[MyAppleMenu] Sep 4, 2010

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** iTunes 101: Using The Album Art Widget <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/09/03/itunes-101-using-the-album-art-widget/>
Mike Schramm, TUAW

**** Apple's Ping Dinged By Spam <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20015531-37.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-Apple>
Lance Whitney, CNET

Apple's new social media service, Ping, is already getting hit by a barrage of comment spam.

**** Apple Had Two Months To Fix Critical QuickTime Bug, Says Researcher <http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9183561/Apple_had_two_months_to_fix_critical_QuickTime_bug_says_researcher?source=rss_operatingsystems>
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

A critical bug in QuickTime was reported to Apple two months before a second researcher independently revealed the vulnerability this week, the director of a bug bounty program said today.

**** How Apple's Newest iPods Prove (and Disprove) That It Learns From Design Mistakes <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/09/03/how-apples-newest-ipods-prove-and-disprove-that-it-learns-fro/>
Chris Rawson, TUAW

For the same price as last year's iPod nano, you get a much smaller device with a new multitouch-based UI, but you also lose many of the features the old model had. That's form over function all the way, and it's just as bad, in its way, as Apple getting rid of FireWire on its MacBooks.

**** iTunes 10 Hands-on: Snappier Performance, Questionable UI Choices <http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/apple/~3/vHbIUsqB1I4/itunes-10-hands-on-snappier-performance-questionable-ui-choices.ars>
Chris Foresman, Ars Technica

While we agree that iTunes is "faster and more responsive," we're not sold on the revised user interface.

**** Hands On: iTunes 10's Ping Feature <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=8ce8d5554911c86bfe4a152c579e042a>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

Ping is designed to let you follow artists and friends, share what music you’re buying and are into, and discover what others enjoy. So is it worth the Apple-generated hype?

**** Apple's 27-In. Imac 'The Center Of My Digital Universe' <http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9182725/Apple_s_27_in._iMac_the_center_of_my_digital_universe_>
Michael deAgonia, Computerworld

If time is money, this is a serious computer to consider -- not because of its raw processing power alone, but because of the fact that its raw processing power helps you get some of your life back. That's a concept many people seem to forget. All those seconds and minutes spent waiting for your hardware to crunch through data add up. With something as responsive as the iMac, you get some of that time back.

**** Apple Takes Away Ringtones? <http://appadvice.com/appnn/2010/09/apple-takes-ringtones/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AppAdvice+%28AppAdvice%29>
Bryan Wolfe, App Advice

**** Why Apple Rental Plan Alienates Most Studios <http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3i63f1a2fc43dfa74dd19a2e1b240532a5>
Andrew Wallenstein, AdWeek

At issue is the 99-cent price tag that represents a steep discount from the TV episodes already offered on iTunes. Multiple executives described it as an unacceptable devaluation of the content that puts in jeopardy the so-called "downstream" windows crucial to generating profit including DVD and syndication.

One studio chief drew a comparison between the new arrangement and the damage done to the music industry when Apple disaggregated the traditional album-oriented business model in favor of a singles-centric approach.

**** Seeds For Apple TV In Washington <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703946504575469861101681390.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>
Martin Peers, Wall Street Journal

Apple may be hoping for regulatory relief—with good reason. In April, the Federal Communications Commission invited comments on a proposal that cable and satellite operators let viewers use any "smart video devices" available in stores to connect to their TV service. It says it wants to "foster a competitive retail market" in the devices.

**** Steve Jobs Isn't On Ping... But These Apple Execs Are <http://biz.yahoo.com/siliconalley/100903/http_www_businessinsider_com_steve_jobs_ping_account_2010_9_id.html?.v=4&.pf=retirement>
Jay Yarow, Yahoo!

Steve Jobs was initially a Ping user, but then he decided to abandon the social network.

While we couldn't find much of Apple's top brass, we did find some execs and employees Pinging it up.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Many Iterations Of William Shatner <http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=7f64414f8a87c5478ecf9fef2e352169>
Pat Jordan, New York Times

He’s late. He calls to explain. “A mix-up,” he says, and then, “I read all your stories.” Pause. “You. Are. A. Grrreat. Writer.” Another pause. “What’s your name?” I tell him. He says, “Of course it is.” I ask what his name is. “MY NAME? I. Am. William. Shatner!”

Well, yes, but which William Shatner?

**** America's Ruling Class -- And The Perils of Revolution <http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/16/americas-ruling-class-and-the/>
Angelo M. Codevilla, The American Spectator

Never has there been so little diversity within America's upper crust. Always, in America as elsewhere, some people have been wealthier and more powerful than others. But until our own time America's upper crust was a mixture of people who had gained prominence in a variety of ways, who drew their money and status from different sources and were not predictably of one mind on any given matter. The Boston Brahmins, the New York financiers, the land barons of California, Texas, and Florida, the industrialists of Pittsburgh, the Southern aristocracy, and the hardscrabble politicians who made it big in Chicago or Memphis had little contact with one another. Few had much contact with government, and "bureaucrat" was a dirty word for all. So was "social engineering." Nor had the schools and universities that formed yesterday's upper crust imposed a single orthodoxy about the origins of man, about American history, and about how America should be governed. All that has changed.



SingaporeSurf
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**** No More The Most Open <http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=insightdownsouth&file=/2010/9/4/columnists/insightdownsouth/6972260&sec=Insight%20Down%20South>
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star

As Singapore’s infrastructure groans under the weight of a five million plus population – more than a third of them foreigners – there’s rising resentment against the island state’s immigrant policy.

**** HDB Will Look At Those Affected By Policy Changes On Case-by-case Basis <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1079010/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has said it will look at requests of those affected by the new changes to resale flat applications on a case-by-case basis.

**** What Are Singaporean Workers Sacrificing For? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/09/what-are-singaporean-workers-sacrificing-for/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen

Singapore workers had only a 1.4 per cent per annum real wage increase from 2001 to 2009, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s Labour Market Q1 2010 report. After the last two years of negative real wage growth, and current inflation running at 3.1 per cent in July, workers may end up with a consecutive third year of negative wage increase.

So, what really is all this record economic growth for? Who is benefiting from it?

**** No More Election In Singapore! <http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2010/09/no-more-election-in-singapore.html>
Feed Me To The Fish

**** My Beady Eyes Over Lee’s Numbers, Part 2 <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2010/09/03/my-beady-eyes-over-lees-numbers-part-2/>
Yawning Bread

A significant number of Singaporeans, maybe even a majority, are not up in arms over the issue, even if they are uneasy over specific aspects of it.

**** Token Payment For Ex-NSmen? <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_574558.html>
David Choo, Straits Times

**** Rule Applies To Local And Overseas Properties <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_574613.html>
Lily Wong Jee Choo, Housing & Development Board, Straits Times

The measure to disallow the concurrent ownership of private properties and non-subsidised HDB flats during the minimum occupation period introduced on Monday applies to local and overseas private properties.

**** MHA: ST Report Missed A Vital Point <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_574614.html>
Toh Yong Chuan, Ministry of Home Affairs, Straits Times

He was arrested for posting public comments that could incite violence and lead to public disorder and a breach of peace, such as his call to burn a government minister. He was not arrested for his views or comments on the YOG. This point seemed to have been lost in the report.

**** NSmen 'benefited From The Peace And Prosperity They've Helped Create' <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100904-0000099/NSmen-benefited-from-the-peace-and-prosperity-theyve-helped-create>
Today

National Servicemen have benefitted from the policies implemented from time to time, to recognise their contributions to the defence of Singapore. This was explained by the Ministry of Defence (Mindef).

Associate Professor Khoo said that NSmen who had completed their NS obligations had "benefited from the peace and prosperity that they've helped create".

**** 更透明的移民政策 <http://www.zaobao.com/yl/yl100904_014.shtml>
郭丽娟, 联合早报

我不禁要问移民课题究竟要谈多久，才能谈出个春天呢？