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 Expands iPhone and iPad Recycling Program to UK, Germany, and France
Last August, Apple expanded its recycling program in the United States to allow customers to turn in their used iPhones and iPads for Apple gift cards. As noted by Macworld UK and Macerkopf.de [Google translation], Apple has once again expanded its recycling efforts by bringing a similar initiative to the UK, France, and Germany. But rather than offering payment in the form of an Apple...
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Apple Releases 2012 Supplier Responsibility Progress Report and Supplier List
The stream of environmental and labor rights news from Apple continues today with the company's release of its annual Supplier Responsibility Progress Report for 2012. The report details efforts to oversee working conditions and environmental responsibility at its suppliers around the world, and notes that the company conducted 229 audits during 2011 for an 80% increase over 2010's auditing...
Apple Partners with Labor Group to Monitor Workplace Conditions at Suppliers' Factories
Bloomberg reports that Apple has agreed to allow the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to access its suppliers' facilities to monitor workplace conditions in the wake of publicity surrounding worker suicides at Apple's primary manufacturing partner Foxconn.The world’s most valuable technology company joins Nike Inc. (NKE), Nestle SA (NESN) and Syngenta AG (SYNN) in turning to the Fair Labor...
Apple Stepping Up Environmental Friendliness with New Halogen-Free Cables
The London Evening Standard reports (via GigaOM) that Apple is requiring cable supplier Volex to spend up to $6 million retooling its production lines to eliminate halogens from the power and USB cables used in the company's products. The move will make the cables less toxic to the environment upon disposal.Apple is the biggest customer of Volex, 23%-owned by billionaire financier Nat...
Singapore Carriers to Offer Camera-less iPhone 4S Models
The Jakarta Globe reports that Apple's three carrier partners in Singapore are making plans to offer iPhone 4S models lacking cameras, with the move said to be targeting members of the military who are prohibited from bringing camera-equipped phones onto their bases. Carrier M1 even briefly offered camera-less models on its website earlier this week. "iPhone 4S Non Camera" listing on M1's ...
Apple Halts In-Store iPhone 4S Sales in China Over Safety Concerns
Following early morning chaos at Apple's Sanlitun retail store in Beijing that prevented Apple from opening the store for the iPhone 4S launch, Reuters reports that the company has temporarily halted in-store sales of the device at all five of its retail stores in China."The demand for iPhone 4S has been incredible and our stores in China have already sold out," an Apple spokeswoman said....
iPhone 4S Launch Delayed in Beijing as SWAT Teams Respond to Violence
Reports coming in from M.I.C gadget and AppleInsider claim that Apple's Chinese launch of the iPhone 4S is not going particularly smoothly, with violence breaking out ahead of the opening at Apple's Sanlitun retail store in Beijing. According to reports, the violence has resulted in Apple delaying the planned early opening of the store by at least an hour, with the company potentially having...
Apple Working to Lease 700,000-800,000 Square Feet of New Office Space in Sunnyvale
While Apple moves forward on plans for its new 2.8 million square foot corporate campus in Cupertino, the company continues to grow with the success of its products. Apple's interim space needs led the company to lease 373,000 square feet in Cupertino six months ago, and soon after expand its New York City presence to over 50,000 square feet. The San Jose Mercury News now reports that Apple ...
Verizon to Require 4G LTE Compatibility for 'All' Future Smartphones
CNET yesterday reported that Verizon has announced a "hard requirement" that all future smartphones released on the carrier support 4G LTE technology for faster data speeds. That requirement has naturally led to speculation that the carrier has all but confirmed that the iPhone 5 will support LTE, which had already been widely assumed and rumored. Verizon's statement does, however, come with...
Apple Researching Motion-Sensing Virtual 3D User Interface for iOS Devices
Patently Apple reports on a newly-published patent application from Apple describing the use of motion sensors to create a virtual three-dimensional interface for iOS devices. Utilizing concepts similar those found in a number of existing augmented reality apps, the general device interface could appear as a virtual room that could be navigated by changing the orientation of the device.The...
Target Confirms Plans to Bring Dedicated Apple Shops to 25 Stores
Reuters reports that Target has confirmed its plans to launch "store-within-a-store" concepts for Apple products in 25 of its stores around the United States. The announcement comes alongside a broader effort called "the Shops at Target" that will offer special focuses on certain products and brands.Target Corp (TGT.N), known to many U.S. shoppers as the place to go for trendy, low-priced...
Sharp Out as iPad 3 Display Supplier?
Even as some sources are claiming that iPad 3 production is underway with Sharp providing the displays for the device, Korea's Electronic Times reports (via Patently Apple) that Sharp has failed to meet Apple's requirements and is out as a display supplier. According to the report, Samsung and LG will be providing the displays for the iPad 3.An industry source said on January 9, “LCD...
Hundreds Lining Up for iPhone 4S at Chinese Apple Stores
With close to twelve hours still to go until opening time, Tech in Asia reports that Apple's five retail stores in China are seeing huge lines for the iPhone 4S, with stores said to already be seeing hundreds of people in line.At the two stores in Beijing, and the three in Shanghai, there are clearly lines stretching hundreds of meters, with reports of hundreds of queuers at each, snaking around...
Apple Maintains Third Place Ranking with 11.6% of U.S. PC Shipments in 4Q 2011
Research firm Gartner today released its preliminary personal computer shipment data for the fourth quarter of 2011, offering up a picture of market performance during the quarter. With year-over-year unit growth of over 20%, Apple was the only one of the top five U.S. vendors to see an increase in shipments in an overall market that shrank by nearly 6%. Apple's U.S. Market Share Trend: ...
Sony's 'Music Unlimited' Service Headed to iPhone and iPod Touch
VentureBeat reports that Sony will be bringing its "Music Unlimited" streaming service to the iPhone and iPod touch within the next three months, looking to make inroads into Apple's ecosystem that has been dominated on the music side by iTunes.The electronics company will offer a free iPhone and iPad app for Music Unlimited at some point this quarter, Tim Schaaff, head of Sony Entertainment...
Apple's 'Education Announcement' Scheduled for January 19 in New York City
The Loop reports that Apple has sent out media invitations for an "education announcement" to be made at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City on Thursday, January 19. Word of the event first surfaced last week, and sources have indicated that the announcement will relate to publishing, with digital textbooks perhaps playing a major role. Update: The New York Times confirms that the...
T-Mobile USA Claims Next iPhone Chipset Will Support Carrier's AWS Bands
With the launch of the iPhone 4S, T-Mobile USA is now the only one of the four major U.S. carriers to not offer the iPhone, due in large part to the carrier's use of the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum band for its 3G network, a situation that so far would require Apple to develop specific hardware compatible with the network. Some had hoped that the situation would be rectified over...
iPad 3 Production Underway for Early March Shipments?
Japanese blog Mac Otakara reports that Apple's manufacturing partners Foxconn and Pegatron have begun production on the next-generation iPad, with Foxconn once again bearing approximately 85% of the load. According to the report, the initial production batch is targeted for shipment in early March, in line with a number of rumors regarding the iPad 3 launch.According to Chinese source, Foxconn...
Apple Confirms Acquisition of Israeli Flash Memory Firm Anobit [Updated]
Bloomberg reports that Apple has confirmed last month's news from Israel that the company had acquired flash memory firm Anobit. The confirmation came in the form of Apple's standard boilerplate statement used in addressing acquisitions, and did not include details on the purchase or Apple's plans for the company.Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, said today that...
OS X 10.7.3 Build 11D42 Seeded to Developers [Update: Release Description]
Following in the footsteps of yesterday's release of iOS 5.1 Beta 3, Apple today seeded a new version of OS X 10.7.3 to registered Mac developers. The new version, termed Build 11D42, comes three weeks after the previous build, but the development team's work was undoubtedly slowed due to the holidays. According to those familiar with the update, Apple is asking developers to focus their...
