[MyAppleMenu] Feb 27, 2009

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================

**** PowerBook Explodes In London Office <http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/166/1051166/macbook-explodes-london-office>
by Paul Hales, The Inquirer

Staff in the London office of a marketing company were left shocked and reeling yesterday after an Apple PowerBook burst into flames.

**** Why Are iPhone Users Willing To Pay For Content? <http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/why-are-iphone-users-willing-to-pay-for-content/>
by Saul Hansell, New York Times

Apple has created an environment that makes buying digital goods easy and common. With an infrastructure that supports one-click purchases of songs and videos, it was easy to add applications in the same paradigm.

**** Apple And Psystar Finally Agree&mdash;To Keep Trade Secrets Secret <http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/02/apple-and-psystar-finally-agreeto-keep-trade-secrets-secret.ars>
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

In a joint filing made by both Apple and Psystar, the two companies agreed to a litany of stipulations for the handling of evidence that is deemed sensitive, a protected trade secret, or otherwise "confidential." The agreement also covers how code can and can't be reviewed.

**** Apple Removes Old Non-Customer Reviews From App Store <http://www.macrumors.com/2009/02/26/apple-removes-old-non-customer-reviews-from-app-store/>
by Arnold Kim, MacRumors.com

It appears that Apple has removed these early non-customer reviews. Several long standing apps have seen dramatic decreases in their review counts.

**** CBS Streaming Free TV Programming To iPhone Users <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/02/26/cbs_streaming_free_tv_programming_to_iphone_users.html>
by Prince McLean, AppleInsider

CBS Mobile has released TV.com, a free new mobile application that allows iPhone and iPod touch users to watch full episodes of select CBS shows and other programming over WiFi or 3G mobile networks.

**** Dell Could Drag Apple Down Too <http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/26/dell-netbooks-computers-technology-enterprise-tech_dell.html>
by Brian Caulfield, Forbes

Dell's low-cost laptops ensure that if it has to suffer, it won't do so alone.

**** How To Make An iPhone App: Part One <http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2009-02/how-make-iphone-app?page=>
by Dave Prochnow, Popular Science

**** Apple Enthusiasts' Urge To Flame: What Gives? <http://technologizer.com/2009/02/26/apple-enthusiasts-urge-to-flame-what-gives/>
by Ed Oswald, Technologizer

Fans of Cupertino could learn a few things from Fans of Redmond.

**** An Apple A Day Keeps Recession Away <http://blogs.eweek.com/applewatch/content/corporate/an_apple_a_day_keeps_recession_away.html>
by Joe Wilcox, eWeek

Economic hard times will force many companies to change how they do business. Apple already is a step ahead and perhaps is the model for other companies to follow.

**** Apple MacBook Pro 17-Inch (Unibody) <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2341822,00.asp>
by Cisco Cheng, PC Magazine

It was inconceivable that a design as attractive as the previous version could be outdone, but Apple somehow pulled it off, as the 17-inch is sexier and still the lightest in its class. Any doubts about the redesigned keyboard, the touchpad, and the non-removable battery can be put to rest, as their addition has only improved the user experience. The one area still in question, which stands in the way of this system's supremacy, is the feature set.

**** MacBook Air Hinge Defect Not Covered By Apple's Warranty? <http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/26/macbook-air-hinge-defect-not-covered-by-apples-warranty/>
by Paul Miller, Engadget

**** Test Center: Safari 4 Preview 'Flat Irresistable' <http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9128699&source=rss_topic123>
by Tom Yager, InfoWorld

The Safari 4 beta is mighty fast, very possibly the world's fastest, and it's well in front in such cutting-edge standards as HTML 5, CSS 3, accelerated JavaScript, and ARIA. WebKit is my favorite open source project by far, and arguably the best software decision that Apple has ever made.

**** Phones Must Be Unlocked To Challenge PCs' Creative Power <http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/0227/1224241883812.html>
by Danny O'Brien, Irish Times

Mobiles will be the PCs' poor relation until they are made open-ended.

**** Review: NeatReceipts For Mac <http://www.macworld.com/article/139062/2009/02/neatreceipts.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Jeffery Battersby, Macworld

Small scanner and OCR solution does a great job of collecting data from all your receipts and business cards.

**** Apple Waves Bye Bye To The uSirius StarPlayr App For iPhone <http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2009/02/27/usirius-starplayr-application-iphone-rejected-apple/>
by Jeremy Sikora, The iPhone Blog

"The app was not rejected, however it could not be approved at this time."

**** Apple Purging App Store Of Every Last Emoticon Enabler <http://i.gizmodo.com/5161363/apple-purging-app-store-of-every-last-emoticon-enabler>
by John Herrman, Gizmodo

Developers who've either made a dedicated emoji-enabler or included the functionality as a feature in their apps have received notification that they need to stop with this Japanese smiley stuff, like, now.

**** Slim Shady Vs. Universal - And What It Tells Us About Apple <http://www.itworld.com/legal/63380/slim-shady-vs-universal-and-what-it-tells-us-about-apple>
by Josh Fruhlinger, IT World



The Tomorrow Weblog
====================================

**** Fear The Kindle <http://www.slate.com/id/2212320/?from=rss>
by Farhad Manjoo, Slate

Amazon's reader is a brilliant device that shanghais book buyers and the book industry into accepting a radically diminished marketplace for published works. If the Kindle succeeds on its current terms, and all signs suggest it'll be a blockbuster (thanks Oprah!), Amazon will make a bundle. But everyone else with a stake in a vibrant book industry—authors, publishers, libraries, chain bookstores, indie bookstores, and, not least, readers—stands to lose out.

**** The Android Developer Experience <http://www.ddj.com/mobile/214600303>
by Mike Riley, Dr. Dobb's

**** Google Puts Small Ads On Pages Of News Site <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/technology/internet/27google.html?_r=1&ref=technology>
by Miguel Helft and Brian Stelter, New York Times

Google began running small text ads on the pages of its Google News service this week, reviving a debate between the company and some struggling newspaper publishers, who have seen their businesses devastated by the shift of advertising to the Internet.

**** Microsoft's Fight Against Fat Fingers <http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/microsofts-fight-against-fat-fingers/>
by Ashlee Vance, New York Times

Researchers at Microsoft think they’ve come up with a way to solve the fat-finger issue by letting people manipulate the back of a device with their finger while still looking at the front screen. It’s a project called Nanotouch and was one of many that Microsoft had on display this week at its headquarters in Redmond, Wash., during the TechFest event.



MyAppleMenu Reader
====================================

**** Bomb The Middle Class <http://www.salon.com/books/review/2009/02/27/dynamite_club/index.html>
by Andrew O'Hehir, Salon

In an era of wealth and excess, 19th century French anarchists introduced terrorism as we know it. Can a fascinating new history help us understand our own violent times?

**** Shelf Life <http://arieff.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/shelf-life/?ref=opinion>
by Allison Arieff, New York Times

Like a photo album, diary or record collection, these books constitute a sort of life history.



SingaporeSurf
====================================

**** The Mortal Danger Of &quot;Self-Spinning&quot; Ourselves In Delusion <http://wayangparty.com/?p=5613>
by Fang Zhi Yuan, The Wayang Party Club

The soul of a nation does not lie in GDP numbers, world class infrastructure or a first world government. It lies in a well-informed, socially active and politically mature citizenry which is able keep the nation together in spite of any internal or external threats.

**** Singapore Raises Its Partying Profile <http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-02-26-singapore-culture_N.htm>
by Kitty Bean yancey, USA Today

Indeed, Singapore is slinging aside its stuffy reputation. The wealthy island nation now is a destination filled with trendy clubs, chic restaurants that attract a multicultural crowd and cutting-edge boutique hotels. "Eat. Party. Chill," urges a hot-pink tourism brochure. You even can sit in a wheelchair and sip from an IV bag at the Clinic bar in the Clarke Quay nightlife area.

**** Government, Singapore To Discuss Economy <http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/136915/thailand-singapore-to-cooperate-in-economics>
by Bangkok Post

Thailand has agreed to cooperate with Singapore in solving financial and economic problems facing the region, but the bilateral cooperation will be discussed in detail during Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya's visit to Singapore next month, Mr Kasit told reporters on Thursday.

**** 规划城市步向国际　槟岛应向狮城看齐 <http://www.kwongwah.com.my/news/2009/02/27/42.html>
by 颜健品, 光华日报

槟岛市政局一站式图测统办小组（OSCï¼‰ä¸»è¦æˆå‘˜çš„æ¨é¡ºå…´å¸‚è®®å‘˜è®¤ä¸ºï¼Œæ§Ÿå²›åº”è¯¥å‘æ–°åŠ å¡çš„åŸŽå¸‚è§„åˆ’æ¨¡å¼çœ‹é½ï¼Œæ‰èƒ½è·Ÿä¸Šæ–°åŠ å¡çš„åŸŽå¸‚å‘å±•ï¼ŒæŠŠæ§Ÿå²›æ‰“é€ æˆå…·å›½é™…æ°´å‡†çš„éƒ½å¸‚ã€‚

**** Singapore - En Bloc Fallout <http://www.waleedhanafi.com/2009/02/singapore-en-bloc-fallout.html>
by Waleed Hanafi, Ignorance Is Curable

To the former senior civil servant, Ngiam Tong Dow, who is so proud of his en bloc legislation, notch up another failed outcome, as buildings that were once desirable homes have been turned into empty lots and ghost buildings.

**** Will It Be A Champion? <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/304558.asp>
by Alicia Wong, Today

The first batch of HDB flats for this year has been launched, but do they reflect homebuyers’ budgets in this downturn? And are their prices an indication of what to expect from other projects later this year?

**** A Year On The Run For Singapore's Mot Wanted Man <http://www.easybourse.com/bourse-actualite/marches/a-year-on-the-run-for-singapore-s-most-wanted-man-624760>
by AFP

An alleged Islamic militant leader suspected of plotting to crash an airliner into Singapore's Changi airport remains at large a year after his escape from detention, the government said Friday.

**** Singapore Tourism Falls 13 Percent In January <http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/27/business/AS-Singapore-Tourism.php>
by Associated Press

Singapore tourism fell 13 percent in January as the global economic slowdown kept visitors at home, another blow to a city-state deep in recession.

**** Let's Compare News From 'Asian' And 'Western' Spectacles <http://wayangparty.com/?p=5645>
by Eugene Yeo, The Wayang Party Club

This is Singapore’s “Asian” spectacles for you - hiding, distorting or sugarcoating the truth to serve the narrow self-serving interests of the government.

**** Flextronics Lays Off Over 100 Workers At Woodlands Plant <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/411935/1/.html>
by Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia

**** Jobless Migrant Workers Protest In Singapore Again <http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-38247620090227>
by Reuters

A group of around 100 Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered outside Singapore's labour ministry on Friday, urging the government to give them work and retrieve overdue pay after they were laid off by shipping firms.

**** Singapore's GIC Will Convert Citi Notes To Stock <http://uk.reuters.com/article/marketsNewsUS/idUKSGC00104020090227>
by Neil Chatterjee, Reuters

The Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) said on Friday it will convert its Citigroup preferred shares into common stock in a bid to shore up the troubled U.S. lender.