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
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...
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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...
iOS 9.3 'Most Stable New Release in Years', Says Analytics Firm
Despite its much-publicized problems, Apple's iOS 9.3 is showing a lower crash rate than all active iOS builds, an app analytics firm reported yesterday (via AppleInsider).
According to California-based Apteligent, over the past eight days iOS 9.3 has had a crash rate of only 2.2 percent, making it the most stable iOS release in circulation. Apple's new iOS also beat the latest version of...
Apple Chip Suppliers Report Slowing Orders for Q2 2016
Chip orders from Apple for the second quarter of 2016 have been notably slow, according to unnamed sources in the integrated circuit supply chain (via DigiTimes).
Overall, chip orders placed by Apple for Q2 are expected to be only slightly higher than those for Q1, despite the launch of the company's 4-inch iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro earlier this month.
First-week sales of Apple's new...
Amazon Bans Sale of Potentially Dangerous USB-C Cables
Amazon has tightened restrictions on the sale of USB-C cables and adapters on its online store in an effort to protect customers from risky substandard products (via The Verge).
The online retailer added non-compliant USB-C cables to its list of prohibited items, following a flood of potentially damaging third-party cables onto the market. The new note on Amazon's page of undesirables...
'Next-Generation' Apple Store Opens in Memphis
Apple officially opened one of its first Jony Ive-inspired "next-generation" retail stores in the U.S. over the weekend.
The new-look store is located at the Shops of Saddle Creek South in Germantown, a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee, and shows off some of the new design elements, as shown in photos provided to AppleInsider.
The store is described as having a high-flung ceiling lined with...
Apple Website Gains 'Mix and Match' Apple Watch Gallery
Apple this week updated the Apple Watch section of its website to make it easier for customers to try out different watch styles and find the look they want.
Cult of Mac notes that Apple has replaced the old basic scrolling Gallery section of the site with a more flexible one consisting of three tabs that enable users to mix and match Cases, Bands, and Faces.
Visitors to the Gallery can...
Apple Promotes Microsoft Office 365 as iPad Pro 'Accessory'
Following the unveiling of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro at Apple's media event on Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook described the device as the "ultimate PC replacement". As if to underline that belief, the company has included a subscription option for Microsoft Office 365 in the iPad Pro ordering process on its website.
It's unclear exactly when Apple added the Microsoft productivity suite to the online...
FBI Enlists Israeli Firm Cellebrite to Unlock Shooter's iPhone
Israeli mobile software developer Cellebrite is helping the FBI in its attempt to unlock the iPhone at the center of the San Bernardino shooter investigation.
That's according to a story filed by Reuters this morning, based on a report in Wednesday's copy of Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. If the software company succeeds then the FBI will no longer need the help of Apple, the...
iOS Users in Japan Gain Apple Maps 'Nearby' Feature
Apple has extended the 'Nearby' feature in its iOS Maps app to serve users in Japan, bringing access to local points of interest such as bars, restaurants, health services and shopping centers.
AppleInsider reports that 'Nearby' is now active across the country, despite Apple having not yet updated its Maps feature availability web page to reflect the change. Apple reportedly introduced...
Apple in 'Advanced Talks' to Acquire GPU Supplier Imagination Technologies [Update: No]
Apple is reportedly in "advanced talks" to acquire British microchip designer Imagination Technologies, according to The Verge this morning.
The information is said to come from "a source with knowledge of the discussions". When asked for comment, Imagination Technologies refused to deny the planned takeover.
The report follows the UK firm's announcement just last week that it was making...
Apple Tackles E-Waste With iPhone Recycling Robot 'Liam'
At its media event on Monday, Apple kicked off by discussing its efforts to reduce waste and improve its renewable energy infrastructure, marking a heightened focus on the company's environmental responsibilities.
As part of the presentation, the company also unveiled a robotic system it has developed that can disassemble old iPhones and recover recyclable materials.
The robot, called...
Apple Offers Lightning to USB-C Cable for Fast-Charging 12.9-inch iPad Pro
Apple has introduced a Lightning to USB-C Cable to its online accessory store that lets users connect their iPhone, iPad, or iPod with Lightning connector to a computer’s USB-C port for syncing and charging.
Significantly, the cable can be used with an Apple 29W USB-C Power Adapter to take advantage of the fast charging feature on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but not the brand new 9.7-inch iPad...
