[MyAppleMenu] Dec 22, 2011

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Giving The Gift Of An iPhone <http://www.macworld.com/article/164451/2011/12/giving_the_gift_of_an_iphone.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Joel Mathis, Macworld

The ease of iPhone gift giving depends on a few things: Your relationship to the recipient. The wireless carrier they’ll use. How much you’re willing to spend. We address many of those issues in our iPhone buying guide. But when it comes to giving someone an iPhone as a gift, one question is the most critical of all: Do you already share a wireless phone “family” account with the gift-getter?

**** App Store Returns To Full Functioning On iOS 3.1.3 Devices, Problem Was A Bug, Now Fixed <http://www.macgasm.net/2011/12/21/app-store-returns-full-functioning-ios-313-devices-problem-bug/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macgasm%2Fmain+%28Macgasm%29>
Eugene Huo, Macgasm

The recent App Store update that caused havoc with devices running iOS 3.1.3 has been resolved, and Apple has fixed whatever the problem was.

**** Apple's 'Complete My Album' Feature Drops 180-Day Deadline For Upgrading <http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/21/apples-complete-my-album-feature-drops-180-day-deadline-for-upgrading/>
Eric Slivka, MacRumors

Many users taking advantage of the Complete My Album program obviously already do so within the previously-imposed 180-day window as they decide that they like certain songs enough to purchase the entire album. The lifting of the restriction will, however, still be of use for those who decide much later that they want to upgrade.

**** App Smart Extra: Other People’s Apps, Now Visible To You <http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/app-smart-extra-other-peoples-apps-now-visible-to-you/?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Bob Tedeschi, New York Times

It’s a bit of a voyeuristic activity, opening up an image of someone else’s phone and scrolling from page to page, checking out their apps. I got a jolt out of it, and it made me take a second look at a couple of the apps that I’d given up on long ago.

**** ChronoSync Takes The Pain Out Of Syncing Between Macs <http://www.macnews.com/2011/12/21/chronosync-takes-pain-out-syncing-between-macs>
MacNews

**** Firefox 9.0 Offers Mac OS X Lion Gesture Support <http://www.tuaw.com/2011/12/21/firefox-9-0-offers-mac-os-x-lion-gesture-support/>
Mike Schramm, TUAW

The app will now natively support two-finger swiping gestures on your MacBook (or Magic Mouse or trackpad, if you have one of those running). That means that without extra add-ons, you can now swipe two fingers forward or back to browse through your history, in addition to the other usual gestures available to most apps, like using two fingers to scroll and so on.

**** Steve Jobs Wins Posthumous Grammy <http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57346651-501465/steve-jobs-wins-posthumous-grammy/>
Chenda Ngak, CBS

The Recording Academy is awarding the co-founder of Apple with the Trustee Award, which honors non-performing contributions to the music industry.

**** How To Prevent Stolen iMessages <http://www.macworld.com/article/164479/2011/12/prevent_stolen_imessages_with_a_sim_pin.html>
Lex Friedman, Macworld

Completing those three steps—wiping, deactivating your old SIM, and then activating a new one—ensures that your iMessages will get sent only to you and your iOS devices, and not anywhere else.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Accidental Universe: Science's Crisis Of Faith <http://www.harpers.org/archive/2011/12/0083720>
Alan P. Lightman, Harper's

Dramatic developments in cosmological findings and thought have led some of the world’s premier physicists to propose that our universe is only one of an enormous number of universes with wildly varying properties, and that some of the most basic features of our particular universe are indeed mere accidents—a random throw of the cosmic dice. In which case, there is no hope of ever explaining our universe’s features in terms of fundamental causes and principles.



SingaporeSurf
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**** Why Sometimes I Feel Bad Being A Born And Bred Singaporean Of Chinese Descent? <http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2011/12/why-sometimes-i-feel-bad-being-born-and.html>
Feed Me To The Fish

Innocent but unnecessary words when wrongly perceived can lead to much anger. Worse, it may generate racial tension.

**** MRT Woes So Unlike Singapore <http://www.pressrun.net/weblog/2011/12/mrt-woes-so-unlike-singapore.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rana+%28pressrun.net%29>
Pressrun.net

**** 3 Unusual Singapore Hawker Stalls <http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/eat/3-unusual-singapore-hawkers-611853>
Aimee Chan, CNNGo

With low rents and news of more hawker centers to be built, many chefs are looking to Singapore’s great equalizer as a test bed for their culinary skills.

**** System Breakdown Goes Beyond The MRT.... <http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2011/12/system-breakdown-goes-beyond-mrt.html>
Diary Of A Singaporean Mind

If we don't bury the notion of Singapore Inc and bring back Singapore the nation and revamp the systems to deliver benefit to the people and long term sustainability ....this whole Singapore Inc system will breakdown like the MRT system...and people will be demanding leadership change at the top.

**** Page One Bookstore At VivoCity To Close In February <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_747645.html>
Melissa Pang, Straits Times

'Our lease is expiring and the rental is not viable. As an alternative, we thought of reconfiguring the shop space, but couldn't come to an agreement with the landlord,' said Page One Group's chief executive Mark Tan. 'It is a great loss and we are very disappointed.'

**** Cheryl Fox - Get Real And Hard <http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2011/12/cheryl-fox-get-real-and-hard.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News

I think the pension of a minister could take care of at least 1,000 such folks. It definitely would not bankrupt the country to take on this function for sure. 

**** Ministerial Salary Review Still Awaiting <http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2011/12/ministerial-salary-review-still.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News

Political office is about serving the people and country. Politics is not about self and self serving. This is exactly the problem with our political scene, where instead of bringing people who think country and people, they are incentivizing people who think self and profit.

**** SMRT V Delgro: Who Treats Us Better? <http://atans1.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/smrt-v-delgro-who-treats-us-better/>
Thoughts Of A Cynical Investor

**** å¶å£¹å ‚æ˜Žå¹´äºŒæœˆç»“ä¸š <http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp111222_007.shtml>
陈能端, 联合早报

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**** Ministers' Pay Review Committee To Submit Report Soon <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_747634.html>
Rachel Chang, Straits Times

The committee to review ministerial salaries has not handed its report to prime minister Lee Hsien Loong as of Wednesday, but will do so by the end of the year, said its chairman Gerard Ee.

**** SMRT: Racist PR Team? <http://atans1.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/smrt-racist-pr-team/>
Thoughts Of A Cynical Investor

If SMRT does not come out to deny that one of its PR  persons made the racist comment, then we have to assume that the remark was made.

**** Singaporeans Intolerant? Think Again <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_747450.html>
Ng Kok Lim, Straits Times

The writer contrasts the public calm in Japan and Spain with the anger and online rants in Singapore to say that Singaporeans have been pampered and have grown intolerant. Mr Lee should not forget that the Japanese and the Spanish authorities do not proclaim they have the best or one of the best train services in the world every other day.

**** Accepting Others' Mediocre Standards Not The S'pore Way <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_747452.html>
Eric J. Brooks, Straits Times

The old Singapore I came to know would never call more than 20 detached third-rail claws strewn all over subway tunnel floors 'normal' or 'expected'. Let us remind ourselves that no matter how much New York or London fail to keep up their subways or keep their streets clean, Singapore has always done it better.

Accepting other cities' mediocre standards in transit, public sanitation or infrastructure has never been the Singapore way - and hopefully, will never be.

**** Train Service On North-South Line Slow Due To "Track Fault": SMRT <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1172765/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

In a twitter post at 9am, SMRT said commuters can expect delays from Yishun to Jurong East, and that they should allow extra time for travel.

**** A World Of Difference <http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2011/12/world-of-difference.html>
Singapore Notes

Yaacob Ibrahim could provide no (credible) answers for the Orchard Road floods, neither can one expect much from the likes of Lui Tuck Yew. These expensive overheads are just muddling through on-the-job-training at the cost of taxpayers.

**** Thoughts On The SMRT Fiasco <http://sonofadud.com/2011/12/21/thoughts-on-the-smrt-fiasco/>
Reinventing The Rice Bowl

**** Statement Of Apology <https://www.facebook.com/Hanthong/posts/291035844266878>
Seng Han Thong, Facebook

In my interview with blogtv.sg, I made a regrettable mistake in my language, which may be misconstrued as me saying that people speak bad English because of their ethnicity. I sincerely apologise to all Singaporeans, who have been offended by this error. 

Singaporeans of all ethnicities and backgrounds speak varying standards of English. My own Chinese-educated background gives me a special empathy for the non-English-speaking sections of our society. We should all be tolerant of people of different standards of linguistic ability.

The point I was trying to make is that this should not prevent people from trying to communicate, especially in times of emergency.

**** MRT Chaos Exposes PAP's Lack Of Leadership <http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/5083-mrt-chaos-exposes-paps-lack-of-leadership>
Singapore Democratic Party

But more than just confusing signals, the Ministers' answers paint a more disconcerting picture. In the security breach of the train depot which could have easily been exploited by terrorists, Minister Shanmugam's response was to palm responsibility off to the SMRT.

In Mr Liu's case, his first reaction was to ask whether the breakdowns were isolated incidents despite hard evidence of systemic failure. Again his instinct was not to assume responsibility. It was only after a huge public outcry that he aknowledged the need to rectify the faulty system. 

When the situation called for Government leaders to step up to the plate, the PAP's instinct is to duck.

**** Is It Only About SMRT? <http://speakspokewritewrote.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/is-it-only-about-smrt/>
SpeakSpokeWriteWrote

Anyway what’s the point of my ranting? When Gerard Ee proposes new ministerial salary, I am steeling myself to see a token reduction. Leopards do not change their spots.

**** Water Taxi Service For Regular Users <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/22/asia/10141507&sec=asia>
Straits Times

**** MP Seng Han Thong: SMRT’s Unpreparedness Also Due To Malay And Indian Staffs English Language Inefficiency <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/12/mp-seng-han-thong-malay-indian-english-inefficiency/>
The Online Citizen

SMRT spokesperson: "When asked by the media about the lack of information given to passengers and feedback from some that they could not understand the English announcements that were made, SMRT’s executive vice president Mr Goh Chee Kong had explained that the company faces a challenge in trying to train its drivers to make announcements, as not all of them are comfortable speaking in English."

"At no point did Mr Goh highlight any particular race in his remarks."

**** Blame SMRT’s Corporate Culture, LTA’s Lack Of Regular Checks <http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/blame-smrt-corporate-culture-lta-lack-oversight-100328677.html>
P N Balji, Yahoo!

As for the LTA, it had failed to spot the signs, as early as two years ago with the first security breach and more recently with the second failing. That, together with the pressure on the train system brought about by overcrowding and increased frequency of train timings, should have alerted the regulator to insist on thorough and regular checks.

These failings, together with the mistakes of the past three years -- terrorist Mas Selamat's escape, the floods at Orchard Road and the supply squeeze on HDB housing  -- show a malaise creeping into a country that has matured too fast. A bold examination of the root causes of these incidents is needed quickly to stop further cracks from appearing in a system built up assiduously by the Merdeka Generation.

**** Some Students Fail To Thrive On Integrated Programme Scheme <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_747635.html>
Sandra Davie, Straits Times

Around 5 per cent of IP students exit before graduation, said the education ministry. Some transfer to polytechnics or junior colleges not offering the scheme. Of those who complete it, about 5 per cent fail to get into the local universities, the ministry added. Altogether, between 200 and 250 youngsters a year fail to thrive on the programme.

**** My Anthology Of Short Films <http://boojunfeng.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/my-anthology-of-short-films/>
Boo Junfeng

That all said, I must say the MDA handled the process very professionally. The upside of the whole episode was that I was able to engage in dialogue with them very candidly. I hope that such conversations will continue, so that in the near future, the guidelines can be suitably revised and something as harmless as my anthology of short films will no longer fall through the cracks.

**** MP Seng Han Thong's Remarks Spark Online Furore <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1172800/1/.html>
Nurul Syuhaida, Channel NewsAsia

**** Looking At SMRT Breakdowns From A Macro View <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7278>
Jimmy Ho, Sgpolitics.net

The current plight of our SMRT system is but one of the consequences of our previous “restructuring” exercises of basic service providers. Singaporeans may wish to look into other essential service sectors such as Medical, Utilities, Housing and Education, as well for the further implications of such exercises. The running of these institutions do not seem to cater to the pockets and welfare of most Singaporeans as they are operated to meet the commercial gains of a few. In reality, there is no such thing as an essential service organization being listed and yet still able to properly provide for the people. There is inherent conflict in the model here. Becoming listed as the only way to enhance efficiency is a plain excuse.

**** Was Woz Right? <http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2011/12/22/was-woz-right/>
Shibani Mahtani And Sam Holmes, Wall Street Journal

While many agreed with Mr. Wozniak’s rather brutal analysis of the creative climate in Singapore, they also pointed to Singapore’s own achievements in the digital world – particularly home-grown company Creative, which spent many years in a legal battle with Apple for patent infringement. Apple paid a US$100 million settlement to Creative, the brainchild of Singaporean Sim Wong Hoo, in 2006.

Some also praised the Singaporean government’s efforts to create a business-friendly, unapologetically capitalist climate that they say has done much to encourage entrepreneurship and the arts in the city-state.

The Wall Street Journal spoke to a number of creative professionals, start-up founders and entrepreneurs in Singapore, who have dedicated their lives to carving out a niche for themselves in the controlled city-state. Here are their reactions to Mr. Wozniak’s comments.

**** SMRT Board Apologises For Service Disruptions <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1172835/1/.html>
Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia

The board acknowledged that the disruptions to SMRT train service last week were "of an unprecedented scale" since SMRT started operating the service 24 years ago.

**** LTA Investigation Into North-South Line Disruptions Begun <http://app.lta.gov.sg/corp_press_content.asp?start=9n7h37q56gvqrk6pnlrcm02na403d5u20w0unak1i7evl58gdn>
Land Transport Authority, Singapore Government

The prime minister has announced that a Committee of Inquiry (COI) will be set up to determine the causes behind the recent disruptions to train services on the North-South Line on 15 and 17 December 2011, which caused inconvenience and distress to commuters. LTA has also separately commenced its investigations into the two service disruptions, even as it works with SMRT to restore the operations of the North-South East-West Line (NSEWL) back to normal.

As regulator, LTA is responsible for investigating all incidents of major service disruptions. As part of its investigations, LTA requires SMRT to provide all maintenance records, operations and system logs, as well as information on its emergency response and incident management, so as to understand the likely cause(s) and contributing factors to the disruptions and the implementation of its contingency plans, and for improvements to be made.

**** Premier Taxis To Revise Fare Structure <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1172849/1/.html>
Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia

The changes are largely aligned with what industry leader ComfortDelGro had announced earlier. 

**** Ong Ye Kung To Head SMRT Probe <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1172852/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

The SMRT board has appointed its independent director Ong Ye Kung to head an internal investigation into the recent train disruptions.  Mr Ong is the deputy secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress.

**** Singapore Civil Servant Accused Of 455 Charges Of Fraud <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16301515>
BBC

A civil servant in Singapore is accused of 455 fraud charges and cheating the government of more than SG$600,000 (US$460,000; £295,000).

Such cases are not common in the country, an Asian financial hub with a reputation for honest practices.

Civil servants in Singapore are also among the best paid in the world which, the government has said, helps to deter corruption.