Technology we lost in 2025

If we look at it from a very narrow perspective of technology and related services being shut down, neglected and disconnected, 2025 was a very quiet year. But Not Silent: 10 events that stand out to me as a long-time industry observer and participant from the perspective of having a notable impact or marking the end of an era.

For comparison, in 2022, we lost some big names, e.g iPod, Google Stadia, and Internet Explorer. This year seems to have seen fewer high-profile goodbyes and more nostalgia and changes that point to larger trends.

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AOL cuts off dial-up Internet service

If you’re of a certain age, like me, then… Loud modem handshake tones Being online provides a sonic memory of the slow formative years of the web. In those early days, you logged into a specific service, so the largest company — AOL — became synonymous with dial-up. Thirty-four years laterIn September, it stopped screaming and may have left a significant number of rural customers without home Internet access. (some 2 million people are still using it As of 2015.)

Human artificial intelligence pin

She was bewildered by the excitement surrounding her Human artificial intelligence pina wearable AI voice chat device: Maybe it’s because I’ve seen a lot of these one-trick ponies come and go, and most of them are replaced by multi-functional gadgets. In the case of a pin that has been around for about a year, the truth is that It wasn’t very good which exacerbated the problem. while HP bought Humane AI Lock, Stock, and Chatbots In February, the driver was technical talent, operating system, and patent portfolio; Hardware revival is unlikely.

The last iPhone home button leaves town

You can’t go home again, at least not easily on your iPhone anymore. the The last form with a dedicated home button It was the iPhone SE, which was replaced by the buttonless iPhone 16e in February. In some cases, you can assign another control to bring you home, but that means giving up direct access to another ability, and I curse its absence every time my iPhone gets worried about sensing a swipe up from the bottom of the screen.

Micron forgets crucial consumer memory

Memory manufacturers are flocking to high-demand, high-margin, AI-friendly, high-bandwidth memory thanks to the seemingly deep pockets of popular AI companies needing yesterday’s data centers. Since there are only three significant manufacturers – SK Hynix, Micron and Samsung – when Micron announced that it will move away from consumer markets In November, the end of these days It’s impossible to find, and impossible to make available to computers It seems further away than ever.

Black is the new blue screen of death

The Windows Blue Screen of Death has been a staple of technology since the early days of the GUI, and it’s one of the most terrifying and useless jumps ever provided by a system crash. While Microsoft improved recovery speed and back-end data collection for operating system crashes in October 2024, the company Replace BSOD The same in the October 2025 release of the OS, with a “simpler user interface” on a (less disturbing?) black background. We’ll miss you, you giant pout Expressions. Although I still expect it to appear in the usual unusual places, such as digital billboards and taxi entertainment systems, which always run on older versions of Windows.

Amazon launches its own Android app store

Amazon has always had a very sharp focus on the bottom line, which includes driving buyers toward its own branded products. This was taken to a new level in August, Closing its store for general Android apps And switching to apps meant to run only on its Fire devices, which run a custom version of Android. The store lasted a relatively long time, anyway, 14 years Launched in 2011.

Microsoft Skype has become a player in Teams

Long before FaceTime and VOIP communications were ubiquitous, in the early years of this century, Skype entered the mainstream consciousness as a cheap alternative to long-distance and international (voice) phone calls, picking up speed when Microsoft acquired it in 2011 and added video calling to its skill set. In February, Microsoft has announced that we are saying goodbye to the veteran standalone app and will be integrated into the company’s free version of its app Less likable Difference application.

Google Nest Learning Thermostat ignores

Google Lobotomy for the first two generations of the OG smart thermostat October has given us another object lesson in the 21st century Planned obsolescence. The hardware is good, just outdated by technical standards: Launched by Nest Labs in 2011, and Google bought the company in 2014. But by separating it from the app (euphemistically referred to as “ending support”), it loses a lot of the features you bought it for, like remote start and notifications, as well as stopping security updates — essentially encouraging people to upgrade.

Google bricks the latest Stadia controllers

Google’s custom-designed controller, with its own short-lived proprietary connectivity Stadia cloud gaming serviceIt was stopped when The service has been closed At the end of 2022. The company refunded device purchases, but also offered firmware upgrades to convert them to Bluetooth; It’s a well-designed controller, so throwing it away seems like a waste. But as of the end of 2025, the company is stopping offering the upgrade – if you haven’t converted by then, you can add the console to your non-working collectibles shelf.

US halts imports of DJI drones

One of the major drone manufacturers — and probably the most well-known — is now among the products you’ll have a hard time purchasing here in the United States, thanks to… Ban the import of all foreign-made products Drones Which took effect in December. You can still fly them in and buy them, you’ll have trouble finding them.