The BBC on Wednesday launched its first mobile app for international audiences, looking to capitalize on the increasing tendency of sports fans to turn to their smartphones for analysis and information.

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After being flooded with pornographic images, the iPhone app for Twitter's video sharing service Vine has changed its rating from 12+ to 17+.

This means users will have to confirm they are 17 years old or over before using the app.

Originally, Vine was rated 12+, but it decided to change the rating after adult images started showing up on the service, some even in the "Editors' Picks" category.

Photo sharing app 500px as well as Tumblr were also forced to change the rating of their apps due to adult content.

The new rating has been introduced in the new version of Vine (1.0.5), which also brings the ability to share vines to Twitter or Facebook after posting, report or block a…
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Comic book legend Stan Lee proved once again that even at his venerable age of 90, he's at the forefront of digital culture. On Saturday, he launched his new imprint, Kid's Universe, which wants to be digital-oriented as the current times require -- other than traditional books, it will offer ebooks, and apps.

The imprint is a joint venture between Lee's POW! Entertainment and 1821 Comics' Terry Dougas. The two "were looking in book stores and on the Internet, and we noticed that there's really nothing that great, we thought, for very young children -- children who are just starting to read. So we thought we could try to produce some reading matter for them and introduce them to th…
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Opening this week, the Halley VI Antarctic research station was built with the harsh conditions in mind and will be home to more than 50 scientists.

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Instagram has done amazing things for plated meals and the wings of planes, but the photo-sharing app has had a very positive impact on one more unexpected profession: tattooing.

Whether you're a die-hard tattoo collector or just a casual fan of the art form, it can be hard to stay abreast of the work done by the best artists in the industry. Most tattooists' websites are notoriously out of date. Facebook has made it easier for artists to update their online portfolio without the help of a web developer, but it's not being used as a resource with any great consistency. The innately addictive nature of Instagram, however, has empowered and encouraged artists to share their work on a daily…
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Ribbon lets sellers copy and paste a link to a simple one-page checkout within tweets and Facebook posts.

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This Valentine's Day, tell your beloved to shove off and sing a song of lust and wonderment dedicated to your favorite Internet memes. Memes never forget your anniversary or get touchy with your best friend.

Our mustached-friend here has remixed the classic Journey song "Faithfully" to tell Grumpy Cat, Success Kid and Overly Attached Girlfriend just how much joy their meme-isms bring to his life.

Clearly this guy owes a lot to his laptop -- without Tumblr and Facebook, he would just be another desperate fool unable to experience the all consuming feelings of undeniable passion. This song will forever go down in history as one of the true love ballads of our digitally-obsessed tim…
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More About: memes, viral videos, Watercooler

This has to be the cutest moment of Baltimore's joyous post-Super Bowl celebration.

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Microsoft Surface Pro

The Surface Pro looks very similar to the Surface RT that launched last fall, except Pro version runs Windows 8 Pro instead of Windows RT. That means it can run classic Windows apps just like any PC. It's a bit thicker and heavier to accommodate the greater processing power of an Intel Core i5 chip, but it's still compatible with the magnetic Touch Cover that attaches with a click. The Surface Pro goes on sale Feb. 9, starting at $899.

Click here to view this gallery.

The Surface Pro is the product Microsoft should have debuted to carry the banner of Windows 8 last fall. More powerful than the Surface RT tablet that's been met with "muted" response from the market, the Surface Pro fulfills the promise of Windows 8: Your PC and your tablet -- your entire digital life, really -- all on one device you can take anywhere.

Well, more or less anywhere. The Surface Pro -- which goes on sale Feb. 9 -- is certainly portable, but it's chunkier than other tablets in its size class. Like the RT model, the Pro has the same 10.6-inch screen, but it's noticeably heavier (2 instead of 1.5 pounds) and a bit thicker (0.53 to 0.37 inch). The extra bulk is all muscle, thou…
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More About: microsoft, Microsoft Surface, review, Surface Pro, Windows 8

With the Z10 Blackberry has delivered a stylish, high-performance smartphone that can handle drops on softer surfaces, but may suffer defeat on the sidewalks of your nearest city.

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'Gangnam Style' is dead. But guess what? Babies are bringing it back!

Especially this baby, Amaya, who can apparently sleep through various music medleys but when Psy comes on, she's just gotta shake it.

SEE ALSO: 2-Year-Old Dancing Sensation Is a YouTube Star [VIDEO]

You rock that 'Gangnam Style' like it's 2012 again, Amaya. At least you look good doin' it.

BONUS: 20 Entertaining YouTube Videos Under 20 Seconds

Video and image courtesy of YouTube, bigrob357

More About: babies, cute kids, gangnam style, psy

The volume of homophobic tweets rose on Super Bowl Sunday, according to one site. Random coincidence, or something more?

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Twitter has acquired social TV analytics firm Bluefin Labs.

Business Insider broke the story Monday, reporting that this is Twitter's biggest acquisition to date. Twitter and Bluefin both confirmed the acquisition today on their respective blogs.

For Twitter this is proof that the company is doubling down on its efforts in social TV. In December, Twitter partnered with Nielsen to create the Nielsen Twitter TV Rating using the SocialGuide platform Nielsen acquired in November 2012.

Bluefin's existing suite of tools offers similar social analysis.

Twitter says that while it "intends to honor existing Bluefin customer contracts," it won't sell Bluefin's product suite beyond the co…
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It takes a certain skill to be minimalistic -- in life, in art and even when developing an app or designing a website.

This charming comic by Grant Snider of Incidental Comics illustrates some sound advice if you're looking to get the most out of the simple things. But be prepared -- it's harder than it looks.

Comic illustration by Grant Snider, Incidental Comics. Published with permission; all rights reserved.

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A secure password can be your first line of defense against would-be hackers. Creating a secure password, however, isn't always as easy as it looks. As the Internet has gotten larger, hackers have gotten smarter, making it so even passwords that seem like they're secure aren't necessarily anymore.

SEE ALSO: A Log-in Finger Ring? Google Working on Password Alternatives

Not sure how to make a truly secure password? Check out the video above for a look at what you might be doing wrong, and some solutions that can make your online accounts a bit more secure.

Have your own tips for creating secure passwords? Tell us about them the comments.

Thumbnail image via iStockphoto dra_sc…
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1. Could've Been Worse

Could've been a bagel. -- Louis Tomlinson Photo stats: 29,940 retweets

Click here to view this gallery.

Big week for BlackBerry -- particularly, for its photogenic new Z10 phone. Click through the gallery to see what other photos held the spotlight across Twitter last week.

More About: features, justin bieber, One Direction, photography, Twitter

It's nothing but net for this 2-year-old who is putting the NBA to shame.

Titus (baller name, kid) has been playing b-ball since he was 18-months-old. He likes to casually shoot hoops while sucking on a pacifier and lounging on a trampoline. He'll fit right in with the pros.

SEE ALSO: Is This the Coolest Basketball Coach of All Time?

We suggest LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony start training with him now and Nike start pestering him with a shoe deal ASAP.

Video courtesy of YouTube, Joseph Ashby; Image via iStockphoto, groveb

More About: babies, basketball, cute kids

Super Bowl XLVII was more popular with online viewers than any other sporting event in American history, according to data released on Tuesday.

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What better way to say "I love you" this Valentine's Day than with an X-ray? Former White Stripes front man Jack White teamed up with Butthole Surfers' Gibby Haynes to release a three-song single on Feb. 14, pressed on old medical X-rays.

Keeping up with White's love for reinventing vinyl, Third Man Records will release the collaboration on what they call "flex-ray discs." The 7-inch single, "The Gibby Haynes Blues Series," features White on guitar and Haynes on vocals.

If you're wondering what this radiologic mix will sound like, it'll be "exploiting a range of subjects from teenagers on fire, Equine love affairs, and Recession shotgun stories," the site explains.

Perhaps White…
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More About: Entertainment, jack-white, Music, X-Ray

Online ads that sing, dance and otherwise distract readers won't be part of social news site Reddit's experience.

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Developers who commit to BlackBerry 10 early will be walking away with their own limited edition Z10 in red.

BlackBerry's Alec Saunders announced the limited edition handsets – which were previously promised to developers -- via a blog post Tuesday.

In the post he thanks developers for attending BlackBerry Jam events around the world, and for believing in the operating system

"Since we can't say thank you enough, we're releasing 12,000 Limited Edition BlackBerry Z10 devices, in red," Saunders said in the post. "Because you've earned them."

In order to receive one of the phones, developers have to create an app for BlackBerry 10 and have it approved before Feb.…
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More About: blackberry, BlackBerry Z10

This Japanese zoo is taking full precautions so that none of its animals go missing during an earthquake. To prepare, the Tama Zoo outside Tokyo is running what may be the wackiest drill EVER created.

To create a realistic sense of fear and emergency (we imagine), the zoo employs a human to dress in a zebra costume and terrorize the other workers.

SEE ALSO: This Houdini Horse Can Escape From Anything

The BBC captured the drill in which the human-zebra pretty much head-butts one of the guys holding the barricade so they are forced to "tranquilize" it. We also wonder if the zebra was targeted as the jail-breaker because of its predisposition to black and white stripes.

God b…
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More About: cute animals, japan, weird animals, weird news

Frat boys rejoice, making a beer pong table does not have to cost much.

According to HackCollege, $30 and some duct tape can have you well on your way to debauchery. And at that price, those of us over the age of 21 may actually return to the days of dorm rooms and Ping-Pong balls (let's be honest, cocktail happy hour is never as fun as they make it sound).

SEE ALSO: 6 Easy Life Hacks to Make You More Awesome

And to top it all off, any DIY involving lumber makes it less old-lady-craft-hour and much more macho-cool-kids project. So grab those Solo cups (or splurge on the high-quality since you've saved so much money on a table) and get to work.

Video courtesy of YouTube, h…
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Super snuggly, roly poly animals aren't just for the Internet. The Puppy Bowl worked its cute little wet nose into the cable top 10 this week, capitalizing on the Super Bowl buzz.

But the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and majorly talented babe Beyonce took the prize for social media engagement this week. Super Bowl chatter topped 55 million mentions, a figure three times higher than 2012's event.

SEE ALSO: Super Bowl 2013 Commercials: Watch Them All Here

Finally, our beloved 30 Rock dropped the curtain with its series finale last Thursday. According to Trendrr, the finale episode experienced a 249% growth in social over the premiere on Oct. 4, 2012. The top hashtag was #30r…
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More About: Entertainment, infographics, Social Media, social tv charts, Trendrr, TV

Redditors have done it again. Several weeks ago, users produced a list of the 100 most beautiful songs. This week the theme is relaxation.

Posting a r/AskReddit thread on Monday, user polishklops questioned, "Hands down, what is the most relaxing song you know?" After nearly 9,000 comments, they came up with a list of more than 100 songs.

SEE ALSO: Listen to the Most Surprising Breakout Billboard Hits

We didn't want you to have to stress about finding all the songs, so we embedded 81 of the selections in the Spotify playlist below. Since almost a quarter of the songs do not appear on Spotify, however, you can follow the links below the playlist to YouTube clips of many of the remai…
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More About: features, Music, reddit, Social Media, spotify

The Hewlett-Packard board is studying a break-up of the US tech company among several options the directors are considering to obtain maximum value for shareholders, people familiar with the matter said.

The HP directors have discussed the details of a possible breakup scenario, but also the merits of the company staying whole, since a recovery seems to be slowly taking hold and its share price has gained steam since it fell below $12 last November, the people added. In January, the stock went above $17 and has been trading around $16.50 in recent days.

There is no overt pressure to break up HP—whose divisions include units selling computers, corporate servers and services—…
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Hey, fools. Stop whatever boring thing you're doing and follow Mr. T on Twitter.

If you're still twiddling your tweeting thumbs, behold the Mr. T 140-character wisdom you're missing:

Mr.T never hates a fool for being a fool, he just pities them.— Mr. T (@MrT) February 5, 2013

First Name 'Mr', middle name 'period', last name 'T' and don't you forget it fools!!— Mr. T (@MrT) January 25, 2013

There's a whole lot of Jibba Jabba on Twitter Mr. T needs to deal with. Too many fools, too little time!— Mr. T (@MrT) January 21, 2013

Watching A-Team re-runs - I forgot I was in this!— Mr. T (@MrT) January 23, 2013

The A-Team star joined Twitter last mon…
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Do something different this Valentine's Day, and share a vine.

This year, we're challenging you to send a Valentine's Day vine -- or "Valenvine" -- to convey your feelings. Whether you're single and want to use your six-second video to show your romantic independence, or you opt to send a stop-motion note to your sweetheart, get creative with your vine! (If you're looking for tips on how to get started with Vine, check out our how-to post.)

You could create a miniature love story or a display of adorable artwork. Be sure to tweet your creation and share it with the hashtag #Valenvine. We'll be on the lookout for standout Valenvines and will feature them in a follow-up post here o…
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Would you want to see a Star Wars movie all about Yoda? How about Boba Fett, Admiral Ackbar or Lando Calrissian?

That's the sort of thing we can expect now that Disney has bought Lucasfilm, according to Disney CEO Bob Iger. Speaking on CNBC Tuesday afternoon, Iger confirmed rumors that the company was working on "standalone" Star Wars films about various big names from the Lucas universe.

"I can confirm we're working on a few standalone films," Iger said, adding that Lawrence Kasdan (who wrote Empire Strikes Back) and Simon Kinberg (writer of several X-Men films) were already working on them. "They are not part of the overall saga."

So these films would not be part of the regular c…
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Starting soon, the icon below will let you know that Facebook is tracking you for third-party ads. The symbol, which was introduced last year, will be prominent when you hover your cursor over a Facebook ad that has been served up for a third party.

For instance, if you see an Amazon ad on Facebook for a book you were just checking out, then you'll likely see the icon. Such ads are served up by Facebook Ad Exchange. The measure comes after Facebook's agreement with the Council of Better Business Bureau on Monday.

The Digital Advertising Alliance launched the icon last January to raise consumer awareness about ads based on behavioral targeting. An advocacy group, the DAA reasons th…
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More About: ad tracking, Advertising, Facebook