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 Expands Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program for 2009-2011 iMacs
Apple yesterday expanded its iMac 1TB Seagate Hard Drive Replacement Program, significantly increasing the number of machines eligible under the program to include iMacs sold between October 2009 and July 2011 with 1 TB Seagate hard drives.Apple has determined that certain Seagate 1TB hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems may fail. These systems were sold between October 2009 and ...
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Apple Reportedly Tapping TSMC for 20-nm Quad-Core Chips with Late 2013 Production
China Economic News Service reports on a research note from Citigroup analyst J.T. Hsu claiming that Apple is working with Taiwanese chip manufacturer TSMC as its sole supplier for future quad-core chips based on more efficient 20-nanometer processes. The timeline shared by Hsu suggests that the quad-core chips could make their way into products such as the iPad in 2014.Citigroup Global...
Apple Licenses Swiss Railway Clock Design for iPad's iOS 6 Clock App
Last month, we noted that the Swiss Federal Railways service was objecting to Apple's use of its iconic clock design for the new iPad clock app in iOS 6.
The Verge now points to a press release [Google translation] from the railway service announcing that a licensing agreement has been reached.For the use of the SBB station clock on devices like iPad and iPhone, the Swiss Federal Railways SBB...
Apple's 'iPad Mini' Media Event Reportedly Scheduled for October 23
AllThingsD reports that Apple appears to be planning to hold a media event on Tuesday, October 23 to introduce the "iPad mini", Apple's smaller tablet device said to be carrying a display measuring 7.85 inches diagonally.As AllThingsD reported in August, Apple will hold a special event this month at which it will showcase a new, smaller iPad. People familiar with Apple’s plans tell us that the...
Apple Hires Key Chip Designer from Samsung
The Wall Street Journal reports that former AMD chip designer and executive Jim Mergard has now moved to Apple after a brief stint at Samsung, marking a significant talent win for Apple in its efforts to build its own chips.The gadget maker has hired Jim Mergard, a 16-year veteran of Advanced Micro Devices who was a vice president and chief engineer there before he left for Samsung. He is known...
Apple's Lightning to 30-Pin Adapter Torn Apart, Reveals Several Chips and Copious Glue
Peter from Double Helix Cables has made a guest post on Gizmodo showing his work to tear down Apple's new Lightning to 30-pin Adapter that began shipping earlier this week. Apple has come under a fair amount of criticism for charging $29 for the basic adapter and $39 for one with a short cable, but Peter notes that based on the electronics inside and the durability of the adapter, the company...
iFixit Tears Down Apple's Fifth-Generation iPod Touch
The teardown experts at iFixit have turned their attention to Apple's fifth-generation iPod touch, moving quickly to examine the internals of the company's redesigned device.
The teardown reveals few surprises, but offers a good look at how Apple has been able to pack all of the components into a body that has 20% less volume than the iPhone 5. With a lack of cellular communications...
Japanese Carrier SoftBank Close to Acquiring Sprint?
The Verge reports on an article from Japanese business newspaper Nikkei claiming that the country's third largest carrier, SoftBank, is close to acquiring U.S. carrier and iPhone partner Sprint Nextel. The report indicates that SoftBank is looking to acquire at least a two-thirds share of Sprint in a deal that would exceed ¥1.5 trillion ($19.2 billion).
The Wall Street Journal follows up...
Apple Hits New High with 13.6% Share of U.S. PC Shipments in 3Q 2012, Lenovo Captures Worldwide Title
Research firm Gartner today released its preliminary personal computer shipment data for the third quarter of 2012, providing a picture of just how weak market performance was during the quarter. While Apple actually experienced a year-over-year unit decline of 6.1% in the United States, other top vendors with the exception of Lenovo posted even steeper declines, giving the overall U.S. market a...
Reviews of the Fifth-Generation iPod Touch and Seventh-Generation iPod Nano
With Apple having just begun shipping out its new fifth-generation iPod touch and seventh-generation iPod nano, The Verge has already posted reviews of both devices, weighing the positives and negatives of the substantially redesigned iPods.
The Verge's iPod touch review notes that the device is a major upgrade over its predecessor, which essentially dated to September 2010, with across the...
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...
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.
...
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...
