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Nokia boycott urged by German unions
So apparently, that whole "plan to shut down a Bochum Nokia plant" didn't exactly sail over everyone's heads, particularly not in Germany. Reports are now flowing out that unions in the nation are taking it upon themselves to urge consumers not to purchase wares from the firm, with Dietmar Muscheid, regional head of the Confederation of German Unions (DGB), being one of the most vocal. Muscheid went on to state that "whoever buys a cellphone today should think about the choice they are making and what catastrophic consequences the company's actions in Bochum will have for thousands of workers." 'Course, the EU has already proclaimed that Nokia won't be getting a dime in relocation (to Romania, supposedly) aid, but unspecified government officials are reportedly lined up to speak with suits from the handset maker later this week to "discuss the plant's future." Whether or not all this commotion will actually change any minds, however, remains to be seen.
Google closing down Video Store
Welp, that didn't take too long. Around 1.5 years after it was first announced, Google has decided to "shut down its premium video service." Nevertheless, the most intriguing aspect of the whole shebang is that customers who purchased DRM-laden files will reportedly no longer be able to view them once the Video Store closes up shop, and rather than refunding customers with, you know, real money, it sounds like Google plans to offer "fixed credit on the firm's online payment system, Google Checkout, instead." Interestingly, another report noted that the search giant would "provide refunds or online shopping vouchers for previously purchased videos that won't be viewable," so it looks like the final verdict remains to be seen.[Via BBC, thanks Steffen]
SunRocket silently calls it quits, abandons VoIP biz
And you thought Sprint was catching flack for denying an exceedingly small portion of its customers service. Turns out, Vonage rival SunRocket has apparently shut its doors and abandoned the business -- all without a single warning or notice beforehand. Callers who recently dialed in for customer care reached an automated message saying that the firm was "no longer taking customer service or sales calls," and each individual that was employed at the call center has supposedly lost their job. As expected, no attempts by Reuters to contact SunRocket were successful, so we still have no idea if paying customers will ever see a pro-rated refund if their service does indeed cease to exist. So, dear readers, are any of you feeling the SunRocket burn?[Thanks, Jerad]UPDATE: Well, what do you know. Here's an article suggesting that SunRocket has actually been acquired by Pluto. We've seen no confirmations as of yet, but we'll keep an eye out.[Thanks for the update, Bob]
Sony pulls the plug on Connect, refocuses on PlayStation
After a lengthy, albeit fledgling stay in the digital music distribution biz, Sony has reportedly decided to cut its losses and disconnect the Connect service. We'd already seen the service get shuffled around in an effort to strengthen the division, but it seems like it has finally succumbed to the competition. According to reports from an internal meeting, some 20-plus employees were told that their jobs were being "phased out" as the Connect resources were being shifted to handle the needs of the PlayStation group. Interestingly, it was noted that the eBooks segment would still remain alive and well to service the Sony Reader demands, but Steve Banfield, the head of the Sony Connect division, would be "leaving within the next few weeks." Farewell Connect, it seems we all barely knew you.
German prosecutors probing BenQ Mobile's bankruptcy
Another day, another company slamming the doors shut, and another governmental group prying them back open to sniff things out. Shortly after BenQ pulled the plug on its German mobile division (and somehow got its P51 to China), chief senior public prosecutor Christian Schmidt-Sommerfeld has initiated an investigation to find out just what went down behind the scenes of the now-closed company. It's possible that "a number of bankruptcy-related offenses were committed," such as delaying their filing for bankruptcy and overstating how many units were sold in the most recent quarter by a couple million. Rumors had already surfaced regarding management's knowledge of the cashflow quandaries and their adamant indifference towards finding a solution, eliciting statements of "being lied to" to mar the already unfortunate closing. Nevertheless, we're sure someone will get to the bottom of all this, but unfortunately there's nothing they can do to bring all those unreleased (and sexy) mobiles to market.[Via The Register]
