The PC Pro Podcast

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-recalls The 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.