Bitcoin, the world's most popular virtual currency, yesterday took a huge nosedive — from its all-time-high of $265 to as low as $105 — but the reason is not a DDOS as some have speculated

Instead, the leading Bitcoing exchange, Mt.Gox, claims that Bitcoin was "a victim of its own success," with the lag from too much interest in the currency causing many investors to sell, which lead to a market panic

"The rather astonishing amount of new account opened in the last few days added to the existing one plus the number of trade made a huge impact on the overall system that started to lag. As expected in such situation people started to panic, started to sell Bitcoin in mass (Panic Sale) resulting in an increase of trade that ultimately froze the trade engine," wrote Mt.Gox on its Facebook page Read more...

More about Business, Apps Software, Bitcoin, Hot Story, and Mt.Gox

Microsoft is looking to shrink its Surface tablet to 7 inches, if you trust a recent report from the Wall Street Journal

The new, 7-inch Surface should launch later this year, but no details about the device have been given

Microsoft building a smaller version of the Surface — originally a 10.6-inch device — is hardly a surprise, given that Apple, Google and Samsung have launched tablets around that size

Furthermore, Microsoft has recently changed its Windows 8 policy regarding screen resolution, and the OS now allows for lower-resolution (1024x768 instead of 1366x768) tablet screens

WSJ's report also mentions that Microsoft is building a phone, which is currently undergoing testing Read more...

More about Microsoft, Surface, Tech, and Gadgets

If there’s one thing that all job seekers have in common, it’s that they hate writing cover letters. With a passion.

But why? It’s not like they’re very long. And when you really think about it, they’re not that difficult. But something about that step between the resume and interview gets people really, really irritated

Is there a way to make this process suck less? Yes! So, take a deep breath, relax and try one of these ideas for making the process a little bit better.

Problem: You Think It’s Boring

To you, the worst part about writing cover letters is how formulaic they feel. You’re tired of writing the same letter over and over, slightly tailored for each position, and you’re tired of sounding like a robot. Especially if you’re working off of a template, things can get dull fast. Read more...

More about Job Search, Cover Letter, Job Applications, Business, and Jobs

Because stories are traditionally told through word of mouth, they are at risk of getting lost from one generation to the next. A new app called StoryPress seeks to safeguard these personal tales by letting people capture and share them online.

Users can record their stories by either freely talking into the app, or choosing a preset topic to get interviewed by StoryPress, according to its Kickstarter page. Subjects range from happy moments such as weddings and first jobs to life obstacles such as cancer

After selecting a topic, users simply read the questions (there are 10 to 15 in total) and say the answers aloud. StoryPress records their voice and turns the responses into an audiobook. Once the story is completed, it's automatically saved to the cloud. Recordings can be set to private or publicly shared with the StoryPress community. Read more...

More about Apps, Tech, Apps Software, Travel Leisure, and Bc Video Lead

Lest you doubt we are entering the age of a cybersecurity industrial complex—and that such a system doesn't necessarily have the average Internet user in mind—take look at the numbers.

According to a new study by the lobbying group Center for Responsive Politics, lobbying reports that referenced "cybersecurity" more than doubled last year. Mentions jumped from 990 in 2011 to 1,968 in 2012.

And where does that money go? In part, at least, to sponsor Internet bills that much of the public doesn't want

A different report by Maplight.org recently revealed that groups that lobby for the controversial Cyber Intelligence Security Protection Act (CISPA) give far more money to members of Congress than those who oppose it. Read more...

More about Cybersecurity, Cyber Attack, Us World, Politics, and Us

Hankering for more details on Iron Man 3? A new behind-the-scenes featurette reveals some tantalizing tidbits on what fans can expect for Tony Stark and his foes this time around.

Posted to YouTube on Wednesday, it includes interviews with the film's actors, alongside clips of explosive action scenes, including one in which Pepper Potts (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) saves Iron Man himself (Robert Downey Jr.) by donning his armored suit.

"Robert [Downey Jr.] was really interested in having Pepper do more in this movie," Paltrow says in the video Read more...

More about Films, Movies, Entertainment, Film, and Iron Man 3

The Launchpad is a series that introduces Mashable readers to compelling startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Name: See.Me

One-Liner Pitch: See.Me gives musicians, photographers and artists a dedicated place to promote their work and receive donations from fans.

Why It's Taking Off: The social network helps artists raise money and build relationships with their fans.

Amanda Palmer went viral earlier this year with her TED Talk urging musicians and music labels to make it easier for fans to offer financial support to their favorite artists. "I think people have been obsessed with the wrong question, which is: How do we make people pay for music?" the former Dresden Dolls singer told the crowd during her talk at the 2013 conference. "What if we started asking: How do we let people pay for music?" Read more...

More about Music, Startups, Business, and The Launchpad

Mac users who can't wait to get their hands on the rebooted city-building game SimCity finally have a release date to look forward to: June 11

And there's more good news. Not only do the server issues that have plagued the game since its PC release last month appear to be largely resolved, but the upcoming release will be cross-platform

That means you don't have to choose which machine you want to build your urban masterpieces on — and you can construct cities on the same map as your friends, whichever platform they use

The Mac version will be a free download for PC owners, and the PC version will be free for Mac owners, too. No matter what machine you're using, at home or at work, you can pick up your city where you left off. (Not that you would ever waste time playing SimCity at the office, of course.) Read more...

More about Games, Mac, Electronic Arts, Simcity, and Entertainment

Smartphone cameras are quickly replacing point-and-shoots in pockets, everywhere

While users can definitely take some impressive shots with an iPhone camera, they're limited by its built-in lens. One accessory-maker is trying to expand lens options for cellphone cameras by offering a protective case with five additional lenses.

Called WoW, the smart-lens case has a built-in Macro lens for taking photos up close, a wide-angle lens, cameo function and a polarized neutral-density lens. All four lenses — along with an option to use your iPhone’s lens — are built into a spindle on the rear of the case. Read more...

More about Iphone, Kickstarter, Tech, Mobile, and Bc Video Lead

Would you pay $2,500 to play pick-up hoops with retired NBA chucker Antoine Walker? How about $12,500 for lunch with NFL great Lawrence Taylor? Or $5,000 to have Gary Payton talk smack in-person at your next fantasy draft?

All that and more — much, much more — is possible via the startup Thuzio. The site sells current and retired athletes' time to folks looking for, in the words of CEO Glenn Laumeister, "ultimate fan experiences."

Just recently, for example, New York Knicks star J.R. Smith went to a kid's bar mitzvah. The family and guests, Laumeister says, "loved him."

Thuzio's interesting business model and high profile backing — ex-NFL star Tiki Barber is a co-founder, and it's raised more than $1.5 million in VC funding — have earned the company plenty of press attention since launching in September. Up-to-date info from Laumeister paints a successful picture; he says the company now has more than 300 athletes, has expanded to include other celebrities and entertainers, has broadened to five markets after starting in just the New York City area and now posts monthly revenue increases of 25% Read more...

More about Startups, Entertainment, Music, and Sports

We're not all cut out to be master chefs, and culinary school isn't for everyone. But if you're tired of making mac and cheese in the microwave, taking an online cooking course might just be your kitchen savior

David Spinks ate McDonald's and not much else for most of his life, then decided to make a change. His solution: founding an online cooking school. Spinks created Feast to find his way around the kitchen and provide a community cooking platform for other culinary novices

Feast's goal is to help "the most average schmoe ... become a more confident, badass cook,"

Feast's goal is to help "the most average schmoe ... become a more confident, badass cook," but also to connect users with other students taking the course. Video tutorials and photos break down each step to the very basics, but students can easily skip around if they've already mastered a particular skill Read more...

More about Health, Education, Cooking, Feast, and Online Learning

We all make mistakes, but when newspapers do it, they can't just let it slide. The correction must follow, placing an irreversible black mark on the publication

The Tampa Bay Times figured if they were going down in the name of journalism, they'd have a little Star Wars fun with it

It seems one of their journalists misquoted a moderator at Tampa Bay Comic Con in a story, originally writing, "Are you ready to find love in all the wrong places?"

The actual quotation was: "Are you ready to find love in Alderaan places?" — referring to Princess Leia's home planet

Read more...

More about Star Wars, Watercooler, Pics, and No Lead Image

Staying visible at dusk or dawn is a key concern for cyclists and runners on the road. One Kickstarter project brings eye-catching illumination to the streets with fiber optic safety vests designed to alert drivers

The Noxgear Tracer360 lights up wearers in 360-degree pops, bursts and blinking modes with a reflective core and flexible cable straps. Check out the video, above, for more

Most reflective gear functions only when headlights are pointed at it, but the lightweight Tracer vest flashes in multiple colors making it visible in the dark, rain or snow. Using a clip-buckle elastic belt, the device is adjustable and stays in place during motion Read more...

More about Video, Safety, Fiber Optic, Kickstarter, and Lifestyle

Warning: Graphic, potentially disturbing content. Proceed with caution.

Want to get in shape before swimsuit season, but paleo just isn't doing the trick? We guarantee you'll lose your appetite immediately after watching these videos.

YouTube can be an amazing and inspiring place full of educational and hilarious videos. But it also houses some pretty dark corners

That's where we're shining a light today: nine "creature feature" videos that would make Indiana Jones proud. We waded into the seething masses for the very best material (and by "best," of course, we mean "nauseating"). We originally aimed for an even 10 videos, but just didn't have the nerve. Read more...

More about Video, Youtube, Features, Wtf, and Gallery

Confession Bear, one of the go-to "advice animal" memes on Reddit, is typically used as a medium for admitting minor quirks, like embarrassing TV addictions or intimate bathing practices

One Redditor, previously known as "Naratto," took the meme a step further on Saturday by using the image to confess to an apparent murder (original post.) Here's what he wrote:

"My sister had an abusive meth addict boyfriend — I killed him with his own drugs while he was unconscious and they ruled it as an overdose"

Many Redditors were left wondering if the post, titled "Finally Have The Guts To Say It," might be more than just a dark joke. According to the Daily Dot, users tracked down Naratto's personal details — real name, date of birth, previous jobs, social media accounts — within minutes of the post going live. One user apparently even forwarded the comments on to the FBI. Read more...

More about Reddit, Videos, Crime, Internet Memes, and Memes

3D imagery, the kind that gives depth and, sometimes, artificial reality to static images is often astonishing and almost always hard to create. Every time you see another Apple iWatch or iPhone 6 concept design, you might want to stop for a moment and think about what it took to build that hyper-realistic JPEG. 3D image creation requires expertise and expensive hardware and software. Canadian startup Lagoa, however, seeks to change that equation, putting powerful 3D rendering tools in the cloud, with access via your web browser.

““Everyone needs to render when working with 3D content, but traditionally that demands enormous compute power and a lot of patience. We made it fast, collaborative, and photoreal," Lagoa CEO Thiago Costa told me from his Quebec-based office. He founded the company last year after a 10-year career in visual effects and game development that included creating some of the eye-popping imagery in the film GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra. Lagoa Technologies initially made its mark with an eye-popping physics engine called “Multiphysics.” This video demonstration (below) eventually garnered almost 2 million views and the technology became a part of 3D powerhouses Autodesk via the Lagoa Multiphysics plugin for Softimage. Read more...

More about 3d, Tech, Apps Software, and Gallery

Game of Thrones characters spend half their time getting from point A to point B. Messages get lost, signals get crossed, ravens get killed and eventually no one knows who is alive, who is king and who is on whose side. Sounds great, doesn't it?

The battle for the Iron Throne is only believable because of the mystical time period Westeros is set in, but just imagine what would happen if the Starks, Lannisters and the rest of the houses were updated to the 21st century. They'd all be on Facebook, obvi!

Happy Place recreated season three's second episode using tagged pics, poking and status Liking, proving a social media-driven storyline is much less intense, but much more funny. Check out some of the images below and the rest at Happy Place Read more...

More about Facebook, Tv, Game Of Thrones, Watercooler, and Pics

The art of storytelling is timeless. There's nothing like hearing old tales of your grandparent's teenage days — but the narrative connection often loses its spark when Grandma lives across the country and you can only keep in touch through Facebook

To help collect family history and create deeper relationships between generations, Nick Baum created StoryWorth, an online platform that archives personal stories, both spoken and written. The goal is to bridge family gaps and encourage dialogue by prompting questions you may not regularly ask

You can share your own memory or invite loved ones to tell theirs. "What were your friends like in high school?" "How did you figure out how to be a parent?" Baum sends users one question per week, and participants can respond via email or phone. Read more...

More about Email, Family, Lifestyle, Family Parenting, and Storyworth

Worldwide PC shipments plunged 13.9% in the first quarter according to IDC, which noted that Microsoft's introduction of Windows 8 hurt overall sales by confusing consumers.

"At this point, unfortunately, it seems clear that the Windows 8 launch not only failed to provide a positive boost to the PC market, but appears to have slowed the market," Bob O’Donnell, IDC Program VP Clients and Displays, said in a statement. "While some consumers appreciate the new form factors and touch capabilities of Windows 8, the radical changes to the UI, removal of the familiar Start button, and the costs associated with touch have made PCs a less attractive alternative to dedicated tablets and other competitive devices. Microsoft will have to make some very tough decisions moving forward if it wants to help reinvigorate the PC market." Read more...

More about Microsoft, Windows 8, and Business

Foursquare launched a major update to its iOS app Wednesday, now with more focus on what’s around you rather than who.

While the app is certainly all about checking in — and has a new larger check-in button front and center on the app’s home screen — it’s also about helping you find things to do around you. Whether you’re looking for a place to grab a cup of coffee, or trying to find out what club in town is the most popular, there’s a little something for everyone.

Using Foursquare religiously since its launch in 2009, I took version 6.0 out for a spin this afternoon to see just what the hype’s about. Read more...

More about Iphone, Itunes, App, Foursquare, and Ios

Ribbon, a San Francisco payments company, made headlines early Wednesday with the launch of a new in-stream payment option for Twitter that lets users buy and sell items directly through the news feed on the social network. Now, just a couple hours later, Twitter has killed off the feature.

Hany Rashwan, the co-founder and CEO of Ribbon, told Mashable that the feature was pulled without warning in less than two hours. "We weren't given a heads up," he said. "There was no notice."

In a blog post, Rashwan noted that Ribbon had been in contact with Twitter in the past and took the necessary steps to "validate" the new feature before it launched. Read more...

More about Twitter, Startups, and Business

Another day, another Kate Upton dating hypothetical ruling the Twitter webs

One day after a March Madness hero's bold advance lit up the sports Internet, the supermodel became a worldwide trending topic thanks to reports that she had taken up with none other than the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy. The two were supposedly spotted making out in a New York club, then having dinner a couple of days later — or something like that

Anyway, people freaked out — partly because Kate Upton is many dudes' dream girl, partly because Daddy/Diddy/Combs is more that twice her age and partly just because that's what people do on the Internet Read more...

More about Entertainment, Sports, and Kate Upton

NASA unveiled a $17.7 billion spending plan for 2014 today that continues major ongoing space exploration projects, while including funds to kick-start an audacious new mission to capture a small asteroid and park it near the moon so astronauts can explore it by 2025.

The proposed NASA budget is part of President Barack Obama's 2014 federal budget request and would restore the U.S. space agency's funding back near its 2013 levels. The request is about $50 million less than NASA's 2013 budget but would restore deep cuts from sequestration, leaving the agency with a roughly $1 billion increase from the $16.6 billion budget actually received for 2013. Read more...

More about Space, Nasa, Barack Obama, Budget, and Asteroids

Gmail turned 9 this month, and before we know it, it will be heading off to middle school. It's grown up fast. In fact, it knows 57 languages now — the latest one being Cherokee.

Google's email platform has greatly evolved since its inception, with a lot of user feedback taken into account

"Gmail was inspired by one user’s feedback that she was tired of struggling to find emails buried deep in her inbox," the company said on its official blog. "So we built a new email that leveraged the power of Google Search. You told us you were tired of spam, so we set to tackling that, and today your feedback makes it possible for Gmail to filter out well over 99% of incoming spam." Read more...

More about Google, Gmail, Small Business, Tech, and Apps Software

There are plenty of scientists out there trying to solve our impending energy crisis. Many of their creations never leave the lab. Here's one that is on its way to commercialization — and just fixed one of its biggest problems.

Veteran biochemist Daniel Nocera has been working for decades on an "artificial leaf" — a silicon wafer that can create energy from sunlight and water the way real leaves do. Nocera unveiled an early version of the leaf in 2011. This week he announced a much-improved version.

Here's how the leaf works: you stick it in a quart of water, and it splits the hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is collected and stored in a fuel cell. A single leaf in a quart of water can provide 100 watts of energy, 24 hours a day. Read more...

More about Energy, Tech, Social Good, World, and Bc Video Lead

In early 2012, Tumblr hired an editorial team to cover the "ideas, themes and people" of the vast blogging community. That team launched Storyboard, which produced hundreds of fascinating stories on everything from Hurricane Sandy relief to One Direction fandom.

Along the way, Storyboard became a daily read for many of us at Mashable. We even co-produced a story in February about cancer support communities on Tumblr. That's why we were saddened to hear that Tumblr has decided to downsize its editorial team. Sadder still, Storyboard will cease publishing after this week, leaving a number of planned — and in some cases, already written — stories in the lurch Read more...

More about Media, Tumblr, Journalism, Social Media, and Alt Image Lead

The Game of Thrones we all know and love is a product of HBO, which means we get lots of blood, guts, cursing and nudity. Like tons of nudity

But what if George R.R. Martin sold the rights to the show to Disney instead of HBO? Would the end result be much different? Maybe not. In the case of Daenerys Targaryen, she is already a princess who has an uncommon bond with some mythical creatures

Of course, you can't have Disney without the princesses belting out a tune or two. YouTube channel AVbyte imagined what that song would sound like if Daenerys lived in a castle high atop Westeros and was constantly searching for Prince Charming instead of the Iron Throne Read more...

More about Viral Videos, Parodies, Game Of Thrones, Share As Post, and Watercooler

Since it debuted in March 2012, the popular comic book Saga has illustrated the following: robot sex, a giant with five-story-tall sagging testicles, a child prostitution ring on a brothel planet called Sextillion, blow jobs, fisting, interspecies erotica and enough bloody viscera to make a butcher squirm.

But none of these are why Apple banned the most recent issue of the comic book from its App Store this week. No, Saga #12 won't be available for purchase because of "two postage stamp-sized images of gay sex," according to writer Brian K. Vaughn. In a statement he released Tuesday, Vaughn explains: Read more...

More about Comics, Apple, App Store, Gay Rights, and Apps Software

Do you know what would make sports 84% more awesome? Cats

Sure, you'd have to clean up hairballs on the court and scoop poop off the pitch, but all the extra litter and tuna costs would be totally worth it.

Your new favorite Tumblr, Sports Balls Replaced With Cats, axes footballs, soccer balls and most other types of balls in favor of furry felines. The site's Facebook page describes the project's efforts as "Just a bunch of muscled people competing for the sweetest kittens."

These are some athletic furrballs. (Sorry.)

[H/T Witstream] Read more...

More about Tumblr, Cats, Watercooler, Pics, and No Lead Image

Bitcoin, the world’s most popular virtual currency, dropped from a high of $265 to a low of $156 in a period of six hours Wednesday afternoon. Pretty much everyone the Daily Dot has spoken to recently involved in Bitcoin — buyers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and others — believed a “downward correction” was coming. It’s come.

It is tempting to look for a dramatic reason for a decline like this. It may well be simply that with a relatively small number of people trading the currency, a proportionally small number of people can trigger a big sell-off that will tank the price.

“I would guess it was just an early adopter of some sort who decided to cash out all at once for whatever reason,” Bitcoin investor Roger Ver initially told the Daily Dot. Read more...

More about Virtual Currency, Bitcoins, Business, Us, and World