Global LinkUP: BlackBerry Messenger is alive and kicking hard

·
December 22, 2017
·
2 min read

The death of the BlackBerry OS and decline in device popularity has triggered an expected similar negative slide in the BlackBerry Messenger(BBM). But contrary to belief, BBM is not totally dead, they have an Uber ace up their sleeves.

BBM is alive and kicking

'BBM is dead!'

I bet you have heard this three-worded phrase repeated in different variations that you have come to believe it. Well, be careful what you believe because our beloved messenger is still alive. Thanks to Uber, BlackBerry Messenger(BBM) is about to make another shot for stardom in a market that is super competitive. Techcrunch reports that the transport company will incorporate its ride-hailing service inside the BBM app.

https://twitter.com/BBM/status/942680858519105536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2017%2F12%2F18%2F16789910%2Fuber-bbm-blackberry-messenger

Advertisement

This move will start off in Indonesia and hopefully spread to Middle East and Africa; emerging markets where BBM still holds sway.

Considering Uber's recent battles and BBM's popularity in these emerging markets -- especially Indonesia -- this relationship is a mutually beneficial one to both parties. We shall  see how it turns out.

Here's why your old(er) iPhone is slow

In a post on Reddit, a user noticed that his iPhone 6 was slowing down and after a few experiments and tests, discovered his old battery was to blame. Apparently, the iOS software slows down older iPhones and the most obvious speculation is that this action will spur users into buying new(er) iPhones.

This sounded like some wacky conspiracy theory, but the Verge reports official confirmation from Apple that this was the case but in their confirmation they denied any malicious intent.

READ MORE   A team of Unilorin students is trying to make your computer speak African languages

The confirmation statement paraphrased says the move was to serve customers better.

Let the best of tech news come to you
Join 30,000 subscribers who receive Techpoint Digest, a fun week-daily 5-minute roundup of happenings in African and global tech, directly in your inbox, hours before everyone else.
Digest Subscription

Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime. Privacy Policy.

But seeing that this act can be interpreted in different ways, the question is 'Why didn't you tell us?'

Fifth Generation Internet (5G)

For years now, 5G has been the stuff of dreams and sci-fi movies but all that is about to change. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) -- the organization in charge of 5G and general cellular standards -- signed off the first official specifications for 5G on Wednesday.

According to Fierce Wireless, the specifications reportedly cover support for low, mid, and high-band spectrum, from below 1 GHz, like 600 and 700 MHz, all the way up to around 50 GHz, and include the 3.5 GHz band.

This means that equipment and gadgets that will support 5G can go into production with this new specifications.

tech. media. startups. africa. vc | Twitter: @victor_ekwealor
tech. media. startups. africa. vc | Twitter: @victor_ekwealor
Subscribe To Techpoint Digest
Join thousands of subscribers to receive our fun week-daily 5-minute roundup of happenings in African and global tech, directly in your inbox, hours before everyone else.
This is A daily 5-minute roundup of happenings in African and global tech, sent directly to your email inbox, between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m (WAT) every week day! 
Digest Subscription

Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime. Privacy Policy.

tech. media. startups. africa. vc | Twitter: @victor_ekwealor
Other Stories
43b, Emina Cres, Allen, Ikeja.

 Techpremier Media Limited. All rights reserved
magnifier