November 2nd tech news roundup: Chrome’s AI will take control of the browser, Apple Intelligence has been released, Windows 10 extended security updates won’t be free

Google’s new AI will take over Chrome to help you

Chrome is getting a new AI feature that will take over the browser, to assist you with your tasks. The technology is powered by Google’s Gemini, and is called Project Jarvis. According to some reports, Project Jarvis will capture screenshots of your device from time to time, and use the data in the images for performing various tasks. The AI agent’s capabilities include assisting user’s with their shopping experiences including processing returns by checking emails for the order details, adding a reminder and details to calendar, etc.

Project Jarvis can also help fill web forms by updating a user’s address, offer suggestions to explore the city, etc. Google says it will protect the privacy of users, but that hasn’t stopped users from worrying about an AI that automates such tasks, and how the data is being used.

Users can extend security updates for Windows 10, at a cost

Do you have a computer that is running on Windows 10? Well, if you want to continue receiving security updates beyond October 2025, you will need to extend support for it. However, it is not free. Users will have to pay $30 to get updates for Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU).

The bad news is, this is a 1-year extension, so you cannot subscribe beyond the first year. This can be quite problematic when Windows 10 reaches end of support next year, as many PCs do not meet the system requirements for Windows 11. Such users will need to either upgrade their PC to support Windows 11, which is not possible for laptop users. It’s either that, or switching to Linux. There are third-party solutions that promise security updates beyond Windows 10’s end of support date, but even these are not free.

Apple Intelligence is now available for iPhone, Mac and iPad

It’s finally here. Apple has been promoting its AI-powered features for nearly two months, and Apple Intelligence is now available on iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. The AI options were released as part of the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 updates. It brings various features such as Writing Tools in apps, Summaries and Smart Replies in Mail, Genmoji, a redesigned Siri, ChatGPT integration, etc.

Apple Intelligence is currently available for users who have set their device’s language, and Siri language to U.S. English. The Cupertino company says it will add support for other localized versions of English in the coming months, and for more languages next year. Surprisingly, Apple Intelligence is also coming to the European Union in April 2025.

The iOS 18.1 update also introduces Call Recording to record phone calls. Another notable feature that debuted in iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1  is Hearing Health. This feature, which is available via the Health app, allows AirPods Pro 2 users to take a hearing test on their device, and use the earbuds as a hearing aid.

Google Chrome will tell you which tabs are slowing the browser

Google has introduced some new performance detection tools in Chrome, to improve the browsing experience. The new system will display alerts in the browser when it detects performance issues. Chrome will display a badge on the toolbar, and users can click on it to learn which tabs are using more resources. Clicking the Fix button in the notification will discard the tabs from memory, to prevent lags and slowdowns. The setting for these performance alert issues will be enabled by default in the browser, though users will be able to turn it off.

It sounds similar to the Memory Saver feature, which snoozes tabs from time to time. Users can also use Chrome’s Task Manager tool to see which tabs are consuming a lot of memory.

Apple launches new iMacs, Mac Mini and MacBooks with M4 chips

Apple has announced 4 new Macs across the MacBook, iMac and Mac Mini series. All of these new computers support AI-powered features available via Apple Intelligence. The new Mac Mini 2024 model has a compact form factor, at just 5 by 5 inches. The desktop computer packs a M4 chip, and is the first iMac to feature a Pro model chip, i.e. the M4 Pro. The Mac Mini comes with 16/32GB of RAM, with 256GB/2TB of storage, while the M4 Pro Mac Mini has 24/64 GB of RAM, 512GB/8TB of storage. The device has 5 USB-C ports, supports Thunderbolt 5. The Mac Mini price starts at $599 with 16GB RAM and 256GB of storage.

Apple’s latest offerings in the MacBook Pro lineup are the new 14-inch and 16-inch laptops that are powered by M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. The laptops deliver up to 24 hours of battery life, and come with three USB-C ports that support Thunderbolt 5. The MacBook Pro laptops are available starting at $1,999. In addition to this, Apple has introduced an entry level M4 MacBook Pro. This laptop has a 14-inch display with an M4 chip, a 12MP camera up to 32GB of RAM and up to 2TB of storage, and is capable of delivering up to 24 hours of battery life. The MacBook Pro price starts at $1,599.

Apple’s iMac 2024 model comes with a 24-inch display, has 5 Thunderbolt ports, a 12MP camera, and a keyboard and mouse that support USB-C for charging. The iMac 2024 price starts at $1,299 for the 16 GB RAM model.

Interestingly, all new Macs come with 16 GB RAM for the base model. The reason for this upgrade is Apple Intelligence, which requires additional resources to run. Apple has also made changes to the previous gen models, the M2 and M3 MacBook Air laptops now come with 16 GB RAM instead of 8 GB.

ChatGPT now lets you search your history

ChatGPT has a new feature, but there is a catch. OpenAI announced that it is now possible for users to search their old conversations with the chatbot. You can access the search box by clicking on the magnifying glass icon in the sidebar, and type your query. This will allow you to re-access your old chats, to find something specific. However, the feature is not available for free. Search is exclusive for users who have subscribed to ChatGPT Premium.

ChatGPT for desktop also got a new feature. The official app now supports advanced voice chat. The feature was originally available in the mobile ChatGPT apps, but is now available for ChatGPT on Windows and Mac. This allows users to have natural conversations with the AI.