What company would turn down a three-billion-dollar cash acquisition offer from Facebook? Snapchat would, and the reasons why are interesting. Unlike in the past, mobile technology offerings now don’t need a big parent company to become successful. Today's startups want to do it on their own.

Determining the kind of product that's developed boils down to what the user wants. These days, end users are very vocal in sharing their feedback about a product—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Companies would do well to gather input efficiently, pay heed to the results, and then respond quickly.

While swiping and tapping icons and displays on screens is remarkable, there is no physical feeling the way there is with buttons and keys. But now that's changing: New developments in the field of tactile, or “haptic,” devices soon will let users feel textures on a flat touchscreen.