Critics are worried streaming runway shows will change the entire fashion system, from production to sales.

More About: fashion, fashion week, img fashion, models, new york fashion week, video streaming

A meteorite hit Chelyabinsk, Russia, injuring more than 500 people and causing damage to nearby cars and buildings, Reuters reports.

Residents of the industrial city some 950 miles east of Moscow saw a white trail and a bright light in the sky, followed by an explosion which shattered the window glass from nearby houses.

No one has been killed in the incident, and most injuries were caused by the flying glass.

"I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it was day. I felt like I was blinded by headlights," said Viktor Prokofiev, a 36-year-old resident of Yekaterinburg.

The entire incident has been captured on several videos. In the vid…
Continue reading...

More About: meteorite, russia

Opera Software has acquired Skyfire Labs, the maker of mobile browser Skyfire, for $155 million, the company has announced.

Skyfire's other products include the Rocket Optimizer, which provides video delivery optimization for mobile operators, and Skyfire Horizon, a mobile browser extension which operators can customize and use for promotions and advertising.

Opera acquired the company mainly for its video optimization expertise. "Opera and Skyfire are a natural fit. Both companies have evolved far beyond their browser roots. Skyfire adds capabilities to our portfolio around video, app optimization, smartphones and tablets, and strength in North America. With video expected to cons…
Continue reading...

More About: opera, Skyfire

The next private cargo mission to the International Space Station is slated to blast off March 1, NASA announced on Thursday.

The unmanned Dragon capsule, built by California-based firm SpaceX, will launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 10:10 a.m. EST (1510 GMT) on March 1 and arrive at the orbiting lab a day later.

Dragon will carry about 1,200 pounds of supplies and scientific experiments to the station, NASA officials said. It will return to Earth on March 25, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California with about 2,300 pounds of experiment samples and equipment onboard.

The flight will be SpaceX's second contracted cargo mission to th…
Continue reading...

More About: International Space Station, NASA, space, SpaceX, SpaceX Dragon

Whether you spent hours fighting Bowser, defeating evil as Link or catching every Pokemon in sight, video games defined our childhood. (They just don't make 'em like they used to, do they?)

SEE ALSO: More Comics on Mashable

In the comics below, H. Caldwell Tanner of Loldwell gives us a double dose of nostalgia by combining beloved video games with cherished children's book covers.

Which made you smile the most? Let us know in the comments.

Comic illustrations by H. Caldwell Tanner, Loldwell. Published with permission; all rights reserved.

More About: comics, Gaming, humor, Loldwell, Watercooler

A new tool introduced by the NBA gives hardcore and casual hoops fans alike access to an overwhelming amount of historical stats and data.

More About: NBA, Sports

By now you have likely already used iMadeFace or seen your friends' cartoon avatars all over your news feeds. The popular new iOS app allows you to create a cartoon version of yourself in seconds. It's inspired users around the world to give themselves the animated treatment.

But just how close to reality can iMadeFace get? To find out, we want you to show us your avatars alongside a picture of yourself. We'll feature the most uncanny resemblances in a follow-up story here on Mashable.

We've already created a few versions of Mashable staffers. Do you think we captured their likenesses? Let us know in the comments, and then send us your creations. We can't wait to see what you've got!…
Continue reading...

More About: cartoons, community, iMadeFace, photography

When Jonathan Fielding heard that the carburetor of the plane he was in had iced over, his first inclination was to grab his smartphone.

Fielding was on a flight over Utah, with his wife (it was her first time flying), his mother-in-law and baby. The propeller plane's pilot announced that they would be forced to make a crash landing.

SEE ALSO: Helicopter Crash Caught on Camera During Filming of Top Gear Korea

Fielding's phone captured the subsequent moments, which were surprisingly calm. Things do get alarming when the camera begins to shake and cuts out as the plane flips over on impact.

All of the flight's passengers were safe -- but Fielding's cellphone chronicle gives…
Continue reading...

The Pentagon wants soldiers to be able to scan people's faces, eyes and thumbs with their smartphones.

That's why the Department of Defense has inked a $3 million deal with California-based tech company AOptix, to develop its "Smart Mobile Identity System," as first reported by Wired's Military blog Danger Room.

AOptix is working on a tool that can be added to a regular smartphone and turn it into a device that can scan eyes, thumbs, voices, and faces. "They've asked us, based on what they've seen of our product, to work on some more specific needs and requirements for DoD," Chuck Yort, AOptix's vice president for identity solutions, told Wired.

SEE ALSO: U.S. Military Wants…
Continue reading...

More About: military, military tech, Pentagon, U.S. Military

Justin Bieber is one heck of a teen heartthrob, so he must have some pretty baller pick-up lines to be reeling in all those ladies, right?

That's at least what our awkward friend here figured, setting out to snag a V-Day date using only lyrics from the pop star's billboard hits. He approaches ladies with lines like this gem: "I could be your Buzz Lightyear; fly across the globe."

SEE ALSO: Justin Bieber Sexts Hillary on 'SNL'

Much like a train wreck, you won't want to watch, but we know you won't be able to look away from all the rejection that's about to happen.

Video courtesy of YouTube, VEVO. Image courtesy of Flickr, iloveJB123

BONUS: 10 Valentine's Day Cards for Y…
Continue reading...

More About: justin bieber

Looking for the perfect gift for that Back to the Future nerd in your life? Well, look no further than eBay -- if you've got $13,000 to spare.

More About: back to the future, ebay, Film

While there is no chance that asteroid 2012 DA14 will hit Earth on Feb. 15, the asteroid's flyby is history-making for several other reasons.

More About: Asteroid, Asteroids, astronomy, Science, space

You know the Harlem Shake viral craze is going in the right direction when puppies get in on the action.

There's not much context needed here -- do you really need a reason to watch a gaggle of puppies dance to some epic beats?

SEE ALSO: Facebook Employees Do the Harlem Shake

Didn't think so.

Video and image courtesy of YouTube, jonathanjoly

BONUS: 17 Amazing 'Harlem Shake' Videos You Can't Possibly Live Without

More About: cute animals, dogs, harlem shake, puppies

We've seen some pretty snazzy high tech refrigerators lately, but a fridge that has a sparkling water dispenser? That takes the cake.

Samsung has announced that its new 36" four-door refrigerator has the industry's first-ever automatic sparkling water dispenser. It's powered by SodaStream, so you can get cold, bubbly water anytime of the day or night. The filtered sparkling water will come through the dispenser on the fridge door that already delivers water and ice.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Smart Fridge Dishes Up Recipe Ideas and Coupons

The sparkling water dispenser uses a standard SodaStream 60L CO2 cylinder which is concealed inside the left refrigerator door. That way it's easy to…
Continue reading...

More About: samsung, smart refrigerator

This man's girlfriend is great -- except for, you know, the whole eating brains thing.

More About: gallery, valentine's day, videos, Watercooler, YouTube, zombies

We made all our movies free on @hulu through the weekend. Enjoy. <3 ow.ly/hIUOP— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) February 14, 2013

In honor of Valentine's Day, Hulu and Criterion are opening up access to the Criterion Collection of streaming films for all users all weekend long.

From Feb. 14 to Feb. 18, free Hulu users in the U.S. will have access to every Criterion Collection title in Hulu's library.

If you're not familiar with Criterion, it's a company dedicated to preserving and publishing the best the film world has to offer, with a focus on classic auteurs such as Kurosawa, Bergman, Kubrick, Fellini and Truffaut. The company also focuses on more contemporary film…
Continue reading...

More About: criterion collection, hulu, valentine's day, Valentines

Twitter will soon attach value ratings to users' tweets. Here's how -- and why.

More About: Twitter, Twitter API

Sweethearts -- better known to the rest of us as tiny, heart-shaped candies made from processed sugar and some other magical ingredient that renders them indestructible -- have come to define Feb. 14th. From children to adults, what better way to express your love than with a mini periwinkle-colored heart proclaiming "Be Mine?"

But those classic phrases were the result of years of brainstorming, experimenting and toying with the most romantic combinations of words.

This Valentine's Day, Twitter imagines all the unsuccessful and lost candy hearts of generations past with the popular hashtag #candyheartrejects.

You don't need the calories #candyheartrejects— Tom Brady's Ego (…
Continue reading...

More About: Twitter, valentine's day

Existing research on the impact violent video games, television shows and movies have on children is outdated, according to a new report released this week.

The report was released by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group that advocates for children and families with a focus on media. It analyzes the current information and studies done in recent years relating violence in the media to its effect on children. After looking at the data available, Common Sense Media determined that this information hasn't kept pace with rapidly changing content.

"The presence of violent images in advertising seen by children has barely been studied, comprehensive research on TV violence is nearly two de…
Continue reading...

More About: Children, Common Sense Media, Media, school violence, video games

President Barack Obama pointed his finger at patent trolls, people and businesses who file patents and use them to aggressively sue others who produce potentially competing products, during a Google Hangout Thursday afternoon.

"They don't actually produce anything themselves," said Obama of patent trolls. "They're just trying to essentially leverage and hijack somebody else's idea and see if they can extort some money out of them."

Obama added that he believes his administration's efforts at patent reform "only went about halfway to where we need to go."

"What we need to do is pull together additional stakeholders and see if we can build some additional consensus on smarter patent l…
Continue reading...

More About: barack obama, patents, Politics, US

Got $7 burning a hole in your pocket? Want to promote a post on Facebook, but don't want to appear egotistical? Then boy, are you going to be pleased by Thursday's news from the social network: you can now (or will soon be able to) pay to promote your friends' posts.

Facebook has let you pay to promote your own posts since October. For $7, the company promised, you could make a given post appear higher in your friends' feeds. It was a controversial new revenue stream that critics feared would turn your News Feed into a rigged game -- one in which we'd all start paying to level the playing field.

We haven't seen a whole lot of evidence of that so far. But that may change with social pre…
Continue reading...

More About: Facebook, Promoted Posts

YouTube user PranksvsPranks uploaded a special video of a man proposing to his girlfriend. What did she say? Eh ... just watch.

More About: gallery, pranks, valentine's day, videos, Watercooler

Today's the day, in case you didn't notice. But we're sure your Instagram is flooded with perfectly-filtered flower and teddy bear photos, your Twitter feed's filled with sickeningly sweet hashtags, and love statuses abound on Facebook.

Yet this Valentine's Day may not be as traditionally romantic, one study says, as social networks and online dating take the place of time-honored courtship.

When did revealing the intimacies of your relationship (or lack thereof) online become the norm? How many unfamiliar acquaintances flirtatiously Facebook poke you before even starting a conversation? Technology both helps and hinders the romantic process. It may be lack of time, a call for consta…
Continue reading...

More About: dating, Lifestyle, online dating, technology, valentine's day

POTUS channels the silver screen for Valentine's Day.

More About: barack obama, michelle obama, valentine's day, Valentines

Just two days after Obama issued an executive order on sharing cyber threat information, a new survey indicates that the vast majority of Americans are concerned about cybersecurity.

According to the survey conducted by Tenable Network Security, a security firm that works with the Department of Defense, 92% of Americans believe public utilities, like electricity and water, are vulnerable to malware attacks.

The survey, which is not yet available online, shows an impressive level of consensus among the group of 1,021 adults surveyed. More than 90% of them believe that both U.S. corporations as well as the government are vulnerable to a cyber attack. And an even greater number (94%) t…
Continue reading...

More About: cybersecurity, cyberwar, cyberweapons

1. Sloth and Giraffe Plushie

Image courtesy of Flickr, hotshotjen

Click here to view this gallery.

No valentine? No worries -- just hug a stuffed animal.

Not having a sweetheart on Valentine's Day doesn't mean you should just stare at a wall in your underwear. Take a cue from the 10 cute animals pictured in the gallery above that found love with inanimate objects.

SEE ALSO: How Single Cats Spend Valentine's Day

Go on, Lonely Larry, cuddle a Cabbage Patch Kid.

Homepage image courtesy of Flickr, audreyjm529

More About: cute animals, valentine's day, Watercooler

Even before Facebook started rolling out its smart search engine earlier this year, it may have been taking away some searches from Google.

The number of searches done on search engines in the U.S. dropped by 3% in 2012, according to a new report from comScore, even though the number of people searching increased by 4%. Google, in particular, saw the number of searches decline by 2% last year.

This decline comes even though Google and search engines overall experienced an increase in the total number of U.S. users performing searches. In other words, more people are searching, but the average user is performing fewer searches. One of the reasons for this, according to comScore, may be…
Continue reading...

More About: ComScore, Facebook, Search

Dropbox has been holding meetings with banks about an initial public offering, possibly in the second half of this year, according to sources briefed on the talks.

The market has been waiting for its next hot tech IPOs, and they now look likely to come from Dropbox and Box, two rivals in online file storage. Dropbox could be the first to go public since it’s already meeting with bankers to assess their views, after which Dropbox will choose the banks to run its IPO. Box has said it’s more likely to go public in 2014.

But with investors more weary since the botched Facebook IPO, will the cloud storage companies be worth the hype?

Dropbox, which is estimated to valued…
Continue reading...

More About: banks, Dropbox, initial public offering, ipo

Happy Valentine's Day, love birds. We hope your day is filled with chocolates, flowers and quality time with your special someone.

If you're looking for a way to spread the spirit of love, we've found several non-profits looking to harness your good cheer. While these campaigns may not sing romance, they're fueled by love nonetheless.

Take a look at these four campaigns hoping to turn Valentine's Day into a day filled with love-driven actions.

Charity Miles and UN Foundation's #VDay10K

If you're a runner, you can do something good for your body and people in need at the same time. The UN Foundation has teamed up with Charity Miles -- an app which connects your miles run, walked…
Continue reading...

More About: features, Social Good, valentine's day

President Barack Obama will answer citizens' questions in a Google Hangout from the West Wing set to begin at 4:50 p.m. ET Thursday, and you can watch live right here.

The White House is pitching the hangout as a way for citizens to ask questions of the president following his State of the Union address on Tuesday.

Altogether, 16,516 people have submitted 7,519 questions and cast 97,851 votes on others' questions on a range of subjects from NASA funding to marijuana policy to climate change. Five citizens will also be joining the hangout to ask questions live.

Today's event will be Obama's second Google Hangout -- his first was held last January.

What would you ask Obama if…
Continue reading...

More About: barack obama, Google, google hangout, Politics, US