[MyAppleMenu] Feb 23, 2001

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu Newsletter

== AppleSurf (Top Stories) ===============

Macworld Tokyo: The Day After (Macworld)
<http://macworld.zdnet.com/2001/02/22/thedayafter.html>
At the obligatory after-the-keynote product briefing, Apple reveals more about how recent announcements fit into the company's overall product strategy. Hint: It's all about the digital hub.

Accessibility On The Mac: Trouble In Paradise (TidBITS)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06311>
I go back 20 years in accessibility and disability issues, and I consider myself nothing less than a Macintosh separatist, so it pains me to say that pretty much any computer user with a relevant disability ought to be using Windows, not a Mac.

Apple's Color Scheme Goes Only So Far (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-201-4920354-0.html?tag=owv>
Apple is still focused on the market of the late 1990s, when performance and industrial design became a differentiator for sales, and lacks a strategy that exploits changing consumer desires for the new decade.

Analysts Not Tickled Pink Over Apple's New Colors (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-4921252.html?tag=owv>
While many people have been calling for Apple Computer to make bold changes to its iMac line, the computer maker's wild new colors may not be what most consumers and industry analysts had in mind.

iMacs (Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/hotstuff/feb01/imac.cfm>
As there's no bargain iMac any more, I'd recommend you try to save the extra for the 500MHz iMac, which should be well fast enough (and have enough hard-disk space) for most of us.

GeForce 3: What Does It Mean? (Inside Mac Games)
<http://www.insidemacgames.com/news/story.php?ArticleID=2180>
As it will take Mac hardware some time to catch up with this powerful GPU, so will it take quite some time for games to take advantage of its power. Games that are deep in the development cycle right now will run full speed on the GeForce 3, but they won't take advantage of the more amazing features such as per-pixel shading, vertex skinning and the like -- these have to be specifically addressed in the game's ground-up design.

PowerBook G4 Is Sleek But Not Perfect (Los Angeles Times)
<http://www.latimes.com/business/cutting/20010222/t000016037.html>
The new PowerBook G4 really is as beautiful as it looks in photographs. In fact, Apple's 5-pound, titanium-cased portable computer is even more appealing when you get your mitts on it.

Apple Intros CD-RW, 'Technicolor Yawn' iMacs (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/17112.html>
Love 'em or hate 'em, the new flavours do at least mark an impressive use of plastic moulding technology, to retain some degree of translucency.

== AppleSurf (News) ===============

Don't Expect iTunes To get Skinned (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0102/23.itunes.shtml>
"We just feel that most skins aren't practical. People don't want to have to learn new locations for an application's control buttons, which often happens with skins. We wanted to simply offer the most user-friendly, best looking interface up front."

Nvidia Discusses The GeForce3 (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2001/02/18/0223geforce3.html>
Manufactured using a .15-micron process with more than 57 million transistors, the GeForce3 is one of the most advanced processors--graphics or otherwise--available today, said Nvidia product manager Tony Tomasi in a press conference.

Apple Introduces Desktops Featuring Music Software (Houston Chronicle)
<http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/business/831130>

Bringing Motion To The Mac (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2001/02/18/0223threedtwo.html>
For now, all people have seen of the GeForce3 are demonstrations at Macworld Expo Tokyo, but signs are promising: with 57 million transistors, the GeForce3 by some measures packs more wallop than a G4 chip.

Apple Likes PlayStation 2 (Core Magazine)
<http://www.coremagazine.com/news/3747.php3>

Nvidia GeForce 3 Details Emerge (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/17123.html>
So what's so special about Nvidia's GeForce 3 introduced yesterday at - of all places, given the company's PC gaming background - MacWorld Expo Tokyo?

Macworld Tokyo: The Day After (Macworld)
<http://macworld.zdnet.com/2001/02/22/thedayafter.html>
At the obligatory after-the-keynote product briefing, Apple reveals more about how recent announcements fit into the company's overall product strategy. Hint: It's all about the digital hub.

Opera Releases Mac Preview Of "Fastest Browser" (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2001/02/18/0222opera.html>
"We have been working on this for a long time and a lot of people have been waiting as well. We've been holding off until we thought the product was good enough and now it is."

Hot For FireWire (Los Angeles Times Syndicate)
<http://www.nandotimes.com/noframes/story/0,2107,500312485-500503136-503556577-0,00.html>
Anyone who connects a digital video camera or an external disk drive to a PC owes a debt to Apple Computer.

Nvidia Xbox Chip Arrives For Macs, PCs (TechWeb)
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20010222S0017>

Analysts Not Tickled Pink Over Apple's New Colors (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-4921252.html?tag=owv>
While many people have been calling for Apple Computer to make bold changes to its iMac line, the computer maker's wild new colors may not be what most consumers and industry analysts had in mind.

Markets Shrugs Off Tokyo Announcements (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/article/2001/02/22.17.shtml>

iTools Returns With New Look, Features (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0102/22.itools2.shtml>
Among other things, the revamped iTools includes additional iCards fonts, cards, and overall better navigation of all tools including Email, HomePage, iDisk, and KidSafe.

International 500MHz iMac Differs In Processors; Graphics (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0102/22.interntional.shtml>
A number of MacCentral readers have noticed a starkly different set of processor and cache configurations between the international 500MHz iMac and the North American version. In addition, international models appear to be using the ATI Rage 128 Pro chip, where the North American version is using the newer ATI Rage 128 Ultra with 16MB of memory.

Apple: GeForce3 Available For Older G4s In April (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0102/22.geforce3kit.shtml>
Arguably the most significant announcement to come out of Steve Jobs' keynote address to Macworld Expo Tokyo attendees is the news that Power Mac G4 systems will soon gain a build-to-order option for Nvidia's GeForce3 graphics chip.

New iMacs Flower-Powered (Wired News)
<http://www.wirednews.com/news/business/0,1367,41964,00.html>
While most of the reaction was negative, some of the message posters said they thought the iMacs were designed to appeal to women or kids, which they believed was a smart move on Apple's part.

GeForce 3: What Does It Mean? (Inside Mac Games)
<http://www.insidemacgames.com/news/story.php?ArticleID=2180>
As it will take Mac hardware some time to catch up with this powerful GPU, so will it take quite some time for games to take advantage of its power. Games that are deep in the development cycle right now will run full speed on the GeForce 3, but they won't take advantage of the more amazing features such as per-pixel shading, vertex skinning and the like -- these have to be specifically addressed in the game's ground-up design.

Apple Makes Stealth Release Of CarbonLib Update For Better Carbon Support (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/article/2001/02/22.15.shtml>

Apple's iReview Disappears (MacNN)
<http://www.macnn.com/news.php?id=3675>

Apple Intros CD-RW, 'Technicolor Yawn' iMacs (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/17112.html>
Love 'em or hate 'em, the new flavours do at least mark an impressive use of plastic moulding technology, to retain some degree of translucency.

== AppleSurf (Opinions) ===============

Reporter's Notebook: AAARRRGGHHH!! (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0102/23.notebook.shtml>
Now excuse me. My sick body is going to collapse and watch some more "X-Files."

PowerBooks For School (Low End Mac)
<http://www.lowendmac.com/archive/010223.html>
For any student who is having trouble organizing things but is comfortable with a computer, I recommend buying a used PowerBook for use at school. It really helps get a lot of work together.

733 MHz Macs Forever (Macinstein)
<http://www.macinstein.com/pressrelease.cfm?ID=805>

Apple Turncoats Or Sexy MS (Macinstein)
<http://www.macinstein.com/pressrelease.cfm?ID=804>
If it's not available on the Mac, is Apple at fault?

iReview Axed By Apple (Artificial Cheese)
<http://www.artificialcheese.com/articles/february01/ireview/>
iReview generated no money.

Accessibility On The Mac: Trouble In Paradise (TidBITS)
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06311>
I go back 20 years in accessibility and disability issues, and I consider myself nothing less than a Macintosh separatist, so it pains me to say that pretty much any computer user with a relevant disability ought to be using Windows, not a Mac.

Apple's Color Scheme Goes Only So Far (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-201-4920354-0.html?tag=owv>
Apple is still focused on the market of the late 1990s, when performance and industrial design became a differentiator for sales, and lacks a strategy that exploits changing consumer desires for the new decade.

Repeat After Me, And Breathe Deeply: 'Change Is OK, Change Is OK' (Macworld)
<http://macworld.zdnet.com/2001/02/22/osxdiary.html>
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: this is going to be big. We just need to take a deep breath and relax. The best things come to those who wait, and we've been waiting long enough.

I Love The New iMac Colors: 180 Degrees In 13 Hours (The Mac Observer)
<http://www.macobserver.com/columns/thebackpage/2001/20010222.shtml>

The New iMacs: Does Apple Think It Has to Shock Us To Sell Us? (Applelust.com)
<http://www.applelust.com/HTML/Editorials/html/Archives/new_imacs_shock_.shtml>

== AppleSurf (Reviews) ===============

Titanium PowerBooks: Marvellous Design (CanadaComputers.com)
<http://www.canadacomputes.com/v3/story/1,1017,5826,00.html?tag=81&sb=124>

A Night At The Opera (Applelinks.com)
<http://www.applelinks.com/articles/2001/02/20010222130835.shtml>
Opera claims to be the fastest browser on earth, and it is certainly the fastest full featured browser I've ever used.

iMacs (Macworld)
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/hotstuff/feb01/imac.cfm>
As there's no bargain iMac any more, I'd recommend you try to save the extra for the 500MHz iMac, which should be well fast enough (and have enough hard-disk space) for most of us.

PowerBook G4 Is Sleek But Not Perfect (Los Angeles Times)
<http://www.latimes.com/business/cutting/20010222/t000016037.html>
The new PowerBook G4 really is as beautiful as it looks in photographs. In fact, Apple's 5-pound, titanium-cased portable computer is even more appealing when you get your mitts on it.

== The Wintel Empire (Top Stories) ===============

Microsoft Said To Mull Sale Of Corel Stake (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4911313.html?tag=owv>
Microsoft may sell its stake in Corel after being told the transaction faces review by the U.S. Justice Department, according to a report.

Is Microsoft Undervalued? (The Motley Fool)
<http://www.fool.com/research/2001/features010222.htm>
Microsoft dominated the PC era, but the Internet poses new threats to its business. The company has a solid history of exceeding investors' expectations, but an uncertain future raises the question of whether or not the stock is a compelling value. To succeed, Microsoft will need big wins with its .Net platform, Xbox video-game console, and MSN.

Microsoft's Strange Advertising (eWEEK)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/comment/0,5859,2685111,00.html>
Microsoft should fire everyone involved in its "Goodbye Blue Screen" advertisement.

== The Wintel Empire (News) ===============

Oh, Those Clumsy Anna Copycats (Wired News)
<http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,41947,00.html>
Novice crackers are frantically trying their hands at copycat virus creation and failing miserably -- but that was to be expected. Other people Ð- politicians, public relations pros, pundits, and yes -Ð even a certain tennis player, are all reacting to the Anna virus in increasingly odd and silly ways.

Nvidia Xbox Chip Arrives For Macs, PCs (TechWeb)
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20010222S0017>

Microsoft Said To Mull Sale Of Corel Stake (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4911313.html?tag=owv>
Microsoft may sell its stake in Corel after being told the transaction faces review by the U.S. Justice Department, according to a report.

"McKinley" Set To Star At Intel Conference (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4919475.html?tag=owv>
Intel has completed the design of its "McKinley" processor for servers, according to sources--a manufacturing milestone that will likely be one of the highlights of the Intel Developer Forum next week.

Microsoft Bails Out Of Corel (SlashDot)
<http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/02/22/1928203>

Microsoft's Windows Monopoly Will Be Focus Of Appeal Hearing (Bloomberg)
<http://quote.bloomberg.com/fgcgi.cgi?ptitle=Technology%20News&s1=blk&tp=ad_topright_tech&T=markets_fgcgi_content99.ht&s2=blk&bt=ad_bottom_tech&bt2=ad_position1_technology&middle=ad_frame2_technology&s=AOpVdSRW9TWljcm9z>
A seven-judge appeals court panel controlled by conservative Republicans will hear two days of argument starting Monday. The same court handed Microsoft a victory two years ago in another antitrust fight with the U.S. government.

'Thin-And-Light' Notebooks Targed By New Intel Chip (ZDNet)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2688944,00.html>
Intel will up the stakes in the power-saving mobile processor game next week with a faster mobile Pentium III aimed at smaller notebook PCs, an evolving class of systems referred to as "thin-and-lights."

Is Microsoft Undervalued? (The Motley Fool)
<http://www.fool.com/research/2001/features010222.htm>
Microsoft dominated the PC era, but the Internet poses new threats to its business. The company has a solid history of exceeding investors' expectations, but an uncertain future raises the question of whether or not the stock is a compelling value. To succeed, Microsoft will need big wins with its .Net platform, Xbox video-game console, and MSN.

HP Mulls Dropping WinCE For Palm Or Linux (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/17114.html>
Hewlett-Packard is considering dumping Microsoft and hopping into bed with Palm, the company's incoming Embedded and Personal Systems chief, Iain Morris, has admitted.

All Eyes On Microsoft As It Heads Back To Court (eWEEK)
<http://www.zdii.com/industry_list.asp?mode=news&doc_id=ZD2688855&pic=Y>
As Microsoft Corp. and the Department of Justice prepare to present oral arguments to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington next week, legal experts are divided over the approach the justices may take to the matter.

Why Linux Is Giving Microsoft A Migraine (BusinessWeek)
<http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/feb2001/nf20010222_369.htm>
The open-source operating system is now pushing into the very market Windows 2000 is aimed at: Corporate IT departments.

Microsoft's Strange Advertising (eWEEK)
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/comment/0,5859,2685111,00.html>
Microsoft should fire everyone involved in its "Goodbye Blue Screen" advertisement.

== Breaking Barriers (Top Stories) ===============

Napster Open Until March 2 (Macworld UK)
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=2532>
Napster will remain open until at least March 2, when a federal judge will hold hearings on an order sought by record labels barring unauthorized songs from being traded over the network, both sides confirmed.

A Night At The Opera (Applelinks.com)
<http://www.applelinks.com/articles/2001/02/20010222130835.shtml>
Opera claims to be the fastest browser on earth, and it is certainly the fastest full featured browser I've ever used.

iTools Returns With New Look, Features (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0102/22.itools2.shtml>
Among other things, the revamped iTools includes additional iCards fonts, cards, and overall better navigation of all tools including Email, HomePage, iDisk, and KidSafe.

Napster Idea Goes Beyond Free Music (Los Angeles Times)
<http://www.latimes.com/business/cutting/20010222/t000016034.html>
Regardless of Napster's ultimate fate, the fundamental concept behind the music-swapping service is likely to remain viable for the foreseeable future. That's because the technology that fuels Napster does more than help people get free music. It's an example of so-called peer-to-peer technology that harnesses the power of thousands of PCs to deliver goods and services via the Internet.

== Breaking Barriers (News) ===============

Free Internet For Mac Users (Low End Mac)
<http://www.lowendmac.com/macdan/010223ek.html>

Napster Open Until March 2 (Macworld UK)
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=2532>
Napster will remain open until at least March 2, when a federal judge will hold hearings on an order sought by record labels barring unauthorized songs from being traded over the network, both sides confirmed.

Survey Finds Many Can Live Without Wireless Web (Reuters)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-4923141.html?tag=lh>
The wireless Web has arrived, making it possible to get vast quantities of Internet content over the tiniest portable devices, but most consumers do not seem too impressed, an international survey released Thursday showed.

Opera Releases Mac Preview Of "Fastest Browser" (MacWEEK.com)
<http://macweek.zdnet.com/2001/02/18/0222opera.html>
"We have been working on this for a long time and a lot of people have been waiting as well. We've been holding off until we thought the product was good enough and now it is."

Legal Expert Sees Napster Competitors Thriving (New York Times)
<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/23/technology/23CYBERLAW.html?pagewanted=all>
"The appeals court laid down a rationale that can be used to defend a decentralized file-swapping system."

TV Stations Capture Local Viewers Online (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4919727.html?tag=owv>
Local TV stations can successfully compete on the Web, according to a new study that showed some network affiliates have attracted more online traffic than their leading media rivals, including newspapers.

Yahoo Confirms Auction Drop-Off After Fees (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-4895718.html?tag=owv>
The number of items listed at Yahoo Auctions has "dropped considerably" since the company began charging listing fees, a spokesman said Thursday.

Public Net Exchanges May Be Losing Their Luster (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-4920995.html?tag=owv>
The days of building huge public marketplaces for companies to connect their partners with online procurement and collaboration may be numbered, analysts say.

A Night At The Opera (Applelinks.com)
<http://www.applelinks.com/articles/2001/02/20010222130835.shtml>
Opera claims to be the fastest browser on earth, and it is certainly the fastest full featured browser I've ever used.

iTools Returns With New Look, Features (MacCentral)
<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0102/22.itools2.shtml>
Among other things, the revamped iTools includes additional iCards fonts, cards, and overall better navigation of all tools including Email, HomePage, iDisk, and KidSafe.

Is Microsoft Undervalued? (The Motley Fool)
<http://www.fool.com/research/2001/features010222.htm>
Microsoft dominated the PC era, but the Internet poses new threats to its business. The company has a solid history of exceeding investors' expectations, but an uncertain future raises the question of whether or not the stock is a compelling value. To succeed, Microsoft will need big wins with its .Net platform, Xbox video-game console, and MSN.

Napster Idea Goes Beyond Free Music (Los Angeles Times)
<http://www.latimes.com/business/cutting/20010222/t000016034.html>
Regardless of Napster's ultimate fate, the fundamental concept behind the music-swapping service is likely to remain viable for the foreseeable future. That's because the technology that fuels Napster does more than help people get free music. It's an example of so-called peer-to-peer technology that harnesses the power of thousands of PCs to deliver goods and services via the Internet.

Labels To Napster: Download This (Wired News)
<http://www.wirednews.com/news/business/0,1367,41941,00.html>
The recording industry had a short message for Napster and Bertelsmann executives hoping to pry a settlement out of the record labels with a $1 billion settlement offer: up yours.

== PenguinSurf (Top Stories) ===============

Why Linux Is Giving Microsoft A Migraine (BusinessWeek)
<http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/feb2001/nf20010222_369.htm>
The open-source operating system is now pushing into the very market Windows 2000 is aimed at: Corporate IT departments.

== PenguinSurf (News) ===============

Microsoft Said To Mull Sale Of Corel Stake (CNET News.com)
<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-4911313.html?tag=owv>
Microsoft may sell its stake in Corel after being told the transaction faces review by the U.S. Justice Department, according to a report.

Microsoft Bails Out Of Corel (SlashDot)
<http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/02/22/1928203>

HP Mulls Dropping WinCE For Palm Or Linux (The Register)
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/17114.html>
Hewlett-Packard is considering dumping Microsoft and hopping into bed with Palm, the company's incoming Embedded and Personal Systems chief, Iain Morris, has admitted.

Why Linux Is Giving Microsoft A Migraine (BusinessWeek)
<http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/feb2001/nf20010222_369.htm>
The open-source operating system is now pushing into the very market Windows 2000 is aimed at: Corporate IT departments.

== SingaporeSurf (Top Stories) ===============

So, Sex Is Bad But Violence Is Okay? (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/1,1381,13923,00.html?>
That seems to be the message sent out by our censors after Hannibal was given a PG rating. But public outcry against it indicates a shift in attitude.

Speakers' Corner Not Exempt From Law Of The Land (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,25364,00.html?>
To put it simply, the setting up of the corner was a change not only in the law, but also in the political atmosphere.

== SingaporeSurf (News) ===============

Speakers' Corner Not Exempt From Law Of The Land (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,25364,00.html?>
To put it simply, the setting up of the corner was a change not only in the law, but also in the political atmosphere.

Mobile TV Gets Thumbs Down (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,25372,00.html?>
Online and street polls show 60% disliked the new service.

CPF Top-Up: Second Chance For 200,000? (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/primenews/story/0,1870,25385,00.html?>
Come next payment date, those who missed out on first payment last month may still qualify for full amount.

Give Commuters A Choice By Removing One Monitor (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,1870,25440,00.html?>
Foo Siang Heng: It is obviously not every man's cup of tea.

Open Singapore Centre's Marathon Rejected On Potential Law And Order Grounds (Channel NewsAsia)
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010222/5/i2y1.html>
Minister of State for Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee gave details in reply to a question by Non-Constituency MP JB Jeyaretnam.

Singapore Groups Seek To Copy Airlines (Financial Times)
<http://markets.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT33C6LOHJC&live=true&useoverridetemplate=ZZZ6MJPM90C&tagid=ZZZR4COD20C&subheading=asia%20pacific%20equities>
Singapore companies, having been foiled in a spate of high-profile bids to expand through acquisitions in south-east Asia, are now looking at airline-style alliances as a way to expand their businesses.

== SingaporeSurf (Technology) ===============

DoubleClick Is Now StarHub Ad Rep (Singapore.Internet.com)
<http://singapore.internet.com/r/article/jsp/sid/660>
Said DoubleClick Media chief executive officer Stephen Moss "With the addition of StarHub Internet on the [DoubleClick] network, we target to reach about 50 percent of Singapore's active Internet users. We will be working closely with StarHub Internet to offer a variety of online advertising services for the advertising community in Singapore."

== SingaporeSurf (Entertainment) ===============

So, Sex Is Bad But Violence Is Okay? (Project Eyeball)
<http://eyeball.asia1.com.sg/Eyeball/Story/1,1381,13923,00.html?>
That seems to be the message sent out by our censors after Hannibal was given a PG rating. But public outcry against it indicates a shift in attitude.

New MRT Smart Card Can Be Used For Shopping (Straits Times)
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,1870,25341,00.html?>
Commuters may be able to buy things from shops at MRT and bus stations using the new 'contactless' cards which will replace TransitLink cards.