[MyAppleMenu] May 16, 2007

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple Cuts iPod Shuffle Prices By 10 Per Cent <http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&newsID=18042>
by Jonny Evans, Macworld UK
Apple has cut UK iPod shuffle prices.

**** Apple MacBook 'Update': Just Stock Clearance In Disguise? <http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/12195/1103/>
by Alex Zaharov-Reutt, ITWire
While Apple have indeed been leaders in updating the MacBook with advanced technologies faster than PC based competitors for a while now..., it can't be denied that the "state-of-the-art" in physical hardware has been updated by Intel.

**** Why Apple's iPhone Is Not The Next iPod <http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/may/15ipod.htm>
by Saabira Chaudhuri, Fast Company
The iPod set an impossibly high bar, one that the iPhone will not match or even come close to. But the new device could still be very successful, particularly in the long term.

**** Shopping, Or Not, At The Online Apple Store <http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2007/05/storedown/index.php>
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
Given the positive buzz the online store's closing generates, and the minimal impact it has on Apple's customers and potential customers, I hope Apple doesn't change the practice. I for one will never tire of seeing the "We'll be back soon" sticky on their online store!

**** Microsoft Releases Office 2007 File Converter For Mac <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2130331,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121>
by Brian Heater, PC Magazine
Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit (Mac BU) made available today a download that will give Apple users the ability to work with Office 2007's new file formats.

**** Analysis: Apple's New MacBooks <http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/05/15/apples_new_macbooks_1.html>
by Tom Yager, InfoWorld
For upgrade appeal to existing MacBook uses, it's relatively low.

**** CIO Disillusioned With Windows PCs, Tests Macintosh Computers <http://searchcio.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid19_gci1251637,00.html>
by Shamus McGillicuddy, SearchCIO.com
Businesses looking to switch from Windows to Macs may have cultural changes to contend with as well.

**** Ulysses 1.5: Text Editor Is Aimed Solely At Creative Writers <http://www.macworld.com/2007/05/reviews/ulysses15/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld
It seems expensive when compared to similar programs available for the Mac. But Ulysses is a fine, mature program with a rich feature set.

**** Playfirst Releases Tasty Planty Game <http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/05/15/tast/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
by Peter Cohen, Macworld

**** Microsoft Unveils Expression Media <http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/05/15/microsoft.expression.media/>
by MacNN
Microsoft has unveiled Expression Media, a new professional asset management tool that works on Mac OS X systems to visually catalog and organize digital assets for retrieval and presentation.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Is 30 Too Old To Start A Company? <http://valleywag.com/tech/the-question/is-30-too-old-to-start-a-company-260742.php>
by Valleywag

**** Why Age Verification Won't Cure What Ails Social Networking Sites <http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070515-why-age-verification-wont-cure-what-ails-social-networking-sites.html>
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

**** Outrageous <http://diveintomark.org/archives/2007/05/15/outrageous>
by Mark Pilgrim, Dive Into Mark
My name is on a software patent... The patent was original, it was innovative, and it was still shameful.

**** Linus Torvalds Responds To Microsoft Patent Claims <http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199600443>
by Charles Babcock, InformationWeek
Linus Torvalds, lead developer of the Linux kernel, has a sharp retort to Microsoft executives' statements in a /Fortune/ magazine article that Linux and other open-source code violate 235 Microsoft patents.
"It's certainly a ot more likely that Microsoft violates patents than Linux does," said Torvalds, holder of the Linux trademark. If the source code for Windows could be subjected to the same critical review that Linux has been, Microsoft would find itself in violation of patents held by other companies, said Torvalds.

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Losers' Circle <http://www.salon.com/books/review/2007/05/16/kolata/>
by Julia Wallace, Salon

>From munching parties to Slim-Fast to Atkins, we've spent centuries trying to lose weight &mdash; despite all the evidence that diets don't work.


**** Jonathan Lethem Ponders A Good Side To Plagiarism <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051502294.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/books>
by Bob Thompson, Washington Post
No, no, Jonathan Lethem concedes, he's not /really/ in favor of plagiarism. At least not the deceptive, thieving kind.
But he does want to spark an argument that will "explode the word."

**** A Cartoon Of Hurt <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2007/05/21/070521po_poem_ryan>
by Michael Ryan, New Yorker

**** Atheists With Attitude <http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2007/05/21/070521crbo_books_gottlieb>
by Anthony Gottlieb, New Yorker
Why do they hate Him?

**** A Beneficiary <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2007/05/21/070521fi_fiction_gordimer>
by Nadine Gordimer, New Yorker

**** The Sting Of The Bee <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/13/AR2007051301235.html?nav=most_emailed>
by Valerie Strauss, Washington Post
As ppular as spelling bees have become, academic researchers say many schools are giving spelling short shrift.

**** Rhett, Scarlett And Friends Prepare For Yet Another Encore <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/books/16book.html?_r=1&ref=books&oref=slogin>
by Motoko Rich, New York Times
It's taken 12 years, three authors and one rejected manuscript, but tomorrow will be another day when "Rhett Butler's People," the second sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind," is published this fall.

SingaporeSurf
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**** Singapore Sex On The Straight And Narrow <http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/IE17Ae01.html>
by Alex Au, Asia Times
Is the Singapore government true to its recent stated drive to allow for a racier, more liberal society?

**** Disabled NSF Gets $500/Mth While Regulars Get 6 Digital Gratuities <http://www.mrbiao.com/blog/disabled-nsf-gets-500mth-while-regulars-get-6-digit-gratuities.html>
by This Lush Garden Within
With the fat defense budget and humongous paychecks that senior officers are getting, it is perfectly justifiable and possible to pay a compensation equivalent to the soldier's expected loss of earnings for the rest of his life.

**** New Hospital In Yishun Named Khoo Teck Puat Hospital <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/276541/1/.html>
by Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia
Instead of 'Alexandra hospital @ Yishun', the new general hospital in Yishun has been named 'Khoo Teck Puat Hospital'.
The late Khoo Teck Puat was a banker and philanthropist.

**** Less Than Half Of 176,000 Jobs Went To Foreigners In 2006 <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/276530/1/.html>
by Aaron W-Tan, Channel NewsAsia
Slightly less than half of the 176,000 jobs created last year went to foreigners said minister of state for manpower and education Gan Kim Yong.

**** New S$5 Polymer Notes To Circulate <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/276480/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia
The Monetary Authority of Singapore will issue S$5 polymer notes from Friday, 18 May, the third denomination in the portrait series to be converted from paper into polymer.

**** Malaysia Not Compromising With Singapore In IDR Project <http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=262175>
by Bernama
The setting up of a special ministerial committee for the Iskandar Development Region does not mean that the country is weak or compromising with Singapore, the Dewan Negara was told today.

**** Singapore's Temasek Puts $330M Into Charity Fund <http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070516/3/31x1p.html>
by Reuters
Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings said on Wednesday it has set up a S$500 million trust to fund education, healthcare and disaster relief in Asia.
The new foundation could help improve Temasek's image in markets where it is expanding aggressively.

**** Goodnight, Singapore <http://www.kustace.com/2007/05/16/goodnight-singapore/>
by ku10
For anyone "creative," Singapore is anathema. And that's why it's time to move on.

**** In Which I Libel The Minister Mentor And Am Sued For One Zillion Dollars <http://mattsteinglass.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/in-which-i-libel-minister-mentor-lee-kuan-yew-and-am-sued-for-one-zillion-dollars/>
by Accumulating Peripherals
Singapore is supposedly the one city in Asia where things and systems are simple, efficient, clear, and easy to do business with; and yet, in my brief experience of this city, lasting about 2.5 days so far, nothing f***king works.

**** Singapore Invites Malaysia For Talks On Outstanding Bilateral Issues <http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/state_news/news.php?id=261995&cat=nt>
by Bernama
Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong today invited Malaysia for talks on outstanding bilateral issues that will benefit the two neighbours.
"We have many interests, these are specific issues that have to be tackled, let's tackle them in a way that is completely acceptable."

**** Singapore Architectural Exhibition Opens At National Museum <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/276386/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia

**** Ensure Pedestrians Can Walk Safely <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/188744.asp>
by Benny Tan Seng Hee and Mahendran K Veerasingam, Today
Yes, the "small group of them in Tampines" may not have to worry about whether it is legal to cycle on the footpath, but the "majority of us all over the country" will now have to worry about our safety.

**** Retail Sales' Biggest Drop In Two Years <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/188766.asp>
by Bloomberg
Singapore's retail sales in March posted their biggest decline in more than two years, increasing the likelihood that the government may next week cut its initial estimate of first-quarter economic growth.

**** Swiss Military Service <http://frankcomment.blogspot.com/2007/05/swiss-military-service.html>
by Frankly Speaking
Can a Singaporean dare to dream that one day, the Singapore's national service can catch up with the Swiss?

The Shuffe by MyAppleMenu
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**** Take Me To The Ballroom <http://www.parasol.com/labels/hiddenagenda/aha088.asp>
by Moonbabies
Click here to listen <http://www.parasol.com/downloads/Moonbabies%20-%20Take%20Me%20To%20The%20Ballroom%20ATB.mp3>.