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
Microsoft's Czech Unit Reportedly Confirms Office for iOS Coming in March 2013 [Updated]
The Verge reports that a Microsoft product manager today confirmed that the company is working on versions of Microsoft Office for both iOS and Android, targeting a March 2013 release. The comments were made to Czech site IHNED.cz [Google translation] at a press event in that country.The Verge also notes that it has seen a press release from Microsoft's team in the Czech Republic confirming...
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Increased iPhone 5 Quality Control Standards to Address Scratches Slowing Production
Bloomberg takes a look at the situation surrounding scratching and scuffing of the iPhone 5's aluminum shell, an issue we noted just hours after the device's launch. According to today's report, Apple has indeed increased quality control standards to reduce the number of devices that are delivered with scratches right out of the box, but the move has slowed production on the new iPhone.The...
Sling Media Announces Slingbox 350 and 500 Media Streaming Boxes
Sling Media, maker of the Slingbox set-top media streaming boxes, today announced its first new hardware products in four years, introducing the new Slingbox 350 and 500 boxes. The company has long been one of the leading vendors offering software and hardware solutions to allow users to stream live and recorded television programming from a user's television to their computers and smartphones.
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iPhone Usage Among U.S. Teens Hits 40% as iPad Continues to Gain Traction
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster today released a report outlining the results of his semi-annual survey of U.S. teenagers, revealing that iPhone and iPad usage continues to surge among the demographic. The survey of over 7,700 teenagers shows that 40% of respondents currently use an iPhone, up from 34% in the last survey conducted just six months ago. We believe it is a positive sign for the...
iPhone 5 Approved in Brazil, Manual Suggests Portuguese Support for Siri
Following word today that the iPhone 5 will launch in India on October 26, MacRumors has learned that the iPhone 5 has been approved for sale in Brazil by Anatel, the country's telecommunications regulatory authority. The approval was posted yesterday with Foxconn's factories in Brazil and China listed as assembly locations, but there is not yet any word on when Apple plans to launch the device...
Apple's Rumored Carbon Fiber Part Shipments Said to Be Result of Multi-Year Partnership
Late last month, Mac Otakara reported that Apple had ordered carbon fiber components for an unknown product from a Japanese company. The order was said to be too large to simply be a sample, but no other details on the part were revealed.
Mac Otakara now reports that the shipments are actually the result of a long-standing partnership between Apple and the carbon fiber company dating back at...
'iPad Mini' Design Change Halts Production by Case Manufacturers?
Over the past several months, numerous cases and physical mockups for Apple's rumored "iPad mini" have leaked, offering what many have believed will be a good approximation of what the device will actually look like. But according to a brief report from Mac Otakara, those case manufacturers may now need to shift gears as one company has reported that it has halted production on its iPad mini...
13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Reportedly Still on Track for 4Q 2012 Launch
CNET reports on comments from DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim, who says that Apple's plans for a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro remain on track for production during this quarter, suggesting that a launch may come in the near future.DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim has been telling CNET for a while now that a 13.3-inch Retina version of the MacBook Pro (MBP) is slated for production in the...
Apple's Lightning Authentication Reportedly Cracked, Unauthorized Third-Party Cables Coming
Chinese firm iPhone5mod has introduced (via M.I.C. gadget) a new iPhone 5 Flash Lightning Dock, marking one of the first claimed efforts to implement Apple's Lightning connector standard on a mass production basis. The move comes as Apple has been maintaining tight control over the standard and has yet to authorize any third-party manufacturing facilities to produce Lightning-equipped products.
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Next Round of iPhone 5 Launches Coming October 26 with India and Malaysia?
BGR.in reports that Apple is planning to launch the iPhone 5 in India on October 26, moving rapidly to make the device available in one of the world's largest markets but one in which Apple has not yet gained significant traction.Multiple sources have confirmed to us that Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 5 in India on the last Friday of this month, which happens to be October 26. As we...
New iPod Touch and iPod Nano Begin Shipping, Photos and Benchmarks Posted
Numerous MacRumors readers have reported that their orders for Apple's new fifth-generation iPod touch and seventh-generation iPod nano have shipped, with delivery due for late this week or early next week. The news is in line with last week's reports that orders were being prepared for shipment and claims of an official October 9 launch date.
Stores have also begun stocking the new devices,...
Lodsys Offers Update on In App Purchase Patent Dispute, Claims Licensing Momentum
Nearly a year and a half ago, patent holding firm Lodsys threatened to file suit against App Store developers making use of Apple's In App Purchase mechanism, claiming that they were infringing upon patents held by Lodsys.
Apple stepped in to protect developers, ultimately filing a motion to intervene in the lawsuits being pursued by Lodsys against developers who were unwilling to license the...
An Inside Look at Apple's Role in the Patent Industry
In the seventh installment of its "iEconomy" series focused on Apple, The New York Times takes a look at patents, examining how and why Apple has wielded them in what seems to be a never-ending series of lawsuits between the company and its competitors.
The seven-page article offers an interesting glimpse into the patent process and traces Apple's aggressive efforts to a $100 million settlement...
Average Wait Time for Mac App Store App Reviews Rising Significantly
iOS developer training firm Shiny Development has been tracking review times for iOS and Mac App Store submissions for some time, crowdsourcing data from developers disclosing their waits in Tweets. The tools provide an interesting look at how review times have varied over time, and they reveal that there has been a substantial increase in those times for Mac App Store submissions over the past...
Component Suppliers Say Apple Has Ordered Parts for 10 Million 'iPad Minis' in 4Q 2012
While some sources have indicated that production challenges with components for Apple's forthcoming "iPad mini" will limit launch supplies of the device, The Wall Street Journal now reports that many component suppliers are moving ahead to meet Apple's plans to build more than 10 million units of the device during the fourth quarter.Some component suppliers to Apple in Asia say they have...
Apple's Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter Begins Shipping
Apple has just begun notifying the first wave of customers who ordered the company's new Lightning to 30-pin Adapter that their orders are now shipping. MacRumors has received word from several readers located in Australia that their orders are now in transit, with one reader's shipping notification indicating that his shipment is due to be delivered on October 9.
Apple is offering two...
Apple Publicly Responds to Complaints of Purple Lens Flare on iPhone 5 Photos
Soon after the release of the iPhone 5, some users began noticing a purple flare or halo showing up in photos taken with the device's camera pointed at or near bright light sources. The issue is certainly not unique to the iPhone 5, but it has caused concern for some users.
Photos with purple flare taken by iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 (Source: The Next Web)
Last week, Gizmodo reported that...
'Apple Store' App Updated for iPhone 5
Apple today updated its Apple Store app for iOS [App Store], adding support for the larger screen of the iPhone 5.
Compatibility with the larger 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5 also means that the app will be optimized for the fifth-generation iPod touch when it becomes available. Apple is preparing to ship the first orders of the device, with the actual availability date being rumored for...
New iPad Shows Up in App Analytics Running A6-Based Chip
MacRumors has received word from a developer who has seen evidence of a previously unknown "iPad3,6" device showing up in his app analytics. Most interestingly, the device's processor targets the new ARMv7s architecture that supports the custom A6 system-on-a-chip found in the iPhone 5. This new iPad thus appears to be running either an A6 chip itself or a variation on Apple's custom A6 design.
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Foxconn Workers Reportedly Strike over iPhone 5 Quality Control Demands
China Labor Watch reports (via Gizmodo) that thousands of Foxconn workers responsible for assembly of the iPhone 5 have gone on strike today, objecting to strict enforcement of increased quality control standards.China Labor Watch (CLW) announced that at 1:00PM on October 5 (Beijing time), a strike occurred at Foxconn’s Zhengzhou factory that, according to workers, involved three to four...
