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
Microsoft Invests $300 Million in Nook to Take on Amazon and Apple in E-Book Market
Microsoft and Barnes & Noble today announced the formation of a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary focused around the existing Nook digital e-reader and e-book business, as well as Barnes & Noble's college business. Microsoft will make a $300 million investment in the subsidiary, which is preliminarily being called Newco until an official name is chosen, and receive 17.6% ownership of the business.One...
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How Apple Minimizes its Corporate Tax Burden
In the latest installment of its "iEconomy" series, The New York Times takes a look at how Apple minimizes its corporate tax burden, taking advantage of a number of legal maneuvers and loopholes around the world. Apple's strategies are of course fully legal and used by many other corporations, but with a spotlight on Apple as it has rapidly risen to become the world's most valuable...
Apple Looking to Bring EPIX Movie Streaming to Apple TV, Potential Television Set
Reuters reports that Apple has been negotiating with movie streaming service EPIX for the rights to stream content to the Apple TV set-top box. According to sources, the deal would also extend to future streaming devices such as the much-rumored Apple television set. Apple, which now sells a $99 set-top box that hooks up to a television set and lets users stream online content from Netflix...
Apple Kills Off Chomp App Discovery Services for Android
Following its late February acquisition of app search and discovery firm Chomp, Apple has now killed off Chomp's Android services. The move was reported late yesterday by a MacRumors reader who noticed that the Chomp app for Android had ceased functioning on his device, and GigaOM confirms that Chomp has also removed Android search functionality from the Chomp website. Apple reportedly...
Apple's Celebrity iPhone 4S Ads Score Well with Viewers
Advertising tracking firm Ace Metrix today shared its data on viewer reactions to Apple's new celebrity iPhone 4S ads featuring Siri and starring Samuel L. Jackson and Zooey Deschanel. The new ads are registering well with consumers, generating scores higher than any other iPhone 4S ad released so far this year. “Apple’s ads for iPhone had been falling rather flat earlier in the year, all ...
Mac App Store Hits 10,000 Available Apps
As pointed out by MacGeneration [Google translation], Apple's Mac App Store has reached a new milestone with 10,000 apps available for purchase or free download through the marketplace. Our own sister site AppShopper confirms the milestone, currently indexing 10,339 applications in the store. Apple launched the Mac App Store in January 2011 and has quickly moved to offer its own major...
Apple Expressing Frustration as Tax Incentives for Austin Expansion Remain in Limbo
Last month, the State of Texas announced that Apple would be making a major expansion of its existing customer support and administrative campus in Austin, investing over $300 million to add 3,600 workers at the site. The move would more than double Apple's workforce in Austin. Over the past several weeks, a number of governmental agencies, including the State of Texas, Travis County, and...
Josh Gad Likely to Play Steve Wozniak in Steve Jobs Indie Film
Progress continues on the independent film "Jobs", which will see Ashton Kutcher play the role of the Apple co-founder and CEO. According to Variety, actor Josh Gad is in talks to portray Steve Wozniak in the film, which will focus on the early days of Apple.Written by Matt Whiteley, pic chronicles Steve Jobs from wayward hippie to co-founder of Apple, where he became one of the most revered...
Oracle Releases Java Development Kits for OS X as Work on Java SE 7 for Mac Continues
Back in late 2010, Apple announced that it would cease supporting Java for OS X, with Steve Jobs noting that Apple was always a version behind that being distributed by Sun/Oracle, which handled Java for all other platforms. Confusion about whether Oracle would step into the Java void created by Apple's removal of support was addressed several weeks later when Apple and Oracle announced plans...
J.C. Penney Hires Key Apple Executive from Retail Store Design Team
Since taking the helm of department store chain J.C. Penney last November, former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson has rebuilt much of his new company's executive team, in many cases bringing in associates he had worked with at Apple or in his earlier stint at Target. Until now, Johnson appears to have avoided tapping Apple's staff directly, bringing in Apple veterans who had already left the...
Apple Building New Cafeteria in Cupertino to Enhance Security for Satellite Campus Workers
The San Jose Mercury News reports (via The Next Web) that Apple has received approval from the City of Cupertino to build a new 21,500 square foot cafeteria several blocks away from its main headquarters. The facility is being planned to primarily support workers from Apple's satellite buildings in the immediate vicinity, giving them a private location to eat and conduct business without needing ...
Steve Jobs' Idea for Ad-Supported Operating Systems Was Nearly a Reality
Back in late 2009, an Apple patent application surfaced showing that the company had explored ad-supported operating systems, with the user receiving free or discounted goods or services in exchange for viewing the advertisements. The patent application, which was filed in 2008 and shows ad integration in Mac OS X, was notable for listing Steve Jobs as the lead inventor. As Ken Segall...
LinkedIn's iOS App Goes Universal, Integrates Calendar Data
Professional-focused networking site LinkedIn has updated its iOS app today, adding native iPad support to the app for the first time. The universal app also offers support for Retina graphics on the new iPad. - LinkedIn is now available on the iPad - Optimized for Retina display on the new iPad - New calendar feature lets you see LinkedIn profile information for people you're meeting with ...
First Gigabit Wi-Fi Routers Ready to Launch
Netgear today announced its first 802.11ac-compatible Wi-Fi router, capable of delivering gigabit speeds up to three times faster than current 802.11n routers. Topping out at 1300 Mbps in 5 Ghz mode and 450 Mbps in 2.4 GHz, Netgear's R6300 router will launch next month at a price of $199.99. Netgear's announcement is notable for Apple observers, as it appears that it will represent the...
Steve Jobs' Plan for a Willy Wonka-Style Celebration of the Millionth iMac
Among the many anecdotes about Steve Jobs included in Ken Segall's new book, Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success, one in particular stands out for its glimpse into Jobs' character, providing evidence of his willingness to engage in playful ideas when the mood suited him. The story takes place relatively soon after the launch of the original iMac, with Jobs wanting to find...
'Insanely Simple' Shares Anecdotes on Steve Jobs and Apple
While Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Steve Jobs received significant attention for its glimpse into the life of the Apple co-founder and CEO, others with recollections of Jobs have over the years stepped forward with their own accounts and anecdotes serving to provide a picture of his life. One of those people is Ken Segall, the longtime creative advertising director who spent...
Microsoft Releases Update to Office for Mac 2011 SP2
Earlier this week, we noted that Microsoft had pulled its Office for Mac 2011 Service Pack 2 from Microsoft AutoUpdate after users reported issues with Outlook database corruption. While the issues could be fixed and the update remained available for those looking to manually rebuild their databases and install the software, Microsoft opted to remove SP2 from AutoUpdate in order to protect those ...
Sprint to Offer Unlimited Data Plans for Next iPhone, Even if LTE Included
Earlier this month, Sprint revealed that it would continue to offer its unlimited data plans as it rolls out its first LTE devices. The news led to reasonable speculation that the policy would also apply to an LTE-enabled iPhone, which is expected to launch later this year. CNET now reports that Sprint has confirmed plans to continue offering unlimited data for the next iPhone, regardless of...
John Browett Officially Joins Apple as Retail Chief, Receives Stock Rights Worth $60 Million
A pair of filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission published early today reveal that former Dixons Retail CEO John Browett, who was announced in January as the next Senior Vice President of Retail at Apple, has officially started work with the company. The development is in line with previous announcements about an April start. Browett's start date was revealed in an SEC Form 3 ...
Tickets for WWDC 2012 Sell Out in Under Two Hours
Less than two hours after going on sale, passes for Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) have already sold out. The quick sellout comes even as Apple imposed new restrictions this year limiting ticket sales to registered iOS and Mac developers and limiting the number of passes available per developer group. WWDC has sold out increasingly quickly in recent years, selling out in eight...
