Vine as we know it shuts down on January 17th

Take a deep breath, Vine fans. We knew this was coming. In a tweet, the team confirmed today that Vine will be closed down on January 17th, clarifying the "January" timeframe it gave out last month. On that day, the app will become Vine Camera, a stripped back piece of software that lets you shoot and export six-second loops to Twitter or your camera roll. As promised, the Vine website will remain untouched, acting as an archive for older uploads. You can watch classic clips, covering comedy, music and art, just don't expect anything new to come through the pipeline.

Vine was a much loved service among a handful of Engadget employees. The six-second loop was an inspired restriction, forcing artists to get creative with their shots and editing. These shots will still be possible through the Vine Camera app and Twitter, but it won't feel the same. Vine's community was special, whereas now the concept will exist as a tangental part of a much larger social platform. If you've been saving a great Vine idea, now's the time to shoot and post it. While its viewership is down -- people are clearly migrating to Instagram and YouTube -- it's a chance to make one final mark on the service.