Name: Mode-sty

Quick Pitch: A flash sales site for conservative dress.

Genius Idea: A niche in the online fashion discount market that caters to working women.

As a young attorney in Minneapolis, Zahra Aljabri and her colleagues struggled to find fashionable clothing appropriate for a work setting. "I'm a conservative dresser, I tend to have friends who are conservative dressers, and we kept having the same struggles," Aljabri recalls. "We wanted to follow the trends, and we wanted to find a way to do it that was better than layering with camisoles and jackets or taking things to tailors."

Confident that a large number of women must face the same challenges, Aljabri…
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More About: Startups, bizspark, fashion, flash sales, mode-sty

Who is the most discussed Marvel character on the social web? Spiderman, of course.

Data analytics company Networked Insights has collected data on the most popular Marvel characters on the social web in the last 30 days, and although it's not surprising that Spiderman topped the list -- especially in light of the franchise's latest movie debut -- the Avengers clinched the second most socially-discussed spot.

According to Networked Insights, the Incredible Hulk is most discussed Avengers character on social media sites, followed by Thor and Iron Man. Meanwhile, the top mutants are Wolverine, Magneto and Northstar.

SEE ALSO: 'The Avengers': The First All-Star Movie By Design
…
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More About: Facebook, Marvel, Social Media, Twitter, Viral, comic-con, comics

1. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 2

The Twilight Saga is a Comic-Con mainstay, drawing twi-hards from near and far to line up days before the event for a glimpse of the full cast's appearance. Attendees caught a preview of the first seven minutes of the final installment, which chronicles Bella Swan's transformation from waify teen to blood-sucking lady vamp.

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Comic-Con is like the Black Friday of entertainment, and this year is no exception. The onslaught of teasers, trailers and sneak previews at some of television and film's most anticipated upcoming content has crowds reeling with excitement at the San Diego Convention Center.

Not even halfway through, the Con has already dished out some jaw droppers to every sort of attendee. Twi-hards came in droves to score a seat in Hall H -- Comic-Con's most coveted venue -- to catch a 10-minute preview of the final installment in The Twilight Saga, not to mention a lengthy glimpse of the entire cast.

Devoted action fans were thrilled to see Arnold Schwarzenegger make an appearance for The Expendabl…
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More About: Entertainment, Film, TV, comic, comic-con, comiccon, con, convention, movie

Amazon is taking on Apple's GameCenter with the launch of its own gaming network for Kindle Fire gamers: GameCircle.

GameCircle brings achievements, leaderboards and -- most interestingly -- makes sync APIs accessible for Kindle Fire games. Sync will save your place to the cloud, allowing you to pick up playing on one device right where you left off on another.

Amazon describes the feature thus: "Players will not have to worry about losing progress, scores or achievements between Kindle Fire devices, as all data is securely stored in the cloud."

Curious wording, and a curious feature -- given that the Kindle Fire tablet is currently the only device with that branding.

Pr…
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1. Jessica Nigri

The controversial, Arizona-based cosplayer is a staple at comic-cons. She made headlines early this year in a very skin-tight jumpsuit. Jessica maintains a bubbly presence on Facebook and Twitter.

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This weekend, 250,000 pop culture fans will descend on the San Diego Comic-Con for an annual dose of movie previews, graphic novels and video games.

Movie previews aside, a staple of any comic-con are the droves of cosplayers who appear in outfits inspired by anime, video game characters or superheroes. Popularized by young women from East Asia, cosplay (short for "costume play") rapidly made its way around the world as Japanese pop culture gained steam.

To neophytes, the idea of spending thousands of dollars on costumes and props can be ludicrous, but influential cosplayers often earn top dollar for appearing at events to endorse products or even sell accessories, costumes and signed…
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More About: Entertainment, Film, Gaming, comiccon, cosplay, features

As smartphone adoption rises, savvy mobile users are increasingly using their mobile phones to document their travels while they're on the road.

Only a decade ago, a family trip wasn't complete without a camera and video recorder, and if you were an über nerd, you might have even brought a laptop. Oh, and you couldn't forget the extra SD cards and perhaps a card reader, just in case you decided to take a few thousands photos and ran low on storage. And, shucks, individual chargers for each device were a must. Honey, we're gonna need a bigger bag!

In 2012, though, travelers are increasingly choosing to cut the cutter while they're on-the-go by simply bringing their smartphone…
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More About: Facebook, Mobile, foursquare, infographics, lifestyle, travel

Amy Poehler may be best known for making people laugh, but the actress knows how to use her sense of humor to give real advice.

As part of the Smart Girls YouTube channel, the "Ask Amy" series features Poehler taking questions from teenage girls.

In the premiere episode, Poehler delicately answers a young girl's qualm with her father about wearing makeup.

Poehler's response is slightly more lady-like than Jon Hamm's advice to young girls.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

More About: Viral, amy poehler, watercooler

First they decided to kill the Start button. Now this: Microsoft is reportedly dropping the retail, boxed, full version option from Windows 8.

This is kind of sad, but also sensible. Not being able to find a full version of Windows 8 on retail shelves shouldn't bother many, considering how many of us buy computers with the OS pre-installed.

Still, the demise of the Windows box (there may still be a Windows 8 upgrade DVD) marks a turning point in the software industry.

If you've been in computers for long enough, you'll remember the rows and rows of software or application boxes (we didn't start calling things "apps" until the iPhone), lining retailer shelves.

Bac…
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More About: Windows 8, microsoft

Raiders of the Lost Ark

"It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage." -- Indiana Jones

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Harrison Ford blows out 70 candles on the birthday cake today and with seven decades and 66 movies behind him, he has compiled quite the quote library of life wisdom. Memorize the quotes in the meme gallery and maybe one day you'll grow up to be as cool as the man who played Han Solo and Indiana Jones.

More About: Star Wars, Viral, harrison ford, quotes

Justin has made real Bielebers of the Twitterverse.

On Thursday, the movers and shakers of social media couldn't resist, well, moving and shaking to the Bieber's hit song "Baby." Twitter employees flashmobbed their crowded cafeteria, showcasing a popping and locking male lead and a female employee who could rap the entire Ludacris section (we didn't even think those were real words).

SEE ALSO: Justin Bieber Confronts Baby Accuser on Twitter

Twitter has said it was to celebrate #hackweek, but it was great timing -- Bieber is poised to hit the 25 million Twitter followers milestone today. It would make him the second most followed person on Twitter, trailing only Lady Gaga's mor…
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More About: Twitter, Viral, flashmob, justin bieber, viral videos

A day after Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler quit American Idol, Jennifer Lopez is following him out the exit door, leaving two open seats on the show's judging panel with Randy Jackson.

Lopez hinted at her departure Thursday on The Today Show and confirmed the farewell on Ryan Seacrest's radio show Friday (listen above starting at the 3:30 mark). In the interview she explained why she's leaving:

"When I signed on to Idol I signed on to do it for one year, and I wound up doing two years because I just fell so in love with the show and everybody there," she said, citing a need to spend more time with her children and other entertainment projects.

Lopez added that she's open t…
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More About: Entertainment, Steven Tyler, TV, american idol, celebrities, jennifer-lopez

Fears and superstitions creep up each Friday the 13th, but there's a new phobia developing worldwide that has caused anxiety and stress for many: mobile phone separation.

In fact, the fear of being without your mobile phone -- also called nomophobia -- affects a large portion of the population, according to new data highlighted by T-Mobile in the below infographic.

A recent survey commissioned by T-Mobile and conducted by Kelton Research found that 25% of respondents would rather leave the house without a credit card than a mobile phone and 29% would prefer to be without cash. Nearly half of Americans said they miss their phones within an hour of being without it.

SEE ALSO: Afraid …
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Google has officially started shipping the Nexus 7. Announced during its developer conference, Google I/O, at the end of June, the pint-sized tablet will be the first to hit the market running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Google sent all Google I/O attendees home with a Nexus 7 and offered those not at the conference the ability to pre-order the $199 tablet starting moments after its official announcement with the promise to ship those tablets mid-July.

Friday it made good on that promise, announcing it had begun shipping pre-orders from Google Play via a post on Google+:

"Locked and loaded, ready to play: we've started shipping +Nexus 7 pre-orders today!"

Essentially Google�…
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Houses Burning

This video claims to show houses burning as a result of the bombing while residents attempt to extinguish the flames.

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Possibly the single deadliest day in Syria's ongoing turmoil took place in Tremseh on Thursday, with reports circulating the web that up to 200 people are dead.

Footage from the assault available thus far has been limited to citizen journalism -- foreign journalists are mostly banned from entering the country. Syrians, many aligned with the anti-government Syrian Free Army, have uploaded video of the carnage for the entire world to see.

A YouTube search on Friday afternoon revealed heart-wrenching scenes of violence, destruction and death. The content is uncensored, giving viewers an unfiltered look into the results of the bloodshed.

The government and the rebels blame one another…
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More About: Syria, Video, World, YouTube, citizen journalism

A Russian hacker claims to have found a loophole in Apple's App Store that lets users make free in-app purchases.

The hacker, who goes by the name ZonD80, apparently figured out a way to do so without having to jailbreak your phone. All you have to do is download some security certificates from his website and change a setting on your iPhone or iPad's Wi-fi connection.

However, aside from being illegal and unethical, the hack may not actually work, either. Moreover, downloading the software may mean sharing your personal information.

Apple hasn't yet responded to the attack. ZonD80, meanwhile, is looking for donations for his effort.…
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More About: app store, apple, security

Aaron Collins's last wish before dying was for his family and friends to have a pizza and leave a $500 tip -- thanks to the support of strangers, his wish will be fulfilled at least 20 times.

Collins's brother, Seth, was determined to complete the request. There was not enough money left over from the estate because Aaron also wanted to clear any debt with his family, so Seth set up a website and PayPal account to pay for the tip,

Within 24 hours, the Collins family has received more than $10,000.

SEE ALSO: Viral Philanthropy: The Impact of Crowdsourced Compassion

"When I started this site I only expected to receive donations from friends and family," Seth writes on the site…
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More About: Social Good, trending, viral philanthropy, watercooler

The Internet Defense League (IDL), a collection of organizations and individuals promoting Internet freedom across the world, wants to make its mid-July launch something special.

The plan? Collect $19,000 to fund at least five giant "catsignals" that will light up the night sky in cities around the world in a geeky nod toward Internet culture's love of cats and the simultaneous release of The Dark Knight Rises.

In Batman lore, the "batsignal" is lit by police to get the caped crusader's attention whenever trouble strikes Gotham City. In the real world, the IDL wants the "catsignal" to become a symbol of organized activity against online censorship.

Setting up an actual catsig…
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More About: Social Good, US, World, censorship, internet defense league, open internet, technology

Facebook has started implementing its Timeline design to Pages on mobile platforms.

Rolled out to the web version of Facebook in February, when you view a brand page on your mobile device you'll now see the brand's cover photo, information from the Page's About section, and a larger Like button.

Smaller icons below the Like button will allow you to navigate, much like you can on Facebook, to Photos and Events for the Page, as well as see at a glance how many people have liked the page.

SEE ALSO: Why Facebook Timeline Will Be Huge For Brands

The Timeline view has been available for personal profile pages for quite some time, and was made available via mobile around the…
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More About: Facebook, timeline

As more and more brands look to become content creators, the need for good writing is growing. We're not talking about content farms, we're talking about good, high-quality copy. The recession forced thousands of top-notch writers and journalists out of their jobs; these content creators are scraping to find outlets for their talents, not quite knowing where or how to land a gig.

That's where Contently comes in -- to own the freelance revolution and to power the next wave of media companies. Contently was founded in December 2010 by Shane Snow, a journalist and infographic artist, Joe Coleman and David Goldberg.

Contently is a platform that conn…
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More About: contently, features, genesis, mashable

Some classic TV shows might have been cool with a tech twist. Others, not so much.

With today's MashTag, we're looking for failed sitcoms, dramas and reality shows with a web culture angle: #CanceledWebShows.

How I Met Your Mother Through eHarmony #CanceledWebShows— Matt Petronzio (@mattpetronzio) July 13, 2012

Trading MySpaces #CanceledWebShows— Alex Fitzpatrick (@AlexJamesFitz) July 13, 2012

Use the hashtag on Twitter, not in the comments. We'll be showcasing the funniest hashtagged tweets in the gallery above. The top three will be retweeted from @mashable.

Be sure to follow our Watercooler and Entertainment accounts, which will also retweet s…
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More About: MashTags, Twitter, Viral, watercooler

Giving your closet a serious digital upgrade can save you time and money.

There's a reason why these closet-management apps are trendy among celebrity style mavens and budget fashionistas. These fashion apps let you plan outfits daily on a calendar, visually "pack" a suitcase for trips and socially share your favorite looks. Plus, it's more likely that you'll make use of all the items at the back of your closet with a mobile archive.

We've rounded up five mobile apps you can download to make the most out of the clothes they own. All you need is an iPhone or Android phone to digitally archive your personal style.

SEE ALSO: Color Forecast App Scours Streets For Trends, Shows You…
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More About: Lists, Mobile, android, apple, apps, fashion apps, home

It's probably the fastest policy reversal in Apple's history. After a week of being pilloried for withdrawing from the EPEAT registry -- a set of environmental standards for tech products -- the Cupertino giant has changed course.

The announcement came in a letter from Bob Mansfield, Apple veteran and the soon-to-retire senior VP of engineering. "We've recently heard from many loyal Apple customers who were disappointed to learn that we had removed our products from the EPEAT rating system," he wrote. "I recognize that this was a mistake. Starting today, all eligible Apple products are back on EPEAT."

EPEAT requires that companies make products that can be disassembled and repaired…
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More About: EPEAT, apple, environment, trending

Much like Pinterest in 2011, Socialcam is achieving an unpredicted and unmistakable rise to prominence in 2012, with more than 75 million users and a recent partnership with The Washington Post to cover the Summer Olympic games.

Of course, for CEO Michael Seibel, video is not a new medium. He spent five years overseeing strategy and business development at Justin.tv as its co-founder and CEO. In that time it grew to 30 million unique visitors each month. Socialcam, his newest creation, is an easy way to make and share videos via a smartphone. We recently spoke to Seibel about video, competition, and the future of his company.

1. What did you learn from Justin.tv that you have a…
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More About: contributor, features, socialcam, viral videos

The user who asked Reddit to help him decode an encrypted message has deleted his account after receiving threatening messages and phone calls. At 10:38 a.m. ET, Reddit user delverofsecrets deleted the original content of his thread and replaced it with an update:

"EDIT AS OF 10:38am 7/13 Received a phone call today threatening violence against me and my family, going so far as to name members of my family and their addresses, unless I delete this post. The caller also told me not to show up on the 19th and to inform anyone planning to show up on the 19th that nothing would happen. This will be my last message from this account before I delete it. I'll also be changing my number…
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More About: reddit, trending, watercooler

1. Target Posts to Specific Locations and Languages

As an international brand, you can target posts to certain countries or languages. As you create a new post, click on the Public icon. You can then select Target by: Location/Language. This will give you options to make that particular post visible to people in certain countries, or with certain language settings.

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Do you manage a Facebook brand page? With all the recent changes, you may have felt a little lost on the social platform. To help you out, we've put together some useful tips and tricks.

Whether you want to make your brand's profile page more attractive, show off featured "Likes" or manage how people message you, we think we have a solution to suit.

SEE ALSO: 10 Facebook Tips for Power Users

So, sit back, grab a coffee and take a look through our gallery of tips. In the comments below, why not share with the Mashable community any other handy Facebook tricks you've learned?

More About: Business, Facebook, How-To, Social Media, features, tips and tricks, trending

Giancarlo Esposito (Gus Fring)

"Sesame Street," 1982.

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Jesse Pinkman can't sling meth on the mean streets of Albuquerque without the most important meal of the day. That's breakfast, yo. And how do think Walter White maintains the energy to cook his potent blue brew while undergoing radiation treatment? Carnation Coffeemate, of course.

The stars of "Breaking Bad" honed their acting chops in commercials, comedies, and even children's television before landing roles on the AMC cult hit. Take a flip through the video gallery for clips that include Giancarlo Esposito ("Gus Fring") donning tube socks on "Sesame Street" and a very special 1970s PSA about that time of the month featuring the talents of Jonathan Banks ("Mike Ehrma…
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More About: YouTube, breaking bad, trending, videos, viral videos

While much of the tech and financial world has been focused on Facebook's post-IPO performance, something else has happened that is starting to define the social marketplace. Savvy firms like Salesforce.com and Oracle have strategically gobbled up some of the top social vendors. These acquisitions signify that social business has become big business. The formulation of meaningful social categories is also taking shape, and marketers -- particularly CMOs -- should take note as they look to gain real ROI from social.

The best way to determine what social categories and tools you company should utilize is to look at what companies like Salesforce.com and Oracle are investing in. Both c…
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More About: Social Media, contributor, features, marketing platform, online marketing, trending

Update: Fark updated its site Friday evening, East Coast time.

Undaunted by Digg's disastrous 2010 redesign, Fark, the aggregation site known for its influence and breadth of quirky news, is getting a facelift, according to the site's founder, however there's a chance that he might be joking.

Founder Drew Curtis (pictured) tweeted about the upcoming change on Friday:

Introduced in 1999, the site hasn't strayed much from its original format. Fark boasts about 3 million unique visitors a month, 60 million page views and 75 million outbound links.

The move comes a day after Digg, another news aggregator, was reportedly sold for $500,000 to New York startup Betworks. Thoug…
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More About: digg, fark

Fax machines collecting dust in the gadget graveyard can find new life, thanks to a rainbow kitty with a Pop Tart body. The Nyan Fax delivers thermal paper pages upon thermal paper pages of Nyan Cat awesomeness to your document transmission dinosaur. Of course, you'll have to remember how to actually send a fax.

SEE ALSO: The 33 Most-Watched Cat Videos Ever [PURR]

Tom Scott and the Nyan Fax team (probably just a clowder of techie kittens) developed the technology using fax polling, an old-school feature you don't need to understand to enjoy the most awesome thing your fax machine has done since 1997.

Now if only Maru can bring back Betamax.

More About: YouTube, cats, nyan-cat, videos

Spanish-language television network Univision is enticing viewers to light up the web on July 19 for its superhero-themed Youth Awards show with an onslaught of social TV initiatives.

Dubbed Premios Juventud, the show honors Hispanic celebrities and offers several ways for fans' online activity to be featured on the live broadcast, affect who wins or see what's happening behind the scenes.

"What we've done, which some of the other awards shows haven't, is let the fans be part of the content part of show itself," David Beck, Univision's VP and general manager of social media, tells Mashable.

The July 19 social blitz begins on the blue carpet, the show's equivalent of the red c…
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More About: Entertainment, Music, TV, celebrities, social tv, univision