Google Kills Chrome on XP and Vista, Sony Kills Betamax... [Digest]

Google stops supporting legacy operating systems, Betamax is finally dead, Apple Music comes to Android, Twitter claims its Likes are a success, and Netflix lets you decide how to deal with Bobby.

Chrome Is Toast on XP and Vista

Google has announced that it will stop supporting Chrome on older operating systems in April 2016. The platforms in question are Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Mac OS X 10.6, 10.7, and 10.8. While Google’s Web browser will continue to function on these operating systems, they will “no longer receive updates and security fixes.”

This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as Google had already warned XP users to upgrade to a newer platform if they want to continue using Chrome. In addition, most OS X users will have already taken advantage of Apple’s free upgrades.

This leaves Vista as the only real shocker. Microsoft still supports Windows Vista, and will do until April 2017, a full year after Google abandons it. Which means this abandonment is a kick in the teeth for anyone still using what must surely count as a recent operating system. It’s almost as though Google is as keen as Microsoft is for everybody to upgrade to Windows 10.

Betamax Is Dead, Long Live VHS?

Sony is killing off Betamax, finally, decades after most people assumed it was already dead. Sony has announced it will stop producing Betamax cassette tapes in March 2016, which suggests the market has finally dried up after all these years. And about time too.

For those of you who are too young to remember the first format war, Betamax was Sony’s alternative to VHS video cassettes. Betamax was actually regarded as a superior recording format to VHS, but shorter recording times and more expensive hardware hammered nails in Betamax’s coffin.

However, it seems some people were still buying Betamax tapes up until recently, despite DVDs having taken over from video cassettes during the early noughties. Still, Sony got the last laugh by winning the most recent format war, with Blu-ray beating HD-DVD in spectacular fashion.

Apple Music Comes to Android

Apple Music is now available on Android, with Apple having released the Apple Music app on Google Play. Currently labeled as being in beta, pretty much all of the same features present in the iOS version have made it across to the rival operating system.

This is arguably Apple’s first real Android app, unless you count the Move to iOS app which merely helps you switch away from Android. Apple Music has been available on iOS for several months, and has already racked up millions of users. However, Spotify is still king.

Whether on iOS or Android, Apple Music requires an Apple ID, so this could be some people’s first foray into the Apple ecosystem. Still, the Apple Music app is surprisingly good, and the company has even seen fit to make it look and feel more like it belongs on Android.

Twitter Reports Uptick in Likes

Twitter recently changed its Favorites into Likes (and Stars into Hearts), annoying many users in the process. The problem being that people were using Favorites for many different reasons, whereas Likes can only be used for one reason… Liking things, obviously.

However, while hardcore Twitter users spent the next few days complaining about the change, everybody else just got on with things as usual. In fact, people started Liking things they would never have dreamed of marking as a Favorite.

According to TechCrunch, Kevin Weil, Twitter’s Senior Vice President of Product, has stated that the social network has seen “a 6% increase in Like activity in just the first week.” Because Likes are “easier to understand,” and the Heart is “a much more inclusive symbol.” In other words, stop Hating and start Liking.

Netflix Tackles Spoilers

And finally, we have a video made for those of you who often think about getting their own back on people who spoil TV shows such as Game of Thrones. You know the ones; they’re always an episode or a season ahead of you and so keen to share that fact they end up giving away an important plot point.

Netflix has created a short film showing one possible punishment to inflict on such people… lathering them in honey and pushing them into a mischief of rats. And the brilliant thing is that you get to decide what happens to Bobby, so choose carefully.

NB: The video contains a mild spoiler for season one of Orange Is the New Black. You have been warned. [H/T Geeks of Doom]

Your Views on Today’s Tech News

Is Google right to stop supporting Chrome on older operating systems? Have you ever actually used a Betamax video cassette? Will you be using Apple Music on Android? Have you used Likes on Twitter yet? Did you decide to punish Bobby?

Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.