If you bet on Kentucky Fried Chicken’s bunless wondrous Double Down being down for the count, KFC Japan has got a wake up call for you. The "Kentucky Chicken Rice" sandwich includes almost everything the Double Down was famous (or infamous) for, then adds a central patty made from rice held together with ketchup. Difficulty: no bacon.
Twitter appears to be down, meaning that our 140-character micro-conversations have come to a sudden halt. What to do! Where to turn! More »
In a move that only proves that Samsung is committed to the stylus, the Korean-based company bought a 5% stake in stylus and design tablet maker Wacom for $58.9 million. Wacom is infamous for their digital drawing tablets, and they’re pretty much the industry standard when it comes to that. Plus, the company’s technology is used in both the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Note II, as well as a couple of their tablets.
We know that Samsung is a big believer in the stylus, so this investment may not seem like a huge surprise to most, especially since the two companies have already been working together for quite some time. With this deal, we could see a lot more Samsung devices come with styluses, including the upcoming Galaxy S IV, which is rumored to be getting the S-Pen.
While that specific rumor is shaky at best, we’re at least guaranteed to see more of Wacom’s technology be built into upcoming Samsung “Note” devices, since that’s a lineup that the company says is all about productivity, but it’ll be interesting to see where the investment takes Samsung, and how they’ll further use Wacom technology with upcoming devices.
The only remaining question is, how does this affect Wacom? They’ll surely get more business from Samsung, but what this affect how Wacom handles business with other companies that compete with Samsung? With only a 5% stake, we doubt Samsung will have much control over that sort of thing, but it’ll be fun to find out how it’s all handled.
Samsung buys 5% stake in Wacom for $58.9 million is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Microsoft already announced the official coming of the Surface Pro tablet, which is on the 9th of February. But it looks like Microsoft will be holding a special event prior to the aforementioned date in order to welcome the tablet. ZDNet has learned that Microsoft is inviting guests to a formal launch on February 8th at the Best Buy in Union Square in New York City. The invited guests will be among the first to get a hands-on of the tablet. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Lenovo and NAF launches pilot program to teach app programming in high schools, Androidland: the world’s first Android store, 
Some people try to do so many things and juggle so many relationships at once that they end up failing horribly at most of the things they’re attempting to do. The same thing applies to shoes – at least, to this particular pair by Dolce Vita called the ‘Gypsy Pump.’
Indeed, it’s a gypsy in every sense of the word because it doesn’t have any one specific heritage. I think it looks particularly confused because it’s trying to be so many different kinds of shoes at once: flip flops, Mary Jane pumps, and wedges with an inverted platform.
It’s just a shoe hybrid that most women I know wouldn’t be caught dead or alive wearing.
In case you’re wondering, Gypsy Pumps actually exist, and retail for $169 (USD). Yeah, go figure that these things aren’t just a concept like so many of the other more practical items we feature here.
[via Incredible Things]
Whether it be its iOS, Android or Windows 8 users, Splashtop does a pretty good job at keeping them happy by introducing new things here and there, and the very latest may be no exception to that — well, at least to some. Dubbed Configurable Shortcuts & Gamepad, the feature will allow Splashtop 2 subscribers — that are using an iPad or Android slate — to easily create anything from a virtual gamepad, mouse controls and even keyboard shortcuts on a tablet’s screen, which, according to the company, should make for a “faster and more seamless remote access with their Macs and PCs” while gaming or, you know, actually being productive. What’s more, similar to what it did when other new services were brought to the mix, Splashtop’s set to charge current subs a little extra in order to use the Configurable Shortcuts & Gamepad, with the add-on being priced at about $1 per month (on top of the Splashtop 2 monthly fee, of course). The feature’s available now for anyone looking to try it out — and if you’d like to see it in action before you make that in-app purchase, a video demo can be found just past the break.
Source: App Store, Google Play
It’s no secret that T-Mobile is on the cusp of lighting up its first LTE network in Las Vegas, but with Kansas City soon to follow — and ambitions of extending LTE coverage to 100 million Americans by mid-year — it’s time to start factoring this consideration into your next smartphone purchase. While the carrier’s HSPA+ 42 network is certainly speedy, there’s no point in saddling yourself with a device that’s rooted in the past. Want to make sure you’re ready for what comes next? Read on for everything you need to know.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, T-Mobile
Cooking some healthy veggies? Cover the pot with this adorable new steamer from Gamago, and the steam will rise up through the chimney. Super cute, right? More »
LG‘s original Optimus L7 was released over the spring last year, but it was quickly succeeded by the Optimus L9. However, it seems that LG is bringing the mid-range device back onto the market with a few improvements coming with it. A Russian website has leaked what is supposedly the Optimus L7 II Dual, with a dual-SIM slot.
The design is a bit different than what LG usually goes after. The L7 II Dual is a bit curvier and more rounded than past Optimus devices, but overall it still has the LG look, which is most important. The phone is said to come with dual-SIM capabilities, meaning you can pack in to SIM cards and switch between the two whenever need be.
Other than that, we’re looking at a 4.3-inch IPS LCD display of the original L7, but the CPU gets a slight spec bump to a 1.0GHz dual-core chip, as well as a better 8MP camera that shoots 720p video. The new device is also said to be running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box and comes with a very respectable 2460mAh battery.
The LG Optimus L7 II Dual is said to launch sometime later in February in Russia for 12,990 rubles ($430). That’s probably not what the price will be exactly once it hits Europe, but we’ll have to wait and see what LG does on the price front once it’s announced. The company announced the original L7 at Mobile World Congress last year, so we’re guessing that they’ll do the same this time around.
[via Hi-Tech@Mail.ru]
LG Optimus L7 II Dual leaks, brings dual-SIM along for the ride is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Facebook’s series of tests never fails to impress. The social network’s latest test could prove to be a game changer, as it should convince its millions of users to post status updates more frequently. As noted by TechCrunch, Facebook appears to be testing with a small group of users a new status composer that lets users share what they are doing. The new composer, which is situated underneath the standard “How are feeling, ___?” question, also has a series of nifty pre-made emoticons and activities such as feelings, eating, drinking, and etc. (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google Maps The Grand Canyon, YouTube Considering Paid Subscriptions To Launch This Spring, 
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
