[MyAppleMenu] Nov 16, 2010

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple Is Heading Into The Shiny Toy Sales Gutter <http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/feature/1897988/apple-heading-shiny-toy-sales-gutter>
Lawrence Latif, The Inquirer

It's easy to take apart Apple's decision to recommend the Mac Mini as a replacement for the Xserve, but what this graphically illustrates is Apple's recently growing reliance on the use of marketing wordplay to shift products rather than clever design or pray, any real innovation.

**** Apple Is Number One Danger To Internet Freedom, Says Columbia Professor <http://blogs.computerworld.com/17354/apple_is_number_one_danger_to_internet_freedom_says_columbia_professor>
Preston Gralla, Computerworld

I think Wu is on target about Jobs' overweening desire for control, but I'm not sure that Apple will be able to continue to exert that kind of control when he leaves the company.

**** The Apple-Oracle Plot Against Open Source <http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/the-apple-oracle-plot-against-open-source/7774>
Dana Blankenhorn, ZDNet

It’s all about the Great Game, and you’re not invited to play.

**** Macs Teach Many Lessons At Newton North High School <http://www.cultofmac.com/macs-teach-many-lessons-at-newton-north-high-school-apple-in-education/68197>
Adam Rosen, Cult Of Mac

**** Apple To Offer Youth Workshops At Select Stores <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/15/apple-to-offer-youth-workshops-at-select-stores/>
Dave Caolo, TUAW

Apple will host holiday-themed workshops for kids ages six to 13-years-old this month. Topics will include photos, videos and presentations. That sounds just swell, but the bad news is that the workshops will take place at a very limited number of Apple Stores.

**** A Less-expensive MobileMe Subscription <http://www.macworld.com/article/155718/2010/11/cheaper_mobileme.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld

Currently a MobileMe subscription at Amazon is going for $58.55 versus Apple’s $99 a year.

**** PlainText - Dropbox Text Editing Review <http://www.macworld.com/appguide/app.html?id=722625&lsrc=rss_main>
Jeffery Battersby, Macworld

Basic text editor for iOS devices makes creating text a pleasure.

**** 10.6.5 Server Update Pulled By Apple <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/15/10-6-5-server-update-pulled-by-apple/>
Michael Rose, TUAW

**** Does Apple's Java Move Mean A Less Secure Mac? <http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9196582/Does_Apple_s_Java_move_mean_a_less_secure_Mac_?source=rss_operatingsystems>
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

"Instead of having to worry about one thing being updated -- the operating system -- users will now have to worry about three things being kept up to date: the OS, Java and Flash," said Charlie Miller, an analyst with Baltimore-based Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) and co-author of The Mac Hacker's Handbook.

**** Apple MacBook Air 11-Inch Review <http://www.t3.com/reviews/computers/laptops/apple-macbook-air-11-inch-review>
Hannah Bouckley, T3

However, we’d be tempted to pitch the 11-inch Air as more of an iPad rival. OK, the operating systems are slightly different, but it takes up a similar space in your bag (only weighing a few hundred grams more), adds the keyboard many iPad users crave and you've got the Mac App Store coming soon.  It's certainly  a viable alternative to the iPad for anyone whose main prioirty is work and email.

**** Free: Best Media Playback App Not From Apple <http://mac360.com/index.php/mac360/comments/free-best-media-playback-app-not-from-apple-adobe-or-microsoft/>
Jeffrey Mincey, Mac360

Is there a single video player that plays every type of video? If there is, it’s likely to be called VLC. It’s a free, open source, cross-platform multimedia player that plays what Flash, QuickTime, and Windows Video cannot.

**** Free: The Best Word Processor For Pure Writers <http://mac360.com/index.php/mac360/comments/free-the-best-word-processor-for-pure-writers/>
Ron McElfresh, Mac360

**** Apple iTunes, At Long Last, Gets Rights To Beatles <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703326204575617004052395816.html#ixzz15OVvf61B>
Ethan Smith, Wall Street Journal

Apple Inc. is preparing to announce that its iTunes Store will soon start carrying music by the Beatles, according to people familiar with the situation, a move that would fill in a glaring gap in the collection of the world's largest music retailer.

The agreement would represent a watershed in a fraught, decades-long relationship between two of the biggest icons in their respective fields.

**** The Tech Industry Is A Virus <http://scripting.com/stories/2010/11/15/theTechIndustryIsAVirus.html>
Dave Winer, Scripting News

I never said they could. What else did they do with my contacts? Send a copy to their server for safe-keeping? Foolish me, but I thought that was my iPhone and my contact list. I paid huge money for the iPhone, so it's not like it could be anyone's "business model" to use that data. But now, as far as I know, some unknown startup in California has all my data.

**** Apple Reposts Mac OS X Server 10.6.5 Update, Adds Mail Fix <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/11/15/apple_reposts_mac_os_x_server_10_6_5_update_adds_mail_fix.html>
Josh Ong, AppleInsider

Apple released Mac OS X Server 10.6.5 build 10H575 late Monday, after having quietly pulled the previous build, 10H574. Mac OS X Server 10.6.5 was originally released last Wednesday alongside Mac OS X 10.6.5, but users quickly reported issues with the update.

According to Apple, the updated version fixes a flaw where "a user may receive mail intended for other users."

**** Outlook 2011 Review: Beyond Entourage, Not Quite Outlook For Windows <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/16/outlook-2011-review-beyond-entourage-not-quite-outlook-for-win/>
Kelly Guimont, TUAW

**** Update Mail Bundles Yourself <http://www.macworld.com/article/155728/2010/11/updatemailbundles.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Dan Miller, Macworld

The crux of the problem is that bundles like GrowlMail are configured to work with specific versions of Mail.app and the Message.framework; those versions are identified by their Universally Unique Identifiers (UUIDs). To get the old add-ins working with the new Mail, you have to tell those bundles what the new UUIDs are.

**** PDFpenPro 5 <http://www.macworld.com/reviews/product/665770/review/pdfpenpro_5.html?expand=true&lsrc=rss_main>
John Brandon, Macworld

PDFpen Pro 5 is a powerful Mac-only tool that helps you edit PDF files. It’s much more affordable than Adobe Acrobat Pro, but provides many of the same features.

**** You Can't Buy Me Love, But You Can Buy The Beatles On iTunes <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/16/you-cant-buy-me-love-but-you-can-buy-the-beatles/>
Megan Lavey, TUAW

It slipped out a bit early, but the Beatles complete back catalog is available through iTunes. The individual albums clock in at $12.99 while a boxset of the Beatles' entire work is available for $149.

**** The Beatles Arrive On iTunes <http://www.macworld.com/article/155735/2010/11/beatles_itunes.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Dan Moren, Macworld

It’s the culmination of years of rumors, half-starts, and legal disputes between Apple and The Beatles’s Apple Corps. In a day and age where most new music is released online, The Beatles have long been the most promninent holdout from digital downloads.

With Tuesday’s move, Apple becomes the first music download service to offer The Beatles, which is no doubt a feather in Steve Jobs’s personal cap. But, more importantly, it means that we no longer have to endlessly speculate about when The Beatles will finally arrive on iTunes. And there’s just no price tag you can put on that.

**** The Beatles On iTunes -- Unforgettable? <http://www.macworld.com/article/155745/2010/11/itunes_beatles_unforgettable.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld

If you’re such a fan that you’ve followed the labyrinthine legal maneuvers that took place after the band broke up—including Apple Records’ infringement issues with Apple Computer—then today has been a long time coming.

And, of course, if you’re Steve Jobs, this is a personal triumph.

**** It’s The Beatles <http://ihnatko.com/2010/11/16/its-the-beatles/>
Andy Ihnatko's Celestial Waste of Bandwidth (BETA)

Which surprised me a little when I became convinced of it last night because in recent weeks I’d been working under the theory that bringing the Beatles catalogue to iTunes was a high priority only for Apple…not for the Beatles or EMI.

I think it’s more about exposure than unit sales.

**** Apple Has Beatles Exclusive Until 2011 <http://www.loopinsight.com/2010/11/16/apple-has-beatles-exclusive-until-2011/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+loopinsight%2FKqJb+%28The+Loop%29>
Jim Dalrymple, The Loop

“The Beatles will be available for digital downloads exclusively on iTunes, with the exclusive expiring in 2011,” an Apple spokesperson told The Loop.

**** SOHO Labels 5, Organizer 8.5 Bring The Office Goods <http://www.macworld.com/article/155738/2010/11/soho_labels_5_organizer.html?lsrc=rss_main>
David Chartier, Macworld

SOHO Labels 5 is the more significant of the two updates, as Chronos brought over a number of features that debuted in its other products, including SOHO Business Cards 3 and iScrapbook 3. These include a Cover Flow browser for graphic iScrapKits and a new Smart Template system with more than 300 templates to get you started.

**** Google Voice Released For The iPhone <http://www.loopinsight.com/2010/11/16/google-voice-released-for-the-iphone/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+loopinsight%2FKqJb+%28The+Loop%29>
Jim Dalrymple, The Loop

**** Wolfram Research Intros Mathematica 8 <http://www.macworld.com/article/155741/2010/11/mathematica8.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Nick Spence, Macworld UK

Integrating technology of Wolfram|Alpha, the Mathematica-powered computational knowledge engine, makes it possible to enter math or data calculations in plain English and get immediate answers or start an extensive analysis.



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Hand-Held Devices Find A Place In College Classes <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/education/16clickers.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Jacques Steinberg, New York Times

But the greatest impact of such devices — which more than a half-million students are using this fall on several thousand college campuses — may be cultural: they have altered, perhaps irrevocably, the nap schedules of anyone who might have hoped to catch a few winks in the back row, and made it harder for them to respond to text messages, e-mail and other distractions.

**** Facebook’s Modern Messaging System: Seamless, History, And A Social Inbox <http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/15/facebook-messaging/>
MG Siegler, TechCrunch



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Colorless, Tasteless But Not Dangerous <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/books/16book.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss>
Dwight Garner, New York Times

So many volumes about race and its discontents are published each year that you could keep a specialty bookstore stocked with them. In the back of that imagined bookstore (where the “adult” stuff used to reside) there’d be a selection of vaguely self-loathing books you’d be tempted to label Ironic White Studies.

**** Destroyed Apple Products Become Photographic Works Of Art <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/11/destroyed-apple-products-become-photographic-works-of-art.html>
David Ng, Los Angeles Times

When does an iPhone or an iPad cease to be a mere consumer gadget and enter the rarefied world of visual art? How about when someone willfully destroys it, turning it into an abstract, brutalized husk of its former self?

**** Jimmy Baldwin: Stirring The Waters <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/nov/25/jimmy-baldwin-stirring-waters/?pagination=false>
Darryl Pinckney, New York Review Of Books

Life never bribed him to look at anything but the soul, Henry James said of Emerson, and one could say the same of James Baldwin, with a similar suggestion that the price for his purity was blindness about some other things in life. Baldwin possessed to an extraordinary degree what James called Emerson’s “special capacity for moral experience.” He, too, is persuasive in his antimaterialism. Baldwin, like Emerson, renounced the pulpit—he had been a fiery boy preacher in Harlem—and readers have found in the writings of each the atmosphere of church.

**** Continental Divide <http://www.slate.com/id/2274938/>
Anne Applebaum, Slate

Europeans are starting to realize that their governments are too big. Will Americans catch on next?

**** Looking For Neutrinos, Nature's Ghost Particles <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Looking-for-Neutrinos-Natures-Ghost-Particles.html#>
Ann Finkbeiner, Smithsonian Magazine

To capture these elusive entities, physicists have conducted some extraordinarily ambitious experiments. So that neutrinos aren’t confused with cosmic rays (subatomic particles from outer space that do not penetrate the earth), detectors are installed deep underground. Enormous ones have been placed in gold and nickel mines, in tunnels beneath mountains, in the ocean and in Antarctic ice. These strangely beautiful devices are monuments to humankind’s resolve to learn about the universe.

**** Burger Queen <http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/11/22/101122fa_fact_collins>
Lauren Collins, New Yorker

April Bloomfield’s gastropub revolution.

**** The Shadow Scholar <http://chronicle.com/article/article-content/125329/>
Ed Dante (Pseudonym), Chronicle Of Higher Education

In the past year, I've written roughly 5,000 pages of scholarly literature, most on very tight deadlines. But you won't find my name on a single paper.



SingaporeSurf
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**** We Will Need To Actively Push Healthcare Forward: MM Lee <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC101116-0000113/We-will-need-to-actively-push-healthcare-forward--MM-Lee>
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Today

Improvements in healthcare do not come about just because of new drugs, devices or procedures. Often, it is the people who and the institutions that make the difference. Minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew made this observation yesterday as he called on healthcare professionals and institutions to "continually innovate and enhance their delivery of services". 

**** The Web As Feedback Forum <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC101116-0000048/The-Web-as-feedback-forum>
Kwan Jin Yao, Today

**** We Can't Avoid The Hard Questions <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC101116-0000128/We-cant-avoid-the-hard-questions>
Ng Ya Ken, Today

**** HDB 50 Years: From Affordable To Struggle <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2010/11/hdb-50-years-from-affordable-to.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

HDB has started out as a good socialist tool for land reform and redistribution. However it seems that half way down the road, it has totally diverted from its original humble but important objective of providing cheap public housing.

It has developed into a monster that overpriced basic housing which results in it cannibalizing on Singaporeans’ retirement funds. If we do not stop the PAP government’s Minister Mah from perpetuating this policy direction of high HDB prices, we would be supporting his plan to get Singaporeans to sell off their HDB flats for retirement in future!

**** Casino Exclusion Made Easier For Foreigners <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1093655/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

The National Council On Problem Gambling (NCPG) says foreigners in Singapore can apply for casino self exclusion and family exclusion from the NCPG.

**** Performance Vs Privilege <http://iantan.org/archives/2544>
Ian Tan, Empty Vessel

Performance at the PSLE is also determined by family background and one’s social circles.

**** The Seated Candidate <http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2010/11/seated-candidate.html>
Singapore Notes

Maybe he was just insensitive to the problems on the ground, or maybe the interferons in his brain have been misfiring with the passage of time. You be the judge.

**** Swiss Vandal Released From Prison <http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/11/16/swiss-vandal-released-from-prison/>
Alicia Wong, Yahoo!

**** Libel Suit Against Blogger Goes To Trial <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_603804.html>
K. C. Vijayan, Straits Times

This is believed to be the first case of alleged defamation by a blogger that will go to trial.

**** Probe Into Chiam's Ex-protege <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_603801.html>
Kor Kian Beng & Tessa Wong, Straits Times

The Singapore People's Party (SPP) led by Mr Chiam See Tong has set up a disciplinary committee to investigate recent actions and remarks by the Potong Pasir MP's ex-protege Desmond Lim.

**** U.K. Author Jailed For Six Weeks For Singapore Contempt <http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-16/u-k-author-shadrake-gets-six-weeks-in-jail-fine-for-singapore-contempt.html>
Simeon Bennett And Andrea Tan, Bloomberg

Alan Shadrake, the British author convicted of contempt of court for disparaging Singapore’s judiciary, was sentenced to six weeks in jail and fined S$20,000 ($15,380).

Shadrake, 76, was also ordered to pay S$55,000 in costs to the prosecution by Singapore High Court Judge Quentin Loh today.

**** Singapore Export Growth Accelerates <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703326204575617743347531372.html>
Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Wall Street Journal

Singapore's exports accelerated more than expected in October as fears of a double-dip global recession eased somewhat, pushing up shipments to major trading partners ahead of the holiday season.

**** 'Detention Without Trial' <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_603830.html>
Lai Han-Wei, Straits Times

The six suspects in the Bukit Panjang slashing attacks are likely to face detention without trial, a police spokesman told straitstimes.com on Tuesday morning.

**** Singapore Court's Sentencing Of Mr. Alan Shadrake Is Excessive <http://sfd.sg/content/singapore-courts-sentencing-mr-alan-shadrake-excessive>
James Gomez, Singaporeans For Democracy

Singaporeans For Democracy calls on members of the United Nations to take note of the Alan Shadrake case and hold the Singapore government accountable during the Universal Periodic Review process later in 2011.

**** MHA To Review Gangs, Youth Violence Laws <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1093798/1/.html>
Wayne Chan, Channel NewsAsia

The government is considering if laws need to be tweaked to give more police power and sentencing options to deal with gangs and youth violence.

Minister of state for education and home affairs, Masagos Zulkifli, said the review would take between six and nine months.

**** Cpf Ordinary Account Interest Rate From 1 January 2011 To 31 March 2011 <http://mycpf.cpf.gov.sg/CPF/News/News-Release/N_16November2010.htm>
Central Provident Fund Board, Singapore Government

The Board will continue to pay 2.50% interest per annum for members’ CPF savings in their Ordinary Account (OA) from 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011. The computed CPF interest rate derived from the major local banks’ interest rates for the three-month period, 1 August 2010 to 31 October 2010, worked out to be 0.40% per annum.  However, the higher rate of 2.50% will be paid as the CPF Act provides for a minimum CPF interest rate of 2.50% per annum.

**** Disgraceful Jail Sentence For British Author In Singapore <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2010/nov/16/press-freedom-singapore?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Roy Greenslade, Guardian

The jailing of 76-year-old British author Alan Shadrake in Singapore is, quite simply, a disgrace. It confirms that there is no freedom of expression in the city-state island.

I agree with Index on Censorship's chief executive John Kampfner who says that the "sentence once again shows Singapore's desperate difficulties in dealing with criticism and free expression."

**** Swiss Graffiti Vandal Freed From Singapore Jail <http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss_news/Swiss_graffiti_vandal_freed_from_Singapore_jail.html?cid=28802238>
Swissinfo.ch

The 32-year-old computer consultant also faced three strokes of the cane for breaking into a train depot with an accomplice and drawing graffiti on two subway carriages on May 16. It was unclear, however, whether he actually received a lashing.

**** Six Weeks In Jail For British Writer Who Criticised Use Of Death Penalty <http://en.rsf.org/singapore-six-weeks-in-jail-for-british-16-11-2010,38821.html>
Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders deplores the decision to jail a man who is 76 and unwell, and whose only crime was to exercise his critical powers. As a Commonwealth member, Singapore is supposed to promote democracy and the rule of law. The Commonwealth’s 1991 Harare Declaration accorded particular importance to the rights of the individual and ethical governance.

Shadrake has no place in prison and deserves nothing but praise for his work.

**** Speech Time: MPs To Discuss Matter <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_604063.html>
Ng Sheau Jiuan, Clerk Of Parliament, Singapore Government

The recommendations of the Report of the Standing Orders Committee will be discussed by Members at the next sitting of Parliament on Monday. After the debate, the House will then decide on whether or not to accept the recommendations of the committee.

**** We Don't Have The Right <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_604058.html>
Christine Chan, Straits Times

Mr Nair's proposals call for an arbitrary line-drawing exercise to exclude foreign workers from the scope of 'foreigners' based solely on their income levels. A decision to discriminate against foreign workers (with salaries below a certain amount) by banning them from casinos or curbing their entry is contradictory to our treatment of other foreigners.

**** LawSoc's Policy On Business Class Travel Ruffles Feathers <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC101117-0000101/LawSocs-policy-on-business-class-travel-ruffles-feathers>
Ong Dai Lin, Today

The legal fraternity is in a flap over a recent move by the Law Society (LawSoc) - which raised its annual membership subscription fees for lawyers by $200 last year - to provide business class air tickets for council members travelling on business for the society.

**** A City That Works <http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=630749&publicationSubCategoryId=66>
Boo Chanco, Philippine Star

The challenge of making Singapore, the city, work is essentially similar to the daily challenges that any big city mayor (like New York’s Mayor Bloomberg) or governor (as in the case of Tokyo) faces. And this is the beauty of the Singapore experience. It obliterates the image of the big bad city and its crime filled streets and public services that leave much to be desired… even in New York!

**** Carrefour's Malaysia, Singapore Deal On Ice-sources <http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/9363280>
Taro Fuse And Ritsuko Shimizu, Reuters

Carrefour has suspended the sale of its Malaysian and Singapore stores after bidders, including Japan's Aeon Co Ltd, offered too little to persuade the French retailer to part with the operations, two sources told Reuters.

**** Death And Discrimination In Singapore <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/nov/16/death-discrimination-singapore-shadrake?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Parvais Jabbar And Saul Lehrfreund, Guardian

The prospect of judges punishing someone in the matter of a book criticising the legal system creates a very dangerous precedent. The judiciary should not be judges in their own cause. To convict a man for writing a book of this nature, and furthermore to imprison him, fails to deal with the issues he has raised; and this is the second point.

Shadrake seeks to place the application of the death penalty in context. He argues that politics, international trade and business determine who lives and who dies at the gallows; and that foreign nationals, whose cases may result in negative political and economic fallout, have succeeded in escaping execution.

The book has drawn important attention to serious issues that surely require further investigation. Such disturbing details are of general concern and provide a strong basis for self-criticism by the Singapore government and perhaps even a commission of inquiry. Instead Shadrake finds himself convicted of an attack on the judiciary. He has suffered because he chose to write a book that has brought to the fore the politics of the death penalty. Let us hope he has not suffered in vain.