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 Teases Star Wars-Themed 'Behind the Mac' Film Featuring Skywalker Sound
Apple today released a brief teaser trailer for an upcoming "Behind the Mac" film featuring Skywalker Sound, the sound effects division of Lucasfilm known for the Star Wars franchise and many other high-profile movies.
The full film will be released on Apple's YouTube channel on May 4, Star Wars Day, and will examine how artists at Skywalker Sound use Macs and other tools to generate the...
Read Full Article • 48 comments
Apple Gives Developers More Time to Update 'Outdated' Apps Before Removal
Late last week, controversy erupted after Apple began notifying some developers that their apps that had not been updated in some time would be removed from the App Store as part of an "App Store Improvements" project to clean up "outdated" apps.
Many of the affected developers objected to Apple's policy, noting that their apps continued to function just fine despite a lack of updates,...
Latest AirTags Firmware Update Tunes the Unwanted Tracking Sound for Easier Detection
Earlier this week, Apple began rolling out a firmware update for AirTags, and while it wasn't clear at the time what changes were included in the update, Apple has now revealed in a new support document that it tweaks the sound made by unknown AirTags found to be traveling with you.
AirTag Firmware Update 1.0.301
Tuning the unwanted tracking sound to more easily locate an unknown AirTag.Ap...
Review: Transcend's 1TB JetDrive Lite 330 Adds Convenient Removable Storage to Your MacBook Pro
Last week, Transcend launched a 1TB version of its JetDrive Lite 330 expansion card for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, giving users a convenient way to add significant amounts of storage to their machines without any extra bulk. I've had a chance to spend some time with the new card, and while there are limitations for some of the things you might want to do with it, the JetDrive Lite 330...
Apple Now Selling Two New HidrateSpark Smart Water Bottles With Apple Health Integration
Two new smart water bottles from HidrateSpark are now being sold in Apple's online and retail stores, allowing users to automatically track their water intake and sync it to Apple Health.
The $80 HidrateSpark PRO STEEL, available in silver or black, is a vacuum-insulated 32-ounce water bottle with both chug and straw lids and an LED puck at the base that lights up in customizable colors and...
Belkin's Wemo Smart Video Doorbell With HomeKit Secure Video Now Available From Apple
Belkin's Wemo brand debuted its $250 Smart Video Doorbell with HomeKit Secure Video support back at CES in January, and the doorbell is now available through Apple's online and retail stores.
The Wemo Smart Video Doorbell, which is also available directly from Belkin, is one of the few doorbells on the market so far to support HomeKit Secure Video, which not only allows video feeds to show...
Anker's New 100W GaN Charger Features Three USB Ports, 34% Smaller Size Than Apple's 96W Charger
Originally announced at CES back in January, the U.S. version of Anker's highly anticipated 736 USB charger is now available through Amazon for $75.99 in black/silver.
Using Anker's GaN II technology, the 100-watt 736 charger is 34% smaller than Apple's 96-watt charger, yet offers the flexibility of three USB ports to charge multiple devices when needed.
The 736 includes two USB-C ports...
New Apple Cash Accounts Now Branded as Visa Cards
The Apple Cash virtual debit card appears to be switching networks from Discover to Visa, as revealed in some updated images on Apple's website and noted by Twitter user @Kanjo.
Since its launch, Apple Cash (originally known as Apple Pay Cash) has been operated through a partnership with Green Dot Bank on the Discover network. Discover is one of the smaller card networks and is accepted in...
Anker's Spring 2022 Lineup Includes Charging Solutions, Video Projector, Smart Scale, and 3D Printer
Popular accessory company Anker and its various related brands have launched several new products in recent weeks, ranging from USB chargers to portable power stations to video projectors and more, so we thought we'd round up some of the most recent announcements.
Anker 757 Portable Power Station
Last month, we took a look at the Anker 535 Portable Power Station, a 512 watt-hour battery with...
Beats Studio Buds Debut in Three New Colors: Ocean Blue, Sunset Pink, and Moon Gray
Last week, word surfaced that Apple's Beats brand was preparing to launch new colors of its Beats Studio Buds wireless earbuds, and today the news has become official. Starting tomorrow, Beats Studio Buds will be available from Apple in new Ocean Blue, Sunset Pink, and Moon Gray colors at the same $149.99 retail price as the original colors.
For U.S. customers looking to buy from channels...
Review: Anker's 535 Portable Power Station Keeps Your Devices Running While You're Off the Grid
At CES earlier this year, Anker introduced the 535 Portable Power Station, the latest entrant in its PowerHouse lineup of large portable batteries for supporting electronic devices while camping, during power outages, and in other situations where you're off the grid.
I've had a bit of time to test out the $500 Anker 535, and it delivers a handy set of connectivity options for charging up a...
March 2022 Apple Event Spoiler-Free Video Stream [Video Posted]
As with Apple's events throughout 2020 and 2021, today's media event kicking off at 10:00 am Pacific Time will be entirely online and likely a pre-recorded stream from Apple Park. Still, some MacRumors readers who can't follow the event as it's being broadcast are interested in avoiding all of the announcements and waiting until the event has ended and is available for on-demand viewing so as to...
Apple Fined Another €5 Million Over Dating Apps as Dutch Regulators Say Apple Has 'Refused to Put Forward Any Serious Proposals'
Dutch regulators have levied another fine of €5 million against Apple in a continued dispute over alternative payment systems for dating apps. Apple's total fines have now reached €25 million as regulators assess weekly fines up to a total of €50 million or until Apple satisfies the regulatory requirements.
In a statement shared with TechCrunch, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM)...
Fantastical 3.6 Adds New Scheduling Features to Make It Easier to Find Meeting Times
Popular calendar app Fantastical today is being updated with Fantastical Scheduling, a set of new and updated features designed to help schedule meetings.
The headline feature of Fantastical Scheduling is Openings, which lets you share your calendar availability with recipients and allows them to book available time slots. You can easily customize available time slots, while templates help...
Apple Reports Record 1Q 2022 Results: $34.6B Profit on $123.9B Revenue
Apple today announced financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2022, which corresponds to the fourth calendar quarter of 2021.
For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $123.9 billion and net quarterly profit of $34.6 billion, or $2.10 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $111.4 billion and net quarterly profit of $28.8 billion, or $1.68 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter...
Review: CalDigit's Element Hub Delivers Flexible Thunderbolt and USB Support
Recent advancements in Thunderbolt technology have brought the ability to include multiple downstream Thunderbolt ports on various docks and hubs, and CalDigit's Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub introduced earlier this year does just that in the form of a compact dock supporting Thunderbolt 4 and USB4.
I've long been a fan of CalDigit's Thunderbolt hubs, and I've been using the company's TS3 Plus...
CES 2022: Anker Introduces New Charging Solutions, Smart Home Accessories, and More
Popular charging accessory company Anker today is announcing two new charging solutions, starting with the new Anker 736 Charger, also known as the Nano II 100W. The Anker 736 features 100 watts of total charging power and is equipped with two USB-C ports and a USB-A port to allow for charging three devices simultaneously.
Anker says the 736 is the world's smallest 100-watt GaN wall charger...
CES 2022: Schlage Introduces Encode Plus Deadbolt With Support for Apple's Home Key Feature
One of the Wallet features introduced in iOS 15 was support for home keys, which will let users add digital keys for compatible HomeKit door locks to the Wallet app on their iPhone and Apple Watch. With the system, users can take advantage of NFC connectivity to quickly unlock their home by simply bringing their device close to the lock.
Schlage today is introducing the Schlage Encode Plus...
Review: FINIS Smart Goggle Tracks Your Swim Workouts and Integrates With Apple Health
I've been a swimmer for as long as I can remember, so I jumped at a recent opportunity to try out the FINIS Smart Goggle, a pair of swim goggles with a small display inside and sensors to help track your swims and keep on top of your metrics even while your head is underwater.
The FINIS Smart Goggle kit, developed in partnership with Ciye, is priced at $235 (on sale for $188 as of this...
Review: 2022 Honda Civic Adds Available Wireless CarPlay
Wireless CarPlay is seeing increasing adoption across car manufacturers, and one of the most recent to adopt the technology is Honda, which debuted it in the 2021 Accord and has now expanded it to the Civic for 2022. I recently had a chance to spend some time in the new Civic, which delivers a familiar infotainment experience with several handy additions.
My test vehicle was a top-end...
