Articles on MacRumors by Tim Hardwick - Page 376
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Tim Hardwick

Photo of 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.

Tim Hardwick's Articles

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Tim Cook Visits Beijing-Based Bike Sharing Startup, Ofo

Tuesday March 21, 2017 1:52 am PDT by
Tim Cook visited Beijing-based bike-sharing company ofo on Tuesday, according to Reuters. The Apple CEO has been in China since at least Saturday, when he gave a wide-ranging talk at the China Development Forum. During his ofo stop, Cook met with founding members including CEO Dai Wei, and posed for pictures of him riding a yellow ofo bike. "Thanks for welcoming me today, ofo team! Great...
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Review: Lofree's Mechanical Bluetooth Keyboard Is a Beautiful, Frustrating Typewriter for Your Mac

Monday March 20, 2017 1:30 pm PDT by
Redesigning an input device is a risky business. When Apple introduced its latest MacBooks, some users complained that the new butterfly mechanism in the keys was a turnoff. They criticized the keyboard for its lack of travel, and said the experience of typing was not much different to tapping on a touch screen. Other users felt okay with the change. Whichever side people fell on the debate,...

Galaxy S8 Retail Price to Significantly Undercut Premium 'iPhone 8'

Monday March 20, 2017 3:54 am PDT by
Fresh leaks of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 have revealed that the de facto "iPhone 8" rival will come in three colors and cost upwards of 799 euros ($859) when it goes on sale next month in Europe. Serial mobile leaker Evan Blass revealed the news in a Sunday tweet, which included an official press image of Samsung's new flagship phone in colors described as Black Sky, Orchid Grey, and...

Apple CEO Tim Cook Touts Benefits of Globalization in China Speech

Saturday March 18, 2017 3:41 am PDT by
Apple CEO Tim Cook gave a talk on Saturday to attendees of the China Development Forum 2017, where he offered commentary on a range of issues including globalization, economics, and data privacy. The annual forum is a high-profile conference in which senior Chinese government officials, global corporation leaders, institutions, and scholars gather to discuss major issues including Chinese...
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Apple Stock Smashes Previous All-Time High For Second Month Running

Friday March 17, 2017 4:22 am PDT by
Apple shares hit a record closing high in Nasdaq trading yesterday, reaching $140.69 to beat its previous all-time closing high of $140.46 set just two days ago. A new all-time intraday high of $141.02 was also set by AAPL on Thursday, eclipsing its previous record of $140.75, also set on March 15. Stocks re-opened today at $140.72 and remained steady around the $140 mark. The figures...
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Netflix to Replace Star Ratings With Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down

Friday March 17, 2017 3:00 am PDT by
Netflix announced yesterday that it will replace star-based user reviews in its content library with binary thumbs up and thumbs down ratings over the coming weeks. Previous star ratings given by users will be used to personalize their Netflix profiles, but the ability to rate a TV series or movie by awarding stars is set to disappear altogether, according to Variety. Image via Variety Netfli...
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Apple to Build Two Additional R&D Centers in China

Friday March 17, 2017 2:03 am PDT by
Apple announced today that it will set up two additional research and development centers in China, to go with the two locations in the country that it announced last year. The new R&D centers will open in Shanghai and Suzhou, the company said in a statement on its Chinese website on Friday. Apple hopes the centers will help it to attract graduates from institutes such as Peking University,...
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Review: Jabra Elite Sport Wireless Biometric Earbuds Make Your Workouts Sound Better

Thursday March 16, 2017 9:01 am PDT by
Headphone jack controversies aside, Apple's cord-free AirPods have contributed to a recent surge of interest in "truly wireless" earphones, with several companies vying for a piece of the market. Denmark-based audio outfit Jabra has embraced the freedom-of-movement appeal of wireless buds more than most with its Elite Sport headphones ($250), which it calls "the most technically advanced true ...
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Netflix Planning to Stream Mobile HDR Content Ahead of 'iPhone 8'

Thursday March 16, 2017 5:18 am PDT by
Netflix is planning to offer HDR quality mobile content for viewing on supporting devices because of an increasing mobile subscriber base and the company's belief that the format will eventually be universally adopted on mobile platforms. The comments were made yesterday by Netflix executive Neil Hunt during a briefing with journalists, as part of a two-day event at Dolby Laboratories and...
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Google Play Music Gets New Playback Quality Options For Streaming and Offline Listening

Thursday March 16, 2017 3:03 am PDT by
Google has updated its Play Music app with new options to control the quality of music playback over wireless networks and choose the compression level of downloaded tracks. Previously, users of the streaming service could only adjust the quality of music when listening over their mobile connection, but the additional options offer the same control over WiFi and when listening offline....
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Researchers Uncover macOS and Safari Exploits at Pwn2Own 2017

Thursday March 16, 2017 2:13 am PDT by
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

Wednesday March 15, 2017 3:44 am PDT by
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...
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HomeKit-Enabled Smart Homes For Sale in San Jose, California

Wednesday March 15, 2017 2:13 am PDT by
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...
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Viber Messaging App to Gain Self-Destructing Conversations Feature

Friday March 10, 2017 4:08 am PST by
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...
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Galaxy S8 to Gain Facial Recognition Feature Over Doubts About Iris Scanning Technology

Friday March 10, 2017 3:45 am PST by
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...
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Apple's Swift Programming Language Surging in Popularity

Friday March 10, 2017 1:12 am PST by
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...
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Siri's Multiple Language Support Still Its Biggest Strength Over Other Virtual Assistants

Thursday March 9, 2017 3:24 am PST by
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...
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Apple UK Online Store Promoting Limited Time 0% Interest Offer, Minimum Spend £399

Wednesday March 8, 2017 3:54 am PST by
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. ...
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Firefox Browser 52 Announced With 'Game Changing' Support For Complex Web Apps

Wednesday March 8, 2017 3:01 am PST by
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,...
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Supplier Ibiden Commits to 100 Percent Renewable Energy For Apple Manufacturing

Wednesday March 8, 2017 1:56 am PST by
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 ...