The PC Pro Podcast

PC Pro

Every week the team behind the UK's biggest technology monthly discusses the latest news and issues in computing and mobile tech.

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20 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes20

Newest first

Thursday · 1 hr 4 min
Episode 801: What secret code do you have to enter to erase this podcast?
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.
July 23 · 55 min
Episode 800: I am begging Sam Altman to read just one Isaac Asimov book
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.
July 16 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 799: Will Windows’ solution for searching finally be a searching solution?
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.
July 9 · 1 hr
Episode 798: Want to be anonymous online? Start by ditching Windows
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.
July 2 · 53 min
Episode 797: Windows 10 refuses to die...again
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
June 25 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 796: Can EU regulation really make it easier to switch clouds?
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.
June 19 · 1 hr 6 min
Episode 795: I’m-a let you finish, but these are 50 of the best apps of all time
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.
June 11 · 57 min
Episode 794: Hey Siri, can you actually do AI now?
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.
June 4 · 1 hr 5 min
Episode 793: Live (sort of) from Computex
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.
May 28 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 792: Who's making money from the memory crisis?
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.
May 21 · 1 hr 5 min
Episode 791: Google is getting smarter (whether you want it to or not)
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
May 14 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode 790: The data centres are coming (and we’re all going to pay)
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.
May 7 · 58 min
Episode 789: A bumper week for cyber-criminals
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.
April 30 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode 788: “It’s a bit like watching Chelsea play Arsenal”
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.
April 23 · 1 hr
Episode 787: It's time to Ternus the page on Tim Cook's tenure at Apple.
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.
April 16 · 57 min
Episode 786: You wouldn’t download an ebook to your car
The team discusses steep price hikes for Microsoft devices, argues over Amazon’s controversial cutting-off of old Kindle models and wonders exactly who would want to talk to an AI-powered virtual clone of Mark Zuckerberg. Our Hot Hardware candidate this week is in fact a piece of software, namely DaVinci Resolve 21, which builds on the package’s powerful video-editing capabilities with a new photo-processing module.
April 2 · 1 hr 6 min
Episode 785: Cynnwys gwleidyddol ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol
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.
March 26 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode 784: Making Windows cool again (good luck!)
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.
March 19 · 1 hr 6 min
Episode 783: What we really think about the Apple MacBook Neo
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.
March 12 · 59 min
Episode 782: Sure, the code took Amazon down for six hours, but at least it’s commented
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