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 » Volcano in Indonesia unleashes massive explosion

Monday 19 February 23:32:51 UTC 2018

Mount Sinabung in Indonesia has been erupting for about the past five years now, displacing tens of thousands as it sends debris flows toward populated areas. On Feb. 19, the volcano unleashed a far more explosive eruption that vaulted smoke and ash more than 25,000 feet into the air, prompting aviation alerts for aircraft to steer clear of the area. The … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Finally Documents the Limitations of Windows 10 on ARM

Monday 19 February 23:00:00 UTC 2018

For over a year we've been treated to the fantasy that Windows 10 on ARM was the same as Windows 10 on x86. But it's a bit more nuanced than that. Paul Thurrott: 64-bit apps will not work. Yes, Windows 10 on ARM can run Windows desktop applications. But it can only run 32-bit (x86) desktop applications, not 64-bit (x64) … [Link]

Mashable » This Silicon Valley skier just gave the least impressive performance of the Winter Olympics

Monday 19 February 22:37:40 UTC 2018

The Winter Olympics have been full of mind-blowing feats of athleticism and artistry. This is not one of them. Elizabeth Swaney made her Olympic debut in the freeski halfpipe on Monday. It was … not impressive. She casually slides back and forth down the halfpipe, like she's on vacation in Aspen instead of competing against elite athletes. She barely even attempts … [Link]

Mashable » After the Parkland shooting, the gun control debate isn't fading away

Monday 19 February 22:23:38 UTC 2018

Three of the largest mass shootings in modern American history happened in the past two years, but that doesn't mean Americans are always thinking about gun control. In fact, data shows that with so many mass shootings taking place, Americans move on to other concerns within several days after each event. But after the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas … [Link]

Slashdot » How UPS Delivers Faster Using $8 Headphones and Code That Decides When Dirty Trucks Get Cleaned

Monday 19 February 22:08:58 UTC 2018

With Amazon's imminent plans to launch a low-cost package delivery service, UPS is about to face intense competition from a company with top customer-tracking capabilities and even artificial-intelligence expertise. To tackle it, the company is turning to advances analytics. From a report: In 2016, it began collecting data across its facilities. Today there are about 25 projects based on that … [Link]

Slashdot » Vietnam's Internet is in Trouble

Monday 19 February 21:30:00 UTC 2018

The World Post: Vietnamese authorities have harped of late on the urgency of fighting cybersecurity threats and "bad and dangerous content." Yet the fight against either "fake news" or misinformation in Vietnam must not be used as a smoke screen for stifling dissenting opinions and curtailing freedom of speech [The link may be paywalled]. Doing so would only further stoke … [Link]

Mashable » Donald Trump asks Mar-a-Lago guests what he should do about guns

Monday 19 February 20:34:18 UTC 2018

In the wake of the most recent mass shooting, President Donald Trump sought advice on gun control from a trusted source: rich people staying at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. According to the Washington Post, Trump spent the weekend at his resort watching cable news, complaining about the Russia investigation, and asking "Mar-a-Lago Club members about whether he ought to champion … [Link]

Slashdot » Flight Sim Company Embeds Malware To Steal Pirates' Passwords

Monday 19 February 20:30:00 UTC 2018

TorrentFreak: Flight sim company FlightSimLabs has found itself in trouble after installing malware onto users' machines as an anti-piracy measure. Code embedded in its A320-X module contained a mechanism for detecting 'pirate' serial numbers distributed on The Pirate Bay, which then triggered a process through which the company stole usernames and passwords from users' web browsers. Share on Google+ Read more of this … [Link]

Slashdot » Virgin Hyperloop One is Coming To India

Monday 19 February 19:30:00 UTC 2018

Hyperloop is coming to India. From a report: The western-central Indian state of Maharashta plans to build a Virgin Hyperloop track between Pune and Mumbai, British entrepreneur and Virgin boss Richard Branson announced on Monday in a blog post. Virgin Hyperloop One will start by building a demo track, with the aim of eventually supporting 150 million passenger trips per … [Link]

New Scientist – News » We’re evolving a gene that may stop us from drinking alcohol

Monday 19 February 18:52:26 UTC 2018

Humans are still evolving and producing new gene variants, and one of them may give protection against becoming addicted to alcohol – by stopping us drinking altogether [Link]

Mashable » Michelle Obama raves about 'Black Panther' on Twitter

Monday 19 February 18:41:03 UTC 2018

Michelle Obama is constantly reminding us how lucky we were when she was first lady. Recently, she helped unveil a stunning, groundbreaking portrait, then she won Valentine's Day. Now she's showing love to our latest obsession, Black Panther. Congrats to the entire #blackpanther team! Because of you, young people will finally see superheroes that look like them on the big screen. … [Link]

Slashdot » Microsoft Stops Pushing Notifications To Windows 7 and 8 Phones

Monday 19 February 18:30:00 UTC 2018

The end of Microsoft's Windows Phone project has been a long time coming, and now there's another nail in the coffin. From a report: Microsoft is ending support for all push notifications for Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8.0 starting Tuesday, February 20th. According to Microsoft's blog post, in addition to the discontinuation of push notifications, live tiles will … [Link]

Slashdot » Mitsubishi Electric Believes Its AI-enhanced Camera Systems Will Make Mirrors on Cars Obsolete

Monday 19 February 17:30:00 UTC 2018

In its annual R&D Open House on February 14, Mitsubishi Electric described the development of what it believes is the industry's highest-performance rendition of mirrorless car technology. From a report: According to the company, today's conventional camera-based systems featuring motion detection technology can detect objects up to about 30 meters away and identify them with a low accuracy of 14 … [Link]

Slashdot » Scientists Grow Sheep Embryos Containing Human Cells

Monday 19 February 17:19:17 UTC 2018

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: Scientists say growing human organs inside animals could not only increase supply, but also offer the possibility of genetically tailoring the organs to be compatible with the immune system of the patient receiving them, by using the patient's own cells in the procedure, removing the possibility of rejection. "Even today the … [Link]

Slashdot » IBM Sues Microsoft's New Chief Diversity Officer To Protect Diversity Trade Secrets

Monday 19 February 17:19:16 UTC 2018

theodp writes: GeekWire reports that IBM has filed suit against longtime exec Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, alleging that her new position as Microsoft's chief diversity officer violates a year-long non-compete agreement, allowing Microsoft to use IBM's internal secrets to boost its own diversity efforts. A hearing is set for Feb. 22, but in the meantime, a U.S. District Judge has temporarily barred … [Link]

Slashdot » Salon Magazine Mines Monero On Your Computer If You Use an Ad Blocker

Monday 19 February 17:19:15 UTC 2018

dryriver shares a report from BBC: News organizations have tried many novel ways to make readers pay — but this idea is possibly the most audacious yet. If a reader chooses to block its advertising, U.S. publication Salon will use that person's computer to mine for Monero, a cryptocurrency similar to Bitcoin. Creating new tokens of a cryptocurrency typically requires … [Link]

Slashdot » Chrome Extension Brings 'View Image' Button Back

Monday 19 February 17:19:14 UTC 2018

Google recently removed the convenient "view image" button from its search results as a result of a lawsuit with stock-photo agency Getty. Thankfully, one day later, a developer created an extension that brings it back. 9to5Google reports: It's unfortunate to see that button gone, but an easy to use Chrome extension brings it back. Simply install the extension from the … [Link]

Mashable » Forget yoga pants. Criticising other women's sartorial choices is bad for women.

Monday 19 February 17:03:20 UTC 2018

You might have spotted that the New York Times has waged war on women's workout gear. Yoga pants, to be precise. An op-ed published on the NYT Opinion page on Sunday added yoga pants to the ever-burgeoning catalogue of Things That Are Bad For Women™. SEE ALSO: Women from tiny village pose nude to teach others about body image Its author, … [Link]

Mashable » Why wraps are the lowest form of human lunch

Monday 19 February 17:00:00 UTC 2018

Deli counters of the world — listen up. For as long as I can remember (about two years, since I no longer remember anything before Trump), wraps have been positioned near the apex of the lunch hierarchy. I cannot tell you the number of corporate seminars I've attended where low sodium, corn-heavy, semi-frozen veggie wraps were the only lunch item offered. … [Link]

Mashable » Lone soccer supporter singing for his team deserves some kind of award

Monday 19 February 16:43:01 UTC 2018

It may have been Shakespeare who once said that it's the empty vessel that makes the loudest sound. He was wrong about that, though. SEE ALSO: Soccer match gets upstaged by hilarious snowball fight between opposing fans The source of the loudest sound is quite clearly this guy: For all you football fans you have to applaud this fan who follows … [Link]

Mashable » There are too many ways to DM, and it's stifling the way we communicate

Monday 19 February 16:16:15 UTC 2018

At any given moment, I have, on average, five unread text messages, a couple unread Instagram messages, dozens of unseen Twitter DMs, and close to 1,000 unread emails along with a smattering of other messages on services like Facebook, Snapchat, and Slack. It's too much, and it's becoming too hard to keep up with all of it. SEE ALSO: One woman's … [Link]

Slashdot » Man, Seeking New Copy of Windows 7 After Forced Windows 10 Upgrade, Sues Microsoft

Monday 19 February 16:00:00 UTC 2018

Catalin Cimpanu, writing for BleepingComputer: An Albuquerque man has sued Microsoft and its CEO — Satya Nadella — seeking a fresh copy of Windows 7 or $600 million in damages. According to a civil complaint filed last week on February 14, Frank K. Dickman Jr. of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is suing Microsoft because of a botched forced Windows 10 upgrade. … [Link]

Mashable » The best VPNs for iOS if you're looking for more privacy

Monday 19 February 16:00:00 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. VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks, are relevant tools to anyone concerned about fast-diminishing privacy on the internet. These days, it's difficult to surf the web without leaving a trail of your activity. Google and Facebook, for … [Link]

Mashable » Woman finds beautiful kebab shop photoshoot on her phone after night out

Monday 19 February 15:56:31 UTC 2018

Sometimes beauty can be found in the most unlikely places. SEE ALSO: Video of people dancing in the street to Vengaboys has gone gloriously viral On Saturday, Twitter user @moya_Im shared some photos from a big night out. They were taken in her local kebab place. Rather than the blurry collection of drunken snaps you might expect, though, these ones were … [Link]

Mashable » This Chrome extension brings 'View Image' back to Google Search

Monday 19 February 15:33:55 UTC 2018

A few days ago, Google removed a feature that many people find quite usable: the ability to easily view — and download — an image found through Google's search engine. While the removal of this tool does make it a bit harder to download and potentially abuse copyrighted images, it also makes life a little harder for those who use those … [Link]

Mashable » 'Black Panther' has the best Marvel supervillain ever. Yes, even better than Loki.

Monday 19 February 15:28:50 UTC 2018

Excited for Black Panther? So are we. Which is why we're rolling out obsessive coverage with Black Panther Week. Spoilers ahead for Black Panther. Black Panther just pulled off a Marvel Cinematic Universe first: A supervillain worth rooting for. SEE ALSO: 'Black Panther' builds a world you'll want to return to again and again Sure, other MCU baddies have been … [Link]

Mashable » Is someone hijacking your Spotify? Here's what I did when it happened to me.

Monday 19 February 15:00:00 UTC 2018

For years, I've had a bit of a digital pen pal. His name is Kevin. He loves music, "Coffee Table Jazz" in particular. He owns an Amazon Echo, through which he listens to his lovely, soothing John Coltrane trumpet croons. He doesn't often listen during the day, but at night the tunes come alive — probably while he's also hand rolling … [Link]

Slashdot » Humanity's Biggest Machines Will Be Built in Space

Monday 19 February 15:00:00 UTC 2018

When rockets can no longer hold oversize payloads, building in space might be the best way to go. Popular Mechanics: Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Made In Space is working to make that dream a reality. For the past few years, they've operated the Additive Manufacturing Facility, one of the only 3D printers in space. While the AMF sits comfortably … [Link]

Mashable » These text messages a little girl sent to her grandpa after he passed away are so moving

Monday 19 February 14:27:53 UTC 2018

A father has shared the emotional text messages his daughter has been sending to her grandfather, years after he passed away. SEE ALSO: Man finds touching video on his grandmother's phone after she passes away Radio presenter James O'Brien shared the texts, which he said were sent by his youngest daughter, in a tweet on Saturday. "My youngest has had my … [Link]

New Scientist – News » Electric eel-inspired batteries could power life-long pacemakers

Monday 19 February 13:46:23 UTC 2018

A new battery made of fleshy hydrogel layers generates and stores power like electric eels do. It could power pacemakers without ever needing to be replaced [Link]

New Scientist – News » Flu is evolving in new and unpredictable ways in China’s poultry

Monday 19 February 13:46:21 UTC 2018

A woman in China has been infected by a new type of flu. With thousands of people travelling after Chinese new year, the risk of new strains spreading is high [Link]

New Scientist – News » Should we revisit ethically dubious experiments from the past?

Monday 19 February 13:46:20 UTC 2018

From deadly Nazi medical experiments to sociological studies on children, past science has taken paths we wouldn't tread today, but the results still have value [Link]

New Scientist – News » Mute crickets can’t chirp but rub their wings together anyway

Monday 19 February 13:46:19 UTC 2018

Male Hawaiian crickets that have lost the ability to chirp still go through the motion of “singing”, even though females can’t hear them [Link]

Mashable » Duchess of Cambridge didn't wear all black to the BAFTAs but she was likely supporting Time's Up in her own way

Monday 19 February 13:32:48 UTC 2018

Stars stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the red carpet dressed head-to-toe in black outfits to show their support for the Time's Up movement at the BAFTAs. But, the Duchess of Cambridge's decision to wear green has invited the ire of the internet, with some arguing that it was a "bad call" to opt out of the (unofficial) all-black dress code. At this year's … [Link]

Mashable » Two huge drills take a much-needed work break with a casual game of noughts and crosses

Monday 19 February 12:15:51 UTC 2018

“Okay, the boss' back is turned, time to take things up a notch…" SEE ALSO: This restaurant's egg-themed 'pun' is so spectacularly bad it's good A video which appears to originate from The Content Bible shows two construction workers playing noughts and crosses with huge, industrial machinery. The footage has since gone viral on Reddit. Now that is a truly inspired … [Link]

Mashable » Allison Janney casually demonstrates Meryl Streep's kissing technique on Graham Norton

Monday 19 February 12:13:52 UTC 2018

When movie stars lock lips onscreen it may look natural, but there's actually a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. Mints. The no tongue rule. Strange anti-bacterial lip gloss stuff. The whole thing is a minefield. SEE ALSO: Woman attempts cheek kiss with Timothée Chalamet's dad and it ends awkwardly Some actresses, like Meryl Streep, even have … [Link]

Mashable » Daniel Kaluuya describes the pure joy of hugging Oprah

Monday 19 February 11:55:29 UTC 2018

This has been a pretty big year for Daniel Kaluuya. SEE ALSO: John Boyega just tweeted the sweetest story about Daniel Kaluuya Kaluuya was a guest on The Graham Norton Show on Friday, where he described what it was like going to the Golden Globes and meeting two huge stars, Denzel Washington and Oprah. "I hugged her so tightly," said … [Link]

Mashable » Chadwick Boseman's Rolling Stone front cover is sending Twitter into a thirst frenzy

Monday 19 February 11:41:27 UTC 2018

It’s now been a week since Black Panther blasted its way onto our screens, and thirst levels are officially off the charts. SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know before watching 'Black Panther' Winston Duke, the jaw-droppingly chiselled actor who plays M'Baku in the film, has already had his fair share of Twitter attention — and now it's Chadwick Boseman's turn. … [Link]

Mashable » This thread about women saying 'I think' will make you re-think your work communication

Monday 19 February 11:21:48 UTC 2018

Women have a lot to contend with in the workplace. If they're not getting mansplained, hepeated, or harassed, they're being told they need to think, talk, and act like men. But, this Twitter thread by a software engineer has turned on its head the notion that men's workplace communication style is the example to follow. In fact, after reading this Twitter … [Link]

Mashable » Learn how to become a computer programmer by taking some online courses

Monday 19 February 11:00:00 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. These days, it seems like everyone is learning to code. But it’s not as easy as it seems to get started – there are many different languages and concepts to learn and … [Link]

Mashable » Now juice stores are giving out Bitcoin as a competition prize

Monday 19 February 10:55:21 UTC 2018

It’s not just cashed-up dads jumping on cryptocurrencies, juice companies are doing the same too. Australian juice chain Boost have launched a competition where customers can win one Bitcoin, if they can correctly guess the price of the cryptocurrency at 12 p.m. the following Monday. SEE ALSO: Say hello to Buttcoin and the community celebrating Bitcoin's fall Only one person can … [Link]

Mashable » Timothée Chalamet showed us all how to be better people at the BAFTAs

Monday 19 February 10:44:35 UTC 2018

He may not have won the BAFTA, but he generally wins at life. SEE ALSO: Frank Ocean interviewed Timothée Chalamet and we don't know who to be more jealous of Call Me By Your Name writer James Ivory won the BAFTA for best adapted screenplay on Sunday night. Ivory is 89 years old, and received some help getting up to the … [Link]

Mashable » Emma Watson's big donation kicks off the new Time's Up fund in the UK

Monday 19 February 10:34:46 UTC 2018

Emma Watson has donated £1 million ($1.4 million) to a new UK fund, designed to support organisations working to stop harassment and abuse in workplaces across industries. The Harry Potter star's donation coincides with the creation of this new fund—the UK Justice and Equality fund—which was announced in an open letter signed by more than 200 British and Irish women in … [Link]

Mashable » Salma Hayek threw some epic shade at men during her BAFTAs speech

Monday 19 February 10:13:36 UTC 2018

Salma Hayek presented the award for Best Actor at the BAFTAs on Sunday night — and she really wasn't messing around. SEE ALSO: Gal Gadot, Adam Driver and more amazing performances that awards season forgot about Dressed in black in support of the Time's Up movement like many of the actresses in attendance, Hayek kept her pre-award speech short — but … [Link]

Mashable » How to travel in Berlin like a local

Monday 19 February 10:11:54 UTC 2018

Berlin has been the cultural, political and economic centre of Germany since the 13th Century, making it one of Europe’s most significant and storied travel destinations. Today, travellers flock to Berlin for its art scene and nightlife, and also to experience the site of historic moments that changed the course of human history, from World War II to the Cold War … [Link]

The Joy of Tech » JoT #2493: If Star Trek aliens were Wal-mart greeters!

Monday 19 February 5:36:49 UTC 2018

JoT thumb To boldy welcome… [Link]

Mashable » Fergie performed a jazzy rendition of the national anthem. It did not go well.

Monday 19 February 5:13:06 UTC 2018

Alright, where do you even start with a performance like this. Pop star and Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie opened the NBA All-Star game with her rendition of the national anthem, and by goodness, it was an interesting rendition to say the least. SEE ALSO: 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman hands over mask to Victor Oladipo While other singers may have … [Link]

Mashable » Curling faces a doping scandal, yes you read this correctly

Monday 19 February 4:42:12 UTC 2018

It’s hardly the most physically demanding of sports, but a Russian curling athlete has left the Winter Olympics under suspicion of doping. Alexander Krushelnitsky, who won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles curling event with his wife last Tuesday, has been suspected of testing positive for meldonium. SEE ALSO: Yes, the band O.A.R. knows about the Russian Olympics team and … [Link]

Mashable » How mobile photography technology has evolved over two decades of phone cameras

Monday 19 February 4:28:37 UTC 2018

Picture this: The sun is sinking below the horizon, and you know from the start that it's going to be a stunner of a sunset — one for the books (or at the very least, for Facebook). You scramble for your phone to capture the vivid hues of the cotton-candy-coloured skies, but the image simply doesn't translate on your screen as … [Link]

Mashable » Man eats all the food in 'Lord of the Rings' in tribute to his late father

Monday 19 February 3:47:48 UTC 2018

Second breakfast. Elevenses. Luncheon. Afternoon tea. Dinner. Supper. It was all consumed by one dedicated Lord of the Rings fan, who created a themed 14-course menu that mirrors the food eaten by characters in Peter Jackson's epic film trilogy — and it was all for a very important reason. SEE ALSO: Harry Potter-themed cruise is something you definitely want to go … [Link]

Slashdot » Google Trains AI To Write Wikipedia Articles

Monday 19 February 3:30:00 UTC 2018

The Register: A team within Google Brain — the web giant's crack machine-learning research lab — has taught software to generate Wikipedia-style articles by summarizing information on web pages… to varying degrees of success. As we all know, the internet is a never ending pile of articles, social media posts, memes, joy, hate, and blogs. It's impossible to read and … [Link]

Mashable » Put your vital signs on show with this ultrathin, stick-on skin display

Monday 19 February 3:00:25 UTC 2018

There’s a glut of devices out there designed to tell all sorts of things about your bodies, but few you'd want stuck to your body for very long. Perhaps with that in mind, engineering researchers at the University of Tokyo and Dai Nippon Printing have developed an ultrathin display which sticks to skin. SEE ALSO: This hologram "dances" on your fingertips … [Link]

Mashable » There's finally a board game powered by Amazon Alexa

Monday 19 February 2:38:07 UTC 2018

Your next family game night could include Amazon Alexa. Game manufacturer Sensible Objects has released When in Rome, the first board game to incorporate Alexa. Through your Amazon Echo device, Alexa teaches you the rules, keeps track of the score, and guides you through the game. SEE ALSO: This company made a way prettier version of the Amazon Echo Show The … [Link]

Mashable » 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman hands over mask to Victor Oladipo

Monday 19 February 1:20:23 UTC 2018

It was a slam dunk for Wakanda on Saturday night, as Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman bestowed his own character's mask on Indiana Pacers' Victor Oladipo. SEE ALSO: These two guys tried that 'tall man in a trenchcoat trick' to see 'Black Panther' Black Panther co-stars Boseman and Michael B. Jordan sat courtside at the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk … [Link]

Slashdot » Sweden Considers Six Years in Jail For Online Pirates

Monday 19 February 1:00:00 UTC 2018

Sweden's Minister for Justice has received recommendations as to how the country should punish online pirates. From a report: Helene Fritzon received a proposal which would create crimes of gross infringement under both copyright and trademark law, leading to sentences of up to six years in prison. The changes would also ensure that non-physical property, such as domain names, can … [Link]

Mashable » These two guys tried that 'tall man in a trenchcoat trick' to see 'Black Panther'

Monday 19 February 0:49:01 UTC 2018

Marvel’s latest hit Black Panther has audiences and critics swooning, and some people will do anything to see it. That includes moviegoers resorting to tactics you'd only see in cartoons, a la Vincent Adultman from Bojack Horseman. SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know before watching 'Black Panther' As per a video by Twitter user @steveslikecups posted on Saturday, two people … [Link]

Mashable » Twitter trolls are using the latest iOS bug to crash iPhones

Monday 19 February 0:11:51 UTC 2018

It looks like trolls are exploiting the latest iPhone bug to make life very difficult for Twitter users. Earlier in the week, yet another iPhone-crashing iOS bug surfaced. For some reason, a single character from the Indian Telugu language will cause whatever app it's viewed in to crash repeatedly. SEE ALSO: It's not just you: Apple's software is buggier than it … [Link]

John Gordon Ross

A Man for All Reasons