[MyAppleMenu] Apr 15, 2008

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** When iMovie Doesn't Cut It, Try Final Cut Express <http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23543021-8362,00.html>
by John O'Brien, Courier Mail

**** Product Review: VectorWorks Architect 2008 <http://www.architosh.com/features/2008/reviews/vw2008/index.html>
by Architosh

**** Excel 2008 Vs. Numbers '08 <http://www.macworld.com/article/132960/2008/04/office_spreadsheets.html>
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
Although Numbers has some stunning templates, its shortcomings make it more difficult to use when you leave template-land. There's no doubt that I can create a prettier spreadsheet in Numbers, but Excel offers more formulas, features, and tools to help with actually building the spreadsheet.

**** Apple Clones And Digidyne <http://www.cnet.com/8301-13556_1-9918622-61.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
by Gordon Haff, CNET News.com
THe EULA may or may not be an issue. The tying of hardware, software, or services has generally been frowned upon by the courts. On the other hand, the ultiamte resolution resolves around specific facts around market power and the like.

**** NPD Group: Amazon's MP3s Not Affecting iTunes <http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9918981-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
by Greg Sandoval, CNET News.com
Amazon's MP3 service is growing but not at the expense of Apple's iTunes, according to a report issued Tuesday by research firm, the NPD Group.
/Is the pie getting bigger, or are all these at the expense of physical CD sales?/

**** Apple Takes A Trade Show Pass <http://www.macworld.com/article/132983/2008/04/apple_nab.html>
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld

**** Mac Clone Maker Vows To Fight Apple's EULA In Court <http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/04/15/clone.maker.to.fight.apple/>
by MacNN
The Miami-based Mac clone vendor Psystar says that Apple's restrictive licensing terms violate US antitrust laws and wants to fight the Cupertino-based company in court.
/Idiotic move./

**** Apple Japan, Sony Settle Battery Fire Lawsuit <http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/04/14/apple.sony.settle.lawsuit/>
by MacNN

**** Apple's Assault On Microsoft's Core Business <http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/04/14/apples-assault-on-microsofts-core-business/>
by Brian White, BloggingStocks
Is Apple pulling a long-term end-game by trying to slowly but surely erode Microsoft's dominance in the operating system area?
/The way I see it, Apple is slowly eroding the relevance of Microsoft's advantages./

**** Apple's Greatest Innovations <http://www.forbes.com/home/technology/2008/04/14/apple-software-innovations-tech-virtualization08-cx_bc_0414apple.html>
by Brian Caulfield, Forbes
While great industrial design&mdash;whether it's for great cars or great buildings&mdash;always attracts gawkers, it's software that makes Apple's proliferating array of machines so comfortable to use on a long-term basis.
/Most of Apple's software is both simple to use, and powerful. And all the exciting stuff &mdash; from OpenDoc to Cocoa Touch &mdash; are all happening on Mac OS./

**** Apple TV 2.0.2 Update Tweaks Flickr Feature <http://www.macworld.com/article/132987/2008/04/appletv202.html>
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
The single noticeable change wrought by the 2.0.2 update is a Favorites entry within a Flickr contact.

**** The Myths Of Apple And Busienss Users <http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/analysts/gartenberg/archives/2008/04/the_myths_of_ap.html>
by Michael Gartenberg, Jupiter Research
Apple systems can be a seamles fit for many organizations. Time to get over the myths and take a closer look.

**** Mac OS X Seller (Not Apple) Disappears After Reports <http://www.news.com/8301-13579_3-9918069-37.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
by Tom Krazit, CNET News.com
An entrepreneurial Mac vendor has gone offline just hours after it was discovered selling Mac OS X Leopard desktops from a company not named Apple.
/That was fast./

**** Licensed 1.0 Keeps Track Of Software Licenses <http://www.macworld.com/article/132964/2008/04/licensed.html>
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld

**** Stan Flack, MacCentral And MacMinute Founder, Passes Away <http://www.macworld.com/article/132981/2008/04/stan_flack.html>
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Stan has been in the Mac industry since 1994 when MacCentral first went online as a weekly publication. Things were a lot different back then&mdash;the internet as we know it was in its infancy&mdash;but Stan saw a way to make a successful business.

**** Apple Hits 100 HD-Dolby Rentals, Still Misses 1,000 SD Mark <http://ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/apple-hits-100-hd-dolby-rentals-still-misses-1000-sd-mark/>
by Jeremy Horwitz, iLounge

**** Apple Acknowledges Graphics Glitch With Latest Notebooks <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/04/14/apple_acknowledges_graphics_glitch_with_latest_notebooks.html>
by Katie Marsal, AppleInsider
Apple is investigating problems with its new Penryn-based Intel notebooks that caused flickering and graphics corruption during media playback and web browsing.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Battle Of Developer Ecosystems Heads For The Cloud <http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9916413-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
by Martin LaMonica, CNET News.com

**** Competing With The Pirates <http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-healey15apr15,0,107027.story?track=rss>
by Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times
A lack of bullet-proof protection against piracy isn't stopping studios from making more of their TV shows available online for free.

**** Gawker Media Slims Its Blog Network <http://www.news.com/8301-13577_3-9917959-36.html?tag=nefd.only>
by Caroline McCarthy, CNET News.com

**** Content Is Becoming A Commodity <http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/content_is_becoming_a_commodity.php>
by Sarah Perez, ReadWriteWeb

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** <The Line Between Heaven And Earth> <http://www.slate.com/id/2183116/?from=rss>
by Michael McGriff, Slate

**** Up And Then Down <http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/04/21/080421fa_fact_paumgarten?currentPage=all>
by Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker
The lives of elevators.

**** The Moss Garden <http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200805/poem-moss>
by C. Dale Young, The Atlantic

SingaporeSurf
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**** Do You Dare Take The Buffalo Wings Challenge? <http://sheylara.com/2008/04/15/do-you-dare-take-the-buffalo-wings-challenge/>
by The Sometimes Damsel In Distress
My friends and I did a really crazy thing last Saturday. We went to SUnset Gril &amp; Pub and oredred the level 10 buffalo wings.

**** Case To Publish Online Price Guide For Cooked Food Next Month <http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_227538.html>
by Tessa Wong, Straits Times
The Consumer Assocation of Singapore (Case) will be publishing a survey of prices of food sold at cooked food stalls on its website next month, to help conusmers make price comparisons.
/No mention of food portion, I think./

**** Temasek Bought $600 Million Merrill Shares In February <http://www.reuters.com/article/fundsFundsNews/idUSSIN30939820080415>
by Reuters
Temasek is potentially sitting on losses of around $540 million as Merrill shares have fallen 11 percent below its purchase price.

**** Online Election Campaigning Leads To Corruption. Huh? <http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/04/online-election-campaigning-leads-to.html>
by Mr Wang Says So
Oooh, I see. PM Lee is worried about /expensive/ online films and advertisements.
So, hypothetically speaking, suppose an opposition candidate merely uses his own cheap, lousy video camera at home to film his own speech, and then he posts the video on Youtube, where it is widely viewed by Singaporeans, PM Lee shouldn't be worried about that, should he?

**** Trade Minister Lim Says Inflation Rate To Go Down In 2Nd Half Of 2008 <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/341581/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia

**** The Great Singapore Fire-Sale <http://hardhitting-nobs.blogspot.com/2008/04/great-singapore-fire-sale.html>
by Hard Hitting In The Lion City
I'm afraid it's a little too late to ask questions on why we were so eager to invest int he West when the US are on the verge of a recession, and it's a little useless to ask as well. After all, it's not as if anyone is going to bother answering questions from ordinary Singaporeans why they are wasting our public money.

**** Political Activism, Cyber Or Otherwise <http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2008/yax-864.htm>
by Au Waipang, Yawning Bread
It seemed to me that it is entirely natural for people who are politically engaged to want to want to speak out, and that peole will be creative in the ways tey use what media and platform available. In Singapore's case, it will require the extra step of civil disobedience &mdash; recognising that the laws we have are illegitimate and refusing to be cowed by them. SIngaporeans need to see it as an act of patriotism to do so.

**** A Tale Of One Jack Chick And Two Religions <http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/04/tale-of-one-jack-chick-and-two.html>
by Mr Wang Says So
This could be a very complex, challenging case for the prosecution, if the accused persons claim trial.

**** Dinner At Singapore Seafood Republic In Tokyo <http://lioness-in-japan.blogspot.com/2008/04/dinner-at-singapore-seafood-republic-in.html>
by Lioness In Japan
If there's posh Singaporean fare, this is it.

**** Online Advertising? Singapore Is Still Travelling The Green Miles <http://www.thebizwalk.com/marketing/online-advertising-singapore-is-still-travelling-the-green-miles/>
by The Biz Walk

**** Dear NETS <http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2008/04/dear-nets.html>
by mrbrown

**** 5 Minutes With... Choo Zheng Xi On PM Lee's Interview <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/04/15/5-minutes-with%E2%80%A6-choo-zheng-xi-on-pm-lee%E2%80%99s-interview/>
by theonlinecitizen
How a society protects and provides for its most vulnerable is the best reflection of its values. On questions of values, PM Lee's government has been notably firghtened to take the lead. Even when it affects people's livelihood.

**** Posers Arise Over Viability Of KL-Singapore Bullet Train Project <http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=326786>
by Bernama
The proposed multi-billion ringgit high speed train linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, which has receivd mixed reaction from the public, will face tough financial challenges as well as require government support to ensure its success.
With many priority areas requiring the government's attention and support, the question is whether the government should give it the green liht and provide resources for it.

**** Singapore Retail Sales Unexpectedly Fell In February <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=a3T_LYLzOy7M&refer=asia>
by Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore's retail sales unexpectedly declined for the first time in seven mnths in February as inflation at the highest in 26 years sapped consumer confidence and spending.

**** Temasek May Raise More Cash Amid Pain From The West <http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7462712>
by Saeed Azhar, The Guardian
Singapore state investor Temasek, sitting on paper losses of $1.2 billion for its investments in Merrill Lynch and Barclays, is expected to shed more assets and conserve cash to offset its exposure to the ailing western financial sector.
See Also:
Report: Singapore's GIC Mulls Further Investment In UBS <http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/15/business/AS-FIN-COM-Singapore-GIC-UBS.php>, by Associated Press.

**** Singapore Sees H1 Inflation Above 6.5% <http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_227426.html>
by Reuters
Singapore's inflation will remain high in the first half of theyear at above 6.5 per cent, the country's trade minister said on Tuesday, despite the central bank tightening monetary policy last week to fight rising prices.
/Yes, prices are rising everywhere in the world. But the various government policies that adds a lot of middlemen &mdash; and, thus costs &mdash; into the marketplace doesn't help too. And, of course, even though there's never a good time to raise taxes, the 2% GST increment./

**** The Richest Will Survive <http://leelilian.blogspot.com/2008/04/richest-will-survive.html>
by Lee Lilian, The Itch To Write
Over the years, they had expanded and now we have 'Auntie Lucy' doing nearly everything.

**** Singapore Flyer <http://www.dimsumdolly.com/2008/04/singapore_flyer.html>
by Dimsumdolly
If I wanted to have a good view of Singapore, I'd rather go to Equinox or New Asia Bar in Swisshotel. I mea, at least I get to have a drink!
/And as someone who had worked in one of the top floors of one of the Suntec towers &mdash; the view is no longer a big deal./

**** PM Lee Speaks About The Internet Bogeyman <http://singaporepatriot.blogspot.com/2008/04/pm-lee-speaks-about-internet-bogeyman.html>
by Gerald Giam, Singapore Patriot
The bottom line in all these arguments: Whatever is not advantageous to the PAP, we will continue to ban.

**** No One Asked For Proof Of Age <http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,162057,00.html?>
by New Paper
6 in 7 stores sell M18 VCDs to underaged girl.

**** Undoing The Damage <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/248466.asp>
by Ariel Tam, Today