[MyAppleMenu] Aug 7, 2004

Sat Aug 7 13:15:01 EDT 2004

MyAppleMenu Newsletter
Saturday, August 7, 2004

MyAppleMenu
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/index.html>
Mac News for Mac Users

[News]

*** Apple's Mini Player Sells Out At Taiwan Debut
<http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2004/08/07/2003182084>
by Jessie Ho, Taipei Times
Only 100 units of the iPod mini were available yesterday. One company official said more would be coming but couldn't say just when.

*** SoHo Apple Store Celebrates Two Million Customers
<http://www.macminute.com/2004/08/06/soho>
by MacMinute
Apple's SoHo retail store in New York City celebrated its two million customer today by giving away more than US$2,000 in Apple gear to a lucky customer.

*** State Reaches Accord With Apple To Put Laptops In High Schools
<http://news.mainetoday.com/apwire/D849VGLG1-218.shtml>
by Associated Press
Apple agreed Friday to a revised deal that will place laptop comptuers in roughly one-third of Maine's public high schools this fall, Education Commissioner Susan Gendron said.

*** Apple Aces Academia
<http://www.macnewsworld.com/story/35610.html>
by Alex Salkever, MacNewsWorld
Apple CEO Steve Jobs and his troops have clearly been on a college roll.

[Opinion]

*** Apple, Real And 'Best Interests'
<http://news.com.com/Apple%2C+Real+and+%27best+interests%27/2009-1081_3-5300756.html?part=rss&tag=5300756&subj=news.1081.20>
by Tom Pardee, CNET News.com
Apple is a chess player, and Real Networks is trying to play the game with Apple. All we have seen is one of a series of moves, and the better story is much further down the road.

*** iPod Tech Support -- Second Time's A Charm
<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/archives/000285.php>
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld
Having a person who can actually see (or in my casee, hear) the problem you're having can be much more effective than just talking to someone on the phone.

[Review]

*** It's Hard To Commit: Apple Or Sony?
<http://www.iht.com/articles/532930.html>
by Victoria Shannon, International Herald Tribune
I'm not placing bets on the long-term victor. Apple has floundered too many times in its history to be counted on, even now. And Sony could succeed, somewhat like Microsoft, on sheer size and momentum.

*** Well, Just Listen To This... It Really Works
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3582487&thesection=technology&thesubsection=reviews>
by Paul Brislen, New Zeland Herald
What is there to write about when the software and the device just plug in and start working?

[Sidetrack]

*** Is Virtual PC Finally Coming 
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/08/07/#20040807bg000001>
by Heng-Cheong Leong
Microsoft has just release Windos XP SP2<http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/08/06/HNxpsp2_1.html> to manufacturing. That means that the latest Virtual PC from Microsoft will finally be reaching your hands soon.

*** Make Your Applications Nice And Quiet 
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/08/07/#20040807bg000002>
by Heng-Cheong Leong
Previously<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/08/05/#20040805bg000003>, I wrote about one of my wishlist, of being able to mute just particular applications on my Macintosh, while allowing other applications to play sounds. Thanks to a reader, it seems that my wish has already been granted.

Rogue Amoeba's Detour<http://www.rogueamoeba.com/detour/> "lets you control where audio from all your programs is going." And, based on the screenshot, it seems that it can also control the volume of individual applications too, which is exactly what I wanted.

However, the cost of Detour is US$12 (6.25 Big Mac<http://www.economist.com/markets/bigmac/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2708584> from where I am living in Singapore; 4.14 Big Mac in United States, 9.52 Big Mac in China, and 3.56 Big Mac in Britain.) which is a bit higher than my taste for this functionality alone.

But if you have a need that is served well by Detour, do check it out.

*** Thanks For The Mention 
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2004/08/07/#20040807bg000003>
by Heng-Cheong Leong
Here's a thanks to Your Mac Life<http://www.yourmaclife.com/> for mentioning this little website of mine in the latest edition.

[Wintel]

*** Microsoft Comes Through With Windows Service Pack 2
<http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/08/06/HNxpsp2_1.html>
by Ed Scannell, InfoWorld
After some last-minute waxing and buffing, Microsoft finally sent its Windows XP Service Pack 2 to amnufacturing early Friday.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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<http://www.myapplemenu.com/tomorrow/index.html>
Emerging Technology. Innovative Applications. New Economy.

[News]

*** Less-Than-Risky Business?
<http://news.com.com/Less-than-risky+business%3F/2100-1008_3-5299245.html>
by Ed Frauenheim, CNET News.com
The United States is not boldly going where no one has gone before. That, in a nutshell, is the concern of observers who worry that research efforts in the United States are too safe and therefore less likely to lead to dramatic breakthroughs.

*** Open Vs. Closed: It's All About Money
<http://www.fortune.com/fortune/fastforward/0,15704,678132,00.html?promoid=yahoo>
by David Kirkpatrick, Fortune
Some companies may talk idealistically about 'standards' and 'open' systems. But it's usually because they have lots to gain from interoperability.

MyAppleMenu Reader
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<http://www.myapplemenu.com/reader/index.html>
The other things in life

[Tech & Science]

*** The Temple Of Doom
<http://slate.msn.com/id/2104869/fr/rss/>
by Clive Thompson, Slate
Why do gamers worship John Carmack?

[Life]

*** Don't Look For A Sign
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/07/nyregion/07noname.html?ex=1249531200&>
by Mary Spicuzza, New York Times
Some New York City bars, restaurants and clubs have recently adopted the contradictory tactic of attracting business by eschewing a sign.

*** How Not To Buy Happiness
<http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=6&tid=14403>
by Robert H. Frank, Daedalus
Considerable evidence suggests that if we use an increase in our incomes, as many of us do, simply to buy bigger houses and expensive cars, then we do not end up any happier than before. But if we use an increase in our incomes to buy more of certain inconspicuous goods -- such as freedom from a long commute or a stressful job -- then the evidence paints a very different picture.

SingaporeSurf
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<http://www.myapplemenu.com/singapore/index.html>
Life in the city

[News]

*** 'Santa' Arrested At Singapore KFC Protest
<http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/9337559.htm?ERIGHTS=7427809399617908640mercurynews::webmaster@myapplemenu.com&KRD_RM=1ikpnmklmphlhhhhhhhhijlonh|Heng-Cheong|Y>
by Ansley Ng, Associated Press
Singapor epolice questioned a Santa Claus impersonator from an animal rights group Friday after she protested outside a KFC outlet against alleged fowl treatment of live chickens by the fast-food giant. No arrests were made, and police spokesman Rachel Yeo said PETA did nothing illegal.

*** Singapore Woos Pink Dollar With Gay Festival
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/08/07/wsing07.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/08/07/ixworld.html>
by Sebastien Berger, Telegraph
Singapore, where homosexual acts are illegal, will this weekend host what is claimed to be Asia's biggest gay and lesbian festival.

*** Potong Pasir And Hougang S&C Charges Not Raised
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/singapore/story/0,4386,265636,00.html?>
by Tan Hui Yee, Straits Times
The two Opposition Members of Parliament said yesterday that they will not be raising their residents' service and conservancy charges and expressed surprise that the People's Action Party town councils saw the need to do so.

[Opinion]

*** EDB, IDA Reserve The Right To Name Bond-Breakers
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,4386,265776,00.html?>
by Anna Chan, EDB, Fum-Ko Joon Chin, IDA, Straits Times
We wish to clarify that we continue to view the matter of bond-breaking very seriously. The naming of bond-breakers remains a clause in our scholarship deeds.