[MyAppleMenu] Aug 15, 2006

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

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

[News]

*** Taiwan Market: Apple Trims Workforce By 30%
<http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20060814PR204.html>
Jimmy Hsu, Jessie Shen, DigiTimes

*** Apple Plans Expansion Of "Get A Mac" TV Campaign
<http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1963>
AppleInsider

Apple appears pleased with the result of its "Get a Mac" television commercials and holds plans to expand the campaign more than threefold in the coming weeks and months.

*** New Horizons For Intel-Based Macs
<http://www.forbes.com/markets/equities/2006/08/14/apple-computer-0814markets20.html>
Forbes

Apple's transition to Intel chips will improve Macintosh's software development, according to Piper Jaffray analysts.

*** Nokia Could Speed Up Apple's Entry Into Cellphone Business
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world_business/view/224874/1/.html>
AFP

Mobile telephone giant Nokia's arrival in the music downloading business is bad news for Apple, which may force the iPod maker to engineer a new "iPhone" to fend off the threat, experts believe.

*** 64-Bit Leopard Knocks Spots Off Vista
<http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33666>
Dean Pullen, The Inquirier

This is quite a boon for OS X, and one that should be highlighted frequently and often.

*** Leopard First Looks: Spaces
<http://www.macworld.com/2006/08/firstlooks/leospaces/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Dan Frakes, Macworld

Apple brings decades-old virtual desktops to the masses.

[Opinion]

*** The Mac Versus Windows Holy War: Real Or Fake?
<http://www.macnightowl.com/2006/08/15/the-mac-versus-windows-holy-war-real-or-fake/>
Mac Night Owl

The competition and hte back and forth interplay among Mac and Windows users, can be entertaining, but don't take it too seriously.

*** Now I'm A Believer
<http://www.theage.com.au/news/perspectives/now-im-a-believer/2006/08/14/1155407745917.html>
Graeme Philipson, The Age

The Mac makes it all easy, with maximum integration and with a supremely elegant operating system. Windwos - just say no.

*** Steve Jobs Lives!
<http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2006/08/steve_jobs_live.html>
Thomas Claburn, InformationWeek

Katie Cotton, Apple's VP of worldwide corporate communications: "Steve's health is robust and we have no idea where these rumors are coming from."

*** iTune Smart Playlist And Podcasts
<http://swaytech.com/blog/2006/08/itune-smart-playlist-and-podcasts.html>
Musings On A Mac

*** Ten Reasons To Switch To An Apple Macintosh Notebook
<http://www.dastoronline.com/media/storage/paper330/news/2006/08/14/Techtalk/Ten-Reasons.To.Switch.To.An.Apple.Macintosh.Notebook-2220690.shtml?norewrite200608150114&sourcedomain=www.dastoronline.com>
Dustin Overbeck, Dastror Online

*** Windows 5x More Expensive Than Mac OS X
<http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/Home/660E746C-F388-4AC7-98F5-6CB951501472.html>
RoughlyDrafted

*** Welcome To The World Of Mass Customized Media
<http://www.minyanville.com/articles/index.php?a=10987>
Kevin Wassong, Minyanville

A play list is We Media. And a play list is more than music. It's the ability to go from a song to a news report to a program to piece of artwork to an inverstment decision to purchase of those new -- yes, you guessed it -- iPod Nike sneakers. Welcome to the next generation of media.

*** Data, Contexts, And Leopard
<http://www.oreillynet.com/mac/blog/2006/08/data_contexts_and_leopard.html>
Giles Turnbull, O'Reilly Network

Now wouldn't it be interesting if this were a sign of more interoperability between apps to come?

*** Rethinking Virtualization
<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2006/08/virtualization/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

Having used Parallels in a real-world situation, I can see the hype is not just hupe, but well founded for those people that need Windows once in a while.

[Review]

*** Process 2.0
<http://www.macworld.com/2006/08/reviews/process2/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Nathan Alderman, Macworld

Project management tool with great interface lacks advanced features.

[Sidetrack]

*** CoreToDo? CoreRSS? CoreNotes?
Heng-Cheong Leong

You know, I did notice "something strange" in the Leopard preview screenshots: why is there yet another RSS reader in Mail.app, duplicating the Safari team's effort? Why are there To Do items in Mail, where I think the feature should be more at home over at iCal?

But, perhaps, Giles Turnbull has it right <http://www.oreillynet.com/mac/blog/2006/08/data_contexts_and_leopard.html>. Perhaps, all these little features are going to be in the operating system system-wide, and we are just seeing evidence of them appearing in the various applications.

As Giles Turnbull puts it, "the app you're using doesn't matter - the data is what counts, and it flows from one app to another depending on your context."

That will really be cool.

*** iDog iEat iPod
Heng-Cheong Leong

This is not an excuse for not submitting homeworks.... but, well, the dog did eat the iPod <http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/2006/08/dog-ate-my-ipod.html>.

Any suggestions on how to fix the iPod?

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

[News]

*** Sun Expands Open-Source Java Plan
<http://news.com.com/2100-7252_3-6105601.html?part=rss&tag=6105601&subj=news>
Stephen Shankland, CNET News.com

*** One Man's Waste Is Another's Plenty
<http://donatacom.com/archives/00001442.htm>
Terry Heaton

*** Thailand Plans 1 Free Laptop Per Child
<http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/rss/15265856.htm?source=rss&channel=siliconvalley_rss>
Associated Press

*** 1-Terabyte Drive To Debut Later This Year
<http://news.com.com/2100-1015_3-6105515.html?part=rss&tag=6105515&subj=news>
Michael Kanellos, CNET News.com

[Linux]

*** ThinkPad -- Now With Suse Linux
<http://news.com.com/2100-1005_3-6105543.html?part=rss&tag=6105543&subj=news>
Tom Krazit, CNET News.com

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

[Tech & Science]

*** How To Make Sure Children Are Scientifically Illiterate
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/15/science/sciencespecial2/15essa.html?ex=1313294400&en=f23684030f550bb6&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
Lawrence M. Krauss, New York Times

The people determiing the curriculum of our children in many states remain scientifically illiterate. And Kansas is a good case in point.

[Life]

*** Speedo Freaks
<http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/08/15/speedo_freak/index_np.html>
Oliver Broudy, Salon

Since I was a kid I've shunned men's bikini briefs. But now I'm one of the guys with a shiny marble bag -- strutting poolside, liberated.

[Expressions]

*** The Spot
<http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/content/articles/060821fi_fiction>
David Means, New Yorker

[EOF]

*** If A Magazine's List Doubles In Size, Is That Inflation?
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/14/business/media/14list.html>
Julie Bosman, New York Times

The platry list of 50 has given way to 100.

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

[Ramblings]

*** Serve Your Customer? Nah. We Don't Care
Heng-Cheong Leong

Train service between Singapore and Malaysia has been suspended <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/224851/1/.html> over a cargo train overturned along the single track between Singapore's Tanjong Pagar and Johor Bahru's train station. Officials from KTMB said "trains are not expected to be up and running so soon."

Except that there is a perfectly fine solution, I believe. Move the railway station temporary to Woodlands checkpoint. Have passenger trains stop there -- which have excellent connection services via buses, taxis, and even MRT just a few bus stops away -- and U-turn back into Malaysia.

Except that KTMB will have to swallow their pride a little bit. (You do know there is a long-running dispute on whether Malayisa should move their railway station -- is it what Mahathir say that counts, or is it what they signed on the dotted line that counts...)

Any moment now, Mah Bow Tan is going to give a speech about serving the residents... :-)

Update: According to this news report <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/225013/1/.html>, KTMB said that "most passengers were picked up and dropped off at Woodlands... during the course of the disruption."

[News]

*** Train Services Between Singapore And Malaysia Back On Track
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/225013/1/.html>
Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia

KTM train services between Singapore and Malaysia are back on track. Normal services resumed just before 8 pm on Tuesday.

*** HK Reporter 'On Trial In Beijing'
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4793251.stm>
BBC News

The trial of a Hong Kong journalist accused of spying for Taiwan has begun in China, according to media reports. Ching Chong, 56, the chief China correspondent for Singapore's Straits Times, has been detained in China since April 2005.

*** Ex-Malaysian Leader Says To Build Bridge
<http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4115691.html>
En-Lai Yeoh, Associated Press

Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad said he would end his stinging tirade against the current government if it agrees to restart plans to build a bridge to Singapore.

*** Culture Corner - Singapore
<http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Sports_News&subsection=Asian+Games&month=August2006&file=Sports_News200608151108.xml>
The Peninsula

*** After 50 Memorable Years, It's Farewell Caldecott For MediaCorp
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/136426.asp>
Loh Chee Kong, Today

*** Cargo Train Overturns Near Lower Delta Rd, Train Services Disrupted
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/224851/1/.html>
Pearl Forss, Rita Zahara, Channel NewsAsia

Train services between Singapore and Malaysia have been disrupted after a cargo train overturned near Lower Delta Road on Monday afternoon, blocking railway transportation lines between the two countries.

[Opinion]

*** How Utterly Unconvincing
<http://commentarysingapore.blogspot.com/2006/08/how-utterly-unconvincing.html>
Mr Wang Bakes Good Karma

It's like an insurance agent telling you to buy life insurance so that you rmonthyly premiums wil help others who do die young.

*** Audio Ads On Trains Were A Trial Run
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/136424.asp>
Dawn Low, SMRT Corporation Ltd, Today

We would like to assure that we take commuters' feedback seriously and would consider all viewpoints in our post-trial assessment.

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

[Tunes]

*** Rise In The Springtime
<http://www.lavenderdiamond.com/music.html?>
Becky Stark and the Lavender Diamond
<http://www.lavenderdiamond.com/music/lavenderdiamond_rise.mp3>

*** You Broke My Heart
<http://www.lavenderdiamond.com/music.html>
Becky Stark and the Lavender Diamond
<http://www.lavenderdiamond.com/music/lavenderdiamond_youbrokemyheart.mp3>