The PC Pro Podcast

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.

The team discusses the ongoing fallout from the EU’s legal sanctions against Apple and Meta, then gets properly stuck into the issues raised by the idea of AI “employees”. We also discuss ongoing legal proposals to force Google to sell off the Chrome browser, and our Hot Hardware candidate is the Anker MagGo power bank, a portable battery that doubles as a MagSafe-compatible wireless charging stand.

The team discusses a report urging UK authorities to get a grip on social media, along with the latest news from OpenAI and a controversial case of boxed, purchased software being disabled after a server shutdown. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the TP-Link PGW2440 kit, a (relatively) high-speed powerline networking system.

🎉 Celebrate 18 Years of the PC Pro Podcast! 🎉This week, the team dives into Donald Trump’s tariffs, unpacking their impact on tech companies across the globe. On a lighter note, sparks fly as they debate Bafta’s controversial pick for ‘The Most Influential Video Game of All Time’. Plus, don’t miss a cautionary tale about the dangers of using an AI avatar in court.Hot Hardware of the Week: The Epson ET-3850 Inkjet Printer.Framework’s statement on tariffs is here: https://frame.work/gb/en/blog/tariff-driven-price-and-availability-changes-for-us-customers

This week the team mull over Google’s plan for email encryption and the perils of being the best at Donkey Kong. Frankly, he’s not as good as Funky Kong, but that’s only my opinion.We also discuss the writing community’s retaliation to having their works used to train Meta’s AI whilst research about the impact of screen use on sleep health forces our hosts to make revelations about their bedtime routine.The Hot Hardware this week is the Eizo FLT FlexScan 23.8” monitor packed with high impact sustainability credentials.The Society of Authors' letter is here

The team discusses the US’ embarrassing Signal debacle, the latest boost to OpenAI’s image-generation capabilities and a proposal from Meta to offer Brits ad-free Facebook and Instagram services – for a price. We also explore a controversial update that wrecked battery life on out-of-support Pixel phones, and Barry pitches the £159 ErGear standing desk as this week’s Hot Hardware candidate.

Join the team this week as they unravel the thrilling spy narrative at the heart of the Deel and Rippling battle. Discover Europe’s strategic plans to diversify its tech infrastructure and get the latest scoop on Google Gemini’s exciting new features. Plus, our Hot Hardware pick is the ASUS Zenbook DUO laptop, a powerhouse with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, 32GB of RAM, and stunning dual 14-inch OLED 3K touchscreens.

The team discusses Framework’s latest range of upgradeable, repairable computers, plus Intel’s new CEO and a company promising faster charging and a longer lifespan for lithium-ion batteries. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the ProtoArc Tri-Fold Keyboard and Mouse, a full-sized desktop set that folds away for easy portability.

The team discusses ongoing cases of legal representatives relying on untrustworthy AI citations – while welcoming research suggesting that AI could help “deprogram” cult members and conspiracy theorists. We also look over Apple’s latest iPad, MacBook Air and Mac Studio models, and ponder how we feel about a new technology designed to neutralise regional accents on support calls. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Ubiquiti UniFi Express 7, a tiny but powerful internet gateway appliance.

The team discusses the “Make It Fair” campaign, which hopes to see strict rules on the use of copyright material to train AI systems. We also explore Amazon’s new Alexa Plus service, HP’s intentionally slow customer support and the removal of Apple’s data-protection tool in the UK. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Geekom A6, a tiny but powerful desktop PC.

Your quiz: which member of the PC Pro podcast crew became overexcited about Microsoft’s quantum chip? Who was damning about IT mis-spends by government bodies? Which team member thinks the most exciting thing about Apple’s iPhone 16e is its 5G modem? And who was grumpy about it all? As a clue, you have Jon, Barry, Tim and Rois to choose from. Plus, our Hot Hardware of the week is a NAS drive one podcaster bought that now includes 184TB of usable storage. But no prizes for guessing that one.

The team discusses the UK’s demand for Apple to break its own encryption, an unexpected drop in average CPU power, Adobe’s amazing new AI-generated video platform, and the man hoping to recover a fortune in Bitcoins from a municipal landfill site. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the AirCard Pro, a credit-card-shaped Bluetooth tracker that’ll work with an Apple or Android phone – but not both.

The team discusses Microsoft's crackdown on those running Windows 11 on unapproved hardware, a new AI tool that can help make sense of legalese and Intel's admission that its next-generation AI chip isn't good enough to release. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Netgear Nighthawk RS200, a Wi-Fi 7 router at the knock-down price of £200.

The team discusses the disruptive emergence of China’s open-source DeepSeek AI engine, steep price hikes for Microsoft Office and Amazon’s vision for drones over Darlington. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Toybox, a user-friendly 3D printer aimed at kids.

The team discusses the will-they-won’t-they drama of the US TikTok ban, the latest lunacy in the AI industry and UK government proposals to replace physical driving licences with an app. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Anker Prime 250W USB charger, a six-port power supply costing a cool £170.

The team discusses plans to force websites to check visitors’ ages, drones causing mayhem and Meta’s newly relaxed attitude as to whether social media posts are true or not. Our Hot Software candidate is NordVPN – not a new product, but one that Barry Collins recently found a big help on his travels.

In a special podcast report – recorded in Las Vegas in the small hours of the morning – Barry Collins, Tim Danton and Jon Honeyball discuss what they've seen at the Consumer Electronics Show 2025. Topics include Nvidia's latest graphics chips, a new generation of mini PCs and upcoming developments in laptop screens, AR glasses and gaming handhelds. The delegates also nominate their Hot Hardware picks of CES – a gaming chair with integrated air conditioning, a hot-swap system for phone batteries and an innovative new desktop appliance for laser engraving.

Get ready for the PC Pro Podcast's festive quiz extravaganza!Darien Graham-Smith returns as quizmaster, challenging podcast regulars Barry Collins, Tim Danton, Lee Grant, Jon Honeyball, and Rois Ni Thuama on 2024's biggest tech stories.From AI to product launches, our panel will put their tech knowledge to the test.

The team discusses the arrival of new, smarter AI systems – plus one that’s accused of endangering impressionable kids. We also welcome an innovative battery technology and cast an eye over the latest hardware offerings from Raspberry Pi. Out Hot Hardware candidate is the HP OmniBook Flip, a slim but versatile laptop that ticks all the boxes.

The team discusses the surprise ousting of Intel’s CEO, questions the planned merger between Vodafone and Three and asks what dangers might be lurking in an innocent-looking USB cable. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Smartech GoChess Mini, an intelligent chess board that plays against you.

The team discusses reports of yet another antitrust investigation in the offing against Microsoft, and the company’s latest attempts to get people off Windows 10. We also look at how Google is injecting content onto other people’s websites, and consider whether we’d buy a new phone from Huawei that ditches Android in favour of the company’s own HarmonyOS Next platform. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Showscreen 14in portable touchscreen, a slimline display that does precisely what you’d expect for under £100.

Microsoft announced that it would be selling companies a $349 black box that's ideal for big rollouts - all you need is a Windows Cloud subscription, a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Jon, Tim and Barry deliver their verdict. Plus all the other highlights from Ignite 2024, Flight Simulator 2024's failure to launch and a business-friendly Moto phone that might just win Tim a hot hardware of the week...

The team discusses the accelerating exodus from Elon Musk’s social media platform, the EU’s latest quarrel with Apple and what’s coming in Wi-Fi 8. Lee Grant also walks us through a quartet of sustainability-related news stories, and our Hot Hardware candidate is the tiny but powerful Mac Mini.

The team asks whether Windows 10 users will pay $30 to keep using the OS for another year, discusses ChatGPT’s new search capabilities and ponders whether Intel’s latest financial losses are anything to worry about. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Apple Thunderbolt 5 cable, a pricey interconnect with a whole lot of bandwidth.

Tim, Rois and Jon dissect all the just-announced products from Apple, particularly the M4 Mac mini, before discussing why email remains such a danger. Plus, regular listener Geoff Campbell nominates a Raspberry Pi case as the Hot Hardware of the week. It went down rather well...

Regular magazine contributor Olivia Whitcroft joins Barry, Darien and Jon as we discuss a new AI tool that can control your PC, proposals to ban smartphones at school and an acrimonious dispute at WordPress. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Krafted Connex, a pocket-sized multi-adaptor that can be used to charge a variety of devices from a regular USB socket.

In the second part of our special live podcast, Barry Collins, Tim Danton, Darien Graham-Smith, Jon Honeyball and Rois ni Thuama look to the future and predict how technology will change the world in the next decade. We also nominate our Hot Hardware picks of the past 30 years, and take questions from the audience on quite a range of themes.

Part one of a special two-part podcast with a live audience to celebrate 30 years of PC Pro. Barry Collins, Tim Danton, Darien Graham-Smith, Jon Honeyball and Rois ni Thuama look back and discuss the most significant tech innovations and events of the past three decades, before pitting their knowledge against audience members in a short, unseasonal quiz.

The team discusses all that’s new in the Windows 11 24H2 update, explores the innards of the latest iPhone and cautiously welcomes the arrests of four individuals believed to be major players in the murky world of ransomware. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, the biggest and most powerful iPhone ever.

The team discusses a new law that should make it easier to cancel unwanted subscriptions, the latest announcements from Meta’s Connect conference and legal woes for celebrity YouTuber MrBeast. Our Hot Hardware candidate is Intel’s Lunar Lake SoC, which promises new heights of laptop performance and battery life.

The team explore some of the technical explanations to the exploding pagers detonated in the Middle East. We examine Apple's iOS18 efforts to satisfy right to repair legislation then try not exhaust ourselves from the excitement of Microsoft Copilot Wave 2.Our Hot Hardware candidate for this week is the Honor Magic 3 phone...or..camera with phone...you decide...

The team discusses Apple’s new iPhone 16 handsets, asks whether AI is really stealing jobs and argues over whether kids should be banned from social media. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Netgear Orbi 770, the first home mesh we’ve seen to support Wi-Fi 7’s multi-band MLO capability.

The team discusses the latest launches at IFA, including the new chips that Intel hopes will put it back on the map. We also ask whether the USB Type-A connector is finally on its way out, and whether we need to worry about a new vulnerability discovered in Yubikey security tokens. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the IcyBox IB-180MC-C31, a USB M.2 enclosure that’s every bit as versatile as its name implies.

Before we get to the worst hot hardware ever, you will discover the team's take on Telegram's CEO being arrested in France; non-buying-advice thoughts on Nvidia's latest share price; back doors baked into RFID passes; and discover exactly what the Plaud NotePin is. And then you will be swept up in amazement when Barry pitches a mechanical keyboard that he clearly doesn't like much as Hot Hardware of the Week.https://www.plaud.ai/products/notepinhttps://www.hhkeyboard.com/uk/products/hhkb-studio

The team discusses the untimely death of British tech mogul Mike Lynch, while Elon Musk flounces out of Brazil and Microsoft prepares to roll out its controversial Windows Recall AI feature. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the MSI Cubi NUC 1M, a powerful PC with a compact case and a (reasonably) modest price.

The team eyes up the new Pixel devices launched at Google’s annual “Made by Google” event, asks what Mozilla can do to stay relevant and ponders the news that fresh Windows 11 installations will now have full-device encryption enabled by default. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Keychron K8, a sturdy wireless keyboard with mechanical switches and a charmingly retro colour scheme.

Nicole Kobie joins the podcast to discuss her new book, “The Long History of the Future: Why Tomorrow's Technology Still Isn't Here”. We also discuss the government’s shelving of unfunded plans for an AI supercomputer, Elon Musk’s latest antics and the significance of a US judgment that finds Google used illegal means to maintain its monopoly on web searches. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Inateck BK2007, an affordable keyboard case for the 2024 iPad Air.

The team discusses awkward times for Intel as it sheds jobs and rushes to fix failing chips; we also ponder Reddit’s hard line on AI scraping, and welcome upcoming legal protections aimed at preventing companies from cloning our voices and appearances. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Netgear Nighthawk RS300, a Wi-Fi 7 router that you might actually be able to afford.

The team discusses the global CrowdStrike catastrophe, dissects the official word on Intel CPU hiccups and learns why some NVIDIA graphics cards are no longer cool.Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Apple Vision Pro.

The team discusses reports of failing Intel processors, meets Samsung’s latest health-inspired wearable and looks forward to a future filled with AI-generated videos and presentations, courtesy of Google. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Unistellar Odyssey Pro Smart Telescope. What, would you have preferred another keyboard?

The team discusses Microsoft’s optimistic claim that all material published online is fair game for AI training; ponders reports of TeamViewer being hacked by the Russians; and looks at who’s still buying commercial antivirus software. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Tapo D230S1, a smart, subscription-free doorbell-cum-camera.

On this week’s podcast we discuss the EU’s legal action against Microsoft for bundling Teams with Office, debate the US government’s banning of Kaspersky Internet Security and look at what the UK’s major political parties are promising – technology-wise – in their election manifestos. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Surface Laptop 7, the flagbearer of Microsoft’s new ARM-powered Copilot+ PC range.

The team ponders rumours of a new, cheaper Apple Vision headset, and debates whether the original Apple Vision Pro has been a flop. We also look at flaky Intel Core i9 processors, welcome the US government’s legal action against Adobe and learn about a new social media platform that’s intentionally populated by AI bots. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Unifi U7 Pro Max, the first business access point we’ve seen with Wi-Fi 7.

The team discusses the latest announcements from Apple’s WWDC conference, while Elon Musk drops his lawsuit against OpenAI and HP laments falling print volumes. Our Hot Hardware candidate is once more a piece of software, viz. the latest edition of Adobe Lightroom.

The team discusses growing security concerns over Microsoft’s new Windows Recall feature, a storm in a toothmug over Oral B’s discontinued smart bathroom products, and Intel and AMD’s latest salvoes in the unfolding TOPS war. As sometimes happens, our Hot Hardware candidate is actually a piece of software, namely the latest release of the free LibreOffice suite.

The team is split over Google's wisdom in selling a smartwatch - plus subscription fee - for kids. Plus, our take on what's going on at OpenAI, why iFixit has broken up with Samsung and what we can learn from the "leak" of Google's search algorithm. And our Hot Hardware candidate is the Panasonic Toughbook 55 Mk3, a semi-rugged but portable laptop.Links:https://blog.google/products/fitbit/fitbit-ace-lte-smartwatch-kids/https://www.ft.com/content/ccbdff7c-ede3-4d62-968d-189fb0205075Custom GPTs open for free ChatGPT users - The VergeHUGE Google Search document leak reveals inner workings of ranking algorithm (searchengineland.com)Why turning motherboards to jelly could be a sustainability breakthrough thanks to vPCBs | TechFinitivehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqee727vnzmoTape is so dead, 152.9 exabytes of LTO shipped in 2023 • The RegisterPanasonic Toughbook FZ-55 Full HD Touch Screen Mk3 14" Rugged Windows 11 Pro Notebook. From £2115.00 plus VAT (ultima-computers.co.uk)

The team explores Microsoft’s new Arm-based, AI-focused vision for Windows PCs; we also discuss the postponement of the UK landline switch-off, and ask how worried we should be about old web pages dropping offline. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Pixel 8a, the cheaper, smaller version of Google’s flagship smartphone.

The team discusses the latest announcements from Google’s I/O conference, leaked details of upcoming ARM-based Windows laptops and OpenAI’s new smarter-than-ever large language model. Our Hot Hardware candidate is Barry’s brand-new 13in iPad Pro – the latest M4 model with all the trimmings.

The team discusses Apple’s new M4-powered iPads, Ofcom’s proposals to keep kids safe online and Jack Dorsey’s quiet departure from the Twitter rival he founded. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Pokit Pro, a handy Bluetooth tool that serves as a multimeter, oscilloscope and more.

The team discusses new UK legislation that outlaws insecure default passwords, questions Google’s enormous payments to Apple and learns very little from Tim’s trip to Hungary. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Lenovo Legion Go, a handheld gaming PC that runs full Windows.