No More Gmail Love for Blackberry

It was announced recently that Blackberry users will soon be unable to get their hands on a dedicated Gmail app for their devices.  However, as one might expect from a company like RIM who was basically one of the front runners in the smartphone market, this is kind of a surprise. Instead, the decision came from Google themselves.  RIM built their business in the phone market by granting a web experience on their devices and were one of the first to really get it right.  Only since the iPhone's debut has RIM been struggling to stay ahead of the tech curve. 

No doubt RIM is feeling the pressure being put on from both Apple and Google in the smartphone industry.  We have already seen this with the release of RIM's Blackberry Playbook which has all but been a 'hot item' since it's release.  So what is the plan with Google then?  Looks like the effective date is November 22, 2011.  If you are a Blackberry user who already has the Gmail app installed, you're in the clear.  Unless of course you require some sort of support for it.  Otherwise, you can continue to use it to your hearts content.  The other good news is that if you are indeed a Blackberry user, your device already includes native Gmail support via Blackberry Internet Services.  So you're still in the clear regardless what Google decides to do now or in the future.

If you are a Blackberry user who doesn't have the app but would like to get it.  You have until the 22nd of this month.  Instead of supporting a dedicated app, Google seems to be redirecting their efforts in this area to "building a great Gmail experience in the mobile web browser" per their website.  What do you think?  Does this sound like Google is trying to sway Blackberry/Gmail user's to move towards Android (or at least away from RIM)?  Either way, with about every other mobile device supporting a Gmail app sounds kind of funny with this move doesn't it?

It definitely sounds like it's been a big week as far as "tech shake up's" go.  With Adobe's announcement earlier this week of discontinuing mobile Flash to Google not supporting Gmail app's on the Blackberry platform...Man, what's next?  Is Netflix going to reopen Qwikster? (just a joke, sorry Netflix).

:)

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New Windows Tablet Can Run Android Apps?

We've heard this one before from Blackberry right before the PlayBook was released into the wild.  And from what I understand the feature was more the undelivered.  Now ViewSonic is saying their latest Windows 7 tablet will employ 'BlueStacks'; which is an emulation layer that would provide a means of running emulated Android apps without rebooting the device.  The device will allow you to run Android 2.3 as well (looks like a vanilla version without any vendor specific UI overlays).

If you desired to run Android on the tablet, you could switch between Windows 7 and Android.  This sounds like a nice feature.  However, I have my concerns.  For one, how well would Android perform in this mode?  Second, how well will the Android Apps perform?  Third, what will happen to Android as we know it if devices start popping up basically turning any Windows 7 device into an Android Compatible device.  Would we start to see Android becoming more of an application which offers a form of sandboxing or would it remain prominent as a mobile operating system.

Of course the repercussions this feature could have probably remains to be seen to due whether or not the device sells.  And whether or not people would decide to buy the device based on this feature.  Time will tell. We'll be keeping our eye on the ViewSonic ViewPad 10Pro.

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