HOW TO: Track Hurricane Earl Online

Hurricane Earl is expected to wreak some havoc on the East Coast this Labor Day weekend. According to the the National Hurricane Center, Earl is expected “pass near the North Carolina outer banks tonight [Thursday]… and approach southeastern New England Friday night.”

President Obama has declared a state of emergency for… read more

Twitter Mobile Usage Skyrocketed With “Official” Apps [STATS]

Since Twitter acquired Tweetie and rolled out an official iPhone client, the company has focused more and more on improving the mobile experience across all smartphone platforms.

Twitter CEO Ev Williams wrote just now on the company blog that mobile usage of the site is up 62% since in just over… read more

Facebook Testing a “Stalker Button”

Facebook is apparently testing a new subscription feature that would allow users to receive alerts any time a specific friend takes certain actions on the social network.

AllFacebook reports that it has noticed the new feature popping up on friends’ profiles. Facebook told the blog, “This feature is being tested with… read more

Facebook Beefs Up Security with Remote Logout Feature

Facebook is bolstering the security of user accounts through the launch of a new feature that gives users the ability to see their overall account activity and remotely log out of active sessions.

Have you ever logged into your Facebook at a public computer, but forgot to log out when you… read more

Facebook Connect Disappears from iTunes Ping

Late last evening, Apple released iTunes 10 and its new Ping social network to the public. Assuming you were able to access the service, you may have noticed the ability to add friends via Facebook Connect, a feature we mentioned in our first-impressions post last night.

That feature disappeared earlier this… read more

Hey, iTunes Ping: What About the Bands?

Plenty of criticism has already been directed towards the new social network that’s baked into iTunes 10 — Ping — with an emphasis on the user (not to mention rumblings about a fleeting Facebook integration). But there’s one contingent of users no one has really mentioned yet: the bands, many… read more

The Truth About E-mail: We Check It All the Time [STATS]

E-mail has invaded every aspect of our lives. We don’t need a survey to tell us as much, but new research from Xobni and Harris Interactive confirms that we’re not alone in dealing with e-mail overload.

2,200 adults 18 and older in the U.S. and U.K were surveyed on their e-mail… read more

RIP Meme: The Double Rainbow Guy Sells Out to Microsoft

We were enamored of your childlike delight. We reveled in the remixes. But now, Double Rainbow Guy, we are less than amused. What’s the sure-fire way to kill a viral video? Festoon it with dollar signs.

Yup, the above video is a commercial for Windows Live Photo Gallery, and yup, the… read more

8 Funding Contests to Kick Start Your Big Idea

This post originally appeared on Dyn.com, a world leader in managed DNS, powering the best brands on the web including Gowalla, Mashable, Twitter, Wikia and more. Follow @DynInc on Twitter.

Taking a business from idea to reality involves a good deal of attrition, ingenuity, and compromise. But no matter how much… read more

Skype Introduces 10-Way Video Calling

Skype — apparently pleased with its five-way beta group video-calling functionality — has just released a new version of Skype 5.0 for Windows that doubles group support. It now allows for up to 10 video callers.

Skype 5.0 beta two is already available for download; it includes 10-way video calls, automatic… read more

How Social Data Built a Better Health Care App

Alexander B. Howard is the Government 2.0 Washington Correspondent for O’Reilly Media, where he reports on technology, open government and online civics. He’ll be reporting live from the upcoming Gov2.0 Summit in Washington, D.C., on September 7-8.

Every year, poison control centers get more than one million calls for pill identification…. read more

Google Chrome Version 6 Arrives on Browser’s Second Birthday

It’s hard to believe that two years have passed since the Chrome browser first hit the web. In that time, Chrome has come to control more than 7.5% of the worldwide browser market, according to Net Marketshare. Sure, Internet Explorer and Firefox hold 60.4% and 22.9% respectively, but if one… read more

Check in on Foursquare Using Your Voice [APPS]

It may not be the most socially acceptable way to check in, but Vlingo has created a way for Android app users to check in on Foursquare with their voices. It’s a speech-to-checkin feature that will save time, even if it does raise a few eyebrows.

With the new app, Android… read more

Ambitious Online Banking Alternative Scores $2.9 Million in Series A

Banksimple has just raised $2.9 million in a Series A round to fund their ambitious alternative online banking startup for full-service, fee-free banking. The round includes investments from First Round Capital, IA Ventures and Village Ventures, a collection of industry veterans with extensive startup portfolios.

Banksimple’s mission is to reinvent the… read more

Announcing MashBash BlogWorld: Win a Free Pass [CONTEST]

Mashable is excited to announce MashBash BlogWorld, the opening party for this year’s BlogWorld & New Media Expo in Las Vegas on October 15-16. To kick off the Expo, we’ll be hosting the first night’s official party at Haze at Aria Hotel.

We would love for you to join us, so… read more

15 Essential Back to School Podcasts

Alexander Hotz is a freelance multimedia journalist and public radio junkie based in New York City. Currently he teaches digital media at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Follow Alex on Twitter at @hotzington.

With another long hot American summer coming to a close, many students are scrambling to get back… read more

Google to Power AOL Search for the Next 5 Years

Google and AOL have signed a deal that extends the search and advertising partnership between the two companies for another five years. The agreement also includes mobile search and adds a content sharing partnership with YouTube.

In a statement, AOL CEO Tim Armstrong said that, “After nearly a… read more

10 of the Web’s Most Insightful News Infographics

A picture is worth a thousand words. But if you include an entire database, make it interactive, and add filtering options, the word-to-picture exchange rate is even better.

Infographics at their best are more than just pictures — they can provide new understandings, succinct summaries, or just plain old fun.

In that… read more

Gorgeous 21:9 LCD TV from Philips Goes 3D

Think what you will about the ultra-widescreen, 21:9 format Philips is pushing, but you can’t deny that its cinema-proportioned Full HD LCD TV is gorgeous. Now, Philips plans to push it even further, with a 58-inch, 3D version of the device.

The device, called Philips 3D Cinema 21:9 Platinum, sports a… read more

Morning Brief: iTunes 10 & Ping Now Live, Samsung Unveils Tablet, Twitter’s iPad App

This series is brought to you by HTC EVO 4G, America’s first 4G phone. Only from Sprint. The “First to Know” series keeps you in the know on what’s happening now in the world of social media and technology.

Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in… read more

Ping Not Available to You? You’re Not the Only One

When he was introducing Ping, Steve Jobs mentioned that it will immediately reach a user base of 160 million people in 23 countries. Sounds impressive, until you remember that 23 countries actually isn’t that big of a number; and if you’re in a country such as Chile, the Czech Republic,… read more

Samsung Officially Unveils Galaxy Tab

Samsung has finally spilled the details about its long-awaited tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab, during a press conference at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin.

Samsung calls its tablet a “smart media device,” and Galaxy Tab definitely has the specifications to back it up: Android 2.2 support, a Cortex A8… read more

Competition Responds to Apple TV and Ping

Apple made a lot of announcements today, from the new Apple TV to the Ping social network for music built into iTunes 10.

Because Apple is entering some new market segments (or, in the case of Ping, some new markets, period) Apple is now a direct competitor to a number of… read more

A Facebook-Based Online Store Just for Students

This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Kembrel

Quick Pitch: A private store for students that can… read more

HOW TO: Get Started with HTML5 Boilerplate

This series is supported by Rackspace, the better way to do hosting. Learn more about Rackspace’s hosting solutions here.

This is not your father’s world wide web. Thanks to soaring smartphone sales, new tablet devices like the iPad, and the burgeoning trend of connected devices, individuals are accessing and experiencing the… read more

Twitter’s iPad App: All the Bells and Whistles

Twitter has just announced the service’s official iPad app.

It’s free and comes with a slew of touch interface bells and whistles built right in. The app is intended to allow for seamless navigation between tweets, photos, web pages, videos and other media and updates. It’s also usable even for those… read more

Pay for Starbucks Coffee with Your BlackBerry

Mocha frappuccino and soy latte lovers rejoice: Starbucks is rolling out its Starbucks Card Mobile App for BlackBerry tomorrow, September 2.

In September 2009, Starbucks introduced its Starbucks Card Mobile app for iPhone and iPod touch, enabling the owners of those devices to reload their Starbucks payment cards, monitor their rewards… read more

iTunes 10 and Ping Are Here, Bringing Mixed First Impressions

iTunes 10 is now live and available for download. It comes bundled with its own killer feature: music-centric social network Ping.

Announced just this morning, the new iTunes/Ping one-two combo pack a mighty punch. But can this dynamic duo deliver on its promise to revitalize music-based social networking? And will Ping… read more

Morning Brief: iTunes 10 & Ping Now Live, Samsung Unveils Tablet, Twitter Releases iPad App

This series is brought to you by HTC EVO 4G, America’s first 4G phone. Only from Sprint. The “First to Know” series keeps you in the know on what’s happening now in the world of social media and technology.

Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in… read more

FCC Questions Key Aspects of Google and Verizon’s Net Neutrality Proposal

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is diving deeper into Google and Verizon’s proposed net neutrality framework with a public notice and inquiry into two of net neutrality’s key issues.

The FCC’s seven-page public notice [PDF] tackles two of the key proposals from the Google-Verizon framework: “Specialized Services” and net neutrality/open internet… read more

Old Digg Crushes New Digg in Reader Vote

In the debate between the old version of Digg and the new Digg, the readers have spoken.

Last week, Digg launched version 4.0 of the popular social news website. It’s been a rocky road pre-launch, so why would it be any different post-launch?

Since the launch of the New Digg, which… read more

Why the Apple A4 is the iPod Touch’s Killer Feature

As expected, a massive upgrade to the iPod touch was announced earlier today at Apple’s special event. Although the most outwardly impressive revisions come by way of front and rear facing cameras and the retina display, perhaps more significant was the announcement that the device would house the same chip… read more

Windows Phone 7 Ready for Release

Microsoft has completed the development of its forthcoming Windows Phone 7. The mobile OS has reached the release to manufacturing (RTM) stage, the company announced today.

All that remains now is for networks and manufacturers to work on the final integrations of WP7 so that it is prepared for its release…. read more

Filmmaker Raises $33,000 for Pirate Bay Documentary

Documentary filmmaker Simon Klose has more than 200 hours of unedited footage that he plans turn into a feature-length film, The Pirate Bay — Away From Keyboard (TPB AFK).

After years of documenting The Pirate Bay’s legal proceedings, and taping numerous encounters with the site’s three founders, Klose chose Kickstarter to… read more

Filmmaker Raises More than $34,000 for Pirate Bay Documentary

Documentary filmmaker Simon Klose has more than 200 hours of unedited footage that he plans turn into a feature-length film, The Pirate Bay — Away From Keyboard (TPB AFK).

After years of documenting The Pirate Bay’s legal proceedings, and taping numerous encounters with the site’s three founders, Klose chose Kickstarter to… read more

QR Codes Help Consumers Shop for Wine

Selecting the right wine for every occasion is a form of art most of us only pretend to understand. That’s why Lion Nathan Wine Group, a wine owner and importer, has put QR codes on wine bottles to help everyday wine buyers make better selections.

Cellar Key, a joint initiative between… read more

We Have a Winner: The Snazzy Napper Parody Contest [VIDEO]

The other week we called upon you, gentle readers, to create a parody commercial for the Snazzy Napper — or Snuggie 2.0, as we have dubbed it. Although three of you stepped forward to assume to mantle of director, veritable Scorseses of schlock, in the end — as Highlander says… read more

New Apple TV Adds Netflix, iTunes Rentals and iPad Streaming for $99

At Apple’s special event today, the company announced a redesigned and re-formulated Apple TV. As expected, the new device comes with support for Netflix, streams content and offers affordable rental pricing for TV shows.

The new Apple TV will be available later this month (you can pre-order it now) for $99.99…. read more

Apple’s Xbox Live-like Game Center to Launch Next Week

Next week, Apple will launch Game Center for the iPhone and the iPod touch. The app and platform will allow video game players to track one another’s achievements, create multiplayer matches and discover new games.

The features are comparable to those found in Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network and Steam —… read more

Cee-lo’s Viral Hit “F**ck You” Gets an Official Music Video

So fall’s official jam (no, really, it was even playing in a super hipster Brooklyn club last weekend), Cee-lo Green’s “F**ck You,” officially has a video.

Just last week, a stripped-down video featuring merely the song’s lyrics officially went viral, in part because of the catchiness of the song, it part… read more

Facebook Places Gets a Romantic Twist with MeetMoi Integration

If you’re one of those people who has yet to figure out exactly how and why to use Facebook Places — and you’re single — MeetMoi might have the answer. This week, the geolocation dating service became the first matchmaking service to integrate with Facebook Places.

MeetMoi, which launched in 2007,… read more

HOW TO: Follow the US Open with Social Media

It’s US Open time in New York, which means tennis fever has officially hit the city that never sleeps. As the final major tournament in professional tennis, the US Open always draws a healthy audience, nationally and abroad.

Maybe you’ve been waiting for the US Open tennis tournament since Wimbledon ended… read more

Ping Is the Last Nail in the Coffin for MySpace

If I were MySpace, I would be shaking in my boots.

Earlier today, Apple launched iTunes 10, the latest rendition of its wildly popular music software. Really though, iTunes 10 is just a vessel for Ping, Apple’s new music-centric social network. Available immediately to iTunes’s 160 million+ users through… read more

Apple Overhauls iPod Lineup

Lots of news came out of today’s Apple press event, but in the words of Apple CEO Steve Jobs, iPods were “the entree of the day.” The iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano and iPod Touch each received significant cosmetic and feature updates, while the iPod Classic was removed from the lineup.

iPod… read more

Target to Sell Facebook Credits as Gift Cards in Stores

Target will be the first retailer to sell Facebook Credits in its stores come Sunday. The Facebook Credits gift cards will be available in $15, $25 and $50 denominations at all 1,750 Target locations and at Target.com.

The cards will soon make their way to two or three additional national retailers,… read more

Apple Introduces “Ping” Music Social Network and iTunes 10

Steve Jobs has revealed iTunes 10, the newest version of iTunes complete with a new logo, new features and its very own social network for music called “Ping” that he described as Facebook meets Twitter for music.

Ping allows users to follow others, just like Twitter. You can follow artists… read more

Apple: 120 Million iOS Devices, 6.5 Billion App Downloads and Counting

Apple’s Steve Jobs has taken the stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco to make a slew of announcements related to iOS, Apple TV, iTunes and the iPod. First though, he dropped some big stats on the state of the iOS ecosystem.

According to Jobs,… read more

Justin.tv’s Android App Lets You Broadcast Live Video Anytime, Anywhere

Imagine streaming video from your Android phone to the web at the click of a button — no Wi-Fi needed, no painful upload times, no maneuvering back and forth between a handful of apps to shoot and share your video. Today, Justin.tv is making all that possible.

Its Android app is… read more

iOS 4.1 and iOS 4.2 On the Way: HDR, Game Center and iPad Support

At Apple’s special event today, the company announced its next two iOS releases: iOS 4.1 and iOS 4.2.

Apple will be releasing iOS 4.1 next week as a free update for the iPhone and iPod touch, fixing some bugs and adding new features like HDR photos, Game Center, TV show rentals… read more

Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors Now Available

Ultimate Ears, a subsidiary of Logitech, have set loose another pair of custom earbuds that will make ears swoon and wallets groan. The Ultimate Ears In-Ear Reference Monitors feature three individually tuned and balanced armature speakers in each earbud, with 32dB of noise isolation.

This triple speaker format allow the monitors… read more

Salesforce and Jigsaw Help Keep Business Data Up-to-Date in Real-Time

Enterprise cloud computing company Salesforce.com is introducing the newest component to its platform, Jigsaw for Salesforce CRM.

Jigsaw for Salesforce integrates the Salesforce CRM and Salesforce Chatter experience with Jigsaw’s crowdsourced business data service. Salesforce acquired Jigsaw in April; this is one of the first big developments from that acquisition.

… read more

4 Tips for Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Posts

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

In addition to writing for their human readers, web writers and bloggers have to consider the digital web crawlers employed by search engines like Google. Your business… read more

FashionStake Shifts Fashion Industry Power to the Consumer

Put this on your startups-to-watch list: FashionStake, a New York City-based company that allows consumers to buy a “stake” in a designer’s collection in exchange for varying degrees of perks and privileges, such as pre-order discounts and runway show tickets, has launched just ahead of New York Fashion Week.

The startup,… read more

Morning Brief: Apple Live Event, Amazon TV Subscription Service, New Sony E-Readers

This series is brought to you by HTC EVO 4G, America’s first 4G phone. Only from Sprint. The “First to Know” series keeps you in the know on what’s happening now in the world of social media and technology.

Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in… read more

Android Gets Tough with Rugged Motorola Defy

Motorola’s new Android-based smartphone, the Defy, boasts an interesting combination of solid features and ruggedness that will appeal to users prone to splashing, dropping and scratching their phone.

If you saw the Defy and read its specifications, you’d think it’s just another Android smartphone: it sports a 3.7” touchscreen display with… read more

Sexual Assault Case Against WikiLeaks Founder Reopened

Sweden’s chief prosecutor has reopened a rape investigation against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Recently, Assange was accused with crimes of molestation and rape by the Swedish authorities. Assange has denied the allegations, claiming they are “without basis,” and later calling the case a “smear campaign” against him and WikiLeaks.

The rape charges… read more

Gowalla Feature Defines Place Popularity by Experience, Not Checkins

Travelers and city adventurers looking for a better way to harness geolocation data for their own amusement, get ready: Gowalla is releasing a brand new beta feature designed to crowdsource the best a city has to offer.

Gowalla Highlights is a web-based product that currently consists of 18 place-based questions that… read more

Sony Refreshes its E-Readers With Improved Touch Screen

At the mention of an “e-reader,” most people think Kindle or Nook, but if you just want the device, sans the deal with the content provider, Sony has a nice little trio of e-readers on offer, and they’ve all just been upgraded with several important improvements.

Sony’s 5-inch Pocket Edition e-reader… read more

Madden NFL Makes Its Debut on Facebook

Electronic Arts’ wildly successful Madden NFL franchise has made the leap from the Xbox to Facebook.

The gaming giant has launched Madden NFL Superstars, the company’s second social game since it acquired social game maker Playfish. The company’s first social game, FIFA Superstars, is one of Facebook’s most popular apps… read more

Facebook’s Latest Patent Targets Search Behaviors

Serving up search results based on what your friends clicked: It’s been a hot topic lately, and one that Facebook has seen fit to claim as its own.

The social networking goliath has just won a patent covering a certain type of search algorithm, one that is largely based on the… read more

Apple to Provide Live Video Stream of Tomorrow’s iPod/iTV Event

Apple has announced that it will be live streaming its September 1 “special event,” where the company is expected not only to reveal a new line of iPods, but a new version of Apple TV as well

The announcement is surprising. Historically, Apple has not provided live video for any… read more

Meet the First Plant That Requires Facebook Fans to Survive

Most plants require sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to survive. We’ve found one that requires Facebook fans and wall posts.

Meet Eater is a “real garden that feeds on social interaction.” It is an experiment in human interaction and design, focused on rebuilding the connection between human being and… read more

Netflix Headed to New Apple iTV Tomorrow [REPORT]

At Apple’s special event Wednesday, the company is expected to roll out a new Apple TV that includes support for Netflix.

These latest reports from Bloomberg corroborate rumors of an iOS-based Apple TV that surfaced this spring. With Netflix available on the iPad and the iPhone, an offering for the television… read more

Japanese Resort Caters to Men with Virtual Girlfriends

File this one under “only in Japan”: A beach town near Tokyo has begun catering to a specific segment of young men, ones who play the game Love Plus and have a strong desire to take their virtual “girlfriends” from this game on a romantic holiday in the real world.

Love… read more

Digg Crowns Former Amazon Exec New CEO

Digg has confirmed that it has hired Matt Williams from Amazon to replace Kevin Rose as CEO. Rose says that he will “remain actively involved in the product” but is handing over “day-to-day running of the business” to Williams.

This news comes five months after Rose announced former CEO Jay… read more

10 Useful iPhone Shortcuts, Tips and Tricks

Here at Mashable, we’ve been putting the iPhone 4 through its paces, and have come up with some handy tips and tricks that can help you get more out of your Apple-flavored mobile.

We’ve covered all kinds of basics, like making search results more relevant, creating shortcuts for your favorite websites,… read more

Real-Time Analytics Provider Chartbeat Raises $3M from All-Star Investors

Boasting a star-studded roster of investors, New York-based startup Chartbeat has raised a $3 million Series A.

The cash infusion is led by Index Ventures and rounded out by the likes of Ron Conway, Jeff Clavier, Jason Calacanis, Chris Sacca’s Lowercase Capital and Betaworks.

Betaworks is the NYC-based startup incubator and investment… read more

YouTube to Live Stream President Obama’s Iraq Address [VIDEO]

Tonight, U.S. President Barack Obama is slated to address America from the Oval Office via a live stream on YouTube, a speech during which he is expected to announce the end of the U.S. combat role in Iraq.

Before you check out the live stream tonight at 8 p.m. EST, YouTube… read more

Twitter Temporarily Turns Off “Who to Follow”

If your Twitter page looks different, don’t freak out; Twitter is just temporarily disabling the new “Who to Follow” feature.

On the Twitter Status blog, Twitter notes that it has “temporarily turned off the … feature” and that it will be “restored as soon as possible.”

Twitter rolled out “Who… read more

Borders Slashes E-Reader Prices to $99

Following similar moves by Amazon and Barnes & Noble, Borders has announced that it will also be cutting the prices on some of its e-readers.

Beginning Wednesday, September 1, the prices of the Kobo e-reader and the Aluratek Libre eBook Pro will drop from $149.99 to $129.99 and from $119.99 to… read more

5 Fun FarmVille Accessories

Do you set your alarm to harvest your crops? Do you value Farm Cash over your own country’s currency? Is your other vehicle a tractor? Then you’re going to love this list!

You know where we’re going with this — FarmVille is a phenomenally popular social game boasting more “virtual farms”… read more

Improv Everywhere Takes Formal Wear to the Beach [VIDEO]

Improv Everywhere is probably best known for being underdressed — you know, riding the subway in their skivvies — but recently the comedy troupe got suited up to go beaching at New York’s Coney Island. And by “suited up,” we don’t mean “in their bathing suits.”

A month ago, Improv Everywhere… read more

Social Network Unites Writers and Fans of Short Fiction [INVITES]

This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: Fictionaut

Quick Pitch: A social network for writers that doubles… read more

HOW TO: Incorporate Your Startup at the Right Time

Nellie Akalp is the CEO & Co-Founder of CorpNet, her second incorporation filing service company based on the simple philosophy of truth in business and her strong passion to assist small business owners and entrepreneurs. Follow her on Twitter @corpnet and Facebook.

Now that we’re nearing the home stretch of… read more

Foursquare and MTV Team up for First-Ever Cause-Related Badge: STD Testing

“STD testing center” seems like number three on a list of “Embarrassing Places to Check in on Foursquare,” but this September, MTV and the geo-location service are aiming to quash that stigma by offering a badge to all those who get tested as part of MTV’s GYT: Get Yourself Tested… read more

Video of Girl Throwing Puppies in a River Causes Social Media Uproar

A video of a young girl in a red sweatshirt throwing several puppies into a river has caused a huge social media backlash on sites like 4chan, reddit and Facebook.

The backlash is similar to the one caused by the Cat Bin Lady, a woman who was caught on video throwing… read more

Loopt Checkins Can Get You Two-for-One Tickets to Mexico on Virgin America

Social-media savvy airline Virgin America, which used Twitter to announce its expansion to Toronto, is making use of location-based rewards network Loopt Star to draw attention to its next international expansion: Mexico.

Virgin America will be running non-stop flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Cabo (SJD) and from Los Angeles… read more