The PC Pro Podcast

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.

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.