Microsoft Office has finally made its way to iOS.

Free to download, the app only works for those who has subscribed to Microsoft Office 365 (at a cost of about $10 a month of $100 a year), and for now there’s only an iPhone version — iPad users still only get Office web apps via the browser.

Using Office for iPhone you can edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents right on your phone’s screen, andyou can also create new Word and Excel documents on the fly. Everything you create or edit is synced via Office 365’s cloud capabilities to other devices, regardless of platform. Read more...

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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: TheSuitest

One-Liner Pitch: TheSuitest gives you all the details you need to know about hotel rooms to ensure you book the right room.

Why It's Taking Off: The travel search engine provides specific data analysis about hotel rooms, the amenities they offer and any hidden fees, so you can determine whether you're really getting a good deal.

While working in the investment banking industry, Jeremy Murphy always had an urge to travel, but he never had the money to do so or the time it often takes to research and compare hotel rooms. Read more...

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Facebook revealed more detail on how frequently it gets information requests from government agencies in a public statement late Friday. In a post on the company's press site, Facebook General Counsel Ted Ullyot said it received between 9,000-10,000 requests over the six-month period ending on Dec. 31, 2012.

That adds up to roughly 1,500 requests per month. Ullyot said the nature of the requests from "government entities" is quite varied, including things like a local sheriff trying to locate a missing child to national security agencies investigating terrorist activity.

Read more...

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Our brains, which control our movements, may soon be able to control the movement of prosthetic limbs as well.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working with civilian researchers to develop prosthetic limbs that the wearer can control with his thoughts

The product that is the closest to completion uses a method called targeted muscle reinnervation, or TMR. It employs the existing nerves near an amputation site, providing the person wearing the prosthesis with the ability to control it directly using signals from those muscles. The hope is that everyday activities like lifting a cup of coffee or tossing a ball will be less painful and much more intuitive with the new technology Read more...

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Music at house parties and office events usually fails to live up to expectations. Sketchy DJs and co-worker karaoke usually doesn't inspire glass raising and head bobbing. But what if you could book legitimate artists for your private show — at an affordable price? You probably would, right?

That's the premise behind Gigit, a weeks-old Santa Monica, Calif.-based startup bridging the gap between musicians and fans. Music lovers get to book up-and-coming artists. Performers get to play in an intimate setting and expand their audience. Prices are good enough for both to be happy. Plus Gigit has some legitimate talent, including rap legends and Grammy winners Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Read more...

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Mount Everest is one of the world's most legendary locations, yet so few get to experience its majesty in person. Thanks to one climber and videographer, however, the rest of us can get a pretty incredible look at the ethereal beauty of one of the world's tallest mountains

Elia Saikaly shot the time lapse video you see below from Everest's base camp and posted it to Vimeo this week. The montage's images of swirling clouds, craggy peaks, jagged ice and colorful climbers' tents are nothing short of breathtaking. Check Saikaly's stellar work out for yourself below, then let us know what you think in the comments Read more...

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The next potentially big reality TV phenomenon won't actually require a TV. How’s that for innovation?

The Chernin Group is targeting the connected generation with @SummerBreak, a new series that will exist exclusively on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and Vine.

The Premise

@SummerBreak tracks a group of high school seniors as they spend their last summer together and prepare for college — all while immersed in social media on various gadgets.

"People have their phones in their hands all day and all night, and these social platforms are really the way that young people communicate with each other," Billy Parks, the show's producer, told Mashable. "It's the way they tell stories and share information." Read more...

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If you've ever caught yourself shredding on air guitar, we've got some news for you: The art of imaginary jamming might be getting a whole lot fancier — and maybe even a little less silly.

Designer Eugene Wang has developed a concept for a wearable device that allows you to practice your instrument on the go

Using motion technology, in the style of Leap and Myo, Wang's proposed Soundbrace would have the power to transform your arms and fingers into instruments.

To get set up, musicians would first calibrate the sensor-packed bangles by playing an actual guitar (with the Soundbrace attached) to determine baseline measurements for different chords. That way, when you jam sans guitar, the bracelets would be able to measure distance to determine where your hands are on the "fretboard." Read more...

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Lifetime movies aren't just an under appreciated art form, they're an important educational tool. For more than 20 years these films have been imparting wisdom on their viewers, but with so many titles, it can be hard to collect all the tips they've offered

If you have the time, Lifetime movies are best enjoyed in marathons over holiday weekends. But if you just need the advice as quickly as possible, we've collected 10 essential life lessons laid out by these small screen masterpieces over the years. Read more...

1. There's some kind of Hollywood law that states every young actress must make one Lifetime movie to have a successful career. There might be a blood ritual involved too.

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Before allegedly becoming part of the secret National Security Agency surveillance program PRISM, Yahoo fought against it in court, in what was until now a secret challenge. The company eventually lost and had to comply, according to new reports.

This revelation comes from newly leaked documents, obtained by The New York Times, that shed some light on how Yahoo became part of PRISM, the classified NSA snooping program that allows the government to retrieve foreign users' data from tech giants, which reportedly include companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple

Read more...

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Zombies are terrifying and vicious — and apparently make for excellent antagonists in a musical.

Filmmaker Ryan McHenry — who also happens to make hilarious Ryan Gosling cereal videos on Vine — has cast the living dead for a feature-length film called Zombie Musical

Originally a BAFTA award-winning short, the story is about a group of high school friends who fight and sing their way through a zombie apocalypse in order to save their parents.

McHenry is turning to Kickstarter with an interactive twist in hopes of funding his film. Rather than simply awarding prizes for various donation amounts, fans will also be entertained by a narrative that they helped create. Read more...

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There's been a coup d'état in Reddit's atheism community, according to its creator, and a political drama has been unfolding for more than two weeks.

It stems from a disagreement over the type of content appearing there. In recent years, r/atheism has become known for memes, images, quote pictures and other content viewed by some as "low brow." At best, they're humorous digs at fundamentalism and ignorance. At worst, they can be inaccurate or hateful. To "clean up" the subreddit, a host of new moderators have come to power, and — in a controversial move — ousted the community's creator via a technicality in Reddit's policy. Read more...

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Always a stickler on preventing leaks, Kanye West and his careful camp appeared to have changed their tune for the rapper's sixth studio album Yeezus, which leaked online Friday ahead of its June 18 release

The leak wasn't surprising. Let's take West's impromptu Yeezus listening party in New York City this week, for example, which Mashable attended. As the album blared from the speakers and his light gray T-shirt progressively turned darker as sweat secreted off his body, the 100 or so attendees inside Milk Studios freely used their phones to record their surroundings — most importantly, the sounds Read more...

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Is this elaborate Bear Grylls tattoo the best or worst body art ever? You be the judge

Grylls, the host of NBC's Get Out Alive, shared the photo below with his 1 million-plus Twitter followers — and the world at large, really — after a fan sent it his way online. As you can't help but notice, it's takes up a pretty fair amount of skin, and shows the celebrity survivalist clutching a knife while gnawing on a bloody piece of what appears to be raw meat. Good times!

“@BearGrylls_Leb: @BearGrylls OMG I just saw this tattoo on a fan

pic.twitter.com/FOtMEWolfY”

Now thats commitment!! (My mum would go mad!!)

— Bear Grylls (@BearGrylls) June 14, 2013 Read more...

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Selecting the perfect Casual Friday outfit requires some serious strategizing. Wear a tube top and you're the office hooch — wear a fedora and your head gets sweaty during the sales meeting

It's a no-win situation (especially if that image of the CEO wearing jorts is burned onto your brain)

In this comic, Maria Scrivan reveals that your Casual Friday look says more about your brain than your closet.

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

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We've learned more details about the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 during this week's Electronic Entertainment Expo. We know release times, prices and some of the games that will accompany each gaming console, among other staggering differences between the two.

After spending some time hands-on with both consoles during E3, we're bringing you our thoughts and sharing our experiences. We will be hosting a Google+ Hangout today at 4:15 p.m. ET on the Mashable Google+ page to chat about the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Join Games Reporter Chelsea Stark, Tech Reporter Emily Price and Senior Tech Analyst Christina Warren as they share their thoughts on the latest Xbox One and PlayStation 4 news Read more...

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Facebook sent out invitations to press Friday for an event at its Menlo Park, Calif., campus on June 20.

Sent via traditional snail mail, rather than email, the postcards invite reporters to come see the “big idea” that a “small team” has been working on. There’s also promise of coffee — which explains why there is a coffee stain on the invite — while we learn about whatever the mystery product might be.

Facebook has started to make an almost monthly tradition of holding press announcements at its headquarters. At its last event, the company announced Facebook Home, an Android launcher, a product that hasn't been particularly well received and works on select Android handsets. Read more...

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Share more of your precious wireless spectrum with private businesses, President Barack Obama told government agencies in a Friday memo.

What's the deal? All wireless communications require spectrum, a government-regulated finite resource that's limited to one larger-scale "user" at a time, like a radio station, cellphone provider or even a local wireless router. As the number and variety of wireless devices continue to skyrocket, the government is scrambling to find novel ways to allow private businesses the access they need to thrive economically while preserving access for public agencies such as NASA and law enforcement. Read more...

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The real Taylor Swift may not consider herself a feminist, but a parody Twitter account is reworking lyrics from some of her most popular songs to address feminist issues. And it's pretty great.

The account @feministtswift posted its first tweet on Wednesday, and amassed more than 15,000 followers in just a few days

Like T. Swift's original songs, the parodied lyrics sound undeniably catchy — even when referencing gender equality. A few notable examples, and the songs they sampled from:

1. "Love Story"

Image courtesy of Photobucket, mineymouse Read more...

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Foursquare has settled on charging businesses a $20 fee to register on the check-in service, Mashable has learned.

Foursquare had previously tested a variety of price points for companies to claim their business, but according to a rep, it recently decided to charge $20 across the board because that price point performed best.

Companies may already have their business listed on Foursquare, but by paying the fee, they can take control of that listing and add in relevant information like a description and hours of operation. Nearly 1.4 million businesses have registered on Foursquare to date, paying varying amounts to do so. Read more...

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LOS ANGELES — Disney announced Fantasia: Music Evolved for the Xbox earlier this month, based on the studio's classic movie. In the game, you play as the sorcerer’s apprentice (the role portrayed by Mickey in the film) and control the music on the screen, similar to the way the ironic mouse did it in the film.

I had the opportunity to give the game a spin at Disney’s E3 booth this week, and walked away impressed.

Move to the Music

Admittedly, I’m a huge fan of most of the music and moving games out thereRock Band? I'll school you on every instrumentLet’s Dance? No problem. A game like Fantasia is right up my alley, particularly because it combines games, music and moving to create an interactive experience. Read more...

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The White House released a new broadband report Friday that's chock full of interesting information about the state of American broadband. A key chart, however, comes on page nine and shows the digital divide is still very, very real:

Approximately 91% of Americans as a whole have "access to wired broadband speeds of at least 10mbps downstream," the report found. But this chart shows a very different reality if you lack a college degree, if you're poor, if you're rural or if you're hispanic or African American.

Other data suggest minority groups are increasingly going online with mobile devices, perhaps making the above chart less relevant in their case. However, that's not true of rural residents, where mobile broadband is often slow and spotty if available at all. Here's another chart showing how bad the access problem is if you're out in the sticks: Read more...

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For the first time in its 156-year history, The Atlantic is offering a weekly edition, an iPad-based iteration that will spotlight the best of its web-based content that week.

The Atlantic Weekly will be available in an iPad and iPhone app on Friday afternoon in iTunes. Single issues will go for $1.99 or you can get a monthly or annual subscription for $2.99 and $19.99, respectively. Stories from each issue will be cherry-picked for their quality, rather than the amount of hits they get, says Geoff Gagnon, senior editor at the title

Read more...

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ESPN has already suspended Bill Simmons from Twitter once this year for his rebellious posts, but the sports media giant's biggest star had some more harsh criticism Thursday night

Simmons began as an independent sports blogger in the late '90s, before getting hired by ESPN. He's since written books, launched his own ESPN spinoff site, helped create a documentary series and become likely the network's most recognizable name to many fans. His current ubiquity with the company now includes co-hosting its on-air NBA studio show, which is where the trouble started last night

Read more...

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Although the iPad and the iPad mini were largely left out of any announcements made at Apple's big Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this week, the company has posted pictures of the new iOS 7 software running on its tablet devices.

iOS 7 — which will debut this fall — was only unveiled for the iPhone, leaving many wondering when the update to the mobile operating system and all of its new features would come to the iPad.

Tech website iGen — and later spotted by 9to5 Mac — spotted that Apple updated its iOS 7 features page to include pictures of how it would look on the iPad or iPad mini. Read more...

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Thanks to documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, we learned last week about a secret NSA program called PRISM. The program allegedly allows the U.S. government to access the data of foreign users using services like Google, Facebook, and Yahoo. But how does the program really work?

Initially, as reported by The Guardian and The Washington Post, it seemed like the NSA had direct access to the company's servers and could get the data they needed without intervention from the Internet companies. That notion was strongly denied by almost every company mentioned in the the NSA powerpoint presentation that revealed PRISM. And further reporting has revealed that PRISM isn't as evil as we initially thought Read more...

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This car from Toyota comes with an instruction book you'll actually need to use. Toyota's concept car, the Camatte57s, hopes to bring parents and children closer by getting them to build a car together.

The Camatte57s features a roofless, roadster-style design that seats three. Even kids can drive it, with assistance from an adult who will sit in the rear-right seat and has controls to the brakes and accelerator. Kids can drive with assistance on any non-public road or in their backyard

Toyota says the Camatte57s was designed to groom the next generation of drivers, "[The Camette57s] aims to convey the joy and dreams of motor vehicles to current and future drivers ... the fun of driving, car customization and car enthusiasm." Read more...

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Brace yourselves, summer is here, and tourists are coming. And you know what that means — beach season is in full swing.

Though spending the day catching rays by the ocean sounds relaxing, it can turn sour faster than that warm margarita you're hiding in a styrofoam cup

SEE ALSO: Need a Tan? 8 Apps to Faux Your Glow

The key is strategically choosing a spot far from particular common beach dwellers. Here are 24 people you should avoid at the beach

1. The Modern-Day Pirate

Image via iStockphoto, icholakov

Arrr, thar be quarters and fossilized beer bottle caps in those dunes. This metal-detector-wielding sorcerer is convinced gold doubloons are just waiting to be uncovered — conveniently, they are also right under your towel. Read more...

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There's nothing like expressing your love for a significant other by slobbering in her retina.

"Oculolinctus" — otherwise known as eyeball licking — is a phenomenon gaining attention in Japan, as young couples find new ways to show their affection. However, such cringe-worthy amorous acts could come at a cost.

According to Medical Daily, the bizarre fetish can transmit bacteria that can lead to various medical issues, such as pink eye and corneal ulcers

While eyeball licking in Japan is only recently gaining traction in the media, YouTube videos of teenagers slapping tongues against peepers have been around since 2006. Check out a few clips below, but only if your eyes — and stomach — can handle it. Read more...

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In what seems like a guy's worst nightmare, an app called Lulu is bubbling up as a controversial social platform that lets ladies post reviews and recommendations about past dates.

The concept — which launched in February in the U.S. and is available for iOS and Android — is for women only. Men are denied access, deeming it a safe zone for females to rate guys on a variety of topics, from humor and ambition to first kiss and sex.

Here's how it works: After female users ages 18 and up access the app and sync it to Facebook, they can add a guy to the database and upload a picture. All users are anonymous — no names included — and activities are kept off Facebook. But if you come across a profile that might be of interest to someone you know, you can share profiles with Facebook friends. Hashtags can also be added to the guy's profile, so characteristics are searchable Read more...

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