YouTube takes on Twitch with HD live streams at 60 fps

Twitch‘s domination of the video game live-streaming space now faces a new challenger as YouTube enters the arena.

Google‘s video-streaming and -sharing service just got a little more robust with the addition of support for 1080p/720p live video streams running at 60 frames per second. The feature launches as an early preview in HTML5-compatible browsers (a list that probably includes your preferred browser).

See also: YouTube Was Twitch’s Natural Suitor. Here’s Why Amazon Bought It Instead

YouTube worked with Elgato and XSplit to ensure that their popular streaming options — Elgato Game Capture HD, XSplit Broadcaster and XSplit Gamecaster — all support 60 fps streaming to YouTube. Updates to all three are available now, as the new feature goes live. Read more…

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Snapchat invests in shopping app Spring

Would you buy clothes on Snapchat?

The social media startup seems to think so — or at least, it is investing an unspecified amount into a shopping app called Spring, according to a Re/code report which cites sources familiar with the matter

See also: Snapchat’s CEO on the question he’s asked the most: ‘Why didn’t you sell?’

Spring, which launched last year for iOS and Android, recommends menswear and womenswear via a slick photo-friendly feed somewhat resembling Instagram. Spring’s parent company Jello Labs already raised $25 million in April, but it has the option to raise another $5.7 million in this round — which is where Snapchat might come in Read more…

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5 creative ways to keep in touch after graduation, besides Skype

Data farming. Literally.

Keith Larrabee’s farm sits on 4,000 acres of California’s Sacramento Valley, between a coastal range of mountains to the west and the tall Sierra Nevadas to the east. It’s an area that traditionally gets much more rain than most of the drought-stricken state. Even so, Larrabee is always worried about the cost and availability of water for his orchards of walnuts and pecans and his 3,000 acres of rice.

Two years ago he began inserting probes five feet deep into the soil of his nut orchards to measure the water concentration foot by foot.

When Larrabee began using such sensors, he had to walk into the fields to read each one individually — a process so laborious that he sometimes did it just once a week. But now, every 15 minutes, readings from the 25 sensors are fed into a network of solar-powered information-gathering stations scattered through the orchard. One of the stations transmits that information to a main database via cell signal. Larrabee uses his smartphone or tablet to log on to see that data, which is available almost instantaneously. Using a software platform called PTC ThingWorx, he sees two color-coded gauges for each sensor — blue means too much water in a given location, red not enough. Read more…

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Elderly lady is the fearless dancer we all want to be

When you’re making music that has the power to stop an old lady on the street and inspire her to head-bang on all fours, you’re likely on to something.

A beat-boxing street performer in Brussels shared footage of his totally absurd experience of performing for a dancing old woman, who stopped to do her thang in the city square. But the real shoutout here goes to her dog, who waits patiently for her owner to finish dancing and continue on their way. We have a feeling he’s seen this before.

The terrifying moment an Orca nibbles at your paddle board

This is why selfie sticks don’t belong in moving vehicles

Conan O’Brien thanks David Letterman: He ‘completely rescued me’

David Letterman takes ‘The Late Show’ stage for the very last time Read more…

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How recent grads can dominate their job search

Mashable’s most recent #BizChats Twitter chat discussed ways in which recent grads can stay ahead of the race and score their first job

See also: 3 ways to revive a job search that’s dragging on

Several job experts shared top tips, including: Alison Doyle, job search expert for about.com; Craig Fisher, LinkedIn training strategist and employer brand leader; Donna Svei, executive resume and LinkedIn profile writer; J.T. O’Donnell, CEO and founder of Careeralism.com; Lars Schmidt, founder of AmplifyTalent.com and Hootsuite employer; and Maggie Mistal, career consultant and certified career coach Read more…

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12 pros and cons of raising money vs. bootstrapping

For startup founders, it’s an age-old question: is it better to bootstrap or to raise funding? It certainly depends on your goals and your industry to some extent. But if you’re new to the startup world, what variables should you look at to determine which is better for your company in the long run?

To find out, I asked 12 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) when it’s necessary to involve outside investors. Their answers are below

1. Raise money to accelerate growth

While the answer depends on the type of business and business model, it’s often critical to raise money instead of bootstrapping if you really need to accelerate growth or invest in product development. For example, many SAAS businesses require large upfront investment in the product before they ever make a dime, so raising money is critical for those types of companies Read more…

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