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.

Eric Slivka's Articles

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Companies Lining Up in Support of Apple Ahead of Potential Older Model iPhone/iPad Ban in U.S.

Monday July 29, 2013 7:53 am PDT by
Following last week's opinion piece from Verizon attorney Randall Milch outlining why the carrier objects to the impending U.S. ban on imports of older iPhone and 3G-capable iPad models, The Wall Street Journal notes that a number of other companies and regulators are lining up in support of Apple in the case. Rather than taking a position on the details of the case, which revolve around a...
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Apple's iPhone Activation Servers Experiencing Extended Outage

Thursday July 25, 2013 9:59 am PDT by
While Apple is still working to bring its developer site back up a week after taken offline due to a security breach, the company appears to be experiencing another problem with its systems today, as a number of MacRumors readers have reported they are unable to activate their new iPhones. Other reports are showing up on Twitter as the problems continue. According to one tipster who called...
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Ashton Kutcher Talks More About Playing the Role of Steve Jobs

Thursday July 25, 2013 9:36 am PDT by
Last week, Ashton Kutcher took to Quora to explain some of the reasons why he decided to take on the role of Steve Jobs in the upcoming film JOBS, noting his admiration for Jobs, the challenge of the role, and his interest in the convergence of technology and entertainment. With the film set for wide release on August 16, Kutcher is now beginning to hit the publicity circuit to talk about the...
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Apple to Dump AU Optronics as Display Supplier for Next-Generation iPad Mini?

Tuesday July 23, 2013 9:00 am PDT by
ETNews.com reports that Apple is discontinuing its relationship with AU Optronics to supply display panels for the iPad mini as production on displays for the second-generation models is expected to ramp up in the coming months. According to the report, LG Display is already onboard and Sharp is in solid position given its technological advantage in energy efficiency, while other display...
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Researcher Takes Credit for Security Breach of Apple's Developer Center

Monday July 22, 2013 7:49 am PDT by
The Next Web points to a comment on a TechCrunch article taking credit for last week's unauthorized access of Apple's Developer Center last week. The comment comes from independent security researcher Ibrahim Balic, who claims that his effort was not intended to be malicious and that he reported his findings to Apple just hours before the developer site was taken down by the company.In total I...
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'Apple Store' iOS App Update Coming Tuesday with Free iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore Deals

Saturday July 20, 2013 8:39 am PDT by
9to5Mac reports that Apple will be releasing an updated version of its Apple Store app for iOS devices on Tuesday, bringing a minor redesign and new tie-ins with iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore content. Through the updated app, Apple will offer special deals, making paid content free of charge for users of the app. As you can see in the photo of the upcoming app update (to the right), the ...
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Closeup Photos of Alleged Lower-Cost Plastic iPhone Rear Shell Compared to iPhone 5

Friday July 19, 2013 11:31 am PDT by
Over the past several weeks, an increasing number of photo leaks of what has been claimed to be the rear shell of Apple's rumored upcoming lower-cost plastic iPhone have surfaced, showing a device just slightly larger than the iPhone 5 and carrying the same layout of physical features, albeit with simplified microphone and speaker grille designs along the bottom edge. Japanese magazine Weekly...
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Rovio Expands 'Accounts' Cross-Device Game Progress Syncing to Original 'Angry Birds'

Friday July 19, 2013 9:00 am PDT by
Back in May, Rovio announced a new "Rovio Account" feature that would allow users to sync their progress on games such as Angry Birds across devices. At the time, the feature launched with limited availability, arriving worldwide for The Croods and only in Finland and Poland on the original Angry Birds game. Rovio today announced that the new Accounts feature is now available worldwide on...
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Apple Acquires Crowdsourced Local Business Search Firm Locationary for Improved Maps

Friday July 19, 2013 7:14 am PDT by
AllThingsD reports that Apple has acquired Locationary, a Canadian company focused on crowdsourcing location and other data on local businesses for improved accuracy.Apple has acquired the Toronto-based Locationary, a small Canadian startup, backed by Extreme Venture Partners and Plazacorp Ventures. Multiple sources familiar with the deal tell AllThingsD it closed recently and includes...
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Comparing the New Frequent Device Upgrade Programs from U.S. Carriers

Thursday July 18, 2013 10:47 am PDT by
Earlier today, Verizon became the third major U.S. iPhone carrier to announce a program designed to allow customers to upgrade their handsets more frequently. Verizon's "Edge" program, which launches August 25, will join AT&T's "Next" program introduced earlier this week and T-Mobile's "Jump" offering announced last week. While the new frequent upgrade plans may seem appealing to some users, Th...
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Verizon Officially Announces 'Edge' Frequent Device Upgrade Program

Thursday July 18, 2013 10:46 am PDT by
In line with a leaked document from earlier this week, Verizon today announced the upcoming launch of its new "Edge" handset upgrade program. Similar to AT&T's "Next" program introduced earlier this week and T-Mobile's "Jump" offering, Edge is designed to allow users to upgrade their handsets more frequently. Here’s how it works: Choose the phone you want and sign up for a month-to-month...
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Apple Reportedly Talking to LG About 55-65 Inch Ultra HD TV Panels

Thursday July 18, 2013 9:12 am PDT by
While rumors of an Apple television set have quieted down in recent months, the company's living room ambitions remain at the forefront amid new Apple TV offerings and continued reports of talks with content providers. In a brief report today, Digitimes claims that Apple has been talking to LG about the possibility of securing display panels in the range of 55-65 inches for a future television ...
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Apple Taps New Hires in Health Sensors, Broad Array of Internal Experts for 'iWatch' Team

Thursday July 18, 2013 8:45 am PDT by
Following a report from earlier this week indicating that Apple is still "aggressively" hiring new employees to support its smart watch project, 9to5Mac has published a lengthy feature highlighting a number of the company's recent hires. In particular, the report focus on Apple's hiring in the health sensor field.Based on new hires, it seems that Apple’s interest in sensors focuses on the...
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Verizon Tops Expectations with 3.9 Million iPhone Activations in Q2 2013

Thursday July 18, 2013 8:00 am PDT by
Verizon today became the first of the major U.S. iPhone carriers to report financial results for the second quarter of 2013, revealing during its conference call that the carrier activated approximately 3.9 million iPhones during the quarter. The number represents a little over half of Verizon's 7.5 million total smartphone activations during the quarter and is up approximately 44% from the year-a...
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Apple Edging Further Into the Living Room by Cooperating with TV Content Providers

Thursday July 18, 2013 7:33 am PDT by
Following a report from earlier this week describing how Apple has approached cable companies and networks with a proposal to allow viewers to pay to skip over ads, The New York Times weighs in with a broader look at Apple's strategy for taking over the living room. The report highlights how Apple has chosen to cooperate with content providers rather than attempt to replace traditional cable...
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Leaked 'iPhone 5S' Rear Shell Likely for iPhone 5, Rumored Specs Equally Suspect

Wednesday July 17, 2013 9:33 am PDT by
Earlier this week, a user on China's microblogging service Sina Weibo posted a pair of photos showing what many observers have concluded must be the rear shell of the iPhone 5S, despite the user simply commenting "What is this?" alongside the photos. The photos were quickly picked up [Google translation] by Chinese site EXPreview, which paired them with specific claims about the specs of the ...
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Apple-Liquidmetal Collaboration Awarded Patent on Process for Mass Production of Amorphous Metals

Wednesday July 17, 2013 8:37 am PDT by
Back in 2010, Apple signed an agreement with Caltech spinoff Liquidmetal Technologies, giving Apple exclusive access to the firm's unique metal alloys for consumer electronics applications. Liquidmetal's "amorphous metal alloys", sometimes referred to as "metallic glass" due to their non-crystalline molecular structures, offer several advantages over many other metals, including superior strength ...
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Sketchy Report Claims iPhone 5S Delayed Until Late 2013 Over Switch to 4.3-Inch Display

Wednesday July 17, 2013 7:51 am PDT by
Bloomberg highlights a new report from Taiwan's Commercial Times claiming that Apple may be pushing back the launch of the iPhone 5S to the end of this year in order to increase the size of the device's display from the current 4 inches to 4.3 inches.Apple Inc. (AAPL) may delay the introduction of the iPhone 5S until the end of the year after the design was changed to feature a bigger 4.3-inch...
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OS X Users Hit by Ransomware Websites Posing as FBI Notices

Tuesday July 16, 2013 9:15 am PDT by
Malwarebytes takes a look at a method cyber-criminals have begun using to target Mac users with "ransomware", hijacking the user's browser with a notice demanding payment of $300 in order to release control of the application. While similar malware has affected Windows systems for a number of years, Mac users have only rarely seen such efforts targeted at themselves.The ransomware page is being...
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Apple Launches Logic Pro X with Virtual Drummer and Flex Pitch

Tuesday July 16, 2013 6:42 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of Logic Pro X, the next-generation version of its professional audio software. The release brings a completely revamped Logic Pro application including a new virtual drummer and integrated pitch editing, as well as an iPad companion app.Apple today unveiled Logic Pro X, the most advanced version of Logic Pro to date, featuring a new interface designed for pros,...