RIM plans to Trim Excess Weight

 As of today, RIM (Research in Motion) will be cutting up to 2,000 jobs as part of their cost optimization program. The company decided to cut the jobs in hopes of positioning itself for future growth and profitability. RIM, the maker of Blackberry devices, has been facing competition from companies such as Apple. With other mobile devices appearing on the market, phone companies are forced to constantly update their software and the appearance of their phones to remain relevant. Would RIM still be one of the top sellers of mobile devices after their layoffs? Will cutting those 2,000 jobs really be beneficial to the company or would the money saved be used for other purposes? Could this be the decline of RIM or the beginning of a new era?

Netflix Price Go Up, Alternatives Show Up

  Netflix announced that it will be separating its once combined streaming and DVD services. The package deal currently $9.99, will each be sold for $7.99 starting September 1st. By giving customers more options, Netflix might actually be decreasing their sales. Customers are now able to choose either the DVD services or the streaming services. Depending what services customers use more frequently, there might be a decrease of sales for Netflix. Other companies such as Amazon, and Redbox are becoming more important as customers search for alternatives. The future of Neflix has been shaped by this decision. For customers who aren't moved by this change there isn't an issue, but for customers who are dissatisfied with this change, there could be an uprising in sales for other companies.

A New Social Network

  After Google+ blocked a group's profile, they've vowed to start their own social network. The group has been linked to hacking other companies such as Visa, Pay Pal, and the U.S. military. After being denied by Google, the group has collaborated with Presstorm to form their own social network called AnonPlus. The new social network founders (activists) claim to be creating freedom for all its users, in which users are allowed to do and say as they want. How will this social network if launched, compete with other networks such Facebook, and Google+? If the new social network focuses on freedom, how will lawmakers and other groups be affected by this website?

Google is The Easy Way Out

  Could the frequent use of Google and other search engines be reducing our IQ? In a response to an article written by Nicholas Carr and Jamais Cascio in the Atlantic Monthly, researchers from Columbia, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Harvard conducted a study which showed that people are less likely to work hard to remember difficult things. People are more likely to use Google and other search engines to find answers to difficult questions rather than try to find the answers through existing knowledge. Could Google and other search engines be the easy way out? If people are assured that the information they need would be on the nest or saved for future reference, they will work less and try to commit it to memory less. How will this affect future generations if we only rely on in the Internet to solve all of our difficult problems?

YUBZ needs Chicago Artists

Attention all Chicago artists! YUBZ needs designers for the 2012 artist collection of the Retro Handsets. All artists including but not restricted to dancers, composers, and designers are encouraged to enter the contest. All entries must follow the guidelines and be submitted by August 31, 2011.  The winner(s) will have their name appear on the handset and on other forms of advertisement. The designs should capture the true essence of Chicago. 25% of the total sales revenue will be donated to the American Cancer Fund. Don't miss this opportunity to showcase your talent Chicago!

For more information on the contest and its guidelines, please email: mkt@regausa.com

Which Smartphone Suits You?

 According to the Pew Research Center's Pew Internet Project, 35% of all adults use smartphones and 25% of smartphone owners use their devices to browse the Internet. According to the study, the Android phone is the most used, followed by the iPhone, and the Blackberry. Androids are said to be more popular among young adults and African Americans, while the iPhone and Blackberry is more popular among college graduates and those in higher income categories. Smartphones are more common among adults between the ages of 25-34. Further research shows that most users take full advantage of the features on their smartphones such as email, etc. and use those features frequently. Smartphones have proven to make our daily routine(s) more efficient. Although the findings stated in this project doesn't account all smartphone users, it can be inferred that smartphones are gaining a big target audience.What does your smartphone say about you?

For more information please check out: http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP_Smartphones.pdf

Facebook Video Chat

 Facebook and Google seem to be in a never ending struggle to keep their fan base. Google recently introduced Google+, causing Facebook users to transfer their identity to the new social networking site. Ironically, Google+ serves as an alternative to Facebook, using the same interface Facebook uses. How does this attract current Facebook users? It's human nature to gravitate towards something new and unexplored. How will Facebook make a change? By introducing Facebook video chat in collaboration with Skype, users will be able to see their friends. The video chat feature will be fully functioning in a few weeks. Hopefully this new addition will keep current Facebook users, attract new users, and encourage Google+ users to transfer their identity to Facebook.