The expectations for Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference have changed a lot in the past couple of years. WWDC (or an event close to it) used to be the time when we finally got to lay our eyes on the latest iPhone. After months of intense speculation, Apple would reveal its latest baby at WWDC opening keynote, along with the next version of its software, the iPhone OS (later iOS).

All that changed last year. The run-up to WWDC 2011 was still awash with rumors, but as the event approached, they started to converge on a odd conclusion: There would be no new iPhone. Sure enough, the event came and went without a refreshed handset, and the panting Apple public had to wait until Octobe… Continue reading...

More About: apple, iOS, iOS 6, macbook, Mountain Lion, os x, siri, tim cook, wwdc

The weekend went by quickly here at Mashable, where we had a merry team of driven journalists searching far and wide for the best tech, social media and business stories in the world.

What do we find? We found a hilarious comic featuring our own Pete Cashmore. And look over there, it's an easy way to make your site ready for mobile. And what's this? Way-cool apps for iPhones? Count us in. And don't forget the boatload of rumors and speculation swirling around the upcoming WWDC. And that's just the beginning of it.

Don't feel bad if you missed it, because we've placed every story published over the weekend right here in one convenient location. So sit back and savor the Mashable Weeken… Continue reading...

More About: Weekend recap

Sports fans are consuming news and other content via social media and mobile devices more than ever, according to a recent study.

26% of sports fans use social media to follow leagues, teams and players in 2012, says the survey by the Perform sports media group. In a similar survey conducted last year, that number was just 15%.

22% of sports fans queried said they used connected mobile devices to get breaking sports news. In 2011, just 13% of fans said they received breaking news via smartphones and tablets.

Fans aged 25 to 34 are the most mobile savvy, with 35% saying that's one way they get breaking news -- compared to 28% of 18 to 24-year-olds, and 15% of 35 to 44-year-olds wh… Continue reading...

More About: Facebook, Social Media, sports, TV, Twitter

Users are activating more than 900,000 Android devices every day, tweeted Google's Android chief Andy Rubin.

Rubin also addressed recent speculations that he might be leaving Google to join a mysterious startup called Cloudcar with one short sentence: "No plans to leave Google."

He later explained how the rumor started on his Google+ account. "Cloudcar are a group of friends who I give free office space to in my incubator in Los Altos."

No plans to leave Google.Oh, and just for meme completeness -- there are over 900,000 android devices activated each day :-)@Scobleizer— Andy Rubin (@Arubin) June 10, 2012

At the Mobile World Congress in February 2012, Rubin announced… Continue reading...

More About: activations, android, andy rubin, trending

LG's first quad-core smartphone, the Optimus 4X HD, is now available in select European markets.

The device will first become available in Germany, followed by the Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom and Italy.

The Android 4.0 device has an NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, a 4.7-inch True HD IPS display and an 8-megapixel camera. It also boasts a powerful 2,150mAh battery and LG's new user interface, Optimus UI 3.0.

The rest of Europe, as well as Asia, CIS, South and Central America, will get the device in the "weeks and months ahead," LG said.

More About: LG, LG Optimus 4X HD

Parent company Conde Nast may still think the web is not that important, but The New Yorker does.

The 87-year-old magazine decided to make a "big investment" in its website six to eight months ago, Nicholas Thompson, editor of newyorker.com, says. The web team was expanded to 12 full-time employees, including Thompson, who was named editor in March after working "on the magazine side" as a senior features editor for two years. Editor-in-chief David Remnick thought he would be a good fit for the website in part because he had a background in technology coverage, having spent five years as a senior editor at Wired, Thompson says.

Within the last year, newyorker.com has streamline… Continue reading...

More About: conde nast, david remnick, magazines, Media, new yorker, nicholas thompson, the new yorker

AR Drone 2 Indoor Flight Hull

Click here to view this gallery.

The Parrot AR.Drone 2.0 is expensive ($299) and can only fly for 15 minutes on a charge, but it's still a leading contender for the best Father's Day gift you might ever buy.

When I tried out the new AR.Drone earlier this year, I sensed its entertainment value, but it wasn't until I brought it home and took it for a bunch of real test flights that I discovered the compelling nature of this remote-control flying and HD video-recording entertainment device. It's best described as your own personal spy drone.

The AR.Drone 2.0 is the follow-up to the widely discussed AR.Drone 1, which made a splash a couple of years ago as a unique iPhone-controlled quadropcopter. The best part of… Continue reading...

More About: android, ar.drone, iPad 3G, smartphone

Microsoft is said to be working on a redesign of its Hotmail email platform, and leaked images of the new look have made its way onto the web.

Liveside.net has released screenshots of Hotmail's new homepage design. Not only does it look a lot like Metro -- the company's new highly-visual interface associated with its Windows 8 software -- it appears to have a new name: Newmail.

However, it's unknown whether "Newmail" is a placeholder name or if Hotmail will transition to that name soon.

SEE ALSO: Windows 8 Release Preview Unleashes the Power of Metro [HANDS ON]

The Window's 8 Metro design upgrade aims to be viewable across devices and w… Continue reading...

More About: email, hotmail, Metro, microsoft, Windows 8

You may think that cybersecurity is only important for major companies, but think again. Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks: Without the big security budgets of Fortune 500 companies, they're seen as easy prey by digital information thieves and corporate espionage experts. And if you're hit by an attack, you should be prepared to face a revenue loss of up to $10,000 (or more) if your website goes down in the process. That's a lot of money for a small business to lose, and it can happen at any time.

How can a small business protect against cyberattacks and information leaks without breaking the bank? Mashable spoke with Rick Doten, former chief scientist for c… Continue reading...

More About: cyberattacks, cybersecurity, features, mashable, open forum

The iPhone camera takes stellar point-and-shoot pictures, but without the right light, they can be subject to glare or a washed-out aesthetic.

A new Kickstarter project launched by Portland-based company Trygger aims to fix the problem with the Camera Case, a case that features a polarizing filter similar to one found on a professional camera.

"The Camera Case has a built in polarizing filter to cut out glare and unwanted reflections and actually makes your colors more vibrant and your contrast sharper," the company notes via its Kickstarter page. "It makes the world through your phone look more like the world you see through your eyes."… Continue reading...

More About: camera, Camera Case, instagram, iphone, iphone cases, kickstarter, photography

In our social entrepreneurship series, The World at Work, Mashable interviews the faces behind the startups and projects that are working to make a global impact.

These companies have harnessed technology to empower people all over the world, whether it's rewarding volunteers with prizes or empowering travelers to deliver much-needed aid while visiting developing countries. While the companies are diverse, they are all on a mission to change our lives for the better and improve society.

Here's a roundup of featured projects from the past week, including exclusive video interviews with the founders of these innovative startups. To read more and watch the videos, click through to the fu… Continue reading...

More About: change.org, features, mashable, World at Work

Some people are suggesting that the current funding climate for startups is similar to behavior at the time of the dot-com bubble -- many startups are receiving a lot of funding. Notable recent seed funding rounds include Ark and Pair, which raised seed rounds of funding in excess of $4 million without giving up a board seat to investors -- something never seen before.

This week saw some interesting developments in the current seed funding climate. First, Y Combinator founder Paul Graham warned companies about future seed rounds, warning startups to "lower your expectations for fundraising."

At the same time, positive news came for e… Continue reading...

More About: Behind the Launch Series, contributor, features, funding, mashable, Startups, Vungle, y combinator

Twitter ran on Sunday its first-ever TV spot during the broadcast of the 2012 Pocono 400 NASCAR race.

Omid Ashtari of Twitter sent a tweet informing the community to check out the social networking site's first commercial spot.

The 16-second clip features NASCAR racer Brad Keselowski seated in his car and taking a picture of the scene with his iPhone. Keselowski, who came in 24th place during the race, is taking advantage of the iPhone's capability to upload pictures directly to Twitter. He is an active user of the site.

in case you missed, here is @Twitter's first ever TV spot during today's #NASCAR race youtube.com/watch?v=nYz76M…— Omid Ashtari (@omid) June 10, 2012… Continue reading...

More About: Advertising, apple, commercials, iphone, Social Media, social networking, trending, Twitter

1. Geek Heart Emoticon

These steel characters would look marvelous on a shelf. You just know the geeky newlyweds will totally "get" them. Cost: $19.99

Click here to view this gallery.

A wedding is a time for celebration, and a wedding between two geeks even more so. We have found 10 fabulous gifts that will let you congratulate the nerdy couple in true geek style.

From personalized items to his 'n' hers matching sets, our gallery of geeky wedding gifts should give you plenty of inspiration to surprise the happy couple.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Wedding Dance Videos on YouTube

Take a look through our selection above. Let us know in the comments below about any other geeky wedding presents you've seen.

More About: accessories, features, gallery, geek, home, lifestyle, weddings

The second season of Game of Thrones has only been finished for a week, and we're already missing it big-time. But we have the next best thing for you, right here: Kicking off our new weekly Sunday Comics series, The Joy of Tech made up its own Game of Tech Thrones characters, and look who's representing Mashable in this esteemed pantheon of Internet stars: it's the Lord Commander of the MashGuard!

[via The Joy of Tech]

More About: cashmore, comics, game of thrones, Sunday Comics, trending, Zuckerberg

Did your jogging partner cut out on you at the last minute ... again? If this experiment successful, someday you'll be able to substitute that human running companion with a smart flying robot.

Take a look at the video and you'll see how well this modified Parrot AR.Drone quadcopter keeps up with inventor Chad Toprak. The robot was built by Toprak and his fellow researchers at Exertion Games Lab in Melbourne, Australia.

The Joggobot stays oriented by recognizing special graphics on the runner's shirt, and can be programmed to either synchronize its speed and position with the jogger, or fly ahead at a predetermined speed, making the jogger catch… Continue reading...

More About: helicopters, running, Tech

The cellphone of Jersey Shore cast member Snooki has been reportedly hacked, with a series of nude pictures of the reality TV star hitting the Internet.

According to E! News, the images are partially censored with a black bar covering certain parts of the body.

Although fake nude pictures of Snooki -- who is currently pregnant with her first child -- have popped up on the Internet in the past, her spokesperson confirmed to E! News that the pictures are real.

SEE ALSO:The 30 Most Popular Passwords Stolen From LinkedIn [INFOGRAPHIC]

"Clearly these are old and personal photos that were not meant for the public. It's a shame someone decided to leak them for obvious personal gain,… Continue reading...

More About: hacking, jersey shore, security, Snooki, trending

There's been plenty of talk about how social media has become a successful vehicle for recruiters and job seekers alike, but what about employers?

According to this infographic, researched and developed by PayScale, the higher-ups are really not too keen on the social media movement at large, especially when it involves giving social media freedom to employees within the company. And the fear of negative information keeps employers running for a tight leash. Only half of companies have a formal social media policy, and 42% of companies surveyed nix all forms of social media activity at work. In the employers' eyes, social media should be exclusively reserved for carefully managed… Continue reading...

More About: features, infographic, job search series, mashable, social media policy, social media strategy, trending

While you were busy enjoying the countless lip-dub videos of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe," talented musicians have been creating their own renditions of the infectious song.

We've narrowed the massive pool to 15 covers in the gallery below. So push Play and then vote for your favorite in our poll.

"We love (the covers) -- it's so flattering to see these people go to the trouble," Jonathan Simkin of 604 Records, Jepsen's label, recently told Mashable. "We are shocked at how this song has inspired people to do all sorts of things."

NEXT WEEK'S SONG: Maroon 5's "Payphone." Please tweet your submissions to @BAHjournalist.

You can vote once per day until voting closes … Continue reading...

More About: Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen, celebrities, Entertainment, Music, music videos, trending, viral videos, YouTube, YouTube Cover Song Face-Off

1. Post-It Tetris

Tetris 2.0.

Click here to view this gallery.

This week's collection of top GIFs are dominated by furry, adorable cats doing crazy things. We didn't plan it that way, but since everyone loves kittens, we decided to just go with it.

From assassin cats and bugged-eyed felines to a real-life Tetris board, here's a look at our favorite GIFs of the week.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 GIFs of the Week, Ending June 1

Which GIF in the gallery above gets your pick for best of the week? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.

More About: features, GIFs, humor, trending, tumblr, viral

From quips regarding 1.5 million hacked passwords on LinkedIn, to divisive opinions about pre-teens joining Facebook, Mashable readers were full of insightful (and hilarious) comments this week.

One of the biggest conversations came out of the article that showed users how to find out if their LinkedIn passwords had been stolen using a tool from LastPass. While some were convinced it was just another way to phish, others were thankful for a way to check.

Twitter changed the little blue bird again, which ruffled some feathers and left others wondering what all the squawking was about.

In another post about more Internet addresses existing than stars in the universe, one commenter… Continue reading...

More About: community, top comments

1. Kikkerland USB Hub Thunderbolt

No one man can have too many USB ports. This hub will extend your dad's option by four. As well as being quite striking, it's also very punny. Cost: $15

Click here to view this gallery.

Father's Day is a chance to say thanks to your dad for all he does for you. Plus, you can spoil him with a special present.

If your dad is a bit of a nerd, why not indulge him with a gift from the geekier side the shelf? We have found 10 fabulous gifts (including some really affordable options) that a geek dad would be happy to receive. And yes, we've included the obligatory underwear and socks, but only the very nerdiest specimens known to man.

SEE ALSO: 10 Rugged Father's Day Gifts for Outdoor Types

Take a look through our gallery for the perfect present for your geeky dad. Let us know in the comments below which ones you might consider gifting on June 17.

More About: accessories, Father's Day, features, Gadgets, geek, Holidays, home, lifestyle, Tech, trending

Following a messy week for career-networking site LinkedIn where nearly 6.5 million account passwords were stolen and published on a Russian hacker forum, the company said it will be taking new security measures to ensure member protection.

"We continue to execute on our security roadmap, and we'll be releasing additional enhancements to better protect our members," Vicente Silveira, a director at LinkedIn, said via a company blog post.

In fact, Silveira noted that prior to the password hacking, LinkedIn was already working on a transition from a password database system with hashed passwords -- which provided one layer of encoding -- to a system with both hashed and salted passw… Continue reading...

More About: linkedin, security

Ready to convert an existing website into a mobile-friendly platform but not sure how to get started?

New York-based startup bMobilized has released a new do-it-yourself tool that instantly converts a website into a full-featured HTML5-enabled mobile site in just a few clicks. Even better, it only costs $5 a month to keep the mobile site running.

Here's how it works: Visit the bMobilized homepage, type in the name of your site and click "mobilize!" This automatically converts the url into a mobile website, optimized for any mobile operating system or browser.

bMobilized will then ask you to register (no credit card needed yet) before connecting you to the dashboard. Here's whe… Continue reading...

More About: apps, Mobile, Small Business, smartphones, Startups, trending

Do you prefer a classic or electric toothbrush when scrubbing your chompers? There are all sorts of toothbrushes available, but no matter how fancy your brush is, we bet it doesn't have a fountain built in. That extra step of sticking your mouth in the faucet stream to suck up some water to rinse with is made easier with this handy brush.

A canal in the brush's handle is like sticking a spoon in a powerful stream. It's called the "Power Fountain." The water shoots up like water from a drinking fountain. Simple, right?

The Rinser by a company called Amron retails for $22 (that includes the pre-order and discount going on now). And you won't have… Continue reading...

More About: health, trending