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 Now Selling Contract-Free iPhone in Retail Stores?
AppleInsider is reporting that Apple retail stores are now offering the iPhone 3G with no contract commitment required. The 8 GB model is priced at $599 and the 16 GB model is priced at $699. The move comes just as AT&T deploys a similar offer, which was leaked last week and quickly confirmed by AT&T.
Apple's offer comes with fewer restrictions than AT&T's, as Apple retail stores are...
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SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone Submitted to App Store
Sling Media's SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone page has recently been updated to announce that the application has been submitted to the App Store and is awaiting approval. We're been working hard to bring the SlingPlayer Mobile experience to the iPhone and iPod Touch. We've submitted the first release of our application to the iPhone App Store. In the mean time, take a sneak peek!Sling Media's...
Apple Releases iLife '09 and iWork '09 Updates
Apple today issued a number of minor updates for its iLife '09 and iWork '09 application suites.
- iWork 9.0.1 weighs in at 42.75 MB and is recommended for all iWork '09 users.
- iLife Support 9.0.2 "improves overall stability and addresses a number of other minor issues." The 3.97 MB download is recommended for all Aperture, iLife 09, and iWork 09 users.
- iPhoto 8.0.2 weighs in at...
Skype for iPhone Coming as Early as Next Week?
GigaOM reports that an iPhone version of Skype may be released as soon as next week, possibly at the CTIA Wireless trade show in Las Vegas. A few months ago, I asked Skype CEO Josh Silverman when was he going to launch the iPhone version of the P2P voice and IM service that has now been downloaded more than 405 million times. He smiled and said, "Stay tuned." And so we did.
A tipster a very...
Apple Announces Dates for WWDC 2009: June 8th-12th
Apple announced today that this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will take place from June 8th through 12th in the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco. Basic promotional information on what attendees can expect is provided on Apple's site, but the full schedule of events is yet to be published. The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is the premier technical...
Apple Offering 8 GB RAM Kits for 2.93 GHz and 2.66 GHz 15" MacBook Pros
Apple has begun offering 8 GB RAM upgrade kits for the 2.93 GHz and 2.66 GHz models of the latest unibody 15" MacBook Pro, despite the published technical specifications claiming support for a maximum of 4 GB in these higher-end models. Apple is not currently offering the 8 GB kit for the entry-level 2.4 GHz 15" MacBook Pro, which also claims support for a maximum of 4 GB of RAM.
While...
iTunes Store Variable Pricing to Begin April 7th?
The Los Angeles Times reports that implementation of variable pricing in the iTunes Store will occur on April 7th. The world's largest music store, Apple's iTunes, plans to boost the price of many hit singles and selected classic tracks to $1.29 on April 7, breaking the psychological barrier of 99 cents in what could be the first big test of how much consumers are willing to pay to download...
Orange to Offer Subsidized MacBooks With Mobile Broadband Contracts in UK?
Mobile reports that UK mobile provider Orange is in final negotiations to offer heavily subsidized MacBooks to customers signing up for two-year mobile broadband contracts. A deal is understood to be close to completion, with the details being finalised ahead of availability of the MacBook on Orange.
The operator has tested the laptops with its mobile broadband dongles and is understood to have ...
Apple Releases Graphics Firmware Update for 17" Unibody MacBook Pro
Apple today released MacBook Pro Graphics Firmware Update 1.0 for all users of the new unibody 17" MacBook Pro released in January. This firmware update is recommended for all 17-inch MacBook Pro (Early 2009) users and addresses the appearance of vertical lines or distorted graphics on the notebook display.Apple's support document provides instructions on how to install the update and determine...
Blockbuster Seeking to Bring Movie Downloads to Apple Devices?
Reuters reports today on a deal between TiVo and Blockbuster that will allow TiVo subscribers to download to their set-top boxes films offered through Blockbuster's OnDemand service. Looking beyond the TiVo agreement, a senior executive at Blockbuster revealed the company's intentions to pursue bringing a similar service to Apple's products. "You will see us in a large number of other devices...
Genius Feature for Movies and TV Shows Activated in iTunes 8.1
After a brief delay, Apple has activated the "Genius" feature for movies and TV shows in iTunes 8.1. It is not entirely clear when Apple flicked the switch, but it appears that reports of the activation date back to late last week.
Similar to the existing feature for music launched in iTunes 8.0, a user can select a movie or TV episode from their library and activate the Genius feature, which ...
China Unicom Web Site Posts iPhone Information, Launching Soon? [Updated]
Macworld reports that a regional branch of China Unicom has posted information [Google translation] related to the iPhone on their web site. The information, which listed smartphones supported by the 3G network China Unicom is building, appeared only on the Web site of the company's Shanghai branch and did not say whether the products would be offered in China.
The site's changes follow media...
Cha-Ching Touch Now Available
Last month, we mentioned that Cha-Ching was coming to the iPhone and iPod touch, so we'd like to provide an update noting that it is now available for purchase [App Store] at an introductory price of $2.99. Cha-Ching features:
- Location based, quick transaction entry
- Simple, fun budgeting
- Multiple account support
- Unlimited Custom Categories
- Synchronization with Cha-Ching for the Mac
...
More Details on Next-Generation iPhone? 3G Netbook Due This Summer?
Boy Genius Report details a source "pretty high up in AT&T's food chain" who reportedly shared several tidbits of information about the next-generation iPhone. While short on details beyond the addition of an iPhone application to control AT&T's U-verse suite of Internet-based products and services and more hints that the iPhone may see increased Wi-Fi browsing speeds up to 7.2 Mbps, the...
Ngmoco Raises Additional $10 Million in Financing
Silicon Alley Insider reports that iPhone game developer ngmoco:) has raised $10 million in series B venture capital financing. Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and iPod touch platform has been a huge hit for gaming, so it's no surprise that one of the iPhone's best game publishers has just closed a new round of financing.
Ngmoco has raised $10 million in series B financing, led by Norwest Venture...
Apple Discontinues iPhone Bluetooth Headset
Last week, MacRumors reader alansmallen noticed that Apple had discontinued their iPhone Bluetooth Headset, which had been released alongside the original iPhone in mid-2007.
At their recent iPhone OS 3.0 media event, Apple revealed that support for A2DP (stereo Bluetooth) will be included in the next-generation iPhone software. The iPhone 3G's hardware is capable of supporting A2DP, and...
OS X 10.5.7 Build 9J34 Seeded to Developers
Over the weekend, Apple seeded Build 9J34 of Mac OS X 10.5.7 to developers. World of Apple publishes the seed notes, which detail ten changes since the previous seed and continue to list a lack of Safari 4 beta compatibility as the only remaining known issue. Apple has this weekend seeded a new build (9J34) of the next update to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. The build comes with improvements to Mail and ...
Next-Generation iPhone to Have "Faster Internet Speeds"?
Silicon Alley Insider reports on rumors from a mobile industry source saying that the next-generation iPhone will have "a significantly faster Internet connection." While no further information is given as to whether this is referring to cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity, Silicon Alley Insider lays out some possibilities based on what is known about the state of the technology. - This can't be...
AT&T Confirms No-Contract iPhone 3G Sales
According to the Associated Press, AT&T has confirmed yesterday's rumor that they will begin offering no-contract iPhone 3Gs to existing mobile customers. The phones will be priced at $599 for the 8 GB model and $699 for the 16 GB model. The new phones will still be "locked" to AT&T and won't work with any other cellular carrier unless they're modified. AT&T will only activate them on the regular ...
Apple Announces Release of HD Movie Sales and Rentals via iTunes
Apple today announced that they are now offering high-definition movie sales and rentals through the iTunes Store. Starting today, movie fans can purchase box office blockbusters for download in HD for $19.99 from iTunes, and films will be available as iTunes Movie Rentals in HD for $4.99 within 30 days after release. Customers can enjoy these films in HD on their Mac or PC and on their...
