It has been a busy week with a few big announcements and releases from some of the major mobile players. Microsoft received mixed reviews for it's Surface product making it's entry into the tablet market even more delicate due to it's late arrival. Meanwhile Apple have, for the first time in a long time, released a product that on the surface seems to be replicating rather than innovating. The iPad mini definitely makes it more difficult for the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire to dominate but some question it's premium pricing.

The tablet space is getting far more contested and as Mcommerce continues to thrive in this space we are going to see advertising inventory become even more expensive until supply evens this out. The reality is that the technology is moving faster than the industry can keep up with and in a time where many advertisers are just beginning to become familiar with mobile they will also have to deal with the rise of tablets.

A few other bits of interest show Facebook shares rallying due to a higher than expected mobile revenue, and Square's payment service is expanding into more markets ramping up pressure on NFC as an Mcommerce solution. Finally, portable gaming continues to face extreme difficulties with the continual encroachment of smartphone gaming.

Microsoft Surface gets the thumbs down in early reviews

Date 24th October, 2012

Microsoft's Surface – the company's first tablet computer produced in-house, and a crucial part of the software giant's strategy to survive the decline of the PC – has been given a thumbs down by reviewers.

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iPad Mini review: The hands-on

Date 24th October, 2012

The iPad Mini launch comes as no great shock, but as the reviews roll in, what remains surprising is how Apple has reacted to the 7-inch tablet hype. The charge towards smaller tablet form factors, led by the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD, has finally been endorsed by Apple.

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Facebook shares rise to more than $23 after beating mobile revenue forecasts

Date 24th October, 2012

Facebook's shares soared Wednesday after co-founder Mark Zuckerberg told analysts the shift to mobile would be "fundamentally good" for the company.

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Square Expands Mobile Payments Service to Canada

Date 24th October, 2012

Square is now an international business.

Square announced Wednesday that its mobile payments service is now available to anyone in Canada. This marks the first time Square has expanded its service beyond the United States.

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Nintendo suffers ahead of Wii U launch

Date 24th October, 2012

It slashed its profit outlook by as much as 70 per cent as sales of the 3DS handheld continued to miss targets and it said it will sell the Wii U at a loss to encourage sales.

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