The PC Pro Podcast

The team discusses skyrocketing investments in AI and cloud hardware; a collapse of employee morale at Google; and a clever trick that breaks Microsoft’s BitLocker disk encryption. We also ask how worried we should be by reports of electric toothbrushes being absorbed into malicious botnets, and round up the latest developments in right-to-repair legislation. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Ubiquiti UniFi Enterprise 8 PoE, a high-speed Layer 3 network switch costing under £500.

Finally, as promised, here’s a guide to enabling a BitLocker PIN in Windows 11: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/enable-or-disable-bitlocker-to-unlock-os-drive-at-startup-with-pin-and-usb-in-windows-11.4140/

The team discusses the first full reviews of Apple’s Vision Pro headset, new moves to regulate AI abuses, dissatisfaction over the UK government’s security plans and the serious consequences of “swatting”. Out Hot Hardware candidate is the Ubiquiti U7 Pro, the first wireless access point we’ve seen with Wi-Fi 7.

The PC Pro team discuss the implications of Amazon Ring sharing information with the Police and how Apple is reacting to the implementation of side-loading apps onto its devices. We look at Microsoft's planned upgrade of USB4 and chat about HP's plans to turn PCs into a subscription business. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Samsung S24 Ultra

The team discusses a pending lawsuit over ChatGPT’s notorious hallucinations, a mixed reception for Apple’s mixed-reality – sorry, “spatial” – headset, and independent confirmation that Google’s search results are getting worse. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Fairphone Fairbuds XL, an environmentally friendly pair of over-the-ear headphones.

In an on-location special, the team reports back from Las Vegas with their picks of the products and technologies unveiled at CES 2024.

The team is joined by CTA director Brian Comiskey for a look ahead to next week’s CES 2024 expo. We also discuss the technologies and companies that we said goodbye to during 2023, explore the US’ brief Apple Watch ban and consider new features coming to Windows. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the HP Envy Move, a “luggable” all-in-one PC with a 24in screen and a four-hour battery.

It’s time for the PC Pro podcast's festive quiz: Darien Graham-Smith takes the chair and subjects podcast regulars Barry Collins, Tim Danton, Lee Grant, Jon Honeyball and Rois Ni Thuama to a thorough grilling on the big tech stories of 2023.

The team is in a reflective mood, discussing the key AI developments of 2023, including how its use is crossing into the legal world. We celebrate landmark Right to Repair victories and chat about how fibre broadband has powered the work-from-home revolution. We ask why Spotify is laying of 17% of its workforce and look at VR for Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Hot hardware for this week is the TCL NXTPAPER 11 tablet.

The team discusses new proposals for age verification on adult websites; a security threat affecting almost every Windows and Linux computer; predictions of doom for the Firefox browser; and the latest developments in quantum computing. Once again we have two Hot Hardware candidates – a tiny pocket spot welder and a compact torch capable of beaming out a dazzling 4,000 lumens.

In a packed show, the team discusses topics including Samsung’s acquisition of smart music streaming service Roon, British Library data leaking onto the dark web, a possible fraud investigation into Elon Musk and some unfortunate misdirection in Google Maps. As if that weren’t enough, we look at two Hot Hardware candidates – the Dremel 3-in-1 Multi-Vise and the Divoom Timebox.

And here’s the video of the AirJet laptop cooler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0k46Wnq3Rk