Let's visit a ninth grade math class. You're learning the basics of geometry and discover that a circle has 360 degrees. If you add up the degrees of each angle in a four-sided figure, it's 360 degrees, as well. But on a more thematic level, the number 360 represents a route that might travel near or far but lands in the same place it started. Everything is connected

Marketers are always looking for ways to give their ideas a fresh spin. Sometimes a new terminology can set apart an idea. "It's like what we did last year, but now it's gamified," someone might say. And sometimes a term comes along that is not only fresh, but flexible. The phrase "360 campaign" is one. The number 360 is both broad and powerful, and there's no definitive example that sets apart what a 360 campaign really is. Rather, it can mean a lot of things Read more...

Apple CEO Tim Cook calmly defended Apple's tax practices before Congress Tuesday afternoon, denying the company uses overseas "tax gimmicks" to duck its domestic financial obligations.

"We are proud to be an American company and equally proud of our contributions to the American economy," said Cook in his opening remarks. He claimed Apple has "created or supported" an estimated 600,000 American jobs and was "likely" the largest corporate taxpayer in the United States.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) preempted Cook's claims. “Apple claims to be the largest U.S. corporate taxpayer, but by sheer size and scale, it is also among America's largest tax avoiders," McCain said in an earlier statement. Read more...

Microsoft announced on Tuesday an alliance with the National Football League (NFL) to bring exclusive content to tablet and smartphone apps that ties the TV experience in with your fantasy league teams.

The companies, which called the move a real "a game changer" for both live sports and the NFL, revealed the news during the Xbox One press conference held in Redmond, Wash

The new Xbox system — designed "as an all-in-one system to align games, TV and entertainment" — comes nearly eight years after its predecessor Xbox 360 launched.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft Announces the Xbox One

In a statement released following the event, Microsoft was called "the official sideline technology sponsor of the NFL." Read more...

Footage from next-generation blockbuster shooter Call of Duty: Ghosts premiered at Microsoft's Xbox One event, demonstrating the graphical capabilities of the new console and Activision's new gameplay engine.

Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg described Call of Duty: Ghosts as a huge leap forward for Activision and developer Infinity Ward.

"We're pushing the genre and forward with Ghosts. I think a lot of people were expecting us to create Modern Warfare 4, but we didn't want to rest on our laurels," Hirshberg said. "We wanted to press the franchise forward with a new world and new engine."

This "new world" is a totally unique experience for the franchise, Hirshberg said, because players will experience an alternate history in which America is on the decline, and the player "will no longer have numbers on their side." Read more...

At Microsoft's Xbox One event Tuesday, the company announced the next evolution of its entertainment focus: Halo the TV series.

Halo the TV series will be a live-action show coming to Xbox Live. That's right, Xbox is becoming its own TV network of sorts. Even better, Steven Spielberg will be involved — likely as an executive producer.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft's New Xbox: Live From the Unveiling

We'll update this post with more details as it develops. Let us know in the comments what you think about a Halo TV series.

Image courtesy of Microsoft Read more...

ESPN is laying off as many as 400 employees Tuesday in an effort to boost profit margins, according to reports.

A spokesperson for the Disney-owned network confirmed in an e-mail to Mashable that layoffs were taking place. The spokesperson declined to discuss numbers or details, saying only that the company is "implementing changes... to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs."

"While difficult, we are confident that it will make us more competitive, innovative and productive," the spokesperson added.

The staff cuts are surprising and unexpected, given the profitability of ESPN's businessAccording to Deadspin, which broke news of the layoffs, Disney is asking all of its divisons to reduce costs. A source who said he was laid off "out of the blue" after nine and a half years at the company told Deadspin that ESPN isn't meeting its profit margin requirements, in part because of the lavish sums it's paying to secure rights for live events coverage. The technology group is among the hardest hit, with "at least" 40 layoffs in that division, Deadspin said. Read more...

Anjan Contractor’s 3D food printer might evoke visions of the “replicator” popularized in Star Trek, from which Captain Picard was constantly interrupting himself to order tea. And indeed Contractor’s company, Systems & Materials Research Corporation, just got a six month, $125,000 grant from NASA to create a prototype of his universal food synthesizer

But Contractor, a mechanical engineer with a background in 3D printing, envisions a much more mundane—and ultimately more important—use for the technology. He sees a day when every kitchen has a 3D printer, and the earth’s 12 billion people feed themselves customized, nutritionally-appropriate meals synthesized one layer at a time, from cartridges of powder and oils they buy at the corner grocery store Read more...

After months of speculation and rumors, Microsoft detailed its next generation console — the Xbox One — to a packed room in Redmond, Wash., Tuesday.

The Xbox One, described by Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business for Microsoft, was designed and built "as an all-in-one system to align games, TV and entertainment."

Its predecessor, the Xbox 360 was released almost eight years ago, on Nov. 22, 2005. It was a blockbuster for Microsoft, selling more than 70 million units in the past seven years, and it's gone through several iterations since its release.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft's Xbox One: Your Knee-Jerk Twitter Reactions Read more...

Singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, who catapulted into stardom in 2007 with her hit "Love Song," just launched an eight-part YouTube series that will take fans behind the scenes as she makes a new album in a new home — New York City

Mashable is exclusively premiering the first episode in the above video in which she candidly reveals her struggles creating new music. The series will help promote The Blessed Unrest, an album that is available to pre-order now before its July 16 release. The music will explore self-rebirth and the emotions of her move to NYC

Bareilles recently had fans unveil the new album's cover art in a social media-infused challenge. She hid the artwork in Seattle and posted clues as to where to find it on Twitter and Instagram. Fans who found it were urged to share the cover art across social platforms, and Bareilles reshared their post Read more...

RunKeeper dramatically affects the way many people around the world stay healthy, and has plans to do a whole lot more. Available for iOS and Android, the mobile app lets you track your workouts, and then share your fitness achievements everywhere from Facebook to your employer's healthcare plan.

The highly successful app currently has more than 19 million users around the world, two-thirds of which are outside in the United States.

The idea for the app came while founder and CEO Jason Jacobs was training for his first marathon in 2007 using Nike+, a system that at the time required users to own not only a smartphone, but also a special pair of shoes with a pedometer embedded inside. Read more...

A judge in New York City ruled that renting an entire apartment using Airbnb in the city is, indeed, illegal.

The ruling, mailed last week, determined that a man who rented out his apartment using the booking service violated a 2011 law against illegal hotels that prevents landlords from renting property for less than a 30-day period.

The New York City hotel law already prevents renting out apartments on Airbnb for less than a month, and the ruling only confirms that. But this particular case may not affect all Airbnb hosts in New York City, as the city only enforces the law in the case of a complaint. Read more...

In July 2005, I created Mashable.com on a WordPress blog. In 2007, I created the @mashable Twitter account. In the beginning it was a feed of my personal thoughts and actions. Mainly, I was posting what I was having for lunch. But when I started sharing links to Mashable articles, I saw real engagement. Quickly, it evolved from my personal stream to the Mashable account that more than 3 million of our readers now follow

In the early days of Twitter, our job was to explain and translate the new technology; helping our readers understand how people were using the platform for political action, for marketing and for charity. Of course, our mission remains the same: Helping people understand how they can make their lives better through innovation. Read more...

REDMOND, Wash. — After months of rumors, Microsoft finally reveals its plans for the next major Xbox gaming console update on Tuesday. Most expect this will be the most significant design, component and feature transformation since Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 in 2005. It could be the gaming event of the year, and Mashable is here to get the full story.

However the new Xbox looks and works, the enhancements won't be all about games. The console is already a home entertainment hub, and we expect some changes in how it works with your TV and content providers. Microsoft will also likely expand the Xbox's ability to deliver a broad range of content, including music, movies and more. Read more...

Want proof that the "rugged" version of Samsung's Galaxy S4 — dubbed the Galaxy S4 Active — is as durable as promised? The video above from MobileTechReview confirms plans that the phone will be both waterproof and dustproof.

However, the phone's specifications seem considerably weaker than those of the original Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S4 Active features a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU and an 8-megapixel rear camera, compared with the S4's quad-core or Octa-core chipsets (depending on the variant) and 13-megapixel camera. Its other specifications seem to resemble the normal Samsung Galaxy S4. Read more...

As all eyes look toward Microsoft's announcement of the next generation Xbox and its bid to take on the PlayStation 4 in the gaming space, the company also has an opportunity to broadly take over the burgeoning connected device space. How? By continuing to sell the Xbox 360 — but for a flat $99.99.

Yes, Microsoft has toyed with $99.99 Xbox 360 bundles in the past — but those bundles include a monthly Xbox Live Gold subscription that adds another $120 to the purchase. Instead, Microsoft should lower the price of its Xbox 360 starter pack to $99.99.

Think about it: At $199.99, the Xbox 360 is already one of the better deals out there. Yes, the console is seven — almost eight — years old, but it still plays great games. More importantly, Microsoft has access to some of the most compelling set of services for the living room. Netflix, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Comcast, HBO Go, Verizon, The CW, YouTube, Slacker, iHeartRadio, Vevo, Rhapsody and Crackle are just some of the services available for the Xbox 360 — not to mention the official Xbox Music and Xbox Movies & TV apps for buying or streaming content. Read more...

You've had some fun with Vine, but now you want to get serious. Here are 12 tips to turn you into a Vine pro.

With Vine, you have six seconds to really impress a viewer. Thankfully, six seconds is more than enough time to dazzle someone, tell a story or share a laugh. These tips range from technical best practices to creative guidelines

Before you start your masterpiece, have a good idea what your finished Vine is going to look like. This might seem like obvious advice, but it will help make your shoot more efficient and give you an opportunity to really think about the structure of your creation. Some Viners sketch out their Vine frame-by-frame in a notebook, while others just have an idea in their head. Find what works for you. Read more...

A massive mile-wide tornado struck the town of Moore, Okla., near Oklahoma City on Monday, destroying homes, schools, businesses and vehicles, among other things.

Reports say that the tornado has killed at least 91 people, 9 of them children. At least 145 people have been injured. These numbers remain in flux as more is learned about the situation.

SEE ALSO: Massive Tornado Strikes Near Oklahoma City

The photos below show some of the sobering damage. Eyewitnesses also took videos of the tornado, many of which have gone viral over the past 12 hours

There are a number of ways to help, including texting a monetary contribution to Red Cross or donating to Salvation Army. A Facebook Page has also been created to help victims get their belongings back. Read more...

Nearly one million people are affected by natural disasters each year. In the U.S. alone, some 400 people die from disasters that cost the economy $17.6 billion. Helping respond to these cataclysmic events, social media is now a go-to tool for those effected by disasters

One in five Americans has used an emergency app. Of those Americans effected by natural disasters, 76% used social media to contact friends and family; 37% of used social media to help find shelter and supplies; and 24% used social media to let loved ones know they're safe.

SEE ALSO: 13 Gadgets to Prepare You for a Natural Disaster Read more...

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who announced on Monday that the company acquired popular social blogging site Tumblr for $1.1 billion, said she will use the site often to share her experiences and interests with the community, from Yahoo news to pictures of macaroon art.

Mayer will blog with the user name MarissaMayr — note the dropped "e," in line with Tumblr and Yahoo's other product Flickr

"I intend to keep blogging," Mayer told Mashable. "I've been wanting to blog for awhile, so it was really gratifying to update my profile link on Twitter to my Tumblr page. I will be doing a lot more. I'm not sure if I can create animated GIFs, but I will definitely be posting more pictures." Read more...

A category 4 tornado swept through Oklahoma City and its suburbs Monday, overflowing social media accounts with images and videos of the overwhelming destruction

But University of Central Oklahoma student Levont'e D. Douglas managed to vine a moment of calming and reassuring beauty after the storm — a rainbow

SEE ALSO: Woman Finds Missing Dog in Oklahoma Tornado Rubble

Early reports say that the tornado has killed at least 24 people and at least 145 people have been injured. The city continues search and rescue efforts, but hopefully Douglas' rainbow is an indicator of the city's resilience Read more...