2013 Lexus 600hL

The flagship saloon/sedan from Lexus, this high-end car uses a unique temperature control system that coordinates the air-flow controls,seat warmers and cabin temperature.

 There are infrared sensors that  monitor the temperature for all passengers and make subtle adjustments as needed. The LED lighting system glows bright as you approach the car, then dims as you enter the vehicle and start the engine. A driver attention monitoring system knows if you are getting drowsy.

Photo

2013 Volvo S60

Winner of top safety awards, the Volvo S60 is full of cutting edge technology. As you drive, the car displays road signs in the dash to help you identify yields and speed limits.A new queue assist tech for the adaptive cruise control system means that,when the car automatically adjusts for the speed of  the car in front of you (now up to 31mph/50kmph on city streets)and brings you to a full stop the car won't resume with a sudden jolt automatically if you're paused for more than three seconds. The S60 is one of the few cars on the road that can detect pedestrians crossing your path and stop the car, too

Apple iTV release date,news and rumours

we love the full HD Apple TV, but we're not sure Apple does the firms's more interested in getting iPads into your living room than Apple TVs under your flat screen.

Apple says the Apple TV is a hobby, but it turns out the company is thinking bigger. Much, much bigger it wants to sell you the entire TV set ,not a little box beneath it .

In an early 2012 earnings call, Apple CEO Time Cook hinted again at the release of something bigger and better then the current Apple TV.

Apple iTV release date

Mot rumours predict a 2013 Apple iTV release date. The NEW York Times Says that price, not technology, is the problem Apple is waiting for the cost of large LCD panels to fall further before building iTVs.

Piper Jaffray analyst Genr Munster suggrsted in November 2012 That the iTV would come out a yerat later, in November of 2013.

This is big change in Munster's thinking. Earlier this year Munster was calling for Apple to announce the Apple television in December, then release it in the first half of 2013.

As Apple Insider says. "Most notably, he expects Apple will launch a television set in time for the holiday 2013 shopping season. He expects the product to be priced between $1,500 and $2,000 with screen sizes between 42 and 55 inches."

As Business Insider says, Munster doesn't provide any reason for his thinking.

However, some rumours in May 2012 suggested that we won't see the Apple iTV until 2014.

In December 2012 Wall Street Journal sources said that various TV prototypes have been on the company's slate for a number of years.

Apple iTV Price

Gene Munster reckons that the ITV will be twice the price of a similarly sized TV. Ouch. However, new March 2012 rumours point at a subsidized launch-courtesy of various partners.

Sony NEX-5R

Sony NEX-5R

Sony NEX-R5 At A glance

Sensor                     :    16.1 MP,APS-C Exmor CMOS

LCD Screen             :    3 inch 921k dot resolution

Video resolution     :    Full HD AVCHD/MPEG-4 AVC(H.264)up to 1920 X 1080

ISO range               :    ISO 100-25600

Dimensions            :    110.8 x 58.8 x 38.9mm(4.4 x 2.3 x 1.5 inches),  

                                              218g(0.48lbs)body only.         

          Sensor  :    16.1 MP,APS-C Exmor CMOS

LCD Screen  :    3 inch 921k dot resolution

ISO range:    ISO 100-25600

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Release Date and Price

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 Release Date and Price

We've got the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and 10.1 , but there's a smaller sized tablet missing in this line up enter the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0.

Apparently developed under the codename "Kona", the Galaxy Note 8.0 seems set to be the name the tablet will go to market with . 

Although not yet officially confirmed there's an awful lot of talk on the web that Samsung is readying a new, S-Pen wielding slate to slip between the two devices currently making up the Note family.

In fact Samsung's Head of Mobile, JK Shin has apparently confirmed that the Galaxy Note 8.0 will indeed arrive at MWC 2013 in Barcelona.

Although Samsung already has Galaxy Tab 7.0 and Galaxy Tab 7.7 on the market, it may be that the company sees the Galaxy Note 8.0 as it's best chance of directly competing against Apple's 7.9 inch ipad mini, given it's unique styus-based spin.

Galaxy Note 8.0

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0  release date.

Everything seems to point to an MWC 2013 unveiling for the  Galaxy Note 8.0  with Samsung's Head of Mobile even reportedly confirming a Barcelona launch.

MWC 2013 kicks off during the last week of February, but don't go thinking you'll be able to your hands on the Galaxy Note 8.0  anytime soon as it will probably take a month or two to reach stores.

that means we'll probably see the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 release date set for around April- watch this space.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0  Price.

We'd expect to see the Galaxy Note 8.0 carry a healthy price tag as it will be competing more with the ipad mini than the likes of the budget focussed  Nexus 7 and kindle fire HD.

The ipad mini starts at $329/AU$369, so in true Samsung fashion the Galaxy Note 8.0 will probably look to undercut its Cupertion-based rival in an attempt to pull customers away from Apple.

Google the search giant, smart watch maker

Google the search giant, smart watch maker

Google may be trying to bring back the wristwatch, or at least a tiny computer that looks like one.

Google the search giant, smart watch maker

Though the question isn't whether or not the device is possible. Google already patented  a smart watch complete with flip up display last October.

The harder question to answer is will it sell? According to a Business insider source, Google is in the process of trying to figure out just how to market such a device.

Google on your wrist 

Of course the smart watch would do more than just tell time Google could feed users GPS directions, product info and email notifications though the wrist computer.

According the patent, the flip-up display would be transparent to some degree, allowing the screen to overly info onto the real world, augmented reality style.

Thougth the smart watch may fulfill a few sci-fi fantasies, the fact that Google might be close to selling the wrist candy isn't far fetched .

Project Glass is Google's other pet ptoject in wearable computing. For the unfamiliar, it's a pair of smart glasses that also features a transparent screen to view the world through and get info.

And it doesn't sound like the Google glasses are that far away. There has already been talk that Project Glass will release to the public in 2014 though the first wave of the device would go under the "Explorer Edition" brand.

Developers, however, will get the chance to go hands on with Google Glass during two events one scheduled for later this month and another at the beginning of February .

High (tech) Fashion

Wearable computers may be the haute couture in years to come.

Apple recently received a patent for a shoe equipped with sensors and a processor, well known smart watches made by pebble started shipping a few days ago after a rousing kickstarter campaign .

If Google does break out a smart watch it would be a perfect way for the company to push some of its hyper-local advertising . Perhaps the watch would tip wearers onto new coffee shops in their area or offer discounts on items in the local grocery story?

We may soon be living in a world where our clothes are smarter than we are.

TOSHIBA 84L9300 4K ULTRA HD TV REVIEW

TOSHIBA 84L9300 4K ULTRA HD TV REVIEW

Slap bang in the middle of Toshiba's sizable concession at CES 2013 is an exhibit that underlines just how hard TV companies are working to convince us all that their lasrest invention - Ultra HD -- really is  worth having .

Two versions of the 84 inch  84L9300- Toshiba second-generation Ultra HD TVs after last years ZL2 glasses free 3D product - are perched along the front of the stand, one showing up scaled Blu-ray discs, and one native Ultra HD

How the 84L9300 deals with up scaling is critical given the lack of native ultra HD footage, and it actually does a good job thanks to its CEVO 4K Quad picture engine, something that's fuelled by a dual core processor.

The up scaled film trailers from a Blu-ray disc that we were able to watch did look impressive and were notable for having well defined edges. A telltale sign of poor up scaling , it's the 84L9300's CQ Engine that's at work here as well as resolution+, an upsacling tech that probably ranks as our favourite slab of TV processing tech around at the moment .

However , switch sides and the native 4K material-playing from a RedRay 4K cinema player, them of the Red 5K cameras used in Hollywood looks very special indeed. Unveiled to ithotnews  just before CES 2013 got underway in near blackout conditions,the 84L9300 is  initially remarkable for its brightness.

It may LED backlit LCD , the brightest panel tech of all, and which appears to be dominating the early years of Ultra HD , but all of those extra pixels enable the 4k panel to be exploited for intense detail and depth. This is in stark contrast to plasmas, which has until recently struggled to deliver enough brightness since the swap to Full HD resolutions.

The 84L9300 appears to thrive off its extra pixels all eight million of them and some footage of a car driving away into the horizon along a lonely desert highway really is window link.

The 84L9300 along with is siblings in the L9300 series the almost conservatively sized 58 inch 58L9300 and 65 inch 65L9300  also get cloud TV . Toshiba has gone for a Zeitgeist grabbing name but this latest tweak to smart TV has little to do with remote servers. 

Wireless P2P tech MiraCast an Apple Airplay type of idea that creates a direct link between a TV and a Phone or Tablet  is here but while cloud TV does offer a cloud based service for the uploading of photo for displaying on the TV it's limited to 50 per customer.

Nor is the calendar in Cloud TV got much to do with the cloud. It's specific to the TV and it can't be synced with schedules on iCal google Calendar or any other you might already use.

A Toshiba spokesman informed us that plans are afoot to quickly expand Cloud TV by adding a second dedicated server to handle massages and video up to a total of 5GB though no timetable has been confirmed. Files can't be monitored by Toshiba so users will be free to upload absolutely any video thy choose. 

The EPG however is a big improvement. The web generated MediaGuide supplied by Rovi { as opposed to EPGs sent over  The air by broadcasters } was already the star of Toshiba 2012 smart TVs. Here it gets a few more colours and an overall more nuanced look.

See More TVs

Samsung's 85-inch 4k TV gets predictably eye-watering price tag

Samsung's 85-inch 4k TV gets predictably eye-watering price tag

Ultra HD may have been the star of  CES 2013, but it's going to take us a while to save up for any of the hardware if Samsug's 85-inch S9 is anything to go by.

The huge, gorgeous TV is set to hit Korea first, and will set

you back 40,000,000 won-that's $38,000.Thsts's £23,507. That's AU$35,836.That's a lot of maney.

And that's before you buy a new house bing enough to handle the massive 85-inch set, or redesign your living room to accommodate the striking easel desing.

It'll upscale HD

For your money, you get Ultra HD resolution and upscaling, plus Precision Black pro backlight optimisation, Smart TV apps, active shutter 3D and all the other televisual beels and whistles we've come to expect from Samsung.

So start checking your cost pockets, your old waallets, down the back of the sofa, the glove compartment and maybe inquire about a loan. The Samsung S9 is set for release in late 2013.

ASUS LOOKS BEFORE IT LEAPS WITH 3D MOTION CONTROL COMING TO COMPUTERS

ASUS LOOKS BEFORE IT LEAPS WITH 3D MOTION CONTROL COMING TO COMPUTERS

Asus is set to bundle leap motion's motion control know-how into its high-end all-in-one (AIO) PCs and notebooks this year.

The two companies have partnered to bring 3D motion control to the computing world without the need for a separate gizmo.

Some computers will be bundled with the Leap motion gadget, but Asus is also planning some AIOs and laptops with the tech built right in-these will come later in the year and will all use the intel Haswell platform

Goodbye mice

Leap Motions's 3D motion control tech can track your hand movements insanely accurately- about  200 times more accurately than the Xbox Kinect.

It can differentiate between your full hand and your 10 fingers and tracks at about 290 frames per second.

The two companies haven't hinted at what kind of price bump the leap Motion integration will bring to Asus' hardware but given that the leap Motion periphery will only set you back around $70, we're hoping not too much.

SONY XPERIA Z- THE ULTIMATE SUPER PHONE

 SONY XPERIA Z- THE ULTIMATE SUPER PHONE

The Sony Xperia Z touched down in style at CES 2013 in Las Vegas with a fabulous 5-inch full HD display, powerful quad-core processor and stand out 13MP Camera. 

With so much on offer we've rounded up the best features of the Sony Xperia Z for you to digest as your leisure.

The ultimate viewing experience

The Xperia Z pulls in expertise from Sony's TV, camera and computing divisions to deliver a phone with a beautiful, full HD 5-inch display.

Sony's heritage in the TV industry comes into play with the Mobile  Bravia Engine 2 Which is created by specialist engineers to really make you feel like you're part of the action.

With a wealth of power under the hood, highly functional Android Jelly Bean operating system and dazzling Cyber Shot camera with an EXMOR RS sensor, the Sony Xperia Z is well equipped to bring you the best mobile viewing experience. 

A Wealth of Content

Whatever your vice may be, from movies to music, downloads and steaming the Xperia Z has you covered from head to toe.

With a vivid 5-inch full HD display, powerful 1.5GHz quad-core processor, slick Android Jelly Bean operating system and optimized 2,400mAh battery the Xperia Z is ready, are you?

Super connectivity

On top of offering the ultimate viewing experience, fantastic performance and stunning design the Sony Xperia Z also features a wealth of great connectivity options. 

The Xperia Z provides you with one-touch connectivity giving you the easiest and fastest way to wirelessly share music, photos and videos from your phone. 

With the NFC technology built into the Sony Xperia Z, you can easily pair the handset to other compatible divices such as your NFC-enabled BRAVIA TV or wireless headphones. 

Always working, come rain or shine

The Sony Xperia Z manages to marry a dust-and waterproof design with a stunning 5-inch full HD display and powerful 1.5GHz quad-core processor for a truly super-phone experience. 

Carrying IP55 And IP57 certificates, you can take the Xperia Z for a dip in fresh water up to 1 metre for 30 minutes, meaning a trip in to the bath or a slip into the toilet shouldn't end your phone's existence. 

You can also rest easy when you next head to dustier climates as these are no problem for the fough Sony Xperia Z, Which laughs in the face of such danger. 

AMAZON SMARTPHONE COULD ARRIVE IN 2013

AMAZON SMARTPHONE COULD ARRIVE IN 2013

A rumor which refuses to die is the Amazon phone, with fresh reports suggesting we could see the handset next summer. 

According to industry sources who spoke to Taiwanese news site Cens, Amazon has signed a deal with Foxconn to manufacturer the online retailer's first smartphone. 

Foxconn is one of the most well known Chinese Manufacturers, famed for producing products such as the iPhone and iPad, and it reckons it will shift 5 million Amazon Smartphones next year. 

HMM................

The report goes on to say the Amazon Smartphone release data is expected to fall between the second and third quarters of 2013, and the handset could be a steal at $100-200. 

No details on the hotly rumored handset were provided, but if the Amazon phone does indeed exist we'd expect it to sport a highly modified version of Google's Android platform-following in the footsteps of the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD.

There's no guarantee these latest reports are true, or if Amazon is even making a Smartphone, but we wouldn't be overly surprised if the retailer sprung a handset on us next year. 

We're just left thinking, what's going to arrive first, the Facebook phone or Amazon's Smartphone?

ASUS AND OTHERS SET TO UNVEIL GOOGLE TV DEVICES NEXT WEEK

ASUS AND OTHERS SET TO UNVEIL GOOGLE TV DEVICES NEXT WEEK

Google is giving its good TV graces to a handful of manufactures at next week's Consumer Electronics Show, likely in the hopes of jolting some life into its struggling small screen venture. 

The company announced in a blog post Friday that three firms-Asus, Hisense and TCL- will unveil Google TV devices during the annual tech gathering. 

Existing partners like LG, Vizio, Sony and others are also slated to demonstrate Google's revamed TV platform through each companies' individual offerings. 

LG already set the wheels in motion when it revealed before christmas that it will show off seven new Google TV sets at the show, with the largest screen size, belonging to the GA6400, coming in at 60-inches. 

Time to shine

Google gave its struggling television platform an overhaul last November, updating it for speed and accessibility. 

The company has struggled from Day 1 to gain a following, both from consumers and big names like Samsung. Though the South Korean giant has announced a Google TV product, it has yet to follow through with actually releasing anything to the public. 

With the addition of Asus, Hisense and TCL, Google can count nine TV buddies, a decent pack if it hopes to keep growing its TV gig. 

The G-team also plans on showing its You Tube on TV feature on LG, Panasonic and Sony Smart TVs during the Vegas corral, so its presence will certainly be felt. 

TechRadar will land in Nevada before long and we'll let you know if the Google TV showcases hit the jackpot or go bust. 

SAMSUNG CONFIRMS TIZEN SMARTPHONES COMING IN 2013

SAMSUNG CONFIRMS TIZEN SMARTPHONES COMING IN 2013

While there have been numerous reports during the past year claiming Samsung was readying its own smartphone line-up using the Tizen operating system, the South Korean company hadn't made any official announcements.

On Thursday, Samsung revealed in a statement to Bloomberg that 2013 would indeed be the year that open-source OS phones would arrive.

"We plan to release new, competitive Tizen devices within this year and will keep expanding the lineup depending on market conditions,"Samsung stated.

The news comes just days after the Daily Yomiuri reported that anonymous sources claimed Samsung would unveil the first Tizen phone in Japan through NTT Docomo. 

Samsung still hasn't even shown off aproper model of a Tizen Smartphone, So it comes as no surprise the company didn't reveal an exact data or even a time frame for releases. 

Go your own way

Though Samsung has seen some incredible success in 2012 running Google's Android OS on phones like the Galaxy S3, The company is clearly looking to become a bit more self-reliant in 2013. 

Samsung sold 55 million Smartphones during the third quarter of 2012, leading all its competitors like Apple and Nokia by a wide margin. 

Tize will be faced with plenty of challenges in the coming year, particularly considering Android dominated the market with a 72.4 percent stake. 

While it's true Samsung was the number one selling Android device maker. there's no telling if consumers will follow the manufacturer when it strikes off on its own. 

Even if Samsung contributed to a large portion that number, there are no guarantees the new OS will be able to make waves among-st the likes of iOS, Windows Phone 8, and BlackBerry 10, each of which is vying for a much smaller piece of the pie. 

WHY THE iPAD IS GREAT FOR CONTENT CREATION

WHY THE iPAD IS GREAT FOR CONTENT CREATION

The 'iPad isn't for content creation' card has started rearing its ugly head again, this time prompted in part by the appearance of more Google android tablets kike the more Google Android tablets. 

The Nexus 7 (I've got one so you don't have to) is very much not a content creation device: Google's announcement focused on how it integrated with its play store for content like books, games, films and TV shows, with ne'er a mention of actually doing anything creative. 

The iPad, on the other hand, is much more capable of creativity than the Nexus 7, largely because of its big screen. This isn't simply about the size of the keyboard-focusing on the keyboard as the only route to creativity is as silly as insisting you can't paint with your fingers. 

Instead, the larger screen (yes, aside form the iPad mini) enables developers to create richer apps that give you more creative options available at any one time. It's all about what the large screen opens up to developers, not just users. 

Focusing on consumption

I don't think there's anything wrong with devices that focus on content consumption, though. If you take a look at what you do with desktop computers most of the time, it's more consumption than creation. sure, you might write a little, do a bit of photo-editing. But I spend most of my time on my Mac listening to music (consumption), using social media (mostly consumption) and pootling around on the internet. 

Being what is politely termed a 'veteran' computer user (and impolitely termed 'an old git with ever-more grey hair') something has been nagging at the back of my head about all this debate. It seemed so familiar, somehow.

And then it hit me: it's basically the same arguments that were made when the first mac was launched. I remember being told how the Mac was 'great for graphics, but you can't do proper computing with it' by wispily bearded computer science undergrads who viewed anything that didn't involve baroque keyboard shortcuts as trivial. 

Unix windowing systems were all right, because they let you run more terminals at the same time-but no way could you do real, productive work with a graphical user interface. You just didn't get 'close enough to the code'. 

Can you get more done with a mouse?

This kind of thing happens every time the paradigm of computing shifts. The old guard, reared on 'how we do things', simply can't stop trying to impose the way they work on to the devices that meet the needs of other people. The Mac was useless because the mouse 'got in the way' of doing 'proper' computer stuff on a command line. 

And today, it's all about the iPad, and how it 'isn't for creation'. However, what they really mean is that the iPad 'isn't for creation-because some tech people just can't imagine that you can get more done faster with touch interfaces than you can with a mouse.'

When these kinds of tech people talk about 'creation', what they mean is programming , because  that's the only kind of creation that really counts for them, and they're not able to conceive of the new ways that new interfaces let you create things. 

All the other hundreds of kinds of creativity, from playing around with photos, writing words, to manipulating data with your fingertips-all these kinds of creativity don't really count, because they're not complex commands. 

With the iPad you get to create with the most intimate and effective tools you have, honed by millions of years of evolution: your fingertips. 

EVERYTHING ELSE

EVERYTHING ELSE

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Amazon are having quite a lot of success with their Kindle Fire line, so expect the 3rd generation Fire to launch sometime next year, ready to go head-to-head with the new Nexus. 

There is likely to be an increasing number of low-cost, high-spec tablets available form other manufacturers too. 

Asus are rumored to be working on a low-cost 7-inch slate and other companies will probably look to release budget devices of their own in order to stay competitive.

With BlackBerry 10 launching in January there's  every chance that RIM will make another play for the tablet market too. Whether they'll have any more success than with the ill-fated BlackBerry playbook remains to be seen.

With all this, and probably a few surprises besides, it looks set to be one of the biggest years yet for tablets, and we'll bring you coverage of it all as it happens.

WINDOWS TABLETS

WINDOWS TABLETS

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Having ignored it for a long lime, Microsoft is finally making a big play for the tablet market. They've launched not one, but two tablet-friendly operating systems in the form of Windows 8 and Windows RT, and Microsoft's own Surface tablet has already launched. 

Next year should see a host of new Windows tablets from other manufacturers. We already know about a bunch of them, from the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2, to the Acer Lconia W700. 

But that's just the beginning. 

CES 2013 is just around the corner and it's not unlikely that manufacturers will use the opportunity to announce new Windows tablets. 

Just don't expect a keynote from Microsoft-2012 was its last. Any big news from Microsoft themselves is unlikely to come before its 'Build' event towards the end of the year.

iPAD MINI 2

iPAD MINI 2

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Apple isn't likely to forget about the iPad's little brother either and it's a pretty safe bet that we'll see the next iPad mini launched in 2013.

In fact, the first one might have only just been released but there are already rumors about the iPad mini 2.

It should come as absolutely no surprise that the biggest addition is likely to be a retina display or something similar, bringing the display up to a rumored 324 pixels pre nch.

After all, just about every other Apple product has a Retina display and the screen on the iPad mini was one of the few bad things about it.

There's no release date yet but expect it sometime in the latter half of 2013.

There's a good chance Apple will roll out iOS 7 to go with their shiny new tablets, and while literally nothing is yet known about that, you could always check out the 12 things we want to see. 

iPAD 5

iPAD 5

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This one's a given-Apple release a new iPad every year-and in fact last year they released two! Three if you count the iPad mini.

Despite the iPad 4 only just having launched, the wait for a new iPad might not be long, as it's rumored that the iPad 5 might even appear early in the year and display a slimmer, lighter form factor, more in line with the iPad mini.

IS THIS THE FIRST REAL GLIMPSE OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

IS THIS THE FIRST REAL GLIMPSE OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S4

What is supposedly the first press shot of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Has Emerged online. 

The photo was first published by Sam Mobile, which claims to have received it from an " insider at Samsung", who was unable to provide any further detail on the Galaxy SIV. 

Unsurprisingly, we're approaching this with plenty of caution after the deluge of fake snaps of the Samsung Galaxy S3- just take a look our gallery. 

Button-less

The big talking point is the missing home button-will Samsung really do away with the physical button given that it has remained a Samsung staple even on its most recent handsets such as the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Premier?

Although the design of the phone shown here is very similar to that of the Galaxy S3, the screen appears elongated compared to the older phone suggesting we'll see onscreen Android keys-something which Google has wanted manufacturers to adopt even since Ice Cream Sandwich was launched. 

We're not holding out any hope that this is the real deal as the image could easily have been faked, but this will surely open the floodgates to more images claiming to show Samsung Galaxy S4 over the coming months. 

What do you think, is this the real deal or a shoddy forgery? Let us know in the comments below.

WINDOWS PHONE BECOMES THE THIRD BIGGEST MOBILE PLATFORM

WINDOWS PHONE BECOMES THE THIRD BIGGEST MOBILE PLATFORM

Why: 

Windows Phone 8 is really nice and the phones are good too: It's a proper alternative to iOS and Android, and RIM's misfortunes could be an opportunity for Microsoft to regain some of its lost mobile market share.

Why Not:

One lost BlackBerry customer doesn't necessarily mean one new Windows phone customer--they might buy a Samsung Galaxy S3 or an iPhone. Microsoft is facing an uphill challenge here, even if RIM self--destructs.

The Odds: 

5/2. A lot depends on whether RIM can stop its nose--dive. 

RETAILERS WILL EMBRACE NFC

RETAILERS WILL EMBRACE NFC

Why: 

The banks want it. The credit card companies want it. Most of the mobile makers want it. NFC is quick. convenient, saves you from having to mess around with plastic cards when you're buying a cup of coffee, and pretty much every phone maker bar apple is on board. 

Why Not:

Recession-hit retailers are wary of splashing out on new NFC-enabled tills when it's unclear whether they'll get that money back. 

In--app purchasing and alternative payment systems such as square are stealing some of NFC's thunder. Paypal reckons it's a technology looking for a problem to solve, not a must-have for shops. 

The Odds:

7/2. We're not at the tipping point yet.

WINDOWS PHONE BECOMES THE THIRD BIGGEST MOBILE PLATFORM

WINDOWS PHONE BECOMES THE THIRD BIGGEST MOBILE PLATFORM

Why: 

Windows Phone 8 is really nice and the phones are good too: It's a proper alternative to iOS and Android, and RIM's misfortunes could be an opportunity for Microsoft to regain some of its lost mobile market share.

Why Not:

One lost BlackBerry customer doesn't necessarily mean one new Windows phone customer--they might buy a Samsung Galaxy S3 or an iPhone. Microsoft is facing an uphill challenge here, even if RIM self--destructs.

The Odds: 

5/2. A lot depends on whether RIM can stop its nose--dive. 

ANDROID OUTSELLS APPLE-NOT JUST IN PHONES, BUT IN TABLETS TOO

ANDROID OUTSELLS APPLE-NOT JUST IN PHONES, BUT IN TABLETS TOO

Why:

Not everyone wants an iPhone, likes iOS or wants to pay apple prices Android has more manufacturers making more models at more price points than any other mobile operation system. These days it's bloody good, too.

Why Not:

In tablets, Apple dominates the market, and the iPad mini should help sell a lot more iOS devices. Apple's widening the range to meet a wider range of budgets, and it has a cool factor that Android lacks.

The Odds:

2/1. It happened in phones, it'll happen in tablets. 

CHROME BOOKS SELL IN SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS

CHROME BOOKS SELL IN SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS

Why:

Google's Chrome OS gets better with each release, and there's a decent range of kit to choose from, much of it at rock-bottom prices. 

In these tough times, cheap laptops should be an easy sell. 

Why Not:

You can't make a brilliant laptop and sell it for £ 200--but you can make an excellent tablet and sell it for considerably less. 

If we had £ 200 we'd buy a nexus 7 and a key board. Sales figures suggest you would too.

The Odds:

7/2. Your kids want a tablet.

WINDOWS RT FALLS FLAT

Windows RT falls flat

Why: 

Microsoft upset its OEM partners by making its own surface, whose sales are currently behind target, and many Windows RT tablets have been delayed. 

At the time of writing, Facebook and Google don't see windows RT as worth writing apps for, consumer reaction has been lukewarm and businesses aren't interested. 

Why Not:

Microsoft is coming from a standing start here, so of course it isn't going to do iPad numbers in the first couple of months.

OEMs will come on board and consumers will get the message. 

The Odds:

5/2. It's looking a bit shaky right now. 

BLACKBERRY 10 SEVES RIM AND PUTS BALACKBERRY BACK ON THE MOBILE MAP

BLACKBERRY 10 SEVES RIM AND PUTS BALACKBERRY BACK ON THE MOBILE MAP

Why:

It's a lovely operating system, a big step forward, and the hardware's looking pretty tasty-and both enterprise customers and BBM-crazed teens love their BlackBerry's. The BlackBerry's back, baby!

Why Not:

RIM's in deep, deep trouble and BB10 should have shipped in 2012.

Apple and android are bigger players than BlackBerry now, and nobody's pulled off this king of recovery since Steve jobs returned to Apple. RIM doesn't have a Steve Jobs.

The Odds:

7/1. We hope it happens, but we wouldn't bet our shirts on it.

APPLE RELEASES iPAD MINI 2 WITH RETINA DISPLAY 2013

Apple releases iPad mini 2 with Retina Display

Why: 

It's the one weakness in Apple's otherwise-excellent little, and of Apple can do it in Phones, iPod touches, iPads and MacBookes, then it can cram one into the iPad mini too.

Why Not:

Retina Displays are more complicated and need more power than non-Retina ones, and that means heavier, more expensive devices. Hands up who thinks the iPad mini needs a price hike?

The Odds:

2/1. We know it's going to happen, and we don't want to pay out too much when it does.