It started with a simple question. "Anthony, want to make out?"

But this wasn't a simple proposition between two friends. It was meant to prove a point. And the resulting scene, caught on video by a random bystander, has been gaining traction online. The clip features two college students, Kyle Murray and Anthony Lopez, successfully silencing an anti-gay preacher at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif

"I was out there and I was watching and it really aggravated me. And I was thinking, 'What can I do?' People were yelling back and trying to reason with her, which didn't work because there was no logic behind what she was saying," Murray said Read more...

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Squished faces, curly tails, a discerning taste in toys — pugs have it all.

Meet Toy Critic Pug, a plump pooch with an opinion on bouncy balls, puppets, Rubik's Cubes and anything else you'd find in the playroom

This elite gizmo reviewer's real name is Queenie and while she knows the ins and outs of toy boxes, she has a serious fear of llamas.

[H/T Holykaw]

Image via iStockphoto, Dose Creative Read more...

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When you see Fido catching a Frisbee or playing dead, it might seem like an impressive trick — but you haven't seen this bear

A YouTube video has been circulating online that features a Russian grizzly bear performing a series of tricks with his trainer that go beyond any simple fetch or obstacle course.

The first minute of the video is nothing special, but it soon gets pretty astounding, if a little unbelievable. Prompted by vocal commands and treats, this bear can hula hoop, sit properly on a chair and even play the trumpet. Amazed yet?

It might be a toss-up as to what's the most talented species on the Internet, but this well-trained grizzly is definitely bolstering the bear competition. You know an animal is pretty special when its coordination beats that of some humans. Read more...

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It's funny how our mobile devices are anything but mobile when they run low on battery. Instead, we're stuck plugging gadgets into a wall outlet and waiting for them to juice up. But now a Pittsburgh, Pa. startup has designed a creative solution for this #FirstWorldProblem that can even help the developing world.

Energy harvesting startup SolePower created a shoe insole prototype that charges portable electronics while you walk, as explained in the video above. This special shoe sole fits in your shoe and a charging wire snakes through your laces. The charging wire plugs into a battery, which is fastened around your ankle or clipped to your shoe. Read more...

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Just when we thought the doughnut couldn't outdo itself, it ups the ante (and the calories) a few hundred notches.

Friday was National Doughnut Day, so Krispy Kreme and its competitor, Dunkin Donuts, gave out free doughnuts to customers in the U.S. and Canada. It's also the perfect time for Dunkin Donuts to announce its new Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich, a 360-calorie, artery-clogging concoction sure to satisfy the gnarliest of sweet teeth

However, as we've come to expect, the Krispy Kreme will not be outdone.

Chef "Chicken" Charlie Boghosian, California's "deep-fry king," has announced on Facebook that he will unveil a Krispy Kreme Sloppy Joe sandwich at the San Diego Fair on Saturday. Judging from the picture, the edible behemoth includes a glazed donut cut in half with a mountain of meat, sauce and cheese stuffed in between. Read more...

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3D-printing firm MakerBot opened its new — and much larger — factory in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Friday.

The 50,000-square-foot building is located in the borough's Sunset Park neighborhood. Its main purpose is to accommodate the company's growing staff — they plan to increase by more than 50 over the summer — and extend production on a product for which demand is rapidly growing.

"We were 120 employees at the start of the year. Now we're at 267," Bre Pettis, MakerBot's CEO, told Mashable. "The game is on. There was no market for this when we started, so we kind of had to create one from the ground up. People are starting to realize that, with this, you really have the superpower to create anything. It's the next industrial revolution." Read more...

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President Barack Obama has asked for a list of potential overseas targets that the U.S. could hit with cyberattacks, according to a top-secret directive that reveals how the government intends to step up its offensive cyber capabilities.

The top-secret document was obtained by The Guardian and published on Friday. The document was issued last October and portions of it were revealed in January, but this is the first time we are seeing it in its entirety.

The leaked presidential policy directive calls for the secretary of defense, the director of national intelligence, and the CIA director to draw a plan "that identifies potential systems, processes and infrastructure against which the United States should establish and maintain OCEO [Offensive Cyber Effects Operations] capabilities." Read more...

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Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is personally denying Facebook's reported involvement in the National Security Agency's secret PRISM Internet surveillance program.

From Zuckerberg's Facebook page:

I want to respond personally to the outrageous press reports about PRISM:

Facebook is not and has never been part of any program to give the US or any other government direct access to our servers. We have never received a blanket request or court order from any government agency asking for information or metadata in bulk, like the one Verizon reportedly received. And if we did, we would fight it aggressively. We hadn't even heard of PRISM before yesterday

When governments ask Facebook for data, we review each request carefully to make sure they always follow the correct processes and all applicable laws, and then only provide the information if is required by law. We will continue fighting aggressively to keep your information safe and secure. Read more...

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Information obtained under the National Security Agency's recently revealed PRISM Internet surveillance program foiled a planned terrorist attack on New York City's subway system, according to a report.

The information helped prevent an "Islamist militant plot" against the public transit network, according to Reuters, which cited U.S. government sources. Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan-born U.S. resident who was planning the attack, pleaded guilty in 2010 to conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, among other charges.

The Reuters story sheds light on House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers' (R-Mich.) earlier cryptic defense of PRISM. Rogers claimed a domestic attack had been foiled with intelligence gathered under PRISM, but did not provide specific information, claiming it was classified. Read more...

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There exists a scourge in professional basketball these days, one that threatens the very sanctity of the game itself. No, we're not talking about performance enhancing drugs (at least not yet). We're talking about flopping

Flopping, for the uninitiated, is the tactic employed by some NBA players of overreacting to the slightest touch or invasion of personal space. It's characterized by flailing arms and over-dramatized falls, and is meant to fool referees into doling out favorable — yet misinformed — calls

The dark art has become more commonplace in recent years, forcing the league to step up its punishment. During this season's playoffs, a player determined to have flopped is hit with a $5,000 fine. A fourth violation draws a $30,000 fine. Read more...

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Did tech giants like Google, Facebook or Apple really give the NSA unfettered access to their user's data? On Thursday, almost all of them denied that. On Friday, Google's CEO Larry Page came forward to clarify and reiterate that Google has nothing to do with the newly revealed secret surveillance program PRISM.

In a blog post published on Friday, Page started off by saying that he wants to give users "the facts."

"First, we have not joined any program that would give the U.S. government — or any other government — direct access to our servers," he said. "Indeed, the U.S. government does not have direct access or a 'back door' to the information stored in our data centers." As Apple did, Page claimed Google had not heard of a program called PRISM until yesterday." Read more...

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The public has been in an uproar after reports revealed that Verizon has been providing telephone records of millions of its subscribers with the National Security Agency (NSA). Another report acknowledged that major Internet companies, such as Facebook and Google, are also allowing the NSA to access user data through a program called PRISM.

With all the news about your data potentially being tracked, how do you feel about this? Are you surprised by this news? Do you feel safer knowing these investigations are taking place? Share your opinions in the poll below and please add any other questions you've had about this situation. Read more...

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Lakers fans have a certain, shall we say, reputation around the sports water cooler. They're daft, the thinking goes — a bunch of partiers and posers who just want to latch onto a big name but don't actually have any substance as fans or even really follow the team

But of course that's just an unfair stereotype perpetuated by disgruntled fans of less successful NBA franchises, right? Right? Well, not according to the hilarious video above

The clip comes from Jimmy Kimmel Live's popular "Lie Witness News" series. This time, his crew hit the streets of Los Angeles to find Lakers "fans" who were pumped to see their team in the NBA finals again Read more...

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In case you haven't heard, Brian Williams is now moonlighting as a rapper. Kind of.

The wonderful people over at Late Night with Jimmy Fallon have been mashing up Bri-Wi with famous hip hop hits to produce some hilariously awkward renditions. On Wednesday night, they released a YouTube clip of him "singing" Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre's "Nothin' but a G Thang" (below), and followed it up with Warren G's "Regulate" (above).

Though the NBC Nightly News anchor typically reports on world events, this isn't his first foray into music performance. He appeared on Late Night in January to slow jam the fiscal cliff with Fallon, and, as evidenced by this latest video, he not only has a knack for straight-faced spitting — but also for collecting impressive ties Read more...

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Confused about this week's deluge of news about the NSA's secret surveillance programs? Start here

It began on Wednesday, with the revelation that Verizon had received a secret court order requesting it to give the National Security Agency access to the metadata of all Americans' phone calls. In a few hours, reports confirmed it was a standard, routine, ongoing, and recurring practice, one which is reauthorized every three months

On Thursday, another secret NSA program called PRISM was revealed. The program involves some of the larger Internet companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple, which have all apparently collaborated with the government to wiretap their foreign users communications Read more...

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Doughnuts get a lot of flak in the pastry department. Most would not associate the spherical treat with more sophisticated desserts, like tiramisu or chocolate soufflé

Which is why we're taking #foodporn to a whole new, SFW level. In honor of National Doughnut Day, we've added sex appeal to the doughnut industry.

SEE ALSO: 10 People Who Take Doughnuts Too Seriously

You'll never write off another pink sprinkled doughnut as bait to trick cops out of a parking ticket again.

Subscribe to Mashable on YouTube. Read more...

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History buffs and urban explorers alike can get a sense of New York and its best sights, without having to read an entire guidebookUrbanWonderer, the free iPhone and Android app created and narrated by licensed NYC tour guide Steven Craig Sickles lets you select from a variety of self-guided audio tours through the city

This way, you can ditch the clunky guidebook and travel through the city’s neighborhoods while getting tips on the best restaurants, museums and parks, and exploring each area’s history. You can even check out where famous films and TV shows were shot.

Read more...

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When ballroom dancers from Brigham Young University (BYU) took the stage at a recent international competition, it wasn't just their moves that generated buzz

BYU student engineers designed custom dresses with LED lights for the dancers, which incorporate some smart technology that syncs with the music.

The project grew from a collaboration between the BYU Ballroom Dance Company, alongside computer and electrical engineering students working on their senior projects. The dance company wore the unique dresses during the prestigious British Open Championships in Blackpool, England on May 29.

BYU says each dress included eight LED-light strips, attached to a computer chip and battery. Over the past school year, about 17 engineering students worked on the project. Doran Wilde, a BYU associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, says his students worked closely with the dance team to design the dresses Read more...

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Mashable and (RED) challenged you to set the RecordSetter world record for the most Vine videos sent for a social cause on Wednesday.

The results are in; we did it!

We set this record to raise awareness for the fight against AIDS, and we were so excited to see such a wide array of creative entries from all over the world — from Kenya, Thailand, the UK and beyond. A few people even dedicated their very first Vine video to help set the #REDworldrecord.

SEE ALSO: 11 Types of Vine Videos You Haven't Tried

To participate, you simply had to create a Vine video that showed something red or share a Vine video that used your voice to help spread the message. Read more...

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They say great minds think alike. That’s why Mashable's Events Board is here to help you make valuable connections — when you attend your industry’s leading conferences, that is. Whether you work in advertising, technology or media, we can help you find the perfect conference.

This week we’ve gathered up five events, held in cities like San Diego, London and New York, to help propel you in the right direction. And if you don’t see something that strikes your fancy, check out more than 50 events in our complete listings.

Sort listings by date, get discount codes exclusive to Mashable readers, or maybe watch a video of a past event so you won’t be caught by surprise. You can also subscribe to our events newsletter or follow our events account on Twitter so you'll never miss a thing. Read more...

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Sunday's shocking Game of Thrones episode, "The Rains of Castamere," was HBO's most social episode for any show in the history of the network, HBO told Mashable on Friday.

With more than 700,000 mentions on Twitter, Facebook, blogs, news sites and forums, online chatter about the episode surpassed the social buzz for HBO's next two most social episodes: the season three premiere of Game of Thrones and the season five premiere of True Blood. HBO calculated mentions from Sunday at 7 p.m. EDT to Monday at 7 p.m.

The stats, from social analytics firm mashwork, also show that social volume increased 44% during the episode compared to this season's premiere Read more...

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Some kids dream of becoming international soccer stars. Some kids fantasize about the NBA hardcourt. Others have their sights set on NFL glory

These men are boys who grew up to become competitive shin-kickers

Yes, that's right. Shin-kicking is an actual sport in one English town, and it looks just about as unpleasant as the name implies

Here's how shin-kicking works. Two contestants fill their pant legs with straw for padding. They lock in by gripping one another by the shoulders. Then they start kicking. Whoever wimps out or falls down first loses. Read more...

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Say what you like about the NSA's Internet-monitoring PRISM program. One thing is clear from the leaked slides that revealed it to the world: The top intelligence agency in the U.S. has some pretty awful PowerPoint skills.

No one knows that better than Edward Tufte, an author, Yale profesor and expert on presenting visual information. Tufte frequently lectures on the curse of PowerPoint; he believes it has led to millions of boring, incomprehensible presentations with way too much text in them. Steve Jobs was a fan of Tufte's work, which is why you would never see bullet points in Jobs keynotes Read more...

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For years, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore., pictured) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) have been dying to tell us about the NSA's secret data-gathering methods

Wyden called the phone records gathering program something "I have been concerned about for years" in a Thursday statement, but added that he's still "barred by Senate rules from commenting on some of the details at this time." Udall told the Denver Post Thursday he "did everything short of leaking classified information."

As members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, they likely knew intimate details about the NSA's goings-on. The problem? It was — and remains — illegal for them to share details about the classified program. That didn't stop them from dropping hints, though. Read more...

More about Privacy, Congress, Data Mining, Us World, and Politics

Ready to add a little music to Instagram photos? A new platform called Song for Pic randomly matches songs to your pictures and lets you and your friends vote on which works best.

The free service, which syncs with your existing Instagram account, can be played and shared with friends, letting everyone vote on a soundtrack for certain pictures.

Here's how it works: After Song for Pic connects to your Instagram account (just sign in), it will randomly choose a picture from your library. Then, it offers four song choices, which can be played by selecting one of the colored boxes highlighted below the image. A voting feature lets others weigh in on their favorite song pick. Read more...

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Editor's Note: Mashable supports the call for smart, comprehensive immigration reform to attract and keep the best and brightest to fuel innovation and American jobs. Read more about Mashable's stance as a company on immigration policy.

Comprehensive immigration reform will have a positive impact on Americans across the country. It will create a better system to retain the hardworking people who have helped to build our communities and to attract those who want to remake the American dream for a new generation

These small business owners, entrepreneurs, agricultural workers, students and community leaders made us what we are todayOur country needs us to fix the current system. Read more...

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The most surprising thing to me about this week’s revelations about the NSA wiretapping calls on Verizon and the agency’s PRISM program is that people are surprised.

The NSA has had the authority to monitor domestic calls since 2008 (before that, it could only legally tap international calls). The program has not been a secret and has been written about in USA Today and Wired. The fact that the NSA is at least looking into using the same authority to monitor activity on the web seems like a plausible extension of that program.

Read more...

More about Us World, Politics, Us, Nsa, and Boston Marathon

Apple's annual developer conference, WWDC, begins on Monday, June 10, and if you didn't think there was hype for this event, the fact that tickets sold out in just 120 seconds should sway your opinion.

As Apple prepares for all walks of life to descend up San Francisco's Moscone Center, rumors about what to expect have been heating up. To discuss some of the news you should expect to come from Apple next week, we will be hosting a Google+ Hangout today at 1:45 p.m. EDT on the Mashable Google+ page

Join Tech Editor Pete Pachal and Senior Tech Analyst Christina Warren as they share their thoughts on any intriguing information that could be brewing. Do you have questions or comments about WWDC? Share them in the comments below and we'll try to get to them during today's Hangout. Read more...

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Let's be real: Pockets, holsters and purses don't always stash your phone in an accessible or stylish fashion. Canadian-based design company They Innovate has a nifty solution with Clipless. The creators launched a Kickstarter campaign to catalyze support for the new accessory.

Clipless is a three-piece magnetic mount that can secure to just about anything and can integrate easily to clothing (nearly all fabrics save for fragile silk or especially thick layers) as well as flat surfaces. But according to the creators, who crafted the modular design using a cellar-confined CNC machine, they "didn't just stick a magnet to a phone." Read more...

More about Smartphones, Crowdfunding, Tablets, Nfc, and Kickstarter

We're not going to lie, doughnuts are kind of amazing. They look nice. They smell nice. They're delicious in pretty much any form

We could endlessly wax poetic about the joys of their cake/yeast/glazed wonderfulness, but there are certain things we'd never do in the name of the pastry.

SEE ALSO: Not Even Grumpy Cat Could Resist These Doughnuts

So in honor of National Doughnut Day, we rounded up a list of people who take doughnuts a little too seriously (even for us). But, um, we appreciate their passion.

1. The Cops Who Used a Police Chopper to Buy Krispy Kremes

In 2001, two Albuquerque, N.M. police officers used a department helicopter to pick up some late-night Krispy Kremes. Guess when a craving hits, it really hits? Read more...

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