Amos Robi

Messaging platform WhatsApp is back after an outage that affected global users.

The Meta-owned platform saw its users unable to send and receive messages with the company confirming the outage.

In a statement to Reuters, a Meta spokesperson confirmed the issue but said work was being done to restore services for millions of users of the app globally.

"We're aware that some people are currently having trouble sending messages and we're working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.

The outage of the messaging app saw users take to other platforms such as Telegram to continue with their communication.

After getting the service back online Meta remained scarce on the details leading to the outage.

"We know people had trouble sending messages on WhatsApp today. We have fixed the issue and apologise for any inconvenience,"&nbsp;a spokesperson from the company said.

WhatsApp is the most downloaded application after TikTok, Instagram and Facebook..

In April, WhatsApp rolled out a feature that enables users to securely transfer conversation history from Android to iPhone.

The rolling out of the new feature was made known to the public by the meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in a Facebook and Twitter post.

“We’re adding to WhatsApp the ability to securely switch between phones and transfer your chat history, photos, videos and voice messages between Android and iPhone while maintaining end-to-end encryption,”&nbsp;Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement.

This new tool aids in fixing the issue of being incapable of transferring chats between two mobile operating systems.

The Meta CEO, cited that the feature that enables users to securely transfer conversation history from Android to iPhone was requested by many users.

WhatsApp was down on Tuesday morning.SOPA Images/Getty Images

The messaging app is slowly resuming services with users across the world now able to send and receive messages.

Meta speaks after global WhatsApp outage

Motolani Alake

The channel had been part of the long 90’s preparation for the blissful marathon that still continues. The music channel was the M-Net station, ‘Channel O,’ the South African-based music channel. Around 2003, the Multichoice-backed DSTV was hitting its strides as a venture near-synonymous with African neighbourhoods.

Eedris Abdulkareem, one of the artists who were stars of the Channel O era. (Naijaloaded)

Though it didn’t really become mainstream till about 2008, the big satellite dishes were a Nigerian feature circa 2003.

It had an incredible run as the major ground of visual promotion for music content. In 2003, it launched Channel O Music Awards, first under the title, Reel Music Video Awards, then it became, Africa Music Video Awards, before it became Spirit Music Video Awards.

It had influence, it had reach and it had power in the African music scene. In fact, its run is near synonymous with a staple status of African music. It could make and break careers that hoped to transcend national level to continental level. But then, in February 2005, MTV launched MTVBase and the beginning of the end began. While the power of MTV as an American offspring of media behemoth, Viacom, Channel O’s demise was too painful.

By 2010, even French station, Trace Urban had moved into the market to claim a place. By 2015, Pulse reported the happenings when Channel O announced that it was about to close its operations and handover the reins of African music to another M-Net-backed Africa Magic.

By 2009, you could barely find Nigerian music videos on Trace except you are Asa and you had a 'Jailer.' But by 2010, we had videos like 'Danger' by P Square unbelievably debut on Trace and the rest was history.

<h3>The similarities with Blackberry</h3>

You remember the red, green and purple LED lights for alerts?

A popular Blackberry phone in the late 2000s and early 2010s in Nigeria. (Nairaland Forum)

By 2006, Blackberry Limited that launched in 1999 was a staple of pop culture and technology. Blackberry first became popular with professionals who were able to get their emails on-the-go. Then, it broke pop culture with Blackberry Messenger which incredibly channeled the internet for some effect.

The design on QWERTY-keyboard designs on Blackberry phones also aided the power - they were unique. Coupled with the other features they had, Blackberry Limited took off.

The ‘ping effect’ was not only way of effective communication, like Channel O, access to it connoted class. Channel O came off DSTV that most people could not afford. Blackberry phones were also premium product that most people could not afford.

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Just arrived!!! London Used Blackberry Bold 6 FOR SALE. <a href="http://t.co/UpF1LaRpLK">pic.twitter.com/UpF1LaRpLK</a>&mdash; american police (@deen_sherryf) <a href="https://twitter.com/deen_sherryf/status/520186575288672256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</div>

Even at the height of its viral use, people were buying fairly used and imported Blackberry phones called, ‘London-used.’

Blackberry was the aspiration and the goal. People who owned them stopped asking for numbers. Instead, they were asking for ‘Blackberry PIN,’ just to show their newfound class – it was that bad. They even hung these phones on their hands like badges of honour - yes, I didn't own one for a while. I have unresolved.

While Channel O held power in media to make and break careers, Blackberry held the power of ease of communication and effective emailing during a peculiar death of technological advancement.

At the height of Blackberry’s reign, like Channel O, it held a monopoly on both the capitalist and focal powers in its field. Every business that was in the same field struggled to keep up. Even Nokia that tried to make the N-series and E-series could not keep up.

Nokia E-63, a part of the Nokia E-series era that aimed to compete with Blackberry. (PIctree)

But then, they both got comfortable that they probably stopped evolving as the emergence of competition evaporated the power they had. For Channel O, it was MTVBase, but Blackberry suddenly couldn’t keep up when the slightest hint of a comeback for Samsung reared its head.

Despite still having the power of the Blackberry Messenger – Channel O had influence on its side, it rolled over far too easily with Android user interfaces, Samsung touchscreen phones. For years, Blackberry had struggled with terrible designs and operating systems.

Blackberry Tour and Blackberry Bold . (Phonedata/Gadgets Now)

Blackberry Storm ran on a terrible operating system that lagged like no tomorrow. Blackberry Tour and Blackberry Bold 3 had the same designs. Blackberry Bold 2 and Bold 4 had the exact same designs and ran the same operating systems.

Blackberry Curve 2 and Curve 3 had the same design. Blackberry Curve 4 and Bold 6 had the same design. The features were terrible, battery life was terrible and there were no fun features like games. The Application stores were simply too static and stressful.

When they even wanted to evolve with the touchscreen market, Blackberry Touch, Blackberry Z series and Blackberry Q series came way too later in the conversation. Apple and Samsung had inspired a horde of other manufacturers like LG, Sony, Tecno, Xiaomi and so forth impetus to grab market shares. It was over.

The limitation of Blackberry Messenger also meant WhatsApp took over seamlessly.

For Channel O, it was about terrible shows and programs. MTVBase didn’t significantly improve the programs, but they were better. The picture quality was also better and aesthetics, and even adverts were simply more relatable to the target market of young people.

In the end, even shows like O’Boma hosted by Nonhle Thema and Mzanzi rides could not save the channel like Blackberry could not be saved when the competition swooped in.

While Channel O has since down, Blackberry struggled to find a buyer for a long time, barely 3 years after its peak period. Even Fairfax backed out at the last minute.

In the end, they both got comfortable, failed to grow, became stale and went out of style.

Chanel O and Blackberry have similar tales. (Twitter/Channel O/Snapdeal)

It’s 2003. African contemporary music is popping after the long preparation and two false starts that looked that like thing. Hip-Hop had pacesetters and there was a channel which promote the candidates KORA Awards on a continental level.

#ThrowbackThusday: Remembering Channel O,’ the Blackberry of African Music

<h1>Social media is both a blessing and a curse. As good information circles at the speed of light, so does fake news. Over the past five years, Facebook and its subsidiary, WhatsApp have battled the scourge of fake news. Nigerians basically wake up to broadcasts of conjectures and anti-competition fake news.</h1>

During the just concluded 2019 Presidential Elections, the Nigerian media was a daily bed of fake news. At this time, WhatsApp has even taken to radio for jingles on how to battle fake news. Due to the events surrounding the 2016 American Presidential Elections and the problem of Facebook’s reach, there has been increased pressure on Facebook to actually root out fake news.

In the Nigerian case, we have heard about terrible Universities and lecturers. In fact, on so many instances, with the very terrible reputation of Nigerian public universities and Lecturers over their likeness for making good grades hard for students, we have seen some crazy questions fly across the internet. They purport to showcase the dark realities of Nigerian public universities.

On Saturday, March 2, 2019, the snapshot of supposed question, allegedly from the Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin, Kwara State started circling the internet. The questions were supposedly for a course, ‘POS 425’ for the final year students of the same department. The course is allegedly titled, ‘Electoral Process,’ and the questions were worded like a hoax.

ALSO READ: <a id="a75c6591-1e2b-4861-9093-026d29047746" href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/politics/apc-pdp-accord-npm-and-the-funniest-logos-of-nigerian-political-parties/f8pnqj8">The weird logos of Nigerian political parties</a>

On the paper, these were three questions;

1.      Mention the names of the 71 candidates in the 2019 Nigeria’s (sic) Presidential elections.

2.      Mention the names of the 71 political parties that contested in the 2019 Nigeria’s Presidential elections.

3.      Mention the names of the chairmen of the 71 political parties that contested the 2019 Nigeria’s Presidential election.

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Wait what? 😳 <a href="https://t.co/94W4n730Rl">pic.twitter.com/94W4n730Rl</a>&mdash; President Christian (@Chrisblin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chrisblin/status/1101452705350995969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</div>

The lecturer-in-charge was supposedly Dr. J.O Olaniyi. The questions were simply impossible and they seemed callous. When the news became public knowledge on Twitter, it caused massive outrage and people were voicing their displeasure at the supposed questions.

<div class="embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Punishment, trust me some political parties don’t know the name of their chairman.&mdash; SusanNK (@SusanNkkk) <a href="https://twitter.com/SusanNkkk/status/1101470695597490176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

</div>

In the thick of it, Pulse decided to do some digging to determine if the questions were real or fake.

Findings from two sources revealed the questions as fake, but those sources were not compelling enough. One of those less compelling sources said the questions circling the internet had leaked a day to the examination, and those questions were changed for the actual exams.

The most compelling chat was with Ganiyat Olowoyo, a final year student of Mass Communication at the University of Ilorin and the Vice-President of the Union of Campus Journalists.

Olowoyo tells Pulse that, “The questions are fake. At the time the supposed questions started circling the internet, I spoke with a source and she confirmed that they the exams hadn’t even been written yet.”

When Pulse asked her what the questions were then about, Olowoyo said, “According to my sources, the question started off as a joke from students who were simply highlighting their worst nightmare. Somehow, they printed the paper and it found its way onto the internet.”

As news concerning this breaks further, Pulse will report them.

Sources confirm that the questions allegedly from the Department of Political Science of the same University are fake.

Alleged UNILORIN questions circling the internet are fake

ahmad aliyu

The deceased who works in the Information and Communication department with the Zimbabwean police force discovered his wife's secret lovers after he cloned her WhatsApp account.

According to iHarare, Jala set himself on fire after seeing off his wife to the bus stop.

A source disclosed that both Jala and his wife, Sibongile Shana, were living happily up until a misunderstanding they had that involved relatives.

According to the source, "Jala discovered through WhatsApp web that Shana was cheating him with three different men and this did not go well with him and I want to believe this is the end result.

"Shana is reported to have been refusing to go for HIV tests and contact numbers of the three alleged men were shared with Jala’s brother.

"Neighbours tried in vain to gain entry into the locked house after they spotted smoke coming out of the house and women took turns to put out the fire. We are still to get to the bottom of the story."

It was also discovered that Shana opted to remain at her workplace even after hearing the news about her husband.

Rapist sets married woman ablaze for refusing to be raped

A policeman, Tinashe Jala, set himself on fire after discovering his wife's three secret lovers.

Policeman kills himself because wife cheated on him with 3 men

Politics

Local

Metro

World

News 

Celebrities

Music

Movies

Entertainment

Fashion

Beauty & Health

Relationships & Weddings

Food & Travel

Lifestyle

Domestic

International 

Business

About

Highlights

Selection Criteria

Jury

Terms And Conditions

FAQs

Pulse Influencer Awards

Sports 

Celebrity Picks

Pulse Picks

Courses

Careers

Pulse Marketing

Explore categories

WhatsApp

Pulse Nigeria is the most followed news and entertainment platform, informing and engaging young Nigerians round the clock, providing updates by the hour.