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
AT&T Announces 3.6 Million iPhones Activated in Q1 2011, Resists Verizon Surge
AT&T today announced financial results for the first quarter of 2011, offering a glimpse at the performance of a significant partner of Apple's for the iPhone and the first data on the carrier's sales since it lost exclusivity in the United States with the launch of the CDMA iPhone on Verizon.
According to the press release, AT&T activated 3.6 million iPhones during the quarter, up nearly a...
Read Full Article • 60 comments
iWork and MobileMe Rebates Expire, Updates Imminent?
Apple has long offered $30 rebates on MobileMe and iWork for customers purchasing new Apple hardware, encouraging users to tack on so-called "attachments" to boost revenue for the company. In late February, the company eliminated boxed versions of MobileMe and did away with the option to bundle the service with a new Mac at a $30 discount. The rebate program for distribution through other...
Analysis of Apple's Lawsuit Against Samsung, Includes iOS Device Sales Numbers
Former Engadget editor Nilay Patel lays out a thorough analysis of Apple's newly-filed lawsuit targeting Samsung for allegedly copying the "look and feel" of iOS devices with its "Galaxy" line of smartphones and tablets. Patel offers an excellent look at the overall lawsuit, as well as a claim-by-claim analysis of each of Apple's sixteen claims against Samsung. Taken as a group, it feels like a ...
Apple Cracking Down on 'Offer Walls' for iOS Apps
In a pair of reports yesterday and today, Inside Mobile Apps reveals that Apple has apparently made a shift in enforcement of its App Store rules, changing the way it ranks applications to include more than simple download numbers and rejecting applications that take advantage of so-called "offer wall" services that reward users with virtual currency or credits for installing other...
Apple Requests Dismissal of iTunes Antitrust Case Following Jobs Deposition
Late last month, we noted that Apple CEO Steve Jobs had been ordered to appear for a deposition in a 2005 lawsuit regarding the company's FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) system in place at that time for iTunes Store music content. The lawsuit contends that Apple's move to prevent the playing of music files from RealNetworks on iPods was anticompetitive.
According to a new report from ...
iMac Supplies Becoming Constrained Ahead of Potential Refresh
9 to 5 Mac reports that multiple sources, presumably resellers, have noted that supplies of the current-generation iMacs are showing as "constrained", limiting restocking orders. The development is a common one as Apple draws down supplies ahead of the introduction of new models. We have been told by three people familiar with the matter - all in different countries including the U.S. and an...
Video of 64 GB White iPhone 4 Running Old 'Test' iOS 4 Build With Expose?
Engadget points to a new video posted on Vietnamese site Tinhte.vn apparently claiming to show a white iPhone 4 running a "test version" of iOS offering Expose-like multitasking that allows users to select running apps from a grid of nine screenshot thumbnails. You can tap on a window to expand it (replete with animation) to fill the screen or long-press on it to bring up the familiar "x" button ...
Apple Releases iTunes 10.2.2 With Syncing and Video Previewing Bug Fixes
Apple today released iTunes 10.2.2, bringing a handful of bug fixes to the company's media management and syncing software. iTunes 10.2.2 provides a number of important bug fixes, including:
- Addresses an issue where iTunes may become unresponsive when syncing an iPad.
- Resolves an issue which may cause syncing photos with iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to take longer than necessary.
- Fixes a ...
Apple Targets Samsung With New Lawsuit Over 'Galaxy' Line
Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has filed a patent lawsuit against Samsung, targeting the Korean company's "Galaxy" line of Android-based smartphones and tablets. The lawsuit, filed on April 15 in the Northern District of California, alleged that Samsung's smartphones, such as the "Galaxy S 4G," "Epic 4G," "Nexus S" and its "Galaxy Tab" touchscreen tablet, ...
New MacBook Pro to Drive Strong First Quarter Mac Sales Growth?
Business Insider reports that Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has just released a new research note sharing data from NPD on Apple's first quarter Mac and iPod sales in the United States. According to the data, Apple's new MacBook Pro released in late February led to a tremendous surge in Mac sales during the month of March, with total Mac unit sales up 47% year-over-year.
That strong...
Fix for 2011 17-Inch MacBook Pro SATA Issues Found
Other World Computing reports that it has discovered a fix for an issue with SATA performance on Apple's latest 17-inch MacBook Pro models that has caused problems with solid state drive performance. For over a month, we've been following reports from some MacBook Pro 2011 model users - almost exclusively those with 17" models, where issues with other brand 6Gb/s SSDs have been encountered. The...
UK Carrier Three Lists White iPhone 4 for April 20th Delivery?
As noted by Recombu, UK wireless carrier Three is now showing the white iPhone 4 as available for purchase on its website, listing an "earliest delivery" date of this Wednesday, April 20th.
Officially, Three representatives have only stated that the deal is not yet live and that they do not yet have any other information on the white iPhone 4.
Multiple mainstream news sources have...
Apple Finally Unveils Revamped 'Apple Support Communities'
Over the weekend, Apple finally rolled out the planned revamp of its support discussions forums, rebranding them as Apple Support Communities. The company had announced last August that the changes would be happening "very soon".
Apple has posted a series of tutorials laying out how Apple Support Communities bring a new organization and layout to the company's discussion forums, offering...
Spec Bumped iPhone 5 Set for September Ramp? Revamped iPhone in 1H 2012?
Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new research note in support of earlier claims that the fifth-generation iPhone will not go into full production until September. Kuo's note also corroborates other reports indicating that the new iPhone will be largely identical to the iPhone 4 in appearance and contain primarily internal improvements. Specifically, Kuo has heard that the...
Apple to Announce Q2 2011 Financial Results on April 20th
Apple today issued a media alert announcing details for Wednesday's release of its financial results for the second fiscal quarter and first calendar quarter of 2011. The results will be released after the close of Wednesday's trading at approximately 4:30 PM Eastern / 1:30 PM Pacific. Apple's conference call discussing the results will follow at 2:00 PM Pacific and will be available via a live...
Time Warner Adds Channels From Fox and Discovery Back to iPad App
Two weeks after pulling channels from Viacom, Discovery, and Fox from its new iPad application that allows the company's cable and Internet subscribers to watch live TV on the device, Time Warner has announced that Discovery and Fox have rejoined the lineup. Time Warner filed suit against Viacom last week, and that dispute remains unresolved.
The new channels include Discovery Channel, TLC, ...
Google Facing Difficulties Getting iTunes Competitor Off The Ground
Image from Droid Life
All Things Digital reports that Google is having difficulties as it works to develop its own iTunes competitor, describing the company's talks with major record labels as "going backwards". Google has been working since last year to roll out a music service that would also integrate with the company's Android platform in an attempt to rival the iTunes-iOS mobile media...
Apple Releases Update to Mac OS X Lion Developer Preview 2
Apple has apparently just pushed out an update to its Mac OS X Lion Developer Preview 2 initially released late last month. While the changes included in the update obviously fall short of qualifying for an entirely new "Developer Preview 3", it is unknown exactly what tweaks have been made with the new update. Download the Update by Running Software Update.
From systems that have developer...
Cirrus Logic Experienced Production Problems With Components for Apple Device?
Dow Jones Newswires reports that Cirrus Logic, Apple's long-time supplier for audio chips in its iOS devices, has disclosed manufacturing issues with a new device, presumed to be an Apple product, that went into high-volume production last month. Cirrus supplies analog chips for use in various energy and audio applications, most notably Apple devices such as the iPod and iPad. Apple makes up...
Smartphone Platforms Continue to Grab Share of Portable Gaming Market
Last December, we reported on survey results showing that users of portable games are increasingly defecting from dedicated devices such as the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP to smartphones such as the iPhone.
New data from analytics firm Flurry comparing overall video game market share in 2009 and 2010 reveals a similar trend, with iOS and Android combining to take 8% of the overall market and a...
