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
U.S. Senators Ask Apple to Remove DUI Checkpoint Apps From App Store
CNET reports that four U.S. senators have sent a letter to Apple's iPhone software head, Scott Forstall, asking the company to remove from the App Store applications that are designed to allow users to be alerted to checkpoints for sobriety testing. U.S. Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) are named as senders in the...
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Apple Seeking to License AirPlay for Video Streaming?
Bloomberg reports that Apple is considering licensing its AirPlay technology to consumer electronics companies for integration into their products to enable users to stream video content directly to devices such as televisions. Such implementations would bypass the need for a separate set-top box like the Apple TV for streaming video from iOS devices to TVs. Under the plan, Apple would license...
Apple Considering Paying Suppliers More to Ensure Touch Panel Supplies?
DigiTimes reports that Apple is considering offering to increase the price it is willing to pay for touch panel supplies in order to secure a steady flow of the components for its iOS devices as suppliers struggle to recover from the Japanese earthquake. With Apple said to already be soaking up 60% of the entire touch panel market, the move could significantly increase pressure on smaller...
Apple Improves Full Screen Performance on FaceTime for Mac
Apple yesterday issued an update to its FaceTime application for Mac OS X available in the Mac App Store. According to the release notes, the update brings improved performance for full screen video. What's new
Improves performance when FaceTime is taken full screen.While FaceTime had been a free application during the beta testing phase and comes preinstalled on new MacBook Pros, Apple...
iOS 4.3.1 to Bring Minor Battery Life Improvements?
BGR, which reported on Monday that users should expect bug fixes in the form of iOS 4.3.1 to be released in the next week or two, now reports that it has had a few days of hands-on time with the update, confirming that minor bug fixes to seem to be the primary purpose.
But the report also hints that users may be able to sneak a bit more battery life out of their devices with the new update,...
Apple Releases Aperture 3.1.2
Apple yesterday released Aperture 3.1.2, bringing improvements to iPhoto library importation and other fixes. This update improves overall stability and performance, including specific fixes in the following areas:
- Importing iPhoto libraries
- Reliability and responsiveness when using brushes to apply adjustments
- Reconnecting referenced master imagesFull details on the changes included in ...
Craig Federighi Succeeding Bertrand Serlet as Apple's Chief of Mac Software
Bertrand Serlet (Apple)
Apple today announced that Bertrand Serlet, senior vice president of Mac Software Engineering, will be departing the company in order to "focus less on products and more on science", although his specific destination remains unknown. Serlet joined Steve Jobs at NeXT in 1989, and transitioned to Apple in 1997 when NeXT was acquired and Jobs brought back to lead Apple. "I'...
Apple Addresses Flickering and Other Issues With Apple TV 4.2.1 Update
Less than two weeks after the release of the Apple TV 4.2 software update, based on iOS 4.3, Apple has issued a minor 4.2.1 update addressing issues with flickering, waking from sleep, and audio output. The highlighted changes are detailed in Apple's support document covering Apple TV software updates. - TV compatibility: Addresses issues that may cause the screen to flicker or display...
Steve Jobs: 'No Plans' to Discontinue iPod Classic
A retrospective piece on the history of the iPod published last week brought fresh attention to the idea that Apple may be looking to discontinue the iPod classic, essentially the direct descendant of the original iPod introduced nearly ten years ago. Concerns over the fate of the iPod classic first arose last September when Apple introduced new iPod models for every line except the iPod...
Potential iMac Update to Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt in 4-6 Weeks?
As tracked in our Buyer's Guide, the iMac has reached its average update interval, suggesting that we might be able to expect refreshed models to appear some time in the relatively near future. Expectations for revamped iMacs include a move to Sandy Bridge processors and implementation of the new Thunderbolt connectivity standard that debuted in the MacBook Pro last month.
In a series of...
BlackBerry PlayBook Coming April 19th at $499, Samsung Intros 8.9" and 10.1" Galaxy Tabs
With Apple's iPad 2 having been on sale in the U.S. for a week and half already and set to launch in 25 new countries on Friday, other companies are continuing to ramp up their efforts as they seek to bring competitive tablets to the market.
Research in Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook
Research in Motion today announced that it has partnered with Best Buy to begin taking orders for Wi-Fi models ...
Mozilla Releases Firefox 4 With Speed Enhancements and New Look
Mozilla today announced the official release of Firefox 4, the latest version of the organization's popular Internet browser, for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. With support for over 80 languages, Firefox 4 brings speed enhancements as well as a sleek new user interface, increased customizability, and new security and privacy features. Firefox 4 is the fastest Firefox yet. With dramatic speed...
Steve Jobs Required to Provide Deposition in 2005 iTunes Antitrust Case
Bloomberg reports that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been instructed to provide testimony in the form of a deposition regarding an ongoing antitrust case targeting Apple's FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) technology. The deposition, not to exceed two hours, will cover software changes Apple made in 2004 to prevent digital music files from RealNetworks from playing on the iPod. "The court finds ...
Apple Officially Confirms iPad 2 Launches in 25 Countries on Friday
Apple today officially confirmed that it will launch sales of the iPad in 25 new countries on Friday: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. "While competitors are still struggling to catch up...
Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.6.7
Apple today released Mac OS X 10.6.7, the seventh maintenance update for Snow Leopard, via Software Update. The update offers a number of fixes implemented since the release of Mac OS X 10.6.6 in early January. The 10.6.7 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your...
More Claims of NFC Capabilities in 'Coming Iteration' of iPhone
The New York Times reports that Apple is in fact looking to deploy a new Qualcomm chip to bring Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities to the iPhone, although the report stops short of claiming that the technology will appear in the fifth-generation iPhone presumably scheduled for launch in the June-July timeframe. According to two people with knowledge of the inner workings of a coming...
Apple Backs Out of Plans for Grand Central Terminal Retail Store
Last month, reports indicated that Apple was seeking to open a new retail store in Manhattan's landmark Grand Central Terminal, with one report suggesting that the store could be Apple's largest yet.
But according to a new report from The New York Observer, Apple has backpedaled from those plans in the face of logistical issues and other constraints. Apple's plans to bring the world's largest ...
UK iPad 2 Launch Still on Schedule for Friday
With tight supplies in the United States and potential production issues related to the effects of the Japanese earthquake, some have wondered whether Apple will be forced to delay its first round of international iPad 2 launches scheduled for this Friday. But according to TechRadar, the launch remains on schedule, at least in the UK. Many suspected that the launch of the skinny new Apple...
iOS 4.3.1 Due Within Two Weeks?
BGR reports that Apple is set to release iOS 4.3.1 within the next "one to two weeks", bringing several bug fixes for latest version of Apple's operating system for mobile devices. Here are the changes from iOS 4.3:
- Baseband updates for the 3GS and iPad (original)
- Fixed memory hang that results in memory corruption when reading large files from USIM filesystem
- Fixed problem with NTLM...
Apple's Jony Ive Profiled, Rumors of Departure to UK Called False
The Daily Mail publishes a lengthy profile of Apple design guru Jonathan Ive, offering a rare peek into the life of the intensely private Brit behind most of Apple's successful product designs over the last decade or so. The interesting article examines Ive's life and his history at Apple, including a look at the design process that has created such iconic devices as the iMac, iPod, iPhone,...
