[MyAppleMenu] Mar 22, 2011

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Aperture 3 Removed From Mac App Store, Suggesting New Update <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/03/21/aperture_3_removed_from_mac_app_store_suggesting_new_update.html>
Daniel Eran Dilger, AppleInsider

Apple's Aperture app has suddenly disappeared from the Mac App Store after weeks of sitting among the top grossing apps, suggesting a new version may be around the corner. 

**** Apple Sues Amazon Over Term 'App Store' <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704139004576215392658777706.html>
Yukari Iwatani Kane And Geoffrey A. Fowler, Wall Street Journal

Apple Inc. sued Amazon.com Inc. over its use of the phrase "App Store," accusing the online retailer of trademark infringement. "Consumers of mobile software downloads are likely to be confused as to whether Amazon's mobile software download service is sponsored or approved by Apple," Apple said in its complaint.

**** Move Selected Finder Items To New Folder <http://www.macworld.com/article/158686/2011/03/moveselecteditemsscript.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Dan Miller, Macworld

**** Apple Patches Unused Pwn2Own Bug, 55 Others In Mac OS <http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9214903/Apple_patches_unused_Pwn2Own_bug_55_others_in_Mac_OS?source=rss_operatingsystems&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+computerworld%2Fs%2Ffeed%2Ftopic%2F123+%28Computerworld+Mac+OS+News%29>
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

Of the 56 bugs patched in the update for Snow Leopard, 45 were accompanied by the phrase "arbitrary code execution," Apple-speak for rating the flaws as "critical." Unlike many other major software makers, like Microsoft and Oracle, Apple doesn't assign severity rankings to vulnerabilities.

According to Apple's advisory, more than a dozen of the bugs can be exploited by "drive-by" attacks that execute as soon as a victim browses to a malicious Web site with an unpatched edition of Mac OS X.

**** Six Ways To Clean Up Your Mac <http://www.macworld.com/article/158659/2011/03/springclean.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

It’s spring again, and with the new season comes the age-old ritual of cleaning out things you ignored for most of the year. Far be it from me to suggest that you clean out your basement, garage, or attic, but I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend you take a closer look at the crusty corners of your Mac. Last year, Chris Breen shared valuable Tips for a tidier Mac—all of which are worth revisiting. But I also want to draw your attention to a half-dozen digital dust bunnies that you might not have considered.

**** Review: Bento 4 <http://macgroup.org/blog/2011/03/21/review-bento-4/>
Terry White, MacNews

**** Beautiful Mac Mail Client Sparrow Really Sings With Full IMAP, Priority Inbox, And Multi-Touch <http://techcrunch.com/2011/03/22/new-sparrow/>
MG Siegler, TechCrunch

Sparrow now has general IMAP support. This means that on top of Gmail, you can use the client for all of your email.

**** First Look: Firefox 4 Web Browser <http://www.macworld.com/article/158386/2011/03/firefox4.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Nathan Alderman, Macworld

Mozilla has released Firefox 4, and in our preliminary tests, the browser makes a huge performance leap forward.

**** Flow Now Available, Keeps Your Tasks Beautifully In Sync <http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/22/flow-now-available-keeps-your-tasks-beautifully-in-sync/>
Josh Helfferich, TUAW

**** MsgFiler 3.0.1 <http://www.macworld.com/article/158705/2011/03/msgfiler3.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Dan Frakes, Macworld

**** Angry Birds Rio Out Now On iPhone, iPad, Mac <http://www.tuaw.com/2011/03/22/angry-birds-rio-out-now-on-iphone-ipad-mac/>
Mike Schramm, TUAW

**** Apple TV 4.2.1 Update Addresses Flickering Problem <http://www.macworld.com/article/158710/2011/03/appletv_421.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Jonathan Seff, Macworld

According to the release notes, Apple TV Software Update 4.2.1 addresses issues that may cause the screen to flicker or display incorrect color on some older TVs, where the Apple TV may not wake up from sleep, and where audio may not be heard on some TV models after switching from another input.



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Giving Literature Virtual Life <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/22/books/digital-humanities-boots-up-on-some-campuses.html?_r=2&src=dayp>
Patricia Cohen, New York Times

Many teachers and administrators are only beginning to figure out the contours of this emerging field of digital humanities, and how it should be taught. In the classroom, however, digitally savvy undergraduates are not just ready to adapt to the tools but also to explore how new media may alter the very process of reading, interpretation and analysis.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Aftershocks <http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/03/28/110328fa_fact_osnos?currentPage=all>
Evan Osnos, New Yorker

A nation bears the unbearable.

**** A Cure For Writer's Block <http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2011/03/21/curing_writers_block/index.html>
Laura Miller, Salon

"Limitless," a deeply stupid Bradley Cooper vehicle about a frustrated novelist who gets his hands on an experimental drug that kicks his IQ up to the "four digit" range, is only the latest example of Hollywood's long fascination with writer's block. From "Barton Fink" to "Adaptation," the tortured spectacle of a writer who cannot write has proven much more fun to watch than one who can.

**** The Poetry Of Catastrophe <http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/the-poetry-of-catastrophe/>
Sam Tanenhaus, New York Times

What follows is a sampler of literary catastrophe. Don’t run away. It’s not as depressing as it sounds. One of the enduring paradoxes of great apocalyptic writing is that it consoles even as it alarms.

**** The Great Read Shark: Fear And Loathing At 40 <http://www.themillions.com/2011/03/the-great-read-shark-fear-and-loathing-at-40.html>
Michael Bourne, The Millions

That was then. In the forty years since Thompson took that fateful trip into gonzo history, he has gone from arguably the most dangerous man in American journalism, to a cartoon character in Doonesbury, to a drug-fuddled has-been, to a suicide, and yet the work remains. Four decades on, does the Fear and Loathing still hold up?



SingaporeSurf
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**** Develop Old Railway Track Into High-speed Train Link <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_647738.html>
Allein G. Moore, Straits Times

My fear is that once the land has been taken over, future generations would find it impossibly expensive to buy it back and demolish the buildings if a high-speed train link were to become essential later.

**** Keep CPF Rate At 4% Next Year Too <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_647740.html>
Florence Heng, Straits Times

I am puzzled why the government has decided to change the minimum rate for interest earned on Central Provident Fund Special, Medisave and Retirement account monies to 2.5 per cent per annum with effect from next year.

The drop of 1.5 percentage points from the current 4 per cent will significantly affect especially the low-income and middle-income groups with the rise in inflation.

**** No Nuclear Power For S'pore, Please <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_647609.html>
David Loo, Straits Times

**** Jobs Go Offshore If ASX Merges: Joyce <http://www.smh.com.au/business/jobs-go-offshore-if-asx-merges-joyce-20110322-1c4b2.html>
AAP

Financial jobs would move offshore if the federal government permits a merger of the Australian Stock Exchange with its Singapore counterpart, Nationals Senate leader Barnaby Joyce says.

He also predicts the ASX will be centralised in Singapore following any merger.

**** Singapore Hotels The Most Expensive In Asia <http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news11/223-SingaporeHotels.shtml>
AsiaTravelTips.com

**** Look Out For Flying Crap <http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2011/03/look-out-for-flying-crap.html>
Singapore Notes

Worse, these guys have no compunction about lying at the proverbial drop of a hat.

**** Ministerial Pay – The Frankenstein’s Monster That Won’t Go Away? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/03/ministerial-pay-%E2%80%93-the-frankenstein%E2%80%99s-monster-that-won%E2%80%99t-go-away/>
Joshua Chiang, The Online Citizen

The impact of continuing down this road isn’t merely an economic one. The social contract between the government and the governed is a delicate balance that has been increasingly upset by the government’s insistence to reward itself the way it deems fit. Already we see increasing cynicism towards even the most well-intended policies, and stinging rebuke for even the slightest blunders (which has often been attributed to a more ‘sophisticated’ public, as if education is to be blamed).

It is very hard to convince people that ‘everyone matters’ when on one hand the government is stingy with social benefits but on the other hand generous with rewarding its own ‘sacrifices’. It is a perception that no amount of baby cuddling, hand-shaking with cleaners and dressing just like residents can change. This cannot be good for the nation.

**** Preparations At SDP Intense <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4655-preparations-at-sdp-intense>
Singapore Democratic Party

**** A 3- Cornered Fight Is A Scorched Earth Policy That Will Backfire <http://ge2011.theonlinecitizen.com/2011/03/a-3-cornered-fight-is-a-scorched-earth-policy-that-will-backfire/>
Ng E-Jay, The Online Citizen

In a political climate where the ruling party has 82 out of the 84 seats in Parliament, opposition parties competing against each other for Parliamentary dominance is way too premature. In fact it would smack of misplaced priorities and an extremely poor sense of reality.

**** Why Singaporeans Should See Through The Upgrading Carrot <http://www.thereformparty.net/2011/03/22/why-singaporeans-should-see-through-the-upgrading-carrot/>
The Reform Party

With an increasing proportion of personal wealth tied up in housing, the bursting of the housing bubble will have severe consequences for the real economy. The negative wealth effect and increase in the real value of debt will depress consumption and probably cause an extended period of negative or very low growth while the debt burden is reduced, just as has happened in the US and Europe. While the low level of domestic consumption and high reliance on external demand as a source of growth may be an advantage in these circumstances, the effects of any severe fall-off in external demand could still be rapidly transmitted to housing prices particularly given the growing importance of the foreign population to sustaining these price levels. Even now the elevated level of prices for basic housing is of serious concern to those who are not fortunate enough to own a property yet. Despite the oft-bandied statistic that 85% of Singaporeans “own” or live in an HDB flat this is probably about half the population. I would rather see some air being let out of the balloon now than it bursting with serious economic consequences at some point in the future.

**** Students Feel Pinch Of Rising Food Cost <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_647814.html>
Jessica Lim, Straits Times

Tuckshop vendors, stung like other food retailers by the rising cost of items like rice, oil and flour, are raising their prices, and students are feeling the pinch.

**** New Candidates, But No Principles? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/03/new-candidates-but-no-principles/>
The Online Citizen

The PAP has been touting “renewal” as the watchword of this GE. The first three candidates suggest that the PAP might have confused this with the word “replacement”. Unless the PAP is pursuing a strategy of getting their least attractive candidates through the public glare before scrutiny shifts, it is difficult to see what value the new candidates bring to the table.

**** Complacency <http://rot.blogsome.com/2011/03/21/complacency/>
The Rot Within

So, why the assumption that if the PAP stays in power, sociopolitical stability will be maintained? What is the mechanism that ensures that the leaders of the PAP won’t be nutcases who will destroy the country? Do you really have that much faith in the party’s internal mechanism for choosing ‘good leaders’? What is this wondrous mechanism, may I know?

Anyone with a passing acquaintance with complex systems can tell that Singapore’s political-legal system is not robust. Robustness typically involves sacrificing some short-term efficiency. Which do you prefer?

**** PM Lee : The True Test Of The Social Fabric Will Be A Crisis ... <http://de-leviathan.blogspot.com/2011/03/pm-lee-true-test-of-social-fabric-will.html>
De Leviathan @ SG

Would you "ready yourself" to trust our PM Lee to take a bet on this "true test of our social fabric", just like the way the 2 casino projects were pushed through?

**** Seven Misrules Of Law <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/seven-misrules-of-law/>
Yawning Bread

In Singapore, too many of our laws give discretion to ministers and bureaucrats. One example would be the Films Act, Section 35 of which says “if the Minister is of the opinion that the possession or distribution of any film would be contrary to the public interest”, he may ban the film. There are no other controls as to what “public interest” can or cannot be construed to mean. As filmmaker Martyn See has documented, the record of decisions taken show a striking arbitrariness and partisanship.

**** Now, This Is Bad, Really Bad <http://onesingaporean.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/now-this-is-bad-really-bad/>
One Singaporean

So, these are three of the first who are supposed to be part of this “4G leadership”.

A conformist. A man who dismisses sufferings. And a toufu – tasteless and bland.

**** New Male Citizens Can Aspire To Political Office Without NS <http://military-life.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-male-citizens-can-aspire-to.html>
Military Life

It is interesting to note that in Singapore, it appears not to be a liability to standing for political office if you have not served your country in the Singapore Armed Forces, the Singapore Police Force or the Singapore Civil Defence Force as many of us born and bred Singaporean male citizens have.

Over here, you can aspire for political office under the auspices of the PAP even if your citizenship tenure is shorter than the average 10 years served in reservist plus 2 to 2.5 years in full-time national service by most Singaporean male citizens.

**** Security Guards’ Stats – Something For Desmond Choo To Ponder Over <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/03/security-guards-stats-something-for-desmond-choo-to-ponder-over/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen

So, in the light of the above statistics, what has the Union of Security Employees done to improve the working conditions of security guards in the last few years?

**** Housing Problems Remain For Singapore Gov't <http://www.chinapost.com.tw/commentary/the-china-post/special-to-the-china-post/2011/03/22/295573/p1/Housing-problems.htm>
China Post

**** Pirate Of Temasek - SM Goh Comparing Singaporeans With Japanese. <http://sg-quitters.blogspot.com/2011/03/pirate-of-temasek-sm-goh-comparing.html>
SG-Quitters

SM Goh present salary of $4 million plus pension is equivalent to the entire Japanese cabinet. Job description? Nothing.

**** SGX-ASX Deal Likely To Face Australia Parliamentary Inquiry <http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/22/asx-sgx-inquiry-idUSL3E7EM05420110322>
James Grubel, Reuters

Australia's parliament is likely to hold an inquiry into the Singapore Exchange's $7.5 billion bid for the Australian Stock Exchange , which could further delay any conclusion of the deal until July.

**** Don’t Look Left Or Right <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/03/don%E2%80%99t-look-left-or-right/>
Wong Wee Nam, The Online Citizen

Making noise, Mr. Goh? I am sure if the authorities had given a satisfactory explanation, no right thinking citizen would make even a single sound.

**** A 3 Cornered Fight Would Hurt WP More Than NSP <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=6330>
Ng E-Jay, SgPolitics.net

WP may gain a temporary advantage in nudging out a fellow opposition party in GE2011, but there is no guarantee it would be able to use this advantage to further gain market share and grow faster than all other parties. The risk of this strategy failing in the long run is simply too high.