technology

Most people consume their music while on the go these days - in cars, while jogging, in between smartphone calls or while working at a desk. Thousands of our favorite songs are just a playlist away.

The success of the Galaxy Note has spurred a lot of manufacturers to come up with smartphones with massive touchscreen displays. Although Samsung was hardly the first to do this (that honor goes to the ill-fated Dell Streak), it was the first device that became popular. So now we suddenly have plenty of smartphones with 5-inch and above displays.

Nintendo's TV-watching tool for the new Wii U game console beats my regular remote control hands down.

Over the past few years, smartphones have gradually gotten bigger and tablet computers have gotten smaller. So it should come as no surprise that devices in between are starting to emerge.

When Nintendo first broached the idea of multiple-screen video games in 2004, many critics were skeptical that players could focus on two images at once. Yet the handheld DS, blending one touch-sensitive screen with a slightly larger video display, became a runaway hit.

I've been conditioned just like any other consumer to expect certain things from certain companies. When it comes to tablets, I expect Apple's to look and feel amazing, Google's to seamlessly blend online services such as Gmail and search, and Amazon's to have easy access to its online store.

It only takes a few minutes playing with the iPad Mini to realize the scaled-down tablet computer will be a sure-fire hit with longtime Apple disciples and potential converts who've been looking for a more affordable entree into the mobile computing market.