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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Netflix Shares and User Base Drops

Since we're on the topic of big brand companies going crazy, we might as well chat about Netflix.  Remember a few months ago when they announced the changes to their service pricing?  And remember a lot of people got pretty upset about the matter.  Then after their current customer's were already rocked by the pricing change; they almost immediately announced that they would be moving their DVD Rental Service from under the Netflix brand to the new Qwikster brand name.  Which seemed kind of crazy, but at least they were still supporting the DVD Rental customers.

And yes, a bunch of customer's got equally upset about the name change to Qwikster as well.  This change meant that both your DVD Rental queue and your Instant Streaming queue would be in two different locations and not associated with each other.  The only thing Netflix was looking to add to Qwikster were game rentals for game consoles (like the Gamefly rental service).

Very shortly after revealing the Qwikster brand, Netflix decided to scrap it's plans to even start up Qwikster in the first place claiming they have listened to their customers.  So for Netflix the last several months have been pretty busy with them running in circles and getting nothing accomplished.

And nothing screams 'We have no clue what we are doing.  But we're doing it like a boss' to your customers than to publicly change your business plan so many times and only end up back where you were to start with and leaving your customer's just as empty handed for all the trouble.  And by the way things look, hopefully they learned their lesson.

It was reported earlier this week that Netflix has lost something in the neighborhood of 800,000 subscribers.  I don't care who you are or what your business is.  But 800,000 subscribers is a metric crap-ton of former customers (and lost business).  And due to the all of the fiasco and canceled accounts their stock prices dropped around 37% on Monday alone.  This isn't good Netflix.

So what does it look like going forward?  Netflix has already announced new content would be making it's way to the service over the coming months.  And a bunch has already been added with them scoring deals with the AMC and CW networks.  So as a current user/customer, I certainly hope they continue to add more content.  Especially since their streaming content is still nowhere as large or full as their DVD offerings.  Maybe with time that will change.  And for their sakes, they need to remember lessons learned from the last couple of months when it comes to them looking to mix things up.

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Netflix Scraps Qwikster Plans

Announced today that Netflix has already killed Qwikster.  Yep, you read that right.  Apparently, they listened to their customers (about freakin' time). That managing two websites with two different movie queues would be too much of a hassle.  So, Netflix decided to pull the plug on moving the DVD Rental portion of their business over to their new brand: Qwikster.

This has got to be one of the quickest company deaths in history (aside from children's lemonade stands), lol

Anyways, existing and future Netflix subscriber's will continue to be able to use and access the queues from the traditional Netflix website as they always have.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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Netflix DVD Offering soon to be renamed as Qwikster

If you are a DVD by Mail subscriber with Netflix, then beware.  Very soon you're access to the service is going to change.  So, what's going to happen?  And how will it be different?  First, the name is changing.  Netflix has separated it's two offerings: Instant Streaming and DVD by Mail into Netflix Instant Streaming (name is staying) and Qwikster (with the subtitle of 'A Netflix Company').


With a name change also comes a new URL or homepage to use with the service.  Now, according to Andy Rendich (the newly appointed CEO of Qwikster), "the new site will maintain the look and feel" of the Netflix site but with the new logo; in their announcement video on YouTube.  Great right?  Maybe not.  Because in an apology email I received from Netflix this morning authored by Reed Hastings (CEO/Cofounder of Netflix) and sent to all Netflix customers; he mentions this towards the end of the letter:

"A negative of the renaming and separation is that the Qwikster.com and Netflix.com websites will not be integrated."


So, I read this as you will now have to maintain 2 separate Movie Queues that aren't linked in any way.  Maybe not a huge deal for some because we originally had 2 queues (one for Streaming and the other for DVD's) but at least they were only a tab away on the same site.  Another way the service is changing is there will now be a 'Video Games' option that will allow user's to rent PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii titles for additional cost.  But so far, I have yet to read what that 'additonal cost' will entail.  Also, the envelopes will still be red, but will sport the new logo.


So why the recent changes?  After all, the company took quite a bit of heat when the decided to hike up their rates to what would equate to a 60% price increase a month for customer's who use both DVD and Streaming services.  So, was it perhaps the best idea to announce such a drastic change with the company's structure and offerings by way of an apology letter, which was intended to help smooth out some of the damage done by the price increase? I'm not so sure.  Time will tell.  I'm not a business minded guy.  Maybe they decided to go ahead and piss of the DVD customer's all at one time and try to immediately start building that service back up if they start loosing subscriptions?  No clue.  Or maybe it was done in the spirit of transparency to let everyone know what is going on with the company.


For those of you who subscribe to the DVD by Mail offering and Streaming, you will see two charges on your credit card statement each month once Qwikster goes live. Those charges will be from both Netflix and Qwikster (instead of a single deduction from just Netflix).  If you would like to see or read more about the changes and why the changes are happening checkout the Netflix Blog: http://bit.ly/pdA81h


And checkout their announcement video on YouTube:  http://youtu.be/c8Tn8n5CIPk


On the bright they, the story now is that there will be no more price changes.  However, I'm sure that may change over time as cost of operations may increase.  But once again, time will tell.

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