After being shot in the face by a poacher seven years ago, Beauty the bald eagle lost most of her beak.

Without it, she couldn't feed herself, and likely would have died in the wild. But now, Beauty's getting a second chance at survival in the form of a 3D printed beak.

A team of researchers, engineers and dentists created the world's first prosthetic beak, which was modeled with CAD software and 3D-printed from nylon polymers.

SEE ALSO: 3D Printing Gives Amputees Custom-Designed Legs [VIDEO]

After a two-hour-long procedure, Beauty can now eat and drink by herself, though she's not ready to be released back into the wild. The eagle remains at Birds of Prey Northwest, the con…
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Hard-core fans of HBO's popular series Game of Thrones want to create a web-based prequel, and need your help to make it a reality.

A new Kickstarter project unaffiliated with HBO or George R.R. Martin -- the author of the books on which the series is based -- aims to create a pilot episode for a new web series that takes place 100 years prior to the events currently shown on Game of Thrones.

Called "Dunk and Egg," the series would occur in Martin's fantasy world, but would include story lines from his prequel, The Hedge Knight.

"Our labor of love will explore the legend and lore of Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and will give fans a glimpse into the harsh medieval world of…
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More About: TV, game of thrones, hbo, kickstarter, trending

Samsung may have lost the patent battle against Apple, but that doesn't mean the Korean electronics giant has quieted down.

In a new ad shown to Mashable that will start running in various national and regional papers on Sunday, Samsung has stacked the specs of its Galaxy S III smartphone against the newly-announced iPhone 5.

What's first noticeable about the ad is its tagline, which is an obvious jab at Apple: "It doesn't take a genius." Not only does this reference Apple's "genius" retail employees, Samsung also implies that deciding between the two devices is a piece of cake.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 5 Compared With Competitors [CHART]

The Galaxy S III's list of features is much lon…
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More About: Mobile, Samsung Galaxy S III, iPhone 5, iphone, samsung, smartphone, trending

In the market for a spiffy case to go with your brand new iPhone 5? The Natural Sapphire Company is offering a jewel-encrusted covering -- for those who have $100,000 to spare.

Crafted with 18-carat white gold, the case is set with 2,830 blue Ceylon sapphires that total 169.8 carats. It features an Apple logo set with 38 rubies totaling 2.28 carats, and a single marquise-cut green sapphire as the apple's leaf. The stones are sourced from mines in Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Thailand, according to the company's website.

Customers can also personalize the design, with an option to include platinum and sapphires in other colors.

The New York-based jeweler markets its lavish six-figur…
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More About: apple, iPhone 5, trending

Wish you could just whack your phone to silence it? Microsoft has filed for a patent that could allow users to shut it up in a hurry.

The patent -- filed in March 2011 and approved on Thursday -- details a "whack-based audio control module" that aims to quiet mobile devices when it's smacked with a hand.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft Patent Details Full-Room Gaming Experience With Wall Projections

"There are a variety of circumstances under which it may be desirable to quickly control a device without having to interact with a traditional user interface," the filing said. "For example, often mobile device users forget to set their mobile devices in a silent or vibrate mode and t…
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More About: Mobile, microsoft, smartphone

Between the anniversary of 9/11, the attacks on U.S. embassies in the Middle East and the political sparring match that ensued, it was a tumultuous week. At least the weather was nice, right?

It was an incredibly busy week in the tech world, so you may have missed some important stuff if you weren't paying close attention. Apple announced the impending release of the iPhone 5, a new version of iTunes, upgrades to the iPod Touch and Nano lines and even a redesign of the now-iconic earbuds.

Feeling overwhelmed? Fear not because even if you didn't have time to follow along, we were all over it.

This recap includes everything you need to know about those new Apple products, along…
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Looking for the best apps? Here's our weekend roundup of our favorite new and updated apps for iOS, BlackBerry and Android.

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With a simple click of the heels, a pair of GPS shoes may make it easier to find your way home.

Created by British designer Dominic Wilcox, the "No Place Like Home GPS Shoes" are programmed to guide you back to your abode "no matter where you are in the world."

Wilcox was inspired by The Wizard of Oz's protagonist, Dorothy Gale, who embarks on a quest to return home after finding herself in the fantasy land of Oz.

"I thought about [the film] and how Dorothy could click her shoes together to go home," he says on his official website. "I drew an illustration that I etched onto the sole, and chose a red calf leather for the inside as a small ref…
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1. Double Dragon Neon

Nostalgic for the '80s? Do yourself a favor and download Double Dragon Neon for the console of your choice. You'll be instantly warped back to the days of side-scrolling beat-em-ups, but developers WayForward have done a great job of both updating and preserving the formula. You again play as Billy and Jimmy Lee, whose girlfriend has been kidnapped. But if the formula ain't broke, don't fix it, especially in this case. This remake has the same gameplay and moves, but with added buttons for things like ducking and throwing, something you couldn't get from the two-button NES controller. The '80s nostalgia is cranked to 11 as well, with mix-tape power ups and a soundtrack that just won't quit. The game is available on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade for $10. As a nice bonus, the soundtrack can be downloaded for free.

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With the plethora of games out there, it's hard to find good stuff to play on your platform of choice.

We're here to help with a list of some of the best games we've been playing this week. Many are new releases just landing in gamers hands, but we also highlighted one iOS title that's worth picking up while it's on sale. As the holiday season gets closer, we're bound to see a lot of clamor for gamers' attention, so we'll bring this feature to you each week.

SEE ALSO: 5 Fun Games With a Higher Purpose

Take a look at our games listed above, and let us know what you're playing in your downtime this week.

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It would be difficult to keep yourself from hugging this helpful robot named Hector. He was designed by Smart Homes, a company based in Netherlands, for CompanionAble, a program that uses technology to help senior citizens live independently.

Hector is an in-home caregiver for elderly people who have mild cognitive impairment. It provides reminders for everyday tasks, like taking medications, calling people back and storing grocery lists. For individuals experiencing occasional memory loss, it's no doubt useful to have Hector collect wallet and keys. Hector can even detect falls and respond to verbal commands. He's like a walking, talking smartphone, with a much larger touch screen a…
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White House officials on Friday asked Google to review an anti-Muslim YouTube video that fueled violent protests worldwide, but Google says it doesn't have any intention of taking it down.

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iPhone 5 Compared With Competitors [CHART]

Everyone had an opinion about the smartphone smackdown. Users Vinay Satrasala, JAYLEXPWn, Brian Rich and Matt Ruff each had a different preference.

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What were Mashable readers talking about this week? Mostly the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5. But this was a controversial week for businesses across the tech spectrum, and our Mashable community added some keen insight to every story.

It will come as no surprise that this week's discussion was all about Apple. Early in the week our readers debated what the iPhone launch would reveal, and after Wednesday the community got fired up over how the iPhone 5 stacked up against the competition. Mashable editor Chris Taylor had his own insight to add, asking if Apple had stopped innovating.

It wasn't just Apple that was rolling out new designs this week. On the heels of Apple's annou…
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The people you should know, how to ask for help online and more is covered in this comprehensive guide to the digital job search.

More About: Twitter, features, job search series, linkedin, mashable, networking events, trending