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
New Google Chromebook and Google Home 'Mini' Could Debut Alongside Pixel 2 Phones
Google will launch an all-new Pixel-branded Chromebook and a miniaturized version of its Google Home smart speaker alongside new Pixel smartphones at an event this fall, according to a source familiar with the company's plans.
Details are scant on the new Pixel notebook, which will revive the Chromebook line after two years of inactivity, but AndroidPolice suggests it could be the fruition of...
Read Full Article • 13 comments
Facebook to Make 'Safety Check' a Permanent Feature on its Mobile App
Facebook's Safety Check service is set to become a permanent feature of the social media network on both mobile and web, with the next update of the iOS app.
The Safety Check feature first appeared in 2014 to help users let loved ones know they are safe if they are close to a crisis. Facebook announced on its Disaster Response page that the service will roll out to become a permanent feature...
Unearthed TV News Clip Recounts One of Apple's Biggest Leaks of the Late 80s
If MacRumors gave out an award for Most Revealing Apple Leak of the Year, there's a good chance the plaudits for 2017 would go to Apple's unintentional public release of HomePod firmware. Apple's beta code turned out to include a trove of intriguing references to upcoming products yet to be announced, including the Apple Watch Series 3, the so-called "iPhone 8", and a fifth-generation Apple TV.
...
Barclays Mobile Banking App Now Lets You Pay People Using Siri
Barclays has become the first bank in the U.K. to announce Siri support for its mobile banking app, enabling account holders to make payments to anyone in their iPhone contacts list completely handsfree using the virtual assistant.
Following the update, customers will be able to make payments by saying, for instance, "Hey Siri, pay Anna £15 with Barclays", without having to open the app....
Alleged 'iPhone 8' Component Leaks Continue With OLED Display Assembly, Lightning and Power Flex Cables
Several images were posted to Chinese microblogging site Weibo on Saturday claiming to show more leaked "iPhone 8" components, just weeks away from the handset's expected launch in September.
The images, later shared via Slashleaks, are said to include the phone's OLED display assembly, internal components for the Lightning connector and flex cables for transferring power to other components.
...
iTunes U Collections Will Move to Apple Podcasts From September
Apple has informed educational institutions with iTunes U content that it will migrate iTunes U collections to Apple Podcasts when iTunes 12.7 is released in September (via MacStories).
Apple launched iTunes U in 2007 as a free repository of educational content through the iTunes Store, allowing educators to create course collections comprising audio, media, handouts, ebooks, and other...
Apple Uses Hidden Web Page to Recruit for a 'Critical' Cloud Infrastructure Role
A hidden web page has been discovered on Apple servers containing a job description for a "talented engineer" to work on a "critical infrastructure component" and an invitation to apply for the position at the Cupertino-based company.
The web page, originally located at us-west-1.blobstore.apple.com but since taken down, was discovered on Saturday by ZDNet's Zach Whittaker and describes a...
Blurry Images Allegedly Depict A11 Processor Set to Power 'iPhone 8'
Images purporting to show the A11 series chip that will power the upcoming "iPhone 8" emerged online today, suggesting that Apple's processor is already making its way through iPhone assembly plants.
All iPhone models coming in the fall are expected to use the A11 chip, including the iterative "S" cycle upgrades to Apple's existing 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones. The processor relies on a new...
Hacker Releases Firmware Decryption Key for Apple's Secure Enclave
A hacker released what he claimed to be a firmware decryption key for Apple's Secure Enclave on Thursday, initially sparking fears that iOS security had been compromised.
Apple's Secure Enclave Processor (SEP) handles all cryptographic operations for the Apple Watch Series 2, the A7 processor that powers the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air, the iPad mini 2 and 3, and subsequent A-series chips. The...
Apple Watch Shipments Could Reach 15 Million in 2017
Overall Apple Watch shipments are expected to rise to 4.5 million units in the fourth quarter of this year and could reach 15 million for the whole of 2017, according to sources in the upstream supply chain (via DigiTimes).
Those predictions bode well for Apple as it prepares to launch its third-generation smartwatch, but the figures stand in stark contrast to other vendors of wearable...
Netflix to Spend $7 Billion on Original Programming Next Year
Hot on the heels of news that Apple has set aside $1 billion for original TV programming over the next year, Netflix revealed on Wednesday that it will spend seven times that amount in 2018.
In a new interview with Variety, Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos quoted the number of $7 billion, which is up from more than $6 billion in 2017 and $5 billion in 2016. The vast majority of...
Images Claim to Show Wireless Charging Pad Components Destined for the 'iPhone 8'
Images claiming to offer a glimpse of the wireless charging pad circuitry to be paired with Apple's upcoming "iPhone 8" have been shared on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo today by technology website ZEALER (via iClarified).
The two photos show several assembled inductive charging kits in a plastic tray and a black PCB board of bare circuitry modeled on the assembled kits. As with most...
Apple Sets Aside '$1 Billion War Chest' for Hollywood Programming
Apple has earmarked $1 billion to acquire and produce original television content over the next year to compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
The plans could see Apple procure and produce as many as 10 television shows, according to people familiar with the matter, thanks to a budget figure that is about half of what Time Warner's HBO...
Blurry Leaked Images Depict Alleged 'Apple OLED TV' in Testing Facility [Updated]
Blurred images emerged online on Wednesday morning purporting to show what looks like an Apple-made standalone display in a specially prepared testing environment. The images were posted on Chinese microblogging site Weibo and later picked up by mobile leaker Benjamin Geskin and shared on Twitter.
A Google translation reveals that the original Weibo post refers to the pictures as "Apple...
Google Pixel 2 Smartphone Will Feature Squeezable Sides and No Headphone Jack
Google's second-generation Pixel smartphone will be made by HTC and feature "squeezable" sides to perform different functions, according to a filing with the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday.
The filing essentially confirms that the Google Pixel 2 will borrow the squeezable frame from the HTC U11. Screenshots included in the document show the feature is to be called "Active Edge"...
Sling TV Debuts Desktop In-Browser Player for Google Chrome
Sling TV announced its first in-browser desktop content player on Tuesday. Using the latest version of Google Chrome, subscribers to the streaming television platform can log in at sling.com to access their favorite content and start playback right from within the browser.
It's not yet clear at what quality the content is played within the browser, but Sling TV customers watching on Google...
Apple's Q2 2017 MacBook Sales Increase 17 Percent Over the Previous Quarter
Apple's notebook shipments totaled an estimated 3.98 million units in the second quarter of the 2017 calendar year, representing a quarter-on-quarter increase of 17.1 percent, according to new data published by market research firm TrendForce.
Apple gained ground on ASUS at fifth place in the second quarter ranking, with a 0.7 percent increase over the previous quarter to leave both companies ...
Google Could Pay Apple $3 Billion to Remain Default Search Engine on iOS
Google is set to pay Apple nearly $3 billion this year to remain as the default search engine on iPhones and iPads, according to U.S. research and brokerage firm Bernstein (via CNBC).
According to the investor note, Google is paying out three times as much to Apple as it did in 2014 for the same privilege, with Google's licensing fees making up a large bulk of Apple's services business.
"Cou...
Snapchat's New 'Crowd Surf' Feature Stitches Together Users' Concert Videos
Snapchat is currently trialling a new concert-related feature on the platform that stitches together individual video clips from different users to create one seamless video.
Called Crowd Surf, the feature uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to work out when multiple users are actively recording the same event.
By combining the two technologies, Crowd Surf is able to match...
LightwaveRF Unveils New HomeKit-Enabled Accessories With UK Compatibility
U.K. smart home solutions provider LightwaveRF announced on Monday that its forthcoming product range, which includes a light dimmer and smart socket, will be fully compatible with Apple's HomeKit platform.
On October 3, LightwaveRF will launch its new Generation 2 Link Plus smart hub, Smart Dimmers, Smart Sockets, and a Smart Radiator Valve. The Link Plus connects to a Wi-Fi router and...
