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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Tired of Junk Email?

Have you ever visited a website and they had a really cool product or service, but you're not keen on the idea of forever getting their spam in your email's inbox?  I've bumped into a couple of sites where I needed to share a file with a co-worker (we have to share pdf files from time to time); and my co-worker used this particular site to share it.

For a one time use, I didn't necessarily want to sign up for their service.  Mostly because it didn't have as much value to me as it did for my co-worker.  So why not use a disposable email address?  There are numerous sites out there that provide you with a quick, random, one-off email address that allows you to get a confirmation email for whatever service you're needing quick access to.  Just long enough to get a free sign up finished.  Then the email is killed.  You get access without the spam that comes later.

Where do you go to do this?  I have used the following sites myself, and have been happy with their service.
- Mailinator.com
-10MinuteMail.com
-GuerrillaMail.com

These are just a few, there are many more out there.  As always, be aware of your security.  I would highly advise against using these services to sign up for websites that handle your sensitive, personal data (ie.: banking, bill pay, etc.).  But for the quick forum sign up, or instant messaging account.  These sites are inbox-savers!

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Food for Thought: USPS is in Trouble...

This will come as no surprise, and many have probably already encountered an issue that spun out of this whole ordeal.  This story from Gizmodo was one of the top Digg stories yesterday.  And I felt it worth mentioning here.  And for those who would rather just see the ads, watch this:







I believe this is largely due to the already huge (and growing) adoption of digital media.  Years ago I heard a comment from someone (I don't remember who it was); insisting that in the near future the USPS would eventually hit a financial wall due to people sending what was once mail will become digital messages whether it be email or other means.

Think about it, how many birthday invitations do you get in your mailbox?  Now, think about how many invitations you get for any event via Facebook?  I usually get three or four a week.  When you add up three invites a week at the current rate of 44 cents per stamp, it adds up. Let's assume I get on average 3 invites per week for either a birthday party, holiday function, or a wedding via social networking.  That is $1.32 per week not being mailed using a stamp; and that equates to $68.64 a year, worth of stamps not being purchased from the USPS.  Not that big of a deal, right?  Now think about how many people on average do the same exact thing?  That leads to tons of money not being spent via the USPS.

Is it our fault as American people?  No, it's not.  Is it the government's fault?  Probably not; although somewhere down the line I'm sure it can be attributed back to them by someone.  It's the course of what we call progress and technological expansion.  Our technology grows which leads the people to new ways of doing things and thinking.  Did you intentionally buy a computer ten years ago for the sole purpose of bankrupting the USPS?  Nope, probably not.  If you did, you need a hobby.

The USPS is unfortunately fading in the same direction as printed newspapers.  We live in a digital world nowadays, and older concepts and ways of doing things are drastically changing.  The telephone companies are experiencing the same shift, people are graduating away from the home phone line.  Everything is mobile now.  Take everything on the go with you at anytime you want; books, music, movies, contact with loved ones are all on-demand..  Fly around the world and use the same phone you carry in your pocket to work everyday.  Need to speak to your Mom in California while on a business trip in New York, with a simple click and a few seconds to wait Skype will connect you right up.  This is the world we now live in.

It is an exciting time, but no doubt a trying time.  Even though the world is moving in a digital direction, millions of people rely on the USPS for jobs and customer's rely on the service for medicine and government checks, etc.  There is still plenty of value to the USPS, it just costs much more to run.  In our area they have already started scaling back the USPS offices and their hours of counter operation in the office.  Just think about how the Pony Express Riders felt when trains started carrying mail and gradually their routes became shorter.  The difference is then they could leave the Express jobs and work the railroad.  What railroad will our delivery men work once progress rolls through their stations?

Will the USPS fully go away?  I don't think it will.  At least not anytime soon.  However, this doesn't mean they will not have to scale back further than they ever have before.  Customer's may have to drive to the next town over to mail a letter or pick up a package.  And maybe even the process will become more of an automated process.  Who knows?

But the one's we should care about will be those who are offset during layoffs and let-go's when offices reallocate workers, scale back services, or even close offices.

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