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 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...
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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...
AT&T Prepares to Launch LTE 4G Network in 5 Cities This Summer
AT&T today announced that it will launch its next-generation LTE 4G wireless network in five U.S. cities "this summer": Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, and San Antonio. An additional ten unnamed markets are planned to see LTE roll out in the second half of the year with AT&T aiming to cover 70 million Americans by the end of the year.AT&T has delivered five mobile broadband speed upgrades...
iPhone 4 Launches in India on Friday
As noted by The Wall Street Journal, the iPhone 4 is finally launching in India, with the device making its debut on carriers Bhati Airtel and Aircel this Friday.In a news release, Aircel said it will offer the new model of iPhone--which is popular for its high-speed Internet and mobile software capabilities--under both post-paid and pre-paid subscription plans.
It will charge 34,500 rupees...
Logic 9.1.4 Updates Bring Support for GarageBand for iPad Projects
Apple today released a pair of updates for its Logic audio workstation software packages, primarily adding support for projects imported from GarageBand for iPad released earlier this year. Logic Pro 9.1.4 (192.48 MB) and Logic Express 9.1.4 (138.74 MB) each require Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later.This update improves overall stability and addresses a number of minor issues, including the following:
...
Apple Granted Access to Unreleased Samsung Hardware in Patent Suit
Samsung's Galaxy Tab 8.9
Last month, Apple filed suit against Samsung, claiming patent and trademark infringement from Samsung having allegedly copied Apple's "technology, user interface and innovative style" in its Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets.
Courthouse News Service now reports that a federal judge has given Samsung 30 days in which to provide Apple with samples of a number of...
Conde Nast Fills Out In App Subscription Offerings With 'Wired', 'GQ', and 'Self'
Last week, we noted that Conde Nast had rolled out digital subscriptions for four more of its iPad magazine, joining the earlier debut of The New Yorker.
And with today's launch of subscriptions for Wired and GQ alongside last week's debut of Self, Conde Nast has now completed the rollout across its iPad offerings."WIRED thrives on progress across platforms, whether it's in the magazine, on...
Forensics Firm Offers Tools to Defeat iOS 4 Encryption
Bright Side of News reports that Russian forensics firm Elcomsoft has discovered a method of cracking Apple's hardware encryption built into iOS 4, providing law enforcement and other parties with a way to access the protected data provided they have physical access to the device. According to Vladimir Katalov from Elcomsoft, you have to have physical access to the device that is being cracked...
No iOS 5 for iPhone 3GS?
Eldar Murtazin, editor-in-chief of Russian mobile phone blog Mobile-Review today reported in a Tweet (via MacStories) that iOS 5 will not be compatible with the iPhone 3GS, limiting the next-generation operating system to the current iPhone and of course new models yet to come as far as the iPhone is concerned.Just one comment. Apple iPhone 3Gs wont be upgradable to iOS 5.x. iPhone 4 will.The...
Explosion Creates Potential iPad Production Loss of 500,000 Units as Foxconn Briefly Shuts All Polishing Lines
Research firm IHS iSuppli yesterday issued a report estimating the potential iPad 2 production loss due to the explosion at its Chengdu, China plant at up to 500,000 units. The estimated shortfall comes after Foxconn reportedly reassured suppliers that production will continue.While most iPad 2 production takes place at another Foxconn facility in Shenzhen, that plant may not be able to...
Opera Lauches Redesigned, Enhanced 'Opera Mini'
Opera Software today announced the launch of a redesigned version of its Opera Mini browser for iOS devices, bringing a fresh new look with an iPad-specific interface, enhanced performance, and new tools to improve the user experience on one of the most popular alternatives to Apple's built-in Safari browser.Have an iPhone 4? Our browser adapts to the high resolution and changes the user...
Apple and Music Publishers Close to Agreement on Cloud Licensing, But Delays Still Possible
Late last week, we reported that despite having three of the four major labels on board with its plan for a cloud-based streaming service and the final label apparently close to signing a deal, Apple still needs to reach agreements with the music publishers before it can launch its service. At the time, we noted that the two sides were essentially on the same page, with only monetary...
Apple Backs Developers Against Lodsys Patent Threats, Says Devs 'Undisputedly Licensed' [Updated x2]
Developer Craig Hockenberry responds to Apple's notice
As reported by The Loop, Apple has finally responded regarding developers being targeted by patent holding firm Lodsys with notices of infringement and demands for licensing. According to the report, Apple's General Counsel Bruce Sewell has sent a letter to Lodsys claiming that developers are "undisputedly licensed" for the patent in...
