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
Analyst Claims 3 Million CDMA iPhones Set for December Manufacturing Run
AppleInsider reports on a research note from Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Jeffrey Fidacaro, who claims that checks with Apple's suppliers indicate that the company is gearing up for an initial production run of 3 million CDMA iPhones in December of this year. The assertion concurs with a report from last month claiming that Apple had ordered CDMA chips for just such a December...
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AT&T CEO Reports 500,000 iPads In Use on Carrier's Network [Updated]
Reuters reports on comments from AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson claiming that the U.S. carrier has seen about 500,000 iPad customers connect to its network. While the total number of 3G-capable iPads sold in the U.S. is unknown because Apple does not break down sales reports by model or country, at least one analyst thinks the number appears low considering Apple's overall sales of 3.27 million...
Apple and Facebook Reportedly Negotiated Over Ping for At Least 18 Months
Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple and Facebook were in negotiations for at least 18 months about a music-focused social networking service, but that the two companies were unable to strike a deal before Apple decided to launch Ping as part of iTunes 10 earlier this month. Before Apple launched Ping, its iTunes team was in talks with Facebook for 18 months or more, a source with knowledge...
Netflix Set to Launch Streaming Service in Canada as Revamped Apple TV Nears Debut [Updated]
The Hollywood Reporter claims that DVDs-by-mail and streaming service Netflix is set to make its first foray outside the United States tomorrow by announcing that it will bring streaming video content to Canada. Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings will be in Toronto Wednesday to launch an online video subscription service that allows Canadians to download their favorite flicks and TV shows...
iPad Drives Apple to New Highs in U.S. Customer Satisfaction Survey for Personal Computers
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) today released new data on the personal computer industry, showing consumers awarding Apple the highest scores for the seventh straight year with a record satisfaction score of 86. Nearly all other computer manufacturers came in with scores of 77, with HP's Compaq brand bringing up the rear with a 74.
CNBC spoke with ASCI about the survey and...
Apple's Share of Mobile Phone Industry Profits Reportedly Rises to 39%
Fortune reports on a new research note from Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley which compares Apple's performance in the mobile phone industry to that of some of the other major players for the first half of 2010. According to the report, Apple sold 17 million iPhones during the first half of the year, a minuscule fraction of the 400 million handsets sold by top manufacturers Nokia,...
Survey Looks at Customer Carrier Preferences Once AT&T Loses iPhone Exclusivity
Credit Suisse yesterday released the results of a customer survey examining what current customers are likely to do once AT&T loses its exclusivity for the iPhone in the United States. Silicon Alley Insider shares some of the charts from the presentation, which suggests that 23% of AT&T's iPhone customers could defect to Verizon if the phone were to launch on the carrier early next year. A new...
Investigation Into Lost iPhone 4 Prototype Wrapping Up, Jobs Interviewed
CNET reports that the police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a lost iPhone 4 that subsequently made its way into the hands of Gizmodo appears to be nearing an end. Stephen Wagstaffe, chief deputy district attorney for San Mateo County, Calif., told CNET today that police are close to wrapping up their theft investigation and could forward their final report...
Adobe Launches Photoshop Elements 9 and Premiere Elements 9
Adobe today announced the launch of Photoshop Elements 9 and Premiere Elements 9, the latest versions of the company's consumer-grade photo and video editing software packages for Mac and Windows. It marks the first appearance of Premiere Elements for the Mac OS X platform. Photoshop Elements 9 and Premiere Elements 9 feature all the tools users need to make the most of their photos and videos. ...
Apple Addresses AFP Vulnerability With Security Update 2010-006
Apple today released Security Update 2010-006, a minor update to Mac OS X Snow Leopard. According to a support document, the update addresses a single issue related to AFP shared folders. An error handling issue exists in AFP Server. A remote attacker with knowledge of an account name on a target system may bypass the password validation and access AFP shared folders. By default, File Sharing is...
Speculation That Apple's Rovi Deal Could Signal Shift Into Live TV and DVR
Earlier today, we reported that Apple and Rovi have signed a "multi-year agreement" for Apple to license certain portions of Rovi's intellectual property portfolio. While the regulatory filing revealing the deal offered no insight into which of Rovi's several areas of operation Apple is lining up to utilize, one analyst believes that Apple may be targeting Rovi's interactive television program ...
VLC for iPad Rolling Out to App Stores Around the World, iPhone Version Under Development
Earlier this month, we noted that an iPad version of the popular VLC media player had been created and submitted to Apple for inclusion in the App Store. Early previews of the application suggested that the application would be a solid and versatile offering despite a few limitations.
The application's developers, Applidium, now report that VLC Media Player for iPad has been accepted and...
Google Docs Editing on iPad Coming Soon, Google Earth for iOS Updated
As part of a blog post discussing its "Google Atmosphere" conference on cloud computing and some new milestones relating to businesses moving to its Google Apps platform, Google reveals that it is preparing to roll out support for Google Docs editing on the iPad and on Android. . . .today we demonstrated new mobile editing capabilities for Google Docs on the Android platform and the iPad. In the ...
Apple to License Unspecified Intellectual Property From Rovi
In a filing made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today, Rovi announced that has reached a "multi-year agreement" with Apple for access to Rovi's intellectual property. Rovi Corporation (the "Company") announced today that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Apple Inc. whereby Apple shall license intellectual property from the Company. The specific terms of the license ...
Apple Reportedly Purchases Face Recognition Company Polar Rose [Updated]
According to a report [Google translation] from Mac1, Apple has acquired Swedish face recognition firm Polar Rose. The information appears to have been confirmed by Swedish news service Rapidus and sources for IDG News Service. Company CEO Carl Silbersky would today not comment on the affair.
"I do not know what this is about," he says, and would otherwise not give any comments.
The same...
More on Apple's Plans for a 'Digital Newsstand' for Newspaper Content
Earlier this week, we reported on claims that Apple is preparing to launch support for digital newspaper subscriptions on the iPad, preparing to move beyond the very limited options currently available such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Bloomberg today offers additional details on Apple's plans, which are said to involve launching a "digital newsstand" for newspapers...
ABC Rolls Out iPad App for Interacting With 'My Generation' TV Episodes
Earlier this week, The Hollywood Reporter profiled a new iPad application called ABC's My Generation Sync that relies on technology from Nielsen to offer viewers an interactive experience while they watch episodes of the network's forthcoming show, My Generation. Users who download the app can multi-task between the TV experience and the iPad, which will display polls, trivia and other content...
Analyst Suggests 'Tablet Cannibalization' Responsible for Shrinking U.S. Notebook Retail Sales
Close on the heels of claims from Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn regarding the iPad cannibalizing sales of notebooks at the electronics retail chain by "as much as 50%", Fortune reports on a new research note from Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty offering visual evidence that notebook retail sales growth in the U.S. has not only slowed but reversed in August and early September. Huberty argues that...
Warner Bros. Opted Out of iTunes TV Show Rentals Over Pricing, Impact on Full-Season Sales
A brief report from the Associated Press cites comments from Warner Bros. CEO Barry Meyer revealing that the company's refusal to join Apple's new 99-cent TV show rental program is based on pricing concerns and fears that individual show rentals will hurt sales of full-season packages. Chief Executive Barry Meyer says Warner Bros. didn't participate in Apple Inc.'s plan to offer TV show rentals...
Apple, Google, and Others in Negotiations With Regulators Over Anti-Poaching Agreements
The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Department of Justice is in "advanced" talks with Apple, Google, and several other large tech companies looking to reach a settlement over an investigation of anti-poaching agreements made with each other. Several of the U.S.'s largest technology companies are in advanced talks with the Justice Department to avoid a court battle over whether they...
