[MyAppleMenu] Nov 10, 2008

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple: The Genius Behind Steve <http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/09/technology/cook_apple.fortune/>
by Adam Lashinsky, Fortune
Could operations whiz Tim Cook run Apple someday?

**** Whatever Happened To iTunes Plus? <http://www.thomas-fitzgerald.net/2008/11/10/whatever-happened-to-itunes-plus/>
by Thomas Fitzgerald
Shutting Apple out of the DRM free party altogether is not going to work in the long term, it will just entrench people further in the iTunes / iPod ecosystem.

**** Review: OmniGraffle Pro 5.0.2 <http://www.macworld.com/article/136253/2008/11/omnigrafflepro5.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Stuart Gripman, Macworld
The comfortable user interface belies the depth of its capabilities&mdash;a model for complex software. A preponderance of arcane import formats is the only significant blemish.

**** Hands On: Songbird 1.0 Music App Soars <http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081109-hands-on-songbird-1-0-music-app-soars.html>
by David Chartier, Ars Technica
Songbird is a very solid alternative for users who want a truly cross-platform option for organization and getting social with their music libraries.

**** MacBook Air 1.86GHz Test Results <http://reseller.co.nz/reseller.nsf/review/118CF2F1BD9E9B5BCC2574FD00109D81>
by James Gaibraith, Reseller News
It's still a product you buy for its small size and light weight, not its speed.

**** Gaming On The iPhone <http://www.trustedreviews.com/gaming/review/2008/11/10/Gaming-On-The-iPhone/p1>
by Stuart Andrews, TrustedReviews
Apple's secret weapon is the huge iPhone development community and the Apps Store itself. iPhone developers have simply flooded the Apps Store with games, some rotten, some awful, many little more than sketches or tech demos, but some surprisingly good. And the real treat is that you don't pay through the nose for these games.

**** Why I Love My MacBook More Than My PC <http://hinessight.blogs.com/hinessight/2008/11/why-i-love-my-m.html>
by HinesSight
Falling in love doesn't take long.

**** The Apple Convert <http://jwikert.typepad.com/the_average_joe/2008/11/the-apple-convert.html>
by Joe Wilkert's Publishing 2020 Blog
If you're in the publishing business you owe it to yourself to personally experience new technologies like the iPhone.

**** Lost Opportunity: How Apple Got Its Strategy Wrong <http://www.livemint.com/2008/11/09221247/Lost-Opportunity--How-Apple-g.html?h=B>
by Priyanka Mehra and Shauvik Ghosh, Wall Street Journal
iPhone's launch in India has been dubbed the biggest failure of a top-notch brand from a well regarded company in recent times. Two months after the dust over the launch and the subsequent wave of disappointment has settled, it's time to take an objective look at what actuallyw ent wrong with iPhone in India, given that it has been a runaway success in most other markets it was launched in.

**** Apple's Papermaster Was Misquoted <http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/11/09/apples-papermaster-was-misquoted/>
by Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune
The full quote reads: "Until this litigation effort by IBM, aside from the divested IBM personal computer business and a single sale several years ago of Apple's Xserve product to a univeristy, I do not recall a single instance of Apple being described as a competitor of IBM during my entire tenure at IBM."

**** Apple Unveils New 'Shazam' iPhone Ad In 'Dilemmas' Series <http://www.macblogz.com/2008/11/09/apple-unveils-new-shazam-iphone-ad-in-dilemmas-series/>
by MacBlogz

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Google Signs A Deal To E-Public Out-Of-Print Books <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/worldbusiness/10kindle.html?ref=todayspaper>
by Eric Pfanner, New York Times

**** MGM To Post Full Films On YouTube <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/business/media/10mgm.html?_r=1&oref=slogin>
by Brad Stone and Brooks Barnes, New York Times

**** Microsoft 'Not Against' Open Source <http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/153422/microsoft_not_against_open_source.html>
by Jared Heng, MIS Asia
"Open source is not a product but an approach to software development," said Matthew Hardman, platform strategy manager at Microsoft Singapore. "Microsoft does not compete with open source, just as Nike does not compete with running."

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** All Apologies <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/opinion/10alford.html?ref=todayspaper>
by Henry Alford, New York Times
I have become more explicit in my acts of reverse etiquette.

**** Exxon <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2008/11/17/081117po_poem_wrigley>
by Robert Wrigley, New Yorker

**** Lostronaut <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2008/11/17/081117fi_fiction_lethem>
by Jonathan Lethem, New Yorker

**** The Coffin Store <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2008/11/17/081117po_poem_williams>
by C. K. Williams, New Yorker

**** Of Bibliophilia And Biblioclasm <http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/28194/sec_id/28194>
by Theodore Dalyrmple, New English Review
The pleasure of second-hand bokshops is not only in finding what you wnat: it is in leafing through many volumes and alighting upon something that you never knew existed, that fascinates you and therefore widens your horizons in a completely unanticipated way, helping you to make sthe most unexpected connections.

SingaporeSurf
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**** CapitaLand Says No Casino Talks With Las Vegas Sands <http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUSSIN14808820081110>
by Saeed Azhar, Reuters
Property developer CapitaLand said on Monday it has not held any talks with Las Vegas Sands over its Singapore casino-resort project, but will explore opportunities to invest in distressed assets.

**** Eco Park To Be Built On Singapore Landfill <http://www.waste-management-world.com/display_article/344865/123/ONART/Display/none/1/Eco-park-to-be-built-on-Singapore-landfill/>
by Waste Management World
The Singapore National Environmental Agency has announced it is looking into the possibility of building an eco park on a land fill at the recent International Solid Waste Association Congress in Singapore. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, minister for the environment and water resources, made the announcement at the opening ceremony saying "With this, we can create opportunities for research and development, as well as the application of clean technologies."

**** CapitaLand May Take Over Casino If Sands Fails, CIMB Says <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=at0.P2oFV.4o&refer=asia>
by Chen Shiyin, Bloomberg
Singapore's government may form a venture with CpaitaLand Ltd. to take over one of the island's two casino-resorts if Las Vegas Sands Corp. falls to stave off loal defaults, CIMB-GK Research Pte said.

**** Minority PM: Singaproe Boleh In 1955 But Not In 2008 <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/11/minority-pm-singapore-boleh-in-1955-but-not-in-2008/>
by Serville Zervant, The Online Citizen
It is about time Singaporeans sit back and reflect what has caused all this deterioration in the last 53 years and seek to rectify the situation. No economic achievement can sustain itself without parallel political achievements.

**** Commuters Can Pay For SMRT Taxi Fares With Ez-Link Cards From Dec <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/388828/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia

**** Thank Goodness For Reality Checks <http://groundnotes.wordpress.com/2008/11/10/thank-goodness-for-reality-checks/>
by Groundnotes
The real question should be, is the Cabinet ready to select a non-Chinese PM?

**** DBS Layoffs: Taken By Surprise? <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/388781/1/.html>
by Conrad Raj, Today
Why is streamlining done only during a downturn? Why can't companies here run a tight ship even in good times, so that the chances of resorting to lay-offs and retrenchment are slimmer?

**** This Seat Is Not Yours! <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_300546.html>
by Kimberly Spykerman, Straits Times
Mr Kumar said his group was not against reserving seats at food centres. Rather, they wanted to encourage people to find a more gracious method.

**** The Right To Love, Marry And Procreate? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2008/11/the-right-to-love-marry-and-procreate/>
by Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen
I find it somewhat ironic that a Singaporean can go to a neighbouring country like Vietnam, pay a few thousand dollars, and marry a bride whom he has met only a few days before. In contrast, if he wants to marry a foreigner who has ever been to Singapore on a work permit or S-employment pass, he has to apply for permission.

**** Loss In The Singapore Reserves <http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/2008/11/loss-in-singapore-reserves.html>
by Tan Kin Lian
In some cases, the investments were made in bonds, so that actual loss may not be that large - although the share price may have dropped a lot.

**** Chinese Actress Gong Li Becomes A Singaporean: Report <http://www.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUSTRE4A909D20081110>
by Melanie Lee, Reuters
Chinese actress Gong Li, teh glamorous siren who made a successful crossover to Hollywood, has become a Singaporean, a local newspaper reported on Monday.

**** Library Users Urged To Be Considerate <http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_300363.html>
by Veronica Boudville, National Library Board, Straits Times
Library at esplanade serves a unique niche as a library for the performing arts, the first of its kind in Singapore. Patrons are informed of programmes in advance via our library websites, posters and public announcements. This is done to help those who wouldlike to attend the porgrammes and others who may choose to visit the library outside appointed times of performing arts events.

**** Second-Hand Stores Seeing More Customers Selling Possessions For Cash <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/388698/1/.html>
by Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia