[MyAppleMenu] Jul 14, 2010

applesurf at myapplemenu.com applesurf at myapplemenu.com
Wed Jul 14 18:59:01 EDT 2010

MyAppleMenu
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**** Yes, Ill Matty You <http://www.slate.com/id/2258803/?from=rss>
Farhad Manjoo, Slate Magazine

Autocorrect gets no respect. Every day, you dash off dozens of messages on your mobile phone, and most of the time, you do it wrong—you mistype, misspell, or make some other kind of error that's bound to cause you great embarrassment. In the vast majority of cases, your phone steps in to save the day. Thanks to the genius of autocorrect, you can appear fully literate even when you type "im ar thw store," "thats so fibby," or "yes ill matty you."

**** Growing Attention On iPhone 4 Signal Issues Presents Risk For Apple <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/07/13/growing_attention_on_iphone_4_signal_issues_presents_risk_for_apple.html>
Neil Hughes, AppleInsider

Shaw Wu with Kaufman Bros. said in a note to investors Tuesday that iPhone 4 demand is still strong, but growing attention on the iPhone 4 antenna could be a concern for Apple. He said checks with supply chain sources have indicated that Apple is having difficulty keeping up with strong demand for its latest phone.

**** Mac Gems: CleanMyMac Gets Rid Of Hard Drive Crud <http://www.macworld.com/reviews/product/569806/review/cleanmymac_19.html?expand=true&lsrc=rss_main>
Jeffery Battersby, Macworld

**** As Apple's PR Disaster Grows, Some Say Recall <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/07/13/as-apples-pr-disaster-grows-some-say-recall/>
Dave Caolo, TUAW

A software fix that simply reports how poor the iPhone's connection to AT&T's network won't fix this issue. Apple's got to act. Fast.

**** MacFriendly Releases New Software Bundle With 12 Apps <http://www.macworld.com/article/152678/2010/07/macfriendly_bundle.html?lsrc=rss_main>
David Dahlquist, Macworld

**** iPhone 4 Antenna Fix Could Impact Apple's Operating Income By 1% <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/07/13/iphone_4_antenna_fix_could_impact_apples_operating_income_by_1.html>
Neil Hughes, AppleInsider

Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray said in a note to investors that investors should "not lose site of the forest for the trees" in the ongoing iPhone 4 antenna controversy. He projected that a potential fix from the Cupertino, Calif., company could impact its operating income by 1 percent.

**** Apple Policy Would Kick AdMob Off IAds, Hamoui Says <http://www.macworld.com/article/152688/2010/07/admob_iad.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Stephen Lawson, IDG News Service

Google’s AdMob business could not deliver advertising through iAd if Apple began enforcing a policy that restricts the involvement of companies that have their own mobile operating systems, said Omar Hamoui, vice president of mobile ads at Google.

**** Apple's Nuking Of iPhone 4 Discussions Is Business As Usual <http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/07/apples-nuking-of-iphone-4-discussions-is-business-as-usual.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss>
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

Longtime Apple product users know that this isn't the first time Apple has deleted discussion threads about controversial topics.

There is rarely (if ever) comment from Apple as to why the discussions are disappearing, leading many to believe that Apple is actively trying to hide the issue. Others believe, however, that the nuked threads are simply ones that violate Apple's TOS, which states that discussions are specifically for community tech support about specific products, and must not include speculations about Apple's decisions.

**** iPhone 4 FaceTime Tips <http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/iphone-4-facetime-tips/7561?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zdnet%2FApple+%28ZDNet+The+Apple+Core%29>
David Morgenstern, ZDNet

FaceTime is the compelling video telephony app for the iPhone 4. And as the millions of units are out in the hands of users, so come the annoyances and the tips. Here are a few about speeding up initiation, working behind a firewall and troubleshooting FaceTime after you’ve ported your number from another carrier.

**** Total Recall Or Total Bull? Some Perspective On The iPhone 4 Antenna Frenzy <http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/13/iphone-4-antenna/>
MG Siegler, TechCrunch

The fact of the matter is that a recall is the last option for Apple. For that to happen, people would have to begin returning their devices in massive numbers. All indications are that this is not happening. The device has been out for a few weeks now, and I’ve only heard about a handful of people returning iPhone 4.

**** How Standard Is FaceTime On The iPhone? Packet Capture Verification <http://www.messagingnews.com/onmessage/ben-gross/how-standard-is-facetime-iphone-packet-capture-verification>
Messaging News

**** Apple Has An Ally; Electromagnetic Engineer Says Consumer Reports iPhone 4 Study Flawed <http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20010484-263.html>
Joe Aimonetti, CNET

Bob Egan, now a technology blogger and Global Head of Research & Chief Analyst at the TowerGroup, claims that the Consumer Reports study that had the popular independent customer advocacy group unable to recommend purchasing iPhone 4 has many inherent flaws and can barely be counted as scientific.

**** Apple Stock Dips After Consumer Reports Says It 'Can't Recommend' iPhone 4 <http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15506807?nclick_check=1>
Frank Michael Russell, San Jose Mercury News

A day after Consumer Reports said it "can't recommend" the new iPhone 4, Apple's stock price fell sharply Tuesday. The Cupertino company's shares dropped as low as $246.43 — before recovering somewhat to finish at $251.80, down $5.49, or 2.1 percent, from the day before.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** A Restaurateur's First Mate <http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/07/a-restaurateurs-first-mate/59619/>
Jarrett Wrisley, The Atlantic

Thanapat Chamuangkul, whom I call Pat, is my new restaurant manager. He is also my last line of defense on the food and beverage battlefield of Bangkok.

Because I am an owner/operator in a foreign land, Pat is an especially vital member of my team. Through him I'll understand the emotional needs of my Thai employees, and more prosaic things like how many times we should feed them each day.



SingaporeSurf
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**** Why Ban Lim Hock Siew’s Footage? <http://kentridgecommon.com/?p=7211>
Christopher Ong, Kent Ridge Common

The belief that Lim Hock Siew’s account of his 20 years in detention is ‘against public interest’ must surely be debated, since the judgment is made in part by the government whose interest is affected as a result of Dr. Lim’s speech.

This ban calls into question who determines what is ‘factual’ and the ‘truth’ in Singapore’s history.

**** Singapore Raises Growth Forecast A Third Time As Asia Rebounds <http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-13/singapore-raises-growth-forecast-a-third-time-as-asia-rebounds.html>
Bloomberg

Singapore raised its growth forecast for a third time this year after manufacturing output surged and the opening of two casinos boosted services, spurring a recovery that’s prompted the central bank to tighten monetary policy.

**** China Seeks To Advance Military Ties With Singapore <http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-07/13/c_13398405.htm>
Xinhua

China Tuesday pledged to continue to promote the development of military relations with Singapore.

**** On Despair <http://becktan.wordpress.com/2010/07/13/on-despair/>
Becktan

**** Why Censorship Is Evil <http://siewkumhong.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-censorship-is-evil.html>
Siew Kum Hong

If his speech was somehow illegal or unlawful, then the authorities should go after him for having made that speech and used those words. Go to the source and address the root problem, so to speak. Instead, the Government has chosen to suppress the film, without prosecuting Dr Lim for the speech. If the speech itself was lawful, then how can the possession or distribution of the film be unlawful? Why should the film be banned? How can the recording of words be somehow more illegal than the words themselves? And if Dr Lim had acted unlawfully, so much so that the Government saw fit to take action and ban the film, then why are they not prosecuting him?

And so we get to the nub of the matter. Censorship by administrative fiat, as in this case, allows the censor to hide and suppress inconvenient or unfavourable facts, ideas and/or words, regardless of whether those facts, ideas and/or words are true, justified or lawful. It gives the censor a convenient tool that obviates any need to confront or address the facts, ideas and/or words in question. It denies one's right to speak words that are lawful. And the fact that all this can be done, in itself has a censoring effect.

**** Martyn See Complies With MDA's Order But Video Goes Viral <http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2010/07/martyn-see-complies-with-mdas-order-but.html>
Martyn See Tong Ming, Only "objective" and "factual" political films please, we're Singaporeans

I have received notices that the film has been downloaded by anonymous netizens who have already or are in the process of uploading it to various video sites such as this. Although I remind all that it is criminal offence (to the tune of a maximum $10,000 fine or two years imprisonment) to possess or distribute the film, I have no wish, nor the means, to hinder the viral spread of the video.

**** Thank You PAP For Promoting Dr Lim Hock Siew! <http://singaporeanskeptic.blogspot.com/2010/07/thank-you-pap-for-promoting-dr-lim-hock.html>
Singaporean Skeptic

This is what happens when a former military man is put in charge of Information, Communication and the Arts (MICA). He bans a video expecting the obedient soldiers of Singapore to comply and forget Dr Lim Hock Siew. But even the most stupid person in the advertising industry will tell you that far from suppressing the video, more people will actually watch it.

**** France To Raise Retirement Age To Singapore's..... <http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2010/07/france-to-raise-retirement-age-to.html>
Diary of A Singaporean Mind

Is the Singapore system good? It is good only when income inequality is small ...then your quality of retirement life relative to others depends on your own discipline to save, and the system achieves both low taxes and high social equity. However, when income inequality is high, the system amplifies the inequality - lower income groups are forced to save degrading their quality of life and those who are too poor don't have enough to set aside cannot even retire.

**** A Lesson For The Opposition <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/perspective/vantage/3905-a-lesson-for-the-opposition>
Singapore Democrat Party

Perhaps it is worth remembering the wise words of Benjamin Franklin when the American independence fighters were battling their British colonialists: "Gentlemen, we must hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

**** Railway Land Swap: New Light On An Old Issue <http://www.eurasiareview.com/201007134939/railway-land-swap-new-light-on-an-old-issue.html>
Yang Razali Kassim, Eurasia Review

Under prime minister Najib Razak, we are seeing a government that is prepared to break new ground in seeking mutual accommodation for mutual gain. Singapore’s leadership has also contributed to this major shift by not being too calculating, and showing that Singapore can also think out of the box to secure a more harmonious long-term strategic relationship. The end result is not just a resolution of the railway land issue, but also possibly a settlement of other outstanding issues that have bedevilled bilateral ties for too long.

**** Transcript Of Dr Lim Hock Siew's Speech On The ISA. <http://barnyardchorus.blogspot.com/2010/07/transcript-of-dr-lim-hock-siews-speech.html>
Barnyard Chorus

**** 转车恐怕需更长时间 <http://www.zaobao.com/yl/yl100714_008.shtml>
蓝国维, 联合早报

所谓以距离算车资，应该是以点对点直线距离，而不是以巴士行驶距离。不管巴士以什么方式绕道，只要是甲点到乙点，就是同样车资。

**** Wisdom And Foolishness <http://www.mysinchew.com/node/41706?tid=14>
Lim Mun Fah, Sin Chew Daily

**** 李总理驳斥大笔“热钱” 从印尼流入新加坡说法 <http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp100714_018.shtml>
郭丽娟　休斯敦, 联合早报

李显龙总理昨天在由亚洲学会和大休斯敦商会（Greater Houston Partnership）主办的午餐会上演讲后回答一名来自印尼的与会者的提问时，驳斥他所提到的有大笔“热钱”从印尼流入新加坡的说法。

**** Policing Propriety As An Abuse Of Human Rights <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/policing-propriety-as-an-abuse-of-human-rights/>
Yawning Bread

My point is this: Leave that cruising ground alone. It disturbs no one, and all who participate do so consensually. The same people who look for sex in there would know to behave quite respectably once they walk out of its confines. To enforce the standards of the shopping belt on a cruising ground is to demand that certain activities inappropriate for the shopping belt must never be permitted anywhere; it is to confine our own humanness to prescribed actions and desires, leaving no space or legitimacy to any other. We reduce ourselves to uni-functional robots.

**** Singapore Trying To Gamble Shrewdly <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7107223.html>
Jenalia Moreno, Houston Chronicle

Singapore's leader hopes two new casinos in his country will stimulate tourism and economic growth and not the vices that often creep up with gambling.

**** 100,000 More Foreign Workers <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_553345.html>
Chua Chin Hon, Straits Times

Singapore can expect the number of foreign workers to increase by at least 100,000 this year in response to the demands of the booming economy, said prime minister Lee Hsien Loong.

**** Gambling Addiction Cases Tripled In Last Three Years <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1069285/1/.html>
Claire, Channel NewsAsia

The number of gambling addiction cases more than tripled in the last three years. While it used to account for 5 per cent of all addiction cases in 2007, gambling accounted for 17 per cent of all addiction cases last year.

**** Singapore Forces Removal Of Dissident Video From YouTube <http://www.mysinchew.com/node/41748>
AFP

A Singaporean filmmaker on Wednesday complied with a government order to remove a political film from video sharing site YouTube but said others were defiantly spreading it on the web.

The banned video titled "Ex-political prisoner speaks out in Singapore" is about a rare public talk in 2009 by Lim Hock Siew, a leftist medical doctor and activist held from 1963 to 1982 during then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's rule.

**** Singapore May Tighten Policy In October <http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2010/07/14/singapore-may-tighten-policy-in-october/>
Dow Jones

The Monetary Authority of Singapore may move toward tighter economic policy by “re-centering” its targeted band for the local currency if the economy continues its rapid growth, HSBC economist Frederic Neumann told Market Talk. The government reported second-quarter GDP rose 26% from previous quarter, on a seasonally adjusted and annualized basis.

**** Who Really Benefits From Rising HDB Housing Prices? <http://furrybrowndog.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/whom-really-benefits-from-rising-hdb-housing-prices/>
Furry Brown Dog

There isn’t any way existing and fully paid HDB home owners can exploit housing equity which increases along with the price of their flats. At the worst, it gives them a false sense of social security and certainly less reason for the government to do something about the problem of retirement. And certainly, let us not forget whom the true beneficiaries of rising HDB prices are, the privileged and wealthy few whom can afford multiple (public) properties for subletting unless this glaring loophole in HDB regulations is finally closed.

**** MAS Statement On The Disruption Of DBS Bank's Services On Monday, 5 July 2010 <http://www.mas.gov.sg/news_room/press_releases/2010/MAS_Statement_on_the_Disruption_of_DBS_Bank_Services.html>
Monetary Authority Of Singapore, Singapore Government

**** DBS HK Unit Agrees To Pay HK$651m To Clients Who Bought Lehman-linked Notes <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1069347/1/.html>
Mok Fei Fei, Channel NewsAsia

DBS' Hong Kong unit has agreed to pay out $651 million Hong Kong dollars or about S$115 million to some clients who bought products linked to Lehman Brothers.

**** 2 Lefts, Only 1 Right <http://civicadvocator.net/2-lefts-only-1-right>
Civic Advocator

Clearly, what is ‘right’ for Singapore and her history is very one-sided. The government’s side.

**** Minibond Saga In HK - Role Of Democratic Pressures <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2010/07/minibond-saga-in-hk-role-of-democratic.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

In Singapore, the government would prefer to protect the interests of the banks and financial institutions in such an ultra-capitalist manner basically because the government itself holds substantial shares in most of the local financial banks and institutions. It would be difficult for the government to be a good referee (i.e. regulator) as well as the main players (shareholders of these institutions). Naturally, the interests of investors would be compromised in the process.

This situation is further worsen by the fact that there is a lack of true checks and balances in parliament. In HK's case, the Legco enforce an equivalent of "Commission of Inquiry" to get civil servants from the Finance ministry as well as chiefs of those banking institutions to be questioned thoroughly. Such pressure has finally paid off by a reasonable settlement being made by getting the institutions to compensate up to 60% to 70% to their investors.

In great contrast, Singapore Minibond victims are left to their own peril.

**** Straits Times – “Accurate, Timely And Balanced”? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/07/straits-times-–-“accurate-timely-and-balanced”/>
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen

A Singapore minister recently praised the mainstream media for being “accurate, timely and balanced in its reporting”.

This latest episode, however, shows the Straits Times is nothing of the sort. Instead of checking its facts and reporting them fairly, the Straits Times has instead help propagate inaccuracies.

Which master, and what purpose, does the Straits Times serve?




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