Barnes and Noble Nook-HD+

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The 9-inch Barnes & Noble Nook HD+ is a solid, well-designed and easy to use content consumption tablet that doesn't offer many extras, but sets a new bar for affordability.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brady Quinn had some thoughtful words on our plugged-in, tech-obsessed society: Step away from social networks, and pay closer attention to your real-life relationships.

"We live in a society of social networks and Twitter pages and Facebook. That's fine and stuff, but you know, we have contact with our work associates, our family, our friends and it seems like half the time we're more preoccupied with our phone and other things going on instead of the actual relationships we have in front of us," he said at a press conference on Dec. 2.

Quinn's comments came 24 hours after teammate Jovan Belcher murdered his live-in girlfriend, and later committed su…
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Meet the Novatel MiFi Liberate: the first mobile access point with a touchscreen, letting you configure it without connecting it to a computer.

If you're not familiar with mobile access points, these handy gadgets allow you to hook up to the Internet via cellular networks. It's useful, often essential, if you're in an area that has no Wi-Fi. If you're in range of a cellular tower, this MiFi Liberate lets you connect 10 Wi-Fi devices of any kind to the Internet.

Mobile access points are ideal for frequent travelers, accommodating anyone who needs to get online wherever they are. Just the fact that you're no longer at the mercy of hotels and their Wi-Fi price-gouging makes it worth the…
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More About: MiFi, Mobile Access Point, Novatel, att

Think watching television from home is the perfect alone time? Think again. Verizon has filed patents for a TV set-top box equipped with cameras, motion sensors and microphones that would track the movements within a given room –- similar to that of Xbox's Kinect system.

According to the company's patent application, the set-top box is a "media content presentation system" that would select advertisements based on "ambient action" in the room. This may mean seeing more commercials for singles getaways when you're snuggling with a loved one.

Systems like this aren't new. In 2008, Comcast proposed a similar patent that would monitor what was happening in a room, and highlight spec…
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More About: Advertisment, TV, verizon

The U.S. Department of Defense's DARPA arm is developing a drone that can deliver and precisely position a payload for deployment.

It can hover in place, much like a Harrier jet, and can fly like standard UAVs. What makes this drone even more special is its "precise autonomous payload placement."

"A special robotic arm was designed with the capability of carrying up to one pound," the agency said in a statement. The "precision emplacement technology demonstration paves the way for precise long-range delivery of small payloads into difficult-to-reach environments."

Watch the video, above, to see the incredible drone take flight and take action. Don't forget to let us know your though…
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Tracking down quality visuals to accompany stories and blog posts can be difficult. Luckily, there are more than 200 million free photos on the web that are available for almost anyone to use -- as long as they follow the tenets of Creative Commons licensing.

Creative Commons licensing permits bloggers and journalists access to photos taken by other people, for absolutely no charge. It's a great way to engage readers with more visually interesting content, and to expose photographers' work to a new audience.

But there are many rules and regulations you must follow to use the photos for free and without risking liability -- a small price to pay. It can get a little tricky, so familiari…
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1. Here Comes the First Real Alternative to iPhone and Android

Jolla, a Finnish startup, launched a new mobile OS called Sailfish, which the company believes will become a legitimate alternative to the Coke and Pepsi of smartphone platforms: Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Learn more about the new OS.

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It's been awhile since the big tech companies launched products in time for the holiday shopping season. So this week, tech news has mostly been filled with cool scientific developments and -- of course -- drones.

We learned about Swiss researchers who created an underwater drone that resembles a sea turtle, and a father who built a DIY drone to track his kid walking from home to the bus each morning.

This week, we also took a look at new innovations: One groups of scientists created the lightbulb of the future, and another team built the largest-ever model of a functioning brain.

SEE ALSO: Previous editions of Top 10 Tech This Week

There was also plenty of mobile news. Read up…
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More About: Top 10 Tech, Top 10 Tech This Week, trending

This Logitech TV cam will take your Skype chats with grandma to the next level.

More About: Gadgets, Gift of the Day, holidays 2012, logitech

If sources familiar with the matter are correct, Twitter might be getting into the photo-filter business before the end of this year. According to sources, the microblogging service is planning to add a variety of photo filters to its official app, and employees of the company are reportedly already testing the new features.

All Things Digital got a tip that such filters would be released on its app before the end of 2012. Meanwhile, The Next Web pointed out numerous telltale photos using black-and-white filters taken and posted by the company's chairman, Jack Dorsey.

Twitter's new photo app might offer pictures in a higher resolution than those of Instagram, according to The Next Web.…
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You wouldn't dream of checking text messages or responding to email in the shower -- it's much too risky for your smartphone. But doing such tasks may soon be possible, as new technology will let you see information, such as a text, using special contact lenses.

Belgian researchers are developing a spherical curved LCD display that can fit onto contact lenses. While other attempts have fallen short in the past, this technology could cover an entire lens worth of text, images and other visuals. Check out the video, above, for more.

There's also a more practical use for these contact-lens screens: adaptable sunglasses. Similar to transition lenses for eyeglasses, the contact lenses woul…
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More About: LCD, contact lenses, smartphones

Twitterific

Twitter client Twitterific released version 5 of its iOS app this week. Overhauled and redesigned, the updated app has a new customizable user interface, gesture support, and the ability to sync timeline positions between several different devices.

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It can be tough to keep up with all the new apps released every week. But you're in luck -- we take care of that for you, creating a roundup each weekend of our favorite new and updated apps.

This week a popular mobile photo editing app for iOS finally made its way to Android, and a hot email app for iOS saw a huge update.

We found an app that lets you create virtual glass art projects with your iPhone, and an app for Android that lets you find and purchase art projects that others have created.

Check out the gallery above for a look at this week's app highlights.

If you're still looking for more, check out last week's Apps You Don't Want To Miss.

Think we left a great new ap…
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More About: App, android, iOS, weekly app roundup

Metallica Makes Nice With Music Streaming, Comes to Spotify

What a difference a few years make: Metallica announced on Thursday that it was releasing its entire catalog on Spotify. Reader Smoe noted just how much had changed since Sean Parker angered Metallica only slightly more than a decade ago.

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It's the end of the year, but at Mashable we're looking forward. The top comments from our community this week encapsulated the sentiments common to the end of the year: reflection on the past and speculation about the future.

By now you've probably noticed we've rolled out the brand new look for the site to all of our readers. The new Mashable is social, mobile and visual. Last week at the Media Summit, we heard time and time again that media organizations need to adapt to a reader-first, mobile-first mindset. At Mashable, our new design extends to our community as well. We've overhauled our commenting system to put our readers, and your voices, first. What do you think of the new Masha…
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Spoiler alert: Santa is actually a UPS man.

A new YouTube video shows a man, identified as UPS delivery man Ken Jones, singing a hilarious version of "Winter Wonderland." In the video, uploaded Wednesday, Jones not only admits to being the jolly old elf who delivers cheer to all children, but also to being on a "scheduled break."

Watch the video, above, and don't forget to thank your postal and parcel delivery person this holiday season.

Thumbnail image courtesy of Flickr, zyphbear

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We all know the Internet can be an incredible resource. It can also be quite difficult to navigate. New websites and apps constantly appear, and the old ones are always being updated.

To help you make the most of your digital experience, we at Mashable keep you up with the latest information, whether it's a great new app or gadget, a nifty nerdy gift idea or advice on how to be a productive member of the various social networks.

We understand you're busy and might have missed some of our articles the first time around, which is why at the end of each week we round up our most usable posts. This week's features roundup has everything you need to make sure your holiday season is filled…
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More About: Business, Features Week In Review, Lifestyles, Social Media, Tech, features

Wouldn't it be great to answer your front door with a smartphone? That's the promise of Doorbot, a Wi-Fi-enabled doorbell that alerts you whenever someone pushes its button, sending audio and video to your smartphone.

The battery-operated device installs at your threshold with four screws in a bracket. Once you've downloaded its free app and synced any iOS device or Android smartphone with it, you can see and converse with visitors at your door. The app will alert you whenever the button is pushed.

There's a microphone on board the DoorBot that lets you talk with whomever's visiting you, even if you're thousands of miles away. The camera works at night, too, using infrared technolo…
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If you find your mall Santa experience unsatisfactory this year, be sure to complain on Facebook.

It could get Santa fired.

That’s what happened at the Maine Mall in Portland. On Monday, Mother Jess Mailhiot wrote on the mall’s Facebook page that the mall’s Santa refused to let her young daughter sit on his lap because she didn’t purchase pictures:

Because we did not purchase any photo packages the gentleman mumble something to Santa and when my daughter who is six was going to sit on his lap Santa put his hands together and placed them on his legs so she couldn't sit on him. Santa was not attentive and brushed her off all because we did not purchase pictures…
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Photos have a way of transporting us to a place that words cannot. What's captured in the fraction of a second it takes to snap a picture can live forever. During 2012, we saw some truly inspiring moments; moments now seared into our minds because of the photography that captured the subtleties of emotion, triumph and grace, often in the face of adversity.

24. Afghan boy

An Afghan boy sells balloons on the side of a road on November 11, 2012 in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

23. Chinese New Year

Chinese folk artists perform the lion dance at a temple fair to celebrate the Lunar New Year of Dragon on January 22, 2012 in Beijing. (Photo by Feng Li/Ge…
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The 2013 Chevy Spark is a relatively low-priced, unusual-looking car -- one that's scarcely 12 feet long and bristling with the latest technology. I tested one over the course of a week, and was especially excited to try out its smartphone integration technology.

At first glance, the Spark has the kind of design you'll either love or hate. Its tall, squat appearance looks cute to me. Even if you don't like its odd profile, this 5-door hatchback's shape is practical, allowing its interior to be roomy enough for a 6'3" guy like me.

And its price is right: The lowest-priced Spark is $12,185 (I assume that includes tires, a steering wheel and not much else), making it one of the cheapest…
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It was another busy week at Mashable. Not only were we hustling to cover the news, test new gadgets and share our opinions, but we launched a whole new site. And there was that day Grumpy Cat came to the office -- let's not forget that.

In case you got a little busy too during the week, we've compiled a list of some of our top news stories, including the opportunity to turn Grumpy Cat into your own holiday meme/card, what Tim Cook had to say about Scott Forstall's exit from Apple, and what happens when Jay-Z takes the New York City subway. Check out the list below to catch up on all the stories you may have missed.

Crappy Holidays From Grumpy Cat!
You Can Buy an Edible iPhone 5 Ca…
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It's tempting to immediately check your phone when it notifies you of a new text message. But ignoring that sound when operating a vehicle is important for safe driving -- something that can be difficult, especially for teenagers.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) added distracted driving to its 2013 "most-wanted list" in November. So far, 35 states have passed laws banning cellphone use while driving, however some of those bans only pertain to beginner drivers.

SEE ALSO: Your Kids Will Never Text and Drive Again After Watching These 10 Videos

App developers have made a number of apps for both iOS and Android devices that help parents discourage their kids from tex…
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More About: Children, apps, parenting, texting and driving