Changes at Kobo - Kobo WiFi dropped +

[rcentros]

I just got a couple emails from Kobo. One told me that my Kobo WiFi will not be supported after February 28th and that I won't be able to connect to the Kobo eBookstore using it. (Also no updates, but I don't think there has an update for the Kobo WiFi for a while anyhow.) Not a big a deal on this one.

The other email told me that my Kobo Mini would have a mandatory update (also by February 28th). The line that bothered me in that email was this... "Without this update, your Kobo Mini eReader will no longer be able to exit the setup process after a factory reset is performed." ??? Does this mean that, if we want to sync to Kobo we won't be able to drop back to older versions of the firmware on our Kobo device? I've turned off WiFi for now on the Mini and the Touch. I'll probably let the Touch update (regardless of the results) but first I want to know exactly what is going to happen here.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I just got a couple emails from Kobo. One told me that my Kobo WiFi will not be supported after February 28th and that I won't be able to connect to the Kobo eBookstore using it. (Also no updates, but I don't think there has an update for the Kobo WiFi for a while anyhow.) Not a big a deal on this one.

The other email told me that my Kobo Mini would have a mandatory update (also by February 28th). The line that bothered me in that email was this... "Without this update, your Kobo Mini eReader will no longer be able to exit the setup process after a factory reset is performed." ??? Does this mean that, if we want to sync to Kobo we won't be able to drop back to older versions of the firmware on our Kobo device? I've turned off WiFi for now on the Mini and the Touch. I'll probably let the Touch update (regardless of the results) but first I want to know exactly what is going to happen here.

I would suspect that Kobo is dropping SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0 support and very likely TLS 1.1. Quite a few issues with SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0 which I've seen referred to as "insecurity profiles" and TLS 1.1 also has several known issues. For web browser support, TLS 1.1 support will be gone around the end of 2019. The PCI folks ordered TLS 1.1 to be gone back in June, 2018.

See Apple, Microsoft, Google Announce Plans to Disable TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1 for more on web browser and TLS support.

[rcentros]

I'm more worried about that one line ... "Without this update, your Kobo Mini eReader will no longer be able to exit the setup process after a factory reset is performed." ... It looks like you'll have to use this version of the firmware (or above) to login into Kobo and use the Store. Or can you still install older firmware without a factory reset after you've done this update?

[RobertJSawyer]

Full text of the Kobo Wi Fi email:

We have important news for you regarding your Kobo Wifi.

Part of our commitment to providing the best possible reading experience means keeping up with the latest advances in eReader technology and internet security protocols. With this in mind, we will need to discontinue support for some of our earliest products.

As of February 28, the Kobo Wifi will no longer be supported by Rakuten Kobo* [Footnote says: "No refunds, no replacements, devices are out of warranty."]

This means it will no longer receive software updates, and will not be able to connect to the Kobo eBookstore. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Rest assured that no items in your Kobo library will be affected; you will continue to have access to all reading material you have purchased or downloaded from Rakuten Kobo.

Read with Kobo with the free Kobo App. You can download the free Kobo App available for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, and read with Kobo on a device you already own.

Kobo is a company built by booklovers for booklovers, and we will continue to expand on our reading experience, offering you cutting-edge eReaders, easy-to-use reading apps, and reading recommendations chosen just for you.

To see if any of your other Kobo products are affected, visit Kobo Help.

If you have any questions or concerns about this message, please contact Kobo Customer Care.

[sqdancer]

They're dropping support for the Sonys too.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=314743