Sources from this site

Apple (AAPL) may get away with charging a premium for its devices in the developed world, but in emerging markets that sort of thing just won’t fly. In those markets, consumers are much more likely to flock to the variety of low-cost Android smartphones hitting the shelves, which is giving Google (GOOG) a big boost in its efforts to put its stamp on major markets such as China, India and Brazil. In fact, Android’s edge in emerging markets has gotten so strong that one software platform executive thinks it will be a dominant force for years to come.

“Android is going to own over 75 percent of smartphone sales in emerging markets,” Joonas Hjelt, the CEO of Finnish technology startup Blaast, said this week.

And Hjelt is putting his money where his mouth is: Reuters says that Blaast has “opened an Android application store hoping to tap into booming demand for affordable smartphones in Indonesia and other emerging markets.” To achieve this, the company “has built a platform to distribute apps to mid-range cellphones, enabling carriers to sell more data packages bundled with free access to applications.”

If Blaast’s big bet on Android in emerging markets is correct, then it will mean that Google has really fulfilled its goal to bring the mobile web to all corners of the world (while also hooking users everywhere into its ad revenue-generating services, of course).

sources from http://bgr.com/2012/11/22/nokia-lumia-810-review-windows-phone-8x-review/

Amid a sea of Android smartphones and Apple’s (AAPL) ever-popular iPhone, Microsoft (MSFT) will make its third run at a rebound in the mobile market this holiday season. The flagship Nokia Lumia 920 is leading the charge this time around, and early sales seem strong. Nokia’s (NOK) new Lumia is an AT&T (T) exclusive though, leaving the majority of mobile subscribers in the U.S. in the dark this holiday season. Of course, there are other options for those looking to embrace Windows Phone 8. T-Mobile has two new handsets available for the holiday season powered by the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile platform and here, we take a look at both.

First up is HTC’s (2498) flagship Windows Phone 8X.

I reviewed the international version of this smartphone last month and T-Mobile’s variant is the same in almost every way. Spec highlights include a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz, a 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 display with 720p HD resolution, an 8-megapixel camera with dedicated HTC ImageChip technology, Beats Audio, 16GB of storage and 1GB of RAM.

Long story short, the 8X is a beauty. The hardware is fantastic and unique — of course, HTC is no stranger to gorgeous hardware — and performance has improved dramatically compared to previous-generation Windows Phones. The soft-touch rubbery finish feels great, the tapered back fits in the hand perfectly, and the loud colors ensure that the 8X stands out in a sea of black and white slabs.

All in all, HTC’s Windows Phone 8X is probably one of my favorite smartphones of the year and at $150 or less from various stores on Black Friday, this should be a serious contender for anyone seeking out a Windows Phone ahead of the holidays.

T-Mobile’s other new Windows Phone 8 handset is the Nokia Lumia 810.

The 810 is an interesting low-cost smartphone that can be thought of as the Lumia 920′s polar opposite in terms of hardware. Whereas the 920 is sleek and features a very unique design, theLumia 810 sports the most generic design imaginable. It’s a thick black rectangle. That’s it.

In other ways, the Lumia 810 is very similar to the 920. For one thing, it’s way too thick and bulky just like the 920. More importantly though, it follows the Lumia 920′s lead and offers users solid performance and a wide range of features.

Despite its mid-range specs and price tag, the Lumia 810 feels like a high-end phone while navigating the OS. Animations are fluid, apps open quickly and the device is very smooth and responsive. The 810 also has access to all of Nokia’s software and services, including Nokia City Lens, Nokia Maps and the vendor’s free voice-guided navigation app, Nokia Drive.

Key items among the Lumia 810′s specs include a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, a 4.3-inch 480 x 800-pixel AMOLED display, 8GB of storage plus up to 64GB of removable memory thanks to microSDXC support, 1GB of RAM, an 8-megapixel camera and support for T-Mobile’s HSPA+ data network.

At $99.99 on contract or even less during the holiday shopping season, the Nokia Lumia 810 is a solid option for first-time smartphone buyers or those looking to embrace Microsoft’s mobile platform without breaking the bank. There are unavoidable compromises that must be made —namely where apps are concerned — but those who can look past the tumbleweeds in Microsoft’s app store will find a great device in the Lumia 810 or HTC’s Windows Phone 8X.  \

Sources from Gizmodo

The mobile phone, or cell phone, or smartphone as we now tend to call it, has come a long way since its invention. To celebrate its 20th anniversary Japanese communications company NTT DoCoMo put together an actual display, illustrating the the evolution of its phone line.

While you probably can't go see the physical installment, you can see this picture. Sure, it doesn't show every phone ever made by everyone and rather just the ones by DoCoMo, it still gives you a great look into the evolution of the device as whole, where it came from, and where it is now. Take a look. 

Sources from Gizmodo

Android 4.2 Still-Jelly Bean is pretty sweet. You've got your Photo Sphere Camera, you've got your Gesture Keyboard. But there's one thing you might notice is missing. Android Jelly Bean 4.2 doesn't know what December is.

Now that glaring absence isn't everywhere. Google Calender is still fine, for instance. The problem lies chiefly in the People app, where all important dates that fall during the month of December will be ignored because, you know, December doesn't exist. We've verified its absence there on the 4, the 7, and the 10, so it's a universal Nexus problem. With an omission this obvious and glaring (now that it's been found) you can bet an update to fix it will be coming in soon. In the meantime, fellow Android users, we are living in a world without Christmas. Somewhere the Grinch is dancing with his Nexus 4.

If it's in the built-in People app, it's bound to show up elsewhere as well. Drop any of your own missing December sightings in the comments.

Sources from LifeHacker

The best webcams are the ones that are affordable, easy to set up, offer great video quality, and doesn't make you look like a blurry, standard-def mess when you wave at the screen. Of course, there are plenty that fit that description, so we asked you which ones you thought were worth buying. Here's a look at the five best, based on your nominations.

Earlier in the week, we asked you which webcams you thought were the best of breed, even considering that many computers have them built-in these days. You responded, and while we only have room for the top five, we definitely had plenty of models to sort through.

Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920($100)

If you work from home and use video to stay in touch with colleagues and attend meetings, or if you just use it to stay in touch with friends and family around the world, the Logitech C920 HD webcam offers stunning video quality—including Skype and other video calling (when supported) in 1080p, autofocus, sensitive dual stereo microphones, and full HD video recording if you produce video from your computer. The C920 clips to your monitor easily, but if you need portability, the webcam even has a standard screw attachment on the bottom to fit a tripod so you can position it anywhere you need it. If you need to take still images, the C920 will snag up to 15 megapixel still images. Plus, Logitech's cameras are compatible with almost any operating system, including Windows, OS X, and Linux.

Microsoft LifeCam HD-5000($50)

Microsoft's LifeCam HD-5000 (and its newer sibling, the HD-5001) trims back some of the bells and whistles to make a more manageable price tag. It packs 720p HD video recording and video chat in Skype and other video calling apps, autofocus so the object of attention is always crystal clear, and face tracking, so even if you move you don't get all blurred out to the person on the other end of your video call. Video recording comes in at 720p as well, and Microsoft's TrueColor technology automatically adjusts for bright or low light scenarios, offering great video even when the light doesn't cooperate. The HD-5000 is also a portable camera, less than 2 inches wide and 5 inches tall.

Microsoft LifeCam Cinema($80)

The LifeCam Cinema offers additional features that some of its other camera models don't have, like a rotating neck that allows you to position the camera at almost any angle, a wideband microphone mounted on the top to snag your audio as well as video, beautiful autofocus to keep recordings and video chats crystal clear, and crisp 720p HD video recording and video calling. That microphone also comes bundled with noise isolation technology to make sure only the intended sounds make it onto your recordings and the people you talk to on the other end of your Skype chat aren't distracted by noise outside your window. Plus, even though Microsoft only touts its Windows compatibility, many of you noted that their cameras are OS X compatible.

Microsoft LifeCam Studio ($100)

At the high end of Microsoft's webcam lineup is the LifeCam Studio, another camera many of you nominated for it's stunning true full HD video, coming in at 1080p for video recording and photo stills. Microsoft says you'll get 720p in video chats and calls over Skype or Google Hangouts, and 1080p if you're using a service that supports it and have a computer that meets the system requirements. If you need it on top of your monitor, it'll fit there easily, but if you want to mount it on a tripod, the LifeCam Studio sports a standard screw attachment so it can set up anywhere. Microsoft bundles its TrueColor technology with this camera as well, along with the glass lens cover from the LifeCam Cinema, all designed to perform well in odd lighting while keeping the image nice and clear. The LifeCam Studio also packs a noise isolating microphone, so you won't need an extra one for video calls.

Logitech HD Webcam C270($40)

If you want dead simple HD video calling and still photos, without all the bells and whistles (and the price tag) of many of the others, the Logitech C270 offers a simple camera with a rubberized clip to attach to your monitor, and that's about it. You get 720p video with the C270, 3 megapixel still photos, and a built-in noise isolating microphone. The C270 does a good job of auto-correcting for low or bright light as well. Plus: works great in Windows and OS X without additional driver installs - which also makes it a great webcam for a Hackintosh!

Sources from Gizmodo

Why It Matters

Nintendo makes gaming consoles your mom and grandma and racist-but-generally-amiable aunt get together and play around the holidays. This is the next version of that. A lot of families are going to be thinking about spending the $300 or $350 to upgrade this holiday season, and the overriding question is, Is it worth it?

Using It

Hardware
Let's start with the GamePad, since that's effectively the face of the Wii U. It is a large controller with a 6.2-inch 854x480 (16:9) 158PPI touchscreen, built-in speakers, a motion sensor, and a front-facing camera. The button layout is fairly standard: two analog sticks, a d-pad, four face buttons, two shoulder buttons, and two triggers. It also has NFC, but it's gone completely unused at launch.

But you probably know all that. Or you could find it out pretty easily. What you want to know is what it's like to use—especially when it's not attached to a giant kiosk in the middle of GameStop. So: It's comfortable, lighter than it looks, and mostly quite good. It also, importantly, feels like (and is) something your kid can drop, repeatedly, and keep on working.

Implementation in games is a bit of a mixed bag, but when it's used correctly, the two-screen console experience is a firm step forward in Nintendo's modern identity: Original, creative, fungames that get more fun with more people.

In a lot of ways, the GamePad's touchscreen makes the Wii U a direct decedent of the Nintendo DS family. Two screens, with the metaphorically lower touchscreen being for more ancillary tasks like inventory management, menus, or maps. But once you peel away the familiar, it's the new functionality that actually works best. Using the gamepad as the "it" in games like Mario Chase, Luigi's Ghost Mansion, or Animal Crossing is a perfect way to stop screen peeking. And the Ninja Castle star-throwing game in NintendoLand is a great combination of the Wii and Wii U's tech. And being able to just walk away from your TV and keep playing is pretty freaking awesome, too. (Translation: You can continue your game of Madden in the bathroom.)

There are also downsides, of course. For one, having a console controller that needs to be recharged every few hours is a downer, and a big change from previous consoles. The disruption this causes to a weekend gaming sesh is not to be underestimated.

The onboard speakers are a nice touch in games that use the gamepad as a true second display, or when the music syncopates itself so it's augmented by the gamepad's speakers. But when they're used to simply mirror the main sound (like in Madden or FIFA) it creates an weird distortion effect. And the vibration effect in the gamepad is simply awful—it sounds like someone buried a buzzing iPhone in the middle of your controller.

The gamepad's screen isn't a great display—your phone's or tablet's is probably way better—but its sheer size and functionality make up for that. The color seems a little flat compared to the HD screens we tested it with, but it's totally fine for ancillary use, and even playing a whole game ofMadden on it didn't feel cramped.

Visually, the Wii U can punch its weight with the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Traditionally, Nintendo's cartoony (and virtuoso) art direction meant its graphics could lag a little and still look fine. But seeing Mario and company running around in HD is wonderful. There's been some bellyaching about graphical hiccups in games like Mass Effect. I noticed some framerate drop in ME3 and Madden, and much more in FIFA 13, but chalked it up to port issues and them being launch titles. For what it's worth, ZombiU is strong graphically, and had no graphical slowdown.

Gameplay
The central question around the Wii U is if its conceit stands up: Is a gaming console with a second screen an interesting and compelling way to play games? The answer comes back a definite Yes... with a few qualifications.

One of the reasons the original Wii was so immediately relatable was that its tech-demo-cum-launch-title Wii Sports used such familiar metaphors. You would swing a golf club or baseball bat, or you would roll a bowling ball. Your aunt and uncle could pick up a Wii Remote and immediately have some idea of what to do. The Wii U's demo title, NintendoLand, needs to explain itself a little more. Its incessant tutorials are a pretty apt metaphor for the fact that you're going to need to explain how games work to your mom and dad. It can feel like a step backward in how we interact with video games, especially Nintendo's.

But that doesn't mean it's not fun and different. Multiplayer games especially can use the GamePad to create fun gameplay and scenarios. Think about a traditional board game, the predecessor to the Wii as a familial gathering place. Board games rely on you being able to withhold some information from the other players, but that's hard to pull off when everyone's staring at the same TV. The gamepad changes that, and opens up a lot of new ways to play games. One of the launch games, Rabbid's Land, makes you pass the gamepad around as players take turns on an actual game board. This seems like the manifest destiny of using the Wii U in a crowded room.

For single player, you're left with some of the more basic stuff, like maps and inventories. The most useful applications are usually in telling your team where to go in sports games or squad games like Mass Effect. That typically clunky function is handled by just drawing a line from where your teammate is to where you want him or her to go. It's a nice addition to AAA games, but not nearly as useful as it is in made-for-multiplayer stuff.

Other times the implementation of the GamePad feels tacked-on, or worse, totally disruptive to core gameplay. A good example is FIFA, which has a few useful actions like sending players on runs by dragging them on the touchscreen, and buries them in a labyrinth of menus and features. Hey, jerks, I'm trying to actually play the game, not make granular adjustments. But on the whole, even after-the-fact touchscreen additions are generally more of a positive than a distraction.

Interface
The home interface is a little frumpier than the Xbox's (formerly) Metro facade, but it's just flat-out more functional, especially with the gamepad. Ironic, since Microsoft went so all-in on touch with Windows 8. But having a home screen full of icons that you can tap on to launch is simply more convenient. The touchscreen turns one of the Wii's big weaknesses into a strength, and it will be a lot more important as the online features are added.

Navigating around on the gamepad is more responsive than you expect from a console OS, as are touch events and sensitivity. It's not to the level of, say, iOS or Android, but it's miles better than using the touchscreen on a 3DS. That's all undercut, though, but interminable load times you encounter while switching apps. Maybe that'll be fixed with an early patch (Amazon'sKindle Fire HD had enormous load times for movies and apps just a few days before it launched, but fixed them in time), but for now, it's infuriating.

If you're an Xbox user, though, might miss being able to just shout at your Kinect to pause a video or launch a service or run a search.

Online
There isn't really anything to report here. Nintendo has big plans for its online features, with Nintendo Network accounts, access to online streaming services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime (free, unlike the Xbox). But we haven't had much time with them yet. Miiverse and the eShop just went online, but we haven't had a chance to use them yet. We'll update within a few hours.

Updating:

Registering for the Nintendo Network ID is relatively simple. You just click a prompt to create an account, choose a username, and provide some basic personal information. After you've signed up, you can choose if you want to require a password whenever you sign into the Mii you've linked with your account, since it will have access to information used in the eShop, etc.

The first time you fire up the Nintendo eShop, it asks if you want to link your Club Nintendo account. From there, you're dumped into the store, which resembles Apple's iTunes layout more than the labyrinth dungeon-stores on the Xbox and PlayStation. That said, once there are more games available, it's going to need better filter options. Overall, it's a nicely laid out store, though. We still have to test out the external storage performance to see how good an option it is for buying your games, though.

The Wii U's browser is just as extraneous as a browser on any other game console, but it at least seems to render pages faster than the Xbox's Internet Explorer, and has a responsive tab row at the bottom of the screen. You can also access Mii-specific bookmarks. It loads the full versions of sites, just like the Xbox, and just like the Xbox, that can cause some problems with navigation. Thankfully, the gamepad is more responsive than SmartGlass, which can be choppy.

Like

In-person multiplayer is a huge amount of fun on the Wii U. It's not as immediately intuitive, and you'll have to give everyone a few more instructions, but it's still simple and creative enough for everyone to pick up quickly. It's also nice to be able to play games other systems get, likeMass Effect or FIFA, with modern, HD graphics, and without having to figure out how to use a Wii Remote to control them.

No Like

It can be annoying playing games that aren't based around the Wii U's non-standard tech (a good and necessary thing!), but you're constantly compelled to use the touchscreen for stuff that could just as easily (or often more efficiently) on the main screen. Just let us play the game, and chime in with something useful if it's actually useful.

I also can't stop thinking about the Kinect. Dance Central Just Dance 4 is a launch-day title for the Wii U. It's probably a testament to how much we like pretend-dancing (where no one makes fun of you for actually trying!) that the game remains pretty damn fun even with just the Wii Remote. But it's not the same. The Kinect is the logical technological successor to the Wii's nonstandard interaction with your console, and even the current version sort of makes the Wii U look outdated. The Wii U holds it off by just having more good content that uses its tech, but it feels like this might be the last generation with which Nintendo can stem the tides of technological advancement without making another push of its own.

Test Notes

• Time Played: NintendoLand: 6 hours (multiplayer); Mass Effect 3: 3 hours; New SUPER MARIO BROS. U: 3 hours (multiplayer); ZombiU: 3 hours; FIFA Soccer 13: 2 hours;Madden NFL 13: 2 hours; Ninja Gaiden 3, Razor's Edge: 1 hour; Rabbid's Land: 1 hour (multiplayer); Just Dance 4: 30 minutes (solo, because I am a very sad human being)
• Barring the Day One patch fixing the load time issue, it's as a big a misstep as Nintendo could have made. These things seriously last forever. [Update: Nope, loading the main manu, or other apps, still takes forever. Actually using the menus, though, remains smooth.]
• The Pro Controller—Nintendo's version of the now-standard PlayStation and Xboxian gamepads—is a fine controller, and actually pretty comfortable. The main gripe against it is the right analog stick placement, but I adjusted to it fairly quickly in FPS games. In games where you're using the face buttons, though, it's actually less comfortable than than the gamepad.
  
• We didn't get a chance to test the USB storage additions (you can use USB-based hard drives though compatibility is still fuzzy), but that's going to be a big deal, since the Wii U's OS only leaves about 3 GB free on the standard 8GB system, and even the 32GB system is a little cramped for 3GB+ downloads.
• The TV Remote actually works great, and it's an awesome addition. Sure, selecting channels is pretty impossible, but that's more the job of TVii, which isn't out yet.
• Seeing your big fat head on the screen through the Wii U's gamepad camera is a nice and really fun addition to multiplayer. It really does add to the experience as your friends are chasing you around, calling you a an idiot.
• Seems to run a little bit louder than other consoles, which is a very minor note, but I noticed it whirring above the sound in games (and my idiotically loud radiator) a few times.
• Holy good god does the deluxe black version collect dust and smudges. I just have a dusty apartment to deal with, but after a week it already looks like a piece of gum I dropped in the dust bin. If I had any pets it would probably look like a cat you feed CDs into.
• The system does, though, fit into more places that you'd keep a gaming console, unlike the original Wii which looked out of place everywhere.
• All of your Wii Remotes will work just fine with the Wii U, but you should know that some of the minigames in Nintendoland, the aforementioned Rabbid's Land, and presumably other titles require both the nunchuk and the motion plus controller, which is a change for the usually super backwards compatible Nintendo.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, if you know you want the next version of the Wii. While technologically, the Wii U sort of feels like the step you'd take before you get to motion controls in the Wii, that doesn't mean it doesn't totally fit into Nintendo's ethos of interaction. It's fun. It's something your family will enjoy using.

If you're looking for a network-enabled media center, like the Xbox or Apple TV, though, definitely wait before purchasing this. The demos we've seen have looked pretty decent, but not being ready for launch isn't a great sign. Same goes for the robust third party support of traditional, big-time games that never quite made it to the original Wii. It could be that everything will work wonderfully once it's out, but being cautious never hurt anyone.

Sources from Gizmodo

Apps

iOS:
650,000 apps. 225,000 for iPad. Still tops as far as smartphone platforms go.

Android:
Android is currently at 600,000 total apps. Most of those will run on tablets, but the number of tablet-optimized offerings is significantly lower than iOS (Google won't give an official number, but a quick run through Google Play makes the situation abundantly clear).

Windows Phone: Windows Phone currently has 100,000 apps available for download, which is considerably less than the other two. And since there's no Windows 8 tablet yet, well...

Maps

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iOS: Apple now has a maps service of its very own like Google and Microsoft. Not only does it deliver traffic updates, points of interest, and turn-by-turn navigation (which is well integrated throughout iOS 6), there are 3D maps which both look cool and might be helpful when lost in the middle of a crowded metropolis. But the lack of public transit directions hurts, even if they're offering a third-party API solution. And iPhone users reared on Street View might sorely miss it; Apple hasn't presented an equivalent.

Android:
Google Maps in Jelly Bean will likely be unchanged from what Google showed off a few weeksago at its dedicated maps event: 3D buildings and offline caching will be added to supplement the top notch combination of search, turn-by-turn navigation, and Street View. Plus, the search giant is going crazy with mapping the insides of notable locales—Compass Mode employs a phone's gyroscope to give you 360-degree interior views—so expect to see more of that over time.

Windows Phone: Windows Phone 7 was a showcase for Microsoft's Bing maps, but the mobile navigation turf will belong to Nokia on Windows Phone 8. The good news is, that means terrific NAVTEQ maps, turn-by-turn navigation, 3D buildings, offline caching, and dynamic routing for public transit. There aren't many bells and whistles here, though, for better or worse.

Browser Sync

iOS:
iCloud Tabs are new in iOS 6, and unify your browsing across all of your iOS and OS X devices. It's not a full cloud browser that offers the same tab view across all devices, but rather a list of tabs tucked behind an icon or sub-menu, along with your bookmarks.

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Android:
The Chrome Beta on Android offers tab syncing with your desktop as well, but throws bookmark and search syncing in the bargain. And since there are more desktop Chrome users in the world than any other browser, a lot of people will be taking advantage of this feature.

Windows Phone:
Browser sync is conspicuously absent from Windows Phone, which is odd considering it will run the same version of Internet Explorer that Windows 8 will in the WinRT environment. Then again, with Windows 8 and WP8 both not expected until this fall, there's a lot of time for Microsoft to make this work. Fingers crossed.

Facebook Integration

iOS:
Facebook is integrated throughout iOS 6, which means you can update your status and upload images from various apps (not to mention notification center), sync contacts, and have your Facebook events coordinate with your iOS Calendar. Plus a third-party API is on the way, so all apps can integrate Facebook into their wares.

Android:
Android has always been good for Facebook sharing, and there's no reason for that to change with Jelly Bean. You can share and upload from pretty much anywhere in the OS, or inside most Android apps. Plus you can pull Facebook data for your contacts already stored on your phone, or pull all your Facebook friends into your contacts.

Windows Phone:
Facebook integration has always been one of Windows Phone's selling points, as the platform seamlessly integrates features like status updates, images, Contacts, Chat, and Events into Microsoft's own sections (People, Messaging, Calendar, etc). It's as well-designed as Facebook integration can get.

Voice Commands

iOS:
Siri wasn't amazing in iOS 5, but it worked. In addition to being able to dictate texts and emails, schedule calendar events, and set timers, Siri in iOS 6 has much more promise, given its ability to pull data from even more sources (sports scores, movie times, dinner reservations), in more useful ways. Plus, Siri will be able to interface with car audio and navigation systems once iOS 6 goes live in the fall.

Android:
With Jelly Bean, speech recognition is about to get a big update. Google has always allowed for voice search and dictation across the entire OS, but now it taps into Knowledge Graph and a built-in speech recognizer that will be in future devices. Not only should Android voice recognition improve dramatically, but it will recognize voice input even while offline and, like Siri, can spit back Wolfram-like semantic search results (with or without your voice).

Windows Phone:
Windows Phone also has voice commands, allowing you to place calls, send texts, search the web, and launch an app all from your device. It may not have the depth of Google and Apple's efforts, but it's there.

Mobile Payments

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iOS:

Surprise! The iPhone does not have NFC, Apple roomates means does not have much to offer in terms of mobile payments. But Passbook is Apple's way in. When it's up and running, it will collect tickets, rewards cards, debit / credit cards and more into a single app relies on both GPS and QR codes to work. It can also deliver updates and notifications for the items you have stored in Passbook (flight updates, expiring deals, etc). Clearly it's been designed with NFC payments in mind; we just have to wait a few months until Apple makes it official.

Android:

For the time being, Google Wallet mobile payments-which includes, deals / rewards / offers, and more-remains unchanged. But it is a HUGE question mark for Google. Sprint is still the only official mobile partner of Google Wallet (and even they're rumored to be parting ways), MasterCard is the only card company on board, and the number of devices is available on the NFC is limited. Google Announced new NFC-based features today unrelated to payments; hopefully it's enough to Entice hardware partners to include the tech in future devices.

Windows Phone:
With the arrival of Windows Phone 8 will come Wallet, which is Microsoft's full-fledged attempt at, well, a digital wallet. You'll be able to store credit/debit cards and rewards/loyalty cards, not to mention the ability to access deals. But what might set Windows Phone apart from Android and iOS is that it will make use of secure NFC elements stored on SIM cards, which will allow for more flexibility—and security—when it comes to the preferred standards of card companies and mobile carriers (Google Wallet has hit a wall because of resistance to its own built-in secure elements). Save for Apple strong-arming everyone into playing by its rules, this may be the most frictionless way for NFC-based payment technologies to succeed.

Video Chat

iOS:
Apple has FaceTime, which can place calls over 3G or Wi-Fi, and works fairly well. But its also a pretty insular app that only works with other Apple devices.

Android:
Android's Gmail/Google Talk-based video chat system is a bit more universal, considering you can video chat with anybody who has Gmail on a Mac, PC, or Android phone. And yes, you can chat over 3G or Wi-Fi. But Google's ace in the hole, surprisingly enough, might just be its updated Google+ app, which features improved Hangout support and will be available for both Android and, some day soon, iPad.

Windows Phone:
Microsoft's secret voice chat weapon is Skype, which is arguably the most universal standard of them all. There are already proper Skype apps for Macs, PCs, iOS, and Android—and Microsoft owns all of them.

Call Features

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iOS:
iOS 6 lets you decline a call with a canned SMS response, filter out calls annoying contacts, and includes a Do Not Disturb toggle, all of which will prove useful for power users.

Android:
Android lets you compose a series of texts you can use as quick auto-replies when declining a call, and also lets you filter out calls from specific people, but it lacks the ability to enter into a Do Not Disturb mode.

Windows Phone
This is another weak point in Windows Phone, as there are no pre-composed texts you can fire off to people you don't want to talk to, nor is there any sort of Do Not Disturb functionality. But there are advanced filtering and call block options for those people you're trying to avoid.

Messaging

iOS:
iMessage is a beta feature with a lot of promise, given its ability to trade messages between phones, tablets and laptops. But it's hardly seamless, and barely reliable, and not exactly intuitive. There's currently no real way to link a phone number and iCloud account of a contact and have texts and iMessages appear in a single thread. Nor do messages always arrive to all your connected devices. And there's no way to instant message with non-Apple users. We have yet to see the final implementation of this cross-device integration, which probably won't be settled until iOS 6 is officially out, but there's definitely some work to be done in this regard.

Android:
With WebOS all but dead, Android has the best native instant messaging platform hands down. Sure it doesn't integrate with AIM or Facebook, but AIM has a foot in the grave anyways, and Gchat is every bit as ubiquitous as Facebook Chat. When you're logged in to Gchat, messages always arrive on all connected devices reliably and quickly. That's more than can be said for iMessages. Plus, Google Voice is well integrated throughout Android, which means text messages sent from your phone or laptop stay perfectly synced.

Windows Phone:
The messaging effort on Windows Phone is solid and well considered, allowing you to seamlessly send texts, Facebook messages, and Skype messages to a given contact from a single window. No, there's no Gchat or AIM, but that's not particularly shocking, given the trend towards walled ecosystems with each platform.

Smarter Icons

iOS:
When it comes to dynamic app icons, Apple is sorely lacking. Sure it has badges that let you know when there are new messages, emails, or notifications, but they don't really tell you anything else. One of the things we'd hoped for was that Apple would smarten up its app icons. Let them change to display information. Unfortunately, Apple is still stuck in the past on this one.

Android:
Android doesn't really do much with app icons either, and that doesn't change with Jelly Bean. But since the App drawer is pushed into the secondary layer of Android, it doesn't matter. Android employs widgets to take on the task of real-time updates, which allows for a fair amount of customization when it comes to getting your mail/weather/calendar updates from your home screen in a quick manner. They can sometimes be messy and unruly, but when properly implemented, are quite useful.

Windows Phone:
Windows Phone 8's Live Tiles are the cream of the crop amongst smartphones. Not only can they display notifications and vital info (such as texts, mail, weather calendar events), but they arrange into a neatly-organized grid that is now bolstered by the ability to break tiles into three different sizes depending on how you want info displayed. Microsoft is way ahead of everyone else in this regard.

Media Streaming

iOS:
iOS 6 has AirPlay, which has been one of the easier, more intuitive implementations of media streaming we've seen so far. You can push music from your computer or iOS device to AirPlay-approved speakers, AirPort Express routers, and Apple TV (which also accepts video and iOS device mirroring, and soon OS X mirroring). And if you're streaming from a computer, you can push to multiple AirPlay devices. But like some of Apple's other features (FaceTime, iMessage), AirPlay doesn't really extend past the Apple product ecosystem. That said, you'll find AirPlay baked into more and more devices with each passing month.

Android
With the introduction of the $300 Nexus Q, Google just provided its own streaming standard for Android-based devices. The hubs will be able to take audio and video streams, and spit them out to televisions and speakers (powered by the Q's 25-watt amplifier). Plus you can link hubs together for more robust multi-zone streaming than what Apple offers. Think of it as Sonos for Android, complete with the modest sticker shock.

Windows Phone
Windows Phone will have SmartGlass to serve as its media streaming portal to the Xbox. Though built directly on top of DLNA streaming standards, the app simplfies and visualizes the process of pushing content back and forth between the Xbox and Windows 8/Windows Phone 8 devices. Plus, SmartGlass can beam supplimentary content to your device while watching a TV show, such as Game of Thrones. Toss in the possibilities for gaming and support for Windows, Android, and iOs, and you have yourself a very intriguing streaming platform.