Burst is an easy, secure way to capture photos and videos of important moments and share them with friends and family without going through social networks.

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1. Poodle Style

Is there a hint of Gangnam near the end? Video courtesy of YouTube, CoKKomikify

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It thinks it's people! Check out our collection of animals walking on two legs -- it's just as funny as it sounds.

More About: cats, cute animals, dogs, video gallery

What do you do after the website you created gets sold off for the second time in a year? Start making iPhone apps, apparently.

Forrst, an online community for designers and developers, was acquired by Zurb in January after having previously been acquired and then largely overlooked by Colourlovers last March. Now Forrst's creator, Kyle Bragger, is moving on from his website building days and starting on a new path as an iPhone app developer. His first stab at iOS is a beautifully designed note-taking app called Thinglist.

Thinglist, which was released on Thursday and costs $1.99, gives users a quick and intuitive way to jot down ideas and recommendations for later. All the user has t…
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More About: apps, Startups

Expect mini Abraham Lincoln to bring in 'da (Illi)noise and 'da funk at Sunday's Academy Awards. The tiny statesman tossed his stovepipe hat aside to pump iron and hit the spa in preparation for his big night.

The Illinois Tourism Board has tossed its support behind the homestate hero with a YouTube video titled "Big Night for Mini Abe."

SEE ALSO: Meet Mashable's New 85-Year-Old Entertainment Intern: Oscar

The state's Oscar push also includes live coverage of the event by mini Abe on the @EnjoyIllinois Twitter account. Follow the #MiniAbe hashtag for all the action -- though, after seeing Abe's penchant for long stories in Lincoln, he might have a difficult time keeping it to…
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More About: academy awards, Oscars, viral videos, Watercooler

To mark the one-year anniversary of FuelBand energy-tracking device, Nike shared with us some interesting stats about how active users are.

More About: fitness, health, Lifestyle, Nike, Nike+ FuelBand

When it comes to recreating Spider-Man's superpowers, those silly string-blasting, wrist-mounted "web shooter" toys are mere child's play, at least compared to what Victor Mateevitsi has up his sleeve.

SEE ALSO: Virtual Superheroes Are More Heroic In Real Life

Mateevitsi, a computer science grad student at University of Illinois at Chicago, has built a suit called SpiderSense lets you feel the proximity to nearby objects or lunging villains. In fact, it's so sensitive and tingly that users can navigate with their eyes closed.

The suit is composed of small, robotic arms encased in microphone-equipped modules attached to one's body. The mics send out and receive ultrasonic…
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More About: clothing tech, design concept, Spiderman

Sony announced the PlayStation 4 with a lot of fanfare and in-your-face visuals. The two-hour presentation inundated the media and gaming industry with a lot of pretty lights and sounds, but left more questions that needed answering.

While we're not expecting to see the PlayStation 4 on store shelves until late in the year, there's a lot we hope to learn before then. Even Sony doesn't have all the answers right now -- the company admitted that many things are still being ironed out. With so many gaming options on the marketplace for 2013, including Microsoft's rumored next-generation Xbox, gamers have a lot of choice, so here are the biggest things we'd like to see answered soon.

1.…
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More About: Gaming, PlayStation 4, PS4, sony, sony playstation

A study from the University of Washington suggests positive TV-viewing among preschoolers might lead to better behavior. But, researchers say, the results seemed to fade over time.

More About: Newsy, study, videos, Violence

Microsoft confirmed on Friday afternoon that it too was a victim of the same type of attack that affected Facebook and Apple earlier this month.

The company chose to not make a statement earlier this month while it was investigating the event, a move it says is consistent with its security response practices.

"During our investigation, we found a small number of computers, including some in our Mac business unit, that were infected by malicious software using techniques similar to those documented by other organizations," Microsoft said in a blog post acknowledging the attack.

"We have no evidence of customer data being affected and our investigation is ongoing."

Microsof…
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Tori Locklear was a simple Internet do-gooder. She took to YouTube to try and teach the rest of us hair-novices how to properly curl hair with hopes of bringing more glamour to the world.

Unfortunately, Locklear had yet to really grasp the dos and don'ts of hair management with a curling iron, and instead of ending up with perfectly-quaffed hair, she ended up with perfectly-fried hair.

SEE ALSO: The Story Behind Keyboard Cat

Locklear's hair mishap went crazy viral -- garnering more than 2 million views at the time of publication -- after Reddit tipped off the world to her failed YouTube tutorial.

For her sake, we hope the burned look is in this year.

Video courtesy of …
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More About: fail, viral videos

The White House announced today a new directive expanding access to publicly funded scientific research, which could pave the way for scientific papers to be available on the Internet -- for free.

In a memo, along with an official response to a We The People online petition, John Holdren, the director of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) ordered publicly-funded agencies to share their research papers, data and findings within 12 months after their publication. The directive is applicable to federal agencies that spend more than $100 million in research and development, which should cover all the major agencies like NASA, or the National Science Foundation…
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More About: Aaron-Swartz, open access, scientific research, scientology, US

For connoisseurs of corporate conflict, the cold war between Facebook and Google is hardly a satisfying one. Sure, the two tech giants have rival social networks, and there's little in the way of collaboration between them. As Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg put it in January during Facebook's second earnings call: "Our relationship isn't one where the companies really talk."

But few of us remember what Zuckerberg said immediately after: "We are able to do a bunch of things and build some great experiences."

That becomes clear when the founders run into each other at events. Apparently, it takes about two seconds for them to start geeking out about tech.

That, according to a Forbe…
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More About: Google Glass, mark zuckerberg, Sergey Brin

NASA engineers are building the largest rocket ever constructed -- one that will eventually take us beyond the moon -- using 3D-printed materials.

More About: 3d printing, Asteroids, Mars, NASA, Rockets, space

Original Mac Computer

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Want to see a rare collection of Apple artifacts, from the original Apple and Lisa computer to the earliest edition iPod? Now you can.

More About: apple, computers, Mobile, steve jobs

The New York Police Department is building a team whose sole mission is tracking down stolen iPhones and iPads with a helping hand from Apple, according to a report.

The new squad of iCops, first reported by the New York Post, will work with Apple to find the thousands of Apple devices lifted every year.

Apple devices are an increasingly popular target of thieves -- 3,890 more Apple products were stolen in New York City in 2012 than in 2011. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg went so far as to blame iDevice theft for a 3.3% increase in city crime in 2012 compared the previous year during a December interview.

Apple has worked with the NYPD to help track stolen devices even befor…
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More About: apple, ipad, iphone, Mobile, new york city, US

Sure, it's pretty distressing to hear Fantine's story in Les Miserables, the Broadway-play-turned-Oscar-nominated-film. The character, most recently played by Anne Hathaway, gets into some iffy situations.

But you know who has a really sad story? Gollum from Lord of the Rings. He loses his only ring to a bunch of greedy boys and has nothing left to live for.

SEE ALSO: I Dreamed a Meme: Les Miserables Meets the Internet

Your heart will break after hearing "Gollum" (or someone who sounds scarily similar) sing Fantine's renowned "I Dreamed a Dream." Also, best lyrics ever.

Video courtesy of YouTube, Ijameswalters.

BONUS: Les Mean Girls Tumblr Is So LeFetch

Mashable comp…
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More About: anne hathaway, Les Misérables, Oscars

It didn't take long for non-profits to catch the Vine bug.

As soon as Twitter launched the new Vine app, Becca Meyers of the New York Humane Society shared a six-second clip of cat Parker from the non-profit's newly minted account.

Last Friday, Parker went home with his new permanent owner, who says she adopted him because of the adorable video shared to Vine.

"Vine is creating the perfect platform for us to showcase adoption animals," Meyers told Mashable. "Many are difficult to take appealing photos of and this type of platform can really get them the exposure they need by showing their personalities."

SEE ALSO: 12 Cats That Don't Want to Star in Your Stupid Vine

The New…
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More About: animals, cats, non-profits, Social Good, Vine

We've all had the experience: You favorite musician is finally going on tour and there's a concert in your area. You want good seats, so you queue up at your computer to be among the first to buy tickets. However, within seconds of the on-sale time, all the good seats are sold out – sometimes the entire show is sold out. You can still find those tickets, but only on the secondary market from ticket brokers who usually charge a 3X or more markup.

What the heck happened?

The practice is called ticket sniping. Think of it as ticket scalping on steroids. It's where brokers use sophisticated software to game Ticketmaster (and other) systems so they can cut the line and buy huge bl…
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More About: eventbrite, Facebook

Google Glass isn't even out yet, and people are heralding the part-camera, part-mobile device as the future -- a revolutionary product that will surely change the way we use (and view) technology.

But some vision specialists are worried the high-tech specs, which you'll be able to wear on your head, could lead to health issues, including eye strain, headaches and neck pain.

"While Google Glass is a brand new interactive heads-up display (HUD) technology, there are some things we can presume based on the information Google has released," said Dr. Nathan Bonilla-Warford, a VSP optometrist for Bright Eyes Family Vision.

"Consumers may experience a physiological impact while wearing th…
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More About: Google, Google Glass, heads-up display, wearables

A new report from product Q & A site FixYa found that the iPhone was more reliable than smartphones made by Motorola, Samsung and Nokia.

The study looked at data from 722,558 problem reports listed on the site, and combined that information with market share data from StatCounter to create an ultimate reliability score for each smartphone manufacturer.

Apple scored a 3.47 on FixYa's Reliability Reporter -- roughly three times more than Samsung's 1.21 -- and 25 times more than Motorola.

"Smartphones are consistently being compared on a case-by-case basis, but no one has looked at the overall trends across a manufacturer's entire smartphone line," said FixYa CEO and founde…
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More About: apple, Motorola, Nokia, samsung

Pinterest's motto is that "no matter what you're interested in, there's a place for it here," but Austin Phillips has found this to be problematic for creative professionals using the service who want to find very specific content.

"I started talking with a lot of other designers and creators, asking 'Do you use Pinterest? Do you like it? And the overwhelming response was that they use it, but don't like it because it's too cluttered," Phillips told Mashable. "If you want to find design, photography or videos, you have to sift through recipes and other stuff you're not interested in."

With that in mind, Phillips and his wife Natalia decided to create a new social bookmarking site in th…
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More About: pinterest, Startups

Jaw-dropping displays of the northern lights can be seen in a stunning series of time-lapse videos captured in Sweden this month by astrophotographer Chad Blakley.

Blakley has been filming in Sweden's Abisko National Park, which offers a view of glowing aurora borealis over snowy mountains. Swooshing and swirling green northern lights can be seen glimmering in a deep purple sky in the videos, which were shot over a 13-day stretch.

"We have seen powerful auroras in the sky above Abisko for 13 nights in a row and it looks like there are more to come!" said Blakley, who runs the site LightsOverLapland.com. "Last night I witnessed one of the finest aurora displays I have seen in many…
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More About: nature, northern lights, space, sweden, Timelapse

From Wings to The Artist, the Academy Awards have been recognizing excellence in film for more than eight decades.

This year's ceremony happens Sunday, but before crowning the next film into silver screen history, relive the greatest moments of award-winning films of years past through this mashup.

SEE ALSO: 10 Fun Facts About Oscar Statuettes

Created by digital filmmaker Nelson Carvajal, the clip pays homage to all those classic movies by highlighting their most iconic moments. And stick around to the end of the video to even catch a glimpse at this year's nominees.

Which Best Picture winner from the past is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below.

BONUS: Oscars…
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More About: 85th Academy Awards, academy awards, Oscars

HTC America has been ordered to develop and release software patches to address widespread security vulnerabilities that have potentially affected millions of HTC devices as part of a settlement deal announced by the Federal Trade Commission Friday.

As included in the terms of the settlement, the phone manufacturer will be subject to independent security assessments every other year for the next 20 years. HTC is additionally required to start a program that will address security risks during the hardware development process.

HTC said in a statement that it has addressed several of the security flaws noted by the FTC in its complaint and is working on fixes for those that remain unaddre…
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More About: FTC, htc, Mobile, privacy, security, US

G is for Google, whose Doodles we crave. It's also for Gorey, 12 years in his grave.

Edward Gorey, pen-and-ink artist extraordinaire, would have turned 88 on Friday (he died in 2000). Google has honored the illustrator's birthday with a Gorey-style Doodle, incorporating his characters and employing a Gorey-style color scheme.

Gorey himself is featured in the doodle sketching one of his earliest characters, the Doubtful Guest, while two of his ever-present cats slumber on the Google "G".

Gorey wrote and illustrated more than 100 books over his 50-year career, featuring a range of bleak and darkly humorous characters in gothic locations inspired by his Cape Cod surroundings. Perhaps…
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Michelle Obama drops by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon tonight to talk fitness and -- hopefully -- perform a duet with Questlove on a "Sweatin' to the Oldies" slow jam. Fingers crossed on that second part.

Fallon and the FLOTUS prepped for the appearance by exchanging a series of tweets that escalated to a battle of the game faces.

The 140 character back and forth started innocuously enough:

So honored to have @flotus on the show tonight. We've got to have a competition for her #LetsMove campaign and this time, I'm gonna win.— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) February 22, 2013

Then Michelle stepped it up a bit:

I'll see you tonight @jimmyfallon. Bring your game face!…
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More About: conversations, jimmy fallon, michelle obama, Watercooler

Let's just put this out there -- not many people watch all the Oscar nominated movies. Even if you manage to see 'em all, they don't always live up to the hype.

So who's going to lay down the truth? Who are the harshest critics in the biz? Kids, obviously -- they do say the darndest things after all.

SEE ALSO: The Best Picture Oscar Nominees — As Told by Vines

This team of future actors boil down this year's Best Picture Oscar contenders to everything you really need to know before the Academy Awards. On Amour: "I'm old. I'm so bloody old! Old people can't even hear." On Life of Pi: "This was nothing like Calvin and Hobbes."

That just about sums it up.

BONUS: 'Best P…
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More About: 85th Academy Awards, academy awards, Oscars, viral videos

"You trying to get the pipe?" That's one way to do it -- although the young lady who NBA scorer J.R. Smith romances here is apparently still in high school.

More About: NBA, Sports

Can't wait to get your hands on Google Glass? You might not have to wait much longer.

In an interview, Google Glass product director Steve Lee told The Verge that it plans to have a "fully-polished" version of Glass available for consumers by the end of 2013. Even better? Glass will be priced at less than $1500 when it goes on sale.

SEE ALSO: Inside Google's Top Secret Glass Foundry Events

Google took orders for an Explorer Edition of Glass during its developer conference last year. Restricted to developers who were attending the conference, Google said at the time that the Explorer Edition would be $1500. It's expected to be in developers' hands early this year.

The com…
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More About: glass, Google, Google Glass

The Chromebook Pixel, that high-definition touchscreen laptop Google launched Thursday, isn't for everyone. At $1299 and $1449 for the wi-fi and LTE versions respectively, it certainly isn't for every budget. Many potential purchasers will be aghast that what you get for that is a laptop basically running the Chrome browser, albeit one with QuickOffice built in, 64 GB of local storage and a whopping 1 TB of cloud storage.

But if you're not deterred by any of that -- if you're a road warrior who needs constant, fast, reliable Internet access and you store most of your stuff in the cloud already -- then it's a beautiful touchscreen machine. The design and materials (aluminum and Gorilla…
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More About: chrome, chromebook, Google