Top tech ‘deaths’ of 2022: 5 to remember
While 2022 saw the introduction of the iPhone 14, the rise of Artificial Intelligence for social media and much more, the year also said farewell to some classics – and not-so-classics.
While some of these platforms and tech gadgets were relatively short-lived, others were around for decades.
But, as in the fashion industry, one minute you’re wired and the next you’re tired.
In memoriam, here are five tech “deaths” to take note of:
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An iPod displaying a low battery symbol
( (Photo by Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images))
1. Apple’s iPod
Introduced in 2001, the first-generation iPod could hold thousands of songs to dance to. Just six years later, it took a hit with the release of the iPhone.
In May, Apple said that the iPod touch would be discontinued – the last remaining iPod on the market.
“Music has always been part of our core at Apple, and bringing it to hundreds of millions of users in the way iPod did impact more than just the music industry – it also redefined how music is discovered, listened to, and shared,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Today, the spirit of iPod lives on.”
2. Internet Explorer
Following more than 25 years on the web, Internet Explorer was officially retired on June 15.
Microsoft wrote in an update that users are encouraged to move over to Microsoft Edge, with Internet Explorer progressively redirecting to the new browser, providing support for legacy and modern websites and apps.
Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge will be supported through at least 2029.
While the Long-Term Servicing Channel of Windows 10 will still include Internet Explorer next year, all consumer versions will end support of the browser, according to The Verge.
3. The BlackBerry
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ANKARA, TURKIYE – DECEMBER 19: In this photo illustration, the logos of Internet Explorer and My Computer are seen on a screen in Ankara, Turkiye, on December 19, 2022.
(Binnur Ege Gurun Kocak / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In January. Blackberry decommissioned the infrastructure and services used by its legacy software and phone operating systems, saying that it was focused on “providing intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world.”
“At the time of termination of services, devices running BlackBerry 7.1 OS and earlier software, BlackBerry 10 software, and BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 and earlier software through either carrier or Wi-Fi connections will no longer reliably function … Applications (BlackBerry Link, BlackBerry Desktop Manager, and BlackBerry Blend) will also have limited functionality,” the company said in a Dec. 2021 release.
“The independence, mobility, security and privacy that so many of us came to associate with those ground-breaking BlackBerry devices remains alive and strong, as does the spirit of invention and innovation that got us here,” Executive Chairman and CEO of BlackBerry Limited John Chen wrote in a blog post on Jan. 4.
4. Meta’s Portal
Meta is halting development of Portal.
The camera on a Meta Portal Plus video-calling device in Burlingame, California, U.S., on Wednesday, May 4, 2022.
(Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Portal, which was first released in 2018, was a smart display device with video calling capability and an AI-powered “smart camera.”
“It was just going to take so long, and take so much investment to get into the enterprise segment, it felt like the wrong way to invest your time and money,” CTO Andrew Bosworth told employees, according to Mashable Southeast Asia.
Like other tech firms, Meta laid off employees in November.
5. The iPhone Mini
The iPhone 12 mini debuted in 2020.
However, two generations later, Apple opted to replace the device with a new iPhone 14 “Plus.”
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The advertising touted the “big and bigger” smartphones.