Viewed from the very slim perspective of tech and associated providers that had been discontinued, deprecated and disconnected, 2025 was fairly quiet. But not silent: 10 occasions stand out for me as a loooong-time observer and participant within the trade from the angle of getting a notable influence or representing the tip of an period. For comparability, in 2022, we misplaced some massive names, just like the iPod, Google Stadia and Internet Explorer. This 12 months appeared to have fewer high-profile goodbyes and much more nostalgia and modifications symptomatic of bigger developments. Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content material and lab-based opinions. Add CNET as a most popular Google supply. Watch this: RIP to the Tech That Died in 2025
07:12 AOL disconnects its dial-up web service If you are of a sure age, like me, the screechy tones of a modem handshake connecting to the web present an audio sense reminiscence of the gradual, adolescence of the net. In these early days, you logged into a selected service, so the largest fish — AOL — grew to become synonymous with dial-up. Thirty-four years later, in September, it ceased to screech and maybe left a lot of rural prospects with out residence web entry. (Some 2 million folks had been nonetheless utilizing it as of 2015.) The Humane AI wearable when it was new. Andrew Lanxon/CNET Humane AI pin I used to be baffled by the joy across the Humane AI pin, a wearable AI voice chat gadget: It could also be as a result of I’ve seen so many of those one-trick ponies come and go, most changed by multifunctional devices. In the case of the pin, which lasted solely round a 12 months, the truth that it wasn’t superb compounded the issue. While HP purchased Humane AI lock, inventory and chatbot in February, the motive force was the technical expertise, working system and patent portfolio; a revival of the {hardware} is unlikely. The final residence button, right here on the iPhone SE. James Martin/CNET The final iPhone residence button leaves city You cannot go residence once more, no less than not simply on the iPhone anymore. The final mannequin with a devoted residence button was the iPhone SE, which was changed by the house buttonless iPhone 16e in February. In some instances, you’ll be able to map one other management to carry you residence, however it means giving up direct entry to a different functionality, and I curse its absence each time my iPhone will get persnickety about sensing upswipes from the underside of the display screen. Micron Crucial DDR5 in 2024 simply earlier than the AI increase. Micron Technology Micron forgets Crucial client reminiscence Memory producers are flocking to excessive demand, excessive margin, AI-friendly high-bandwidth reminiscence due to the seemingly deep pockets of in style AI firms that want information facilities yesterday. Given there are solely actually three important producers — SK Hynix, Micron and Samsung — when Micron introduced it was pivoting away from client markets in November, the tip to as of late of impossible-to-find, impossible-to-afford reminiscence for PCs appears additional away than ever. The BSoD once I final remembered to {photograph} it in 2021. Lori Grunin/CNET Black is the brand new blue display screen of dying Windows’ blue display screen of dying has been a tech staple because the early days of the graphical consumer interface, one of the vital dreaded and not-terribly-useful bounce scares ever supplied by a system crash. While Microsoft improved the restoration pace and backend information assortment for working system crashes in October 2024, the corporate changed the BSoD itself within the October 2025 launch of the OS, with a “simpler UI” on a (much less anxiety-inducing?) black background. We will miss you, big frown emoticon. Though I nonetheless count on it to pop up within the common uncommon locations, like digital billboards and taxi leisure methods, which invariably run on previous variations of Windows. The residence display screen of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, working apps from the Amazon App Store. Ty Pendlebury/CNET Amazon fires its Android App Store Amazon has at all times had a laser-sharp give attention to the underside line, which incorporates driving patrons towards its own-branded merchandise. It took that to a brand new degree in August, shutting its retailer for basic Android apps and switching to apps supposed to run solely by itself Fire gadgets, which run a {custom} model of Android. The retailer lasted a comparatively very long time, although, 14 years from its 2011 launch. Skype circa 2018. Microsoft Microsoft Skype turns into a Teams participant Long earlier than FaceTime and ubiquitous VOIP communications, within the early years of this century, Skype entered the mainstream consciousness as an affordable different to dear long-distance and worldwide cellphone (voice) calls, choosing up pace when it was acquired in Microsoft in 2011 and added video calling to its ability set. In February, Microsoft introduced we would be saying buh-bye to the veteran standalone app and that it might be folded into the corporate’s free model of its less-beloved Teams app. Nest Learning Thermostat second technology. Lindsey Turrentine/CNET Google Nest Learning Thermostat dumbs down Google’s lobotomy of the primary two generations of the OG sensible thermostat in October supplied us with yet one more object lesson in 21st-century deliberate obsolescence. The {hardware} is ok, simply previous by tech requirements: Nest Labs launched it in 2011, and Google purchased the corporate in 2014. But by disconnecting it from the app (euphemistically known as “ending support”), it loses a number of the options you purchased it for, like distant operation and notifications, in addition to discontinuing safety updates — primarily encouraging folks to improve. Google’s Stadia controller, now a relic. Sarah Tew/CNET Google bricks final Stadia controllers Google’s custom-designed controller, with its proprietary connection to the corporate’s short-lived Stadia cloud gaming service, was discontinued when the service shuttered in on the finish of 2022. The firm refunded {hardware} purchases, however has additionally supplied firmware upgrades to transform it to Bluetooth; it is a well-designed controller, so tossing it appears a waste. But as of the tip of 2025, the corporate stops providing the improve — if you have not transformed by then, you’ll be able to add the controller to your shelf of nonfunctioning collectibles. DJI Mini 2 flying free. Josh Goldman/CNET US grounds DJI drone imports One of the foremost drone producers — it is in all probability probably the most well-known — now numbers among the many merchandise you may have bother shopping for right here within the US, due to a ban on imports of all foreign-made drones that went into impact in December. You can nonetheless fly ’em and purchase ’em, you may simply have an issue discovering ’em.
© Copyright - TechSwitchCF