MRI Scanners: Now Used to Look Inside Batteries [VIDEO]

Researchers are trying to create a better battery with MRI scanning — looking at batteries from the inside out for the first time.

Previously the only way scientists looked into a battery is by destroying it. Now researchers at Cambridge University, Stony Brook University and New York University… read more

Google-Motorola Gets European Seal of Approval. Is U.S Next?

Google announced on Monday that European regulators have approved its proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility.

“This is an important milestone in the approval process and it moves us closer to closing the deal,” Google’s vice president and deputy general counsel Don Harrison wrote in a blog post. “We are now… read more

Did the Dad Who Shot His Daughter’s Laptop Go Too Far — and Will it Work? [POLLS]

This week’s social media lesson, in case you missed it: be careful what you write about your parents on Facebook, even if you think they can’t see it.

Just last Wednesday, Tommy Jordan posted this video to YouTube, in which he fires his .45 caliber handgun into his 15-year-old daughter’s… read more

MySpace Gains a Million New Users in a Month [VIDEO]

Is Justin Timberlake really bringing MySpace back?

Could be, according to data released by the company on Monday. MySpace claims that it now has “an average of 40,000 new registrations daily” and says it has added more than a million new users since launching its new MySpace Music Player… read more

Jennifer Hudson’s Tribute to Whitney Houston Tops Google Trends [VIDEO]

Americans woke up Monday morning with the Grammys and Whitney Houston on their minds — and they rushed to Google’s search bar to get their fix of both the topics that dominated conversations over the weekend.

Pop icon Houston died Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles on the eve of music’s… read more

8 Tech Jobs Companies Want to Fill Right Now

Scott Gerber is the founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council, a nonprofit organization that promotes youth entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment. The YEC provides young entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a business’s development and growth.

As the possibilities of the… read more

Grammys 2012 Live Blog [TRANSCRIPT]

The 54th Grammy Awards airs tonight, and we’re capturing all the action for you on scene in Los Angeles and remotely from New York City. Join us as we dish the details before, during and after the ceremony, which starts at 5 p.m. PT. Mashable‘s Christina Warren is in L.A…. read more

Can Pinterest Help Your Job Search?

Sean Weinberg is the COO and co-founder of RezScore, a free web application that reads, analyzes and grades resumes instantly. You can connect with Sean and the RezScore team on Facebook and Twitter.

Just when you thought you had mastered the job search on all social media platforms, along came Pinterest.

You’ve… read more

10 Kinetic Typography Music Videos

1. Tramp – Lowell Fulson

… read more

The Social Media Salary Guide [INFOGRAPHIC]

Social Media Week is upon us, so we thought it would be appropriate to delve into the social media industry and see how its salaries stack up. Social media is an evolving and cutting-edge field, so it should come as no surprise that you can make a great living managing… read more

10 Apps for Finding Apps

With the bounty of apps available for mobile devices, it would take a full-time job to customize the best apps to suit our needs and populate our devices. Of course, there are the good ‘ol standbys like Facebook, Shazam, Twitter, Pulse, Angry Birds, (insert your favorite app here), but there… read more

Turn Instagram Photos Into a Poster

Enjoy uploading pictures to the Internet via Instagram? Now you can turn your collection into a poster.

Thanks to London-based online retailer Firebox, Instagram lovers can create their own poster by selecting their favorite photos to build their own.

By clicking the Buy button on Firebox’s Instagram poster product page, Instagram members… read more

Are You Smarterer Than Other Job Candidates? Prove It

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Smarterer

Quick Pitch: Smarterer authenticates practical skills with timed online quizzes.

Genius Idea: Crowdsourced, living tests for… read more

Are Artists Luring Grammy Votes Via Social Media?

Music artists have invited fans deeper into their lives through social media for years, but is the content they share online starting to capture the attention of Grammy voters?

The 54th Grammy Awards airs Sunday, and the Recording Academy has declared digital, mobile and social media a focal point of this… read more

U.S. Consumers Buy 20% of Valentine’s Gifts Online [INFOGRAPHIC]

Consumers are expected to spend $17 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts this year, roughly a fifth of which will be spent online.

That’s according to projections from the National Retail Federation and eMarketer, whose data is visualized in the infographic from Monetate below.

Interestingly, men spend more than twice the amount women… read more

How to Fine Tune Your Facebook News Feed Like a Boss

Don’t like what you see in your Facebook news feed? Do the company’s algorithms that determine what you see drive you nuts? Are you missing out on important content from friends? Are you fed up with seeing what people are pinning on Pinterest?

There are ways to kick your Facebook news… read more

SNL Spoofs Confusing Smartphone Marketing [VIDEO]

When Saturday Night Live decides to make fun of Verizon, there’s something deeply satisfying about it. See if you agree when you watch this skit that aired Saturday night on SNL, poking fun at the alphabet soup and numerical nightmare that you’ll find yourself embroiled within if you decide to… read more

Twitter Breaks News of Whitney Houston Death 27 Minutes Before Press

Twenty-seven minutes before mainstream media broke the news of Whitney Houston’s death on Saturday night, the story was on Twitter, reported by a man who tweeted the news out to his 14 followers.

A tweet — sent at 4:57 p.m. PT — from the Associated Press that confirmed Houston’s death by… read more

YouTube Beauty: Top 10 Channels to Follow

There is a whole subculture on YouTube devoted to beauty tutorials with an increasing amount of subscribers. Rather than asking your mother or a girlfriend to teach you how to French braid your hair, you can look it up on YouTube — and there are hundreds of videos on that… read more

Grammys to Pay Tribute to Whitney Houston

As the music community (and Internet as a whole) reacts to the untimely death of Whitney Houston, the Recording Academy is scrambling to arrange a tribute for Sunday night’s Grammy Awards.

Executive producers have confirmed that Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan have been contacted about performing a tribute, but acknowledged… read more

Knicks’ Jeremy Lin Continues Domination of Social Media and NBA

Welcome to the Linternet.

After a 38-point outing to lead the New York Knicks over Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, point guard Jeremy Lin has tightened the stranglehold he’s had on the World Wide Web since his improbable surge to NBA stardom began just several days… read more

Pop Legend Whitney Houston Dies at 48 — Twitter Reacts

Whitney Houston, pop music icon and the singer of such songs as “I Will Always Love You” and “The Greatest Love of All,” has died at the age of 48.

Houston’s death, which comes on the eve of the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, was first reported by the Associated Press. The… read more

Dad Addresses Viral Laptop Shooting After Daughter’s Facebook Post [QUOTES]

The tech-savvy, gun-toting father who blasted nine hollow-point rounds into his daughter’s laptop after she wrote a disrespectful Facebook post is dealing with his newfound notoriety much the same way he handled the girl’s rant: publicly and proactively.

If you haven’t seen the now-viral video, here’s what happened: Tommy Jordan… read more

Top 5 Best New Apps of the Week

Airbind for Android

Airbind wirelessly syncs your iTunes library to your Android device. You just download a PC or… read more

In Europe, ACTA Protests Hit the Streets — and Twitter [PICS]

1. @glynmoody

Before the big day, London blogger Glyn Moody encouraged people to come out.

Click here to view this… read more

Who Will Win a Grammy? Twitter Predicts the Future [INFOGRAPHIC]

Who’s going to win a Grammy on Sunday? Webtrends gives us a sneak preview, using Twitter as its crystal ball. Check out the prognostications in this exclusive infographic created fresh this morning using hot trending data from millions of tweets all over the world.

Webtrends, a digital marketing and analytics agency,… read more

How Social Media Can Help You Snag Top Talent For Your Company

Curt Finch is the founder and CEO of Journyx, a company that offers time-tracking and resource management software. Connect with him and Journyx on Facebook and Twitter.

Social media has emerged like an errant piece of debris from a tornado, and has smacked the world of business in its metaphorical face…. read more

Instagram Upgrade Introduces a Powerful New Feature

Take a look at your App Store icon, iPhone users, and if you’re an avid Instagram user, there’s a big surprise for you inside. Instagram just received a big upgrade, and it’s going to make your pictures on the social networking service look a lot better.

The standout new feature is… read more

5 Services to Help You Earn Money From Your Twitter Account

Are you looking to make good use of your sizable Twitter following? Here are five simple services that can help monetize your account, potentially putting cash into your pocket and increasing traffic to your profile.

1. MyLikes
… read more

Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ Turns 1 on a Friday: What’s Your Favorite Memory?

A year ago, Rebecca Black’s unforgettable viral tune “Friday” first appeared on YouTube. Since then, the massively autotuned “Friday” music video has reached millions upon millions of eyes, spawned countless parodies and caught the attention of many celebrities.

To honor the jam, which eventually became Know Your Meme‘s top meme… read more

7 Marketing Lessons From RIM’s Failures

Alex Goldfayn is CEO of the Evangelist Marketing Institute. His new book is called Evangelist Marketing: What Apple, Amazon and Netflix Understand About Their Customers (That Your Company Probably Doesn’t).

You remember, don’t you? The emails magically appeared while you weren’t looking. That blinking light turned us into addicts. And that… read more

Saudi Journalist Arrested After Tweeting About Prophet Muhammad

Twenty-three-year-old Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari has been arrested in Malaysia after sending out a series of controversial tweets about the Prophet Muhammed Saturday that caused some religious conservatives to call for his execution. He was detained Thursday morning at Kuala Lumpr International Airport, the Wall Street Journal has confirmed.

“On… read more

‘This Message Will Self-Destruct’: One Shar.es Erases Data After Transmission

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: OneShar.es

Quick Pitch: OneShar.es lets you send confidential data that automatically deletes after the recipient views it… read more

Google to Get Scary With Anne Rice

Google has been known to celebrate authors and encourage educators to write books. It even made finding authors of articles easier by improving the quality of search results for authors.

Now the search giant is playing host to legendary horror novelist Anne Rice.

Even if you’re not a… read more

Where to Find Mashable at Social Media Week 2012

Social Media Week 2012 begins on Monday, Feb. 13 and extends to 12 cities worldwide. Mashable staff members will once again be taking part in various panels across New York City.

Now in its fourth year, Social Media Week continues to grow, with 60,000 people attending events annually. Just like last year, we here… read more

Why Google Shouldn’t Bother With a Home Entertainment Gadget

There’s a rumor going around that Google is planning some kind of home-entertainment device — possibly and answer to the (also rumored) Apple iTV. Apparently Google’s living-room product will be Google-branded, controlled via Android phone or tablet and may eventually expand to do things like control your room lights or… read more

15 Fascinating Twitter Employees You Should Follow

1. Kris

We’re intrigued by the tweets of someone that labels themselves as being “unnecessarily coy” and knows that… read more

First Photos of Beyonce’s and Jay-Z’s Baby Emerge on Tumblr [PICS]

Blue Ivy Carter on Tumblr

More than a month after Beyonce and Jay-Z welcomed their first child to the… read more

Revealed: Google Wallet Security Flaw on Android Phones [VIDEO]

Don’t give up your wallet and plastic cards just yet — at least, not until Google Wallet gets a security update.

The Android-only service, which lets you pay with your smartphone, turns out to have a major security flaw. If someone gets hold of your phone, they can… read more

On Facebook, Millennials Friend an Average of 16 Co-Workers [INFOGRAPHIC]

Generation Y isn’t afraid to mix work and play.

According to a new study, 18-29 year olds have no problem using their Facebook profiles for professional and personal use. Millennials friend an average of 16 co-workers — although 64% do not list where they work on their Timeline.

“Gen Y… read more

Kim Jong-Un Death Rumor Sparks Twitter Frenzy

Rumors of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s death took Twitter by storm Friday.

The report, which originated on the Chinese microblogging service Weibo, has not been substantiated by any formal press. But that didn’t stop it from going viral on the Internet. “Kim Jong-Un” is currently trending on Twitter and ranks… read more

5 Ways to Market Your Brand on LinkedIn

Linda Coles is the author of the book Learn Marketing with Social Media in 7 Days (Wiley) and is a social media speaker and consultant at Blue Banana.

LinkedIn provides plenty of marketing opportunities, but lets take a look at some of the lesser-known tools. Although not all are free, try… read more

How to Crowdfund Your Next Big Idea

Scott Steinberg is a small business expert, professional keynote speaker, noted strategic consultant, and creator of The Business Expert’s Guidebook series and video show Business Expert: Small Business Tips, Trends and Advice. Entrepreneurs and startups can download and share free guides, tip sheets and inside advice from his website.

Cult favorite… read more

Mystery: Apple Secretive About Ongoing iTunes Store Hacks [VIDEO]

iTunes Store users have long reported curious problems with Apple‘s digital store — mysterious purchases, gift card money disappearing, changes to account information. And recent reports have revealed that those complaints account for more than 70 pages on an Apple forum.

These problems, which some sources such as The… read more

Iran Reportedly Blocking Internet

Internet users in Iran are reporting error messages when trying to access major websites from inside the country Friday.

Gmail, Google Reader and Facebook are just some of the blocked sites, according to The Washington Post.

Some Iranians are guessing their connectivity woes are being caused by the Iranian government. The country… read more

Curse You Pinterest, I’m Hooked

What the hell is going on with Pinterest? It’s suddenly on the tip of everyone’s tongue, influencing countless web designs, and has infiltrated most of my other social networks. Even I have fallen under its spell, and I am not necessarily happier for it.

The site, which is ostensibly still in… read more

Help Perez Hilton Bring Muppets and Music Back to the Oscars

Muppets fans are not happy. Following news that musical performances at this year’s Oscars were canceled, Hollywood blogger Perez Hilton launched a petition to give The Muppets the opportunity to perform on stage as part of the awards show’s tradition.

The petition — which already has 24,000 signatures in a little… read more

CIA Website Down, Anonymous Taking Credit

Anonymous, continuing an unusually active run of activity, took credit for bringing down the Central Intelligence Agency’s website Friday afternoon. As of 3:50 p.m. ET, the site remains inaccessible.

“CIA TANGO DOWN: cia.gov,” reads a tweet from an Anonymous-affiliated account.

CIA TANGO DOWN: cia.gov #Anonymous (via @RT_America) goo.gl/zBW2b

— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) February… read more

15 Best Super Bowl Memes You Sent Us

“Patriot or not … ”

For the Super Bowl, we challenged you to turn Patriots coach Bill Belichick into… read more

The White MacBook Is Dead [VIDEO]

If you own a white MacBook, it’s now vintage. Apple officially ended its waning existence, pronouncing the product as “End of Life.”

For consumers, this is kind of déjà vu. Apple actually discontinued the white MacBook from its lineup last summer, when the MacBook Air line was refreshed and took… read more

8 Powerful Tips for Marketing Your Business With Ebooks

Scott Gerber is the founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council, a nonprofit organization that promotes youth entrepreneurship as a solution to unemployment and underemployment. The YEC provides young entrepreneurs with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a business’s development and growth.

Your company’s Twitter handle has… read more

Now You Can Fit the Entire Pirate Bay Site On a USB Stick [VIDEO]

One Pirate Bay user successfully ported the whole of The Pirate Bay onto a USB drive. This is made possible now that the site has transitioned to magnet links to save on bandwidth and likely because it leaves behind less potentially incriminating evidence on The Pirate Bay’s own servers.

“Somewhere… read more

Europeans Plan Widespread Protests Against Internet Censorship

Protests against Internet censorship will blanket Europe this weekend, while Germany and Latvia announced Friday they would put the brakes on signing a copyright treaty that has sparked controversy across the continent.

More than 200,000 people have committed to attending rallies in 200 cities to protest the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or… read more

Why iPad Textbooks Are Still Too Expensive for Schools [INFOGRAPHIC]

When Apple announced its initiative to bring iPads into schools and provide textbooks in digital format, the reaction among many was enthusiastic. iPad textbooks are more interactive, they can be easily updated and they can’t be easily vandalized. The price Apple announced at their launch event — $14.99… read more

French Prez Nicolas Sarkozy Turns On, Fills Up His Facebook Timeline

Facebook users have a love-hate relationship with Facebook Timeline, which encourages users to share their life story in photos and milestones. So where does French President Nicolas Sarkozy fall on the amour-haine spectrum? J’adore, it seems, as Sarkozy has enabled Timeline on his profile.

Sarkozy’s Timeline page has has just under… read more

Breakthrough: Organic Computer Could Change Everything [VIDEO]

Scientists have created a biological computer capable of extracting hidden images on a DNA chip.

There’s nothing new about a computer reading images encrypted on DNA chips, but this is the first computer made only of biomolecules. The scientists behind the research in California and Israel say they don’t… read more

7 Epic Videos of Gadget Destruction

1. Kid Breaks iPad Outside the Store

… read more

Coca-Cola to Host Google+ Hangout Next Week

In another vote of confidence from Corporate America for Google+, Coca-Cola is planning to launch a Hangout on the network next week.

Coke’s Hangout, scheduled for 2 p.m. EST on Feb. 16, will feature company archivists Ted Ryan and Jamal Booker taking questions from the Coca-Cola Archives. The Archives have… read more

Want to Add a Share Bar to Your Site? Buffer Makes It Easy

Like the sharing bar to the left of this article? Tweet-timing app Buffer wants your site to have one just like it — but with a Buffer button.

The startup, which spaces out users’ tweets to hit feeds at optimal times, has acquired a WordPress add-on called Digg Digg (no affiliation… read more

Tesla Motors Unveils Model X Electric Minivan/SUV [PICS]

Tesla Motors has introduced the Model X, its third electric car, and like its brandmates, this one is an all-electric vehicle.

Built on the same chassis as the four-door Model S, the Model X is a hybrid — a cross between an SUV and minivan — and it has… read more

Want People to Return Your Emails? Avoid These Words [INFOGRAPHIC]

Next time you write an email subject line, think twice about the words you’re using.

Loading your message with words such as “confirm,” “join,” “press,” or “invite” is not a good idea if you want a response, says data from Baydin, the makers of email plugin Boomerang.

Baydin recently extracted data from… read more

Dad Shoots Daughter’s Laptop Over Facebook Post [VIDEO]

The disgruntled teenage daughter of a tech-savvy, gun-toting father just got a very public lesson in respecting one’s elders.

“That right there is your laptop,” the father, named Tommy Jordan, says in a YouTube video while pointing a video camera at a computer on laying in a patch of… read more

‘Bed Intruder’ Antoine Dodson Returns With Slow Jam [VIDEO]

Hide your kids, hide your wife: YouTube sensation Antoine Dodson is climbing through your computer window and trying to snatch your attention once more. His “Bed Intruder” autotune went viral in 2010. Now, in a bid to transform from gimmicky viral star to recording artist, he’s back with “Lovesick Lullaby.”

Dodson… read more

Online Dating: 7 Fun New Sites for Finding Your Match

The latest wave of online dating sites forgoes mysterious equations in favor of straightforward, sometimes unexpected, matching techniques.

Whereas Match.com, eHarmony and OkCupid promise to calculate your ideal mate based on your actions and stated preferences, these new sites use some interesting new criteria such as common friends, activities, alma mater… read more

Longform iPad App Makes Web Content Readable [HANDS ON]

Most people who start this article won’t make it to the end — at least not in a way that they could pass a comprehension test.

Studies have shown that the mere presence of a links in online text and the practice of jumping between digital documents impede understanding. Others have… read more

Twitter: Now You Can Tweet By Satellite

Twitter has announced a new partnership with major satellite providers to give their subscribers access to Twitter SMS, the original text-based Twitter service.

According to a statement released Thursday, the company has partnered with Iridium and Thuraya, the world’s two largest satellite providers, to increase the number of people that can… read more

Valentine’s Twitter Campaign: Your Tweets Read by ‘Golden Voice of Love’

Ted Williams, the former homeless man with the golden voice who hit YouTube fame in early 2011, is back for a Twitter-based Valentine’s Day campaign for Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

From Feb. 12 to 14, Williams will shoot up to 100 videos for the brand’s “Golden Voice of Love” campaign. The… read more

How to Structure Your Startup to Avoid Double Taxation

Creating a legal entity for your startup will establish much-needed separation between you and your business. Shielding your personal assets is the first and foremost reason to think about incorporating.

But let’s face it. When it comes down to choosing a business structure, small business owners are typically concerned about… read more

Hipsters From 2062 Slam Social Media [VIDEO]

Think about how you’ll describe social media to friends and family in 50 years. Now, watch this “Future Hipsters” video in which badass elderly folks show us how silly all things social media really could sound.

“You could get away with anything in those days,” one dude says. “I built an… read more

17 Most-Popular Photos From Flickr Commons

Female Aircraft Worker

“Woman aircraft worker, Vega Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, Calif. Shown checking electrical assemblies.”

Image courtesy of The Library… read more

How Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Lays the Smackdown on Social Media

“Can you smelllllll….What the The Rock! Is cooking?!?”

That became a ubiquitous catchphrase when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a Worldwide Wrestling Federation megastar around the turn of the millennium. Unlike most wrestling-ring bruisers, however, Johnson has done a lot more than just “lay the smack down” on hapless “jabronis,”… read more

Type This Into Google for a Valentine’s Day Surprise

Romantic math geeks, your moment has arrived. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, go ahead and type (or paste) this into Google search:

sqrt(cos(x))*cos(300x)+sqrt(abs(x))-0.7)*(4-x*x)^0.01, sqrt(6-x^2), -sqrt(6-x^2) from -4.5 to 4.5

Twitter user @Huckberry tipped us off to the fact that typing in the algebraic equation plots several different functions on a… read more

Microsoft: You’ll Never Turn Off Devices Running Windows on ARM

Microsoft described in detail Thursday exactly how Windows will work on ARM devices. The new strain of Windows, retooled from the ground up for low-power devices like tablets, will be identical to the regular desktop version in many ways, and Microsoft says it’ll ship some test units to developers by… read more

When Should You Go All-In on Your Startup? [VIDEO]

From bootstrapping his company, to raising a seed round last year, to his company’s recent $8 million A round, Neil Capel exemplifies the grit and hustle typical in successful entrepreneurs. Capel founded Sailthru, an enterprise software-as-a-service company that uses clickstream data to individually tailor marketing emails to each user,… read more

Twitter Joke Trial: Judges Don’t Get Social Media, Says Stephen Fry

TV personality, activist, and social media comedian Stephen Fry has taken sides in the Paul Chambers “Twitter Joke Trial,” saying that British judges fundamentally don’t understand how Twitter works.

Fry’s stance is more interesting for the larger question it raises about the rising role of social media and the generation gap… read more

LinkedIn Hits 150 Million Members

LinkedIn on Thursday announced it has 150 million members in its network, a 20 million increase over November.

The figure was disclosed in a press release the company issued Thursday announcing its fourth quarter and full-year 2011 results.

The company posted revenues of $167.7 million, beating the analysts’ consensus of $160… read more

FarmVille Toys Are Coming: Zynga and Hasbro Sign Licensing Deal

If Angry Birds and Cut the Rope can have toys, why can’t FarmVille?

Social gaming juggernaut Zynga is teaming up with toy maker Hasbro to create a “wide range of toys and gaming experiences” based on Zynga properties and brands, a release read.

The first products are expected to hit the market… read more

Hipstamatic Releases Lens for New York Fashion Week

In conjunction with New York Fashion Week, iPhone photography app Hipstamatic has released a cool-toned lens (i.e., filter) designed to capture the aesthetic of classic American beauty.

The lens was developed in partnership with fashion photographer Chiun-Kai Shih, whose work has appeared in GQ, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, among other well-recognized… read more

Apple Hit With 250,000 Signatures Protesting Labor Conditions in China

Fair-labor organizers delivered 250,000 signatures to Apple stores in six cities around the world on Thursday in protest of the company’s working conditions in China.

Apple’s main factory, Foxconn, has faced numerous accusations of providing an inhumane work environment to Chinese workers.

“It’s hard to hear tales of people jumping… read more

Live LOLz: Cheezburger Plans Grammy Awards Memes in Real Time

I Can Has Cheezburger plans to turn the 54th Grammy Awards into a laughing matter by giving viewers an outlet to write funny captions for red carpet and ceremony photos.

The “Live LOLing” event starts Sunday at 4 p.m. PT when Cheezburger’s ROFLrazzi site, Twitter profile and Facebook page will… read more

Popularity of an Article Can Be Predicted Before It’s Tweeted [VIDEO]

HP Labs says it’s possible to know if your tweet will be a dud before you type the 140 characters.

Researchers have developed a formula that predicts the number of times a news “article will be tweeted with surprising accuracy.” The researchers predicted tweet popularity with 84% accuracy based on… read more

Yahoo’s New Visualization Beautifully Shows What’s Happening on the Web

Yahoo has launched a new webpage that visualizes what’s happening on the web in near real time — and it’s totally beautiful.

The Content Optimization Relevance Engine (C.O.R.E.) HTML5 site hopes to show users the “behind the scenes” process Yahoo uses to match readers with content on their personalized homepage,… read more

Who Really Invented the Web? Texas Trial Questions Tim Berners-Lee [VIDEO]

Tim Berners-Lee, who is credited with inventing the World Wide Web, testified this week in a Texas courtroom against a company that claims it has a patent on the same technology.

The man who claims to have the patent on the “interactive web” is Michael Doyle. His company, Eolas Technologies, has… read more

Mass Effect 3 Gets iPad Version with Action-Packed ‘Infiltrator’ [PREVIEW]

Mass Effect 3 is coming to an iPad near you in the form of Mass Effect Infiltrator, an iOS game aimed at expanding the game’s narrative and give players some mobile combat.

Infiltrator isn’t a direct port of the latest Mass Effect game. Unlike its big brother, a sci-fi role-playing game… read more

WikiLeaks Suspect Bradley Manning to Be Arraigned Feb. 23

U.S. Army Pfc. Bradley Manning, accused of leaking hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables and war reports to WikiLeaks, will be arraigned before a military judge at Fort Meade, Maryland on Feb. 23, the Pentagon announced Thursday.

Some of the 22 charges against Manning include aiding the enemy, disclosing classified information… read more

5 Essential Spreadsheets for Social Media Analytics

Ann Smarty is a search marketer and full-time web entrepreneur. Ann blogs on search and social media tools. Her newest project, My Blog Guest, is a free platform for guest bloggers and blog owners. Follow Ann on Twitter @seosmarty.

Social media analytics and tracking can be very time-consuming and expensive. You’ll… read more

Google: No, We’re Not Launching Retail Stores Yet

Google planned to open its first-ever public store at its European headquarters in Dublin, if you believed a rumor reported by Bloomberg. But according to a company spokesperson, no plans are definite right now.

A Google planning application for an expansion of its Dublin office indicated plans for an employee swimming… read more

H&M Has the Most-Followed Brand Page on Google+

Fashion retailer H&M has beat out heavyweights Pepsi, Starbucks and Coca-Cola to become the most-followed brand on Google+.

In a testament to the network’s viability as a marketing vehicle, Google, the former number one on Google+, is now number 13. Following H&M is Samsung USA, Pepsi, Starbucks and Burberry. The rest… read more

U.S. Wants You to Test Terrorist Tracking With Social Media Game [VIDEO]

The U.S. government wants to more aggressively track terrorists on social media — and it’s asking for your help.

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Prague are sponsoring a social media gaming contest to test ways social media and open source data can be used to… read more

‘Bachelor’ Contestant Courtney Gets Auto-Tuned [VIDEO]

Fans of The Bachelor are all too familiar with this season’s over-the-top contestant Courtney, who makes snide comments at the camera and likes to take off her bikini top.

Now, a video has popped up on YouTube that has turned some of her signature phrases — from “Winning!” to “I do… read more

Facebook Talks About Social Games and Mobile Apps for 2012

Facebook revealed its roadmap for social games and mobile apps for the rest of the year at the Inside Social Apps 2012 conference on Wednesday in San Francisco — and it’s good news for app developers.

Want to create an app for Facebook’s Open Graph? The mobile space… read more

What Digital Non-Profits Can Learn From Companies Like Google

Daniel Atwood works with organizations in the social sector to craft meaningful experiences for customers and constituents, and to find innovative product, campaign and messaging ideas in unexpected places.

We live in a world where new digital products are solving problems daily — from managing our finances to remembering the groceries…. read more

Comment and Highlight on Websites with commentto

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: commentto

Quick Pitch: Comment anywhere.

Genius Idea: Commentto is a browser add-on service that allows users… read more

Twitter Comedy: How to Be Funny in 140 Characters

Comedy is king on Twitter. Professional humorists and armchair standups alike have amassed legions of followers that hang on every 140-character quip.

Twitter humor is a brand-builder, a great writing exercise, and if you’re really good, it might even land you a job (but probably not, so settle down).

So, what does… read more

Check in at Walgreens and Receive Tweet Deal Coupons [VIDEO]

Walgreens is tweeting mobile coupons to customers who check in on mobile apps including Foursquare, Yelp and Facebook — letting customers in on deals while they shop.

The retailer is taking advantage of knowing who is in one of its 8,000 national locations. It is one of 40 companies currently… read more

‘Walk Off the Earth’ Gets 50 Million YouTube Views in a Month [VIDEO]

Meet Walk off the Earth, the ultra-talented quintet that turned its version of a sleeper hit into a viral phenomenon on YouTube and earned itself a record deal.

The Canadian indie band posted a video covering Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” last month, and it has since been viewed… read more

DKNY Takes Top Honors at Fashion 2.0 Awards

After nabbing four of the eight awards handed out at last year’s Fashion 2.0 Awards, apparel brand DKNY was once again recognized for its use of digital media, taking home awards for Best Twitter and Best Blog by a Fashion Brand.

The honors are well deserved. DKNY’s Twitter account and Tumblr… read more

Connected Cars: How to Accelerate Mainstream Adoption

Steve Tengler is a user experience (UX) director at Altia, Inc. He spent over 20 years in automotive design at OnStar, Nissan and Ford.

Every so often, the media tells us about an automotive manufacturer on the cusp of delivering wireless, cooperative systems. The reader immediately thinks of Knight Rider, and… read more

Snooki Channels Her Inner Zuckerberg With New Facebook Game

Snooki’s Match Game

Jersey Shore star Zucki … uh, I mean Snooki has just unleashed her first Facebook game.

Dubbed… read more

ESPN’s ‘Complain About Women’ Option Exposed by Twitter User

Until Tuesday, ESPN had a special section on its website for viewers to complain specifically about announcers who happen to be female.

“Commentator — dislike female commentators,” read one option in a drop-down menu that enables viewers to provide feedback about coverage topics including blacked-out games, camera angels and audio/video… read more