The PC Pro Podcast

The gang discusses a new experiment to see how Welsh voters are exposed to political content on social media, waves an unsentimental farewell to the Mac Pro and laments the intrusion of ads into a) our open-source coding projects and b) our kitchens. In our regular Hot Hardware segment, Barry attempts to justify the purchase of his Apple MacBook Pro 16in with M5 Pro processor.

The team discusses Microsoft’s plan to make Windows slicker and more user friendly, America’s ban on basically all foreign-made home routers and the closure of OpenAI’s Sora video-generation service. We also raise an eyebrow at Elon Musk’s characteristically ambitious decision to build the world’s biggest silicon fabrication plant. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Ugreen Nexode, a multi-port 500W desktop power supply that can simultaneously charge five laptops and an iPod.

Let's start with what we finished on for a change: the Apple MacBook Neo, in the flesh. Jon Honeyball proposes it as the Hot Hardware of the Week, but not without opposition...Also this week, Barry explains what you need to know about Alexa+, which landed in the UK this week (you may want to mute your Echo!). Jon shares why he's so annoyed by the Companies House breach, Nik explains why brain-cell powered computers may be the future, and Tim reveals what's been happening at Nvidia's GTC 2026 event.

The team looks at Amazon’s embarrassing AI-related outages, asks whether BBC iPlayer should join forces with other major UK broadcasters and weighs up a Norwegian initiative aimed at reversing the trend for everything in technology to gradually get worse and worse (you know the term). As occasionally happens, our Hot Hardware candidate is in fact a piece of software, specifically a real-time transcription tool called Typeless that uses AI to turn your spoken words directly into polished prose.And if you want to read the Forbrukerrådet report referred to by Lee, you can find the English version here: https://storage02.forbrukerradet.no/media/2026/02/breaking-free-pathways-to-a-fair-technological-future.pdf

The team discusses Apple’s latest product announcements, including the cheap and colourful MacBook Neo; we also look at Lenovo’s new modular laptop concept, and kick over the US government’s spat with AI developer Anthropic. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Sekonic C-800-U spectrometer, a useful device for checking colour consistency in creative environments.

This week the team chat about Claude Cowork, the change in leadership within Microsoft's XBOX division, rumours of a touchscreen Mac and Ofcom's fines for adult sites that don't implement age verification.Our Hot Hardware of the Week candidate is a Dell's 52" monster monitor.Jon's ZEISS Lens Wipes can be bought at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZEISS-Binoculars-Individually-Disposable-Spectacle-White/dp/B00IKGH2TI/

The team discusses the growing impact of worldwide shortages of RAM and storage, new security alerts in Windows and a prediction that white-collar jobs could be on the way out. Our Hot Hardware candidate is Starlink Mini, a portable white rectangle that can get you online from anywhere.

The team discusses new research that analyses your personal shopping history for potential health issues; explores Moltbook, the new social media platform that’s strictly for AI agents; and debates the UK’s light touch on app store monopolies. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the RØDECaster Video S, a mini-production studio that lets you mix and stream multiple live video and audio feeds from a portable desktop console.

Barry, Olivia, Jon and Lee discuss whether Microsoft has finally realized that users don't want Copilot forced into every corner of Windows. The Data Use and Access Act 2025 is under the spotlight to understand what the legalisation of automated decision-making means for your privacy. The team also ponder why the 8K TV dream has ended.Our Hot Hardware of the Week nominee is the BenQ Halo 2 ScreenbarFor more information about the Chrysalis Backdoor for Notepad++: https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/tr-chrysalis-backdoor-dive-into-lotus-blossoms-toolkit/

The team discusses a class action lawsuit alleging that Apple Pay has pushed up banking prices for everyone, asks whether Microsoft was right to hand over encryption keys to the authorities, and ponders whether Mozilla’s “rebel alliance” of AI upstarts has a chance of defeating the dark side. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the ElevationLab Five-Year Compact Battery for AirTag, an expanded battery case for your Apple AirTags that lasts… wait, I wrote it down here somewhere…

The team discusses the ballooning cost of RAM, and a steep and sudden price hike for Rackspace email customers. We issue a cautious welcome to the newly rebooted Digg, and ponder a possible UK-wide social media ban for under-16s. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the XPJBKC heated mouse mat, an affordable desktop accessory designed to keep your fingers warm on those cold winter evenings.

The team discusses reports of Elon Musk’s Grok platform creating non-consensual smut; Apple’s big AI partnership with Google; and dissatisfaction over Roblox’s attempts at age verification. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the UniFi Travel Router, a cheap, compact little hotspot that lets you replicate your home network (and even connect back to it) from anywhere in the world.

In our annual dispatch from the world’s biggest consumer technology showcase, Tim Danton and Jon Honeyball battle jetlag to discuss the top technologies they’ve encountered in three long days of traipsing the halls, including Intel’s new Core Ultra Series 3 processors, the return of Dell’s XPS laptops and the continuing evolution of self-driving cars. Our pundits also look ahead to new developments in health-monitoring wearables, before signing off for a well-earned rest. The podcast returns to its usual weekly schedule next Thursday, 15 January.

It's time for the annual PC Pro Podcast's festive quiz extravaganza!Dust off your Santa hats and grab a glass of eggnog! Darien Graham-Smith returns as our grand-quizmaster, presiding over a chaotic and hilarious battle of the wits. He’s challenging the elite PC Podcast team of Tim Danton, Rois Ni Thuama, Jon Honeyball, Nik Rawlinson, and Lee Grant on the biggest tech stories of 2025.Across 13 grueling rounds of abbreviations, classic computing, and the ever-evolving world of AI, our experts face off in two rival teams: Moore’s Outlaws vs. Control-Alt-Defeat. From the physical specs of 1980s Macintoshes to the inner workings of modern chatbots, this episode is a high-stakes, buzzer-beating test of technical dominance.Who will claim bragging rights for the next year?

The team debates Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s, the return of smart glasses and a US proposal to require tourists to hand over a trove of personal data – including social media posts. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Hoxe Air Tracker, a neat little tracking tile that does basically the same thing as an Apple AirTag for a third of the price.

Joined by special guest Geoff Campbell, the team discusses the arrival of advertising in ChatGPT, Apple’s apparent defiance of the Indian government and whatever the hell is happening to RAM prices. In a podcast first we also pilot not one but two “Rants in Brief”; our Hot Hardware candidate is Geoff’s self-specified “Mega-UPS” system, which slashes server-room power costs by loading up on cheap energy in the middle of the night and discharging it by day.

After a six-month absence, we welcome back Rois Ni Thuama to the PC Pro podcast. What's she been up to? Well, it all started when she helped a woman who had collapsed on a beach... Joined by Tim Danton and Nik Rawlinson, the team dissects the good and the bad of the UK's budget from a tech perspective, argues about the role of supercomputers and discusses an EU proposal to stop kids from accessing social media, before Rois explains why the insider threat to data security can't be ignored.This week's Hot Hardware candidate is the Cherry Xtrfy K33 - could this (kind of) mechanical keyboard break the drought and win the award? Listen to the end to find out.

The team discusses new “agentic” features being added to Windows, debates the merits of AI-generated podcasts and asks how angry we should be with Cloudflare for accidentally taking down a significant proportion of the internet earlier this week. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Logitech Muse, an ingenious spatial stylus for the Apple Vision Pro that lets you point, trace and draw virtual objects in three dimensions.

This week the team discuss the state of computing within the UK education sector, the forthcoming trio of gaming goodies from Valve: the Steam Controller, Steam Machine and Steam Frame then take a look at a new virtual production studio built by Sony Professional.Our Hot Hardware of the Week nominee is Blackmagic Camera ProDock

The team discusses the pleasant surprise of Affinity making its creative software suite completely free, an unfortunate bug in Windows 10 and the smalltown data-centre boom. We also look at a new approach to manufacturing chips that packs in the transistors more densely than ever before, and welcome the Logitech MX Master 4 mouse as our Hot Hardware candidate.To learn more about the data-centre controversy, read the report that Lee was referring to: https://stpp.fordschool.umich.edu/sites/stpp/files/2025-07/stpp-data-centers-2025.pdf

There's no getting away from the march of AI this week, whether it's Elon Musk's AI-generated Grokipedia, how OpenAI is dealing with searches related to suicide (and more), the sweeping loss of jobs thanks to AI or Adobe's move to embrace other image-generation models beside its own.Too much AI for your liking? Luckily, our Hot Hardware this week has nothing to do with artificial intelligence. Instead, Barry nominates the Raspberry Pi 500+, a Raspberry Pi PC baked into a mechanical keyboard.

The team discusses the massive AWS failure that took down some of the internet’s biggest sites and services, and look forward to the AI-powered future of Windows. We also search our feelings about Amazon’s increasing use of automation to replace human workers, and try out OpenAI’s new ChatGPT-powered web browser. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the BOOX Note Max, an A4-sized e-Ink tablet for reading and note-taking.

This week the team discuss Windows 10's role in the battle against software obsolescence, Clearview's slap down by the Information Commissioner’s Office, Equity's fight with AI and a return to pen and ink for British business.Our Hot Hardware of the Week nominee is the Unifi UNAS-2

The team discusses Qualcomm’s acquisition of Arduino, and AMD’s new partnership with OpenAI. We also look at the rise of AI-powered web browsing, plus Apple’s latest anti-Microsoft video. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Philips Brilliance 5K monitor, a feature-packed, high-quality display that costs less than you might expect.

The team discusses new smart home devices from both Amazon and Google, Spotify’s crackdown on AI-generated content, an experimental digital DJ for YouTube and the snazzy Raspberry Pi 500+. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the HiMont Kids Camera Instant Print, a fun little digital camera that produces receipt-style thermal printouts of whatever you choose to snap.

The team discusses LinkedIn’s bid to use your professional data for AI training, Nvidia’s big partnership with Intel and Mark Zuckerberg’s latest attempt to get Facebook literally onto your face. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Devolo WiFi 6 Router 3600 5G, a fully featured Wi-Fi 6 router with a built-in SIM slot.

The team discusses Google’s big investment in a new UK data centre – and the concomitant environmental cost. We also share frank opinions of Apple’s latest OS updates and find out what people are really using ChatGPT for. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the MSI Modern MD342CQPW, a dirt-cheap 34in widescreen monitor that’s perfect for working with multiple documents or driving a simulated truck across Europe.

The team discusses the latest product unveilings at Apple’s annual iPhone event, plus Tim’s pick of the announcements at IFA. We also discuss two new court rulings against Google – they never seem to win one – and a potential employment crisis hitting tech graduates. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the UniFi SuperLink, strictly speaking not a product but a protocol that promises to simultaneously simplify and enhance IoT deployment and management.

The team discusses a court victory for Google and the company’s proposal to restrict sideloading of unverified apps onto mobile devices. We also look at Microsoft’s new in-house AI models, and its plans to make OneDrive the default destination for Office documents. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Google Pixel 10 Pro, the latest Android “flagship” smartphone (I hate that word).

The team discusses the UK government’s apparent climbdown over its previous demands for a back door into Apple users’ encrypted communications, and casts an eye over Google’s new range of Pixel 10 smartphones. We also look at who’s investing in Intel, and ponder how we feel about paying a subscription to unlock extra performance in your car. For the first time ever, we conclude with a “Hot Platform”, comprising the latest release of Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve video-editing software, the new URSA Cine Immersive camera and the Apple Vision Pro you’ll need in order to watch your immersive footage.

The team discusses how OpenAI’s new GPT-5 model has proved disruptive in the worst possible sense, and how Starbucks in South Korea is fighting back against encroaching technology. We also look at Wikipedia’s failed legal challenge to the Online Safety Act, and the latest madness from Donald Trump. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Amazon Basics Adjustable Tablet Stand, a simple but highly effective solution for all your tablet-standing needs.

The team discusses Microsoft’s vision for the future of Windows, bad news for Intel’s hopes of reclaiming the CPU crown, and a suggestion that Amazon might look to monetise Alexa, through subscriptions, adverts – or both. We also look at how some politicians have been using AI, and introduce our Hot Hardware candidate, the £75 Redmi Watch 5.

Sorry, can we see your ID? Alright, you can listen as the team discusses the success - or otherwise - of the age-admission tests introduced by various adult sites in the UK in response to the latest legislation. Fortunately, we have lawyer and PC Pro contributor Olivia Whitcroft on hand to guide us through, while Jon Honeyball has put the tech to the test. Plus, Nik Rawlinson explains how Aeroflot was grounded by cyberattackers.Our Hot Hardware this week is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, starting at a bargain £1,799.

This week the team discuss Google’s latest move to resolve the Pixel4a battery saga and Anker’s recall of over a million products. There’s the latest in the UK government’s stare down with Apple, Microsoft’s Sharepoint misery and HP’s move to recoup money from the Lynch estate over the Autonomy debacle.Our Hot Hardware this week is the 60 GHz Building-to-Building Bridge from Ubiquiti.The Anker recall details can be found at: https://www.anker.com/product-recallsThe Lumafield long read is here: https://www.lumafield.com/article/what-went-wrong-inside-these-recalled-power-banks

The team discusses WeTransfer’s apparent grab for users’ data, a mooted merger of Android and Chrome OS and the industry fallout after a virtual band playing AI-generated music racked up a million streams on Spotify. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Erichsen Hardness Test Pencil Model 318, a mechanical implement designed specifically for scratching the screens on phones, tablets, etc.

The team discusses a new security threat to the Chrome and Edge browsers, some mischievous uses of AI, the latest developments in the Getty Images copyright case and a new tool in Gmail that makes it easy to unsubscribe from – well, some mailing lists. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Uuna Tek iDraw H A1 plotter; if you’d like to see it in action (sounding alarmingly like a dentist’s drill), visit https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lx5o0UO-8MQ

The team discusses Microsoft’s latest attempt to get people to ditch passwords, a new memory technology that dissolves on contact with water and an interesting proposal to make AI web crawlers pay for the content they scrape. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Sony SRS-XB100, a compact Bluetooth speaker with a low price and a big sound.

The team discusses a new extended lifeline for Windows 10, a controversial court ruling concerning an AI firm’s use of copyright material and a novel scam that inserts malicious content directly into legitimate websites. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the TP-Link Archer BE550, a high-spec Wi-Fi 7 router at a reasonable price.

The team laments the tale of a malfunctioning smart mattress that condemned its owner to a night of shivering misery. We also discuss Donald Trump’s surprise move into personal telephony, the latest update to the Apple Vision Pro and concerns over Chinese VPNs. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Chillblast Poseidon Ryzen 9 RTX 5090, a water-cooled gaming PC that costs as much as 17,500 Freddos.

The team discusses the latest announcements from Apple’s annual developer conference, bids an uncertain welcome to Android 16, and debates a major lawsuit concerning the alleged misuse of stock images. We also look over Asus’ new Xbox-branded handheld gaming PC, and welcome the AI-powered Dia browser as our Hot Hardware candidate.

The team dives into the spat between Apple, Google and the Met Police regarding phone theft in London, and debates whether IMEI blocking is the answer. We also look at CityFibre's rollout of 5.5Gbits/sec broadband and discuss the patchy state of UK connectivity. There's hope as Microsoft attempts to end the confusion around USB-C ports, and we ponder the impact of new Windows features landing in the EU. Our Hot Hardware candidate is a surprisingly good, but unbranded, motorised suction-cup phone mount bought from TikTok.

The team discusses how AI is diminishing the role of human software developers, and asks whether Nick Clegg is justified in his comments on copyright – or whether he’s been done dirty by the media. We also ponder whether or not we want our robots to look like humans, and learn how a Star Wars fan site was secretly operated by the CIA. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the IUMAKEVP wireless lavalier microphone – not exactly a prestige brand, but for £22 who’s complaining?

The team discusses the latest announcements and innovations from the Google I/O conference, an unexpected acquisition for OpenAI and some new ideas for making online ads more obnoxious than ever. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the caberQU, a pocket-sized testing device that can tell you everything you could conceivably want to know about a USB cable.

The team discusses Mark Zuckerberg’s prediction that AI bots will soon become your friends, and ask whether students’ use of services like ChatGPT is stunting their education. We also note that Microsoft is now offering extended support for Windows 10 – at a price – and that coffee shops are starting to crack down on extended use of laptops. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Onyx Boox Palma 2, a pocket e-reader that runs Android apps.

This week the team discusses the Apple AirPlay flaw, the latest releases in Microsoft’s Surface range and why military staff are parking their Chinese EVs away from the office. We also ponder the ramifications for Google of adding adverts into their AI products.This week’s Hot Hardware of the Week nominee is the Bambu Lab AMS

The team discusses a major legal smackdown for Apple; new plans to label smartphones with battery life and repairability scores; and the mysterious ongoing cyber-attack on M&S. We also bid a resentful farewell to the first-generation Google Nest thermostat, and vote on whether the Netgear Nighthawk RS100 has what it takes to be crowned Hot Hardware of the Week.