[MyAppleMenu] Nov 24, 2010

applesurf at myapplemenu.com applesurf at myapplemenu.com
Wed Nov 24 18:59:00 EST 2010

MyAppleMenu
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**** Snuggie Sex App Too Hot For Apple? <http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/11/23/5516225-snuggie-sex-app-too-hot-for-apple>
Athima Chansanchai, MSNBC

Developers: think twice about submitting an app to Apple. All your hard work may earn you nothing more than a stinging rejection with reasons that seem arbitrary.

**** Is The "Apple Tax" Real? Mac Vs. PC Value Analysis <http://hothardware.com/Reviews/Is-The-Apple-Tax-Real-Mac-vs-PC-Pricing-Compared/>
Ray Willington, Hot Hardware

In conclusion, yes, most Apple machines cost a bit more than similar PC counterparts. But if you put a great deal of value on longer battery life, generally improved resistance to viruses, eye-catching designs that use high-quality materials, and will make use of the robust iLife '11 software suite, then the tax--if you can even call it that--is worth paying. The real take-away here is that there's no reason to argue whether or not the Apple Tax is worthwhile; it will always be a case-by-case value-based decision for each consumer. Depending on your needs, one product or the other will or won't make sense. Now, can't we just all hug and make up?

**** Why Steve Jobs Is A Better Wizard Than Harry Potter <http://www.derekflanzraich.com/2010/11/why-steve-jobs-is-better-than-harry-potter/>
Derek Flanzraich

**** Field Of Glory, Civ 5 Out For OS X <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/23/field-of-glory-civ-5-out-for-os-x/>
Mike Schramm, TUAW

Here's two good strategy game releases for Mac OS X this week (in case you want to spend a little time away from the family after the turkey's carved and eaten).

**** St. Clair Accuses Apple, RIM, HTC Of Patent Infringement <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/11/23/st_clair_accuses_apple_rim_htc_of_patent_infringement.html>
Neil Hughes, AppleInsider

St. Clair Intellectual Property Consultants, a firm that sued Apple a year ago over camera-related patents, has filed a new suit in relation to patents it owns regarding power maintenance and processors.

**** Dr. Mac: New iPhoto '11 Features Are Handy For Gifts <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7307280.html>
Bob LeVitus, Houston Chronicle

**** Taking DEVONthink To Go For A Spin <http://db.tidbits.com/article/11730>
Joe Kissell, TidBITS

The short version: DEVONthink To Go works, and version 1.0.1 does indeed fix the bugs I personally found most irritating. The app still feels like an early effort, though—not quite fully baked. The current limitations don’t prevent me from using it, but as I discuss later, they may frustrate certain types of users. At the same time, after discussions with DEVONtechnologies president Eric Böhnisch-Volkmann, I’m optimistic that in another version or two, this could become an app to be reckoned with.

**** Wozniak Says He Was Wrong About Nuance/Apple Deal <http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AM69Q20101123>
Sinead Carew And Sayantani Ghosh, Reuters

Retired Apple Inc co-founder Steve Wozniak said he was "totally wrong" in recently suggesting the iPhone maker had bought speech-recognition software maker Nuance Communications Inc.

**** iPhone Demand In China Still Exceeds Supply <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/11/23/iphone-demand-in-china-still-exceeds-supply/>
Mike Schramm, TUAW

**** Wipeout: When Your Company Kills Your iPhone <http://www.npr.org/2010/11/22/131511381/wipeout-when-your-company-kills-your-iphone>
Martin Kaste, NPR

Since 2003, a growing list of smart phones have come loaded with software from Microsoft that makes remote wipes — and many other remote-control commands — possible.

The phone doesn't need to download any new software. All that's necessary is for the phone's user to configure it to receive e-mail from a Microsoft Exchange Server — the kind most big companies use.

**** Installing Older System Software On Newer Mac Systems <http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20023756-263.html>
Topher Kessler, CNET

Many times OS X will come with machine-specific driver modifications that will not be present if an older OS is installed, and therefore even if the OS boots properly you may have problems getting the system or its components to work, or work stably.

**** ITC To Investigate Apple's Patent Case Against Motorola <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/11/23/itc_to_investigate_apples_patent_case_against_motorola.html>
Josh Ong, AppleInsider

The U.S. International Trade Commission formally announced Tuesday that it is launching an investigation into Motorola smartphones in response to Apple's allegations that Motorola violated several multi-touch related patents.

**** Apple TV Suddenly Looks Like A Winner <http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2010/11/23/apple-tv-suddenly-looks-like-a-winner.aspx>
Tim Beyers, Motley Fool

Apple TV finally looks like a winner, and it's all because of the iPad.

**** iPad Proving More Useful Than MacBook Air <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-20023770-64.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-Apple>
Brooke Crothers, CNET

Though I've just begun to dig around inside of iOS 4.2 on my iPad 3G, it's already obvious that this upgrade is only going to increase the amount of time I spend on the iPad. This will happen at the expense of my MacBook Air, the only other computing device I use regularly.

**** Printopia 1.0.2 <http://www.macworld.com/reviews/product/727273/review/printopia_102.html?expand=true&lsrc=rss_main>
Dan Frakes, Macworld

When you install the Printopia System Preferences pane, the utility automatically shares all printers currently configured on your Mac, allowing you to print to any of them, over your wireless network, from iOS 4.2 devices. It doesn’t matter how a printer is connected to your Mac—if your Mac can print to it, it works with Printopia.



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Out Of Many, One In-box <http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/26773/?ref=rss&a=f>
Tom Simonite, Technology Review

Nokia experiments with a universal in-box that combines messages from many separate apps into a single place.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Beard <http://www.thesmartset.com/article/article11221002.aspx>
Paula Marantz Cohen, The Smart Set

A razor-sharp consideration of men's facial hair.

**** Norman And Me <http://thesmartset.com/article/article11041001.aspx?parm1=value?pagewanted=all>
Amy Rowland, The Smart Set

On writing in the writer's house.

**** Anarcho-Monarchism <http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/11/anarcho-monarchism>
David B. Hart, First Things

Yes, I know: there are good and sincere souls who run for office, and some occasionally get in, and a few of those are then able to accomplish something with the position they assume, and some of those even remain faithful to the convictions that got them there. But, lest we forget, those are also the politicians who often create the greatest mischief. Sincerity, after all, is not the same as wisdom.

**** Poetry And Pantomime <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/23/carol-duffy-poetry-royal-wedding?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Siân Hughes, Guardian

But is there even such a thing as public poetry? If something belongs in public, something acknowledged and accepted, openly celebrated, it doesn't need poetry. It might call for verse, in a formal way, or some kind of ritual with words, but poetry? Poetry is for the shameful, secret, private, taboo. It's about turning over the stone and seeing the horror of insects underneath. Perhaps it is something to do with political engagement, using poetry to raise demons and laugh in their faces, or perhaps to make heard the voices of the silent, the underdog or the powerless. Those are all things Lochhead's poetry could be said to do, using recognisable voices in a way that challenges as well as entertains.



SingaporeSurf
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**** The Real Issue Here ... <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC101124-0000063/The-real-issue-here-,,,>
Quek Soo Beng, Today

Lack of manpower to do the needful to re-capture the country's most dangerous enemy is not an acceptable excuse. Even if surveillance is difficult, keeping an eye on an HDB flat is not exactly rocket science - access is limited to one front door.

**** Deliberate Actions <http://kahwoon.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/deliberate-actions/>
Kahwoon

We often think that certain deliberate actions are against us, or to our loss, but think again because when you lose something, you will gain another thing somehow. It’s quite fair!

**** Dr Wong Wee Nam’s Rally Speech At SDP’s “It’s About You” Rally <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=4411>
Sgpolitics.net

**** Foreign Reserves Not Managed By Temasek <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_606645.html>
Goh Yong Siang, Temasek Holdings, Straits Times

Temasek does not manage Singapore's foreign reserves. It also does not manage any other external funds, such as the Central Provident Fund monies of Singaporeans.

The funding for our investments is derived mainly from dividends from assets we own, net divestment proceeds from our portfolio rebalancing, and commercial borrowings, including Temasek Bonds.

**** Scholarship Application Testimonials Did Not Contain Past Offences: MOE <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC101124-0000083/Scholarship-application-testimonials-did-not-contain-past-offences--MOE>
Ng Jing Yng, Today

Thinking that the student had learnt from his mistake and had undergone counselling, teachers omitted his past peeping offence and public caning punishment from his testimonials.

As a result of this incident, however, the MOE will tighten its scholarship selection process. Schools will now need to provide information on "specific behavioural problems" which may affect applicants' selection as teachers, said the ministry spokesperson.

**** Much Ado Over SAF's 'Trophy Boyfriend' Ad <http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20101124-248823.html>
Kenny Chee, My Paper

**** It's A Question Of Supply <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC101124-0000014/Its-a-question-of-supply>
Hazel Pua, Reform Party, Today

While it is true that increasing subsidies for HDB flats requires some reallocation of resources, it is interesting to note what the minister for national development asked Singaporeans would be willing to give up as a trade-off: "The quality of education for our children? Healthcare services for our parents? Or do we impose a higher tax burden on Singaporeans?"

The Reform Party is happy to offer some other options for consideration: Cutting the defence budget; reducing the payments made by HDB to the Singapore Land Authority for the purchase of land to build HDB flats; and cutting ministerial salaries.

**** 政府选择从旁监督方式 让市场力量淘汰素质不佳廉航 <http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp101124_023.shtml>
联合早报

虽然针对廉价航空公司服务水平的投诉近年有所增加，但如果民航局加以管制，可能会间接推高机票价格。政府因此选择从旁监督，让市场力量自行淘汰素质不佳的航空公司。

交通部长林双吉书面回复议员林谋泉（马林百列集选区）提问时表示，与飞行安全问题不同，民航局没有“强有力的理由管制在樟宜机场营运的航空公司所提供的服务”。

**** 仅约5万人申请加入 公积金终身入息计划 <http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp101124_024.shtml>
联合早报

虽然9月时约80万名年满55岁的中央公积金会员有机会选择加入公积金终身入息计划（CPF Life），截至上月底，只有约5万人申请加入该计划。

人力部长颜金勇以书面回答花蒂玛（马林百列集选区）的问题时说，当局是在接获有关部分年长会员希望加入该计划的公众反馈后，让年龄在55岁和以上的会员做出选择。但他留意到许多年长的公积金会员在当局推出公积金终身入息计划前，就已为退休做好财务规划。

**** Mas Selamat’s Escape – It Is About Govt Incompetency, Not Race Or Religion <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/11/mas-selamat’s-escape-–-it-is-about-govt-incompetency-not-race-or-religion/>
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen

While the prime minister tried to “tai-chi” away the blame and responsibility from Wong, it is quite clear that Wong had failed, and this failure contributed to Mas Selamat being able to get away.

Instead of admitting its shortcomings and failures, the government instead seems to be laying the blame on the Malay-Muslim community as a whole, even as Shanmugam gave assurances that the community is not to be blamed.

**** Mas Selamat Saga: Communications Management By The Government And Media <http://thinkingbetterthinkingmeta.blogspot.com/2010/11/mas-selamat-saga-communications.html>
Sam Ho, Sam's Thoughts

The government and media has done a decent job framing and fencing discussions pertaining to the latest episode of Mas Selamat. It has always been their primary responsibility to ensure peace and security, and they have done the necessary, in my opinion.

**** Housing Minister’s Frustratingly Incomplete Sales Job, Part 1 <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/housing-ministers-frustratingly-incomplete-sales-job-part-1/>
Yawning Bread

The HDB’s net selling prices for new flats are largely determined by what the government considers politically feasible prices — they have no relation to costs;

In fact, the HDB is unable to build within politically feasible prices;

We have a public housing cost/pricing model that is essentially unsustainable.

**** Kowtowing To China, Singapore Uses Law To Suppress Free Speech <http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/46430/>
Andrea Hayley, Epoch Times

The bloody suppression of the spiritual practice of Falun Gong in China is well documented, but Singapore’s suppression is lesser known. Several times over the last nine years Singapore has singled out peaceful practitioners of Falun Gong and arrested them under laws used to stifle free speech.

**** Chee Repeats Call For Judiciary To Protect The People's Rights <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4377-chee-repeats-call-for-judiciary-to-protect-the-peoples-rights>
Singapore Democrat Party

The SDP spends much time and effort in fighting for freedom of speech because without it, the opposition cannot communicate effectively with the electorate. The people hear only the PAP's views and come elections, they vote for the ruling party because they think there are no alternatives.

Singaporeans must remember that without political rights, we don't have economic rights. It is only when we have freedom of expression, which includes a free press, can the views of the people be heard and the government be held accountable, especially during elections.

**** Bonus For Singapore Civil Servants <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1095308/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

Civil servants will receive a total year-end variable payment amounting to two months. This comprises the Annual Variable Component (AVC) of one month and a Non-Pensionable Annual Allowance (NPAA), also known as the 13th month payment, of one month. This is in view of the strong economic recovery, said the Public Service Division (PSD) in a statement on Wednesday.

**** Mica's Response To Trunks <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_606933.html>
Straits Times

'We would have told them that their design is inappropriate as we want elements of the Flag to be treated with dignity. This is because many Singaporeans recognise these elements as representing the Singapore Flag.'




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