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.
A new report says that Apple tiger teams involving hundreds of employees are working on reexamining the company’s supply chain – all the way down to screws and plastic inserts.
The goal is to ensure backup suppliers for every component, as well as to reduce dependence on China …
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Foxconn revenue for March were reported today, and revenue for the iPhone assembler shows a year-on-year fall of 21.1%.
The company says that it also expects a decline during the current quarter …
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Two different credible leakers have provided conflicting reports on which iPhones will support iOS 17 – specifically, whether the iPhone 8/Plus and iPhone X will support the next major iOS update later this year.
The uncertainty also applies to iPadOS 17 on the fifth-generation iPad, and the first-generation iPad Pro …
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Samsung OLED production is likely to see dramatically increased demand as Apple makes the shift to OLED iPads and MacBooks – and has won government support for a $3B investment in its manufacturing capacity for the panels.
We’re expecting the next product to make the shift from LCD and mini-LED to be an iPad Pro, in the first half of next year …
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With Australia the latest country to act, we’ve now seen TikTok banned from government devices in the US, Canada, the UK, France, Belgium, the European Commission, Australia, and New Zealand …
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Mac shipments in Western Europe fell 22.8% in the final quarter of last year, according to the latest market intelligence data. This ties in with yesterday’s supply chain report that Apple subsequently halted production of the M2 chip for a full two months.
But while the news wasn’t great for Apple, it was even worse for the top-selling PC brands …
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Update 3:34pm ET: Apple’s System Status website is reporting another Weather outage: “This service may be slow or unavailable.”
Update 1:31pm ET: Apple says the problems with Weather have been resolved and the app is functioning as normal.
The Apple Weather app has been down for many users since around 1 a.m. ET. When the app is opened, no data is displayed – though there is one oddity …
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Apple was wrong about the potential of augmented reality headsets and glasses, says CEO Tim Cook, adding that Steve Jobs taught him to be willing to admit mistakes.
The rest of the lengthy GQ profile and interview covers familiar ground, and Cook’s usual talking points …
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Mint Mobile data plans are being upgraded, with most subscribers getting an extra 5GB of mobile data per month. The upgrade applies to what are currently 10GB, 15GB, and “Unlimited” plans – while 4GB subscribers get 1GB extra …
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There’s no letup in the Twitter verification mess, after Musk’s stated deadline for legacy verified accounts to lose their blue checkmark passed with little change. He’s now said they will be given more time, though this decision may have been forced on him …
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A supply chain report says that M2 chip production was completely halted during January and February due to limited demand for M2-powered Macs. This is believed to be the first time that Apple has ever suspended chip production for current-gen products.
Production resumed in March, but is reportedly at half the level of M1 chip production in the same period last year …
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Exceptional Minds, a non-profit which helps neurodivergent creatives turn their passions into their careers, is receiving support from Apple’s community grants program.
Funding is provided through the Employee Giving scheme, where Apple matches every dollar donated by employees, and provides an additional sum for every hour of voluntary service by Apple staff …
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A court has ordered that code-collaboration site Github must identify the Twitter source code leaker. The social networking company had earlier applied for the court order, which has now been granted …
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The iPhone 15 Pro buttons, which will be capacitive rather than mechanical, will still work with gloves, according to a reliable leaker.
The leaker, who got details right about the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro, has expanded on a previous report about the iPhone 15 Pro mute switch being replaced by an Action button …
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Both iPads and Macs have enjoyed remarkable success in India, a market in which price often dominates purchase criteria.
New market intelligence data suggests that Apple saw 135% growth in iPad shipments in the final quarter of last year. This saw it overtake previous market leader Samsung to become the best-selling tablet brand in the country …
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A supply-chain report says that a 13-inch OLED MacBook Air is now in development, with Samsung Display set to be the exclusive supplier.
It says that a more advanced OLED screen is expected to be used for the MacBook Pro …
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Parent company Meta reportedly plans to allow users to opt out of Instagram and Facebook tracking – but only if you live in Europe …
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Netflix games are currently only available on iPhone, iPad, and Android – but code discovered within the app suggests that they may finally be coming to TV.
As for game controllers, the code suggests you may already own one: It references using an iPhone or Android smartphone to play them …
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One of the headline features of this year’s iPhone lineup will be the iPhone 15 Pro Max periscope lens, allowing much greater optical zoom for the telephoto lens. It’s likely to allow at least 10x zoom, compared to the maximum 3x available on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.
A new report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple is paying supplier Largan just $4 for this lens, a sum which barely allows the supplier any profit margin at all …
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Some people can already use Apple Pay Later, with the company promising that it will come to “all eligible users” in the next few months. But while you will be able to use it soon, the question is: Should you?
On the surface, it seems like a decent option. It’s interest-free, there’s no application form to fill out, there’s no impact on your credit rating, and you’re dealing with Apple rather than a bank or finance company. But there are a few things to consider …
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If you’re currently using the OverDrive app when borrowing e-books from libraries, you’ll need to switch to Libby from May 1. The company first announced plans to sunset the older app way back in 2021 …
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Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak has joined Elon Musk and leading AI academics in calling for a pause in advanced AI development. Specifically, the open letter asks for a minimum six-month pause in the development of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4 …
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It appears one feature of the Apple Watch Ultra may be making its way to the iPhone Pro models this year. The mechanical mute switch is being replaced by a capacitive button, and a reliable source indicates that this may also function as a user-programmable iPhone 15 Action button.
It’s possible that the new volume rocker switch may also allow users to choose exactly how it works …
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A few preview photos of the latest Apple Store have been shared, ahead of the opening of Apple Gangnam on Friday, March 31. It will be Apple’s fourth store in South Korea.
The new store features what Apple says is a unique facade that changes in appearance across the course of the day, and across seasons …
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