[MyAppleMenu] Apr 14, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** New Mac OS X Trojan Discovered ****
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/mac/news/?newsid=3351108&olo=rss>
Ben Camm-Jones, Macworld UK


> Mac users should make sure they have applied Apple's latest Java update and installed anti-virus software after a new Trojan targeting OS X was spotted in the wild.

> Ironically discovered on Friday 13th, the new Trojan - Sabpab - uses the same vulnerability in the OS X's Java plug-in to infect Macs, warns security firm Sophos.



**** Hauppauge myTV 2Go Review ****
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipad-iphone/reviews/?reviewid=3351031&olo=rss>
Cliff Joseph, Macworld UK


> The compact little device contains a digital TV tuner for receiving standard-definition Freeview broadcasts, along with a small extendable aerial and a rechargeable battery that lasts for about three hours. It has built-in wifi (802.11g) for streaming the TV signal, so you don’t need to muck about with cables when you’re setting it up.



**** Despite Denial, Apple Dictated E-Book Pricing At iBookstore ****
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/253729/despite_denial_apple_dictated_ebook_pricing_at_ibookstore.html>
John P. Mello Jr., PCWorld


> It did that by requiring the publishers to lower the price of any e-book sold in the iBookstore to match the lowest price of any retailer, even if a publisher didn't have any control over that retailer's price.

> So Apple's suggestion that publishers had a free reign to set prices at the iBookstore is a bit disingenuous. Apple indirectly dictated the pricing of e-books at the iBookstore by requiring publishers to sell their wares there at the lowest price found on the Internet.

This is the part that I don't think will play well with Apple's agency model.


**** Australia Vs. Apple: Take Two On E-book Price Fixing ****
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/london/australia-vs-apple-take-two-on-e-book-price-fixing/4045>
Zack Whittaker, ZDNet



**** Flashback Removal Tool For No-Java 10.7 Lion Now Available ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/04/13/flashback-removal-tool-for-no-java-10-7-lion-installs-now-availa/>
Michael Rose, TUAW



**** App Developers, Frustrated With Bug Reporting Tools, Call On Apple To ‘Fix Radar Or GTFO’ ****
<http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/04/13/app-developers-frustrated-with-bug-reporting-tools-call-on-apple-to-fix-radar-or-gtfo/>
Matthew Panzarino, The Next Web



**** Predicting WWDC Dates And The June 11 Rumor ****
<http://www.marco.org/2012/04/13/predicting-wwdc-not-june-11>
Marco Arment


> So I’m guessing that WWDC 2012 will be the week of June 4. And I hope we don’t need to wait much longer to find out.

Or, as Macro also guessed, "maybe there won't even be a WWDC." Or maybe it will be in Beijing.


**** Airtoggle Saves Menu-bar Space, Toggles Wi-Fi From The Keyboard ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166371/airtoggle_saves_menu_bar_space_toggles_wi_fi_from_the_keyboard.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Dan Frakes, Macworld


> You can now press that keyboard shortcut at any time to toggle Wi-Fi on and off; a semi-translucent Wi-Fi graphic appears on the screen to confirm the action.

Saves one more icon's space on your menu bar. Which is quite valuable.


**** Believe Most Of Tumult’s HTML5 Hype ****
<http://tidbits.com/article/12888?rss>
Steve McCabe, TidBITS


> For what Hype does in terms of creating animated and interactive content, it’s both easy to use and convenient, and will be attractive to designers who would otherwise be reluctant to get their hands dirty with HTML5 and JavaScript code.



**** Bugs & Fixes: Opening (Very) Old AppleWorks And Word Documents ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166370/open_old_docs.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Ted Landau, Macworld



**** Apple Says It’s Not Working On Anything With Philippe Starck ****
<http://allthingsd.com/20120413/apple-we-dont-know-what-philippe-starck-is-talking-about/?utm_source=loopinsight.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+loopinsight%2FKqJb+%28The+Loop%29>
John Paczkowski, AllThingsD


> Reached for comment, an Apple spokeswoman said the company is not working on a new product with Starck.

John Paczkowski's guess that the project is with the Jobs family rather than Apple Inc makes sense.


**** Why Is iCloud Free? ****
<http://512pixels.net/why-is-icloud-free/>
512 Pixels


> Unlike the iTunes, iBooks and App stores, iCloud has no way of making money directly. It’s a big, bold red line on the books. But Apple made and gives iCloud away because it makes their <i>hardware</i> more desirable.

It is very difficult to achieve what iCloud <i>potentially</i> can achieve if your data are jointly controlled simultaneously by multiple vendors, all of whom have different agenda.
In the PC era, you have Microsoft and PC vendor (Compaq, Dell, IBM, etc). In the post-PC era, add in Google and smart phone manufacturer (Samsung, Nokia, HTC), and you have a mess.


**** Cobook Is An Alternative Address Book For Your Mac ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/04/13/cobook-is-an-alternative-address-book-for-your-mac/>
Kelly Hodgkins, TUAW



**** iTunes’ Ball And Chain: Windows ****
<http://www.allenpike.com/2012/itunes-ball-and-chain-windows/>
Allen Pike


> Except that they can’t split iTunes into multiple apps because many, if not most iOS users are on Windows. iTunes is Apple’s one and only foothold on Windows, so it needs to support everything an iOS device owner could need to do with their device. Can you imagine the support hurricane it would cause if Windows users suddenly needed to download, install, and use 3-4 different apps to sync and manage their media on their iPhone? It’s completely out of the question.



**** Apple Under Fire For Backing Off IPv6 Support ****
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/041312-apple-ipv6-258241.html?hpg1=bn>
Carolyn Duffy Marsan, Network World


> Presenters at the North American IPv6 Summit expressed annoyance that the latest version of Apple's AirPort Utility, Version 6.0, is no longer compatible with IPv6. The previous Version, 5.6, offered IPv6 service by default.

> Indeed, Comcast is giving only a conditional recommendation for Apple's AirPort Utility to be used along with its new home networking service for IPv6. In contrast, Comcast offers a blanket recommendation for various IPv6-enabled home gateway models from D-Link, Cisco and Netgear.



**** Designer Phillippe Starck Says He's Working On 'Revolutionary' Product With Apple ****
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericsavitz/2012/04/13/designer-phillippe-starck-says-hes-working-on-revolutionary-product-with-apple/>
Eric Savitz, Forbes


> The French designer Phillippe Starck said in a radio interview with France Info that he is working with Apple on a “revolutionary” new product that will be unveiled within the next 8 months. He gave no hint at what the product might be. He said he met regularly with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs before his death last October.



**** Plot Thickens In Apple “Bait Apps” Case ****
<http://paidcontent.org/2012/04/13/plot-thickens-in-apple-bait-apps-case/>
Jeff John Roberts, PaidContent


> The judge’s refusal to dismiss the case does not mean the parents will win, but it does increase the pressure on Apple.






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Artificial Intelligence Could Be On Brink Of Passing Turing Test ****
<http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/04/turing-test-revisited>
Brandon Keim, Wired


> “Two revolutionary advances in information technology may bring the Turing test out of retirement,” wrote Robert French, a cognitive scientist at the French National Center for Scientific Research, in an Apr. 12 Science essay. “The first is the ready availability of vast amounts of raw data — from video feeds to complete sound environments, and from casual conversations to technical documents on every conceivable subject. The second is the advent of sophisticated techniques for collecting, organizing, and processing this rich collection of data.”



**** A Monitor That Worries About Your Posture ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/helloworld/27756/?ref=rss>
David Zax, Technology Review


> Using a built-in CMOS sensor and software from DigitalOptics, the ErgoSensor Monitor detects whether you’re slouching, and whether you’re sitting too close to, or too far from, the monitor. Then, just like we want our technology to do, it chastises you.






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Resting Places ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/books/review/home-burial-poems-by-michael-mcgriff.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Jeff Gordinier, New York Times


> One of the first things to strike you about Michael McGriff’s work is that it’s populated: his poems have people in them. What strikes you next is that the citizens of McGriffville are mired in various stages of desperation.



**** My Life With Bob ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/books/review/keeping-track-of-reading-habits-with-a-book-of-books.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss>
Pamela Paul, New York Times


> With no small amount of trepidation, I lay open here the first page of my diary — high-­schoolish stabs at intellectualism, fleeting girlish obsessions, deliberately obscure annotations and all. After many failed adolescent attempts at keeping a journal, the summer after my junior year in high school, I finally found a format I could adhere to: Never mind describing the back-and-lack-of-forths of unrequited crushes and falling-outs with friends. I decided to list the books I read instead.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Chemicals Sprayed At Chek Jawa ****
<http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2012/04/chemicals-sprayed-at-chek-jawa.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WildShoresOfSingapore+%28wild+shores+of+singapore%29>
Wild Shores Of Singapore


> Instead of spraying chemicals on the shore, it would be less damaging to the environment if perhaps visitors could be alerted to expect mosquitoes in certain stretches of the boardwalk? Or if repellent could be sold at the Information Kiosk? 



**** An Inclusive Society Is Achievable In Next Decade: DPM Tharman ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1195203/1/.html>
Sara Grosse, Channel NewsAsia


> Mr Tharman said the government is putting in place various policies and investing in training to raise productivity levels, to ensure that all Singaporeans, and not just those at the top, benefit from economic growth.

> But he stressed that this is not just an economic strategy, but a social strategy as well.



**** Wage Proposal Poses Challenges: Teo Ser Luck ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1195191/1/.html>
Monica Kotwani, Channel NewsAsia


> Mr Teo said: "From the business perspective, it's not just productivity increase that we need, we need the economy to do well so that revenue can go up. When revenue goes up, you can better afford higher pay for the lower-income. It's not just the one aspect of just increasing the low-income earner's salary, it's actually an overall aspect of whether the economy is doing well, whether you get the demand for your services and products, whether your revenue would increase, whether you can meet the bottom-line that you've set for yourself.

> "If you just go outright, intervene, and increase the income of the lower-wage workers, what will happen is that when you increase the cost of operations for businesses, it will eat into the margin. For SMEs, that's not easy thing to do, because their margin's already very thin. If they're suppliers of services, that margin could be wiped out just like that."

Do we really want to subside businesses that cannot survive unless they exploit worker by not giving them enough to survive?


**** Thumbs Up To Lim Chong Yah ****
<http://blogging4myself.blogspot.com/2012/04/thumbs-up-to-lim-chong-yah.html>
Blogging For Myself


> If government do not defend the dignity of the needy with appropriate policies (especially enacting minimum wage), the rest of society is not organized to help them holistically; they will suffer deprivation. This is just trying to slowly starve them out of existence in order to upgrade the gene pool of this society. We are inhuman to allow this.



**** Milgram ****
<http://piaroh.wordpress.com/2012/04/14/milgram/>
Words Of The Cze


> As stated previously, I rate Prof Lim’s plan at better than 50-50, but not good enough to give a thumbs-up at such high stakes. So I’ll propose a weaker version – just a 20% hike in one year and let the market sort out the rest. Besides, with the global economic uncertainty I’m not sure we can sustain any policy for three years straight.

> Or, I propose softening the ‘shock’ without softening it. Complicated, but follow close.



**** King Albert Park ****
<http://almightyalicia.blogspot.com/2012/04/king-albert-park.html>
The Moon



**** Singapore Builds Its Economy Successfully With The Help Of State-owned Temasek ****
<http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/4/14/business/11103048&sec=business>
Tan Thiam Hock, The Star



**** Asia From An Asian Perspective ****
<http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=insightdownsouth&file=/2012/4/14/columnists/insightdownsouth/11097881&sec=Insight%20Down%20South>
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star


> Having their state TV moving into the world arena has raised a little sense of pride among some Singaporeans.

> Informed citizens, however, are questioning its chances of success considering that it is considered to be a government mouthpiece. And taxpayers are worried about footing the bill for potential losses.

Go ahead and try, Mediacorp, but I'm not expecting success. And please don't take tax payer monies.


**** Hill Street Fried Kway Teow: True Singapore Noodles ****
<http://atigerinthekitchen.com/2012/04/hill-street-fried-kway-teow-true-singapore-noodles/>
Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, A Tiger In The Kitchen



**** Arab Street & Haji Lane ☆ Singapore ****
<http://chuzailiving.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/arab-street-haji-lane-singapore/>
Chuzai Living



**** What Happened To Rediffusion Star's Archival Material? ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_788445.html>
Tan Chin Kong, Straits Times


> We understood from a recent inquiry with the National Archives that the material was subsequently destroyed. It is such a pity that part of our cultural heritage is now lost. The National Archives should explain the matter.

Did the National Archives run out of hard-disk space?


**** No Lease Extension For Arts Enclave At Mt Sophia ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_788683.html>
Teo Wan Gek, Straits Times



**** Thanks, But Spending $4M For S'pore Day Is Too Much ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_788510.html>
Liang Kaicheng, Straits Times


> There may be far better ways to spend $4 million of taxpayers' money than on a bunch of Singaporeans living abroad, many of whom have their eye on lucrative, prestigious opportunities in their adopted countries and have no plans to return to Singapore in the foreseeable future.



**** 唤不回的“丽的呼声” ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/fk/fk120414_011.shtml>
庄永康, 联合早报


> ä¸½çš„åœæ’­å¹¶ä¸æ˜¯ä¸–ç•Œæœ«æ—¥ï¼Œåªæ˜¯æ–°åŠ å¡åˆå¤šäº†ä¸€ä¸ªæ°‘é—´æ–‡åŒ–äº‹ä¸šçš„å¤±è´¥ä¾‹å­ï¼Œå°‘äº†ä¸€ä¸ªè®©äººæ°‘è‡ªç”±å‘æŒ¥åˆ›æ„çš„ç©ºé—´ã€‚

Stop living in the past; you don't need mainstream media to be successful. With podcasting, I've listened to so many more radio shows than ever before. The thing is: none of the shows I'm listening comes from MediaCorp or Safra or NTUC/SPH. Time to move on.


**** Call For Big Pay Rise Too Drastic, Say SMEs ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_788665.html>
Yasmine Yahya & Gan Yu Jia, Straits Times


> They told The Straits Times that hefty pay rises could cripple their operations and hurt the job market by making Singapore less competitive.

If you ask, maybe they'll tell you that it is a bad idea to give one rest-day per week too.


**** By-election Case: Resident Seeks To Strike Out AGC's Appeal ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_788675.html>
Straits Times



**** McDonald's Place At King Albert Park Set For Redevelopment ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_788680.html>
Ng Kai Ling, Straits Times


> Students at schools near King Albert Park will need to look for a new hangout when McDonald's Place is redeveloped.

> Tenants told The Straits Times that they have not been informed by the building's management when they have to move.



**** Breaking Out From The Cycle Of Cheap Labor And Low Productivity. ****
<http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/04/breaking-out-from-cycle-of-cheap-labor.html>
Diary Of A Singaporean Mind


> No amount of productivity campaigns and urging by the govt can overcome the business logic of keep cost down by using the cheapest means to keep the wheel turning.

> If we want to break out of this vicious cycle, there is no choice now but to take some risk using wage intervention approaches.

In the past decade, PAP had not demonstrated an ounce of political will to close the income gap. Why should we believe them now?


**** East-West MRT Passengers Delayed By Up To 40 Mins ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_788403.html>
Feng Zeng Kun, Straits Times


> Some passengers on the East-West MRT Line were delayed by up to 40 minutes on Friday evening when a train stalled between Tampines and Simei MRT stations.

Previously: <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_786869.html">Govt To Minimise Major MRT Disruptions: Lui Tuck Yew</a> (Straits Times, Apr 9, 2012): The Government will try to minimise major disruptions of more than 30 minutes, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said on Monday, even as he warned that some disruptions and defects on the heavily-used MRT were 'unavoidable'.