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.

Mashable » This nerdy PowerPoint party theme is kind of genius

Thursday 18 January 23:36:58 UTC 2018

Though we think elaborate theme parties should stay firmly the territory of drunk college seniors, we'd consider an exception for a party like the one that's blowing up on Twitter. Twitter user @Miexriir, a software engineer from Seattle, racked up 30,475 retweets after she shared photos from a "Drink Talk Learn" party where guests were required to give brief lectures to … [Link]

Mashable » Save up to $300 on Dell Inspiron items, pre-order Nintendo LABO Kits, and more of today's best deals

Thursday 18 January 23:36:45 UTC 2018

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. This one's for you, gamers. As you've probably seen splattered all over the Internet today, Nintendo has released a new DIY way to play Switch games — and it's made out of cardboard. … [Link]

Slashdot » Ask Slashdot: How Would You Explain Einstein's Theories To a Nine-Year-Old?

Thursday 18 January 23:20:00 UTC 2018

SiggyRadiation writes: A few days ago, my 9-year-old son asked me why Albert Einstein was so famous. I decided not just to start with the famous formula E=mc^2, because that just seemed to be the easy way out. So I tried to explain what mass and energy are. Then I asked him to try to explain gravity to me. The … [Link]

Mashable » Badass little dog scares off a crocodile like it's NBD

Thursday 18 January 23:14:50 UTC 2018

A doggo with a death wish went above and beyond to protect its humans from harm. A crocodile named Casey was getting its normal feeding of chicken on Goat Island in Australia when a dog stepped in and decided enough was enough. After gaining up the courage with barks, the little pup charges the croc, biting its tail and forcing … [Link]

Mashable » Kim Kardashian fires back hard at Lamar Odom

Thursday 18 January 23:03:44 UTC 2018

Understandably, it does not appear that Kim Kardashian West and Lamar Odom are friends. Kardashian West defended her sister Khloe on Twitter after former NBA star Odom (who was married to Khloe until 2016) took a jab at his former spouse in an interview with BET's Mancave. SEE ALSO: At 12, Khloe Kardashian promised she would never grow up. She lied. … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » JoyToken Releases API for Building Online Casino Games Using Smart Contracts

Thursday 18 January 23:03:20 UTC 2018

JoyToken, a blockchain startup that aims to develop an infrastructure protocol for the online gaming industry, has released an API that demonstrates how games will run on its platform. The platform employs smart contracts to create what the company calls a "'trustless' gambling ecosystem." The smart contracts determine the outcome of games, which the company says offers numerous advantages. … [Link]

Mashable » These Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dolls are the stuff of nightmares

Thursday 18 January 22:47:53 UTC 2018

With the royal wedding in just a few months (counting down to May 19th!) commemorative royal couple memorabilia is flooding Etsy. SEE ALSO: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story will be chronicled in a Lifetime movie Among the plates, mugs and posters, you can get an especially unique keepsake: Harry and Meghan dolls. These dolls are the stuff of nightmares.Image: … [Link]

Slashdot » Wine 3.0 Released

Thursday 18 January 22:40:00 UTC 2018

prisoninmate shares a report from Softpedia: The Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator) project has been updated today to version 3.0, a major release that ends 2017 in style for the open-source compatibility layer capable of running Windows apps and games on Linux-based and UNIX-like operating systems. Almost a year in the works, Wine 3.0 comes with amazing new features … [Link]

Mashable » Trump struck net neutrality down — and kickstarted the movement that will save it

Thursday 18 January 22:36:10 UTC 2018

It’s just over a month since the GOP-controlled Federal Communications Commission voted to gut its net neutrality rules. But if Donald Trump and his hand-picked FCC Chief Ajit Pai thought they'd settled the matter, it's now becoming clear that what they've actually done is the exact opposite. As Obi-Wan Kenobi might have told them: strike down net neutrality, and it will … [Link]

Mashable » Nancy Pelosi will guest judge 'RuPaul's Drag Race' because sure, why not?

Thursday 18 January 22:16:58 UTC 2018

Democratic minority leader Nancy Pelosi will guest judge RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars in what is either a personal dream come true or a very bizarre 2018 strategy for her party. VH1 announced the news Thursday morning with Pelosi's name alongside those of Vanessa Hudgens, Kristin Chenoweth, Titus Burgess, and more. SEE ALSO: RuPaul star brutally drags YouTuber Zoella's bold eye … [Link]

Mashable » You'll need more than a diploma to work in cybersecurity

Thursday 18 January 22:06:52 UTC 2018

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing industries today, and it's also one of the fastest moving. Cyber expert Anil Markose explains that if you're not staying ahead, then you're falling behind. Read more…More about Tech, Mashable Video, Cybersecurity, Hacking, and College [Link]

Mashable » Please spare a thought for the manager of Tide's Twitter account

Thursday 18 January 22:06:22 UTC 2018

Our sympathies are with the Tide social media manager. As teens participate, pretend to participate, and talk about participating in the Tide Pod Challenge, the official Tide Twitter account has assumed the unofficial role of emergency services referral center. In the past few days, @Tide has responded to five people claiming to have ingested Tide Pods. Tide Pods, of course, are … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Text Bomb' Is Latest Apple Bug

Thursday 18 January 22:03:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: A new "text bomb" affecting Apple's iPhone and Mac computers has been discovered. Abraham Masri, a software developer, tweeted about the flaw which typically causes an iPhone to crash and in some cases restart. Simply sending a message containing a link which pointed to Mr Masri's code on programming site GitHub … [Link]

Mashable » This fancy shoe cover is perfect for keeping your floors clean

Thursday 18 January 21:56:40 UTC 2018

‘Clean Step' shrink wraps your shoes so you don't dirty up your floors. Ever. Read more…More about Technology, Shoes, Innovation, Floor, and Sanitation [Link]

Mashable » This eco-friendly lid can cover pretty much anything

Thursday 18 January 21:50:38 UTC 2018

UniLid by Two Pillars is the lid cover you've been needing. Made from eco-friendly silicone material, this lid can mold itself to cover almost anything in different shapes and sizes. It's also the perfect alternative to plastic wraps and aluminum foil. The lid seals airtight and has a special dial to remind you how long you've had your leftovers for. It's … [Link]

Mashable » This big sticker could unclog your toilet

Thursday 18 January 21:44:06 UTC 2018

The 'Pongtu' is a sticker that goes over your toilet and works just like a plunger. Read more…More about Mashable Video, Real, Toilet, Bathroom, and Real Time [Link]

Mashable » Most anticipated films of 2018

Thursday 18 January 21:42:42 UTC 2018

There are plenty of blockbusters that we're looking forward to (looking at you, Black Panther). CineFix's Clint Gage and Ti, with Mashable's Entertainment reporter Jess Joho, talked about the 3 movies they're way crazy super excited about in 2018. Subscribe to CineFix for more movie-related content. Read more…More about Entertainment, Oscar Isaac, Movie Reviews, Ex Machina, and 2018 [Link]

Mashable » This thumb-sized phone can make calls and send texts

Thursday 18 January 21:35:42 UTC 2018

People with small hands might love this phone. It's as small as it gets. It only works on 2G- but it's pretty cuteMore here. Read more…More about Mobile, Mobile Phone, Real Time, Real Time Video, and Real Time [Link]

Mashable » This Google Photos panorama fail is actually just really awesome

Thursday 18 January 21:31:25 UTC 2018

Google Photos has this pretty neat feature that will stitch together photos to create one seamless panoramic scene. Results may vary, though. The feature is automatic, and Photos will only stitch together pictures that were taken close to each other, so you can't really game the system too easily. However, sometimes Google will get a little confused and combine photos that … [Link]

Slashdot » Bitcoin's Fluctuations Are Too Much For Even Ransomware Cybercriminals

Thursday 18 January 21:25:00 UTC 2018

Bitcoin's price swings are so huge that even ransomware developers are dialling back their reliance on the currency, according to researchers at cybersecurity firm Proofpoint. From a report: Over the last quarter of 2017, researchers saw a fall of 73% in payment demands denominated in bitcoin. When demanding money to unlock a victim's data, cybercriminals are now more likely to … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Some people identify smells as easily as if they were colours

Thursday 18 January 20:52:35 UTC 2018

Most people are much better at identifying colours than smells, but one group of hunter-gatherers from the Malay Peninsula shows the opposite pattern [Link]

New Scientist – News » Stars that devour their plants get brighter and faster

Thursday 18 January 20:52:33 UTC 2018

When the sun expands and engulfs Earth, our planet's ashes will brighten the sun and spin it faster. We might be able to watch this happen across the universe [Link]

New Scientist – News » The higher your testosterone levels, the more you love soft rock

Thursday 18 January 20:52:31 UTC 2018

A study suggests that men with higher testosterone levels are more likely to prefer genres like heavy metal and soft rock to classical music or jazz [Link]

New Scientist – News » Cute cats the size of kittens are seeing their homes destroyed

Thursday 18 January 20:52:30 UTC 2018

Güiñas are the smallest cats in the Americas, smaller than most domestic cats, and they are becoming increasingly rare [Link]

Mashable » The big con: How tech companies made a killing by fudging their numbers

Thursday 18 January 20:52:28 UTC 2018

In May 2015, Snapchat cofounder Evan Spiegel sat onstage at a tech event and said his app was "approaching" 100 million daily active users in developed markets. He was wrong — or, well, he exaggerated. In June 2015, Snapchat averaged 89 million daily active users overall, per Snap's S-1 filingHeadlines at that time said otherwise. SEE ALSO: San Francisco was the … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Resumes Meltdown and Spectre Updates for AMD Devices

Thursday 18 January 20:45:00 UTC 2018

Microsoft has resumed the rollout of security updates for AMD devices. The updates patch the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities. From a report: Microsoft released these patches on January 3, but the company stopped the rollout for AMD-based computers on January 9 after users reported crashes that plunged PCs into unbootable states. After working on smoothing out the problems with AMD, … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook needs to kill the News Feed

Thursday 18 January 20:41:52 UTC 2018

What is the Facebook News Feed for? In 2018, the answer is less certain than ever. Mark Zuckerberg now says it should be "good for people," like kale, polio vaccines, or any number of things that aren't data-harvesting, Russian propaganda-boosting social networks. SEE ALSO: I deleted Facebook off my phone and you should too And so, Facebook will alter your feed … [Link]

Mashable » The original 'Age of Empires' is coming back in February with new 'Definitive Edition'

Thursday 18 January 20:39:31 UTC 2018

The wait for Age of Empires: Definitive Edition — the remastered and improved version of 1997's Age of Empires — is almost over. Mircrosoft announced on Thursday that Age of Empires: Definitive Edition will be released for PC on Feb. 20 for $19.99. Definitive Edition takes everything that made Age of Empires one of the best real-time strategy games of its … [Link]

Mashable » These visualizations make disturbing 2017 temperature milestone look like modern art

Thursday 18 January 20:08:32 UTC 2018

The news that 2017 was either the second or third-warmest year on record, depending on the agency doing the official tallying, is not shocking. The past three years were each among the top three warmest on record, with 2016 coming out as the clear winner. To climate scientists, individual years and where they rank are not particularly significant. Instead, it is … [Link]

Slashdot » Global Warming Predictions May Now Be a Lot Less Uncertain

Thursday 18 January 20:05:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader shares a report: Humanity must not pass a rise of 2 degrees Celsius in global temperature from pre-industrial levels, so says the Paris climate agreement. Cross that line and the global effects of climate change start looking less like a grave situation and more like a catastrophe. The frustrating bit about studying climate change is the inherent … [Link]

Mashable » Take professional-quality iPhone pictures with one of these clip-on lens adaptors

Thursday 18 January 19:52:02 UTC 2018

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. You've memorized your favorite Instagram filter (thank you, Perpetua) and found the best spot in your apartment for selfie lighting. Sure, the iPhone X camera is incredible, but if you're rocking an … [Link]

Mashable » The rise of Facebook Watch: From experiments to future hits

Thursday 18 January 19:45:48 UTC 2018

Fiona the hippo has a TV show. You won't find it on Animal Planet, and don't bother searching for it on Netflix. The seven-episode (plus a Christmas special) series is one of the most popular series on Facebook Watch. What is Facebook Watch? To most users, it's that TV-shaped icon in the menu at the bottom of the app. In reality, … [Link]

Mashable » This beanie doubles as a pair of Bluetooth earbuds and is our new reason for living

Thursday 18 January 19:41:24 UTC 2018

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. Now that Jack Frost season is in full force, going through a process of intricate layering to save yourself from freezing your head off is basically a daily occurence. You need layers … [Link]

Mashable » We live in the future now, so brush your teeth properly with this high-tech toothbrush

Thursday 18 January 19:22:57 UTC 2018

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. There are very few words in the English language more horrifying than your dentist saying "you have a cavity." But even if you brush your teeth like a maniac and floss like … [Link]

Slashdot » Less Than 1 in 10 Gmail Users Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Thursday 18 January 19:20:00 UTC 2018

It has been nearly seven years since Google introduced two-factor authentication for Gmail accounts, but virtually no one is using it. From a report: In a presentation at Usenix's Enigma 2018 security conference in California, Google software engineer Grzegorz Milka this week revealed that, right now, less than 10 per cent of active Google accounts use two-step authentication to lock … [Link]

Mashable » This set of online classes can help you master the entire Microsoft Office Suite

Thursday 18 January 19:08:35 UTC 2018

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. Don’t let your Google Docs-loving friends tell you otherwise – Microsoft Office is still the king of the professional world. If you want to be a top performer in the office, you … [Link]

Mashable » Lifehack: Delete Twitter from your phone, because it sucks

Thursday 18 January 18:55:00 UTC 2018

Twitter sucks. Twitter was once great. It was exciting and weird and small and capable of aiding and abetting literal revolutions. And now, people are leaving Twitter In favor of safer spaces — not just away from people who completely disagree with them, or trolls, but from people who will pounce on any opportunity to rhetorically suckerpunch anyone or anything that … [Link]

Mashable » Save on this mini portable projector with an Amazon lightning deal that's happening now

Thursday 18 January 18:50:19 UTC 2018

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 want to spice up movie night or give the Powerpoint presentation of your dreams, this portable projector can help you out. SEE ALSO: This smartphone magnifier can make you feel … [Link]

Slashdot » Senate Passes Bill Renewing NSA's Internet Surveillance Program

Thursday 18 January 18:40:00 UTC 2018

From a report: The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a bill to renew the National Security Agency's warrantless internet surveillance program for six years and with minimal changes, overcoming objections from civil liberties advocates that it did too little to safeguard the privacy of Americans. From a report on CNET: The programs, known as Prism and Upstream, allow the NSA … [Link]

Slashdot » 2017 Among Warmest Years On Record

Thursday 18 January 18:03:00 UTC 2018

2017 was among the warmest years on record, according to new data released by NASA and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. From a report: The planet's global surface temperature last year was second warmest since 1880, NASA says. NOAA calls it the third warmest year on record, due to slight variation in the ways that they analyze temperatures. Both put … [Link]

Mashable » Samantha Bee weighs in on Aziz Ansari and it's straight fire

Thursday 18 January 18:00:26 UTC 2018

“Men, if you say you’re a feminist, then fuck like a feminist," Samantha Bee said on Wednesday's Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. "If you don’t want to do that, take off your fucking pin because we are not your accessories.” Bee weighed in on the ongoing #MeToo and Time's Up movements on her weekly late-night show, this time focusing on … [Link]

Mashable » Designer carves detailed miniature cities out of scrap wood

Thursday 18 January 17:59:42 UTC 2018

They look like aerial photos of a city taken by a drone, but they are in fact incredible wooden sculpturesJames McNabb is an American designer who began using scrap wood to create unique skylines. All the structures are connected to each other, creating entire cities. Read more…More about Design, Mashable Video, Innovation, Recycling, and Real Time Video [Link]

Mashable » Alicia Vikander shows off her action-hero chops in the new 'Tomb Raider' trailer

Thursday 18 January 17:40:05 UTC 2018

Tomb Raider is hoping the third time's the charm. Though the popular video game series has been adapted for film twice before, with Angelina Jolie in the lead role of Lara Croft, neither really caught fire. So Hollywood is trying again, this time with Alicia Vikander. SEE ALSO: Alicia Vikander's neck looks just fine in the first 'Tomb Raider' trailer … [Link]

Slashdot » Slack Now Available As a Snap For Linux

Thursday 18 January 17:20:00 UTC 2018

BrianFagioli writes: Today, yet another wildly popular program gets the Snap treatment, and quite frankly, it is arguably more significant than Spotify. What is it? Slack! Yes, Canonical announces that the ubiquitous communication app can be installed as a Snap. True, Slack was already available on the Linux desktop, but this makes installing it and keeping it updated much easier. … [Link]

Mashable » Widower found out his late wife played a joke on him with a request to water the plants

Thursday 18 January 17:07:58 UTC 2018

When we die, most of us want to go out with an amazing joke for our loved ones to remember us by. In Antonia Nicol's case, her mom gave her dad explicit instructions to water the plants in their bathroom after she passed, which he kept up religiously. Only to learn later that the plants are fake. Before my mum passed … [Link]

Mashable » iPhones Lag Behind Android in a Few Ways

Thursday 18 January 17:02:15 UTC 2018

Read more…More about Iphone, Android, Mashable Reels, Sn Reels, and Tech [Link]

Mashable » BMW to challenge Tesla with super long-range electric SUV

Thursday 18 January 17:00:45 UTC 2018

BMW plans to produce a futuristic electric vehicle with a whopping 435 miles of range. That's enough to drive from Los Angeles to Phoenix and still have 60 miles to spare. Tesla's current sedans, the high-speed luxury Model S and the more affordable Model 3, have upper ranges of 335 miles and 310 miles, respectively. Tesla's current SUV, the Model X, … [Link]

Mashable » StubHub is using augmented reality to help you buy Super Bowl tickets

Thursday 18 January 17:00:00 UTC 2018

For serious football fans, there's no more prized (or pricey) ticket than the Super Bowl. But that ticket also often comes with a lot of the unknowns that accompany traveling to a massive event in an unfamiliar stadium and city. StubHub thinks the solution to that uncertainty may be augmented reality. The eBay-owned company plans to introduce an augmented reality feature … [Link]

Mashable » Dutch people are sharing terrifying storm footage from the Netherlands

Thursday 18 January 16:51:57 UTC 2018

As a dangerous storm blows across the Netherlands, the Dutch people are documenting the truly horrifying storm damage in real time. Per the BBC, three people in Netherlands and one person in Germany have died in the stormAl Jazeera reports others have been injured, including three people who were hurt by falling ceiling panels at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The storm … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Tries To Write the Book On AI

Thursday 18 January 16:46:00 UTC 2018

When it comes to the ethics and impact of artificial intelligence, Microsoft is literally trying to write the book. From a report: The Future Computed: Artificial Intelligence and its Role in Society is being made available in digital form tonight, with a forward from longtime lawyer Brad Smith and AI/Research chief Harry Shum. Why it matters: Now is the time … [Link]

Mashable » Justin Timberlake straight up ripped off a famous Apple ad in his new 'Supplies' video

Thursday 18 January 16:45:41 UTC 2018

Between watching Harvey Weinstein's downfall on 100 TVs and children rising up out of post-apocalyptic dust to tell us to "wake up!" you might have noticed something familiar in Justin Timberlake's new video. JT released the newest single off his upcoming Man of the Woods on Thursday, with the brazenly boring title of "Supplies." While the song itself is a mellow … [Link]

Mashable » The internet reacts hilariously to Nintendo Labo's cardboard accessories

Thursday 18 January 16:45:24 UTC 2018

Nintendo revealed its latest innovation to the world of gaming yesterday — Labo, a new line of cardboard accessories that turn the modular Switch console into new ways to play. Of course, within minutes, people on the internet started making jokes about the cardboard Toy-Cons Nintendo showed off in its reveal video: a cardboard piano, a cardboard house, and a cardboard … [Link]

Mashable » It was only a matter of time: The Tide Pod doughnut is born

Thursday 18 January 16:41:21 UTC 2018

Who says you can't eat Tide Pods? Okay, well, the answer is everyone, including the makers of Tide Pods (and Rob Gronkowski). But if you were searching for a way to skirt the rule and still satisfy your meme dreams, Hurts Donuts had you covered on Wednesday. SEE ALSO: Forbidden snacks, ranked For one day only, the Springfield, Missouri, doughnut shop … [Link]

Mashable » Facebook appoints its first black board member

Thursday 18 January 16:31:35 UTC 2018

Facebook just appointed it's first black board member. Kenneth Chenault, the outgoing CEO of American Express, will join the 13-year-old company's all-white board. SEE ALSO: Facebook just became the ultimate dystopia For Facebook, the decision upholds the promise COO Sheryl Sandberg made with the Congressional Black Caucus in October. Chenault also brings decades of experience working at a financial company that's … [Link]

Mashable » Finally, a car umbrella to keep your vehicle cool in high temps

Thursday 18 January 16:30:53 UTC 2018

‘Lanmodo’ is a wireless automatic car tent. The tent is held into place with powerful suction and automatically expands with the click of a button. It can reportedly withstand winds up to 30 mph. It also transforms into a beach umbrella and camping tent. Read more…More about Climate, Cars, Mashable Video, Weather, and Windows [Link]

Mashable » These $100 wireless earbuds can be yours for less than $15

Thursday 18 January 16:30:05 UTC 2018

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're trying to jump on the wireless headphone bandwagon, then here's a great way to get started. Amazon has an epic lightning deal on these $100 wireless earbuds today, knocking them … [Link]

Mashable » Conquer the road then ride the waves with these vehicles straight out of James Bond

Thursday 18 January 16:29:12 UTC 2018

Gibbs Amphibians is developing a series of multi-terrain vehicles that are able to traverse both land and water. The company has been active in the field of high-speed amphibious vehicles since 1994, having developed proprietary technology which lets the cars reach high speeds on and off road. Apart from recreation, these vehicles are particularly useful for patrolling and search and rescue … [Link]

Mashable » This simple text message can paralyze your iPhone — but a fix is coming

Thursday 18 January 16:18:58 UTC 2018

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. A newly discovered iOS bug lets an attacker construct a simple text message which, when sent to an iPhone, immediately freezes and possibly restarts it. Software developer Abraham Masri has identified the bug and christened it … [Link]

Mashable » YouTube is pulling the plug on all those Tide Pod Challenge videos

Thursday 18 January 16:07:43 UTC 2018

YouTube is trying to shut down the latest viral internet challenge, you know, the one where actual humans eat (or pretend to eat) Tide Pods, which are quite literally pods filled with Tide laundry detergent. The discussion on consuming Tide Pods started on Twitter in December, transforming into a viral meme and making its way to YouTube. SEE ALSO: Everything you … [Link]

Slashdot » No More Pancake Syrup? Climate Change Could Bring an End To Sugar Maples

Thursday 18 January 16:07:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader shares a research report: Savor that sticky, slightly nutty sweetness drenching your Sunday morning pancakes now. The trees that make maple syrup will struggle to survive climate change, a new study reveals. Researchers had thought that pollution from cars, factories, and agriculture might buffer sugar maples against an increasingly warm and dry climate by supplying soils with … [Link]

Mashable » Learn to build apps driven by AI in this new course dedicated to mobile machine learning

Thursday 18 January 15:55:44 UTC 2018

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. Machine learning is a rapidly growing field within Artificial Intelligence that powers everything from self-driving cars to your iPhone's FaceID. It's a great skill to add to your résumé and LinkedIn profile … [Link]

Mashable » Take meal prepping to the next level with this layered bento box that's 72% off

Thursday 18 January 15:52:56 UTC 2018

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. One glance at the #mealprepping hashtag on Instagram and it's clear that people are taking their lunches very seriously these days. Join the club with this bento box that's on sale and … [Link]

Mashable » This sex-positive indie game is basically Nintendo meets porn

Thursday 18 January 15:48:00 UTC 2018

Warning: This post contains images that are NSFW Like the Shake Weight, the experience of vigorously jerking your phallic-looking Wii Remote up and down to win at Mario Party always felt a bit… NSFW. The 2006 game WarioWare: Smooth Moves didn't help. A Wii rhythm game, you were required to beat a variety of short "microgames" with motion control challenges that … [Link]

Mashable » Instagram just added a powerful new way to stalk people on the app

Thursday 18 January 15:41:02 UTC 2018

Instagram is now even more of a stalker's paradise. Everyone's favorite photo and video sharing app has just added an "Activity Status" that lets all your friends and followers "see when you were last active" on the app, just like on Facebook Messenger. Creeeeeeeepy! SEE ALSO: 12 awesome Instagram features you're probably not using When you open up Instagram Direct, the … [Link]

Mashable » 2017 was one of Earth's top 3 hottest years on record, which should come as no surprise

Thursday 18 January 15:30:00 UTC 2018

It’s unanimous: 2017 was one of Earth's warmest years on record, continuing an impressive and quickening trend seen since the dawn of the industrial revolution. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, the UK Met Office, and other groups that monitor the planet's thermostat, 2017 was by far the warmest year to occur without an El Niño event, which … [Link]

Slashdot » Intel Says Newer Chips Also Hit by Unwanted Reboots After Patch

Thursday 18 January 15:29:00 UTC 2018

Intel says the unexpected reboots triggered by patching older chips affected by Meltdown and Spectre are happening to its newer chips, too. From a report: Intel confirmed in an update late Wednesday that not only are its older Broadwell and Haswell chips tripping up on the firmware patches, but newer CPUs through to the latest Kaby Lake chips are too. … [Link]

Mashable » Justin Timberlake gets political with 'Supplies' music video

Thursday 18 January 15:18:21 UTC 2018

Justin Timberlake released the second single, "Supplies," off his new album, Man of the Woods, Thursday. It comes with a politically charged music video that doesn't quite fit the lyrics of the song. "Supplies" is catchy, featuring elements of trap music thrown behind lyrics about how Timberlake is a good guy and generous lover; he can take care of the … [Link]

Mashable » Dylan Farrow shares details of 1992 alleged sexual assault by Woody Allen in first TV interview

Thursday 18 January 15:17:38 UTC 2018

Woody Allen's adoptive daughter Dylan Farrow decided to share her full story on CBS This Morning on Thursday in an interview with Gayle King. Farrow shared details of her alleged sexual assault by Allen back in 1992. Allen has always denied the allegations and insisted that Dylan was manipulated and coached by her mother Mia Farrow during the couple's acrimonious divorce. … [Link]

Mashable » Amazon releases shortlist of 20 cities still in the running for HQ2

Thursday 18 January 15:09:42 UTC 2018

It’s been a few months since the deadline passed to apply for Amazon's second world headquarters — and all the jobs and economy boosts that come with it — and the tech behemoth has finally released its shortlist, a group of 20 cities still in the running. SEE ALSO: How three underdog cities are fighting for Amazon HQ2 In a blog … [Link]

Mashable » 'Harry Potter' first edition worth £40,000 among super rare books stolen from warehouse

Thursday 18 January 15:01:02 UTC 2018

Between 11:50 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 8, and 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, two thieves forced entry and made away with a collection of rare and valuable first editions from SN Books' warehouse in Thetford, Norfolk. SEE ALSO: The Harry Potter books are getting another swaggy redesign, so guess you're buying more books! Titles stolen include: A hardback first edition … [Link]

Slashdot » Apple Is Blocking an App That Detects Net Neutrality Violations

Thursday 18 January 14:48:00 UTC 2018

dmoberhaus writes: Apple isn't allowing a new app developed by a university professor that detects when your internet is being throttled by ISPs from being listed on the app store. The company claimed the app contained "objectionable content" and "has no direct benefits to the user." The reporter, who tested the app through the beta channel, writes: The app is … [Link]

Mashable » Um, did Barack Obama win HQ Trivia last night?

Thursday 18 January 14:21:40 UTC 2018

What do you do when you finally get a break after eight years of running a country? You've got plenty of things to chose from—everything from kite surf with Richard Branson, to joining in on the HQ Trivia craze and actually win some cash. It's all at your disposal, and by the looks of Wednesday night's game, Barack Obama might have … [Link]

Slashdot » US Doctors Plan To Treat Cancer Patients Using CRISPR

Thursday 18 January 14:09:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader shares a report: The first human test in the U.S. involving the gene-editing tool CRISPR could begin at any time and will employ the DNA cutting technique in a bid to battle deadly cancers. Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania say they will use CRISPR to modify human immune cells so that they become expert cancer killers, … [Link]

Mashable » Paul Thomas Anderson doesn't really care for this horrible photo of him and Maya Rudolph

Thursday 18 January 14:04:45 UTC 2018

Whether it's one of our dumb tweets or an embarrassing Vine, it's safe to assume we all want at least one thing scrubbed away from the internet forever. Turns out famed director Paul Thomas Anderson is no different. While promoting his latest movie, Phantom Thread, on Twitter, Anderson answered some fan questions on Wednesday. Most had to do with his various … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Breathing in a nanoparticle spray could prevent heart damage

Thursday 18 January 13:04:04 UTC 2018

An inhalable drug is designed to move straight from the lungs to the heart, where it is hoped it will prevent the organ from deteriorating after heart attacks [Link]

New Scientist – News » How ‘stem cell’ clinics became a Wild West for dodgy treatments

Thursday 18 January 13:04:03 UTC 2018

Hundreds of clinics offering unregulated stem cell therapies have sprung up across the US and Australia thanks to lax oversight [Link]

New Scientist – News » Algorithms that change lives should be trialled like new drugs

Thursday 18 January 13:04:02 UTC 2018

An algorithm used by US courts to predict reoffenders turns out to be no more accurate than random people on the internet. Why wasn’t it properly tested before now? [Link]

New Scientist – News » Swollen eye is setback for blindness treatment using stem cells

Thursday 18 January 13:04:00 UTC 2018

A man in a flagship stem cell trial for age-related macular degeneration has swelling in his eye, but the cause is probably surgery – not stem cells [Link]

Slashdot » Google Has Made It Simple For Anyone To Tap Into Its Image Recognition AI

Thursday 18 January 13:00:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: Google released a new AI tool on Wednesday designed to let anyone train its machine learning systems on a photo dataset of their choosing. The software is called Cloud AutoML Vision. In an accompanying blog post, the chief scientist of Google's Cloud AI division explains how the software can help users without … [Link]

Mashable » 'Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery' mobile game enrolls you in a virtual wizarding school

Thursday 18 January 13:00:00 UTC 2018

Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint api production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fvideo uploaders%2fdistribution thumb%2fimage%2f84203%2f1de1abf9 8897 4ec6 824c 161ecc669bc1 Read more… {"player":{"descript~ To. School. At. HOGWARTS.","image":&~ Potter: Hogwarts Mystery' mobile game enrolls you in a virtual wizarding school","sources":[{~ potter,harry potter: hogwarts mystery","sec0":null~ potter,harry potter: hogwarts mystery","videoSeriesName~ More about Tech, Entertainment, Mobile, Gaming, and Harry Potter [Link]

Mashable » Ricky Gervais shares his views on Donald Trump's weight

Thursday 18 January 12:57:29 UTC 2018

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Colbert's sparring sessions always make entertaining viewing, and the latest instalment is absolutely no exception. SEE ALSO: Ricky Gervais promotes his new game show with the world's least humble video interview On Wednesday, Gervais appeared on The Late Show to chat about his new game show. He also spoke about his weight ("I'm losing the battle"), … [Link]

Mashable » Lupita Nyong'o has written a children's book to change the way kids see beauty

Thursday 18 January 12:50:58 UTC 2018

Lupita Nyong'o dropped a bombshell of the most wonderful kind on her Twitter and Instagram. She's written a children's book about a "dark skinned girl" who, after embarking on an adventure, "awakens with a reimagined sense of beauty." The Academy Award-winning actor's debut novel will be released by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in January 2019. SEE ALSO: Lupita … [Link]

Mashable » This woman found a super-creative way to celebrate finishing her thesis

Thursday 18 January 12:32:29 UTC 2018

Does this count as plagiarism? SEE ALSO: This Ikea magazine ad is also a pregnancy test Writing a thesis can certainly be a grind, and one student decided to celebrate finishing it in style. I said I'd do it and I did. I got my thesis printed on a scarfpic.twitter.com/BxwDWwCJRV — Grace Lindsay (@neurograce) January 17, 2018 The thesis itself is … [Link]

Mashable » The problem with human moderators

Thursday 18 January 12:15:00 UTC 2018

If Big Tech in 2018 already has a theme, it's that social networks are passive platforms no longer. Since the new year, both Facebook and YouTube have stepped up with new guidelines and processes to manage — and in some cases police — content on their networks. All of this started well before the new year, of courseTwitter has been following … [Link]

Mashable » This hero's reaction to his girlfriend's selfie is spectacularly dramatic

Thursday 18 January 11:52:45 UTC 2018

This guy should be on the stage. SEE ALSO: Gift ideas for people in long-distance relationships A text exchange between a couple has gone viral thanks to the boyfriend going that extra mile in response to his girlfriend sending him a selfie. Here it is, in all its glory: I send my boyfriend some selfies I just took while he's at … [Link]

Mashable » Laura Dern and Reese Witherspoon's Instagram exchange is like a scene out of 'Big Little Lies'

Thursday 18 January 11:52:22 UTC 2018

Sometimes, just sometimes, life imitates art. That's precisely what happened when Laura Dern posted a lovely #WomanCrushWednesday Instagram about her Last Jedi co-star Kelly Marie Tran. And, one of Dern's Big Little Lies co-stars had something to say—something that sounded like a line straight out of the show. SEE ALSO: Laura Dern hanging with BB-8 from Star Wars will restore your … [Link]

Mashable » Joseph Gordon-Levitt wrote an actual 2,000-word essay defending Luke Skywalker

Thursday 18 January 11:38:58 UTC 2018

Despite the overwhelmingly positive reviews, The Last Jedi was still a pretty divisive film. The portrayal of Luke Skywalker's character, in particular, seems to have drummed fans into a kind of rage-fuelled frenzy of debate. Was it true to Luke's character to act the way he did? Was his role badly written? Even Mark Hamill himself waded in. SEE ALSO: Mark … [Link]

Mashable » Mark Hamill sent Kelly Marie Tran the sweetest tweet just 'cause

Thursday 18 January 10:55:33 UTC 2018

You ready for a wholesome exchange? SEE ALSO: 14 times Mark Hamill's Twitter game was quite simply out of this world Mark Hamill's Twitter is always good value for money (we know Twitter is free, you get our meaning though). On Wednesday, seemingly unprompted, Hamill decided to share some Twitter-love with The Last Jedi co-star Kelly Marie Tran. SHOUT OUT to … [Link]

Mashable » Zac Efron tweets the first, creepy image of himself as serial killer Ted Bundy

Thursday 18 January 10:46:42 UTC 2018

If someone were to mention Zac Efron's name, the first thing to pop into your head would likely be that cheerful, singing chap from the High School Musical films. SEE ALSO: Zac Efron tells the strange story of how he made Michael Jackson cry You know, this guy: Or maybe you'd think of him from his slightly more recent Baywatch days: … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Puts Minecraft Boss In Charge of Xbox Games

Thursday 18 January 10:00:00 UTC 2018

Microsoft is promoting its Minecraft boss to the head of the company's games studios. "Matt Booty's new role sees him oversee Microsoft Studios, second only to Microsoft's games chief Phil Spencer," reports The Verge. "Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella previously promoted Phil Spencer from head of Xbox to a new role overseeing all games, associated hardware, and game strategy." From the … [Link]

Mashable » Deadpool wished Betty White a happy birthday on Instagram

Thursday 18 January 9:59:12 UTC 2018

Don’t know if you've heard, but Deadpool really likes The Golden Girls. SEE ALSO: Deadpool's birthday message to Zayn Malik was as hilariously creepy as you'd expect On Wednesday, Deadpool, a.k.a. Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Ryan Reynolds (if that even is his real name) sent Betty White a message for her 96th birthday. Happy Birthday to the one and only @bettymwhite ! … [Link]

Mashable » Yep, Barack Obama's birthday Instagram message to Michelle is super adorable

Thursday 18 January 9:55:06 UTC 2018

When it comes to being adorable, Barack Obama has a strong track record. Last year he surprised Michelle with a special video for their 25th wedding anniversary, and pretty much nobody could handle how cute it was. SEE ALSO: Barack Obama teams up with Chance the Rapper and Steph Curry for uplifting new ad Anyway, he's at it again. On Wednesday, … [Link]

Mashable » Tim Cook says users will be able to turn off iPhone slowdown 'feature'

Thursday 18 January 9:33:34 UTC 2018

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 not happy with Apple's assessment that iPhones should be slowed down as their batteries degrade, Apple CEO Tim Cook's got good news for you: You'll soon be able to turn that functionality off. In … [Link]

Slashdot » Software 'No More Accurate Than Untrained Humans' At Predicting Recidivism

Thursday 18 January 7:00:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: The credibility of a computer program used for bail and sentencing decisions has been called into question after it was found to be no more accurate at predicting the risk of reoffending than people with no criminal justice experience provided with only the defendant's age, sex and criminal history. The algorithm, … [Link]

Mashable » Pesky crocodile steals fisherman's catch like it's NBD

Thursday 18 January 6:34:30 UTC 2018

We get fighting for what you've worked for, but maybe not up against a crocodile. A fisherman came a bit too close to the reptile while trying to reel in a barramundi at Cahills Crossing in the Northern Territory, Australia. SEE ALSO: Try not to wince at the horrifying sight of this egg sack teeming with tiny spiders In a video … [Link]

The Joy of Tech » JoT #2484: Crypto ate my homework!

Thursday 18 January 6:26:21 UTC 2018

JoT thumb He was hoping to hash it out. [Link]

Mashable » Jimmy Kimmel skewers Trump's Fake News Awards with a little help from his dad

Thursday 18 January 6:14:13 UTC 2018

Donald Trump's Fake News Awards didn't exactly go to plan. In fact, it was a shitshow. Jimmy Kimmel relished in the non-event that was Trump's made up award show, meant to criticize news outlets that aren't Fox & Friends, on his show Wednesday night. One of Trump's main regular targets is CNN, so Kimmel had anchor "Wolf Blitzer" (or rather, … [Link]

Mashable » Chamillionaire offers to help a deported immigrant separated from his family

Thursday 18 January 5:40:31 UTC 2018

Rapper Chamillionaire wants to help the family of Jorge Garcia, a 39-year-old man who was separated from his wife and two children by immigration officials. The story of his deportation from Michigan to Mexico is a heartbreaking example of Donald Trump's tightened immigration restrictions, which even affect people who came to the U.S. as children, like Garcia. After years living in … [Link]

Slashdot » Tim Cook Says Power Management Feature In Older iPhones Will Be Able To Be Turned Off In Future Update

Thursday 18 January 3:30:00 UTC 2018

In an interview with Rebecca Jarvis of ABC News, Apple CEO Tim Cook touched on the ongoing controversy over power management features in older iPhones. He says that a future update will allow customers to turn off the power management feature that has caused older iPhones to slow down. Mac Rumors reports: According to Cook, when the power management features … [Link]

Mashable » The Winklevoss twins may have lost A LOT of money on Bitcoin

Thursday 18 January 3:13:13 UTC 2018

With Bitcoin crashing, some cryptocurrency HODLers are hurting. That might include the Winklevoss twins. Tyler and Cameron bought 120,000 bitcoins in late 2012 with money from the $65 million payout from their lawsuit against Facebook. SEE ALSO: Bitcoin just made the Winklevoss twins billionaires That's more than $1.32 billion worth of bitcoin at Wednesday evening's value of about $11,000 per bitcoin. … [Link]

Mashable » Very relieved Hawaiians went straight to PornHub after getting missile alert all clear

Thursday 18 January 3:11:57 UTC 2018

Hawaii’s mistaken missile alert prompted many of us to think what we'd do in the last moments of our life if a bomb came hurtling towards us. PornHub released statistics for the island state after the alert was sent out on Saturday, revealing a sharp drop of 77 percent below the average in the minutes immediately following the emergency notification. SEE … [Link]

Mashable » Will Smith's excellent and very, very Instagrammed Australian adventure

Thursday 18 January 2:39:01 UTC 2018

For a guy who's still pretty new to Instagram, Will Smith is killing it. The actor only joined the social platform in December, but for his big trip to Australia to promote his not-so-great Netflix movie Bright, he's really let us into his world. SEE ALSO: Will Smith's trip to the zoo will give you life While there are plethora of … [Link]

Mashable » If Trump's tweets have this much influence over foreign policy, we're all screwed

Thursday 18 January 2:30:36 UTC 2018

Diplomacy isn't easy … especially if your boss is Donald Trump. Speaking at Stanford on Wednesday, according to Vanity Fair, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shared this fun insight into White House foreign policy: Uhhh … what? So the secretary of state just looks at print-outs of Trump's incoherent tweets and tries to turn them into something resembling coherent foreign policy? … [Link]

Mashable » Trump's Fake News Awards were a total disaster

Thursday 18 January 1:48:00 UTC 2018

President Donald Trump's Fake News Awards were, perhaps unsurprisingly, a complete and total disaster. After weeks of anticipation the event turned out to be, well, not an event at all. In fact it was just a quick listicle which, for many, displayed as a 404 page. SEE ALSO: Trump's first presidential physical prompts 'girther' conspiracy Earlier this month, Trump boasted that … [Link]

Slashdot » Amazon Won't Say If It Hands Your Echo Data To the Government

Thursday 18 January 1:30:00 UTC 2018

Zack Whittaker reports via ZDNet of how Amazon still won't say whether or not it hands your Echo data to the government — three years after the Echo was first released. From the report: Amazon has a transparency problem. Three years ago, the retail giant became the last major tech company to reveal how many subpoenas, search warrants, and court … [Link]

Slashdot » LAPD Is Not Using the Electric BMWs It Announced In 2016

Thursday 18 January 0:50:00 UTC 2018

mi shares a report from CBS Los Angeles: "In a 2016 well-choreographed press conference, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck got out of an electric BMW driven by Mayor Garcetti to tout the city's ambitious project [to provide electric cars for the department]," reports CBS Los Angeles. "The cost: $10.2 million, which includes charging stations." However, the cars have seen very little … [Link]

Mashable » A Google bus was attacked outside of San Francisco, just like buses from Apple

Thursday 18 January 0:41:30 UTC 2018

Apple shuttles aren't the only tech buses under attack. Google buses, which carry employees of the tech giant to and from its Mountain View headquarters, are in the spotlight today following an attack on one of the company's chartered shuttles. SEE ALSO: Someone is attacking Apple buses outside of San Francisco California Highway Patrol officer Art Montiel confirmed to Mashable that, … [Link]

Mashable » How Google's 'speed update' will affect mobile search

Thursday 18 January 0:13:15 UTC 2018

Google searches on your phone are about to get an important upgrade. The company announced an upcoming "speed update" to search, which will put some slower loading pages lower down in search results on mobile devices. SEE ALSO: Google's latest Pixel feature is your first look at the future of search Google says it expects the speed update, set to take … [Link]

Slashdot » Apple Gives Employees $2,500 Bonuses After New Tax Law

Thursday 18 January 0:10:00 UTC 2018

Apple told employees that it's issuing a bonus of $2,500 of restricted stock units, following the introduction of the new U.S. tax law. "The iPhone maker will begin issuing grants to most employees worldwide in the coming months," reports Bloomberg. Apple also announced today that it would bring back most of its cash from overseas and spend $30 billion in … [Link]

John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons