I believe many folks were using the other features that go beyond streaming… E g. Setting up alarms, streaming music from their locally hosted servers, etc. I believe all that went away with the new app. I never noticed any issues personally, since I just steam/cast.

Never tried, but I think it would work. Oxygen is the enemy, but the reason is because oxidation leads to other byproducts that lead to a stale flavor. I believe the cold temperature slows all that down.

I only interned there, but the handful of times I thawed the chips, there were no issues.

You can freeze chips/crisps indefinitely. I used to work for Frito Lay. Just thaw them when you get close to snack time. Of course I never do this because I just eat the chips I have at home.