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's Prototype iPhone 5S Based on New A7 Chip
Last week, we shared a pair of photos of Apple's upcoming iPhone 5S, revealing a few details such as a larger-capacity battery and a new dual-LED flash system for the rear camera. At the time, we had some questions about the main chip from the device, which lacked an A-series identification printed on it and which carried date codes indicating that it had been manufactured in October 2012.
We...
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iTunes Store Customers Notified of Settlement in In-App Purchase Lawsuit
As noted by 9to5Mac, iTunes Store customers have begun receiving emails notifying them of the settlement of a class action lawsuit related to unauthorized In-App Purchases made by children. The lawsuit originated from parents whose children racked up significant In-App Purchase bills through Apple's systems that in some cases allowed purchases to be made without requiring a password for the Apple ...
TSMC Reportedly Lands Three-Year Deal for Apple's A8 Chip and Beyond
Digitimes reports that Taiwan Semiconductor Company (TSMC) has officially landed a three-year deal with Apple to produce the A-series chips that will be used to power upcoming iOS devices. The deal is said to begin with the A8 chip, with future A9/A9X chips also mentioned as being included.TSMC will start to manufacture Apple's A8 chips in small volume in July 2013, and substantially ramp up its...
Apple Highlights Low Fragmentation Among iOS Devices in Direct Jab at Android
Apple recently updated its "Optimizing Apps for iOS 6"developer page with a new pie chart highlighting the lack of fragmentation among iOS versions being run on active mobile devices (via AppleInsider). According to the chart, 93% of iOS devices accessing the App Store over a two-week period ending on June 3 were running some version of iOS 6, with 6% running iOS 5 and just 1% running earlier...
Another Working Apple 1 Heads to Auction with $500,000 Estimate
The Associated Press reports that yet another working Apple 1 from 1976 is headed to auction, with Christie's placing a $300,000 opening bid and $500,000 estimate on the machine. The machine is owned by Ted Perry, a retired school psychologist from Sacramento, California who acquired it in a swap over three decades ago.Perry, 70, acquired his Apple 1 in either 1979 or 1980, as a secondhand item...
Virgin Mobile USA to Begin Selling iPhone 5 on June 28
Virgin Mobile USA today announced that it will begin selling the iPhone 5 next Friday, June 28, offering the device on its no-contract Beyond Talk service plans. The plans start at $35/month for 300 minutes plus unlimited text and data, although the carrier begins throttling data speeds after a monthly soft cap of 2.5 GB. A $45/month plan offers 1200 minutes, while a $55/month plan adds unlimited ...
Apple's iPhone 5S Revealed in New Photos
MacRumors has received several images that appear to show both the interior and rear shell of Apple's upcoming iPhone 5S. The device appears to carry the same redesigned logic board that appeared earlier this week, suggesting that this is indeed a new iPhone.
Among the interesting observations from the images:
- Based on the observable features, the logic board appears to be an exact...
Apple Applies for Patent on Fingerprint Sensor Packaging System
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published an Apple patent application (via AppleInsider) filed in February of this year which addresses a system for packaging fingerprint sensors alongside conductive bezels in a single structure. The bezels deliver a small amount of electrical current to the user's finger, allowing the fingerprint to be read by the sensor.The present disclosure is...
New MacBook Air Owners Complaining of Wi-Fi Issues
Gizmodo reports on a growing number of complaints from owners of Apple's newly updated MacBook Air regarding Wi-Fi performance issues. The issues are being documented in Apple's support forums and a few users in our own forums have also seen similar problems.The problems they’re seeing sound eerily similar to those we’re experiencing with our machines: Wi-Fi will initially connect, but after...
Pegatron Chairman Says Lower-Cost iPhone Will Not Be Cheap
Last month, J.P. Morgan analysts made their case for why Apple will position its rumored lower-cost iPhone as a "mid-end" device priced in the range of $350-$400 without subsidies, addressing a relatively sparse segment of the market while still maintaining the ability to offer a quality user experience.
Mac Otakara now points to a pair of reports from the China Times including claims from...
Next-Generation 13-Inch MacBook Pro Benchmarked with Modest Performance Gains
As we noted last week, Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference came and went without seeing the introduction of updated MacBook Pro models, to the surprise and disappointment of many observers.
But just like with Apple's upcoming Mac Pro, benchmarks for an updated MacBook Pro have begun appearing in the Geekbench results database. The result was posted two days ago, and was noticed by...
Apple's New Mac Pro Begins Showing Up in Benchmarks
While Apple offered a sneak peek at its dramatically redesigned Mac Pro at its Worldwide Developers Conference, the new machine is not scheduled to launch until "later this year" and the company has yet to reveal detailed specs and pricing information.
But if a new Geekbench result is authentic, it appears that the new machine is already starting to show up in public benchmarking databases....
Apple Adds WatchESPN, HBO GO, Sky News, and More to Apple TV
Apple today announced a software update for its Apple TV set-top box adding new channels including WatchESPN and HBO GO. The update also brings live streaming of the UK's Sky News, as well as anime site Crunchyroll and music concert and documentary streaming service Qello.“HBO GO and WatchESPN are some of the most popular iOS apps and are sure to be huge hits on Apple TV,” said Eddy Cue,...
Design Drawings Reveal Case Makers' Expectations for iPhone 5S and Lower-Cost iPhone
Following yesterday's photos of a case said to be based on the expected design for Apple's lower-cost iPhone, AppleInsider now shares design drawings from a case maker showing expectations for the exact dimensions and profiles of the both the lower-cost iPhone and the iPhone 5S.
Unsurprisingly, the dimensions of the iPhone 5S are nearly identical to those of the iPhone 5, with case makers...
'Chatology' Addresses Glaring Search Issues in Apple's Messages App for Mac
Apple's Messages app for OS X has received a significant amount of criticism since its introduction last year as the evolution of iChat. The app has suffered from a number of issues including loss of messages, out-of-order message display, poor synchronization among iMessage devices, and search problems.
While Apple has addressed a few of these issues, such as the out-of-order message addressed...
Case for Lower-Cost iPhone with Thicker Profile and Curved Edges Surfaces
Mac Otakara points to a blog post [Google translation] from case design firm MGM showing off a new case intended to fit Apple's rumored lower-cost iPhone. The photos reveal a case that is largely identical to iPhone 5 cases, with the exception of being approximately 2 mm thicker.
iPhone 5 case (left) vs. lower-cost iPhone case (right)
Mac Otakara has also posted a hands-on video of the case....
iPhone 5S Display Assembly Surfaces, Appears to Fit Leaked Logic Board
Earlier today, we noted that photos of what was claimed to be the bare logic board of the iPhone 5S had surfaced, showing some changes to the board's layout compared to the iPhone 5 and perhaps even a slight narrowing of the board itself.
Several repair firms, including iHeart Repair, have shared with MacRumors a new set of images from a supplier showing the display assembly of the iPhone 5S....
Paperback Version of 'Steve Jobs' Biography Coming September 10 with Younger Jobs on Cover
AllThingsD reports that the paperback version of Walter Isaacson's authorized biography of Steve Jobs will be released on September 10, nearly two years after the book's original release. According to publisher Simon & Schuster, the paperback version will include a new afterword as well as a new cover image showing a young Steve Jobs in the same pose seen with an older Jobs on the original cover.[...
Photos of Bare iPhone 5S Logic Board Surface, Slightly Narrower Than iPhone 5 Board [Updated]
As noted by Mac Otakara, Japanese parts firm Moumantai has posted three photos of what may be the bare logic board from the iPhone 5S. Unsurprisingly, the shape of the board is nearly identical to that of the iPhone 5 logic board, although it appears to have a slightly different curve along the bottom edge where the logic board would meet the speaker enclosure.
Front of claimed iPhone 5S logic ...
Apple Releases Statement on Customer Privacy and Law Enforcement Requests for Customer Data
In the wake of a public revelation of "PRISM", a top secret intelligence gathering program run by the U.S. National Security Agency in which Apple was reportedly among a number of companies providing the government with direct access to user data, Apple has now issued a "Commitment to Customer Privacy" statement addressing the issue.
According to Apple, no agency has direct access to customer...
