[MyAppleMenu] Apr 26, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** Premiere Pro CS6's Enhancements Are More Than Skin Deep ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166535/premiere_pro_cs6_s_enhancements_are_more_than_skin_deep.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Antony Bolante, Macworld


> With the launch of its Creative Suite 6 and its companion Creative Cloud, Adobe has unveiled its professional editing package, Premiere Pro CS6. Whereas Premiere Pro CS5’s most notable features—64-bit processing and the Mercury Playback Engine—were under the hood, many of CS6’s new features are evident at a glance. Here are the details.



**** Does Your Dock Reflect Your Priorities? ****
<http://nerdgap.com/does-your-dock-reflect-your-priorities/>
Brett Kelly, Bridging The Nerd Gap


> My Dock reflects my priorities. Does yours?



**** Study: Apple’s iOS And Mac Platforms Drive The Most Search Requests; Linux The Least, Says Chitika ****
<http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/25/apples-ios-and-mac-platforms-drive-the-most-search-requests-linux-the-least/>
Ingrid Lunden, TechCrunch


> According to research out today from the ad network Chitika, when analyzing web browsing traffic, Apple’s iOS mobile platform drives the highest proportion of search queries: 54 percent of all iOS web traffic is devoted to search, the company says. Its Macintosh OS is the second-most search-friendly: some 48 percent of all web traffic on Macs is in the form of search queries. Both are well above the average percentage of search queries across all major platforms, which stands at 36 percent, says Chitika.

Is Apple working on a secret search-engine project? Is Siri just the tip of the iceberg?


**** Apple Q2 Earnings: Apple Now Has Over $110 Billion In Cash Reserves ****
<http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/24/apple-q2-earnings-apple-now-has-over-110-billion-in-cash-reserves/>
Ingrid Lunden, TechCrunch



**** Onion Browser Brings Encrypted Mobile Browsing To The iPhone ****
<http://www.geek.com/articles/mobile/onion-browser-brings-encrypted-mobile-browsing-to-iphone-20120425/>
Ryan Whitwam, Geek.com


> The Tor Onion router network is essentially a series of virtual tunnels that your connection will bounce through before reaching the destination. While connecting through Tor is slower than a non-tunneled connection would be, it has the upshot of making it almost impossible to monitor your activity online — it’s the closest you can get to anonymity online.



**** Can Apple Revamp The WWDC Ticket System? Does It Want To? ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/04/can-apple-revamp-the-wwdc-ticket-system-does-it-want-to.ars>
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica



**** Dogfights On Your iPhone ****
<http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/dogfights-on-your-iphone/?gwh=80B5E7AF8C8BFD62FC5D90731C0B241E>
Warren Buckleitner, New York Times


> The invasion of apps on toys continues with this weeks release of Foam Fighters Pacific from WowWee ($9.99), a set of three-inch styrofoam gliders that you can suction cup under your iPhone’s outside camera. Align the wings with an on-screen template and the app’s augmented reality features superimpose a WWII dogfight over your living room.



**** Macs Contribute Record-Low 13% To Apple's Revenue ****
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226579/Macs_contribute_record_low_13_to_Apple_s_revenue?source=rss_operatingsystems>
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld


> Once upon a time, the Mac line accounted for as much as half of Apple's income. But in the first quarter, computer sales were just 13% of the company's near-record revenue.

>From what I can see, there is a long-term vision for Mac OS X brewing inside Apple, and Mountain Lion is but just another small step towards that vision.



**** Airfoil Speakers Touch 3.0 Review ****
<http://www.macstories.net/reviews/airfoil-speakers-touch-3-0-review/>
Federico Viticci, MacStories


> If you’ve been looking for an easy way to, say, beam iTunes or iPad audio to an iPhone connected to your car’s system, the latest Airfoil Speakers Touch gets the job done. And if your audio listening habits are made of more complex and variegate needs, you can stay assured Airfoil Speakers Touch will equally serve you well thanks to the combination of Rogue Amoeba-made and third-party utilities mentioned above.



**** Replace iDisk With Your Own Net Disk ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166529/replace_idisk_with_your_own_net_disk.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Glenn Fleishman, Macworld


> If you have file-sharing access via a hosting company, a storage system like Amazon, or your own servers, Nolobe’s Interarchy ($30) and Panic’s Transmit ($34) offer Finder-accessible access.



**** Microsoft Issues Working Office 2011 SP2 Update ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166552/microsoft_issues_working_office_2011_sp2_update.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld



**** Only App Store, Mac App Store Apps Eligible For 2012 Apple Design Awards ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/04/app-store-mac-app-store-apps-can-be-nominated-for-2012-apple-design-awards.ars>
Chris Foresman, Ars Technica


> Apple is now accepting nominations for its annual Apple Design Awards given out during WWDC. Apps that are well-designed, state of the art, and innovative—and available via the App Store or Mac App Store—are eligible for consideration.



**** WWDC 2012 Tickets Sell Out In Two Hours ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166547/wwdc_2012_tickets_sell_out_in_two_hours.html>
Lex Friedman, Macworld


> In fewer than two hours after they first went on sale, tickets for Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference have sold out.






The Tomorrow Weblog
====================================
**** App Tracks Your Teenager's Driving Habits ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/web/40293/>
David Talbot, Technology Review


> By merging data from cars' onboard computers and drivers' smart phones, AT&T researchers have created a system that reports on drivers' real-time behavior and long-term driving trends—and reveals whether a particular mistake might have been caused by phone use.



**** Can An Algorithm Write A Better News Story Than A Human Reporter? ****
<http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/04/can-an-algorithm-write-a-better-news-story-than-a-human-reporter/all/1>
Steven Levy, Wired






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Read It And Whine! Writers Don’t Need Prizes, They Need Ideas ****
<http://www.observer.com/2012/04/read-it-and-whine-writers-dont-need-prizes-they-need-ideas/>
Chris Lehmann, New York Observer


> But the question is far better turned on its head: If an entire industry must rely on aloof prize boards to gin up sustained interest, then the trouble would seem to be the industry itself, rather than the prize boards or the consumers.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Gas Tariff For Households Raised From May ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120426-0000141/Gas-tariff-for-households-raised-from-May>
Today


> The tariff will be increased from 21.45 cents to 22.26 cents per kWh for the period of May to July. The increase in the average town gas bill for households will range from 35 cents a month for one-room Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats to 61 cents a month for five-room HDB flats.



**** 'Girls In Tech' Launches In Singapore ****
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/offshorefinance/9226037/Girls-in-Tech-launches-in-Singapore.html>
Justin Harper, The Telegraph


> Girls in Tech (GIT) was set up by Adriana Gascoigne in 2007 in San Francisco as a non-profit organisation. Since then the group has grown to more than 10,000 members and is represented across 38 cities including London, Tokyo, Dubai and Shanghai.

> US expat Adriana has now relocated to Singapore and has set up a new chapter in the city state. She said: "I was curious why there weren't more women in the tech industry and so I started GIT for women to find out how to get along with older male employees, share best practices and ask for help."



**** Yaacob’s “Three Steps” To Heaven”: Analysing Steps 1 & 2 ****
<http://atans1.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/yaacobs-three-steps-to-heaven-analysing-steps-1-2/>
Thoughts Of A Cynical Investor



**** Las Vegas Sands Not Tying Up With Casino Junket Operators ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1197616/1/.html>
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia



**** SMRT's Customer Service Support Team Under Scrutiny ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1197571/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> This led committee chairman District Judge Tan Siong Thye to question why Mr Sito's team was assigned to stations they were unfamiliar with. 

> Mr Sito said he did not have time to bring his team to familiarise themselves with the stations they were assigned to. He added that the team had not gone for any refresher courses since being formed in 2008.



**** A Window To The Importance Of Design ****
<http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/a-window-to-the-importance-of-design/>
Alex Au, Yawning Bread



**** Singapore Airlines Gets Caught Up In Global Turmoil ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/aviation/news/singapore-airlines-gets-caught-in-global-turmoil>
Singapore Business Review



**** Shakespeare In A Singapore Park ****
<http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2012/04/26/shakespeare-in-a-singapore-park/>
Shibani Mahtani, Wall Street Journal


> The annual event is an anchor production of the Singapore Repertory Theatre, which is staging “Twelfth Night” this week in Fort Canning Park. Shakespeare in the Park has amassed a sizable following since it began five years ago: A reported 30, 000 people attended last year’s production of “Macbeth” over its month-long run, while this year’s play, a comedy about a love triangle that features cross-dressing, is expected to draw similar numbers.



**** Housing Issue: A Short Reply To Minister Tan Chuan Jin Who Replied To Blogger Gintai Aka Langgar ****
<http://unbrandedbreadnbutter.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/housing-issue-a-short-reply-to-minister-tan-chuan-jin-who-replied-to-blogger-gintai-aka-langgar/>
Unbranded Bread N Butter



**** Forget Code Of Ethics, Free Up Mainstream Media ****
<http://www.publichouse.sg/categories/topstory/item/575-forget-code-of-ethics-free-up-mainstream-media>
Elaine Ee, Publichouse.sg


> So Dr Yaacob, help your good journalists do their job. Forget the code of ethics. Recognize that the Internet will always be free, and free up our mainstream media too.



**** Population Paper Has The Fundamentals Wrong ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/04/toc-editorial-population-paper-has-the-fundamentals-wrong/>
The Online Citizen


> There aren’t any simple answers to staunching the demographic bleeding, but one thing is clear enough: choosing the easy way out by importing citizens is as simplistic and silly an idea as throwing money at couples and expecting them to procreate.

> The path to a better answer starts with answering a more fundamental question: how do we create a society nurturing, accepting, and adequate enough that we would feel safe introducing a new life into it? 



**** SMRT Trains Delayed This Morning Along East-West Line For 20 Minutes Due To ‘Train Fault’ ****
<http://temasektimes.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/smrt-trains-delayed-this-morning-along-east-west-line-for-20-minutes-due-to-train-fault/>
The Temasek Times



**** Providing A House...Building A Home ****
<http://www.facebook.com/notes/tan-chuan-jin/providing-a-housebuilding-a-home/373138819395566>
Tan Chuan-Jin, Facebook


> In general, even as we allow the use of CPF funds to pay for the monthly instalment for a flat, the money in the Special Account and the Medisave Accounts is not touched. Criteria for Minimum Sum is also factored in to help ensure that some money is set aside for retirement. Retirement sufficiency would be determined by an individual's future income stream and his outlay on his home.

> Subsidies and grants remain in place for Singaporeans in order to keep a range of different flat types affordable for Singaporeans at different income levels.

>  Do buy within your means. 

> I know that these are emotive issues. But HDB does indeed cater to the vast majority of Singaporeans, from those in rental flats, to those who are comfortably in the middle classes. 80% of Singaporeans live in HDB flats. 90% of them own their own flats.



**** Is The Minimum Wage A Terrible Idea? ****
<http://temasektimes.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/is-the-minimum-wage-a-terrible-idea/>
Toh Beng Chye, The Temasek Times


> Companies cannot simply stop hiring for a position below the minimun wage. You mean you don’t need cleaners, production operators etc, simply because their pay goes up by $100? You mean you can relocate jobs like cleaning toilets and clearing dishes in a food court to China? I hope to see that happen!

> That’s the whole idea behind Prof Lim Chong Yah’s wage restructuring proposal. By increasing the pay of the low-wage workers, companies are forced to increase the productivity of these workers by redesigning work processes, instituting better training (like what Switzerland did) and upgrading wokers’ skills. it is precisely the intended effect.

I propose we count jobs that pay below a certain amount per hour be reclassified as unemployment.


**** Bringing The Arts To Children ****
<http://www.salt.org.sg/1575/bringing-the-arts-to-children/>
SALT


> The National Arts Council (NAC) has launched an Arts Opportunity Fund so charities and VWOs can tap onto it to help fund arts-related projects for underprivileged children and youths.



**** æ–°åŠ å¡é“è…•ç®¡æŽ§ç½‘ç»œè°£è¨€ ****
<http://it.sohu.com/20120426/n341705424.shtml>
人民网-人民日报


> æ–°åŠ å¡æ”¿åºœåœ¨äº’è”ç½‘ä¿¡æ¯ç®¡ç†ä¸­ï¼Œå°†å›½å®¶å®‰å…¨å’Œå…¬å…±åˆ©ç›Šç½®äºŽé¦–ä½ï¼Œå¯¹ä¸€äº›ä¸è´Ÿè´£ä»»ç”šè‡³å±é™©çš„è¨€è®ºï¼Œç‰¹åˆ«æ˜¯ç½‘ç»œè°£è¨€ï¼Œé‡‡ç”¨ç«‹æ³•çº¦æŸã€è¡Œä¸šè§„èŒƒã€æ‰“å‡»å°å µã€èˆ†è®ºå¼•å¯¼ã€å…¬æ°‘è‡ªå¾‹ç­‰å¤šç§æ–¹å¼è¿›è¡Œç»¼åˆæ²»ç†ï¼Œåˆæ­¥æ‘¸ç´¢å‡ºä¸€å¥—åº”å¯¹ç½‘ç»œè°£è¨€çš„æœ‰æ•ˆç»éªŒã€‚



**** How Singapore Can Avoid A Greek Situation ****
<http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120426-342085.html>
Gwendolyn Ng, My Paper


> Education minister Heng Swee Keat said: "People stopped paying taxes. They found different ways to evade taxes. The government started issuing IOUs and they incur debts. At the end of it, it is not sustainable and the country collapses."



**** Some 9,990 Workers Laid Off In 2011: MOM ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120426-0000101/Some-9,990-workers-laid-off-in-2011--MOM>
Today



**** DBS Deal Tests Indonesia’s Deep Singapore-Phobia ****
<http://blogs.reuters.com/breakingviews/2012/04/25/dbs-deal-tests-indonesia’s-deep-singapore-phobia/>
Wayne Arnold, Reuters


> Kiboshing the DBS deal might be a black eye for foreign direct investment, but with elections due in 2014 and FDI at records, politicians may be willing to risk it.

Also:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://bizdaily.com.sg/newsite/shareholders-question-dbs-acquisition-of-indonesias-bank-danamon/">Shareholders Question DBS’ Acquisition of Indonesia’s Bank Danamon</a> (Ernie B. Calucag, Biz Daily).</li>
<li><a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/04/25/dbs-deal-caught-nationalist-sentiment.html">DBS Deal Caught In Nationalist Sentiment</a> (Zakir Hussain, Straits Times).</li>
</ul>


**** National Servicemen's Medical Records Managed Electronically ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_792560.html>
Lionel Cheng, Military Medicine Institute, Straits Times


> Since the late 1990s, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has adopted an electronic medical records system for all servicemen.

> This enables past medical records to be retrieved more efficiently during medical consultations. The current medical docket is used only for storing hard-copy medical documents issued by doctors outside the SAF.

> The SAF Military Medicine Institute has verified that the fainting episodes mentioned in Mr Tan's letter were captured in his electronic medical records.



**** What's The Plan To Blunt Spike In Domestic Inflation? ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_792708.html>
Ng Boon Chye, Straits Times


> A strong Singapore dollar might be able to combat imported inflation, but there is no clear indication how it can tame domestic inflation, which is driven largely by car (specifically COE prices) and housing costs, both of which are transacted in Singapore dollars.



**** Lee Kuan Yew – Giant Of A Repressive Decade ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/08/lee-kuan-yew-giant-of-a-repressive-decade/#.T5iiUuX_ho8.twitter>
Siew Kum Hong, The Online Citizen


> He was truly a giant in Singapore’s history. Sadly, he was also the dominant figure in this repressive decade.



**** Asia's First Legoland In Johor To Open On Sept 15 ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_792766.html>
Kenneth Goh, Straits Times


> Legoland Malaysia is located in Johor's Iskandar development region, a 15-minute drive from the Tuas Second Link. At 31ha, it is considerably bigger than the 20ha Universal Studios Singapore in Sentosa, which its general manager names as its rival.

Singapore's Universal Studios is but a single stop nested among an ecosystem of tourist attractions, whereas Johor's Legoland, for now, stands alone. The success of LegoLand depends on how fast the ecosystem surround9ing it can be built up.


**** Blue-Collar Workers: Food Is A Headache With Inflation Rise ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_792772.html>
Lee XIn En, Straits Times


> The Straits Times interviewed 10 people who live in one-, two- or three-room flats. All of them named food and utilities as the two main causes of concern.

Here's the test for <i>both</i> NTUC FairPrice and NTUC FoodFare: can they keep prices low <i>not</i> by suppressing their workers' salary and vendors' profit margins?
Today, NTUC FairPrice is starting to lose out to Sheng Siong in terms of lower prices, while there is really no differentiation in prices between NTUC FoodFare and its competitors.
Also:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_792771.html">Elderly: Health-Care, Utility Costs Are Worries</a> (Miranda Yeo, Straits Times). Those who spoke to The Straits Times said they felt their medical costs would only increase. And with no source of income, they were worried about how they would cope.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_792770.html">Housewives: Cutting Back On Eating Out With Rising Costs</a> (Chong Ning Qian, Straits Times). Of the 12 homemakers who spoke to The Straits Times, all expressed concern over their growing bills as prices for most kinds of meat and vegetables have gone up in recent years.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_792769.html">Higher Costs Still Bearable For Professionals</a> (Lee Xin En, Straits Times).</li>
</ul>


**** Problems At Bras Basah Station: Action Taken ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120426-0000027/Problems-at-Bras-Basah-station--Action-taken>
Nicole Batchelor, SMRT Corporation, Today



**** ElderShield Under Fire ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120426-0000068/ElderShield-under-fire>
Tan Weizhen, Today


> Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Professor Phua Kai Hong, an authoritative figure in the region on healthcare policy and management, first voiced his concern about ElderShield, which is the sole national insurance scheme for intermediate and long-term care, at a closed-door discussion earlier this month. 

> Speaking to Today, he reiterated that the scheme is "completely inadequate". Said Prof Phua: "People are calling our hospitals a First World sector, but that our long-term care is Third World standard. Besides the over-reliance on voluntary welfare organisations, patients' families and cheap labour, the financial structure in this sector needs to be thoroughly re-looked."



**** iPhone Also A Mobile Payment Terminal ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120426-0000071/iPhone-also-a-mobile-payment-terminal>
Anthony Chia, Today


> Merchants can now use their own phones to receive secure e-payments wherever they are.



**** Have Express Buses From Yishun To Bishan To Ease The MRT Bottleneck ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120425-0000181/Have-express-buses-from-Yishun-to-Bishan-to-ease-the-MRT-bottleneck>
Lim Hock Peng, Today


> Normally, I have to wait for the third train arriving at Khatib MRT station before getting the chance to squeeze on board. But last Monday, about 10 trains passed and I still could not get onto one.

What LTA should do is to start parallel bus services that serves the entire MRT lines. Don't wait for that 800 buses to arrive. Open this to free competition, invite Malaysian transport companies, and don't set any minimum fares like what LTA is doing to the Premium bus routes.


**** Oh, The Pain Of Food Inflation! ****
<http://singaporegirl.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/oh-the-pain-of-food-inflation/>
Food Fuels Me To Talk



**** Unwinnable Argument ****
<http://hardhitting-nobs.blogspot.com/2012/04/yesterday-we-had-another-paper-from.html>
Musings From The Lion City


> The problem for them...that was not what the Singapore government did! In 2008, there were 100,000 new foreign workers in Singapore. 4 times higher than the 25,000 stated in the NPTD report. There are more than 1 million non citizens working in Singapore currently. 25,000 per year is a drop in the bucket compare to 1,000,000.