Articles on MacRumors by Tim Hardwick
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Tim Hardwick

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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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Apple Wins Patent for Flexible OLED iPhone Display

Tuesday March 1, 2016 3:16 am PST by
Apple has been granted 54 new patents today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, one of which contains details of a flexible display for a possible future iPhone. The patent, titled "Flexible Electronic Devices", covers products that would include flexible housings and internal components, including a flexible version of an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display, reports Patently Apple...
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Apple's 'Think Different' Trademark Extended to Apple Watch, iPad, Siri, and More

Monday February 29, 2016 3:45 am PST by
Apple has updated its "Think Different" trademark in a new European Patent and Trademark Office filing, covering it for use across the company's growing line of products. The filing expands the International Classes to which the trademark can be applied from one to eight. Those classes now cover Apple Watch, Apple Pay, Apple Pencil, iPad, games, business management, subscription services,...
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'Assassin's Creed Identity' Released on iOS Worldwide

Thursday February 25, 2016 2:12 am PST by
Ubisoft yesterday released Assassin's Creed Identity for iPhone and iPad worldwide, following news of its highly anticipated official launch earlier this month. The popular action role-playing game lets you create, customize, and play as Assassins during the Italian Renaissance, with story missions and quests set in the Coliseum, Florence, and other key locations of the era. The game features...
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Rallies Take Place in Over 50 US Cities to Support Apple in FBI Case

Wednesday February 24, 2016 1:32 am PST by
Privacy campaigners held organized rallies across the US yesterday to protest the FBI's demands that Apple unlock the iPhone at the center of its San Bernardino shooter investigation. Following on from limited protests in California last week, rallies extended from Albuquerque to Washington DC to support Apple's insistence that complying with the bureau's demands risked compromising the...
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Review: Parrot Zik 3.0 Bluetooth Headphones Offer 'Wireless Everything', but at a Premium

Tuesday February 23, 2016 12:02 pm PST by
Last month's CES saw French wireless tech company Parrot demoing the third model in its Zik range of popular Bluetooth headphones, aptly called Zik 3.0. Now shipping at a price of $400, the Zik 3.0's inherit the active noise-canceling (ANC), capacitive touch and HD telephony features of the earlier Zik 2.0's, but add some new functions like auto-adaptive ANC and Qi-compatible wireless...
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Samsung Opens Flagship NYC Store, Calls it 'Immersive Cultural Center'

Tuesday February 23, 2016 2:14 am PST by
Samsung yesterday announced the opening of its new flagship store in New York City, describing it as "the flagship of the future", but in a curious twist, one which does not actively sell Samsung products. Named simply "837" after its address in the popular Meatpacking district, the "living lab and digital playground" is a 55,000 square-foot space that includes a three-story digital screen...
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FBI Director 'Not Trying to Set Precedent' With iPhone Unlock Demand

Monday February 22, 2016 3:16 am PST by
FBI Director James Comey has written an editorial to respond to concerns that the agency's demands of Apple in the ongoing San Bernardino shooter case undermine privacy rights and threaten future security efforts. "The San Bernardino litigation isn't about trying to set a precedent or send any kind of message," Comey said in an op-ed piece that appeared on the Lawfare blog late Sunday. "It is...
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iPhone Users in China Experiencing Issues With Apple Pay [Updated]

Friday February 19, 2016 2:30 am PST by
Smartphone users in China are facing a number of system errors trying to sign up for Apple Pay after it was officially released in the country yesterday. Apple's mobile payment service became available on February 18 through a partnership with China's state-run interbank network, UnionPay. However, it appears that the sheer amount of users attempting to sign up to the platform during the first ...
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Campaigners Rally to Support Apple's Stance on Government Backdoors

Thursday February 18, 2016 2:28 am PST by
An internet rights advocacy group has held a rally outside a San Francisco Apple Store to support Apple's fight against government backdoors in its software. The small group of supporters stood outside Apple's downtown retail store on Wednesday and held iPhones that bore stickers reading, "I do not consent to the search of this device," reports The Guardian. The protest was organized by...
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Apple Withdraws iPhone 4s, 5c Handsets From India

Wednesday February 17, 2016 12:22 am PST by
Apple has ceased sales of some of its older iPhone models in India in a bid to improve its flagging profitability and average selling price in the country. The company today withdrew the iPhone 4s, which was selling for as low as Rs 12,000 ($175), in a move aimed at increasing share and acquiring new customers. Apple also stopped selling its iPhone 5c model, priced at Rs 20,000 ($292),...
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India's $7 Smartphone Set to Disrupt World's Third Largest Mobile Market

Tuesday February 16, 2016 4:27 am PST by
An Indian handset maker will tomorrow launch the country's cheapest smartphone, in a move that's likely to disrupt its booming mobile market of over 200 million users. Called Freedom 251 and priced at under Rs 500 ($7), the handset is being manufactured by domestic handset maker Ringing Bells as part of the government's Made in India campaign, which promotes and encourages local manufacturing. ...
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Real Racing 3 Update Brings Split-Screen Multiplayer to Apple TV

Tuesday February 16, 2016 3:42 am PST by
Popular free-to-play iOS racing game Real Racing 3 has received an update which includes a new "Daytona Experience" race pack and enhanced integration with Apple TV. The Daytona Experience features iconic 700-horsepower NASCAR Spring Cup Series cars and the opportunity to take part in Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in the NASCAR calendar. From February 16 through March 4, players...
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iPhone 7 Chip Manufacturer Counts Cost of Earthquake Damage

Monday February 15, 2016 4:40 am PST by
The sole company responsible for manufacturing the processor in Apple's upcoming iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus has reduced its shipping estimates after its facilities were damaged in an earthquake (via DigiTimes). Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) suffered the damage to its plants on February 6 when a 6.4-magnitude quake struck the southern part of the country. Initially, TSMC ...
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Future Apple Watch Could Adjust iPhone Volume Based on Ambient Noise

Thursday February 11, 2016 3:21 am PST by
The United States Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent filed by Apple in March 2014, which depicts an Apple Watch automatically adjusting an iPhone's audio volume or other alert characteristics based on ambient sound samples (via AppleInsider). The invention would be most useful in noisy environments where alerts might otherwise go unnoticed or unheard. The system could also...
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Virtual Reality Coming to iOS Within 2 Years, Claims Gene Munster

Tuesday February 9, 2016 3:33 am PST by
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster believes Apple plans to put iOS at the center of several forthcoming augmented reality and VR innovations set to launch within the next two years. In a research note obtained by AppleInsider, Munster claims a timeline of recent purchases and hires by the company suggests that iOS support for "mixed reality" applications could be set for launch as soon as...
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Facebook iOS App Under Fire Again for iPhone Battery Drain Issues

Monday February 8, 2016 4:05 am PST by
Facebook this morning came under fire once more over concerns regarding the impact its iOS app has on iPhone battery life. Writing in The Guardian, technology reporter Samuel Gibbs claims to have found that uninstalling Facebook's iOS app and accessing the social media site via Safari can save up to 15 percent of an iPhone's battery life. Gibbs relates how he uninstalled the app on his...
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Ad-Less Apple Maintains Presence at Super Bowl 50

Monday February 8, 2016 3:44 am PST by
Apple was conspicuously absent from commercial slots aired during the television broadcast of yesterday's Super Bowl 50, but that didn't stop some of its products from popping up in ads for other companies' wares (via AppleInsider). In TV spots aired during the National Football League's biggest game, a shout-out for Apple Music featured at the end of T-Mobile's ad, which promoted the network...
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BBC iPlayer for iOS Adds Handoff Support and Spotlight Search

Friday February 5, 2016 3:42 am PST by
BBC's iPlayer app has been updated for iOS users in the UK today, bringing added support for Spotlight search and Apple's Handoff feature. Users of the app can now directly search for TV programs from their home screen by activating Spotlight search with a swipe down gesture, while the addition of Handoff support enables viewers to pick up where they left off when switching to another iOS...
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Apple Pay Coming Soon to Crate & Barrel, Chick-fil-A and Au Bon Pain

Thursday February 4, 2016 3:18 am PST by
Apple Pay is now available at more than 2 million retail locations, with merchants such as Crate & Barrel, Chick-fil-A and Au Bon Pain set to accept the system in stores imminently, reports The Business Times. Online clothing retailer Zappos.com also added Apple Pay to its iPhone and iPad apps on Tuesday, following a number of requests from customers to use the feature. The announcement...
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Apple Patents Hover-Sensing Multi-Touch Display for Macs and iPhones

Tuesday February 2, 2016 4:18 am PST by
The United States Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent filed by Apple last March, which details how inline proximity sensors could be used in tandem with a touchscreen display to detect non-contact hover gestures (via AppleInsider). The patent, titled "Proximity and multi-touch sensor detection and demodulation", reveals how photodiodes or other proximity hardware work in...