Adding a few words can turn a silly photo into a ROFL, or draw attention to what you find most interesting. Today we’re rolling out a feature that makes it easier to add big, bold text on top of your photos.

To try it out, drop a photo into the sharebox on Google+, then click the “Add text” button underneath the photo. Type in something funny, then share and enjoy.

This feature will be rolling out over the next few days — I hope you enjoy it! 🙂 We’ll be keeping our eyes on the stream for the funniest examples, so have fun!

We made a few to get you started:

Collected by Gabriel Vasile

Peter Callesen (born 1967) is a Danish artist who makes incredibly complex and beautiful sculptures out of a single sheet of paper. He has an exceptional talent in combining the minimalism of a big crisp white sheet of paper with the complexity of meticulously cut and folded paper and uses the two to build out some really beautiful compositions.

“A large part of my work is made from A4 sheets of paper. It is probably the most common and consumed media used for carrying information today. This is why we rarely notice the actual materiality of the A4 paper” says Peter.

His website: http://www.petercallesen.com/
More about him: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Callesen
Via http://www.demilked.com/sculptures-made-out-of-a-single-paper-sheet/

Written by thenextweb

From rags to riches, from trailer parks to white mailboxes, the climb is all part of the “American Dream.” But this dream– the equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity from one’s hard work– is really more human than just American and its ethos has never been so tangible as in the early days of the Internet. And yes, dear reader, we are still in its early days–very early days.

While the global economy has slowed in recent years, taking its toll on the job market, entrepreneurs and creative types are finding a competitive advantage online. And I’m not talking about traveling to China and re-selling Nike sneakers on eBay. I’m referring to chefs hosting supper clubs, mom and pops selling baked goods, designers building online stores; professionals becoming educators; and people fulfilling their dreams while connecting to a larger audience than was ever before possible.

eBay, which was founded in 1995, exploded over the past two decades as an epic marketplace for people to build their businesses online. And in more recent years,Etsy, which was founded in 2005, has 1.4 million active shops on its platform and has spurred an online revolution for creative entrepreneurs.

“At Esty, we encourage people to pursue their passions, not just strive for a quick buck. We try hard to avoid giving the impression that instant riches will easily be yours if you open an online shop. In the end, it’s much more rewarding to put in hours for something that you care about, even if you don’t end up making a lot of money from it. The value proposition goes far beyond that,” says Etsy’s Adam Brown.

As for sellers who make a living on Etsy, you’ll find plenty of great stories in the company’s Quit Your Day Job series. Now, let’s take a look at a few under-the-radar startups that are making powerful moves to change the way inspired entrepreneurs can make money doing what they love on the Internet.

Goodsie: Ecommerce made easy

Entrepreneur Jonathan Marcus, who’s the founder of the all-new Flavors.me, launched Goodsie in May 2011 of this year to bring simplicity to the e-commerce space. If you’ve ever tried to sell something online, you know how much of a challenge that can be. You either have to deal with website plug-ins that are difficult to master or end up using third-party sites that offer limited control and customization. These barriers to entry can be too high to climb for the mom and pop online shop. Goodsie is both easy to use and it’s elegant.

Louisa Conrad and Lucas Farrell started BigPictureFarm on Goodsie in the fall of 2010 to sell the most delicious handmade, farmstead goat milk caramels ever. The secret ingredient is their milk, supplied by their very own herd of Saanens and Alpines that live healthy and happy lives browsing the rich pastures and leafy woodlands of their farm in Townshend, Vermont.

In music, Skrillex has been the breakout star of 2011 on Goodsie. The artist was nominated for 5 Grammy’s, the same number as Lady Gaga and Katie Perry combined. His team has been using Goodsie for merchandise sales since its early beta and is now rolling it out to other artists on Skrillex’s label, like Porter Robinson, Zedd and 12th Planet. Louisa and Lucas love farming and Skrillex loves making music – Goodsie helps them both earn a living while pursuing their respective crafts and passions. Today, Goodsie has 1,000 active, paying sellers, and is growing 20% month-over-month.

Memberly: Subscription services

Subscription service startups were hot this year. There’s Birchbox for makeup, Lollihop for health food, Bluum for new moms, Guyhaus and Hoseanna for staples like hosiery and deodorant, BarkBox for dogs… the list goes on. In July of this year, the folks at Disrupto, a trendy digital product agency in New York City, launched Memberly, a platform that helps individuals and small businesses run their own subscription programs.

“We’re starting to see a revival of consumers interacting with people they know, people who have an expertise. And that is really exciting. People are curating and selling products with their knowledge and expertise. It’s never been easier making a living doing what you love,” said Memberly co-founder Jack Cheng in a recent interview with The Next Web.

While Memberly is very selective about who it lets on its platform, three notable Memberly members include: La Colombe Coffee, an established retailer with 3-4 locations in New York City that’s started selling coffee subscriptions similarly to other notable NYC startup Craft Coffee; Umba Box, a company that curates handmade gifts; and She Hit Pause Print Club where artist Matt Schwartz takes large-format Polaroids, pulls apart the film and rubs the negatives onto watercolor paper, creating dreamlike transfers described by some as “walking into a memory.” By subscribing to SHPPC on Memerbly, each quarter, you’ll receive a different signed 4×5? print, matted in 8×10?, along with a collectible surprise—hand-picked by Schwartz.

SideTour: Experience marketplace

SideTour is a peer-to-peer marketplace of marketable serendipity. The New York City based startup opens a window into someone’s world and provides inspiring and talented hosts with a new storefront-like marketplace, much like Etsy did for artists. Since its launch out of the TechStars incubator in October of last year, 50 different people have used the platform to host experiences.

The most successful experiences have included:

• Getting a personal preview and tasting of America’s next great fast casual restaurant–the host “Suds” was the runner-up on NBC reality TV show “America’s Next Great Restaurant” and he’s now working to open his own restaurant, using SideTour to test recipes and build his digital brand.
• Brooklyn Rooted–where guests enjoy an artisanal dinner party hosted by the outstanding former sous chef of Aquavit and the Spotted Pig. The host wanted to spend more time with her fiancée and the life of a sous chef didn’t allow her to do that so she used SideTour to create her own Supper Club.

There’s also: Learn the secrets to buying wine worth your money, which was such an awesome experience that I wrote about it here; Enjoy a fireworks display on a private sailboat–a super successful experience over the summer; Experience the last chance to test drive the Tesla Roadster in NYC; and the ever popular dine with a Banker-turned-Monk at an East Village monastery.

Skillshare: Education

Skillshare is a community marketplace that enables users to learn anything from anyone, thereby democratizing learning. We’re big fans of Skillshare here at The Next Web. In November of last year, I taught a Skillshare class with Mashable’s Sarah Kessler on how to pitch to media. 40 people signed up! We donated all of the proceeds to Raise Cache for HackNY. CEO Michael Karnjanaprakorn shares a couple of examples of people who’ve made money doing what they love on Skillshare:

Programmer extraordinaire Avi Flombaum has made tens of thousands of dollars teaching on the Skillshare platform. In fact, he ended up quitting his job. Now, he teaches at night, and spends his days traveling around the world and working on his next startup. Here’s a great video showcasing his story:

Another Skillshare teacher turned entrepreneur named Victoria wrote Mike this email last year:

All has been very well. I have been meaning to let you know that Skillshare enticed me to get my biz going in flowers, after my flower class that I taught! I specialize in creating on-brand weekly flowers for luxury and retail boutiques and corporate clients at Flower Details…Thanks for the inspiration and the push!

So far her business has been a success with clients including Equinox gym and Magnolia Bakery.

Quirky: Product innovation

Quirky is a website that enables people with bright ideas to become inventors without dealing with the financing, engineering, distribution or legalities associated with such an undertaking. On Quirky, which we first covered in our postHow to Effectively Crowdsource Product Design, anyone can upload an idea for $10 and then anyone in the Quirky community, which now has over 155,000 members from over 100 cities, can respond to the design. The best designs become the “product of the week” and products that then secure enough buyers get a chance at production. When a product is complete and starts making money, 30% goes back to the Quirky community, a portion of it to the “ideator” and the rest to those who commented on the design during the one week community vetting period.

Quirky was founded in 2009 by the now 24-year-old CEO and founder Ben Kaufman. Since then, the company has launched over 35 products sold, has 28 in production and a lot more coming down the pipe. To date, 264 inventors have been paid out on Quirky. One of Quirky’s success stories is from a young inventor named Jake Zien who invented Pivot Power, a pivoting power strip. The product, which has sold 185,567 units to date, has earned Zien $184,655.39.

I bought this Bobble Brush Toothbrush Stand for my roommate from Quirky since my Sonicare takes up quite a bit of sink real estate. I think it’s pure genius. Might you have a bit of pure genius up your sleeve?

Chloe + Isabel: Jewelry sales

Remember how Mary Kay empowered stay at home moms to launch sales careers? Chloe + Isabel is doing just that with fashion jewelry sales and the New York City startup is targeting young, entrepreneurial women. The impressively backed startup is run by Chantel Waterbury, who spent 14 years in corporate merchandising working with brands like Cartier, Tiffany and Co., and Van Cleef and Arpels. How does C+I help people make money doing what they love?

“Chloe + Isabel is a place where smart, stylish women can discover and grow their entrepreneurial skills,” says Waterbury. “It’s the opportunity I wish I had when I first started my career as a young, ambitious woman with the goal of one day being my own boss! Chloe + Isabel offers a chance for women to start their own jewelry businesses, setup their own virtual boutiques, and choose their own hours. We’re committed to encouraging and celebrating smart, creative women so they can kick-start their own careers on their own terms.”

Market Publique: Vintage fashion

If vintage clothing is your passion, look no further than Market Publique. MP is the only community exclusively for vintage clothing sellers, so it’s become a destination for buyers looking for fashionable vintage that do not want to sift through all the handmade items on Etsy or the knockoffs on Ebay. MP curates the sellers, which are either invited or go through an application process, to ensure that everyone is in good company and the quaility of vintage and photography on the site stays high.

“This is very important to both sellers and buyers because it elevates vintage as a whole,” says MP Founder Pamela Castillo. “When you have people selling items photographed on the carpet or on a scary mannequin with an unbrushed wig, it perpetuates the stigma some people have of vintage being ‘old clothes’ or not fashionable. Our site is for great quality, stylish vintage that can integrate seamlessly into your everyday wardrobe.”

MP’s tools, taxonomy and listing process is designed specifically for vintage, making it easier and quicker to list than on Ebay or Etsy, and easier to shop as well. For example: You can create a template easily; Use a bulk photo uploader; Edit photos in the browser; and schedule listings and relist automatically.

Unlike Etsy, MP advertises in many other fashion communities like Chictopia, Lookbook.nu and Fashism. The site also work with bloggers and has produced look books for Thrifted & Modern and with Liz Cherkasova of Late Afternoon.

Everybody’s Buying Vintage or shopEBV is one of the most active sellers on Market Publique. The shop auctions extremely affordable vintage clothing exclusively on Market Publique and has been incredibly successful with consistent listings and great photography. Castillo says the owner makes most of her income via Market Publique while maintaining a brick and mortar operation in Alabama.

Need a website? Check out OnePager

“The first time a paying customer signed up at Onepager was a great feeling of validation, relief and excitement,” says co-founder Matt Shampine who launched the service earlier last year. On the flip side, I’m willing to be that the paying customer who signed up at Onepager also had a feeling of validation, relief and excitement. Like a Flavors.me for companies, Onepager helps people give their business an online presence in an affordable, effective and easy way.

“There is a gap between small businesses and technology. I’m not even talking about social media; nearly half of small businesses in America don’t have a website!” says Shampine. “Small business owners are realizing that the web is how people discover new businesses and organizations, so the demand for a professional looking website has never been higher. We’ve designed Onepager to be an elegant do-it-yourself platform that removes the need for extensive coding knowing, which saves small businesses time, stress, and money. All of us at Onepager grew up in small business families, so we think that’s pretty cool.”

Since its launch in August, over 20,000 websites have been created on Onepager from a variety of businesses such as restaurants, real estate, non-profits, and consultants.

Shapeways: Make money with 3D Printing

We are huge believers in the power of technology to feed creativity and new kinds of businesses. 3D printing in general and Shapeways in particular is exactly that kind of transformative technology. It is still not on the radar of most people. But that is rapidly changing.

–Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures

While technically not “on the Internet”, 3D printing startup Shapeways is a great example of how new technologies can help you make money doing what you love. The growing Shapeways community – comprising over 100,000 designers, makers, hackers, enthusiasts and shoppers – proves the widespread demand for personalized products is on the rise. Since the company’s launch in 2008 it’s printed nearly 1 million 3D products.

It seems 3D printing is really heating up as Shapeways shop owners earned over $270,000 in revenue in 2011 alone, compared to $100,000 from its launch in 2008 through April 2011. In 2011, Shapeways printed over 750,000 individual products and delivered them to people around the world. There are now over 4,400 shops on Shapeways, and several designers are making a living selling 3D printed products. A couple great examples are:

• Nervous System: designers who have quit their day job because of 3D printing and are featured in top stores, including the MOMA Design Store. (Hyphae lamp pictured above.)
• Michiel Cornelissen: a leader in developing gadget accessories
• Bathsheba Grossman: a designer who specializes in mathematical art
• Virtox: Dutch designer who is very active in the Shapeways community

Need Funding? Try Kickstarter

Kickstarter is a funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors, explorers and other creative types that is not only an incredible startup in its own right but it has the unique ability to spawn other start-ups. Founded in April 2009 by Perry Chen, Yancey Strickler, and Charles Adler, the site is undoubtedly one of the coolestgrowing businesses in New York City.

Since its launch, more than 16,500 projects have successfully met or exceeded their funding goal to-date with more than $130 million dollars pledged to projects. Of those projects there are 16 film projects that have used Kickstarter to find funding and build an audience that will premiere at Sundance later this month (that’s about 10% of the festival’s slate of films). There were even 3 film projects that have been shortlisted for Academy Award consideration.

Recently, The Printrbot project blew past its $25,000 goal and reached more than $830,000. Check out the most significant moments of 2011 on Kickstarter here.

Other great sites that we’d like to mention include: Create My Chocolate, which lets you create and sell your own bar of chocolate; Stella & Dot, which is similar to Chloe & Isabel but for stay-at-home moms; startups 20X200 and Artsicle help artists turn their work online; Stitch Labs, a design-focused fully integrated business management suite for the SMB market, helps users hold the many different aspects of a manufacturer or wholesaler’s business together; Shopify, an online software-as-a-service eCommerce platform that’s enabling entrepreneurs to create new online businesses (check out 10 online stores building their businesses with Shopify); and don’t miss the San Francisco based crowdsourcing phenomenon IndieGoGo.

Now, you have a few new tools. Roll up your sleeves and the rest is up to you! Let us know if you need any help getting started in the comments.

Finding work you love is very difficult. Most people fail. Even if you succeed, it’s rare to be free to work on what you want till your thirties or forties. But if you have the destination in sight you’ll be more likely to arrive at it. If you know you can love work, you’re in the home stretch, and if you know what work you love, you’re practically there.

-Paul Graham, How to Do What You Love

Full disclaimer: This post was written while making money doing what I love on the Internet.

image credit: goldsaint via Shutterstock

B0nus:

Written by edibleapple

Now this may very well be one of the best responses to a legal threat we’ve ever seen.

The backdrop: The San Antonio, Texas based Freetail Brewing Co. received a cease and desist letter from the Steelhead Brewing Co. (based out of Eugene, Oregon) demanding that they stop using “Hopasaurus Rex” as a name for one of their beers.

Freetail’s response back to Steelhead’s lawyers is just classic.

And here’s Page 2, which includes the Pièce de résistance.

Simply brilliant!

Curious, we moseyed on over to the Freetail Brewing Co. website and found that they have a slew of beers with interesting names. From the fitting “Rye Wit” and “Old Bat Rastard” to “Buffalo Hump 1840 IPA” and ” Invierno Inexistante”, these guys seem like the type you’d want to share a cold one with.

Bonus: Men In The Baby Food Department

Collected by +Terry Border.

Written by screencrave

As we bid farewell to 2011, it’s time for us to look ahead and get excited about the movies that 2012 will bring. The Golden Globes and Oscars haven’t named their favorites yet, but we’re not waiting around for that. We are excited about the future. There are some great movies to look forward to in 2012 – sequels, re-releases, film adaptations, and even a Pixar movie. Distinguished directors like Judd Apatow andQuentin Taratino both have movies coming out next year, so we’re excited for that too. Below is a list of what we think are some of the most anticipated movies of 2012.

10. The Comedy: This Is 40

Judd Apatow’s last directorial effort was the 2009 dramady Funny People. The film showed us a new side of Apatow, whose previous films Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin had been mainly comedies. Although This Is 40 is a spinoff from Knocked Up, the film will follow in the footsteps of Funny People in terms of tone (don’t worry, it’ll still be a comedy). Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl won’t be reprising their characters, instead the film will focus on Paul Rudd‘s and Leslie Mann‘s characters.

Release Date: December 21, 2012
Director: Judd Apatow
Biggest Draw: Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Melissa McCarthy

9. The Re-Release: Titanic 3D

One of the highest grossing films of all time is returning to the big screen – Titanic. James Cameronhas given his epic romance and disaster film a new 3D look and is going to re-release the film just in time for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sailing. While some may scoff and roll their eyes at a re-release thinking the studio just wants to make more dough, let’s look at it this way – some movies are meant for the big screen and Titanic is definitely one of them.

Release Date: April 6, 2012
Director: James Cameron
Biggest Draw: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, 3D

8. The Pixar Movie: Brave

Brave is different than other Pixar films. For starters, this will be the studio’s first fairy tale; and second, the film is directed by Pixar’s first female director Branda Champman, who also penned the screenplay.Brave tells the story of a royal Scottish family and its Princess Merida who is determined to follow her own path as a warrior. Who’s excited for another Pixar movie?

Release Date: June 22, 2012
Director: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Biggest Draw: Um, it’s a Pixar film!

7. The Period Piece: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a classic tale that has been made into a movie plenty of times, so why is this one so special? Well, aside from its stellar cast, there’s whole generations who haven’t seen this story brought to life. The last Gatsby to hit theaters was in 1974 with Mia Farrow and Robert Redford, and the film wasn’t a total critical success (despite its two great leads). With a December-release date, this version seems to have its eyes set on an Oscar.

Release Date: December 25, 2012
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Biggest Draw: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire

6. The Unconventional Drama: Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino is following his 2009 Nazi drama Inglorious Basterds with Django Unchained, a film that will touch upon another sensitive subject – slavery. Tarantino is known for his violent and bloody films, and this topic is exactly that. Django Unchained will follow a slave-turned bounty hunter (Jamie Fox) who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). This will be the first time we see DiCaprio play the actual villain. If anything, Django Unchained is going to shed some light on one of our country’s most disgraceful moments, and we can count on Tarantino to make this history lesson very entertaining.

Release Date: December 2, 2012
Director: Quentin Tarantino 
Biggest Draw: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Fox, Kurt Russell

5. The Twisted Tale: Snow White and the Huntsman

When the first photos of Kristen Stewart as Snow White were released, we were shocked to see her dressed in armor instead of the iconic blue and yellow dress. The photos showed that Rupert Sanders‘ version of the timeless fairytale would definitely be twisted and dark. The trailer confirmed our suspicions, and made Snow White and the Huntsman our favorite of the two Snow White films being released in 2012.

Release Date: June 1, 2012
Director: Rupert Sanders 
Biggest Draw: Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth

4. The Comic Book Movie: The Amazing Spider-Man

Just a few years after Spider-Man 3, there whole superhero franchise got a reboot. In 2012, we’ll seeSpider-Man take another form in the shape of British actor Andrew Garfield, who won audiences over with his cute stunt during this year’s Comic Con. Marc Webb‘s version, The Amazing Spider-Man will not include Mary Jane Watson; instead, it will highlight Spider-Man’s second love, Gwen Stacy, who will be played by Emma Stone. Despite how fans of the comics may feel about this new take, there’s no denying that it’s a film we really, really want to see.

Release Date: July 3, 2012
Director: Marc Webb
Biggest Draw: Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield

3. The Summer Blockbuster: The Avengers

The Avengers is a crossover movie that will bring together our favorite superheroes including Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye. This is a comic fan’s dream. We’re going to be seeing all of these superheroes on-screen, at the same time, fighting the forces of evil. More important, we’re going to see these characters interact with each other, which based off the trailer, we can garner that it’ll be very entertaining to watch. We’re excited!

Release Date: May 4, 2012
Director: Joss Whendon
Biggest Draw: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson

2. The Sci-Fi Adaptation: The Hunger Games

With Harry Potter over and just one more Twilight film to go, many are wondering if The Hunger Gameswill be the next big franchise. Like the two before it, The Hunger Games is being adapted from young adult novels. This film is set in the future United States where 24 young boys and girls are pit against each other in a bloody battle to the death, while their efforts are broadcasted for everyone to see. Could this be Lionsgate’s answer to Harry Potter and Twilight? And you excited to see this series brought to the screen?

Release Date: March 23, 2012
Director: Gary Ross
Biggest Draw: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth

1. The Sequel: The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan‘s super-sequel The Dark Knight Rises is probably the most anticipated movie of 2012. The film even won the award for Most Anticipated Movie at the 6th annual Scream Awards. Every time new footage or photos are revealed, fans and bloggers alike  jump with eagerness. When The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters this Summer, it will be the end of an era. This will be the last time we see Christopher Nolan at the helm (of the Batman franchise) and Christian Bale as the famed cape crusader.

Release Date: July 20, 2012
Director: Christopher Nolan 
Biggest Draw: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Honorable Mentions:

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• World War Z
• Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
• The Bourne Legacy
• Prometheus
• Skyfall
• Life of Pi
• Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
• Paranormal Activity 4
• Haywire
• The Gangster Squad
• Okay, this one too  — The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

What do you think of our Most Anticipated Films of 2011? Who would you include on the list?

Bonus:This is why piracy is so common in Sweden!

Written by Tom Anderson

I’ve never been a sound sleeper. I had trouble with it even as a kid, always wanting to stay up later. I don’t seem to be on the 24 hour cycle of this planet, with my sleep schedule always fluctuating. Was I I’m going to do some research on sleep and some new sleep devices / tech that are supposed to help you measure, track and ultimately improve your sleep habits. For now, here’s 8 sleep “myths” debunked:

Myth 1: There’s no such thing as a beauty sleep.
Myth 2: Reading or watching TV relaxes you so you can nod off.
Myth 3: We need less sleep as we get older.
Myth 4: Beer or wine before bed helps you sleep.
Myth 5: If you wake up during the night, relax until you fall asleep.
Myth 6: Taking prescription sleeping pills is a path to addiction.
Myth 7: Your brain rests during sleep.
Myth 8: The more sleep, the better.

Read the full story and decide for yourself… More detail about each “myth” here: http://bit.ly/yf4jmh

Below I shared a link of 10 Sleep Tips. 🙂

If I lived on Neptune, where days are 16 hours, I think I’d enjoy staying up all night and sleeping every second night. Until then, I’ll see what I can learn here on Earth. 🙂

Bonus: I actually laughed out loud. Fantasy stereotypes hold true through the ages..