The PC Pro Podcast

The team discusses the blocking of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision, accusations of shady spyware features in the Edge browser, and a new UK law that would clamp down on fake reviews and free trials that silently turn into paid subscriptions. Our Hot Hardware candidate is three bottles of beer costing £79 – courtesy of Elon Musk.

The team discusses the backlash against the UK government’s anti-encryption plans, Reddit’s plans to charge for API access and the death of the computer magazine – in the US, at least. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Panasonic ToughBook 40, a laptop you can take into the jungle with you.

The team discusses the future of 5G in the UK, the BBC’s illuminating interview with Twitter CEO Elon Musk and a new VPN that’s helping Russians evade censorship. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the NUC 13 Pro, Intel’s latest and greatest small-box PC.

eng||This week, Western Digital’s security incident goes under the microscope and the team talk about the investigation into Amazon and Microsoft’s place in the market. We briefly discuss the latest happens at Twitter and ponder what happened to Virginmedia’s service this week. Our Hot Software candidate is Midjourney 5 (take a look: https://www.midjourney.com)

This week the team discuss the upcoming changes to Microsoft Teams with a genuine Microsoft MVP as well as what happened when TikTok appeared before US Congress. We catch up with the latest attempts to regulate AI and mark the passing of technology legend, Gordon Moore. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Acer SpatialLabs View Pro monitor (take a look: https://www.acer.com/gb-en/monitors/spatiallabs/acer-spatiallabs-view-pro)

View the US Congress Vs. TikTok session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E-4jtTFsO4

The team catches up with the latest developments in AI, asks whether we’d trust a web browser made by Amazon, and warns that screenshots might reveal details you thought you’d cropped away. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Lego Technic Cat® D11 Bulldozer 42131, an assemble-it-yourself app-controlled scale model of a construction icon.

Check out the Lego bulldozer here: https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/app-controlled-cat-d11-bulldozer-42131

Try Microsoft Loop here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-loop

The team discusses the brand-new GPT-4 AI platform, WhatsApp’s threats to quit the UK, the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and the risk of critical communications being cut off in the event of a power cut. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Poly Studio, a portable all-in-one teleconferencing system.

The team asks whether recent launches and projects are making Microsoft exciting again, bewails the state of the British semiconductor industry and explores the idea of putting datacentres on the moon. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Philips 27B1U7903, which turns out to be a 4K monitor with mini-LED backlighting.

The team discusses the latest products unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, rumours of what could be in Windows 12, and how Amazon is penalising authors whose works pop up on pirate sites. Our Hot Hardware candidate is more of a hot service this week, as Barry sings the praises of the Nvidia GeForce Now Ultimate game-streaming platform.

The team discusses new paid-for verification programmes at Instagram and Facebook; the latest fallout in the AI revolution; and the rise of domestic robots. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Yubikey 5Ci, a security key that provides effortless two-factor authentication.