Tim Hardwick
Tim is a Senior Editor at MacRumors and has been writing for the site since 2016. Formerly a magazine journalist, his work has appeared in over 30 newsstand print publications and online brands covering a range of topics, from the latest trends in technology to the mysteries of ancient history.
Based in the UK, Tim's current role at MacRumors involves editorial oversight and how tos, in addition to covering daily news and contributing occasional reviews. Tim can be reached at tim@macrumors.com, Telegram (@waxeditorial) or Twitter.
Based in the UK, Tim's current role at MacRumors involves editorial oversight and how tos, in addition to covering daily news and contributing occasional reviews. Tim can be reached at tim@macrumors.com, Telegram (@waxeditorial) or Twitter.
Tim Hardwick's Articles
Tropico Arrives on iPhone, New Features for iPad Version
Tropico from Feral Interactive got its release on iPhone today. The iPad version, released in December, also received an update containing several additional features that are likely to be welcomed by fans of the strategic city builder.
Based on the acclaimed series originally published by Kalypso Media, Tropico for iPhone and iPad features intuitive touch controls and a user interface...
Read Full Article • 21 comments
Sprint and T-Mobile Extend Merger Deadline to July 29
Sprint and T-Mobile have announced an agreement to extend the deadline for their proposed $26 billion merger deal to July 29 (via Reuters).
The extension was revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and means that the two carriers now have more time to get the proposed merger approved by both the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.
...
Overcast Podcast Player Gains Audio and Video Clip-Sharing Feature
Overcast has been updated with support for sharing video and audio clips of podcasts, streamlining the process for both podcast creators and listeners.
In a blog post on his website, Overcast developer Marco Arment explains why he created the clip-sharing feature:
Podcast sharing has been limited to audio and links, but today's social networks are more reliant on images and video, especially...
How to Clear Your Apple News Reading History
Apple News keeps track of all the articles you read within the news app's interface to create a personal reading history. This provides you with a handy way of returning to a story, and avoids you having to trawl through the news to look for it.
To access your reading history in the Apple News app on iPhone or iPad, simply tap the Following tab, scroll down, and then tap History. In Apple News ...
How to Reset Your Apple News Recommendations
The Apple News app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac automatically recommends stories for you based on your reading habits within the app. You can find these stories in the Today tab under the For You section, divided into topics and channels you've selected.
The recommendations feature isn't infallible, and it can become confused if a friend or family member uses the Apple News app on your device or ...
Amazon Rumored to Launch High-Fidelity Music Streaming Platform By End of 2019
Amazon is reportedly readying a high-fidelity music streaming service that's set to launch by the end of the year. According to Music Business Worldwide, Amazon is in discussions with various large music rights-holders regarding the upcoming launch of the new streaming platform, which is likely to cost $15 per month.
"It's a better bit rate, better than CD quality," one source told MBW....
iFixit Removes Galaxy Fold Teardown at Samsung's Request
iFixit has decided to pull its revealing Samsung Galaxy Fold teardown. The decision is said to have been made after Samsung indirectly requested its removal from the website, which published the teardown on Wednesday. iFixit provided the following statement on its blog:
We were provided our Galaxy Fold unit by a trusted partner. Samsung has requested, through that partner, that iFixit remove ...
Apple Maps Gains Detailed Terrain Features for Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada US States
As part of its ongoing effort to rebuild Apple Maps, Apple has added detailed terrain features to the U.S. states of Arizona and New Mexico as well as the southern portion of Nevada, including the city of Las Vegas.
The enhancements are the result of Apple's street-level data collection using LiDAR-equipped vehicles, which has been going on for over three years. Related improvements first...
App Store Users Report Endless T&C Loop Preventing App Updates and Downloads
A number of iPhone and iPad users this morning are taking to Twitter and Reddit to report an issue with the App Store that prevents them from downloading or updating apps.
The problem starts when a user taps the Get button on an app listing, whereupon a pop-up informs them that "Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions have changed" and that they must read and accept them to continue.
An ...
iFixit Teardown of Samsung Galaxy Fold Reveals Likely Design Flaw
iFixit today published its teardown of Samsung's Galaxy Fold, offering more details on a potential flaw in the device, which has now been delayed following reports of several broken review units.
Essentially, it looks as though Samsung was so focused on perfecting the folding mechanism on the smartphone/tablet hybrid that it made a major oversight: providing adequate protection against the...
Apple Pay Officially Launches in Austria
Apple Pay officially launched in Austria this morning. Apple's mobile payment system is now supported by the country's largest bank Erste Bank und Sparkasse, as well as German-based mobile bank N26, allowing customers to add bank cards to their digital wallet.
Apple says additional Apple Pay partners "coming soon" to Austria will include Bank Austria, Boon, Edenred, Revolut and VIMPay....
Report Claims AirPods 3 With Noise Canceling Feature to Launch Later This Year
DigiTimes reports this morning that Apple is set to launch third-generation AirPods with a noise cancelation function by the end of the year, a claim at odds with rumors that Apple's AirPods 3 have been pushed back to 2020.
Apple is reportedly set to release its third-generation AirPods for sales by the end of 2019, with the new wireless earphones to incorporate a noise cancellation function....
How to Use 'Hey Siri' Hands-Free on a Mac
The latest version of Apple's "Hey Siri" feature works hands-free without being plugged into power, and it can be found in several recently announced Apple mobile products, including the fifth-generation iPad mini, third-generation iPad Air, and second-generation AirPods.
What's perhaps less well-known is that many of Apple's new Macs also support "Hey Siri" hands-free, meaning that users...
Popularity of OLED Smartphones With In-Display Fingerprint Scanners Continues to Grow in 2019
The popularity of OLED smartphones with in-display fingerprint sensors will continue to gather pace in 2019, DigiTimes reports this morning, despite Apple's decision to move away from the technology in favor of face recognition.
Citing industry sources, the report says that rising popularity for fingerprint scanners in smartphone screens is being driven by a reduction in sensor prices and the...
JCPenney Removes Apple Pay Support From Its Retail Stores and Mobile App [Updated]
American department store JCPenney has quietly removed support for Apple Pay from its retail stores, it has emerged.
The withdrawal of support for Apple's digital payment system was confirmed on Saturday by the company's customer service Twitter account in response to a query, but offered no reason for its decision.
JCPenney made the decision to remove Apple Pay for our stores, we ...
Mac Drag-and-Drop App 'Yoink' Gains Continuity Camera Support and New Shelf Actions
Popular Mac drag-and-drop app Yoink received a substantial update on Monday, adding a number of new features, as well as many smaller improvements.
For those unfamiliar with the app, Yoink aims to simplify the action of dragging and dropping files and app-content on the macOS desktop by providing a temporary place for files to be dragged to. Yoink fades in when you start a drag - either...
How to Listen to YouTube Music for Free on Your Google Home or Google Assistant Speaker
In April 2019, Google announced the launch of a free, ad-supported version of its YouTube Music streaming service for use with Google Home and other smart speakers that feature its voice-activated assistant.
Essentially, the free streaming tier means that you can listen to songs from the YouTube Music catalog, interspersed with occasional ads, on your Google Home or other Google...
Google Brings Free Ad-Supported YouTube Music Streaming to Google Assistant Speakers
In lockstep with Amazon, Google has announced a free, ad-supported music streaming option for use with smart speakers that feature its voice-activated assistant.
The new "free" streaming tier means owners of Google Home or other Google Assistant-powered speakers can listen to tracks from the YouTube Music catalog, albeit interspersed with ads.
Listening to music on your Google Home speaker ...
Bose Adds AirPlay 2 Support to BoseSmart Speakers and Sound Bars
Bose this week quietly announced AirPlay 2 support for its line of "BoseSmart" smart speakers. The audio company revealed the added functionality via its official Twitter account and separately in a post on its community support forums.
Introduced late last year, the BoseSmart range of speakers support Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and Alexa voice activation. Models in the range that now ...
Apple Expands Mobile Phone Billing to Thailand and Chile
Apple has expanded mobile phone billing to additional countries and carriers, according to an updated support document on its website.
As of this week, the feature is now supported by Movistar in Chile, and dtac and AIS in Thailand. Elsewhere, Vodafone and O2 has been added to the list of supporting carriers in Netherlands and Czech Republic, respectively.
The payment method allows Apple ...
