Skype gone AFTER May 5th?

For many like myself who depend on Skype for our podcast this will be a bit of a set back but there are other outlets like Telegram so I think while I'll be ok it's just now I need to train people on how to use that instead of Skype. But this is the news that just came out and again this is sad news but these are the times we're in and now it's all about "TEAMS" and so we lose the things we have had and move on to new things as the world keeps evolving so does our tech.

"Skype is closing down. Microsoft, which acquired the messaging and calling app 14 years ago, said it will be retiring it from active duty on May 5 to double down on Teams. Skype users have 10 weeks to decide what they want to do with their account.' Like I said It sucks but we will live. Now they continued with saying "It’s not clear how many people are impacted. The most recent numbers that Microsoft had shared were in 2023, when it said it had more than 36 million users a long way from Skype’s peak of 300 million users."

That went from 300 Million to just 36 Million which is still a lot but it also becomes clear that people have found the system flawed long ago and have begun to move on. Skype while it features A LOT of cool stuff like the RECORDING features and stuff the system is full of bugs and always has been in one way or another. Either way I'm going to be sad to have to move on as it's been what I've used from day 1 when I started my shows some 15 years ago.

The news will come as little surprise to those who have followed Skype in recent years, and in many ways, the writing has been on the wall since 2016, when Microsoft debuted Teams. While Microsoft had launched a specific Skype for Business product in 2015, Teams’ arrival signaled a new direction for Microsoft in the cloud communications space. Many likened Teams to a Slack clone, but the bigger ambition was to build a platform that would give space for collaboration and communication across a wide range of Microsoft and other apps, and that included video and text chatting a direct overlap with Skype. Microsoft then revealed plans to phase out Skype for Business in 2017, concluding those efforts four years later, in 2021. That same year, Microsoft selected Teams as the integrated communications app of choice on Windows 11, relegating Skype to the sidelines. But I wonder if this just means no more updates but the Skype we got now installed on a Windows system and not browser based will still be able to let us use it?

Microsoft is encouraging users to move over to Teams Free. This offers some additional features not available in Skype, such as calendar integrations, but Teams Free lacks other key features that were hallmarks of Skype specifically, phone-call functionality that allowed users to call mobile and landline numbers, as well as receive phone calls with a Skype phone number.

Tiffany Henyard Voted out in Landslide

In some good news Tiffany Henyard HUMILIATED in Defeat! Voters are mad and well the northeastern Illinois politician and self-proclaimed “Super Mayor” was defeated by a landslide in Tuesday's democratic primaries. Tiffany Henyard (D), the scandal-plagued mayor of the village of Dolton, ran against Jason House (D). Henyard lost with 536 votes, while House reeled in 3,896, or 87.91% of the votes Tuesday, according to the Cook County Clerk's Office.

While campaigning to stay in office as Dolton mayor on Tuesday, Henyard reminded residents of the repaved streets, alleys and sidewalks she brought to fruition, as well as a $1.5 million grant for infrastructure and a $3 million grant to rebuild Dolton. Henyard went live on Facebook Tuesday night encouraging residents to vote for her. “We’re almost to the finish line,” she said. “One hour left before we make history once again in the village of Dolton and take this by a landslide.”

According to television station WGN-TV, Henyard said she has accepted the election outcome. “The people have spoken,” Henyard told the station. “God must have a different plan.” Her opponent, House, told CBS Chicago that he is “ecstatic” about the outcome. Seemingly commenting on Henyard’s past behavior, he said “this does not represent Dolton.” 

Let's see how he does but he continued by saying “We had one rogue individual,” he said. “I’m sure Dolton is proud, and we are happy that we are ready to change the narrative.” When asked how he felt about Henyard failing to get 1,000 votes, he said he is proud of the residents of Dolton. “For the last four years, she was taking us in the wrong direction,” House said. “The board saw that … Anybody that goes off in the wrong direction needs to be corrected.”