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PC Pro Magazine - July 2025

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In this issue

Retail on ransomware red alert Surge in malware attacks on businesses leaves major UK retailers reeling. Online Safety Act challenged by Wikipedia Controversial legislation faces first legal challenge. Trouble in Store for Apple We investigate the huge problems facing Apple after its stinging court defeat to Epic Games.

Retail on ransomware red alert

Surge in malware attacks on businesses leaves UK retailers reeling

4 mins

Trouble in Store for Apple

Barry Collins investigates the problems facing Apple after its stinging court defeat to Epic Games

5 mins

Going neuro down in data centros

The idea of processors acting like brains is as old as computers, but when it comes to energy efficiency they have a long way to go

3 mins

Tech and the beanstalk:a modern-day myth

When an AI can tell me how to tackle bindweed in my London allotment and actually be correct, I'll start to believe in artificial general intelligence

3 mins

The car feature Clarkson won't talk about

There's one chief requirement when I go car shopping, and it's nothing to do with torque

3 mins

WRITE YOUR OWN APPS WITH CHATGPT

BARRY COLLINS REVEALS HOW TO TAME THE AI TO CODE APPS ON YOUR BEHALF

10+ mins

EPAPER Everywhere

Low-power screens are appearing in all manner of devices. Barry Collins plots the rise of ePaper

9 mins

MICROSOFT DESIGNER

Nik Rawlinson tries out a free, AI-powered tool that can quickly put together social media images and more

8 mins

Next-gen connections

As our devices get smarter and faster, we need new connectors to keep them all working smoothly together. Darien Graham-Smith examines the ports and technologies you might see on your next computer-or the one after that

10+ mins

Moto Razr 60 Ultra

A stunning screen, great cameras, superb battery life and a powerful chipset make this the best flip phone yet - but it comes at a price

5 mins

Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1

Mediocre battery life, but if you like the 2-in-1 format - or simply having a touchscreen —this is a good-value choice

3 mins

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13

A compelling evolution of the demanding executive's favourite laptop, with its quality undimmed by time

3 mins

Medion Erazer Beast 16 X1 Ultimate

Not the most refined gaming laptop, but with RTX 5090 graphics at RTX 5080 prices it's the best value of the latest crop

5 mins

Medion Erazer Hunter X30

A solid first outing from the German manufacturer, but the price must drop to earn a Recommended award

3 mins

Alienware Area-51 Gaming Desktop (2025)

This behemoth of a gaming PC oozes class while extracting the most from its expensive components

3 mins

CyberPowerPC Ultra 3D5090

The best gaming chip and graphics card combine with predictable power: if you refuse to compromise, buy it

3 mins

MSI Pro AP272P

A questionable choice of processor and panel undermine its excellent connectivity and webcam

3 mins

Dell 32 Plus 4K Monitor (S3225QS)

No USB-C, but this stylish monitor wins for its 120Hz refresh rates, excellent speakers and image quality

3 mins

Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor (U3225QE)

Gorgeous, high quality and supremely well connected, which very nearly justifies that price

3 mins

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB

Delivering 15% more performance than its predecessor, this is a solid choice for 1440p gaming

2 mins

Netgear Nighthawk RS100

Don't be put off by the low price-this budget Wi-Fi7 router delivers a decent helping of speed and range

3 mins

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 (2025)

With flashy lights and strong performance, the ROG Strix Scar 16 is only let down by its relatively high cost

3 mins

Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 (2025)

The most powerful gaming laptop around - a fact that's amply reflected in its bulk and that whopping price

3 mins

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)

Superb performance combines with a svelte design and mesmerising OLED to deliver big

3 mins

Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 (2025)

A strong performer, but it doesn't feel as premium as its rivals-a fact reflected by its sub-£3,000 asking price

3 mins

HP Omen Max 16 (2025)

Promises so much with its cutting-edge components and gorgeous OLED display, but ultimately disappoints

4 mins

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10

A beast that delivers a new level of performance to take advantage of the bright 240Hz OLED panel

3 mins

MSI Raider 18 HX AI A2XW

A punchy display and audio combo ensure this laptop feels premium, but MSI asks too much for 5080 graphics

3 mins

Key factors to consider when choosing a VPN

When investing in a VPN it makes sense to know exactly what features you need and those you don't. It could end up saving you a lot of money

5 mins

ExpressVPN

It's expensive, but you'll be hard-pressed to match ExpressVPN for features, performance or streaming

3 mins

Mullvad

This privacy-focused service isn't here to region-shift your video but offers consistent pricing and decent speeds

3 mins

Proton VPN Plus

This fast, feature-packed VPN is a strong choice for region-shifting, but it's no longer a rebel leader

3 mins

Surfshark

Fast, cheap and great for streaming, Surfshark remains one of our favourite VPN services

3 mins

CyberGhost

A mid-tier VPN that struggles to stand out for price, performance or video-streaming skills

2 mins

Avast SecureLine VPN

Use it if bundled with your antivirus, but too slow and limited to be worth a standalone subscription

1 mins

Best free VPNs

If you don't want to spend a penny on a VPN then you have plenty of options, but be careful to avoid those that want to harvest your data

3 mins

Norton VPN

There are no reasons to choose this service over the opposition, but it's a worthy extra in Norton 360

2 mins

NordVPN

Remains a contender but pricing is obscure and the renewal cost excessive, and falls behind rivals for speed

1 mins

TunnelBear

Reliable and reasonably quick, this Canadian VPN maintains clear and consistent pricing

2 mins

Private Internet Access

An inexpensive consumer VPN with plenty of features but consistently poor transfer speeds

1 mins

Windscribe

A superb free offering that can be supplemented by tactical monthly purchases make this a strong choice

1 mins

VyprVPN

Note its new USA HQ, but VyprVPN is still a decent service despite inconsistent speeds in our tests

2 mins

View from the Labs

Never mind staying safe and watching TV services from abroad, the big question is whether a VPN help you save money when buying online

2 mins

Professional desktop scanners 2025

If you can't go paperless office, at least go “paper-lite”. Dave Mitchell reviews four desktop scanners that will ease you along the way

4 mins

Brother ADS-4900W

Perfect for busy SMBs, this is a fast, versatile network scanner with a destination for every occasion

2 mins

Canon imageFormula DR-S350NW

An affordable scanner with good speeds and output quality plus a smart driverless scanning feature

2 mins

Epson WorkForce DS-900WN

It's pricey, but this EdgeLink- enabled desktop scanner is incredibly fast and delivers good-quality scans

2 mins

Ricoh fi-8040

An affordable scanner with a nippy turn of speed, top output quality and a big choice of operational modes

2 mins

LincPlus LincStation N2

A smartly designed, affordable all-flash desktop NAS with plenty of storage features and good 10GbE performance

3 mins

Ubiquiti UniFi UNAS Pro

Modest performance and features, but the UNAS Pro offers a high storage capacity at an incredibly low price

3 mins

Software licence MANAGEMENT

In an age of remote working and hosted services, it's more important than ever to keep track of your licences. Nik Rawlinson looks at the challenges - and offers some practical advice to help you avoid accidental non-compliance

9 mins

Disinformation management

If someone's spreading lies, don't despair-Steve Cassidy looks at how businesses can respond to the fake news threat

2 mins

"I can't afford for this to go wrong, and wrangling a cloud server is a level of trust that makes my toes curl"

Jon gives a long, hard stare to Microsoft's licensing costs, Synology's support for third-party drives and a network cable that costs £3,250

10+ mins

“Any company pushing its eco- credentials without facilitating fixing is guilty of greenwashing”

As Acer loses another fan and Microsoft users move backwards, Lee explores the risks of exploding webcams

9 mins

"I'm not claiming to be a prophet.I merely speculated wildly and, against all odds, hit the mark"

After urgently calling for anti-drone missile technology, Rois is pleased to discover that the MoD has heeded her advice

7 mins

"I've done a bit of deep-diving myself and found some technical stuff that the FBI didn't"

Davey indulges in time travel with hackers who have earned the ire of the FBI

7 mins

“I got a long way into the project before it sank in that there were several new blind alleys”

As Steve prepares for the mother of all migrations, he explains the virtues of iSCSI and the sins of Apple’s OS X

6 mins

One man’s fight for digital privacy

When cryptographer Phil Zimmermann created the world's most widely used email encryption software, US prosecutors sought to lock him up. David Crookes acts for the defence

9 mins

Can robots fix fashion?

Manchester Metropolitan University has a new robots lab - for fashion. Nicole Kobie unveils how the Robotics Living Lab is working to fix clothing production

7 mins

Don't read this column unless you want to waste at least an hour of your life, says Jon Honeyball

You know that sinking feeling you get when you land on a website and you're instantly sucked in?

3 mins

Read all Stories from PC Pro

PC Pro Magazine Description:

Publisher: Future

Category: Technology

Language: English

Frequency: Monthly

The UK's biggest selling PC monthly magazine, and your source of professional IT news, reviews and tests. Combining in–depth industry comment and analysis with rigorous product testing.