[MyAppleMenu] Apr 13, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** The Apple Ebook Price-fixing Lawsuit Has Terrifying Implications ****
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/apr/13/apple-ebook-price-fixing-terrifying?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Alison Flood, The Guardian


> The DoJ lawsuit plays, it seems to me, right into the hands of Amazon. Yes, we'll have cheaper books, but at what cost? Is it worth paying a little bit less for a title if it threatens the future existence of the publishers who are bringing us the books? Or will we be happy getting everything we read from a vastly reduced pool of presses?



**** You Don’t Know Jack For iPad Review ****
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipad-iphone/reviews/?reviewid=3350880&olo=rss>
David Bradforth, Macworld UK



**** Create A Photo Greeting Card In Pages '09 ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1165928/create_a_photo_greeting_card_in_pages_09.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Chris McVeigh, Macworld


> Custom greeting cards are great way to show friends and family that you care (and that you’re creative). They’re also a snap to put together with Pages '09. With spring birthdays, not to mention Mother's Day, Father's Day, and graduations on the horizon, here’s how you can create an original photo greeting card for an inkjet printer in less than 20 minutes.



**** iCloud’s First Six Months: The Developers Weigh In ****
<http://www.macstories.net/stories/iclouds-first-six-months-the-developers-weigh-in/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macstoriesnet+%28MacStories%29>
Federico Viticci, MacStories


> Six months and 85 million customers later, iCloud has proven to be a substantial improvement to sync a user’s email, contacts, address book, and other data accessed by Apple apps. With third-party developers, however, adoption of iCloud sync and storage features has turned out to be a bit tricker, and possibly less intuitive than Apple’s own implementation due to the early nature of the platform.



**** Tech Focus: The New iPad And The Evolution Of iOS Gaming ****
<http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/digitalfoundry-new-ipad-evolution-of-ios>
Richard Leadbetter, Gamesindustry International



**** German Court Upholds Ban On Push Email In Apple's iCloud, MobileMe ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120413-701947.html>
Unsula Quass, Dow Jones


> The Mannheim regional court backed an earlier court decision that banned Apple from offering the service for synchronizing emails on devices in a patent proceeding brought by Motorola Mobility.

> The court said Apple must pay damages to Motorola Mobility, but didn't specify the amount.



**** Lawsuit Against Apple: Writers Wary Of Action By Dept. Of Justice ****
<http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-apple-authors-20120413,0,6062761.story>
Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times


> Michael Connelly and Sherman Alexie are among authors who view the Justice Department's suit against Apple and five publishers as acting against writers' interests.



**** Apple Delays, Hackers Play ****
<http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-04-12/apple-delays-hackers-play?campaign_id=rss_null>
Jordan Robertson, BusinessWeek


> Apple’s penchant for control may have contributed to the spread of a virus that has infected more than 600,000 Macs.



**** Apple Fires Back At The Feds, Amazon ****
<http://allthingsd.com/20120412/apple-fires-back-at-the-feds-amazon/>
Peter Kafka, AllThingsD


> "The DOJ’s accusation of collusion against Apple is simply not true. The launch of the iBookstore in 2010 fostered innovation and competition, breaking Amazon’s monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. Since then customers have benefited from eBooks that are more interactive and engaging. Just as we’ve allowed developers to set prices on the App Store, publishers set prices on the iBookstore."



**** Making Music Sound Better On iTunes ****
<http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-04-12/making-music-sound-better-on-itunes>
Devin Leonard, BusinessWeek



**** The Apple E-book Conspiracy: Three Days In January ****
<http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/04/11/the-apple-e-book-conspiracy-three-days-in-january/?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+(Top+Stories)>
Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune


> "Instead of an MFN designed to protect Apple's ability to compete, this MFN was designed to protect Apple from having to compete on price at all, while still maintaining Apple's 30 percent margin."



**** Splashtop's New App Lets Developers Run Metro Apps On An iPad ****
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/splashtops-new-app-lets-developers-run-metro-apps-on-an-ipad/4768?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ZDNetBlogs+%28ZDNet+All+Blogs%29>
Ed Bott, ZDNet


> It combines two pieces—an iPad app and a small “streamer” component that runs on a Windows 8 system. The combination offers a remote connection that is surprisingly responsive and faithful to the Windows 8 experience.

Probably quite useful for Windows 8 developers, but, really, you will want a "real" Windows tablet to test your app.


**** Rare Apple Mac Prototype On Sale For $100K ****
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/9200274/Rare-Apple-Mac-prototype-on-sale-for-100k.html>
The Telegraph


> The seller claims the computer is the only example to feature a 5.25in “Twiggy” floppy disk drive, which had featured in the Apple Lisa computer.



**** Apple Is Allowed (At Long Last) To Intervene In Lodsys Lawsuit Against App Developers ****
<http://www.fosspatents.com/2012/04/apple-is-allowed-at-long-last-to.html>
FOSS Patents



**** Apple Prompting Users For Security Questions To Bolster Apple ID Security ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/04/apple-prompting-users-for-security-questions-to-bolster-apple-id-security.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss>
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica


> Apple has begun to ask iOS device owners for the answers to security questions as part of an effort to beef up Apple ID security. iPhone users began widely reporting the change on Thursday, though the changes actually began happening sometime in the last 24 hours. Not all iOS users have seen the request pop up yet, however, leaving some confused about whether the prompt is legitimately from Apple.



**** The Price Is Right? The Debate Over Ebook Pricing ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166328/the_price_is_right_the_debate_over_ebook_pricing.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Dan Moren, Lex Friedman, Macworld



**** DOJ Is Likely To Lose E-book Antitrust Suit Targeting Apple ****
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57412861-38/doj-is-likely-to-lose-e-book-antitrust-suit-targeting-apple/?utm_source=loopinsight.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+loopinsight%2FKqJb+%28The+Loop%29>
Declan McCullagh and Greg Sandoval, CNET


> One reason lies in the Justice Department's 36-page complaint, which recounts how publishers met over breakfast in a London hotel and dinners at Manhattan's posh Picholine restaurant, which boasts a "Best of Award of Excellence" from Wine Spectator magazine. The key point is that Apple wasn't present.



**** Das Keyboard Pro For Mac ****
<http://garre.tt/das-keyboard-pro-for-mac>
Garrett Murray


> I'll tell you this, friends: It's hideous and it's loud and it's heavy and it's huge… but I love typing on it.



**** Microsoft Office For Mac Service Pack 2 Now Live ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/04/12/microsoft-office-for-mac-service-pack-2-now-live/>
Mel Martin, TUAW


> The update improves connectivity for SkyDrive, provides upload functionality improvements for SharePoint, and has some language fixes in German and Italian. There are also fixes for Exchange, printing fixes for Word and Powerpoint gets full screen views.



**** New Java Update From Apple Removes Flashback Malware ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166334/new_java_update_from_apple_removes_flashback_malware.html>
Lex Friedman, Macworld


> Apple released an update patching the Java vulnerabilities exploited by Flashback earlier this month. Thursday’s additional Java update goes a step further, removing the most common variants of the Flashback malware.

Finally.





The Tomorrow Weblog
====================================
**** In Japan, You'll Soon Be Able To Access ATMs With Just Your Palm And A PIN ****
<http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/12/2943164/cardless-atm-japan-ogaki-kyoritsu>
Vlad Savov, The Verge


> Japanese bank Ogaki Kyoritsu will soon start accepting palm authentication, allied to a PIN and date of birth verification, as enough proof of identity before releasing cash from ATMs.






MyAppleMenu Reader
====================================
**** The Inconvenient Astrologer Of MI5 ****
<http://www.theawl.com/2012/04/the-inconvenient-astrologer-of-mi5>
Emma Garman, The Awl


> What no one realized was that de Wohl’s lecture was pure propaganda from the British government, which was attempting to drag the Roosevelt administration into WWII by any means necessary. De Wohl, who was employed by SOE (Special Operations Executive, the wartime sabotage unit), had been dispatched with instructions to present himself as a renowned astrologer with no connections to Britain, and to undermine America’s belief in the invincibility of Hitler. As the spy novelist William Boyd put it in a 2008 radio interview: “At the time, there was a perception of American people, in the minds of the British Security Services, that they were more gullible than us Brits.”



**** Fanfare For The Comma Man ****
<http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/09/fanfare-for-the-comma-man/>
Ben Yagoda, New York Times


> Is it safe to talk about punctuation again?






SingaporeSurf
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**** No Alternative To Raising Productivity, Says Tharman ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1195069/1/.html>
Sara Grosse, Channel NewsAsia


> He said the government will spare no effort to help businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to make this transition to higher productivity, which will in turn lead to higher wages for workers.



**** Singapore's Nose In South China Morning Post's Tent?	 ****
<http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4418&Itemid=233>
Asia Sentinel


> Former Singapore Press Holdings editor-in-chief Cheong Yip Seng, who appeared quietly at the SCMP in January saying he was only there for three months, has now taken up a 12-month contract to advise and guide the paper’s recently-appointed mainland-born editor Wang Xiang Wei. Robin Hu, senior vice-president at Singapore Press Holdings, who was responsible for its Chinese Newspaper Division, is to become managing director and CEO. 

> In theory, given the regular infusion of administrative and security branch apparatchiks into Singapore Press Holdings, both Cheong Yip Seng and Robin Hu should be able to call on considerable manpower resources and backup to consolidate the Post’s press, magazine and retail assets. If that could lead to giving Singapore Press Holdings enough comfort to consider an acquisition, it could allow sugar baron Robert Kuok an exit after years of frustration.



**** Why Singapore Needs Yale More Than Yale Needs Singapore ****
<http://dotseng.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/why-singapore-needs-yale-more-than-yale-needs-singapore/>
Dotseng



**** Names For Tuas West Extension MRT Stations Finalised ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1194997/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> The names are Gul Circle, Tuas Crescent, Tuas West Road, and Tuas Link.



**** Wage Restructuring Suggestion 'Too Risky': Lim Swee Say ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120413-0000142/Wage-restructuring-suggestion-too-risky--Lim-Swee-Say>
Tan Weizhen, Today


> Speaking to reporters, Mr Lim, said he does not believe that there can be a 50 per cent corresponding increase in productivity in the next three years, in tandem with the pay increases.

> When that happens, companies may cut jobs or move out of Singapore and there may also be structural unemployment, he added.

Does the worker lower their productivity when their real wages decreases over the last few years? No. So why demand a corresponding increase in productivity in order to raise wages?


**** A Question Of Fairness ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/04/single-mothers-question-of-fairness/>
Ghul, The Online Citizen


> The point is, children born out of wedlock is a factual occurrence which we cannot ignore. Whatever our subjective moral inclinations, is it right to punish the children born out of wedlock for their mother’s supposed “sins”? Is it for society to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate children as if somehow legitimate children are superior? In actuality, that is the end result of our current laws – to stigmatise illegitimate children when all children are supposed to be born on a clean slate, untainted.

> Mothers (whether  they are married or not) and their children must be treated equally. This is not an issue about morality but of fairness. If you pay tax, you deserve the benefits that come with the taxes. I am not suggesting that tax paying unmarried mothers get more, merely that they get the same as their tax paying counterparts.



**** Singapore Central Bank Unexpectedly Tightens Policy Amid Inflation Fears ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120412-719346.html>
Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Dow Jones


> Singapore's central bank unexpectedly tightened its monetary policy stance by raising the slope of the local dollar's trading band "slightly" as inflation becomes a bigger worry than the economy.

> The Monetary Authority of Singapore also restored a narrower trading band for the local dollar, reflecting reduced uncertainty about the future, while continuing with its policy of a modest and gradual appreciation of the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate policy band. There will be no change to the level at which the band is centered, it added.



**** Singapore Lets Currency Rise To Tame Inflation ****
<http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/13/business/20120413114847&sec=business>
Associated Press


> Singapore's central bank tightened its monetary policy Friday by allowing for a stronger currency to combat the island's stubbornly high inflation rate.

> A stronger Singapore dollar would lower the prices of imports while possibly making the country's exports less competitive.



**** Public Sector Procurement Lapses: Stop Throwing Away Public Money ****
<http://rogerpoh.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/public-sector-procurement-lapses-stop-throwing-away-public-money/>
SpotlightOnSingapore


> One of the reasons is that there is too much money flushing around in the system, and government agencies and ministries are too preoccupied with raising revenue to be able to exercise proper oversight.



**** Preventable Deaths At Traffic Junctions ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/04/preventable-deaths-at-traffic-junctions/>
David L K See, The Online Citizen


> Must our LTA officials just sit back and wait for more traffic junction tragedies to occur before taking firm action?



**** Singapore Tightens Monetary Policy ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/singapore-tightens-monetary-policy>
Singapore Business Review



**** Report Of The Public Accounts Committee: Wassup With MIB? ****
<http://unbrandedbreadnbutter.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/report-of-the-public-accounts-committee-wassup-with-mib/>
Unbranded Bread N Butter



**** Apple Becomes A Two-Way Player On The Patent-Fight Playing Field ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303624004577340031760748606.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>
Jessica E. Vascellaro, Wall Street Journal


> Apple Inc. is waging a patent crusade against mobile-phone giants it believes ripped off the iPhone.

> But the company is playing an important game of defense, too, as it faces claims it has violated scores of patents that relate to how devices communicate with wireless networks, send emails or display the time.



**** Age Limit For Taxi Drivers Raised ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1194921/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> Taxi drivers will be able to drive their taxis till they are 75 years old when the revised age limit takes effect from June 1, 2012.

> With the raised age limit, taxi drivers who intend to extend their vocational licenses after the age of 73 will be required to pass a detailed assessment annually or at a shorter interval as deemed necessary by the doctor or occupational therapist. 



**** Will Singapore Be The First Asian Country To Ban Shark’s Fin? ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/will-singapore-be-the-first-asian-country-to-ban-shark’s-fin-.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter>
Melissa Aw, Yahoo!


> Marine photographer Michael Aw has a bold dream -- for Singapore to ban shark’s fin by the end of 2013.

> The 56-year-old, who will be launching a “No Shark Fins Singapore” nationwide campaign at Asia Dive Expo on Marina Bay Sands on Friday, hopes to convince all Chinese restaurants to remove shark’s fin from their menus. He also hopes to convince 50 companies -- hotels and major corporations -- to support the cause.  



**** Government Engagement – The Problem Is Looking For A Solution ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/04/government-engagement-the-problem-is-looking-for-a-solution/>
Howard Lee, The Online Citizen


> By declaring that there is a right way of doing things, PM Lee has automatically pigeon-holed and segmented the two parties of every engagement attempt – the pro-progress ball-players who help to refine the government’s plans (i.e. the right way), and the regressive anti-social trouble-makers who are against the government’s plans, possibly all out to trip it (i.e. the wrong way).

> Barely a year, and the new normal, it would seem, has reverted back to the old normal. At this point, I began to wonder if all the blood and tears that have been shed in May 2011 was really worth it.



**** Residents' Corner In Little India May Be Cordoned Off ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_788310.html>
Goh Shi Ting, Straits Times


> Residents of four Housing Board blocks in Klang Lane want a permanent barrier erected to keep loitering foreigners away from their newly built recreational area, which has a TV set, games console, treadmill and wireless hotspot.

> If their wish is granted, it will be a rare move by the Housing Board as Residents' Corners are typically open areas where residents can watch TV together and the elderly attend computer classes, among other activities.



**** Singapore Avoids Recession In 1Q ****
<http://www.nasdaq.com/article/singapore-avoids-recession-in-1q-20120412-01581>
Sam Holmes, Dow Jones


> Singapore's economy returned to expansionary territory by growing at an annualized pace of 9.9% in the January-March period from the previous quarter, avoiding a technical recession.



**** Shaken And Stirred ****
<http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=soauntiesowhat&file=/2012/4/12/columnists/soauntiesowhat/11091565&sec=So%20Auntie%20So%20What>
June H.L. Wong, The Star


> As someone observed: “In every Asean group photograph, why must all participants cross their arms in front of their chest in order to hold hands with the adjacent person?

> A close look at the faces in those shots will often reveal at least one or two with decidedly uncomfortable expressions. Especially among the women.



**** Pig Out At Malaysian Food Street ****
<http://darran.sg/post/pig-out-at-malaysian-food-street/>
Darran Low



**** Food Republic Beer Garden, Harbourfront ****
<http://rubbisheatrubbishgrow.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/food-republic-beer-garden-harbourfront/>
Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow



**** Where The Global 1% Live Now ****
<http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/04/where-global-1-live-now/1668/>
Richard Florida, The Atlantic Cities


> The ultra-rich value cities that offer "personal safety and security" most, followed by "economic openness" and "social stability" which top "luxury housing" and "excellent educational opportunities."

Singapore ranks fifth in the list of "preferred locations for the ultra-rich".


**** Why Lee Yi Shyan Is A Heartless Turd ****
<http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-lee-yi-shyan-is-heartless-turd.html>
A Singaporean In Australia


> For every Singaporean reading this, you voted self serving Ministers without hearts into parliament to serve you. As long as your life is not affected, your self interests protected, you carry on a life of apathy without sparing a thought for the poor. Yet you donated money in charity shows and pretend you care.

> If you have a heart, it's time to feel. Please spread the word so that the blind innocent eyes can finally see.

All these years of productivity campaigns killed by PAP government's race-to-the-bottom policies. We need to do a drastic U-turn -- I vote for minimum wages -- to force, instead of waiting for, productivity gains.


**** On The Yale Faculty Resolution Criticizing Singapore ****
<http://socect.wordpress.com/2012/04/12/on-the-yale-faculty-resolution-criticizing-singapore/>
Eric C. Thompson, Socect's Weblog


> Had the Yale faculty bothered to engage with Singaporean civil society actors or their counterparts living and working in Singapore at NUS, they would have learned that their rush to judgment and aggressive resolution (at least they softened the wording from “demanding” to “urging”!) would have little effect and likely be counterproductive in Singapore’s public sphere. If their complaint is with Yale’s corporate governance, the resolution should have been about that. By making it about Singapore, it only reinforces the sense that questions of civil and political rights are issues that Westerners are bent on imposing on others, with no regard to the sovereign rights of non-Western nations to evolve their own democratic forms of governance which may not conform to the cultural liberalism of the West.



**** Avoiding A Potential Class Divide ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_788042.html>
Straits Times


> Prof Lim's wage proposal does not only treat the side effects, but it also aims to treat the root of the problem, by doing away with cheap foreign labour and accelerating the rate of change for the local labour force to become more productive, to justify its wage increase.



**** Medical Devices: Twinning Scheme More Practical Than Re-registration ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_788189.html>
Straits Times


> The Health Sciences Authority should work on a programme of accreditation and twinning with other leading agencies elsewhere to address gaps and offer complementary testing services for new medical devices originating from Singapore, and in accordance with accredited best practices.

> Singapore's small population will not gain by duplicating the efforts invested by other countries.



**** AG Erred In Filing Appeal On Hougang By-election Case: Ravi ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ag-erred-in-filing-appeal-on-hougang-by-election-case--ravi.html>
Andrew Loh, Yahoo!



**** Net Economic Value (NEV) Possibly The Worst Framework Ever Adopted By Civil Service ****
<http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7496>
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net


> The NEV framework is the direct result of the mindset of the current ruling party that everything valuable must be quantified, and that the majority of attention must be placed on extrinsic, measurable factors. This mindset is the symptom of a greedy and self-serving ruling political elite that merely wants to enrich its coffers and make itself look good on the international stage.

> Slowly but surely, the government has lost sight of the true nature and value of public service. It is become so enamoured with metrics and KPIs and quantifiable performance that it has lost touch with the ground, and has forgotten that public service is shaped not by dollars and cents, but by courage and character.



**** Objections Not Always Selfish ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120413-0000046/Objections-not-always-selfish>
Kenneth Wee, Today


> I find that in discussions about government policies or proposals, objections from the public on operational grounds are often dismissed as being ideological or missing the big picture.

> As a result, responsible officials may confuse the amendment of ideas based on better information with being wrong and suffering a potential loss of face.



**** Void Decks Take Centre Stage ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120413-0000093/Void-decks-take-centre-stage>
Qiuyi Tan, Today


> The form and uses of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) void deck may have evolved over the years, but it remains a keystone in Singapore's heartland heritage.

> That is what the National Heritage Board's latest travelling exhibition, titled "Our Void Decks, Our Shared Spaces", is celebrating.

Let's preserve void decks and open spaces. It's time to re-think child-care and senior-care and bomb-shelters and such that takes up void-deck spaces.
Also: <a href="http://www.photojournalist-tgh.tv/photojournalism/void-deck-our-cultural-communal-space">Void Deck – Our Cultural Communal Space</a> (Photojournlaist).


**** The Yale-NUS Controversy In Perspective ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Commentary/EDC120413-0000033/The-Yale-NUS-controversy-in-perspective>
Michael Montesano, Today


> The resolution was, that is, a clear vote of no confidence in Yale's leadership, rather than a vote of no confidence in Singapore.



**** MOF Responds To Public Accounts Committee's Recommendations ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1194809/1/.html>
Claire Huang, Channel NewsAsia


> Singapore's Finance Ministry agrees that there is a need to strengthen procurement capabilities in the public sector, said a spokesperson in response to the recommendations by the Public Accounts Committee.

> In an email reply, the spokesperson added that generally, this has been the practice for specialised services and infrastructure.



**** LTA Submits Report On December Train Service Disruptions ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1194802/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia