Carolyn Baumgarten, is the community manager for Socialogic, a social media marketing agency. No stranger to the social media landscape, Carolyn brings to SociaLogic work experience in multiple industries including the arts, environment, and entertainment. Follow her

More About: Social Media, contributor, features, social media marketing

Name: Modavanti

Quick Pitch: Modavanti is an online retailer that promotes sustainable fashion.

Genius Idea: Interactive features like "My Closet" and in-depth designer profiles function to create a community centered around eco-fashion.

Fashion forward can mean a multitude of things depending on the context. In the case of online retailer Modavanti -- which literally translates to "fashion forward" in Italian -- the phrase refers to sustainability in style.

When it comes to fashion, tracking down pieces that are both ethically sound and trendy can be a difficult feat. Modavanti allows shoppers to purchase apparel that fits their values without compromising on style. The…
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More About: bizspark, eco, fashion, startup

From the masterminds behind the scary and viral "Take This Lollipop" video, Linkin Park's new music video for "Lost in the Echo" places your Facebook pictures into the storyline to personalize the tale for each viewer.

"I think we're at a turning point for the 'music video,'" Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda tells Mashable. "The whole idea of doing a static 3:30 movie or performance to sit underneath a song feels kind of boring."

When Shinoda, the band's rapper and multi-instrument musician, connected his Facebook account, the powerful interactive video transformed into an unexpected humorous story.

"I never put personal pictures up on it so ... half the pictures were of dogs, lands…
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More About: Entertainment, Facebook, Music, Social Media, celebrities, features, music videos, photography

In a sign that Mitt Romney's campaign is serious about digital innovation in politics, it used this past week's Republican National Convention to do a major roll out of its branded version of Square, the mobile credit card processing app and iPhone/iPad/Android accessory already popular with small businesses which the campaign is using for fundraising.

Square-carrying Romney staff and volunteers were in full force during this past week's Republican National Convention, taking donations and processing payments for Republican swag.

While the Romney campaign won't be releasing any precise numbers about how much they've raised with Square until after the election, one staffer at a co…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, Mobile, Politics, Square, US, republican national convention

There are already a number of apps that sync wirelessly with fitness gadgets that track your speed and heart rate while you're out running or biking. But what happens when you can't get outside to train?

Wahoo Fitness has unveiled the KICKR Power Trainer, the first iPhone-connected bike trainer, designed to gives you a realistic road ride.

It connects to your iPhone using Bluetooth 4.0 and ANT+ technology, so while you're pedaling, you can increase or decrease resistance, to simulate various bike course. That's done by adjusting the resistance in the trainer's flywheel with either Wahoo's or third party apps. The resistance adjustments replicate rolling hill courses, climbing, co…
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More About: bike, fitness app, fitness gadgets

The Nerdist gang traveled through space and time -- and ended up in San Diego -- to challenge the cast of Doctor Who to an epic bowling match.

The Who crew of Matt Smith ("The Doctor"), Karen Gillam ("Amy Pond"), Arthur Darvill ("Rory Williams") and Steven Moffat (Lead Writer and Executive Producer) claimed to have few pin crushing skills, but that may have been a TARDIS-size fib.

SEE ALSO: Watch 'Doctor Who' Cast Sing 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

So did the good Doctor strike bowling gold against the likes of Chris Hardwick and Wil Wheaton? Watch, find out and maybe learn a few new bowling moves.

BONUS: Doctor Who's Sonic Screwdriver: TV Remote With a (Liter…
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More About: Doctor Who, Watercooler, Wil Wheaton, nerd

Mobile carrier AT&T is taking a page from Apple's books, opening up a flagship retail store on Chicago's prestigious Michigan Avenue, just down the street from Apple's property.

The store, opening Saturday, will boast an 18-foot video wall, 10,000 square feel of space, and will be staffed by 40 employees. Including the smartphones and tablets you'd expect from an AT&T store, you'll be able to purchase a line of exclusive designer accessories at the Chicago store.

SEE ALSO: Apple's Secret Employee Training Manual Revealed

Customers will be in a manner familiar to Apple Store shoppers, with staff members closing sales throughout the retail sp…
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More About: Chicago, apple, att, retail

Google, with its fully decked-out media lounge, backstage "Conversation Room" and end-of-the-week epic party, was inarguably the most prominent of the technology companies at the Republican National Convention -- a list that also included Facebook and Twitter.

That makes sense - Google and YouTube were the official social network and live stream provider of the convention, a role they're also serving for the Democratic Convention. The company streamed content to hundreds of thousands of viewers and also used the event as a coming of age celebration for Google Hangouts, which were all the rage among media outlets covering the event and the convention organizers.

Twitter and Facebook…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Facebook, Google, Politics, Social Media, Twitter, US, republican convention, republican national convention

ReadQuick Featured Content

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It's rare that any modern-day app can take me back to my childhood, but the brand new and rather intriguing ReadQuick speed-reading app for the Apple iPad did just that — and in a good way.

Back in the 70's when there were no personal computers or giant LCD screens, I sat in my elementary classroom staring at a projector screen, rapt by the image streaming before my eyes. It was a single line of text, whizzing by as fast as my eyes and brain could take them in. In other words, it was a very early speed-reading device for grade school kids. I have no idea how it worked. All I do know is that competitive, little 9-year-old Lance wanted to read faster than any of his classmates.

Fas…
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More About: Apple iPad, apple, apps, iOS, readquick, speed reading

Walmart has reportedly started testing a new iPhone-based self-checkout system. Taking a test spin first at a Walmart in Arkansas, the program would allow a customer to scan merchandise using his or her iPhone, and then pay for the items in their cart without ever having to deal with a cashier in the process..

Customers bag their purchases as they shop, and are required to stop by a self-checkout to pay for them before leaving the store, so you're not actually finalizing your purchase on your phone.

The app also allows customers to create virtual shopping lists, and see what items on their list are in stock.

According to Reuters, Walmart exclusively invited employees with iPhone…
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More About: WalMart, apple, iphone, mobile checkout

Doctor Who Returns

Matt Smith (The Doctor) and Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) attended a special screening of the premiere of Doctor Who Series 7 at New York City's Ziegfeld Theater. The episode, "Asylum of the Daleks," debuts on BBC America on Sept. 1.

Click here to view this gallery.

Amy Pond, the spirited Scottish companion to the amazing, mysterious and nigh-immortal Doctor in the BBC TV series Doctor Who, is often referred to as "the girl who waited." It's a reference to her first appearance on the show, when the Doctor, jumping around in time, accidentally leaves her waiting for 14 years when for him it was only a couple of minutes.

The idea of someone waiting patiently for years for a friend to come around is also an apt description of the show's relationship with America, which has until recently stubbornly kept Doctor Who out of the mainstream. Even after the show was resurrected to great acclaim in 2005, its arrival on U.S. shores was delayed, and when it fina…
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More About: BBC America, Doctor Who, TV, bbc, features

About 65% of sports fans that watch games on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are using them to follow football -- far more than any other U.S. sport, according to new data.

With the start of the official 2012 National Football League season right around the corner, a new infographic created by IMRE Sports -- with data compiled by Harris Interactive -- reveals just how popular mobile devices are among football fans watching games in real time, opening up a wider market for advertisers and teams to directly reach out to fans.

Viewing games and video content isn't the only thing luring fans to pick up mobile devices to follow along -- there are more than 290 football-relate…
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More About: Advertising, Marketing, Mobile, Sports, brands, nfl, smartphones, tablets

This is what it's like to be the Curiosity rover right now, staring out at the Martian landscape.

Created by Hans Nyberg, the image above is the first color panorama from Curiosity.

Drag your cursor around the image to mimic the same head-turning motion as Curiosity. You will see a 360-degree view of the landing site that includes the highest part of Mount Sharp about 12 miles in the distance. You can even shift the camera down to look at Curiosity's "feet."

The panorama is a compilation of 140 photos taken by the rover's 34-millimeter Mast Camera on Aug. 8 and 18. Nyberg stitched together all of the RAW images. Scientists enhanced the colors "to show the Martian scene as it…
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More About: Curiosity, NASA, curiosity rover, photography, space, trending

Twitter parody accounts have become a common reaction to any big new event. Some last less than an hour, such as the "cascaded bug" that brought down Twitter. And some become overnight sensations.

That's what happened following Clint Eastwood's chat with a chair Thursday night at the Republican National Convention.

SEE ALSO: Is Eastwooding the Next Planking Internet Meme?

After Eastwood's stunt with "Invisible Obama," Internet users responded with memes, hashtags, photos -- and of course, a parody Twitter account: @InvisibleObama.

The account was created during Eastwood's speech. Less than 12 hours later, it had more than 50,000 followers. Another account, @ClintsChair, has r…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Watercooler, eastwooding, trending

1. courtesy of @katreeens

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It pays to be an Instagram power user these days. Three of the photo sharing network's most popular and talented users were treated to prime access at the prestigious U.S. Open tennis tournament on Thursday, with vantage points and freedom to rival that of traditional press photographers. Their mission? To catch the event in a whimsical and unguarded way -- replete with tasteful filters, of course -- as brand ambassadors for Evian water.

The clever marketing play by Evian didn't require the three selected Instagrammers -- @bridif, @takinyerphoto and @newyorkcity, who have a combined following that tops 600,000 — to shoot branded photos or reflect some corporate stance. The idea, accord…
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More About: Marketing, Sports, instagram

President Obama isn't the only person making waves on Reddit this week, actor Nick Offerman -- aka Ron Swanson -- hopped on the site Friday for an AMA (Ask Me Anything) chat.

Offerman is hugely popular on the Internet, thanks to his lovable and imminently quotable character on NBC's Parks and Recreation. The actor has also made appearances on television shows such as Conan and Children's Hospital.

The AMA started at 2:30 p.m. on Friday and has already amassed more than 2,000 comments and 16,000-plus users.

So far, the actor has answered a number of questions about what he does in the morning, working with the cast and crew of Parks and Recreation and the timeline of more Ron Swanson…
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More About: Parks and Recreation, Ron Swanson, nick offerman, reddit, reddit ama

The Star Wars Uncut project is back. Nerds, rejoice!

The project asks Internet users to remake the film "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back," in 15-second increments.

Sound impossible? It has already been done.

In 2009, developer Casey Pugh made the same request, for "Star Wars IV: A New Hope," with resounding success.

Nearly a thousand fans came together to recreate the film, which resulted in a creative, fun, sometimes bizarre, and endlessly nostalgic masterpiece.

"We created Star Wars Uncut in 2009 with just some blood, sweat, and pipe cleaners," the website reads. "It took time and a lot of trial and error to figure out how to bring this new concept to l…
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More About: Star Wars, Vimeo, YouTube, nerdy, star wars uncut

HBO is about to give those living in the Nordic countries what customers in the United States have wanted for months: a standalone video streaming service that doesn't require a premium cable subscription.

HBO announced this week that it will partner with Parsifal International to launch an online-only video channel called HBO Nordic in mid-October, which will work on any Internet-connected device. Unlike HBO Go in the U.S., customers in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway will be able to subscribe to the service without having to sign up for cable or satellite TV.

HBO Nordic will cost $12.50 a month and gives subscribers access to all seasons of hit shows like Boardwalk Empire, Ga…
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More About: HBO GO, game of thrones, hbo, samsung

1. Feet on the Beach

The beach selfie is alive and well.

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A steaming broccoli and cheese casserole straight from the oven ... a bed of clouds gathering above the sunset ... your feet in a warm mountain of sand. It's true, cliché photographs can be the most comforting and captivating images. And where does much of it live? You guessed it -- Instagram.

And the happy/depressing truth is, we're all guilty of it. To prove it, I asked Mashable staff to perpetuate the stereotype by contributing their own cliché Instagram photos. (I'll tell you, there was no shortage.)

SEE ALSO: 20 Things Your Most Annoying Friends Do on Facebook

We've highlighted the top 12 cliché Instagram photos, but we're guessing you can think of a bunch more. Share them i…
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More About: Social Media, features, instagram, photography, trending

Although business travel is on the rise again, companies are expecting employees to wring even greater efficiency and productivity from their business trips. Unfortunately, even the most seasoned road warrior can run into hurdles when traveling for business.

SEE ALSO: Nielsen Study Shows June's Top Travel Apps, Mobile Sites

Here are five common challenges facing business travelers and technology solutions that can help alleviate these issues and keep travelers productive.

1. Airport Security
Issue: Going through security is consistently one of the greatest pain points for business travelers. There always seem to be delays and adjustments in protocol, so it can be hard for f…
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More About: businesses, contributor, features, technology

It's nearing the end of another work week, and for the Mashable community in the United States, the beginning of a three-day-weekend.

A simple Google search for "Is it Friday yet?" reveals that you may not be the only person that is working for the weekend.

These websites all exist:

IsItFridayYet.org
IsItFridayYet.net
IsItFriday.biz
IsItFriday.org

If you happened upon them earlier in the week, they would have had a more dismal outlook on life. Now, they happen to be quite cheery.

SEE ALSO:
Rebecca Black's 'Friday' Turns 1 on a Friday: What's Your Favorite Memory?

So...

More About: Friday, Watercooler, YouTube, memes

In 2007, ArenaNet announced it was going to stop working on its popular free-to-play, massively multiplayer online PC game Guild Wars, and focus on the game's sequel.

Guild Wars 2 was released Tuesday, meaning players waited five years -- a long time in the gaming world -- to get their hands on the sequel to a fan-favorite MMO. According to ArenaNet founder Mike O'Brien, they had a distinct vision that they wanted to get right before the game launched.

"There are a lot of players who love online worlds, but they are getting tired of playing the same game over and over again. That's our founding value at ArenaNet -- to try to bring new experiences to players," he says. "We looked a…
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More About: MMO, features, guild wars 2, pc gaming

Watch out NBC, your delayed screening of the 2012 London Summer Games has just been one-upped by YouTube.

YouTube announced Friday that it will be streaming the upcoming Paralympic Games live, bringing coverage not otherwise available to viewers in the U.S. and Canada. Though the Paralympic Games will be shown on TV in several countries, International Paralympic Committee's YouTube channel will be the only option for North American viewers, who will also be privy to live commentary during more than 500 hours of live play.

In addition to the live coverage, more than 1000 hours of replays, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage will be available to viewers around the world.

The…
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More About: Social Good, YouTube, disabilities, london 2012, nbc olympics, olympics 2012

The Mashable Facebook fan page is approaching 1 million Facebook fans. We're celebrating by telling the stories of how you, our community members, have been impacted by Facebook.

Earlier this week we asked about meaningful Facebook connections you've made. There were more than 100 responses in the Mashable comment thread, on our Facebook post and via Twitter. We heard stories about Facebook connections that led to marriages and connections that literally saved lives.

Now, we want to hear how Facebook has helped you succeed. Tell us: What's one goal Facebook has helped you achieve?

This achievement could be anything from a completed marathon, new hobby, weight loss or profession…
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More About: Facebook, community

Worry about cybercriminals getting into personal files and online banking accounts? Imagine if someone could actually extract that information directly from your brain.

Scientists from the University of California and the University of Oxford in Geneva are working on developing technology that could hack or retrieve sensitive data from a person's brain, such as PIN numbers and place of birth, by using a low-cost device.

With the help of an off-the-shelf Emotiv brain-computer ($299) -- a wireless head piece -- researchers are able to track brain signals when someone is shown familiar messages. For example, scientists asked subjects to wear the device in front a computer screen tha…
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More About: Gadgets, Science, security, technology

Sometimes a product tie-in with a TV show or movie is pretty poorly thought out (Star Trek waffles, anyone?). And sometimes it's dead-on perfect, as in the case of this gesture-based remote control modeled after the "sonic screwdriver" that the title character on BBC's Doctor Who carries around (the series returns for its season premiere Sept. 1).

For the uninitiated, the sonic screwdriver is the Doctor's do-anything tool that gets him out of various scrapes by picking advanced alien locks, modifying phones to enable them to make calls across time and space, and, yes, unscrewing things. Of course, it does all these amazing things wirelessly, at a (r…
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More About: Doctor Who, gesture control, remote control

The first Internet Cat Video Film Festival was held last night in Minneapolis. The fur-studded event brought together the most glam kitties the web world has ever seen.

Attendees watched 79 finalist videos, selected from a field of 10,000. The festival celebrated the best videos from categories ranging from Comedy and Drama, to Documentary and Art House.

But the night's big winner was "Henri, Paw de Deux," starring Henri, the demure French cat who laments about his tormented life of 15-hour naps, an overgrown coat and, yes, butt-fur grooming.

"This is a great honor," said director Will Brandon. "I don't think I've ever purred this loudly."

While this year's Cat Video Fest i…
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More About: Watercooler, cat videos, cats, viral video

Looking for a job is undoubtably one of the most stressful hurdles in one's life. Whether you're out of a job or uncomfortable in your current position, you're looking for anything to make the hunt a little easier.

1. Job Compass

Are you hoping to cut down your morning commute with a closer office? iPhone app Job Compass [iTunes link] searches for open positions near your home, within a five-mile radius. Or if you're willing to travel or maybe even relocate for the right job, you can search up to 100 miles away. The app searches more than 2 million listings to help find the job you're looking for. We played with the app -- typing in "waitress," "public relations" and "engineer" t…
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More About: Business, Jobs, Mobile, apps, employment, features

Xbox Live announced on Friday its first wave of games coming to the new Windows 8 operating system, including popular hits such as Angry Birds and Buck Hunter Pro to exclusive titles.

It was announced earlier this year that Windows 8 would come with a built-in portal to Xbox 360 content when it launches on October 28. Gamers with any Windows PC, laptop or tablet device will be able to access certain games.

SEE ALSO: 15 Vintage Video Games You Can Play on Your iPhone

Xbox said that along with 29 games from Microsoft Studios -- some of which will be exclusive to the Windows platform -- it will be rolling out new releases throughout the holiday season.

Xbox noted on its site th…
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More About: Gaming, Windows 8, XBox live, microsoft

Leaked images purportedly showing two new Nokia smartphones, the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, have shown up on a nondescript Twitter account.

The photos, originating from the Twitter account @evleaks, show the 4.5-inch Nokia Lumia 920, which could be Nokia's new flagship Windows Phone smartphone, and the 4.3-inch Nokia Lumia 820.

There is no additional info about the devices, except for Nokia's high-resolution sensor PureView, present only on the higher-numbered device.

The pictures look like 3D renders -- it's possible they're official 3D renders from Nokia. Though one detail that looks shady is the size of the PureView sensor and lens on the 920, which is much bigger on…
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More About: Lumia 820, Lumia 920, Nokia, PureView