Last week I wrote about a new NFC mobile payment option we launched with some of our partners. Today, I wanted to take a moment to give you some more information about NFC (near field communication) and how it will turn smartphones into “smarter phones.”

In a nutshell, NFC is a data transfer. NFC possesses two types of information transfer: emulation or peer-to-peer (P2P). In emulation mode, it allows a user to replicate all activities directly from their NFC-enabled mobile device; in P2P mode, information can be shared back and forth between mobile devices.

One of the coolest things I’ve observed lately is the integration of NFC on devices beyond smartphones and tablets. Recently, Dutch publishing firm Elektor International Media released the first NFC-enabled book: Catch the Sun, a book about ballooning, features NFC tags on its cover and select pages within. When readers with NFC-enabled BlackBerry® devices click a tag located within the book, they are directed to an Elektor-hosted website to get more information about the section of the book they’re reading. I love that this is a meaningful way of bringing technologies like traditional book consumption into a digital age.

With all the possibilities of NFC-enabled BlackBerry devices – such as enhancing foursquare “Check-in Stations” and automating your life – where do you see NFC going from here? Let us know by sharing your opinion in the comments below.

Nostalgia is, quite simply, a bittersweet yearning for things, persons, or situations of past. What inspires your nostalgia? Is it watching reruns of your favorite TV show or an old movie? Is it looking through old photo albums? Maybe it’s finding your first BlackBerry ® smartphone, still tucked away in a drawer after all these years. For everyone, nostalgia is a little different. For this self-proclaimed geek, it’s video games!

Here are a few of my favorite BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry ® PlayBook ™ tablet games that tend to inspire a little bit of nostalgia:

• Air Hockey by Caner Altinbasak: This game may remind you of plugging in the table and chasing flying pucks around the basement or the arcade. This BlackBerry PlayBook tablet version of the classic game gives you fluid gameplay and a realistic feel with cool graphics and sound. You can even challenge your friends to a game with the paid version, Air Hockey Gold ($0.99).

• Smart Blocks by TechSoft Ventures: What do you say to yourself when faced with more luggage than trunk space? “I was a master at block-stacking puzzle games. I’ve got this.” Smart Blocks will remind you of some of these favorites from your youth and relive some of those good old times on your BlackBerry smartphone.

• The Bard’s Tale by inXile Entertainment: Whether you played the original (circa 1985) or not, this amazing role-playing game on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is a tough one to put down. Singing and laughter paired with a huge environment to explore made me glad I downloaded this app. Plus, the teen rating on The Bard’s Tale means that you can let your older kids play it as well.

• Look and Listen by XIMAD INC.: We called this game ‘Simon Says’ or ‘Copy Cat’ back when the buttons actually clicked when you pushed them down. The instructions were simple: Remember the colors and the sequence they appeared. Easy enough, right? Give this relative of the popular game a try on your BlackBerry smartphone today!

• Super Crossfire by Union: You might remember a little arcade game called Space Invaders that took over the gaming world back in 1978. Now you can relive your youth and blast alien invaders away on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with Super Crossfire.

These are only a few of my favorite games, but I want to hear from some hardcore old school gamers in the comments below. Which of your nostalgia-inspiring favorite games would you put in a Top 10 list?