[MyAppleMenu] Jul 10, 2008

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple's Latest Opens A Developers' Playground <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/technology/personaltech/10apps.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1215835200&en=f4a6f8c9514c44eb&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin>
by John Markoff and Laura M. Holson, New York Times
Wem Apple opens its online App Store for iPhone software on Thursday, Steven P. Jobs will be making an attempt to dominate the next generation of computing as it moves toward internet-connected mobile devices.

**** A First Look At The App Store <http://www.macworld.com/article/134384/2008/07/appstorefirstlook.html>
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
Here's a first look at the new service and how it works.

**** Apple Releases iPhone Configuration Utility For Corporate Environments <http://www.macworld.com/article/134381/2008/07/iphone_config_utility.html>
by Dan Moren, Macworld

**** Apple TV 2.1 Software Supports Remote App, MobileMe <http://www.macworld.com/article/134382/2008/07/apple_tv_21.html>
by Jason Snell, Macworld

**** New Zealand Kicks Off iPhone 3G Launch <http://www.macworld.com/article/134376/2008/07/firstiphone3g.html>
by Philip Michaels, Macworld

**** Mobile Me Opens For Business (And Pleasure) <http://www.macworld.co.uk/mac/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=21976>
by Jonny Evans, Macworld UK

**** iTunes 7.7 Released, Free iPhone Remote Via App Store <http://www.ipodnn.com/articles/08/07/10/itunes.77.released/>
by iPodNN
The new version is designed to sync music, video, and more with iPhone 3G as well as download applications from the iTunes Store exclusively designed for iPhone and iPod touch with software version 2.0 or later.

**** PopChar X 4 <http://www.macworld.com/article/134045/2008/07/popcharx4.html>
by Philip Michaels, Macworld
If you spend a lot of your work day dealing with text, having a tool that helps you quickly insert special characters can be a real productivity booster.

**** Apple To Open Beijing Store On July 19 <http://www.macworld.com/article/134377/2008/07/applestore_china.html>
by Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service
Apple will open a retail store in Beijing on July 19, stepping up its presence in China three weeks before the start of the Summer Olympic Games.

**** Criminal Probe Of Apple Options Is Ended <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121565603712141637.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>
by Justin Scheck and Nick Wingfeld, Wall Street Journal
The Justice Department has ended its criminal investigation of backdated stock options at Apple Inc., deciding not to bring charges against the company or several current and former executives it had been probing for two years, people familiar with the case said.

**** App Store For iPhone Already A Hit With Developers <http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2008-07-09-apple-apps-store-iphone-ipod_N.htm>
by Jefferson Graham, USA Today
With 500 programs launching internationally Thursday night, "This is the biggest launch of my career," says Jobs.

**** Rogers Bows To Demands, Cuts iPhone Data Plan Cost <http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080709/i_phone_080709/20080709?hub=CTVNewsAt11>
by CTV.ca
Rogers Wireless has slashed the cost of using an iPhone in Canada following an outcry of customer complaints over the price of its data packages.

**** Greenpeace Pans iPhone 3G "Not Green," Like First <http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/07/09/greenpeace.pans.iphone.3g/>
by MacNN
Greenpeace is again calling Apple out on its enviromental practices, citing that the iPhone 3G uses the same toxic building materials that it found in its breakdown of the original device.

**** Fake Steve Jobs Calling It A Day <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9986797-37.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=OneMoreThing>
by Tom Krazit, CNET News.com
Dan Lyons, the former /Forbes/ writer and soon-to-be /Newsweek/ writer, announced Wednesday in a rambling post that he's shutting down the tech industry phenomenon known as The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs.

**** PowerTunes Organizes Multiple iTunes Libraries <http://www.macworld.com/article/134359/2008/07/powertunes.html>
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
PowerTunes lets you create multiple iTunes libraries, organize your music among multiple music folders, share music and libraries between multiple users on a single machine and more.

**** Home Sweet Home For Mac OS X <http://www.macnn.com/articles/08/07/09/home.sweet.home.for.mac/>
by MacNN
Home Sweet Home allows gamers to act as home designers.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Yahoo's Desperate Search Times Call For Open Source <http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=9282>
by Larry Dignan, ZDNet.com

**** Twitter Nation <http://www.newsweek.com/id/145216>
by Brian Braiker, Newsweek
Microblogging is huge, but should anyone care?

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Employees Only <http://www.city-magazine.com/familymeal/>
by Erin Bremer, City Magazine
I had arrived at 4 p.m. to experience a daily ritual that takes place in hundreds of restaurants across the city, and in thousands more across the country: family meal.

SingaporeSurf
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**** More Seamless Transfers For Commuters With New Fare Structure <http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_256445.html>
by Christopher Tan, Straits Times
Public transport commuters whose journeys include transfers will enjoy lower fares from a fourth quarter. This is because the government is phasing in a new system that calculates fares according to distance, regardless of the number of transfers.
See Also: Commuters To Gain From Sharing Of Higher Productivity In The Revised Formula <http://www.ptc.gov.sg/news24.pdf>, by Public Transport Council, Singapore Government. (Note: PDF document.)

**** A Tale Of Two Organisations <http://nedstark.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/a-tale-of-two-organisations/>
by Ned Stark, Winter Is Coming
The Singapore government has shown a rather hobbesian view towards criticism; which may yet bode ill for us in the future.

**** Here's The Magnitude Of Checkpoint Security <http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_256329.html>
by Eunice Chu, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Straits Times
The millions of travellers want speed and convenience. The security arrangements put in place have to take that into account.

**** Analysts Favour New Fare Formula As Inflation Is Taken Into Account <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/359549/1/.html>
by Chio Su-Mei, Channel NewsAsia
Transport analysts favour the new fare formula that was announced by the Public Transport Council (PTC) on Thursday because it takes into consideration the inflatio rate and changes to wages.

**** Tang Wee Sung Slapped With 3 Charges In Kidney-For-Sale Case <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/359473/1/.html>
by Hsnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia
CK Tang chairman Tang Wee Sung was slapped with three charges in court on Thursday for his role in the kidney-for-sale case. If convicted of all three charges, he could be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to three years.

**** The International Bar Association And Its Report On Singapore <http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2008/07/international-bar-association-and-its.html>
by Mr Wang Says So
It's always the same stuff. Just a matter of cutting and pasting and shifting the words and sentences around, to achieve the desired degree of politeness or hostility, in each particular case.

**** Upgrading Is Not The Way To Fight Inflation <http://hardhitting-nobs.blogspot.com/2008/07/upgrading-is-not-way-to-fight-inflation.html>
by Hard Hitting In The Lion City
Now on some degree I agree with finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, after all Singapore's economy suffered a 6.6% decline in the second quarter. What I disagree with him is what's being done to help Singaporeans cope with growing inflation.

**** Singapore May Revise 2008 Inflation Forecast Of 5-6 Pct - Minister <http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/07/09/afx5199295.html>
by Thomson Financial
Singapore may revise its 2008 inflation forecast of 5 to 6 percent if oil and food prices continue to escalate, minister for finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam said late Wednesday.

**** Singapore Economy Grows At Slowest Pace In Five Years <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aloxmEPB0Euw&refer=asia>
by Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore's economy expanded at the slowest pace in five years in the second quarter, as manufacturers cut production amid declining orders and accelerating inflation crimped spending.

**** Our System Speaks For Itself <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/264200.asp>
by Chen Hwai Liang, Press Secretary to Prime Minister, Today
The Singapore model is not a free-wheeling Western liberal democracy. But it is an honest and open system, with an independent judiciary upholding the rule of law. Singaporeans are free to express their views, challenge the government, and content in free and fair elections. But that does not give them the right to defame others or break the law.

**** Singapore Could Face Another Round Of Inflation If Firms Raise Wages <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/359295/1/.html>
by May Wong, Channel NewsAsia
Finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has warned that Singapore could face another round of inflation if companies increase wages to help workers cope with the higher cost of living today.
/Let's see. Choice number 1: I receive a raise, and there will be another round of inflation. Choice number 2: I don't receive a raise, and there may or may not be another round of inflation. Thank you, Mr Finance Minister, I think I'll be safer with choice number 1./
/(Of course, this message is not directed at the employers. This message is directed at the employees, saying, hey, it's okay if you don't raise wages. The government will support it, and the government will tell the people to support it.)/