Car chases are so last week. Thursday, Twitter rubberneckers found themselves transfixed by two chimps on the run in Las Vegas.

A live video stream from KLAS-TV broadcasted the chase to the masses. In the end, one chimpanzee was tranquilzed and contained. Vegas police shot and killed the other escaped primate.

Officials urged residents to stay in their cars and homes. Currently, it's not clear where the chimpanzees came from.

In the Storify below, you can watch the Twittersphere's reaction to the events. There were playful jests during the chase, celebration when the first chimpanzee was captured, sadness when the second was killed, and black humor in the aftermath.

[View…
Continue reading...

Android has a bigger U.S. market share than all other mobile operating systems combined, according to a new report by Nielsen.

Nielsen's research shows that 51.8% of smartphone owners in the U.S. use an Android handset. Apple's iOS has a 34.3% market share, and the rest is divided between RIM's BlackBerry (8.1%) and Microsoft's Windows Mobile and Windows Phone 7 platforms (4.3%).

Symbian and Palm OS both have less than one percent market share: 0.9% and 0.6%, respectively.

This is in line with a recent report from comScore, which claimed Android topped 50% market share in February 2012.

Nielsen's numbers from recent smartphone acquirers (last three months) paint an ev…
Continue reading...

More About: android, apple, htc, samsung, trending

A new parody of boy band One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" pokes fun at adults who fawn over things that teenagers often love.

"I know it feels pretty weird to discreetly listen to a teenage boy band at 33," the One Direction look-alikes sing in the video. "We know it's meant for little girls, but we can't agree it's OK (oh-oh), it's OK to like this song."

The spoof from comedy site Jest goes on to mock the video's main character for liking Glee, Degrassi, Dreamworks and Pixar movies, Selena Gomez, Hunger Games, iCarly, Twilight and other pop culture guilty pleasures (and for trashing her bedroom after Javier won The Voice).

SEE ALSO: 'We're Not Young' Parody Teases Ag…
Continue reading...

More About: Entertainment, Music, One Direction, Viral, humor, music videos, spoof, viral videos

How to Play

In Amazing Alex, you are given a goal each level you have to achieve: in the first levels, its getting a ball into a basket using ramps and a force called gravity.

Click here to view this gallery.

Amazing Alex, Rovio's newest physics puzzle game is great for people of all ages, but you won't find yourself quite as addicted as Angry Birds.

Rovio released its newest game franchise to the Apple App Store [download link] and Google Play [download link] on Thursday morning. It's a rebranded version of Casey's Contraptions, which was released last year for iPad and was well-reviewed then. It's interesting that Rovio decided to simply purchase and rebrand a game rather than coming up with their own new game ideas, but with the success of Angry Birds, they have cart blanche to do what they like. So this review is partially for a game that has been out a year, with some changes.

Amazing …
Continue reading...

More About: Amazing Alex, angry birds, mobile games, rovio

Mobile spending in western Europe is set to increase elevenfold to €19.2 billion in 2017, according to a study from Forrester.

Last year, Europeans spent €1.7 billion on mobile purchases, or 1% of total online sales. By 2017, mobile will account for 6.8% of total online sales -- lagging just slightly behind the U.S..

The figure includes retail products, services, gift cards, magazine subscriptions and purchases made for in-store pickup; it does not include digital content designed for immediate consumption (such as apps or ringtones), payments made at physical checkouts with phones (i.e., NFC payments or checkout system Square) nor stock trades.

The amount individual shoppers a…
Continue reading...

More About: Mobile, europe, forrester, mcommerce, mobile commerce

Oh, San Diego Comic-Con. You've become so enamored with other aspects of the burgeoning geek culture (read: blockbuster movies, TV shows, videogames, costume play) that some of the original comic nerds (such as your humble scribe) fear you've lost sight of your roots.

Well, fear not for a moment, fellow fans, for one of the wildest chunks of news out of Thursday's Comic-Con was actually comics-related. The Sandman, which is (with one serious rival, Alan Moore's Watchmen,) the most acclaimed and intelligent series in comics history, is to return on its 25th birthday in 2013. Its creator will finally complete the centuries-long story arc to his satisfaction.

That creator, known to al…
Continue reading...

More About: Neil Gaiman, YouTube, comiccon

Clipix gives you a place to keep everything you find that you want to come back to in the future. Whether it's news articles, recipes or shoes, Clipix lets you save what you find onto as many personalized clipboards as you want.

More About: Business, Mobile, bizspark, pinterest

It seems a pretty tangled tale, but one that boils down to just a few facts we know for sure.

On Wednesday, the denizens of Reddit were preoccupied with solving the riddle of a secret code, supposedly handed to one of their own by a mysterious guy in the New York subway.

That code, a turn-of-the-century cryptograph scribbled on a piece of paper, was quickly solved: it promised a rendezvous at a specific location on July 19.

Then a second code was posted on Reddit by someone claiming to be "Mr. Input" -- the name unlocked by the mysterious message.

Since the guy he gave the code had changed the rules, the decoded message said, so would he -- and he promised a much earlier rend…
Continue reading...

More About: polls, reddit, watercooler

1. The Bourne Legacy

Pop culture-inspired art gallery Gallery1988 teamed up with Universal Pictures and artist Matt Owen to create this poster. [Via Gallery 1998's Tumblr]

Click here to view this gallery.

The entertainment industry event of the year, known in the biz as San Diego Comic-Con, is upon us. For the next four days, hungry fanboys and fangirls will be bombarded by enough previews of upcoming movies, tv shows, videogames, and yes, even comic books to overcome even the most powerful of tight-wearing strongmen. As you can probably tell, we can't wait.

Inspired by our friends at Film School Rejects, who have been collecting the sweetest posters to debut at the show, we've scoured the web to bring you a collection of the most jaw-dropping images from San Diego.

SEE ALSO: Lightsaber Relay Race Features Hilarious 'Star Wars' Cameos [VIDEO]

We'll be reporting on all the news…
Continue reading...

More About: comic-con, comics, movie posters, san diego comic con 2012

NOTE: The video above may be NSFW.

Actors Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey often play roles that require little-to-no clothing, and moviegoers seem to be pretty ok with that in their latest flick Magic Mike.

But what if a more unconventional sex symbol was stripping on the big screen? The self-proclaimed assistant to Jason Biggs "leaked" a video of the American Pie actor's audition tape.

Though it's validity is questionable, the video above is slightly more SFW than his first movie strip-down -- but in many ways, it's equally embarrassing.

More About: YouTube, viral videos, watercooler

Credit cards can be a wonderful convenience or an albatross around your neck. Now, in the face of a government edict to stop pressuring unqualified people into opening credit card accounts, those purveyors of plastic are trying to make the credit-card game easier and more cost-effective for social media users, offering specials, perks and rewards for those who use Facebook and Twitter.

The credit card industry is slowly recovering from the big crash of 2008; delinquencies and charge-offs have significantly decreased. At the same time, the U.S. has smacked down the aggressive tactics used by credit card issuers, particularly when it comes to younger customers.

This infographic reveals…
Continue reading...

More About: Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter, credit cards

Eager investors and IPO cynics alike can cool their jets: Twitter CEO Dick Costolo says the company is in no rush to go public.

"We are going to remain private as long as we want," Costolo told the Los Angeles Times this week in a wide-ranging interview about the state of the Twitter union.

"I like being private for all sorts of reasons. It allows us to think about the business and the way we want to grow it ... as opposed to being beholden to a particular way of growing the business, such as quarter to quarter."

Costolo says the slow lane approach isn't because of any concerns about making money or the health of the company.

Half of the Twitter's 140 million active us…
Continue reading...

More About: Twitter

Around 150 people descended on the intersection of West 56th Street and 6 1/2 Avenue in New York City Thursday in the hopes of catching an exchange between two characters in a code-cracking drama that unfolded on Reddit last night.

Reddit user delverofsecrets claimed a "raggedy dressed man" handed him a cryptic code on the subway. Users of the social news site quickly decoded the message, revealing the location and time of a meeting for Thursday, July 19th.

Because of the publicity the story received, however, a new Reddit user claiming involvement sent delverofsecrets a private message with a new code, also quickly deciphered by Reddit:

YOU HAVE MANAGED TO FIND THE MESSAG…
Continue reading...

More About: Viral, reddit, trending, watercooler

WikiLeaks won an important legal battle against Visa and MasterCard in Iceland on Thursday -- where the credit card companies' local partner was ordered by a judge to resume processing credit card donations made to the controversial secret-sharing site.

The Icelandic court ruled that Valitor, Visa and MasterCard's local partner, ran afoul of contract laws when it stopped processing donations to WikiLeaks, according to the Associated Press.

Visa and MasterCard, along with other U.S.-based financial firms such as PayPal, blocked transactions headed for WikiLeaks in 2010 after the website published more than 250,000 American classified diplomatic cables.

Some of those organizations be…
Continue reading...

More About: US, World, julian assange, sweden, wikileaks

No, the Internet doesn't travel through the air. Nor does it live in one big, epic cloud. In fact, chances are it's traveling under your feet right now.

To demonstrate the trajectory of the Internet, Fortune magazine writer Andrew Blum and graphic designer Nicolas Rapp teamed up with telecom data and infrastructure company GeoTel Communications. The company maps fiber optic cables and geographic information systems (GIS) that connect people all over the world.

The result was a Fortune article called "Mapping the Internet." The piece contains stunning visuals that literally display where said fiber optic cables run: for the most part underwater, across the worlds's largest oceans.…
Continue reading...

More About: communication, features, internet, web

Boo, the five-year-old Internet phenomenon often described as the world's cutest dog, is now the Official Pet Liaison for Virgin America Airlines.

The brand dropped the news on Wednesday on its Facebook Page. The news was also broadcast on Boo's Page, whose 4.7 million followers dwarf the airline's by a more than 20-to-one margin.

In addition to leveraging the Pomeranian's following, the stunt also hopes to draw pet owners. "As a pet-friendly airline we want our guests -- those on two legs and those on four -- to have as comfortable and enjoyable experience as possible on Virgin America," Virgin America rep Abby Lunardini told The Huffington Post.

More About: Marketing, boo, virgin america

Dog licks lemon. Dog freaks out. Dog walks away knowing better. Dog comes back for more.

We've all been there; we know what's best, but that lemony-fresh goodness just keeps calling our name. Then the lemon-sour-sucky face follows. This poor beagle learns that lesson the hard way -- not once, not twice, but a few dozen times.

SEE ALSO: 21 Ridiculously Cute Dog and Cat Instagram Pics

We'll call it perseverance though, because he refuses to just let that lemon get the best of his taste buds. So even though he nearly attacks his own tounge after biting into that yellow devil, he returns.

Someone get this dog a palette cleanser ASAP.

What's your favorite cute animal YouTub…
Continue reading...

More About: Viral, dogs, viral videos

How the mighty have fallen. The social sharing site Digg has sold for just $500,000 to New York startup incubator Betaworks.

The small selling price just goes to show how quickly fortunes can turn for even the hottest web startups. According to The Wall Street Journal, Digg took more than $45 million from investors since launching in 2004.

On its blog, Betaworks says it is going to fold Digg into the News.me team.

The company also vows that it is going to "turn Digg back into a startup. Low budget, small team, fast cycles."

Since the release of Digg v4, dubbed "the new Digg" in the summer of 2010, the once-hot company has met with a series of challenges. Poor recepti…
Continue reading...

More About: betaworks, digg, kevin rose, trending

EA Games announced Thursday morning that Ultima fans will be able to return to the world of Britannia in a free-to-play, cross-platform iPad and PC game.

Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar is being developed by Bioware's Mythic Studios. The RPG will be a downloadable client-based game that will sync between both PC and iPad. EA says the game will support multiplayer, and allow for friends to play with each other across devices.

"With Ultima Forever: Quest for the Avatar, we're excited to give gamers the opportunity to play a high quality game with their friends anytime, anywhere, on both iPad and PC," Ray Muzyka, general manager and co-founder of BioWare, said.

The Ultima fra…
Continue reading...

More About: comic-con, free to play, san diego comic con 2012, ultima

Google announced on Thursday that Google+ users with a profile attached to a regular Gmail account and a work-related Google apps account can now blend the two together.

When Google Apps gained Google+ support last October, Google promised a migration tool was on the way. Nine months later, it's finally here.

The new tool, which is a part of the company's Google Takeout data-liberation service, allows users to elect a master Google+ account and transfer circles and other information to one main profile, instead of having two separate accounts. For those that make the transfer, you will only be able to log in with the email address associated with the primary Google+ profile.

Af…
Continue reading...

More About: Google, Google Takeout, google apps, trending

It's bad to get bitten by a poisonous snake. That's obvious. But just what does snake venom do once it's released from the fangs that have pierced your flesh? This video provides a terrifying illustration.

At about the 0:50 mark, a single drop of venom is dropped into a blood sample. Almost immediately, the blood hardens into something resembling...well, you'll just have to see for yourself. The video was uploaded to YouTube a couple months ago, but is currently going viral on the social web.

More About: YouTube, viral videos

In a development that would make even Comic Book Guy proud, digital comic book platform comiXology is teaming up with Matt Groening's Bongo Comics to bring America's favorite family to the iPad. The partners announced the Simpsons Comics app for iOS, available today, at a panel at this week's San Diego Comic-Con.

The iOS app is a free download for the iPad and the iPhone and will launch with a selection of digital versions of both recent and classic Bongo titles like Simpsons Comics, Bart Simpson and Radioactive Man. ComiXology will also give away a digital copy of Simpsons Comics #100 on its website for a limited time to mark the release of the app.

SEE ALSO: Springfield Meets Farmvi…
Continue reading...

More About: comics, ipad, iphone, san diego comic con 2012, the simpsons

Apple may be months away from its rumored iPhone 5 launch, but tech fans in China are already flocking to e-commerce giant Taobao to place pre-orders for the next-generation device, according to a new report.

Although it's unknown what the latest iPhone could look like or what features it may have, Reuters reported on Thursday that sellers on Taobao have posted concept photos and specs on the site, along with options to pre-order the device for more than $1,000.

The sellers plan to purchase the iPhone in other countries such as the U.S. and Hong Kong, where Apple products typically launch first before coming to mainland China. Some sellers are accepting deposits on pre-orders for…
Continue reading...

More About: apple, iphone, trending

Batman wouldn't be Batman without his throaty, sultry, barely-understandable gurgle of a voice. But how intimidating would the masked man really be without that distinctive tonality?

Jimmy Fallon and Paul Reubens found out when they dubbed the voices of the entire "Dark Knight Rises" cast with the other most distinctive voice ever -- Pee-wee Herman's. The product is a trailer that is equal parts hilarious and annoying, but not at all menacing. Apparently, the voice makes the man, so be kind to your vocal cords, Christian Bale.

SEE ALSO: 1960s Robin Crashes 'Dark Knight' Party [VIDEO]

But we dare to believe that Batman could take down the evil Bane with Pee-wee's infamous w…
Continue reading...

More About: Movies, Viral, dark knight rises, viral videos

Find it on Tumblr

Click here to view this gallery.

Fox Searchlight Pictures is promoting its upcoming film Ruby Sparks with a Tumblr marketing campaign that asks fans to create their own posters for the movie.

Fox Searchlight released three photo assets on Tumblr for graphic designers and fans to use (or not use) in the making of their posters. All of the submissions are on display on Make Ruby Real; the five posters with the most notes will get a limited printing run with the potential to be displayed in theaters.

The contest has already gotten a good bit of activity, with more than 40 poster entries. Some artists made their creations from scratch while others made ample use of the assets. While we love the idea and think the finish…
Continue reading...

More About: Advertising, Entertainment, Film, Marketing, Movies, paul dano, ruby sparks, social, tumblr

Facebook wants to make sure you don't miss out on celebrating your friends' weddings or engagements.

The social network is rolling out to all users Thursday a special events feature that puts information about momentous events in your friends' lives -- beginning with weddings and engagements -- on display when you log in, alongside where you traditionally see information about friends' birthdays.

"Facebook has become a unique way people share and congratulate friends around exciting life events such as engagements and weddings or the arrival of a child," a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable via email. Facebook says that it's rolling the feature out "to make it easier to keep up wit…
Continue reading...

More About: Facebook, trending

Coors Light

"Under Maintenance. We're sorry, the product you are looking for is currently under maintenance due to a lack of quality. Please try again at a later time. Thank you."

Click here to view this gallery.

On long days in the cubicle when your eyeballs haven't wandered far from the computer screen's glow, you may feel like error messages and system prompts pop up everywhere you go in real life. If you ride the New York City subway, those might not completely be hallucinations.

Brooklyn-based artist Jilly Ballistic pastes cheeky computer error messages on advertisements around New York. An ad promoting Ben Stiller's upcoming flick "The Watch" got the Jilly treatment with a "Cannot Open Page" error that read Cannot load due to a lack of substance.

Flip through the gallery for more of Jilly's clever error message graffiti.

More About: Viral, graffiti, street art, trending, watercooler

The new Borderlands 2 trailer takes you into the jungles of Pandora, the dangerous planet on which the game is set. The video shows off more of the upcoming title's action-packed gameplay.

You also get a closer look at the four playable characters. And of course, there's more Claptrap, the franchise's popular, demented robot.

The last Borderlands 2 trailer 2K released reached a million views on YouTube in about 24 hours. Clearly, fans are excited for the sequel, which drops Sept. 18 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The first Borderlands sold more that 4.5 million copies.

More About: borderlands 2, game trailers

Shama holds a masters degree in organizational communication from the University of Texas at Austin, and prides herself in being a constant learner. Through her web marketing company, Shama works with businesses and organizations around the world. In 2009, Business Week honored Shama as one of the top 25 under 25 entrepreneurs in North America. In 2010, Shama won the prestigious Technology Titan Emerging Company CEO award. In 2011, Entrepreneur Magazine featured her as one of four Super Sonic Youth, dubbing her a "Zen Master of Marketing." And the second edition of her best-selling book, The Zen of Social Media Marketing was just released in March 2012.

When not working direc…
Continue reading...

More About: Business, Live Chat

What does it take to make a marketing hit? Sure, you can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to coordinate a perfectly engineered and focus-group approved campaign, but even the best-laid plans can always lead to anticlimactic (or even disappointing) results. But common media logic indicates that to make a major impact with an audience, bigger is better. Right?

Wrong. There are startups launching every day that are using scrappy wits and speed to capture an audience's attention and convert viewers into customers. And you don't have to reach far back into this year to find one of the best examples of startup marketing done right: Dollar Shave Club.

Materializing out of nowhere in ear…
Continue reading...

More About: Dollar Shave Club, Modern Media Agency Series, Startups, features, mashable