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
Analyst Predictions for 2010 iPhone: 70% Chance of Verizon, Battery Improvements, RFID
Silicon Alley Insider reports on a research note from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who cites fellow analyst Chris Larsen as giving Apple a 70% chance of launching an iPhone on Verizon sometime next year. According to Silicon Alley Insider, there are a number of good reasons to expect Apple to make the move to Verizon: - Because Verizon is the biggest U.S. carrier, and could help Apple sell ...
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Apple Looking to Revive 'Think Different' Advertising Campaign?
Patently Apple points to a new trademark application from Apple filed on November 30th regarding the "Think Different" advertising slogan used by the company from 1997 until 2002. While the application follows close on the heels of a renewal of an earlier trademark issued for the slogan and could conceivably simply be related to Apple looking to preserve its long-standing trademark, the report...
Apple Rolls Out Customizable Digital iTunes Gift Cards Via Facebook
TechCrunch reports that Apple has rolled out a new feature through its iTunes Facebook page allowing users to create customizable digital gift cards. The feature, which is currently limited to U.S. iTunes Store customers, allows gift givers to choose from six digital gift card designs and iTunes credits ranging from $5 to $50. Gift givers can then enter a gift message and specify a delivery...
AT&T Addressing Network Performance in Manhattan and San Francisco, High-Bandwidth Users
The Wall Street Journal reports that AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega noted at an investor conference today that the company is continuing to work to address network issues in Manhattan and San Francisco, areas with high densities of iPhone and other smartphone users who have been experiencing subpar performance. Those two cities see especially high smart-phone penetration, which has put...
Ustream Offers Live Video Streaming for the iPhone
TechCrunch notes that Apple has approved Ustream Live Broadcaster [App Store, Free], offering users the ability to stream live video directly from their iPhones via Wi-Fi and 3G. While one of the key features of the iPhone 3GS was video recording capabilities, that was limited to recordings that were captured on your device and could be uploaded to the web after they were done recording. With...
Analyst: Apple Prepping February Tablet Production Ramp Ahead of March or April Release
MarketWatch reports on a new research note from Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Yair Reiner predicting, based on industry checks, that Apple will begin mass production of its much-rumored tablet computer in February ahead of a launch in late March or April.
The report claims that the device will include a 10.1" multi-touch LCD screen, specifically countering a recent rumor that the device's launch...
Apple Reportedly Preparing to Seed Builds of Mac OS X 10.6.3 to Developers
AppleInsider reports that Apple is preparing to begin seeding builds of Mac OS X 10.6.3, the next maintenance release for Snow Leopard, to developers as soon as this week. People familiar with the matter say the forthcoming builds are likely to be released to some developers in the next 48 hours, and carry the expected prefix of 10Dxx. It is not yet known what issues Apple hopes to address with...
Apple Releases AirPort Software Update, Firmware Updates Addressing SuperDrive Noise
Apple today released four software updates, one AirPort client update targeting Snow Leopard users and three firmware updates addressing optical disk drive noise on a number of the company's computers.
- AirPort Client Update 2009-002 (12.95 MB) addresses several issues experienced by users of Mac OS X Snow Leopard related to wireless networking. This update is recommended for all Macintosh...
'Dragon Dictation' Brings Voice Transcription to the iPhone [Updated]
Nuance Communications today announced the release of Dragon Dictation [App Store, Free for a limited time], a new voice transcription application for the iPhone. The application, which relies on the Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition engine to transcribe voice input to text, allows users to easily send transcribed text to new e-mail or text messages or save it to the clipboard for...
Bento for iPhone and iPod Touch Tops 100,000 Sales
Apple subsidiary Filemaker today announced that sales of its Bento iPhone and iPod touch application have topped 100,000 in the six months since the application's release. Bento is a personal database application that serves as a standalone application, but is also capable of synchronizing with the company's desktop software. "Whether they want to take client information with them on the road,...
News Publishers Launch Joint Venture Targeting Digital Content Distribution
Five major magazine publishers today announced the creation of a joint venture to develop standards for a digital content storefront and viewing on portable devices. Cond Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corporation and Time Inc. today jointly announced that they have entered into an independent venture to develop open standards for a new digital storefront and related technology that will allow...
Apple's Purchase Price for Lala: $80 Million? [Update: $17 Million?]
Media Memo reports that multiple sources are saying that Apple paid approximately $80 million in its acquisition of streaming music service Lala Media late last week. Apple ended up paying around $80 million for the company, according to multiple sources. That's less than half of what investors valued the company at in 2008, but it's more than the $35 million the company raised throughout its...
iPod Touch Seen as Building Base of Future iPhone Users
Mobile analytics firm Flurry yesterday released a report promoting an interesting take on Apple's iPod touch market, one that sees its strong performance among young consumers as building a base that will naturally migrate to the iPhone as they mature. As all industry eyes look to the iPhone, the iPod Touch is quietly building a loyal base among the next generation of iPhone users, positioning...
New York Times Profiles Apple's App Store
The New York Times yesterday published a lengthy feature article on Apple's iPhone and the App Store, calling them a "game changer" in the field of telephony and mobile applications. While the article provides little in the way of new information, the prominent story is part of a recent push by Apple executives to share their vision for the App Store and to address concerns from customers and...
AT&T Releases 'Mark The Spot' Application to Track Network Issues
AT&T yesterday released AT&T Mark the Spot [App Store, Free], a new iPhone application allowing users to alert the company to problems with its wireless network. The application takes advantage of the iPhone's GPS receiver to pinpoint the user's location and allow them to submit reports on a number of network issues, including dropped calls, failed calls, coverage holes, data service failures, ...
Apple Ordered to Pay Finalized $21.7 Million Patent Verdict, Hit With New Suit Over iPhone Camera
Silicon Alley Insider reports that Apple has been told to pay a $21.7 million patent infringement judgment to OPTi Inc., a former semiconductor company that abandoned its business to focus on pursuing patent claims against other companies.
The patent in question involves "predictive snooping" technology for transferring data and the suit was initially found in OPTi's favor by a jury back in...
Apple Snapping Up 7-Inch Touchscreens Ahead of January Tablet Launch?
T3 has received word that there is a currently a major shortage of 7" touchscreen components, with speculation centering on Apple as a likely culprit ahead of a possible January launch of its much-rumored tablet computer. Our source said: "If you want to buy a 7-inch touchscreen at the moment, you can't." They added that this could indicate a January release window for Apple's hotly-anticipated...
Apple Looking to Acquire Music Streaming Service Lala?
CNET reports that Apple is in "advanced" negotiations to acquire music streaming firm Lala. The news comes from two sources who reportedly have knowledge of the discussions between the two companies. Talks are very advanced, said the sources. One of the sources said that the sides have already agreed on terms and have only to sign a final agreement.
Steve Dowling, Apple's spokesman, said the...
Apple Products Top U.S. Retail Desktop and Notebook Sales Lists
CNET reports on new data from market research NPD showing that Apple models grabbed the top spots in both the desktop and notebook computer U.S. retail sales lists for the month of October. Among desktops, the company's new 21.5" iMac grabbed the #1 spot, with the 27" iMac taking the third spot. In the notebook category, Apple's entry-level 13" MacBook Pro took top honors, with three other...
Microsoft Modifies European 'Browser Ballot' to Eliminate Safari's Advantage
In mid-October, it was reported that Apple's Safari for Windows browser was slated to receive prominent placement on a "browser ballot" designed to allow Windows users in Europe to select which Internet browser they wished to use. The ballot process was included by Microsoft to address anti-competitive concerns there, where the company has been found at fault for its integration of Internet...
