The PC Pro Podcast

The team discusses the newly unveiled iPhone Duo, along with other announcements from John Ternus’ first major event as Apple CEO. We also ponder whether employers are right to incentivise the use of AI, and debate whether OpenAI acted properly in the way it went about solving a major mathematical puzzle. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the TP-Link Archer BN800, a new high-end router with an integrated power supply.

The team welcomes incoming Apple boss John Ternus, ponders warnings that AI could wreck financial systems and gapes incredulously at Sony’s attempt to argue in court that digital assets cannot be owned. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Coros Pace Pro, a serious sports watch with a long battery life and plenty of premium features.

The team discusses Meta’s $18bn settlement over claims its platforms are harmful to children, welcomes LinkedIn’s battle against “AI slop” and ponders a major new partnership for the privacy-focused GrapheneOS smartphone platform. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Asus ROG Strix GS-BE7200, a gamer-oriented router that’s fast and versatile enough to power any home network.

The team reveals what excited them from last week’s Google Pixel Event (spoiler: not much), engages in a thoroughly depressing game of The Price is Right and discusses how subtle word choices may expose AI-generated text. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Ugreen magnetic NVMe SSD enclosure, a neat little caddy that snaps onto the back of your iPhone for top-quality video capture.

This week the team discusses Google’s AI staffing shakeup, NVIDIA’s latest funding round and Amazon’s new gas-powered data centre. We find out what happens when you email noreply.net, why Meta glasses are under threat and examine the new EU Right to Repair Directive. Our Hot Hardware of the Week nominee is Valve’s Steam Machine.

The team discusses the case of a US citizen who tricked border agents into wiping his seized phone; new ways to prove your identity with a video selfie; and a new generation of scam calls powered by frighteningly believable AI agents. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Home Assistant Green, a little box that brings together all your smart home services into one convenient, open-source platform.

In a landmark episode the team discusses an alarming AI jailbreak, the EU’s continuing efforts to weaken Google’s monopolies and LG’s ingenious but deplorable trick of using Windows Update to distribute adware. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Devolo BE6500, the cheapest 6GHz Wi-Fi 7 router we’ve ever seen.

This week the team discuss proposed improvements to Windows Search, Apple goes to war against OpenAI, Meta's AI HR wrangle, social media curfews and a moratorium on data centres in New York. There is also a lot of talk about Lego. The link to the Microsoft Blog mentioned in our first story is here . Our Hot Hardware of the Week nominee is the Pebble Time 2 smartwatch.

The team discusses a hidden ID code in Windows that could be used to track your online activity; updated regulations that make it harder for Brits to object to new data centres; and a fine for Virgin, for making it unreasonably difficult for subscribers to cancel. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Lenovo Yoga Pro 27UD-10 QD-OLED monitor, a 4K OLED display with a clever adjustable webcam.

This week the team discusses Microsoft's stay of execution for Windows 10, a worrying report on social media's safety features and the return of Fable 5. We also chat about Epson's day in court to answer questions relating to planned obsolescence. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the FixHub Soldering Toolkit from iFixit. The two links mentioned in the show are: Broken, Buried or Missing Help with HOP's legal fees

The team discusses reports that AWS and Microsoft Azure may be classed as “gatekeeper” services by the European Commission; we also look at the first court case won by an AI-assisted legal firm, a new social-media addiction lawsuit and Google’s big investment in AI-powered film-making. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Ubiquiti Vape Detection & Air Quality Sensor – it’s more technically interesting than it sounds, we promise.

In a deviation from our usual format, the team sets out to nominate the top 50 apps of all time, with help from our live listeners on Discord. Listen in on the debate, and look out for our rundown of the final 50 in an upcoming issue of the magazine.

In a rare double-header, Barry and Darien discuss the main announcements from Tim Cook’s final WWDC, what’s next for two of the biggest AI platforms and whether the EU was right to make Meta allow third-party chatbots back onto WhatsApp for Business. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Zenco Tiny T1, a matchbox-sized mobile phone that costs just £30.

In a secluded hotel room somewhere in Taipei, Jon and Tim discuss the most interesting and promising products they’ve seen at Computex, plus some of the week’s other major news stories.

This week we discuss memory crisis profiteering, a new piracy clampdown, confusing roaming charges and an expensive accident with a MacBook Pro. The Hot Hardware of the Week is Acer's PD1520U ultra-short-throw projector.

The team discusses the throwing-out of Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, new product announcements at Google I/O 2026 and an investigation of Microsoft’s business software ecosystem by the UK Competition and Markets Authority. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Ultra R9X Pro Gaming PC, an elegant and powerful desktop system that manages to squeeze in 32GB of RAM for less than £4,500. Comment on the Microsoft investigation at: tinyurl.com/propodcma

The team discusses how demand for new data centres is driving increased electricity bills and water shortages – sort of – and checks out the latest regulations for lithium-ion power banks on planes. We also welcome reports that future Apple computers might have Intel inside once more, and wonder whether Google’s new Googlebook concept could be the future of computing. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Apple AirPods Max 2, a pair of noise-cancelling headphones so quiet and comfy that Jon claims he can fall asleep on a plane wearing them.

The team discusses a spate of major security flaws affecting Linux, Microsoft Edge and the cPanel web administration software. We also look at how kids are getting around online age checks, and ponder the US government’s plan to test and certify AI models. For this week’s Hot Hardware spot we completely rip up the rule book to showcase not one but two software tools, named FineTune and WhatCable. One helps you set volumes for different audio devices, while the other tells you the technical specifications of your USB cables and devices; there can be only one winner.

The team discusses the high-profile legal showdown between Sam Altman and Elon Musk; new Claude Design features that could transform the way we create websites and presentations; and a big step forward for China’s DeepSeek AI engine. As a palate cleanser after all that AI stuff, our Hot Hardware candidate is the TCL Nxtpaper 70 Pro, an Android smartphone that can switch between a regular IPS display and a “TruePaper” e-reader mode.

This week the discusses the legacy of Tim Cook and his replacement as the CEO of Apple, John Ternus. Also on the agenda is Meta's plan to use staff to train AI and why some researchers are questioning the validity of survey data due to...you guessed it, AI. There is also news from Intel, Framework, Brave and Lidl (yes, that one). Our Hot Hardware of the Week nominee is the Acer ProCreator PE270XT monitor.