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
Apple Cracking Down on "Cookie Cutter" App Store Applications?
TechCrunch discusses a picture that is being pieced together from reports from App Store developers suggesting that Apple is looking to crack down on "cookie cutter" iPhone applications that offer little more than could be offered through a web app. Between the developers I spoke to, the consensus was this: Apple doesn't appear to be opposed to 'app generators' and templates per se, but in the...
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iPad Poised to Grab Significant Portion of e-Reader Market
Last week, RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky released the results of a survey showing pent-up demand for the iPad exceeding that of the original iPhone, highest customer demand for low-capacity Wi-Fi-only and high-capacity 3G-enabled iPads, and moderate cannibalization of other Apple products by the iPad.
ChangeWave today released additional data from the survey, showing Apple poised ...
Slight iPad Shipping Delay Due to Software, Not Hardware?
Daring Fireball's John Gruber claims to have heard from his sources that the slight shipping delay (about a week in the U.S. and on the order of a month in the first batch of international markets) for the Wi-Fi iPad is due not to hardware production issues but to Apple putting the final touches on the software for the device. It was the software, not the hardware, that took a week or two longer ...
Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.6.3 Build 10D567 to Developers
Apple today seeded yet another version of Mac OS X 10.6.3, termed Build 10D567, to developers. iPhone in Canada offers some details on the new version, which has seen only minor refinements as development appears to be wrapping up. Developers are reportedly asked to focus their testing on Graphics Drivers, iChat, QuickTime, Printing and Rosetta.
The last developer build of 10.6.3 was...
Apple Patent Application Reveals Flexible Integration of Advertising Viewing in Video Files
Patently Apple points to an interesting Apple patent application published yesterday describing methods of incorporating commercials into video content such that viewing of the commercials interspersed throughout the video presentation would be required in order to "unlock" portions of the content. The methods would allow users to freely navigate within a video presentation such as a...
Apple Announces April 3rd Launch Date for Wi-Fi iPad in the U.S.
Apple today announced that Wi-Fi models of the iPad will go on sale in the United States on Saturday, April 3rd. 3G-capable models in the U.S., as well as both Wi-Fi and 3G models for a number of other countries, will be available in late April. U.S. preorders for all iPad models begin on March 12th. Apple today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on...
Sony Preparing New Handheld Devices to Take On Apple
The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) on Sony's plans to develop a new lineup of handheld devices to compete against Apple's iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Threatened by Apple Inc.'s growing stable of portable devices, Sony Corp. is developing a new lineup of handheld products, including a smart phone capable of downloading and playing PlayStation games, according to people...
Fortune Again Names Apple World's Most Admired Company
In the 2010 edition of its annual ranking of "World's Most Admired Companies", Fortune placed Apple at the top of the list for the third year in a row and by the highest margin ever in the survey's ten-year history. Apple was followed in the rankings by Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Johnson & Johnson, and Amazon. What makes Apple so admired? Product, product, product. This is the company that...
Apple-Nokia Patent Trial On Hold Pending Trade Agency Review
The Associated Press reports that a federal court judge in Delaware has placed a hold on the patent dispute between Apple and Nokia pending review of similar, separate cases by the U.S International Trade Commission (ITC). The judge signed an order Wednesday staying litigation in a lawsuit in which Nokia claims that Apple is infringing on seven Nokia patents in products ranging from the iPhone to...
More Analyst Claims of iPad Production Delays Surface
The Wall Street Journal reports on a new note from research firm ThinkEquity claiming that the Apple's manufacturing partners in Taiwan are in fact experiencing delays in ramping up iPad production ahead of the device's launch announced for later this month. According to the report: Our checks in Taiwan indicate some minor delays on the iPad. The manufacturing of the iPads was supposed to pick up ...
Penguin Looking to Reinvent eBooks on iPad With Interactive Media
paidContent:UK reported earlier this week on a presentation from Penguin Books CEO John Makinson showing his company's vision for the future of eBooks on the iPad. Makinson's presentation highlighted Penguin's goal of embedding interactive content such as audio and video into its eBooks, as well as the inclusion of even more advanced features such as chats between readers.
Interestingly,...
'Layar Reality Browser' Returns to App Store
Augmented reality firm Layar today announced that its iPhone application Layar Reality Browser has reappeared in the App Store after a several-month absence. The much-anticipated application capable of utilizing the camera, GPS, and digital compass on the iPhone 3GS to superimpose data on top of live video had been released last October but was pulled in December for a complete rebuild after...
Valve Leaks Teaser Images for Announcement of Steam (and Games) for Mac [Updatedx4]
Last week, Valve Software generated some excitement among gaming fans who noticed Mac OS X menu components and other items in the most recent release of the company's Steam distribution platform for the PC. Combined with reports of Valve recruiting Mac engineers, the evidence suggested that Valve may be planning to make a move into the Mac platform.
MacRumors today received a teaser image...
China Unicom Continues Talking Up Wi-Fi iPhone
PCWorld reports that China Unicom has officially acknowledged that it is in discussions with Apple to offer a Wi-Fi capable iPhone in that country. "I know that in the market there is hope we will offer an iPhone with Wi-Fi," said Chang Xiaobing, chairman and CEO of China Unicom, outside an event in Beijing. "We have been holding talks with Apple in this area."
Chang did not give a timetable...
Rupert Murdoch Confirms Plans for Wall Street Journal iPad Application
The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) on comments from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of parent company News Corp., who noted that the newspaper will be present on the iPad and that Apple has provided the company with access to one of the tablet devices. The newspaper's iPad device is apparently kept under very tight security overseen by Apple itself. Mr. Murdoch said the...
Apple Pressuring Music Labels Over Participation in Amazon's 'Daily Deal' Program
Billboard reports that Apple has been pressuring music labels over their participation in Amazon's "Daily Deal" program that has allowed them increased exposure and sale pricing on Amazon's MP3 download store. Apple's primary objection has been Amazon's push for one-day exclusives on new releases offered through the program, an offering that has placed Apple's iTunes Store at a disadvantage for...
Google Stands Behind HTC in Patent Dispute With Apple
TechCrunch reports that a Google spokesperson issued a statement yesterday indicating that the company will "stand behind" handset manufacturer HTC in its patent dispute with Apple. "We are not a party to this lawsuit. However, we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it," a Google spokesperson emailed us.Apple's lawsuits against HTC have been...
iPad Suppliers Dispute Claims of Shortages at Launch
Earlier this week, research analyst Peter Misek of Canaccord Adams claimed that a "manufacturing bottleneck" at Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn/Hon Hai Precision would result in constrained supplies (300,000 versus a rumored planned 1,000,000) of the iPad at its launch later this month. The report had also suggested that the shortages could be severe enough to result in a delayed launch,...
Apple Releases ProKit 5.1 for Leopard and Snow Leopard
Apple today released ProKit 5.1 for Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5), an update to the framework that provides the controls and user interface for Apple's pro applications. This ProKit Update fixes issues with user interface software resources that are shared by Apple's professional applications.
The issues addressed include:
- Corrected an issue with improper scrolling behavior.
- Resolved memory...
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson Speaks About iPhone and iPad
The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) on comments made today by AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson at an investor conference in which he noted that he expects Apple's iPhone to be an important part of the carrier's offerings for "quite some time". Stephenson did not address, however, whether the company is expecting to lose its exclusivity for the iPhone in the U.S. in the near...
