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 Addresses 'Mac Defender' Threat With Security Update 2011-003 for Snow Leopard
Apple today released Security Update 2011-003 (Snow Leopard), a new software update that addresses the "Mac Defender" malware that has been afflicting Mac users over the past month.- Malware removal
Available for: Mac OS X v10.6.7, Mac OS X Server v10.6.7
Impact: Remove the MacDefender malware if detected
Description: The installation process for this update will search for and remove...
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Apple Racing to Include Movies and TV Shows in iCloud Service?
Earlier today, Apple announced that Steve Jobs will anchor the keynote at next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, also taking the unusual step of pre-announcing that Jobs will introduce the company's "iCloud" streaming service at the event.
While virtually all of the recent discussion about iCloud has been about Apple securing agreements with music labels and publishers to allow users...
U.S. Government Employees Turning From BlackBerry to iOS Devices
The Washington Post reports on the ongoing diversification of information technology platforms within the United States government, a trend that has seen a shift away from traditional large-scale technology contracts unable to respond to rapidly-changing markets to a more flexible approach that has seen many agencies and employees embracing Apple's iOS platform.This is not a movie. This is not...
Apple Launches iWork Office Suite for iPhone and iPod Touch
Apple today announced that its iWork suite of applications for the iPad has been updated to include universal binaries now capable of running on the smaller screen of the iPhone and iPod touch."Now you can use Keynote, Pages and Numbers on iPhone and iPod touch to create amazing presentations, documents and spreadsheets right in the palm of your hand," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice...
Apple Offering Repair Program for MacBook Bottom Case Defects
Apple last week announced a new worldwide repair program covering recent MacBook users against a defect that could cause the rubber surface on the bottom of some units to separate from the hard plastic case. Under the program, Apple will replace the bottom case of any affected machine free of charge for up to two years from the date of purchase.Apple has determined that under certain...
Steve Jobs to Introduce iCloud, iOS 5, and Mac OS X Lion at WWDC Keynote
Apple today announced that Steve Jobs will indeed host the keynote for the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) next Monday in San Francisco. Aside from the expected focus on iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion, Apple's announcement also confirms that Jobs will introduce the company's "iCloud" service.Apple CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the company's annual...
Samsung Seemingly Unconcerned Over Apple Lawsuit, Hints Dispute Could Continue to Escalate
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal discussing Samsung's push to embrace Android for its future tablet products, Samsung's president of mobile communications J.K. Shin notes that the company is seemingly unconcerned over Apple's lawsuit alleging that Samsung has copied the design and technology of the iPhone and iPad with its products. Shin does note, however, that the dispute could...
Apple to Continue Using Google Maps in iOS 5?
Close on the heels of claims of revamped notifications and widgets in iOS 5, 9to5Google now reports that Apple will continue relying on Google's mapping service for iOS 5, noting that any efforts to sever geolocation ties with Google by moving things entirely in-house have not yet resulted in a finished product.Now, sources have told 9to5Google that although Apple is working to improve the iOS...
iOS 5 to Bring Revamped Notification System and Widgets?
TechCrunch reports on some of the discussion surrounding Apple's apparent efforts to encourage members of the international press to attend its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) early next month, disagreeing with the assessment that such encouragements suggest that an iPhone launch may indeed occur and instead arguing that iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion alone will be a big deal. To that end, the...
Teenager Targeted by Apple in White iPhone 4 Lawsuit Interviewed
As we reported yesterday, Apple earlier this week filed a lawsuit against teenager Fei Lam and his parents over Lam's sale of unauthorized white iPhone 4 parts, alleging trademark infringement and dilution. At the time, we noted that Apple had simultaneously filed a voluntary dismissal of the case, suggesting that a settlement may have already been reached.
But in an interview with Fast...
Apple to Announce Back-to-School Promotion at WWDC? iPad Discounts Included?
Last week, a report surfaced claiming that Apple could launch its annual back-to-school promotion in the United States as early as this week, offering educational customers free or discounted iPod hardware with the purchase of a qualifying Mac product. With it now appearing that the offer will not debut this week, BGR is reporting that Apple may wait until next month's Worldwide Developers...
Apple Hit With Tax Lobbying Protest, Italian Investigation Into AppleCare Offerings
CNET reports that Apple is being targeted for protests by US Uncut, an organization seeking to stop companies from avoiding taxes, with the organization planning a series of protests at Apple's retail stores on June 4th. The organization is protesting Apple's participation in the "Win America Campaign" (WAC), an effort that has seen Apple banding together with other major companies to lobby for...
Intel Expresses Interest in Making Foundry Deals to Produce Custom Chips
Reuters reports that Intel executives today expressed interested in making deals to produce custom chips for customers such as Apple, signaling that the company "wouldn't blink" about basing such custom chips on Intel's own architecture but that operating as a strict contract foundry for non-Intel-based chips would be a more difficult decision for the company."If Apple or Sony came to us and said ...
Amazon's New Mac Download Store Takes On Apple's Mac App Store
As noted by The Loop, Amazon has launched a new download store for Mac OS X applications, going head-to-head against Apple's Mac App Store. While Amazon's download store does not offer the level of system integration featured by Apple's store, it does offer a few big name titles like Microsoft Office that are not available through Apple's Mac App Store.Competing directing with Apple's Mac...
Google Announces Major Push Into NFC Payments With Google Wallet
Google today unveiled its new Google Wallet initiative, a push into near field communications (NFC) that will allows users to make electronic payments with NFC-compatible hardware through the Google Wallet mobile app for Android.Today in our New York City office, along with Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint, we gave a demo of Google Wallet, an app that will make your phone your wallet....
Apple Considering Samsung OLED Displays for Next-Generation iPad?
Talk of Apple turning to OLED displays for its mobile devices has arisen repeatedly for many years now, and those rumors have received another update with a claim from The Korea Herald (via Macworld UK) that Apple Chief Operating Office Tim Cook recently visited South Korea to discuss the possibility of adopting an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) display from Samsung for the next-generation iPad, a ...
Apple Files Lawsuit Against Teenager Who Sold White iPhone 4 Conversion Kits, Settlement Reached?
Last November, we highlighted the story of New York City teenager Fei Lam, who had managed to sell $130,000 worth of white iPhone 4 parts in just a few months to customers eager to get their hands on a white iPhone 4 has Apple continued to delay the release of the official model. Lam claimed that he had developed a secondhand relationship with someone at Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn...
Senator Asks Apple and Google to Require Clear Privacy Policies for Apps
Following up on testimony from Apple and Google representatives regarding mobile privacy, U.S. Senator Al Franken has sent out a letter (PDF) to Apple and Google requesting that the companies require developers to include "clear and understandable" privacy policies for apps available in their marketplaces.At the hearing, I asked Dr. Tribble and Mr. Davidson whether Apple and Google would commit...
New 'MACDefender' Variant Installs Without Admin Password Requirement
Antivirus firm Intego today reported that it has discovered a new variant of the "MACDefender" malware that ups the ante by not requiring an administrator password for installation. The step is accomplished by installing the application only for the current user.Unlike the previous variants of this fake antivirus, no administrator's password is required to install this program. Since any user...
Verizon iPhone Prelaunch Testing: "Acme" Code Name, Text Check-Ins to Ensure Security
TechnoBuffalo shares claimed details of Verizon's internal testing for the iPhone 4, highlighting security measures taken by Apple and the carriers to maintain control over the test units.
According to the report, a small number of Verizon employees were provided with iPhones two weeks before the public debut, using them out in the field to ensure that there were no last-minutes hitches in...
