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 Says iPhone 5S and Cheaper iPhone Coming in August/September With China Mobile Support
Taiwan's Commercial Times reports [Google translation] on a new research note from Barclays analyst Kirk Yang claiming that Apple is indeed preparing both an iPhone 5S and a lower-cost iPhone for launch in the August/September timeframe.
Yang notes that each of the devices will be available in two models: one supporting the standard frequency-division duplexing (FDD) technology used in most of ...
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Apple's Polycarbonate iPhone with 4.5-Inch Display Arriving for $330 in 2014?
Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports (via AppleInsider) that Apple's plans for a lower-cost iPhone have now been pushed back to 2014, with the company reportedly planning to use a polycarbonate body similar to that seen on the discontinued white plastic MacBook. Apple is said to be targeting a price of $330 for unsubsidized models, significantly lowering the cost of entry in markets where carrier...
Corning Says Devices With Flexible 'Willow Glass' Displays Unlikely to Appear for at Least Three Years
While The New York Times reported earlier this month that Apple is working on a curved glass smart watch that could potentially make use of Corning's recently-announced bendable Willow Glass, Bloomberg now reports that Corning sees a wait of at least three years before devices using Willow Glass displays will be able to hit the market.“People are not accustomed to glass you roll up,” [Corning ...
iTunes U Hits One Billion Downloads of Free Educational Content
Apple today announced that its iTunes U service has hit one billion downloads, less than six years after its official debut.“It’s inspiring to see what educators and students of all types are doing with iTunes U,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “With the incredible content offered on iTunes U, students can learn like never before―there...
'Bad Piggies' Updated with New Levels, 'Road Hogs' Time Trials, and More
Rovio's highly regarded Bad Piggies game has received a major update today, bringing 30 new levels, six new "Road Hogs" time trial levels, and new sandbox and achievement features. The 30 new "Flight in the Night" levels include Angry Birds who will attempt to shoot down the piggies' contraptions if disturbed.
In this massive update to IGN's 2012 game of the year, the Bad Piggies are on the...
Amazon Warns Against Installing Latest Kindle App Update for iOS Due to Deleted Book Libraries [Update: Fix Live]
Amazon yesterday released a minor 3.6.1 update to its Kindle app for iOS, but as noted by TUAW, the company is now warning users in the app description not to install the update.What's New in Version 3.6.1
Note: There is a known issue with this update. If you are an existing Kindle for iOS user, we recommend you do not install this update at this time.According to reports, the update is...
Apple Among 60 Companies to File Statement with U.S. Supreme Court Backing Gay Marriage
Bloomberg reports that Apple is among 60 companies that have signed on to a filing that will be presented to the Supreme Court backing gay marriage in the United States. The court is currently weighing the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, in which voters barred gay marriage in 2008. Apple had publicly opposed Proposition 8 at the time.“No matter how welcoming the corporate...
Apple Stock Jumps on Rumors of Stock Split at Tomorrow's Shareholder Meeting
Hedge fund manager Doug Kass tweeted (via 9to5Mac) a short time ago that he is hearing rumors of an announcement regarding a stock split coming at Apple's shareholder meeting scheduled for tomorrow at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California. The stock has reversed course since Kass's Tweet, moving from down $5 to up $5.
Many observers, such as Fortune's Philip Elmer-Dewitt, are cal...
Digital Strength Drives First Growth in Music Sales Since 1999 as File Sharing Declines
AllThingsD points to a report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) revealing that 2012 saw the first growth in the music market since 1999, a milestone made possible by the strength of the digital music market.Global recorded music industry revenues rose by an estimated 0.3 per cent to US$16.5 billion in 2012, the first year of industry growth since 1999. Digital...
Staples Begins Selling Apple Accessories in U.S. Online Store
In line with last week's confirmation from Staples executives, the office supply giant has now begun offering Apple accessories in its U.S. online store. While the chain has long sold Apple products internationally, this marks the first time it has been able to reach an agreement with Apple for U.S. distribution.
Products available through the online store are currently limited to...
U.S. Mac Sales Surge in January as iMac Orders Pick up Steam
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster today issued a new research report sharing data from research firm NPD covering Apple's U.S. Mac sales for the month of January. According to NPD's data, Mac sales were up a strong 31% year-over-year for the month.
Munster attributes the strong performance to Apple finally being able to roll out orders of the new iMac, even as the company remains significan...
iPad 5 Cases with Mini-Inspired Designs Begin Hitting Chinese Marketplaces
Following the leak of several "iPad 5" cases late last week supporting claims that the device will take some design cues from the iPad mini to become significantly narrower and slightly shorter than the current models, AppleBitch notes that these cases and a several others are now available for order through multiple distributors on Chinese e-marketplace Alibaba.
All of the cases contain...
HP Reenters Tablet Market With $169 Android-Based 'Slate 7' as LG Acquires WebOS for TVs
Two years ago, HP was viewed as potential major tablet competitor for Apple and the iPad, with the company's 2010 acquisition of Palm allowing it to debut its webOS-based TouchPad in early 2011. The TouchPad turned out to be a flop, however, until the company lowered pricing to $99 in order to clear out stock, and HP quickly decided to exit the smartphone and tablet markets and turn webOS into an ...
After Meeting With Apple CFO, Analyst Believes Lower-Cost iPhone Makes Good Sense
Following recent meetings with Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty today issued a research note sharing some of her takeaways from those discussions and her views on Apple's future plans.
While she did not disclose any specific information shared by Oppenheimer, Huberty did come away feeling that Apple will be working hard to expand carrier...
New Retina MacBook Pro Processor Bumps Offer Minor 3-5% Performance Improvements
Following last week's introduction of new processors for the Retina MacBook Pro lineup, Primate Labs has analyzed benchmarks coming in from the new machines through the company's popular Geekbench 2 software.
Unsurprisingly, the benchmarks reveal a roughly 3-5% increase in Geekbench scores for each of the processor bumps. For the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro lineup, Apple bumped each of the...
Apple Seeds iOS 6.1.3 Beta 2 to Developers with Fix for Passcode Lock Bug
As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple has seeded iOS 6.1.3 beta 2 to developers. In line with our suspicions following the launches of iOS 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 emergency bug fixes released over the past two weeks, the original iOS 6.1.1 beta track has now been relabeled as iOS 6.1.3 with this second beta.
Release notes for the original beta version had indicated that it focused on Maps improvements for...
Possible Photos of Second-Generation iPad Mini Rear Shell Surface
Mobiles Pie points to a forum thread [Google translation] at Chinese site WeiPhone sharing a number of photos of what may be the rear shell of the second-generation iPad mini.
The photos show a shell very similar to that of the current iPad mini, although from some angles it does appear to be slightly thicker. It is difficult to tell, however, whether the apparent increased thickness is a...
Apple Hit with 'Planned Obsolescence' Lawsuit in Brazil over Fourth-Generation iPad
Brazilian newspaper Jornal do Comércio reports [Google translation, via MacMagazine.com.br] that Apple has been hit with a class action lawsuit over its introduction of the fourth-generation iPad in the country. The lawsuit, led by the Institute of Politics and Law Software (IBDI), reportedly alleges that Apple's deviation from its usual yearly product update cycle amounts to "planned...
Foxconn Says Current Hiring Freeze Due to Strong Returning Workforce, Not Waning iPhone 5 Demand
Financial Times reported earlier today that Foxconn has enacted a hiring freeze at most of its Chinese facilities due to reduced demand for the iPhone 5.“Currently, none of the plants in mainland China have hiring plans,” said Liu Kun, a company spokesman at Foxconn’s largest manufacturing facility, in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen across the border from Hong Kong.
Human...
Apple Releases iOS 6.1.2 to Address Exchange Calendar Bug
In line with a report from last week, Apple has just released iOS 6.1.2. According to Apple, the update addresses a Microsoft Exchange bug but sources had indicated that it also addresses a lock screen passcode issue.
Fixes and Exchange calendar bug that could result in increased network activity and reduced battery life.The update arrives as Build 10B146 for most devices, with the exception...
