[MyAppleMenu] Nov 6, 2006

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

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

[News]

*** New MacBook Model Info Leaks?
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&newsID=16388>
Macworld UK

*** A Monk For Your Mac
<http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2006/11/05/news/c_u_and_boulder/news4.txt>
Kate Johnson, Colorado Daily News

Boulder Mac Repair owner Sean Patrick has a mind for business, but as an ordained Theravadan monk -- he has anything but business on his mind.

*** CSU Students Can Access Classes Via Podcasts
<http://www.topix.net/content/cbs/1636684207107940753805598767941785342682>
CBS5.com

*** Thought Out's KEY Will Turn 2G Shuffle Into Memory Stick
<http://www.macuser.com/ipod-accessories/thought_outs_key_will_turn_2g.php?lsrc=murss>
Dan Moren, MacUser

The premise is sime: on one side, it has the shuffle's headphone connector, and on the other side it has a standard USB plug.

*** New And Improved
Heng-Cheong Leong

Absolute Shisen-Sho <http://kitsunesoftware.com/AbsoluteShisenSho/>: Easy to learn, but with three difficulty settings the game remains a challenge to master.

Android <http://www.shareup.com/Android-download-1180.html>: Giant fun in a tiny universe.

[Opinion]

*** On Mac SO X Viruses
<http://www.osxbook.com/blog/2006/11/05/on-mac-os-x-viruses/>
Amit Singh

What this newborn Mac OS X virus essentially demonstrates is merely a manifestation of how operating systems work.

*** Xserve Xeon, Thumper, And Apple's Market Position
<http://blogs.zdnet.com/Murphy/?p=729>
Paul Murphy, ZDNet

What's happend in the two and a half years since my earlier review? Mactel - with the result that Apple fell from leading the market on both price and performance to trailing the market on both price and performance.

*** The Delicious Generation
<http://www.rogueamoeba.com/utm/posts/Article/DeliciousGeneration-2006-11-06-10-00>
Rogue Amoeba

I don't know that I completely trust the market to sort things out.

*** My Top X Unlikely Requests For Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
<http://www.tuaw.com/2006/11/05/my-top-x-unlikely-requests-for-mac-os-x-10-5-leopard/>
David Chartier, Unofficial Apple Weblog

*** Apple's Push Into The SME Market Is Most Welcome
<http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/tech/69D9DC73C202488BCC25721B00068E5C>
Tom Yager, Computerworld New Zealand

The sector needs the vendor's assistance.

[Review]

*** My Hands-On With 2G iPod Shuffle (Plus My First Unpacking Set!)
<http://blog.wired.com/cultofmac/2006/11/my_handson_with.html>
Pete Mortensen, Wired News

Where the iPod shuffle succeeds is in ruggedness, wearability and surprising you with songs you haven't heard in years.

*** A Sneak Peek At The New iPod Shuffle
<http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/11/03/02pogue-email/>
David Pogue, New York Times

If you are willing to surrender yourself to the serendipity of shuffle mode, the new Shuffle is superior to the old one in just about every way.

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

[News]

*** Need To Reach Mark Plotkin? Make Sure The Right One's On Speed Dial
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/05/AR2006110501116.html?nav=rss_email/components>
Petula Dvorak, Washington Post

Three men walk into a bar: a lawyer, a political commentator and an ethnobotanist. All three are named Mark Plotkin. No really.

*** Newspapers To Test Plan To Sell Ads On Google
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/06/business/media/06google.html>
Saul Hansell, New York Times

Google's plan will give the publishing business a high-tech twist: the company will expand its computer system, which already auctions off advertisements on millions of web sites, to take bids for newspaper ads as well.

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

[World]

*** Election Day
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/books/review/Kinsley.t.html?_r=1&ref=books&oref=slogin>
Michael Kinsley, New York Times

The worst form of cheating in American democracy today is intellectual dishonesty.

[Tech & Science]

*** The Sounds Of Spacetime
<http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/54070?fulltext=true>
Craig J. Hogan, American Scientist

In the biggest events int he universe, massive black holes collide with a chrip and a ring. Physicists are finding ways to listen in.

[Life]

*** Cyber-Neologoliferation
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/magazine/05cyber.html>
James Gleick, New York Times

The language upon which the lexicographers eavesdrop is larger, wilder and more amorphous; it is a great, swirling, expanding cloud of messaging and speech: newspapers, magazines, pamphlets; menus and business memos; internet news groups and chat-room conversations; and television and radio broadcasts.

*** I Want To Tell You A Story
<http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,,1939604,00.html>
Paul Auster, The Observer

I don't know why I do what I do. If I did know, I probably wouldn't feel the need to do it. All I can say, and I say it with utmost certainty, is that I have felt this need since my earliest adolescence. I'm talking about writing, in particular, writing aas a vehicle to tell stories, imaginary stories that have never taken place in what we call the real world.

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

[Ramblings]

*** Call Me A Cab
Heng-Cheong Leong

One thing that taxi drivers <http://www.zaobao.com/yl/yl061106_502.html> and taxi customers have to realise is that, the whole cost/price structure of the taxi service in Singapore is already more or less out of the government's hand, unless there are major u-turns in policies.

The fare structure is entirely determined by the taxi companies. The taxation system -- from COE to ERP to road tax to petro tax -- is determined by a simple principle: one taxi is equivalent to one private car, and both of them pay the same rate.

Taxi regulation is now mainly on service standard. I do want to see less involvement by the government in setting service standard, and just let market forces do its magic; but even if the government releases its grip on this piece of regulation entirely, I don't see how it will change the survival situation of individual taxi driver.

So, taxi drivers, stop complaining. If you feel that you cannot earn a decent living being a taxi driver, then it's time to get out of this business. (It is a business, don't kid yourself. Taxi drivers are not employee of taxi companies. Taxi drivers are like subcontractor of taxi companies.)

*** The First Star I See Tonight
Heng-Cheong Leong

In Computer Science, we learn that whenever there is a problem with the software we built, we always assume, firstly, that it is our problem. A typo in our code, or a flaw in our design. We've seen programmers that are always quick to blame other people -- the third-party library they are using, or the compiler they are using, or simply Microsoft Windows. That always go nowhere.

In Computer Science, we also have something call a "silver bullet <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Silver_Bullet>" -- or, rather, a lack thereof. There is really nothing -- a new technique, a new process, or a new programming language -- that can increase producitivty many many times that easily.

Over on the north of the Causeway, there are people who think that it's all Singapore's fault. Just demolish the Causeway, and all will be good.

Over on the south of the Causeway, there is a company who believed that it was all Apple's fault. Just pump money into marketing, and all will be good.

The way to go, is to be the best one can be. Look into one's heart and ask: is this the best I can do? Other things are mere distractions.

[News]

*** YTL Yet To Submit Fast Rail Link To Singapore Proposal
<http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/11/6/business/20061106164403&sec=business>
The Star

YTL Corp Bhd, which floated the idea of a high-speed rail link to Singapore in July, had yet to submit a full proposal on the matter to the ministry, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said on Monday.

*** Najib Cites Singapore's Reluctance As Obstacle To Building Bridge
<http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=228104>
Bernama

Singapore's reluctance to participate int he constructio of a bridge to replace the Johor Causeway is the reason why the project could not be implemented, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Monday. If Singapore was sincere, the project could have long been carried out, he said.

*** Khazanah Denies Saying Johoreans Should Stop Being Narrow-Minded
<http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_business.php?id=228137>
Bernama

*** Press Digest - Singapore Newspapers - Nov 6
<http://asia.news.yahoo.com/061106/3/2seaa.html>
Reuters

SingTel will be awarded a licence for an internet pay-TV trial by the end of hte month, industry sources said.

*** Singapore Defends Financial Secrecy
<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ft/20061106/bs_ft/fto110520062039273451>
John Burton, Financial Times

Lee Kuan Yew has defended the secrecy of the government's powerful investment agencies in spite of demands that they become more accontable in the wake of Temasek Holdings' troubled takeover of Shin Corp, the Thai telecoms group.

*** 'Govt Focused On Developing South Johor'
<http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Monday/National/20061106084817/Article/local1_html>
New Straits Times

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday shrugged off comments made by the Sultan of Johor and said the government is focused on developing south Johor.

*** Johor Causeway Will Remain, Says PM
<http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=227982>
Bernama

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Sunday the Johor Causeway built during the British colonial administration would remain as it is.

*** Open Skies - The Good And The Bad
<http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BT/Monday/Column/20061105234413/Article/>
Malaysia Business Times

There are compelling arguments from both supporters and critics of the open skies issue, which may explain why a formal decision by both governments has been elusive.

*** Indon Minister Skips Singapore Meet 'In Protest'
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/152856.asp>
Today

Indonesia's Industry Minister Fahmi Idris is still upset at Singapore's decision to raise the haze issue at the United Nations General Assembly last month.

[Opinion]

*** Where Should Pedestrian Walk?
<http://www.zaobao.com/yl/yl061106_505.html>
Huang Renjun, Lianhe Zaobao

*** Royal Demolition Order, Part 2
<http://sophiesworld-sophiesworld.blogspot.com/2006/11/royal-demolition-order-part-2.html>
Sophie's World

All reported the Sultan's comments without giving the context that there is a separate idea to build an overhead bridge to replace the causeway.

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

[Tunes]

*** Breakable
<http://www.ingridmichaelson.com/>
Ingrid Michaelson
<http://www.ingridmichaelson.com/mint/pepper/orderedlist/downloads/download.php?file=http%3A//www.ingridmichaelson.com/mp3s/Breakable.mp3>