Whenever we talk about and discuss tablets, we only refer to Apple's iPad, the Nexus 7 from Google and ASUS, as well as the Kindle Fire and Samsung's Galaxy Tab range of devices. While they may be the most popular and relevant devices in that category at the current time, we mustn't forget the tablets which at one time looked like they would make a great impact on the industry.
Android Jelly Bean (4.1) represents a landmark release in Google's market-leading mobile operating system. Hitherto, Android has always lagged behind iOS in terms of smoothness and general usability, but thanks to Project Butter, Jelly Bean is much closer to the slick experience offered by its counterpart.
It doesn't matter which mobile device you own or use, or what mobile operating system it is powered by, the relevant app marketplace for that platform will be packed full of social networking applications. Staying in touch with friends and family via social networking sites such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter is definitely the new big thing, but sometimes having to sift through all of the available software to find which one is best can be nothing short of a nightmare, dramatically removing the enjoyment of being social.
The Call Of Duty franchise is one of the most popular of all time, and having dominated the console market with its war-time first-person shooter, the mobile market has been on the agenda for quite a while. Call Of Duty: Black Ops Zombies has been around for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users for quite a while, and typically late, Google's Android platform has now received its own iteration.
Smartphones are the ultimate example of the convergence of technology. These gadgets that fit in the palm of your hand can act as your music player, portable movie player, handheld gaming console, voice recorder, portable storage device and a whole lot more thanks to third-party apps.
One of the most popular uses of the iPhone has to be mobile gaming. The App Store is packed to the rafters with numerous gaming titles, and it seems that more often than not, most of the top twenty five free and paid apps fall under the gaming genre. If you happen to be one of the those individuals who love a bit of mobile gaming then the chances are that you've heard of and experienced the Real Racing games that are currently in their second iteration.
The fabulous Nexus 7 has only been released for a very short time and already it has managed to win over most of the doubters with its impressive specification and overall pleasurable user experience. The device itself feels like a premium build product, and the integration of Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean provides the perfect companion quad-core Tegra 3 processor which Google and ASUS have packed under the hood.
Google paints its Wallet services as the future of shopping transactions, and using the power of NFC, or Near Field Communication, it has certainly shown much promise. The lack of a few important features is largely attributable to its infant state, but today, the Big G has given Wallet a pretty big update, offering support for all major credit and debit cards.
If you happened to walk into a store and saw the Nexus Q sitting on the shelf for sale, you might want to consult a salesperson to actually find out what the elegant black orb does. Unlike smartphones or tablets that lend their visuals to their functionality, or the Apple TV unit that gives away its function in the name, the Nexus Q is a visual enigma that hasn't really gotten the consumer technology world convinced.
The smartphone industry is one of the most fiercely contested in tech space, and although Windows Phone 8 will bring Microsoft well and truly into the fold, the battle is currently fought between Google's Android and Apple's iOS platforms.
