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's iTV Set for September Launch With iAd-Supported Channels, iPad as Remote?
In a blog post over the weekend, Digg co-founder Kevin Rose noted that he is hearing rumors that Apple's revamped Apple TV hardware, reportedly set to be rebranded as "iTV", will launch as early as next month. The hardware refresh, initially reported in late May and again addressed earlier this month, is said to be based on Apple's iOS and carry a $99 price tag. From what I hear we should expect...
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Flash Player Performance on Droid 2 Found to Be Hit-or-Miss at Best
LAPTOP has been evaluating the performance of Adobe's Flash Player 10.1 on a number of different mobile devices, specifically focusing on how the multimedia player handles various content sources on the new Droid 2. With Apple CEO Steve Jobs' open letter published in late April claiming that Adobe had yet to deliver a Flash Player running well on a mobile platform, there has been considerable...
Another Next-Generation iPod Touch LCD and Front Panel Assembly Surfaces
Leaks of claimed next-generation iPod touch parts continue to surface, further bolstering speculation that Apple is preparing to launch new models with front-facing cameras to allow for FaceTime video calling. The latest leak comes via M.I.C. gadget, which reveals another LCD/front panel assembly on sale for approximately $95 at a Chinese e-commerce site. The part clearly shows a front-sided...
Jobs: Software Update to Address iOS 4 Performance Issues on iPhone 3G 'Coming Soon'
A new email from Apple CEO Steve Jobs appears to confirm that the company will soon be issuing a software update to address issues with the iPhone 3G's performance under iOS 4. Late last month, the company acknowledged that it was "looking into" user reports of the issues.
The new email came in response to feedback sent by a customer who expressed frustration over the performance of his...
Model Identifiers for Next-Generation iOS Devices Again Appear in iOS 4.1
AppleInsider is reporting today that Apple's iOS 4.1 beta contains references to several unreleased iOS devices, including "iPod4,1", "iProd2,1", and a curious "unknownHardware" entry. Apple is internally testing the first material update to its iOS 4.0 mobile operating system against a handful of new devices, including next-generation iPod touches, an iPad revision, and an "unknown" product,...
Apple Seeds Mac OS X 10.6.5 Build 10H529 to Developers
Just six days after Apple seeded the first build of Mac OS X 10.6.5 to developers, it has followed up with a second one termed Build 10H529. As noted by iPhoneinCanada.ca, the new build resolves the two documented known issues from the previous build and lists no new ones.
The build's documentation also makes a slight adjustment to the list of focus areas on which developers are asked to...
Apple Opens Door to Free iPad Content for Print Magazine Subscribers
Fortune reports that Apple and Time Inc. have come to an agreement to allow the publisher to offer subscribers to its print magazines free access to content through their corresponding iPad applications. The agreement, which is marked by the debut of PEOPLE Magazine under the new structure, sees subscribers to the print edition receiving free access while non-subscribers can purchase...
Apple Winding Down Quattro Wireless Operations in Favor of iAds
MacDailyNews reports that Apple has reached out to users of its Quattro Wireless ad platform, notifying them that it has stopped taking new campaign submissions and will be winding down operation of the service by the end of September in favor of Apple's new iAd platform. The message comes from Andy Miller, former CEO of Quattro and currently Apple's vice president for the iAd program. We believe ...
Apple Tweaks Online Store With 'Compare Macs' Feature, Collapsible Configuration Sections
During a period of overnight downtime last night, Apple appears to have made several tweaks to the functionality of its online store.
The Loop points out a new "Compare Macs" feature offering users the ability to compare specs among up to three selected Mac models. The new option is available through either a direct link or as an option in the Mac product line menu bar after selecting a...
Facebook Launches 'Places' Location Check-Ins [Updated]
Facebook yesterday announced the launch of its new Places geolocation feature that allows users to "check-in" and tell others where they are at any given time. Ever gone to a show, only to find out afterward that your friends were there too? With Places, you can discover moments when you and your friends are at the same place at the same time.
You have the option to share your location by...
iPad Supply Constraints Begin to Ease, iPhone 4 Expected to Follow
Fortune noted yesterday that supply constraints for the iPad appear to be easing slightly, with shipping estimates for orders placed through Apple's U.S. online store now coming in at 3-5 business days, down from 7-10 business days. The change was noted in a research brief from analyst Jeff Fidacaro of Susquehanna Financial. "iPad demand remains strong with production ramping above expectations," ...
Google to Launch Chrome OS Tablet in Late November?
Google mockup of Chrome OS tablet user interface
Download Squad claims that Google is preparing to launch a Chrome OS-powered tablet on November 26th, the day after Thanksgiving in the U.S. known as Black Friday for its widespread discounts to kick off the holiday shopping season. According to the report, the Chrome OS tablet will be manufactured by HTC and Google will partner with Verizon...
App Store Director Revealed to Be Former Fart App Developer
Shoemaker's "iWiz" (left) and "Animal Farts" (right) App Store applications
Wired has discovered that Phillip Shoemaker, Apple's Director of Applications Technology for the App Store, is a former App Store developer himself who has a handful of applications, several of which fall into the category of low-brow fart and urination humor, still available for sale. Shoemaker's App Store...
Verizon to Offer Live TV Streaming to iPad, Limited to Local Wi-Fi Networks
NewTeeVee reports that Verizon has announced plans for an iPad application that will allow subscribers to its FiOS television and Internet service to stream live television on their iPads. While availability will at least initially be limited to connecting via Wi-Fi to the customer's home Internet connection, the plans show the willingness of cable companies to embrace alternative viewing...
Microsoft Highlights Compatibility, Graphing and Photo Editing in Office for Mac 2011
Microsoft has posted a new video clip highlighting some of the features of its Office for Mac 2011 suite due for release in late October. Among the features touched upon by Microsoft's Senior Evangelist for the Macintosh Business Unit Kurt Schmucker:
- Compatibility: Microsoft has focused on making Office for Mac 2011 more compatible with the Windows version than ever before, ensuring that...
Valve Claims Frame Rate Improvements of Up to 120% With Snow Leopard Graphics Update
Yesterday, Apple released Snow Leopard Graphics Update, designed to address issues being experienced with high-performance games on Mac OS X 10.6.4. The issue was brought to light by Valve Software, which had recommended that Mac gamers not update to Mac OS X 10.6.4 until the issue was addressed.
Valve, which has been working closely with Apple and graphics card companies to improve gaming...
HTML5 Continuing to Gain Ground With Yahoo! Mail for iPad, Vimeo Embedding
HTML5, the Web standard promoted by Apple in favor of Flash as the future of media delivery on the Internet, is continuing to gain support among popular Web sites and services. In particular, announcements from Yahoo! and Vimeo yesterday demonstrate the increasing adoption of the standard.
Yahoo! yesterday announced the launch of an HTML5-based Web mail interface newly customized for the...
Apple Releases New 'iPad is Delicious' Commercial
Apple yesterday released a new iPad commercial, airing it on primetime television and posting it to the company's iPad site and YouTube page.
The ad features a series of quick shots showing off various capabilities of the device paired with related adjectives shown in text to go along with the "iPad is..." theme: delicious, current, learning, playful, literary, artful, friendly, productive,...
Sony Takes on iPhone's Growing Mobile Gaming Popularity in New Ad
Ars Technica highlights a new television commercial for the Sony PSP in which a character mocks the mobile gaming experience on a smartphone that looks suspiciously like an iPhone. In addition to claiming a superior experience on the PSP, Sony also touts $9.99 pricing for some of its older games, closer to the App Store typical high-end gaming price point than that of traditional PSP games. It's...
Manufacturing Partner Confirms Kickbacks Paid to Secure Apple Orders [Updated]
The Wall Street Journal reports that Taiwanese manufacturer Pegatron has confirmed that its subsidiary Kaedar Electronics did pay kickbacks to an "intermediate trading company" in order to help land contracts with Apple between 2005 and 2008. It was unable, however, to confirm that Apple global supply manager Paul Devine, arrested late last week over the scheme, was the ultimate recipient of the ...
