Hasta La Gadget!

Social reading website Goodreads has been providing book recommendations for quite some time now, but it seems that an even bigger force in the book industry is taking over. Amazon announced today that they have acquired Goodreads for an undisclosed amount of money, but the deal should close by the end of Q2 2013.

Goodreads launched in early 2007 and it raised almost $3 million in funding since then, so it’s definitely been a successful ride for the founders of the service. Goodreads currently has over 16 million members who have added over 230 million books to the Goodreads database, with more than 30,000 book clubs. The service allows you to find your friends and share book recommendations with one another.

This type of social integration will only strengthen Amazon’s lead in the book and e-book market, where Apple has also been trying to leverage the industry with its own iBooks offering. With the acquisition, Amazon could easily implement Goodreads’ features into its Kindle lineup to give Kindle users better recommendations, and to even let users find their friends on Amazon’s network.

However, Goodreads CEO and co-founder Otis Chandler assures users that the service will not be going away or changing. With that said, it’ll be interesting to see how Amazon will integrate itself into Goodreads, and how Goodreads will integrate into Amazon’s ecosystem. Details on that front are scarce, but I’m sure we’ll hear more about Amazon’s plans for the service in the near future.

Amazon acquires social reading site Goodreads is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you have a PC with Windows 8 but miss Windows 7, there’s no need to downgrade. Following a few simple steps, you can make Microsoft’s current operating system look and feel almost identical to its predecessor. Here’s how to bring back the Start menu and the attractive aero glass theme how to hide other Windows 8 elements like the Charms menu. More »

If you were pumped up about the Samsung GALAXY S 4 revealed earlier this month but found its massive display to be just a bit too much to swallow, you’ll be glad to hear the tip about a “mini” coming on quick. This smaller iteration of the GALAXY S 4 would take on the design aesthetic of the larger, working with many of the same features but with specifications that point to a slightly lower price on the market.

While this release has not yet been confirmed (nor, according to Engadget, has it been denied), but given the release lineup of the past few Galaxy smartphones, a mini version of this “4″ hero is almost a given. The original suggestion comes from Bloomberg where, in an extended report, say they’re pretty sure the GALAXY S 4 mini will be released rather quickly after the GALAXY S 4 goes on sale.

Inside the GALAXY S 4 mini, the following specifications have been tipped. We’re expecting that the processor will be made by Qualcomm – likely a Snapdragon S4 Pro, similar to the Google Nexus 4.

Samsung GALAXY S 4 mini:

• 4.3-inch display (lower than 1080p)
• Dual-core 1.6Ghz processor
• 8 megapixel back-facing camera
• 2 megapixel front-facing camera
• Plastic body, Gorilla Glass 3 on front
• Removable battery
• microSD card slot capable of using 64GB cards

This machine will follow up on the GALAXY S 4 in markets such as the UK and Japan while the USA will see an off-contract iteration for sure, with carrier possibilities less likely. With the release of the Samsung GALAXY S 4 we’ll once again see a multi-carrier release almost at the same time, while each carrier’s unique release dates are flowing in as we speak. Have a peek at the timeline below for more info!

And don’t forget to check our Samsung GALAXY S 4 hands-on experience for the in-depth action you desire!

Samsung GALAXY S 4 mini tipped on hero’s heels is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The WRX is arguably Subaru’s most popular car ever, so it makes sense that the company would be addressing the model during the New York Auto Show this week, and indeed they did. Subaru unveiled the WRX concept, which is a completely new design for the WRX series, and while the overall shape of the car looks rather chunky (especially from the side view), we have to see it’s mighty sleek.

Subaru says that their focus for this WRX concept is based around “sharp handling, AWD grip, and turbo power.” Overall the new concept sits a lot lower and has a more streamlined design than the 2013 Impreza WRX, and it’s just a few inches wider at the wheel base. The car also has a larger grille and an impressive set of headlights.

The car also has a carbon fiber roof top to cut down on weight, which is certainly an interesting approach, given that most manufacturers go with a carbon fiber hood in order to cut down the weight of a car. However, the car comes with that iconic hood scoop that proves it’s a true WRX. The car keeps the 4-door style, but it looks a lot more like a coupe now.

Overall, it’s a completely new car, but you can tell that Subaru left some things alone so that it still has some classic WRX styling to it. Again, this is only a concept, so some of the features you see may not hit the actual production model, and it’s not said when this car will hit the assembly line, but hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.

Subaru WRX concept revealed at New York Auto Show is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Lisa Vanderpump has a theory as to why she and Gleb Savchenko wound up in the bottom three on “Dancing With the Stars,” and it has to do with “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”

No, it’s not some plan castmates and former friends Kyle Richards and Adrienne Maloof cooked up — just unfortunate timing.

“I think it was hard because we weren’t in the bottom three for dancing, but my show airs in the two hours that ‘Dancing With the Stars’ airs,” Lisa told The Huffington Post in a phone interview. “It was my wedding renewal last week in our finale and the first part of our reunion. I think a lot of my fanbase was watching that show. I think that hurts us. We really just need guys to vote and support us. More than anything, we’re just having an amazing time.”

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