Summer isn't just the season of love — it's also the season of travel. If you're planning a getaway in the next few months, either large-scale or small, you most likely have a budget to abide by (if not, you might want to look into drafting one.)

We did some research and in-staff sourcing to track down the best digital resources to help you, the traveler, save money during your upcoming summer journeys.

Granted, they do depend in part on the type of travel you're planning. Some are great if you're looking to crash for free or find last-minute rooms; others are more ideal for long-term trips where you'll be working for the roof over your head. You can try one, two or a combination of them all — it's a win-win regardless Read more...

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Samsung will be displaying some of its latest and greatest notebook and tablet screens at the Society for Information Display's Display Week 2013. Among them, one stands out: a 13.3-inch notebook display with a 3,200x1,800 (WQXGA+) pixel resolution

For those keeping count, that's quite a bit better than Apple's 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, which has a maximum 2,560x1,600 pixel resolution. To make things even better, Samsung claims that LCD can deliver "30 percent" greater power savings than existing LCD displays

Of course, we're not quite sure what we'd do with such a high resolution on a 13.3-inch screen, but it's comforting to note that the 1,600x900 pixel resolution — exactly half of the screen's maximum and much better suited for 13-inchers — will be perfectly crisp Read more...

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This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

Looking to up your mobile marketing game? Here are five vendors that can help.

1. MailChimp

Email marketing is one of the most popular ways to stay in touch with customers, and there are now many tools that can help you mobile-enable these programs

For example, MailChimp has added a number of mobile features that allow you to view your email campaign stats, see who is tweeting about you and manage your lists and subscribers from your mobile device. MailChimp also offers mobile-friendly templates for your newsletters, so your campaign will look good when users read it on their mobile devices. Read more...

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YouTube has just turned eight, and the company is marking the occasion by sharing a couple of cool stats about the service

Users of the world's most popular video sharing service upload 100 hours of video to the site every minute. That's 6,000 hours of video every hour and a whopping 144,000 hours of video every day.

YouTube also repeated a recently revealed number of one billion visitors to the site per month

YouTube, which was founded in February 2005 and first launched in May 2005, was acquired by Google in October 2006 for $1.65 billion

Though the site's growth to one billion users was stunningly fast, Google expects further growth thanks to the rise of mobile devices. Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt recently said that number could even grow to 6 or 7 billion Read more...

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Pinterest just got an upgrade that could make it easier for users to gather information by navigating in its site. Instead of exclusively linking back to the original source, pins from certain brands will now display information such as recipes, movie reviews and price information.

Brand Partnerships Bring New Pin Format

Pinterest has partnered with several brands, including eBay, Target, ModCloth, Sony and Netflix, to introduce these more descriptive pins. The content of these pins will vary based on the brands who post them. For example, a pin from ModCloth could include the price of an item of clothing, while a pin from Netflix could provide more information about the cast of a TV series or the rating of a film Read more...

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The Lagos taxi driver roars across the biggest bridge in Africa at 110 mph. Buffeted by the night wind, it feels as if we're riding a motorbike.

I am with two South Africans and a guy from Silicon Valley. We’re all swilling from a bottle of so-called whisky, including the man behind the wheel. (When your taxi driver says his name is "Success," things can’t possibly go wrong.)

Lagos, Nigeria seems like an unlikely place for Africa’s major tech hub. The city's estimated population is 21 million people, and 30,000 more Africans are arriving every day.

Read more...

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In an ugly freak accident, singer Miguel landed on the heads of fans while attempting to jump over them during his performance of "Adorn" at the Billboard Music Awards

Twitter users quickly expressed their disbelief Sunday, with some wondering whether the women smacked by Miguel were seriously injured or even killed. Some viewers posted GIFS on Twitter and clips of the bizarre moment on Twitter's video service Vine

The phrase "Did Miguel" eventually trended worldwide on Twitter's top trends list

"Yes they are absolutely OK! He was dancing and hugging them post jump," a Billboard rep onsite in Las Vegas told Mashable in an email Read more...

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Procrastination is a serious business. In fact, procrastinators who are accomplished in their craft have a number of tools to help them — seven tools, to be exact, and counting.

In this Sunday Comic, Maria Scrivan shows us the cover of the procrastinator's bible. Can you relate?

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

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After you have a few interviews under your belt, you typically know how to go into one feeling confident. You already know what to wear, what time to show up, what to bring, and what to research in advance to be prepared.

But it's harder to leave the interview feeling really good. No matter how well you answer tough questions or connect with the hiring manager, most of us can't help but feel a little nervous or shaken after an interview.

The good news: You're not doomed to feel this way every time. Here are a few smart ways to improve not just how you interview — but how you'll feel about it after the fact. Read more...

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If you've ever had your smartphone feel too hot after a long bout of Facebook, email, and taking photos or video, NEC hopes to solve that with its new liquid-cooled smartphone.

The NEC Medias X 06E sports a liquid cooling pipe behind the display and next to the processor. NEC said this will transfer heat away from the phone's processor through repeated evaporation and condensation.

While liquid-cooling systems for high-end computers are becoming more commonplace, having one inside a phone — especially a phone running a 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor found in many other smartphones — seems a little like overkill. Still, if the technology proves successful enough, we may one day see it in other mobile devices. Read more...

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YouTube is the land of the amateur music cover. Anyone with a webcam and a hunger for the spotlight can arrange “Call Me Maybe” and launch it onto the video site, hoping to become the next Lana Del Ray or Karmin.

But while pop performances are the norm, you'll find another undeniably geeky faction in the YouTube universe: nerdy covers. Borrowing from all sorts of pop culture, including video games, TV, film and even hobbies, these covers tickle the nerdy bone as much as they dazzle with musical talent.

Here’s a small roundup of some of the best the geeky cover universe has to offer. What’s your favorite nerdy rendition on video? Let us know in the comments. Read more...

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We were a little sad to see Chris Hadfield leave the ISS earlier this month, but we're glad he's back safely, and that he's still tweeting about every step of the readjustment process.

While Hadfield was making his return trip home, he was unable to keep the world updated on his every move, so his son Evan took the reins on his own Twitter account. When Commander Hadfield was back safe and sound on Earth he didn't wait long to start tweeting again:

Safely home — back on Earth, happily readapting to the heavy pull of gravity. Wonderful to smell and feel Spring.
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) May 14, 2013 Read more...

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There were a lot of great apps and updates released this week.

Google announced two big apps during the keynote at its annual developer conference Google I/O. One app breaks out the Hangout feature of Google+ into its own standalone app. The other, brings a whole new music streaming service to Google Play.

Airbnb updated its Android app this week to make things easier on hosts, and Pinterest launched an update, enhancing its experience for Android users as well.

Curious what all these apps look like?

Check out a hands-on with some of our favorite apps from the week in the video above

Did you find a new app this week that didn't make the list? Be sure to tell us about your favorites from the week in the comments. Read more...

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Everyone loves a steamy reality TV show. And everyone loves a cute kid. Jimmy Kimmel combined the two with a reality show starring a cute kid: Baby Bachelor.

In the genius sketch for Jimmy Kimmel Live, the adorable toddler Wesley (Kimmel's nephew) meets other adorable toddlers in hopes of finding true kiddy love. The kid version of the show promises to be just as drama packed as ABC's primetime Bachelor, with its hair pulling and wine throwing.

Wesley, here's to hoping you find a lady friend who loves dinosaurs as much as you. And remember, if this doesn't work out, there's always Baby Dancing With the Stars to look forward to next. Read more...

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It's never too late for an aging rock outfit to reinvent itself, as Stone Temple Pilots set out to prove by inviting Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington to perform with the band in the studio and in concert.

Bennington made a surprise performance with STP at KROQ's annual Weenie Roast concert Saturday night, according to Rolling Stone. He sang some of the band's biggest hits from the '90s like "Vasoline," "Plush" and "Interstate Love Song."

Stone Temple Pilots also performed its new song recorded with Bennington, "Out of Time." A teaser of the song was put on YouTube Saturday, before the band released the whole thing for download. Read more...

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Smartphones have made taking panoramic photos easy for even amateur iPhotographers (or photoids). Unfortunately, easy doesn't always mean stellar quality.

Panoramic fails have resulted in disembodied heads, extra-long Corgis and funhouse mirror-style bodies. Ouch

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Image courtesy of Reddit, mcphadenmike

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Image courtesy of Imgur, ImOnlyMakingAnAccountCuzImDrunk

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Image courtesy of Imgur, Ftuohy

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Image courtesy of Imgur, alltheotherstuff

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Image courtesy of Imgur, IAteAHamSandwich

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Mashable image

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Image courtesy of Reddit

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Image courtesy of Reddit, beardoftestosterone

Read more...

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Congratulations, today is the day you graduate from student to real-world adult. It's terrifying and exciting, happy and sad, exhilarating and slightly mundane (the hours-long process of people receiving their diplomas can really be a drag)

All in all, the process of graduation is bittersweet, age-old and marks the end of an era. To help you cope with the many emotions that are sure to crop up throughout the day, here is a graduation GIF guide

And remember, that awkward hat/tassel combo makes everyone look terrible in pictures and gives horrid hat hair, so pack a brush Read more...

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Digital cameras are great, but like most electronics, they likely won't withstand the test of time in, say, a century from now.

So Slovenian industrial designer and self-taught carpenter Elvis Halilović developed pinhole cameras that he and his brother make out of locally-harvested chestnut and maple wood. The ONDU Pinhole Cameras, as Halilović has branded them, were created in six different dimensions and sizes, as further explained in the video above. The designs can accommodate everything from 35mm to 4-by-5-inch film to even larger paper.

Pinhole cameras don't use lenses. Instead, they feature a pin-sized hole to produce an image, according to Halilović. To expose images on the film, you just open the shutter by moving it up, and then close it by moving it down. Read more...

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Not all iPad games are created equal, especially when it comes to cost. You might download a great game only to fall into a trap of ugly graphics, bad controls and in-app purchases.

Lucky for you, we've tested 15 games for their fun factors — and they're all free. You'll find complicated strategy games, creative titles and games you can play against your friends.

Check out our list above. Do you have a favorite free game we missed? Share it with us in the comments

Homepage image courtesy of Adult Swim Games. Read more...

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Greg Sullivan, Microsoft's Windows Phone marketing lead, was grinning from ear to ear when we sat down for an interview earlier this week. Market research firm IDC had just anointed his phone platform a solid Number 3, beating the once-dominant Blackberry platform for the first time.

"It’s very refreshing," Sullivan told me.

Granted, Windows Phone and Blackberry are fighting over scraps. That same report indicated that 92% of all shipping smartphones are on the Android and iOS platforms. Still, for Microsoft it's a victory of sorts — maybe even a sign of momentum.

Slow But Steady Wins?

Sullivan said Microsoft thinks of this progress in the way one would a flywheel. "It takes a lot of energy to start it and get it going and you see the progress and it feels like it's very slow progress. It's the tipping point; you get to critical mass or momentum that's self-sustaining." Read more...

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Google Glass may have stolen the show at Google I/O this year, but Glass wasn’t the only pair of smart glasses displayed at the event. Enter Epson Moverio

Epson used used I/O as a place to showcase its Moverio BT-100 smart glasses, with an exhibit in the YouTube Developers Sandbox showing the high-tech glasses running a virtual YouTube wall.

Unlike Google Glass, which displays information in a small corner above your line of sight, Epson's glasses display content directly in front of you as an overlay on top of the world. The result is what looks to be an 80-inch display hovering in front of you, which can contain information about the space you're in, the people you're around, or about a particular project you're working on Read more...

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Google Glass is one of the hottest gadgets on the planet right now, but not everyone's a fan. In fact, there are many people worried about privacy.

In this Sunday Comic, we see that the government is concerned, too — just for a slightly different reason.

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

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Silicon Valley has long been at the forefront of the tech startup scene, but due to the growth of emerging companies in other areas of the U.S. and worldwide, it's hardly the only hub sparking innovation. And in recent years, there's been a greater spotlight on New York City.

In fact, according to a report by financial research analyst firm PrivyCo., more than 100 acquisitions of tech startups occurred in New York City last year, amounting to $8.3 billion. The city is now only second behind Silicon Valley in terms of startup acquisitions.

And thanks to the expansion of larger companies such as Facebook and Google to the New York area, this is only the beginning of the bigger trend Read more...

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Reports have recently surfaced that Yahoo's board of directors has approved a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr. While Tumblr and Yahoo have yet to release official statements about the acquisition, the Internet — mainly Tumblr's younger skewed users — has already had a strong reaction to the potential purchase

Several users on Tumblr and Twitter are making claims of this being "the end" to the blogging platform, or are feeling betrayed by Tumblr CEO David Karp. Many are also expressing fears of Tumblr going the way of Flickr, a previous acquisition of Yahoo, or even making dramatic statements that Yahoo is tearing apart the Tumblr family Read more...

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If our viral video recap is any indicator, there's a boatload of animal news to catch up on this week. Good thing it's the weekend, so snuggle up and prepare for a healthy dose of furry fun.

As usual, cats were adorbs this week, but Rev the dog was the true star, crooning to an Adele ballad like a real diva. Ducks made sure to get noticed too, interrupting a high-speed car chase by taking their own sweet time to cross the street

And oh boy, here's one deer who should've looked both ways before crossing the street. A bus driver got quite the shock when the animal came crashing through the windshield. The deer appeared to be OK, but it definitely didn't seem to enjoy the concept of public transportation Read more...

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Yahoo's board of directors has approved a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr, it was reported earlier today. The initial reactions from many Tumblr users have ranged from skepticism to outright anger, as many fear the acquisition will change the culture of the platform

What do you think the future holds for a Tumblr owned and operated by Yahoo? Let us know by answering the poll below. If there's another question you'd like to ask, you can add it to our poll

Yahoo Acquires Tumblr

Stay tuned for more updates from Mashable as this story unfolds.

Photo via iStockphoto, kycstudio Read more...

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Summer is upon us, and Pepsi wants to enhance your sun-filled season with interactive entertainment events as part of its celebrity-infused "Live for Now" global ad campaign

Pepsi is introducing "Iconic Summer," a broad fan engagement program that will include digital and social media-driven calls to action. Participation will earn people prizes as well as access to music and entertainment events

Naturally, the program has a advertising component with such brand ambassadors as Beyoncé and Tate Stevens. The ads kick off May 19 at the Billboard Music Awards with this TV spot — shared first with Mashable — starring country crooner Hunter Hayes Read more...

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Commander Chris Hadfield, the web's favorite astronaut, returned to Earth last week after 146 days in space. While based at the International Space Station, Hadfield treated us to a number of breathtaking photos from his Twitter account.

In this Sunday Comic, our friends Nitrozac and Snaggy at The Joy of Tech imagine what kinds of photos Commander Hadfield might start tweeting, now that he's returned to the planet

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

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Yahoo's board of directors has approved a $1.1 billion acquisition of blogging platform Tumblr, according to a breaking news alert from The Wall Street Journal.

The deal is reportedly an all-cash acquisition, according to WSJ, and Tumblr will maintain control of its operations.

Tumblr and Yahoo have not released any official statements.

There were rumors circulating Friday about the Tumblr acquisition, which stated Yahoo's board, under the direction of still-new CEO Marissa Mayer, would discuss the potential over the weekend

According to a report from AllThingsD, Mayer was interested in the platform's younger-skewing user base, and had been in talks with the board about Tumblr for the last six weeksAllThingsD also reported no other parties made bids on Tumblr. Read more...

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If you've long complained about your typing speed and productivity, this iPhone 6 concept video may be the solution you're searching for.

The above YouTube video shows an iPhone 6 mockup that, when set on a flat surface, can project a Mac keyboard from one side and a Mac desktop from the other.

The video, created by YouTube user Sonitdac, shows a rendered "iPhone 6" that looks sim,ilar to an iPhone 5. The top and bottom ends of the iPhone are shown snapping off to create a stand for a small degree of elevation.

The iPhone rendering then projected a keyboard and trackpad onto the desk in front of the phone, and a functional Mac cinema display onto the wall Read more...

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