Eric Slivka
Eric is the Editor-in-Chief of MacRumors and has been writing for the site since 2008.
An avid swimmer and former biophysicist, Eric has been using Apple products for over 35 years and has been interviewed for pieces by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, BBC, CNBC, and other publications.
Eric's current primary role involves day-to-day oversight of the editorial operations at MacRumors, but he also contributes occasional news and review articles while handling various other duties related to the site's operation.
An avid swimmer and former biophysicist, Eric has been using Apple products for over 35 years and has been interviewed for pieces by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, BBC, CNBC, and other publications.
Eric's current primary role involves day-to-day oversight of the editorial operations at MacRumors, but he also contributes occasional news and review articles while handling various other duties related to the site's operation.
Eric Slivka's Articles
Skype 5.3 for Mac Adds HD Video Calling and Full OS X Lion Support
Skype today announced the release of Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X , a significant update bringing full support for OS X Lion, as well as new support for HD video calling.Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X is built to work with Apple's newest desktop operating system, Lion, in addition to being compatible with past versions of OS X going all the way back to Leopard.
With Skype 5.3 for Mac OS X, you'll also be...
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Apple Sued Over 'Fast Booting' Patent Linked to LG
Patently Apple reports that Apple has been hit with a new patent lawsuit targeting "fast booting" used in OS X, a method of utilizing boot configuration information from earlier booting processes to speed the system startup process.The lawsuit specifically states that Apple's OS X violates "at least Claim 1" of the OSS patent. The claim in question reads as follows:
"A method for fast booting...
Apple Disabling iOS 5 Beta Installs and Developer Accounts Over Sales of Device Slots? [Updated: Old Betas Expiring?]
Since late yesterday, MacRumors has received a few reports of users who have seen their devices running various beta versions of iOS 5 shutting down and returning to activation mode. The reports have been sporadic, with some users suggesting that earlier beta versions may simply have been expiring and been disabled by Apple.
But according to a report from Karthik.K (via AppleInsider), the...
Apple and China Mobile Reportedly Strike Deal to Bring iPhone to World's Largest Carrier
A report from CapitalVue is making the rounds today for its claims that Apple has finally struck a deal with China Mobile to a launch the iPhone on the world's largest mobile carrier. China Mobile currently has over 600 million customers.
Unfortunately, the sourcing on the rumor is somewhat uncertain, as the report points to "a company filing" picked up by Chinese-language site ccidcom.com....
Why Did Apple Register ApplePico.com?
Apple has understandably long had an interest in controlling domain names associated with its products and features, as recently evidenced by the company snapping up 50 new domain names immediately following its announcements at WWDC earlier this year. Most of Apple's domain name holdings are managed by MarkMonitor, a San Francisco-based brand protection firm that handles such tasks for a...
iPhone 5 Coming to Russia in November?
Bloomberg reports on an article from Russian business newspaper RBC Daily claiming that wireless carriers are in discussions with Apple to launch the iPhone 5 in that country as soon as November.Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone 5 may start selling in Russia in November, “almost immediately” after sales begin in the U.S., RBC Daily reported, citing handset retailers it didn’t identify.The report notes ...
Apple Requiring an 'Innovative, Category-Killer Experience' for Potential Low-End iPhone
Barron's reports on a brief note from RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky, who shares some of his "takeaways" from a meeting with Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer.
According to the note, Cook and Oppenheimer continue to believe in a "massive opportunity" for Apple in China, seeing the potential for significant growth there with the...
Apple Releases Xcode 4.1.1 Via Mac App Store to Address Installation Alert Issue
Users looking to install the free Xcode 4.1 developer tools for OS X Lion released last month have been running into an issue that has caused difficulties with the installation process. During the installation process, users are prompted to quit iTunes if it is running, but the alert does not disappear even after iTunes has been quit and the installation remains stalled.
In Apple's support...
Apple Phasing Out Magic Mouse in Favor of Magic Trackpad? [Updated: New Model?]
Cult of Mac reports that Apple is planning to discontinue its multi-touch Magic Mouse in the relatively near future, pushing users to adopt the Magic Trackpad in order to make full use of the new gestures included in OS X Lion. According to the source, who is apparently in Apple's retail arm, Apple is not replenishing inventories of the Magic Mouse at its stores as they run low.We’ve gotten...
Apple Releases QuickTime 7.7 Security Update for Mac OS X Leopard and Windows
Apple yesterday released a pair of QuickTime 7.7 updates for Mac OS X Leopard and Windows XP/Vista/7 users. According to an associated support document, the updates bring fixes for fourteen separate issues related to security.QuickTime 7.7 improves security and is recommended for all Mac OS X Leopard users.
For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website: http...
Apple's Search for New Retail Chief Extending Internationally
Back in June, department store chain J.C. Penney announced that it had named Apple retail boss Ron Johnson as its next Chief Executive Officer, with Johnson set to take the new job as of November 1st. Johnson has played an instrumental role at Apple over the past decade, overseeing the company's entire retail store initiative since joining Apple from discount retailer Target in 2000.
Apple's ...
Apple to Begin Merging iOS and OS X With Quad-Core A6 Chip Next Year?
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek is gaining headlines today for a new report related by both International Business Times and Forbes, claiming that Apple is planning to harness the power of its forthcoming quad-core "A6" chip to begin merging iOS and OS X as soon as late next year. Misek claims that the merge will be completed by 2016 as 64-bit ARM processors become available to provide sufficient...
Deals Already in Place for Apple to Launch Netflix Competitor?
Building on his earlier claims that Apple is preparing a subscription video streaming service to take on Netflix, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek today issued a new report claiming that Apple already has deals in place with the major video studios and TV networks to support such a service.Apple might be ready to roll out its own video subscription service similar to Amazon and Netflix, Peter...
Carriers Currently Testing iPhone 5 in Sealed Boxes?
Back in June, it was reported that the iPhone 5 was in carrier testing, with high-level executives at Apple and some of its carrier partners said to be carrying the device around for testing purposes.
In addressing a new claim that the next iPhone won't debut until October, later than the September timeframe that has been the focus for some time now, The Guardian offers some details on the...
U.S. Regulators Agree to Investigate Apple's Patent Claims Against Samsung
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today announced that it has agreed to investigate claims of patent infringement made by Apple against Samsung.The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has voted to institute an investigation of certain electronic digital media devices and components thereof. The products at issue in this investigation include mobile phone handsets and tablet...
iPhone 5 Update 'Bigger Than Expected', Coming to Canada October 1st?
Rumors regarding the iPhone 5 continue to fly fast and furious, and a couple of reports from earlier today are making the rounds with more claimed details on the next-generation device.
Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu today reported in a research note related by AppleInsider and Business Insider that the iPhone 5 update looks to be "bigger than expected", with the device said to be bringing a...
Target and RadioShack Clearing Stock With Lower iPhone 4 Prices
Over the weekend, several reports arose suggesting that retailers Target and RadioShack would be dropping their pricing on the iPhone 4, potentially signaling that the stores are looking to pare down their stocks ahead of an expected update to the line. Ars Technica now confirms that the price drops have indeed taken place, with RadioShack offering a temporary $30 discount on both iPhone 4...
Apple's iPad 2 Shipping Estimates Drop to 'Within 24 Hours' in U.S. and Canada
Continuing a months-long trend of improving shipping estimates for the iPad 2, Apple today finally reach its quickest possible turnaround time for the device, moving to "within 24 hours" for shipping through the company's online stores for the United States and Canada. Adding engraving bumps the window out to 1-3 business days.
Shipping estimates in Apple's online stores for most of its...
Garmin Releases New 'Onboard' Turn-By-Turn GPS Apps for iOS
Earlier this year, major GPS navigation firm Garmin released its first turn-by-turn navigation app for iOS. But rather than having all map data included within the application, Garmin StreetPilot relied on data access to download maps as needed. Garmin touted the decision as offering smaller and quicker downloads with the most up-to-date mapping data, but it also required users to tap into...
Apple Brings TV to iCloud With Downloads of Previously-Purchased Episodes
Alongside today's Apple TV software update that brought the ability for users to stream TV episodes they had previously purchased through iTunes, Apple has also expanded the "Purchased" section of the iTunes Store as accessed via Mac, PC, and iOS to include re-downloads of purchased TV content.
The change adds TV shows to Apple's early-stage iCloud offerings, bringing the TV content in line...
