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
Funny or Die Releases Teaser Trailer for 'iSteve'
Last month, comedy site Funny or Die announced that it will be releasing iSteve, a 60-75 minute movie based on the life of Steve Jobs, on April 15. The film stars Justin Long, who gained fame among Apple fans for playing the role of "Mac" in the popular "Get a Mac" advertising campaign, in the role of Jobs.With less than two weeks to go before the film's debut, Funny or Die has now released a t...
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Apple Slashes Prices on iPhone 4/4S by 15-25% in Brazil
As noted by O Globo, Apple today made significant cuts to its pricing for the iPhone 4 and 4S in Brazil, lowering the price of the 8 GB iPhone 4 from R$ 1499 (US$741) to R$ 1099 (US$544) while dropping the 16 GB iPhone 4S from R$ 1999 (US$989) to R$ 1699 (US$840). New iPhone 4/4S pricing in Brazil Apple's standard sales arrangement in Brazil includes financing of 12 monthly payments, but...
Happy April Fools' Day 2013: RunKeeper for iPad, iPlay Game Console, and More
As happens every year on April 1, today is April Fools' Day, and readers should be wary of hoaxes and claims at both news and rumor sites. Today also represents Apple's 37th anniversary, with their partnership having officially been founded on this day in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. As has become tradition, a number of today's pranks have focused on Apple, and here are a few of the...
Tim Cook Posts Letter to Chinese Apple Customers Announcing Changes to iPhone 4/4S Warranty Policies
Over the past several weeks, state-run media and other outlets in China have criticized Apple over the company's warranty practices in the country.The company had posted a letter to customers defending its practices as going above and beyond requirements of Chinese law, but as noted by Business Insider, Apple has now posted a new letter from CEO Tim Cook [Google translation] announcing changes...
Apple's 'iPad Mini' Trademark Application Initially Denied, but Resolution Should Be Simple
Over the weekend, Patently Apple reported that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had refused Apple's trademark application for the term "iPad mini". While some such as The Verge's Nilay Patel were quick to note that the refusal was simply a first office action that is nowhere near final, the refusal does offer an interesting glimpse into the thinking of patent examiners. The examiner's prima...
Apple Has No Plans for Dedicated iOS Gaming Controller
Following today's rumor that Apple was quietly polling developers at this week's Game Developers Conference about support for a forthcoming gaming controller for iOS devices, the ever-reliable Jim Dalrymple has quickly quashed that report. As usual, Dalrymple provides no additional comment beyond a simple "Nope", but his selective quoting of the source material suggests that he is denying any...
Unlikely Rumor Claims June 20 Media Event to Introduce iPhone 5S
Mac Otakara reports that the long-running Japanese magazine MacFan has claimed that Apple will be holding a special media event on June 20 to introduce the iPhone 5S. According to the report, the iPhone 5S will actually launch in July with the rumored lower-cost iPhone following in August. Various analysts and other sources have been indicating that the iPhone 5S could launch as soon as June...
Best Buy Reportedly Rolling Out Dedicated Samsung Store-Within-a-Store Concept
Apple has long had a partnership with Best Buy for dedicated "Apple Shop" sections in many of the electronics retailer's stores, but a new report from Geek.com indicates that those Apple Shops will soon be joined by similar Samsung shops, with the upcoming Galaxy S4 launch serving as the impetus for the first round of store rollouts.Geek.com has been told that the first wave of high traffic Best...
Apple Hit With $530,000 Chinese Lawsuit Over Unauthorized Sales of Animated Films
M.I.C. Gadget reports that Apple has been hit with a new lawsuit in China, with the state-owned Shanghai Animation Film Studio claiming that Apple has permitted sales of its movies without authorization. Given that Apple does not directly sell audio or video content through the iTunes Store in China, it appears that the issue relates to the films being made available through third-party App Store ...
Apple Updates Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor Alongside New Pro Marketing Push
Alongside today's new marketing push to try to win back professional video editors, Apple has released updates for Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor. While Motion and Compressor have seen mostly minor tweaks and bug fixes, Final Cut Pro X has received a somewhat more substantial update including support for the new Sony XAVC codec up to 4K resolution. - Final Cut Pro [Mac App Store]What...
Apple Launching New Final Cut Pro X Marketing Push to Win Back Professionals
Back in June 2011, Apple launched Final Cut Pro X, a complete reworking of the company's video editing software aimed at professional users, but the new software was met with significant criticism over missing features. Professional users in particular were upset over what seemed to be a "dumbing down" of Final Cut Pro in order to reach more mainstream users. Apple responded to the...
Apple Researching iPhone Designs With Flexible Wraparound Displays
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published an Apple patent application (via AppleInsider) offering an interesting glimpse at the possibility of an iPhone or other mobile device using a flexible display contained within a transparent body body such as a glass tube or other shape. The display would be able to wraparound the sides and even rear of the device as needed in order to provide...
Apple Faces Patent Lawsuit Over Siri in China
Shanghai Daily reports that Apple is facing a lawsuit in China over Siri, with a company there claiming that Siri infringes upon its patent rights.The Shanghai No.1 Intermediate People's Court will hold a pre-hearing at 2pm today to let Apple and Shanghai Zhi Zhen Internet Technology Co Ltd exchange evidence. [...] "Siri is very similar to Xiaoi, a chat robot system we have been developing...
Apple Working on 4K 'Ultra HD' Television Set for Late 2013 or Early 2014 Launch?
Apple's rumored television set project has a long history of claims from various sources, and while the "iWatch" has taken on a more prominent place in the rumor mill in recent months, an Apple television continues to be on the radar of a number of industry watchers. Digitimes now reports on word from unidentified supply chain sources that Apple is working on an "Ultra HD" or "4K" television...
Apple to Triple Reseller Network in India to 200 Stores by 2015
The Economic Times reports (via iPhone Hacks) that Apple is tripling the size of its reseller network in India by 2015, growing to 200 stores.These franchisees, who did not wish to be named, told ET that they have been asked to scale up operations in the country as the Cupertino-based company plans to grow aggressively in the country. In addition to increasing the number of Apple exclusive...
Chevrolet Promoting Siri 'Eyes Free' Integration for 2013 Sonic in New TV Ad
Last month, Chevrolet announced that its 2013 Sonic and Spark had become the first cars to offer support for Siri's "Eyes Free" mode. The feature integrates Apple's personal assistant with the vehicle's entertainment system, allowing the driver to access information while keeping his or her eyes on the road. Chevrolet has now begun a national advertising campaign touting the feature on the...
First Volume of Manga Adaptation of Steve Jobs' Biography Launches in Japan
The Verge reports that the first volume of Mari Yamazaki's manga adaption of Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography has launched in Japan, appearing in the May issue of the girl-focused Kiss anthology.The first thing you'll notice in these opening pages is that Yamazaki has pulled off the artwork beautifully; far from the spiky-haired caricatures that may come to mind when you think of manga,...
Apple Acquires Indoor Mobile Location Positioning Firm WifiSLAM for $20 Million
The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has acquired indoor location company WifiSLAM, paying around $20 million for the firm. Apple has confirmed the purchase, but declined to offer any details on its plans for the acquisition.The two-year-old startup has developed ways for mobile apps to detect a phone user’s location in a building using Wi-Fi signals. It has been offering the technology...
Apple Adds 'Offers In-App Purchases' Disclosure for App Store Apps [Update: Now on iOS Stores]
As noted by The Guardian, Apple today rolled out a new "Offers In-App Purchases" disclosure directly underneath the Buy/Free button for App Store apps supporting the feature. The addition helps make clear to potential purchasers that free or even paid apps may require additional purchases in order to unlock the apps' full functionality or for other benefits such as acquiring in-game currency.The...
Apple Updates OS X Anti-Malware Definitions to Block 'Yontoo' Adware
Yesterday, word surfaced of new malware targeting major browsers on the Mac platform with adware capable of injecting advertising into users' browsing experiences. The malware, known as "Yontoo", masquerades as a video plug-in or download accelerator in order to trick users into installing the package. As noted by security firm Intego, Apple has already updated its "Xprotect" anti-malware...
