[MyAppleMenu] Nov 17, 2008

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Review: ConceptDraw MindMap Pro 5.5 <http://www.macworld.com/article/136690/2008/11/mindmap55.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by John Brandon, Macworld
For me, ConceptDraw's MindMap Pro 5.5 achieved the ultimate goal: it helped with brainstorming for several new projects, ncluding a new web site I'm creating, and for viewing the structure of a large multi-chapter document. For $200, MindMap is worth the price because it helps you brainstorm ideas simply while avoiding the feature war with other brainstorming tools.

**** Should Apple Engage In I Spy With Stolen iPods? <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081117.wipod17/BNStory/Technology/home>
by Matt Hartley, Globe And Mail
'Kill switch' that allows the manufacturer to disable iPhones could be applied to music players to discourage theft, some say.

**** The New MacBook Is Apple's Stealth Business Notebook <http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=329665>
by Scot Finnie, Computerworld
Apple finally has the right hardware and software for mainstream business users.

**** Apple Should Offer iTunes Subscriptions - For Video Only <http://cultofmac.com/apple-should-offer-itunes-subscriptions-for-video-only/4799>
by Pete Mortensen, Cult Of Mac
I would gladly ditch my Netflix subscription and pony up the same $20 a month for unlimited rentals of the TV shows on iTunes, even without movies.

**** Reason For Apple's TV Ad Success <http://blogs.eweek.com/applewatch/content/marketing/reason_for_apples_ad_success.html>
by Joe Wilcox, eWeek
Based on applying findings from a Boston College study of television viewing, I conclude that most Apple television commercials are remarkably well-suited to generating brand awareness even when people fast-forward past advertisements.

**** When Apple Meets Apple <http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/feature-when-apple-meets-apple>
by TechBlog
When is an apple not just an apple? When their grower attaches decals to the fruit before the ripen, in the form of the Apple logo and iPods.

**** Update On Google iPhone Voice Recognition App: Look For It On Monday <http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/11/16/update-on-google-iphone-voice-recognition-app-look-for-it-on-monday/>
by Michael Arrington, TechCrunch
Google's voice recognition search application for the iPhone, originally set for launch on Friday, will likely go live sometime Monday, we've heard from a source with knowledge of the situation.

**** Apple iPhone 3G Strikes Wrong Chord In India, Fails To Take Off <http://in.ibtimes.com/articles/20081116/apple-iphone-strikes-wrong-chord-india-fails-take-off.htm>
by International Business Times

**** Apple Winning Over Businesses With iPhone <http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+Winning+Over+Businesses+with+iPhone/article13439.htm>
by Jason Mick, DailyTech

**** How To Price Your iPhone App Out Of Existence <http://www.losingfight.com/blog/2008/11/15/how-to-price-your-iphone-app-out-of-existence/>
by Andy Finnell, Safe From The Losing Fight
There /will/ be an iPhone app bust. The current prices simply aren't sustainable.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Media Companies Help Promote Laptop Project <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/technology/17laptop.html?ref=todayspaper>
by Steve Lohr, New York Times

**** Cloudsurfing: Welcome To The Future Of Computing <http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/cloudsurfing-welcome-to-the-future-of-computing-1021326.html>
by Tim Walker, The Independent
In a world blanketed by Wi-Fi, where we all carry a computer in our pockets, working, gaming, making friends, spending and investing, collecitng and sharing snapshots, listening to music, watching movies and television, reading books and newspapers like this one - all of it will become part of Cloud-living.

**** Obama Appoints YouTube (Google) As Secretary Of Video <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13953_3-10098174-80.html>
by Dan Farber, CNET News.com
Why should the incoming president, or public official, favor one internet video service over another?

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Twelve-Year-Old's A Food Critic, And The Chef Loves It <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/17/nyregion/17bigcity.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin>
by Susan Dominus, New York Times
Everyone's a critic, and apparntly it's never too soon to start. That's why David Fishman, an Upper West Sider who turned 12 last month, decided to take himself out for dinner one night last week.

**** By Meat Alone <http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/24/081124fa_fact_trillin>
by Calvin Trillin, New Yorker
The best Texas BBQ in the world.

**** The Bridgetower <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2008/11/24/081124po_poem_dove>
by Rita Dove, New Yorker

**** Ghosts <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2008/11/24/081124fi_fiction_danticat>
by Edwidge Danticat, New Yorker

**** Master Of Disguises <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2008/11/24/081124po_poem_simic>
by Charles Simic, New Yorker

**** Malcolm Gladwell's Secrets Of Success <http://www.salon.com/books/review/2008/11/17/gladwell/index.html>
by Louis Bayard, Salon
Bill Gates and the Beatles owe their genius to nurture not nature, argues the acclaimed "Tipping Point" author. It's a nice theory.

SingaporeSurf
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**** Let's Bring In Left-Hand-Drive Cars <http://blogs.straitstimes.com/2008/11/17/time-to-bring-in-left-hand-drive-cars>
by Chris Tan, Straits Times

**** Singapore Government Considers Requests To Phase In Opening Of IRs <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/390412/1/.html>
by May Wong, Channel NewsAsia
THe two firms building integrated resorts (IRs) in Singapore have requested for approval from the government to open their projects progressively. Senior minister of state for trade and industry S Iswaran told Parliament the government is considering the requests from Resorts World at Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands.

**** $12M In Troubled Products <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_303360.html>
by Goh Chin Lian, Straits Times
Holland-Bukit Panjang and Pasir-Ris-Punggo have about $12 million invested in troubled structured products. Senior minister of state (national development and education) Grace Fu gave this update in Parliament on Monday, in response to a question from nominated MP Eunice Olsen.
Holland-Bukit Panjang invested about 6.7 per cent of its total funds available for investment in the structured products, and Pasir Ris-Punggol, about 2.6 per cent.

**** Firm Action Will Be Taken Against Anyone Mis-Selling Financial Products <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/390403/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia
Finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has confirmed that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has started formal enquiries into allegations of mis-selling of financial products by banks here.

**** MAS Tells Financial Institutions To Review Sales And Marketing Procedures <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/390402/1/.html>
by Dominique Loh, Channel NewsAsia
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has instructed the CEOs of all financial institutions to conduct a thorough review of their sales and marketing processes for structured products.

**** Screwed By The Impotent <http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2008/yax-957.htm>
by Au Waipang, Yawning Bread
NTUC's impotence is a symptom of structural changes to the global economy. DBS is evolving into a multinational company. Unions, on the other hand, are still stuck in a pre-World War II mindset, organising themselves within national boundaries only.
Would NTUC and the Singapore government even be able to contemplate a future where workers are part of multinational unions? Our government is wedded to the idea that they should control the unions, and so long as this is non-negotiable, can we even begin moving down the road of multinational unions? But if things stay as they are, won't the NTUC lose all influence altogether, as more and more companies go global?

**** Lock N Load! - PAP Platoon Move Out! <http://simplygab.blogspot.com/2008/11/lock-n-load-pap-platoon-move-out.html>
by Gabriel Sim, Simply Gab
The PAP is not stupid. One thing they do know is how to spin economic uncertainty in their favour.

**** Human Rights And Your Job <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/1463-human-rights-and-your-job>
by Singapore Democratic Party
So what if DBS Staff Union had been consulted? The PAP government did not obliterate trade unionism in the 1960s for nothing. Appointing a cabinet minister to head the NTUC sums up the sorry state in which workers find themselves.
To be able to organise the working sector we need to get the people together, we need for people to speak up, and we need to form independent labour unions. To do these we need the freedoms of speech, association and assembly. In short, we need political rights.

**** Singapore Could See Negative Growth In 2009, PM Warns <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i2DxGA_2ws2L76lDwKeFFQlBDGQA>
by AFP
Singapore, which is already in recession, could experience negative growth next year, the city-state's premier has warned. Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said the recession will probably last a year but beyond that there could be several years of slow growth.

**** Singapore's October New Home Sales Dive 70%-On-Month <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/390375/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia

**** Singapore Exports Slump As Crisis Hits Demand <http://www.fxstreet.com/news/forex-news/article.aspx?StoryId=20307269-abbe-474b-8d46-de9cbad2ca72>
by Reuters
Singapore's non-oil exports fell an unexpected 7.4 percent in October after seasonal adjustments, the biggest drop in five months and the latest evidence that hte worsening financial crisis has hit demand for Asian exports.
See Also: Singaproe's External Trade - October 2008 <http://www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/ie%20singapore/press_release/P-20081117-1/AttachmentPar/0/file/Trade%20Report%20October%202008-FINAL.pdf>, by IE Singapore, Singapore Government. (Note: Link goes to a PDF document.)

**** The Seletar Reservoir Dam <http://yesterday.sg/detail/the_seletar_reservoir_dam/>
by Yesterday.sg
Tucked away in a corner of Singapore and accessible only by the know-how, the dam separating Seletar Reservoir and the Straits of Johor provides a nice scenic view of the kelongs on the straits side and the greenery fo the reservoir side.

**** Two-Party Political Model Can Work In Singapore <http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2008/11/two-party-political-model-can-work-in.html>
by Yaw Shin Leong
For a small country, Singapore must caution and insure itself against elitist politics of the one party system. Singaporeans must ensure that there is political competition and credible alternative partisan representation in Parliament to ensure that the present elitist PAP leadership does not take its people for granted.

**** Singapore's Temasek Stumbles Again <http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1549&Itemid=233>
by Asia Sentinel
The rapid demise of ABC Lerning, which is Australia's largest childcare provider, show sthat Temasek's poor investment decisions are not limited to the banking sector.

**** What Happens If You Are Retrenched? <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/287607.asp>
by Tan Hui Leng, Today
In response to queries from Today, a Ministry of Health spokeswoman said: "A patient who is retrenched at the time of hospitalisation will enjoy full subsidy. If his income hsa shrunk, means testing will be based on his latest income. Hospitals will need evidence of retrenchment or income reduction."

**** Asians Fail To Join Class Action Claims <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a74a4388-b409-11dd-8e35-0000779fd18c.html>
by Sundeep Tucker, Financial Times
Asian investors are missing out on billions of dollars by not taking part in class action lawsuits against US companies whose managers have been accused of improper corporate behaviour, according to a study.

**** Cheap, As Well As Reliable <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/287567.asp>
by Neo Chai Chin, Today
Foreign workers can count on this going for them in Singapore: Remittance rates here are among the cheapest in the world.

**** Long Way To Go As Asia's Arts Hub <http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44723>
by Prime Sarmiento, IPS

**** Why Should People Suffer? <http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,183780,00.html?>
by Elysa Chen, New Paper

**** Must I Shout Louder To Talk? <http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,183787,00.html?>
by Shree Ann Mathavan, New Paper
The former NTUC Income CEO is not pleased that he is being ignored.

**** DBS' Reply To Labour Chief's Comments On Retrenchment Leave Much To Be Desired <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=1229>
by Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net