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
Amazon Set to Step Up as Next iPad Competitor
DigiTimes reports that Amazon is set to launch its own tablet device within the next few months, adding yet another iPad competitor to the mix, but one with the ability to deliver significant media integration due to its existing businesses in the music and video markets. According to the report, Amazon is trying to bring the device to market well ahead of the holiday sales rush and will be...
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Mac OS X 10.6.8 Release Imminent?
Apple has just posted a new support document noting that updating to Mac OS X 10.6.8 is "strongly recommended" for users running any of the new Final Cut Pro X applications released earlier today.Updating to Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later is strongly recommended when using Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5, or Compressor 4.Mac OS X 10.6.8 is of course not yet publicly available, although it has been in...
30% of iPhone Users Leaning Toward Using iTunes Match
RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky today published a report sharing the results of a new survey of iPhone users, unsurprisingly revealing that 76% of surveyed users are planning to take advantage of Apple's free iCloud services. More significantly, the survey offers the first look at the popularity of iTunes Match, with 30% of respondents indicating that they are somewhat likely or very...
Final Cut Pro X Tidbits: Software Add-Ons, Graphics Card Requirements, Supported Cameras
With Apple having released Final Cut Pro X and associated Motion and Compressor versions today, more details are starting to come out.
We previously pointed to Macworld's "First Look" feature that outlines many of the new functionalities in Final Cut Pro X, and a full review from Macworld is set to be posted soon. Other users who were given early access to Final Cut Pro X have also been spea...
Next-Generation iPhone With 'Radical New Case Design' Coming in August?
BGR reports that it has received word from a reliable source indicating that the next-generation iPhone will indeed be a significant departure from the existing iPhone 4 form factor, bringing a "radical new case design" for the handset. According to the source, Apple may be preparing for an event in early or mid August to introduce the next iPhone, which would become available in the last week ...
Next-Generation MacBook Air to Include Black Option?
Apple is widely believed to be set to introduce new Sandy Bridge-based MacBook Air models in the very near future, with a variety of sources over the past few months having pegged the refresh for a June-July timeframe. One recent report has claimed that Apple is holding the MacBook Air release until OS X Lion is ready to go, meaning that a release would apparently occur sometime in July....
Apple and 'Mac Defender' Malware Authors Continue Cat-and-Mouse Game
It has been seven weeks since the "Mac Defender" malware first gained significant publicity, and we've seen Apple in response step up its anti-malware efforts with the release of a security update late last month that not only addressed the known Mac Defender variants at that time but also introduced daily checks for new malware definitions. The action significantly expanded the rudimentary...
Hulu Complies With Apple's New iOS In-App Subscription Rules Without Sharing Revenue
All Things Digital reports that in the latest update to its Hulu Plus application, television streaming company Hulu has brought itself into compliance with Apple's new In-App Subscription rules, taking advantage of a recent shift in Apple's stance to simply remove an external link to sign up for the paid service rather than offering subscriptions inside the application under a system in which...
Adobe Updates Flash Builder and Flex to Support Building iOS Applications
Adobe today announced the release of Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5, new versions of the company's rich application development tools that now support cross-platform mobile app development for iOS, BlackBerry, and Android.Developers now have a single platform for building highly expressive mobile applications that can be distributed via the Android Market, Apple App Store and BlackBerry App...
Apple Adds New Samsung Products to Infringement Lawsuit, Strengthens Assertions
Earlier this week, we noted that Apple had filed a response to Samsung's patent countersuit, calling a recent motion by Samsung to gain access to unreleased iOS hardware an "attempt to harass" and irrelevant to the case at hand. The filing came just ahead ahead of a deadline for Samsung to share its unreleased hardware with Apple.
Apple yesterday made another move in the chess match,...
iOS 5 to Bring Nitro JavaScript Speed Enhancements to Home Screen Web Apps
Back in March, we noted that Safari speed improvements in iOS 4.3 brought about by the addition of a new Nitro JavaScript engine did not extend to web apps launched from the home screen, meaning that webpages launched from convenient home screen icons exhibit significantly slower performance than those exact same pages loaded manually or from bookmarks within Safari.
As noticed by CNET, a threa...
Facebook to Launch iPad App, Preparing Web-Based Mobile Platform
The New York Times reports that Facebook is finally set to release a free iPad app "in coming weeks", remedying a curious omission for the social networking service that touts over 600 million users worldwide.People briefed on Facebook's plans say that in coming weeks the company plans to introduce a free iPad application that has been carefully designed and optimized for the tablet.
The app...
Apple Releases MainStage 2.1.3
Apple today released MainStage 2.1.3, an update to the company's Logic Studio component for bringing virtual instruments and effects to live performances. According to the release notes, the update addresses over 20 issues in a number of areas.This update improves overall stability and addresses a number of minor issues, including the following:
- Fixes an issue where presets for Audio Unit...
Lodsys Patent Invalidation Efforts: Apple Barred? $15,000 Bounty for Crowdsourced Research
Lodsys, the patent holding company currently taking on App Store developers over their use of in app purchasing and upgrade buttons, is under increasing attack as it continues to push forward with its own actions while its targets have begun to fight back. Last week, we noted that the first legal challenge had been brought seeking to invalidate Lodsys' patents, and three other companies,...
Apple Holding New Mac Hardware Updates Until OS X Lion Launches?
AppleInsider reports that it has received word that Apple is holding back on releasing updated Mac models in order to wait for work on OS X Lion to be completed. Apple is reportedly "so pumped up" about Lion that it wants to ship the new machines with Lion preinstalled rather than forcing users to upgrade on their own once the new operating system is released next month.For instance, new...
Apple Patent Application Addresses Advanced 'Find My iPhone' Features and Customizability
Patently Apple reports that another newly-published patent application from Apple reveals a hint at what could be the future of the company's "Find My iPhone" functionality. The proposed enhancements offer a device's owner a great deal more control over how it can be used once it is lost or stolen, as well as providing the device with smarter capabilities for detecting unauthorized usage. Among ...
Apple to Upgrade Fifth Avenue Store Plaza, Temporarily Remove Iconic Glass Cube
ifoAppleStore reports that Apple has begun work on a $6.6 million project to revamp the plaza at its flagship Fifth Avenue retail store in Manhattan, home of the iconic glass cube entrance leading to the underground retail space. As part of the project, Apple will be temporarily removing the glass cube to install new pavers on the plaza.
Workers reportedly appeared on site last night and...
Google Sync for iOS Updated With New Email Search, Calendar Events, 'Send Mail As'
Google today announced that it has updated its Google Sync service to iOS, bringing several enhancements to the company's integrated syncing for mail, contacts and calendars when set up as a Microsoft Exchange account. The new features included searching of full email history, calendar event management, and support for "send mail as" options for users with multiple accounts.Google Sync keeps...
WWDC 2012 Already Scheduled for June 10th-15th?
The 2011 edition of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) just wrapped up a few days ago, but some attendees may already be looking forward to next year in hopes of penciling in dates so that they are ready to go when tickets go on sale and potentially sell out within hours. So those planning on attending WWDC 2012 may want to take renewed note of a multi-year calendar from the San...
Three People Sent to Prison in China Over iPad 2 Leaks
The Wall Street Journal reports that three people have been sent to prison in China over their roles in facilitating leaks of information on the iPad 2 prior to its release.The court announced the decision Tuesday in statements on its official account at Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like microblogging service in China. It said that Xiao Chengsong, general manager of Shenzhen MacTop Electronics Co.,...
