Time to double down on the Double Nexus Giveaway

Just because its CES 2015 doesn't mean we've quite forgotten what already exists in our small corner of our world. But in case you might have been a wee bit distracted by all the shiny and cool stuff spewing forth from Las Vegas, you might want to settle down a bit, take a few deep breaths, and check whether you've already put in your entry for our Double Nexus Giveaway, which is quickly winding down.

Just last month we invited you to take a chance to get not one but two of the latest Nexus devices known to man, the Nexus 6 phablet and the Nexus 9 tablet. Both are, of course, rather juicy pieces of equipment as far as Android devices go, sporting the best that the Android world has to offer, both in hardware and in software. Unless you actually adhere to one of the OEM skins.

Joining the sweepstakes is as simple as clicking that large green button and submitting your email address. Be warned that you will indeed be automatically subscribed to a newsletter, but you can always unsubscribe later if you wish. You can also invite your friends to join by sharing the event on Twitter. Every friend you get to sign up lands you another entry. Yes, a bit utilitarian, but hey, Nexus 6 and Nexus 9.

If you haven't decided yet, better hurry. The deal closes January 11, which is more than enough time to join. But don't get too eager and register more than one email address, as that is an automatic ground for disqualification.

Android Community Deals is brought to you in cooperation with StackSocial. Generated revenue helps fund this site. Deals are curated by StackSocial and are not representative of the opinions of the Android Community staff.

VW shows Android Auto in car system at CES 2015

European carmaker Volkswagen has rolled out a massive amount of new technology at CES 2015 that will soon be standard fare on their cars and vehicles. One of these is MirrorLink, VW’s second generation “modular infotainment platform”, which integrates Android Auto (and Apple’s CarPlay) into its system.

MirrorLink has the native capability to integrate smartphone apps into the in-dash system – some of the brands tested and approved are Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony. Upon the rollout of this new system, VW is promising that Android Auto will be rolling out with it.

The in-dash system has three displays – a 12.8-inch and an 8-inch center display, plus a 12.3-inch instrument cluster. If you look at these, they almost completely eliminate the need for standard tactile controls. The center display even has touch feedback (haptics), so that the driver will know when a command is actually taken without needing to look at the dash. The appearances of the displays and the color of the interior lighting can be customized to whatever the driver likes. Quite like a customizable smartphone.

That’s not even the most fun element – that distinction we feel will go to the in-car cameras that allow drivers to start commands with hand gestures. That way, you actually don’t need to touch the touchscreen displays. Nifty as heck. VW says that the system is "intended to reduce driver distractions while attaining maximum personalization and intuitive operation in the car." Well, you sold that on us guys.

SOURCE: Volkswagen

Story Timeline

• Volkswagen SmileDrive app transforms your road trip into a game


• Video: Android Auto in full detail


• Parrot RNB6: Android Auto for everyone

Razer's Master Plan To Win Living Room Gamers Starts With Android TV

Every year, Razer comes up with a crazy product to wow the crowds at the Consumer Electronics Show. A tablet with a built-in controller! A Lego-like desktop PC! But this year's surprise is actually four products that work together: an Android TV microconsole, a Bluetooth gamepad, a streaming service, and a wireless lapboard. The best lapboard ever.

Read more...

Must Have App Review: Light Flow – XDA TV

We get a lot of incoming information on our devices every day. To help remind us to check things like email and messaging systems, Android gives us notifications. There are many times when you don’t want it to make a sound. Sometimes, even that horrible vibrating phone on a wooden table noise is too loud. Thus, we have to rely on our visual indicators

The creators of Light Flow offer up an app that lets you view and control your visual notifications. It allows you to change the color of specific applications’ notifications. In this video XDA TV Producer TK reviews Light Flow. TK shows off the application and gives his thoughts, so check out this app review.

Be sure to check out other great XDA TV Videos

• Must Have App Review: Pushbullet – XDA TV


• Best Xposed Mods of 2014 – XDA TV


• XDA Xposed Tuesday: Wanam Kit AOSP Mods – XDA Developer TV


• XDA Xposed Tuesday: Complete Action Plus – XDA Developer TV


• XDA Xposed Tuesday: SideControl with Xposed – XDA Developer TV


• XDA Xposed Tuesday: Clean Your Notification Panel – XDA Developer TV

The post Must Have App Review: Light Flow – XDA TV appeared first on xda-developers.

Ambient sports headphones and wave control headsets from JBL

JBL unveiled during CES 2015 their newest line of audio accessories, bringing innovation to the perfect companion to your smartphones as you listen to your music while commuting, working out or just chilling after work. They have two new headphones, with one perfect for sports-minded individuals and the other for those who want a more convenient way of controlling their accessory.

JBL Reflect Aware is the first sports headphone that lets the user control the ambient sounds and noise canceling features to match where they are doing their runs, exercises, or any kind of workout. Instead of just giving full noise reduction or no noise reduction, the earphones allow you to choose what kind you want. When you want sound isolation, the form fitting ear tips gives it to you. But you can also mix ambient sounds of your choice together with the noise cancellation so you can focus on your workout the way you want to. Reflect Aware has also removed the sometimes distracting battery box but instead has a tiny 4-button remote so you can control the pause, play and volume of the music you're listening to.

But if controlling headphones through buttons is too "old school" for you, then you might want to try the JBL Reflect Response and the JBL Synchros S210BT. They're the first motion sensor controlled in-ear Bluetooth headphones. Using wave-to-control technology, you can change tracks, pause/play or even answer controls with just the wave of a hand. It's not just for people who are too lazy to press a button but it frees you from distraction while doing more important things like working out. Reflect Response also has an ergonomic design which places the headset behind the neck and in the ear, while also sporting sweat-proof technology and of course, sound quality is of utmost importance. The Synchros headphones meanwhile offers superior sound with its two-way hybrid driver design.

JBL also revealed their new line of portable and affordable Bluetooth speakers called Go Portable during CES 2015. Available in black, red, orange, pink, gray, blue, yellow, and teal, the speakers' SRP is at $29.95 each. JBL Reflect Aware will be selling at $149, JBL Reflect Response at $149 and JBL Synchros S210BT at $199.95.

SOURCE: JBL (1, 2, 3)

Hands-on with the Livescribe 3 Smartpen at CES 2015

Last year, the Livescribe 3 was launched – an interesting little toy that digitized your handwriting. One slight problem, the app and the smartpen was compatible only with iOS devices. Now CES 2015 comes rolling in and brings with it Android compatibility for the Livescribe 3, and we got some alone time with the gadget at the CES floor in Las Vegas.

Well, what does it do? On the surface, it has the same basic features as the smartpens Livescribe has produced before. The gadget will convert handwriting on paper to digitized content that is then able to create tasks, reminders, contacts, calendar events or just plain handwritten notes on your device. Livescribe 3 can also use your tablet or phone’s integrated microphone to create interactive content that syncs audio with handwriting.

So what does writing with it feel like? Well, very much like normal writing on paper, to tell the truth. The pen feels lighter than normal pens, but the switch clicker makes it feel like any other retractable pen. The Android app is able to replicate your handwriting digitally in real-time, which is very impressive. The downside? You need the specialized Livescribe 3 dot paper to do your writing, and paper, like other tactile materials, runs out.

The concept is very nice, and it feels like Livescribe did a good job of porting the app and the process to the Android environment. In fact, Greg Wong, Livescribe’s Director of Product Management says that “Livescribe+ for Android is much more than a port” of their iOS app. “We’ve approached every aspect of this app, from the color palette to the user interface, to optimize for the Android platform and customer expectations.”

Livescribe is at the floor of CES 2015 this week, and if you’re in the area, you might want to go ahead and give them a shot. They’re previewing their Android app, which should be available over the Google Play Store by spring. The Livescribe 3 Smartpen is available in the market for USD$149.95, but we kinda wished there were more color options than just the black and chrome ones. For that amount, you also get a 50-sheet supply of the special paper. USD$199.95 gets you the Pro edition, with 100 sheets of paper and a 1-year subscription to Evernote.

Story Timeline

• Livescribe 3 Smartpen announced, coming to Android in the near future


• LG G Pen trademark filing sparks hope of a Galaxy Note rival


• Power Pen is a stylus, pen and battery charger in one

Sony SmartEyeglass Attach: hands-on with an adaptable eyepiece

Google Glass and a whole bunch of other attempts at smart glasses, despite differences in implementation and concept, have one thing in common. They all require you to accept the vision of their designers, instead of being able to show off your own personal flair. Not so with Sony's second iteration of its SmartEyeglass device, called the SmartEyeglass Attach!. As the name implies, it was designed to attach to any kind of eyewear, glasses, goggles, or whatnot, instead of arriving welded unto someone else glasses.

At least that's the theory. In practice, the independent heads-up display unit still only attaches to some of Sony's own glasses. But that's ok for now, as these are still developer edition models. The promise is still there and Sony better be prepared to deliver on that promise, presuming smart glasses are still a thing by then.

The unit comes in two pieces, a display arm that weighs 22 g and a secondary arm that weighs 18 g, for a total of 40 g added to your eyewear of choice. The device runs on an unnamed ARM Cortex-A7 processor and the whole setup is powered by a 400 mAh battery. While the exact performance of that battery life will still be tested in the wild, it is pretty much on par with some of the Android Wear smartwatches in the market today. That said, battery life was one of the biggest sore points in Google Glass, so Sony better tread careful in this area.

The hi-res OLED microdisplay, Sony's own design, sits on the top right corner of the eye, pretty much like Glass as well. Use cases for this eyewear will likewise initially be the same, though it will largely depend on developer interest. Sony's first and geekier looking eyeglasses were met with rather lukewarm reception. This more fashionable and more generic module can perhaps drum up more interest. Sony has not yet hinted when it plans to produce and launch a consumer grade version.