Just about everybody with a smartphone knows about Netflix, Pandora, and IMDB. There are a lot of great media apps that are overlooked enough that they don't make the top of the charts or get discussed by the press except on tech blogs. Here are some of my favorite apps for entertainment and media that fly a little under the radar.

Driverless cars and taxi services such as Uber will completely change the transportation industry in coming years. Driverless cars have the potential to make car ownership obsolete for many of us. I predict new dynamics will lead to new dominant players, and several existing car companies will consolidate or declare bankruptcy. The only things standing in the way are government regulation and consumer attitudes.

I asked a friend that happens to be a meteorologist to give a quick take on his favorite weather apps and here's what he said:

Disclaimer: I haven't used any smartwatches, so maybe I just don't get it. I haven't bought one because I don't see the point, and the Apple Watch isn't available yet. If today's Apple Watch reviews are any indication, that may be the case for at least another year. 

A recent study from the Pew Research Center reveals some details about Americans and their smartphones. 64% of American adults now own a smartphone, but that number increases to 79% for ages 30-49, and 85% for 18-29. Throughout the report there are several interesting details showing that younger people use their smartphones differently than the rest of the population.

I watched Wrestlemania online last Sunday. It was a spur of the moment decision, I actually didn't remember it was taking place until that afternoon. I probably wouldn't have watched it if Sunday Night Football was in season or there was a movie my girlfriend and I had been looking forward to renting. I definitely wouldn't have spent $50 on it as was the case a few years ago. All pay-per-views are now included on the WWE Network, and they've done a great job of turning it into an impulse purchase for casual fans like myself. There's no long-term commitment and it's easy to cancel online at any time.

Many people were upset when it was announced that the iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2 base models would have the same 16GB of storage as their predecessors. 16GB fills up very quickly with photos, apps, music, and videos. At least Apple doubled the amount of storage available at higher prices from 32GB to 64GB and 64GB to 128GB for an extra $100 or $200, respectively. I believe there are two reasons for doing this that go hand-in-hand.

Lately I've been wondering how much money podcasts make. Do people make a living doing this, does your favorite podcast really need your donation, is this a profit center for big media companies? I listen to several podcast each week, ranging from highly produced shows near the top of the iTunes charts to shows with a few people talking about tech over Skype. There isn't much reliable data available, so I had to look at various rumors and reported figures and connect the dots for a few podcasts I'm familiar with. I think we can draw some interesting conclusions, though.

Apple has unveiled a device featuring a 12" Retina Display, single port, 9 hours of battery life, and three color options. A new keyboard contributes to it being just 0.35-0.52 inches thin. Although its display is 2" larger, it weighs just 0.25 lbs more than an iPad Air 2 with keyboard case. I'm referring to the New MacBook of course, not a bigger iPad.

The tablet market is plateauing, and not even Apple is immune from this. It is somewhat surprising given how quickly the category took off. Plenty has been written about why this may be, with a focus on larger phones and longer replacement cycles. However, much less has been written about tablets being squeezed by laptops that have been getting much better since the iPad's launch.