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
South Korean Carriers Halt iPad 2 Online Orders Amid High Demand
Reuters reports that South Korean carriers SK Telecom and KT have ceased taking online orders for the new iPad 2 as they struggle to meet high demand for the popular new tablet device. The move comes less than a week after the device went on sale in that country. "Our iPad 2 inventory has been depleted and we apologize for failing to provide enough supplies due to the product's global supply...
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EA to Purchase Firemint, Developer of 'Flight Control' and 'Real Racing'
Electronic Arts today announced that it has agreed to purchase Australian iOS gaming firm Firemint, the developers behind the popular Flight Control and Real Racing games. Electronic Arts Inc. today announced an agreement to acquire Firemint Pty Ltd., the leading independent mobile development studio. Based in Melbourne, Australia, Firemint brings a proven powerhouse of creative talent to EAi,...
2011 iMac Notes: Magic Trackpad Option, Display Connectivity, Boot Camp Update
In the wake of today's release of new iMacs, a number of tidbits about the new models have been surfacing.
- Magic Trackpad: While Apple previously allowed customers to add a Magic Trackpad to their iMac orders for an additional charge of $69, the company now offers customers the option of swapping out the included Magic Mouse for a Magic Trackpad at no additional charge. iMac comes with a...
Apple No Longer Accepting App Store Reviews for Redeemed Promo Codes
As noted in the forums at our sister site Touch Arcade, Apple has apparently made a change to its App Store app review policies, no longer permitting users who have obtained applications via promo code to leave reviews for them.
According to Apple representatives, the change has been made in order to help prevent developers from gaming the ratings and reviews system by using an entire batch...
Adobe Releases Creative Suite 5.5, Adds Support for iPad Apps to Photoshop CS5
Following on last month's announcement, Adobe today officially released Creative Suite 5.5, bringing a number of enhancements to the company's flagship multimedia applications. Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 delivers important advances in HTML5 and Flash authoring, enabling designers and developers to create compelling content and applications. Creative Suite 5.5 products also feature significant...
Mac OS X Lion to Bring iOS-Like Uninstall Process for Mac App Store Apps
As noted by Apple iGuide (via TUAW), the latest developer build of Mac OS X Lion seeded last Friday brings a new iOS-like mechanism for deleting applications installed via the Mac App Store.
Invoking the new iOS-like "Launchpad" in Mac OS X Lion for managing applications allows users to click and hold on an icon to bring up the "jiggling" icon mode familiar to iOS users as the mechanism for...
Apple Nipping at Samsung's Heels Among Global MEMS Purchasers
Late last week, research firm IHS iSuppli reported that Apple had become the world's second-largest buyer of MEMS sensors for consumer electronics, surging past Nintendo to land just behind Samsung in the rankings. MEMS sensors include the accelerometers, gyroscopes, and microphones included in many Apple products. The company's purchases of consumer/cell phone MEMS sensors rose by 116.7...
White iPhone 4: Modified Rear Camera, Reports of Thickness Difference Disputed
While much of the attention regarding the long-delayed launch of the white iPhone 4 has died down, a few tidbits of interest continue to trickle out.
Late last week, Japanese blog Mac Otakara pointed to a pair of tweets from @kazunie highlighting some of the differences between the black and white models of the iPhone 4.
Rear camera of black (left) and white (right) iPhone 4
In...
iOS 4.3.3 Coming Soon to Address Location Tracking Bugs
As part of its comments on the recent iOS location-tracking controversy, Apple acknowledged several bugs in the mobile operating system that have led to more data than originally intended being stored on devices and caused data to be stored even when Location Services are disabled. The company reported that the issues would be addressed in a software update to be addressed "sometime in the next...
Apple and Time Inc. Reach Deal to Allow Print Subscribers Free iPad Access
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple and Time Inc. have finally reached a deal to allow subscribers to the print editions of Time's major magazines to access the iPad versions of those magazines free of charge. The deal breaks a months-long impasse that initially focused on paid subscription models but has also included accommodations for print subscribers. The two companies had reached ...
New 'MACDefender' Malware Threat for Mac OS X
Antivirus firm Intego today noted the discovery of new malware known as "MACDefender" targeting Mac OS X users via Safari. According to the report, the malware appears to be being deployed via JavaScript as a compressed ZIP file reached through Google searches. When a user clicks on a link after performing a search on a search engine such as Google, this takes them to a web site whose page...
Apple Tweaks Mac OS X Lion UI In Response to Criticism
With Apple having pushed out a new update to the Mac OS X Lion developer preview program, those with access to the new build have been looking for changes in an attempt to see what Apple has been working on over the past few weeks.
One minor point that caught our eye is a change in the user interface elements for selecting subpanes within System Preferences. In this latest build, the active...
Amazon Undercuts iTunes With 69-Cent Pricing on New Release MP3s
As noted by the Los Angeles Times, Amazon has taken Apple's iTunes Store head-on in the digital music marketplace with its new feature of 69-cent on popular new release tracks. The new, lower price marks a substantial discount from iTunes, which typically charges $1.29 for current hits. The Seattle online company is now pricing select top-selling tunes for 69 cents, down from 89 cents...
New Flagship Apple Store Coming to Brisbane, Australia
As reported by MacTalk and News.com.au, Apple appears to be preparing to open a new flagship retail store in Brisbane, Australia. The revelation comes from development application filed with the city council that doesn't refer to Apple by name but clearly shows that the project is indeed an Apple retail store. A review of the architectural drawings supplied show immediately recognisable...
Apple Making Internal Use of 'iCloud' Name With Beta Software Builds?
Amid mounting claims that Apple has acquired the iCloud.com domain, AppleInsider now reports that Apple is indeed using the "iCloud" name internally as it builds new versions of iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion that will integrate with the service. Apple has begun adopting the "iCloud" name within several products currently under development, suggesting the appropriately labeled moniker is indeed the...
Apple and Google to Testify at Congressional Hearings on Privacy
Computerworld reports that U.S. senators have confirmed that representatives from Apple and Google will participate in Senate hearings on privacy spurred by questions over location databases stored by the companies' smartphone operating systems. "I'm pleased that Apple and Google have confirmed that they'll be sending representatives to testify at my upcoming hearing on mobile technology and...
Apple's Share of Global Mobile Phone Market Hits 5%
Research firm IDC today released results for global mobile phone sales for the first quarter of 2011, showing Apple hitting a 5% share of the overall market for the first time. The data also shows Apple regaining the fourth-place position it lost to ZTE last quarter. Apple maintained its number 4 spot on IDC's Top 5 list thanks to a record quarter for unit shipments. The company posted the...
Sources Confirm Apple's Purchase of iCloud.com
Earlier this week, a source reported to GigaOM that Apple has purchased the iCloud.com domain name for the sum of $4.5 million, presumably preparing to roll out its forthcoming cloud-based music service under that name.
All Things Digital now briefly notes that it has confirmed that Apple has in fact purchased the domain, although sources declined to confirm the purchase price. Apple has indeed ...
Apple Beats Microsoft in First Quarter Profit
Six months ago, Apple surpassed Microsoft in quarterly revenue for the first time in nearly 15 years, marking a milestone on Apple's tremendous performance in recent years. But despite being passed by Apple in the revenue metric, Microsoft continued to hold off Apple in quarterly profits due to the high profit margins achievable with its software business.
That finally changed this past...
Apple Potentially Developing Fitness Center Application for iOS
As noted by AppleInsider and Patently Apple, the U.S. Patent and Trademark today published a patent application from Apple describing an iOS application designed to support fitness and personal training functionalities. The integrated application can provide a full fitness center experience by introducing potential new customer to a fitness center and then motivating them to return to the...
