[MyAppleMenu] Mar 17, 2007

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

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

[News]

*** Apple Offers To Help Employees With Stock Option Troubles
<http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/technology/16919614.htm?source=rss&channel=siliconvalley_technology>
Associated Press

In the wake of its backdated stock-options troubles, Apple Inc. is offering affected employees the chance to amend the strike price of past options that were incorrectly backdated and receive cash payments to cover related losses and tax penaltiies, accoding to a regulatory filing Friday.

*** Disney Clears Jobs In Options Probe
<http://www.ft.com/cms/s/db614246-d401-11db-83d5-000b5df10621.html>
Kevin Allison, Financial Times

Walt Disney on Friday cleared Steve Jobs of wrongdoing in connection with backdated options grants at Pixar, the animation studio he sold to the entertainment group for $7.4bn last year.

*** Apple Releases iTunes 7.1.1
<http://playlistmag.com/news/2007/03/16/itunes/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Jim Dalrymple, Playlist

iTunes 7.1.1 addresses a stability issue and minor compatibility problems in iTunes 7.1.

[Opinion]

*** Vista Vs MacBook
<http://www.peterhaus.co.uk/index.php/2007/03/17/vista-vs-macbook/>
Peter Haus

The MacBook has been well thought out, and designed to be easy to use for a person. Not a user, but a person.

*** The EU's Ongoing Joust With iTunes
<http://blogs.zdnet.com/carroll/?p=1657>
John Carroll, ZDNet

There are benefits to a universal DRM scheme. Musicians working out of their home who lack access to lawyers or expensive physical media distribution networks can make money from their creations, which otherwise could only be distributed for free. I'm not, however, willing to be trapped in the middle as the format war continues unabated. Sorry, garage bands of the future, you will just have to wait.

*** The Limits Of Apple's Warranty
<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2007/03/mbpservice/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Rob Griffiths, Macworld

I discovered I had entered into the "you're kind isn't welcome here" zone in Apple's revised support system. You see, it turns out that after 90 days as a Mac owner, your status changes.

[Review]

*** Redline: Driving Game Not A Perfect Simulation, But Still A Lot Of Fun
<http://www.macworld.com/2007/03/reviews/redline/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Peter Cohen, Macworld

[Sidetrack]

*** 10 Minutes of Good Wishes
Heng-Cheong Leong

Steve Jobs has sent in his 10 minutes <http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_5460172> of well-wishes. How about you?

*** Okay, You Go Live In Your Fantasy-Land
Heng-Cheong Leong

Some Windows users are just not worth the marketing effort to get them to be switchers.

Jerry Lee Cooper <http://talkback.zdnet.com/5208-12355-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=31199&messageID=579806&start=43>: IBM tried, and spent a huge amount of money developing OS/2 but could never keep up with Windows. Apple tried to create their own system for years, but finally gave up recently and moved to Intel and Microsoft. It's just not possible that a freeware like the Linux could be extended to the point where it runs the entire computer from start to finish, without using some of the more critical parts of Windows. Not possible.

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

[News]

*** Popularity Mght Not Be Enough
<http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/17/business/17online.html?ex=1331784000&en=4c67e4073a190938&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
Dan Mitchell, New York Times

Let's say you wanted to build an advertising-supported online media business that took in $50 million a year in revenue. How many users would you have to attract to get there? Probably too many for most people to even try.

*** Motherboard Knows Best: Should A Computer Make Life-Of-Death Decisions?
<http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=5BE57569-E7F2-99DF-31B7D3F4370D19A7&ref=rss>
Christie Nicholson, Scientific American

Researchers say computers, using a mathematical formula, can determine the wishes of incapacitated patients as well as -- if not better -- than their kin.

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

[Life]

*** Where The Dinner Table Is An Altar Of Thanks
<http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/travel/18choicetables.html>
Danielle Pergament, New York Times

When a platter of injera arrives at the table, covered in dips of fresh, locally grown vegetables and farm-raised meats, it is immediately torn apart by everyone within arm's reach. The ritual is as much about silent gratitude for what the land has offered, as it is about digging into a great meal.

*** Chasing The Ultimate Waterfall
<http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/travel/18Livingstone.html?ex=1331870400&en=2e7340034120a5db&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
Michael Joseph Gross, New York Times

That November marked the 150th anniversary of Livingstone's discovery of Victoria Falls, and when I heard that an expedition would retrace a few days of the explorer's journey, ending on the island where he first saw the falls, I made up my mind to go.

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

[News]

*** Indonesia's Sand Ban Not A Matter Of Life And Death: PM Lee
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/264632/1/.html>
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia

Indonesia's decision to ban the sale of sand to Singapore is not a matter of life and death for the republic, said prime minister Lee Hsien Loong.

*** Land Reclamation Works Not Factor In Talks With Jakarta
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/264594/1/.html>
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia

Singapore's foreign minister has reiterated that the country's land reclamation works are conducted within Singapore's territorial waters. And Singapore has always stated that it would not be a factor in ongoing maritime boundary negotiations with Indonesia.

*** RI, Singapore Ministers To Meet On Extradition, Defense Pacts
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20070317.B08&irec=7>
Abdul Khalik and Fadli, Jakarta Post

After weeks of public debate over an extradition treaty and sand and granite export bans, Singapore and Indonesia have agreed to dsicuss the issues at a ministerial level.

*** NS Rumblings On The Rise
<http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/columnists/2007/3/17/insightdownsouth/17156335&sec=Insight%20Down%20South>
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star

After 40 years, this stragtegy of a trained citizens' army to defend itself is facing pressures from several fronts, the biggest being its sharply declining population.

*** Singapore To Move Into Research On Clean Energy
<http://www.straitstimes.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=6fadbe120b93a010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:08c384258cb51110VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
Salma Khalik, Straits Times

Singapore will join the race to develop 'clean energy', pumping $170 million into research into producing viable solar power, prime minister Lee Hsien Loong announced yesterday.

*** Our Emergency Buzzer Excuses: Wrong Train, So She Presses
<http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,125062,00.html?>
Maureen Koh, New Paper

Figures from the train company showed the button was hit an average of 50 times a month.

[Opinion]

*** Singapore Not No. 1 (Subway System)
<http://singapore.metblogs.com/archives/2007/03/singapore_not_no_1_subway_syst.phtml>
Metroblogging Singapore

None of the Singapore's MRT stations are what you would call a hallmark of distinctive architecture, modern or otherwise.

*** Term 'Iron Rice Bowl' Refers To Job Security, Not Job Rewards
<http://www.straitstimes.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=f832758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:1da965594c951110VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
Ong Seah Guan, Straits Times

Employees in the private sector are more vulnerable to lose their jobs as profit-oriented companies cut costs, while civil servants take a pay cut but retain their jobs.

*** How Many Civil Servants Are Sacked Due To Underperformance?
<http://www.straitstimes.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=f832758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:532a65594c951110VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
Tan Wern Yuen, Straits Times

The civil service should aspire to benchmark its dismissal rate for underperformers relative to other high-performance organisations it seek to emulate.

*** 'Best City For Expats' But Is It Best For Singaporeans?
<http://www.straitstimes.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=7532758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:3eff0fc5d2b51110VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
Huang Shoou Chyuan, Straits Times

Will Singapore ever be theirs to enjoy?

*** Singapore-Malaysia Relations: A Tale Of Two Brothers
<http://www.straitstimes.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=7532758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:c7600fc5d2b51110VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
Justin Kan Rui Liang, Straits Times

Mr Yap seems to feel that Singapore has a superiority complex but could it be nothing more than just confidence in its ability to perform well?

*** Philip Yeo: Going Out In A Whimper
<http://urbanrant.blogspot.com/2007/03/philip-yeo-going-out-in-whimper.html>
Urbanrant

No matter hwo you seem to spin it, one cannot but feel that Philip Yeo has failed in Singapore's big bet on bioscience.

*** We Only Have Ourselves To Blame
<http://aaron-ng.info/blog/we-only-have-ourselves-to-blame.html>
Aaron Ng, Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Foreigners that come are also pragmatic people.

[Entertainment]

*** Singaproe 'Goo Bak'
<http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Saturday/Features/20070317142104/Article/index_html>
Sam Cheong, New Straits Times

If there is a Singaporean hawker noodle dish that can rival any of their Malaysian counterpart, it will be the beef noodle.