It's been a tiring week for anyone in the media — and a sobering one for anyone in the media with a conscience. The coverage of the Boston Marathon saga, from the bombing on Monday to the capture of suspected bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Friday, brought out some of the very worst features of news in the digital age. Here are the ways the media fail when they cover a big, breaking story — and a simple reason why.

1. The Media Get a Lot of Things Wrong

There was CNN, desperate to be first in announcing an arrest, then clumsily backtracking. The AP did the same, as did the Boston GlobeThe New York Post stubbornly kept exaggerating the death toll, long after confirmation to the contrary, and repeatedly identified the wrong guys as suspects. In social-media land, a vigilante army witch-hunted the wrong people on Reddit and Twitter. Then there are the more right-wing outlets, with their increasingly rabid conspiracy theories that the real perpetrator is a Saudi or that the whole thing was a "false flag" attack, i.e., a put-up job by the U.S. government Read more...

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How can a $6,400 toilet get even more extravagant? Trick it out with the latest tech

When Wisconsin-based manufacturer Kohler debuted the Numi in 2011, it already boasted a foot warmer, a heated seat that automatically goes up and down, a built-in music system and personalized bidet functionality — all controlled by an LCD touchscreen interface.

Now, Kohler's most advanced toilet has added new features, including a Bluetooth receiver for users to stream audio from their mobile devices, an SD card to access custom playlists or personalized welcome messages, a USB port for software updates, and ambient lighting that features seven different colors to choose from. Check out the video, above, for more details Read more...

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Fortune cookies tend to have a 50:50 satisfying-to-disappointing ratio

Sometimes, you'll get a cookie that's stale, soggy and obviously past its expiration date. What's most disappointing, though, is when your fortune — a term that, for the sake of this post, we'll be using quite loosely — is less inspirational and more ... you know .. WTF-y.

A quick Twitter search of the hashtag "#fortunecookie" revealed countless photos of fortunes that left users feeling a little short-changed. Scroll through some of the weirdest below

Have you ever cracked open a bizarre, mean or creepy fortune? Share your best ones in the comments Read more...

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Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman for the first issue of Action Comics — way back in 1938. You'd think after three-quarters of century — and hundreds of comics, movies and TV shows — the Man of Steel would show some signs of aging

Turns out his job is just taking its toll in other ways.

Comic written by Larry Lambert; illustrated by Jerry King. Read more...

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Earth Day, annual holiday of environmental sustainability, is on Monday, and green lifestyle and sustainability are especially in vogue.

It also happens to mark the beginning of peak travel season in various parts of the world. Who says hospitality and eco-consciousness have to be mutually exclusive?

Below, we've compiled a megalist of some of the top eco-friendly hotels in the world. With solar-powered electricity, structural elements made from natural materials and downright beautiful scenery, you'll definitely find a destination where you can travel responsibly. Read more...

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Chris Crowell is a veteran kindergarten teacher and contributing editor to Children's Technology Review, a web-based archive of articles and reviews on kids apps, technology toys and video games.

A living xylophone, educational mazes, interactive ebook fairy tales and more Dr. Seuss short stories — are all in this week's top apps for kids. Check out our gallery for more educational apps that incorporate learning with fun and games.

SEE ALSO: Hospital Uses iPads to Help Mom Bond With Baby

Children's Technology Review shared these five top apps for children from the online publication's comprehensive monthly database of kid-tested reviews. The site covers everything from math and counting to reading and phonics. Download a free issue of CTR here. Read more...

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Better late than never. The TSA finally opened a 90-day period to comment on its controversial full-body scanners last month, following a D.C. court of appeals decision issued in July 2011. The public can now voice its opinion on the Whole Body Imaging scanners, which have been in place for nearly five years.

Citizens can express their opinion on Regulation.gov, a government website that has the tagline, "Your Voice in Federal Decision-Making."

The public-commenting process comes as a result of a lawsuit brought by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a civil-rights group that has long opposed the scanners, calling them overly invasive and a violation against citizen's privacy Read more...

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In our connected culture, turn away for a second and you could miss something great — or downright ridiculous.

You wouldn't want to miss any of that, would you? Thankfully, Mashable has you covered with our weekly Viral Video recap

One thing we learned this week: Cats are weirder than we ever thought. Your average housecat acts a lot stranger than, say, a tiger. We also saw how Harrison Ford really hates Wookies.

Of course, for those looking for something more informative, there's an excellent video guide to unsticking the most difficult jar lids in one easy step Read more...

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It's natural to have an inexplicable need for more social media followers, fans and subscribers. If Twitter has #TeamFollowBack, what can you do to get more likes on Facebook?

In this Sunday Comic by Maria Scrivan, we see one offline tactic. Think it would work?

Comic written and illustrated by Maria Scrivan. Published with permission; all rights reserved. Read more...

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It was a big week for apps.

This week Twitter finally launched its highly anticipated music service, and Facebook brought its new Chat Heads features to the iPhone.

Yahoo launched a new tablet app for Yahoo Mail with a full-screen feature that lets you read your email like a magazine, and it released a weather app that incorporates Flickr photos, so you see the weather as well as read it.

Curious what all these new apps look like? Check out the video above for a hands-on look at some of our favorites from the past week.

Have you tried any of this week's picks? Tell us about your own top apps in the comments. Read more...

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Have you ever wondered what it's like be Arnold Schwarzenegger driving a car? No? Well, actor and comedian Will Sasso certainly has given it a lot of thought. So much so that he started imitating the famous action actor's accent while driving, and published his hilarious performances on Vine.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Driving Pt. 14 vine.co/v/bUXOWdrQjBD

— Will Sasso (@WillSasso) April 20, 2013

YouTube user firerednaxela has rounded up the 14 Vines and made a video. Watch the results above.

Photo via Getty Images Read more...

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I've always considered myself a strong interviewer, but I'll admit it: I was rocked by my first all-day interview (a.k.a., five and a half hours of back-to-back meetings with multiple people in the company). Would it sound insincere to repeat my answers over and over to each person? Could I ask how two members from one department worked with the three I just interviewed with from another? Was there really no coffee involved?

That day was definitely a learning experience. (Translation: I didn't get the job, but I did gain some important insight for anyone else going through an all-day interview.) Learn from my trial by fire, and use these tips to power through your interview. Read more...

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The Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles have introduced a Game Design merit badge to help encourage its members to get interested in a variety of science and technology fields.

The L.A. Girl Scouts chapter partnered with the Women in Games International organization to create a curriculum for the patch. Girls will be required to program their games as well as design them, using software called Gamestar Mechanic.

The Boy Scouts of America introduced a Game Design merit badge last month, but it does not include the programming requirement

The Girl Scouts' version hasn't been approved by the national organization yet, thus it is only available to Girl Scouts in the Los Angeles chapter. According to NBC News, it's designed for girls in 4th to 6th grade. Read more...

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Despite the web's lack of water and sunshine, GIF flowers are blooming across Tumblr Dashboards, proving that spring is finally here.

Throughout winter, even, Internet users patiently waited for warmer weather, posting and pinning photos and reminders that spring is creeping closer. Those people can take comfort in the fact that nature is back in full bloom — and you don't even have to go outside.*

*Go outside.

SEE ALSO: 30 Songs That Sound Like Spring

If you're stuck in a cubical dreaming of the sunshine, here are a few GIFs to remember there is life outside your gray office.

Pink Rose

GIF courtesy of Tumblr , luana-miauu Read more...

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If you want to bring pieces of your favorite game to life, sometimes all it takes is a little bit of paint and your favorite toys

Redditor DrBeakerMD posted the above photos of four Borderlands 2-inspired weapons he created for his "end of high school celebration." But before you worry about danger and gun violence, all four were crafted from completely harmless Nerf guns.

Borderlands 2 is a shoot-and-loot FPS where you can pick up hundreds of thousands of guns; the box copy actually says "bazillions", DrBeakerMD picked four models and created detailed replicas. He described the process on Reddit, saying he disassembled the gun, sanded off the Nerf logo, and then applied different coats of paint Read more...

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Put on a pair of these magic underpants called Fundawear, and you'll be able to feel your lover's touch from anywhere on the planet

Fundaware is a clever combination of a smartphone app and tiny vibrating motors sewn into female lingerie and male underpants. It accomplishes the task of "transferring touch across vast distances," said the project's technical director, Ben Moir in a YouTube video:

Commissioned by the Australian division of condom company Durex, Fundaware uses tiny vibrating actuators similar to those that give your finger that buzzing "haptic feedback" on smartphones. The intensity of Fundawear's vibrations correspond to the movements of the person's finger touching the smartphone screen from afar Read more...

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A U.S. spaceflight company is hoping the third time's the charm in order to launch a brand-new rocket into space on its maiden flight on Sunday (April 21).

After two delayed launch attempts, the privately built Antares rocket is once again poised to blast off from a seaside pad at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Liftoff is set for 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT).

You can watch the Antares rocket launch live here, beginning 4:30 p.m. ET (2030 GMT), courtesy of NASA's webcast:

Today's launch attempt will be the third in a week for Antares, which was built by the Dulles, Va.-based Orbital Sciences Corp. A minor mechanical glitch thwarted a launch try on Wednesday (April 17) just minutes before liftoff. Strong winds prevented and an attempted launch on Saturday. Read more...

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If you have a spare $15 million, this gold- and diamond-encrusted iPhone 5 could be yours.

The handset, which is inlaid with 600 flawless white diamonds and includes a gold-plated antenna and back panel, was crafted by the Liverpool, England-based Stuart Hughes. In addition to this iPhone's impressive gold and diamond encrusting, the handset's Home button has also been replaced with a rare 26-carat black diamond, which itself is worth $14.5 million.

Hughes' previous "iDevice bling" products have included a $2.5 million gold-encrusted iPhone 3G and a gold-plated $8 million iPad 2. The above iPhone 5, however, seems to take the cake in terms of both cost and design. Read more...

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We all have busy lives, with very little time for anything. Granted, we should still try to make time for something like Star Wars. Especially if we're talking about the movie that started it all, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, a masterpiece of science fiction and a cultural phenomenon

SEE ALSO: Never Seen Star Wars? Find the Force at This Special Screening

But why watch the entire 121 minutes of the movie when you can have it all in just 60 seconds? You think that's not possible? Well, it is. In an clever cartoon-style recap by 1A4STUDIO, the same people who brought us "The Matrix in 60 seconds," you can watch the entire movie in just a minute. Read more...

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After a tragic week in Boston, here's some good news: Online campaigns have raised well over $1 million for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing and shooting at MIT

The strength of online communities had again demonstrated the ability of connected strangers to band together to help those affected by this horrific tragedy

We've rounded up eight online campaigns below. Have you seen any other moving examples? Share them in the comments.

• 1. The One Boston Fund: Created to help those most seriously affected by the bombings, the One Boston Fund was started by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino. You can donate online or by mail.

• 2. RYOT's Boston Marathon Victims Fund: RYOT is a social news site that connects readers with actions they can take in response to the news. This fund will go toward victims' medical costs, funeral expenses, physical therapy and counseling.

• 3. Teespring's "Stay Strong Boston" T-Shirts: Nearly 5,000 people have purchased "Stay Strong Boston" shirts from Providenced-based Teespring, which is like a Kickstarter for t-shirts. Teespring is donating the proceeds from sales of this shirt, benefiting the One Fund. Read more...

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Electronic Arts will release the first big SimCity patch Monday to help players with some of the most complained-about bugs, though it still won't contain the most-requested feature: offline mode.

SimCity, released March 5, is EA and Maxis' reimagining of the popular city buildng game. It features a powerful engine that brings the game into the modern era, but also controversially only allows players to create cities inside a region must always be connected to EA's servers.

EA detailed the patch notes on its forum. It will include fixes for various systems across the game, including mass transit, emergency response, education and others. Read more...

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The long-awaited return of Superman to theaters is fast approachingMan of Steel, the franchise's ambitious reboot, is set to premiere on June 14, and the latest trailer suggests it will be a surefire hit

With the movie just a few weeks away, it's a good time to take a step back and look into Superman's history, which dates back to the 1930s, when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster conceived him as a villain, bent on world domination. The character has changed a lot since his first appearance in a 1933 short story entitled "The Reign of the Superman," published in a fanzine

Read more...

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The best part of Facebook Home (and the latest update to Facebook Mobile) is Chat Heads — mostly because you can make funny composites by strategically placing your friends' faces throughout your News Feed.

But in this Sunday Comic, our friends Nitrozac and Snaggy at The Joy of Tech show that Google CEO Larry Page doesn't agree. Should Page fear a Facebook OS?

Comic illustration provided by The Joy of Tech. Published with permission; all rights reserved. Read more...

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Watch this helicopter video that tells the story of the final moments before Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was apprehended by police.

Late Saturday, Mass. State Police released this video in which they used infrared night vision to spot the wounded suspect hidden under a tarpaulin in a boat in Watertown, Mass. Look closely as the camera alternates between various modes of its night vision and infrared camera systems, and you can see the suspect moving.

Watch as the armored vehicle approaches the boat, using its robot arm to remove the cover from the boat, exposing the suspect. Meanwhile, "flash-bang" grenades can be seen exploding after they are lobbed onto various parts of the boat. Read more...

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Michael Dennis is the CEO and founder of FindHire, an innovative sourcing, interviewing, and hiring software platform. Connect with Michael and the FindHire team on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The age of the “worker bee” is over. Companies of all sizes and shapes are wisening up to the fact that employees aren’t just task-doers — they’re thinking, breathing humans with a penchant for creativity and teamwork. Cloud collaboration is the driving force behind these new workplace principles — and it’s affecting hiring in a big way.

In the age of social media, it doesn’t take a lot for companies to see the benefits of cloud collaboration for internal projects. Just take a look at the success of companies like Salesforce and SamePage — they're driving online workplace collaboration in droves. Salesforce alone boasted 104,000 customers as of July 2011, and it pulled in $2.27 billion in 2012 revenue. Read more...

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