WhatsApp extends support for BlackBerry and Nokia handsets until July 2017

Good news for folk with a Nokia S40, a Symbian S60 or a BlackBerry running the proprietary BB OS, including BB10. WhatsApp has today announced that it will be extending support for its service on the older mobile software platforms through June 30, 2017.

Unfortunately for those with a smartphone running any version of Android earlier than 2.3 Gingerbread, Windows Phone 7 or iOS 6, the Facebook-owned company will be sticking to its self-imposed deadline of terminating access to its messenger by the end of 2016.

So what are you supposed to do if you’d like to carry on using WhatsApp after it stops supporting your handset? Well, the firm is simply recommending that you upgrade your phone to a more recent model, though that’s certainly not a viable option for everyone.

Personally, I think WhatsApp should put some resources into developing a ‘lite’ version of its application — similar to Facebook Lite — for customers who aren’t in a financial position to purchase a new device. With over a billion users, this move is bound to affect at least a couple of million — so it wouldn’t go to waste.

Categories: Android News Phone

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Samsung limits Galaxy Note 7 battery to 30% charge

 Samsung is updating Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in Europe that are still in use despite a fire risk, to prevent them being charged past 30%.

The update aims to encourage the few owners who have not yet returned the faulty devices to hand them in.

Samsung issued a global recall for the Galaxy Note 7 in September following complaints about exploding batteries.

It estimates that in Europe about 10% of Note 7 owners have yet to return their devices.

In a statement, Samsung, which plans to begin the changes on 15 December, said the update it issued in September that limited charging capacity to 60% "helped to drive a high rate of return".

"This new battery software update is specifically designed to reinforce to the remaining minority of customers to immediately replace their device," it said.

Radio communications cut

Customers can swap their phones via local replacement programmes, it added.

Reports suggest Samsung is taking different steps in other regions to encourage people to turn in their phones.

In Canada, an update reportedly turns off all the radio communications on a phone, including phone, wi-fi and bluetooth, rendering it useless.

In the US, Samsung said it would issue an update on 19 December that would stop devices charging and "eliminate their ability to work as mobile devices". It said about 93% of all faulty phones had been returned in the US.

Verizon has said it will not apply the update because of safety concerns for people who have no other phone.

"We do not want to make it impossible to contact family, first responders or medical professionals in an emergency situation," it said in a statement shared with tech news site The Verge.

After the battery debacle, Samsung stopped global production of the Note 7.

Reports of fires led to Samsung issuing a warning and asking owners to turn off their devices and hand them in.

Profits at the electronic giant plunged following the recall.

In late October Samsung announced that its operating profit for the three months between July and September was 30% down on the same period in 2015.

Categories: Android News Phone

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Super Mario Run Will Require "always-on" Internet Connection

With Super Mario Run right around the corner and many Nintendo fans eager to play, Shigeru Miyamoto reveals some non-shocking, but slightly disappointing news about the title. It will require an internet or data connection during its entire run-time. 

Many mobile games that have online functions tend to only need to send and receive data at certain points, especially when launching the game. But Super Mario Run  will basically need to data the entire time due to the integration of its three modes. Miyamoto spoke to Mashable on the subject:

"We wanted to be able to leverage that network connection with all three of the [Super Mario Run] modes to keep all of the modes functioning together and offering the game in a way that keeps the software secure. This is something that we want to continue to work on as we continue to develop the game. "

It's no surprise that the subject of "secure software" mostly relates to piracy, something Nintendo can't really be blamed for trying to defend against. But it does leave one to wonder if there really is no way around this, as many cases of mobile gaming happens away from a WiFi connection. How much data would  Super Mario Run actually use? With the announcement of its features and how they work, one would assume quite a bit of data is sent after completing a course.

While some may blame Nintendo for this decision, it honestly makes sense. The shrinking availability of an unlimited data plan is hardly the fault of Nintendo's, as is the growing amount of piracy. Super Mario Run is a paid game with no ads, so that purchase is pretty integral to their mobile success. Ways around this issue would be playing where there's WiFi, or closely monitoring your data usage. It's still unclear how much data it will actually use, but this does ask the question on if it will effect projected success initially predicted for the game. While the game hasn't changed at all, the accessibility may have.

In other news, Miyamoto also told Mashable that they're also looking to bring Animal Crossing to the mobile space. They don't plan to port existing games to mobile like they've been doing with the eShop and Virtual Console. They aim to make games with mobile gaming in mind, much like they did with the Wii remote and Wii U gamepad.

Categories: Games News

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Pewdiepie doesn't delete YouTube channel: Just made a joke

It's official, PewDiePie didn't delete his YouTube channel - he just made a joke about YouTube's glitches.

Earlier this month PewDiePie revealed that once his YouTube account hit 50 million subscribers, he would delete it. Yesterday, he set the time of deletion at 5PM GMT/ 12PM EST. Since August 15, 2013, PewDiePie has held the title of the most subscribed YouTube user (although he was briefly surpassed between November 2013 and December 2013) and now he's bigger than ever. 

The joke is that PewDiePie couldn't delete his channel because of the ongoing glitch that caused his feud with YouTube. In reality, he just deleted another YouTube account he made back in October.

What was the feud about? Well, a number of channels have been suffering from glitches that cause channels to lose subscribers for no reason other than the glitch. PewDiePie's channel has been one of the victims of this. It's not a new glitch, but an annoying one. In addition to that, YouTube hides videos from people you're subscribed to behind another tab instead of featuring it on the homepage.

Well, everyone who subbed so he would delete his account just helped him become the first guy with 50 million subscribers and on his way to make lots of money.

Categories: News Youtube

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PewDiePie will be deleting his YouTube channel tomorrow

YouTube has evolved drastically since its debut in 2006. Initially created to share videos with people online just for fun, that platform has turned into a place where people can become famous and make millions of dollars. Whether you want to play video games, make vlogs about your daily life, short films, review makeup, or create songs, you can make a career out of it on YouTube. One of the biggest people in pop culture, Justin Bieber, began on YouTube and is now one of the biggest music artists out there.
One other person who has taken advantage of the platform is PewDiePie, a Swedish YouTuber who plays video games from all genres. PewDiePie is one of the biggest YouTubers out there and makes millions of dollars off of his videos, merchandise, and sponsorships. His channel has been thriving for years with thousands of hours of content. He has one of the biggest success stories from the popular social media website and tomorrow, it'll all come to an end.
The Swedish internet star will be deleting his channel tomorrow after an ongoing battle between him and YouTube. A number of channels have been suffering from glitches that cause channels to lose subscribers for no reason and PewDiePie has been one of the victims of this. This isn't anything new, as it's been happening for years but it has yet to be fixed. To make matters worse, YouTube hides videos from people you're subscribed to behind another tab instead of featuring it on the homepage.


PewDiePie recently stated if his channel hit 50 million subscribers, he would delete his channel. Many were skeptical if he'd actually throw away his career which nets him all of his money, but it appears he will. He made a tweet today after hitting 50 million subs stating it'll be deleted tomorrow at 5 PM GMT.

Update !!
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Categories: News Youtube

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