Texas Instruments updating graphing calculators to remove functionality, programming

In a move that is sure to anger many TI programming enthusiasts, Texas Instruments released a firmware update for popular TI-83 and TI-84 graphing calculators that removes the ability to load programs written in C and Assembly.

Affected calculators include TI-83 Premium CE, TI-83 Plus CE-T and TI-84 Plus CE. The update is ostensibly aimed at reducing the use of programs that aid in cheating on exams, but also removes the ability for the incredibly active modding and homebrew community to create and load custom programs.

That means many custom games that students use to survive boring Calculus questions will be unplayable moving forward. Bummer.

Luckily, the firmware must be done manually, so existing calculators can still run these programs as long as the update isn’t done. However, new calculators will have the updated firmware and will be “crippled”, so to speak, making it impossible to go back to an older version. Only time will tell if Texas Instruments reverses this decision.

[h/t The Verge]