October 18 Tech news roundup: Windows 10 reaches end of life support, Zorin OS 18 released, YouTube gets a new video player

Microsoft ends support for Windows 10

Windows 10 was launched on July 29, 2015. Ten years later, Microsoft ended support for the operating system, on October 14, 2025. There are ways to extend security updates for Windows 10, either by paying $30 for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, or by opting to back up the PC Settings to OneDrive/Windows Backup, or by using 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Users in the European Economic Region need not do this, as they are automatically enrolled into the ESU for free. These methods are little more than a band-aid, as they will only work for a year, after which you will either need to upgrade your PC, or buy a new computer.

Microsoft is recommending users to upgrade to Windows 11 to get new features, but a couple of hundred million PCs around the world run on Windows 10, and cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 due to strict hardware requirements. An alternative is to switch to Linux.

Firefox 144 brings a new profile manager, Perplexity Search

Mozilla released Firefox 144 this week, introducing a new profile manager. Users can now switch between profiles quickly when Firefox starts, or by clicking the menu and selecting the Profile option. Profiles allows you to have a separate collection of tabs, bookmarks, etc., which can be useful if you want to keep your work and personal life isolated from one another.

Firefox now comes with a new search engine choice, Perplexity AI. It is optional, and can be removed from the Settings. Users can now right-click on an image and select “Search Image with Google Lens” to perform an image search. Mozilla has added support for 3 languages: Azerbaijani, Bangla, and Icelandic. The translation quality of several languages have been improved. Firefox 144 improves Tab groups by making the active tab of a group visible, when the group is collapsed. Users can now add tabs to a collapsed group by dragging it over, it won’t expand.

YouTube gets a redesigned video player

Google announced the launch of a new design for YouTube’s video player. YouTube has opted for a transparent design for the playback controls. The buttons are now collectively placed in a pill-shaped area in the bottom left. YouTube’s double-tap to skip now displays the time skipped on the screen for a few seconds. The like button for some videos will animate dynamically, based on the content, such as a musical note for songs, or a basketball for a sports video. The mobile app switches seamlessly between videos. YouTube’s comment systems now has a 3-level threaded conversation view to make them easier to read. YouTube’s save to watch later, and playlists feature has also been improved.

The new YouTube UI is rolling out to users on Android and iOS, but will also be available on desktop web browsers, and TVs. Some users are unhappy with the redesign, terming it ugly, and distracting.

Microsoft Copilot Voice and Copilot Vision are available for all PCs

Microsoft announced that Copilot Voice and Copilot Vision are now available for all PCs. The Redmond company revealed the Hey Copilot phrase, that users can use to talk to the AI using their voice. The feature is similar to the Hey Cortana wake word, and is an optional feature. Microsoft says that using voice to interact with the AI is significantly faster than typing. It also announced the availability of Copilot Vision, which lets the AI see the on-screen content. You can ask the AI to explain things about the content, and assist you with apps and games. It is fully integrated in Word, Excel, Powerpoint.

Microsoft also revealed that several new features are coming to Windows 11 including Gaming Copilot, AI Actions in File Explorer.

Zorin OS 18 is now available

Zorin OS 18 was released, introducing a new advanced tiling window system. The Linux distro focuses on offering a user-friendly experience, and is quite beginner-friendly, which makes it a great choice for those moving from Windows 10. Zorin OS 18 comes with OneDrive file integration, a new window tiling system that is similar to Windows Snap. Users can use the Web apps tool to create web apps quickly. The update brings a redesigned theme with rounded corners for the Start Menu, Panel, Settings, Files, calendar. The Evolution mail app has been redesigned, while the Camera app replaces the Cheese app.

The Zorin OS team revealed that the distro was downloaded over 100,000 times in 2 days, and that 72% of the downloads were from Windows. This could be related to Microsoft ending support for Windows 10.

Linux Mint Debian Edition 7 released

LMDE 7 Gigi is now available. It is a 64-bit OS, and no longer supports 32-bit computers, since it is based on Debian 13 Trixie. LMDE 7 comes with the Linux 6.12 LTS kernel and Cinnamon. It will be supported until June 2030.

LMDE 7 follows the changes introduced in Linux Mint 22.2, including fingerprint authentication for sudo commands, login, updates libadwaita to 1.7. OEMs can now install LMDE 7 on new computers before shipping them.

Google announces Recovery Contacts, Sign in with phone number

Google introduced Recovery Contacts, as an option to allow users to regain access to their Google account. To use this feature, users can add their trusted contacts such as friends or family members. Once the contact request is approved, they can assist you in case you are locked out of your account. In case of emergency, for example, if you lost your password, you can enter your username and opt to sign in with a Recovery Contact. Google will display a code, which you will need to provide to your contact within 15 minutes, after which they can approve the recovery attempt, and help you sign in to your account.

Users may also choose to sign in with a phone number associated with their account, if their phone was lost, stolen or stopped working. You will need to verify the process by using the lock screen pass code or pattern of your previous device.

Apple TV+ is now Apple TV

Apple TV+ is dead, long live Apple TV. The Cupertino company announced that Apple TV+ is now Apple TV, to keep things simple. But, in reality, it is far from simple. Apple now has 3 products/services that share the name. The Apple TV streaming device, the Apple TV app used for streaming videos, and the Apple TV subscription that lets you use the app are all called by the same name.

Apple TV+ referred to the premium subscription, however the company said that since there is no free version, it did not make sense to call it Plus. The rebranding has been mocked by users, who called it an unnecessary change that causes confusion. Apple discontinued its Clips video editor app. It also launched a new 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro.