Chinese cartoonist Carol Liu Hong built her studio from scratch, doing post-production work for TV commercials and then, once she broke even, realizing her dream of creating cartoons for Chinese kids.

Web series touts funky concept snowboards

In the summer of 2010, Signal Snowboards created the Web series "Every Third Thursday" to showcase the company's experimentation with funky concept boards. Think Science Channel?s ?How It?s Made? ? except with a lot more sass and a funkier setting.

Hundreds of Harry Potter fans abandon pet owls after series ends

People will go to great lengths to imitate pop culture characters they adore, and Harry Potter fans are no different. Forget the cheesy Halloween costumes and silly accents: Some fans even adopted pet owls after seeing or reading about them in Harry ? Continue reading ?

Apple being offered free rent just to open up stores

Apple Stores are increasingly seen as a sign of affluence, a sign that a neighborhood "has arrived." It turns out that some cities are more anxious to arrive than others, offering Apple sweetheart deals to open new stores ? deals ? Continue reading ?

SpaceX Dragon Launched Successfully [VIDEO]

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the SpaceX Dragon capsule has launched successfully at 3:44 AM ET.

Yahoo's $7.1B deal with Alibaba offers ray of hope

After years of mortifying missteps, Yahoo Inc. finally has something to boast about: a multibillion-dollar windfall from a savvy investment in China.

Google aiming to close Motorola deal by Wednesday

Google is planning to complete its $12.5 billion acquisition of cell phone maker Motorola Mobility Holdings before Wednesday.

Cable cos to share access on 50,000 Wi-Fi hotspots

Cable TV companies are trying to give their customers another reason not to cancel their service: better access to Wi-Fi hotspots.

Court won't reduce student's music download fine

A former Boston University student who was ordered to pay $675,000 for illegally downloading and sharing 30 songs on the Internet says he will continue fighting the penalty, despite the Supreme Court's refusal Monday to hear his appeal.

Unleash your hidden DJ potential with the Turntable.fm Android app

Have you always dreamed of being a DJ? Well, even if you thought becoming a spin master just was not in the cards for you, you might just change your mind when you witness the free Turntable.fm app for Android. It?s a social music app made for getting the party started on your mobile device. You can unleash your inner DJ to entertain your online fan club.

After Yahoo deal, challenges abound for Alibaba

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's Alibaba Group could command a Facebook-rivalling valuation of $100 billion when it comes to list its shares, possibly by 2015 - but its more immediate challenge is to hang on to top spot in the country's $36 billion e-commerce market. Founded and led by Internet entrepreneur Jack Ma, Alibaba faces increasingly tough competition in its e-commerce stronghold from well-funded rivals 360buy, which is backed by Digital Sky Technologies, Dangdang Inc and Amazon.com Inc. ...

Watch: NASA Launches its First Private Mission to the ISS

Just before 4:00 a.m. this morning, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully lifted off from Cape Canaveral, taking the first privately built spacecraft to the International Space Station. The unmanned mission will resupply the ISS and, if successful, could be the first step to replacing America's Space Shuttle program with private vehicles.

Microsoft sees 'rebirth' with new Windows 8 system

Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 series -- featuring an upgraded cloud computing service -- marks a "rebirth" of its operating systems, chief executive Steve Ballmer said Tuesday.

Cartoon studio faces state clout, global stars

Microsoft sees 'rebirth' with new Windows 8 system

Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 series -- featuring an upgraded cloud computing service -- marks a "rebirth" of its operating systems, chief executive Steve Ballmer said on Tuesday.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Pre-Orders and Two Other Stories You Need to Know

Welcome to this morning?s edition of ?First To Know,? a series in which we keep you in the know on what?s happening in the digital world. Today, we?re looking at three particularly interesting stories.

Nasdaq seen struggling with aftermath of Facebook IPO

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nasdaq OMX faces short-term costs from its botched handling of Facebook shares on their first day of trading but the longer term repercussions could be more expensive as it struggles to restore its image. Initially, the exchange said it plans to set aside $13 million to resolve bad trades, and even if all of that was used, the cost would be minimal compared with the $387 million in net income it reported last year. The bigger hit to Nasdaq's business is likely to come from the damage done to its reputation by the stumble. ...

Facebook shares sink 11 percent as reality overtakes hype

(Reuters) - Facebook shares sank 11 percent in the first day of trading without the full support of the company's underwriters, leaving some investors down almost 25 percent from where they were Friday and driving others to switch back to more established stocks. Facebook's debut was beset by problems, so much so that Nasdaq said on Monday it was changing its IPO procedures. That may comfort companies considering a listing, but does it little for Facebook, whose lead underwriter, Morgan Stanley, had to step in and defend the $38 offering price on the open market. ...

Insight: Morgan Stanley cut Facebook estimates just before IPO

(Reuters) - In the run-up to Facebook's $16 billion IPO, Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter on the deal, unexpectedly delivered some negative news to major clients: The bank's consumer Internet analyst, Scott Devitt, was reducing his revenue forecasts for the company. The sudden caution very close to the huge initial public offering, and while an investor roadshow was underway, was a big shock to some, said two investors who were advised of the revised forecast. ...

Microsoft sets sights on SKorean digital education

Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer met Seoul education officials Tuesday to discuss using digital technology in classrooms as South Korea prepares to replace paper textbooks with digital ones.

Motorola won?t update DROID 3, DROID X2 to Android 4

Motorola recently updated its Android release timeline and revealed that certain devices will remain on Android 2.3 rather than receiving an upgrade to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The handsets in question are both modern and more than capable of running the latest Android operating system, however the vendor claims the latest software won?t ?improve? the devices, and that?s why updates will not be released. Both the DROID 3 and DROID X2 will remain on Android 2.3, despite the fact that both handsets run dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processors and were released not even a year ago. Read [1] Read [2]

Where are Facebook's friends? Stock down after IPO

Facebook was supposed to soar. Instead, it plunged.

Silicon Valley takes Facebook fizzle in stride

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook's lackluster initial public offering performance is a black eye for many on Wall Street and could have ramifications for similar upcoming deals such as an offering by Twitter, but venture capitalists in Silicon Valley are keen to shrug off Facebook's stumble - at least for now. ...

SpaceX Dragon Launched Successfully [VIDEO]

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the SpaceX Dragon capsule has launched successfully at 3:44 AM ET.

Alibaba repurchases half of Yahoo?s stake for $7.1 billion

As Yahoo?s struggles continue, the company is looking to cut costs and dig up cash wherever it can. Yahoo announced plans last month to lay off 2,000 workers, or nearly 15% of its staff, and before that it filed a ?puzzling? patent lawsuit against long-time partner Facebook. Now, Yahoo will sell half of its 40% stake in China-based retail giant Alibaba. Led by Chinese Internet entrepreneur Jack Ma, Alibaba will repurchase part of Yahoo?s holdings in the e-commerce firm for $7.1 billion as it prepares to take the company public. The deal, which was announced in a joint statement on Monday, will see Yahoo sell half its stake in Alibaba for $6.3 billion in cash and as much as $800 million in new preferred

Nasdaq seen struggling with aftermath of Facebook IPO

Port Authority to debut avatar at NY-area airports

She smiles, answers questions and can guide you to the nearest restroom or to your connecting flight.

Chrome passes Internet Explorer to become world?s most popular browser

Google?s Chrome Web browser has continued to gain market share since its introduction in 2008. Despite surpassing Internet Explorer in select regions and on weekends, Google?s browser has never been able to dethrone Microsoft in global usage share. According to new numbers from StatCounter, however, Google?s browser has finally averaged higher traffic than Internet Explorer for the first time over a full seven-day stretch. From May 14th through May 20th, the Internet giant?s Web browser garnered a 32.76% share, ahead of Microsoft?s 31.94% and Mozilla Firefox?s 25.47% share. At the start of this week, however, Chrome?s share began to slide, falling to 31.88%, just ahead of Internet Explorer?s 31.47% share. Read

20 TV Shows With the Most Social Media Buzz This Week

The most universal sport in the world dominated social networks Saturday. Soccer (or "football," depending on your preference) teams Chelsea and Bayern Munich battled in Munich's Allianz Arena for the UEFA Championships League trophy.

Apple still dominates world's top brands: study

(Reuters) - Apple has maintained its place as the world's most valuable brand over the past year, leading a group of technology-related companies that dominate the top 10, according to a study published on Tuesday. The iPhone and iPad maker has boosted its brand value by 19 percent in the past year to $183 billion, or 37 percent of its market capitalization, according to the annual BrandZ study by leading brands and market-research agency Millward Brown. ...

Slide Is an iPhone Game You Already Know How to Play

There are tons of iPhone games out there with complicated rules, levels, and moves to learn. One game, called Slide, is making learning how to play much easier by having you do something you already know how to do: unlock your phone.

Foxconn to invest $210M in new Apple production line

Foxconn, the manufacturer of Apple?s iPhones, iPads and Macs, plans to invest $210 million in a new Apple production line in China?s east Jiangsu province in October, according to a report from China Daily. The 40,000 square meter plant will employ as many as 35,800 workers and will be located in Huai?an City. The office of Taiwan Affairs of Huai?an City confirmed that the plant will house a production line for Apple devices and is expected to output between $949 million to $1.1 billion a year. The report did not indicate which Apple products would be assembled at the new plant, however. Read

Ex-Yahoo executive pleads in insider-trading case

A former Yahoo executive and a hedge fund manager have pleaded guilty in New York to an insider trading charge.

Oscar de la Renta Sells Runway Look Exclusively Through The Fancy

[More from Mashable: Ecommerce in China: How the World?s Biggest Market Buys Online]

Manage Your Facebook Page From this New App

Facebook unveiled its new app on Monday that lets you manage your Facebook profile from your iPhone.

Want to Shop With Your Friends Online? Try This Site

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Android App Offers a Sleep Report Card

Hulu looks to take on Netflix with new original shows

Hulu on Monday announced 10 original and exclusive TV shows that will premiere this summer, including one from writer-director-actor Kevin Smith. Smith, known for the cult classic Clerks and numerous other films, will host a half-hour movie ?revue? for movie lovers, which will be available on Hulu and Hulu Plus beginning June 4th. ?I have always wanted to do a show that provides an open forum for real fans to discuss real movies in real time and that?s what ?Spoilers? is about. As a filmmaker and lover of movies, I understand that ultimately it?s the fans who make the film. So in this show, we do not review movies, we revere them,? said Smith. In August, Hulu will launch a

Developments in Google's bid for Motorola Mobility

Here are some key developments in Google's Inc.'s planned acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.: