[MyAppleMenu] Feb 4, 2005

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/>
Mac news for Mac people

[News]

*** iPod Boom Is Music To Retailers' Ears
<http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/business/articles/timid397705?source=>
John Sterlicchi, Evening Standard

Analysts are predicting the 'iPod economy' will generate sales worth hundreds of millions of pounds this year.

*** iPod Shuffle Stickers
<http://apple.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000350030279/>
Scott McNulty, Unofficial Apple Weblog

You've plunked down your hard earned money on an elusive iPod shuffles, but it looks like everyone else's. What is a stylish technogeek to do?

*** Apple Leaving Open orders Unresolved?
<http://apple.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000243030281/>
Barb Dybwad, Unofficial Apple Weblog

Essentially, [the] order got lost somewhere between Apple and FedEx, neither is willing to take responsibility, and Apple is not moving on the issue.

*** Apple Retests Its Consumer IQ
<http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/stocks/troywolverton/10207056.html>
Troy Wolverton, The Street

Even some of those bullish on Apple's future admit to some doubts about whether the company can maintain its momentum.

*** Apple Reduces Prices On Refurb, New Macs
<http://www.macnn.com/articles/05/02/03/apple.store.deals/>
MacNN

[Opinion]

*** I Want A Lighter PowerBook!
<http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/wlg/6387>
David Sklar, O'Reilly Network

I'm willing to pay a financial premium, but not a mass premium. Where's my 3.5 lb (or less!) Mac notebook?

*** Subscription Model Killing iTunes? Yawn
<http://www.applematters.com/comments.php?id=273_0_1_0_C>
Hadley Stern, Apple Matters

*** Apple: It May Be Too Late To Take A Bite
<http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_07/b3920125_mz026.htm>
Robert Barker, BusinessWeek

Besides a reflected glow as part-owner of today's most glamorous gadgeteer, what does 77 a share get an Apple buyer?

*** Apple's Mac Mini And Me
<http://blog.ziffdavis.com/coursey/archive/2005/02/02/5738.aspx>
David Coursey, eWeek

Apple's been burned by a very similar machine in the past and doesn't want to get burned again. There's also the question -- at least in the stores -- of the mini stealing sales from more profitable products.

*** Thanks For The Memory
<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/02/powerbookram/index.php?lsrc=editorsblog>
Philip Michaels, Macworld

Apple has delivered a superb operating system and world-class applications. Now it needs to make available machines with the installed memory to take full advantage of both that OS and those applications right out of the box.

[Review]

*** Portable Audio For Snobs
<http://slate.msn.com/id/2113059/fr/rss/>
Evan Cornog, Slate

How to make your iPod an audiophile's dream.

*** DEVONagent Rushes In Where Google Fears To Tread
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/webx?14@428.c8Noa01dTvh.0@.3c4f5c5c!discloc=.3c580ce1>
Matt Neuburg, TidBITS

DEVONagent searches intelligently so that you don't have to, and presents the results with crystal clarity, slicing through the murk of the Internet, showing you just what you wanted to know.

[Sidetrack]

*** Rent Music? Why Not Buy? Or Better Still... Get Free Music
Heng-Cheong Leong

I believe Steve Jobs was right, when he assessed music rental via the Internet will not make business sense, but not because of the reason he cited. (If I recall correctly, he claimed that "consumers" will rather buy, than rent, tunes.)

We do want to hear new music. That's one reason why radio was popular. But music rental faces extremely tough competitioin: from both radio -- which is still mainly free, and podcasts such as PodSafe Music <http://podsafemusic.blogspot.com/> and (ahem) MyAppleMenu Shuffle <http://www.myapplemenu.com/podcast/> provides daily free music too.

*** Frisk Mint Case For iPod Shuffle
Heng-Cheong Leong

Gizmodo <http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/ipod/frisk-mint-case-for-ipod-shuffle-032079.php>: Someone in Japan has discovered that Frisk-brand mints make a perfectly-sized case for the iPod shuffle.

But, really, you still cannot chew on your iPod shuffle.

*** When I Do Have A Screen
Heng-Cheong Leong

When Flash memory's price starts dropping and capacity starts increasing, Apple might well be forced to put a display on its iPod shuffle. And this <http://portableaudio.engadget.com/entry/1234000090030169/> is what it might look like.

*** Fools!
Heng-Cheong Leong

Richard Feynman <http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/523.html>: The first principle is that you must not fool yourself -- and you are the easiest person to fool.

[Wintel]

*** It's Windows Vs. Windows As Microsoft Battles Piracy
<http://news.com.com/Its+Windows+vs.+Windows+as+Microsoft+battles+piracy/2100-1016_3-5561113.html?part=rss&tag=5561113&subj=news.1016.20>
Ina Fried, CNET News.com

In an effort to boost sales of Windows, Microsoft has its sights set on its nearest competitor. But it's not Linux. And sorry, Apple Computer fans, it's not the Mac. The biggest rival to WIndows sales is Windows itself -- or rather pirated copies of the OS. ANd Microsoft is starting to put its foot down.

The Tomorrow Weblog
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/tomorrow/>
Emerging Technologies. Innovative Applications. New Economy

[Top Stories]

*** The Password Is Fayleyure
<http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/05/03/issue/review_password.asp>
Michael Schrage, MIT Technology Review

Today's password authentication schemes are little more than security placebos.

[News]

*** After Death, A Struggle For Their Digital Memories
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58836-2005Feb2.html>
Ariana Eunjung Cha, Washington Post

*** Running From Dial-Up Access
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57740-2005Feb2.html>
Leslie Walker, Washington Post

The nation's two top dial-up Internet providers are jumping into different lifeboats as the broadband Internet wave threatens to sink their leaky business models. It remains unclear whether either lifeboat will float.

*** Deleting Spam Costs Billions, Study Finds
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58814-2005Feb2.html?nav=rss_technology>
Anick Jesdanun, Associated Press

Time wasted deleting junk e-mail costs American businesses nearly $22 billion a year, according to a new study from the University of Maryland.

*** 'Free' Versus 'Open Source'
<http://news.com.com/Free+versus+open+source/2009-1081_3-5562233.html?part=rss&tag=5562233&subj=news.1081.20>
Richard Stallman, CNET News.com

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

[Tech & Science]

*** Scientists Find Missing Matter
<http://www.wired.com/news/space/0,2697,66487,00.html?tw=rss.TOP>
Amit Asaravala, Wired News

A new study has revealed the existence of baryons in at least two giant, intergalactic clouds of super-hot gas 150 million and 380 million light-years from our planet.

[Life]

*** The Wired Generations
<http://www.boston.com/ae/food/articles/2005/02/02/the_wired_generations/>
Alison Arnett, Boston Globe

Frothy coffees and sweet energy drinks make caffeine a drug for all ages.

*** Lemons, Yes, But Please! Don't Squeeze
<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/02/dining/02lemo.html>
David Karp, New York Times

For over a century lemons came in only one model in the United States. But lately, some flashy new styles have arrived.

*** The Waiter You Stiffed Has Not Forgotten
<http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/02/dining/02wait.html?oref=login>
Julia Moskin, New York Times

What evil lurks in the hearts of waiters? Now you can find out. But can you stomach the results?

*** Seeing Is No Longer Believing
<http://csmonitor.com/2005/0202/p15s02-lire.html>
Susan Llewelyn Leach, Christian Science Monitor

Manipulating digital images has never been easier or faster. But there's a fine line between 'improving' a photo and altering it.

*** Bohemian New York
<http://slate.msn.com/id/2112812/entry/0/fr/rss/>
Inigo Thomas, Slate

Reading New York.

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

[News]

*** Fall Of Singapore To Be Remembered At Service
<http://taree.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&category=general%20news&story_id=368791&y=2005&m=2>
Manning River Times

On February 15, 1942, Singapore fell to the Japanese Army. It was an extremely sad day in the world's warfare history, but even more so for Australia.

*** Hearing Johor's Say On Singapore
<http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/2/4/nation/10056546&sec=nation>
Joceline Tan, The Star

Johor's concerns, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Latiff Ahmad, had to be seen in the context that the state and its people would be directly affected.

[Opinion]

*** No Rent Hike Since '79
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/33924.asp>
Julia Hang, Ministry of National Development, Today

The $10 rental and $3.50 S&CC for a 1-room flat in 1994 was after deducting the rebates introduced by government as part of the Goods and Services Tax offset package.

*** It's Still 'No' To Singles Renting HDB Flats Singly
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/sub/forum/story/0,5562,299275,00.html?>
Tay Boon Sun, HDB, Straits Times

It is not prudent to let out the vacant flats to singles just to address the situation of unsold stock.

MyAppleMenu Shuffle
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/podcast/>
Life is random. More tunes, less talk.

[Tunes]

*** The Greatest Xmas Song
<http://www.americanheartbreak.com/Xmas.mp3>
American Heartbreak, Rock And Roll Geek Show
<http://www.americanheartbreak.com/Xmas.mp3>