[MyAppleMenu] Apr 22, 2010

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** New 13-inch MacBook Pros Benchmarks <http://www.macworld.com/article/147071/2010/04/13inch_macbookpro_benchmarks.html?lsrc=rss_main>
James Galbraith, Macworld

The biggest performance difference, as you’d expect, was in our Call of Duty frame rate test, in which the new system, aided by its GeForce 320M graphics, was able to display twice as many frames per second than the older model with its GeForce 9400M graphics.

**** iPad Is No Cannibal, Says Apple <http://www.macuser.co.uk/news/277018/ipad-is-no-cannibal-says-apple.html>
Simon Aughton, Mac User

Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s chief financial officer, said that Apple has successfully positioned the iPad not as an alternative to a Mac or iPod touch, but as new type of device, which he referred to as a handbook, that does some things better than either.

**** Prizmo For Mac Turns Your Camera Into A Scanner <http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20002991-248.html?part=rss&amp;subj=news&amp;tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
Josh Lowensohn, CNET News

Have you always wanted a scanner, but held back because of size and cost? Do you have a Mac and a digital camera? Then good news: Prizmo for Mac offers a good enough solution to let accomplish most of your scanning needs without the extra hardware.

**** Apple's iPad Selling Well Overseas Ahead Of Official Launch <http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/194754/apples_ipad_selling_well_overseas_ahead_of_official_launch.html>
Dan Nystedt, IDG News Service

The iPad appears to be selling well in Asia despite the fact that Apple's official overseas launch isn't until the end of May, as specialty stores obtain them to resell at premium prices and travelers to the U.S. bring them home.



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Bluetooth 4.0 Spec Gets Finalized <http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20003029-94.html>
Lance Whitney, CNET News

Announcing the completion of Bluetooth 4.0 at its all-hands meeting in Seattle on Tuesday, the Bluetooth SIG is touting the spec for its ability to work with low-energy devices, such as watches and health sensors. But Bluetooth 4.0 will also provide higher speeds for peripherals to communicate with mobile phones, computers, and other gadgets.

**** Twanslate Does On The Fly Tweet Translation <http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20003059-248.html?part=rss&amp;subj=news&amp;tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
Josh Lowensohn, CNET News

If you're the type of crazy that follows just about anyone on Twitter, your stream is likely filled with all manner of languages. A very easy solution is to unfollow these folks. But in the spirit of making things work, you can also just download new Firefox extension Twanslate.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Masturbation: Literature's Last Taboo <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/apr/20/masturbation-literature-last-taboo?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Chris Cox, The Guardian

Granta's new issue dedicated to sex reminds us that only the sin of Onan really retains the power to shock readers.

**** The Immortal Awfulness Of "Naked Lunch" <http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2010/04/21/william_burroughs_naked_lunch/index.html>
Stefan Beck, Salon

William S. Burroughs' subversive classic turns 50 -- and is still as vile and embarrassing as it always was.

**** The Enterprise Of Nations <http://www.wilsonquarterly.com/article.cfm?AID=1613>
David S. Landes, Wilson Quarterly

Critics have tried to explain away the West’s centuries-long economic domination of the globe; they would do better to study its lessons.

**** Invaders, Yes. But Perhaps Quite Tasty. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/us/22carp.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Erik Eckholm, New York Times

Asian carp are reviled as vanquishers of native species, feared as hefty jumpers able to break a boatman’s jaw, and scorned as, well, carp. But even as Northern states battle to keep them from ravaging the Great Lakes, officials in the South, where the alien species have multiplied like guppies, are working to transform the carp into marketable assets.



SingaporeSurf
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**** NEL Service Disrupted For 26 Min <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100422-0000075/NEL-service-disrupted-for-26-min>
Imelda Saad, Today

Train services on the North East Line (NEL) was disrupted for 26 minutes between Serangoon and Hougang stations yesterday morning due to technical problems. This led to congestion at the Circle Line as commuters changed travel plans.

**** SDP Acquittal Recinded -- The Very Definition Of Poor Judgment <http://simplygab.blogspot.com/2010/04/sdp-acquittal-recinded-very-definition.html>
Gabriel Sim, Simply Gab

As we have it, a good judgment was superseded by two massively poor ones.

**** 'Care Packets' Distributed <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100422-0000129/Care-packets-distributed>
Edmund Chua, Singapore Tourism Board, Today

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has been working closely with the Changi Airport Group (CAG) and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) from last week to attend to the immediate needs of these travellers, many of whom have been provided accommodation by their airlines. Other amenities such as meals and free city tours have also been offered to help them make the most of their extended stay.

**** LTA, Gimme Seamless Travel Lah! <http://singaporegirl.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/lta-gimme-seamless-travel-lah/>
Food Fuels Me To Talk...

What makes for seamless travel and movement should also take into consideration the connectivity of buildings and this, alas, is an area that Singapore, while trying to catch up, is still a long way from Hongkong.

**** Public Transport Fares Vaguely Revised <http://callantham.org/blog/2010/4/21/public-transport-fares-vaguely-revised.html>
Callan Tham, Trapper's Swamp

Sure it makes sense for the transport system and its operators, but does not make any sense for the commuters who use the system, and in the process, increasingly enrich the operators year after year.

**** Singapore Air Says Lost S$40 Mln In Revenue From Volcano <http://in.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idINSGC00357120100421>
Harry Suhartono, Reuters

**** Singapore: A Model Of Corporate Efficiency And Good Governance <http://dinmerican.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/singapore-a-model-of-corporate-efficiency-and-good-governance/>
Din Merican: The Malaysian DJ Blogger

Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines and the Sultanate of Brunei need good management teams. They would not be able to do this on their own steam. I would advise that they call on Lee Kuan Yew to show them what good governance is. Why look East to Japan when it is just next door across the causeway.

**** Adopt Voucher Plan For Overseas Study <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_517596.html>
Tony Tan, Straits Times

**** Bus, Train Fare System Must Be Fair To All <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_517597.html>
Gregory Lou, Straits Times

It seems highly unusual that we have to penalise a significant number of commuters just because they have a direct route to their destinations.

Could it be commuters who had direct routes had been subsidized by commuters who didn't had direct routes all along?

**** Wrong Move <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_517586.html>
Low Yen Yen, Straits Times

Is it a sound policy to encourage the attitude of giving up when the going gets tough? Our young may not only lose language skills and forget their roots, they may also lose the tenacity and determination to overcome challenges.

**** Moving Trains' Doors Can Open <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_517611.html>
Maria Almenoar, Straits Times

SMRT said the push-back mechanism would explain what happened when a passenger complained that a door had opened mid-journey on the first day of the newly opened Circle Line.

**** Singapore To Review Fund Management <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c1d514aa-4d71-11df-9560-00144feab49a.html>
Kevin Brown, Financial Times

Singapore’s central bank on Wednesday announced a formal review of the city state’s burgeoning fund management industry, including a close look at hedge funds and private equity firms.

**** ä¹˜å®¢ä¹ æƒ¯åº”éšæ–°è½¦èµ„è€Œè°ƒæ•´ <http://www.zaobao.com/yl/sl100422_001.shtml>
联合早报

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**** The Procession That Wasn’t, Or Was It? <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/the-procession-that-wasnt-or-was-it>
Yawning Bread

**** Singapore's City Upon A Hill <http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teacher_of_the_year/2010/04/singapores_city_upon_a_hill.html>
Anthony Mullen, Ed Week

Singapore will be hosting a major education conference in September and has invited distinguished scholars and teachers from throughout the world to share ideas and presentations. One such distinguished teacher is Susan Elliot, the 2009 Colorado State Teacher of the Year and one of four finalists for the 2009 National Teacher of the Year.

Once the Singapore education officials discovered that Susan was hearing-impaired, they retracted her invitation. The so-called discovery and subsequent retraction of her invitation was an act of disingenuous statesmanship because the Singapore education officials knew all along that Susan was deaf.

**** Concerned About Inflation, Singapore Lets Currency Appreciate <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/business/global/15singecon.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
Reuters

Singapore revalued its currency Wednesday, propelling its dollar to a 20-month high, as the central bank said that the economy had fully recovered from its worst recession and that inflationary pressures were likely to pick up.

**** MDA Seeks Expressions Of Interest To Run FM Radio Station <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1051872/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) is seeking expressions of interest to operate a FM radio station on a vacant FM frequency in Singapore that it says will add diversity and vibrancy to the local radio scene.

**** Politics As Public Service - Just A Little Sacrifice <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2010/04/politics-as-public-service-just-little.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

I hope that Singaporeans should not just see my little grass in the forest without realizing that Singapore does have a tradition of people making sacrifices for the betterment of the society politically, in the name of Public Service.

**** Singapore Invites Pope Benedict To Visit Republic <http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=492671>
Zakaria Abdul Wahab, Bernama

Singapore has invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit the island republic next year, in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the city state and the Vatican.