In this issue:

Unveiled: Hot hardware releases We take a first look at a 7nm AMD chip, a true Dell XPS 13 rival and a PDA with a backlit keyboard.

How to live the smart home dream Our homes are getting smarter, but how do you implement a smart home? Darien Graham- Smith gets hands on with the tech.

DARIEN GRAHAM-SMITH It’s time for Microsoft to deactivate its kill switch and much more...

HELPER OF THE MONTH
Ignore the hype – we care about what AI can genuinely do for you today. And it’s more than chatting to a robot. We talk to the people who are putting AI to proper work.

OPPOSING FORCES OF THE MONTH
America and China aren’t just facing it off on the geopolitical front but on the cutting edge of technology, too. James O’Malley investigates the chip wars..

SHOW AND TELL OF THE MONTH
The world’s biggest technology show was back with a vengeance this year, with the likes of LG and Samsung wowing the crowds. But what did the show reveal about the year ahead?

FIREWALL OF THE MONTH
We review Intel’s NUC 11 Essentials barebones PC on p60, which would be a perfect candidate for an always-on home firewall – and we explain how to set this up, for free, on p34.

Build your own firewall in 30 minutes
Worried about intruders and hack attacks? Nik Rawlinson shows how to take charge of your network security with the free pfSense firewall..

DIET ADVICE OF THE MONTH
It’s tough to change habits, especially when they’ve been ingrained for years, but follow our tech nutritionists’ advice and you could save hundreds of pounds per year.

EXTREME BROADBAND OF THE MONTH
If you can remember internet connections of 55.6Kbits/sec (or less!) you might have some sympathy for scientists in Antarctica who still make do with 80Kbits/sec. Here’s their story..

BROADBAND BARGAINS OF THE MONTH
BT would have had a lovely monopoly if it hadn’t been for that pesky Ofcom, and now the big ISPs have even more rivals thanks to gigabit fibre upstarts. Should you switch?

GUIDED TOUR OF THE MONTH
The motherboard is often ignored for its more glamorous component counterparts, but Darien Graham-Smith thinks it needs a closer inspection to reveal its inner magic..

YOUNG DEVELOPER OF THE MONTH
Like many a 15-year-old, Alistair Smith didn’t want to do his homework. Unlike his counterparts, though, he used his coding skills to cheat the system. This is his story.

HOTTEST STORY OF THE MONTH
So how do you spot energy-hungry devices, as we put on the cover this month? With the help of an infrared camera. Paul Ockenden explains all from p111..

AWARDS OF THE YEAR
If you buy one issue of PC Pro each year, make it this one (or better yet, subscribe – see p108!). Because this month we include a full breakdown of brands’ reliability and service across dozens of categories.

PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR
Our final set of awards is dedicated to the stand-out products from the year, as decided by our writers and editors. And we review hundreds, so to make this shortlist is quite an achievement..

BIRTHDAY OF THE MONTH
Windows 11 is a year old, and to celebrate Microsoft has lavished the OS with gifts: a new-look taskbar (again!), much-improved accessibility and Android apps.

DEEP DIVE OF THE MONTH
We all know that DDR5 is “better” than DDR4, but as ever the devil is in the detail. And the timing. Here, we reveal everything you didn’t realise you needed to know..

FIRST STOP FOR GEEKS
We go beyond the obvious apps to discover what our readers use on their digital devices. And here’s a cast-iron guarantee: you will download at least one new app to try.

FIRST STOP FOR EMPLOYERS (& EMPLOYEES)
The balance of power has shifted to the worker, and that means perks. Whether you want to lure fresh talent or simply know your rights as an employee, we have the answer..

SMART ADVICE OF THE MONTH
Alexa, Google and Siri can all add smartness to your home, but people who want real smarts – with advanced features and 100% compatibility – should follow our hard-won advice.

SURVIVAL ADVICE OF THE MONTH
If you want to work anywhere – and we don’t mean the local café – you need tech that will survive bumps and blizzards. Barry Collins enters the world of rugged computing to reveal all.

Windows 11 fixes: make PCs great again:
It’s been a year since Windows 11 was
announced, but many bugs and irritations
remain. We show you how to fix them, and
reveal the £5.99 tool that could make your life a whole lot easier. Plus Jon Honeyball gives his first-year progress report (it isn’t good).

Apple self-repair needs fixing,
says expert: Apple’s new self-service repair programme
gives a glimpse of a world where anything is
possible – even fixing your own iPhone. But
with expensive proprietary tools still needed for most jobs, is it just greenwashing?

REVOLUTION OF THE MONTH
Netflix may be losing subscribers, but people are signing up in droves to watch the output from the likes of Big Jet TV. We speak to the new generation of streaming stars.

The world’s most iconic PCs
From the Xerox Alto and Commodore Pet to the M1 Apple iMac, these are the machines that changed the world, altering perceptions of what computers could be or inspiring a new type of design. We present the most influential PCs of the past 50 years – and some of the near misses.

MWC 2022: beyond the phones
We visit the show halls of the world’s largest mobile technology show – and the virtual halls of the vendors who weren’t physically present in Barcelona – to reveal each company’s big announcements.

Security audit your home network
We all know the importance of online security, but how secure is your own network? Darien Graham-Smith shows you how to ensure you’re protected.

UPGRADE OF THE MONTH
Gigabit broadband sounds like the kind of upgrade all of us want, but will even the most demanding of households take advantage? We dig into the detail from p26.

USEFUL TOOL OF THE MONTH
While phones can’t match the convenience of a printer with a built-in scanner, the quality of their cameras mean they come darn close – and include advantages of their own..

CEREBRAL CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH
AI has been accused of killing professional chess, but there are plenty of reasons to be upbeat about its impact – and ones that may draw you back into playing yourself.

BATTERY BOOST OF THE MONTH
Battery technology has lagged behind every other laptop component. Why? And could we be on the threshold of some big breakthroughs? Darien-Graham Smith reveals all.

Science of keyboards - What's lurking behind the key caps.

10 biggest threats to PC - From malware to your mate Steve.

Apple MacBook Pro - It's brilliant - but is it right for you?

14 tablets on test - Why you shouldn't rush to buy an iPad.

MONEY SAVER OF THE MONTH
With electricity bills set to soar, how can technology help you cut your costs? We reveal some simple tips and explore a set of more advanced options...

INSTANT GRATIFICATION OF THE MONTH
Can’t wait for Microsoft to offer Windows 11 via an update? We explain how to install it right now, and how to bypass the CPU and TPM requirements.

KEEPER OF THE MONTH
Our annual awards are more than just a showcase of the best products: they give a full breakdown for reliability, customer support and more across a dozen categories.

TECHIE FEATURE OF THE MONTH
Most people sail through life without knowing the intricacies of NTFS, but if you ever need to rescue lost files or help with backup systems, it pays to know what it does and how it works.

FUTURE PROOFING OF THE MONTH
The launch of Windows 11 is hurtling towards us, so make sure you’re ready for the switch with our practical guide to preparing your PC for its next great adventure.

PRACTICAL FEATURE OF THE MONTH
We’re all losers, but fear not: we reveal the numerous and often free ways that you can keep track of your possessions, from keys to cars, and even your children.

CONTROVERSY OF THE MONTH
Many people have made a fortune by investing in cryptocurrency, so should you follow in their footsteps? We explore the practicalities and the ethics in our in-depth guide.

TIPPLE OF THE MONTH
Enjoy a not-quite-literal taste of brewing beer the modern way, as Jo Best reveals how Internet of Things devices are transforming this oldest of arts.

REVIEW OF THE MONTH
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro
Safe to say that Samsung is back in the laptop game. It withdrew from Europe in an enviably smooth manner back in 2014, but even at the time said it may not be forever. True to its word, the South Korean mega-company decided to test the appetite for its laptops in Britain and beyond with the sub-1kg Galaxy Book, but with the Galaxy Book Pro it’s going for the big time. This new brand – to us Brits, at least – is available in both 13in and 15in variants, and we test the larger model this time around. Suffice it to say that we like what we see. Read our full, indepth review on p50.

THE LABS IN ONE NUMBER
We normally go big on numbers where we can, but this time we want to celebrate the number of cores found in all but one of the sub-£1,000 PCs on test. We really are spoiled for processing power these days, no matter what our budget.

CHALLENGE OF THE MONTH
Imagine that you had £250 to spend on a PC. Is your best option to build one, buy something new or pick up something secondhand? Lee Grant picks his way through the conundrum.

PROJECT OF THE MONTH
Don’t have time to build your own Pomodoro timer? Then you need a Pomodoro timer to help make you more organised. We explain how to make one for just £13.50.

WORKPLACE-CHANGER OF THE MONTH
Transform your desk into somewhere you genuinely want to work, that looks great on Zoom calls and with a connection that doesn’t let you down – without spending a fortune.

VISION OF THE MONTH
As the world gets ever-hungrier, it seems that fewer people want to do the manual labour of picking fruit and vegetables. As we explain, robots in many forms are ready to help.

Shrink your online footprint
You’re probably leaking more data online than you realise. Nik Rawlinson reveals the dangers of over-sharing, and the steps you can take to downsize your digital presence.

The state of M1 software
Apple’s pivot to its own silicon forced every developer to rebuild their apps. Let’s check in and see how the transition is going six months on.

SMART THINKING OF THE MONTH
We love new technology as much as the next person, but it comes at an environmental cost. Lee Grant explains how to fight back through the right to repair movement.

PROJECT OF THE MONTH
Why spend hundreds of pounds on a video security system when you could create one yourself using a Raspberry Pi and some cameras? We show you how.

Best of CES 2021
Due to the pandemic, the world’s biggest technology extravaganza – which is usually held amongst the bright lights of Sin City – went virtual in 2021. However, that didn’t stop the likes of AMD, HP and Intel from putting on a show, as we reveal in our roundup of the best, most promising and weirdest products there.

An A-Z of web hosting security best practice
Davey Winder speaks to industry experts with real-world experience to compile a handy alphabet soup of tips for web hosting security best practice.

How much RAM do you need? - Why it may not be as much as you think.

The quantum internet - What is it and how will it work?

2021's Most Dangerous Scams

Smartphone attacks.

The Office 365 lure.

Dodgy online forms.

Get on board with virtual games night
The various lockdowns of 2020 played havoc with traditional tabletop gaming, but they did see gamers gather around virtual tables instead. Alan Martin takes a look at the services they’ve been using and finds out if digital Dungeons & Dragons could become the new normal.

Get the message: SMS is too weak for two-factor authentication
The technology is too insecure for exchanging security codes, warns Microsoft.

Tailor Windows 10 for you
Different users will have completely different needs. Luckily, you can easily tweak Windows 10’s settings to suit yours. Barry Collins shows how to make the operating system work and look better for three use cases: gaming, homeworking and family PCs.

PC Probe: Public purse used to keep Google honest
Watchdogs are paying Google huge sums to keep scams from the top of search listings, Stewart Mitchell discovers.

Low-code development
There was a time when executives wouldn’t dream of typing their own letters, so why not extend that to basic app creation? Here’s how to empower your staff to become low coders.

Technology to help you live longer
As our average lifespans steadily increase, Jo Best explores tech from around the world that will assist our worn-out bodies and, hopefully, make later life more enjoyable.

Business colour printers
How do you choose the perfect colour printer for your office? Dave Mitchell provides a handy guide for what to look for, before putting four top contenders through their paces.

Dell EMC PowerEdge T140
With buckets of power and top-tier remote management services, this budget-friendly tower from Dell could be the ideal first server for your business..

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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.

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PC Pro - February 2019

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In this issue