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According to one set of analytics, the Google+ social network has resulted in such rapid adoption of a "+1" button on websites that it's outclassed sharing stalwart Twitter already. Here's why that matters--only a little

Photograph by Patrick James Miller Creative marketers are launching new efforts to reach the Latin American community. Jackie Hern

If Matt Lauzon has his way, his online custom jewelry company will one day "take on Tiffany head-to-head." That may seem like a bold prediction, but consider that Gemvara , which is just more than a year old, had a $10 million run rate at the end of last year and, as of this spring, is venture capital funded to the tune of more than $25 million. The company allows consumers to customize jewelry by design, stone, and metal, and offers more than a billion styles from which to choose (including Kate Middleton-inspired earrings and a reasonable facsimile of Natalie Portman’s engagement ring). Lauzon carries no inventory; he sources his gemstones and diamonds from suppliers in the United States, then works with several manufacturers (also domestically) to produce the jewelry as it’s ordered.

%excerpt% Read the original post: Keep Your Arrogance in Check

This spring, two red-tailed hawks took up residence on the 12th floor ledge of the New York University president's office at Bobst Library. Their nest and the three eggs inside made headlines in The New York Times , which set up a camera feed to capture the growing chicks

As the U.S. and China endure record-breaking floods this spring, there is a risk that is being overlooked amidst the inundated towns, evacuations and rising waters.

The devastating string of tornadoes, droughts, wildfires and floods that hit the United States this spring marks 2011 as one of the most extreme years on record, according to a new federal analysis. Just shy of the halfway mark, 2011 has seen eight $1-billion-plus disasters, with total damages from wild weather at more than $32 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Agency officials said that total could grow significantly, since they expect this year's North Atlantic hurricane season, which began June 1, will be an active one.

The Swan 51 Northern Child finished 2nd in the Rolex RORC 600 race in February 2011 and has also now just achieved a 2nd in Class at the BVIs Spring Regatta. We are currently accepting bookings for the 2012 Caribbean regatta season.

Emboldened by the Arab Spring and social media, Syrian protesters are taking to the streets over smuggled YouTube videos that appear to show a 13-year-old boy who was physically and sexually tortured while in government custody. A graphic video of the corpse of a 13-year-old boy who appears to have been sexually and physically tortured by Syrian security officials has sparked international condemnation and riots across the country. The video (see still pic above) shows Hamza Ali al-Khatib, a resident of the southern village of Jiza, and appears to have been filmed by his family after they retrieved his corpse.

For every dreamy, world-famous Justin Bieber, there are thousands of would-be YouTube sensations still stuck in the awkward limbo years between utter obscurity and fame. Call it YouTuberty. Luckily, YouTube itself is on a newly invigorated mission to guide the fledgling famous from their first viral hit to ad sponsorship, and out into the wider world of the business of entertainment

The Fast Company reader's essential source for breaking news and innovation from around the web--updated all day. Amazon Getting In The Tablet Game? Amazon is rumored to be prepping 7- and 10-inch tablets with proprietary operating systems, for the low, low prices of $349 and $449, respectively (cheaper than their Android counterparts)

A Foursquare game for bribes, a Facebook page for traffic violators, and an app where police officers help reveal speed traps are powered by transparency--and shame. Mark Zuckerberg might serve as a better model than James Bond in the fight against corruption

Reinvention, innovation, and cultivation make Houston our City of the Year for 2011. IT'S PAST 11 P.M., AND I'M walking with my husband in downtown Houston. We've just seen a play at the Alley Theatre, and the stroll to our car, which I'd left at my office, gives us time to dissect the show and enjoy the city at night

Do you ever feel like all the great programmers already have jobs?

In a new story for tablet app The Atavist, writer David Wolman explores just how important social media really was to the Egyptian uprising. Here's an early look. In March 2008, a young would-be civil engineer named Ahmed Maher created a Facebook page called April 6 Youth with a woman named Issra Abdel-Fattah