Desperate and Delusional BlackBerry CEO

Desperate and Delusional BlackBerry CEO

BlackBerry CEO, John Chen:

Unfortunately, not all content and applications providers have embraced openness and neutrality. Unlike BlackBerry, which allows iPhone users to download and use our BBM service, Apple does not allow BlackBerry or Android users to download Apple’s iMessage messaging service. Netflix, which has forcefully advocated for carrier neutrality, has discriminated against BlackBerry customers by refusing to make its streaming movie service available to them. Many other applications providers similarly offer service only to iPhone and Android users. This dynamic has created a two-tiered wireless broadband ecosystem, in which iPhone and Android users are able to access far more content and applications than customers using devices running other operating systems. These are precisely the sort of discriminatory practices that neutrality advocates have criticized at the carrier level.

I wonder if John Chen realized how ridiculously wrong he is. The chief reason BlackBerry “allows” iPhone and Android users to download and use BBM service is that an overwhelming majority of users do not want BlackBerry phone. Thus, less and less people using BlackBerry BBM service.

BlackBerry, formerly Research In Motion, dismissed the threat of the iPhone back in 2007. That’s one of their first mistakes.

BlackBerry would never care to release BBM on other platform if they were the most popular platform.  Right now they are just desperate to keep the company afloat. John Chen is just delusional. Apple and Netflix do not have the obligations to make any of their services available on each and every single platform out there.

P.S.
One of my associates is still a BlackBerry user; she just acquired a BlackBerry classic. Yet, she prefers using SMS on the phone and iMessage on her iPad.
My relatives are still using BBM on their Android phones, that’s because they were BlackBerry users. They were.

Netflix Announces $1 Price Hike

Netflix announces price increase with streaming plans.

From Netflix email:

Hi SLACKER,

In order to continue adding more movies and TV shows, we are increasing our price from $7.99 to $8.99 for new members. As a thank you for being a member of Netflix already, we guarantee that your plan and price will not change for two years.

You can review your membership details at any time by visiting Your Account. As always, if you have questions, we are happy to answer them. Please call us at any time at 1-888-357-1516.

–The Netflix Team

Netflix Price Hike 20140509

Even at $8.99 per month, Netflix is still a bargain.

Considering that Netflix has recently signed peering deals with Comcast and Verizon, the extra $1 should be justified to Netflix.

Netflix Signs Peering Deal with Verizon

Netflix and Verizon

Gigaom:

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings may really hate the peering deal he signed with Comcast, but that didn’t stop him from entering a similar partnership with another ISP: Verizon and Netflix have also agreed on a paid peering relationship.

News of that pact was first broken Monday afternoon on by BTIG Research’s Walter Piecyk, who tweeted Monday afternoon that Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam had confirmed the commercial relationship between the two companies.

As a customer of both Netflix and Verizon I should welcome this. As a technologist, I am not so sure if this is a good thing in the long run for consumers in general.

Netflix House of Cards Unwatchable on Verizon FiOS

There are more dominoes to fall following Netflix deal with Comcast and Verizon. It would affect more companies other than Netflix and ultimately consumers.

House of Cards, Season 2

As of midnight February 14, 2014 all 13 episodes of House of Cards, Season 2 are available for your binge-viewing pleasure on Netflix. Don’t worry, no spoilers here.

House of Cards Season 2 on Netflix

I love the subtlety of Frank Underwood’s initial, since the first episode.

House of Cards F U

I have watched 2 episodes so far before deciding to get some sleep. A few hours later I’m awake and made this post.

House of Cards Season 2, February 14, 2014

Netflix has set February 14, 2014 as the premiere date for House of Cards Season 2. Netflix subscribers in the U.S.A. should be getting the email for the announcement and preview.

House of Cards Season 2 2014-02-14

On personal note, there is not a single character in House of Cards that I like. That’s why it’s so good.

House of Cards

House of Cards Season 2 2014-02-14 f

By the way, the preview has the aspect ratio of 2:1. That’s pretty odd.