[MyAppleMenu] Mar 23, 2009

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Ars Reviews iWork '09: Fourth Time's A Charm? <http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2009/03/iwork-09-review.ars>
by Iljitsch van Beijnum, Ars Technica

Microsoft Office may have more advanced features, and OpenOffice may be free, but neither of them is as polished, easy-to-use, or well-integrated with Mac OS X as iWork.

**** No iPhone? No Problem <http://www.mercurynews.com/technotebook/ci_11961254?source=rss>
by Andrew Vanacore, Associated Press

**** Interview: Meebo CEO On iPhone Chat App, Push Notifications <http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/03/interview-meebo-ceo-on-iphone-chat-app-push-notifications.ars>
by David Chartier, Ars Technica

When asked why Meebo has waited until now to offer a native iPhone app (besides a Web-optimized iPhone app and Android app), Sternberg offered the obvious answer: Push Notifications. 

**** New Yorker Cartoon App For iPhone <http://cultofmac.com/new-yorker-cartoon-app-for-iphone/9729>
by Nicole Martinelli, Cult Of Mac

**** iPod Shuffle Review: Where We're Going, We Don't Need Clicks <http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2009/03/3g-ipod-shuffle-review-where-were-going-we-dont-need-buttons.ars>
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

The shuffle is a pretty good little device if you have a specific use for it. For me, that's running. I already have a 2G iPod shuffle that has, you know, buttons and no proprietary headphone requirements, but the 4GB of space is what's selling me on the new version.

**** Apple Features 'Your Business On A Mac' Seminars <http://www.macworld.com/article/139556/2009/03/businessmac.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Peter Cohen, Macworld

**** Apple Discontinues iPhone Bluetooth Headset <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/03/23/apple_discontinues_iphone_bluetooth_headset.html>
by Slash Lane, AppleInsider

Apple this weekend appears to have discontinued its iPhone Bluetooth Headset, a possible sign that the company could be planning to introduce an updated model alongside new iPhones a bit later this year or cede the market segment to third parties.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** So, So It Begins Means It Begins <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2009/03/30/090330po_poem_bang>
by Mary Jo Bang, The New Yorker

**** Julia And Byron <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2009/03/30/090330fi_fiction_raine>
by Craig Raine, The New Yorker

When Julia was twenty-nine, her hair was already bar-coded. Now, at sixty-two, it was a solid helmet of bright pewter, level with her lean, brown jawbone. As she looked at her wedding ring, she could observe the bold play of tendons on the back of her tanned thin hands. The student doctor was telling her that she had cancer. Of the bone marrow.



SingaporeSurf
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**** Don't Break CPF Piggy Bank, But... <http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_353270.html>
by Tun Ah Heng, Straits Times

What they ask for is not to break the piggy bank. But for members who already have funds above the Minimum Sum, why can't the CPF Board release the excess funds to those who are now struggling to live?

**** SAF Offered Doctor Alternative Posting <http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_353339.html>
by Darius Lim, Ministry Of Defence, Straits Times

SAF officers who take up sponsorship have a responsibility to serve the full period of their bonds as substantial resources and time have been devoted to training them. Otherwise they will leave gaps in key positions in the SAF.

Nevertheless, if an officer wishes to leave the service early, he can submit an application through a proper process. Approval to leave the service will be granted only in strong and extenuating circumstances.

**** Things Not To Like About Dubai <http://nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com/153723.html>
by Nasu Dengaku

Singapore and Dubai make for an interesting contrast. They are both small, rich, highly developed one-party city states with strict laws and low crime. However, Singapore spends a lot of money investing in education and public infrastructure and encourages expatriates to become citizens. In contrast, Dubai seems to treat its noncitizens, which make up 90% of the population, as disposable employees.

**** Exclusive Interview With Blogger &quot;PothePanda&quot; Who Claimed He Was Arrested &amp; Interrogated By Police For A Post He Made On STOMP <http://wayangparty.com/?p=6797>
by The Wayang Party Club

On 13th March 2009, a blogger with the moniker “PothePanda” who was also a regular forumer of STOMP and Hardwarezone posted a statement on his blog at Xanga alleging that he was arrested by the police on 2 March 2009 for an article about molotov cocktails posted on STOMP late last year.

**** A Paper Fit For Peasants <http://theladymelissa.blogspot.com/2009/03/paper-fit-for-peasants.html>
by The Lady Melissa

Journalists in Singapore, having for years having to bear the stigma of writing for a village witless newspaper, have become one of the most denigrated, laughed-at and even despised profession. As such, no self-respecting intellectual will ever aspire to join SPH. Thus, only third-rate minds join SPH, and continue to churn out third-rate dribble. Even SPH scholars are third-rate, often having been rejected by other scholarship boards, and the good ones break their (breakable) bonds way before they are up. And so, the vicious cycle continues.

**** Singapore's 2008 Inflation Rate Up 6.5% <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/417068/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia

Singapore’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for general households was up 6.5 per cent in 2008 mainly due to higher costs of food, accommodation, electricity tariffs, petrol, holiday travel and taxi fares.

**** If Singapore Is Feeling The Pinch, We're In Trouble <http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=963793>
by Jeremy Thomas, The Times

Make no mistake, Singapore is a buzz to visit, and the relative wealth and standard of living of its citizens shames most cities in the world. Real life has come to bite it, however. And if Singapore, of all places, starts hurting, then the rest of us might as well get used to a lot more pain.

**** More Than Meets The Eye Behind MINDEF's Explanatio Of Dr Allan Oooi's Bond <http://wayangparty.com/?p=6862>
by Eugene Yeo, The Wayang Party Club

SAF needs to account to the public why approval to leave the service will only be granted under certain circumstances. Did it include this archaic clause in the contracts offered to SAF scholars?

**** Body Conscious Singapore <http://www.hipyoungthings.com/archives/1095>
by Hip Young Things

**** 父亲学方言 <http://www.zaobao.com/fk/fk090323_505.shtml>
by 幼吾, 联合早报

进入了医学院后，父亲还多次强调懂得多种方言的好处，提醒我多学方言多讲方言。他认为不懂病人的方言，就等于不会医病！

**** Women With AIDS: Lessons From Indonesia And Singapore <http://japanfocus.org/-Tai_Wei-Lim/1774>
by Tai Wei Lim, The Asia-Pacific Jounral: Japan Focus

Singapore has achieved some success in combating the scourge of AIDS amongst women. Such progress came against a general backdrop of advancement for women in Singapore society - politically, economically and socially.

**** “淡马锡”模式宣告失败？ <http://mnc.people.com.cn/GB/9006211.html>
by 中国经营报

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**** æ— ç¼˜æœ€ä½³ç‚®è½°æ–°åŠ å¡ä¹’å åˆ˜å›½æ ‹ï¼šè´¡çŒ®å…¨è¢«æŠ¹æ€ <http://sports.cnnb.com.cn/content/channel/sports/c240/2009/0322/3621300039.shtml>
by 中国宁波网

**** Singaproe's Best Burger - Here Are THe 5 Best Places (With Pics) <http://www.angryangmo.com/2009/03/23/best-burger-place-singapore/>
by Angry Angmo

**** Who's Afraid Of Cathering Lim? <http://catherinelim.sg/2009/03/23/whos-afraid-of-catherine-lim/>
by Catherine Lim

Very briefly, Dr Tan portrays the PAP government as an unremittingly patriarchal leadership with zero tolerance for strident female critics who dare make them lose face publicly. And he portrays me as a survivor in such a climate precisely because I have deliberately—or subconsciously—disguised my ‘masculine’ qualities of aggression and confrontation by an outwardly gentle, deferential ‘feminine’ demeanour!

**** BBC Asks PM Lee: &quot;Are You Worth All That Money?&quot; <http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2009/03/bbc-asks-pm-lee-are-you-worth-all-that-money.html>
by mrbrown

**** Government Announces Relaxation To Internet Election Advertising Rules <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/417126/1/.html>
by S. Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia

Parliament on Monday debated changes to the Films Act, allowing certain types of films which would otherwise be termed party political films. 

**** GIC Expects Lower Return <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_353603.html>
by Straits Times

The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) expects to get a lower rate of return for its reserves over the next 20 years than in the past two decades, amid a tougher investment environment, said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Parliament on Monday.

**** UBS Lays Off Singapore Team Serving Rich Turks: Sources <http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE52M1LX20090323>
by Reuters

UBS, the world's biggest wealth manager, has axed a team of six private bankers in Singapore, who were managing wealth for Turkish clients, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters on Monday.

**** Asia Pacific Airlines At A Loss Over Fuel Hedges <http://in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-38648620090323>
by Felicia Loo, Reuters

Airlines in Asia Pacific are slashing fuel hedges, some to almost nil, after losing billions when oil dived last year, and as risk management costs rise due to volatile markets and credit-wary bankers.

**** New Restrictions To Films Act Introduced In The Guise Of Liberalisation <http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-restrictions-to-films-act.html>
by Only "Objective" And "Factual" Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans

While I leave the analyses to the bloggers and commentators, I will just spell out here in layman's terms what the amendments really mean to you.

Whether it is about broadcast television, local press, or political films, take it with a grain of salt whenever the government uses the word liberalization'.

**** Four-Year-Old Boy Injured By Rusty Metal Bar At Playground <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/417181/1/.html>
by Ting Kheng Shiong/Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia

Are town councils maintaining playground equipment regularly? That is the question the parents of a four-year-old boy are asking after he was injured by a rusty metal bar on Sunday night.