BlackBerry devices will stop working on Jan. 4

Photo by Randy Lu on Unsplash

For the very, very small subset of users that possibly still have BlackBerry devices, we're here to remind you that your devices will stop working on January 4. We reported about this earlier, but here's just a final reminder. Classic devices running BlackBerry OS 7.1 or earlier and OS 10 will lose critical services, including calls, texts, data, and even emergency access. The PlayBook tablet will also lose access to essential services. There won't be access to Wi-Fi and apps like BlackBerry World and Desktop manager either. 

It has been widely known that BlackBerry wasn't able to respond to the threat of the iPhone early on, and its attempts at adopting Android didn't work out. What remains is its QNX operating system that powers infotainment systems from carmakers like Toyota, Honda, and Audi.

Source: Engadget

WhatsApp to end support for BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone by the end of the year

With 2017 ending in just a few days, WhatsApp just announced its ending support for two old operating systems on December 31: the BlackBerry OS and Windows Phone 8.0. For BlackBerry, that includes BlackBerry 10, while Windows Phone encompasses the older iterations. While the app will still function on those platforms, without support this means some features might stop functioning suddenly. You also won’t be able to create new accounts or re-verify existing ones. The Facebook-owned messaging service is encouraging users to upgrade to other support platforms to make sure they get the service they can expect from WhatsApp. But they also remind users that they can’t transfer chat histories from one platform to another, but you can export and send your chat history attached to an email.

Source: VentureBeat