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 Planning 22-Inch Touchscreen iMac for Later This Year?
In a brief note, DigiTimes points to a report [Google translation] from Taiwan's China Times claiming that Apple is preparing to launch a 22-inch touchscreen iMac in the second half of this year. Longtime manufacturing partner Quanta is among the companies expected to receive orders to build the new iMac.
The report notes that the popularity of "all-in-one" computers like the iMac is surging, ...
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Apple Again Hits Back at Nokia in Patent Dispute
Bloomberg reports that Apple has struck back at Nokia again in the growing patent dispute between the two companies, filing a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking to prevent the import of mobile phones from Nokia. The move counters a similar request made to the ITC earlier this month by Nokia seeking to ban the import of "virtually all" Apple products. "Nokia will...
AT&T Rolls Out Cheaper Unlimited Plans, iPhone Monthly Rate Drops $30
Responding to price cuts from Verizon, AT&T today rolled out new unlimited plans for all devices on its network, including the iPhone. Under the new plans taking effect on Monday, iPhone customers can sign up for unlimited voice and data for $99.99 per month, although texting packages remain separate for an additional fee. The unlimited voice and data plan represents a $30 discount from the...
Psystar Files Appeal in Apple Lawsuit Over Unauthorized Mac Clones
The Mac Observer reports that unauthorized Mac clone make Psystar has officially filed an appeal of an injunction won by Apple preventing the company from selling computer systems modified to run Mac OS X. Psystar has officially filed its Notice of Appeal in the copyright suit it lost against Apple Inc., according to a court document obtained by The Mac Observer. The step was a formality in the...
iTunes Store Facilitating Red Cross Donations for Haitian Earthquake Relief
Apple has set up a feature on its iTunes Store main page to allow users to donate to the American Red Cross in support of relief efforts in the wake of Tuesday's massive earthquake in Haiti. The donations, which are available in six denominations ranging from $5 to $200, will be processed as any other iTunes purchase, allowing convenient billing for existing iTunes users, and 100% of the...
Apple Reportedly Looking to Revolutionize Mobile Advertising
As part of its cover story this week on the Apple-Google rivalry, BusinessWeek reports that Apple is seriously looking at ways to revolutionize mobile advertising, leveraging its recent acquisition of Quattro Wireless to go head-to-head to with the Google/AdMob conglomeration. According to a source familiar with his thinking, Jobs has recognized that "mobile ads suck" and that improving that...
Vodafone Reports 50,000 Pre-Ordered iPhones in UK
Macworld UK reports that Vodafone, the latest UK wireless carrier to begin offering the iPhone, has shipped out 50,000 of the devices to customers who placed pre-orders. Vodafone, the fourth mobile phone operator in the UK to stock the iPhone after O2, Orange and Tesco Mobile (in partnership with O2), shipped 50,000 Apple smartphones to customers today who pre-registered with the company....
Developer Apparently Reports Updating Application for iPhone OS 4.0 [Updated]
CNET reports that it has received an e-mail from a "prominent" iPhone application developer noting that the developer's application has been updated for iPhone OS 4.0, implying that Apple has already delivered an early version of the updated operating system and development tools into the hands of select developers. iPhone OS 4.0 is imminent. At least, that's the only conclusion I can draw from an ...
Apple Becoming More Serious About Corporate Acquisitions?
BusinessWeek reports on Apple's recent acquisitions of Lala Media and Quattro Wireless, noting that the moves may be part of a broader strategy by the company to utilize its vast cash hoard to increase its historically low frequency of such acquisitions.
In particular, the report notes that Apple last year hired Goldman Sachs investment banker Adrian Perica to assist with such deals. The...
Apple Lawyers Strike Back at Valleywag Over Tablet Bounty
Yesterday, Valleywag received considerable attention for its questionably legal offer of up to $100,000 for legitimate information on Apple's much-anticipated tablet device. It didn't take long for Apple's lawyers to respond to the offer, with Michael Spillner of Apple's law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe sending Valleywag and Gawker a cease-and-desist letter requesting that the contest be...
Apple Considering Adding Contacts to iPhone Home Screen?
Being Manan notes (via Redmond Pie) a newly-published patent application from Apple describing the ability to add users' contacts directly to the iPhone's home screen, offering one-touch access to various functions related to that contact. Users can create icons for a mobile device, where the icons can represent often accessed user contacts. User created icons can allow convenient access to all...
Kodak Files Patent Infringement Suits Against Apple, Research in Motion
Kodak today announced that it has filed suit against both Apple and Research in Motion for infringement of patents related to digital camera technology. The Kodak complaint, filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), specifically claims that Apple's iPhones and RIM's camera-enabled BlackBerry devices infringe a Kodak patent that covers technology related to a method for previewing...
Intel Claims Core i5-Based MacBook Pro Promotion a Marketing Error
Spanish site faq-mac.com, which was first to note an Intel promotion yesterday apparently revealing at least one forthcoming MacBook Pro based on the company's new Core i5 processors, now reports [Google translation] that Intel has revised the promotion to offer HP Envy notebooks instead of MacBook Pros, blaming a marketing error for the incorrect promotional materials. Intel has apologized for...
Apple and Overall PC Industry Post Solid Shipment Gains in Fourth Quarter 2009
Research firms Gartner and IDC yesterday released their preliminary quarterly personal computer shipment data, offering up a picture of market performance during the fourth quarter of 2009 and for the year. As usual, the two firms' data sets contain some differences, but both reveal a strong rebound for the PC industry, with worldwide shipments growing between 15 and 22% and U.S. shipments...
Next-Generation iPhone to Offer Touch-Sensitive Casing?
In an interesting twist as fourth-generation iPhone rumors begin to gather steam in the new year, Bloomberg cites Goldman Sachs analyst Robert Chen, who predicts that Apple's next iPhone may take some cues from the company's new multi-touch Magic Mouse and incorporate a touch-sensitive casing in addition to the traditional touchscreen. Magic Mouse, a computer mouse released in October, has a...
Valleywag Offers Questionably Legal $100,000 Apple Tablet Bounty
Valleywag today announced that it is offering a bounty of up to $100,000 for information on Apple's much-anticipated tablet device. The reward ladder begins at $10,000 for "bona fide pictures" of the device, increasing to $20,000 for video. Potential rewards for more ambitious tipsters include $50,000 for pictures of Apple CEO Steve Jobs holding the device, and $100,000 for anyone willing to...
Cost of App Store Piracy Pegged at $450 Million
24/7 Wall St. reports that Apple and App Store developers appear to have lost approximately $450 million to piracy since the marketplace for iPhone and iPod touch application opened in July 2008. The rough number is based on several estimates regarding the proportion of downloads that are paid applications, the piracy rate for paid applications, and the proportion of pirated app users who would...
Report Claims Tablet is 'iPhone on Steroids', Runs on iPhone OS Kernel
Boy Genius Report reveals that it has received information from a source regarding Apple's much-rumored tablet, noting that it is basically an "iPhone on steroids" and offering a few details about the device. - The tablet's multi-touch gestures are "out of control."
- It's powered by an incredibly fast ARM CPU
- It runs on the iPhone kernel.
- The internal model number is K48AP.
- There hasn't ...
Intel Promotion Appears to Reveal Forthcoming Core i5-Based MacBook Pro
Spanish site faq-mac.com reports [Google translation] that chipmaker Intel has sent an e-mail to members of its Intel Retail Edge program touting a chance for participants to win one of two MacBook Pro notebooks based on Intel's new Core i5 processors during the month of January. Apple's MacBook Pro line currently utilizes Intel Core 2 Duo processors.
Other sources have confirmed that...
Apple Updates Logic Pro and MainStage, Adds 64-Bit Compatibility
The Loop notes that Apple has released Logic Pro 9.1 and MainStage 2.1, bringing several bug fixes to the company's professional audio applications, as well as 64-bit compatibility for users running Mac OS X 10.6.2 or later. Adding 64-bit support to Logic 9.1 and MainStage 2.1 effectively removes the memory limit imposed on 32-bit applications running under Mac OS X. When running the apps in...
