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
CloudOn's Office App for iPad 'Sold Out', Pulled from App Store
Yesterday, we reported on a new iPad app from Silicon Valley startup CloudOn that seeks to offer a cloud-hosted version of Microsoft Office for the tablet device.
A number of readers have noted that the app is no longer available in the App Store, and a note posted on the company's website indicates that it is currently "sold out".Thanks for your support of CloudOn! We're currently sold out. ...
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Apple to Announce 1Q 2012 Earnings and iPhone 4S Sales Numbers on January 24
Apple early today updated its investor relations page to officially state that it will announce its earnings for the first fiscal quarter of 2012 (fourth calendar quarter of 2011) and host a conference call regarding the release on Tuesday, January 24.Apple’s conference call webcast discussing Q1 - 2012 financial results will begin at 2:00pm PT/5:00pm ET on Tuesday, January 24, 2012.
Please...
iPhone 4S Rollout Continues in China and 21 Other Countries on January 13
Apple today announced that it will be launching the iPhone 4S in 22 new countries on Friday, January 13, with China being the featured addition for this round of debuts.“Customer response to our products in China has been off the charts,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “With the launch in China next week, iPhone 4S will be available in over 90 countries making this our fastest iPhone rollout ever.”...
CloudOn Brings Free Cloud-Hosted Microsoft Office Functionality to iPad
Silicon Valley startup CloudOn today released a free iPad app [App Store] that aims to bring the functionality of Microsoft Office to the iPad. The iPad app actually serves as an interface for the full cloud-based app on CloudOn's servers, and thus requires an Internet connection to function, but offers what seems to be a remarkably functional implementation of Microsoft Word, Excel, and...
Apple's January Media Event to Involve Digital Textbooks and Education?
Yesterday, AllThingsD reported that Apple is planning a late January media event in New York City that appeared to have something to do with Apple's publishing or advertising efforts rather than any hardware announcements. TechCrunch weighed in a few hours later with word that the event is indeed focused on publishing and the iBookstore.
At the time of our report on that information, we...
'Red Friday' to Bring Deals for Asian Apple Customers This Friday
Apple has begun informing customers in several of its Asian markets regarding this Friday's one-day shopping event in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Termed "Red Friday", the event is similar to Apple's Black Friday shopping deals in many areas of the world, where the company offers discounts on a number of different items including Macs, iPads, and iPods, as well as accessories.
Accordin...
Apple Planning 'Media-Related' Announcement in New York This Month?
AllThingsD reports that Apple is said to be planning a special event in New York for the end of this month. The event is reported to be for a "media-related announcement" and not for the iPad 3 or an Apple television set.According to sources close to the situation, Apple is planning an important — but not large-scale — event to be held in New York at the end of this month that will focus on...
Mac Pro Build-to-Order Ship Dates Slip as Future Remains Uncertain
Just before Christmas, shipping estimates for Apple's 12-core Mac Pro model increased to 1-3 weeks, and while that specific model does tend to occasionally see some extra lead time, the shipping delays were later noticed to have extended to nearly any customized Mac Pro order. Even as simple a customization as increasing the RAM on an "In Stock" standard Mac Pro configuration increases its...
Japanese Apple Fans Line Up for Annual 'Lucky Bag' Discounts
Tech in Asia reports on the Japanese tradition of "lucky bags" in which retailers celebrate the new year by offering customers grab bags filled with unknown items at a substantial discount from their retail prices. In exchange for the substantial discounts, customers must simply accept whatever products are in the bags.
Apple lucky bag with iPad 2, Smart Cover, Camera Connection Kit, ...
Apple's Internal 'GameStore' Testing App Accidentally Appears in App Store [Update: Pulled]
As noted by German sites Flo's Weblog [Google translation] and iFun.de [Google translation], a curious new iOS application that seems to be from Apple has appeared in the App Store. The new app, known as GameStore [App Store], debuted on December 31st and seems to be a test app of some sort, offering several racing-themed in-app purchases but without any actual functionality.
GameStore ...
Apple's Continued Patent Offensive Poses Risks for Shareholders
Bloomberg takes a look at the ongoing patent battle between Apple and a number of manufacturers of Android-based mobile hardware, suggesting that continued offensive action seeking to block competitors from using Apple's intellectual property may prove riskier for shareholders than licensing the technology.“A scorched-earth strategy is bad news because it doesn’t optimize the value of their...
Foxconn Likely to Win Contract for Building Apple Television Set
Following up on yesterday's report claiming that Apple's supply chain is set to begin gearing up for the introduction of 32-inch and 37-inch television sets in 2012, Digitimes now claims to have received more information about companies likely to play roles in supplying components for the products. Among the highest-profile companies involved in the rumors is Apple's primary iOS device...
Ivy Bridge Processors Launching as Early as April 8?
Earlier this month, leaked information suggested that Intel's next-generation mobile Ivy Bridge processors would debut in May, with a few models perhaps becoming available in April. The mobile Ivy Bridge processors are expected to be used in Apple's MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini lines.
A new report from Digitimes indicates, however, that the first Ivy Bridge processors may launch as...
Holiday Gifts Drive New iOS Device Activations Sharply Higher
While it seems obvious that the holiday gift-giving season is a strong driver for iOS device sales, as evidenced in part by past history and Apple's forecast of a blockbuster quarter, it is generally difficult to quantify that holiday boost before Apple reports device sales as part of its quarterly earnings or makes public statements about App Store milestones.
A couple of analytics firms...
Apple Planning Completely Redesigned iPhone for Fall 2012 Launch?
BGR reports that Apple is planning to launch a completely redesigned iPhone in the fall of next year, following the trend set by the iPhone 4S of new hardware being released later in the year as opposed to the mid-year timeframe used previously.
According the report, the next iPhone will utilize an aluminum back panel rather than the glass found on the iPhone 4 and 4S. The new design will...
Foxconn Investing $1.1 Billion to Boost iPhone Production Capabilities
China Daily reports (via Electronista) that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn is investing $1.1 billion to nearly double the size of a recently-opened iPhone manufacturing facility in Zhengzhou, China, banking on continued strong growth of iPhone sales.The base will be centered on the Foxconn Science Park in Zhengzhou, provincial capital of Henan, increasing its current production lines to...
Apple Fined $1.2 Million in Italy Over Warranty Disclosure Issues
Reuters reports that Apple has been fined the equivalent of $1.2 million in Italy over issues related to warranty disclosures.
According to the report, Italy's antitrust regulators ruled that Apple has not been providing adequate disclosures about the two free years of product warranty assistance required under Italian law, while also pushing customers to purchase AppleCare extended warranties ...
Suppliers to Begin Preparing 32" and 37" Apple Television Sets in Early 2012?
Digitimes reports that Apple's suppliers are set to begin preparing materials for the new Apple television set during the first quarter of 2012, with the company reportedly targeting a launch for the second or third quarter of the year. Apple is said to be initially working on 32-inch and 37-inch sizes.The supply chain of Apple will start preparing materials for iTV sets in the first quarter of...
Apple Pushing to Introduce iPad 3 on Steve Jobs' February 24th Birthday?
FocusTaiwan reports (via 9to5Mac) that Apple pushing its manufacturing partners to meet deadlines that would allow the company to launch the iPad on Steve Jobs' birthday, February 24th.A local Chinese-language newspaper reported Friday that iPad3 might be launched on Feb. 24 to mark the anniversary of the birth of Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs.
Citing sources close to Taiwanese makers in ...
Newsstand in iOS 5 Fueling Growth of New Magazine Subscriptions
AllThingsD takes a look at how the launch of Apple's Newsstand feature as part of iOS 5 has affected subscription sales for Popular Science magazine, revealing that the prominent placement of the Newsstand app and easy access to updated content has driven a substantial increase in new subscriptions.The chart comes to us courtesy of Mag+, Bonnier’s tablet-publishing software business. And as...
