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 Looking to Expand Cloud-Based iWork Experience?
TechCrunch reports on a new Apple job posting that appeared last week that seems to reveal plans for an expanded online "cloud" experience for the company's iWork productivity suite. While Apple has offered an iWork.com beta site for document collaboration since soon after the launch of iWork '09 in January, the job posting hints at a new ground-up project in the works. The Productivity team...
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Apple's Research on Tactile Feedback for Touchscreen Keyboard Revisited
In the wake of yesterday's provocative hint suggesting that users would be "surprised how you interact" with Apple's much-rumored tablet, speculation has begun about what that surprise might be. Conveniently enough, a patent application published today entitled "Keystroke tactility arrangement on a smooth touch surface" revisits previously-revealed technology from Apple regarding possible...
Apple Special Media Event Scheduled for January 26th?
The Financial Times reports that it has received word that Apple has scheduled a special media event for Tuesday, January 26th in San Francisco. The event will reportedly be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, site of the company's music-focused events held each fall in recent years. The company has rented a stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco for several days...
HBO Releases Application for iPhone
HBO, the popular U.S. premium cable channel, yesterday announced the release of a new iPhone application [App Store, Free] offering schedule information, behind-the-scenes videos, and direct links to iTunes for purchasing content. Using the innovative native functionality (scroll, pinch and zoom) of iPhone and iPod touch, the HBO App allows consumers to easily navigate through programming...
Google's Acquisition of AdMob Delayed for Further FTC Scrutiny
Google today announced that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has requested additional information on the company's proposed acquisition of mobile advertising firm AdMob as the regulatory agency continues to investigate the appropriateness of the deal. As we said when we announced the deal, we don't see any regulatory issues with this deal, because the rapidly growing mobile advertising space is...
Apple Asking App Developers to Prepare for Large Screen Demos Next Month?
Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple has approached certain app developers to ask them to prepare for a demo scheduled for next month. Notably, Apple has requested that the developers prepare their applications to run in "full screen" mode rather than limiting display to the iPhone and iPod touch's 320 x 480 pixels. Apple is preparing to show off a new, larger mobile device with a higher...
Google 'Nexus One' Phone Set for Invitation-Only Launch on January 5th?
The hype is continuing to build around Google's highly-anticipated Android-based phone, dubbed the "Nexus One". Engadget today reveals draft specs for the forthcoming device, as well as information that it is scheduled to launch on January 5th and will initially be available only by "invitation". Our tipster doesn't have information on how those invites are going to be determined, other than the...
Apple Tablet With 7-Inch Screen to Be Announced in January?
Citing a source who has been "amazingly accurate", Boy Genius Report issued a brief note today claiming that Apple's much-rumored tablet will be announced in January and will carry a 7-inch screen. Most rumors have pointed to a 10-inch screen for the tablet, and while the source does not rule out the possibility of such a model, they can only confirm the existence of the 7-inch model. It has been ...
Next-Generation iPhone Set to Carry 5-Megapixel Camera?
DigiTimes reports that OmniVision Technologies has secured orders from Apple for 5-megapixel camera sensors destined for the next-generation iPhone. Sources report that the OmniVision is expected to supply Apple with 40-45 million sensors in 2010 for the new iPhone, reportedly set to launch in the second half of the year. OmniVision Technologies is expected to see CMOS image sensor (CIS) orders...
MagicPrefs Adds Functionality to Magic Mouse
Ever since the release of Apple's multi-touch Magic Mouse just a few months ago, one of the primary complaints from users has been a lack of support for Expos and other functionalities given the limited options available in System Preferences for configuring the mouse.
Addressing these issues, Gizmodo today points to a new menu bar application, MagicPrefs, that greatly expands the...
iPhone Tops List of Most-Used Mobile Phones in U.S.
Media research firm Nielsen today released its lists of top U.S. mobile phones, sites, and brands for the first ten months of 2009, and the iPhone 3G took the top spot among mobile phones with 4.0% of the market. The iPhone placed slightly ahead of Research in Motion's BlackBerry 8300 series at 3.7%, and well ahead of the remainder of the pack, which was led by Motorola's RAZR V3 series at 2.3%.
...
Judge Dismisses Class Action Lawsuit Over iMac Screen Issues
TechCrunch reports that a U.S. federal court judge has dismissed a class action lawsuit brought against Apple for reported failure to disclose manufacturing defects present in the company's iMac models. The lawsuit stated that unwanted vertical lines would appear on the devices after the warranty period had expired and that Apple "internally recognizes and concedes" the defect, but did nothing to...
AT&T Again Moves to Downplay Reports of Imminent Tiered Data Pricing for iPhone
In a lengthy BusinessWeek article, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega again attempts to clarify the company's plans for dealing with high-usage iPhone data customers by emphasizing incentives for shifting traffic off of its network rather than implementing tiered pricing as had been suggested earlier this month. The comments mark the second time a major media outlet has gone public with de la...
Magellan Announces GPS Car Kit for iPhone and iPod Touch
Magellan today announced the launch of its GPS car kit for the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and second-generation iPod touch. Similar to TomTom's car kits for the iPhone and iPod touch, Magellan's kit offers a built-in GPS receiver, amplified speaker, external power, and hands-free calling compatibility. Features of the Premium Car Kit include the following:
- Secure vehicle mounting for iPhone or ...
Apple Adds App Search Capabilities for Developers in iTunes Connect
As developers have submitted increasing numbers of iPhone and iPod touch applications for inclusion in the App Store, Apple today announced that it has rolled out a new search functionality in its iTunes Connect interface to allow developers to more easily locate their applications. When you select the Manage Your Application module, you'll find a summary of your last 10 modified apps and a search ...
Apple Releases Firmware Update to Address Screen Flickering on 27-Inch iMacs
Apple today released 27-inch iMac Graphics Firmware Update 1.0, addressing recent complaints of screen flickering on the company's newest iMac models. About 27-inch iMac Graphics Firmware Update 1.0
Updates the graphics firmware on ATI Radeon HD 4670 and 4850 graphics cards to address issues that may cause image corruption or display flickering.Installation instructions for the firmware update,...
Steve Jobs Named World's Best-Performing CEO by Harvard Business Review
As part of its January 2010 issue, the Harvard Business Review released its list of the top-performing CEOs in the world, placing Apple CEO Steve Jobs first among CEOs ranked by performance throughout their tenures. The #1 CEO on the list, Steve Jobs, delivered a whopping 3,188% industry-adjusted return (34% compounded annually) after he rejoined Apple as CEO in 1997, when the company was in...
'MobileNavigator North America' Updated and On Sale for $59.99
Earlier this month, Navigon introduced holiday pricing on a number of international versions of its popular MobileNavigator series of GPS navigation applications for the iPhone. Late last week, Navigon followed suit on MobileNavigator North America [App Store], dropping the price from $89.99 to $59.99 through January 11th.
The price drop comes alongside an update to the application, bringing...
App Store Success Reportedly Overwhelms Even Apple's Expectations
In the first of a three-part series on Apple's App Store, the Financial Times reports that the phenomenal success of the iPhone application marketplace has topped even the initial expectations of those within Apple. Already, the app eruption has superseded all the sober predictions of Apple executives and outside champions like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the venture capital firm that...
Vodafone Set to Begin Offering iPhone in UK on January 14th
BBC News reports that Vodafone, which announced in late September that it would begin offering the iPhone in the UK and Ireland in early 2010, has revealed plans for a January 14th launch in the UK. The cheapest tariff available is 30 a month for 24 months, plus additional handset charges ranging from 59 (iPhone 3G 8GB) to 239 (3GS 32GB).An 18-month, 30/month plan is also available, albeit at...
