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.

The team discusses a new security threat to the Chrome and Edge browsers, some mischievous uses of AI, the latest developments in the Getty Images copyright case and a new tool in Gmail that makes it easy to unsubscribe from – well, some mailing lists. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Uuna Tek iDraw H A1 plotter; if you’d like to see it in action (sounding alarmingly like a dentist’s drill), visit https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lx5o0UO-8MQ