AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile are teaming up to create a new "Payment Network" utilizing Near-Field-Communication (NFC) chips. These chips soon to be embedded in future generations of phones, allow for secure and encrypted short-range wireless communication with different devices, including Point-Of-Sale (POS) machines. The idea is to forgo the need to carry credit cards with you all the time, and instead select the card you wish to use in your phone, wave it in front of the POS Receiver/Sensor and done, your items have been paid for. It's a very interesting concept, and one that I am very interested in seeing in action. However, what about the millions of people without NFC Chip ready devices? I've heard rumors that companies will be creating "cases" that will connect to your cell phone which have the NFC Chip embedded in them, but then comes the issue of having to remove the case when you need to charge the phone, which in many cases is a daily occurrence. It's just one more thing we will need to do. All in all, not a big deal, but I can bet that if this technology takes off, most people will opt to get a NFC ready cell phone rather then deal with the aggravation of a new case.

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You read that title right... A company called Xi3 has come up with a new form factor for PC's, splitting up the traditional motherboard into three seperate components. The claim it makes for a extremely modular system, where each component is completely replaceable in case of failure. Additionally it uses 95% less electricity, clocking in at the highest consumption, of 35watts, compaired to the basic system today consuming 350watts. Also, because of its form factor and low power consumption, Xi3 claims that the computers themselves last longer. And it's modular form factor means that upgrades are a breeze, and the need to buy new computers would be obsolete. All you would need is to but a "cheaper" upgraded component to make you system faster as new technology arrives.

What do you think?

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See, as much as I love Google and many of its creations. I am no fan of their phone OS. Apparently a programmer discovered a flaw in the Android OS and exploited it, to make a point. He designed an application and disguised it as an "update" for the popular game "Angry Birds". The application once installed, hen downloaded and installed three additional applications into the user's phone without their consent. Had anyone else exploited this flaw, they could have downloaded malicious software without the user's knowledge. It was to be presented today at a national conference, but Google has removed the application from it's store.

Now, my thought on this is...if Google is screening he applications that are created before hey are published as content in their store...shouldn't they have realized what this application does? So you have to wonder what kind of "testing" Google actually does before allowing an app into their storefront.

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