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
iPhone OS 3.2 Reveals References to New iPhone, iPod, and iPad Models
Boy Genius Report noted over the weekend that Apple's new iPhone OS 3.2 released with the iPad contains references to four new iPhone OS devices. While the new listings, which appear to correspond to two new iPhones, an iPod touch, and an iPad, are not terribly surprising given Apple's product development timelines, they still provide reassurance of the company's future plans.
On the iPhone ...
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Analyst Estimates 600,000-700,000 iPads Sold on Launch Day
The Loop reports that Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has released a report estimating first-day iPad sales in the range of 600,000-700,000, well above his pre-launch estimates of 200,000-300,000. Piper Jaffray Senior Research Analyst, Gene Munster, on Saturday said he believes Apple sold between 600-700 thousand iPads on the first day. This includes the pre-orders that would have been coming...
iPad Internal Photos Posted to Federal Communications Commission Site
Engadget reports that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has published a number of photos of Apple's iPad as part of the company's application for approval based on radiation emission requirements. The photos had been submitted in mid-March with Apple's application but were kept from public view due to a confidentiality request from Apple. With the iPad they didn't just bother to test...
Google Rolls Out iPad-Formatted Gmail
Google today announced that it has rolled out a new iPad-formatted mobile interface for Gmail, building on the HTML5-based mobile format used for the iPhone to create a two-column interface like that used for Apple's Mail application on the iPad. We're releasing an experimental user interface for the iPad built on the Gmail for mobile HTML5 web app that we launched last year for the iPhone and...
Microsoft Has 'No Current Plans' for Office on iPad
Bloomberg yesterday reported that Microsoft executive Stephen Elop claims that the company has "no current plans" to develop a version of its Office productivity suite for the iPad. Microsoft's Mike Tedesco had claimed in mid-February that the company was "looking at" the possibility of bringing Office to the iPad, but this new report suggests that any such move would be relatively far down the...
Flurry: 22% of Recent Mobile Applications Starts Targeting iPad
Mobile analytics firm Flurry today released data showing the impact of the iPad on mobile application development in recent months, revealing that 22% of new applications starts registered with the company over the past 60 days have targeted the iPad. The data follows up on an earlier report just two weeks after the iPad's introduction that started to show the device's effect on developer...
iPad Apps Begin to Go Live in App Store
Gizmodo notes that the first batch of iPad applications have become visible in the App Store. Applications can be purchased and downloaded, but obviously require an iPad to be functional. Downloaded iPad apps appear in a separate section of the "Apps" pane in iTunes, below iPhone and iPod touch applications.
Apple has also updated the Terms and Conditions for the App Store, reflecting...
Amazon and Book Publishers Reach New Deals Ahead of iBookstore Launch
The Associated Press reports that Amazon has struck new eBook deals with book publishers Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins just days before Apple's iPad and associated iBookstore launch in the U.S. The new deals are reportedly similar to other reworked Amazon contracts such as that made with Macmillan in late January that will allow for higher sale prices and more publisher control over pricing ...
Stephen Fry Profiles the iPad and Steve Jobs for Time Magazine
Apple CEO Steve Jobs and the iPad are set to be the cover story for the upcoming issue of Time, and as part of the coverage, British actor/comedian Stephen Fry describes his visit to Apple headquarters to learn about and play with the iPad, as well as to meet Jobs himself. Yesterday, Fry posted a video of the unpacking of his iPad and associated accessories.
While Fry's lengthy Time article ...
Select Apple Resellers Set to Carry iPad at Launch?
MacRumors has received word that a number of independent Apple resellers will also be planning to carry the iPad beginning this Saturday. While there are over 150 resellers with over 300 retail locations organized under the Apple Specialist group, details on which locations will have the iPad for sale have yet to be made public.
According to the report, the resellers are subject to a...
Apple Highlights 'iPad-Ready' Web Content
As noted by 9 to 5 Mac, Apple has just posted a new page highlighting websites that it considers "iPad-ready" due to their embracing of non-Flash web standards that make them compatible with the forthcoming device. iPad features Safari, a mobile web browser that supports the latest web standards - including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. Here are just a few of the sites that take advantage of these...
Apple Releases New iPhone Ad: 'Commute'
Apple yesterday released a new iPhone commercial entitled 'Commute' and has posted it to the company's iPhone ad gallery. Like other recent ads, 'Commute' features three App Store applications in the context of a situational narrative, showing how one might use the iPhone during his or her daily commute .
- MassTransit ($3.99)
- Here, File File! ($9.99)
- WSJ - The Wall Street Journal...
CBS and ABC Prepping Free Ad-Supported Video for iPad While Hulu Considers Subscription Option
The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that both ABC and CBS are preparing to deploy free, ad-supported streaming of their television content to the iPad, with CBS planning to utilize browser-based streaming while ABC will deliver its content through a standalone application that has already appeared in the App Store. By Saturday, CBS plans to have full episodes of the reality...
International Trade Commission Votes to Investigate Apple's Patent Complaint Against HTC
As reported by Bloomberg, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) yesterday announced that it has agreed to investigate Apple's complaint against handset manufacturer HTC regarding alleged patent infringement. The complaint, filed one month ago, has been seen as an attack on Google's Android operating system, and while Google is not included in the complaint, it has said that it will stand ...
Apple Releases AirPort and Time Capsule Firmware and Utility Updates
Apple today released a series of updates for its AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule wireless base stations, addressing wireless performance issues in its latest models and offering several other bug fixes.
- Time Capsule and AirPort Extreme Base Station Firmware Update 7.5.1 brings fixes for a pair of issues on Apple's latest AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule base stations released last October. Th...
Kleiner Perkins Doubles iFund to $200 Million, Focuses on iPad
Venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) today announced that it is doubling the size of its "iFund" supporting iPhone OS-related companies to $200 million. The original iFund was launched in March 2008, and KPCB notes that the initial $100 million has been fully committed to 14 companies that have also attracted an additional $330 million in funding. KPCB also announced...
Apple's Streaming Music Service Reportedly Unlikely to Launch Before Third Quarter of This Year
CNET continues its coverage of Apple's plans to move iTunes into the cloud with a new report claiming that Apple is unlikely to have its planned music streaming service ready for launch until at least the third quarter of this year. Music industry sources told CNET this week Apple has informed label managers that a streaming music service is unlikely to be ready before the third quarter.
It...
iPhone OS 4.0 to Bring Expose-like Multitasking?
AppleInsider offers some details on multitasking in iPhone OS 4.0, which would allow users greater ability to run multiple apps at a time and easily switch between them. According to the report, multitasking on iPhone OS 4.0 will utilize an interface similar to the Expos function found in Mac OS X. Those familiar with the design of iPhone 4.0 said that the user interface will resemble Apple's...
iPad to Launch in Canada (and Other Countries) on April 24th?
iPad in Canada reports that it has received information from a source claiming that Apple retail store employees in Canada have been told that the weekend of April 24th is a "black out period", meaning that employees are not permitted to schedule time off during this window. If true, it seems very likely that this might coincide with the launch of the iPad there, as Apple has announced a "late ...
Apple and AT&T Have Reportedly Worked Closely on 3G Network Performance Issues
The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) on AT&T's recent efforts to beef up its cellular network in the face of criticism from customers over performance. As part of the report, the Journal notes that Apple and AT&T have worked closely on addressing the issues, with Apple even going so far as to tweak how the iPhone connects to the network in order to reduce load. Apple rejiggered ...
