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Ben Lovejoy

benlovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer who started his career on PC World and has written for dozens of computer and technology magazines, as well as numerous national newspapers, business and in-flight magazines. He has also written several books, and creates occasional videos.

He is old enough to have owned the original Macintosh. He currently owns an M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, an M1 13-inch MacBook Air, an iPad mini, an iPhone 16 Pro Max, and multiple HomePods. He suspects it might be cheaper to have a cocaine habit than his addiction to all things anodised aluminum.

He’s known for his op-ed and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review:

He speaks fluent English but only broken American, so please forgive any Anglicised spelling in his posts.

He gets a lot of emails and can’t possibly reply to them all. If you would like to comment on one of his pieces, please do so in the comments – he does read them all.

Connect with Ben Lovejoy

Meta AI app ‘a privacy disaster’ as chats unknowingly made public [U: Warning added]

Meta AI app 'a privacy disaster' as chats inadvertently made public | Person silhouetted against Matrix-style screen

Update: Business Insider notes that Meta has now added a warning message when users share chat queries.

The Meta AI app has been described as “a privacy disaster,” as users unknowingly make their embarrassing questions public.

One tech writer described it as like discovering your web browser history has been public all along without you knowing it …

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Now it’s easier than ever to download Spotify playlists to your Apple Watch

Now it's easier than ever to download Spotify playlists to your Apple Watch | iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, with Spotify app open

If you’ve ever forgotten to download Spotify playlists to your Apple Watch before a walk, run, or cycle ride, a new feature should make life much easier.

Instead of having to manually download to the Watch, you can use any Apple device to queue up playlist downloads, which will happen the next time you open Spotify on your Watch. The same feature also allows you to queue downloads for any other Apple device, like an iPad …

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Second analyst backs claim that AirPods Pro 3 won’t launch this year

Second analyst backs claim that AirPods Pro 3 won't launch this year | Existing 2nd-gen model shown

It had been widely expected that AirPods Pro 3 would launch sometime in 2025, in part based on reports from reliable leakers, in part simply because an update is due. AirPods Pro 2 will be three years old by this year’s iPhone launch.

But Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said last month that the new model won’t launch until next year, and that view has now reportedly been echoed in a new timeline …

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Siri vaporware dispute continues, as high-profile commenters hit back at Apple

Siri vaporware dispute continues, as high-profile commenters hit back at Apple | Colorful photo representing vapor trails

Apple may have belatedly responded to accusations of showing off Siri vaporware at last year’s WWDC, but the controversy is showing no sign of dying down anytime soon.

John Gruber – author of the original piece taking issue with Apple showing off features it hadn’t demonstrated to anyone outside the company – is now joined by M.G. Siegler and others …

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Do these nine things to protect yourself against hackers and scammers

How to carry out a security and privacy audit to guard against scammers | IT professional in a datacenter

Scammers are using AI tools to create increasingly convincing ways to trick victims into sending money, and to access the personal information needed to commit identity theft. Deepfakes mean they can impersonate the voice of a friend or family member, and even fake a video call with them!

The result can be criminals taking out thousands of dollars worth of loans or credit card debt in your name. Fortunately there are steps you can take to protect yourself against even the most sophisticated scams. Here are the security and privacy checks to run to ensure you are safe …

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How long should you wait before installing Apple betas on your primary devices?

iOS 26 release date

WWDC 2025 ends today, and we’ve seen all the new features on offer from Apple’s shiny glassy new iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26.

The first developer betas are available now, and anyone can sign up to try them – but you probably shouldn’t. If you’re not a developer with sacrificial test devices, exactly how long should you wait in the beta cycle before risking them on your daily drivers … ?

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Apple enables smart home apps to cut your electricity bills

Apple enables smart home apps to cut your electricity bills | Plugging in an EV charger

A new Apple framework makes it easy for developers of smart home apps to help cut your electricity bills. While EnergyKit is currently limited to thermostats and EV chargers, it’s the first step toward optimizing energy usage throughout your entire home.

Some smart home devices can already help you reduce power usage and costs, like the Ecobee and Nest thermostats, but EnergyKit takes this much further …

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Craig Federighi explains why it took so long to make the iPad more Mac-like

Craig Federighi explains why it took so long to make the iPad more Mac-like | Close-up of windowing on the iPad

iPadOS 26 arguably brings the biggest update to the iPad ever seen, turning it into something much more Mac-like in both UI and capabilities.

But since iPads have been using the same chips as Macs since 2021, why did it take so long? That’s the question Apple’s software head Craig Federighi sets out to answer in a new interview …

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Meta wants to give evidence for Apple in UK privacy battle

Meta wants to give evidence for Apple in UK privacy battle | Glass cloud with padlock

I bet nobody had ‘Meta arguing for privacy on Apple’s behalf’ on their tech bingo cards, but that’s exactly what the social networking company is hoping to do.

Meta has asked the court’s permission to give evidence in support of Apple’s privacy battle with the British government over a feature intended to apply end-to-end encryption to almost all iCloud data …

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With iPadOS 26, Apple has finally turned the iPad into a computer

With full windowing, Apple has finally turned the iPad into a computer | Windowing seen in Apple's keynote

With the announcement of iPadOS 26, Apple has finally done something it had seemed to be resisting for well over a decade: turning the iPad into a computer.

Apple has long sent mixed messages about the device, sometimes arguing that it is a computer, and other times arguing that iPads and Macs are two very different devices with two very different roles …

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Apple categorically denies Siri vaporware claims, and offers a better explanation [Video]

There’s no denying that Apple made a major mis-step when it showed off impressive new Siri features during last year’s WWDC, before doubling-down in an iPhone 16 ad. The company was forced to delete the ad and walk back the timing.

That led even the most upbeat of Apple commenters to criticize the company for showing off “vaporware,” implying that the demos had been faked. But two Apple execs have now categorically denied this, and said everything it showed at the time was the real thing …

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iOS 26 beta reveals there’s another Apple app that will work via satellite

iOS 26 beta reveals there's another Apple app that will work via satellite | Satellite weather image of a hurricane

Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite service has been slowly expanding from a major emergency role – essentially letting you call in an air ambulance when injured in a remote location – to a broader way of remaining in touch when outside mobile data coverage.

A new satellite-based service spotted in the iOS 26 developer beta will be useful in both extreme situations and more everyday scenarios in areas with poor mobile coverage …

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Designers speak out about Apple’s Liquid Glass design

Designers speak out about Apple's Liquid Glass design language

With such a significant update to the look and feel of Apple devices, it’s not surprising that design and UI professionals have things to say about the new Liquid Glass design language.

As you might expect, views are mixed, but it’s notable how willing people are to give Apple time to refine the look based on reactions to the early betas …

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What were your favorite announcements in the WWDC 2025 keynote?

What were your favorite announcements in the WWDC 2025 keynote | Liquid Glass seen across Apple devices

While Apple quickly dismissed major Siri improvements as coming next year, the company still announced a lot at WWDC 2025. From a whole new look across all Apple devices to full-on windowing on iPads, it was a fast-paced event with a lot to cover.

Here’s a roundup of all the major announcements – please take our poll on your favorites of these, and share your reactions in the comments …

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Here’s a closer look at the Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 on the iPhone

Here’s a closer look at the Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 on the iPhone | Screengrab with the Clear icons option selected

Apple said yesterday that iOS 26 was its biggest update to the look and feel of the iPhone since iOS 7, with the same visual design language used across all the company’s devices.

It’s certainly a pretty dramatic change, depending on how far you want to take the look. For example, in addition to the ‘tint’ options we got in iOS 18, there’s a new ‘Clear’ option to make all our app icons monochrome glass – which you can see above …

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Approaching WWDC, Apple researchers dispute claims that AI is capable of reasoning

Approaching WWDC, Apple researchers dispute claims that AI is capable of reasoning | Apple keyboard render with AI key

While Apple has fallen behind the curve in terms of the AI features the company has actually launched, its researchers continue to work at the cutting edge of what’s out there.

In a new paper, they take issue with claims being made about some of the latest AI models – that they are actually capable of step-by-step reasoning. Apple say its tests show that this simply isn’t true …

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Limited-edition official Apple merchandise goes retro for WWDC 2025

Limited-edition official Apple merchandise goes retro for WWDC 2025 | Photo shows two t-shirts

iOS may be about to get a whole new look, but the latest limited-edition official Apple merchandise available to mark WWDC 2025 is getting a very old look.

For a short time, visitors to the Apple Park store can pick up t-shirts, hoodies, and other items featuring not just the original rainbow version of the Apple logo, but even the Garamond typeface …

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How much control are you willing to hand over to Apple Intelligence? [Poll]

How much control are you willing to hand over to Apple Intelligence? [Poll]

More than a decade ago, I noted a shift that was taking place in my tech usage, with reader comments indicating I was far from alone. Essentially I started out wanting manual control over lots of processes before later opting for the convenience of allowing Apple apps and services to automate them.

I think we’re approaching another of those inflection points – this time courtesy of AI. Whenever Apple Intelligence evolves into something powerful, we’re going to have to decide exactly how much control we’re willing to hand over …

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Qwerkywriter review – anniversary edition

Review: Qwerkywriter, the Bluetooth keyboard that thinks it’s a typewriter [U: New version]

I reviewed the original version of the Qwerkywriter way back in 2016, and you can read that review below, as much of it still applies.

But with a 10 year Anniversary Edition just released on Kickstarter, and a new lower price, I’m adding a few thoughts on that. The upgrades are very worthwhile ones, so if you’d been tempted before but not quite enough to press the button on an order, this one might well change your mind …

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