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This has been a busy week for mobile app/internet companies. Earnings came out from two internet giants: Amazon and Facebook; Netflix takes a more aggressive stance on developing its own shows; Blackberry repositions itself in the smartphone world; and Elon Musk comments on something he is intimately familiar with: batteries. Since I think it would be a disservice to my readers to neglect any of the above stories, I’m going to briefly hit on the highlights of each.

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At $7.99 a month, Netflix is a steal. For a measly eight bucks, you pay for thirty days worth of seemingly unlimited entertainment. Of course, it has some pretty direct competition in the form of Hulu Plus, which, for an identical price, offers comparable entertainment (in my experience, Netflix has the better film selection while Hulu has the edge on TV). In this little war of streaming entertainment, Amazon has always been on the sidelines, with its streaming service only available to its Prime members. However, a new payment plan for Prime members may change all of that and make Amazon a major player in this market.

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Amazon timed it perfectly: they announced their new line of products early enough to stay out of Apple’s September 12th shadow and late enough to steal plenty of Apple’s thunder. In fact, their Kindle family of products is looking better and better: cheaper than an iPad, but from a company with such a stellar track record that you know you can trust it. First, Amazon announced an updated Kindle Fire, which has improved specs over laster year’s model (including doubling the storage to 16GB and a faster processor) but at a significantly lower price. The 7″ tablet, which sold for $199 at its debut, will now be available for $159. If Apple is planning to introduce a 7″ iPad Mini in six days, this thing may have stolen their thunder. This new version hits shelves on September 14th.

However, that wasn’t the biggest announcement of the day. Oh, no.

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The truth is that smartphones aren’t good for everyone. Younger kids and older folks may not have any need for numerous apps and games…they just want to make phone calls. Enter OwnFone, a phone that can only store a handful of numbers but is custom-printed for each user, with each button representing a contact. Although only available in the UK at this time, it’s being prepped for the international stage, with a braille version on the way.

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Well, Microsoft has a new logo. That’s it, right above this sentence. The goal behind the new look is to “signal the heritage but also signal the future — a newness and freshness.” It’s simple design feels like an attempt to capture the sleek minimalism of Apple, but is it successful? I’m not a designer, so I took it to Rocksauce Studios CEO and master designer Q Manning, who had this to say: “It’s terribly boring.” He later expanded: “The new Microsoft logo is boring, with mediocre typography. No energy or excitement. Homogeneity incarnate.” Strike one! What do you think?

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(Welcome to Mobile News Round-up, the weekly column where we tell you about all of the cool stuff that didn’t get is own post during the week.)

Curious which phone carrier provides the fastest service for your iPhone on a state-by-state basis? This map should sort out your inquiries. Spoiler alert: it’s probably AT&T and if it’s not AT&T, it’s Verizon. Sorry, Sprint fans…but at least you’ve got that unlimited data plan, right?

What’s the future of Google+? Are you still on it? Is anyone still on it? Does it still exist? Apparently. The reasonably new social network had its public launch on September 20th and it’s traffic spiked 1,200%, which sounds great, until you hear about the part where it then plummeted 60% in the ensuing weeks. The current traffic levels are slightly higher than they were before the big launch, but a whole lotta’ people got a taste and decided to retreat to the familiar land of Facebook. Can Google+ survive as a niche network? It’s obviously not as big as Google wanted it to be, so how long until Google attempts a reinvention or pulls the plug? Google engineers accidentally letting their negative feelings on the platform known doesn’t help.

Hey there. Yes, you. The monocle and top hat wearing billionaire who also happens to be an Apple enthusiast. Have you seen this gold plated, diamond encrusted MacBook? I think it’s right up your alley.

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Amazon is definitely one of the more interesting players in the web world today. Often called the world’s largest online retailer (well, because it is), Amazon generates over $1.5 billion in revenue and ships to over 10 countries around the world. Amazon’s stock and has returned over 12,878% to its investors since its IPO back in 1998. In a word: wow!

Apart from its main storefront at Amazon.com, the company also owns Zappos, IMDB and a major stake in LivingSocial, just to name a few. Also included in Amazon’s main business is AWS or Amazon Web Services, an IaaS (infrastructure as a service) giant that even hosted Borders’ retail website until 2008. Amazon also recently got into the movie/TV streaming business (they have even produced a film themselves) that rivals Netflix’s online selection. With that said…What does this mean to the mobile app world?

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This iPhone case shaped like a severed hand is a must-buy for those of you who like to look like a terrifying serial killer who keeps their mummified grandfather in the dining room. I know there are some of you out there. There are other less gruesome cases on display at the link, but really guys, it’s all about the severed hand.

After shockingly low sales, Nintendo has slashed the price on their 3DS mobile gaming device from $250 to $170. Who are they to blame for such a lackluster response? Well, let’s just say there’s other mobile devices out there that may cost more than a 3Ds but offer a massive library of games that tend to only cost a buck or two. In other words: Apple (and other developers, but let’s face it, mostly Apple) has a hold of the American mobile gaming market and Nintendo is can’t break in. Angry Birds is $2. A 3DS new release is $40. Look at the economy. That’s all you need to know. Nintendo has an uphill climb if it wants to regain its mobile foothold among American gamers.

Speaking of gamers, a recent study has shown that 48% of gamers have spent real world money for virtual goods. Male gamers tend to spend their money on online gaming. Female gamers are far more likely to convert their cash into Facebook credits. This phenomenon will be the subject of my next book, “Men Are From Azeroth, Women Are From Farmville.”

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There are a ton of new tablets on the horizon. It seems that every day brings rumbling of a new Android tablet or rumors concerning how Microsoft plans to break into the tablet game. Considering that Apple’s gamechanging iPad has sold nearly 20 million units since debuting in April of 2010, it’s no wonder that every developer under the sun is trying to get their own tablet ready in time for the holidays. However, Apple is dug in deep and many upcoming tablets don’t look like they’ll measure up to the quality of the iPad. It’s going to take something special — or at least something interesting — to draw people away from Apple.

Is the mysterious Android-operated Amazon tablet going to be the one to do it? Maybe. Perhaps. Who knows? All we know is that is sounds like a potentially fascinating device…and it may find itself competing more with Google than with Apple.

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