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 » Dramatic puppy meeting a husky gets a hilarious Photoshop battle

Wednesday 7 February 23:53:16 UTC 2018

This little pupper met a husky for the first time, and was not happy. In the photo CammRobb submitted to Reddit's Photoshop battles, a teeny puppy seemed to have a moment of divine revelation while meeting the husky. Check out that dramatic look on its little face. SEE ALSO: This machine plays fetch with your dog for you As always, Redditors … [Link]

Mashable » Get ready for weed yoga: The first legal cannabis spa may be on its way

Wednesday 7 February 23:52:39 UTC 2018

Weed and yoga might just be a match made in heaven. But despite pot's legal status in Denver, "ganja yoga" isn't permitted. Well, unless you get stoned yourself and then go to a yoga class. But maybe there's another option on the way… Owners of the Utopia All Natural Wellness Spa and Lounge submitted a social consumption application on Wednesday to … [Link]

Mashable » 10 absurd Travis Kalanick quotes from the Waymo-Uber trial

Wednesday 7 February 23:51:07 UTC 2018

Travis Kalanick, the former CEO of ride-hailing app Uber, let out some laughs, reminisced about old colleagues, and shared his awe over flying cars during several hours of questioning in a San Francisco courtroom this week. Quick overview: Kalanick is one of many witnesses in the trial over autonomous vehicle technology that Waymo, a driverless-car company spun out from Google, accuses … [Link]

Mashable » Pelosi delivers longest House speech ever in an attempt to save DACA

Wednesday 7 February 23:30:49 UTC 2018

House Minority Leader has something she'd like to say: more than eight hours worth of things, to be specific. Pelosi took to the House floor beginning at 10:04 am on Wednesday to advocate on behalf of young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers. Republicans in the House are hoping to pass a spending bill before Friday. Pelosi is refusing to sign any … [Link]

Mashable » Here's why Nest is once again a part of Google

Wednesday 7 February 23:21:09 UTC 2018

Your favorite Nest products may soon get a lot better. In a blog post published Wednesday, Nest CEO Marlan Farwaz and its senior vice president of hardware, Rick Osterloh, announced that smart home appliance maker Nest Labs is joining Google, Alphabet's biggest subsidiary. SEE ALSO: Google gets earnings boost thanks to Google Home holiday sales, but it's not all picture perfect … [Link]

Slashdot » Windows 10 Will Soon Get Progressive Web Apps To Boost the Microsoft Store

Wednesday 7 February 23:20:00 UTC 2018

The next major update to Windows 10 will bring Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) to the Microsoft Store. PWAs are websites (or web apps) which are implemented as native apps, and delivered just like a normal app through Windows 10's store. According to TechRadar, "The big advantages are that no platform-specific code is required, allowing devs to make apps that run … [Link]

Mashable » Polanski rape survivor hopes Tarantino stops making 'an a** of himself'

Wednesday 7 February 23:12:51 UTC 2018

Roman Polanksi's rape survivor responded to the recently resurfaced Howard Stern interview in which Quentin Tarantino defended the actions of the disgraced French-Polish film director. In the interview, Tarantino characterized the survivor as a "13-year-old party girl" who "was down with to party with Roman." In reality, she was drugged and raped by the then 43-year-old Polanksi. Tarantino even went as … [Link]

Slashdot » EFF Founder John Perry Barlow Has Died At Age 70

Wednesday 7 February 23:05:00 UTC 2018

The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that its founder, John Perry Barlow, has passed away quietly in his sleep this morning. He was 70 years old. From the report: It is no exaggeration to say that major parts of the Internet we all know and love today exist and thrive because of Barlow's vision and leadership. He always saw the Internet … [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk shares the last image of his Tesla roadster floating through the solar system

Wednesday 7 February 23:01:49 UTC 2018

Unless you spent your day under a rock on Tuesday, you probably already know that SpaceX successfully launched its largest rocket ever, the Falcon Heavy. Oh, and on that rocket was a Telsa Roadster, because why not? Elon Musk shared the last image of the Roadster — equipped with a "Starman" at the wheel — before it spends the rest of … [Link]

Mashable » These slippers will drive themselves right up to your feet

Wednesday 7 February 22:43:37 UTC 2018

Nissan used the ProPILOT technology used in its semi-autonomous vehicles to build "self-driving" slippers. The slippers feature a motor and wheels that sink into the sole once stepped into. The sandals are currently being used at the ProPILOT Park Ryokan, a hotel in Japan, for its guest. Guest are expected to take off their shoes in the lobby and put on … [Link]

Slashdot » Reddit Bans 'Deepfakes' AI Porn Communities

Wednesday 7 February 22:40:00 UTC 2018

Reddit has banned the r/deepfakes subreddit that's devoted to making AI-powered porn using celebrities' faces, classifying it as a form of "involuntary pornography." Reddit follows several other platforms that have already banned deepfakes pornography, including Pornhub, which said yesterday that deepfakes imagery counted as nonconsensual pornography. The Verge reports: In a post today, Reddit announced an update to its rules … [Link]

ProgrammableWeb.com » Mozilla Unveils Project Things, an Open IoT Framework

Wednesday 7 February 22:05:40 UTC 2018

Mozilla, the organization behind the Firefox web browser, yesterday formally unveiled Project Things, "an open framework for connecting your devices to the web." [Link]

Slashdot » FDA Declares Popular Alt-Medicine Kratom an Opioid

Wednesday 7 February 22:03:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader quotes a report from NBC News: The Food and Drug Administration declared the popular herbal product kratom to be an opioid on Tuesday, opening a new front in its battle to get people to stop using it. New research shows kratom acts in the brain just as opioids do, FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a … [Link]

Mashable » Drake just paid for a bunch of people's groceries so, uh, they can thank him now

Wednesday 7 February 21:50:43 UTC 2018

Drake’s been on a major generosity kick while filming his music video for "God's Plan," and fans are loving him for it. For the rapper's latest good deed, he dropped in on some unsuspecting shoppers at a Miami supermarket and, you know, casually spent over $50,000 paying for strangers' groceries. No big deal. Drake reportedly visited the Sabor Tropical Supermarket at … [Link]

Slashdot » Chinese Companies Hunt for AI Talent at American Conference

Wednesday 7 February 21:25:00 UTC 2018

Chinese internet players have flocked to a research conference on artificial intelligence here, fighting to attract students from their home country who received a top-notch education in the U.S. From a report: Chinese is the language of choice among 34 company and group booths occupying prime real estate near the entrance to the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence … [Link]

Mashable » Apple is cracking down on emoji in apps and no one knows why

Wednesday 7 February 21:15:51 UTC 2018

Bad news, emoji lovers: Apple is making it much harder for developers to put emoji in apps. Numerous developers are reporting App Store rejections as a result of using Apple's emoji designs in their apps — something which the company until recently allowed. SEE ALSO: Apple may offer rebates on battery replacements The company appears to be ramping up enforcement of … [Link]

Slashdot » Bowing To Popularity, Apple Stores In China Accept Alipay

Wednesday 7 February 20:45:00 UTC 2018

hackingbear writes: Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba has announced that its mobile wallet app Alipay is to be accepted in physical Apple Stores in the country. This would be the first time Apple has allowed retail store purchases to be made with a third-party mobile wallet app amid a push by the iPhone maker to revive growth in the world's No.2 … [Link]

Mashable » Keep your coffee hot all day with this self-warming mug

Wednesday 7 February 20:30:20 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. Let's face it. We've all left our hot beverages sitting around and forgot all about them only to come back to a nasty cup of coffee or tea. For moments like that, … [Link]

Mashable » Tether critic's Twitter account suspended under questionable circumstances

Wednesday 7 February 20:19:37 UTC 2018

Why release an audit of your so-called stablecoin when you can just shut down your loudest critic's Twitter account? The cryptocurrency world has been in a uproar with allegations that stablecoin Tether and exchange Bitfinex have artificially propped up the value of Bitcoin and are running an elaborate scam. One prominent voice making that claim could, until sometime early Feb. 7, … [Link]

Mashable » That beautiful shot of 'Starman' in a Tesla Roadster is your new wallpaper

Wednesday 7 February 20:16:37 UTC 2018

Say hello to your new wallpaper. And then say thank you to SpaceX, and to Reddit. On Tuesday, Reddit user "AB-nebula" posted a gorgeous wallpaper of the space hero Starman — a spacesuit behind the wheel of the Tesla Roadster Elon Musk launched into space on board the Falcon Heavy rocket — with Earth in the background, to r/Wallpapers. SEE ALSO: … [Link]

Mashable » Reddit finally banned the 'Deepfakes' subreddit, where face-swap porn thrived

Wednesday 7 February 20:07:29 UTC 2018

When it comes to the nonconsensual stitching of women's faces into porn videos, it turns out Reddit has finally had enough. On Feb. 7, the company banned the subreddit known as r/deepfakes. The community, which had gathered over 80,000 subscribers in its short existence, promoted a form of face-swap technology that allowed people to realistically superimpose one face over another in … [Link]

Mashable » How to find a rewarding career in the tech world

Wednesday 7 February 20:05:03 UTC 2018

Finding a new job in tech is never a simple process — especially when you add happiness to the list of things you want. More than any other time in history, we’re looking for careers that not only financially support our busy lives, but also provide value and leave us feeling fulfilled. It’s not always easy to evaluate whether a … [Link]

Slashdot » Now Google Might Make a Game Console and Game-Streaming Service

Wednesday 7 February 20:02:00 UTC 2018

Google could try to get serious about gaming with a rumored console and game-streaming service, according to the Information. From a report: The service, codenamed "Yeti," would stream modern games over the internet instead of processing them on locally, allowing them to run weaker hardware such as Google's Chromecast dongles. Several other companies, including Nvidia and Sony, already offer their … [Link]

Mashable » Meet Lucas, the 2018 Gerber baby who just made history

Wednesday 7 February 20:01:59 UTC 2018

Gerber is making history with its 2018 spokesbaby. On Wednesday the company announced that the winner of its annual Gerber Baby Photo Search is Lucas Warren, a one-year-old from Dalton, Georgia. Warren is the first baby with Down syndrome to join the Gerber Family since the Gerber Baby contest began in 2010, and his mother and father visited The Today Show … [Link]

Mashable » 14 Valentine's Day tech gifts for the most important person in your life

Wednesday 7 February 19:45:02 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 know what makes for better Valentine's Day gifts than flowers and chocolates? Drones and smart hubs and a backup battery charger. SEE ALSO: See all of Mashable's Valentine's Day gift ideas … [Link]

Mashable » Behold! the gruesome reality of Trump's hair is finally known.

Wednesday 7 February 19:36:45 UTC 2018

We’re not sure what we were doing last Friday, but now we know what we missed: the horrifying truth behind Donald Trump's hair. As Trump boarded Air Force One after a week full of memos and the State of the Union, the president forgot to wear his typical "Make America Great Again" hat as the wind howled across the airport. This … [Link]

Mashable » All of the Kardashian/Jenner family baby names, ranked

Wednesday 7 February 19:36:09 UTC 2018

In the year 2018, some higher being (Kris Jenner) has looked out for us in the only way she knows how: by blessing us with three more humans to keep up with. Kim Kardashian and baby sister Kylie Jenner have already welcomed their daughters into the world, and any month now Khloé Kardashian will do the same. But unfortunately, none of … [Link]

Mashable » PocketSmith is an app that can teach you how to understand your finances and save money

Wednesday 7 February 19:22:41 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. Everyone's money saving habits are different. (We're looking at you, millennials.) Whether you rely on the help of an app, use an Excel spreadsheet, or balance your books the classic pencil and … [Link]

Mashable » Dog caught hitching a leisurely ride on pony's back

Wednesday 7 February 19:16:14 UTC 2018

Animal friendships come in many forms. Callie Schnecker stumbled upon interspecies friendship gold when she spotted her "one-eyed wonder pony" Cricket giving the neighbor's dog a ride on his back. In Schnecker's clip, the animal duo gives the camera a brief glance before embarking on what we're sure was the most wholesome adventure ever. "I can't make this stuff up!" … [Link]

Mashable » Here are all 150+ new emoji coming in 2018

Wednesday 7 February 19:08:05 UTC 2018

Emoji are about to get a lot more expressive — with more (and less) hair. Yeah, that's right. There's curly haired, red haired, and bald emoji now. SEE ALSO: This interactive emoji dance party is about as 'internet' as it gets Emojipedia, the self-proclaimed emoji search engine that keeps the world up-to-date on all the latest emoji, made a nice … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Chinese police use face recognition glasses to catch criminals

Wednesday 7 February 19:06:58 UTC 2018

Police caught twenty-six people carrying fake IDs and another with links to human trafficking by using smart glasses with automatic face recognition [Link]

New Scientist – News » SpaceX’s rocket test wasn’t a complete success – but was close

Wednesday 7 February 19:06:57 UTC 2018

SpaceX's historic launch wasn't 100 per cent successful, but there is now a Tesla Roadster floating on an orbit between Mars and Jupiter [Link]

New Scientist – News » Pre-life molecules found floating in nearby galaxy

Wednesday 7 February 19:06:56 UTC 2018

We’ve seen signs of the most complex molecules ever detected outside our galaxy in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a fairly primitive galaxy 160,000 light years away [Link]

New Scientist – News » I got DNA tested to see if I would pass on diseases to my kids

Wednesday 7 February 19:06:55 UTC 2018

Many doctors now suggest people consider getting their DNA checked for genetic diseases before starting a family. Alice Klein decided to take the test [Link]

Mashable » Kylie Jenner and Stormi just broke Beyoncé's Instagram record

Wednesday 7 February 19:06:40 UTC 2018

Sorry Beyoncé, a new celebrity baby on Instagram is taking over. Last year, Queen Bey announced that she was pregnant with twins/future world leaders Rumi and Sir Carter. The photograph accompanying the news completely shattered all Instagram records with more than 11 million likes at the time of this writing, and previously beat a Selena Gomez #ad on Instagram. This week, … [Link]

Mashable » 11 Valentine's Day gifts for the person you're about to dump

Wednesday 7 February 19:03:18 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. Breaking up with someone on Valentine's Day falls strictly into two categories: A necessary evil that can't be avoided, or just downright cruel. Many dating experts believe November to be the biggest … [Link]

Slashdot » 36 Indicted in Global Cybercrime Ring That Stole $530M

Wednesday 7 February 18:51:00 UTC 2018

U.S. prosecutors say 36 people have been indicted in connection with an international cybercrime ring that bought and sold stolen credit card information, leading to losses of more than $530 million. From a report: The Justice Department says Wednesday that the so-called Infraud Organization dealt in the large-scale acquisition and sale of stolen identities, credit card information and malware. Deputy … [Link]

Mashable » A physical wallet for cryptocurrencies exists and it's actually pretty cool

Wednesday 7 February 18:15:10 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. The cryptocurrency craze continues to rage on despite its boom-and-bust nature. And why not? They’re great investments, they’re not connected to any banks, and they can now finally be used at a handful of … [Link]

Mashable » Creating a personal website might be the most important thing you can do when searching for a new job

Wednesday 7 February 18:07:31 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. The single most important thing you can do when trying to find a job is to create a personal website. Even if you don't run a business or create content for a … [Link]

Slashdot » 'Humans Not Invited' Is a CAPTCHA Test That Welcomes Bots, Filters Out Humans

Wednesday 7 February 18:05:00 UTC 2018

While most CAPTCHA tests we come across on the Web are usually meant to keep robots out, one website is welcoming them in. From a report: The conceit of Humans Not Invited is essentially a reverse CAPTCHA. Visitors to the site are greeted with a vision test not unlike the ones you've done before, but instead it's filled with seemingly … [Link]

Mashable » Here's what the 'Solo' trailer sounds like with low-budget sound effects

Wednesday 7 February 18:02:00 UTC 2018

The Star Wars movies have some of the most iconic sound effects in film history, but what would a first draft sound like? Read more…More about Star Wars, Foley, Solo A Star Wars Story, Entertainment, and Star Wars [Link]

Mashable » 'Lady Bird' is the right story at the right time for the Oscars

Wednesday 7 February 18:00:19 UTC 2018

Continuing our run down of all 9 Best Picture nominees, Dustin McLean and Mashable's Entertainment Reporter Jess Joho (@liongirl528) go back and forth on Lady Bird's odds of winning. Subscribe to CineFix for more movie-related content Read more…More about Debate, Cinefix, Cinefix Roundtable, Lady Bird, and Entertainment [Link]

Mashable » This Barbie Jeep was transformed into a badass go-kart

Wednesday 7 February 17:47:46 UTC 2018

Two crafty engineering students from Georgia Tech, Dustin Sloan and Charlston Trenton, rebuilt this pretty Power Wheels toy into a speedy go-kart. Read more…More about Technology, Mashable Video, Toys, Racing, and Innovation [Link]

Mashable » This machine plays fetch with your dog for you

Wednesday 7 February 17:45:29 UTC 2018

‘GoDogGo G4’ is a fetch machine that automatically launches balls for your dog. GoDogGo has multiple time and distance settings. It also comes with a safety arc, remote control, and auto stop. And since the machine shoots the ball upwards, your dog shouldn't be hit in the face with it. Read more…More about Technology, Dogs, Mashable Video, Pet, and Dog [Link]

Mashable » Patagonia's new activism platform finds you convenient ways to save the planet

Wednesday 7 February 17:33:36 UTC 2018

Patagonia is giving customers a new and convenient way to take part in environmental activism. The outdoor clothing company has launched Patagonia Action Works, a digital platform that informs people of local activism opportunities in the categories of land, water, climate, communities, and biodiversity, so they can easily take action and help preserve the planet. SEE ALSO: The Seine is overflowing, … [Link]

Slashdot » Before They Can Drive a Taxi, London's Cabbies Have To Commit the City To Memory in a Rigorous Test Called the Knowledge

Wednesday 7 February 17:26:00 UTC 2018

In their fight against Uber, London's taxi drivers claim a distinct advantage: They must forgo GPS and navigate the huge city entirely from memory. CNET: Put in place in 1865, the Knowledge exam requires cabbies to navigate between any two points in central London without following a map or GPS. It can take four years to learn the information and … [Link]

Mashable » Your very own pocket-sized barista

Wednesday 7 February 17:24:25 UTC 2018

Now you can stay caffeinated on any adventure with Wacaco's portable espresso makers Read more…More about Tech, Mashable Video, Adventure, Convenience, and Coffee [Link]

Mashable » How climate change is shrinking the largest Arctic land mammal

Wednesday 7 February 17:15:32 UTC 2018

A scientific study suggests that muskoxen are having smaller and weaker offspring due to warmer winters. Read more…More about Mashable Video, Arctic, Global Warming, Climate Change, and Real Time [Link]

Mashable » Quincy Jones said he 'used to date' Ivanka Trump and the internet can't stop screaming

Wednesday 7 February 17:05:30 UTC 2018

It happened 12 years ago. She was in her 20s. He was in his 70s. Quincy Jones took Ivanka Trump out for dinner. That's just one of the wild details to surface in an epic Vulture interview with the music legend. Jones is best known as a music producer, though he's filled numerous roles over the years: actor, musician, composer, business … [Link]

Mashable » 'Overwatch' League is reportedly getting its first female player

Wednesday 7 February 16:55:33 UTC 2018

The current worst team in the Overwatch League is looking to shake up its roster part-way through the first season, including signing the first female player in Overwatch League history. South Korean Overwatch player Kim "Geguri" Se-yeon is going to be joining the ranks of the Shanghai Dragons along with Lee "Fearless" Eui-Seok and Cheon "Ado" Ki-hyun, according to a report … [Link]

Mashable » The iPhone Could Potentially Crack a Murder Case

Wednesday 7 February 16:50:31 UTC 2018

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

Slashdot » Meet the Tiny Startup That Sells IPhone and Android Zero Days To Governments

Wednesday 7 February 16:47:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader writes: The story of Azimuth Security, a tiny startup in Australia, provides a rare peek inside the secretive industry that helps government hackers get around encryption. Azimuth is part of an opaque, little known corner of the intelligence world made of hackers who develop and sell expensive exploits to break into popular technologies like iOS, Chrome, Android … [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk's outer space Tesla will overshoot Mars and land somewhere in the asteroid belt

Wednesday 7 February 16:41:33 UTC 2018

After spending six hours orbiting Earth, Elon Musk's outer space Tesla rocketed deeper into space. SpaceX originally planned for the vehicle to land in a solar system orbit that would at times bring the Roadster near Mars, but it appears the Tesla will overshoot these expectations and travel well beyond the red planet, and into the asteroid belt. Elon Musk announced … [Link]

Mashable » The internet helps me remember my late friend at his best

Wednesday 7 February 16:24:44 UTC 2018

New York-based comedian and artist Michael Turzilli was getting an undergraduate degree, doing improv, working on a web series, hosting a standup show, working as the editor-in-chief of a satirical website, and consistently putting out music and videos. He was also one of my best friends. In October 2017, he died of an accidental heroin overdose at the age of 24. … [Link]

Mashable » Paul Bettany adds another crime boss to the 'Star Wars' universe in 'Solo'

Wednesday 7 February 16:11:01 UTC 2018

Dryden Vos is a crime boss, and also the name of Paul Bettany's character in Solo: A Star Wars Story. He didn't pop up in the movie's Super Bowl tease, or in the first full trailer that followed a day later. But we now know what his character is called, by way of a Solo cover story in the latest issue … [Link]

Slashdot » Twitter Bans Notorious Bitfinex and Tether Critic Bitfinex'ed

Wednesday 7 February 16:09:00 UTC 2018

Twitter has officially suspended Bitfinex'ed — a notorious internet sleuth who has long speculated that popular exchange desk Bitfinex has quietly been printing its dollar-pegged Tether digital tokens out of thin air, a move that could lead to the collapse of Bitcoin and perhaps even the entire market, The Next Web reports. From the report: In an email to TNW, … [Link]

Mashable » Let this trash can do the dirty work for you

Wednesday 7 February 15:48:34 UTC 2018

‘Bruno’ is a smart trash can designed to vacuum surrounding debris at its base and deposit them into a trash bag. An accompanying app keeps track of how many bags you have and when it's time to take the trash out. It also features a motion sensor lid and starts at a whopping $199. Read more…More about Watercooler, Iphone, Apps, Food, … [Link]

Mashable » 'Jessica Jones' Season 2 trailer looks at how she got her powers

Wednesday 7 February 15:46:49 UTC 2018

Jessica Jones is coming back for a second season on Netflix and it looks like we're in for another intense and mysterious ride. The first trailer for Season 2 of Jessica Jones gives us our first glimpse at what the show is going to be about: how Jessica Jones got her powers. It'll also include some Jessica Jones classics — … [Link]

Mashable » Errant cow commits mail fraud

Wednesday 7 February 15:39:25 UTC 2018

A young cow in Afton, Iowa, was caught committing mail fraud on Monday. The criminal resides near the home of Erin Hudson, whose daughter caught the attempted heist on camera. Apparently, the cow is prone to escaping its enclosure, but this was the first time it attempted to open someone's else mail. Or run away with it. Or eat it. … [Link]

Mashable » Here's how the cryptocurrency market will recover

Wednesday 7 February 15:38:08 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. In the past month or so, bears have ruled the cryptocurrency market. You may not think that's a very long time, but given how fast the cryptocoin market moves, this is not some temporary flash crash. … [Link]

Mashable » Disney just released details about ESPN Plus, its new $4.99 streaming video service

Wednesday 7 February 15:37:59 UTC 2018

The 2018 Super Bowl has finally passed, but sports fans may still have something to look forward to later this year. On an earnings call Tuesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger provided more details about ESPN's upcoming streaming video service, ESPN Plus. Disney first announced the service back in August 2017, but few specifics about the platform have emerged since. SEE ALSO: … [Link]

Mashable » Donald Trump really wants a military parade so here's what it might look like

Wednesday 7 February 15:36:44 UTC 2018

In the wake of the Washington Post's report that Glorious Leader Donald Trump wants himself a parade to showcase America's grand military strength, we're wondering what the event may look like. We know that Trump's love of a parade is part of what inspired his summer 2017 trip to France — where he got to hear a military band rendition of … [Link]

Mashable » Save on power tools, water bottles, wireless headphones, and more today on Amazon

Wednesday 7 February 15:31:07 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. We may still be in the middle of winter, but when spring finally gets here you'll want to bust out the power tools for all those DIY projects you've been dreaming about. … [Link]

Slashdot » Many Animals Can Count, Some Better Than You

Wednesday 7 February 15:30:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader shares a report: The story of the frog's neuro-abacus is just one example of nature's vast, ancient and versatile number sense, a talent explored in detail in a recent themed issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, edited by Brian Butterworth, a cognitive neuroscientist at University College London, C. Randy Gallistel of Rutgers University and … [Link]

Mashable » Netflix's 'Queer Eye' reboot is all about empathy at a time when we really need it

Wednesday 7 February 15:29:36 UTC 2018

When Queer Eye for the Straight Guy premiered in 2003, in the middle of another contentious Republican presidency, being gay in America didn't look like it does today. Straight actors played gay characters in mainstream shows like Will and Grace and Queer as Folk. Then Queer Eye came along depicting gay men as professional experts. Though it moved the needle, … [Link]

Mashable » 10 things you (probably) didn't know about Apple's HomePod

Wednesday 7 February 15:18:41 UTC 2018

Apple HomePod sounds really great, works with Apple Music, Siri is still meh, and it requires an iOS device to set up. The end, right? Not quite. The first HomePod reviews have revealed a few interesting things that may or may not sway your opinion on Apple's first smart speaker. SEE ALSO: Apple HomePod first impressions: Great sound is a good … [Link]

Slashdot » Scammers Use Download Bombs To Freeze Chrome Browsers on Shady Sites

Wednesday 7 February 14:51:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader shares a report: The operators of some tech support scam websites have found a new trick to block visitors on their shady sites and scare non-technical users into paying for unneeded software or servicing fees. The trick relies on using JavaScript code loaded on these malicious pages to initiate thousands of file download operations that quickly take … [Link]

New Scientist – News » We can now read the whole genome of a fetus in the womb

Wednesday 7 February 14:28:26 UTC 2018

Knowing the ins and outs of our children's genetic secrets before they are born could help reduce the likelihood of many diseases – but could it be misused? [Link]

New Scientist – News » Online chatter could give warning of incoming cyber attacks

Wednesday 7 February 14:28:25 UTC 2018

An early warning system that monitors cyber-security discussions online could help prevent the next big malware outbreak [Link]

Mashable » New 'Deadpool 2' trailer introduces Josh Brolin's Cable

Wednesday 7 February 14:28:25 UTC 2018

It's only been a day since we were treated to a new Deadpool 2 poster, and now there's a trailer to go along with it. We've already seen a photo of Josh Brolin's transformation into Cable, and now the Marvel mutant is the focus of this latest look at the May 18 film. The new trailer starts off real serious … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Early Briton from 10,000 years ago had dark skin and blue eyes

Wednesday 7 February 14:28:24 UTC 2018

A genetic analysis of Cheddar Man, one of the first people to settle in Britain after the last ice age, suggests that his skin was dark [Link]

New Scientist – News » The US agency that guards the environment is going to be hobbled

Wednesday 7 February 14:28:23 UTC 2018

Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has talked up his mission to scale back its powers. It's so shortsighted, says Ian Graber-Stiehl [Link]

Slashdot » Get Ready For Most Cryptocurrencies to Hit Zero, Goldman Says

Wednesday 7 February 14:09:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader shares a report: The tumble in cryptocurrencies that erased nearly $500 billion of market value over the past month could get a lot worse, according to Goldman Sachs Group's global head of investment research. Most digital currencies are unlikely to survive in their current form, and investors should prepare for coins to lose all their value as … [Link]

Mashable » Every Star Wars movie and TV show in development right now

Wednesday 7 February 14:08:45 UTC 2018

If the latest Star Wars announcement tells us anything, other than that the Lucasfilm top brass like Game of Thrones as much as the rest of us do, it's that there are a lot of Star Wars movies coming up on our horizon. So many, in fact, that it's getting kind of difficult to keep track of them all. SEE ALSO: … [Link]

Mashable » Scottish police called out to deal with tiger on the loose, get big surprise

Wednesday 7 February 13:17:46 UTC 2018

A tiger loose in Scotland? It can't be… SEE ALSO: Veterinarians are using fish skin to help heal bear paw burns from wildfires Actually that statement is one hundred percent correct. Police in Aberdeenshire received a call from a concerned citizen on Saturday who believed he had spotted a tiger loitering near his farm. As it turns out the big cat … [Link]

Mashable » Kevin Durant dunking in extreme slow motion is a thing of beauty

Wednesday 7 February 13:10:32 UTC 2018

The man is better than any trampoline. SEE ALSO: The Slow Mo Guys have a new show of epic proportions The Slow Mo Guys got Kevin Durant to help them film a basketball dunk in slow motion. He does two dunks: his first looks weirdly casual in slow motion, and the second he grabs the rim like a complete boss. … [Link]

Slashdot » Senate Cryptocurrency Hearing Strikes a Cautiously Optimistic Tone

Wednesday 7 February 13:00:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: In a hearing today before the Senate Banking Committee, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton and Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Christopher Giancarlo opened up about what the near-term U.S. regulatory fate of cryptocurrency might look like. In a week of plunging prices and bad news, the hearing struck a tone … [Link]

Mashable » Jamie Dornan and James Corden's 'Fifty Shades' parody is so erotic it hurts

Wednesday 7 February 12:51:04 UTC 2018

There are few things in this world more sensual than the sight of two grown men bonding over a model train set. In the Late Late Show parody above, James Corden invites the leading Fifty Shades man Jamie Dornan into a darkened room before inviting him to be the "conductor" to his "signal master". SEE ALSO: Helen Mirren totally destroys … [Link]

Mashable » Scientists reveal 10,000-year-old British man had dark skin and blue eyes

Wednesday 7 February 12:23:22 UTC 2018

The face of a 10,000-year-old British skeleton nicknamed "Cheddar Man" has been revealed after research carried out by a team of scientists at London's Natural History Museum. SEE ALSO: Scientists have discovered spiders with tails because nightmares are real The team, which specialises in evolution and DNA, worked with model-makers and professors at University College London to build a picture of … [Link]

Mashable » This conspiracy theory about Adele and Sam Smith is spectacularly ridiculous

Wednesday 7 February 12:03:09 UTC 2018

The internet has seen many a silly conspiracy theory, but this new one takes silly to new, fabulous heights — and it involves two incredibly powerful singers, Adele and Sam Smith. SEE ALSO: Dolly Parton responds to Adele's Twitter tribute with heartfelt message It started with a simple observation. Anyone notice that Adele isn’t at the Grammys this year? It’s because … [Link]

Mashable » Millie Bobby Brown responds adorably to Kim Kardashian's Valentine's gift

Wednesday 7 February 11:51:00 UTC 2018

The Millie Bobby Brown/Kardashian friendship continues to blossom. It started properly last November, when Brown confessed her love of Keeping Up with the Kardashians on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Kris and Kim were quick to respond on Twitter, and a glorious new friendship was born. SEE ALSO: People think Millie Bobby Brown is a doppelgänger for young Natalie Portman … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Seeing SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket take off for the first time

Wednesday 7 February 11:31:16 UTC 2018

SpaceX test launched its Falcon Heavy rocket, the most powerful since the Saturn V rocket. Leah Crane went to Cape Canaveral to see it lift off up close [Link]

Mashable » 14 times 'Lovesick' was the most heart-wrenching comedy of all time

Wednesday 7 February 11:26:58 UTC 2018

Warning: Contains big, sob-filled spoilers for all three seasons of Lovesick. I'd be lying if I said I made it through all three seasons of Lovesick without at least a prickle in my eyes. The show occupies that hard-to-perfect sweet spot between consistently funny and — every now and then — emotionally crushing. It's like BoJack Horseman, or that episode of … [Link]

Mashable » Netflix's 'Everything Sucks!' trailer is all about that sweet, '90s high school nostalgia

Wednesday 7 February 10:41:44 UTC 2018

Fresh off the massive, inter-dimensional success of Stranger Things, Netflix are queuing up yet another foray into sweet high school nostalgia. This one's a comedy, though, and it takes place in 1996. SEE ALSO: Spot the reference! 'Everything Sucks!' trailer is an homage to the '90s Set to the bitter-sweet sound of The Cranberries, the first official trailer for Everything … [Link]

Slashdot » Pornhub Is Banning AI-Generated 'Deepfakes' Porn Videos

Wednesday 7 February 10:00:00 UTC 2018

On Tuesday, Pornhub told Motherboard that it considers deepfakes to be nonconsensual porn and that it will ban these videos. "Deepfakes" is a community originally named after a Redditor who enjoys face-swapping celebrity faces onto porn performers' bodies using a machine learning algorithm. Motherboard reports: "We do not tolerate any nonconsensual content on the site and we remove all said … [Link]

Mashable » 'Game of Thrones' star Sophie Turner is a tattooed badass in new film trailer for 'Josie'

Wednesday 7 February 9:49:27 UTC 2018

Winter may be coming, but Sansa has clearly decided to take a break from the cold to get some much-needed sun. SEE ALSO: Maisie Williams will be Sophie Turner's bridesmaid because Stark sisters stick together In the above trailer for Josie, a tattooed Sophie Turner plays a new arrival in a southern U.S. town. The trailer doesn't give massive amounts … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Beetles escape alive after almost 2 hours in a toad’s stomach

Wednesday 7 February 9:01:00 UTC 2018

Bombardier beetles sometimes get eaten by toads, but they can squirt hot, toxic jets of liquid from their backsides so the toads often vomit them right back up [Link]

New Scientist – News » Have we just found thousands of planets outside our galaxy?

Wednesday 7 February 8:32:49 UTC 2018

Strange fluctuations in the light spectra emitted from near a quasar could be due to the effect of around 2000 planets flung out of their solar systems [Link]

New Scientist – News » Nano-claw snatches bacteria from blood like tiny Venus flytrap

Wednesday 7 February 8:32:47 UTC 2018

Inspired by the Venus flytrap, a minuscule claw can grab pathogens from diseased blood and may prove useful against antibiotic-resistant bacteria [Link]

New Scientist – News » Ancient rock art rewrites the natural history of Arabia

Wednesday 7 February 8:32:46 UTC 2018

The archaeological record suggests few large animals lived in Arabia in the last few thousand years, but prehistoric rock art from the area depicts a host of big beasts [Link]

Slashdot » Scientists Create a New Form of Matter: Superionic Water Ice

Wednesday 7 February 7:00:00 UTC 2018

According to The New York Times, scientists created a new form of water that simultaneously acts like a solid and liquid. "The substance, which consists of a fluid of hydrogen ions running through a lattice of oxygen, was formed by compressing water between two diamonds and then zapping it with a laser," reports Science Magazine. "That caused pressures to spike … [Link]

Mashable » Elon Musk just replied to Trump's SpaceX Falcon Heavy tweet

Wednesday 7 February 6:41:45 UTC 2018

President Donald Trump has congratulated Elon Musk's SpaceX for the successful launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket. Musk replied, "An exciting future lies ahead." SEE ALSO: Watching SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch to space was like seeing into the future Trump tweeted at the SpaceX and Tesla CEO on Tuesday after the launch of the Falcon Heavy (and its payload of a … [Link]

Mashable » Cool dad Will Smith recreates his son Jaden's clip for 'Icon'

Wednesday 7 February 6:00:25 UTC 2018

Will Smith has quickly become really good at the internet. In celebration of his son Jaden reaching 100 million Spotify streams on his album SYRE, Smith decided to recreate the clip for the single "Icon," posting on Instagram late on Tuesday. SEE ALSO: An ode to Will Smith's perfect Instagram account Here, Smith appears complete with denim jacket, grills, gold chain … [Link]

Mashable » New Apple store dubbed 'Pizza Hut pagoda' in backlash over its design

Wednesday 7 February 4:35:15 UTC 2018

Apple’s sleek glass and metal constructed stores are oft-admired around the world. It's not quite the case in Melbourne, Australia, where a proposed global flagship store in the city's Federation Square has been the subject of controversy since it was announced in December. SEE ALSO: Here's how you'll be able to see if your iPhone's being slowed down The Victorian state … [Link]

Mashable » Watching SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch to space was like seeing into the future

Wednesday 7 February 4:02:37 UTC 2018

Watching Space X's Falcon Heavy launch, the future suddenly materialized in front of me. For years, space nerds have heard about this huge new rocket with three boosters that could land back on Earth after flying payload after payload to space. But did I think it would really happen, and that somehow, someway I'd get to see it live? Nope. SEE … [Link]

Slashdot » Fake News Sharing In US Is a Rightwing Thing, Says Oxford Study

Wednesday 7 February 3:30:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Low-quality, extremist, sensationalist and conspiratorial news published in the U.S. was overwhelmingly consumed and shared by rightwing social network users, according to a new study from the University of Oxford. The study, from the university's "computational propaganda project", looked at the most significant sources of "junk news" shared in the three … [Link]

Mashable » Peak Star Wars? Why we could be in for a galaxy of bad content.

Wednesday 7 February 3:11:32 UTC 2018

Star Wars' galaxy far, far away contains endless possibilities for adventure — and that presents a problem. The first person to run into this problem was George Lucas, several days after he started writing about it. Lucas' first-ever scribbled notes on his space fantasy project followed a "Jedi-Bendu" character, then called Mace Windy, as he hopped from starship to planet to … [Link]

Mashable » Why social media companies won’t kill off bots

Wednesday 7 February 2:22:03 UTC 2018

Bots, bots, everywhere, but nothing good to click. As the social media networks of the world engage in a performative struggle to become good for people's well being, they have been simultaneously peppered with questions about bots on their respective platforms. The automated accounts degrade the user experience and poison the well, the argument goes, and calls to cull them from … [Link]

Mashable » Everything you need to understand the Uber-Waymo legal battle

Wednesday 7 February 2:06:17 UTC 2018

For the next three weeks the autonomous vehicle industry will be in overdrive. Waymo and Uber, the two biggest leaders in self-driving car technology, are battling it out in court. The trial over driverless car trade secrets started Monday in San Francisco's U.S. District Court exposing some of the inner workings of the rival companies. Waymo, a spin-out company from Google's … [Link]

Slashdot » Facebook Hired a Full-Time Pollster To Monitor Zuckerberg's Approval Ratings

Wednesday 7 February 2:03:00 UTC 2018

According to The Verge, Facebook hired a full-time pollster to track Mark Zuckerberg's approval ratings last year as the young CEO was making his 50-state tour across the country. The pollster, Tavis McGinn, reportedly "decided to leave the company after only six months after coming to believe that Facebook had a negative effect on the world." From the report: It … [Link]

Mashable » Models are posing in Hobby Lobby photoshoots

Wednesday 7 February 1:54:04 UTC 2018

People around the United States are taking on a new challenge: photographing models in Hobby Lobby. They're creating gorgeous portraits with some careful posing, a lot of editing, and the craft store's stock of fake plants. shooting in hobby lobby is the new thing now am I right pic.twitter.com/vh3jIISFgf — Kelsey Maggart (@_KelseyMaggart) January 27, 2018 Kelsey Maggart started the trend … [Link]

Slashdot » What Apple's Battery Health 'Fix' Looks Like

Wednesday 7 February 1:25:00 UTC 2018

Apple has released new battery health features in iOS 11.3 beta 2, which was seeded to developers today. BGR reports what those battery health functions look like, and how to disable power management if you're using an older iPhone: The feature is contained within a new "Battery Health" menu, which is under the "Battery" tab on iOS 11.3. The page … [Link]

Mashable » Twitter bans fake porn videos with celebrity face swaps

Wednesday 7 February 1:24:57 UTC 2018

Fake porn videos featuring face-swapped celebrities, often referred to as "deepfakes," have been banned from Twitter. The social media platform has become the latest to ban the videos, in which celebrity women like Gal Gadot, Taylor Swift, and Maisie Williams have been face-swapped with porn performers using AI that makes it all look way too realMotherboard first reported the ban on … [Link]

Mashable » These guys combined Connect Four and golf in one pretty darn clever game

Wednesday 7 February 1:11:13 UTC 2018

OK, seems like you can combine the classic board game Connect Four with most ball sports. It certainly goes pretty well with golf, as evidenced in a custom game put together by Australian YouTubers How Ridiculous. While you might be good at putt-putt, it's a little trickier trying to hit the ball up a hill — you might prefer the … [Link]

Slashdot » SpaceX Successfully Lands Two Falcon Heavy Boosters Simultaneously After Rocket Launch [Update]

Wednesday 7 February 1:03:00 UTC 2018

After nearly a decade of development, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket has successfully launched from pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida today. After reaching orbit, the two side boosters simultaneously landed at Landing Zone One. We do not know the status of the central core of the rocket, which was destined to land on the "Of Course I … [Link]

Slashdot » Apple Homepod Review: Locked In

Wednesday 7 February 0:45:00 UTC 2018

On Tuesday, the review embargo lifted for full reviews of Apple's new HomePod smart speaker. The Verge's Niley Patel shared his thoughts on Apple's new HomePod in video and written form. Patel found that while it offers best-in-class sound for the price, Siri is frustratingly limited and the voice controls only work with Apple Music. Furthermore, Siri can't tell different … [Link]

Slashdot » FCC Report Claims Broken Broadband Market Has Been Fixed By Killing Net Neutrality

Wednesday 7 February 0:03:00 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: The FCC has released a new report falsely claiming that the agency's attack on net neutrality is already paying huge dividends when it comes to sector investment and competition. Unfortunately for the FCC, the data the agency is relying on to "prove" this claim comes from before current FCC boss Ajit Pai … [Link]

John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons