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 two technothriller novels , a romcom novel, and an SF novella series.
He is old enough to have owned the original Macintosh. He currently owns an M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air 11, 12.9-inch iPad Pro (LTE 256GB), iPhone 13 Pro Max (256GB), Dell Ultrawide 49-inch monitor, an Apple Watch (Series 4 WiFi) and multiple HomePods – he suspects it might be cheaper to have a cocaine habit than his addiction to all things anodised aluminum.
He thinks wires are evil and had a custom desk made to hide them, known as the OC Desk for obvious reasons.
He’s known for his op-ed and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review:
He considers 1000 miles a good distance for a cycle ride and Chernobyl a suitable tourist destination. What can we say, he’s that kind of chap.
He speaks fluent English but only broken American, so please forgive any Anglicised spelling in his posts.
If @benlovejoy-ing him on twitter, please follow him first so that he can DM you if appropriate. If you have information you can pass on, you can also email him. If you would like to comment on one of his pieces, please do so in the comments – he does read them all.
Apple’s plan to boost iPhone production in India from an estimated 15% of global production today to 25% by 2027 is being deliberately hampered by the Chinese government, according to new reports.
China is reportedly using a mix of three measures to make it harder for Apple’s manufacturing partners to transfer production to India …
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We reported yesterday the launch of the Grok 3 chatbot, which is only available if you have an X Premium+ subscription. That cost $22/month at the time, but that’s now been more than doubled to $50/month – though X seems a little confused about its own prices …
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A high rate of Zelle scams originating from social media contacts has led JPMorgan Chase Bank to block payments made through social media networks and messaging apps.
Chase said that Zelle was intended as a method of transferring money to family, friends, and other trusted contacts, and should never be used to make online purchases …
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A new render aims to visualize a potential iPhone 17 Pro design, with a full-width camera module replacing the current offset square.
3D artist and developer Asher Dipprey previously shared the renders in a video, which was restricted to his Patreon members …
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Plans for a Reddit paywall of some kind have now been confirmed by CEO Steve Huffman, after hints about it last summer.
Huffman confirmed the plan for paid subreddits during a pre-recorded Ask Me Anything video shown during the company’s earnings call …
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Social network X is blocking links to shared contact details on encrypted messaging app Signal. Links to signal.me are blocked even in direct messages …
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A new report suggests that Apple and Meta could end up competing in the humanoid robots field. The social media company is said to be making “significant investment” in this product category, with a focus on household chores.
But if Apple does proceed with its own reported domestic robot plans, the Cupertino company could have a huge advantage …
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The latest report on Apple’s plans for a larger iMac suggest that the company may still be missing something.
Apple did something almost unprecedented back in 2023 when it specifically confirmed there was no new 27-inch iMac on the way, but it did leave the door open for a larger iMac – perhaps something with a 32-inch screen. But a report from Mark Gurman yesterday threw something of a spanner in the works …
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Adobe is today expanding access to its AI video generator, Firefly. Anyone can now create 5-second video clips in 1080p HD free of charge …
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My colleague Zac Hall yesterday shared the Mac apps he currently uses, and it got me thinking about the Mac apps and utilities I couldn’t live without.
Some are major apps, like Final Cut Pro, but there are a bunch of utilities I use on a regular basis that I’d really miss if I didn’t have them …
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It was discovered last year that location data for US military and intelligence personnel serving overseas was being sold by a Florida-based data broker, but the source of that sensitive data was unclear at the time.
It’s now been claimed that the data was captured by a variety of mobile apps with revenue-sharing agreements with a Lithuanian ad-tech company, and then resold by an American company …
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While most of us are have welcomed Apple Intelligence and are impatiently waiting for it to do more, there are some who’ve opted out. Some of these users are reporting that the latest macOS and iOS updates have re-enabled the feature.
While it’s clearly a bug, it’s not clear at this point what causes the unintended behavior, nor how widespread it is …
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TSMC agreed to build a series of chip plants in the US, with Apple a key customer, using subsidies provided by the bipartisan CHIPS Act. Trump has now called the Act “ridiculous” and wants to renege on the promised funding.
If he followed through on the threat, it could throw into doubt the viability of the US chipmaking plants, and lead to cancellation of TSMC’s expansion plans …
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A supply chain report on Samsung Display confirms expectations that the first OLED MacBook Pro models will launch in 2026. It says that the company is currently working on the first samples of the displays, and expects to be in full production in 2026.
The report also suggests that we’ll have to wait even longer than expected for the first MacBook Air models with OLED screens …
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A new accessibility program based on an app for deaf and hard of hearing users is being tested on the New York MTA system. It will provide riders with instant access to a live sign language interpreter when engaging with staff.
The approach means that any member of Metropolitan Transit Authority will be able to help with directions and other queries without the need for any ASL skills themselves …
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The two biggest criticisms of Vision Pro have been price and the weight. We know Apple is working on a lower-priced model, and a new patent application describes a way to make the headset very much lighter.
Early reviewers commented on the fact that it starts to feel very heavy when you wear it for more than brief sessions, something I was able to confirm from my own experience of the device …
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Apple Silicon chips have transformed attitudes toward ARM architecture, from being suitable mostly for power-efficient mobile devices to also capable of powering desktop processors which Intel behind.
ARM CEO Rene Haas has now weighed-in on the DeepSeek controversy in a new interview, expressing his skepticism about one of of the key claims and voicing his expectation that China’s AI chatbot will be banned in the US …
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A growing number of people are wearing their Apple Watch on their ankle, according to a new report, with five different reasons cited.
The most mundane of these are people with tiny wrists who find that the Watch is too loose during workouts, even with the smallest of bands …
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Neither Apple nor Google have returned TikTok to their respective app stores, and with very good reason: the supposed get-out-of-jail-free card offered by Trump is nothing of the sort. Both companies would be left exposed to hundreds of billions of dollars of liability.
As of the weekend, Android users who want to download TikTok do have another option – but it’s not one I’d advise them to take. Instead, they’d be better off using the workaround available to iPhone users …
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If you’re looking for a way to stream the 2025 Super Bowl in 4K for free, Tubi will be showing the entire event – including Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show. The Tubi app is available for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Vision Pro, as well as on the web.
FOX Sports says that it will be doing a special takeover of Tubi for the game, with no sign-in required …
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A Metropolitan Police crackdown on phone snatching in London has seen 230 people arrested and more than 1,000 phones recovered in the space of just one week.
The police service also reported that a gang found guilty of handling more than 5,000 stolen phones have been sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison …
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Multiple security flaws have been found in the DeepSeek iOS app, which is still one of the most popular downloads in the App Store after topping the charts when it first launched.
The latest findings are far worse than the previous security failure which exposed chat history and other sensitive information in a database requiring no authentication …
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It’s being reported that the British government secretly ordered Apple to create a security backdoor into all content uploaded by iCloud users anywhere in the world.
Apple is certain to refuse the demand, leading to the possibility of a similar privacy stand-off to the one seen between the iPhone maker and the FBI back in the San Bernardino shooter case …
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Leica is known for making absolutely beautiful, minimalist cameras and jaw-droppingly great lenses with pricing in the “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” range.
There’s no doubt that the newly-launched Leica LUX grip for iPhone ticks the beautiful box – but also the Leica pricing one …
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