[MyAppleMenu] May 23, 2011

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple Takes The Wraps Off New Retail Efforts <http://www.macworld.com/article/160012/2011/05/apple_retail_new_store.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Serenity Caldwell, Macworld

Unlike their shelf counterparts, these display iPads are designed to do one thing and one thing only: Showcase current information about the product on display. The home button has been disabled, turning the device essentially into a multitouch signboard. (Like the iPad itself, the whole thing has an air of 1960s science-fiction to it.) The iPad is elegantly sealed inside its stand, charged using a nifty almost-invisible dock connector ribbon and half-mirrored sides to mask the wires.

**** Apple Store App Updated With New Options <http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/23/apple-store-app-updated-with-new-options/>
Michael Grothaus, TUAW

**** Home Screen Of Apple's New Interactive Retail iPads <http://www.macrumors.com/2011/05/22/home-screen-of-apples-new-interactive-retail-ipads/>
Arnold Kim, MacRumors

We've heard the iPad gets its data via network connection so any price or spec updates get pushed directly to the iPad, no other syncing required.

**** Loving My MacBook Air <http://thetechnologygeek.com/post/5762495589/loving-my-macbook-air>
Thomas Fitzgerald, The Technology Geek

The lightness, battery life and speed have all changed the way I compute. Now, I have no qualms about throwing it into my bag whenever I go out, so I always have a laptop with me should inspiration strike. It’s so light and small that you don’t notice it, but unlike other subnotebooks out there, it’s as solid as a rock when it comes to build quality. It’s small and light, but it’s built like a tank. Kudos to Apple for such a great machine and I can’t wait to see where they go with this in the future.

**** How To Use Printer Profiles For Color Fidelity <http://www.macworld.com/article/159918/2011/05/printprofile.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Lesa Snider, Macworld

Getting your prints to match what you see on your monitor is one of the biggest challenges you’ll face when dealing with digital art or photography. This article explains how you can use printer- and paper-specific instructions—called profiles—to achieve more accurate results.

**** Six Wi-Fi Problems And How To Fix Them <http://www.macworld.com/article/159936/2011/05/wififixes.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Jeff Bertolucci, PCWorld

**** Apple To Lodsys: 'App Makers Are Protected By [Our] License' <http://www.macworld.com/article/160030/2011/05/apple_lodsys_license.html>
Lex Friedman, Macworld Staff, Macworld

In a letter sent Monday (read the full text of the letter here) to patent-holder Lodsys and its CEO Mark Small, Apple says its existing license for patents covering in-app purchases applies to all iOS app makers as well.

The crux of Apple’s letter, from senior vice president and general counsel Bruce Sewell, is right in its opening paragraph, which reads in part: “Apple is undisputedly licensed to these patents and the Apple App Makers are protected by that license. There is no basis for Lodsys’ infringement allegations against Apple’s App Makers. In addition to stating that Apple would share the letter with developers—which it has—the company also says that it “is fully prepared to defend Apple’s license rights.”



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** The Invisible iPhone <http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/37611/?ref=rss>
Kate Greene, Technology Review

Over time, using your smart-phone touch screen becomes second nature, to the point where you can even do some tasks without looking. Researchers in Germany are now working on a system that would let you perform such actions without even holding the phone—instead you'd tap your palm, and the movements would be interpreted by an "imaginary phone" system that would relay the request to your actual phone.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** "The Influencing Machine": How The Media Works <http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2011/05/22/influencing_machine/index.html>
Laura Miller, Salon

"The media don't control you," Gladstone writes. "They pander to you." Until we're willing to fess up to our own complicity, and to wrestle with the "neural impulses that animate our lizard brains," we will go on getting nothing better than "the media we deserve."

**** Poem Of The Week: Bread By Penelope Shuttle <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/may/23/poem-of-the-week-penelope-shuttle?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Carol Rumens, The Guardian



SingaporeSurf
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**** Into The Minefield Of Ministerial Salaries <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/into-the-minefield-of-ministerial-salaries/>
Au Waipang, Yawning Bread

What I notice about this list is that it is made up of people whose jobs include setting compensation for heads of large organisations. That already is a bit worrying because it seems to adopt the perspective that political jobs are tantamount to heading a large organisation. The Singapore Inc mindset is still there. You would notice for example that there is no one in the committee who is a political scientist, who can advise on what citizens expect of political office-bearers.

**** Saving The KTM Railway Green Corridor <http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/05/21/saving-the-ktm-railway-green-corridor/>
Tan Keng Leng, The Temasek Review

What is unarguable however is that most of the Singaporeans who remain unaware of the Green Corridor’s existence will never know just what it is they stand to lose if these development plans go ahead. And once the Green Corridor and its unique environment and ecosystems are gone, they will be gone forever.

**** æ–°åŠ å¡æˆ–è€ƒè™‘æ”¾å¼ƒâ€œé«˜è–ªå…»å»‰â€ <http://roll.sohu.com/20110523/n308230113.shtml>
东方早报

**** PRC Still Idolizes Singapore, Warts & All <http://ipezone.blogspot.com/2011/05/prc-still-idolizes-singapore-w-post.html>
International Political Economy Zone

So perhaps it was never going to be the case that Singapore's recent election results would go down well with Beijing's powers-that-be. After all, here was a one-party state that delivered a high standard of living to its citizens being reprimanded by these very citizens.

**** Political Demise Of Lee Kuan Yew <http://blog1.gbinghan.com/2011/05/political-demise-of-lee-kuan-yew.html>
Fragment of Memories

**** Woodlands Residents In Contaminated Water Tank Case Offered Only $10 As ‘Compensation’ <http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/05/23/woodlands-residents-in-contaminated-water-tank-case-offered-only-10-as-compensation/>
The Temasek Review

Despite a petition by some 80 residents demanding that the management of Sembawang Town Council stepped down, they have offered only a half-baked apology. To add salt to their wounds, the residents are given only a $10 rebate off their next utility bill.

**** Mother Of All Screw Ups <http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2011/05/mother-of-all-screw-ups.html>
Singapore Notes

All this theorizing is just too heavy for the common man, crammed daily into over crowded buses and trains. All they remember is Raymond Lim threatening to raise the GST if they even dare suggest a lower tariff in transportation charges.

**** 组屋水槽藏尸案：居民疑案发前　一直在喝脏水 <http://news.omy.sg/News/Local%2BNews/Story/OMYStory201105221525-246987.html>
联合晚报

对话会上惊爆客工披着毛巾进出天台，居民怀疑他们在水槽里冲凉，甚至幽会完事就地洗身，不禁提出质疑：案发前到底喝了多久的脏水？

**** Living In Singapore – Let’s Talk About The Singapore Government – Post 17 <http://thewhiterain.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/living-in-singapore-–-let’s-talk-about-the-singapore-government-–-post-17/>
Iya Bhatia Malhotra

**** Salary Review Panel: Playing It Safe? <http://rogerpoh.wordpress.com/2011/05/23/salary-review-panel-playing-it-safe/>
Spotlight On Singapore

Those who expect any drastic changes to the controversial ministerial salaries (highest on planet Earth) will be disappointed. 

**** Why The Kids Are Scaring The PAP <http://singstatistician.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-kids-are-scaring-pap.html>
Thoughts Of A Singapore Statistician

Members of the P65 therefore did considerably worse than the preceding generation. While there was a small elite that prospered under the PAP’s policies, the majority suffered under PAP rule. Since the PAP drew its Ministers and MPs from the small elite that was prospering, they were blind to the difficulties of the P65 who were struggling. Those who voiced out were dismissed as a vocal minority of “champion grumbers” , “lesser mortals”, “cattle with no spurs stuck in their backside” or other creative term that PAP leaders like to use to label Singaporeans that spoke out against their policies.

**** MAS Announces Chairman Post <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1130565/1/.html>
Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced that deputy prime minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has been officially appointed as its chairman with effect from May 21, for a period of two years.

**** A Challenge To PM Lee To Put His Words Into Actions <http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/05/23/a-challenge-to-pm-lee-to-put-his-words-into-actions/>
The Temasek Review

**** The Politicians' Salary Charade <http://blinkymummy.blogspot.com/2011/05/politicians-salary-charade.html>
野人俱乐部

**** Singapore Inflation Slows To Less Than 5% For First Time In 2011 <http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-05-23/singapore-inflation-slows-to-less-than-5-for-first-time-in-2011.html>
Shamim Adam And Sarina Yoo, Bloomberg

Singapore’s inflation slowed to less than 5 percent for the first time this year in April as a strengthening currency reduced the cost of imported goods.

**** Netizens React To Ministers’ Salary Review <http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/netizens-react-ministers-salary-review-182534114.html>
Ewen Boey, Yahoo!

Netizens remain sceptical that there would be a drastic cut to top government officials' salaries after prime minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the formation of a committee to review Singapore's ministerial pay.

**** Nicole Seah's Fund Raising <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2011/05/nicole-seahs-fund-raising.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

I think it is totally inappropriate for the members of public to insinuate corrupt practices, intent or misconduct with regards to this issue. It would be unfair to Nicole and her team to suggest that because they have acted within the legal limits. Unless there is any proof of misappropriation of funds, I think such slander is totally unwarranted. I hope the members of public should refrain from making such insinuations. 

**** Ministerial Salary Review <http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2011/05/ministerial-salary-review.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News

The appointment of the chairman of the review committee desirably should be someone that is not only independent but must be seen as independent from all the parties affected. A foreign academic, a professor of some international standing can also be considered. Ideally the committee should be free to deliberate with absolutely no worries about breach of confidentiality.

**** 李光耀：风流总被雨打风吹去 <http://roll.sohu.com/20110523/n308276147.shtml>
新民周刊

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李光耀的成功，在很大程度上仰仗他绝顶聪明的妻子柯玉枝，妻子昏迷直到两年前去世后，大家都关注他会不会被击倒。

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**** PAP Transformation Series – 18 Suggestions To Reform HDB <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/05/pap-transformation-series-18-suggestions-to-reform-hdb/>
Leong Sze Hian, Alex Lew, The Online Citizen

**** PAP Transformation Series – 13 Suggestions To Transform The CPF <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/05/pap-transformation-series-13-suggestions-to-transform-the-cpf/>
Leong Sze Hian, Alex Lew, The Online Citizen

**** PAP Transformation Series – 12 Suggestions To Reform Healthcare <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/05/pap-transformation-series-12-suggestions-to-reform-healthcare/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen

**** Woodlands Drive 73 Blk 686B Water Tank To Be Replaced <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1130689/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

**** Principles From Ministerial Pay Review May Be Applied To Civil Service: DPM Teo <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1130707/1/.html>
Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia

Mr Teo explained that in the civil service, salaries are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain competitive. He added that he is open to using the recommendations from the ministerial salaries review committee and applying them in the civil service.