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
Dell Developing Android-Based Mobile Internet Device?
The Wall Street Journal reports that Dell has been developing a Mobile Internet Device (MID) based on Google's Android operating system. The device is reportedly slightly larger than Apple's iPod touch, with which Dell's offering would presumably compete in many respects should it eventually be released. Another person who was briefed on the company's plans said Dell may begin selling the device...
Read Full Article • 104 comments
Apple Releases MacBook Air SMC Firmware Update 1.2
Apple today released MacBook Air SMC Firmware Update 1.2, adding support for new replacement batteries for the Late 2008 MacBook Air. Apple does not provide any additional details on these batteries. This SMC firmware update adds compatibility for the latest service replacement batteries.
For more information, please visit
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2368Users should follow the installation ...
Apple Confirms: Steve Jobs Back at Work
Bloomberg has received confirmation from Apple that Steve Jobs has returned to work at Apple following his liver transplant, currently working part-time at the company's headquarters in Cupertino and part-time from home. Jobs reportedly returned to work last Monday, but today's report is the first confirmation directly from Apple. Steve Jobs is back at work at Apple Inc., returning to his job as...
U.S. Apple Retail Store iPhone 3GS Supplies Begin to Tighten
Late last week, we reported that Apple had posted an online availability database showing iPhone 3GS stock levels at each of its over 200 U.S. retail stores. At the time, the database showed solid availability of the new iPhone, with nearly 90% of stores showing availability of all four iPhone 3GS models and only five stores being completely sold out.
Apple's retail store stock levels declined ...
Counterfeit iPhone 3Gs Becoming More Convincing at First Glance
Apple service provider MacMedics recently had the opportunity to examine a counterfeit iPhone 3G purchased by a customer off of eBay. The packaging and external appearance of the device appear convincingly genuine at first glance, demonstrating increasing sophistication from such counterfeiters.
The software, however, is the difficult part to imitate, and this is where the counterfeit iPhone...
Apple to Adopt Micro-USB Connectors for iPhone Charging in Europe
Reuters reports that ten top mobile phone manufacturers, including Apple, have agreed to adopt the Micro-USB connector standard for smartphone chargers in the European Union. The shift, planned to begin next year, will allow smartphones from the companies, which control 90% of the market, to use the same charging cables. Apple currently uses a proprietary dock connector compatible with both the...
Apple Seeds OS X Snow Leopard Build 10A394 to Developers
Apple today seeded a new version of OS X Snow Leopard, Build 10A394, to developers. The new build was distributed via Software Update and weighs in at 655.3 MB. The update's description simply states that the new build contains fixes for stability, compatibility, and security.
Early reports say that the Dock Expos feature demonstrated at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this ...
Apple Posts Online iPhone 3GS Availability Database
Apple has posted an online database to allow potential iPhone 3GS customers in the U.S. to check stock levels for the various models at Apple Retail Stores. Availability is updated at least hourly. Apple deployed similar tools for both the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G, although these previous versions only updated nightly with stock levels for opening the following day.
Apple's...
Next-Generation iMacs to See Price Cuts?
AppleInsider reports that Apple is considering dropping the price points for its iMac line alongside the introduction of next-generation models later this year. The cuts, which Apple is rumored to be considering in the 7-10% range, would be in line with the significant price cuts seen in Apple's latest notebook offerings introduced earlier this month at its Worldwide Developers Conference. iMacs...
HP Releases Classic Calculator iPhone Apps
Macworld reports on Hewlett Packard's recent release of two iPhone app versions of classic HP calculators, the HP 12C Financial Calculator [App Store, $14.99] and the HP 15C Scientific Calculator [App Store, $29.99]. HP is reportedly also working on an iPhone version of its 12C Platinum calculator, which is expected to be released in early August and priced at $19.99.
While the price points ...
Sprint Directly Targeting iPhone and AT&T in New Palm Pre Ad
PreThinking points out a new print ad posted to Sprint's Facebook page that directly targets iPhone customers on AT&T whose original two-year contracts are just now expiring.
The ad touts the Pre's ability to run multiple applications at the same time and Sprint's claim that users can save $1200 over two years by switching from AT&T. The $1200 savings is based on Sprint's $99.99/month...
Michael Jackson Dominates Top Ten Album List in U.S. iTunes Store
Legendary music artist Michael Jackson, who passed away yesterday at the age of 50, is currently dominating the U.S. iTunes Store's list of top albums. Jackson's albums currently hold the top seven spots, led by the greatest hits compilation The Essential Michael Jackson [iTunes Store, $16.99] and Thriller [iTunes Store, $9.99], the biggest selling album of all-time with worldwide sales figures...
iPhone Marketing Director Leaves Apple for Venture Capital Firm
The Wall Street Journal reports that Bob Borchers, Apple's senior director of worldwide product marketing for the iPhone, has left the company to become a general partner at venture capital firm Opus Capital. Borchers, 43, had been at Apple since 2004 working on products such as the iPod and iPhone and had even appeared in some company videos about the iPhone. A former executive at Nokia and Nike, ...
YouTube Daily Mobile Uploads Have Increased 400% Since Launch of iPhone 3GS
Google today announced that daily YouTube uploads directly from mobile devices have increased 400% since the release of the iPhone 3GS last Friday. The iPhone 3GS includes the ability to record video and provides for easy uploading directly to YouTube from within the Camera Roll section of the Photos application.
YouTube also notes, however, that the spike generated by the release of the...
AT&T On Track for Femtocell Deployment By End of 2009
Unstrung reports that AT&T is on track for deployment of its 3G MicroCell femtocell technology by the end of 2009. Femtocell technology connects to a user's existing broadband Internet service and provides enhanced 3G voice and data coverage within a 5000 square foot range. According to AT&T's executive director for radio access network delivery, Gordon Mansfield, who was speaking at the...
Apple's Share of U.S. Smartphone Ad Requests Grows, iPhone OS 3.0 Adoption Mixed
In its May 2009 Mobile Metrics report released today, mobile advertising firm AdMob revealed that the iPhone and iPod touch now account for 69% of the U.S. smartphone traffic on its ad network. The figure is up from 59% in April and 50% in March. Worldwide, the iPhone and iPod touch now account for 49% of smartphone ad requests.
In a separate report issued earlier this week, AdMob...
iPhone OS 3.0 Adoption Rate Soars
Tapbots, creator of the popular unit conversion iPhone app Convertbot, has published data showing the rate of adoption of iPhone OS 3.0 by its users. Notably, as of June 22nd, 75% of users running the latest version of Convertbot were using iPhone OS 3.0.
Demonstrating the effect of the $9.95 upgrade fee for the iPod touch on adoption rates, only just over 50% of iPod touch users were...
iPhone 3GS Tops T-Mobile G1 and Palm Pre in JavaScript Benchmarks
Medialets today released the results of JavaScript benchmark tests performed using the SunSpider test suite on the iPhone 3G and 3GS, the T-Mobile G1 running Android, and the Palm Pre running webOS. The use of the SunSpider suite for benchmarking studies enables cross-platform comparisons among the devices, as they all utilize WebKit-based Web browsers. In the Medialets study, the iPhone 3GS...
16 GB iPhone 3GS Teardown Reveals $178.96 Parts and Manufacturing Cost
Research firm iSuppli today announced the results of its teardown of the new 16 GB iPhone 3GS, estimating the device's parts cost at $172.46, with an additional $6.50 in manufacturing costs bringing the total cost to $178.96. The data compares to a total cost of $174.33 for the 8 GB iPhone 3G at its launch in July 2008.
BusinessWeek provides a full analysis of the iSuppli report, noting that...
Wireless Charging for the iPhone and iPod Touch
A company called WildCharge yesterday announced that it is set to begin offering the first wireless charging cases for the iPhone and iPod touch. This allows the devices to be charged by simply placing them on a special charging pad without the need for any cables. The iPod touch skin is available for order immediately, while the iPhone skin, compatible with all iPhone models, will be available ...
