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 Continues to Create Industry-Wide Flash Memory Shortages
DigiTimes reports that Apple's iPhone and iPod models have continued to put pressure on worldwide supplies of NAND flash memory, soaking up enough of the industry capacity that demand now exceeds supply. The shortage is expected to continue through the remainder of 2009, corresponding with the holiday season that should drive sales of Apple's devices. Taiwan-based memory module houses are...
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iPhone Tops J.D. Power Consumer and Business Smartphone Satisfaction Rankings
Marketing survey firm J.D. Power and Associates yesterday announced that the iPhone topped both its latest consumer and business smartphone consumer satisfaction surveys, receiving top marks in all categories on both surveys with the exception of battery life. Apple ranks highest among manufacturers of smartphones used primarily for personal reasons, with a score of 811, and performs particularly...
Apple Releases iPhone OS 3.1.2 [Updated]
Apple today released iPhone OS 3.1.2, addressing several issues regarding waking from sleep, network service disruption, and crashing during video streaming. iPhone users should connect their iPhones to iTunes and click the "Check for Update" button to obtain the new version. This update contains bug fixes and improvements, including the following:
- Resolves sporadic issue that may cause...
NVIDIA Exiting Chipset Business Pending Resolution of Licensing Dispute With Intel
ZDnet reports on NVIDIA's announcement yesterday that it will "postpone further chipset investments" in the wake of licensing issues involving Intel's Nehalem and Core processors. NVIDIA's chipsets including integrated graphics processors are currently used throughout Apple's low-end lines, and the shift to NVIDIA was seen as a significant improvement over Intel's similar chipset offerings. Intel ...
TomTom Car Kit Reappears in Apple's European Online Stores
TomTom's much-anticipated iPhone GPS car kit has once again appeared on a number of European Apple online stores, including the UK store. Currently scheduled to ship in 1-2 weeks, the kit is again priced at 99.95 in the UK and 99.95 Euro in other European countries. TomTom has disclosed that the kit will be priced at $119.95 in the U.S., although it is not yet listed in Apple's U.S. online...
Google Introduces Search Options for Mobile Devices
Google today announced that it has brought its "Search Options" results filtering feature to certain mobile platforms, including the iPhone OS, for U.S. users. The feature allows users to filter their search results by timeframe and by source, such as the entire Web or just Internet forums or reviews. Today in the US, we are making Search Options available on Android/iPhone/Palm WebOS devices...
'Mighty Mouse' Trademark Awarded to Peripherals Manufacturer Man & Machine
TechCrunch reports that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded a trademark for the "Mighty Mouse" term in its "computer cursor control devices" category to Man & Machine, a Landover, Maryland company specializing in waterproof keyboards and mice for medical and industrial settings.
Man & Machine has offered several generations of its Mighty Mouse product, claiming a priority date in...
AT&T: 'Fine Tuning' Still Required Before Offering Internet Tethering Via iPhone
The Wall Street Journal reports that, given AT&T's recent move to allow VoIP services over its wireless network for the iPhone, users are wondering whether support for Internet tethering via the iPhone may also be launched in the near future. Tethering and MMS were promised as future features by AT&T when iPhone OS 3.0 was launched in mid-June, and MMS was finally enabled late last month with no ...
Apple and Google Included in Suit Over Embedded Interactive Media in Browsers
CNET reports that Apple, Google, and twenty other companies have been sued by Eolas Technologies for patent infringement related to the use of browser plug-ins and Ajax to offer interactive content in Web browsers. The move comes several years after the conclusion of a similar lawsuit brought against Microsoft that resulted in an initial $521 million judgment in favor of Eolas, although the suit ...
Android to Surpass iPhone in Market Share by 2012?
Computerworld reports that research firm Gartner is forecasting significant growth in Google's Android operating system for smart phones, noting that it expects Android to surpass Apple's iPhone to claim the number two spot behind Symbian OS with 14.5% of the global smart phone market by 2012. While the first Android product release, the T-Mobile G1, only won a lukewarm response, Android 1.5...
Amazon Partners With AT&T to Introduce Kindle with Global Wireless Coverage
Amazon today announced that it is dropping the price of its basic Kindle e-Book reader from $299 to $259 and also partnering with AT&T to introduce a new version offering global wireless coverage in over 100 countries and territories. The new global version is priced at $279 and will begin shipping on October 19th. Kindle wirelessly downloads books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, and personal...
Foxconn to Manufacture Tablet for Q1 2010 Launch?
DigiTimes reports that Foxconn Electronics has been named as Apple's manufacturing partner for its much-anticipated tablet and that the device is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2010. The device is expected to hit the market in the first quarter of 2010, with initial shipments from Foxconn being in the 300,000-400,000 range, the sources said.
The device will have a 10.6-inch display, ...
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Reacts to Apple's Withdrawal Over Climate Change Policies
Dow Jones Newswires reports that U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Tom Donohue responded to Apple CEO Steve Jobs today after the company announced its withdrawal from the organization over the Chamber of Commerce's stance on pending climate change legislation. "It is unfortunate that your company didn't take the time to understand the Chamber's position on climate and forfeited the...
DoubleTwist Launches iTunes-Like Desktop Application for Amazon MP3 Store
doubleTwist, the company run by famed digital rights management hacker Jon Lech Johansen ("DVD Jon"), today released a revamped doubleTwist for Mac application, adding a number of new features to its iTunes competitor. The most notable enhancement is the inclusion of a music store linked to the Amazon MP3 Store. The application offers an iTunes-like experience for browsing the Amazon MP3 Store, ...
Apple and Skype React to AT&T's Announcement of Support for iPhone VoIP Services
Following AT&T's announcement that it will now allow iPhone Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services over its mobile network, Apple and VoIP provider Skype have issued public statements reacting to today's announcement.
The Associated Press reports that Apple will be moving forward as quickly as possible to enable customers to take advantage of the functionality. Apple welcomed the...
Apple Releases Apple RAID Card (Early 2009) Firmware Update 1.1
Apple today released Apple RAID Card (Early 2009) Firmware Update 1.1, bringing several updates for the company's RAID card offered as an option on the Mac Pro and Xserve. The update is recommended for all Early 2009 Mac Pros and Xserves using the Apple RAID card. This update provides several fixes, including:
- Reliability improvements during boot and power fail recovery
- Improves...
AT&T to Allow Skype and Google Voice to Operate on Its Mobile Network? [Update: Confirmed]
The Washington Post reports that AT&T may be planning to announce support for Skype, Google Voice, and other related Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services over its mobile networks, including via Apple's iPhone. One source close to the thinking of AT&T executives said the company has been deliberating the decision for weeks and that top executives have said they were close to accepting voice ...
Verizon Targets AT&T's Network With 'There's a Map For That' Campaign
TechFlash noted yesterday that Verizon is rolling out a new advertising campaign targeting AT&T's network by focusing on the geographic coverage of the competing companies' networks. The campaign also employs a twist on Apple's "There's an app for that" iPhone slogan with its own tagline of "There's a map for that." The fine print also is worth checking out. It reads: "Browse the Web and download ...
Apple to Introduce Final Cut Studio Update at NAB 2010?
Hardmac reports that Apple may be planning to introduce a revised version of its Final Cut Studio professional video editing software at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference in April 2010. According to the report's sources, the most recent version of Final Cut Studio, released just this past July, is actually a temporary version focused on providing Snow Leopard...
VMware Fusion 3 to Launch October 27th
VMware today announced the October 27th launch of VMware Fusion 3, a significant update to the company's virtualization solution that allows Mac users to run Windows applications right alongside OS X applications. The new version reportedly brings over 50 new features and improvements, including Snow Leopard optimization and full Windows 7 compatibility. Key highlights include:
- Optimized...
