Samsung planned a huge TouchWiz revamp at some point, and it looked awesome [VIDEO]

Last year, @evleaks treated us to leaked concepts of a TouchWiz revamp Samsung purportedly planned to introduce on their latest flagship handsets, but once the Samsung Galaxy S5 launched we were saddened to see the same ol’ TouchWiz. The Samsung Galaxy S6, while a bit better looking, still didn’t look nearly as good as the leaks.

But the leaks were real, and Samsung really did toy around with the possibility of creating this awesome user interface for use on their smartphones. That much was revealed by one of the designers they tasked with dreaming up the concept, Gerald Mark Soto.

Gerald Mark Soto was responsible for engineering the animations, though it was Perception‘s vision he used to create it. Perception is a design firm credited for the futuristic user interfaces seen in films such as Robocop, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Men in Black and more, and they are indeed listing Samsung as one of the big partners they have worked with (or may still be working with).

You can see their work in the footage above and below. The user interface featured lush graphics and smooth, cool animations that make using a Samsung smartphone seem like the most blissful experience ever.

We’re not sure why Samsung decided not to go through with this project, though there are a couple of possibilities:

• Technology constraints. As good as all this looked, it would demand some pretty good hardware. The TouchWiz of yesteryear already struggled to maintain smoothness throughout usage even on Samsung’s most powerful hardware, so it’s possible Samsung couldn’t replicate the concept without issues. There’s also the issue of how such an involved user interface could impact battery life.


• Differing visions. We’d find it hard to imagine that top brass within Samsung’s ranks wouldn’t like Soto’s work, but it’s possible they simply didn’t feel it was a good fit for their smartphone right now.


• It simply isn’t ready. Stuff like this is bound to take a lot of time, especially if Samsung has to build it from the ground up. The fact that the animator released the concept doesn’t bode well for the chances of this particular version of the concept to ever see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean Samsung isn’t still cooking up something big.

TouchWiz has long been chastised for being too bloated and doing too much to detract from the overall Android experience, but if it looked anything like the concepts above we wouldn’t mind using it on a daily basis. How do you feel about it?

Say hello to the Google Store, Google’s awesome new online gadget shop

Google’s exciting gizmos and gadgets no longer have to compete with a horde of games, apps and other digital goods available in Google Play — they have an online storefront of their own now. This is the Google Store, a one-stop shop for Nexus phones and tablets, Android TV boxes, Android Wear smart watches, Chromebook notebooks and, of course, the Nest Learning Thermostat.

Everything is as you’d expect for an online store. Each device category gets its own section, and diving deeper into each one will show you all the options available to you. You’ll get a good look at specs, features and accessories, too. Decide you want to order one? There’s a handy order button that remains visible even as you’re scrolling.

The Google Store isn’t a new idea or some grand innovation. It’s a store. But it represents Google’s desire to increase their retail presence and spread their consumer brands, whether it be in a small corner inside the UK’s biggest electronics store or a click away in your web browser. This is the first step, and we can’t wait to see what else Google’s looking to do to make sure Android, Chrome and all the wonderful products based on those platforms get as much of a spotlight as their rivals’ products in Cupertino do.

Visit the Google Store right here

Further proof that Moms are awesome #TextsFromMom

I have the best Mom in the world. She shares something in common with other best moms in the world (we’ll call it a tie for first place): making accidental jokes that are absolutely hilarious through oh-so-cute technological faux pas. When it comes to text messaging, maybe we should rename them “faux mas” as Samsung helps illustrate in this awesome Mother’s Day themed promo.

You may notice that the phone numbers of some of these mothers are not censored or blurred out, but that’s not a mistake. Samsung is encouraging you to jot those down, dial them up, and see what each mom has to say. To make your life a little easier, I’ve compiled a list of those numbers below along with a description of their faux ma so you can call the right one.

• 207-572-9715 (Every little detail)


• 813-750-2964 (#HashtagDeficiency)


• 224-216-8204 (SHOUTING)


• 405-795-9371 (Blank texter)


• 401-349-7637 (She wrote a book)


• 720-503-6809 (Can you even selfie?)


• 313-450-8545 (Match maker)


• 805-618-4562 (Avocado lover)


• 406-240-3753 (Rewind my texts)


• 310-489-6191 (Slinger of slang)


• 505-985-8992 (Ice cream poop emoticon)

An incredibly entertaining and fun video whose obvious purpose is to promote the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, but nonetheless, they deserve a round of applause.

Share your own funny “Texts From Mom” stories in the comments below, or even better yet, post a screenshot!

Humble Mobile Bundle 13 offering up 6+ awesome Android games for around $3

It’s been a minute since we last saw an Android-focused Humble Bundle (it’s only been a few weeks). But if you were looking to snag a few great games on the cheap — all while helping charity — here’s the current lineup for Humble Mobile Bundle 13.

• Timelines: Assault on America


• The Ministry of Silly Walks


• Hellraid: The Escape


• Puzzle Retreat


• Worms 3


• Twisty Hollow

By now you know the drill, pay what you want for a bundle of 3 solid Android titles and you can choose how much of the money goes to the developer and/or charity. If you pay more than the average (currently sitting around the .80 mark), you unlock an additional 3 games with even more to follow later on in the week.

With well over off content here, it’s great deal and helps keep your Android gaming library full of awesome titles. Grab these titles and more at the link down below.

[Humble Mobile Bundle 13]

This is why Android “Marshmallow” would make for an awesome name

We currently don’t know what the “M” in “Android M” will stand for. Google didn’t give us much help with the usual Easter Egg, but a presenter at Google IO may have narrowed it down a bit. It seems the three leading candidates are milkshake. milky way, and marshmallow. A Redditor shared his thoughts on why Android Marshmallow would make for an awesome mascot, and we have to agree.

This image is, of course, a nod to the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from the original Ghostbusters movie. It’s super cute, and would make a great statue for the front lawn of the Android building. Plus, there could be some tie-ins with the upcoming Ghostbusters reboot. The again, with the speed of Android updates we might be speculating about Android N before the movie is released.

What do you think about the potential for Android Marshmallow? Which M-themed dessert do you think will be the winner?

Hearthstone is getting an awesome new game mode for the first time in next update

Hearthstone fans, rejoice! Arena, Ranked and Casual play are no longer the only three ways to have fun in the collectible card game. Blizzard has announced a great new update that will add Tavern Brawl.

Tavern Brawl is a new game mode where Blizzard sets some whacky conditions for building decks, as well as possibly changing card texts or increasing (and even decreasing) life totals. It’s a fun way to play the game that has been featured by many third-party tournaments in the past, so we’re glad to see Blizzard incorporating something into the game as standard.

The way it works is Blizzard will set up a new “Brawl” each week, with global parameters being applied to everyone who enters. One week might be building a deck where you can’t use any class cards, while next week you could see a zero mana cost Dr. Boom. Crazy, I know. Blizzard hasn’t yet fully detailed the rewards you get for participating in brawls, though they did note that the mode will be free to start (indicating there may be a pay wall — whether you have to use gold or real money — down the line).

Other changes coming as part of patch 2.7 include the ability to set card backs for individual decks, as well as buying (for .99, no other option) and using the new alternate heroes. These heroes won’t have different class cards or mechanics, but you do get a new face to look at, new emotes and possibly new hero power animations. You can see the Warrior’s new hero — Magni Bronzebeard — in the video ahead.

So when’s it all arriving? Blizzard’s only timeline was “mid-June,” which isn’t very long. We’d hope it’s in time for the weekend, though knowing Blizzard we’re likely to see it around Monday or Tuesday.

[via Blizzard]

Google features 17 awesome new Android Wear watch faces in the Google Play Store

We’re still getting acquainted with Android 5.1.1 on our Moto 360s (you can check out all the new features right here) and today — joining the massive list of over 1,500 watch faces already available for Android Wear — Google is adding 17 all new ones to the mix. Featured in a list on Google Play, these new featured watch faces have been put together from some pretty big names in fashion, art, and even mobile.

There’s a little something here for everyone, with watch faces ranging from cute (Hello Kitty) to classy (Lulu Frost) and everything in between. We especially dig the watch faces from artists like Muji, and Kevin Tong or Bandai Namco’s Gundam watch face. Make sure to check all of them out by visiting the landing page on the Play Store right here.