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
Siri Responds to Most Burning Question Asked by 'Game of Thrones' Fans
The first episode of the long-awaited season six of HBO series Game of Thrones premiered in Los Angeles over the weekend, and Siri is now giving cheeky responses to users who ask the personal assistant whether one of its principal characters, Jon Snow, has truly left this mortal coil.
Asking Siri, 'Is Jon Snow dead?' returns a number of possible responses, including:
Well, you know what...
Read Full Article • 31 comments
BBC Announces Family-Friendly iPlayer Kids App for iOS
The BBC today unveiled the iPlayer Kids app for iOS, which allows children to safely access CBeebies and CBBC shows directly.
The family-friendly app offers access to over 10,000 shows and enables up to four profiles to be created on one device for the delivery of specialized content to each child.
Parents and guardians can create a profile for children by selecting an age and a...
iOS 9.3.2 Beta Reportedly Fixes 'White Screen of Death' Game Center Bug
A long-standing bug in Game Center that renders many games unplayable has reportedly been resolved in the latest public beta of iOS 9.3.2.
Game Center for iOS is a necessary component of many turn-based multiplayer App Store titles, which rely on Apple's social gaming network to enable gamers to invite friends, start multiplayer matches, and compete for high scores.
The bug, which first...
Facebook Messenger for iOS Gains Native Dropbox Support
Facebook Messenger for iOS is gaining native Dropbox integration for the first time, allowing users to share any file stored in their Dropbox account without having to leave the app.
Tapping the More button in the popular messenger app now displays Dropbox as an available source. So long as the Dropbox app is installed on the device and an account is linked to it, users can share photos,...
Apple Reportedly Using Chinese Server Supplier to Migrate iCloud Service
Apple is reportedly working with China-based server vendor Inspur to help transfer its iCloud data services in-house, according to sources out of the China supply chain (via DigiTimes).
Currently Apple is thought to rely heavily on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host many of its cloud server requirements, but the company’s data center plans suggest it is looking to scale back the money it...
Apple Complied With First iPhone Unlock Court Order in 2008, Says Report
A review of Apple's track record of handling government data requests claims that the company received and complied with its first court order to unlock an iPhone in 2008.
According to a Wall Street Journal piece published yesterday, the first court order came from investigators involved in the prosecution of child sex offenders Amanda and Christopher Jansen, a married couple from Watertown,...
Apple Watch Hermès Bands to be Sold Separately, New Colors Coming April 19
Apple revealed an expansion to its collection of Hermès Apple Watch bands today, with four additional colors becoming available to buy separately later this month.
Apple's refreshed collaboration with the French fashion house brings sapphire blue, peacock blue, white and orange to the existing collection of Fauve (deer brown), Etain, Capucine, and Bleu Jean.
In the past, Hermès...
HP Claims Innovation Over Apple With 'World's Thinnest Laptop'
Amid rumors that Apple is working on ultra-thin 13 and 15-inch "MacBooks", HP yesterday announced the "world's thinnest laptop" in the form of the Core-i powered 13.3-inch Spectre, with a design that the company said offered proof that it is driving innovation faster than Apple.
Created with a focus on "luxury and artisanal craftsmanship", the HP Spectre is 10.4mm thick and weighs in at...
WhatsApp Messenger Implements Full End-to-End Encryption
WhatsApp has enabled full end-to-end encryption for all users of the mobile instant messenger app.
The Facebook-owned service started implementing end-to-end encryption to standard chat messages in 2014, but has now completed rollout to all forms of communication within the app, such as photos, videos and calls.
WhatsApp co-founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton officially announced the rollout ...
Bot Rush Continues Apace as Kik for iOS Launches Dedicated 'Bot Shop'
Kik Messenger for iOS officially opened a dedicated bot store yesterday that allows anyone to create chat bots for use within the app.
Chat bots are automated chat accounts that are programmed to deliver specific content or services when users interact with them, sidestepping the need to download a separate app to access the service or content in question.
The popular teen messaging app...
Pebble Brings iOS Text Replies to Verizon, Custom Vibrations and More
Pebble owners that link the smartwatch to an iPhone on the Verizon network can now use the iOS app's Text Reply feature to respond to text messages that show up on their wrist.
Previously the feature was only available to users on AT&T, but the newly released version 3.11 update to the Pebble app brings the same functionality to Verizon users as well. After enabling the option via the updated...
Facebook iOS App Gets VoiceOver Feature to Help Blind Users 'See' Photos
Facebook has introduced a new accessibility tool to its iOS app for blind and visually impaired people to help identify images posted on their social feed.
The function, called Automatic Alternative Text, works via VoiceOver and generates descriptions of photos that are spoken out loud as a user swipes past photos in the Facebook app.
Previously, people using VoiceOver would only hear...
Security Flaw in iOS 9.3.1 Allows Access to iPhone Photos and Contacts
A video surfaced online yesterday purporting to show a vulnerability in iOS 9.3.1 that allows anyone to access photos and contacts on a locked iPhone without having to enter a passcode.
The YouTube video, uploaded by Jose Rodriguez and first spotted by The Daily Dot, depicts a user performing a Siri search followed by a series of relatively simple steps, one of which involves 3D Touch,...
Apple Updates Siri With Improved Baseball Acumen
Apple has upgraded Siri to improve answers to baseball-related questions in time for Major League Baseball's new season (via The Verge).
Apple's voice-activated assistant is now able to draw on an updated database that includes statistics going back to the beginning of the sport's history. Siri users can also enjoy more detailed Major League Baseball career stats as well as additional...
Samsung Lobbies Indian Government to Deny Apple Request to Sell Used iPhones
Early last month we reported that Apple was planning to sell refurbished iPhones in India and had submitted a formal request to the country's government in order to allow it to begin importing pre-owned iPhones into the country.
This morning, however, news has surfaced that major smartphone makers in the Indian market including Samsung, Karbonn, Micromax and Intex are actively opposing Apple's ...
Apple Patent Details Modular Smart Bands for Apple Watch
Apple has filed a patent application hinting that the company could be working on modular smart bands for the Apple Watch, allowing users to add functions such as wireless charging battery packs and GPS receivers to an existing timepiece (via AppleInsider).
The application, titled "Modular functional band links for wearable devices", was published yesterday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark...
Tesla Unveils $35,000 Model 3 Electric Car, Shipping Late 2017
The highly anticipated Tesla Model 3 electric car was unveiled by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday night in a converted hangar in Los Angeles, California.
The company's first mass-market electric car was driven onto a foggy stage in an extravagant unveiling, where Musk revealed that the Tesla Model 3 will seat five, and be able to cover at least 215 miles on one charge.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk ...
Happy April Fools' Day 2016: SpatiaFlight AirPlay, Google Cardboard Plastic and More
April 1 is here again, and as with every April Fools' Day that comes around, readers should be on the alert for hoaxes and claims at both news and rumor sites.
As tradition would have it, plenty of today's pranks involve Apple and tech. Here are a few of the more intriguing ones that are making the rounds so far today. Bear in mind that some of the hoaxes may be NSFW, so after-office viewing...
Facebook Messenger Gains Airline Information Bot
Facebook released a new feature today for its iOS Messenger app that allows users to receive booked flight information updates.
The instant messaging service's first 'airline bot' enables KLM Royal Dutch Airlines customers who have booked tickets through the airlines' website to have all their flight information delivered to a dedicated thread within the app.
The bot is designed to...
Rumors of Coming 'macOS' Rebrand for OS X Refuse to Die
The discovery of a change in file naming conventions in OS X 10.11.4 is behind a recent growth in speculation that Apple is set to rebrand its OS X desktop operating system.
Screenshot from Mac OS 8 released in 1997.
The rumor appears to have begun on Tuesday after Brazilian Apple blog MacMagazine reported that a name used for an Interface Builder document tucked away in the OS X System...
