There are such things as second chances, and thanks to the influx of online learning, gaining a new skill … [Link]

Mashable » Get creative this year with personalized gifts for everyone on your list

Sunday 10 December 13:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. No one has ever has put socks, candles, or gift cards at the very top of his or her holiday wish list, but that hasn't stopped the occasional Secret Santa from dashing out to a local drugstore in search of those items 15 minutes … [Link]

Mashable » Get this drone and solve all your selfie problems for good

Sunday 10 December 12:00:00 UTC 2017

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Over the past few years, selfies have transformed from a guilty pleasure to a viable way to take those special Kodak moments without bothering strangers. But while selfies may be all the rage, they're not the easiest to capture. From contorting your hand into … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Are There Any Good Smartwatches Or Fitness Trackers?

Sunday 10 December 11:44:00 UTC 2017

"What's your opinion on the current state of smartwatches?" asks long-time Slashdot reader rodrigoandrade. He's been researching both smartwatches and fitness trackers, and shares his own opinions: – Manufacturers have learnt from Moto 360 that people want round smartwatches that actually look like traditional watches, with a couple of glaring exceptions…. – Android Wear 2.0 is a thing, not vaporware. … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Cards Against Humanity' Gives Out $1000 Checks

Sunday 10 December 8:39:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader writes: In November "Cards Against Humanity" announced "a complicated holiday promotion" where people paid $15 for six surprises in December. (For the first surprise in the Cards Against Humanity Saves America promotion, "we purchased a plot of vacant land on the border and retained a law firm specializing in eminent domain to make it as time-consuming and … [Link]

Mashable » 'The Last Jedi' first premiere reactions are here and – you guessed it – the Force is strong

Sunday 10 December 5:57:34 UTC 2017

Star Wars: The Last Jedi held its star-studded world premiere at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Saturday night, and the credits had barely finished rolling before attendees hit Twitter to share their first reactions to Rian Johnson's take on the Skywalker saga. While spoilers and plot details are under strict embargo until Dec. 12 at 9 a.m. PT, that … [Link]

Mashable » Santa on 'Saturday Night Live' has some thoughts about Roy Moore

Sunday 10 December 5:36:23 UTC 2017

Christmastime is here. Happiness and cheer. And sexual harassment and assault and NFL anthem protests and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Everything in the news was coming out of Santa's bag on tonight's Saturday Night Live cold open, and if their questions were any indication, the kids are not all right. Precious cherub No. 1 asked Santa (Kenan Thompson) for some toys, … [Link]

Slashdot » Intel's ME May Be Massively Infringing on Minix3's Free Software License

Sunday 10 December 5:34:00 UTC 2017

Software engineer (and IP Watchdog contributor) Fredrik Ohrstrom (a.k.a. Slashdot reader anjara) writes: Almost all Free Software licenses (BSD, MIT, GPL…) require some sort of legal notice (legal attribution) given to the recipient of the software, both when the software is distributed in source and in binary forms. The legal notice usually contains the copyright holder's name and the license … [Link]

Mashable » Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill AND Steve Martin crash James Franco's 'SNL' monologue

Sunday 10 December 5:06:54 UTC 2017

James Franco started tonight's Saturday Night Live monologue bummed that the show brass doesn't do anything fancy for a host's fourth time at the rodeo, like give him a Five-Timers jacket, or even write a script. (Humblebrag noted, Jimmy James.) So instead, Franco took random audience questions. But one woman's thoughtful and probing question about the actor's career trajectory was … [Link]

Slashdot » San Diego Comic-Con Wins Trademark Suit Against 'Salt Lake Comic Con'

Sunday 10 December 2:34:00 UTC 2017

The Deseret News reports: A jury has found that Salt Lake Comic Con founders Dan Farr and Bryan Brandenburg, along with their company, violated a trademark when they named their fan convention a "comic con." However, the jury decided that the trademark was not willfully violated, and only awarded $20,000 of the $12 million that San Diego Comic-Con had asked … [Link]

Slashdot » Autocratic Governments Can Now 'Buy Their Own NSA'

Sunday 10 December 0:34:00 UTC 2017

Citizen Lab has been studying information controls since 2001, and this week their director — a Toronto political science professor — revealed how governments (including Ethiopia's) are using powerful commercial spyware. Slashdot reader mspohr shared their report: We monitored the command and control servers used in the campaign and in doing so discovered a public log file that the operators … [Link]

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