Geekish

Anyone who works as a freelancer these days has to be at least a bit familiar with techie things. But it isn’t just that. When I was a kid and those vaguely SF puppet shows were on the television and all the other kids wanted to be Greg Gogetem or Steve Savetheuniverse, I wanted to be the guy in a white coat and glasses called Doc or Brains. Here are some technology-related feeds I find useful and/or entertaining.

Slashdot » Airlines With the Best In-Flight Wi-Fi

Friday 22 December 23:20:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Los Angeles Times: In the heated competition between airlines in the U.S., JetBlue Airways offers an extra perk that is pretty alluring to most travelers: Free, high-speed wireless internet. For that reason, an internet comparison site named JetBlue as the top domestic airline for overall WiFi service, followed by rivals Southwest Airlines, Delta … [Link]

Slashdot » Elon Musk Shows Off the Tesla Roadster That SpaceX Will Send Beyond Mars

Friday 22 December 22:40:00 UTC 2017

Elon Musk has released photos of the Tesla Roadster he plans to send to space via a Falcon Heavy rocket. "The series of photos, posted to Instagram, show the Roadster attached to a fitting and placed between the two halves of the payload fairing that caps the rocket," reports The Verge. "The photos were posted just hours after a picture … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: Thoughts On Star Wars: The Last Jedi One Week Later? [Spoilers]

Friday 22 December 22:00:00 UTC 2017

AmiMoJo writes: After what feels like an eternity of waiting, Star Wars: The Last Jedi has finally reached cinemas, scoring a whopping $450 million opening weekend worldwide. While reviews have been unanimously positive for Rian Johnson's blockbuster, there's been huge backlash online, many fans expressing disappointment. There's no better place to see the great divide between critics and fans than … [Link]

Mashable » Stick to your New Year's Resolutions with these classes, products, and helpful ideas

Friday 22 December 21:45:29 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.January is a great time for a fresh start. No matter what you're planning this year — from staying fit and getting more sleep, to changing careers or finally writing that novel — … [Link]

Mashable » Someone made Donald Trump the perfect Christmas present and he couldn't be happier

Friday 22 December 21:41:47 UTC 2017

We never really thought of Donald Trump as a simple man who indulges in the joy of homemade presents, but one sign may have changed that. As President Trump stepped off Air Force One on Friday to begin his holiday in Florida, he was greeted by supporters in West Palm Beach, one of whom handed him a large, hand-drawn sign that … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook tool lets you see if you followed the Russians

Friday 22 December 21:29:46 UTC 2017

Facebook released a previously promised tool that lets you see if you've followed any of the fake pages meant to help Russia influence the 2016 presidential election. SEE ALSO: Oh joy! Soon, Facebook will reveal what Russian propaganda you 'liked' The tool, which you can check here, shows if you've followed Facebook or Instagram accounts associated with the Internet Research Agency, … [Link]

Slashdot » Nvidia To Cease Producing New Drivers For 32-Bit Systems

Friday 22 December 21:20:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: While most people have probably made the switch by now, yet another reason to drop 32-bit operating systems and move to 64-bits is coming. Version 390 of Nvidia's graphics drivers, likely to arrive in January, will be the last to contain support for 32-bit versions of Windows (7, 8/8.1, and 10), … [Link]

Mashable » Russian hacking group Fancy Bear targets hundreds of journalists

Friday 22 December 21:01:12 UTC 2017

The Russian hackers behind Hillary Clinton’s leaked emails are still at it. This time, Fancy Bear is being accused of targeting hundreds of journalists The Associated Press found at least 200 journalists have been part of a long-term attack dating back to at least mid-2014. The most recent hacks happened just months ago. SEE ALSO: Yep: Russian hackers have targeted everyone … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Daily API RoundUp: Sphere Engine, StoryBlocks, ListenNotes

Friday 22 December 20:51:06 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]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Google Tasks Developers to Help It Improve Play Store Security

Friday 22 December 20:49:05 UTC 2017

Google has changes in store for the Play Store beginning in mid 2018 that will require developers to make some adjustments to their applications. The moves are meant to bolster security not only in the Play Store, but on end-user handsets as well. Here are the three major updates on deck and what they mean for you. [Link]

Mashable » Get your shit together with these apps, planners, organizers, and more

Friday 22 December 20:20:59 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Whether you're a type-A neat freak or a straight-up hoarder, chances are there's some area of your life where you need to get organized and boost productivity. Maybe you're trying to kick … [Link]

Mashable » Uber messes up Facebook ad by confusing Puerto Rican and Cuban flags

Friday 22 December 20:07:27 UTC 2017

Uber may operate in more than 80 countries, but it still had a difficult time understanding the nuances of country flags. SEE ALSO: Flying taxis could be here by 2020 thanks to Uber In what appeared to be an attempt to recognize and celebrate the anniversary of Puerto Rico's flag via a Facebook ad, the ride-hailing giant actually shared a photo … [Link]

Mashable » 21 products to help you get organized this year

Friday 22 December 20:03:24 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. If you've resolved to consolidate your clutter and get your home organized, then we can help you out with that. Here's how you can organize your house, room by room. Organize your … [Link]

Slashdot » Driverless Cars Could Make Transportation Free for Everyone — With a Catch

Friday 22 December 20:01:00 UTC 2017

Want a gratis ride? You'll just have to stop at some stores along the way. The Atlantic explores a possible future with autonomous cars: In a world full of autonomous autos, transportation will become free. Not just hands-free, or driver-free, or go-wherever-you-want free. But free as in beer: complimentary, gratis. Summon a car and travel for nothing — that is, … [Link]

Mashable » Nothing gets in the way of LeBron James finding candy for his daughter

Friday 22 December 19:53:16 UTC 2017

Regardless of your GOAT status, sometimes you just have to listen to the three year-old in your life. LeBron James learned this on Thursday during a break amidst the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Chicago Bulls. James, who happened to be mic'd up, spotted his daughter on the sidelines asking for candy and quickly obliged. SEE ALSO: Twitter's most popular tweets, … [Link]

Mashable » This AI tried to write Christmas carols, and the results are hilarious

Friday 22 December 19:43:35 UTC 2017

Elon Musk is terrified that artificial intelligence might spell the end of humanity. Thankfully, it looks like we're not quite there yet. Colorado-based research scientist Janelle Shane has trained a neural network (a type of machine-learning algorithm) to write its own Christmas carols, and the results are…interesting. SEE ALSO: AI could discover the next best esports pro player Shane trained the … [Link]

Mashable » Learn how to cook more than pasta because you're a grown-ass adult

Friday 22 December 19:31:43 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Look, we get it. You're busy and after a long day at work the last place you want to be is on your feet in a hot kitchen. It's so tempting to … [Link]

Mashable » All I want for Christmas are these photos of Elon Musk's car preparing to fly to space

Friday 22 December 19:29:00 UTC 2017

Do you know what every space nerd wanted for this holiday season? A little gift from Elon Musk and SpaceX. And we've got it. Musk, the founder of the private spaceflight company, just posted photos of his midnight cherry Tesla Roadster getting ready to fly to space aboard the first flight of the company's Falcon Heavy rocket in January. SEE ALSO: … [Link]

Slashdot » Bitcoin's Value Plummeted Overnight and No One Knows Why

Friday 22 December 19:20:00 UTC 2017

Jacob Brogan, writing for Slate: While the Western Hemisphere slept, Bitcoin plummeted. Just after midnight Eastern Time on Friday, the cryptocurrency was valued at a little over $15,000, on the digital currency exchange Coinbase. At that point, it was already well below the $19,783 all-time high it had hit the week before. Over the course of the night, Bitcoin began … [Link]

Mashable » 10 products and tools to help you eat healthier this year

Friday 22 December 19:18:36 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Getting healthy is consistently one of the top resolutions for Americans every year and a big part of that is taking stock of what's going in our mouths. If you've resolved to … [Link]

Mashable » Jimmy Choo pulls Cara Delevingne ad after online backlash

Friday 22 December 19:13:10 UTC 2017

For some reason Jimmy Choo thought the end of 2017 would be the perfect time to release an advertisement showing model Cara Delevingne getting catcalled while walking through a city with sparkly boots on. It wasn't. Following serious online backlash, Jimmy Choo pulled the "Shimmer in the Dark" ad on Friday, deleting both the YouTube video and tweet that showed the … [Link]

Mashable » 'SNL' nails the Hallmark Christmas vibe with cut James Franco sketch

Friday 22 December 18:56:11 UTC 2017

Tis the season for cheesy off-brand holiday rom-coms (the likes of A Christmas Prince and Christmas Inheritance), and Saturday Night Live knows exactly the winning formula. Get some unknown actors (preferably Canadian) and add in a small-town storyline and some Christmas, and voila! SEE ALSO: Netflix just totally trolled 53 of its users and to be fair they probably deserved … [Link]

Slashdot » Comcast May Have Enrolled Thousands in a Near-Worthless Protection Program Without Their Consent

Friday 22 December 18:40:00 UTC 2017

Comcast has been embroiled in a legal battle since 2016 regarding potentially deceptive business practices surrounding its "Service Protection Plan" — a $6 a month program which covered almost nothing. But as an amended complaint recently filed by the Washington state attorney general alleges, Comcast didn't just dupe customers, it may have signed them up for the plan without their … [Link]

Mashable » Always wanted to try yoga? Here's where to start.

Friday 22 December 18:39:45 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Yoga requires a combination of a physical and mental strength and has been shown to improve flexibility, help with stress, and even lower blood pressure. It's something that a lot of us … [Link]

Mashable » Largest U.S. Bitcoin exchange halts trading as cryptocurrencies plummet

Friday 22 December 18:24:19 UTC 2017

Coinbase — the largest Bitcoin market in the U.S. — has disabled all buying and selling as the digital currency Bitcoin dramatically loses value. At 11:11 a.m. EST, Coinbase posted that it had temporarally disabled trading: About 25 minutes later, at 11:35 a.m. EST, the company said it's still monitoring the problem: This "high traffic" is largely in reference to activity … [Link]

Mashable » Want to get serious about fitness? Here's what you need to get started.

Friday 22 December 18:21:04 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Ah, fitness Instagram. One day we all blinked, and suddenly all of these exercise bloggers with fancy routines and expensive workout clothes appeared. Of course, we'd all love to be in shape, … [Link]

Mashable » Cybersecurity researchers breach Windows 10 facial recognition with a photo

Friday 22 December 18:17:33 UTC 2017

Researchers at the German IT Security company SySS GmbH successfully fooled the Windows 10 facial recognition system by using a printed photo of the user's face. Their spoofing efforts were published on the cybersecurity site Seclists on Dec. 18. The cybersecurity experts bypassed Windows Hello — which is Microsoft's password-free security software — on both a Dell and Microsoft laptop running … [Link]

Slashdot » Man in China Sentenced To Five Years' Jail For Running VPN

Friday 22 December 18:10:00 UTC 2017

A Chinese entrepreneur has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for selling VPN service, a government newspaper said, as Beijing tries to stamp out use of technology that evades its internet filters. From a report: Wu Xiangyang was also fined 500,000 yuan ($75,900), an amount equal to his profits since starting the service in 2013, according … [Link]

Mashable » Amazon just acquired smart home startup Blink

Friday 22 December 17:55:02 UTC 2017

Amazon wants to be inside your home, not just dropping off packages at your door. Now, the book-seller-turned-retail-giant is acquiring home security camera startup, Blink. The companies announced the deal on Friday. SEE ALSO: A new 'Lord of the Rings' series is coming to Amazon Blink offers wireless home security systems, powered by batteries rather than needing to be plugged into … [Link]

Mashable » Learn a foreign language online because your high school failed you

Friday 22 December 17:53:26 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Speaking multiple languages is pretty much a given in many parts of the world. According to The Guardian, over half of the population of the EU is at least bilingual. SEE ALSO: … [Link]

Mashable » Poor Will Smith! Critics tore apart Netflix's first hopeful blockbuster, 'Bright'

Friday 22 December 17:37:42 UTC 2017

Bright was Netflix's first attempt at a big-budget movie and critics have (mostly) taken to tearing it apart limb by limb, lambasting everything from the photography to the writing to the premise as a whole. Directed by Suicide Squad's David Ayer and written by Victor Frankenstein's Max Landis, many critics felt the ambitious fantasy/cop movie, peppered with heavy-handed commentary on racism, … [Link]

Mashable » Is your iPhone battery dying? Here's how to replace it

Friday 22 December 17:34:04 UTC 2017

Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. If you're an iPhone user, you've probably heard the news by now: In some circumstances, Apple is slowing down older iPhones to preserve their batteries and prevent unexpected shutdowns. As of December 2017, an "older model" … [Link]

Slashdot » Number of Births in Japan To Hit Record Low in 2017

Friday 22 December 17:25:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: The number of births in Japan this year has fallen to is lowest since records began more than a century ago with about 941,000 new babies, the health ministry said on Friday, proof if any were needed that it faces an ageing and shrinking population. The number of births will be about 4 percent … [Link]

Mashable » Make a dragon-shaped cake with this pan because what else are you gonna do until 'Game of Thrones' comes back?

Friday 22 December 17:14:19 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Game of Thrones may not come back until 2019. (It's okay. We'll give you a few seconds to sigh heavily.) Until it does come back, though, you can always fill the long … [Link]

Mashable » When you absolutely should not upgrade your iPhone

Friday 22 December 17:07:32 UTC 2017

In the past few months, Apple has released frequent updates to iOS 11. Should you upgrade? For most people, it's a personal preference, but there are some people who should definitely steer clear. I've owned an iPhone 6 for the past two years. When Apple released iOS 11 in early September, I was still using iOS 9, and my phone was … [Link]

Mashable » Cleo, the Mystery Pug Mix – What's Your Mutt?

Friday 22 December 17:00:00 UTC 2017

On What's Your Mutt?, we test the doggy DNA of one pooch to reveal its exact breed mix and genetic makeup, once and for all! Don't miss the shocking results of our “pawternity” tests, each week! Cleo's owner is pretty confident she knows exactly what type of dog Cleo is. But, will genetic testing prove that she's completely wrong? Subscribe for … [Link]

Mashable » Lupita Nyong'o: Women of 'Black Panther' will be a 'departure' from comic book fare

Friday 22 December 16:56:06 UTC 2017

If there is a light in 2018, it is Black Panther, and actresses Lupita Nyong'o and Letitia Wright are as excited as you are because the females are strong as hell. In an interview with Teen Vogue, the actresses discussed how Panther deviates from the roles superhero movies often relegate women to, and how their characters work together instead of … [Link]

Mashable » Trump was a disaster for women in 2017. It may be his undoing.

Friday 22 December 16:54:59 UTC 2017

When historians look back on 2017 and try to describe the profound cultural upheaval that brought down Hollywood titans and powerful politicians, they'll no doubt struggle to capture the ache and fury of women who spent their lives silenced by abusive men and finally decided they'd had enough. There's no tidy or sober way to describe the rot that women … [Link]

Mashable » You can get an MBA without ever putting on pants

Friday 22 December 16:49:41 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Mashable readers are very into online learning. You're smart, motivated, and lead very busy lives, so the convenience of a course you can complete at your own pace is appealing. Sites like … [Link]

Mashable » Solange directed SZA's latest music video in the most Solange-way possible

Friday 22 December 16:45:40 UTC 2017

SZA's album has been on almost every top album list this year (including our own). It's no surprise there's heavy anticipation for every visual she drops — and it turns out the wait for the official video for her single "The Weekend" has been well worth it. Solange takes on the director role for the video and provides us with … [Link]

Mashable » The OnePlus 6 might be coming in March

Friday 22 December 16:41:44 UTC 2017

Every product here is independently selected by Mashable journalists. If you buy something featured, we may earn an affiliate commission which helps support our work. Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus made a huge splash with the release of the OnePlus 5T last month. In March, it may do it again. An anonymous source told gadget blog Gizmochina that Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Username or Password is Incorrect' Security Defense is a Weak Practice

Friday 22 December 16:41:00 UTC 2017

Travis Jeffery, writing for HackerNoon: There's a security best practice where sign ins aren't supposed to say "password is incorrect." Instead they're supposed to say the "username or password is incorrect." This "best practice" is bullshit. Stripe's and GitHub's sign ins for example follow this practice. The idea is if an attacker knows a username, he or she could concentrate … [Link]

Mashable » Twitter world mourns the passing of sportscasting legend Dick Enberg

Friday 22 December 16:29:30 UTC 2017

Dick Enberg, one of the great sportscasters not just of the last few decades but of all time, was mourned across Twitter and other media on Friday hours after the world learned he had died on Thursday evening at the age of 82. Enberg's voice dominated sports for 50 years, stretching from his start as a local sports broadcaster in Los … [Link]

Mashable » The Most-Googled Tech Terms of 2017

Friday 22 December 16:29:06 UTC 2017

Read more…More about Mashable Reels, Tech, Consumer Tech, and Big Tech Companies [Link]

Mashable » Taylor Swift's celebrity app is tanking. Here's why.

Friday 22 December 16:25:55 UTC 2017

The Swift Life, Taylor Swift's celebrity app created in collaboration with Glu (the same company that brought you Kim Kardashian: Hollywood), is swiftly tanking. Taylor's game-ified social network for super Swifties started out relatively strong. Like most things The Real Taylor touches, her fans swarmed the App store when it first arrived on her birthday, December 13th. But according to Apptopia, … [Link]

Mashable » Grab this mini-hand warmer and stay toasty this winter

Friday 22 December 16:23:35 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. The winds of winter are here. Unfortunately, we're not talking about George RR Martin's next book. Actual winter is upon us, which means we'll have to do whatever we can to keep … [Link]

Mashable » This shapeshifting furniture puts a new spin on interior design

Friday 22 December 16:19:34 UTC 2017

Ian Stell, a New-York based designer, is creating incredible pieces of functional furniture that are able to transform their shapes. Although most of his pieces require precise engineering in order to become kinetic, Stell himself is not an engineer, but he rather studied Fine Arts, holding a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a MFA from … [Link]

Mashable » Someone created an IRL 'Mario Kart' experience

Friday 22 December 16:12:43 UTC 2017

MariCAR Shibuya lets you see the streets of Tokyo in a whole new way. Read more…More about Mashable Video, Japan, Tokyo, Real, and Go Kart [Link]

Mashable » These are the tools you need to get your side hustle off the ground

Friday 22 December 16:12:14 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. "Side hustle" is one of Miriam Webster's "words we're watching," and for good reason. Thanks to social media and the gig economy, it seems like everyone has at least two or three … [Link]

Mashable » Just a sampling of the stuff you hated most in 2017

Friday 22 December 16:08:55 UTC 2017

2017: So much to hate! Truly, it's a challenge to narrow it down. So, in the interest of word count, we'll let Hater break it down for us. The dating app helps users find dates who dislike all the same stuff as them, and as such, can offer a bit of insight into the "most hated" people, bands, food, and clothes … [Link]

Mashable » Here's how 'Old Boy,' a 2003 film, deviates from the original manga in just a few very meaningful ways

Friday 22 December 16:06:32 UTC 2017

It made our list of favorite adaptations of all time, so here's a deep dive into the bonkers story of a man locked away for years, and his struggle to get revenge. Park Chan-wook's incredible 2003 film deviates from the original manga in just a few VERY meaningful ways, so here's your SPOILER WARNING! It's time to ask, What's the Difference? … [Link]

Mashable » These online writing classes can help you finally write that novel

Friday 22 December 16:05:26 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Writing can be hard, painful, scary work as any author from Maya Angelou to Stephen King will tell you. If you've got an idea for a novel kicking around in your head, … [Link]

Slashdot » Faced With Rising Temperatures, People May Seek Asylum

Friday 22 December 16:00:00 UTC 2017

Europe is already struggling to absorb an influx of refugees from war-torn Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa. Germany alone has taken in more than a million people since 2015. This wave of immigration has led to political upheaval, with the rise of right-wing political parties in Germany, Poland, Austria, and Hungary, among others. Now a new study, published in the … [Link]

Mashable » Disney removes Louis C.K.'s voice from reruns of 'Gravity Falls'

Friday 22 December 15:57:00 UTC 2017

Following allegations of sexual misconduct against Louis C.K., Disney is taking active steps to cut ties with the comedian. On Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Disney redubbed C.K.'s voiceover in re-runs of the animated series Gravity Falls. SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert says it's 'dumb' he didn't know about Cosby, Louis C.K. The comedian did voice work for 2015 and 2016 … [Link]

Mashable » This is what global warming would do to the 'Game of Thrones' planet

Friday 22 December 15:55:05 UTC 2017

The warring inhabitants of Westeros — one of the four known continents in the Game of Thrones world — dread the planet's long, unforgiving winters. But a global warming event there, stoked by an influx of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, would likely be even more dire. Earlier this week, University of Bristol climate scientist Dan Lunt published a study that … [Link]

Mashable » Beyoncé and Jay-Z doing the electric slide is the holiday present we all needed

Friday 22 December 15:52:15 UTC 2017

If you need proof that 2017 wasn't all bad, Tina Lawson's got you covered. The mother of our patron saints, Beyoncé and Solange, shared a video of the entire family — Jay-Z included — doing the electric slide. The video has been deleted from her Instagram account, but like we all know by now nothing really ever disappears from the internet. … [Link]

Mashable » This secret HQ trivia cheat will earn you one extra life

Friday 22 December 15:47:11 UTC 2017

HQ trivia isn't easy to win, but we just uncovered a secret that might help. A tipster sent us instructions to a hidden cheat this morning, and it's really simple. Like, really, really simple. Here's how to do it: SEE ALSO: Our office played HQ Trivia together. Here's what we think of it. Step 1. Open the HQ trivia app. Well, … [Link]

Mashable » A woman plays a killer version of 'Carol of the Bells' on her ugly Christmas sweater

Friday 22 December 15:27:22 UTC 2017

Never underestimate a good ugly Christmas sweater. This woman's ensemble won an ugliest sweater competition, but it's her musical skills that really take the prize. Her version of "Carol of the Bells" is positively amazing. She even gets her hat in on the action. We're not sure how much practice it took her to get this, but it was worth … [Link]

Mashable » Here's how Rian Johnson feels about that 'Last Jedi' backlash

Friday 22 December 15:20:58 UTC 2017

Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has responded to his film's polarized responses, and while his remarks may not settle the debate, it turns out that's not what he wants to do. Johnson responded to a fan on Twitter by expressing that his intent was never to divide Star Wars fans, but that spirited conversations show the series is … [Link]

Slashdot » Wind Power Is Now The Cheapest Energy In India

Friday 22 December 15:20:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: Wind power prices fell to its lowest and below the cheapest solar tariffs in the fourth round of auctions, putting more pressure on turbine makers as developers are expected to negotiate already-falling equipment prices. State-run Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. auctioned 500-megawatt of grid-connected projects at as low as Rs 2.43 (3.8 cents) a … [Link]

Mashable » Here come the first Apple lawsuits over the slowing down of iPhones

Friday 22 December 15:12:21 UTC 2017

It’s only been a few days since the world learned Apple was purposely slowing down older iPhones in an effort, as they say, to save battery life. And already we have our first series of class-action lawsuits against the tech giant. While some have suggested it's not a big deal, others have responded with outrage. Now there are two lawsuits, one … [Link]

Mashable » CNN pulls the plug on its daily Snapchat show

Friday 22 December 15:04:57 UTC 2017

CNN is canceling The Update, a daily show on Snapchat that premiered in August and covered hard news with breaking updates throughout the day. SEE ALSO: CNN fiasco reveals heated battle between AT&T and Trump The decision to pull away from Snapchat, whose parent company Snap Inc. has faced turmoil on the stock market and other disastrous missteps over the … [Link]

Mashable » Blinking white guy from 'Blinking White Guy' meme speaks out on 'GMA'

Friday 22 December 14:57:08 UTC 2017

The "Blinking White Guy" GIF was one of the most popular (and saltiest) memes out there in 2017. And now, the blinking white guy himself has emerged for an interview on Good Morning America. Okay, maybe "emerged" is a strong word. Scanlon, a video producer and podcaster for the video game website Giant Bomb, has been around the internet for a … [Link]

Mashable » Nestlé accused of over-drawing water from California's San Bernardino National Forest

Friday 22 December 14:42:05 UTC 2017

It’s a serious charge: Nestlé has been accused of taking millions of gallons of water more than it has right to from San Bernardino National Forest in Southern California. SEE ALSO: Is tap water safe to drink? The Swiss company, which sells Arrowhead bottled water sourced from Arrowhead Springs in the San Bernardino mountains, has been accused by the State Water … [Link]

Slashdot » Russian Hackers Targeted More Than 200 Journalists Globally

Friday 22 December 14:40:00 UTC 2017

The Associated Press: Russian television anchor Pavel Lobkov was in the studio getting ready for his show when jarring news flashed across his phone: Some of his most intimate messages had just been published to the web. Days earlier, the veteran journalist had come out live on air as HIV-positive, a taboo-breaking revelation that drew responses from hundreds of Russians … [Link]

Mashable » This Dictionary.com tweet about Pence is the definition of trolling

Friday 22 December 14:35:46 UTC 2017

Dictionary.com has absolutely zero tolerance for Mike Pence kissing Donald Trump's ass. After video footage of a Wednesday Cabinet meeting showed the VP giving Trump an inordinate amount of praise, the dictionary took matters into its own hands, delivering a powerful blow to Pence's ego with a ridiculously sassy, straight-forward tweet. SEE ALSO: Nobody has ever heard of Oxford Dictionary's word … [Link]

Mashable » Very sleepy dog can't keep her eyes open long enough to lick her paw

Friday 22 December 14:26:27 UTC 2017

This dog is all of us when trying to complete tasks just before the holidays. Azula the pup was attempting to lick her paw, but started to fall asleep midway through the process. At one point, she just gave up, yawned, and tried again with no luck. The owner explained, "Azula didn't go for a long walk. She didn't just … [Link]

Mashable » 17 perfect things you probably missed on TV in 2017

Friday 22 December 14:20:35 UTC 2017

Yes yes, there's too much TV, so how's a fan to keep up with the growing number of exceptional performances, plot points, and ways of executing great television? We picked some of our favorite TV moments of the year that you might've missed while catching up. Now you know – and you can go back and watch. SEE ALSO: 17 pop … [Link]

Mashable » A disrespectful scammer has dared to impersonate Oprah

Friday 22 December 14:01:07 UTC 2017

It appears that some reckless online scammer has decided that of all the celebrities to impersonate, they'd like to take a stab at Oprah. As expected, though, Oprah is onto them. In a video posted to her Instagram and Twitter accounts on Thursday, she warns the people not to fall for the scam accounts — which, apparently, are primarily on Instagram … [Link]

Slashdot » Snowden's New App Haven Uses Your Smartphone To Physically Guard Your Laptop

Friday 22 December 14:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader shares a report: The NSA whistleblower and a team of collaborators have been working on a new open source Android app called Haven that you install on a spare smartphone, turning the device into a sort of sentry to watch over your laptop. Haven uses the smartphone's many sensors — microphone, motion detector, light detector, and cameras … [Link]

Mashable » What's coming to Hulu in January 2018

Friday 22 December 13:49:00 UTC 2017

Happy New Year to everyone, especially streaming services. Celebrate the new year with Hulu's new store of movies, as well as TV shows returning after the winter break. Here's what's coming to Hulu in January. SEE ALSO: What's coming to Netflix in January Top pick: A Parent Trap double feature Image: mashable composite/buena vistaStart your year with Hayley Mills and Hayley … [Link]

Mashable » Learn to read more than three times faster than you do now

Friday 22 December 13:09:44 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Just look at Amazon's eReader section and what do you see? A stack of unread titles that are screaming, "read me!" On top of that, you also have a slew of text … [Link]

Slashdot » Apple Hit With Class Action Lawsuit After Admitting To Slowing Down Old iPhones

Friday 22 December 13:00:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Apple Insider: A day after Apple acknowledged slowing down iPhones with degraded batteries, a Los Angeles man is pursuing a class action lawsuit in the matter. Owners didn't agree to the prospect, and it hurts the devices' value, according to a filing by plaintiff Stefan Bodganovich, cited by TMZ. The case is said … [Link]

Mashable » Build a computer from scratch and learn how to fix them for everyone else

Friday 22 December 12:57:06 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. A lot has changed since Charles Babbage first conceptualized the computer in the early 19th century. Not only can you buy them at the ready, they have tons of features like video … [Link]

Mashable » Ultra fast Yukuma portable charger is on sale for only $70

Friday 22 December 12:40:08 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Portable chargers and power banks are lifesavers. At this point, they're just as important as our electronic devices. While gadgets are getting more advanced, their batteries haven't exactly kept up with all … [Link]

Mashable » 16 gift ideas for anyone obsessed with 'Star Trek'

Friday 22 December 12:32:24 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. With the release of Star Trek: Discovery and the news that Quentin Tarantino is about to leave his footprint on the film franchise, there's already plenty of reasons for Trekkies to be … [Link]

Mashable » This man's 32-point Twitter thread about what it's like to live with just girls has gone super viral

Friday 22 December 12:02:50 UTC 2017

You’d think observations about what it's like to live with the opposite sex would be pretty much old hat by now. Surely, now that we're in 2017, it's all been said before at some point? Well, maybe — but Roberto Carlos' 32-point Twitter list about what it's like to live with all girls for a week certainly seems to have struck … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Odd fossils hint first complex life hung on long after its time

Friday 22 December 11:56:45 UTC 2017

The strange Ediacarans were some of the earliest complex organisms on Earth. They are thought to have died out 540 million years ago but eight odd fossils suggest they survived far longer [Link]

Mashable » Emoji swag makes great gifts for your text-crazy friends

Friday 22 December 11:42:11 UTC 2017

Heads up: All products featured here are selected by Mashable's commerce team and meet our rigorous standards for awesomeness. If you buy something, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Hopefully, the literal crapfest that was The Emoji Movie hasn't completely turned you off from using these pictograms ever again. The truth is, they've infiltrated our lives and there's no turning back. … [Link]

Mashable » These people definitely weren't paying attention when they bought holiday wrapping paper

Friday 22 December 11:41:10 UTC 2017

If there's one lesson to be learned this festive season, it's this: always read the fine print. Especially when it comes to wrapping paper. SEE ALSO: For millennials, sending your first text message was a rite of passage These poor people learned the hard way, however. Their loved ones won't be receiving tidings of goodwill on their gifts this year, some … [Link]

Mashable » Unique holiday celebrations around the globe

Friday 22 December 11:04:53 UTC 2017

PAID CONTENT | DJI MAVIC PROThe holidays are a magical time of year filled with decadent treats, festive firework displays, the scent of fresh-cut pine, and giant goats made of straw.To some, that last tradition may sound odd. But it’s not considered out of the ordinary in Gävle, a small Swedish village, where the famed “Gävle goat” has been a centerpiece … [Link]

Mashable » Kevin Hart and The Rock traded insults for 5 minutes and things got real brutal, real fast

Friday 22 December 11:03:27 UTC 2017

There aren't many people who would be brave enough to insult The Rock directly to his face — but Kevin Hart is clearly the exception. SEE ALSO: 'The Rock' discusses the possibility of running for President in 2020 In the clip above, Hart and Dawyne Johnson go head-to-head in a game of "Playground Insults" on BBC Radio 1. It's pretty … [Link]

Mashable » Britain is getting a new passport colour after Brexit and people's minds are totally blown

Friday 22 December 10:50:58 UTC 2017

Brexit has claimed another victim, and this time it's a rather surprising one—our passport's colour. The UK government has announced that after the UK leaves the European Union, UK passports will be changing from "the standard burgundy colour" to a "blue and gold design." The travel doc makeover—which the government says is "A move to symbolise or national identity"— will cost … [Link]

Mashable » Man attempts to slide down tube escalator, instantly regrets life choices

Friday 22 December 10:21:41 UTC 2017

It may have looked cool in Skyfall, but in real life sliding down a London tube escalator is far, far less glamorous. SEE ALSO: Trippy kaleidoscope video will make you see London's Tube in a different way This was perfectly demonstrated in a Twitter video shared by 23-year-old James Gower on Thursday. "Top night last night, but this has to be … [Link]

Slashdot » Firefox Is Now Available On Amazon's Fire TV, Bringing YouTube Access With It

Friday 22 December 10:00:00 UTC 2017

Mozilla has announced that its Firefox web browser is now available on all Fire TV devices. While navigating web browsers on televisions isn't the most user-friendly experience, it could be the only way users can access YouTube. Earlier this month, Google pulled YouTube off the Fire TV and Echo Show since Amazon stopped selling several Google products. TechRadar reports: Though … [Link]

Mashable » 2017 Miles: Everywhere we went this year and everywhere we’ll go

Friday 22 December 9:30:50 UTC 2017

Year with Uber Want to experience Year with Uber for yourself? Access your own customized video on yearwithuber.com.When you sit and think about your year and your accomplishments, how do quantify your experiences? You certainly can’t count the number of times you laughed or smiled or went to your friend’s house for a party. Unless you can, in which case you … [Link]

Mashable » Will Smith finally addresses those 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' reunion rumours

Friday 22 December 9:27:42 UTC 2017

Bad news, Fresh Prince fans — it doesn't sound like we'll be getting a reunion anytime soon. Will Smith was asked about the possibility on The Graham Norton Show this week, as well as that beaming photo of the cast he shared on his Facebook page earlier in the year. SEE ALSO: Will Smith: 'Every Young Man Needs an Uncle … [Link]

Mashable » Bitcoin price dives below $13,000, down 35% from last week's highs

Friday 22 December 8:31:51 UTC 2017

Well, it can't just go up all the time. After an incredible rally in the first part of December, which saw Bitcoin's price nearly double from $10,240 to $19,994, the popular cryptocurrency is losing value, fast. The price dropped by a quarter in the last 24 hours alone, and Bitcoin is currently trading at $12,874, according to CoinMarketCap. SEE ALSO: Here's … [Link]

Mashable » Dude with festive Christmas lights-covered car gets fined by police

Friday 22 December 7:01:50 UTC 2017

‘Tis the season, except if you're a car covered with holiday lights. Brandon Wooden from Beaufort, South Carolina ties Christmas lights around his vehicle annually, spreading the glow as he's done for the last five years. SEE ALSO: Sister surprises little brother with Lady Gaga tickets and his reaction is too cute "People usually follow me for a few miles, videotape … [Link]

Slashdot » Elon Musk Shows Off Near-Complete Falcon Heavy Rocket

Friday 22 December 7:00:00 UTC 2017

Eloking quotes a report from New Atlas: SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket has been a long time coming. The successor to its Falcon 9 and the vehicle hoped to carry humans to Mars, this booster will be one of the most powerful ever. And we've just gotten our best look at it yet, with CEO Elon Musk tweeting out photos of … [Link]

New Scientist – News » 2017 review: The 12 best science and tech stories of the year

Friday 22 December 6:22:09 UTC 2017

From the first gene-editing of human embryos to Cassini’s death plunge into Saturn, we round up the most amazing news stories of the year [Link]

New Scientist – News » Earth was smashed by a rock the size of Mars to make the moon

Friday 22 December 6:22:08 UTC 2017

4.5 billion years ago, a rock called Theia crashed into Earth and formed the moon. Now we know that it was probably only about a tenth the mass of our planet [Link]

New Scientist – News » Shocking drop in life expectancy shows US still in bad health

Friday 22 December 6:22:07 UTC 2017

Amid a glut of drug overdoses, gun deaths and suicide, shorter lives and poorer health are becoming the new norm in the US. It's alarming, says Laudan Aron [Link]

New Scientist – News » 2018 preview: Bioelectricity tweak can regenerate missing limbs

Friday 22 December 6:22:05 UTC 2017

A bold plan to regrow lost body parts in mammals could be realised by cracking the body’s bioelectric code [Link]

New Scientist – News » Booby-trapped obstacle course trains older people not to fall

Friday 22 December 6:22:03 UTC 2017

A quarter of older adults who break their hip die within a year. Alice Klein went to try out an obstacle course designed to help them stay on their feet [Link]

Mashable » People are angry over Miss America CEO's alleged sexist and fat-shaming emails

Friday 22 December 6:07:11 UTC 2017

Miss America has lost its TV partner following troubling emails allegedly written by the pageant organization's CEO, Sam Haskell. The leaked emails were published in the Huffington Post on Thursday, accusing Haskell and his colleagues of ridiculing past winners on their weight, sex lives, and using vulgar language to describe them. SEE ALSO: Watch 11-year-old Meghan Markle protesting a sexist ad … [Link]

Slashdot » California Poised To Hit 50 Percent Renewable Target a Full Decade Ahead of Schedule

Friday 22 December 3:30:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from CleanTechnica: Every year, the California Energy Commission releases its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) report, which gives details about the mix of energy experienced by all utilities within the state during the preceding 12 months. The report for this year, released in November, shows that all three of the state's investor-owned utilities — Pacific … [Link]

Mashable » Fiona the Hippo, queen of 2017, celebrates her first holiday season

Friday 22 December 3:27:13 UTC 2017

Fiona the Hippo's had a big year. In fact, she's not even one year old yet. But 2017's perfect baby hippo is growing up. Born six weeks premature at only 29 pounds at Cincinnati Zoo in January, Fiona has garnered quite the online fanbase (including us) — just watch her engagement photobomb to know why. SEE ALSO: Fiona the hippo's … [Link]

Mashable » Koalas fight it out on the road and all this driver can do is wait

Friday 22 December 2:36:56 UTC 2017

As cuddly as they may seem, koalas can actually be pretty mean, especially to each other. Marguerite Smith captured two koalas fighting on the road while she was driving near the town of Stirling in South Australia, posting the video on Facebook on Thursday. SEE ALSO: Teenager finds this koala loves his bedroom as much as he does "C'mon boys. How … [Link]

Slashdot » AnyDVD Supports UHD Blu-Ray Ripping, While Devices Patch Security Holes

Friday 22 December 2:05:00 UTC 2017

The controversial ripping tool AnyDVD has released a new beta version that allows users to decrypt and copy UHD Blu-Ray discs. The software makes use of the leaked keys that came out recently and appears to work well. Meanwhile, disc drive manufacturers are patching security holes. TorrentFreak reports: This year there have been some major developments on this front. First, … [Link]

The Joy of Tech » JoT #2478: Apple gets a' throttling!

Friday 22 December 2:04:34 UTC 2017

JoT thumb Does their explaination smooth things out? [Link]

Mashable » Zuckerberg-backed FWD.us: Congress failed Dreamers

Friday 22 December 1:43:26 UTC 2017

Congress passed a stopgap measure on Thursday that will prevent a government shutdown, at least until January. But FWD.us, the organization founded by such tech titans as Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, isn't happy about one thing the spending bill is missing: protection for Dreamers. SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg on DACA repeal: 'This is a sad day for our country' Democratic … [Link]

Mashable » A crest-tailed mulgara, thought to be extinct in one area, returns after a century

Friday 22 December 1:40:05 UTC 2017

Long thought to be extinct in the Australian state of New South Wales, the crest-tailed mulgara has made an unexpected return after a century missing. The marsupial, presumed to be extinct in the area, was found by researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) at Sturt National Park near Tibooburra who were working on a project to restore and … [Link]

Slashdot » US Drugmaker Raises Price of Vitamins By More Than 800%

Friday 22 December 1:25:00 UTC 2017

David Crow, reporting for the Financial Times: A US drugmaker is charging almost $300 for a bottle of prescription vitamins that can be bought online for less than $5, in the latest attempt at price gouging in the world's largest healthcare market. Avondale Pharmaceuticals raised the price of Niacor, a prescription-only version of niacin, by 809 per cent last month, … [Link]

Slashdot » Apple Says Apps Must Now Disclose Odds For Loot Boxes

Friday 22 December 0:45:00 UTC 2017

Apple has revised the guidelines for its App Store, including a provision that loot boxes must be transparent about their odds. "Apps offering 'loot boxes' or other mechanisms that provide randomized virtual items for purchase must disclose the odds of receiving each type of item to customers prior to purchase," reads the new rule, which will affect the most popular … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Latest Google Assistant SDK Adds Developer APIs

Friday 22 December 0:26:15 UTC 2017

Google has released a fresh version of the Google Assistant SDK in order to allow hardware makers to install and empower the Google Assistnat in a wider range of hardware. This week's updated SDK tagrets companies large and small and ensures everyone will have a better experience with their smart devices. [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Freelancer.com Launches API for Automated Access to Outsourced Work

Friday 22 December 0:17:18 UTC 2017

Freelancer.com has announced the launch of its Freelancer API. Through the API, users can send tasks to freelancers, receive the completed tasks, and pay freelancers for the completed task. At the most elementary level, the Freelancer API can be used by human operators to recruit talent to complete certain tasks. [Link]

Slashdot » Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

Friday 22 December 0:03:00 UTC 2017

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Goldman Sachs is setting up a trading desk to make markets in digital currencies such as bitcoin, according to people with knowledge of the strategy. The bank aims to get the business running by the end of June, if not earlier, two of the people said. Another said it's still trying to … [Link]

Mashable » Everyone's freaking out about Meryl Streep's Donna in 'Mamma Mia 2'

Friday 22 December 0:01:28 UTC 2017

Everyone’s guilty pleasure (you love it) is back, but the trailer for Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again has people in a tizz. The sequel to Pierce Brosnan's horrific debut singing situation, Mamma Mia, has dropped a trailer, which has fans deducing that one main character is, in fact, dead. SEE ALSO: 'Mamma Mia 2' trailer is here to remind you … [Link]

John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons