Microsoft Shuts Down Skype After 14 Years; Adobe Launches Full Photoshop App for iPhone

Microsoft has announced that Skype will be shutting down on May 5, marking the end of the once-popular video-calling platform, which saw its user base shrink from 300 million in 2016 to just 36 million by 2023, largely due to competition from services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

In other news, Adobe has launched a full version of Photoshop for iPhone, bringing desktop features like layer editing and AI tools to mobile, with a free app and premium features available via subscription. Meanwhile, Google’s Pixel Watch 3 has received FDA clearance for its “loss of pulse” feature, which can detect cardiac arrest and alert emergency services. Additionally, Oura has partnered with Scripps Research for a large-scale study using the Oura Ring to monitor pregnancy health and complications, aiming to improve maternal health.

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• Skype to Shut Down in May: Microsoft Focuses on Teams for Future Communication

Microsoft Shuts Down Skype After 14 Years; Adobe Launches Full Photoshop App for iPhone

Microsoft has announced that Skype will be shut down on May 5. Acquired in 2011 for $8.5 billion, Skype once had 300 million users at its peak in 2016. However, as platforms like Slack, Zoom, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams grew, Skype’s user base shrank to just 36 million by 2023. Users will have until May 5 to transfer their data to Teams or export it, but after that, Skype’s domestic and international calling features will be discontinued.

In other news, Adobe has launched a full version of Photoshop for iPhone, bringing the desktop app’s features like layer-based editing and AI-powered tools such as Generative Fill to mobile. The app is free with some premium features available for $8/month or $70/year. It syncs with Adobe accounts and integrates with Lightroom and Fresco.

Google’s Pixel Watch 3, which introduced a “loss of pulse” feature, has received FDA approval for use in the US. This feature can detect a lack of pulse and alert emergency services if the user is unresponsive. The watch will begin rolling out this feature in March, helping to address cardiac arrest emergencies.

Additionally, Oura has partnered with Scripps Research for a large-scale pregnancy study using data from the Oura Ring to monitor changes in pregnancy and related complications.

This initiative aims to improve maternal health, complementing previous efforts like Apple’s Women’s Health Study. The study will involve 10,000 participants recruited through the Oura app, who will provide valuable data from their Oura Rings, health records, and surveys. By using wearable technology, Oura and Scripps Research can collect detailed, real-time data on various physiological changes during pregnancy. This data could provide deeper insights into pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, preterm labor, and postpartum depression, which are often difficult to detect early.

The partnership between Oura and Scripps Research hopes to bridge significant gaps in maternal healthcare, especially in underserved populations. The study aims to identify warning signs of pregnancy-related complications sooner, potentially saving lives and improving outcomes for both mothers and babies. With over 300,000 deaths each year in the U.S. due to complications during pregnancy, the impact of such research could be transformative in maternal care.

Additionally, the study aligns with broader efforts to use technology for health research. Other tech companies like Apple have already begun exploring the potential of wearable devices in studying women’s health. Apple’s Women’s Health Study, for instance, focuses on tracking menstrual cycles and fertility, and their research has already provided valuable insights into how technology can monitor health and identify patterns that were previously difficult to detect. Oura’s large-scale pregnancy study takes this approach further by focusing on a crucial phase of a woman’s life—pregnancy—and using advanced wearables to collect continuous, in-depth data.

The importance of this initiative is also underscored by the current administration’s shift away from women’s health initiatives, making such research all the more vital. By providing a platform for gathering comprehensive, large-scale data on pregnancy, Oura and Scripps aim to not only enhance the understanding of maternal health but also improve access to better healthcare solutions for women in diverse and often overlooked populations.

With the rise of consumer fitness wearables like the Oura Ring, which are now used to track a range of health metrics, this partnership represents a cutting-edge approach to improving the health of mothers during one of the most critical periods of their lives. This research could ultimately help inform better healthcare policies and practices that prioritize the well-being of both mothers and children.

Skype to Shut Down in May: Microsoft Focuses on Teams for Future Communication

Microsoft has announced that Skype will shut down on May 5, 2025, after two decades of operation. The company stated that the shutdown is part of its strategy to focus on its Teams service, simplifying its communication offerings. Skype, which was launched in 2003, became widely popular for its voice and video calls, revolutionizing communication and gaining hundreds of millions of users at its peak. However, it struggled to adapt to smartphone technology and faced fierce competition from services like Zoom, WhatsApp, Slack, and WeChat in recent years.

The shift to Teams, which has integrated well with Office apps, accelerated during the pandemic when the demand for online business meetings surged. As part of the transition, Skype users will be able to log into Teams for free using their existing credentials, with chats and contacts transferred automatically.

Skype’s decline was evident as its user base dropped from 150 million monthly users in 2011, when Microsoft acquired the platform for $8.5 billion, to about 23 million by 2020. Despite a brief spike during the pandemic, Skype’s usage has been in steady decline. In comparison, Teams now has approximately 320 million monthly active users. Skype, originally founded by Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis in 2003, has played a significant role in shaping modern communication but will now be retired in favor of Teams.