Samsung Officially Launches "YOUM" Brand Flexible AMOLED Displays

Samsung has officially launched its "YOUM" brand for flexible AMOLED displays, ahead of the bendable panels sing up in commercial hardware later this year. Registered as a trademark complete with a bendy YOUM logo in mid-March, and detailed on the new Samsung Mobile Display site, YOUM promises to be thinner and lighter than traditional AMOLED and LCD-TFT screens, as well as being "unbreakable."

That is down to the differences in the "sandwich" of layers that make up a YOUM flexible display. An LCD screen would usually have six, two of which would be glass; an OLED panel would have four, again two of which would be glass.

It is that glass which makes the screens more vulnerable to damage, and indeed stops them from flexing or folding. In contrast, Samsung YOUM panels use film-based encapsulation ("encap") and TFT layers, rather than glass substrates, which make them more resilient to damage along with allowing more flexibility in device design.

Samsung has previously shown off foldable devices as well as various flexible prototypes, and has suggested that as well as gadgets which literally bend, it could also use the YOUM AMOLED technology to create wraparound displays that could cover two or more surfaces. That way, your phone could have a regular front screen that continues around to the side.

Check out the videos below

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{via Samsung Mobile Displays}

Facebook Messenger Updated with Better UI and Speed Enhancements

Facebook for Android may be in the Google Play Store's top ten, but it's not the only app to get attention from the social media giant: Facebook has released an update to the Facebook Messenger app as well. The new version boasts a tweaked UI and has made it simpler and faster to start up both one-on-one and group conversations. Better support for Ice Cream Sandwich devices and a number of bugfixes are also included. The update largely matches one that came to iOS back on March 19th, which featured a similar set of visual and speed enhancements.  you need to have a device running Android 2.2 or higher — it's available now at the Google Play Store.

What's in this version:

• 1.6.003
• Faster way to start conversations.
• Easier way to start group conversations.
• Updated visual design.
• Better support for Ice Cream Sandwich.
• Bug fixes.
• Performance and battery life improvements.

Instagram for Android

In what may be the most anticipated iOS-only app to cross platforms and come over to Andriod, Instagram is finally here for Android devices. And it's (nearly) every bit as good as the original.

Android becomes the first platform other than iOS supported by Instagram, the highly popular social network and photo sharing service that has some 25 million users, until now all on iPhones, iPods and iPads. The company had intentionally been methodical and, well, slow to release an app on additional platforms. But Instagram announced the new version in a blog post earlier today. And it's available to download right now.

The app will work with Android devices running versions 2.2 and higher that support OpenGL ES 2. It seems to have rough feature parity with the iOS versions (including sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Foursquare, with Flickr on the way), the familiar truckloads of filters, and Lux—a feature that automatically fixes your photo processing.

You can download it right now. And you really should.

Hands On Impressions 

It's a very slick-looking app. Every bit as beautiful as the iOS. The layout really takes advantage of the extra screen real estate you get on Android phones. Everything just fits, perfectly, which isn't always the case for cross-platform apps. Clearly, they weren't just twiddling their thumbs while they were going slow with this one.


The camera reacts quickly and took advantage of the Galaxy Nexus' tap to focus and fast shutter speeds. You can also switch to the front-facing camera, if you so desire. It has all of the sharing features you'd expect, allowing you to instantly post your photos directly to Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Tumblr. Once you've posted the pic you can then share it to other social media or applications (Google+, Email, Dropbox, whatever).

There are 18 filters there for you to choose from, and you can turn frames on/off, and do a simulated HDR, but there is one major missing feature: that little teardrop menu that lets you change the tilt-shift and vignetting. Android doesn't have that yet, but we expect it'll be added in a forthcoming update. Also, it appears that it doesn't currently work on some Android phones and possibly not on any Android tablets.

[Google Play]

Rocket Music Player for Android

If you are a music connoisseur, or even if you just like to jam out to some tunes occasionally using your Android device, you might be interested in an app I just came across while perusing the Google Play Store. Rocket Music Player, by JRTStudio, features an easy-to-use interface that allows you to easily browse your music collection without having to having to jump through a bunch of hoops.

If you’re not content with your current music player, have a look at all of the customization options this app offers below:

• Browse and play your music by albums, artists, genres, songs, podcasts and playlists.
• Create playlists within the player.
• 5 band graphic equalizer (Android 2.3+).
• iSyncr Live Lists dynamically update while playing.
• Fade in and out when playing and stopping songs
• Controllable from the lock-screen.
• Podcast bookmarking
• 4×1 and 4×2 widget.
• Support for most scribbling apps.

Furthermore, if you are using iSyncr, an app for syncing your iTunes music with your Android device, Rocket Music Player will provide the following functionality:

1. Sync new playlists and playlist changes back to iTunes
2. Sync podcast bookmarks to and from iTunes
3. Sync song ratings to and from iTunes
4. iSyncr Live Lists dynamically update while playing

The really cool part is, Rocket Music Player won’t even cost you a penny. There is, however, a premium feature unlocker available for $3.99 (US) which gives you access to these awesome features:

• Album art downloading
• 10 band graphic equalizer
• Assign an equalizer preset to a song
• Preamp
• Right/Left Balance Control
• Gapless playback
• Crossfading
• Play Apple Lossless (ALAC)
• Albums marked gapless in iTunes will play gapless when used with iSyncr
• Start/stop time from iTunes is used when used with iSyncr

Sound like a cool app? We thought so too. If you’d like to try it out for yourself, head over to the Google Play Store using the link below. If you like it, grab the unlocker using the code below that.

Download Rocket Music Player (Free)

Download Rocket Music Player ($3.99 US)

Google Voice Updated

An update for Google Voice has been released on the Google Play Store, bringing the application up to version 0.4.2.54. The aim of the update is to bring a better experience to Android 4.0 devices with the integration of Ice Cream Sandwich’s built-in visual voicemail feature. Additionally, you can now directly access folders from the ICS’s inbox, making communication even easier with Google’s already-superb free calling and SMS service.

Google Voice (formerly GrandCentral) is a telecommunications service by Google launched on March 11, 2009. Google Voice had some 1.4 million users in October 2009, 570,000 of whom used the service 7 days a week. This number has risen markedly since Google made the transition of its Google Voice service from ‘invitation only’ to be available to all Gmail subscribers. However, Google has not released a more recent number of users, claiming only that it is in the millions.

The service is configured and maintained by the user in a web-based application, styled after Google’s e-mail service, Gmail, or through the service’s Android and iOS apps. Google Voice currently provides free PC-to-Phone calling and PC-to-PC voice and video calling worldwide between users of the Google Voice and Video Chat browser plugin (available for Windows, Intel-based Mac OS X, and Linux).

If you’ve already got Google Voice installed, all you need to do is check the “My Apps” tab on Google Play and your update should already be waiting. If not, feel free to use the link below to pick up the latest version.

Download Google Voice

Stick it! Free Your Player: Multitasking while playing videos

Stick it! is an amazing application for Android phones and tablets that allows you to play videos and stick them to your screen, hovering them above whatever else you are doing on your device.

The app can play local files stored on your phone, as well as videos shared from other applications, like YouTube. This is a very cool feature, as the native YouTube application does not currently support multitasking, meaning you have to stop the video you’re watching if you decide you want/need to do something else. 

Above is a quick look at the application in action


Features :
MultiView™ : watch multiple movies simultaneously
Truly floating player : move, resize and minimize supported
Background playingYouTube support (beta)
Supports most video formats
Streaming support (MMS, RTSP, HTTP)
Built-in themes (Windows 7, Mac OSX, more to come)
Built-in file browser


Ready to try Stick it! Free Your Player for yourself? Head over to Google Play by clicking the link below. The app will run you $1.49 (USD). Good ROI (Return on Investment though).

Download Stick it! Free Your Player

Source

Samsung Galaxy S3 leaked

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has become so hyped that it is almost impossible to keep up with all the supposed leaks and rumors. We have already seen reports that the Galaxy S III would launch in April, then May, and now the latest speculation is June.Whenever it is time to finally announce the device, Samsung has said it will happen at a separate Samsung-hosted event and not at a trade show like CTIA Wireless. A Samsung representative previously said that the successor to the Galaxy S II would be unveiled “closer to commercial availability of the product” so we could still be waiting for several months.
Rumored specs of the Galaxy S III include:

• Android 4.x Ice Cream Sandwich 
• 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED Plus display 
• Quad-core 1.5-1.8 GHz Exynos 4412 processor 
• 12 MP rear camera, HD front camera 
• Only 7 millimeters thick 
• Ceramic casing

 At this point all we can do is sit here and speculate. If Samsung really is going to announce and launch this device in the summer, then we have to wait a couple more months before we receive any official information.
So far I would say their strategy is working. The bloggers and early adopters continue to talk about the successor to the Galaxy S II with an increasing excitement about the unknown. HTC is likely to win over some customers with their One series, but a lot of customers will also be waiting to see what Samsung has in store.

If you are in the market for a new Android smartphone, have any of the recent devices caught your eye or are you holding out for Samsung’s next flagship?

Android Best FPS game is for sale at 0.49$

We played Counter Strike,quake 3 Arena,Battlefield & Call of Duty on our Gaming Rigs .
But, imagine same kind on  gameplay on our Android Phone(High End).
Android’s best FPS game, Modern Combat 3, has joined Google’s $0.49 Play Store sale through Monday. The game uses up to 1.37 GB of free storage space and requires a high-end phone, but it’s worth every penny. The single player will keep you busy for awhile with 13 full missions and there is a 12-player multiplayer mode to extend the replay value. So members get this best game at unbelievable price.Check out the Youtube video below to get idea of the game.

source

Google Maps Updates its Maps App Navigation Menu

Google has pushed a minor update for its Maps for Android app today. Updated to version 6.4.0, app now includes simpler navigation menus for Google Maps Navigation. Company has replaced the vertical menu with a grid-based one.

There seems to be no change in other parts of the Maps app, so you are living one of the select countries where Maps Navigation is currently available, head over to Play Shop on your device or Google Play online to grab the update now.

Angry Birds Space:NASA Official Announcement

As part of the leadup to the release of Angry Birds Space on March 22nd, Rovio unveiled a special video today to show some off some of the new gameplay physics we can expect in the game. Rather than showing us a boring demo of the actual game, the Angry Birds took to the International Space Station where we are walked through the process of flinging a bird in zero gravity by an actual astronaut. The game will include “planetary bodies” that will have a gravitational effect on the trajectory of launched birds, adding a new element to take into consideration when attempting to snatch back those eggs from the evil pig army. Good to see Rovio bringing a truly fresh take on the series after countless update packs providing little more than new levels.so friends what do you think about this game, comment below.

Google Re-brands Market ,eBooks,Music,Video as Google Play

Google took a major step and announced the unification of all its content services under roof – Google Play. Starting today, Android Market, Google eBooks, Music and Video will become a part of Google Play and can be accessed at https://play.google.com/.

The Android Market app on your Android devices will be upgraded to Google Play Store over the coming days and so will be Video, Books and Music apps as Google Play Movies, Google Play Books and Google Play Music apps.

Google has also announced a promotion to celebrate this unification and a different album, book, video rental and Android app at a special price each day for the next week in “7 Days to Play” sale.

What is offered under Google Play?

• Store up to 20,000 songs for free and buy millions of new tracks
• Download more than 450,000 Android apps and games
• Browse the world’s largest selection of eBooks
• Rent thousands of your favorite movies, including new releases and HD titles

Country-wise distribution of services available under Google Play:

• U.S.: Music, movies, books and Android apps
• Canada & U.K.: Movies, books and Android apps
• Australia: Books and apps
• Japan: Movies and apps
• Everywhere else: Android apps

VLC Player For Android

Developer adridu59 on xda developers forum has manged to build VLC player for Android, from the Source VLC Player Files .This is a pretty good news for Android users as they will get the taste of their favorite Media Player of PC on Android.The current build still has some bugs and its in WIP (Work in Progess) stage.But plays ample of media file formats.here's are the features of this awesome media player.


Features :

• Gingerbread & ICS support
• Hardware acceleration support [Buggy]
• Headset detection
• Almost all media formats *should* be working (DTS/MPEG2/Theora still WIP)
• Remember that this is still WIP.

The developer adridu59 also specified compatibility list for different processors .Its specified as follows:

• Snapdragon S1 → ARM11
• Snapdragon S2/S3 → Cortex-A8/NEON
• Snapdragon S4 → Cortex-A9
• Tegra 2 → Cortex-A9
• Hummingbird → Cortex-A9 (Current gen. only)
• OMAP3 → Cortex-A8/NEON
• OMAP4 → Cortex-A9

File Menu

Artists Menu

He currently has support in for seven different chipsets. Knowing what chip your device is using will be key to checking out the beta as there are three different apk's to choose from. I just installed it on my friends Galaxy S, it installed fine, opened fine and ran through its search of media files on my device. Some comments in the thread claim issues and other various problems. They seem to be all over the place. With some devices having success while others with the same device are not. More than likely it is due to the wrong file downloaded or ROM compatibility issues.At first launch it says its aplha release, and then the app proceeds to scan all your files to find music, movies and other types of media. It had no issues find all media of various types. There is a music layout that has a swipe navigation style to it to choose between all songs, Artists, Albums or Genres. I only had a couple of MP3 and it played fine.

Movie Playback

As for movies are concerned, I had no issues playing any of the MP4′s that I had recently converted. The picture quality was perfect and audio was in synchronization with the video i.e no frame delay. It played fine in both landscape and portrait mode for me. Tapping the screen will bring up the players controls during a movie. It has your standard location slider, pause and play buttons. The pause button doubles as your fast forward and rewind feature. Instead of tapping on it you literally press and hold then drag. It lets you go forward or backwards in the video anywhere from 1 second to 60 seconds. It also has various aspect ratios available; 4:3, 16:9, fill, center and fit vertical. When skipping around a movie to various locations I experienced ZERO lag.   

I haven’t had a chance to test out the other file formats the developer states work, but just from the regular files I already have in my memory, this is going to be my new player. I also never had to once enable the hardware acceleration either. You guys should go check it out and get it installed .

Download Links APK's (MediaFire) (Source: xda-developers forum)

VLC-20120227.apk [ARM11] [Latest]

VLC-20120226.apk [Cortex-A8, NEON] [Latest]

VLC-20120227.apk [Cortex-A9] [Latest]

→ Enable "Unknown Sources" in order to install it

Source                                                                                                                                                                              Image Courtesy