[MyAppleMenu] Mar 11, 2010

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Rollup To iPad <http://ihnatko.com/2010/03/10/rollup-to-ipad/>
Andy Ihnatko's Celestial Waste of Bandwidth (BETA)

In the meantime, I’m preparing for the iPad.

**** Q&A: Controlling The PC By Phone <http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/qa-controlling-the-pc-by-phone/?partner=rss&emc=rss>
J.D. Biersdorfer, New York Times

The iPhone App Store has apps that allow you to remotely tap into your PC.

**** Apple iPad, Microsoft Courier And The Death Of The Keyboard <http://news.google.com/news/url?fd=R&sa=T&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.silicon.com%2Ftechnology%2Fhardware%2F2010%2F03%2F10%2Fapple-ipad-microsoft-courier-and-the-death-of-the-keyboard-39745571%2F&usg=AFQjCNHG7aW6wlJRJJdAO-KXpZO0RqxlZQ>
Steve Ranger, Silicon.com

The keyboard isn't going away any time soon but there have never been so many credible rivals to its supremacy.

**** Apple Releases MainStage 2.1.1, Fixes 32-bit Issues <http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/191193/apple_releases_mainstage_211_fixes_32bit_issues.html>
Serenity Caldwell, Macworld

**** Why Steve Ballmer May Regret Praising Apple <http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/app-economy/2010/03/10/why-steve-ballmer-may-regret-his-praise-apple>
Kevin Kelleher, Slate Magazine

Today Ballmer is praising Apple. Which will make it all the more painful if Apple decides to turn on Microsoft in the future.

**** Should Apple's Developers Fight Back? <http://www.thebigmoney.com/blogs/app-economy/2010/03/10/call-push-back-apples-developer-agreement>
Kevin Kelleher, Slate Magazine

Apple has its reasons for introducing each of these demands in its contracts. But the least it could do is engage in an open discussion about why they are there and whether they should be changed.

**** It's Time To Declare War Against Apple's Censorship <http://gizmodo.com/5490310/its-time-to-declare-war-against-apples-censorship>
Jesus Diaz, Gizmodo

If indeed things get any worse, I hope the lawyers at the European Union, and hopefully some commission at the United States' Senate will give us the answer.

**** Mobile Apps That Outperform Web Sites <http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=a5756e7b638068e23c607760b8d1fc05>
Claire Cain Miller, New York Times

Some Web site founders have been surprised that their products are better suited to cellphones.

**** What Apple's And Microsoft's Patent Threats Mean For Start-ups <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10466670-16.html?part=rss&amp;subj=news&amp;tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
Matt Asay, CNET News

What is immediately obvious to me is that a) the technology industry is a morass of conflicting patent claims, b) since there's really no way to completely avoid others' patents the best defense is to have a hefty counterbalancing patent portfolio of one's own, and c) thus, only big companies can truly compete in a trigger-happy, patent-wielding marketplace.

**** Apple Tops Consumer Reports' Tech Support Survey <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10467112-37.html?part=rss&amp;subj=news&amp;tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
Jim Dalrymple, CNET News

For laptop computers, Apple scored 86 out of a possible 100. That's 23 points above its nearest competitor, Lenovo, which scored a 63. In fact, Apple scored the highest in each of the Consumer Reports categories.

**** Move An iTunes Library From A Windows PC To A Mac <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=9c0dd168417640720f6af8d4242a2e7d>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

What used to be a complex procedure is now relatively simple with iTunes 9. So make sure you’re running the latest version of iTunes on both systems, and then follow these easy steps.

**** Game Developers Eye The Mac After Steam's Jump To Apple <http://www.pheedcontent.com/click.phdo?i=f05acac8c4345372b52ba00d75fb1a90>
AppleInsider

The announcement that the Steam gaming service and Valve's line of games -- including Half-Life 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 -- are being ported to the Mac has convinced major developers like DICE and Gas Powered Games to consider the jump as well.

**** Six Tips For Using The Dock Efficiently <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=eefdbc948babfa60ddb6cef6280b472e>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

Here are some tips for using the Dock efficiently—whether you're quickly accessing files, folders and applications or turning on and off your tunes.

**** Apple iPhone Targeted In Patent Lawsuit Over Sync, Bluetooth <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/10/apple_iphone_targeted_in_patent_lawsuit_over_sync_bluetooth.html>
Neil Hughes, AppleInsider

Apple -- along with AT&amp;T, Research in Motion and a number of other mobile companies -- is the defendant in a new patent suit that covers a broad range of smartphone related technologies, including e-mail syncing and Bluetooth connectivity.

**** LogMeIn Intros Pro2 Remote Access For Mac <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=f2cf95a7620dfc5a3e01fb214bfd3259>
Nick Spence, Macworld UK

**** TextExpander 3 Saves You From More Tedious Typing <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=8635d40944d4d308b833d97d3184c21e>
David Chartier, Macworld

TextExpander from SmileOnMyMac is the ultimate macro tool. It lets you create snippets of frequently used text or images, then instantly paste said snippets into any app simply by typing an abbreviation. It’s like a rubber stamp for working on your Mac, and it just got a lot more...stampier—but in a good way.

**** The Journeyman Project 3: Legacy Of Time 10th Anniversary DVD <http://www.insidemacgames.com/reviews/view.php?ID=1076>
Richard Hallas, Inside Mac Games

Legacy of Time is not an especially lengthy or demanding game, but it remains as entertaining and immersive as when it was new. Buy it in full knowledge of what it represents, and you should certainly enjoy it.

**** FileMaker Goes To 11 <http://technologizer.com/2010/03/10/filemaker-goes-to-11/>
Harry McCracken, Technologizer



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Starbucks’ Midlife Crisis <http://reason.com/archives/2010/02/09/starbucks-midlife-crisis>
Greg Beato, Reason

The coffee giant can’t quite accept its own customers’ tastes.

**** Making Mars the New Earth <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/big-idea/07/mars>
Robert Kunzig, National Geographic Magazine

What would it take to green the red planet? For starters, a massive amount of global warming.

**** One Cubic Foot <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/02/cubic-foot/wilson-text>
Edward O. Wilson, photograph by David Liittschwager, National Geographic Magazine

Guess how many creatures you'll find in a cube of soil or sea.

**** Dewey Defeat Truman <http://www.slate.com/id/2247470/?from=rss>
Christopher Beam, Slate Magazine

Do newspapers ever correct a speaker's broken English?

**** James Hynes’s ‘Next’: A Job Interview To End All Interviews <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/books/11book.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Janet Maslin, New York Times

In James Hynes’s new novel, a middle-aged man on a one-day trip to Austin for a job interview comes full to life at long last and puts an end to his long, long phase of arrested development.

**** A Verse to Self: Joan Houlihan’s <i>The Us</i> <http://www.criticalflame.org/verse/0310_bennett.htm>
Jacob A. Bennett, Critical Flame

The choice of the poet to employ the objective personal pronoun — “us” — instead of the subjective — “we” — is the first of many (mis)appropriations that may sound funny to ears accustomed to standard English, but which signal a significant, deliberate shift away from contemporary idiom.



SingaporeSurf
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**** Singapore: As Casino Opens, Watch For Its Social Impact Begins <http://www.globalissues.org/news/2010/03/09/4801>
Stanislaus Jude Chan, Inter Press Service

Already, the crimes are rolling in along with the chips that the casino is raking in.

**** Summoning Hither The Dolphins <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/03/summoning-hither-the-dolphins/>
Hoe Jia Wen, The Online Citizen

Animal activists have raised legal and welfare concerns about the impending transfer of 18 bottlenose dolphins to Marine Life Park Resorts World Sentosa. These wild dolphins, caught from the Solomon Islands, are currently being trained in Ocean Adventure Park in Subic Bay Freeport of the Philippines, while awaiting the completion of the integrated resort.

**** Radicalism In Students <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100311-0000112/Radicalism-in-students>
Zul Othman, Today

As part of schools' pastoral efforts, teachers keep an eye out for tell-tale signs of students who may be "drawn into violent or extremist ideologies and counsel them", senior parliamentary secretary for education and home affairs Masagos Zulkifli told Parliament yesterday.

**** MOE To Relax Eligibility Criteria For CL 'B' <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100311-0000162/MOE-to-relax-eligibility-criteria-for-CL-B>
Zul Othman, Today

In an effort to encourage more students to acquire a functional command of Chinese, the education ministry will further adjust standards to match the capabilities of weaker students. This move will have an impact especially at the junior college and centralised institute level, where MOE will relax the eligibility criteria for taking CL 'B' from the current O-level E8 grade or below, to D7 grade or below.

**** No Hike, Say Some Town Councils <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100311-0000132/No-hike,-say-some-town-councils>
Ong Dai Lin, Today

Despite rising electricity prices and maintenance costs, these town councils tell MediaCorp they will not be raising Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) for now. They are Ang Mo Kio-Yio Chu Kang, Bishan-Toa Payoh, East Coast, Holland-Bukit Panjang, Jalan Besar, Sembawang and Tampines.

**** Ionescu 'Criminally Concerned' In Death <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100311-0000139/Ionescu-criminally-concerned-in-death>
Leong Wee Keat, Today

**** LTA Trying To Scam Singaporeans' Money? <http://www.bradleyfarless.com/2010/03/lta-trying-to-scam-singaporeans-money.html>
Brad Farless

What's going on here is that LTA has recognized an opportunity to try to shaft people out of more of their hard earned money by making them pay for something they've already paid for and is moving quickly to capitalize on it. Shameful, and it should be illegal.

**** Sylvia Lim: R&D Spending Needs To Be Accounted For <http://geraldgiam.sg/2010/03/sylvia-lim-rd-spending-needs-to-be-accounted-for/>
geraldgiam.sg

What other output/outcome indicators are tracked by the government? How are we doing in terms of R&D output or outcomes vis-Ã -vis other countries at a comparable stage of their R&D?

**** PAP Hides The Failure Of Their Retirement Policies By Passing The Buck To You. <http://singaporeanskeptic.blogspot.com/2010/03/pap-hides-failure-of-their-retirement.html>
Singaporean Skeptic

**** æ–°åŠ å¡é™·"半桶水双语"窘境 教育部推出政策弥补 <http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gj/gj-sswh/news/2010/03-11/2163220.shtml>
中国新闻网

è™½ç„¶æ–°åŠ å¡å¯¹å¤–å®£ä¼ åŒè¯­æ•™è‚²æ”¿ç­–çš„æˆåŠŸï¼Œä½†è¿™2天国会辩论，却突显国民“英语说不好、汉语也说不好”的窘境。

**** Copyright "Harmonization" Hits Snags In Europe And Singapore <http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/2947>
John Bergmayer, Public Knowledge

If different the parties to ACTA can’t agree on the liability of BitTorrent site operators, or on the legality of remote DVRs, a broadly-worded document like what we’ve seen in the ACTA leaks isn’t likely to harmonize much.

**** Gay Pride In Singapore? <http://www.navalgazing.com/2010/03/11/gay-pride-in-singapore/>
Navalgazing

**** Appropriateness And Integrity In The Use Of Government Statistics <http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/03/11/appropriateness-and-integrity-in-the-use-of-government-statistics/>
Edmund Khor, The Temasek Review

The Chief Statistician and the Singapore Department of Statistics, as our national statistical authority, must be allowed to adhere to their professional ethics and to voice out against any misrepresentation from the inappropriate use of statistical data by government leaders for political gains. This will prevent further undermine in the confidence of Singaporeans in our government statistical data.

**** Homelessness Is Not A Dirty Word <http://lianain.blogspot.com/2010/03/homelessness-is-not-dirty-word.html>
Lianain Films

Acknowledging their presence is not a sign of weakness. Taking some collective responsibility for their plight doesn’t mean we descend into welfarism. It merely means we’ve evolved, that we’ve learnt to be a little bit more compassionate, that we understand that the poor and homeless are not undeserving of help.

**** Thai Shin Corp: Temasek Has No Plans To Sell Shin <http://in.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idINSGE6290D220100310>
Khettiya Jittapong and Pisit Changplayngam, Reuters

Thai telecoms group Shin Corp said its major shareholder, Singapore's Temasek Holdings, had no plans to sell its stakes in the Thai firm or in satellite unit Thaicom.

**** 3 Bills Tabled To Amend Constitution, Presidential & Parliamentary Elections <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1042933/1/.html>
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia

Three Bills have been tabled to amend the Constitution as well as the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Acts - paving the way for changes to the political system ahead of the next General Election, due by February 2012. 

Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong had proposed in May last year several enhancements to the political system. These include decreasing the size of the Group Representation Constituency (GRC), increasing the number of Non-Constituency MPs and making the Nominated MP scheme permanent.

**** Vehicle Quota System Tweaked <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1042955/1/.html>
Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia

Under the new methodology, LTA will recycle the COE quota from the actual vehicle de-registrations in the most recent 6-month period back into the system. LTA says this eliminates the need to make any corrections due to any under- or over-estimation.

**** A Haunting Exhibition At SAM <http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/11/a-haunting-exhibition-sam.html>
Carla Bianpoen, The Jakarta Post

Singapore Art Museum, which is displaying for the first time the works of a living Indonesian artist in its main hall, has stretched its limits by using a design expert for the display, making FX Harsono’s solo show one of a kind.

**** LTA: We're Not Licensed To Share Data <http://www.imerlion.com/2010/03/lta-were-not-licensed-to-share-data.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheSingaporeIphoneGuide+%28The+Singapore+iPhone+Guide%29>
Jimmy Yap, iMerlion

In response to a query from iMerlion, the Land Transport Authority says that it is not licensed to share the live parking data from its Parking Guidance Systems with third parties.