The PC Pro Podcast

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 podcast covers key AI developments in 2023, including AI in the legal world. It discusses Right to Repair victories and the impact of fiber broadband on remote work. The hosts explore Spotify's layoffs and VR for Xbox Cloud Gaming. The hot hardware of the week is the TCL NXTPAPER 11 tablet.

Topics discussed include age verification on adult websites, security threat to Windows and Linux computers, predictions of doom for Firefox browser, latest developments in quantum computing, hot hardware candidates - pocket spot welder and compact torch capable of beaming out 4,000 lumens. The podcast also covers the shift from physical copies to streaming in film and TV distribution, vulnerability impacting Windows and Linux PCs, revocation of licenses for digital media, advancements and limitations in quantum computing, Kiss legacy and HP's subscription service.

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

The team discusses the turmoil at OpenAI, Microsoft's recruitment of the CEO and chairman, and the battle between iMessage and other messaging platforms. They also talk about changes in Google Chrome extensions, pricing compliance with EU legislation, and a review of the Honor Pad X9 Android tablet.

Microsoft's in-house chips for Azure, AI dominating Microsoft's agenda, age verification for online safety, AI determining user age, Google's user-generated content experiment, fair use of AI training on copyrighted material, Nvidia's H200 processor in AI technology, Wi-Fi 7 speeds and expectations.

UK's online safety measures, GPT bots launch, Apple's RAM claims, and Bambu Lab P1P 3D printer are discussed. The implications of the online safety bill on small content providers and startups are analyzed. The dispute between Google and Apple over RCS and iMessage regulation is explored. Open AI's new GPT model and customizable bots are highlighted. The RAM limit debate in MacBook Pro is debated. Arm's acquisition, an industrial robot accident, YouTube's ad blocker detection, and various 3D printing applications are also discussed.

The podcast discusses the global regulation of AI systems, Apple's new M3 Macs, and criminal charges for SolarWinds' CISO. They also cover Tesla's overpromising, Apple's MacBook Pro launch event, and failings in leadership and culture at SolarWinds. Additionally, they talk about the latest Windows 11 update, decline in Twitter value, and Google's dot ing domain registration program.

The team asks whether Microsoft was right to abandon its mobile phone platform; looks forward to faster ARM chips for Windows; and ponders new efforts to defeat fake reviews. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 – it’s been out for a little while, but have we grown to love it?