Welcome to Thursday morning's edition of 'First To Know,' a series keeping you in the know on what's happening in the digital world. Today, we're looking at four breaking stories.

Nokia, Microsoft Invite Press to Sept. 5 Event in New York

Nokia and Microsoft have sent out press invites to an event in New York Sept. 5, in what is expected to be a Windows Phone 8 release. Though the invitation has little information other than the time, date and location, it does feature teh Windows Phone and Nokia Lumia logo.

The stateside event will take place during Nokia World in Helsinki, Finland.

Hypersonic Aircraft Crashes Moments After Takeoff

During its military test flight, the…
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More About: Nokia, microsoft, morning brief, need to know

Though Bill Gates stepped down as head of Microsoft in 2008 to focus on philanthropy, he hasn't left the realm of world-changing innovation.

Gates hosted the Reinvent the Toilet Fair in Seattle, Wash. Tuesday and Wednesday, showcasing the designs and working prototypes of eight design finalists from around the world, who followed though on his August 2011 challenge to reinvent the toilet. The former Microsoft chief invited innovators to create a product that could function without water pipes, a sewer connection or outside electricity, while costing less than 5 cents per day to honor. The eight universities that presented at the fair received a cumulative $400,000 to develop their pro…
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More About: Social Good, Toilet, bill gates, developing world, trending

Close your eyes and imagine the sexiest car you can think of. You're picturing a 1995 Pontiac Grand AM, right?

Okay, so maybe you're not. But after listening to this slightly ambitious Craigslist ad for the used car you just might change your mind.

The car's price tag is "slashed" from $199,000 down to just $700 and the current owner promises driving it will be better than your last four romantic encounters combined.

SEE ALSO: Google Buys Newspaper Ad to Show Why Newspaper Ads Don't Work

Or maybe this is just a beautiful case of a used car salesman overselling a vehicle. We'll let you decide.

More About: Viral, Watercooler, ads, cars, craigslist, trending

Comic website The Oatmeal is on a mission to save the Tesla Tower.

Matthew Inman, the site's creator, has launched a fundraiser called "Operation Let's Build a Goddamn Tesla Museum." The goal? To convert Wardenclyffe, Tesla's laboratory located in Shoreham, NY, into a museum and science center honoring the Serbian-American inventor. The tower was designed to transmit free wireless energy to the world, but Tesla lost funding before the project was completed.

Wardenclyffe was demolished in 1917, but the land, laboratory and foundation beneath it still exist. Recently, the tower went up for sale, and the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe, a local nonprofit group, is trying to raise…
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More About: Social Good, Tesla Tower, The Oatmeal, museum, online fundraising

For the forgetful among us, it can be hard to remember whether we turned off the lights, the iron or the stove before we left home. The makers of Domo have solved this problem. If you think you've forgotten to turn something off, Domo will save you a trip back.

Domo is a Wi-Fi-enabled device that can be linked to household appliances. It allows you to control them on the go from your smartphone, and can sense your proximity to your home.

Domo can be set to turn off certain lights or electronics when you leave for work, and turn those same appliances on when you return home. Its capabilities allow you to save energy while keeping your home safe.…
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More About: Domo, Newsy, kickstarter

The Olympics are over, and whether you were watching or not, you probably couldn't avoid their sponsors' ads.

Unmetric, a service that tracks brands' online presence, collected data leading up to the Games to see how sponsors stacked up against each other.

"The Olympics represent the grandest stage in all of sports, bringing together the greatest athletes from around the world. This grandness and competition is mirrored by the brands sponsoring the event in their efforts on social media," says Unmetric CEO, Lux Narayan. "Within this competitive landscape, brands are doing their best to become the business equivalent of Michael Phelps. This report looks deep inside their efforts…
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More About: Advertising, olympics, sponsorships, trending

For parents who worry about their children's whereabouts when they leave the house — there's an app for that.

Amber Alert GPS introduced a device and corresponding app Wednesday that allows parents to rest easy when the kids are away. The new device boasts GPS technology, AT&T connectivity and a corresponding online portal.

This protection package features unique alerts for your child's safety. Not only can users track their child's whereabouts through GPS and zoning, they also have access to a two-way calling function as well as an SOS button. Want to be able to contact your kid sans cell phone? This is the device for you.

Amber Alert GPS has also integrated the National S…
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More About: amber alert, apps, trending

You may never see iconic American chef Julia Child the same way after watching this YouTube remix.

PBS Digital Studios celebrated Child's 100th birthday with a video montage that turns her cooking lessons into a stylized song a la T-Pain.

Remixed by John D. Boswell, a.k.a. melodysheep, the remix shows Child giving autotuned instructions for prepping meals.

The video, which is third in a series of PBS icons remixed, includes gems such as, "As long as the dough is relaxed, it's ready to roll -- ready to roll."

Child, who died in 2004, was a noted cookbook author and host of The French Chef on PBS.

SEE ALSO: Google Doodle Celebrates Julia Child's 100th Birthday

The publ…
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More About: Julia Child, autotune, remix, t-pain, trending

Jayson DeMers is the founder and CEO of AudienceBloom, a Seattle-based SEO agency, as well as Crackerize.com, a lyrics-humor website. Find him on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter.

By now, you've probably heard about Google Penguin, Google's major algorithm update that was launched in late April and wreaked havoc on thousands of websites, businesses, and the SEO industry.

Months later, many businesses are still in panic mode as they try to escape the depths of a Google Penguin ranking penalty. So, if your website remains in the clutches of this change, here's what you can do to recover.

Step 1: Diagnose the Problem
Before doing anything, you need to diagnose the reason for you…
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More About: contributor, features, google analytics, google news, linking, trending

In 1999, Lawrence Gentilello and Tuyen Truong started something based on Stanford University's facebook called, "The Facebook" online. They scanned in more than 7,000 student pictures to a database online which they cross-referenced with each student's personal information: address, phone number and email.

What happened next sounds all too familiar: Stanford University shut it down.

"We bowed to the University pressure and took the site down," says Gentilello. "They were scared it was going to be used for stalking."

To think what this could have been….

Not to worry, they are on to the next thing: screen-sharing in less than 5…
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More About: Facebook, Stanford University, trending, valleygirltv

The Mitt Romney campaign might be fans of the band Silversun Pickups, but the feeling isn't mutual. The alternative rock band has issued a cease and desist against the Romney campaign Wednesday for improper use of its 2009 hit song, "Panic Switch."

The Romney campaign has reportedly been playing "Panic Switch" at campaign stops across the country. The problem, according to the band, is that neither it nor its representatives were contacted for permission.

In a statement, lead singer/guitarist Brian Aubert says, "We don't like people going behind our backs, using our music without asking, and we don't like the Romney campaign." He adds, "we were very close to just letting this…
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More About: Mitt Romney, silversun pickups, trending

Hackers have changed since the days of The Matrix. While most hackers used to hold iconoclastic ideals, with aspirations to "shock the system" for a perceived common good, today's hacker/cracker community is more concerned with making a quick buck.

At least that's how Mike Calce, the former hacker known as 'mafiaboy,' sees things. Calce says he still has contact with some of the people he used to know in the hacker community, and while many of them are still active, their priorities have changed.

"The hacker motivation has changed immensely," Calce told Mashable in an interview. "It's much more about monetary gain, whereas in my era, it was about pushing the status quo."

Calce's era…
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More About: cybersecurity, hackers, hacking, mafiaboy, security, trending

This NASA parody has successfully landed on the Internet, no parachute needed.

"We're NASA and We Know It" reworks LMFAO's infectious hit "Sexy and I Know It" with new lyrics adjusted for full-throttle space geekiness.

SEE ALSO: Obama to NASA: Let Me Know If You Find Aliens [VIDEO]

Roger that, Jet Propulsion Lab, we have viral video liftoff.

More About: NASA, Watercooler, YouTube, curiosity rover, space, trending, viral video

Data privacy officials in Germany have reopened a probe to look deeper at Facebook's face recognition technology and determine if the social networking giant was collecting member photos without their knowledge.

In June, an investigation into Facebook's database of pictures -- led by data protection commissioner Johannes Casper in Hamburg, was suspended after he said he would give Facebook time to update its policies. After several attempts and no updates, Casper is now reopening the investigation according to The New York Times. He believes that Facebook has been illegally collecting face-recognition data about its members in order to populate its photo tag suggest feature.

Howev…
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More About: Facebook, Social Media, privacy, security, social networks, trending

Ecuador's formal decision on the asylum request from Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, will be delivered Thursday morning at 7:00 a.m. Quito local time, according to the country's foreign minister, Ricardo Patino.

Patino told reporters that his country's ambassador to the U.K. received a threat from British authorities that they may raid the Ecuadorian embassy in London to secure Assange.

Ecuadorian FM says the ambassador to London received a threatening letter from the UK govt saying the embassy may be raided— Rodrigo (@RodrigoEBR) August 15, 2012

Reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation sent Wednesday indicated that the asylum request had been granted,…
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More About: World, julian assange, wikileaks

Why mope into manhood when you can vogue? In 1992, Shaun Sperling marked his transition to manhood with a spectacular vogueing tribute to Madonna.

The 13-year-old donned a very special dress shirt and busted out his finest face framing moves for Bar Mitzvah guests.

You can't get that kind of entertainment with a hired kazoo band.

More About: Watercooler, YouTube, madonna, viral video

1. Peep Show

"Looking through the keyhole at Versailles," said kewmo80.

Click here to view this gallery.

Whoever said that curiosity killed the cat must have led a boring life.

Curiosity, which is also the name of NASA's Mars rover, is a good thing. It's what propels scientists and innovators to come up with things like wearable electronics, smart dog collars -- and because they can -- cat headphones.

SEE ALSO: How to Build Your Own LEGO Mars Rover Curiosity

Last week, we asked Mashable readers to submit photos that express curiosity. The theme opened a wide set of possibilities: things that normally go unnoticed, things hidden from plain view, everyday objects shot from a different perspective. Others took it more literally, sending fun snapshots of pets and children looking at the ca…
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More About: Curiosity, Mashable Photo Challenge, Photos, community

If you're an Android user looking for some new games, you'll be able to grab five great titles at a pay-what-you-want price for the next two weeks.

Humble Bundle announced their third iteration of the Humble Android Bundle, where users grab five games for whatever price they wish.

The bundle includes tower-defense title Fieldrunners; rhythm game BIT.TRIP BEAT, which is making its Android debut; puzzle title SpaceChem; Uplink, an unique puzzle title that's based on hacking; and Spirits, a puzzle-platformer with a dreamy art style. While all of these games are available on Android, they are all also playable on Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.

The first four games can be…
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More About: android, android games, humble bundle

Can Kickstarter and local governments work together to help citizens raise money for community improvements in low-income neighborhoods?

That's the hope of the New York City Council, which announced this week that it will curate Kickstarter campaigns aiming to improve the quality of life in New York City's poorer neighborhoods on a dedicated page, Kickstarter.com/NYC.

The page will highlight a mixture of projects, including restaurants, urban farms and art installations. The goal? To get philanthropically-minded citizens of the city and from around the world to pitch in and help make New York City better for all its residents.

City officials tout the partnership as a cutting-ed…
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More About: Social Good, kickstarter, new york city

When Anderson Cooper's talk show returns with new episodes next month, the show is going to have a much more social feel.

The show, now called Anderson Live, will be aired live to tape, abandoning the pre-taped format the show employed for its first season. As a result, the show's producers are looking at how to take advantage of Cooper's active social following in order to infuse social and digital into the show itself.

We spoke to Terence Noonan, Executive Producer for Anderson Live and Bob Mohler, SVP of digital media for Telepictures about the show's new format, the importance of digital and how much Cooper really loves Instagram

Going Live

video platformvideo managem…
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More About: Anderson Cooper, anderson live, social tv, talk shows

The McKayla Maroney meme continues its Internet domination and this time the unimpressed gymnast has vaulted her way into the lives of the Peanuts crew.

Maroney herself even tweeted out the image from her Instagram account.

I just died.. (; instagr.am/p/OXC7DJKiaO/— McKayla Maroney (@McKaylaMaroney) August 15, 2012

Image courtesy of mckaylaisnotimpressed

BONUS: The Best of McKayla Maroney Is Not Amused

More About: Watercooler, internet memes, memes, olympics

Just over a week after NASA successfully landed its Curiosity Rover on Mars, India announced its own plans to launch its first mission to Earth's next-door neighbor.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the plan, which will involve an unmanned orbiter and cost nearly $64 million, during a speech celebrating India's sixty-fifth year of independence.

"This spaceship to Mars will be a huge step for us in the area of science and technology," said Singh during his speech, according to The Guardian.

If successful, India will become the sixth nation to reach Mars. While this mission will be unmanned, the country's space program is also seeking budgetary approval for sending astrona…
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More About: Mars, NASA, World, india, space

Visitors to Subway's Facebook Page got treated to some off-brand messaging on Wednesday thanks to what appears to be a lack of vigilance regarding the Page's "Posts by Others" link.

As of this writing, visitors who clicked that link got shown some anime porn by a user named Yichao Ravioli. Ravioli posted at least half a dozen ribald anime images that make creative use of Subway's signature sandwiches.

The gaffe was spotted by journalist Lauren Orsini of The Daily Dot.

Can somebody tell me why the hell everyone is posting anime porn to Subway's Facebook page? Yes, I checked /b/.— Lauren Orsini (@laureninspace) August 15, 2012

A rep from Subway said she was not aware o…
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More About: Facebook, Marketing, subway

The X-51A Waverider -- a hypersonic technology that could one day transport passengers from London to New York in an hour -- launched successfully on Tuesday off the coast of California, but failed to complete its full mission, according to the Air Force.

The Waverider, which was attached from the wing of a B-52 bomber, separated as planned. However, after 16 seconds in the air, one of its cruiser control fins malfunctioned and it was unable to maintain control. Program officials are currently determining what went wrong. Before the mission, the Air Force said they wouldn't be recovering the Waverider.

The U.S. Air Force, NASA and the Pentagon are collectively testing a new kind of…
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More About: NASA, aircraft, hypersonic flight

Our world is becoming more social every day. And while companies like Facebook and Twitter have led the social revolution for consumers, a number of innovative companies are creating social transformation within the enterprise.

Social enterprise technology can be described as social software used by businesses to collaborate and share information. It makes sense that this type of collaborative software is growing fast. In fact, the industry is projected to expand from $900 million in 2011 to $6.4 billion in 2016, according to a Forrester Research report. Here are five companies that are leading the way.

1. Jive
Founded in 2001, Jive provides collaboration software for businesses…
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More About: contributor, features, social enterprise, technology

When Pinterest launched in 2010 and exploded in popularity in 2011, the big joke was that people use it to plan their weddings (even if they're single or not yet engaged), or to decorate their hypothetical dream homes. But little did brides-to-be know that there was something better for wedding planning, something more tailored to their precise needs. That product came from Los Angeles native Kellee Khalil.

Khalil is put together and bubbly, and most importantly, she knows weddings. Her older sister Leila Lewis runs the public relations agency Be Inspired PR -- the only one devoted entirely to wedding planning -- and counts celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss among her clients. Wit…
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More About: Day In The Life Series, features, loverly, mashable

The Before

Image courtesy of Imgur

Click here to view this gallery.

Remember kids, a clean keyboard is a happy keyboard. And if the letters on your computer keys are barely visible under a layer of Cheetos dust, Red Bull splatter and unidentifiable grime, you're just asking for trouble.

A Redditor/office farmer found a clever way to shame a coworker for his dirty QWERTY with a bag of dirt and pouch of garden cress seeds.

Flip through the gallery to find out how "The Cressening" (as it was dubbed) all plays -- or sprouts -- outs.

Via Reddit

More About: Watercooler, reddit

In the end, it was Apple's own technology that helped police track down the man who burglarized Steve Jobs's home last month.

A burglar broke into the home of the late Apple co-founder in July and made off with $60,000 worth of property, but details of the heist weren't made public until earlier this week.

On Tuesday, The Daily reported that 35-year-old homeless man Kariem McFarlin pawned the Tiffany jewelry he got in the heist, but also tried to use the Apple hardware he nabbed from Jobs's home. When one of the two iMacs or three iPads he grabbed connected to central servers to upgrade themselves, he was busted.

A task force comprised of local police and members of Apple…
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More About: apple, ipad, steve jobs

RomneyRyan.com is the latest case of political domain name satire: the website's got nothing to do with the Romney campaign, but it's being used to poke fun at Romney's refusal to release more than two years' worth of his tax returns.

Visitors to the site are greeted with a photo of Mitt Romney and running mate Paul Ryan, a countdown to Election Day and a link reading "please click here to view Mitt Romney's tax returns."

What does that link actually point to? A cleverly-designed 404 error-style page saying "file not found," along with a notification the domain might be for sale.

SEE ALSO: 35 Entertaining 404 Error Pages

The owner of the domain, New York City resident and…
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More About: 2012 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney, Politics, US, paul ryan

Sesamstraße , Germany

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"Sunny day, sweepin' the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet. Can you tell me how to get..."

If you grew up on Grover and Cookie Monster, you probably finished the lyric above without much thought. Millions of American kids know the words to the Sesame Street opener as well as they know "Happy Birthday" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

For children outside English-speaking countries, their Sesame experience sounds a bit different.

The long-running children's television staple co-produces more than 20 international versions of the show viewed by 120 million kids. The shows are reworked for local audiences with different monsters and Muppets, story lines and songs, inc…
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More About: Watercooler, muppets, sesame street, viral videos