The PC Pro Podcast

The team discusses the highlights of this year's virtual CES, an ignominious end for "free-speech" social network Parler, concerns over Flash-only online exams and a new CEO for Intel. Our Hot Hardware candidate is Virgin's Intelligent Wi-Fi Plus, a whole-home booster based on the Plume mesh platform.

The team discusses the technology implications of the recent mass incursion into the US Capitol; a new look for Outlook; the challenges of home schooling; and Microsoft's threat to bring deceased loved ones back to life as chatbots. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the HP EliteOne 800 G5, an all-in-one desktop PC that could be ideal for homeworkers.

As 2020 recedes into the rear-view mirror, the team looks ahead to the big issues and technologies that might shape 2021.Video link: "The Square", as mentioned by Tim Danton as a possible way to make working from home more sociable - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS9D-43Q9aQ

It's time once more for our annual quiz! Darien Graham-Smith plays quizmaster as Barry Collins, Tim Danton and Jon Honeyball compete for the tech trivia crown.

The team discusses a short but disruptive Google outage, privacy controversies at Twitter and Facebook, and a major step forward for Windows on ARM. Our Hot Hardware candidate is Apple's AirPods Max, a pair of noise-cancelling, over-ear headphones that can be yours for the pocket-money price of £549.

The team discusses the EU's proposed "right to disconnect", legal challenges to Facebook, a technical trick that can uncover pixelated passwords and new accessibility features in Android and iOS. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Acer Book RS i7, a premium Windows laptop designed by Porsche.For the original tweet about pixelated passwords, see https://twitter.com/spibblez/status/1335638633970348032

The pandemic has hammered home the importance of connectivity for workers wherever they are in the country. In this special podcast in association with O2, Tim Danton, Jon Honeyball and O2's Ant Morse cover the lessons learned so far and look ahead to the future - including the role of 5G and the steps we need to take to connect the whole of Britain.

The team discusses Android apps on Windows, the acquisition of Slack by business giant SalesForce and the rise of Spotify as a podcasting platform. Our Hot Hardware contender is actually a piece of software this week, namely the latest version of Pixelmator Pro, a powerful but affordable image editor.

The team discusses online bots snapping up Black Friday bargains, a row over royalties paid to musicians by streaming services, the hidden risks of smart doorbells and a disappointing government U-turn on broadband targets. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Alcatel 1, a bona fide smartphone costing less than £30.

Apple halves its App Store cut to 15% for smaller publishers, Google Pay gets a big update and "free speech" social network Parler continues to grow. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the new Apple MacBook Air, the first computer we've seen built on the Apple M1 processor.And finally, two Radio 4 programmes, mentioned during our discussion of Parler, that address the challenge of discourse across ideological divides:Across The Red Line: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09m2bj1Sweet Reason: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bclfsr