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
Microsoft Releases Office 2008 12.2.6 and Office 2004 11.6.0 Updates
Microsoft today released several updates for users of its Office for Mac productivity suite, bringing security and performance fixes to Office 2008 and 2004, as well as a pair of ancillary updates.
- Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.2.6 Update (332.6 MB): The update addresses security issues as well as offering stability and compatibility enhancements.
- Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.6.0 ...
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Larry Ellison Compares HP CEO's Forced Resignation to Jobs' Ouster at Apple
The New York Times reports on the recent forced resignation of HP CEO Mark Hurd following claims of sexual harassment and improper expense reports, quoting Oracle CEO Larry Ellison as comparing Hurd's ouster to that of Steve Jobs' departure from Apple in 1985. "The H.P. board just made the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago," Mr. Ellison...
European Commission Joins Investigation of Apple's Flash Exclusion Policies
The New York Post reports that the European Commission has taken an interest in Apple's long-standing exclusion of Adobe's Flash from its iOS devices, as well as its ban on Adobe's Flash-to-iPhone compiler and similar tools designed to allow non-native applications to be recompiled for the iOS platform. The paper was the first to report back in May that U.S. regulators were considering an...
Survey Finds Apple Most Popular Notebook Brand Among U.S. College Students
Over the weekend, Fortune reported on data collected by research firm Student Monitor showing Apple holding down the #1 spot among notebook computer manufacturers favored by U.S. college students. In its most recent survey of 1,200 students, the firm found that 27% of student-owned notebooks were Macs, compared to 24% for second-place Dell. Apple also fares well looking ahead to the future,...
Apple Allows Developers to Offer 50% Discount to Educational Institutions for Bulk App Store Purchases
As noted by Mac|Life, a change to Apple's App Store developer agreement today reveals that the company has rolled out a new discount program to allow developers to offer their applications to educational institutions at a 50% discount when multiple copies of an app are purchased at the same time.
Developers logging into their iTunes Connect accounts today are being met with a disclosure of ...
Apple Announces New Developer Day Passes for Mac Compatibility Labs
As noted by Macworld, Apple has launched a new day pass program offering access to the company's Developer Compatibility Labs for Mac OS X developers. The new day passes, priced at $99, offer users access to Apple's facilities in either Cupertino, California or Tokyo, Japan to test their software or hardware products with a wide range of Apple products to ensure compatibility. The Single Lab...
Revamped AT&T App Allows U-Verse Subscribers to Download Select TV Content
AT&T today announced the launch of its revamped and renamed U-verse Mobile application [App Store], bringing customers of the company's U-verse television service the ability to not only schedule DVR recordings remotely but also to download selected TV content for viewing on their iOS devices. U-verse Mobile replaces the popular Mobile Remote Access for iPhone app and incorporates the ability...
Apple Acquires Rights to Liquidmetal Technologies' Advanced Metal Alloys
The Baltimore Sun reports that Apple has signed an exclusive agreement with California-based company Liquidmetal Technologies for the firm's advanced "amorphous" metal alloys. The news comes as part of a filing made by Liquidmetal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in which the company reveals that Apple has obtained the right to use essentially all of its intellectual property in ...
Cortex A9-Based iPads, Verizon iPhone, iOS-Based Apple TV Set for 1Q 2011 Launch?
DigiTimes today offers a number of claims related to Apple's iOS platform, agreeing with other recent reports that the Verizon iPhone will launch in January, with new 9.7" and 7" iPads and iOS-based Apple TV also set for introduction early next year.
- iPad: DigiTimes claims that Apple will refresh its iPad in the first quarter of 2011, moving to a processor based on ARM's Cortex-A9 design,...
Papermaster's Departure Linked to 'Cultural Incompatibility' Rather Than Antenna Issues
The Wall Street Journal provides some additional color on the departure of Apple's iPhone hardware engineering chief Mark Papermaster, citing "broader cultural incompatibility" rather than a direct link to the iPhone 4's antenna issues as reason for his exit. Exactly how much the problems with the iPhone 4 played in Mr. Papermaster's exit is unclear. The iPhone 4, a key device for Apple, has...
Apple Reportedly Orders CDMA Chips for December Production Run of Verizon iPhone
Yes, it's the subject that's been beaten to death: a Verizon iPhone. The ongoing rumors have been stoked in recent weeks by a claim from Bloomberg that the device will launch in January, with this week's announcement that Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg will offer the keynote address at CES 2011 sparking speculation that an iPhone introduction could occur there.
TechCrunch weighs in today with...
iPhone Hardware Engineering Chief Mark Papermaster Leaves Apple
The New York Times reports that Mark Papermaster, Apple's Senior Vice President of Devices Hardware Engineering, has left the company. Papermaster has been heading up Apple's iPhone and iPod engineering teams since he began work with the company in April 2009. Mark Papermaster, the Apple executive in charge of hardware for the company's flagship iPhone, has left the company in the wake of widely...
Apple Ordered to Post Battery Replacement Details for First-Generation iPod Nano in Japan
Reuters reports that Apple has been ordered by a Japanese regulatory agency to provide customers with information on receiving replacement batteries for their first-generation iPod nanos, citing fire risk from overheating batteries. The ministry ordered Apple to publish an "easy to understand" statement online explaining how users of the devices -- responsible for four cases of minor burns in...
Wi-Fi Capable iPhone 3GS Set to Launch in China Next Week
The Wall Street Journal reports that China Unicom will begin selling Wi-Fi enabled iPhone models in that country beginning next week. The news comes a government regulatory body approved the device's frequency ranges in early May, but at the time the company was still waiting to receive a network access license in order to begin sales. China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. plans to start selling a...
iPod Touch and iOS Media Event Scheduled for Mid-August?
Claimed next-generation iPod touch LCD and front bezel showing apparent camera hole
MacMagazine reports (Google translation) that it has received information from a "reliable source within Apple" that the company is planning to hold its traditional September iPod-focused media event a bit early this year, with the middle of this month appearing to be the targeted date. The MacMagazine today...
Apple Adds Email-Based FaceTime Support in iOS 4.1 Beta 3
Apple's latest beta version of iOS 4.1 released earlier this week has offered the strongest evidence yet that the company is planning to roll out FaceTime video calling functionality to future non-iPhone devices based on the iOS operating system. A new option in the iOS "Contacts" application allows users to make FaceTime calls using either a phone number or an email address. This would allow...
Apple Adds 'Genius' Tab to iPad App Store
Several readers have noted that Apple has rolled out a new "Genius" feature for its App Store application on the iPad. Similar to other Genius offerings from Apple, the new tab offers automatic suggestions on applications users might be interested in based on other applications that have already downloaded.
After activating the service by agreeing to the terms and conditions, which note...
Analyst Claims September Launch for New iPod Touch, Smaller iPod Nano, Two New MacBook Air Models
Barron's reports on a new research note from BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman claiming multiple new product releases for Apple next month, including several iPods as expected and two new MacBook Air models said to be scheduled to ship in high volumes.
For Apple's iPod line, Bachman reports that the company will launch a new iPod touch, as well as a smaller iPod nano that could see the...
The Beatles and Apple Still Unable to Reach iTunes Distribution Deal
It seems that little has changed in the three months since the last update on negotiations between Apple and The Beatles to bring the legendary group's music to the iTunes Store, as John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono claims that there are still hurdles to overcome and that fans should not expect a resolution anytime soon. "(Apple CEO) Steve Jobs has his own idea and he's a brilliant guy," Ono, the...
Controversy Over Apple Travel Patent Application
A bit of controversy has arisen over a patent application filed by Apple in December 2009 that was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office last week. The patent application describes an integrated travel application for the iPhone offering users the ability to access a host of travel services, from airline bookings and check-ins to information on airport shops and social networking.
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