Lunatic's "What Tech Companies SHOULD Do" In 2012

I've predicted what I think companies will do in 2012 in my Tech Industry Predictions for 2012. I've speculated on what they could do in 2012 in What Tech Companies COULD Do in 2012. Here's where I go out on even more of a limb and try to offer tech companies advice on how to run their business.

• Google
  
  Google should merge Chrome OS into Android. They could use one core foundation, with different UIs for different types of devices (Android UI for touchscreen, Chrome UI for keyboard+touchpad), like OS X on Macs and iOS devices or the coming Windows 8 on PCs and tablets.
  
  Google should force their newly acquired phone and tablet manufacturer, Motorola, to only ship devices with stock Android releases. Additionally, when a new version of Android is ready they should make sure its release is synchronized with updates immediately available across all of Motorola's compatible hardware. Srsly.
  
  Google should add a requirement for the licensing of Google's App Market, Google Maps, Gmail, etc. on Android hardware that any device should be updatable by the user to the next significant stock Android release (.x or x.0) without needing to be "rooted." This is no less "open" than the existing requirements in their license necessary to include Google's user-facing software and services. Isn't it enough that carriers and manufacturers get to show their skinned Android versions in marketing materials, electronics stores, phone showrooms, and online stores? They clearly don't really WANT to have to support buyers of their hardware with OS updates after they have the consumers money, so why not just let it go?
  
  
• Motorola(/Google)
  
  Motorola should make one SINGLE standard "Lapdock" for all of their phones that support being plugged into a laptop-type docking station (rather than separate ones for the Atrix, Droid Bionic, Atrix 2, etc.).
  
  Motorola should make their "Lapdock" laptop-type docking station run Chrome OS and/or Android with the Chrome OS UI (depending on if/when Chrome OS is merged into Android).
  
  Motorola should make their Xoom tablets into "convertible" hybrid tablets, using the same hardware (keyboard, batteries, accessories, cases) as their "Lapdock" for their Atrix and Droid Bionic smartphones.
  
  
• Nokia
  
  Nokia should perhaps consider transitioning their business to become an ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) like Foxconn or Pegatron, for other companies, using their manufacturing plants in Salo, Finland; Manaus, Brazil; Cluj, Romania; Beijing and Dongguan, China; Komárom, Hungary; Chennai, India; Reynosa, Mexico; and Masan, South Korea.
  
  
• Sony
  
  Sony should build wireless video mirroring into their PSPs and Sony TVs, like Apple's AirPlay, so any PSP game or content can be shown on any Sony TV (also make this built in to Sony Ericsson smartphones)
  
  
• Samsung
  
  Samsung, like Sony, should also build wireless video mirroring into Samsung TVs and smartphones (both Android and Bada-based). [Update: Samsung actually announced this, appropriately named SwipeIt, at CES 2012. The Android app needs to be downloaded and isn't yet automatically bundled with Samsung smartphones, though.]
  
  
• Research in Motion (RIM)
  
  This is the big one. It's hard to imagine how the BlackBerry phone maker could possibly pull itself out of what, at the end of 2011, appears to be a death spiral. 2012 will probably be the year references to RIM in the media are rarely used without the word "beleagued" nearby. It's likely that there will be many calls for RIM to get a new CEO. Their current co-CEOs are so entrenched, though, that by the time that would actually be possible it'll probably be too late to save the company as an independent entity. A number of suggestions have been made so far on the web for what RIM can do. Here's my take:
  
  RIM should discontinue the existing PlayBook and re-launch it. The existing model is "a dog with fleas." The relaunched hardware must be a fully stand-alone device, synchronizing all emails, calendars, and contacts with their BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) cloud services with no need for a BlackBerry phone nearby.
  
  RIM should create accessories and variants that allow the PlayBook to be even more of a PC replacement device. First off would be a version of the PlayBook with an integrated clamshell keyboard dock/case that connects solidly yet can be quickly detached. What RIM should be aiming for is to compete with the MacBook Air and Intel's Ultraportables category of lightweight laptops, only at lower cost, with even better battery life, and the ability to detach the keyboard and go into dedicated tablet mode.
  
  When docked with a keyboard the PlayBook should allow VNC-style access to instances of Windows running in virtual machines on RIM's servers, for full Windows compatibility.
  
  Additionally, a cheap (no more than than $30) PlayBook accessory that could capitalize on RIM's strengths in thumb keyboards would be a STANDALONE Bluetooth thumb keyboard, basically pulled right off a BlackBerry Bold. Of course going along with that would be software for BlackBerry phones that allows any of them to be used in a Bluetooth keyboard mode, sending all keypresses directly to the PlayBook.
  
  RIM needs to clearly define the branding of their BlackBerry smartphones. When they released an updated Torch AND two models of Torch that lacked physcial keyboards they muddied the brand. The "Torch" name should ONLY ever be used for single type of device: smartphones with both large touchscreens and slide out keyboards. RIM already had smartphones without keyboards under the "Storm" brand—while they may not have been huge sales successes I'd suggest they follow up that branding by using something like the name "Thunderstorm" for their newer keyboard-less BlackBerries, instead of the "Torch" brand.
  
  Speaking of the Torch, RIM really needs to go all in and make a model of that phone that's truly competitive, with the latest, fastest multi-core processors being used in other phones, "4G" networking, plenty of onboard storage plus an SD card slot, etc. Making available an additional version of that phone with a large, 4"+ screen would serve to compete better against the flagship Android phones that all have screens in that range.
  
  RIM should leverage their BES platform to provide cloud computing resources (data, processing, desktop sync, etc.) for users of their devices.
  
  RIM devices shouldn't require BES / BIS. User data should be synched to the device. If access is unavailable, the device should still work, with onboard copies of all your contacts, emails, calendars, etc. that get resynchronized when access is restored.
  
  RIM absolutely MUST improve their relationships with their developers. The installation of their development tools is currently a nightmare. It needs to be overhauled so that it's truly a one-click exercise. Both the tools and registration to publish apps through their online app store should be free.
  
  A BBM client should be released for Windows and Mac OS X, including video chat, VoIP, and direct-to-voicemail audio messaging. Also include PC-based access to your voicemails/etc.
  
  To leverage how BlackBerry users tend to live in their inbox, RIM could create an integrated inbox on their devices that puts voicemails into the email stream (like visual voicemail). Simple buttons should be present to show/hide one or the other type of data.
  
  Make sure legacy BlackBerry apps work on QNX-powered BlackBerry phones (see Apple's transition from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X).
  
  Recognize that advances in the mobile space are now consumer-driver, rather than enterprise-driven. Even Microsoft is admitting this with Windows Phone 7.
  
  
• All smartphone makers
  
  Smartphone makers should stop releasing basically the same model of smartphone on different carriers (and/or different parts of the world) under different names. See: Samsung "Galaxy" line phones, RIM Blackberry Bold 9900/9930, Motorola's smartphones, etc. Verizon loves their "Droid" branding, but phone makers were stupid to agree to it in the first place. The plethora of multiple names for essentially the same smartphones contributes to the fragmentation of a platform. (It also uses up the phone name space much more quickly.) Aside from Apple's iPhone the only phone maker that seemed to understand this was Palm/HP with the Palm Pre phones.
  
  
• Apple
  
  Anyone who publically declares what Apple should do is a fool.