[MyAppleMenu] Aug 27, 2010

applesurf at myapplemenu.com applesurf at myapplemenu.com
Fri Aug 27 18:59:00 EDT 2010

MyAppleMenu
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**** HTC Claims Apple Patents Invalid In Legal Defense <http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/08/26/htc.says.apple.patents.violate.prior.art.more/>
Electronista

The rebuttal claims that the four patents violate rules regarding prior art as well as those for non-obviousness, originality and usefulness. Much of Apple's lawsuit is also targeting technology that HTC contracts out to third parties rather than anything created in-house.

**** Apple, Adobe, HP And Others Named In Ganas Lawsuit <http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/08/26/protocol.patent.at.center.of.dispute/>
MacNN

Apple, Adobe, Tivo, HP and Xerox are among 23 companies being sued by an Allen, Texas business, Ganas, in a new patent infringement lawsuit. Although four patents in total are said to be at stake, the key one is 7,136,913. This describes "a system for communication over the internet and through a firewall utilizing a single communications protocol," using a simple object access communications protocol, or SOAP.

**** China Unicom Profits Drop In Spite Of iPhone Exclusivity <http://www.macnn.com/articles/10/08/26/marketing.costs.blamed/>
MacNN

China Unicom profits fell 54 percent in the second quarter, in spite of benefits from being the only official iPhone carrier in China, Bloomberg notes.

**** Apple Says Kodak Swiped Its Digital Camera Technology <http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/08/26/29912.htm>
Courthouse News Service

Apple Inc. has again accused Eastman Kodak of swiping its digital camera architecture. A similar lawsuit was filed against Kodak in April, while Kodak accused Apple in January of violating its patent on cell phone camera technology.

**** More Than Half Of New Vulnerabilities In 2010 Have No Vendor Patch, As Apple Is Named As The Company With The Most Vulnerability Disclosures <http://www.scmagazineuk.com/more-than-half-of-new-vulnerabilities-in-2010-have-no-vendor-patch-as-apple-is-named-as-the-company-with-the-most-vulnerability-disclosures/article/177552/?>
Dan Raywood, SC Magazine

**** I Won't Be Ready To Give Up My Mac Any Time Soon <http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/i_wont_be_ready_to_give_up_my_mac_any_time_soon/>
Dennis Sellers, Macsimum News

**** Review: Barcode Producer 6 <http://printing.it-enquirer.com/2010/08/26/review-barcode-producer-6/>
IT.Enquirer

**** Netflix App Hits The iPhone And iPod Touch <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/08/26/netflix-app-hits-the-iphone-and-ipod-touch/>
Mel Martin, TUAW

Here's some great news for Netflix subscribers. The free Netflix app has finally made it to the iPhone and iPod touch. Netflix members on plans as low as US$8.99 a month can instantly watch movies and TV shows streamed from the Netflix servers.

**** How Schools Are Putting The iPad To Work <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=1f30ea8b6559e40c17935bac77fcdfde>
Joel Mathis, Macworld

Universities and schools around the nation—and even the world—are distributing iPads to students and faculty to start the new school year. Some are using the device to lure talented freshmen; others hope faculty and students will merely experiment with the tablet as a learning tool. But a few educators are betting the iPad will herald a revolution in the classroom, once-and-for-all displacing musty textbooks in favor of a mobile multimedia device that can engage students in new and innovative ways.

**** Mac Gems: Eon Provides Instant Access To ICal Events <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=fc4f69d6172f38ddf9f3e408387e3037>
John Brandon, Macworld

Eon is an iCal program that runs in the background on your Mac. You can access it using a Finder menu or a hotkey. The app will dim your Mac to show only calendar and task items. The app also provides several “skin” widgets that make the calendar look a bit more appealing.

**** Royalty-free H.264 Is A Big Win For HTML5, Big Loss For Flash <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/08/26/royalty-free-h-264-is-a-big-win-for-html5-big-loss-for-flash/>
Chris Rawson, TUAW

MPEG LA has announced that H.264 will be royalty-free forever so long as video encoded with the standard is free to end users. This means sites like YouTube and vimeo will never be charged licensing fees to serve video on the web; presumably, it also means that Apple will continue to pay licensing fees to sell videos in the iTunes Store.

**** Apple Releases MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.9 <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=07f01d4544af0c766f86bd697055f706>
David Chartier, Macworld

**** IWork Update Enables IBooks Self-publishing <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20014845-37.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-Apple>
Jim Dalrymple, CNET

While all of the applications in the iWork suite were updated, the most significant change comes in Pages 4.0.4. The word-processing app now includes compatibility with the ePub format, which Apple uses for iBooks.

**** ‘iPhone Thumb’ Replaces ‘BlackBerry Thumb’ <http://www.von.com/news/2010/08/iphone-thumb-replaces-blackberry-thumb.aspx>
Von

**** Apple Mac Pro (2010 Version) Review <http://computershopper.com/desktops/reviews/apple-mac-pro-2010-version>
Jonathan Rougeot and Matt Safford, Computer Shopper

This new line starts at $2,499, which is $300 cheaper than its predecessor, and even in the low-end base model we tested, it handled our tough labs testing with ease. Even better: It's designed to be easily upgradable, so you're not stuck with your point-of-purchase setup.

**** Developer Of Tablets Loses Apple As Customer <http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=aa85b56dc099e153d93b81d39473eed6>
Miguel Helft, New York Times

Apple severed ties with a small Silicon Valley design firm that for nearly a decade had helped with the development of some of its products, after the firm showcased its own prototype tablet computer.

**** Apple And Google Prepare For Mobile Ad War <http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/26/technology/mobile_advertising/index.htm?cnn=yes>
David Goldman, CNNMoney.com

The mobile advertising business is puny. But don't tell that to Google and Apple.

**** Apple Takes Streets Of San Francisco <http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/operatingsystems/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227100091&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All>
Paul McDougall, InformationWeek

Not a company to shy away from hype, Apple has signaled next week's event at the Yerba Buena Center for The Arts by wrapping the San Francisco facility in a giant banner, Christo style, that reflects the musical theme behind the press conference.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Who's A Journalist? Does That Matter? <http://www.salon.com/tech/dan_gillmor/2010/08/26/who_is_a_journalist/index.html>
Dan Gillmor, Salon

If you're a creator of media, and most of us are these days in one way or another, what should I call you?

**** Books Of The Times: Safety In Numbers? Not For This Heroine <http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=1ddd46c8ed3ef30b9d59ceb59bbe872b>
Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

It’s hard to imagine that a novelist could lift such elements from several of the best-known best sellers of recent years and turn them into something original and gripping, but that’s exactly what Mr. Guilfoile has done in “The Thousand.”

**** Does Your Language Shape How You Think? <http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=066ecc2c38122f3147bd679b51ee75c9>
Guy Deutscher, New York Times

In the last few years, new research has revealed that when we learn our mother tongue, we do after all acquire certain habits of thought that shape our experience in significant and often surprising ways.



SingaporeSurf
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**** 国人炒房目标瞄准新加坡？ <http://finance.ifeng.com/news/hqcj/20100827/2559068.shtml>
于骁, 凤凰网

由于中国买家的集中涌入，目前乌节路区域已出现每平方英尺5000元新币(相当于2.5万元人民币/平方米)的二手房成交价，这一价格已创下新加坡房地产市场的最高单价纪录。

**** Cash Use In Singapore Drops As E-Transactions Climb <http://www.zdnetasia.com/cash-use-in-singapore-drops-as-e-transactions-climb-62202409.htm>
Jamie Yap, ZDNet Asia

The amount of funds transacted via e-money in Singapore increased at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 percent between 2004 and 2008, driven largely by the proliferation of e-money and cards for contactless payments, according to a new report Thursday.

**** A Royal Tomb In Singapore <http://yesterday.sg/2010/08/a-royal-tomb-in-singapore/>
Yesterday.sg

**** The GRCs Of Singapore <http://www.pressrun.net/weblog/2010/08/the-grcs-of-singapore.html>
Blowin' In The Wind

**** No Surprise: Singapore Arrests Blogger Who Posted Anti-Government Notes On Facebook <http://worldjournalism.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/no-surprise-singapore-arrests-blogger-who-posted-anti-government-notes-on-facebook/>
Journalism, Journalists And The World

The Singapore government takes a dim view of any dissent it cannot control. Government leaders have successfully sued dissidents for liable. In some cases the lawsuits have bankrupted political organizations.

**** Singapore’s Tough Balancing Act On Immigration <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11100813>
Mariko Oi, BBC

So why is the government restricting the entry of foreign workers? The issue, it seems, is political.

Singapore's citizens have been complaining about the soaring number of immigrants. The country now has the highest proportion of them in Asia, as foreigners make up one third of the island's workforce of 3 million. It is a sharp jump from a mere 3% in 1970.

**** ‘PAP Stands To Lose More From Electoral Boundary Changes’ <http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/08/26/pap-stands-more-to-lose-from-electoral-boundary-changes/>
Faris, Yahoo!

Member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar GRC, Mr Baey Yam Keng says the ruling People’s Action Party stands to lose more from any changes to electoral boundaries ahead of the next General Election.

**** 'If Yong Is Hanged, I Will Return With A Coffin!' <http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/news/general/9689-if-yong-is-hanged-i-will-return-with-a-coffin>
Patrick Lee, Free Malaysia Today

A PKR leader promised that if convicted Malaysian drug mule Yong Vui Kong is hanged, it will have grave repercussions.

Added human rights lawyer N Surendran: “Our government claims that it's doing great things for this country. But if it cannot stand up for one Malaysian in trouble overseas, can Malaysians rely on the government?”

**** S'pore Should Step Up Manufacturing Productivity: Tharman <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1077329/1/.html>
May Wong, Channel NewsAsia

**** Meeting People's Rising Expectations, Managing Foreign Talent Key Issues For Rally <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1077335/1/.html>
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia

Political watchers expect prime minister Lee Hsien Loong to address in his National Day Rally issues like meeting the rising expectations of Singaporeans and how they can enjoy the fruits of growth. They also expect Mr Lee to elaborate on the issue of foreigner integration during the annual Rally on Sunday.

**** Is The MCYS Minister Showing His Fangs? <http://singaporerecalcitrant.blogspot.com/2010/08/is-mcys-minister-showing-his-fangs.html>
Singapore Recalcitrant

The MCYS minister has not spoken and if it is true that he is responsible for the police action, then it would be wise for him to remedy the situation, unless he disregards netizen criticisms and considers netizens not part of the polity.

**** I Feel Terribly Guilty For The Poor Management Of YOG Ticket Sales: Dr Balakrishnan <http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/08/27/i-feel-terribly-guilty-for-the-poor-management-of-yog-ticket-sales-dr-balakrishnan/>
Fann Sim, Yahoo!

“I have no doubt we will recoup our investment, both on the tangible and intangible side of the ledger.” Balakrishnan said, in response to the games budget surpassing the original estimates of S$104 million by more than three times to about S$387 million.

**** So, How Does He Fit Into The 'Us' And 'Them' Divide? <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_571518.html>
Robert William Straughan, Straits Times

It is not right to perceive them as a nationality before we see them as fellow human beings and friends. Why are we so eager to separate 'us' from 'them'?

**** You Say Tomato, I Say Incitement To Violence <http://uk.asiancorrespondent.com/39530/you-say-tomato-i-say-incitement-to-violence/>
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent

The implementation of laws against incitement to violence or hatred is always problematic as they are very much open to interpretation.

**** The Kind Of Press That Is The SPH <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4057-the-kind-of-press-that-is-the-sph>
Singapore Democrat Party

This is how the media have been playing the game all these decades. With no alternative sources of news and analysis, Singaporeans have been denied the truth.

Such unprofessionalism must not be allowed to continue. The Internet is an alternative source of news. While it may not yet have the reach that the ST has, the gap between the two media is closing and the more the SPH prints such rubbish and indulges in such shambolic journalism - if you can even call it journalism - the quicker the gap will narrow.

**** 公共交通还需更进一步 <http://www.zaobao.com/yl/sl100827_001.shtml>
联合早报

既然当局对公共交通的要求更为严格，业者也正面回应，为何乘客的满意度却不升反降呢？

**** 上市公司发禁令 不准董事上赌场 <http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp100827_003.shtml>
吴慧敏, 联合早报

自圣淘沙赌场在2月14日开幕以来，一般都是自己或家人申请赌场禁令，现在却有一家上市公司强制规定，禁止高层职员和董事进入赌场。

**** Singapore Probes NKorean Car In Brothel District Crash <http://www.mysinchew.com/node/44039>
AFP

A North Korean embassy vehicle crashed into a parked car in Singapore's brothel district and fled the scene, triggering a police investigation, local media reports said Friday.

**** Political Participation <http://wakeupsingaporeans.blogspot.com/2010/08/political-participation.html>
Wake Up, Singapore

If, as youths hope, Singapore is to adopt a Western-style democracy, they also need to be more realistic in realizing that without their active participation, this style of democracy is not going to work.

**** Singapore Under Threat <http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2010/08/singapore-under-threat.html>
My Singapore News

This kind of garang talk about threatening a foreign govt, especially Singapore, is only forcing the issue. And the ending is one that is exactly the opposite of what Kapar intended to achieve.

**** Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Metaphors Banned! <http://lohandbehold.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/hear-ye-hear-ye-metaphors-banned/>
Loh And Behold

The Department for the Policing of Linguistics to Ensure the Use of Correct & Acceptable Spoken & Written Language hereby announces the banning of metaphors from now on.

**** mrbrown On The Proper Use Of Metaphors <http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/life/mrbrown-proper-use-metaphors-259345>
CNNGo

Whenever you’re in an airplane on descent into Singapore, there is always an announcement informing passengers, especially the foreigners, that drug trafficking carries a death penalty in Singapore. Perhaps they should start informing everyone that in Singapore, the extravagant use of metaphors may also throw a spanner in the works, sending you up a creek without a paddle and could well land you the wrong side of the Little Red Dot's thin blue line.

**** Tougher Penalties For Telcos <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_571653.html>
Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times

Telecommunications firms that engage in anti-competitive behaviour or whose services fall short could face significantly tougher sanctions.

The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica), in a consultation paper released on Friday, said that it is looking at tougher measures against telecommunications companies in light of the increasingly critical role their services, from mobile phones to Internet access, play in society.

**** 新加坡给南京青奥运出难题 <http://www.nanyangpost.com/news/singapore/4665.html>
南洋視界

这次新加坡举办青奥运的场馆布置方式，震惊了前来采访的中国媒体。他们看到青奥运的篮球馆，居然是在市区的空地上搭起的临时棚。敏感的新华社记者，立即发出报道说，一些来新加坡采访的国内同行们，常常会对这里简单、经济的小场馆颇为不屑，认为有些寒酸得过头，简直配不上青奥会这样奥运字头的大赛。“四年之后，看南京吧，一定比这个好得多！”。

但是，报道指出，一想到赛后利用，想到为此付出的巨大财力、人力，想到如何惠及民生、如何让全民健身分享这些遗产等方面，新加坡人的底气显然更足，他们通过青奥会的举办对此更有发言权。

**** Singapore Company Bars Management From Local Casinos <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gn6Wy2CH5tnRnRulnran-b_p7vGQ>
AFP

A Singapore company has banned its management from the country's two new casinos following reports a local businessman lost a fortune at the gaming tables, its founder said Friday.

**** New Homes For Singapore Polar Bears <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1077463/1/.html>
Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia

**** S'pore Facebook Arrest Unlikely To Be Last <http://www.zdnetasia.com/s-pore-facebook-arrest-unlikely-to-be-last-62202423.htm>
Liau Yun Qing, ZDNet Asia

Arrests related to questionable comments made on social media platforms are likely to continue in future, says an industry analyst, who adds that both users and the government have a role to play in minimizing such incidents.

**** The Africa In Us <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/the-africa-in-us>
Yawning Bread

Far from being similar to the progressive West and the tolerant East, far from being even similar to middle-income Latin America, is it not valid to say Singapore really does belong to Africa?




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