Google has discontinued several products and services in 2023, including smart clothing tags and cloud gaming platforms. These products have been added to the list of discontinued Google products, which is also known as the ‘Google graveyard’.
Google OnHub
Google OnHub was a residential wireless router product manufactured by TP-Link and ASUS, which was launched by Google in 2015. The router was designed to be easy to use and future-proof, with features like smart antenna, wave control, and compatibility with Google Wi-Fi. The marketing slogan used for OnHub, Google’s residential wireless router, was “Introducing OnHub: A router from Google for a new way to Wi-Fi. We’re streaming and sharing in new ways our old routers were never built to handle.” The tagline emphasized the router’s ability to meet the demands of modern Wi-Fi usage and provide a better streaming and sharing experience than older, outdated routers.
Google OnHub routers were discontinued in December 2021 and no longer receive any software or security updates. After January 11, 2023, certain features like updating Wi-Fi network settings, adding new devices, running speed tests, or using Google Assistant would be disabled. This decision marked the end of the line for Google OnHub, which failed to keep up with the latest technology advancements and was added to the list of discontinued Google products known as the ‘Google graveyard’.
Google Stadia
Stadia was Google’s cloud gaming service that let players enjoy games online without needing a PC or console. It was revealed in March 2019 as Project Stream, and it launched publicly in November 2019 with a subscription plan and a small selection of games . It aimed to offer high-quality gaming performance up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, with features like YouTube integration.
However, Stadia encountered many problems and criticisms, such as a shortage of games, slow updates, absent features, bad communication, and expensive costs . Google also closed its internal game development studios in February 2021, showing a lack of commitment to the platform. In September 2022, Google announced that it would end Stadia by the end of the year, giving refunds to subscribers and users who purchased games on the service. The service stopped working permanently on January 18, 2023, at 11:59 PM PST.
The current status of Google Stadia is that it is no longer available and accessible. Google has offered its game-streaming technology as a white-label product to other companies who may want to use it for their own cloud gaming services. Some former Stadia employees have moved on to other projects or companies in the gaming industry.
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Google Code Jam
Google Code Jam was first launched as a limited competition within the Topcoder community in 2003, but it became a global competition in 2007. Initially, the competition was hosted on Topcoder’s platform, but since 2008, Google has developed its own dedicated infrastructure for the event. From 2015 to 2018, Google also held the Distributed Code Jam, which focused on distributed algorithms.
However, on February 22, 2023, Google announced that it would be discontinuing its programming competitions, including Google Code Jam, Hash Code, and Kick Start. Four “farewell rounds” are scheduled to take place on April 15, 2023, at the same time, with the platform hosting these competitions shutting down on July 1, 2023. Users will not be able to log in from June 1, 2023. This decision marks the end of an era for the highly popular and prestigious programming competition that has attracted thousands of participants from around the world for nearly two decades.
Google Jacquard
Google Jacquard is a technology platform that allows smart clothing, shoes, and other everyday items. It uses advanced hardware, software, special materials, and textile manufacturing expertise to add connectivity and digital experiences to products. It was first shown at Google I/O in 2015 as part of Google’s ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects) team.
Google Jacquard works by weaving touch-sensitive fibers into fabrics, which can be used to make various products. These fibers can sense touch and motion inputs from the user, and send them to a small device called the Jacquard tag. The tag is a tiny computer that connects to the Jacquard app on the user’s smartphone and turns the inputs into commands that the app can perform. For example, the user can swipe or tap on their sleeve to play music, take a picture, get directions, or use other features.
Google Jacquard has collaborated with a few brands to make products that use the technology, such as Levi’s, Samsonite, and Yves Saint Laurent. Some of the products include Levi’s commuter jacket, Samsonite’s Konnect-i backpack, and Yves Saint Laurent’s Cit-e backpack. However, these products have been scarce and limited in functionality, and have not been very popular among consumers.
The current status of Google Jacquard is that it is still alive, but not very noticeable. Google has recently released an SDK (software development kit) for third-party developers who want to use Jacquard with their own apps and software. This could potentially increase the use cases and features of Jacquard products, and draw more attention from consumers and brands. However, it is uncertain how much support Google will give for Jacquard in the future, and whether it will keep innovating and improving the technology.
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Google Currents
Google Currents is a Google Workspace app that was made for internal enterprise communication. It was launched in 2019 as a substitute for Google Plus for G Suite, which was Google’s unsuccessful social network that was closed for public use in 201812. It enabled users to make and join communities, share posts and comments, and follow topics of interest within their organization34.
However, Google Currents did not get much attention or updates from Google, and was eclipsed by other Google Workspace apps like Chat and Spaces. Chat is a messaging app that lets users communicate with their team members and work on projects. Spaces is a new app that merges Chat with other features like Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, and Meet to create a central place for teams to work together3.
In February 2022, Google announced that it would end Currents and move its users to Spaces. It said that this would eliminate a separate and isolated destination for users, and give them a modern and enterprise-grade experience that reflects how the world is working today3. It also said that it would add new capabilities to Spaces, such as support for larger communities, advanced search, content moderation, and more3. Google plans to end Currents in 2023, but will remove or reduce some rarely used features starting in Q1 20223.
The current status of Google Currents is that it is still active, but not for much longer. Google has announced its plan to end Currents and move its users to Spaces, which is its new app for team collaboration. Google has also released an SDK (software development kit) for developers who want to use Spaces with their own apps and software.
Google Street View app
Google Street View app is an app that lets users see the world with 360-degree photos and videos of specific locations around the globe. It was released in 2007 as part of Google Maps, and later became a separate app for both Android and iOS12. It also lets users add their own 360-degree imagery, or what Google calls “photo spheres”, to help make Street View better13.
However, Google Street View app did not receive much updates or support from Google, and was unnecessary with other Google products like Google Maps and Street View Studio. Google Maps is the main app that lets users find and explore places on the map, and it also has Street View as a feature. Street View Studio is a web app that lets users upload and manage their 360-degree imagery, and also make immersive tours and stories with them13.
In November 2022, Google announced that it would end support for the standalone Street View app and take it off app stores. It said that this would make the user experience easier and prevent confusion between different products. It also said that it would move the user data and content from the Street View app to Street View Studio, where users can keep accessing and managing them13. Google plans to end support for the Street View app on March 21, 2023, and take away some features starting in Q4 202213.
The current status of Google Street View app is that it is still accessible, but not for much longer. Google has announced its intention to end support for the Street View app and take it off app stores, and urge users to use Google Maps or Street View Studio instead. Google has also given a guide for users who want to move their data and content from the Street View app to Street View Studio.
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Dropcam and Nest Secure will be discontinued by Google in 2024
Dropcam and Nest Secure are two home security products that Google bought through its subsidiary Nest.
Dropcam is a home security camera system that lets homeowners watch their homes from anywhere in the world. It has a mobile app that gives real-time alerts and lets homeowners see live video feeds. Dropcam was released in 2012 and was acquired by Nest in 201412.
Nest Secure is a home security system that has a base station, keypad, and sensors for doors and windows. It also works with other Nest products like cameras, doorbells, and thermostats. Nest Secure was released in 2017, before Google invested in home security company ADT32.
However, Google did not give much support or updates to Dropcam and Nest Secure, and they were eclipsed by other Google products like Google Home and Google Nest. Google Home is the main app that lets users control and manage their smart home devices, including cameras and security systems. Google Nest is the name for Google’s smart home products, which include cameras, doorbells, thermostats, speakers, displays, and more43.
In November 2022, Google announced that it would end support for Dropcam and Nest Secure on April 8, 2024. It said that this would make the user experience easier and prevent confusion between different products. It also said that it would move the user data and content from Dropcam and Nest Secure to Google Home and Google Nest, where users can keep accessing and managing them43. Google plans to take away some features from Dropcam and Nest Secure starting in Q4 202243.
Google will end Dropcam and Nest Secure in 2024.