[MyAppleMenu] Jul 4, 2006

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

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

[News]

*** Apple Mulls Fench Monopoly Options
<http://www.dailyindia.com/show/39587.php/Apple-mulls-French-monopoly-options>
UPI

Analysts are awaiting Apple's response to a new French law that requires the company to make purchased downloaded music compatible for all players.

[Opinion]

*** The Mystery Of The Burnt Thighs
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=08587>
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS

The natives were restless, and Apple was backpedaling on using the MacBook Pro or other notebook computer on your lap.

[Review]

*** Video Timecode Calculators
<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=08586>
Jeff Carlson, TidBITS

*** WingNuts 2: Raina's Revvenge
<http://www.macworld.com/2006/07/reviews/wingnuts2/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Peter Cohen, Macworld

A fantastic sequel to one of Macdom's most beloved original games, WingNuts 2 is a worthy successor -- and it includes tools for crafting your own sceanarios, too.

[Sidetrack]

*** New Look Macintosh
Heng-Cheong Leong

We haven't had any new computer enclosures from Apple for a while. Until now <http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0606macpro.html>, that is. Well, perhaps.

Think Secret is speculating a new enclosure for the new Mac Pro, to be released this WWDC next month. This will be followed by new enclosures for the MacBooks Pro (MacBook Pros? MacBook Pro's?) later, continues the rumor site.

The question, of course, is: will there be any flower themes this year? What's next after flower power and sunflower?

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

[News]

*** Where's My Google PC?
<http://www.slate.com/id/2144896/>
Paul Boutin, Slate

It's coming. It'll be great. You'll hate it.

*** Getting Machines To Think Like Us
<http://news.com.com/2008-11394_3-6090207.html?part=rss&tag=6090207&subj=news>
Jonathan Skillings, CNET News.com

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

[Tech & Science]

*** Physics Awaits New Options As Standard Model Idles
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/science/04phys.html>
Dennis Overbye, New York Times

"Is there physics beyond the Standard Model?" Physicists presume that the answer is yes, that some more overarching theory should explain many mysteries. But lacking any loose ends to grab hold of, no discrepancies from the predictions wrung from the Standard Model, they have no experimental clues as to what the theory might be.

[Life]

*** In Queens, It's The Glorious 4th, And 6th, And 16th, And 25th...
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/nyregion/04fourth.html?_r=1&oref=slogin>
Michelle O'Donnell, New York Times

Independence Day is celebrated once a year in most of America. In Queens, the most ethnically diverse county in the nation, where an estimated 44 percent of the 2.2 million residents are foreign born, it is celebrated again and again and again.

*** Train To The Roof Of The World
<http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.07/chinarail.html>
David Wolman, Wired News

China's new 1,200-mile railway crosses some of the harshest terrain on the planet. Plug in your oxygen supply. All aboard the Tibet express.

[Expressions]

*** The Phone Call
<http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/content/articles/060710fi_fiction>
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker

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

[Ramblings]

*** First Taxi Fare Increment In 12 Years? BS, CNA!
Heng-Cheong Leong

If you read or watch Channel NewsAsia <http://www.comfort-transportation.com.sg/PressReleases/pressrlse_corp_15101999.htm>, you might come away with the impression that ComfortDelgo is "making its first fare adjustment in 12 years."

Bull!

Taxi surcharges have undergone increment in the past 12 years. Surcharges hours have increased in the past 12 years. Booking fees have increased in the past 12 years. Fares per kilometers have increased in the past 12 years.

Shame on Channel NewsAsia.

Singapore Press Holdings' newspapers, as well as Today newspaper, correctly reported that it is the flag-down fare that hasn't been increased for the past 12 years. But then, that's not exactly true, because ComfortDelgro's Mercedes taxi had increased its flag-down fare just last year.

And now, some links from ComfortDelgro's web site...

15 October 1999 <http://www.comfort-transportation.com.sg/PressReleases/pressrlse_corp_15101999.htm>: CBD surcharge increased from $1.50 to $2.

15 March 2000 <http://www.comfort-transportation.com.sg/PressReleases/pressrlse_corp_15101999.htm>: AIrport surcharge increased from $3 to $5.

9 May 2000 <http://www.comfort-transportation.com.sg/PressReleases/pressrlse_corp_15101999.htm>: 10 cents for every 240m thereafter or less up to 10 km to 10 cents every 225m thereafter or less up to 10km. 10 cents every 225m thereafter or less after 10km to 10 cents every 200m thereafter or less after 10km. CBD surcharge hours increased.

7 July 2005 <http://www.comfort-transportation.com.sg/PressReleases/pressrlse_corp_15101999.htm>: Comfort, CityCab and Yellow-Top Cab will charge staggered late-night surchage rates from 11.30pm. Prime time booking charges will be increased to $4. Advance booking fees for CityCab will be "realigned" to $5.20. Mercedes taxis' street-hail fare raised to $2.60.

[News]

*** SMRT Taxi, Premier Taxi Plan To Revise Fares
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/217189/1/.html>
Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia

A day after ComfortDelgro said it would increase taxi fares due to the spike in fuel prices, two other operators confirmed they would do the same.

*** YTL In Talks For Rail Link Between Kuala Lumpur And Singapore
<http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aBFNLAGeq1tM&refer=>
Bloomberg

YTL Corp., which owns the railway from Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the capital city, said it's in talks for a rail link to Singapore which may produce an agreement in two years.

[Opinion]

*** Scenic Bridge Benefits Not For Us
<http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/53408>
Malaysiakini

You know why no one has informed the Malaysian public of the benefits of the crooked bridge? Because there are none for the public, they're only for the cronies.

*** Second Link Still An Obstacle To Crooked Bridge
<http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/53406>
Charles F Moreira, Malaysiakini

The bridge at the Second Link is not high enough for anything but small watercrafts.

*** Bridge Mistake Becomes More Costly
<http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=14664>
Malaysia Sun

The total cost for abandoning the bridge works out to be a massive RM1.16 billion. That is, of course, more than the cost of the bridge.

*** Analyzing Mr Brown's Original Article
<http://heavenly-sword.blogspot.com/2006/07/analyzing-mr-browns-original-article.html>
Heavenly Sword

*** When Bloggers Enter MSM
<http://singaporemedia.blogspot.com/2006/07/when-bloggers-enter-msm.html>
Cherian George, Singapore: New Media, Politics & The Law

The government will decide if you are a partisan player in politicis based on its incredible x-ray vision and other superhuman powers, and treat you accordingly.

*** End Maternity Charade
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=6fadbe120b93a010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:695283e8a653c010VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
Straits Times

Why not make maternity benefits payable regardless of the stage of pregnancy at which dismissal takes place, for reasons other than indiscipline and poor performance?

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

[Tunes]

*** You Better Not Look My Way
<http://www.thepigeondetectives.com/music.htm>
The Pigeon Detectives
<http://www.thepigeondetectives.com/Music/youbetternotlookmyway.mp3>