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Skype is shutting down after two decades on May 5th, notes the Washington Post. But the bigger problem for retired attorney Karen Griffin is that Microsoft won't refund the money they paid into a Skype account for cheap international phone calls: "They're no longer offering this service that I prepaid for, and now they're not giving me my money back," Griffin said. "There's a lot of people out there who are going to lose money...." To its credit, Microsoft gave Skype users a couple months' warning about the shutdown coming May 5. People can transfer Skype contacts and chat history to the company's Microsoft Teams chat-and-calling app or to other companies' services. (While Microsoft sells Teams to organizations, there's a free version for personal use.) But Microsoft didn't explain well what will happen to money that people like Griffin have parked in Skype accounts, in some cases for years.... Unless you bought Skype credits very recently, Microsoft said it won't refund money in Skype accounts. The company says it will add an option for Skype account holders to keep using their funds for phone calls online or in Teams. Griffin doesn't love what Microsoft is doing. She prefers a cash refund or a credit applied to her Microsoft Office subscription, for which she pays about $110 a year. Amit Fulay, vice president of product for Skype and Teams, said it's not possible to shift funds from a Skype account to Office subscriptions. And he nixed refunds because Microsoft will still offer basic call services for former Skype customers. "Refunds make more sense if you took away something," Fulay said. "We're not." Microsoft declined to say how much money Skype users collectively have sitting in accounts that they might never use. Stacey Higginbotham, a policy specialist with Consumer Reports' technology advocacy team, said Griffin is making a reasonable request for a rich company like Microsoft that's shutting down an internet service. "The best way: Give people their money back. The second-best way, give people a credit to all of your services," Higginbotham said.

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The pair - who tied the knot in April 2023 - has been more loved-up than ever and got candid about their future plans on building a family during a chat with The Times .

Love Island bombshell Zara, 28, and the One Direction star, 33, first sparked romance rumours in March when a diner at The Suffolk in Aldeburgh took snaps of the couple enjoying a romantic date.

The A-lister is famed for his action-packed productions, hunky physique and towering height of 6ft 4in.

Strict new travel restrictions have been put in place by the government in an attempt to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.

Naji Sharifi Zindashti is wanted by the US intelligence service for his alleged 'involvement in criminal activities'.

George Bennett, 40, received a suspended sentence in October last year for driving whilst disqualified, only to get behind the wheel 13 days later.

With the weather getting warmer across Essex, we have compiled a list of 11 car boot sales taking place throughout spring.

The Hollyoaks star, who gave birth to her second child, Peony Jorgie, in December 2024 , decided to make the most of the Easter break with a family trip to Spain.

According to the plans presented by Chinese officials, the two large basement rooms of its new London 'Super Embassy' are simply innocent 'Facilities Management Areas'.

In our makeover column, Rosie Green helps readers rediscover their hair and make-up mojo.

Protesters took to the streets of London as part of a pro-Palestine rally causing disruption and standstill traffic on key routes in the capital.

Looking at Kyla Fuller today it is almost impossible to imagine that she spent more than a decade desperately ill.

I thought lead poisoning was a Victorian-era problem long consigned to the past. But latest figures show that in 2023 more than 200 cases were reported in children in England.

Smartphones, computer monitors, semiconductors, and various other electronics will be exempt from U.S. President Trump's tariffs, reports CNN, "according to a US Customs and Border Protection notice posted late Friday." And several other products also received an exemption which "applies to products entering the United States or removed from warehouses as early as April 5, according to the notice." Roughly 90% of Apple's iPhone production and assembly is based in China, according to Wedbush Securities' estimates. Counterpoint Research, a firm that monitors global smartphone shipments, estimated Apple has up to six weeks of inventory in the United States. Once that supply runs out, prices would have been expected to go up... Semiconductors and microchips are among the products heavily outsourced to factories in Asia due to lower costs. Those electronic parts are now exempt, according to the Friday notice. That could help Asian chipmakers, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), South Korea's Samsung and SK Hynix. The exemptions also include solar cells, memory cards, and computers, according to the BBC. "It was not clear whether technology imports from China would still be hit by a 20% tariff that was not part of the reciprocal tariffs announced on 2 April..." Thanks to Slashdot readers Alain Williams and Mr. Dollar Ton for sharing the news.

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It's no secret that maintaining a high-carbohydrate and high-fat diet is not the healthiest choice for your body.

There are many beloved bald-headed celebrities that are hard to picture with a full head of hair.

Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips' wedding was nothing short of perfect. But Princess Anne allegedly had one gripe about her beloved daughter's big day - her son-in-law's nose.

The Last One Laughing star, 65, underwent bypass surgery in 2015 when his heart was stopped for 32 minutes after discovering that 95 per cent of his arteries were blocked.

It's a village that has many stories to tell