If you've flown in the past decade you've witnessed the call to cease use of electronics while the plane is taxiing, talking off, and landing. A sore spot with many travelers, there are signs the Federal Aviation Administration may introduce a more lenient set of rues this year.

According the NYT's Bit's blog, "…the FAA is taking a fresh look at the use of personal electronic devices, other than cellphones, on aircraft.” This would seem to allow tablets and ereaders. This could possibly include gaming devices and music players.

The ban was set to prevent any interference from electronics  from disputing critical flight systems. The FAA has never offered any evidence that this could occur.

Note that the current rules actually allow airlines to request use of electronic devices, but the requirements are so burdensome that carriers can't realistically consider that route.

Google is not where most music lovers go to discover new content, but the search giant's recent update to its Play Store could change that.

It doesn't appear to be available to every Android user yet. It is working on my Nexus 7 tablet running Android 4.1.2, but hopefully Google will provide this to smartphones. If Google want to get serious about selling music it needs to expand this to devices outside the the Android ecosystem.   

DroidLife.com posted a short video that shows it pretty well.

The current crop of smartphones and tablets flaunt some gorgeous high-resolution displays. High-tech scratch resistant materials like Gorilla Glass offer impressive resistance, but an extra layer of insurance puts many users at ease along.

We've tested a previous version of 3M's Natural View screen protector before and liked it. 3M came back to us with new & improved versions. Now offered are the Natural View Anti-Glare and Natural View Fingerprint Fading screen protectors.

Application is pretty straightforward, but you'll save yourself some aggravation finding a place as dust-free as possible. After several weeks, the anti-glare film that we tested has held up well.

As one would expect it cuts glare for a reasonable compromise in image quality. Typical of anti-glare films, the matte finish does alter the screen appearance, but provides impressive glare reduction while maintaining a natural feel during touchscreen operation.

From my experience,  if you want a smartphone or tablet screen protector, the extra few dollars you spend for a quality film over a cheap alternative is money well spent. The 3M Natural View line is definitely among those to consider.
 

Video of Mark Rober's double-iPad costume went viral last year, but not without some criticism. Rober responded with Digital Dudz.

Available for Android & iOS, the free app helps you combine your smartphone or tablet with a t-shirt for an easy costume.

Digital Dudz sells a variety of shirts for $23.50 that are designed to work with animations within the app.
 

Rumors of a new smaller tablet from Apple have been building in recent weeks. A report from the Wall Street Journal says that Apple has begun mass production for the device.

The WSJ report mirrors previous rumors about the tablet popularly referred to as the 'iPad mini.'

The new tablet will have a 7.85-inch display with a lower resolution than that of the latest third generation iPad unveiled in March.The iPad mini is believed to have an LCD display with 1024x768 pixels.

Supposed leaked parts suggest it will have a white front while having a black rear shell. A headphone jack is said to be placed along the top left edge as it is on the current iPad, and Apple's new smaller lightning connector is expected. A nano-SIM card is on the right side of the device.

MacRumors echoed reports of Apple sending invites to the launch event though to be set for October 10.

A smaller, cheaper iPad could help Apple take on lower-cost competition including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and Google's Nexus 7.

Barnes & Noble is updating its Nook tablet line with two new versions running Android 4.0. A 7-inch tablet will be priced starting at $199 for an 8GB model, and the Nook HD+, a 9-inch tablet will start at $269 for the 16GB model. The tablets can now be pre-ordered at barnesandnoble.com and are expected ship at the end of October. It should be available in B&N stores, Best Buy, Target, and WalMart in Novemeber.

The Competition:
Amazon Kindle Fire tablet with an 8.9-inch diagonal screen, which starts at $299.
Apple iPad with a 9.7-inch diagonal screen and $499 starting price.
Google Nexus 7 starting at $199.

7-inch Nook HD:
1440×900 resolution display, 243ppi  
TI OMAP 4470 1.3GHz processor
1GB of RAM
8GB and 16GB with microSD slot
WiFi, Bluetooth

9-inch Nook HD+:
1920×1280 resolution display, 256ppi
TI OMAP 4470 1.5GHz processor
1GB of RAM
16GB and 32GB with microSD slot
WiFi, Bluetooth

Today Verizon Wireless adds Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy Tab 2.0 to its Android squad. Priced at $349, the LTE tablet runs Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, on a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM. There is 8GB of built-in storage, but it can also support up to a 64 GB microSD card for you media hoarders. The rear-facing camera is a 3.2-megapixel shooter. On the front is a VGA camera for video chat. The 7-inch display has a 1026 x 600 resolution.

There are cheaper 7-inch tablets out there, but the Tab 2.0 has some advantages the less expensive competition lacks.

New technology from researchers at N.C. State University and ImagineOptix Corporation may make smartphone projectors as common as smartphone cameras.

Verizon has unveiled its long-rumored sharing plan. The new plan will let consumers share connect up to ten wireless devices on a plan.

Earlier this week PCWorld gave the edge to AT&T's wireless network as the fastest overall among the big four carriers. But is it the best? Another recent test gives the nod to Verizon.