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.

The gang discusses a new experiment to see how Welsh voters are exposed to political content on social media, waves an unsentimental farewell to the Mac Pro and laments the intrusion of ads into a) our open-source coding projects and b) our kitchens. In our regular Hot Hardware segment, Barry attempts to justify the purchase of his Apple MacBook Pro 16in with M5 Pro processor.

The team discusses Microsoft’s plan to make Windows slicker and more user friendly, America’s ban on basically all foreign-made home routers and the closure of OpenAI’s Sora video-generation service. We also raise an eyebrow at Elon Musk’s characteristically ambitious decision to build the world’s biggest silicon fabrication plant. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Ugreen Nexode, a multi-port 500W desktop power supply that can simultaneously charge five laptops and an iPod.

Let's start with what we finished on for a change: the Apple MacBook Neo, in the flesh. Jon Honeyball proposes it as the Hot Hardware of the Week, but not without opposition...

Also this week, Barry explains what you need to know about Alexa+, which landed in the UK this week (you may want to mute your Echo!). Jon shares why he's so annoyed by the Companies House breach, Nik explains why brain-cell powered computers may be the future, and Tim reveals what's been happening at Nvidia's GTC 2026 event.

The team looks at Amazon’s embarrassing AI-related outages, asks whether BBC iPlayer should join forces with other major UK broadcasters and weighs up a Norwegian initiative aimed at reversing the trend for everything in technology to gradually get worse and worse (you know the term). As occasionally happens, our Hot Hardware candidate is in fact a piece of software, specifically a real-time transcription tool called Typeless that uses AI to turn your spoken words directly into polished prose.

And if you want to read the Forbrukerrådet report referred to by Lee, you can find the English version here: https://storage02.forbrukerradet.no/media/2026/02/breaking-free-pathways-to-a-fair-technological-future.pdf

The team discusses Apple’s latest product announcements, including the cheap and colourful MacBook Neo; we also look at Lenovo’s new modular laptop concept, and kick over the US government’s spat with AI developer Anthropic. Our Hot Hardware candidate is the Sekonic C-800-U spectrometer, a useful device for checking colour consistency in creative environments.

This week the team chat about Claude Cowork, the change in leadership within Microsoft's XBOX division, rumours of a touchscreen Mac and Ofcom's fines for adult sites that don't implement age verification.

Our Hot Hardware of the Week candidate is a Dell's 52" monster monitor.

Jon's ZEISS Lens Wipes can be bought at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZEISS-Binoculars-Individually-Disposable-Spectacle-White/dp/B00IKGH2TI/