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
AT&T Continuing to Move Forward on Plans for 4G Cellular Network
AT&T today announced that it has reached an agreement with existing partners Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson to provide equipment for the carrier's next-generation LTE (4G) cellular network, opening the door to significant improvements in data speeds and performance. The company also confirmed that it is continuing to plan for field trials of LTE technology later this year and a full rollout...
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Disney CEO Bullish on 'Game Changer' iPad
MarketWatch yesterday briefly noted comments from Disney CEO Bob Iger during his company's earnings conference that signaled his company's excitement over Apple's iPad and the possibilities for Disney's content on the device. According to the full transcript of the call, Iger was specifically asked about the impact of the iPad by analyst Doug Mitchelson of Deutsche Bank, and his responses...
Opera Set to Preview 'Opera Mini' Browser for iPhone
Opera Software today announced that it will preview an iPhone version of its Opera Mini mobile browser at next week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. "This is a unique opportunity to introduce the fast, feature-rich Opera Mini experience for the iPhone, and to showcase our latest beta releases of Opera Mobile and Opera Mini on other platforms and devices. Opera's mission is to bring the Web...
Apple Seeds Mac OS X 10.6.3 Build 10D552 to Developers
iPhoneinCanada notes that, just days after its last developer seed, Apple has released Mac OS X 10.6.3 Build 10D552 to developers. Developer seeding of this third maintenance release for Snow Leopard began in early January. According to reports, today's build focuses on AirPort, Graphics Drivers, and Quicktime. The build further includes:
- Performance improvements for 64-bit Logic
-...
Apple Releases iLife Support 9.0.4
Apple today released iLife Support 9.0.4 via Software Update, bringing stability improvements and compatibility with Apple's new Aperture 3 release. Provides system software resources that are shared by iLife and other applications. This update improves overall stability for the Media Browser and iPhoto slideshows. It also provides compatibility between Aperture 3 and the Media Browser.
The...
Apple Releases Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.0
Apple today released Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update 3.0, bringing compatibility with a number of digital camera models to iPhoto '09 and Apple's new Aperture 3 release. This update extends RAW image compatibility for Aperture 3 and iPhoto 09 for the following cameras and formats:
- Canon PowerShot S90
- Canon sRAW
- Canon mRAW
- Leica D-LUX 4
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1
- Panasonic...
Apple Releases Aperture SlideShow Support Update 1.0
Apple today released Aperture SlideShow Support Update 1.0, addressing an issue with Aperture 3's integration of video clips in slideshows. Aperture 3 was released earlier today. This update addresses an issue affecting the playback of video clips used in Aperture 3 slideshows on Snow Leopard. The update is recommended for all users of Aperture 3.The update weighs in at 62.3 MB and requires Mac ...
Not All Major Publishers Reportedly On Board With Agency Model for eBook Pricing
TBI Research reports that not all major book publishers are enamored with the "agency model" being pushed by a number of publishers inspired by Apple's forthcoming iPad tablet device and iBookstore online store to assert more control over their content. However, one major book publisher we spoke with sees no reason to shift to that model right now or anytime in the near future.
The reason is...
Apple's Research Into Social Aspects of Online Shopping Gaining Renewed Attention
In April 2008, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published an Apple patent application revealing the company's research into ways of integrating social aspects into online shopping as part of enhancements to the visitor experience. As described in the patent application, customers would be able to "see" what products other customers shopping in the online store were looking at at any...
Music Labels See Slower iTunes Sales Growth in Wake of Price Increases
MediaMemo notes that Warner Music Group has reported seeing slower sales growth via Apple's iTunes Store since the introduction of variable pricing last year. Warner Music Group (WMG) said this morning that it has seen unit sales growth at Apple's iTunes (AAPL) decelerate since the price increase: Industry-wide, year-over-year "digital track equivalent album unit growth" was at 5 percent in the...
Apple Releases Aperture 3 With Faces and Places Tagging Features
Apple today announced the release of Aperture 3, adding over 200 new features to the company's professional photo editing and management application. The updated version includes the Faces and Places tagging features introduced in iPhoto last year, as well as a new feature called Brushes for making painting image adjustments to photos. Also included are Adjustment Presets, which offer...
Apple Job Posting Suggests Video Recording Coming to Future iPad Models
A new job posting on Apple's site suggests that the company is preparing to add still and video camera capabilities to its iPad tablet device in the future. The position is for a quality assurance engineer in the Media Systems division of Apple's broader Interactive Media Group and is specifically focused on the "iPad Media" segment of the division. The Media Systems team is looking for a...
Current MacBook Pro Models Deleted From Best Buy's Inventory System? Updates Imminent?
Yesterday, a poster in our forums claiming to be a Best Buy employee reported that the company's internal inventory system had been updated to show that all MacBook Pro models had been "deleted", preventing Best Buy stores from ordering any new units of the existing models. Earlier today, the poster followed up with additional information in the form of screenshots of the inventory system...
Steve Jobs Reportedly Demands Deletion of Tweet Sent From iPad
Valleywag reports that The Wall Street Journal's online executive editor Alan Murray posted to his Twitter account last Thursday, claiming that that he had done so from an iPad. The tweet was quickly deleted, however, and it appears that it had been posted during a meeting with Apple CEO Steve Jobs, part of Jobs' recent trip to New York to show off the gadget to publishing executives in a bid to ...
Claimed Fourth-Generation iPhone Parts Surface Revealing Taller Form Factor
iPhone 3GS on left, claimed fourth-generation iPhone on right
iPhone repair site iResQ has posted photos of what it claims are parts for the fourth-generation iPhone presumably due for launch later this year. Among the most notable features of the claimed parts are a front panel that appears to be approximately 1/4" taller than the current iPhone 3GS.
iPhone 3GS on left, claimed ...
Apple Open to iPad Price Cuts if Demand Lags?
The Wall Street Journal reports on a research note from Credit Suisse analyst Bill Shope based on meetings with Apple executives revealing that the company has apparently left the door open to future price cuts on the iPad should customer demand not meet expectations. Shope also wrote that despite the seemingly aggressive pricing of the iPad - the lower-than-expected price points range from $499...
Austrian Wireless Carrier Preparing to Offer Subsidized iPad
TamsIJungle reports (via Engadget) that it received word from wireless carrier Hutchison Austria that the company is planning to offer subsidized iPads for users willing to commit to a two-year data contract with the company. According to Hutchison Austria CEO Berthold Thoma: Hutchison Austria will be the first Austrian carrier to bundle the iPad. We will do so via our long-established laptop...
FCC Pointing to iPad as Harbinger of Increased Wireless Spectrum Needs
MacNN points to a blog post written earlier this week by Phil Bellaria, a director in the National Broadband Task Force at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), expressing concern over increasing cellular network congestion and citing Apple's iPad introduction as the spark for renewed fears. Apple's iPad announcement has set off a new round of reports of networks overburdened by a data ...
AT&T Rolls Out FamilyMap iPhone Application
AT&T today announced the release of AT&T FamilyMap, a new iPhone application that integrates with the company's existing FamilyMap service to allow families to keep track of each other while on the go. The AT&T FamilyMap app brings a streamlined approach to helping families stay up to speed on each other's whereabouts by locating wireless devices within a shared family account. The app provides...
Sling Media Denies Collaboration With AT&T on 3G Streaming
Yesterday, AT&T announced that it had finally decided to allow Sling Media's SlingPlayer Mobile to stream video over the carrier's 3G network. As part of the announcement, AT&T claimed that it had "worked with" Sling Media to develop a version of the application that was optimized for performance on AT&T's network. Early reports on the approval also included specific quotes from AT&T Mobility...
