Mobile is taking over the scene. Smartphones and tablets are bringing along this revolution, and our lives are becoming more intertwined with technology as a result. The term “mobile payment” actually has a number of different meanings. To some, NFC (near field communications) comes to mind. NFC is a relatively new payment option that allows users to wave either a card or mobile device in front of a sensor that will automatically process a payment for you. A lack of NFC sensors in the market has ultimately hindered the development of this payment method, but it could take off at any time. Card…

The competition has been getting stronger. Despite continued domination by Apple in the tablet market with their single-size offering, rumors are spreading that they are considering a smaller version of the iPad to compete with the Amazon, Google, and Microsoft amongst others going after the cheaper tablet marketing. This would be a mistake. Instead of taking on the Google Nexus 7 (which started shipping last week), the Amazon Kindle Fire (with a new version expected in the 4th quarter this year), and other offerings with Android and Microsoft software, an “iPad mini” would do more to cannibalize…

The advent of the tablet has already changed our perspective on what can be accomplished with a personal computer. Within a short time frame, the tablet has become the “go-to” device for internet browsing, business communication, and media manipulation. As tablets become even more affordable and compatible, consumers will have the opportunity to evaluate how their needs match the tablet’s powerful performance.   Tablets in your home One exciting way that tablets are rapidly changing our daily habits is a tablet’s ability to control other synced devices in our homes. One appeal…

Google has had limited success with their Nexus-branded smartphones to date but that isn’t stopping them from moving the brand over to the tablet market. Now, rumors are circulating that they’re going to throw their name in the hat with prices starting at $149, joining the trend of reduced tablet pricing that even Apple is doing (even though only with their older iPad 2 as the New iPad rolls out). Amazon’s success with the properly-priced Kindle Fire over the holiday season and beyond has sparked more tablet makers to shoot for affordable rather than feature-rich. Ironically, this trend really…

Those of us at CES know have seen a million gadgets and gizmos in the last few hours. We’ve seen cool booths, inventive advertisements, and enough touchscreens to make our fingers bleed. There are many standouts at the show, one of which being the Samsung Galaxy Note. Is it a small tablet or a large smartphone? Yes. Samsung’s Senior VP Kevin Packingham described the vision behind the device. “With the Samsung Galaxy Note, we set out to create a device that enables people to do more while carrying less.” Visitors to the Samsung booth were greeted by several caricature artists who were doing clever…

According to reports, Amazon.com is planning to battle Apple with the launch of its own tablet computer. The device will reportedly hit the market by October and it will help the online retailer sell its music, movies, and other types of digital content. Since introducing the iPad last year, Apple had sold 19.5 million of the devices as of the end of March. It is far and away the leader in the tablet market, so Amazon’s looming entry into the tablet market will undoubtedly have a long road ahead of it. Although Amazon has yet to officially comment on this new tablet, reports suggest it will have a nine-inch…

The latest “buzz” in the tablet race comes from a video released yesterday by Motorola. “Tablet Evolution” walks us through a virtual museum with the progressing forms of tablet “technology” represented, starting with Egyptian Hieroglyphics. The format is clever, listing a positive element of each followed by the drawback that plagued them. Their jab at the iPad was particularly clever, saying that, “It’s like a giant iPhone, but… it’s like a giant iPhone.” We’ll know more about it next month at CES, but the presence of a bee at the end of the video has many speculating that it is the predicted…

Click the image above to see the full large version. Thanks to VoucherCodes.co.uk for sending this in to us….

You just hit ‘play’ on a video touting the PlayBook’s allegedly ‘faster’ and all-around more awesome browser than the iPad’s. And the proof would appear to be in the pudding – the PlayBook’s browser DOES appear to be a fair bit faster, rendering pages in a relative jiffy when put beside the iPad’s sudden plod. The video also demonstrates the iPad’s lack of Flash (again), and even shows off some fancy Java rendering. But the big question here is: who cares? That’s a stupid question. Of course people care, but jeez, RIM… is it really wise to prod Apple fanboys like that, especially when the iPad 2 is…

According to RIM’s co.CEO Jim Balsillie, the BlackBerry PlayBook will launch in Q1 2011 – and cost less than $500. That certainly doesn’t sound like bad news, especially considering the cheapest WiFi-only iPad is $499. While smaller than the iPad (7 inches, as opposed to 9.7), the PlayBook’s still got cool stuff the (current) iPad hasn’t, including two cameras and Flash support. Not that I’m a die-hard Flash hanger-on or anything, but even if it’s dying, it still accounts for a large part of the internet. Big Steve, I’d like to be able to see it. But let’s not go turning the comment section into a Flashwar…