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
Researchers Uncover macOS and Safari Exploits at Pwn2Own 2017
The seventeenth annual CanSecWest security conference is underway in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, where researchers are competing in the 10th anniversary Pwn2Own computer hacking contest for over $1 million in prizes.
Day one results have already been published over at the Zero Day Initiative website, with a couple of successful Mac-related exploits already appearing in the list of...
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Chrome 57 Reduces Desktop Power Consumption By Throttling Background Tabs
Version 57 of the desktop Chrome web browser includes a new CPU throttling feature that Google says will lead to 25 percent fewer busy background tabs and help reduce overall power consumption.
Charges that Chrome is a battery hog have long dogged Google's browser, leading the company to make efficient power usage a key pillar in its long-term development strategy for the software. Throttling...
HomeKit-Enabled Smart Homes For Sale in San Jose, California
With Apple known to be partnering with various building companies to integrate its HomeKit platform into new houses, one journalist yesterday was invited by KB Home to check out the company's latest HomeKit-enabled development in San Jose, California.
KRON4 tech reporter Gabe Slate's peek inside one of the smart houses demonstrates the extent of the HomeKit integration, which costs $2500 per...
Viber Messaging App to Gain Self-Destructing Conversations Feature
Globally popular messaging platform Viber will add a new self-destructing chat feature to its iOS app later this week (via The Verge).
The new feature, called "Secret Chats", gives users the option of starting entire conversations that self-destruct after a certain time limit.
Users can prevent messages within the secret chat threads from being forwarded to other conversations. The...
Galaxy S8 to Gain Facial Recognition Feature Over Doubts About Iris Scanning Technology
Samsung will add a facial recognition capability to its upcoming Galaxy S8 because of doubts about the speed and reliability of iris scanning alone, according to a report yesterday in the Korea Economic Daily.
The news comes amid rumors last month that Apple's "iPhone 8" will feature a "revolutionary" front-facing camera system with the potential to combine the advantages of both facial and...
Apple's Swift Programming Language Surging in Popularity
The rapidly increasing take-up of Apple's Swift programming language was confirmed again yesterday with the publication of a survey that ranks the popularity of programming languages.
In the latest TIOBE Index, Swift was ranked 10th, up four places from March 2016. As CultofMac notes, the nine programming languages ranked above it are at least two decades old, so breaking into the top 10 is a...
Siri's Multiple Language Support Still Its Biggest Strength Over Other Virtual Assistants
Reuters published an article on Thursday that reveals some of the painstaking work that goes into making Siri capable of speaking additional languages, which remains one of its biggest strengths over rival virtual assistants.
The behind-the-scenes look appears amid claims that Apple has squandered its lead in the voice-assistant space, with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft all advancing the...
Apple UK Online Store Promoting Limited Time 0% Interest Offer, Minimum Spend £399
Apple is promoting a limited time financing offer on its UK online store that allows customers to buy an Apple product and pay it back over 12 months without being charged any interest.
A minimum spend of £399 (or £99 via PayPal Credit) is required to qualify for the deal, which covers most products including MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones, although some Apple Watch 2 models are not eligible.
...
Firefox Browser 52 Announced With 'Game Changing' Support For Complex Web Apps
Mozilla has heralded the release of a new version of Firefox that it says enables resource-intensive web content like games, apps, and image-editors to run in a browser window at previously unachievable native speeds.
To accomplish the feat, Firefox 52 supports Web Assembly, a new standard developed by Mozilla, which it calls "a game changer for the web".
WebAssembly allows complex apps,...
Supplier Ibiden Commits to 100 Percent Renewable Energy For Apple Manufacturing
Apple has announced that component supplier Ibiden has become the first company in Japan to guarantee all of its Apple manufacturing will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy.
Ibiden is planning to invest in more than 20 new renewable energy facilities, including one of the largest floating solar photovoltaic systems in the country.
"We're proud to partner with suppliers like Ibiden ...
Adobe Lightroom Mobile App Gets New Raw HDR Capture Mode
Adobe has announced that the latest update to its Lightroom mobile app now allows users to capture HDR images in RAW format.
The upgrade means the app now automatically determines the ideal exposure range of the subject before capturing three photos as RAW DNG files, before applying align, merge, and tone mapping algorithms to generate the final 32-bit RAW image.
We're excited to...
Apple Face Detection Patent Hints at Possible PrimeSense Tech Headed For 'iPhone 8'
Apple was awarded a patent today that details a method of detecting faces in a digital video feed through the use of depth information.
Published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the document describes how face detection algorithms could identify the presence of faces in a live video when people in the scene are located at different distances from the camera.
To reduce processing...
Apple Adds Apple Pay Details to Italian Website Ahead of Launch
Apple has updated its Italian website with an Apple Pay page, confirming its introduction in the country is close at hand.
Last month, Apple added complete translations of Apple Pay support documents to its Italian and German regional websites, indicating the launch of the mobile payment system in those countries is just a matter of time.
Today, for Italy at least, that launch appears one ...
Review: Bragi's 'The Headphone' Wireless Buds Are Neat, but Lack the Finesse of AirPods
Bragi announced its Dash earphones at CES way back in 2015, when wireless Bluetooth headsets were still relatively niche. Since then we've seen Apple, Samsung, and a host of other companies launch their own "truly wireless" headphones, prompting Bragi to give the market another pop with "The Headphone" ($149), a less expensive, more awkwardly named variant of its original cord-free buds....
Google Home Speaker Criticized For Spreading Fake News
Google's search algorithms came under renewed fire on Sunday after the BBC highlighted examples in which the company's Google Home smart speaker promotes "fake news" and conspiracy theories through its virtual assistant.
BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones tweeted a video yesterday that appears to show the smart device responding to the question "Is Obama planning a coup?" with the...
How a Home Button and Function Bar Could Work on the 'iPhone 8'
The iconic home button has been a mainstay of Apple design ever since the first iPhone debuted in 2007. Even the buttons on the elevators at Apple Park are said to resemble it. The button's tactile circularity promises an escape route to familiarity should users get lost or apps go wrong. However, its delicate components converge upon a recess in the phone's bezel, an area that could otherwise...
Apple to Open New Schildergasse Retail Store in Cologne, Germany, on March 25
Apple today announced that its second retail store in the German city of Cologne will open later this month. The address of the brick-and-mortar store is Schildergasse 1-9, which sits on one of the busiest shopping streets in Europe. Doors open on March 25.
The announcement confirms long-held rumors that Apple has been planning a second store in the city. Evidence surfaced in January that...
'Vantage Calendar' is Apple's Free App of the Week
Apple is currently promoting Vantage Calendar as its Free App of the Week on the iOS App Store. Notable for its novel visual approach to calendar presentation, the app also features a number of lively design options for highlighting upcoming events in the user's schedule.
Central to Vantage is a 3D vertical timeline that users scroll up and down to move forwards and backwards through their...
Apple Losing Out to Microsoft and Google in U.S. Classrooms
Use of iPads and MacBooks in U.S. schools hit a new low last year, with Apple struggling to make further inroads into the education sector, according to new figures (via The New York Times).
According to research company Futuresource Consulting, in 2016 the number of devices in American classrooms that run iOS and macOS fell to third place behind both Google-powered laptops and Windows...
Apple Has a Redesigned Fingerprint ID Solution For the iPhone 8
Apple is set to feature its own in-house developed integrated fingerprint ID technology in the OLED version of its next iPhone, according to a new report out on Friday.
Apple's upcoming "iPhone 8" is expected to feature a virtual home button embedded in the display, but questions persist over the role of Touch ID in such a radical redesign, as conflicting reports from analysts, rumors of biomet...
