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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Whisky Developer Halts Work on Mac Gaming Tool, Endorses CrossOver

Wednesday April 23, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
Whisky, a popular open-source front-end for Wine that made Windows gaming on Mac more accessible, has ceased development. The project's 18-year-old creator, Isaac Marovitz, announced the shutdown and encouraged users to switch to the paid CrossOver app instead. In offering the reasons for his decision, Marovitz expressed concern that Whisky was potentially harming the Wine ecosystem by...
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Apple Hit With €500M Fine as EU Enforces Digital Markets Act

Wednesday April 23, 2025 3:18 am PDT by
The European Commission has fined Apple 500 million euros ($570 million) and Meta 200 million euros ($230 million) for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA), in the first penalties ever issued under the new EU tech regulation. Apple was penalized for restricting app developers from informing users about alternative payment options outside the App Store. The Commission said it had...
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Grok AI Gains Vision and Voice Features in iOS App

Wednesday April 23, 2025 2:48 am PDT by
xAI has launched a new Voice Mode for its Grok chatbot, introducing a feature called Grok Vision that lets users interact with the world through their smartphone camera. Much like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, Grok can now interpret what your phone sees and respond in real time. Using Grok Vision, iPhone users can point their camera at an object and ask "What am I looking at?" – and the...
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M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
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iPhone 17 Pro Allegedly Coming in Sky Blue Color Used for MacBook Air

Tuesday April 22, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu. Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue currently the frontrunner." Bu goes ...
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iPhone 17e Nears Trial Production, Launch Tipped for Late May 2026

Tuesday April 22, 2025 2:49 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17e is nearing the trial production stage, with the mid-range device tentatively scheduled for a May release, according to a proven leaker with sources in Apple's Chinese supply chain. WeChat-based leaker Fixed Focus Digital shared the claims on Tuesday, adding that the iPhone 17e release date is currently understood to be late May 2026, although the exact date ...
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Netflix's New AI Search Feature Will Understand Your Viewing Moods

Friday April 18, 2025 5:53 am PDT by
Netflix is testing a new search feature powered by OpenAI technology that aims to improve how users discover content on the streaming platform, according to multiple reports. The new AI-powered search capability will allow subscribers to use more natural language queries beyond traditional searches for genres or actors. Users will be able to search for content based on more specific...
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Show or Hide File Extensions on Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Friday April 18, 2025 5:00 am PDT by
On computers and mobile devices, file extensions are the suffixes that apps append to filenames. When you see an item like "document.docx" for example, the .docx extension tells the computer and the user what the file is and what to open it with. Some users don't feel the need to see the extensions of files when viewing them in a file manager, but others prefer to have them displayed to help ...
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Select Faster on iPhone With This Two-Finger Trick

Friday April 18, 2025 4:30 am PDT by
Your iPhone has multiple touch and gesture capabilities that can enhance how you interact with apps. Some, like pinch and zoom, are well known enough to be considered second nature, but others are less obvious, like the one we're about to explain. Two-Finger Drag to Select Items If you have apps where you habitually tap on each individual item in a list to select them – emails in your...
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How to Get the Old Apple Mail Back

Friday April 18, 2025 4:00 am PDT by
With recent software updates, Apple has made some major changes to the way its stock Mail app looks and works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Keen to roll back these changes and revert to how Apple Mail functioned before the updates? Keep reading to learn how it's done. When Apple released iOS 18.1, it added a priority messages feature to the Mail app for devices with Apple Intelligence. Then in...
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iOS 18.4: Access Hidden Ambient Music Playlists

Friday April 18, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
In Apple's iOS 18.4 software update, there's a new Ambient Music feature available in the Control Center options on iPhone. It's free to use, and does not require an Apple Music subscription. It's also more customizable than most users probably realize. Keep reading to learn how. There are four different sound categories to Ambient Music, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing....
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iPhone Shipments Down 9% in China's Q1 Smartphone Boom

Friday April 18, 2025 2:10 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone shipments in China declined by 9 percent in the first quarter compared to the year earlier, and it was the only major smartphone vendor to see a decline, according to data from research firm IDC. Shipments of iPhones fell to 9.8 million units, giving Apple a market share of 13.7 percent, down from 17.4 percent in the previous quarter. Apple has now had seven straight quarters...
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Apple Intelligence Feature Not Available in Meta Apps Like Facebook, Instagram

Thursday April 17, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Apple has seemingly had one of its most useful AI tools blocked from Meta's apps. Writing Tools, which is an Apple Intelligence feature, is not available to use in Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, and Messenger. Apple's Writing Tools include options to proofread, rewrite, and summarize text almost anywhere you can type in iOS 18. A long press in a text input field usually brings up...
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Grok AI Chatbot Gains Memory Feature for Smarter, Personalized Chats

Thursday April 17, 2025 3:04 am PDT by
xAI has rolled out a new memory feature for Grok, its conversational AI, making the chatbot smarter and more personalized over time. With memory enabled, Grok can now recall past interactions – like your preferences or previous questions – to provide more relevant recommendations and responses. According to xAI, this feature brings Grok in line with memory capabilities already found in...
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iPhone 18's Costly 2nm Process Adoption Could Lead to Price Hikes

Thursday April 17, 2025 1:53 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 models will adopt TSMC's 2nm manufacturing process for the next-generation A20 chip, which will bring substantial performance and power efficiency improvements to next year's iPhones, but it may also incur significantly more costs that Apple could pass onto the customer. The latest corroboration that Apple will use TSMC's 2nm process in next year's iPhone models comes from...
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Security Database Used by Apple Goes Independent After Funding Cut [Updated]

Wednesday April 16, 2025 5:10 am PDT by
Update: Following the CVE Foundation's announcement (below), CISA has said the U.S. government is extending funding to ensure no continuity issues with the critical Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) program (via Bleeping Computer). Original story follows. Apple, along with other tech companies, relies on the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) program to identify and track...
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Anthropic's Claude AI Chatbot Expected to Gain 'Voice Mode' This Month

Wednesday April 16, 2025 3:34 am PDT by
Anthropic, makers of the Claude AI chatbot, are close to launching a new voice assistant to rival OpenAI's similar option for interacting with ChatGPT, according to Bloomberg. Unless plans change, the new "voice mode" feature could be released as soon as this month – nearly a year after OpenAI began rolling out its own equivalent to users. The feature, which will be available in the Claud...
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iPhone Fold: New Leak Corroborates Camera Setup on Outer Display

Wednesday April 16, 2025 2:45 am PDT by
Further details have emerged about the camera system on Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, informally dubbed the "iPhone Fold." Expected to launch next year, Apple's book-style foldable is rumored to feature a 7.8-inch crease-free internal display and a 5.5-inch external screen. According to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the device will include a dual-lens rear camera along with front-facing ...
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iPhone Feature for Tracking Lost Baggage Expands to 2 More Airlines

Tuesday April 15, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Taiwan's China Airlines and Air India now support Apple's iPhone feature that makes it easier to share the location of AirTag-equipped baggage at airports, according to local media. With iOS 18.2, Apple introduced a new Find My feature that lets you temporarily share the location of an AirTag-equipped item – such as a bag – with others, including participating airline staff, to help...
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Foldable iPhone Set to Use Exclusively Samsung OLED Panels

Tuesday April 15, 2025 3:38 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone (aka "iPhone Fold") will use OLED panels exclusively supplied by Samsung Display, reports Business Korea. Apple's decision to rely exclusively on Samsung Display is noteworthy, as it marks a departure from Apple's usual strategy of sourcing components from multiple suppliers to reduce costs and ensure consistent quality. Apple's decision to use Samsung as...