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
Staples Appears Set to Begin Selling Apple Products in U.S.
Last week, MacRumors received word that office supply retailer Staples would soon begin offering Apple products for sale. While the company has offered Apple products in international markets for some time, it had long been unsuccessful in striking a deal for the U.S. market.
We were unable to confirm the claim at the time, but 9to5Mac now reports that Apple products have begun appearing on...
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Apple Seeds iOS 6.1 Beta 5 to Developers
In a relatively rare weekend release, Apple today pushed out the fifth beta of iOS 6.1 to developers. The release comes just two days before the fourth beta, which was seeded on December 17, is scheduled to expire.
No public release timeframe for iOS 6.1 is known yet, but registered developers can download the latest beta via Apple's Developer page....
iPhone 5S Said to Feature Upgraded Rear Camera, iPad Mini Update Targeted for October
Following up on his report from earlier today about Apple's plans for the full-size iPad and iPhone, iLounge's Jeremy Horwitz has a new article sharing additional information on Apple's mobile device plans. The information comes from a "trusted source" and discloses product code names for the various devices as well as plans for an upgrade to the rear camera system for the iPhone 5S.The iPhone...
iPad 5 Set for October Debut with Design Similar to iPad Mini? iPhone 5S and Lower-Cost iPhone Moving Forward
iLounge's Jeremy Horwitz has filed a new report offering a few new details on the fifth-generation iPad, as well as on Apple's work toward future iPhone models.
Most notably, Horwitz says that he has inspected what is said to be a shell designed for the fifth-generation iPad, and that the device will adopt many of the features seen in the iPad mini's design.What does it look like? Well,...
Unauthorized Unlocking of New Mobile Phones Set to Become Illegal in U.S.
As noted by Tech News Daily, a new federal policy in the United States is set to go into effect this Saturday that will make it illegal for certain mobile phone owners to unlock their devices for use on other carriers unless specifically authorized by their carriers. The policy applies to newly purchased devices beginning on Saturday, but not to legacy devices purchased prior to that date.In...
First Video Clip of Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs
Following yesterday's news that the independent film JOBS starring Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs will open in theaters on April 19, ETonline.com has released the first video clip from the film. The brief clip shows Kutcher as Jobs speaking with Josh Gad in the role of Steve Wozniak.In the clip, Jobs (played by Ashton Kutcher) is raving about the operating system that Apple co-founder Steve...
Tim Cook Congratulates Apple Employees on Record Quarter, Announces Town Hall Meeting Today
Following yesterday's record-breaking earnings numbers for the first fiscal quarter of 2013 that still fell short of analyst expectations, Apple CEO Tim Cook has sent out an email to employees (via 9to5Mac) congratulating them on the performance and announcing an employees-only town hall meeting scheduled for today.Team,
We’ve just reported another record setting quarter, thanks to...
Samsung Retakes Title of World's Largest Semiconductor Customer from Apple in 2012
Research firm Gartner today shared its estimates of global semiconductor purchases for 2012, finding that Samsung has retaken the title Apple had gained in 2011 when it leapt over both Samsung and HP. Samsung (28.9% growth) and Apple (13.6% growth) registered as the biggest winners in 2012, as the overall market declined by 3% with Sony (1.9%) and Lenovo (0.3%) being the only other top-ten...
A Look at the History of Siri and How it Almost Became an Android Exclusive for Verizon
A few of the details on the the history of Siri, including Steve Jobs' move to contact the company just three weeks after the independent app's launch, have surfaced over the last several years, but The Huffington Post has now published an extensive history of the technology and company that reveals a few other interesting details.
The report outlines how Siri grew out of a Department of...
Digitimes Backtracks on Earlier Claim of Larger, Cheaper iPhone
Earlier this month, Digitimes claimed that Apple was planning to launch a larger and cheaper iPhone in the second half of this year, seeking to make an impact on emerging markets and combat the growing screen sizes seen on Android devices.
Rumors of cheaper and larger iPhones as part of a multi-pronged product strategy for Apple have continued to circulate, but the idea of a new iPhone being...
Apple to Open First Retail Store and Resume Online Sales in Indonesia
NZweek reports (via The Next Web) that government officials in Indonesia have revealed that Apple has submitted an application outlining plans to relaunch its online store in the country, to be followed by the opening of its first Indonesian retail store in Jakarta.Chatib Basri, BKPM chairman, said BKPM has given official permission to Apple relating to its plan to open online store in Indonesia. ...
Verizon Activates 6.2 Million iPhones in 4Q 2012, Nearly Two-Thirds of Total Smartphone Activations
Verizon today became the first major U.S. iPhone carrier to announce earnings for the fourth quarter of 2012. Overall, the carrier activated 9.8 million smartphones during the quarter, and GigaOM notes that Verizon revealed on its conference call that 6.2 million, or nearly two-thirds, of those were iPhones.
Perhaps most interestingly, only half of those iPhones activated during the quarter ...
Shipping Estimates for 21.5-Inch iMac Begin Slipping to 2-3 Weeks
Shipping estimates for new orders of 21.5-inch iMac models began slipping in Apple's online stores in many European countries such as the United Kingdom today, moving from 7-10 business days to 2-3 weeks. The changes have not yet propagated to stores for other regions.
Estimates for the 21.5-inch models had remained steady at 7-10 business days since just after they became available for...
Burglar of Jobs Family's Home Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison
IDG News Service reports that Kariem McFarlin, the burglar who stole $60,000 worth of Apple products and other items from the home of Steve Jobs' family last July, has been sentenced to seven years in prison. McFarlin entered the home while it was undergoing renovation and stole two iMacs, three iPads, three iPods, an Apple TV, jewelry, and other items.REACT officers found McFarlin with help...
Sharp Reportedly Cutting iPad Display Production Amid Shift in Consumer Interest to iPad Mini
Reuters reports that Sharp, one of Apple's primary display panel partners for its mobile devices, has slashed production of iPad displays at one of its plants. Sources did not indicate the reasons for the dramatic cut, but it appears to be a combination of a shift in consumer interest to the smaller iPad mini and a natural seasonal slowdown coming out of the holiday quarter.Sharp Corp has nearly ...
Refurbished 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Models Appear in Apple's Online Store
Apple today added the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro to the refurbished section of its online store, giving prospective customers the opportunity to save 15% compared to brand-new machine. Currently available models include:
- 2.5 GHz Core i5 with 128 GB storage: $1439, compared to $1699 new
- 2.5 GHz Core i5 with 256 GB storage: $1699, compared to $1999 new
- 2.9 GHz Core i7 with 512...
Apple Researching Removable Mobile Device Clip with Tactile Trackpad Controls
Patently Apple highlights an interesting Apple patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today. The application describes a removable clip for a mobile device such as an iPod, with the clip integrating tactile or trackpad like controls to be used either while attached to the device or as a remote control.In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a body having a bend and ...
Sprint to Launch Total Equipment Protection Plan for iPhone on January 25
Engadget reports that Sprint will finally begin offering its Total Equipment Protection (TEP) plan for the iPhone beginning January 25. The TEP plan offers coverage not only for device failures that occur outside of Apple's standard warranty but also loss, theft, and damage.
The TEP plan consists of two parts, an $11 monthly fee for the service and then a significant $150-$200 deductible...
Amazon Optimizes MP3 Store for Mobile Safari to Attract iOS Device Users
Amazon today announced that it has optimized its MP3 music store for Safari on iOS devices, marking yet another step in the company's effort to eat into the iTunes Store's dominant position in the digital music market.“Since the launch of the Amazon Cloud Player app for iPhone and iPod touch, a top request from customers has been the ability to buy music from Amazon right from their devices....
Apple and Amazon Ordered to Enter Settlement Talks Over 'App Store' Trademark Issue
Earlier this month, a court threw out Apple's false advertising claim against Amazon in the dispute over the "App Store" trademark, leaving unaddressed the question of trademark infringement. The two companies have been battling over the issue for nearly two years, with Apple claiming that Amazon's use of the "Appstore" name to describe its marketplace for Android apps infringes upon Apple's App ...
