[MyAppleMenu] Feb 1, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Five Keyboard Shortcuts You Should Set Up Now ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165129/2012/02/five_keyboard_shortcuts_you_should_set_up_now.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Sharon Zardetto, Macworld


> Computers excel at repetitive tasks. So why are you opening the same menus and submenus, looking for the same commands again and again?



**** Where Are All The Thunderbolt Peripherals? ****
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/where-are-all-the-thunderbolt-peripherals/12128?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zdnet%2FApple+%28ZDNet+The+Apple+Core%29>
David Morgenstern, ZDNet


> So, what’s the holdup? On the show floor, I happened upon an engineer with long experience in the Mac storage market and he put the blame on fundamental cost issues and growing pains with a new technology.



**** Apple Is Totally Serious About That Stuff They Put At The End Of Their Emails ****
<http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/31/apple-is-totally-serious-about-that-stuff-they-put-at-the-end-of-their-emails/>
John Biggs, TechCrunch


> Welcome, kids, to TIL – Today I Learned. Today’s TIL is “Don’t post your correspondence with AppleCare representatives or Apple will totally tell the government on you.”



**** A Groupon For Your Dinner Party ****
<http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/a-groupon-for-your-dinner-party/?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Roy Furchgott, New York Times


> Maybe you have a problem getting friends to meet up for cocktails. Or Evite just isn’t driving a turnout for your dinner party. A little incentive might help.

> That’s where a free iPhone app called Pozzle comes in. It lets you create events and offer friends a Groupon-style enticement you think up. You can even win the equivalent of Foursquare badges in the process.



**** 7toX For Final Cut Pro Converts Legacy FCP Projects ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165112/2012/01/7tox_for_final_cut_pro_converts_legacy_fcp_projects.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Serenity Caldwell, Macworld


> When Final Cut Pro X was first released, there were many gripes and grumbles about the application, but none so prominent as the lack of support for projects created in earlier versions of Final Cut Pro. Third-party developer Intelligent Assistance seeks to change that with its new 7toX for Final Cut Pro converter, available on the Mac App Store alongside the newly released Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3 update.



**** Is Apple's Thunderbolt Truly Lightning-Fast? ****
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/how-fast-is-apples-thunderbolt>
Glenn Derene, Popular Mechanics


> Until the cost of the equipment and cables come down, Thunderbolt is absolutely not worth the investment unless you’re routinely transferring hundreds of huge files. 



**** Connecting The Dots: Mapping Apple’s Development And Manufacturing Process ****
<http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/connecting-the-dots-mapping-apples-development-and-manufacturing-process/>
Sarah Kavanagh, Holly Epstein Ojalvo And Katherine Schulten, New York Times



**** Q&A: Getting The Gray Out Of iPhoto ****
<http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/qa-getting-the-gray-out-of-iphoto/?partner=rss&emc=rss>
J.D. Biersdorfer, New York Times


> While there may be problems with the photos, an issue with iPhoto’s photo library file could be the culprit. Apple includes a troubleshooting tool to rebuild this library file, which might restore the thumbnail images to their normal state.



**** Browett Seen As Bad For Apple Thanks To Dixons' Poor Reputation ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/01/dixons-retail-poor-reputation-precedes-browett-seen-as-bad-for-apple.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss>
Chris Foresman, Ars Technica


> Numerous readers have let Ars know that they feel Dixons' stores are messy, staffed with clueless salespeople, and sell low-quality goods. Because of this, some consumers worry that the new hire may be a harbinger of bad things to come for Apple's otherwise highly respected retail stores.

See Also:
<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/a-genius-career-move--the-man-who-went-from-dixons-in-hemel-to-boss-of-apple-stores-in-california-6297692.html">A Genius Career Move ... The Man Who Went From Dixons (In Hemel) To Boss Of Apple Stores (In California)</a> (James Thompson, The Independent): While the share price fell sharply during his tenure at Dixons Retail, Mr Browett will be remembered as the person who helped to see off rivals by improving customer service in UK stores.
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/damianreece/9053218/Somethings-clicked-with-Apples-choice-of-Browett.html">Something's Clicked With Apple's Choice Of Browett</a> (Damian Reece, The Telegraph): Browett has done the hard yards at Dixons. His Renewal and Transformation plan hasn't saved the chain from the UK high street's desperate decline but it has rescued the shops from commission-led product sales to become more service led. Consumers have responded and Dixons has taken market share. Browett can bring a much-needed dose of reality to Apple stores during a period of rapid expansion.


**** Analysis: Apple Forcing IT Shops To Adapt Or Die ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165126/2012/01/analysis_apple_forcing_it_shops_to_adapt_or_die_.html#lsrc.rss_main>
John Cox, Network World


> Many IT departments are struggling with Apple’s take-it-or-leave-it attitude, based on discussions last week at MacIT, which is Macworld | iWorld’s companion conference for IT professionals.

> Not every company that embraces Apple runs into these issues, or suffers the same degree of pain. And other platforms impose their own mandates and constraints. But judging from the comments at MacIT, there is a lot of complexity in applying this apparent simplicity in the enterprise.






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Cameras That Share Like Phones ****
<http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/cameras-that-share-like-phones/?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Roy Furchgott, New York Times






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Are Women Better At Living Alone? ****
<http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/01/eric_klinenberg_s_going_solo_the_extraordinary_rise_and_surprising_appeal_of_living_alone_are_women_better_at_living_alone_.single.html>
Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow, Slate


> It’s clearly feasible, then, to live alone and sustain thriving relationships of various kinds. But, especially in the later stages of life, it is far from inevitable or effortless. And here is where women enjoy an advantage. 



**** Love Is Not An Emergency ****
<http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/poem/2012/01/_love_is_not_an_emergency_by_erin_belieu.html>
Erin Belieu, Slate



**** Starve A Fever, Feed A Cold ****
<http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2012/01/30/starve-a-fever-feed-a-cold/>
Robin Bellinger, Paris Review


> This past December, as I coped with my third annual Thanksgiving-through-New-Year’s malaise, I thought to consult Mrs. Beeton, whose masterwork, Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, I remembered included a chapter on invalid cookery. This was a common feature of cookbooks in the nineteenth century, a time when most health care was “provided” at home and when the kind of sicknesses that we now zap with antibiotics or ward off with vaccinations were much more serious.



**** Shelf Life ****
<http://caravanmagazine.in/Story.aspx?Storyid=1272&StoryStyle=FullStory>
Ramachandra Guha, The Caravan


> A British historian once said that being published by the Oxford University Press was like being married to a duchess—the honour was greater than the pleasure. My experience was otherwise. Not long before I began working in their archives, the OUP had published my first book. As scholarly books go, it was a work of art—set, using hot metal type, in an elegant Baskerville by the legendary PK Ghosh of Eastend Printers, Calcutta. The cover was arresting—a photograph by Sanjeev Saith of a Himalayan oak forest cut up by the designer to represent the ‘unquiet woods’ that the book documented. The prose inside, jargon-ridden and solemnly sociological in its original incarnation, had been rendered moderately serviceable by the intense (and inspired) labours of the book’s editor, a young scholar with a PhD in English literature from the University of Cambridge.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Death Penalty Has Contributed To Low Rates Of Drug Use? Where’s The Proof? ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/death-penalty-low-rates-drug-use-wheres-proof/>
Ravi Philemon, The Online Citizen



**** Jobs In Singapore – 2011 Income Growth, 1% Or 0.7%? ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/jobs-in-singapore-2011-income-growth-1-or-0-7/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen


> Despite the consistent rhetoric that foreign labour will be scaled down, local employment grew by 36,600 in 2011, against foreign employment growing by 84,800.

> In fact, local employment growth declined by 35 per cent, from 56,200 in 2010. And of these, how many “locals” were Singaporeans?

> In contrast, foreign employment growth increased by 42 per cent, from 59,700 in 2010.



**** PM Lee : Being Poor In Singapore Is Better Than Being Poor Elsewhere! ****
<http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/02/pm-lee-being-poor-in-singapore-is.html>
Diary Of A Singaporean Mind


> PM Lee can't see what ordinary Singaporeans already know....how high is his ivory tower?...It has to be really really far from the ground.



**** SMRT To Reduce Waiting Time For Commuters With New Signalling System ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120201-0000137/SMRT-to-reduce-waiting-time-for-commuters-with-new-signalling-system>
Today


> A new signalling system for the North-South East-West (NSEW) MRT lines will make it possible for trains to run "at an improved frequency of 100 seconds, down from 120 seconds today", reducing waiting time for commuters.

> SMRT announced its S195 million investment, undertaken by appointed contractor Thales Solutions Asia, that will cover more than 100km of tracks and will take place in phases from 2016.

Meanwhile, the review of the public bus and taxi system by the LTA should produce credible alternatives to the MRT system that can be deployed in the near term.


**** Will Singapore’s Worrying Inflation Remain High In 2012? ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/will-singapore’s-worrying-inflation-remain-high-in-2012>
Singapore Business Review



**** Singaporean Students Lack Drive. Why Ah? ****
<http://www.visakanv.com/blog/4311/singaporean-students-lack-drive-why-ah/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=singaporean-students-lack-drive-why-ah>
Visakan Veerasamy


> We’ve spent the past 30 years breeding Singaporeans to be head-nodding wage-slave-dogs, only to find that there are billions of other people out there who will do the same jobs for far less. 



**** Singapore: A Window On The Future Of Sustainable Cities ****
<http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679143/singapore-a-window-on-the-future-of-sustainable-cities>
Glenn Croston, Fast Company


> Singapore is a microcosm for the world as a whole. We may not live on an island, but we all live on the same planet. We’ll all be where Singapore is today as population and resource demands grow. At some point, using fewer resources isn’t just the right thing to do, but the only thing to do.



**** Mother Of A Soldier ****
<http://vickychong.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/mother-of-a-soldier/>
Vicky Chong, Vicky's Writings


> If having my youngest child enter secondary school did not make me feel old, witnessing my son get enlisted into National Service(NS) certainly seals it. As we waited at Pasir Ris Bus Interchange for the ride to Changi Ferry Terminal, I watched the other parents hovering around their sons. Gosh, do I look as old as them? I turned to Mike. Does he look as old as those fathers there as well? A friend once commented to me the same thought as we attended a parenting teenager talk and I had rebuked her for still thinking herself as haven’t aged. She shook her head. It wasn’t about her. She’s quite sure her husband does not look like the Ah Peks around us.



**** Beyond The Elusive Oppo-unity ****
<http://www.publichouse.sg/categories/community/item/433-beyond-the-elusive-oppo-unity>
Melvin Tan / Andrew Loh, Publichouse.sg


> Where Singapore is concerned, an "opposition united" or a single [united] opposition party contesting the elections appears to remain an elusive target.

Singapore politicians -- from both PAP and opposition parties -- doesn't seem to want, or can, work with others bearing different ideologies and priorities.


**** 35% Of Firms Foresees Business Conditions To Deteriorate ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/35-firms-foresees-business-conditions-deteriorate>
Singapore Business Review


> Survey shows only 10% of firms expects business to improve in the first half of 2012.



**** Canal Works: Expect Up To A Year Of Traffic Diversions ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_761720.html>
Feng Zengkun, Straits Times


> Drivers in parts of Singapore could face up to a year of traffic diversions because of work to expand several major canals.

> National water agency PUB said on Tuesday that projects at Bukit Timah, River Valley, Geylang and Rochor will involve drains under roads being widened and deepened.



**** Higher Gas Bills From Wednesday As Tariffs Adjusted Upwards ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_761721.html>
Straits Times


> The average household here will have to pay from 13 cents to 24 cents more a month for gas starting from this month, as gas tariffs have been adjusted upwards in line with higher fuel prices.



**** Taxi Firms Hit Hard By New CNG Duty ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_761724.html>
Christopher Tan, Straits Times


> A newly introduced duty on compressed natural gas (CNG) at the pumps has sent taxi companies and pump operators into a tailspin.



**** Radical Solutions Needed ****
<http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/02/radical-solutions-needed.html>
Singapore Notes



**** The Disappearing Chee Pow Kai And Hum Chim Peng ****
<http://remembersingapore.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/the-disappearing-chee-pow-kai-and-hum-chim-peng/>
Remember Singapore


> Good things come and go. Guess that’s the way of life.



**** Bad Advice ****
<http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.com/2012/01/bad-advice.html>
A Singaporean In Australia


> After being a lowly trades assistant in Australia and taking back more dough that what I used to in Singapore as a manager, it is very clear to me. Once you step out, you'll get used to it. Once you can take some hardship, your future options are wide open. I have for example, absolutely no qualms returning to Singapore to be a hawker if I need to.



**** Whose Veggies Are They Anyway? ****
<http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/01/31/whose-veggies-are-they-anyway/>
Shibani Mahtani, Wall Street Journal


> Southeast Asian neighbors Singapore and Malaysia are in a fierce battle – not over land, water, or food, as in years past – but over a dish of raw fish and julienned vegetables, a staple at Chinese New Year feasts.



**** Hanging Out At Singapore's Changi Airport: Riding The 4-Story Slide ****
<http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/29/84432/1618/travel/Hanging+Out+at+Singapore%27s+Changi+Airport%3A+Riding+the+4-Story+Slide>
Jaunted


> There is no special attire or any safety briefing needed to ride the taller slide; an attendant simply scans your ticket, a green light appears when you're clear to head through the gates and to the slide. Then hop in and go on down. The bottom is equipped with range stickers to judge your end gliding distance. Our butt stopped right at the bottom of the slide, so we were just "Good." Whatever—it was fun. As huge fans of artist Carsten Höller, we've been down some silver flume slides in our day, but there is just something about the ability to do it in an airport that tickles the fancy.



**** Singapore, Point Of Departure ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/dining/masak-nyc-restaurant-review.html?_r=1>
Dave Cook, New York Times


> Chili crab may be the world’s messiest national dish. Dismantling a massive crustacean slathered in spicy sauce at one of Singapore’s street-food stalls can require more napkins than you have fingers. It’s thrilling, as is much of the dining in Singapore, where dozens of vendors share a clamorous stage at one of the country’s government-run hawker centers.

> In contrast, a meal at Masak, which opened on an East Village side street last summer, may at first seem a sedate proposition. The small dining room, dressed in British colonial trim, is free of gewgaws and garish bottles of hot sauce; one can talk over the music. But after a tranquil start, the bright open kitchen, helmed by the Singapore-born chef and owner, Larry Reutens, has become a source of excitement.

A new Singapore restaurant in New York City -- maybe this may cure some of that homesickness?


**** A Singaporean Happiness Index? ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120201-0000051/A-Singaporean-happiness-index?>
Esther Ng, Today


> The Republic should devise its own index that measures the quality of life, as many of such indices available are culturally specific and may not adequately capture the happiness and well-being of Singaporeans, according to Professor Lily Kong, a vice-president at the National University of Singapore.



**** Disaster Hits SPP ****
<http://chemgen.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/disaster-hits-spp/>
Chemical Generation Singaore


> With the latest debacle on SPP, Lina Chiam’s uninspiring performance in parliament still, and Chiam’s declining health, the end is nigh for SPP’s golden age. Personality politics and the sustainability of Chiam as a political cult icon can only go so far in keeping SPP afloat.



**** LTA, Do Something Fundamental Re Taxis! ****
<http://singaporegirl.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/lta-do-something-fundamental-re-taxis/>
Food Fuels Me To Talk


> Isn’t the best way to wean people like me off our dependence on our cars is to make taxis comparatively cheaper instead of making both taxi and car COEs bid for the same shrinking pool of the CAT A certificates and suffer auction prices that can buy two or three cars in nearby countries?

I disagree that we should "discount" COEs and ERPs for taxis. But I do think that there exist a mode of public transport between MRT/buses and taxis in terms of price and comfort level that is non-existent but badly needed here. (And, no, the so-called Premium Buses are not it.)


**** Rethinking Volunteerism: By Volunteers, For Volunteers ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/01/rethinking-volunteerism-by-volunteers-for-volunteers/>
Benjamin Cheah, The Online Citizen