[MyAppleMenu] Aug 16, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple's New Front In Battle For TV ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444233104577591713616924328.html>
Jessica E. Vascellaro And Shalini Ramachandran, Wall Street Journal


> Apple Inc. is in talks with some of the biggest U.S. cable operators about letting consumers use an Apple device as a set-top box for live television and other content, according to people familiar with the matter.

Is Apple going to negotiate with each and every individual cable and satellite company all over the world? Why not just build the Apple TV set, and have all the world's content feed into the TV?


**** What Is It? Apple’s Dying Product Line Has Sales Bigger Than All Of Facebook ****
<http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2012-08/what-is-it-apples-dying-product-line-has-sales-bigger-than-all-of-facebook.aspx?storyid=164289>
NASDAQ


> The iPod obliterated its competition years ago, and no other MP3 maker has yet come close to cracking its market share. Apple sold some $6.12 billion worth of iPods in the past 12 months, which puts it revenue-wise in the realm of PetSmart and significantly above Facebook. iPods were about 3% of Apple's overall revenues last quarter.

Seems to me that iPod Touch will, inevitably, gain cellular data, become a smaller-sized iPad, and be sold by the truckloads.


**** Getting A Jump On iPhone Upgraders ****
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/15/getting-a-jump-on-iphone-upgraders/>
Nick Wingfield, New York Times


> If you’re thinking about selling your iPhone so you can use the money to buy Apple’s new smartphone when it comes out, better act fast.



**** How To Open Apps From An Unidentified Developer In OS X Mountain Lion ****
<http://www.imore.com/how-open-apps-unidentified-developer-os-x-mountain-lion>
Allyson Kazmucha, IMore


> There are a few ways to bypass Gatekeeper if you run into this issue. Follow along and we'll show you how.



**** OWC Offers 480GB SSD Upgrade For Retina MacBook Pro, Requires Screwdriver And Careful Math ****
<http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/15/owc-mercury-auro-pro-ssd-for-retina-mbp/>
Sharif Sakr, Engadget



**** Microsoft Not Planning To Fix Retina Display Office Issues ****
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/macsoftware/news/?newsid=3376032&pagtype=allchandate>
Karen Haslam, Macworld UK



**** Three Apps For Listening To Streaming Radio On Your iOS Device ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1168142/three_apps_for_listening_to_streaming_radio_on_your_ios_device.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** ‘Small’ Ideas Are Not The Problem ****
<http://copy-cat.co/blog/small-ideas-are-not-the-problem/>
Copy/Cat



**** A $1.2Bn Simulation Of Civilization ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/view/428891/a-12bn-simulation-of-civilization/?ref=rss>
Tom Simonite, Technology Review


> An ambitious European project wants to build super-real simulations to help predict the future.






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Dusting Off GOD ****
<http://chronicle.com/article/Does-Religion-Really-Poison/133457>
Tom Bartlett, The Chronicle Of Higher Education


> A new science of religion says God has gotten a bad rap.



**** A Critic’s Case For Critics Who Are Actually Critical ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/magazine/a-critic-makes-the-case-for-critics.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss>
Dwight Garner, New York Times


> I’m a professional book critic, someone who is paid, week in and week out, to take some of those shots. It’s a job that mostly suits my temperament. I like people — artists and civilians — who aren’t rude or censorious but who aren’t mush-mouthed either. Since childhood I’ve been a loather of America’s feel-good, everyone-on-tiptoes culture. Give me some straight talk. Give me a little humor. Give me something real. Above all, give me an argument.



**** “Ministers Of Fire,” By Mark Harril Saunders ****
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/ministers-of-fire-by-mark-harril-saunders/2012/08/14/b972b2ac-e24a-11e1-98e7-89d659f9c106_story.html?wprss=rss_books>
Rodney Welch, Washington Post


> Mark Harril Saunders’s first novel, “Ministers of Fire,” is a brilliant, exciting and profound spy tale about, among other things, what it means to have faith.



**** Weather Gone Wild ****
<http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/09/extreme-weather/miller-text?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ng%2FNGM%2FNGM_Magazine+%28National+Geographic+Magazine%29>
Peter Miller, National Geographic Magazine


> Rains that are almost biblical, heat waves that don’t end, tornadoes that strike in savage swarms—there’s been a change in the weather lately. What’s going on?






SingaporeSurf
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**** SDP Invites Health Minister For National Conversation ****
<http://yoursdp.org/news/2012-08-15-5297>
Singaore Democratic Party



**** LKY Threatens, SDP Proposes ****
<http://yoursdp.org/news/lky_threatens_sdp_proposes/2012-08-15-5298>
Singaore Democratic Party



**** One Radical And Risky Idea.... ****
<http://singaporemind.blogspot.sg/2012/08/one-radical-and-risky-idea.html>
Diary Of A Singaporean Mind


> By scrapping PSLE, we re-focus our students on learning rather than exams. We teach them team work and how to help each other rather than build a culture of competition against one another. It reduces stress among parents, teachers and students so that they can focus energy on developing the child holistically rather than being narrowly focused on exams, streaming and which secondary school they will end up in. It may have a far reaching effect beyond the education system and ultimately lead to better outcomes for us as a society.



**** MFA Press Statement: Singapore’s Response To The US Department Of State’s Country Reports On Human Rights Practices For 2011 ****
<http://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/media_centre/press_room/pr/2012/201208/press_20120816_01.html>
Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Singapore Government


> We have studied the US Department of State’s country report on human rights practices in Singapore, and note with disappointment that it again includes the same gross inaccuracies and misrepresentations of the Singapore Government’s policies that we have rebutted in detail year after year.

> We are disturbed by the double standards applied to the US’ criticism of our Internal Security Act (ISA), which is meant to address threats to internal security, including threats to public order, communal and religious harmony, and subversive and terrorist activities. The US, in its own fight against terrorism, has come to realise that trade-offs between rights are inevitable. In this context we fail to understand how the US reconciles its criticism of the ISA with the continued existence of its own detention facilities at Guantanamo without applying a double standard. By contrast to the Guantanamo detention facilities, which exist outside the framework of US law, the ISA provides a proper legal framework, and prescribes rules, for preventive detention.



**** Stop Blaming “Stop At Two” ****
<http://www.sgpolcom.com/2012/08/16/stop-blaming-stop-at-two/>
SGPolCom


> In conclusion, it is our opinion that it is unfair to lay the blame for today’s issues on the ‘Stop At Two’ campaign. As a nation, and informed citizens, we have to move on from trying to get the Government to apologise for the ‘Stop At Two’ campaign, to try and undo history – and start making babies.



**** Inflow Of Foreign Manpower Needs To Be Calibrated To S'pore's Interest: Tan Chuan-Jin ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1220478/1/.html>
Joanne Chan, Channel NewsAsia


> But he warned that policies which make it difficult for companies to do business in Singapore will ultimately hurt Singaporeans.

On the other hand, we should make it difficult for companies that do not provide jobs that pay adequately beyond a minimum liveable wage.


**** Oral Answer By Minister For Law, K Shanmugam, To Parliamentary Questions On The Woffles Wu Case ****
<http://app2.mlaw.gov.sg/News/tabid/204/Default.aspx?ItemId=689>
Minister Of Law, Singapore Government



**** The Meaning Of Citizenship ****
<http://singaporearmchaircritic.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/the-meaning-of-citizenship/>
Singapore Armchair Critic


> When it comes to the crunch, citizens, Singapore-born or otherwise, won’t fight for a country because they like the low tax rates and subsidized education. They fight for a country because they love the country and what it stands for. They fight for a country not only because their families and friends are here, but also to protect a way of life they treasure, the freedoms they enjoy, and the values they believe in. These are the essence of citizenship.



**** SMRT Should Use Rental And Ad Profits, Not Increase Fare ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120816-0000062/SMRT-should-use-rental-and-ad-profits,-not-increase-fare>
Jimmy Ho Kowk Hoong, Today


> As its transport and non-transport sectors come under one umbrella, it does not make sense that its shareholders pocket the non-transport profits while the public pays for the revenue shortfall of the transport sector.

> SMRT should first use profits generated from the former for the latter before asking for any fare increase.

After all, it seems that SMRT is automatically chosen to sell advertisement spaces in trains, buses and stations, as well as retail spaces in stations, just because it operates buses and trains at a formula that guarantees profits.


**** HDB Takes Measures To Allay Concerns Of Park Central Residents ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120816-0000047/HDB-takes-measures-to-allay-concerns-of-Park-Central-residents>
Sumita Sreedharan, Today


> More amenities such as parking facilities and dust control and security measures. These are some initiatives the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will undertake after feedback from Park Central residents, some of whom were unhappy over plans to build a Build-to-Order (BTO) project less than 50m from their Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) development at Ang Mo Kio Street 52.

Okay, HDB, maybe you will want to explain why you didn't build the two projects together? The cynical part of me think that you are delaying the building of one of the two projects in hope of rising property prices so that you can profit more?