[MyAppleMenu] Nov 14, 2006

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

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

[News]

*** Intel Core 2 Quad Ships 2007
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&newsID=16455>
Ben Ames, Macworld UK

*** Apple Updates X11 For Second Time In Two Weeks
<http://www.tuaw.com/2006/11/13/apple-updates-x11-for-second-time-in-two-weeks/>
Laurie A. Duncan, Unofficial Apple Weblog

*** Apple Releases EFI Firmware Updates For Intel Macs
<http://www.tuaw.com/2006/11/13/apple-releases-efi-firmware-updates-for-intel-macs/>
Laurie A. Duncan, Unofficial Apple Weblog

The update fixes several Boot Camp, start up, and wake-from-sleep issues.

*** Ex-Apple Counsel Retains Lawyer
<http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/15250347.htm>
Joel Rosenblatt, Bloomberg News

Hiring called a precautionary measure as federal investigation continues into options backdating.

*** Justin Long Says He's Still The Mac Guy
<http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/11/13/long/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Peter Cohen, Macworld

In a post to his web site, actor Justin Long says he's still the Mac in Apple's television ads, despite a report last week to the contrary.

*** New And Improved
Heng-Cheong Leong

Opal <http://a-sharp.com/opal/>: The new outliner by the creator of the award-winning Acta.

Toribash <http://www.toribash.com/>: Turn-based fighting game.

Completion Dictionary 4.0 <http://www.obdev.at/products/completion-dictionary/index.html>: Free Xcode plugin that enhances Xcode's built in code completion mechanism.

[Opinion]

*** Apple's iPhone Is Calling
<http://www.wired.com/news/columns/0,72111-0.html?tw=rss.index>
Leander Kahney, Wired News

When will the iPhone be launched? Likely when other devices start to eat into the iPod's market share, which won't be this holiday. Next year maybe?

*** Vim, Vigor And Vitality
<http://www.oreillynet.com/mac/blog/2006/11/vim_vigor_and_vitality.html>
Francois Joseph de Kermadec, O'Reilly Network

Philosophy aside, I am yearning to see how the "old tools" can work today.

*** 'Beta' Is Not An Excuse
<http://daringfireball.net/2006/11/beta_excuse>
John Gruber, Daring Fireball

Using "beta" as a badge of honor for released commercial software makes no more sense than using "buggy" in the same context, and it makes no more sense as an excuse, either.

*** OpenDoc
<http://gregmaletic.wordpress.com/2006/11/12/opendoc/>
Greg Maletic

There are lots of reasons for OpenDoc's failure, but ultimately it comes down to the fundamental question of why Apple was developing this technology when no-one in the company really wanted it.

*** Why, Apple, Why? Why Won't You Let Me Redownload My Songs?
<http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2006/11/13/5949>
Jeff Smykil, Ars Technica

*** Dates In TidBITS
<http://db.tidbits.com/article/8749>
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS

I want to talk about the seemingly mundane topic of how we present dates in TidBITS, since it's something we've put a good bit of discussion into over the years, and it might prove useful for those of you who must also write dates in a consistent fashion.

*** Make Mine MacBook
<http://www.misterorange.com/2006/11/make-mine-macbook.html>
The Search For A Good Story

The MacBook Pros really are the best of the best.

[Review]

*** iTunes' "Hidden" Features
<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/macgems/2006/11/dougsapplescripts/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Dan Frakes, Macworld

*** Building A Mac Home Media Center, Part 1: How To Get iTV Capabilities Today, For Less
<http://www.informit.com/articles/printerfriendly.asp?p=666316&rl=1>
Ryan Faas, Informit.com

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

[News]

*** Part II: Philanthropy's New Prototype
<http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17777&ch=biztech>
James Surowiecki, MIT Technology Review

If Nicholas Negroponte can achieve his ambition of distributing $100 laptops to the world's disadvantaged children, he will help redefine philanthropy and see his name added to a list alongside the likes of Carnegie, Ford, and Rockefeller.

*** A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
<http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan/entry/fueling_the_network_effect>
Jonathan Schwartz, Sun

*** What If Online Portals Had Nothing But 'Digital Fish Wrap'?
<http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/12/EDGRMLJIGK1.DTL&hw=scheer&sn=001&sc=1000>
Peter Scheer, San Francisco Chronicle

Newspapers cannot succeed as internet ventures -- not on the scale they need to survive -- if they persist in using a business model predicated on giving away their news content and selling ads based on the audience that is drawn to free content.

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

[World]

*** Is America Too Racist For Barack? Too Sexist For Hillary?
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/10/AR2006111001387.html>
Benjamin Wallace-Wells, Washington Post

The 2006 elections were for the technocrats and the operatives, pitting the Democratic tacticians against the Karl Rove machine. But the next election is already beginning to look quite different: 2008 may be one for the novelists.

[Tech & Science]

*** Ancient Crash, Epic Wave
<http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/14/science/14WAVE.html?ex=1321160400&en=15b39607d0805b47&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
Sandra Blakeslee, New York Times

Most astronomers doubt that any large comets or asteroids have crashed into the Earth in the last 10,000 years. But the self-described "band of misfits" that make up the two-year-old Holocene Impact Working Group say that astronomers simply have not known how or where to look for evidence of such impacts along the world's shorelines and in the deep ocean.

*** How Many Hits?
<http://music.guardian.co.uk/pop/story/0,,1943382,00.html>
Oliver Burkeman, The Guardian

Every day, record company executives try to predict, by gut instinct, whether a pop song will sell a million. But could sophisticated software do the job instead, or even write a chart-topper?

[Life]

*** Trial By Fryer
<http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/eat_drink/2006/11/13/gabrielle_hamilton/index_np.html?source=rss>
Gabrielle Hamilton, Salon

Some cooks think that because they throw a mean dinner party, they can run a restaurant. Until I tried to manage an overworked kitchen, an angry staff and an untested menu, I was one of them.

*** How Do You Measure People Skills?
<http://www.slate.com/id/2153385/>
Paul Harris, Slate

The elusive landscape of social intelligence.

*** The Rise And Fall Of The "Bus Plunge" Story
<http://www.slate.com/id/2152895/>
Jack Shafer, Slate

What killed this former New York Times staple?

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

[Ramblings]

*** The Two More Percentage Point
Heng-Cheong Leong

I support government's move to raise GST rates by 2 percentage points to cover additional costs to help the lower income, provided that the additional revenue collected goes entirely to the stated programmes in helping the lower income, i.e. education, housing, health care, and Workfare bonuses, on top of whatever assistance the government is already providing today.

The money should be earmarked for basic needs and not luxury items. School fees, textbooks, and school uniforms, for example, and not tablet PCs and ballet lessons.

The money should not be channeled to other uses, such as defense, building of MRT tracks, or SARS research, no matter how worthy these other uses are.

The money should be used for direct costs, i.e. we are talking about cost-subsidy, and not market-subsidy.

And workfare bonuses should be used to, first and foremost, bring the lowest-income group to a minimum salary standard. We need not become a welfare state, but it is a shame if the breadwinner need to hold multiple full-time jobs in order to earn enough for a decent standard of living. If someone is working a decent full time job -- 40 to 50 hours of work per week -- he should be able to support his family.

[GST]

*** GST Will Go Up To 7 Per Cent
<http://straitstimes.asiaone.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=6fadbe120b93a010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:c8f630e8fb1ee010VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
Lydia Lim, Straits Times

PM pledges more help in several areas, and more regular Workfare bonuses.

*** Singapore To Raise Sales Tax To 7 Pct From 5 Pct
<http://asia.news.yahoo.com/061113/3/2st2x.html>
Reuters

*** Tweak It, Tilt It, But Don't Break It
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/154462.asp>
Rahul Pathak, Today

Govt moves to help those in danger of being left behind; higher GST likely, but workfare will be key: PM

*** GST Hike Will Be Felt By Businesses That Absorb GST: KPMG
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/241097/1/.html>
Rita Zahara, Channel NewsAsia

[News]

*** Singapore Wants To Be Consulted On Diversion Of Heavy Vehicles From Causeway
<http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=229859>
Jackson Sawatan, Bernama

Singapore has requested that the republic be consulted by Malaysia before any move is made to divert heavy vehicles from the Johor Causeway to the Second Link.

*** Singapore's Temasek Cautiously Optimistic On Thailand
<http://asia.news.yahoo.com/061114/3/2suk5.html>
Reuters

Temasek is cautiously optimistic on Thailand, the head of Singapore's state investor said on Tuesday, despite a paper loss of about $1.5 billion from its investment in telecoms group Shin Corp.

*** Temasek's Shin Corp Deal Clean And Guided By Thai Legal Experts
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/241254/1/.html>
Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia

Second Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam stressed that the deal was a clean commercial transaction done in accordance with the laws in Thailand.

*** Press Digest - Singapore Newspapers - Nov 14
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/061114/3/44rv9.html>
Reuters

*** Singapore Mulling Cut To Corporate Tax Rate
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=3&ObjectID=10410660>
Reuters

Singapore is prepared to cut its corporate tax rate to remain competitive in the global race for investments, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was quoted by local media as saying.

*** Sin Corp 'Didn't Come Up'
<http://www.bangkokpost.com/141106_News/14Nov2006_news11.php>
Bangkok Post

The Singaporean government did not raise the issue of the Temasek-Shin Corp deal with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont during his recent visit to the island state.

*** Singapore Rules Out Welfare System
<http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=114209>
DPA

Singapore will not go down the route of Scandinavian countries with generous welfare systems, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in published reports on Tuesday, adding that he believes the programmes sap the incentive to work.

[Opinion]

*** On The Contrary Of GST
<http://whirlwind-of-words.blogspot.com/2006/11/on-contrary-of-gst.html>
Standing On Life's Plateau

Let us watch yet another vicious cycle unfold before our very own Singaporean eyes.

*** Singapore Property Bubble
<http://sleeplesserf.blogspot.com/2006/11/singapore-property-bubble.html>
Sleepless Serf

*** Internal Checks And Balances Are As Good As None
<http://aaron-ng.info/blog/internal-checks-and-balances-are-as-good-as-none.html>
Aaron Ng, Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

If one is truly sincere in fighting graft and corruption, the best way to do it is probably through the establishment of a true democracy, where freedom of speech is protected.

*** GST To Increase To 7%
<http://kitana.wordpress.com/2006/11/14/gst-to-increase-to-7/>
Coffee And Cigarettes

How do we know if this 2% will really go back to funding the social assistances schemes that the government purports to implement? I thik that there has to be an accompanying system of accountability to go along with this hike.

*** Talk About Wasting Political Capital
<http://kwayteowman.blogspot.com/2006/11/talk-about-wasting-political-capital.html>
The Kway Teow Man

This is taking political arsenide. It's crazy with a capital C.

*** Singapore's Elitism
<http://micoolcho.blogspot.com/2006/11/singapores-elitism.html>
Michael Cho

There is this prevailing, overarching assumption in the society that success can only be obtained through better formal education.

*** Hard To Comprehend Why The GST Increase
<http://singaporeelection.blogspot.com/2006/11/hard-to-comprehend-why-gst-increase.html>
Singapore Election Watch

I find it hard to understand what it is the government is trying to achieve.

*** Should Lee Hsien Loong Be Prime Minister?
<http://eastcoastlife.blogspot.com/2006/11/should-lee-hsien-loong-be-prime.html>
Eastcoastlife

*** Got A Bright Idea To Replace CPF Minimum Sum?
<http://tnp.sg/columnists/story/0,4136,117416,00.html?>
Chua Chin Leng, The New Paper

Does the minimum sum have any use to anyone other than Mr Standard Singaporean?

*** Time To Think Out Of The Crib
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/154433.asp>
Victor Ng Beng Li, Today

*** MPs Shouldn't Take Opinions As Complaints
<http://straitstimes.asiaone.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=7532758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:09bc0b95f62ee010VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
Wang Tiancheng, Straits Times

*** MP Should Be Happy That Singaporeans Speak Up
<http://straitstimes.asiaone.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=7532758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:735d0b95f62ee010VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
Benny Tan Seng Hee, Straits Times

[Technology]

*** So Much For It Being 'Smart' Technology...
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/154449.asp>
Lim Boon Hee, Today

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

[Tunes]

*** Nighttime People In A Daytime World
<http://www.bettieblack.com/music.html>
Bettie Black
<http://www.bettieblack.com/Bettie_Black-Nighttime.mp3>