Google Chromecast, Fossil smartwatches and more: The tech that died in 2024

The tech that died in 2024

Every year -- for a variety of reasons -- old tech dies and gets replaced by new ones. Or it just can't find any takers. 2024 was no different. Fossil smartwatches ticked their last tock as big names like Apple and Samsung dominated the wrist game. The hyped Apple Car? Scrapped before it hit the road—turns out, even Apple couldn’t crack the auto code. Over at Google, the graveyard got a few new entrants in the form of Chromecast and Podcasts. Here's some of the important tech that died in 2024:

Fossil smartwatches: No more tick, tock

Fossil smartwatches tried to keep pace with smarter, faster wearables like Apple and Samsung but never managed to hog the spotlight. Limited features and meh upgrades couldn’t keep them ticking. By 2024, Fossil bowed out of the smartwatch race, proving style only goes so far when functionality takes the lead.

Apple Car: End of the road

Can something that was never alive actually die? No but the Apple Car is an exception. Thanks to the years of rumours and unreal sky-high expectations couldn’t overcome the reality of building, well, cars. Apple never confirmed that it was making a car and it never denied. Same went with the demise of the car. Apple never said that it had killed its car dreams. The fanboys did sigh and were disappointed but guess what? Not every Apple product can “just work.”

Google Podcasts: A new address

Google Podcasts officially signed off in 2024, merging into YouTube Music for “streamlined listening.” It’s another move on Google’s consolidating its apps and services. Users can still listen to podcasts but they need to head to YouTube Music.

Kindle Oasis: Left high and dry

The Kindle Oasis, Amazon’s luxury e-reader, couldn’t escape the hammer in 2024. E-ink tech stayed solid, but high prices and barely-there updates left bookworms unimpressed. Cheaper Kindles and tablets stole the show, leaving the Oasis to drift away into oblivion.

Microsoft HoloLens: No takers for this one

Microsoft’s HoloLens promised a mixed-reality revolution but stumbled into irrelevance by 2024. Clunky hardware, sky-high prices, and limited use cases sealed its fate. It was perhaps ahead of its time but now mixed-reality headsets are making their presence felt. Guess Microsoft is more about AI now, right?

WordPad for Windows: Bye, bye old app

RIP, WordPad — a 28-year-old Windows staple that quietly retired in 2024. Once the go-to for quick notes and casual editing, it became irrelevant in a world of Google Docs and other word processing. Microsoft pulled the plug, and honestly? Hardly anyone noticed. Sometimes, nostalgia isn’t enough to keep a classic alive.

Spotify Car Thing: Couldn’t shift gears

Designed for car audio control, it felt redundant in a world of voice assistants, infotainment systems and smartphone integrations. Users shrugged, skipped the gadget, and by 2024, Spotify ditched it entirely.

Apple’s Lightning Port: Lightning won’t strike again

Apple’s Lightning port finally met its end in 2024, thanks to USB-C mandates and the European Union. When Apple unveiled new Magic Accessories with the M4 iMac, there hardly exists an Apple device that supports the lightning port. The Lightning port made Apple devices unique in terms of charging but USB-C took over rapidly. The Lightning port joined the headphone jack in Apple’s in memoriam devices.

Google Chromecast: Stream for more

Chromecast’s minimalist glory ended in 2024, replaced by the fancier Google TV Streamer. Chromecast couldn’t really keep the pace with Amazon Fire TV Stick and other streaming devices. Google has given it a slicker upgrade, in the hope that it will be able to catch up with the competition.