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29 Jan 00:57

SimpleGoogleAlarmClock

SimpleGoogleAlarmClock:

An alarm clock that syncs with Google Calendar, written in Python.

29 Jan 00:57

Newswire: Mike Doughty just sprung his unreleased Elliott Smith collaboration on the world 

by Josh Modell

Mike Doughty just posted three songs to a Soundcloud page (credited to UUL) that feature previously unreleased Elliott Smith vocal tracks atop electronic sounds and beats. The only info he provided was this: "Three new Elliott Smith tracks (yes, new). Elliott recorded vocals to be sliced/diced over beats in 1998." While there's nothing revelatory here—the electronics sound pretty dated, and don't suit Smith's vocals very well—they're definitely interesting as artifacts. Pitchfork notes that the vocals were recorded during a fertile time in Smith's creative life, when he was in L.A. working on songs for Good Will Hunting. All three are below, including the one that samples Smith saying "Ah, fuck" over and over. [h/t to Consequence Of Sound]

29 Jan 00:55

Demaryius Thomas’ mother, grandmother will watch him play Super Bowl from prison

by gguillotte
Both his mother and grandmother are in prison, his mother in the midst of serving a 20-year sentence and his grandmother a life sentence for cocaine distribution.
29 Jan 00:41

Someone Knows this man. Please help us ID him.

by MBTA Transit Police
firehose

via Russian Sledges

Transit Police Detectives are seeking the identity of the male subject depicted within. If you know the whereabouts or identity of this individual please contact our Criminal Investigations Unit at 617-222-1050. If you would like to assist our investigators but wish to remain anonymous you can always text us your tip to 873873 or use the anonymous feature on our SeeSay app.

On Saturday, 01/18/14, at approximately 8:10PM, the male subject depicted within committed a lewd act while on an inbound commuter rail train from Rockport Station. The subject boarded the train at Gloucester or West Gloucester Station and disembarked at Beverly or Swampscott Station. 

The subject is described as follows;



White male,5’11’’- 6’1’’ in height, slim build, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, a flat brimmed baseball hat and carrying a dark purple backpack



media inquiries should be sent to tpdnews@mbta.com

tpdnews.

The events listed above are allegations; All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
29 Jan 00:30

U.S. Border Patrol Drone Goes Down, Rest of Fleet Grounded

by Soulskill
coondoggie writes "The U.S. Customs and Border Protection service said today it has grounded its nine remaining unmanned aircraft after one of them was forced to ditch in the Pacific Ocean. The unmanned aircraft had an unknown mechanical failure while on patrol off the southern California coast. The crew determined that it wouldn't make it back to Sierra Vista, Arizona, 'and put the aircraft down in the water.' The drone cost about $12 million. 'The Predator B, also known as the MQ-9 Reaper in the U.S. Air Force, can fly as many as 27 hours and reach an altitude of 50,000 feet (15,240 meters), according to the website of Poway, California-based General Atomics. It has a wingspan of 66 feet (20 meters) and can carry more than 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms) of cameras, weapons or other payload, according to the company.'"

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Read more of this story at Slashdot.








29 Jan 00:30

Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown - Imgur

by djempirical
29 Jan 00:27

cosplay-gamers: So many people liked the gif.. now here’s the...



cosplay-gamers:

So many people liked the gif.. now here’s the source ^^

29 Jan 00:26

T-Mobile calls AT&T 'the darkness,' issues press release with fake CEO quotes

by Chris Welch

T-Mobile CEO John Legere has been trash talking the competition ever since he joined the company. But today T-Mobile itself is taking its ongoing war with AT&T to a new level — or what some might consider to be a new low. The carrier has issued a satirical press release blasting AT&T for a new promotion that offers T-Mobile customers up to $450 to switch providers. The official press release reads like something straight out of The Onion; it starts off, "T-Mobile US, Inc. today announced that pretty much everyone at the company is overcome with emotion and still kind of processing the decision by now-ex-rival AT&T to leave the dark side, step into the light, and join hands in supporting the Un-carrier consumer revolution."

It even contains fictional quotes from AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega.

"Call it an awakening," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility, "but I felt it was time to really stir things up and put the customer first for a change.  And by "customer" I’m referring to our former customers who switch to T-Mobile, because our current customers don’t really qualify."  De la Vega said that the new T-Mobile switching offer was custom designed to entice its millions of contract customers to go ahead and give T-Mobile a try. "If for any reason you don’t love T-Mobile’s 4G LTE network, which is now faster than ours[i], we’ll actually pay you up to $450 to come back to AT&T, I kid you not."

T-Mobile doesn't hide the fact that the quotes are completely fabricated, but to see them in an official communication from the company is truly bizarre. The entire press release carries an aggressive tone that largely takes after the salvos that Legere has fired at rivals via Twitter.

"It’s kind of like that scene where Darth Vader’s lying there and Luke helps take off his helmet," Legere continued, "and you see that, okay, sure, Darth Vader’s pretty ugly, but he’s human after all."

T-Mobile's Un-carrier strategy appears to be getting the attention of consumers; the company added over 869,000 new customers in Q4 compared to AT&T's 566,000. But AT&T's churn is down, which means customers aren't bailing for T-Mobile (or any other rival carrier) to any significant degree. With well over 100 million customers, AT&T still dwarfs T-Mobile in overall size. But none of that is stopping T-Mobile from carrying on this very public feud; today's press release hit just as AT&T's financials were released.

29 Jan 00:26

Chrome Apps are coming to iOS and Android

by Kwame Opam

News broke last month that Google was working on bringing Chrome webapps to mobile devices, with a plan to have something ready in beta form by January. Google has delivered; the company has today released a toolset for developers to port their apps to iOS and Android.


Built on Apache Cordova

As previously reported, Google has developed a compatibility layer using the open source Apache Cordova toolchain to allow programmers to wrap their apps in a native app shell and distribute the app on the App and Google Play stores. The tool also ports the necessary Chrome APIs the webapps would typically need on mobile, like notifications and access to local storage. The toolchain is currently an early preview, so improvements are surely on the way.

Google announced plans to bring Chrome Apps to the desktop back in September, but only delivered on the promise last month in debuting apps for OS X. Windows users will still have to wait.

29 Jan 00:25

Coming Distractions: Nicolas Cage has plenty of rage in the trailer for David Gordon Green’s Joe

by Kevin McFarland
firehose

'Nicolas Cage ... harbors oceans of pent-up rage just below the surface'

David Gordon Green’s latest, Joe, debuted to generally positive reviews at TIFF and Venice early last fall, with critics hailing it as another return-to-form for the director, along a similar path as Prince Avalanche. In the film, Nicolas Cage plays the titular, bearded logger, who harbors oceans of pent-up rage just below the surface. (“I know what keeps me alive is restraint,” he says.) The precociously brooding Tye Sheridan (The Tree Of Life, Mud) plays Gary Jones, a young kid looking for a job to support his abusive relatives. It all recalls the tone of Green’s films a decade ago—most closely resembling Undertow, another suspenseful and violent drama set in the rural South. For now, it appears that Green’s major-studio comedy phase—which began brightly with Pineapple Express, but quickly devolved into Your Highness and The Sitter—has given way to a resurgence of narrower ...

29 Jan 00:23

No, college football players aren't unionizing for pay-for-play

by Jason Kirk

Tuesday, college athletes at Northwestern University began an attempt to create a union. And if you actually listen to them, they're not calling for that thing you're disagreeing with them over.

The college athlete labor movement initiated by former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter and teammates is not about pay-for-play. It's not about schools paying salaries to players. It's not about the NCAA paying players, at this point. Colter's said so himself.

But for some reason, one reaction to the news has been to reach for arguments against pay-for-play. This is kind of like arguing against the color red as a response to someone talking up the color orange.

Not now, not EVER. I'm happy standing alone in saying student-athletes never will and shouldn't be paid 1cent above cost of attendance

— Chadd Scott (@ChaddScott) January 28, 2014

The greatest gift you can receive in the world is a free college experience/education - the need for a greater gift is sickening

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) January 28, 2014

This reaction suggests ignorance, and it is in line with the NCAA's meticulously aloof messaging. Everyone can do better.

Be informed. Here's what the players actually want, via the National College Players Association's website (Colter has had extensive ties with the NCPA since its emergence during the 2013 season and had former UCLA linebacker and NCPA president Ramogi Huma at his side Tuesday). While the NCPA and the College Athlete Players Association labor push are not the same organization, they share leadership and presumably almost all of the same goals.

1. Minimize college athletes' brain trauma risks.

Despite record revenues, the NCAA and conferences have done little to reduce the risks of brain trauma among college athletes.  The NCPA Players Council developed the Concussion Awareness and Reduction Emergency (CARE) Plan, which should be adopted immediately.  The CARE Plan includes, reduced contact during practices, independent concussion experts on sidelines during games, and using a portion of new football playoff revenues for research and support for current and former players.

Football is potentially lethal. While it will never be risk-free, those of us who want it to continue must support absolutely everything that those in power can do to make it as safe as possible. Either an actual national governing body will eliminate defining portions of the sport later on, or the sport will mercilessly police itself right now. One will happen. The latter is better for everyone.

Does anyone object to better protecting the brains of the talent?

2. Raise the scholarship amount.

The NCAA admits that a "full scholarship" does not cover the basic necessities for a college athlete, but it refuses to change its rules to allow schools to provide more scholarship money.  The NCPA's plan is to use a relatively small percentage of new TV revenues to assist universities in providing scholarships that equal each college's cost of attendance.

This is in need of some explaining. Andy Staples does a nice job:

When Nebraska officials calculated the cost of attendance for an out-of-state student planning to live on campus for the 2011-12 school year, they told the federal government that student would have to pay $19,848 in tuition and fees, $1,020 for books and supplies, $8,196 for room and board and $3,422 for miscellaneous expenses including travel home, clothing, laundry, etc. The total cost: $32,486. According to the NCAA's definition of a full scholarship, Nebraska would only be allowed to give an athlete $29,064. That $3,422 is not covered.

Arizona State president Michael Crow puts it another way. "I had one of those scholarships as an undergraduate, but it was an ROTC scholarship," Crow said. "Thirty-nine years ago, that scholarship paid me $100 month of spending money because that was the estimate then of what I needed to take care of my incidental expenses. And that was 39 years ago. This proposal is not dramatically different from that."

And this isn't some thing being devised by SEC boosters in order to slide more money into players' hands. You can be a medical student and get a full-cost scholarship. You can be a music major. It's an existing thing all around the country.

Considering the ocean of money flowing from fans and television networks and toward coaches and campus facilities contractors, the cash is there. Many schools would have to make hard choices about keeping or downgrading football programs or joining lower divisions with fewer scholarships -- and even that's ignoring that the NCPA calls for television revenue to go directly toward scholarships.

The fact that this would alter many programs is not a reason to minimally compensate players. And if Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany is for it, it's about as seditious as oatmeal.

3. Prevent players from being stuck paying sports-related medical expenses.

The NCAA does not require schools to cover sports-related injuries - it's optional.  College athletes injured during sports-related workouts should not have to pay for medical expenses out of their own pockets.

One player's story:

[Former Oklahoma power forward Kyle Hardrick's mother] estimates the family has paid $10,000 in medical bills while its health insurance covered $20,000. "It's been difficult, no doubt," Valerie said. "You don't imagine paying those medical bills out of your own pocket when your child gets a scholarship."

That led a Congressman to declare the NCAA "the mafia."

Does anyone object to better long-term care for those who've invested the most?

4. Increase graduation rates.

The ultimate goal for a college athlete is not a scholarship, it's a degree.  Federal graduation rates for Division I football and men's basketball players hover around 50%.  The NCAA and its member colleges should invest a portion of new TV revenue into continuing education to improve graduation rates.  In addition, the NCAA should work to reduce games that take place during the week.  Although weekday games are in the interest of the TV networks, they hurt college athletes academically.

Funny, because the NCAA's chosen to characterize the union as being anti-education:

This union-backed attempt to turn student-athletes into employees undermines the purpose of college: an education.

— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) January 28, 2014

Many schools have long grumbled about having to play football games on weeknights, for reasons competitive, academic, and financial. TV contracts wouldn't be so high if not for them, though. If compromises are to be struck, here's the first one.

5. Protect educational opportunities for student-athletes in good standing.

If a coach eliminates the scholarship of a student-athlete that abides by academic, athletic, and conduct requirements, the athletic program should replace it with a non-athletic scholarship to allow the student-athletes to continue his/her education.

Oversigning-dot-commers, this one is for you.

This wouldn't end the tactic. But it would both clear up one of Alabama's self-imposed challenges while empowering the bottom-rung players: either finish studying at the University of Alabama or go play football at another school. That's much better than what they have now.

The NFLPA somewhat protects wealthy NFL players from their teams taking advantage of them. Why shouldn't college players, whom by current definition do not have money, have the same coverage?

6. Prohibit universities from using a permanent injury suffered during athletics as a reason to reduce/eliminate a scholarship.

Such actions reduce the chance for such college athletes to graduate.  College athletes put their bodies and lives on the line in their pursuit of higher education and the success of their university's athletic program.  It is immoral to allow a university to reduce or refuse to renew a college athlete's scholarship after sustaining an injury while playing for the university.

Certain schools use medical hardship scholarships more than others. And players have a wide range of reactions to them and to certain uses of grayshirting.

Would anyone object to an independent panel of medical experts advising players on whether to take these deals or not?

7. Establish and enforce uniform safety guidelines in all sports to help prevent serious injuries and avoidable deaths.

Several deaths in the college football off-season have highlighted the need for year round safety requirements that provide an adequate level of protections for college athletes from all sports.  College athletes and athletic staff should be given the means to anonymously report breaches in such safety requirements.

No one has a problem with this.

8. Eliminate restrictions on legitimate employment and players ability to directly benefit from commercial opportunities.

College athletes should have the same rights to secure employment and generate commercial revenue as other students and US citizens.  Such a measure could be designed to increase graduation rates and allow universities to retain the most talented athletes for the duration of their eligibility.

Likely the most controversial item, and it also has nothing to do with pay-for-play.

Current players aren't allowed to take money for anything, because reasons. That could be expanded to "current players aren't allowed to take money for just about anything, because of amateurism," but that doesn't really make any more sense for anyone but the NCAA's accountants.

Letting the market handle compensation both improves the livelihood of the labor and ensures no school pays a dime beyond scholarships and support. It also eliminates one mountain of bureaucracy whose only purpose is to guard against its own erosion.

Do you really want to spend one month of every year yelling about the Johnny Manziel/Cam Newton story of the season? Or do you want EA Sports to make a college football video game again, this time with real player names and small fees going to the featured athletes?

9. Prohibit the punishment of college athletes that have not committed a violation.

It is an injustice to punish college athletes for actions that they did not commit i.e. suspending a team's post-season eligibility for the inappropriate actions of boosters.  Such punishments have significant negative impacts on the short college experience of many college athletes.  Alternative forms of punishment are available and should be utilized to allow an adequate policing of the rules.

Another controversial proposal, since the NCAA's only recourse against people that break its rules has been to bomb entire programs. Some people like seeing entire institutions and communities get punished for rule-breakers, damn the collateral damage.

We've hated that for years now.

But how would cheaters be punished, if not in mass graves? The NCAA's current show-cause penalty could become a more useful tool. It essentially blackballs a specific person from taking a college job for a period of time, rather than depriving totally innocent teenagers from going to bowl games. It's more like law enforcement than the NCAA's preferred flags-and-drums ground invasion.

One fact: a thinner rulebook with fewer ambitions will mean fewer cheaters to punish. What would a post-amateurism rulebook even forbid? Let's discuss that in the comments.

10. Guarantee that college athletes are granted an athletic release from their university if they wish to transfer schools.

Schools should not have the power to refuse to release college athletes that choose to transfer.  Under NCAA rules, players that transfer without a release not only have to sit out a year, they cannot receive an athletic scholarship for a year.  This contradicts the educational mission and principle of sportsmanship that the NCAA is supposed to uphold.

Giving coaches the power to decide where former players can transfer was and is inexcusable. Assistant coaches, head coaches, athletic directors, school presidents, and conference commissioners can change jobs without any consequences, so there is no argument for requiring anything more from players. None will be given the faintest time of day here.

11. Allow college athletes of all sports the ability to transfer schools one time without punishment.

College athletes that participate in football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey should not be denied the one-time no-penalty transfer option that is afforded to college athletes of other sports.  Such a policy is coercive and discriminatory.  All college athletes should have this freedom to ensure that they realize their academic, social, and athletic pursuits.

Currently, players lose a year of eligibility and have to sit out a year while transferring, unless they've graduated or are moving to a division whose teams offer fewer scholarships. Assistant coaches, head coaches, athletic directors, school presidents, and conference commissioners can change jobs without any consequences.

So, how many of these 11 things do you object to? One? Two? Let's hear it.

More from SB Nation college football:

Follow @SBNationCFBFollow @SBNRecruiting

CFB players forming a union: Why this just might work

The five hardest college football positions to recruit

How to win: College football’s five most important stats

Way-too-early 2014 bowl and Playoff matchup projections

College football news | Alabama oversigning: Tide could have seven players to lose

Long CFB reads | The death of a college football player

29 Jan 00:23

Ex-Vanderbilt QB Jordan Rodgers rants against Commodores' treatment of former players

by Chris Fuhrmeister
firehose

"I was told I CAN'T use it unless I purchase a membership to the rec center!!!!"???? OH NO OH SHIT THEY EXPECT YOU TO FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THEIR EXPENSIVE FACILITIES EVEN AFTER YOU'VE LEFT AND GOTTEN AN NFL CONTRACT? HOLY FUCK

Rodgers isn't happy with the state of the football program and athletic department in Nashville.

Former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers went on a lengthy Twitter rant Tuesday evening, criticizing the Commodores' athletic department for its treatment of former football players. Rodgers appears to have issues with Vanderbilt not taking football as seriously as the school's SEC rivals.

It's a shame but Vanderbilt will continue to be a stepping stone for coaches, a second rate program in the SEC and stuck in mediocrity b/c..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..of how the institution views athletics and treats their current and former players. As a leader and starting QB during the emergence..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..and transformation of Vanderbilt into a contending and respectable program in the SEC I am ashamed at the treatment of some former players

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..As I return to Nashville after my rookie year in the NFL I was excited to train at Vanderbilt with current players as well as pro day...

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..and combine prep players. I have been throwing with current Vandy QBs and receivers and a receiver prepping for pro day. However, it has..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..been a constant problem gaining access to the new "football" indoor facility during times it is "open use" I was turned away from the..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..indoor facility all together several times (even though the field was empty). After inquiring about the use of the facility by active..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..NFL alums and pro day players not currently enrolled. I was told I CAN'T use it unless I purchase a membership to the rec center!!!!..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..Vanderbilt and David Williams have "changed the culture". NO. The players (recruited by Bobby Johnson) and coach Franklin changed the..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..culture at Vanderbilt. WE built that indoor by winning like no team in the history of VU. Now I have to pay to use it?! Pay to help..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..mentor and train with current players and alum trying to stick with a team in the NFL. WE built this program not some chancellor. This..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..is an embarrassment and only a reflection of the future of this program if it continues to put football and the success and treatment ..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..of its players as an after thought. I will choose to train somewhere else if VU has this little respect for its alumni who sacrificed so..

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

..much for this program. This is an embarrassment and a shame. I love this school and program but it obviously is done with my services.

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) January 28, 2014

Rodgers played at Vanderbilt from 2009 to 2012, starting during his final two seasons. In his time with the 'Dores, he threw for 4,063 yards, 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, completing 55.9 percent of his passes. He helped guide Vandy to back-to-back bowl appearances in 2011 and 2012, including a a 9-4 record in his senior campaign.

James Franklin, who led the program in Nashville from 2011 to '13 before leaving for Penn State, is credited for turning Vanderbilt around and making the Commodores competitive in the SEC for the first time. However, Rodgers doubts the school will sustain that success if it doesn't change its ways.

More from SB Nation college football:

Follow @SBNationCFBFollow @SBNRecruiting

CFB players forming a union: Why this just might work

The five hardest college football positions to recruit

How to win: College football’s five most important stats

Way-too-early 2014 bowl and Playoff matchup projections

College football news | Alabama oversigning: Tide could have seven players to lose

Long CFB reads | The death of a college football player

29 Jan 00:21

NFL licensing deals for Madden series haven't expired, says EA

by Samit Sarkar

Electronic Arts' licensing agreements for its Madden NFL series of football video games haven't expired, and the publisher plans to continue the franchise for the foreseeable future, said EA CEO Andrew Wilson during an investor call today.

"Contrary to some reports, we still have a number of years left on our agreements there," said Wilson, who was the head of the EA Sports label before ascending to the CEO position last September. "And the relationship that we have with both the NFL and the NFL Players Association continues to be extremely strong."

EA has two main licensing deals in place that make the Madden series possible. The publisher pays the NFL for everything related to the league's branding and its 32 teams, and has a separate deal with the NFL Players Association under which the names and likenesses of real NFL players appear in Madden. Media reports dating back to 2011 had indicated that after a one-year extension — reportedly granted due to the impending lockout that threatened to wipe out the forthcoming NFL season — EA's deals were set to expire at the end of 2013.

"[We] are currently in planning on the next Madden property right now, and we expect to make a number of Madden games in the future," added Wilson.

On the other hand, EA decided to cancel its 2014 college football game last September — just a few months after signing a new three-year licensing agreement with the Collegiate Licensing Company for schools' branding — because the publisher was a defendant in a class-action lawsuit involving, among other considerations, its NCAA Football franchise. The same day, EA announced that it and the CLC had reached a settlement in that litigation with the athletes, later confirmed to be in the amount of $40 million.

EA Tiburon, based in Maitland, Fla., develops the Madden series and formerly made NCAA Football as well. The most recent Madden title was Madden NFL 25, which EA released in August 2013 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and in November on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

29 Jan 00:20

Book Sculptures That Bring Stories to Life

by EDW Lynch
firehose

and your books to death

Book Scuptures by Jodi Harvey-Brown

Artist Jodi Harvey-Brown transforms classic stories into sculptures using the very books in which the stories are found. Most of the sculptures are fairy tales and classic works of literature, but Harvey-Brown will accept commissions on her Etsy store. You can see more of her works on her deviantART gallery. We previously posted about her Star Wars X-Wing book sculpture.

I have always loved art, and I have always loved to read. Books pull you into a new world, while art lets you see it. It made sense to me that these two mediums should come together. The books that we love to read should be made to come to life. Characters, that we care so much for, should come out of the pages to show us their stories. What we see in our imaginations as we read should be there for the world to see. My book sculptures are my way of making stories come alive.

Book Scuptures by Jodi Harvey-Brown

Book Scuptures by Jodi Harvey-Brown

Book Scuptures by Jodi Harvey-Brown

via My Modern Metropolis

29 Jan 00:10

endofrains: Love is all a matter of timing… Tony Leung Ciu Wai...

firehose

autoreshare





endofrains:

Love is all a matter of timing…

Tony Leung Ciu Wai and Maggie Cheung - In The Mood For Love

29 Jan 00:10

Two-thirds of Americans surf the Web at less than 10Mbps

by Jon Brodkin
firehose

including firehose, if you can believe it

Despite Internet speed improvements in nearly every state, most US residents are still surfing the Web at less than 10Mbps, according to Akamai's latest State of the Internet Report.

Drawing data from Akamai's globally distributed network of servers, the report covering Q3 2013 put the US in 9th place worldwide in the proportion of residents with "high broadband," or at least 10Mbps average download speeds:

Akamai

Regular broadband is defined as 4Mbps—75 percent of US connections hit that mark.

Read 13 remaining paragraphs | Comments


    






29 Jan 00:03

Nominate the best GIFs of the year for a GIFY

by Casey Johnston

The GIF, which linguistics, the White House, and common decency dictates is pronounced with a hard G, has earned its own annual awards ceremony. The GIFYS, a collaboration between several online writers, editors, and persons about the Internet, are aiming to highlight the greatest animated images that the Web was able to produce in the last year.

There are a number of strong contenders in several categories. While there can be only one best GIF of the year, the talent and hard work of GIF creators everywhere will get the recognition they so richly deserve through this new “awards show.”

There are some clear category winners: "woman who falls down in the front of a Google Maps van" has the “can’t look away” category on lock. In nature and science, little can compete with "Chris Hadfield attempting to wring out a washcloth in space."

Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments


    






28 Jan 23:59

Java-based malware driving DDoS botnet infects Windows, Mac, Linux devices

by Dan Goodin

Researchers have uncovered a piece of botnet malware that is capable of infecting computers running Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux that have Oracle's Java software framework installed.

The cross-platform HEUR:Backdoor.Java.Agent.a, as reported in a blog post published Tuesday by Kaspersky Lab, takes hold of computers by exploiting CVE-2013-2465, a critical Java vulnerability that Oracle patched in June. The security bug is present on Java 7 u21 and earlier. Once the bot has infected a computer, it copies itself to the autostart directory of its respective platform to ensure it runs whenever the machine is turned on. Compromised computers then report to an Internet relay chat channel that acts as a command and control server.

The botnet is designed to conduct distributed denial-of-service attacks on targets of the attackers' choice. Commands issued in the IRC channel allow the attackers to specify the IP address, port number, intensity, and duration of attacks. The malware is written entirely in Java, allowing it to run on Windows OS X and Linux machines. For added flexibility, the bot incorporates PircBot, an IRC programming interface based on Java.

Read 1 remaining paragraphs | Comments


    






28 Jan 23:24

You Are Humorless and Oversensitive

by noreply@blogger.com (Melissa McEwan)
firehose

this fucking guy
cannot wait for everyone's crushes on him and Moffat to be subject to the cold eyes of history

Courtney shared this story from Shakesville:
Joss Whedon needs to shut up and sit down.

[Content Note: Cissexism; transmisogyny.]

Yesterday, Joss Whedon, he of the urge to rebrand feminism for us, was asked for advice on writing strong female leads in a comic. To which he replied:

screen cap of tweet authored by Joss Whedon reading: 'Must value #strength but also #community & not have peeny/balls'
Some people quite understandably rejected his cissexist definition of womanhood as lacking "peeny/balls." Eastsidekate has an amazing response here: "An Open Venn Diagram to Joss Whedon." And Aoife has an excellent response here: "Comic Book Anatomies: A Brief Response to Whedon on Real Women."

Whedon's response?

screen cap of tweet authored by Whedon reading: 'Anybody who thinks my actual opinion on ANY subject involves the word 'peeny' is free to unfollow me. No really I insist.'
I'm not sure, exactly, what we're meant to take from that. That if a cis person uses a silly euphemism for genitals, then they can't possibly be engaging in cissexism? Because: Nope.

If Whedon really meant just to imply that a strong female character has to be female, he could have said that. Just like he said in the same tweet that a strong female character has to be strong. But he did not say that. He said that she should not have a penis and testicles. That is not the same thing as saying she should be a woman.

And instead of just acknowledging that, he went on the offensive by telling anyone who takes that shit seriously to unfollow him. "No really I insist."

Welp. I'd be happy to, if I were following him in the first place.

Whedon evidently believes that it should be obvious to anyone that he was not being serious, that it was a joke, but where's the punchline? Specifically: Where is the punchline for trans*, intersex, and other women with "peeny/balls"? What's the humor for them in the suggestion that they are not women? What's the humor for men who don't have "peeny/balls"? This is a joke, such as it is, for people who are transphobic.

Perhaps Whedon imagines that it should have been apparent he was being sarcastic—but a cis man engaging in that sort of sarcasm can look indistinguishable from actual bigotry to someone targeted by it.

And, you know, even when a marginalized person does recognize an ostensible ally is engaging in that sort of sarcasm/satire, sometimes it's just not funny when you're routinely targeted by shit that sounds/looks exactly like it. There are lots of times I know a dude is being "ironic" about misogyny, but why is it supposed to be funny or interesting or trenchant to me? It just looks to me like he doesn't understand that I hear/see that shit for real every day of my life.

Why does Whedon think that people who are marginalized by this kind of rhetoric should be obliged to indulge his right to be flippant at their expense?

Perhaps he should consider if it's not that his critics are being too sensitive, but that he has failed to be sensitive enough.

And then maybe he can offer a meaningful apology, instead of resorting to the rankest of silencing tropes by implying that people who are harmed by this kind of language are just humorless and oversensitive.
28 Jan 23:21

Morgan Mahalak scouting report: Oregon finds its next Marcus Mariota?

by Derrell Warren
firehose

same initials, too, geez Oregon you have a _type_

The Marin Catholic quarterback could be a huge pickup from the Oregon Ducks.

Morgan Mahalak probably wasn't attracting much attention going into the 2014 recruiting cycle, but now that he's made his pledge to a playoff-contending program, a few more eyes might take notice. The Kentfield (Calif.) Marin Catholic product is a dual-threat quarterback who is going to be thrown into the maelstrom of the Oregon Ducks offense, as Mahalak committed to Mark Helfrich's crew in late April. Addicted to Quack has more on Mahalak's commitment.

Mahalak stands at 6'3 and weighs 190 pounds. A consensus four-star prospect, 247Sports ranks Mahalak as the fifth-best dual-threat quarterback and the 21st-best prospect in California. Scout positions Mahalak as the 21st-best quarterback while Rivals places him as the No. 11 pro-style quarterback. ESPN rates him as the ninth-best dual-threat quarterback.

Mahalak currently holds offers from FBS schools like Duke, Idaho, North Carolina State, Oregon State and South Florida. You can follow Morgan on Twitter at @MorganMahalak and check out his highlight reel on Hudl.

Scouting

Physically, Mahalak carries a slender frame at 6'3" 200 pounds, with plenty of room to add good weight. He's a good athlete whose mobility will most likely get put to use to some degree at the next level so it would be advantageous for him to eventually work his way into the 215-220 pound range, preferably prior to him seeing any meaningful action.

Mahalak has a classic over the top delivery. He has very good throwing mechanics as he transfers his weight efficiently. He utilizes his core strength and gets his lower body into his throws.

In the pocket Mahalak has very quick feet. Although they can get a bit antsy as he goes through his progressions. When disrupted at the top of his drop, he can quickly shuffle to find an alternate launch point, re-set, and release the ball.

Facing a rush, Mahalak does a nice job adjusting his arm angle to get the ball through and around defenders at the line of scrimmage.

He has pretty good velocity on intermediate throws. This is still probably an area in which he could stand to improve as passing windows will obvious become tighter when facing college defenders. As mentioned before, Mahalak carries nice mobility. He's a good athlete who's more quick than fast. He has good immediate burst, but his long speed tends to taper off over longer distances. He's elusive in the open field, as he makes defenders miss with sudden of direction. In time, Mahalak can be an excellent college quarterback.

28 Jan 23:20

Behold Tom Hiddleston's shirtless audition for the role of Thor

by Meredith Woerner
firehose

lol

sign him up for He-Man though

Behold Tom Hiddleston's shirtless audition for the role of Thor Before he transformed into the greatest villain of the past decade, Tom Hiddleston originally auditioned for Chris Hemsworth's role as Thor. And we now have a tiny glimpse of that audition tape — and it is awesome.

Read more...


    






28 Jan 23:18

Newswire: Paramount will still release your movie on film if you're Christopher Nolan

by Sean O'Neal

Last week it was reported that Paramount would become the first major studio to switch to all-digital distribution, presaging a future where pedants would argue ever after that the word “film,” like the word “tape” before it, is technically incorrect. But as much fun as that future sounded, Paramount took a half-step back in a letter to exhibitors this week, saying that it would sometimes make “select exceptions” to this new, all-digital rule. For example, from now on, it will distribute most of its major releases in digital formats only, except when they’re made by Christopher Nolan and he doesn’t want them to—such as on his upcoming Interstellar. Copies of Nolan’s next mind-and-corn-bending opus will be released Nov. 7, on both digital disc and the actual film that he shot on and prefers. And while Nolan is probably one of the few directors who can command ...

28 Jan 23:18

Leave Your Sleeping Baby And Grab Dinner Out? This Baby Monitor Hack Will Have You Dreaming | Fast Company | Business + Innovation

by hodad
firehose

shared for the excerpt

Leah spends most of her time exploring the world and inspiring Fortune 500 clients to develop new products, cultures, and ways of seeing.

With a background in ethnography and ideation and a business practice based on mindfulness, Leah talks with strangers and defaults to yes. Her people tend to be mavericks - and believers.

Original Source

28 Jan 23:18

Louisiana Changes Bizarre New Abortion Rules After People Notice Them

by hodad
firehose

never go

DHH is considering an "emergency" set of rules for abortion clinics, which currently includes new building standards and an unprecedented requirement that a woman take certain blood tests at least 30 days before she can have an abortion. This last requirement would force women seeking abortions to have the procedure later into their pregnancies, making it riskier and more costly, and could make it impossible for some women to obtain a legal abortion before Louisiana's 20-week gestational limit.

Moreover, the blood tests indicated by the new rules, which check a patient's hematocrit and hemoglobin levels before a surgery, are normally performed the day of an abortion procedure because they need to be as current as possible, women's health care providers said.

Original Source

28 Jan 23:17

A site dedicated to the art of 3d printing launches

by Polar_Bear
A site dedicated to the art of 3d printing launches

Mold3D is a new website devoted to the art of 3D printing and is to be a resource for artist and entrepreneurs. Source From their page: Mold3D is a site dedicated to artists who share an interest in 3D printing and want to learn how to master this exciting medium. Our mission is to encourage [...]
28 Jan 23:17

Weatherman demostrates flawless self-defense on live TV

by Michael Katz
firehose

Jim Cantore kicks a guy in the dick without missing a beat

This weather report will knock you out.

Don't f*** with Jim Cantore https://t.co/89SvkZHhXK h/t @passantino

— Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) January 28, 2014

Jim Cantore is a meteorologist for the Weather Channel and a "self-proclaimed Weather GEEK."

I proclaim him a certified professional of the highest order after watching him he hear this young man approach and give him the business without missing a beat. Please watch this with the sound on.

28 Jan 23:16

Portland rapper Meezilini, 7 others indicted in federal prostitution sweep

firehose

TW: human trafficking, sex slavery

'A former Portland-area rapper whose girlfriend was killed last year in Hawaii was among several people indicted Monday in connection with transporting young woman across the country for prostitution.

Mark “Meezilini” Miles Jr. was charged in federal court with violation of the Mann Act and the Travel Act in connection with the May 2013 death of Ivancie “Ivy” Harris, whose body was found near Yokohama Bay on Oahu’s leeward coast.

Marine Corps Master Sgt. Nathaniel L. Cosby, 38, has been charged with Harris’ death and is awaiting trial. Cosby, an explosives ordnance disposal technician assigned to the Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 in Iwakuni, Japan, was on a temporary assignment in Hawaii when he was accused of killing Harris and dumping her body.

On Monday, Jan. 27, federal indictments were unsealed, charging eight Portland-area pimps with violating the Mann Act and the Travel Act by transporting young women from Portland across the country for prostitution, including to Honolulu, Las Vegas and Anchorage.'

28 Jan 23:15

UPDATE 3-Yahoo's 4th quarter revenue slides as ad prices dip again - Reuters


AFP

UPDATE 3-Yahoo's 4th quarter revenue slides as ad prices dip again
Reuters
By Alexei Oreskovic. SAN FRANCISCO Jan 28 (Reuters) - Yahoo Inc's online ad prices slid again in the fourth quarter and Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant in which it owns a big stake, saw revenue growth decelerate from its recent rip-roaring pace.
Yahoo fourth-quarter revenue declines, shares fall 4%Los Angeles Times
News Summary: Yahoo revenue still dropping in 4QNBCNews.com
Yahoo takes hit, revenue drop overshadows profit riseAFP
New York Times -USA TODAY -Forbes
all 186 news articles »
28 Jan 23:14

Microcosm is latest bikey business to open on N Williams Avenue

by Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)
firehose

via saucie
Microcosm beat

Right off the Williams Avenue bicycle highway.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

The local bike-friendly bookstore that also happens to be one of the country's largest zine distributors and publishers has grown again and joined the row of bike-friendly businesses on North Williams.

"Once we built lofts in our storefront to store books under, and filled up a storage unit down the street, we knew it was time to get serious about finding a new building," Microcosm Publishing spokesman Tim Wheeler wrote in an email Monday. "Since we're bike commuters and our customers are bike commuters, we didn't want to move hundreds of blocks outside the city center or away from our own homes and lives, so we narrowed our search to affordable commercial spaces in inner Portland."

Wheeler added that the Microcosm team is "all bike commuters."

"The only issue with this part of the street is the lack of bike parking, but after a few calls to the city they came and measured the other day," Wheeler wrote. "A couple staples are coming in soon and a corral is possible after that, which would be great."

Tim Wheeler

As for the Williams location, Wheeler added that, "We may not be in the center of the action, but we're happy with our neighborhood and feel lucky to be on such a major bike street with like-minded businesses."

According to Wheeler, 2013 was the 15-year-old company's best year since 2005. The shop's many bike-related titles and products include Boneshaker: A Bicycling Almanac, Why We Drive by Andy Singer, Bikenomics by Elly Blue and How to Move by Bike by Steph Routh.

Stop in next time you roll by and pick something up. The new location is 2752 N Williams Ave, one block east of Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and one block south of Dawson Park.

28 Jan 22:54

Google Unveils Prescription Frames for Google Glass

by Kimber Streams
firehose

'insurance provider VSP has announced that it will cover part of the cost of the Google Glass frames'

thank god these insurance companies are doing everything they can to control costs

Google has unveiled four new prescription frames and two more styles of sunglasses for use with Google Glass. The new frames are made of titanium and were designed in-house by Google. Those who need corrective lenses will still need to visit an optometrist to get prescription lenses, but insurance provider VSP has announced that it will cover part of the cost of the Google Glass frames.

Here are the four new styles:

Prescription Google Glass

Prescription Google Glass

Prescription Google Glass

Prescription Google Glass

video and images via Google