[MyAppleMenu] Feb 23, 2010

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Expo Offers Free Registration For 2011 Show <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=eeeffede46be044aff7d45110aecd6fb>
Philip Michaels, Macworld

Organizers of the annual Mac trade show have already opened up registration for next year’s event. And for the next two weeks, registration for Macworld Expo 2011 is free.

**** The Key To Apple's Success? Focus <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10457648-16.html?part=rss&amp;subj=news&amp;tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
Matt Asay, CNET News

Apple rightly gets credit for building exceptional hardware and software. Even more impressive, however, is how Apple has steadfastly refused to get drawn into markets that it chooses not to service, even when would-be customers are begging to buy.

**** Adobe Blogger Challenges Apple's 'Great Man' <http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=223100169>
Thomas Claburn, InformationWeek

Adobe blogger John Dowdell wants Apple to start communicating openly about its actions rather than through comments relayed by unattributed sources.

**** Apple App Store's Dirty Little Secret <http://www.cio.com/article/551914/Apple_App_Store_s_Dirty_Little_Secret?source=rss_news>
Tom Kaneshige, CIO

As the App Store swells with apps, customers turn to Apple's ranking system and customer reviews to make buying decisions. What's the problem? It's that neither system can be fully trusted.

**** Ngmoco Raises Another $25 Million And Buys Freeverse <http://toucharcade.com/2010/02/22/ngmoco-raises-another-25-million-and-buys-freeverse/>
Eli Hodapp, Touch Arcade

Freeverse was originally founded as a Mac shareware company in 1994 but has made a very successful transition to iPhone game development. This new round of funding brings ngmoco's outside investment total to $40.6 million, a staggering amount of money for an iPhone game startup to be fueled by.

**** Report Gives Apple Top Honors For Reliability <http://www.macworld.com/article/146629/2010/02/apple_reliability.html>
Ramu Nagappan, Macworld

Apple is selling more Macs than ever these days. And according to a survey from a computer support company, those new customers are enjoying some very reliable machines.

**** A First Look At Apple's Massive Data Center <http://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2010/02/a-first-look-at-apples-massive.php>
Alex Williams, ReadWriteWeb

**** Deconstructing Apple — Part I <http://blogs.wsj.com/management/2010/02/22/deconstructing-apple-part-i/>
Gary Hamel, Wall Street Journal

So rather than fretting about the prospects for the iPad, clever Apple watchers and envious wannabes should be asking themselves: How in the world could one company have accomplished all this? How do you build an organization that is capable of reinventing not just one industry but four—computing, music, electronics retailing and mobile phones. How do you do the unprecedented repeatedly?

**** Swimsuit Catalog Banned While Sports Illustrated Swimsuit App Remains In App Store <http://gizmodo.com/5477659/swimsuit-catalog-banned-while-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-app-remains-in-app-store?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gizmodo%2Ffull+%28Gizmodo%29>
Rosa Golijan, Gizmodo

**** Prevent Mail From Auto-Completing The Wrong Address <http://db.tidbits.com/article/11032?rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tidbits_main+%28TidBITS%3A+Mac+News+for+the+Rest+of+Us%29>
Jeff Carlson, TidBITS

**** Apple Bringing iPhoneOS/ARM Architecture To New Platforms <http://blogs.computerworld.com/15635/apple_bringing_arm_architecture_to_new_platforms>
Seth Weintraub, Computerworld

Apple, in a job posting last week, advertised for an "Engineering Manager (Platform Bring-Up)" which states that Apple is taking their iPhone OS and putting it on new platforms.

**** Apple Bans Some Apps For Sex-Tinged Content <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/technology/23apps.html?src=twr&pagewanted=all>
Jenna Wortham, New York Times

Philip W. Schiller, head of worldwide product marketing at Apple, said in an interview that over the last few weeks a small number of developers had been submitting “an increasing number of apps containing very objectionable content.”

“It came to the point where we were getting customer complaints from women who found the content getting too degrading and objectionable, as well as parents who were upset with what their kids were able to see,” Mr. Schiller said.

**** NYT: ‘Apple Purges Blue Apps From Online Store’ <http://daringfireball.net/linked/2010/02/23/app-store-sexy-apps>
John Gruber, Daring Fireball

I don’t see how it’s anything other than hypocrisy to say that Time Warner can have an app showing swimsuit models and others cannot.

**** Swimwear Seller Hit By Apple's Removal Of 'sexual' Apps <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02/23/swimwear_seller_hit_by_apples_removal_of_sexual_apps.html>
AppleInsider

As Apple has officially clarified its new ban on "overtly sexual content" in the App Store, one application featuring pictures of women in bikinis -- to sell beachwear -- found itself removed.

**** 'Daisy Mae' Quietly Returns To App Store Without Changes <http://toucharcade.com/2010/02/23/daisy-mae-quietly-returns-to-app-store-without-changes/>
Touch Arcade

It seems Apple had a change of heart, as the game was quietly reinstated today — without any changes from the original version. We emailed IUGO's Sarah Thomson who says they have gotten no contact from Apple explaining the return of the game.

**** Apple Urges Unhappy Developers To Use iTunes Connect <http://www.macworld.co.uk/mac/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=28765>
Nick Spence, Macworld UK

Apple has urged iPhone developers to get help and advice from iTunes Connect at a time when many are seeing applications pulled from the App Store over an apparent change in policy.



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Turning Flat Photos Into 3-Dimensional Buildings <http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=2fb0486779f02c3156f831cdba34d185>
John Markoff, New York Times

Researchers are developing a system to create renderings of neighborhoods and potentially even entire cities.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Joys Of Bookshop Browsing <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/feb/22/browsing-books-robert-graves?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Sam Jordison, The Guardian

Searching real shelves is the most satisfying way to find literary treasures – but can it survive the rise of Amazon and ebooks?

**** Oral Culture <http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=4f48018752fdf4117ee3ea744dda7725>
Lesley Wheeler, Slate Magazine



SingaporeSurf
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**** Carbon Tax A 'More Practical' System <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100223-0000078/Carbon-tax-a-more-practical-system>
Teo Xuanwei, Today

It would be "more practical" to reduce carbon emissions in Singapore through a tax system, rather than a cap-and-trade system, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in the FY2010 Revenue and Expenditure Estimates it released yesterday. This is because Singapore is a small domestic market with only "a few large energy consumers".

**** Why No Income Tax Rebate? <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_493532.html>
Gabriel Chen, Straits Times

For some taxpayers, what was not in this year's Budget proved to be just as significant as what was in it. They were upset with the total lack of income tax rebates, which they had enjoyed for several years in a row.

**** Singapore Moves To Curtail Immigration <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703494404575081302941575436.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines>
Patrick Barta and P.R. Venkat, Wall Street Journal

The rich Southeast Asian city-state has for years admitted large numbers of foreign workers to boost its population and to stay competitive with China and other countries with deeper pools of cheap labor. But Singaporean citizens are increasingly dissatisfied with the policy, which they say causes overcrowding and depresses local wages. Economists believe an over-reliance on foreign workers also is keeping productivity levels down, jeopardizing Singapore's future growth.

**** S'pore Unveils Budget Aimed At Helping Country Become Advanced Economy <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1039104/1/.html>
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia

Finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has unveiled a Budget aimed at helping Singapore become an advanced economy. A key theme of the Budget: raising the quality of jobs, skills and the workforce so that workers can continue to earn higher incomes, and the economy, grow.

**** Is Singapore A Humorless Society? <http://catherinelim.sg/2010/02/23/is-singapore-a-humorless-society/>
Catherine Lim

It is said that the exuberant street humour of Singaporeans is a kind of compensation for the dourness at the top. Whatever the reason, it is something they are unlikely to—indeed, must never—lose.

**** Dissecting Budget 2010 <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/02/dissecting-budget-2010/>
Ng E-Jay, The Online Citizen

The government has made the right decision to focus on productivity and reduce the reliance on unskilled foreign labour. The Finance Minister also made the right connections in asserting that future productivity growth can only come about by a concerted effort by businesses, individuals, and the government.

However unless fundamental issues concerning our educational and political system are addressed, the government will only be able to go so far before it hits a brick wall and has to retrace its steps all over again.

**** An Election Budget? <http://www.todayonline.com/Comment/EDC100223-0000091/AN-ELECTION-BUDGET?>
Eugene K B Tan, Today

Is Budget 2010 an election budget? Well, if it is, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam did not give away anything obvious in his speech.

**** Better, Faster, Stronger: Is A Finishing Line Ever In Sight? <http://guanyinmiao.wordpress.com/2010/02/23/harder-better-faster-stronger-is-a-finishing-line-ever-in-sight/>
Guanyinmiao's Musings

**** PAP Model : Starting Ahead And Finishing Last <http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/02/22/pap-model-starting-ahead-and-finishing-last/>
Hurr Riyahi, The Temasek Review

The sad reality is that Singapore will finish last in every area within five years time and it will be far too late for Singaporeans to rectify the situation then.

**** 外国住院病人 å æ€»æ•°ä¸åˆ°3% 许文远：这不算多 <http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp100223_016.shtml>
联合早报

æœ¬åœ°å…¬å…±åŒ»é™¢çš„å¤–å›½ä½é™¢ç—…äººå æ€»æ•°ä¸åˆ°3%，卫生部长许文远认为这不算多。

**** Singapore's Consumer Prices Rose On Transportation, Healthcare <http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-23/singapore-s-consumer-prices-rose-on-transportation-healthcare.html>
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg

Singapore’s consumer prices climbed in January as transportation and healthcare costs rose amid an economic recovery that has spurred demand for goods and services.

**** MOM Releases Details On Foreign Worker Levy Changes <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1039314/1/.html>
S Ramesh , Channel NewsAsia

MOM stressed that the foreign worker levy changes are being implemented gradually over the next three years to give businesses time to adjust.

**** Rise In Self-exclusion Applications Since RWS Opened: NCPG <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1039335/1/.html>
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia

More people have applied for self-exclusion orders to bar themselves from entering casinos since the opening of Resorts World Sentosa. Separately, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) said Resorts World Sentosa has been responsive in its dialogue on responsible gambling.

**** Two Challenges Facing Mainstream Media Companies In S'pore <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1039347/1/.html>
Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia

The fast-changing media landscape and the more recent economic crisis are two of the most immediate challenges to Singapore's mainstream media companies, said the acting minister for information, communications and the arts.

**** NSP's Response To Budget 2010 <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2010/02/nsps-response-to-budget-2010.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

The National Solidarity Party (NSP) appreciates the PAP Government efforts to invest in the productivity growth of Singapore, but we are also concerned whether the scheme would really benefit a majority of our Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

**** Romanian Embassy Responds To MFA <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_494014.html>
Straits Times

THE Romanian Embassy on Tuesday officially responded to requests by Singapore's Foreign Ministry over the hit-and-run case involving a car allegedly driven by the embassy's charge d'affaires in Singapore.

In apparent response to Mr Yeo's comments in Parliament, the Romanian Embassy handed over three diplomatic notes - Third Party Notes (TPN) - to the foreign ministry on Tuesday.

**** Singapore Government Dodges Malay Education Issue Again <http://www.asiancorrespondent.com/the-asia-file/singapore-government-dodges-malay-education-issue-again>
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent

Despite the clear message of this data, the government, which tiptoes around racial issues because of fears of ethnic disharmony, does not appear willing to confront the problem.