Amazon is set to make an announcement this morning at an event in Santa Monica, and Mashable is live on the scene. Photos of both an updated Kindle Fire and a new Kindle Touch with “Paperwhite” display have leaked out over the past few weeks, suggesting that both devices may see an update at Thursday’s event. The Kindle Fire was announced on September 28, 2011. The 7-inch tablet made a splash in the tablet world, primarily for its $199 price tag. In December 2011 customers purchased more than 1 million Kindles each week, allowing Amazon to sell 4.7 million of the e-readers during the 4th quarter. UPDATE: Amazon Unveils Kindle ‘Paperwhite’ | Amazon Drops Price of New Kindle Fire to $159 | Amazon Announces Bigger, Bolder, Kindle Fire HD So, will we see a new Kindle? The first Amazon phone? Something entirely different? Keep your browser pointed here for the events as they happen — starting at 10:30 a.m. PT — with commentary from the Mashable crew. And feel free to jump into the discussion anytime with comments (though not all of them will be published). Amazon Unveils New Products in California 1. Amazon event stage 2. Amazon event stage 3. Amazon event stage 4. Amazon event stage 5. Amazon event stage 6. Amazon event stage 7. Amazon event stage 8. Amazon event stage 9. Amazon event stage 10. Amazon event stage 11. Amazon event stage 12. Amazon event stage 13. Amazon event stage 14. Amazon event stage 15. Amazon event stage 16. Amazon event stage 17. Amazon event stage 18. Amazon event stage Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/09/06/live-from-amazons-california-event/
Beluga whales have always been some of my favorite ocean creatures. They’re totally friendly and look happy all of the time. Living in arctic regions, you probably wouldn’t expect them to be so peppy, but they love to play and splash around. Aquariums love them because they put on a great show when they’re properly cared for and given enough room to swim around. It’s no surprise, then, that a beluga whale at an ocean park in China took a liking to a little boy and decided to make friends fast. The kiddo is totally fascinated by the whale, who is right at his eye level. Screenshot via Youtube / Storyful That’s when the beluga gets ready to have some fun, sucking water into its mouth. Screenshot via Youtube / Storyful Suddenly, it’s a total shower for the toddler! Screenshot via Youtube / Storyful <div class="llcust" data-lltype="video" id="ll_5a600ebd5802a" data-source=" Youtube / Storyful <div class="llcust" data-lltype="media" id="ll_5a600ebd580fa" data-source=" Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/beluga-and-toddler/
The manically paced new music video for Will.i.am and Britney Spears‘s “Scream and Shout” throws in cameos from several gadgets, including an iPhone, an i-limb ultra prosthetic hand and the new Beats Pill speaker. A snippet of the video premiered Wednesday during The X Factor, followed by its full-length release online. It’s no surprise that a Beats by Dre product got some play in the video, as “Scream and Shout” is the song used in the brand’s most-recent commercial, which stars will.i.am and a slew of other celebrities. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/11/29/will-i-am-britney-spears-scream-and-shout-gadgets/
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DTBT_ATF’); }); When Animal Aid Unlimited arrived on the scene in Udaipur, India, they found a sick dog covered in sores. After some brief testing, it was determined the dog had mange, which is a skin condition caused by parasitic mites. When rescuers came to take the dog to their rescue center, they were quick to notice that he lacked confidence and kept his head low, as if ashamed of his appearance. After a month of skin treatments, this pooch finally started living the life he always deserved. By the end of this video, he’s barely recognizable! To help rescuers from Animal Aid Unlimited continue doing this incredible work, consider donating today. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/jumping-for-joy/
Daniel “Homeless” Mustard needs $15,000 in spare change. The musician, whose cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” went viral in 2009 when he was homeless, is asking for money to fund an album. Mustard no longer lives on New York City street or in parks, having found temporary housing at homeless shelters and Internet access to mingle with fans at Apple stores. “When you are homeless you usually have lost some sort of your will to live,” Mustard tells Mashable. “A big part of me getting my shit together has been getting that back. “And in a big way, getting exposure from the ‘Creep’ video (listen below) and all the support I’ve gotten on social media, and the making of the new record, has helped me get that back.” “When you are homeless you usually have lost some sort of your will to live.” This month, Mustard launched a project on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to pay for the cost of producing and distributing his Fragments of Bone EP and supplemental merchandise. Mustard’s Kickstarter page lists unique rewards for people who pledge money to his project. So far, 92 people have given $2,903 in four days. There are 46 days left to meet his $15,000 funding goal He will perform via Skype for backers who dish $110 or more and create cover song videos for at least $250. He’ll also do a live performance anywhere within a 120 miles of NYC for $1,500 and one anywhere outside of that distance in the U.S. for $2,500 or more. At $450, he’ll give a “homeless walking tour” of lower Manhattan. “Well, in my mind, the things to be showing people are the places I used to sleep,” Mustard says. “Washington Square Park was a huge part of my life, and talking about how the park has changed over the years,” he adds. “It’s more about telling the stories than the actual places — places where we got hassled by the police, attacked, all that fun stuff.” He has many stories to tell, the narrative of being homeless with mental health issues and a drinking problem. “Getting sober, staying sober, is a process, not an overnight thing.” “Getting sober, staying sober, is a process, not an overnight thing,” he says. “I’m also going back to school and doing other things to better my situation.” People will hear tinges of his struggles, recovery and dreams in his new music. The yet-to-funded EP, Fragments of Bone, is named after a lyric in the forthcoming song “Vanity Plate”: “Like fragments of bone, scattered across the sky.” The line describes the sky’s stars. Having gained Internet fame with covers of other people’s songs, Mustard has established a flexible strategy. “When I think about covers, as far as what I would like to do, is covers of songs that people would never think I would actually sing,” such as “Hit Me Baby One More Time” from Britney Spears, he says. Mustard performed the Spears single and “Creep” on The Opie & […]
The state of Florida has a reputation for being, well, pretty weird. As someone who was born and raised in the state, I can say that reputation is pretty well deserved. It seems like every bizarre story you hear on the news comes from somewhere within the borders of the Sunshine State. I’m not exactly sure why that is, maybe the salty beach air and Disney magic make for a dangerous combination. One thing that makes the state of Florida really unique is its wildlife and their remarkable ability to get a little too close for comfort. Alligators are awesome creatures, but I’d rather not have one in my swimming pool, thank you very much. One Florida man recently experienced this reality when he found a dangerous predator lounging on his front porch. Phil Hendra lives in Fort Myers, and when his dog wouldn’t stop barking, he assumed there was a squirrel or cat outside his home. But when he opened the front door, Phil received the surprise of a lifetime. Waiting outside his front door was a full-grown Florida panther. Scroll down to keep reading and see what happened next. When Phil saw the panther, his first reaction was to grab his phone and take a picture. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Being a good Florida resident, Phil knew just how rare this incident was. Florida panthers are extremely endangered. In fact, the National Wildlife Federation says there are less than 100 of them left in the wild. He described the incident to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and told them: [The panther] stayed for about 20 minutes and laid down for a bit. It looked at us inside the window then slowly walked away, and we have not seen it since. My parents have lived here since 1988 and they may have seen a younger panther about two years ago, but nothing compares to this once in a lifetime experience. The image of the curious panther was posted on social media and soon became an Internet sensation. Make sure to SHARE this remarkable story with your friends and family. H/T: Wochit News Read more: http://www.wimp.com/his-dog-wouldnt-stop-barking-at-the-front-door/
Bringing a new kitten to your home can be a harrowing experience. But bringing a kitten to the same home as a giant, tough-looking guard dog? I didn’t think it could be so adorable! Rover is apparently as big a pushover for cute cat videos as I am. These two are just TOO cute! Read more: http://viralnova.com/dog-meets-kitten/
We all know how extremely busy we can get. Unfortunately, most of us are so caught up in work and daily tasks that we don’t realize how quickly time flies by. As our lives become more demanding, it’s harder to find the time to visit family members who don’t live nearby. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBP_ATF’); }); This woman knows exactly what I mean. She went years without seeing her brother. Because of his busy life in a different state and the fact that she is a single mother who isn’t able to take time off work, they spent 24 years apart. But when she came home one day to see her daughter, she got the best surprise ever. I can’t imagine how amazing this moment was for them. How sweet was that? Even though they were separated for so long, it’s awesome that they were finally able to reunite. I think we should all go and call (or visit!) our siblings or family members. I know I’m going to! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/siblings-reunite/
After an eventful afternoon in Manatee Park, Chico and Debbie Jimenez were banned for life and given a $746 citation by the Daytona Beach Police Department. Despite what their punishment might suggest, the Jimenezes were not destroying public property or hosting an out-of-control BBQ. They were feeding the homeless. Daytona Beach has an ordinance that bars people from serving food in public, the Jimenezes and other volunteers from their Spreading the Word Without Saying a Word Ministry outreach group were fined, leaving many of the homeless who had lined up for their free meal hungry. As you can see in the video below, the Jimenezes refuse to let the fines keep them from helping the less fortunate. (via ThinkProgress) People shouldn’t be fined for just helping others. Share this post using the button below. Read more: http://viralnova.com/florida-volunteers-fined-for-feeding-homeless/
