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
iPad Drives Apple to Third Place Among Global Portable Computer Manufacturers
Fortune reports on a new research report from Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore, which shows that if the iPad were to be categorized as a portable computer along with netbooks and notebooks, Apple would have held the third highest share of global portable computer sales for the second quarter of this year behind HP and Lenovo.
Apple's jump was driven by strong growth in its existing...
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Android Outpaces iPhone in Share of New U.S. Smartphone Customers for First Half of 2010
Nielsen today released data on smartphone usage in the U.S., revealing that Google's Android platform has outpaced the iPhone among new smartphone customers for the first half of 2010. The news comes as a marked reversal from the second half of 2009, when the iPhone topped Android 34% to 6% market share among new smartphone customers. While the iPhone has been the headline grabber over the last ...
Apple and Amazon Targeted in Probe of eBook Pricing Deals
The Attorney General for the State of Connecticut has launched an investigation into the eBook market, targeting Apple and Amazon for deals they are striking with publishers to ensure favorable pricing. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal argues that the deals prevent other marketplaces from offering even lower prices, hampering competition. Both Amazon and Apple have reached agreements with...
FaceTime Over 3G Comes to Jailbroken iPhone 4s
Hot on the heels of this weekend's release of the JailbreakMe Web-based jailbreak tool for iOS devices, users with jailbroken iPhone 4s can now think about installing My3G from Intelliborn, which was just updated to enable FaceTime video calling over 3G connections.
My3G essentially tricks a user's phone into thinking it is on Wi-Fi instead of 3G, allowing users to access a number of features...
Safari-Based Jailbreak Available for iOS Devices, Including iPhone 4 and iPad
JailbreakMe, a new web-based jailbreak has been released, offering users of Apple's iOS devices, including iPhone 4 and iPad, a simple tool to open up their devices for installation of non-Apple-approved applications, customizations, and file access. Users need only visit the JailbreakMe.com site with their iOS devices and activate the "Slide to Jailbreak" switch to open up their devices....
Microsoft to Release Office for Mac 2011 in Late October
Microsoft today announced launch details for Office for Mac 2011, revealing that the latest version of the company's flagship productivity suite will be released in over 100 countries in late October. The suite will come in two editions to purchase at retail -- Office for Mac Home and Student 2011 and Office for Mac Home and Business 2011. For better alignment across platforms, the Office 2011...
Apple Removes Competitor Antenna Performance Comparisons From Site
Apple has revamped the antenna performance page on its website, removing references to and videos of the performance of competitors' smartphones in comparison to the iPhone 4. Apple launched the page after its iPhone 4 press conference to demonstrate how a number of other handsets, including ones from Research in Motion, HTC, and Samsung, as well as the iPhone 3GS, see signal attenuation when...
News Corp Considering Dedicated News Product for Tablets
CNBC reports that News Corp, the Rupert Murdoch-led media conglomerate behind such outlets as The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and The New York Post, is considering launching a new news unit dedicated to content for tablet devices such as the iPad. Sources close to the company tell me that the company is considering creating a new purely digital news play that would be designed for the app...
Apple to Open Covent Garden Retail Store in London on August 7th
Apple has officially announced the grand opening of its new retail store in the Covent Garden district of London, with the store set to open to the public on Saturday, August 7th at 10:00 AM. The store appears to be Apple's largest by total square footage, and will inhabit a restored historic building in the district's popular shopping area.
The London Evening Standard reports that the...
Apple Releases Server Admin Tools 10.6.4
Apple yesterday released Server Admin Tools 10.6.4, updating its suite of applications for remote administration of Snow Leopard Server systems. The Server Admin Tools update is recommended for remote administration of Snow Leopard Server. This update includes the latest releases of:
- iCal Server Utility
- Podcast Composer
- Server Admin
- Server Monitor
- Server Preferences
- System...
Apple Moved Location Services In-House With iPad and iOS 4
TechCrunch reports on an overlooked detail from Apple's response to federal legislators earlier this month regarding privacy concerns, noting that the company disclosed that it moved its location services in-house as of the release of iPhone OS 3.2 on the iPad in April. In addressing privacy concerns over the collection of user location data, the company made the following statement: For devices...
Apple to Begin Taking Orders for New Mac Pro on August 9th
Several readers have informed us and we have confirmed that Apple Store representatives are telling potential buyers of the company's new Mac Pro announced earlier this week that the updated models are set to become available for ordering on August 9th. Company sales representatives on both chat and telephone support systems have cited that date for the launch.
While Apple will begin taking ...
Ballmer: Microsoft-Powered Tablets Are 'Job One Urgency'
Steve Ballmer demoing Windows-based HP slate at CES in January 2010
CNET reports on comments from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer today at the company's conference for financial analysts revealing that Apple's longtime rival is continuing to push full steam ahead on Windows-powered tablets, acknowledging Apple's early success with the iPad. "They'll be shipping as soon as they are ready," Ballmer...
Apple Job Posting Suggests 'Revolutionary' New Mac OS X Feature
AppleInsider points to a new Apple job listing that appeared on Monday looking for a software engineer to work on a "revolutionary" new Mac OS X feature. We are looking for a senior software engineer to help us create a revolutionary new feature in the very foundations of Mac OS X. We have something truly revolutionary and really exciting in progress and it is going to require your most creative...
Second Round of iPhone 4 Launches Begins in Australia [Updated x2]
As announced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs earlier this month and confirmed in a company press release earlier this week, Apple has begun its second round of iPhone 4 launches, bringing the device to 17 new countries. Countries in this round of launches include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore,...
Sprint to Turn iPod Touch Into 3G Mobile Hotspot?
Phone Scoop yesterday discovered new regulatory filings posted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission showing a new Sprint-branded 3G mobile hotspot device manufactured by ZTE that appears to be in the form of a designed case to wrap around Apple's iPod touch. The Peel, as FCC photos suggest it will be called, seems to be a carriage sled for a tablet style device like the iPod touch. The...
Japanese Government Pressing Apple Over First-Generation iPod Nano Fire Risk
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Japanese government is continuing to pursue its long-standing concern over reports of first-generation iPod nanos overheating, following up on a warning to consumers issued by the government nearly two years ago. The ministry is requesting Apple Japan to explain the cause of overheating, whether similar incidents have been reported domestically and abroad...
A Look Inside Apple's Magic Trackpad
With its ultra-thin design and single-use functionality, users might think that a teardown of Apple's new Magic Trackpad would be straightforward and uninteresting. But the experts at iFixit show us in one of their famous teardowns how Apple pulls off the design and puts it all together into a sleek package.
As is becoming increasingly common for Apple's device, particularly its...
New 27-Inch iMac Disassembled, Aftermarket SSD Install Deemed Difficult
Yesterday, we noted that Apple's new 27" iMac for the first time allows users to configure their machines with a second hard drive, offering a 256 GB solid state drive as an option for the second bay.
Location of second hard drive bay in new 27" iMac
A number of consumers have wondered about the possibility of aftermarket installation of drives into this bay, should they choose to go with...
Apple Looking Into Reports of Problems With iOS 4 on iPhone 3G
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is "looking into" reports of issues being experienced by iPhone 3G users who have upgraded to the company's new iOS 4. Discussion forums at Apple, MacRumors, and elsewhere have been filling with reports from users experiencing problems with system responsiveness, battery drains, and overheating. The most common criticism is that the phone is slow after...
