Could CISPA Be the Next SOPA?

A bill introduced to the House of Representatives late last year could become the centerpiece of the next SOPA-style struggle between the tech community and Washington, D.C.

The bill already has over 100 co-sponsors and the backing of some of Silicon Valley’s most prominent companies, including Microsoft and Facebook — support… read more

Create a Stylized Election Poster Using Illustrator

It’s election season! Time for graphic designers to start helping clients design posters for their upcoming campaigns. It’s a great time to be a designer as each and every city has candidates making their run for spots.

Using Live Trace and Live Paint in Illustrator makes stylized posters an… read more

43 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed

If you missed any of Mashable‘s resources this week, hopefully it wasn’t because you were dealing with that nasty “Flashback” virus (make sure you check if your Mac has been infected by using this nifty script).

Once you know you’re not one of the 600,000 unlucky ones hit with the malware… read more

YouTube Passion Project Sends a Journal Around the World

The MeetingLife Journal Project is an art project that started in Rome, Italy on Nov. 11 and has traveled to 11 countries and counting. The online passion project is inspired by travel, life and YouTube.

For the past three months, a leather-bound journal has been traveling around the world into… read more

About.me iPhone App Launches With ‘Who’s Nearby’ Feature

The simple one-page profile platform About.me is now available on iPhones.

Since its 2010 launch and acquisition by AOL, around 1.5 million people have built a splash page, a collection of their social media handles. An About.me page consists of a background photo, as little as two or three lines of… read more

4 Ways to Rethink the Press Release

Jonathan Rick is a director at Levick Strategic Communications. He contributes to Levick’s Bulletproof Blog. Follow him @jrick.

Every year, for the last ten years, someone has proclaimed that the press release is dying. While the rumors of its demise are exaggerated, they are not totally unfounded. That’s because the… read more

‘Hipster Games’ Contestants Fight for PBR, Brunch [VIDEO]

Behold The Hipster Games where the saying goes, “May the trends be ever in your favor.”

This nearly three-minute clip shows what the hit movie, “The Hunger Games” might be like for hipsters. One woman and one “woman-ish man” from five districts — Portland, Austin, Brooklyn, Oakland, and Silverlake… read more

9 Ways to Engage Your Employees on Pinterest

Social media is all about user/customer interaction — that much we know. But many businesses value staff engagement as well. Pinterest‘s collaborative approach encourages employees to not only get to know each other, but also to communicate their personalities and tastes to the wider public.

Marketing and communications agency Red Door… read more

SOPA 2.0: Why the Fight for Internet Freedom Is Far From Over

Is the fight over the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) over? Not even close, according to Internet law expert Lawrence Lessig.

Lessig is the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School and director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University. A world-renowned… read more

How One Non-Profit Aims to Create Open-Source Government

As a non-partisan, non-profit organization, the Sunlight Foundation is taking the ethos found among the open-source software movement and applying it to government. It’s one goal is to publish the government’s public data in an easy-to-access location, at no cost to users.

Unlike similar services, its data is free. The foundation… read more

Major League Baseball Uncorks a Social Media Homer

Can Major League Baseball pitch a perfect season with social media? The league is taking impressive steps to beef up its social presence and engagement with fans this year.

On Wednesday, it lured followers into tweeting a hashtag promoting the MLB.TV streaming service, launching the #MLBTVme hashtag to a plum spot… read more

Crowd-Powered: Why Doritos Lets Fans Make Its Super Bowl Ads

The Modern Media Agency Series is presented by IDG. CenturyLink thought an online game would engage IT professionals. In eight months, 90,000 people played the trivia contest. IDG’s Howard Sholkin spoke with CenturyLink’s Joanne Kernie at the awards ceremony and digital conference in March 2012.

Crowdsourcing is not a new concept… read more

Adobe Camp Brazil

Due to great success in 2010 and 2011, Flash Camp Brazil got bigger and now is Adobe Camp Brazil, with talks and workshops on Design, Development and Digital Video. Some of the best professionals in the world, coming from companies like Google, Adobe, QNX, Conspiração Filmes, PontoMobi Group, Sencha and… read more

Enigmatic Black and White Flyer Design Tutorial with Photoshop

With this tutorial I wanted to create a club flyer design that was not your typical “scantily clad” affair that appeals to the more discerning club goers. So, with a few easy Photoshop and Illustrator effects, and my preference for black and white elegance, I created this enigmatic… read more

StarCast: Digital Auditions Changing How Aspiring Actors Get Noticed

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: StarCast Auditions

Quick Pitch: Actors can be noticed by top producers without leaving their house.

Genius Idea: Submit… read more

Morgan Spurlock’s Comic-Con Movie: How to Support a Screening Near You

Morgan Spurlock’s latest film may not have the mass appeal of a flick like Hunger Games — but he still wants fans to have the chance to experience it on the big screen.

The film, Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope chronicles the cultural phenomenon that is San Diego Comic-Con…. read more

Facebook vs. Yahoo Round 2: Social Network Files a Suit of Its Own

The Facebook-Yahoo grudge match continues.

Now Facebook is countersuing Yahoo, denying Yahoo’s allegations that Facebook infringed on the company’s patents — and claiming Yahoo is actually infringing on Facebook’s patents.

Facebook’s counter-claim, filed Tuesday, denies Yahoo’s statements that many of Facebook’s tools and features on the site stem from developments… read more

10 Free Little Known WordPress Plugins to Enhance Your Site

Since 2003, WordPress has helped build and run over 72 million sites worldwide with their simple yet incredibly powerful platform. You can create a blog in minutes and fill it with the content you want, or you could spend hours finding the perfect theme and plugins to make your site… read more

UK Soldier Uniforms May Soon Transmit Power, Data [VIDEO]

British military uniforms may soon be made out of yarn that can transfer electricity and data, eliminating the need for toting around additional batteries and cabling.

The intelligent fabric was recently shown-off by Intelligent Textiles in the form of a lightweight military uniform. In the demo, the fabric was integrated… read more

Best of Tuts+ in March 2012

Each month, we bring together a selection of the best tutorials and articles from across the whole Tuts+ network. Whether you’d like to read the top posts from your favourite site, or would like to start learning something completely new, this is the best place to start!

Psdtuts+ — Photoshop Tutorials

Our… read more

Create a 3D Newspaper, Text Effect in Adobe Illustrator

Follow this tutorial and learn how to create a 3D newspaper text effect using the Extrude & Bevel effect and the Map Art option. We will create all the pieces of newspaper with the help of the Area Type Tool and save them as symbols. We’ll then give this effect… read more

YouTube Earth Hour Campaigns Dare You to Take Action for the Planet

YouTube is launching a new platform called “I Will If You Will” for Earth Hour 2012, which lets users challenge others to take an environmentally friendly action for the planet.

Earth Hour, now in its sixth year, encourages people to turn off their lights for 60 minutes one day a year…. read more

No, You’re Not Fat — Facebook Just Makes You Think You Are [STUDY]

Struggling with body weight issues? Facebook may be partially to blame, a new study suggests.

A new study conducted by The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt in Baltimore found that social media is negatively impacting how people view body size.

The study — which was conducted among 600 Facebook users… read more

‘Project Runway’ Star Tim Gunn Joins Twitter, Makes It Work

Beloved Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn joined Twitter Friday. His first tweets are humble and friendly, like his real-world personality.

Since his first tweet at 10:41 a.m., Gunn has gained more than 4,000 followers.

Gunn is a fashion consultant and a former faculty member at Parsons The New School for Design… read more

RIM-sanity! Beyond the BlackBerry Bloodbath

In response to Research in Motion’s ugly quarterly earnings report, newly-minted CEO Thorsten Heins is shaking up the executive team.

Not only has Jim Ballsillie — RIM’s co-CEO until January — resigned from the board of directors, but the COO and CTO are gone too. The company continues to search… read more

Flow: One Solid FTP Client

When it comes to FTP clients, there are too many of them to count. You could go with FileZilla, since it’s free, but it’s really not the greatest solution out there since it lacks quite a few features that advanced users seek. Cyberduck, on the other hand, is another great… read more

Amazon CEO Bezos to Rescue Apollo 11 Rocket Engines From the Briny Deep

Minutes after the historic Apollo 11 mission launched in July 1969, its five F-1 engines were discharged and dropped safely into the Atlantic Ocean. For more than 40 years, no one knew exactly where they landed.

Until now. Until Jeff Bezos.

The Amazon CEO announced in a blog post that… read more

Apple Supplier Foxconn’s Violations: How It Plans To Solve Them

Corporate public relations rule numero uno: When a scandal occurs, admit you were wrong and say you’re sorry. Apple is doing just that with the help of the Fair Labor Association (FLA), which released its audit of Apple’s factories in China on Thursday. Apple and the FLA pledged to amend… read more

RIM to Refocus on Enterprise, Will No Longer Try to Be ‘Everybody’s Darling’

It’s tough times for Research in Motion. That was the clear message from RIM’s newbie CEO, Thorsten Heins, during a call about quarterly company earnings Thursday afternoon.

Not only are revenues down — $4.2 billion from $5.2 billion last quarter — but former co-CEO Jim Balsille has now officially left the… read more

10 Ways to Humanize Your Brand On Social Media

Joe Chernov is the VP of Content Marketing for Eloqua. He is responsible for creating, distributing and measuring content that increases awareness and drives demand.

Marketers are suckers for a catch phrase, from “join the conversation” to “think like a publisher.” Now, thanks largely to Facebook Timeline for brand pages, the… read more

Mashable Connect Agenda: 15 Exciting Sessions to Learn From

Mashable’s largest conference, Mashable Connect, is returning to Orlando, FL from May 3-5, and this year we’ll bring together the brightest minds to discuss key trends on the horizon and what digital professionals are thinking for the future.

We’re excited to announce the Mashable Connect 2012 agenda. This year’s lineup of… read more

Facebook Photos Slip Through Great Firewall, Arrive in China

China notoriously blocks access to social networking sites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Now a startup, FamilyLeaf, has found a break in the Great Firewall — allowing Chinese families to get a glimpse at the Facebook photos of their loved ones.

FamilyLeaf co-founder Wesley Zhao says he can feel how censorship affects… read more

6 Ways to Acquire New Customers via Social Media

The Customer Experience Series is supported by Webtrends. Get insider tips and a step-by-step guide to acquiring, engaging and nurturing fans. Download the Playbook.

We all know social media is an important tool for brand awareness and customer acquisition — but how exactly are you supposed to convert random Twitter… read more

Microsoft: Metro’s Not Just an Interface, It’s a Philosophy

Long-time Microsoft watchers like me are marveling at the company’s transformation. Slowly but surely, the siloed behemoth that once couldn’t get its desktop and mobile operating system teams to talk to each other is now starting to glide forward as one vast entity. The most visible refection of this sea… read more

Are Job Ads Phishing For Free Innovation?

A recruiter recently announced an employment opportunity but it came with a test. Candidates would have to write a business plan they would implement in their first year with the company. The request was to “be innovative with your thinking!”

The recruiter insisted candidates needed to “wow!” this company. With the… read more

Beyond Likes: How Google and Adobe Aim to Measure Your True Social ROI

Measuring marketing spending used to be pretty easy, at least in theory: You’d run a big ad campaign and then see if your sales rose. If they did, great. If not, then you wasted your money.

Social media has muddied the waters. A campaign may not do much for sales, but… read more

Trayvon Martin Petition Is Fastest-Growing in Change.org History

The Change.org petition created by Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton calling for the prosecution of their son Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, has become the fastest-growing campaign in the site’s history.

The petition called “Prosecute the killer of our son, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin,” has gained over 2.1 million signatures since its… read more

The Next KONY 2012? Invisible Children Co-Founder Releases ‘I Am Mother’

KONY 2012 director Jason Russell isn’t the only Invisible Children co-founder using web video to direct attention toward the conflict in central Africa. Bobby Bailey, another Invisible Children co-founder who left the organization in 2009, recently created a film “I Am Mother” for The Voice Project, about another aspect of… read more

The Usability of Resume Design

When we think résumé design, “usability” typically isn’t one of the first things to spring to mind. An art director seeking a new position might create an 8-point typographic masterpiece that, while beautiful as a design, is not the best read of information. A developer may hammer out… read more

‘Eat It Don’t Tweet It’ Music Video Mocks Food Pornographers [VIDEO]

You know those people who insist on whipping out their smartphones to take photos of everything they eat then immediately share the pictures across social networks? That culinary paparazzi takes a verbal beating in this music video.

Dubbed “Eat It Don’t Tweet It,” the hilarious song tells the story… read more

Online Therapy Program to Help Fight Autism

Research shows that nearly half of kids with autism can make big improvements toward recovery by undergoing therapy in the early stages of their development.

But one-on-one therapy can be extremely costly and go on for years, and access to good treatment can sometimes to be limited to certain cities… read more

New York Subway Art: Now in Your Pocket

New York’s largest art museum — its transit system — can now be carried around in your pocket.

The MTA is now part of the Meridian app, which provides comprehensive details on the wide variety of permanent artwork installed throughout the subway and rail system in New York.

“This is a… read more

iPhone 4S Users Can’t Get Enough of Siri or Can They?

A Parks Associates survey set out to find out just how well-liked Siri is. The verdict — more than 70% of iPhone 4S users said they are very satisfied or satisfied with the intelligent assistant.

For the most part, iPhone 4S users love Siri. She’s usually helpful, witty and funny… read more

HTML5 Best Practices for Designers

HTML5 has also removed, changed or depreciated over 50 attributes. The following attributes are allowed but it is best to use an alternative solution:

border attribute on <img> is required to have the value "0" when present.  This is another form of inline styling, so use CSS instead.
language attribute on <script>… read more

‘Bully’ Movie to Be Released Without Rating Following Online Petition

Bully, a new documentary premiering Friday, will be released with no rating, following a failed effort to have the MPAA rating changed from R to PG-13.

The movie’s rating attracted national attention, thanks to a Change.org petition started by 17-year-old Katy Butler. The petition “MPAA: Don’t let the bullies win!… read more

Square Renames Payment App, Improves Android Version

Square announced a series of updates Monday morning, including a new name for its Card Case payment app — now called “Pay with Square” — as well as an upgraded Android app.

Android users can now make hands-free payments with Pay With Square for the first time. An earlier version of… read more

5 Stealthy Ways to Find a New Job with Social Media

Gerrit Hall is the CEO and co-founder of RezScore, a free web application that reads, analyzes and grades resumes instantly. Gerrit has successfully combined his passion for computer science and the careers space by helping job seekers write the best resume possible. You can connect with Gerrit and RezScore on… read more

Internet-Based Theater Company Lives Between Cyberspace and the Stage

A small Philadelphia-based company called New Paradise Laboratories is re-creating theater for the connected generation. It’s incorporating social networks like Facebook, Skype and Chatroulette into the production and presentation of shows, pulling theater into the virtual space.

This innovative experience takes audiences through a rabbit hole on a visually stimulating… read more

11 Hilarious ‘Mad Men’ Parody Twitter Accounts

1. Don Draper

The creative director for the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP) advertising agency attends events like SXSW,… read more

Mashable Is Seeking a Director of Sales Development

Interested in joining Mashable‘s growing sales team?  We’re expanding and we have an opening for our first ever Director of Sales Development.

As the Director of Sales Development, you will be part of a growing Mashable team focused on the development of innovative sales and marketing solutions that will drive revenue… read more

8 Compelling Content Sessions to Expect at Mashable Connect 2012

Our largest conference, Mashable Connect, is returning to Orlando, Fla., from May 3-5, and this year we will explore the future of digital with some of the brightest minds in the industry.

An array of digital leaders will be speaking on topics ranging from new digital business models, mobile networking,… read more

Legislators: Employers Shouldn’t Ask for Your Social Media Passwords

Two lawmakers are taking a stand against companies that have been demanding access to employee’s social media accounts.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D.-Conn.) will introduce a bill preventing companies from snooping on your Facebook page, Twitter profile or other sites. He told Politico that the practice is an “unreasonable invasion of privacy”… read more

White House on ‘We the People’ Petitions: ‘We’re Listening’ [VIDEO]

The White House has a message for those who say that it’s not paying attention to “We the People” online petitions: “We’re listening. Seriously.”

Macon Phillips, the White House’s director of new media, defended the platform in an email to users sent on Thursday.

“Back in September when we launched the ‘We… read more

20% of March Madness Traffic Comes From Smartphones, Tablets [STUDY]

In what it’s dubbing “March multi-screen madness,” comScore is reporting that more than 20% of online viewings of the NCAA basketball tourney have occurred via a smartphone or tablet thus far.

That figure is about double the share of views of non-sports content via non-PC devices, comScore reports. Although the first… read more

Useful WordPress Tools, Themes And Plugins

If you’re looking for some great ways to improve your WordPress workflow, read on for a massive collection of free themes, plugins, tools and tutorials. These resources were all linked via the Smashing Magazine Twitter stream, Facebook stream, and other social-media streams around the Web.

These awesome resources have now been… read more

Matthew Hawkins: Toying Around With Paper Engineering Creativity

When I was with a former employer there were rumors of upcoming layoffs (obviously the rumors ended up being true or I wouldn’t be referring to it as a FORMER employer). The company denied the rumors, which sent employees a message to be nervous. Sure enough, layoffs started. First it… read more

18 Must Read Typography Related Blogs

Typography is the most important element of any web design that holds great significance. Typography is one of the basic and fundamental parts of any web design that can enhance the attractiveness and elegance of your design. This is the reason why designers pay special attention to font selection. Today,… read more

How Google’s Semantic Search Will Change SEO

Erin Everhart is the director of web and social media marketing at 352 Media Group, a digital marketing agency that also provides web and mobile app development. Connect with her on Twitter @erinever.

While the SEO game has changed drastically over the past months, one thing has remained fairly consistent: It’s… read more

Device-Agnostic Approach To Responsive Web Design

This is a different take on Responsive Web design. This article discusses how we can better embrace what the Web is about by ignoring the big elephant in the room; that is, how we can rely on media queries and breakpoints without any concern for devices.

The Challenge

Let’s start our journey… read more

Basic Guide To Google Webmaster Tools

Google Webmaster Tools is one of the most popular tools in SEO and makes the work of webmasters much easier. This tool allows a webmaster to keep track of a Web site’s traffic, analyze its robot.txt files, add site maps, and so on. This free tool provided by Google has… read more

Mobile Game Rewards Library Check-ins With Epic Swords

The upcoming iOS title God of Blades asks players to venture to their local libraries to unlock better items in the game.

God of Blades, which is coming to all iOS devices later this year, is a side-scrolling action game set in a fantasy world. Your character, known as The… read more

Netflix: HD on iPad is ‘On Our Roadmap,’ Not Here Yet

New iPad owners who are also Netflix subscribers — and we’re guessing there’s a lot of overlap there — may have been excited to see an update to the Netflix iPad app pop up in the App Store on Wednesday. Could this be the beginning of the HD video revolution… read more

Twitter Rewind: Big Highlights From 2012 to 2006

Six-year-old Twitter is a remarkably different animal than it was when co-founder Jack Dorsey sent the service’s first tweet in March 2006: “just setting up my twttr,” he wrote.

A minuscule user base grew into today’s 140 million-strong active tweeters, who at last count send more than 1 billion tweets every… read more

Whole Foods Film Festival Goes Digital [EXCLUSIVE]

Whole Foods Market is giving its annual Do Something Reel Film Festival the digital treatment and taking it online.

Now in its third year, the festival showcases films and documentaries about food and environmental issues.

Starting on April 22 (Earth Day), users will be able to stream a different film each month… read more

Quick Look: Productive Web Apps

Quick Look posts are paid submissions offering only a brief overview of an app. Vote in the polls below if you think this app is worth an in-depth AppStorm review!

In this Quick Look, we’re highlighting Productive Web Apps. The developer describes Productive Web Apps as an interactive directory that lets… read more

The Benefits of Creating Value for Your Clients

Pomegranate is a mentoring emagazine for creative entrepreneurs—that’s you! Their March 2012 issue is all about creating value for your customers.

Creating value is the easiest way to differentiate you from your competitors. To be honest, when I choose vendors to work with, the lowest price doesn’t always win out…. read more

Improve Your Workflow By Eating Out – The Link Between Restaurants And Design Meetings

Let’s face it: when we eat out at a restaurant, we usually aren’t making the most logical choice on any front. Restaurants are quite a bit more expensive than cooking meals at home; they’re also less nutritious, less filling, and sometimes the quality of the food or the… read more

‘Talladega Nights’ Producer Goes Back to School With Social Media [EXCLUSIVE]

Filmmaker and producer Adam McKay (Talladega Nights, Anchorman) is partnering with director Jason Pollock to develop what they are calling a “social media documentary” that sheds light on the high school dropout rates in the U.S.

The goal of the documentary: use social media to tell the stories of students and… read more

Anybeat: Your New Digital “Third Place” Online

Since the advent of social networks such as Facebook, we’ve all pretty much had a second persona and an online hangout spot where you can trade messages, secrets, photos or just general chit-chat with pretty much anyone. It doesn’t stop there either: sites such as Virtual Life and Habbo have… read more

Web Worker’s Library: Awesome Printed Web Design and Development Books

There’s no doubt that eBook devices such as the Kindle and the Nook have changed how people read books forever. At the start of 2011 Amazon reported that for the first time eBook sales exceeded paperbacks. It’s doubtful this trend will ever be reversed.

Though with E ink devices, image… read more

Could This Space Glove Turn You Into Superman? [VIDEO]

Tired of not being able to pick up an overstuffed shopping bag? Want to change a tire without jacking up your car? Or maybe you just want to look cool at the gym without all that tedious weight training?

That’s the promise behind a new kind of glove that NASA… read more

The Creators Project Blurs Line Between Art and Technology [PICS]

Technology and art came together in San Francisco this past weekend at The Creators Project, an event designed to showcase the talents of emerging and established artists who are using technology to create art.

The project is part of a partnership between Intel and Vice and was initially sparked by the… read more

Tumblr Blog Sheds Light on American Housing Crisis

America Underwater, a new Tumblr blog, is creating a community of Americans living in debt due to underwater mortgages.

The blog, launched by economic justice group Rebuild the Dream, highlights individual stories of the housing crisis while reminding those affected they are part of a significant trend.

“The idea is to… read more

James Cameron Ventures to Deepest Part of Earth in a One-Man Sub [VIDEO]

James Cameron, the Academy Award winning director of the ‘Titanic’, will be the first director to film a venture to the deepest point of Earth in a one-man submarine.

He is heading to Challenger Deep, which is the deepest part of the Mariana Trench off the coast of the Philippines… read more

Pew: Social Media Not Yet Driving News Traffic

Article recommendations from your friends on Facebook and Twitter aren’t a major source of traffic for news websites, according to Pew’s State of the Media 2012 report — but they have potential to become one.

The annual release focuses on trends in the world of journalism but as news continues to… read more

How To Work With A Recruiter To Find Social Media Talent

Heather R. Huhman is the founder and president of Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. You can connect with Heather and Come Recommended on Twitter and Facebook.

Social media has become a hot new job opportunity in the… read more

4 Tools for Finding the Perfect Job

When you’re on the job hunt, it’s easy to take an “anything will work” approach to the scope of your search. Everyone remembers the grade-school saying “beggars can’t be choosers,” but it’s not enjoyable to be saddled with a job that’s not a good fit.

Here’s some good news: There are… read more

Trailer for Ridley Scott’s ‘Prometheus’ Released [VIDEO]

Are you a fan of mind-blowing science fiction movies directed by the legendary Ridley Scott? Then you’re in for a treat: The latest trailer has been released for Prometheus, billed as a prequel to his 1979 classic Alien.

Prometheus is being shot entirely in 3D. It’s set in the Alien universe,… read more

How a Mysterious Robot Dinosaur Won Over Tech’s Top Influencers

“Wait, are you going to write my answers in human talk?” a man wearing a grey cardboard dinosaur head asks me. His hands are covered in what looks like metallic duct tape, and I can see a microphone secured to the bottom of his cardboard snout.

He switches back to his… read more

Ethics and Social Media: Where Should You Draw The Line?

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

As social media usage continues to rise, it’s only natural that statistic correlations will be made about the individuals who use the medium. This isn’t a bad… read more

Unite for Syria Campaign Spreads via Social Media

March 15 marked the one-year anniversary since anti-government protests erupted in Syria.

Now the campaign #UniteForSyria has taken off on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube — backed by celebrities and citizens worldwide. Its goal: to draw attention to the bloody protests that have been taking place in the country and urge… read more

KONY 2012 Creator Arrested for Lewd Act, Invisible Children Blames ‘Dehydration’

KONY 2012 director and co-founder of Invisible Children Jason Russell was arrested by police in San Diego Thursday evening.

Russell was detained in the Pacific Beach neighborhood, with charges of public drunkenness and lewd behavior, NBC San Diego reports.

The 33-year-old father of two shot to fame this month after the… read more

Acclaimed Technology Investor Roger McNamee Joins Mashable Connect as a Speaker

We’re pleased to announce that Roger McNamee, co-founder of Elevation Partners will be speaking at Mashable Connect, our signature conference.

Mashable’s largest conference, Mashable Connect, is returning to Orlando, FL from May 3-5, and this year we will explore the future of digital with some of the brightest minds in… read more

Former Facebook PR Head Shares Strategy for Successful Launches [VIDEO]

The Leaders in Digital Series is supported by Samsung. Follow Samsung USA on Google+ and Twitter, and like them on Facebook.

As Facebook’s first PR director, Brandee Barker dealt with everything from the launch of News Feed to the Beacon controversy to huge rounds of investment.

Since leaving… read more

BBC Confirms It’s Working on an iTunes Competitor

The BBC confirmed last night that it was planning a TV-downloading service similar to iTunes. Code-named “Project Barcelona,” the service will provide downloads for both recently broadcast shows as well as parts of the BBC archive.

In a speech to the Royal Television Society in London last night, BBC Director General… read more

Flickr Browsr: Flickr with a Whole New Perspective

Flickr, a popular image sharing site owned by Yahoo!, is a great place to view artistic and creative pictures for free. While Flickr is a great service, the website has an outdated design and can run slow on some browsers. While searching for a photo viewing alternative to the standard… read more

50 Time Saving Photoshop Actions to Boost Your Images

You’re a creative talent. The last thing you probably want is to be stuck performing the same task a hundred times on different images. Adobe programmers understand this. It’s why they created Photoshop Actions.

With Photoshop Actions, a set of otherwise repetitive tasks can be applied automatically, freeing you… read more

5 Fun & Informative Graphic Design Podcasts

Advertise here via BSA

In design, you’re either moving ahead or being left behind. Many of us are too busy to read up on the latest, greatest tips and tricks that will move our careers forward. Podcasts are an excellent way to brush up on what’s new, and the best part… read more

Atlantic Records Unleashes iBook for Shinedown’s Album Launch [EXCLUSIVE]

The 75-Page iBook

Atlantic Records has taken an uncommon approach to using Apple’s iBooks Author — touted as a… read more

Wifarer Offers Turn-by-Turn Directions Inside Large Venues

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: Wifarer

Quick Pitch: Indoor positioning technology app guides users through large venues.

Genius Idea: Wifarer is partnering… read more

How to Plan the Perfect Wedding Online

Dana Oshiro is a Canadian writer and the senior analyst and publishing strategist for NetShelter Technology Media‘s 200+ gadget, mobile and IT bloggers. She writes regularly at Villagers with Pitchforks, tweets as @suzyperplexus and connects with others via LinkedIn.

When I began planning one of the happiest days of my… read more

Jason Mraz Picks Instagram Contest’s Best Snapshots [PICS]

Jason Mraz’s Instagram Challenge

Singer-songwriter Jason Mraz gave a verbal thumbs-up to Instagram and printing services that bring the… read more

Doctors Believe Using Health Apps Will Cut Down on Visits [INFOGRAPHIC]

Many doctors believe that using apps that keep track of your health will help cut down on doctor visits, a new infographic suggests.

According to data revealed by Float Mobile Learning, 40% of doctors believe that using mobile health technologies such as apps that monitor fitness and eating habits can reduce… read more

SXSW Documentary Explores the Human Side of Tech [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]

When we live in a world of technology, what is the value of being a living, breathing thing? That’s one of the questions filmmaker Avi Zev Weider asks in his new documentary, Welcome to the Machine.

The film, which makes its world premiere at SXSW, follows Weider on his quest… read more

Captivate your Audience with Typography

Modern web designers are incorporating innovative new concepts for digital type. In the previous decade we have witnessed the Internet transform into a powerful tool for sharing media all around the world. More specifically digital designers have adapted and web trends continue to change over time.

Text on a… read more

3 Ways to Woo a Startup Into Hiring You

With the unemployment rate hovering at 8.3%, there’s a lot of competition for jobs. You know you’ve got the right attitude, the right qualifications and the passion a young tech startup needs. So how can you convey that to a company? By standing out.

Engineer Loren Burton created a website to… read more

How Cut the Rope Made it to Windows 8 Consumer Preview Edition

Cut the Rope is one of those $0.99, ridiculously entertaining and addictive games/physics lessons on the iPad and iPhone. The app, which involves candy, a rope, a hungry green blob and your ability to both hit the floating stars and feed the blob, has been downloaded more than 60… read more

Nike Releases FuelBand API at SXSW Music Hackathon

Nike will unleash the application programming interface (API) for NikeFuel — the company’s metric for tracking physical activity — during a music hackathon Sunday at South by Southwest.

NikeFuel is the technology behind Nike’s FuelBand, a waterproof wristband introduced in January that measures a user’s movement and syncs with an iPod… read more

How To Follow the Japan Quake and Tsunami Anniversary on Social Media

This Sunday, March 11, marks the one-year anniversary of northern Japan’s threefold devastating disaster — a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, a tsunami that engulfed entire towns and cities, and a nuclear disaster that has since shut down 52 out of 55 commercial reactors in Japan and stirred an international debate about… read more

Documentarians: KONY 2012 Achieved Its Goal

Even at SXSW in Austin, Texas, KONY 2012 is the topic of conversation. It was the elephant in the room during a panel on social documentary filmmaking and social media. Fortunately, the panelists addressed the elephant — more than once.

KONY 2012 is the massively viral YouTube video, directed and narrated… read more