Meerkat Officially Got the Axe (and 5 Others that Shared Its Fate)
Meerkat, the app that started the mobile live-streaming trend, has officially kicked the bucket. Even though Ben Rubin, CEO of Meerkat developer Life On Air, promised earlier this year that "Meerkat isn't going anywhere," the app has recently been pulled from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The Meerkat Twitter account is now private and its official website redirects to Houseparty, Life on Air’s new group chatting application.
That’s the official reason that Life On Air offered. The company says that it killed Meerkat because it wants to focus on Houseparty. They didn’t mention anything about the fact that Twitter intentionally crippled Meerkat because it wanted to promote its own mobile streaming app, Periscope.
Meerkat got the axe and there’s nothing you can do about it. Perhaps you’ll feel better when you find out that other products shared its fate.
Microsoft pulls the Band 2, has no plans for new fitness tracker
Search Microsoft’s online store and you won’t find any reference to the company’s Band fitness tracker. That’s because Microsoft quietly pulled the wearable device. When asked to comment on the situation, a spokesperson said that all Band 2 inventory has sold out, pointing out that Microsoft has no plans to release another Band device this year.
Know what else is gone? The Band SDK (software development kit). Microsoft removed it from its developer site.
Microsoft hasn’t officially announced that it gave its Band wearable device the axe. But it certainly seems that way.
Apple discontinues 3rd-gen Apple TV
Apple introduced the third-generation Apple TV back in 2012, updated its internals in 2013, discounted it to $69 in 2015, and completely discontinued it in 2016. Apple will fulfill backlog orders for the device. But once they’re done, that’s it.
This doesn’t really come as a surprise. In September, it was reported that Apple began phasing out the third-generation Apple TV, pulling it from the company’s brick-and-mortar stores. What about Apple’s online store. The Apple TV section features the fourth-generation Apple TV and links to third-gen Apple TV redirect to the fourth-gen device.
It’s worth noting though that Apple is still selling refurbished third-gen Apple TVs. You can get one for $59.
Google casts Nexus aside, focuses on Pixel instead
The good news is that Google is finally making its own phone. With the Pixel, Google is finally controlling both the hardware and the software. This is the first Android-powered smartphone made by Google inside and out.
The bad news is that the Google-made Pixel replaces the partner-built Nexus. Google has removed the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P from the Google Store and it has officially confirmed that it has no plans to create new Nexus branded device.
If you have a Nexus 5X and 6P, you need to know that the devices will reach end-of-life next year.
Panoramio is going away, for real this time
Panoramio, the location-centric photo sharing service Google acquired in 2007, was supposed to be discontinued in 2014. But a lot of users complained about it and Panoramio continued to live on – but not for too long. Google just announced that Panoramio will no longer be available after November 4, 2016,
After November 4, Panoramio users will continue to have access to their photos for one year; but they won’t be able to add new photos, likes, or comments. They have until November 2017 to export their photos manually or automatically.
"If you have linked your Panoramio profile with a Google account, all your Panoramio photos will be copied to the Google Album Archive at full resolution after Panoramio goes away," says this FAQ. "These copied photos will not use any of your Google storage quota. Your Panoramio photos that appear in Google Maps will continue to appear in Maps, unless you delete them later from the Maps Contributions panel."
Shop on eBay, but not with the Windows Phone app
"Starting September 30th, the eBay App for Windows will no longer be available. You can still shop on eBay by visiting us at eBay from your browser." That’s the message you’ll see if you visit eBay’s app listing on the Windows Store.
Why should eBay show Windows Phone any love, when Microsoft itself doesn’t? Skype, which is owned by Microsoft, stopped supporting Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 as of October 2016.
Honorable mention – Microsoft’s closing the TechRewards Program
"As a valuable member of Microsoft TechRewards, we are notifying you of an important change to the program," says an email sent by Microsoft. “Microsoft TechRewards will close on January 6, 2017. The program aimed to help Developers and IT Professionals learn, experiment, and build projects with Microsoft technologies. We believe other Microsoft Programs more closely associated with products and services can best support users in their technical journey."
Microsoft inherited this program from Nokia. Back in 2012, Nokia started the DVLUP rewards program to encourage developers by giving them points and rewards for various tasks carried out as part of application development. In 2014, Microsoft acquired Nokia’s devices and services division and rebranded the program as TechRewards.
That’s the official reason that Life On Air offered. The company says that it killed Meerkat because it wants to focus on Houseparty. They didn’t mention anything about the fact that Twitter intentionally crippled Meerkat because it wanted to promote its own mobile streaming app, Periscope.
Meerkat got the axe and there’s nothing you can do about it. Perhaps you’ll feel better when you find out that other products shared its fate.
Microsoft pulls the Band 2, has no plans for new fitness tracker
Search Microsoft’s online store and you won’t find any reference to the company’s Band fitness tracker. That’s because Microsoft quietly pulled the wearable device. When asked to comment on the situation, a spokesperson said that all Band 2 inventory has sold out, pointing out that Microsoft has no plans to release another Band device this year.
Know what else is gone? The Band SDK (software development kit). Microsoft removed it from its developer site.
Microsoft hasn’t officially announced that it gave its Band wearable device the axe. But it certainly seems that way.
Apple discontinues 3rd-gen Apple TV
Apple introduced the third-generation Apple TV back in 2012, updated its internals in 2013, discounted it to $69 in 2015, and completely discontinued it in 2016. Apple will fulfill backlog orders for the device. But once they’re done, that’s it.
This doesn’t really come as a surprise. In September, it was reported that Apple began phasing out the third-generation Apple TV, pulling it from the company’s brick-and-mortar stores. What about Apple’s online store. The Apple TV section features the fourth-generation Apple TV and links to third-gen Apple TV redirect to the fourth-gen device.
It’s worth noting though that Apple is still selling refurbished third-gen Apple TVs. You can get one for $59.
Google casts Nexus aside, focuses on Pixel instead
The good news is that Google is finally making its own phone. With the Pixel, Google is finally controlling both the hardware and the software. This is the first Android-powered smartphone made by Google inside and out.
The bad news is that the Google-made Pixel replaces the partner-built Nexus. Google has removed the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P from the Google Store and it has officially confirmed that it has no plans to create new Nexus branded device.
If you have a Nexus 5X and 6P, you need to know that the devices will reach end-of-life next year.
Panoramio is going away, for real this time
Panoramio, the location-centric photo sharing service Google acquired in 2007, was supposed to be discontinued in 2014. But a lot of users complained about it and Panoramio continued to live on – but not for too long. Google just announced that Panoramio will no longer be available after November 4, 2016,
After November 4, Panoramio users will continue to have access to their photos for one year; but they won’t be able to add new photos, likes, or comments. They have until November 2017 to export their photos manually or automatically.
"If you have linked your Panoramio profile with a Google account, all your Panoramio photos will be copied to the Google Album Archive at full resolution after Panoramio goes away," says this FAQ. "These copied photos will not use any of your Google storage quota. Your Panoramio photos that appear in Google Maps will continue to appear in Maps, unless you delete them later from the Maps Contributions panel."
Shop on eBay, but not with the Windows Phone app
"Starting September 30th, the eBay App for Windows will no longer be available. You can still shop on eBay by visiting us at eBay from your browser." That’s the message you’ll see if you visit eBay’s app listing on the Windows Store.
Why should eBay show Windows Phone any love, when Microsoft itself doesn’t? Skype, which is owned by Microsoft, stopped supporting Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 as of October 2016.
Honorable mention – Microsoft’s closing the TechRewards Program
"As a valuable member of Microsoft TechRewards, we are notifying you of an important change to the program," says an email sent by Microsoft. “Microsoft TechRewards will close on January 6, 2017. The program aimed to help Developers and IT Professionals learn, experiment, and build projects with Microsoft technologies. We believe other Microsoft Programs more closely associated with products and services can best support users in their technical journey."
Microsoft inherited this program from Nokia. Back in 2012, Nokia started the DVLUP rewards program to encourage developers by giving them points and rewards for various tasks carried out as part of application development. In 2014, Microsoft acquired Nokia’s devices and services division and rebranded the program as TechRewards.
