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A bag-fumbling of galactic proportions

(Image credit: Getty Images / Chev Wilkinson)

Well,there goes Skype. Bye-bye, you garbage piece of software. I’m surprised you managed to hang around for as long as you did, frankly.

Okay, I’m being a bit mean here; the impact of Skype on the global tech ecosystem shouldn’t be downplayed, as it effectively brought video communication to the mainstream – something that previously was the domain of corporate execs with money to burn on expensive early video-conferencing solutions. For a wonderful, all-too-brief period in the early 2010s, Skype was everywhere: a way to chat face-to-face with distant relatives or schoolmates who were just beyond the reach of an after-class bike ride.

But I can’t pretend Skype was all sunshine and rainbows, even before the pandemic lockdowns and the rise of its chief competitor,Zoom. I remember sitting for ages waiting for a call to connect, frequent audio dropouts, and sometimes struggling to log in at all. Sure, internet connections are faster and more consistent now than they were when Skype was first conceived back in 2003, but that’s not an all-encompassing excuse for the app’s many failings.

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The Microsoft problem

See, Skype’s greatest victory was also a sword of Damocles hanging over its head: its 2011 purchase byMicrosoft. A multi-billion dollar deal that positioned Skype to replace Windows Live Messenger (formerly known as the ever-iconic MSN), the purchase proved to be an immediate boon for Skype, as it was widely inserted into Windows devices over the following years, thus reaching a massive global audience.

Unfortunately, this deal also meant that Skype was owned by Microsoft, which is rarely a safe position to be in. RememberZune? Yeah, me neither. The list of products and serviceskilled off by Microsoftover the years is long and storied, and many – including myself – saw the writing on the wall long before serious external competition arrived on the scene.

Aside from a recent cameo role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Microsoft’s attempt to beat the iPod was a colossal failure.(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

A key issue was Microsoft’s long-running and ill-placed desire to make Teams work. I’ll be honest: as someone who was, in a previous and much worse place of employment, forced to use Microsoft Teams, I can say with conviction that it sucks. Rigid settings, feature bloat, and an inexplicable ravenous hunger for RAM make it a frequently painful piece of software to use, especially on an outdated work PC.

But Microsoft wanted – and still wants – it to be a Thing People Want To Use, which ultimately led to Skype taking a back seat as its features were gradually cannibalized to improve Teams. In fact, now that Skype has officially been taken out back with a shotgun, Microsoft is actively encouraging users toport their accounts over to Teams.

And what did Skype get in return? A drip-feed of features that nobody asked for, most of which did little to improve the core video-calling functionality. The interface became more cluttered, frequent UI redesigns left users confused, and yet there was a paradoxical feeling of stagnation; meanwhile, the meteoric rise of social-media-driven video calling across platforms such as Facebook andWhatsAppoffered a far more streamlined and pleasant user experience.

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Impacts of the pandemic

Zoom has been around since 2011 (ironically, the same year Microsoft acquired Skype) but you’d be forgiven for thinking that it just popped into existence at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. When we were collectively displaced from our offices and had to construct impromptu workspaces inside our homes, video conferencing became an everyday necessity – and as we all know, this was where the cracks in Skype’s facade really started to show.

Technical debt is never an easy hurdle to overcome, and Skype’s aging software architecture – while cutting-edge back in 2003 – gradually became a weight chained around its ankle. With Teams at the forefront, investing in updating Skype never seemed like a priority for Microsoft. The app didn’t even change over to a centralized system from its outdated peer-to-peer networking until more than half a decade after Microsoft bought it.

One of the worst blunders was Microsoft’s insistence on keeping it partially anchored to actual phone numbers (with a dial pad feature, no less) in an era when interlinked accounts are king and phones are more than just phones. It was no doubt a move intended to retain the crop of older users who were unaware of the alternatives, but the 100-user call capacity and streamlined interface of Zoom made it an easy choice for professionals who needed to keep their careers afloat while the world screeched to a halt outside.

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Long live Zoom

It’s certainly not a universal truth that Microsoft ruins everything it touches -the Surface tablet line is finally good now!- but the tech giant has something of a reputation for enshittification. I’ve been following thegradual decay of Windowsfor years now, and looking at how Microsoft treats its most widely known product makes understanding the fall of Skype very easy.

Microsoft has finally achieved some success with its Surface tablets, but I’m quietly surprised the brand has lasted this long.(Image credit: Microsoft)

I’ve settled into a belief that Microsoft isn’t able to just let things be what they are. Everything had to bemore!More features, more information, more settings, more AI! Forget what consumers actually want; the line must go up, the goalposts must keep moving, everything must be constantly changing and innovating or it’s worthless. Once you start to see Microsoft as a tech company incapable of sitting still, its successes and failures all start to make a lot more sense.

What people needed for the remote working shift during the pandemic was an effective, straightforward video conferencing tool. They didn’t find that in Skype, which had already become a bloated shell of its former self after years of ‘innovation’ at the hands of Microsoft. So I say this now, to the creators of Zoom: if it ain’t broke…

You can continue to use the technology, but it will not receive any future updates or support from Intel.

(Image credit: Intel)

Intel has discontinued support for its Deep Link suite of technologies, as confirmed by a representative onGitHub, via X userHaze.After Intel quietly stopped promoting the feature in newer products such as Battlemage, it has now confirmed that active development for Deep Link has ceased. While you still might be able to use Deep Link, Intel has clarified that there will be no future updates or official support from their customer service channels.

“Intel Deep Link is no longer actively maintained and will not be receiving future updates, meaning that there will be no changes to the features regardless of their current functionality status.”

from X

Deep Link was introduced in late 2020. It allows you to harness the combined power of your Intel CPU and Arc GPU to improve streaming, AI acceleration, and overall efficiency. To utilize Deep Link, you needed an Intel 11th, 12th, or 13th Generation CPU and a dedicatedArc AlchemistGPU. The suite offered four key utilities: Dynamic Power Share, Stream Assist, Hyper Encode, and Hyper Compute.

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Dynamic Power Share optimizes performance and power by intelligently shifting power resources between the CPU and GPU. Stream Assist improved streaming by offloading the task from the dedicated GPU to the integrated GPU. Hyper Encode accelerated video encoding using multiple Intel processors. Lastly, Hyper Compute leveraged your Intel CPU and GPU to accelerate AI workloads in OpenVINO.

“Deep Link is no longer actively maintained and will not be receiving future updates, meaning that there will be no changes to the features regardless of their current functionality status.”

Intel representative at GitHub

These features boosted performance in apps like OBS, DaVinci Resolve, and Handbrake. The user who originated the thread at GitHub could not get Stream Assist up and running with OBS using the latestArc B580paired with theCore Ultra 7 265K. Following a month-long wait, a representative relayed that Intel had discontinued software development.

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It turns out that even Alchemist users had a hard time getting these features working in Handbrake and OBS. It’s possible that Intel considered Deep Link a niche feature and deemed the ongoing effort and investment not worthwhile. Besides, most of these features require per-vendor validation. Development was likely dropped a while back, asMeteor Lake, an architecture that dates back to late 2023, is also not among the supported CPUs.

If you’ve been in the market for a new computer, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the term AIO thrown around. It can be difficult to assess what the term means, since it is extremely context-dependent. You may have encountered it when shopping for multiple different types of computers. It’s especially prevalent in the world of custom-built PCs, but you may also hear it when shopping for a prebuilt system.

As it turns out, AIO, or “all-in-one,” is a fairly flexible term that can refer to anything that integrates multiple parts that would usually be separate into a single product. However, with that in mind, there are two types of products you’ll hear referred to as AIO: liquid PC coolers and integrated desktops. These uses of AIO should be disambiguated from other terms we won’t discuss in this article like AI/O (asynchronous input/output) and artificial intelligence optimization, or various medical terms (adhesive intestinal obstruction, sounds awful  — new fear unlocked). In this article, we’ll break down the most common uses of the term as it relates to consumer computer hardware. Here’s what you need to know.

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AIO can refer to all-in-one desktop PCs

AIO is an abbreviation that usually means “all-in-one,” but it has multiple applications in the realm of computers. One common meaning is a desktop computer that contains all of its components within a single unit that includes a display. The most straightforward example of an all-in-one desktop is the Apple iMac, which has been a staple of school computer labs, households, and offices for decades. Rather than the computer and display monitor being two separate units, the iMac integrates its motherboard, processor, RAM, storage, and more into the display itself. All a user needs to do is connect a mouse and keyboard. Other AIO desktops include the Microsoft Surface Studio, which folds down to become a massive desktop tablet for artists, and the Lenovo 24 All-In-One, which is closer to the sort of thing you might see on a receptionist’s desk at a doctor’s office.

In addition to being convenient, especially for users who aren’t very comfortable with or knowledgeable about computers, all-in-one desktops have two more benefits. First, they’re often relatively cheap, with many priced at under $1,000. Bulk deals make them even more affordable, which goes a long way to explain their popularity in offices and schools. Second, they’re space savers, eliminating the need to make room for a big desktop tower while also cutting down on cable management.

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AIO can also refer to PC liquid coolers

Another common use of the AIO abbreviation appears in the realm of PC components, where it can refer to an all-in-one cooler. Water cooling has become increasingly popular among custom PC enthusiasts, as it provides more effective cooling for CPUs during intense workloads compared to traditional air coolers that use heat pipes and fans. However, cooling with a custom loop is rather complicated, requiring multiple components including a radiator, pump, reservoir, and water block. In addition to the complexity of assembling such a system, you risk spilling the cooling liquid into your system if you’re not careful, and you need to maintain it by changing out the liquid every so often.

That’s where AIO coolers come in. They have all the necessary components of a cooling loop, but are contained in a single closed ecosystem within a single unit. An AIO cooler has a pump with a cold plate that mounts to the CPU. This is connected by tubes to a radiator with fans that mounts (in most instances) on the top or back of the PC case. Unlike cooling loops, AIO coolers come pre-filled with water-based coolant, so you never have to worry about spills. You also don’t need to refill AIO coolers. The liquid inside lasts for the lifetime of the AIO. Cooling loops can be more fun, with some PC enthusiasts using them to add flair to their PCs. Lately, though, more AIOs come with RGB effects and other aesthetic touches. When trying to choose the right cooling kit for your PC, these factors make AIO coolers the best choice for people who aren’t experienced PC builders.