Should You Build That Website You've Been Talking About? [FLOWCHART] (Mashable)

So you've got a great idea for a website. That makes you and about 17 bajillion others. When it comes to committing to building a site or app, there are a ton of factors to take into consideration. Even if you have a killer idea or two, you still need skills, chops, and a web-savvy posse to help you execute and promote your site.

[More from Mashable: How to Decide Whether Your Business Needs an App [INFOGRAPHIC]]

Here's a handy flowchart from creative marketplace Vitamin Talent to help you decide whether it's time to build an awesome website, time to go back to school, time to hire a dev or two, or time to go back to the drawing board.

If this flowchart is really lighting a fire under your most recent website idea, you can also check out our lists of resources for devs and web designers and free sites for learning how to code.

[More from Mashable: Is There a Social Media Tech Bubble? [INFOGRAPHIC]]

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[Source: Vitamin Talent]

This story originally published on Mashable here.

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How Nazi Scientists Tried to Create an Army of Talking Dogs (Time.com)

It's further proof that Hitler was barking mad.

In his new book Amazing Dogs: A Cabinet of Canine Curiosities, Cardiff University historian Jan Bondeson mines obscure German periodicals to reveal the Nazis' failed attempt to breed an army of educated dogs that could read, write and talk. "In the 1920s, Germany had numerous 'new animal psychologists' who believed dogs were nearly as intelligent as humans, and capable of abstract thinking and communication," he writes. "When the Nazi party took over, one might have thought they would be building concentration camps to lock these fanatics up, but instead they were actually very interested in their ideas."

(PHOTOS: The first major art exhibition about Hitler opens in Germany.)

According to the book, scientists envisioned a day when dogs would serve alongside German troops, and perhaps free up SS officers by guarding concentration camps. So to unlock all that canine potential, Hitler set up a Tier-Sprechschule (Animal Talking School) near Hanover and recruited "educated dogs" from throughout the country. Teachers claimed a number of incredible findings. An Airedale terrier named Rolf became a mythic figure of the project after teachers said he could spell by tapping his paw on a board (the number of taps represented the various letters of the alphabet). With that skill in hand, he mused on religion, learned foreign languages and even asked a noblewoman, "Can you wag your tail?" Perhaps most outlandish is the claim by his German masters that he asked to serve in the German army because he disliked the French. Another mutt barked "Mein Fuhrer" when asked to describe Hitler. And Don, a German pointer, is said to have imitated a human voice to bark, "Hungry! Give me cakes!" in German.

Germany's love of dogs may have blinded the Nazis to the outlandish goals of their project. "Part of the Nazi philosophy was that there was a strong bond between humans and nature. They believed a good Nazi should be an animal friend," Bondeson says. "Indeed, when they started interning Jews, the newspapers were flooded with outraged letters from Germans wondering what had happened to the pets they left behind."

Hitler, a well-known dog-lover, had two German Shepherds named Blondi and Bella. He killed Blondi shortly before killing himself in 1945. (via The Sun)

(PHOTOS: See pictures of dogs fighting in Afghanistan.)

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Bin Laden 'was talking with terrorists'

"These are not just the writings of an elderly jihadi," one official said of bin Laden's communications.Handwritten materials from compound show responses, U.S. official saysPersonal journal has guidance on how to attack U.S.Ideas, not concrete plans, are seen, official says

(CNN) -- Data and documents taken from the compound show that messages from Osama bin Laden did make it out of the compound to other members of al Qaeda, a U.S. official says.

"There are strong indications there is back and forth with other terrorists," the official said.

U.S. officials have said they view the raided compound as the al Qaeda leader's "command and control center" but had not explained before why they believed that to be the case.

"These are not just the writings of an elderly jihadi," the official said.

The source said there is evidence of two-way written communications demonstrating that not only was bin Laden sending messages, he was getting responses as well.

Bin Laden relatives want probe and proof of death

The official also provided new details on bin Laden's personal journal, which was seized during the Navy SEAL raid, the official said. The handwritten journal, which was referred to last week by other officials as the al Qaeda playbook, is being reviewed by intelligence officials. Other handwritten materials are being reviewed, too.

The initial assessment is that the writings are from bin Laden, not the other occupants of the house. The official emphasized that the U.S. government is continuing to look at all the material, and the initial assessment could change.

The journal includes information about the importance of attacking the U.S. and lists key dates on the American calendar -- including July 4, Christmas and the 10th anniversary of September 11 -- and other guidance for how to attack the United States, the official said. U.S. investigators believe similar information is contained in other documents, the source said.

Official: Bin Laden death offers 'new narrative' ahead of Obama speech

Both New York and Washington are mentioned in the document.

The idea of targeting railroads, which authorities warned about last week, was learned from this notebook, the official said.

At this point, the official said, there is no indication of a time, date or place for any specific attack, and much of what has been seen are more bin Laden ideas than actual plans.

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Intern: Giffords is now talking on phone

2010 photo from Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' office via AP

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot on Jan. 8, is recovering quickly, says intern Daniel Hernandez.

EnlargeClose2010 photo from Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' office via AP

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot on Jan. 8, is recovering quickly, says intern Daniel Hernandez.

Hernandez said the phone calls — the most recent was Wednesday — have included "short interactions and long interactions."

He declined to say specifically what Giffords has said "out of respect for her privacy."

But, he said, "pretty soon you will be able to ask her yourself because she's just doing extremely well and recovering very quickly."

Giffords was critically wounded 12 weeks ago Saturday, when a gunman opened fire at a constituent event north of Tucson. Six people died and 12 other people were wounded in the Jan. 8 massacre.

Giffords' recovery has been the subject of national interest. Her doctors at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, where she is undergoing rehabilitation, have said she is making significant advances in speech, motor skills and life skills. She began speaking two months ago, asking for more toast with her breakfast.

C.J. Karamargin, a spokesman for Giffords who was in Houston two weeks ago, declined to say whether the congresswoman is having regular phone conversations, citing her husband's wish for privacy. But he did point to multiple reports of visitors to Giffords' hospital room from friends, family and other members of Congress.

Hernandez, who was in the fifth day of his internship the morning of the shooting, rushed to Gifford almost as soon as she fell. He cradled her head in his lap, covered the wound in her head with his hand and comforted her in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

He said he most recently talked to Giffords and her mother, Gloria Giffords, by phone Wednesday while at work in the congresswoman's Tucson office.

"Gloria passed the phone over to Gabby," Hernandez said.

"It's great hearing her voice," the 21-year-old said.

Contributing: Dan Nowicki

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