Reddit community banned as user spat with Musk intensifies
The tech billionaire had complained that some Reddit users were advocating violence against his staff. 
© 2025 BBCWorld 1:55am Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath announce final show
The band will reunite to play a charity show with metal legends Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer.
© 2025 BBCWorld 1:05am Windows 10 dies in 2025: Why you shouldn’t brush off the risks
Microsoft will release the last update for Windows 10 with the Patchday on October 14, 2025, after which this version of Windows will no longer receive any updates. What does this mean for users?
Windows 10 is not immediately insecure or no longer usable
First of all, there is no need to panic about this date. Windows 10 will theoretically continue to run indefinitely, as Microsoft is not discontinuing the functionality of the operating system, there will “only” be no more updates from November. This means that you can continue to use Windows 10 in principle, but no more security gaps will be closed, for example.
Chris Hoffman / IDG
Of course, given that cyber attacks on companies and private individuals continue to increase, this can be a problem for Windows 10 users in the long term. This is because newly discovered security gaps in the operating system can give attackers access to the computer, its data, and the network. PCs connected to the internet in particular are then fundamentally less protected. However, the security functions of the operating system remain active, including malware protection.
As a precaution, you can disconnect your PC from the internet completely, but this reduces the usefulness of the computer, especially in a private environment. In principle, there is nothing to be said against Windows 11, especially as Microsoft still allows you to update for free.
Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 11
Ralf Liebhold/Shutterstock.com
These are the real dangers for Windows 10 without support
New security vulnerabilities are regularly discovered in the various versions of Windows — even years later. From October 2025, Microsoft will no longer close these in Windows 10, so the likelihood of malware gaining access to a PC increases with each passing day. As most PCs are connected to the internet via a router with a firewall, there is often no danger to be expected via this route. However, there are numerous websites that are contaminated with malware.
MacPaw Moonlock Lab
There are also emails that you receive or programs that you download. These can contain malware that spreads on your PC if the malware scanner does not recognize it. If you actively use your PC with the internet, especially in sensitive areas such as online banking, you should always update the operating system or switch to Linux, for example. In this case, using Windows 10 is too high a risk.
As soon as Windows 10 is no longer supported, the developers of third-party software will also stop releasing updates for Windows 10 at some point. This will also make these programs less secure and in some cases no longer usable. This will not happen immediately, but it is an inevitable development. It therefore also makes sense to update your software for reasons of compatibility and security.
Cyber criminals will focus heavily on Windows 10
According to Statcounter, Windows 10 still has a large market share of over 60 percent compared to just over 30 percent for Windows 11. The security company ESET estimates that 32 milion PCs are still running Windows 10 in Germany alone. This means that cyber criminals will increasingly focus on Windows 10 security vulnerabilities after the end of support because it will be worth it. As soon as these gaps are publicly known, tools and programs will appear that exploit them. From this moment on, users of the outdated operating system risk losing their data.
Windows 10 blue screen
Mashka/Shutterstock.com
At the end of support for Windows 7 in 2020, the operating system only had a market share of 20 percent. It is therefore to be expected that many criminals are already working on attacks on Windows 10, if only because of the enormous spread of the operating system.
Get Windows 11 pro for cheap
Windows 11 Pro
If malware has infiltrated a PC in the home network, all data is at risk, including that on internal network storage such as NAS devices.“It’s five to twelve to avoid a security fiasco in 2025. We strongly advise all users not to wait until October, but to switch to Windows 11 immediately or choose an alternative operating system if their device cannot be updated to the latest Windows operating system. Otherwise, users expose themselves to considerable security risks and make themselves vulnerable to dangerous cyber attacks and data loss,” explains IT security expert Thorsten Urbanski from ESET.
Can you continue to use Windows 10 safely?
Of course, it is not advisable to panic and immediately disconnect your PC from the internet or network in October. If you want to continue using Windows 10, you can book the Extended Security Updates program from Microsoft. This costs around $60 for the first year until October 2026. In this case, you will continue to receive updates from Microsoft. This extension runs a total of three times until October 2028, after which updates will also stop.
An alternative that you can already use now is the 0Patch security solution. This is a company that provides security updates for Windows 10 until 2030. However, the company’s cloud-based software does not update the Windows 10 system files, but activates the patches in the computer’s RAM. This means they have to be reloaded every time the computer is started. The software is even free to use. If you want more comprehensive protection, you can book the paid version for a little more than $25 per year (25 euros).
Thomas Joos
There are many tips on the internet about using the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 operating system. This basically corresponds to Windows 10 Enterprise with all functions and will receive updates until 2032, but its use as an office PC is not permitted under licence law. Technically, however, you can safely use the operating system after purchase until 2032. There are also enough solutions for protection against malware that you can use in parallel, some of which are completely free of charge.
For most people, updating to Windows 11 is the easiest option
Of course, not all hardware supports Windows 11, but where installation is not a problem, you should carry out the free update. The operation of Windows 11 is still very similar to that of Windows 10 and you will continue to receive security updates and new functions. Before updating, check that all the applications and tools you use are compatible with Windows 11.
In general, it is also very useful to make a complete backup of the operating system on an external hard drive and create a rescue disc beforehand. This can be done free of charge in Windows 10 and Windows 11 with on-board tools.
The data snooping of Windows 11 can be deactivated with on-board resources and free tools, for example with ShutUp10 . Run “tpm.msc” to check whether your PC has a TPM module. This is necessary for the update. If the tool does not display the TPM, check the BIOS to see if it is switched off. If your PC’s hardware has problems with Windows 11, it may be time to buy a new PC.
© 2025 PC World 0:45am  
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Naga Munchetty: Scammers spread fake nude pictures of me on social media
BBC presenter Naga Munchetty has seen a fake online post using her image to "scam people out of money".
© 2025 BBCWorld 1:05am HDMI 2.2 vs. DisplayPort 2.1b: The future of display connectors, explained
For high-performance TVs and monitors, there are two main cable types that you need to know about: HDMI and DisplayPort. (What about USB-C and Thunderbolt cables? They both implement DisplayPort, so ultimately it all comes back to that and HDMI.)
Generally, HDMI is used with TVs and laptops while DisplayPort is used with PCs and gaming monitors. But not always. And at CES 2025, we saw major advances for both standards, with new HDMI 2.2 and DisplayPort 2.1b connectors set to show up in real products this year.
What do these new standards mean for you? Keep reading for a rundown of each one, how they compare, and which one you need to pay attention to based on what your needs are.
What is HDMI 2.2?
At CES 2025, the HDMI Forum announced HDMI 2.2 (PDF), the next-generation HDMI standard. While remaining backward-compatible, it increases bandwidth and support for higher resolutions and refresh rates, as well as latency-reduction technologies to improve audio and visual synchronization.
Like how HDMI 2.1 made big improvements over its predecessor, HDMI 2.2 brings another jump in bandwidth — from HDMI 2.1’s 48Gbps to now 96Gbps — and a new cable to handle the additional throughput.
HDMI Forum
Chandlee Harrell, president of the HDMI Forum, said during the initial announcement: “This new specification supports the fast-evolving landscape for amazing new technologies and products entering the markets, now and in the future.” That’s key to this development. For as capable as HDMI 2.1 was, it was quickly outstripped by DisplayPort 2.1 and USB4/Thunderbolt 5 with their bandwidth up to 80Gbps.
Although HDMI 2.1 is king of the living room, helping to connect modern TVs with gaming consoles, A/V systems, and 4K Blu-ray players, it’s already hitting its limits. Any further home media advances would need greater bandwidth — and that’s where HDMI 2.2 comes in.
These new HDMI 2.2 cables have been branded as Ultra96 cables. With 96Gbps of total throughput, an Ultra96 cable can theoretically support 8K video at up to 240Hz or 10K video at up to 120Hz or 4K video at up to 480Hz. Those are some blazingly fast refresh rates!
HDMI Forum
The HDMI Forum suggests that HDMI 2.2 would be a great fit for future augmented reality and virtual reality headsets, light field displays, medical imaging, and large-scale signage. In more traditional settings, the new Latency Indication Protocol should improve syncing between audio and video (e.g., lipsyncing in movies and TV shows).
The only downside to all these advances? You’ll need those new Ultra96 cables to enjoy them, which will be debuting later in 2025, with supporting devices and displays to follow. Ultra96 cables will be backward-compatible, so you can replace all your existing HDMI cables with them and still use your pre-HDMI 2.2 devices.
Related: Buying an HDMI cable? Cut through the marketing BS
What is DisplayPort 2.1b?
On the very same day that HDMI 2.2 was announced, VESA announced the new DisplayPort 2.1b standard, also with new cables and capabilities. While it doesn’t increase bandwidth, it does improve cable length with a new active cable design, which should open up greater options for gamers and PC users looking for more versatility than the 1-meter DisplayPort 2.1 cables available to date.
DisplayPort 2.1b is less of a generational improvement and more of a lateral adjustment with some light benefits. It’s still capable of hitting 80Gbps with the high-end UHBR20 transmission mode, but it brings with it a new cable standard called DP80LL (low-loss). These active DisplayPort 2.1b cables only work in one direction — one end for the device, another for the display — but reach up to three times the previous length, unlocking 3-meter DisplayPort 2.1 cables for the first time.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 comes equipped with three DisplayPort 2.1b connectors and a single HDMI 2.1b connector.Adam Patrick Murray / Foundry
Although DisplayPort 2.1 officially launched at the end of 2022, with AMD’s RX 7000-series graphics cards being the first supporting products, it’s been slow on the uptake. As of this writing, there still aren’t that many monitors with DisplayPort 2.1 support, but VESA claims they’re coming in 2025 along with other DisplayPort 2.1-supporting devices and hubs.
A lot of that can be attributed to the new 3-meter max length in the DisplayPort 2.1b spec, making it a much better fit for desktop PCs where displays can be further from the case, and for higher-end virtual and augmented reality headsets that are tethered, which can now have longer reach from their host systems.
So, while DisplayPort 2.1b doesn’t necessarily demand you get a new cable (like HDMI 2.2’s Ultra96 cables), if you want a longer DisplayPort 2.1 cable, you can now get one as part of the new DP80LL spec. It means you can enjoy the high-bandwidth features of DisplayPort at a greater distance. That includes support for 4K at up to 240Hz, 8K at up to 85Hz, or 1080p at up to 900Hz.
Related: The best gaming monitors for all budgets
HDMI 2.2 vs. DisplayPort 2.1b, compared
Between HDMI 2.2 and DisplayPort 2.1b, which cable is the most capable of delivering high bandwidth audio and video? In terms of raw specs, the answer is HDMI 2.2. DisplayPort 2.1b is still impressive with up to 80Gbps max throughput, but HDMI 2.2 can hit a peak of 96Gbps, offering greater support for higher resolutions and refresh rates.
However, cable standards are chicken-and-egg technologies where you can only take full advantage of one if you have supporting devices. So, while HDMI 2.2 is the more capable standard, right now there aren’t any supporting HDMI 2.2 displays or devices. That might change later this year, but it’s not exactly clear where the support will come from.
Even high-end TVs, like LG’s G4, still only support HDMI 2.1. No support for the newer HDMI 2.2 yet, but also no DisplayPort connections at all.LG
HDMI is primarily used in mainstream consumer technology. It’s the flagship connection standard for gaming consoles and TVs. But there are no gaming consoles or Blu-ray players or graphics cards coming soon that will have HDMI 2.2 connections.
Nvidia’s brand-new RTX 50-series GPUs, for example, only have one HDMI 2.1b connection next to three DisplayPort 2.1b connections. AMD’s RX 9000-series GPUs are set to debut in May, and though we don’t know details on their connections yet, I’d be very surprised if they didn’t prefer DisplayPort over HDMI as well.
So even on a platform that stands to gain from HDMI 2.2’s improvements over DisplayPort 2.1 — I’m talking high-end gaming PCs that can take advantage of the higher resolutions and refresh rates — it seems that the established preference for and widespread adoption of DisplayPort 2.1 might keep it in the lead for a while longer.
The bottom line and takeaway
HDMI 2.2 is an exciting evolution that pushes the boundaries further, paving the way for much higher resolutions at much higher refresh rates. But right now it’s largely a theoretical technology. Until we start seeing HDMI 2.2 devices and displays, it will remain that way. And we still don’t know how the public will take the need for newer Ultra96 cables.
DisplayPort 2.1b, on the other hand, is far more pragmatic and already coming to market in the form of Nvidia’s latest RTX 50-series graphics cards. The cables and compatible displays will take a little time to proliferate, but VESA already showed off the cables in action at CES 2025, so they’re almost ready to go.
Sure, DisplayPort 2.1b doesn’t revolutionize the standard. It’s even been leapfrogged by HDMI 2.2 as far as raw power. But new DP80LL cables with their 3-meter lengths are exciting for virtual reality headsets, high refresh rate gaming displays, and could well be the cable you eventually use to connect your gaming PC and monitors together.
Further reading: The best HDMI cables for monitors
© 2025 PC World 0:45am 
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