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
EU Regulator Fines Qualcomm $1.2 Billion for Paying Apple to Use Its Mobile Chips
Qualcomm has been hit with a 997 million euro ($1.2 billion) fine by EU antitrust regulators for paying Apple to use its LTE chips in iOS devices, Reuters reported on Wednesday. According to the European Commission's investigation, the payments to Apple occurred from 2011 to 2016, and were made with the sole aim of blocking Qualcomm's LTE chipset market rivals, such as Intel.
"Qualcomm paid...
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DuckDuckGo Launches Redesigned Privacy Browser Extension and Mobile App With Anti-Tracking Features
Privacy oriented search engine DuckDuckGo today launched revamped versions of its browser extension and standalone mobile app, promising users seamless built-in tracker network blocking and smarter encryption.
The headline feature in both the DuckDuckGo browser extension and mobile app is a Privacy Grade rating (A-F) information card whenever a user visits a site. The rating aims to let them...
Apple Said to Release New Entry-Level 13-inch MacBook This Year, Likely Replacing MacBook Air
Apple plans to release a new entry-level 13-inch MacBook in the second half of 2018, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes. The report claims General Interface Solution (GIS) is expected to win more LCD display orders from Apple for the planned new model, after it began supplying the modules for existing MacBooks in the fourth quarter of last year.
Touch panel maker General...
How to Get More Battery Life Out of Your Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is the most popular smartwatch on the market, yet battery life has never been its strong suit. That said, Apple has made improvements in this area with successive models, and while the company still only promises all-day battery life on a single charge, many Series 3 and 4 owners find they can get a lot more.
Of course, how long a given Apple Watch lasts between charges...
Apple Announces Partnership With Malala Fund to Support Girls' Education
Apple and Malala Fund announced on Sunday that Apple will become the fund's first Laureate partner. Led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, the fund champions the right of girls to a quality education and advocates equal opportunity around the world.
With support from Apple, the Malala Fund said it expects to double the number of grants awarded by its Gulmakai Network and extend...
HomePod May Support Multiple User Accounts and HomeKit Scenes That Mute Siri
Several new icons unearthed in the latest build of iOS 11.2.5 and shared on Twitter appear to reveal additional functionality included in Apple's upcoming HomePod smart speaker. On Sunday, Filipe Espósito found an image hidden amongst Apple's Home app assets that includes icons which suggest it will be possible to create custom scenes that mute the HomePod speaker's "Hey, Siri" function.
As ...
Portrait Camera App 'Focos' Gains Real Lens Optical Effects and Improved Shooting Mode
Portrait Mode photo editor Focos received an update today that should pique the interest of dual-lens camera iPhone owners. The app recently made our end-of-year best iOS app list for its impressive granular aperture and bokeh adjustment tools, but version 1.2 builds on the existing feature set by adding the ability to apply real lens optical effects to depth images.
The update introduces a...
KGI: Larger-Sized iPhones Coming This Year Will Offset Weakening Demand for iPhone X in China
Weaker-than-expected demand for iPhone X in China has led market analysts to revise down shipments for the first half of 2018, but larger-sized iPhone models in the pipeline should see Apple grow its overall worldwide shipments year-on-year, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who shared the information in a new research report obtained by MacRumors.
We revise down 1Q18 and...
Investigations into Apple's iPhone Battery Slowdowns Spread to Italy and South Korea
Italy and South Korea on Thursday joined a growing list of countries in which class-action lawsuits and government investigations into Apple's iPhone battery slowdowns are underway.
Italy's antitrust body revealed it had opened a probe into allegations that Apple used iOS updates to slow older smartphones and push clients into buying new models (via Reuters). The Italian watchdog said Apple...
Apple's 'Everyone Can Code' Initiative Adopted in 70 Education Institutions Around Europe
Apple today announced that 70 colleges and universities across Europe have adopted its "Everyone Can Code" initiative, which aims to help people learn to create mobile apps for the App Store.
Education institutions in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, and Portugal are now...
Twitterrific App Updates Add Haptic Feedback Features and Chronological Threads
Twitterrific issued a couple of notable updates for its macOS and iOS apps today that include new haptic feedback, chronological threads, and more.
First up, version 5.18.3 of the third-party iOS Twitter interface introduces haptic responses whenever a user likes or retweets content, or pulls down to refresh a thread. On that note, and in a move that should please users keen to switch away...
Apple Suppliers Anxious Over Lower-Than-Expected iPhone 8 Orders Going into 2018
iPhone suppliers are said to be preparing for low orders from Apple in the first quarter of 2018 because of a combination of seasonal factors and anxiety over reports of slower-than-expected sales of Apple's latest smartphone line-up.
According to DigiTimes' sources in the supply chain, several component suppliers are bracing themselves for low order visibility for the full range of iPhone 8, ...
Experimental Feature Pushes Google's Arts & Culture App to the Top of the Free Apps Chart
Google's Arts & Culture app rocketed to the top of the free app charts over the weekend after one of its experimental interactive features went viral.
Better known for its relatively staid virtual history exhibitions and digitized artworks, the app's sudden popularity is down to the addition of an option near the bottom of its scrolling interface which asks users, "Is your portrait in a...
Apple's iPhone 7 Plus Was China's Second Best-Selling Smartphone in 2017
Apple's iPhone 7 Plus was the second best-selling smartphone in China last year and outperformed iPhone 7 sales by some margin, according to new market research, suggesting price is not the only concern amongst Chinese consumers.
Low-cost smartphones have dominated the Chinese market in recent years, while high-end devices from companies like Apple typically see low sales numbers in the...
Twitter Rejects Claims It Snoops on Private User Data Including Direct Messages
Twitter has rebuffed claims by a conservative media outlet that its staff monitor users' private data, including direct messages sent over the social network (via TechCrunch).
Earlier this week, Project Veritas, which hosts sting operation-style videos produced by self-proclaimed "guerrilla journalist" James O'Keefe, posted footage that appears to show Twitter engineers admitting that teams of ...
Amazon Starts Taking Pre-Orders from U.K. Customers for Echo Spot
Amazon began taking pre-orders from U.K. customers for its Alexa-powered Echo Spot speaker on Tuesday. Announced along with all-new Echo models in September 2017, the compact display-and-speaker unit has only been available in the U.S. before now.
The Spot is capable of standard Amazon Echo functions like controlling smart home devices and streaming music, but can also show users additional...
YouTube Currently Testing New Dark Mode for Mobile iOS App
YouTube appears to be in the testing phase of adding a new dark theme for its official iOS app, according to reports.
Reddit user Dean Cobb revealed on Monday night that a new dark mode was already live as an option in the Settings section of the app after updating to version 13.01.4.
Dark mode via Redditor amievengabereal
However, as of this morning, rollout of the feature still seems...
Chinese Consumer Group Demands Answers From Apple Over Older iPhone Slowdowns
Apple's iPhone slowdown controversy extended to China on Tuesday after a Chinese consumer group asked the tech giant for information about iOS updates that reduce the performance of older iPhones (via Reuters).
The Shanghai Consumer Council has written to Apple and requested an explanation for the slowdowns and information about what Apple planned to do to rectify the problem. The consumer...
MacBook Pro Reportedly Won't See Any Major Upgrades in 2018
Apple currently has no plans to make any major upgrades to its MacBook Pro lineup in 2018, according to DigiTimes. Of course, if accurate, the report doesn't rule out a MacBook Pro refresh or update of any kind this year.
An excerpt from the report, citing sources within Apple's supply chain:The sources revealed that Foxconn had been aggressively working to land more MacBook orders from...
Apple Promotes Subscription-Based Apps With Free Trials in the App Store
Apple has opened a new section of the iOS App Store that promotes subscription-based apps offering free trials (via 9to5Mac).
Called "Try it for Free", the subcategory appears in the Apps tab and is currently home to just four apps, including USA Today, 1Password, Panna: Video Recipes & Classes, and Lake: Coloring Books. Tapping "Free Trial" next to one of the apps takes the user to a screen...
