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
Manufacturing Mold for 'iPad Pro' Rear Shell or Dummy Unit Shown in New Photo
A user on China's Weibo microblogging site today posted a new photo (via Letem svetem Applem) simply labeled "iPad Pro". The photo shows what appears to be a mold for the rear shell of Apple's rumored larger tablet with a display in the range of 12-13 inches, although it is unclear whether this mold is supposed to be for an actual iPad Pro shell or for a dummy unit such as the one that surfaced...
Read Full Article • 65 comments
Apple Seeds OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 Build 14C94b to Developers
Apple today seeded a fourth beta of OS X 10.10.2 Yosemite to developers, nearly four weeks after the previous beta release. The interval between seeds was slightly longer than usual for recent updates, presumably due to the holiday pause.
The new beta, build 14C94b, is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Mac Dev Center.
Apple continues to...
August Launches 'Connect' Wi-Fi Bridge to Add Internet Connectivity to Popular Smart Lock
August, the company behind the popular August Smart Lock sold in Apple retail stores, today announced the upcoming launch of August Connect a new $50 bridge that will allow August Smart Lock to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi.
August Connect plugs into a power outlet inside the home of an August Smart Lock user and connects to their home wireless network and the Internet. This connection...
Apple Targeting March for Apple Watch Launch, Retail Training Begins Next Month
While Apple has yet to publicly announce a specific launch date for the Apple Watch beyond "Early 2015", sources speaking to 9to5Mac say the company is currently planning for a March debut in the initial wave of countries. Sources in the retail segment indicate that select store employees will undergo centralized Apple Watch training the week of February 9, with those employees in turn training...
Apple's 12-Inch Retina MacBook Air Shown in Artist's Renditions
In a set of artist renditions, 9to5Mac offers a look at Apple's long-rumored 12-inch Retina MacBook Air. The renditions and details shared in the report are consistent with previous reports on the machine, although plans do sometimes change during the development process.
As previously described in rumors, the next MacBook Air will have roughly the same footprint as the current 11-inch...
CES 2015: iDevices Announces HomeKit-Enabled 'Switch' Smart Plug
iDevices today announced its upcoming Switch smart plug, a HomeKit-enabled device that allows users to remotely control a variety of devices around the home. The system takes advantage of the existing iDevices Connected app to give users control over the plug, which plugs into a standard electrical outlet and connects to the home's Wi-Fi network to provide control over a device plugged into...
Intel Launches New Broadwell Chips Appropriate for MacBook Air and 13-Inch MacBook Pro
Intel today announced the launch of a full set of "Broadwell-U" processors, opening the door for updated versions of Apple's MacBook Air and 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. The chip launch is essentially in line with a leaked timeline from last July that also pegs the release of more powerful Broadwell chips appropriate for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro as late as July or August of this year.
As o...
Hands-On With Alpine's iLX-007 In-Dash CarPlay Entertainment System
While car manufacturers have been slower than anticipated to roll out support for Apple's in-vehicle CarPlay system, Pioneer and Alpine have delivered aftermarket options in the form of in-dash systems with CarPlay compatibility and large touch screens.
MacRumors has had a chance to spend some time with Alpine's iLX-007, which carries a suggested retail price of $800 but commonly sells for...
Djay for Mac Goes Pro With Spotify Integration, Revamped Interface, and More Powerful Features
Algoriddim has long been known for its popular DJ app djay, which began life on the Mac before moving to the iPad, iPhone and most recently Android, with the various versions winning a number of awards and contributing to making djay the world's best-selling DJ app with over 15 million downloads.
With djay having proven popular among both amateur and professional DJs, users have been asking...
Apple Seeds Safari 8.0.3, 7.1.3, and 6.2.3 to Developers
Apple today seeded a new Safari 8.0.3 beta for developers running OS X Yosemite, along with a Safari 7.1.3 beta for Mavericks and a Safari 6.2.3 beta for Mountain Lion.
Registered Mac developers can download the new Safari builds through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store or through the Mac Dev Center. In the release notes for the new betas, Apple asks developers to focus on...
Apple Releases New Holiday Ad 'The Song'
Apple today released a new 90-second holiday ad entitled "The Song", following in the footsteps of last year's "Misunderstood" ad."The Song" centers around a girl who stumbles upon an old record, apparently a gift from her grandmother to her grandfather from 1952. The record includes a message about not being able to be together for the holidays and then a rendition of "Love Is Here to Stay"...
Classic Apple Watches From 1995 Once Again Available for Sale
While customers are looking forward to the launch of the Apple Watch early next year, there have been several other Apple-branded watches over the years typically offered as promotional items, and one of those items from nearly 20 years ago is making a comeback.
A limited number of these Apple watches from 1995 were kept by a distributor and have now been made available for sale, priced from...
Apple Releases Safari 8.0.2 for OS X Yosemite to Replace Previously Pulled Safari 8.0.1
Eight days after releasing and then quickly pulling Safari 8.0.1 for OS X Yosemite, Apple today released Safari 8.0.2 to the public.
The release notes for Safari 8.0.2 are identical to those for Safari 8.0.1 except for the addition of a line noting the problems with the 8.0.1 release.- Fixes a rare issue in which some users were unable to access Safari after installing the 8.0.1 update.Other...
'Workflow' Brings Powerful Automated Actions to iOS
DeskConnect today launched Workflow, a universal iOS app billed as a "personal automation tool" that allows users to easily create workflows to accomplish various tasks such as creating animated GIFs from a series of photos, grabbing images from a web page, automatically cross-posting photos to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram in one step, and more.
Workflow contains over 100 different...
Apple Adds New Apple TV Channels for UFC, The Scene, Fusion, and Dailymotion
Apple today added four new channels to its Apple TV set-top box, further expanding the variety of content available on the device. The new additions include ultimate fighting channel UFC.TV, digital video shorts channel The Scene, news and pop culture channel Fusion, and video sharing site Dailymotion.
UFC.TV offers access to a variety of Ultimate Fighting Championship content, including...
MasterCard Teams Up With Gwen Stefani to Promote Apple Pay and 'Priceless Surprises'
In the latest phase of its Priceless Surprises promotion that rewards cardholders for simply using their credit and debit cards, MasterCard is partnering with Gwen Stefani to offer private performances, unique experiences, and other surprises for customers. The campaign comes with a new ad featuring Apple Pay and Stefani's new single, "Spark the Fire."
To kick things off, MasterCard will debut ...
Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 10.1.4 and Xcode 6.1.1
Apple today released a minor update to Final Cut Pro, bringing native support for Material eXchange Format (MXF) container files and several other enhancements and bug fixes.What's New in Version 10.1.4
- Native MXF import, edit, and export with Pro Video Formats 2.0 software update
- Option to export AVC-Intra MXF files
- Support for import and editing with Panasonic AVC-LongG media
- Fixes...
Hands-On With Elgato Smart Power and Mophie Powerstation Plus External Batteries
While there are an endless variety of external batteries on the market capable of charging iOS devices while on the go, two recent entrants at the higher end of the market are giving consumers more options as they consider holiday gifts.
Elgato Smart Power (left) and Mophie Powerstation Plus 2X (right)
The first is Elgato's Smart Power, a 6,000 mAh external battery priced at $99.95. Housed in ...
Apple's Market Capitalization Hits Record $700 Billion
Apple's stock continues its strong recent performance, hitting another milestone today with a market capitalization of $700 billion and once again setting a new standard as the highest market cap in history before pulling back slightly. The mark comes less than two weeks after Apple's market cap passed $660 billion to set its first new high in two years.
The company's market capitalization...
Chase Launches Apple Pay Ad Campaign Featuring Jack Antonoff's Bleachers and Small Businesses
Following this past weekend's promotion that saw Chase customers being offered free early downloads of David Guetta's upcoming album just for adding their cards to Apple Pay, the bank has launched a new national campaign touting Apple Pay. The new campaign begins today with a 30-second ad featuring Fun front man Jack Antonoff's side project Bleachers using Apple Pay at several locations around...
