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.
The MacBook Neo is already available in a fun choice of colors, but some people like to go further by giving their machine a more personalized look.
Some do this with skins, cases, or silicone key covers, but you can switch up the color combo using official Apple parts for as little as $39 …
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It’s believed that Apple has waited many years to launch the first folding iPhone in large part because the company wasn’t happy with the very visible crease in early competitor models. We’re expecting that foldable iPhone to be launched later this year, likely branded as the iPhone Ultra.
The crease problem was reportedly solved last year, but a new report suggests that multiple innovations have been required in order to make the crease near invisible – and that a hi-tech glue is one of the key elements …
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Bloomberg reported back in February that Apple was considering a new deep red color option for the iPhone 18 Pro, which some have described as crimson.
A leaker with a decent track record is today backing this report, though is doing this in a slightly odd way which may or may not mean anything …
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Tech can move on pretty quickly, but the Bluetooth speaker that still accompanies me on my travels was, until last week, the same one I’ve been using for four years. My Tribit StormBox Micro 2 was finally replaced by … the Tribit StormBox Micro 3.
Admittedly, the changes are relatively modest and most of those who own the original likely won’t need to upgrade, but they may be worthwhile if you’re trying to choose between the older and latest versions – especially with early-bird pricing …
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If you’ve thought the MacBook Neo could be for you, but the 512GB maximum storage size wasn’t enough, a YouTuber may have good news for you.
They carried out a DIY upgrade to swap out the SSD for a 1TB one, which is also faster than the stock one supplied in the device …
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I said a couple of years ago that AI hardware devices were like trying to invent the iPod after the iPhone. Two former Apple engineers appear to have leaned into this with an AI button that bears more than a passing resemblance to an iPod shuffle.
While the AI wearable does address the horrendous privacy problem created by its erstwhile competitors, the duo still haven’t provided a convincing explanation as to why it isn’t an app …
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There’s an iPhone Fold unboxing video doing the rounds, and at first glance it does look rather convincing, with none of the usual signs immediately pointing to an AI-generated fake.
However, there’s one rather large giveaway that it’s not the real thing, and that provides a clue as to how it was produced …
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The spacesuits worn by the Artemis II crew during their moon mission have a feature completely new to space missions – an iPhone. Each has a pocket containing an iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The iPhone had to pass a whole bank of safety tests in order to be approved for the mission – but that preparation was totally worthwhile …
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A new report suggests Apple is being extremely cautious in its expectations of demand for its most expensive ever smartphone, the iPhone Fold (or iPhone Ultra). The company is said to have told manufacturing partners to plan for significantly lower orders than initially expected.
The report also says that Samsung has taken advantage of its technological lead in advanced folding displays to win a major concession from Apple …
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The FBI says that a sharp rise in scams saw cybersecurity crime cost US victims a total of almost $21 billion last year. The most common example was investment scams, with cryptocurrency fraud responsible for the largest losses.
The report includes AI-related scams for the first time. The agency says that the use of voice cloning, forged documents, and deepfake videos were responsible for £893m in losses …
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Repairability ratings based on official government criteria in Europe have found that Apple gets the worst ratings for the repairability of both iPhones and MacBooks.
However, in the laptop rankings the MacBook Neo was found to be very much an exception, so perhaps there’s hope for the future …
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Spotify Prompted Playlists were first launched in New Zealand late last year before rolling out to the US and Canada in January. The feature lets you use natural language to describe what you want to hear, and the streaming service will create an AI-powered music playlist to match.
The company has now expanded the AI tool to podcasts, stating that it will use a mix of three factors to generate personalized podcast playlists for you …
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A new Reuters piece describes new threats to Apple’s chipmaker TSMC as a result of further reported actions by the Chinese government.
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly told officials that he slept “with one eye open” after attending a classified CIA briefing on Taiwan, and there is no sign that he will be sleeping better anytime soon …
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A new report provides an insider’s view of the Vision Pro launch at Apple stores, describing it as “a fiasco” in many of them.
It also claims that while the Vision Pro launch was particularly problematic, it also pointed to broader issues with changes made to retail staffing over the years …
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Reported problems with the engineering test phase for the iPhone Fold could delay the launch of Apple’s most expensive phone by months. This could potentially mean that it doesn’t go on sale until next year.
Multiple sources are cited, with suppliers warned that they may need to delay production of components for the new device …
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Some of my feature requests are more ambitious than others, but my latest one is extremely unassuming. I would simply like Apple to appreciate that there are places other than California when it comes to Siri’s weather reports.
While I’m sure that the standard reports given by Apple’s voice assistant work just fine for Cupertino, they are lacking a vital ingredient for places like London …
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It used to be common in Japan for someone to spend their entire working life at a single company, but it’s almost unheard of in the US.
However, Chris Espinosa, Apple employee number eight, has done just that – and says he has no plans to go anywhere else …
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Apple disappointed some when it launched the iPhone 17 Pro without the option to buy it in a black finish. The flagship iPhone is only available in blue, orange, or silver.
A leaker with a decent track record says that anyone hoping this would change with the iPhone 18 Pro is going to be disappointed …
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Apple says that all payment processing in Russia has ceased, meaning that it’s no longer possible for residents of the country to make app purchases or renew subscriptions. This includes subscriptions to Apple services like iCloud+ and Apple TV.
The move followed a diktat from the Russian government, and saw the closure of a loophole that allowed customers to make payments to Apple indirectly …
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The United Airlines app has been updated with streamlined access to AirTag baggage tracking. The app now makes it easier for you to share the location of an AirTag with United’s customer service staff.
Additionally, with a partial government shutdown leaving TSA checkpoints understaffed, the app will now provide you with estimates of the wait time for security at your departure airport – alongside a number of other useful enhancements …
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This story is part of 9to5mac’s series celebrating Apple’s 50th anniversary.
On Apple’s 50th anniversary, it’s somewhat worrying that I’m old enough to have been an Apple guy almost from the very start. The above photo shows the OG me with the OG Macintosh in 1984. Oh, and a rotary-dial telephone just to complete the museum exhibit look.
I never used an Apple I, but I did use an Apple II fairly extensively – and I’ve been a Mac guy literally from day one. So of all the Apple products I’ve used over the years, which ones stand out for me … ?
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If there are two universal truths about mobile carriers it’s that unlimited plans never are, and companies will always try to find ways to kick you off legacy plans. If you’re on a legacy AT&T plan, look out for price hikes this month …
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Apple is today celebrating its 50th anniversary, and CEO Tim Cook has tweeted a fun video taking a trip back in time through 50 years of Apple products in a glitchy vintage TV style.
It follows a homepage animation on the company’s website entitled “50 Years of Thinking Different” and, in my view, would have made a better choice …
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Two new claims that the iPhone 18 Pro will be getting a smaller Dynamic Island are getting a lot of attention at present. However, all may not be as it appears …
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