[MyAppleMenu] Dec 3, 2009

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** The 7 Principles Of Apple <http://ebooktest.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/the-7-principles-of-apple/>
The eBook Test

What I do think is that if we were able to overhear conversations at Apple, we’d be able to tease out the things that make that company do what it does. But we don’t need such eavesdropping power, however, because we can also derive Apple’s principles from its actions.

**** iPhone Improves Legal Services <http://www.apple.com/iphone/business/profiles/dla-phillips-fox/?sr=hotnews.rss>
Apple

DLA Phillips Fox, founded 145 years ago, is one of Australia’s largest legal firms, providing services in 29 countries around the world. With iPhone in the hands of almost every partner in the 1,300-person firm, they can offer faster, more flexible responses to their clients’ legal needs. John Dockett, general manager of IT, says choosing iPhone was “one of the smarter things we ever did.”

**** WhoPaste 4.0 Adds New Operating Modes, Social URL Extraction <http://feeds.macnn.com/click.phdo?i=9586f35d7e934a9ba4f8eb61988cfad2>
MacNN

**** Apple’s Battle With Psystar Far From Over <http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/apples-battle-with-psystar-far-from-over/>
Brian X. Chen, Wired News

Apple won’t be able to collect until the appeals run is complete, and sometimes this process can take years. Psystar has said it will appeal to Judge William Alsup’s ruling, which found Psystar guilty of violating Apple’s copyrights.

**** After Apple Agreement, Psystar Officially Halts Sales Of Clone Macs <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/12/02/after_apple_agreement_psystar_officially_halts_sales_of_clone_macs.html>
AppleInsider

Less than 24 hours after its $2.675 million settlement with Apple was revealed, Psystar has removed all of its unauthorized machines equipped with Mac OS X for purchase from its online store.

**** Apple Changes App Store Sorting, Makes Updated Apps Harder To Find <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cultofmac/bFow/~3/chE844dPFtk/22521>
Craig Grannell, Cult of Mac

James Thomson of PCalc fame noted late yesterday on Twitter that the App Store’s again updated the way it deals with app sorting: “Looks like sort by release date in [the] App Store only sorts by original release date now, not update date. Say hello to page 342 of Utilities…”

Looks like you'll need to release a different app altogether (like Tweetie 2) to get noticed?

**** Chinese Online Store Sells Just Five iPhones In First Two Weeks <http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobilize/chinese-online-store-sells-just-five-iphones-in-first-two-weeks-839?source=rss_infoworld_news>
Owen Fletcher, IDG News Service

China Unicom has sold just five iPhones through a big online retail site in the two weeks since it opened the virtual store, the latest sign that the handset is suffering in China from its high price and lack of Wi-Fi.

**** TextExpander 2.8 Improves Gmail Support <http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/textexpander_2.8_improves_gmail_support/>
The Mac Observer

SmileOnMyMac announced the immediate availability of TextExpander 2.8 on Thursday. The update for the abbreviation auto-expander added improved support for using snippets in Gmail and other Web-based tools.



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** How Google Can Help Newspapers <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107104574569570797550520.html>
Eric Schmidt, Wall Street Journal

Video didn't kill the radio star, and the Internet won't destroy news organizations. It will foster a new, digital business model.



SingaporeSurf
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**** MDA Ensures 3,000 Hours Of Wholesome TV Content Every Year <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_461709.html>
Seah Wee Thye, Media Development Authority, Straits Times

The Media Development Authority (MDA) works closely with MediaCorp to serve up about 3,000 hours of public services programming across seven free-to-air multi-language TV channels each year. These programmes not only aim to provide wholesome entertainment to family viewers, but also place a strong emphasis on promoting national interests and core social values important to Singapore.

**** Ultimately, It's About Giving Consumers A Choice: StarHub <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_461717.html>
Caitlin Fua, StarHub, Straits Times

Ultimately, it is about giving consumers the choice. Consumers can still choose our competitor's set-top box or StarHub's set-top box, or have multiple set-top boxes in their home.

**** Bus Lanes: Only Fine Those That Block A Bus <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC091203-0000050/Bus-lanes--Only-fine-those-that-block-a-bus>
Marcus Lim, Today

**** Google Street View Singapore Is Here! <http://otterman.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/google-streetview-singapore-is-here/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OttermanSpeaks+%28Otterman+speaks...%29>
Otterman Speaks...

**** 60 Per Cent Of Singapore Households Earn Less Than National Average <http://www.pressrun.net/weblog/2009/12/60-singapore-household-earnings-below-average.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rana+%28Blowin%27+In+The+Wind%29>
Blowin' In The Wind

Sixty per cent of the households earn less than the average household income in Singapore while the top 20 per cent can save twice as much as they spend.

**** Yong Gets One Week Stay Of Execution <http://rachelzeng.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/yong-gets-one-week-stay-of-execution/>
Rachel Zeng

**** My Blog Will Disregard The "Cooling-Off" Day Election Regulation <http://seelanpalay.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-blog-will-disregard-cooling-off-day.html>
Seelan Palay

While some are quick to mention that this "cooling-off" period is in practice in other countries like Australia, they are not as quick to mention that they observe it with several variations. For example, in Australia, there is a 3 day period before election day where electronic (TV & radio) advertising is not allowed. All other public campaigning continues and newspaper & online advertisements are allowed right through election day without restriction.

**** Why The Reason Behind Cooling Off Period May Throw Past Elections Results Into Disrepute <http://kelvinteowrites.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/why-the-reason-behind-cooling-off-period-may-throw-past-elections-results-into-disrepute/>
Kelvin Teo Writes

**** Polling Day Cooling Off Period Is Just Another Distraction <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=3681>
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net

Without an independent mainstream press and without free and fair elections, a cooling-off period before polling day only disadvantages the opposition even further because the opposition is effectively prevented from reaching out to the masses while the mainstream media has free reign to report according to the dictates of its owners.

**** Google Street View Arrives Here To Controversy <http://digital.asiaone.com/Digital/News/Story/A1Story20091203-183613.html>
Joy Fang, My Paper

**** Shuttle Service To Sentosa In The Works <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC091203-0000040/Shuttle-service-to-Sentosa-in-the-works>
Leong Wee Keat, Today

Visitors to Sentosa island could soon hop onto coaches from Changi Airport, Orchard Road and Marina areas, to various drop-off points on the island.

**** Foreigners Must Clear English Test <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_461990.html>
Straits Times


>From the third quarter of next year, new foreign workers have to clear an English proficiency test before they can get a work permit as a skilled worker. This will also lower their foreign worker levy, saving an employer $90 a month for each hire.


**** 本地收入最低和最高家庭　收入差距扩大 <http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp091203_002.shtml>
何惜薇, 联合早报

本地收入最低和最高家庭的平均每月收入，距离进一步扩大。

统计局昨天公布五年一度的家庭开支调查报告，指出尽管过去五年来家庭收入普遍提高了，但收入较高家庭月入的增长率相对较高。

**** Transport Ministry And PTC Washes Their Hands-off Public Transport Subsidy For People With Disability Issue <http://www.raviphilemon.net/2009/12/transport-ministry-and-ptc-washes-their.html>
Ravi Philemon

So, the transport ministry washes their hands-off from the issue, the PTC says they don't know anything about it, which brings the people with disability back to being at the mercy of the public transport operators.

**** ‘Cooling Off’ Does Not Mean ‘No Talking’ <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/12/%e2%80%98cooling-off%e2%80%99-does-not-mean-%e2%80%98no-talking%e2%80%99/>
Fang Shihan, The Online Citizen

Though skeptics may argue that excessive policing has happened before and will happen again, one cannot deny that there could possibly be a genuine intention for the very rational, pragmatic government to promote a rational voting populace. If rational choice were to be the outcome of the electoral game, the ruling party must let political debate go on even under the proposed new rule.

**** Debunking Singapore’s Government Claims On Climate Change Action – Is A Target Of 16 Percent Reduction Good Enough? <http://aussgworldpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/12/03/debunking-singapores-government-claims-on-climate-change-action-is-a-target-of-16-percent-reduction-good-enough/>
Readings From A Political Duo-ble

**** Does PAP Really Care About Rational And Informed Voters' Choices? <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2009/12/is-pap-really-care-about-rational-and.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

If PAP is that serious about rational and informed voters' choice during polling time, it should have declared the election date 3 or even 6 months in advanced. This is to allow the mass media to give enough exposure to each political parties the opportunities to present their parties' positions on various political issues so to allow voters to have closer scrutiny on them.

I don't buy this. Everybody "knows" that the next election is within 3 to 6 months already; where are the political party presentations? :-)

**** Singapore's Rich Optimistic On Property Prices, Survey Finds <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=abKwlazIXnj0>
Joyce Koh, Bloomberg

Singapore’s rich are among the most optimistic of global investors on real estate, expecting the value of their property holdings to rise in the next two years, according to a survey.

**** Singapore's Manufacturing Output Up For Seventh Straight Month <http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-12/03/content_12581064.htm>
Xinhua

Singapore's manufacturing sector appears to have shrugged off a temporary blip posting instead a positive turnaround, local media reported on Thursday.

**** Singapore To Pledge 16 Pct Cut In Emissions <http://www.reuters.com/article/companyNewsAndPR/idUSSP25750220091203>
Neil Chatterjee, Reuters

Singapore, a Southeast Asian city-state with high per-capita emissions, will head to global climate talks next week with a pledge to cut carbon pollution by 16 percent versus projected business-as-usual levels by 2020.

This "stretch target" is based on the level of greenhouse gas emissions that Singapore would produce by 2020 if no proactive measures to cut them were taken, but relies on a legal deal being reached after the U.N. talks in Copenhagen, ministers said.

**** A Former Shop Becomes A House In Singapore <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/greathomesanddestinations/03location.html?_r=1>
Christine Chow, New York Times

**** Sign Up For GST Credits, Senior Citizen's Bonus <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1022248/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

**** Letting Loose In Singapore <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/travel/features/6749145.html>
Kristin Finan, Houston Chronicle

Singapore was already surprising the heck out of me.

**** Some Employers Worry Language Courses May Lead To Higher Costs <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1022328/1/.html>
Evelyn Lam, Channel NewsAsia

While some employers are welcoming latest efforts to improve the English language standard of foreign workers, others are concerned that sending staff for classes will result in higher costs and disruptions to working hours.

**** Singapore's Temasek Sells Oil Exploration Unit <http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUSSIN49080720091203>
Kevin Lim, Reuters

Singapore state investor Temasek announced on Thursday it has sold oil exploration unit Orchard Energy to a Singapore-listed firm, less than two years after setting up the unit.

**** True Or False: Singapore To Reduce Carbon Emissions Growth By 16% From 2020 BAU Levels <http://www.asiaisgreen.com/2009/12/03/true-or-false-singapore-to-reduce-carbon-emissions-growth-by-16-from-2020-bau-levels/>
AsiaIsGreen.com