The PC Pro Podcast

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.