Podcatchers, Prepaid Smartphones, and Predictions

What have I been up to this week at the mobile app company I write for, you ask? Oh, plenty.

• NFC in Phones Will Enable More Functionality, Tech Execs Say
  Near-field communications chips can be used for more than just point-of-sale payment – and won’t become commonplace until those other applications are realized more fully.
• Wireless Carriers Reduce Customer Data Load
  In order to relieve strain on their networks, mobile providers are eliminating unlimited data plans and transferring customers to Wi-Fi service when available.
• Smartphones on Prepaid Carriers
  The iPhone comes to Cricket and Virgin Wireless, joining a passel of Android handsets available without a contract.
• Microsoft & Nintendo Show Off Tablets As Controllers
  Xbox SmartGlass and the Wii U make their official debuts at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).
• IDC Predicts Windows Phone Will Pass iOS Market Share in 2016
  Android will still be dominant worldwide, but Microsoft will catch up with Apple in the smartphone marketplace in four years.
• Which Android Podcast Manager is Best for You?
  Who needs iTunes? Find, subscribe, and listen to podcasts easily with one of these free “podcatchers” for Android.