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 Indeed Replacing Recalled iPod Nano Units with Current-Generation Models
Just hours after we reported that Apple appeared to have begun shipping out current-generation iPod nanos as replacements for recalled first-generation units, users are beginning to report in that they are indeed receiving the current models.Just received our replacement today - Fedex truck pulled up late in the evening. Inside was our replacement for our 1st gen ipod nano that was sent into...
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Apple Rolls Out 'Complete My Season Pass' for TV Shows
While Apple has long offered a "Complete My Album" feature in the iTunes Store to allow users who have previously purchased individual tracks to upgrade to the full album at a discounted price reflecting their single-track purchases, users have not had the flexibility of a similar option for TV shows.
That appears to have changed this week with the addition of a "Complete My Season Pass"...
Apple Reportedly Finalizes $400-500 Million Deal for Anobit
Israeli newspaper Calcalist reports [Google translation] that Apple has finalized its previously-rumored acquisition of flash memory firm Anobit, with company executives having gathered employees to share the news. According to the report, Apple is paying $400-500 million for the Israeli firm.
Tweet from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcoming Apple
The article also claims that ...
Apple Now Replacing Recalled First-Gen iPod Nanos with Current-Gen Models?
Last month, Apple announced a worldwide replacement program for the first-generation iPod nano due to continuing issues with overheating related to defective batteries from one of Apple's suppliers.
While some users began receiving their replacement units, which apparently came through as like-new refurbished first-generation units, almost immediately, many other users have been complaining of ...
Apple Preparing to Offer 'Significant' Dividend for Investors Early Next Year?
Bloomberg reports on comments from money manager Howard Ward claiming that Apple is preparing to begin offering a "significant" dividend to its shareholders early next year.“We’re going to see a dividend announced for Apple at some point in the first half of 2012,” Ward, a money manager who helps oversee about $36.1 billion for Gamco Investors Inc., said in an interview today with “Street ...
T-Mobile USA Spectrum Refarming Lets Some iPhone Users Access 3G Data Speeds
While T-Mobile USA has yet to officially offer the iPhone due to an inability to reach an agreement with Apple on the development of new hardware to support T-Mobile's 3G/4G network standards, that hasn't stopped the carrier from quietly targeting iPhone owners with micro-SIM cards and over one million users from taking their unlocked iPhones to the carrier.
Those users have, however, been...
Police Arrest 141 New York City Merchants in Stolen iPhone Sting
The New York Post reports that a sting conducted by the New York Police Department last week targeting vendors suspected of selling stolen iPhones resulted in 141 arrests as the city works to cut down the market feeding on such thefts. According to the report, undercover officers approached workers at over 600 locations suspected of participating in sales of stolen iPhones and offered the...
Apple's Work on Wearable Computer Concepts Includes Wrist-Wrapping iPod with Siri
The New York Times reports on Apple's and Google's efforts to develop wearable computers with the aim of augmenting their existing mobile product lines. In addition to peripheral devices that could communicate with a user's iPhone or iPod, Apple is said to also being looking at ways to make the device's themselves wearable, moving beyond the current iPod nano's wristwatch-like functionality...
Explosion at Pegatron Factory for Apple Products, Injuries Reported
Reuters reports that Apple's manufacturing partner Pegatron has acknowledged that a "small explosion" has occurred at one of its factories in Shanghai, China. The report notes that there have been some injuries as a result of the incident, but there are no reports of fatalities at this time.Pegatron said in a statement released early on Sunday that there was some damage to machinery but it can...
Apple Releases New Santa-Themed Ad for iPhone 4S and Siri
Apple today released a new commercial for the iPhone 4S ahead of the Christmas holiday, showing Santa using Siri to find such information as directions and weather, search for an email with his "naughty or nice" list, and hear an email from Mrs. Claus reminding him to "go easy on the cookies". Finally, Santa asks to check his schedule for the rest of the day, only to find out that he has 3.7...
New iOS 5.0.1 Build 9A406 Intended to Fix 'No SIM Card' Errors on iPhone 4S
Yesterday, we noted that Apple had quietly released a tweaked version of iOS 5.0.1. The purpose of the tweak was a mystery given that the update was not being pushed to all users and only made available to those newly updating to iOS 5.0.1. The new version arrived as Build 9A406, and increment of one over the original iOS 5.0.1 release.
But based on a new Apple support document, it now...
Apple Temporarily Halts New iTunes Match Subscriptions in New International Markets
With Apple launching a broad international roll-out of iTunes Match yesterday to well over a dozen new countries, it appears that the expansion has come with some growing pains for the cloud-based music service. The service had started to prematurely go live for some users the day before, and several hours after the international expansion users around the world reported temporary problems...
'Avatar' Returning to iTunes Store with Scene Deconstruction and Green Screen X-Ray Extras
Twentieth Century Fox today announced the upcoming debut of an exclusive iTunes Extras special edition version of the film Avatar, bringing several new interactive features including the ability to deconstruct scenes to see how they were made and a "Green Screen X-ray" that allows users to easily see the original green screen footage behind certain scenes.Fans can experience the global box...
Walter Isaacson Considering Expanding Steve Jobs Biography
Fortune reports on comments from Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson suggesting that he may not yet be finished working on the book, with Isaacson currently considering several ideas for expanding the authorized biography. Among the ideas are an addendum more fully describing the events surrounding Jobs' death in early October or adding extensive annotations to the existing content to flesh...
iPhone 4S Debuts in Over 20 New Countries, Pricing Starts as High as $1400
In line with our report from earlier this month, Apple has launched the iPhone 4S in a number of new countries today. Based on an examination of Apple's site and those of its carrier partners, we have found over 20 countries where the device appears to have debuted today.
The list of new countries includes: Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, the...
Samsung's New Texas Factory for A5 Chip Production Now Fully Operational
Reuters reports that Samsung, Apple's manufacturing partner for a number of components in its iOS devices, has completed work on a new factory in Austin, Texas that is handling production of the A5 system-on-a-chip found in the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. Samsung had announced the $3.6 billion project in June 2010, but has not publicly admitted that the facility is dedicated to producing components...
iTunes Match Goes Live Internationally (For Real This Time)
Following last night's premature access to iTunes Match some users in international markets were able to achieve through their iTunes Store account pages, the service now appears to officially be going live in several countries.
iTunes Match link on front page of UK iTunes Store
MacRumors readers in a number of countries have been reporting over the past few hours that they are being...
Apple Rolling Out New iTunes Terms Ahead of International iTunes Match Debut [Updated]
Yesterday, we noted that iTunes Match was appearing to go live in a number of countries around the world, with users being able to sign up for the service in their local currencies but reporting that the feature was not yet functioning properly. The rollout appears to have been premature, as Apple has been refunding early customers and notifying them that the service is currently available only...
Claimed iPad 3 Parts Continue to Leak as Rumored Release Draws Closer
As long ago as mid-July, the first claimed iPad 3 parts leaked with photos of a dock connector and ribbon cable. Since that time, at least one other claimed iPad 3 part in the form of a power button flex cable has also appeared.
Claimed iPad 3 microphone flex cable
Cydia Blog notes that a third iPad 3 part appears to have joined the leaks with the appearance of a microphone flex cable....
Apple Releases Apple TV Software Version 4.4.4, Tweaks iOS 5.0.1 for iPhone 4S
Apple today released a software update for the second-generation Apple TV, bringing the set-top box to version 4.4.4. The update arrives as Build 9A406a, but it is not yet clear what improvements are included in the release.
Apple TV software 4.4.3 was released last month and added support for Netflix streaming in Mexico and an audio output issue when the connected television set is turned...
