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
macOS 10.12.2 Users Urged to Avoid Using 'Work-in-Progress' Preview App to Edit PDFs
Mac users running macOS Sierra 10.12.2 are being urged to avoid using Preview to edit PDFs until Apple fixes several bugs in the app that can cause corruption issues in the document format.
The recommendation comes from TidBITS publisher Adam Engst. Writing on the online Apple newsletter website, Engst backs up fellow developer Craig Landrup's claim that Apple's decision to rewrite the PDFKit...
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CES 2017: Lenovo Announces Amazon Alexa-Powered Connected Smart Speaker
PC maker Lenovo today announced its first smart speaker with Amazon's voice-activated virtual assistant built in.
Called the Lenovo Smart Assistant, the connected speaker integrates Amazon's Alexa Voice Services and offers the same speech-activated features as the Echo family of devices, but housed in a slightly redesigned unit.
The speaker keeps the same cylindrical profile as Amazon's...
New Apple Watch to Launch in Fall 2017 With Improved Battery Life But No Major Design Changes
Apple's third-generation Apple Watch is expected to be unveiled in the third quarter of 2017 and will focus on improving battery life and overall performance, according to a new report out of China.
On Tuesday, the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) claimed the next iteration of the wearable device will be manufactured by Taiwan-based Quanta, which was also responsible for the...
Video Converter 'Handbrake 1.0' Released for Mac After 13 Years in Beta
Cross-platform video transcoder Handbrake reached a milestone over the holiday break with the release of version 1.0.0 of the app after over 13 years in beta.
Despite the lengthy beta-test format and the demise of the built-in DVD drive in Apple's Mac line-up, the free open source transcoder has remained the go-to application for converting video files for playback on iOS devices and Apple...
Google Maps Santa Tracker Goes Live on iOS
Google's Santa Tracker finally went live today, allowing anyone with Google Maps installed on an iOS device to keep up with Santa's mythical journey across the world in real time.
Users can type 'track santa' into the Google Maps search field to view the area in which Santa can be currently found dispensing gifts. Tapping the blue Santa icon in the bottom right of the screen offers up more...
Uber Explains Why its App Appears to Track Users Days or Even Weeks After a Ride
Uber responded on Friday to concerns surrounding its app's background tracking behavior by explaining that the issue is being caused by an update to iOS itself, not the company's ride-hailing app (via TechCrunch).
Concerns were first raised about Uber's use of location services when the company announced it would track customers' whereabouts for a few minutes after their trip ends and the app...
Haptic Feedback Wrist Band Could Make for Thinner Apple Watch
Apple is looking at ways to offload the Apple Watch's haptic feedback mechanism from the device's chassis to the wrist strap, according to a new patent application.
Published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and spotted by AppleInsider, the patent application for a "Band attachment mechanism with haptic response" describes a band capable of alerting the wearer to incoming alerts and...
Atari Releases 'RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic' for iOS
Atari has released RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic on iPhone and iPad, combining the best features of the popular PC and Xbox titles RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999) and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 (2002) to create "a new RCT experience" for long-time fans.
Create and run amazing parks complete with the most outrageous rides imaginable. RCT Classic includes a mixture of authentic playability, depth of...
Uber Pulls its Self-Driving Cars From San Francisco Streets
Uber has removed its fleet of self-driving cars from San Francisco streets on Wednesday after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked its vehicle registrations (via Reuters).
Earlier this week, the DMV ordered Uber to shut down its self-driving car test program and comply with regulations requiring a permit to test the autonomous vehicles on public roads. The order came after an...
U.K. Surveillance Powers Are 'Illegal', Rules E.U.'s Highest Court
The European Union's highest court has ruled that the "general and indiscriminate retention" of electronic communications by governments is illegal, in a direct challenge to the U.K.'s recently passed Investigatory Powers Act, the so-called "Snooper's Charter" (via The Guardian).
The U.K. bill requires that internet service providers retain a record of all websites visited by citizens for 12...
Super Mario Run Sets App Store Record With 40 Million Downloads as New Game Mode Rolls Out
Popular iOS game Super Mario Run set a new download record yesterday, following its release last week on Thursday, December 15. According to app analyst Sensor Tower, the game hit 25 million downloads in just four days, which is faster than Pokémon Go, which took 11 days to reach the same number, although that game's initial launch was limited in terms of available territories.
SensorTower's...
Man Turns to Body Modification to Keep AirPods Held in Place
The majority of user reports suggest Apple's AirPods fare pretty well at sitting securely in the average lug hole, but at least one owner has had issues with them falling out of his ears. Fortunately he found an effective, albeit unusual, solution.
Figured out how I'm gonna keep these AirPods from falling out of my ears pic.twitter.com/5AKmzVIX5b— Andrew Cornett 🌚🏡⏳ (@amotion) December 21, 2016 ...
Apple Reportedly Tried to Buy Stuttgart's Wartime Bunkers to Convert into an Iconic Retail Store
Apple has reportedly offered a three-digit million amount to acquire an underground bunker in Stuttgart that it wanted to convert into a retail outlet similar to its iconic New York 5th Avenue Store.
The city of Stuttgart is still without an Apple Store, with the nearest one in Sindelfingen about 12 miles away. Apple has reportedly been searching for a suitable retail home in the city for some ...
Apple Said to be in Talks With India to Manufacture Locally
Apple is in talks with India to explore the possibility of making products locally, according to The Wall Street Journal (via Reuters).
The negotiations come as Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries to boost his 'Make in India' initiative, with Apple eager to make deeper inroads into the world's second largest mobile market.
In June, Modi ordered his government to exempt foreign retailers...
Facebook Adds Group Video Chat Feature to Messenger App
Facebook began rolling out a new group video chat feature to its Messenger app yesterday, allowing up to six users to appear on the screen at the same time and join in the conversation.
Messenger is the first mainstream chat platform to gain group video chat, beating the likes of Apple's FaceTime and iMessage, Google Duo, and Snapchat to the punch. In a blog post announcing the update,...
BlackBerry Opens Autonomous Vehicle Research Lab in Ottawa, Canada
Former smartphone company BlackBerry opened a new autonomous driving research center on Monday in Ottawa, Canada, according to Reuters.
BlackBerry is betting its future on the self-driving car business following its 2010 acquisition of QNX, a company which develops software for multiple in-car infotainment systems and whose software became the foundation of the BlackBerry 10 mobile operating...
AirPods Deliveries Arrive Across Europe as Retail Store Stock Dwindles
Early orders of AirPods arrived across Europe this morning as people were seen waiting outside Apple retail stores eager to get hold of a pair of the new wireless earphones before initial stock ran out.
Queues were reported outside Apple's Regent Street store in London and some other brick-and-mortar stores scattered around the U.K., but stock is reportedly limited and going fast. Regent...
Apple Set to Appeal EU Tax Ruling This Week
Apple is set to appeal this week against the European Commission's ruling that it must pay up to 13 billion euros ($13.8 billion) to Ireland in back taxes (via Reuters).
EU regulators concluded in August that Apple had received undue tax benefits from Ireland – where the company's European headquarters are located – which allowed it to pay substantially less than other companies.
Apple ...
OLED iPhone 8 to Feature Curved Display and New Touch-Sensitive Technology
Apple's high-end OLED iPhone 8 will use a curved display rather than a flat panel and could potentially feature new touch-sensitive technology, according to a report published on Sunday.
Multiple sources have claimed Apple is planning a 5.5-inch "premium" version of its 2017 iPhone with an OLED screen alongside new models with traditional LCD displays, but today's report underlines Apple's...
Apple's 'Notify' Feature for the Release of Super Mario Run Was Far Too Late for Users
Shortly after Apple first revealed that Nintendo was bringing Super Mario Run to the iPhone and iPad, many users discovered that Cupertino was also using the game's highly anticipated release as a test run for a new "Notify" system in the App Store.
Upon searching for the title on their devices before it was available, users were given the option of tapping an orange "Notify" button where the...
