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.
There has been speculation of late of Apple considering the launch of a “low cost” MacBook of some kind, and a leaker today suggests that it could take the form of a 12-inch MacBook – as well a 13-inch one specifically geared to the education market.
There have been similar suggestions from other sources, though all have been vague, and all of the sources have rather variable records …
Expand Expanding Close
A vulnerability in A-series and M-series chips could force iPhones, Macs, and iPads to divulge passwords and other sensitive information to an attacker. Security researchers have dubbed the flaw – which affects Safari on the Mac, and any browser on iOS devices – iLeakage.
In a proof of concept attack, researchers were able to obtain access to the contents of a Gmail inbox, YouTube history, and passwords auto-filled by Safari …
Expand Expanding Close
A new market intelligence report suggests that Chinese iPhone sales fell 10% year-on-year, between Q3 2022 and the same quarter this year. This was significantly worse than the overall 3% decline in the Chinese smartphone market.
Several explanations are offered, but a key one is the surprise reemergence of Huawei as a competitor – with US sanctions-busting or industrial espionage suspected …
Expand Expanding Close
A live TikTok global music event will take place on December 10 at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. Known as TikTok in The Mix, it will combine headline acts like Cardi B, Niall Horan, Anitta, and Charlie Puth with upcoming artists who are making a name for themselves on the platform …
Expand Expanding Close
A planned law to require CSAM scanning in chat apps would be illegal, disproportionate, and could increase rather than decrease the risks to children, say experts. It could also see Apple withdraw iMessage from EU countries.
The warning was given by more than 20 speakers at a privacy seminar, as the European Union continues to press for a CSAM measure which would effectively outlaw end-to-end encryption in chat apps like iMessage, WhatsApp, and Signal …
Expand Expanding Close
Apple has already found itself impacted by a diplomatic row between the US and China, and now faces the prospect of being caught up in politics between China and Taiwan. A Chinese investigation of Foxconn has been announced by state media.
Update: China has today described the investigation as a routine police matter, but has not directly addressed the widespread belief that it is attempting to apply political pressure – more at the bottom …
Expand Expanding Close
A claimed image of a new MacBook Pro box has been posted to Chinese social media, following the announcement of an upcoming Mac-focused Apple event …
Expand Expanding Close
Apple Maps in Israel and Gaza has switched off the display of live traffic data, at the request of the Israel Defense Forces.
Google has done the same for both Google Maps and Waze, as tens of thousands of Israeli troops are expected to move into Gaza in a hunt for Hamas terrorists …
Expand Expanding Close
Last month’s Apple event included the announcement of what the company claimed were two carbon-neutral Apple Watches, the Series 9 and Ultra 2. But that claim has today been rejected as “bogus” by the European consumer organization BEUC.
The European Union has proposed that it will in the future be illegal to claim that a product is carbon neutral when that claim relies on offsetting credits to balance out the actual greenhouse gas emissions involved in production …
Expand Expanding Close
Tens of millions of teens actively want their parents to track their locations using tech like Apple’s Find My and third-party apps like Life360, says a new survey.
More broadly, the survey reports on Gen Z – representing those aged 11 to 26 – being more anxious than previous generations, and having a different mindset to location tracking …
Expand Expanding Close
Matter support for home appliances is on the way, through the latest version of the smart home connectivity standard backed by Apple and more than 600 other companies.
Previous versions of Matter have been limited to smaller smart home devices, like lights, door locks, blinds, and security sensors – while Matter 1.2 will add support for household appliances, robot cleaners, and more …
Expand Expanding Close
If you’ve ever thought that you’d love to get your grandmother’s advice on your next hookup, then Tinder Matchmaker has you covered …
Expand Expanding Close
As Tim Cook continues a rather comprehensive tour of China with a visit to a Luxshare Apple Watch factory, the WSJ has an interesting profile on how the Apple supplier worked its way up from making iPad cables to becoming one of Apple’s most important manufacturing and development partners.
The story of Luxshare founder Wang Laichun, aka Grace Wang, is a true rags-to-riches one. She started out as a Foxconn production line worker, manually adding components to circuit boards …
Expand Expanding Close
iPhone 15 parts costs hit a new high, with especially steep price rises for the Pro Max model. The titanium frame cost Apple some 43% more than the stainless steel one used in last year’s model, while the cost of the 5x telephoto camera was three times higher than the 3x module.
A new report breaks down the component costs of the base model iPhone 15 Pro Max, and notes that Apple chose to absorb these higher costs rather than pass them on to consumers in the form of higher prices …
Expand Expanding Close
A new Discord Teen Safety Assist initiative is aiming to make the group chat platform a safer place for teenage users – in part, replicating an iMessage feature announced by Apple two years ago …
Expand Expanding Close
While the Department of Justice has accused Google of a range of anti-competitive behaviors, the judge in the case has said that the Apple search payment is “the heart” of the matter.
The implication is clear. If that deal is illegal, then Google will lose the case, and the company may have to be broken up. Conversely, if the court finds that the payment was legal, then Google likely wins, as the other charges are comparatively minor …
Expand Expanding Close
CEO Tim Cook said this week that Apple remains committed to China, and cherishes the things that have been achieved during the company’s 30-year relationship with the country.
Cook made his remarks during a meeting with Chinese government officials, as he continues his tour of the country …
Expand Expanding Close
Some 81% of Americans are concerned about how companies use their personal data, according to a large-scale study.
Two-thirds of those surveyed said they have little to no understanding of what companies do with the data collected about them, and even more believe there’s nothing they can do about it …
Expand Expanding Close
Elon Musk reportedly thinks it may be simpler to block X in Europe, rather than fix the massive problem with disinformation on the platform.
The issue is now so bad that video game footage has been passed off as news coverage of the terrorist attack in Israel, and Musk himself has been promoting accounts known for racist content and conspiracy theories …
Expand Expanding Close
It will soon be possible to have two WhatsApp accounts on one phone, thanks to an update now rolling out to the encrypted chat app.
There is, however, a catch – which is likely to mean some people will have to continue using an unofficial and somewhat clunky workaround …
Expand Expanding Close
The latest TSMC earnings report appears to provide further evidence for recent reports of relatively weak iPhone 15 demand – when compared to last year’s iPhone 14 lineup.
While the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models appear popular, it seems demand for these isn’t high enough to offset disappointing sales of the base and Plus models …
Expand Expanding Close
A British charity that investigates tax avoidance has named Apple as one of seven tech giants it says pays too little UK tax.
It says that collectively Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Adobe, Cisco, and Google owner Alphabet paid around four times less tax than should have been due – but doesn’t blame the companies …
Expand Expanding Close
Pickleball has been named the fastest-growing sport in America, combining elements of tennis, table-tennis, and badminton. But when it comes to tennis versus pickleball, which offers the greatest health benefits?
That’s a question a research study is tackling with the help of Apple Watch data, and the Cupertino company has shared some initial insights …
Expand Expanding Close
We’ve been hearing claims about folding iPhones and folding iPads for years now, with the latest supply chain report saying that it could launch as soon as 2024.
Today’s report echoes earlier ones, stating that Apple will launch a foldable iPad ahead of a folding iPhone …
Expand Expanding Close