[MyAppleMenu] Feb 9, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Working With Dropbox ****
<http://drdobbs.com/tools/232600482>
José R.C. Cruz, Dr Dobb's


> Dropbox client applets allow only basic functionality for interacting with the file storage service. To get the full breadth of capabilities, you'll need to use their SDK and write your own code.



**** I’ve Seen The Future Of iOS And OS X, And It Starts With iLife ****
<http://www.macgasm.net/2012/02/08/future-ios-os-starts-ilife/>
Paul Skidmore, Macgasm


> The fingerprints of iOS encroaching on OS X may be more tangible than realized. As I’ve watched Apple — in particular its video offerings — over the years, it occured to me sometime last year that if you want to know where Apple is taking OS X with regard to iOS, here’s a sure bet: Watch iLife.



**** Architects’ Works Find A Niche In The Digital Age ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/garden/qa-timothy-sakamoto-and-apps-on-architectural-works.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss>
Steven Kurutz, New York Times


> In recent months, several new apps have focused on specific works of architecture, like Richard Neutra’s VDL Studio and Residences, Pierre Koenig’s Case Study House #22 and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, bringing those masterworks into the digital age. The latter two were created by in-D media, a California-based company that has been producing architecture videos and CD-ROMs since the late-’90s and last year began transferring its wealth of content into mobile app form.



**** Stealing Your Address Book ****
<http://dcurt.is/stealing-your-address-book>
Dustin Curtis


> I fully believe this issue is a failure of Apple and a breach of trust by Apple, not by app developers. The expectation of Address Book privacy is obvious; in fact, one person on Hacker News, in response to learning about Path's use of the data, said, "Apple would never do this to their users." Because Apple has your trust and yet gives this private information freely to developers, Apple does do this to their users. All of them.

> Usually, when I am curious about something Apple has done, I try to understand the design thinking that went into the decision. In this case, I can't think of a rational reason for why Apple has not placed any protections on Address Book in iOS. It makes no sense. It is a breach of my privacy, and it has allowed every app I've installed to steal my address book.



**** Tapbots Releases Tweetbot For iPad, Updates iPhone App ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165269/2012/02/tapbots_releases_tweetbot_for_ipad_updates_iphone_app.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Serenity Cladwell, Macworld



**** Path Apologizes For Contact Upload Fiasco, But They’re Just The Tip Of This Iceberg ****
<http://www.macgasm.net/2012/02/08/path-apologizes-contact-upload-fiasco-tip-iceberg/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macgasm%2Fmain+%28Macgasm%29>
Joshua Schnell, Macgasm


> We’re glad Path took the steps necessary to quickly eliminate the problem, but we’re more concerned about all the applications out there that do this that we’re not aware of at this point.

How many other apps on your iOS devices are secretly uploading the entire address book to their servers?


**** Apple Kills Off White MacBook As Educational Institution Distribution Halted ****
<http://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/08/apple-kills-off-white-macbook-as-educational-institution-distribution-halted/>
Eric Slivka, MacRumors



**** Apple’s iTunes Match (Aka iMatch): The First Royalties Are In ****
<http://blog.tunecore.com/2012/02/apple-imatch-the-first-royalties-are-in.html>
Jeff Price, TuneCore Blog


> A person has a song on her computer hard drive.  She clicks on the song and plays it.  No one is getting paid.  The same person pays iTunes $25 for iMatch.  She now clicks on the same song and plays it through her iMatch service.  Copyright holders get paid.

> Same action, same song, one makes money for the copyright holder, and one does not. This is found money that the copyright holders would never have gotten otherwise.

Artists get money just because you did some syncing.


**** The iPad At Work, Day 3: Making Adjustments ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165255/2012/02/the_ipad_at_work_day_3_making_adjustments.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Dan Moren, Macworld


> After a day or two of using the iPad, my brain seemed to have rewired itself. It’s not that the iPad is better or worse than the Mac; it’s just that different things are hard to do on each device.

Even more adventures of the man who decided to go Mac-less.





The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Why Pay For Intro Textbooks? ****
<http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/02/07/rice-university-announces-open-source-textbooks>
Mitch Smith, Inside Higher Ed


> A free online physics book, peer-reviewed and designed to compete with major publishers’ offerings, will debut next month through the non-profit publisher OpenStax College.

> In the past, open-source materials have failed to gain traction among some professors; their accuracy could be difficult to confirm because they hadn't been peer-reviewed, and supplementary materials were often nonexistent or lacking because they weren't organized for large-scale use.

> OpenStax believes it addressed those concerns with its new books, subjecting the texts to peer review and partnering with for-profit companies to offer supplementary materials for a cost.



**** Step 1: Give Every Kid A Laptop. Step 2: Learning Begins? ****
<http://arstechnica.com/business/the-networked-society/2012/02/step-one-give-every-kid-a-laptop-step-two-learning-begins.ars>
Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Checking Out ****
<http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2012/01/30/checking-out/>
Avi Steinberg, Paris Review


> Porn books and librarians have always had a passionate, mutually defining relationship—it was, in fact, a prudish French librarian in the early nineteenth century who coined the word <i>pornography</i>. So it comes as no surprise that the sexy librarian, a fixture of the pornographic imagination, is most at home in books.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Record Breaking ****
<http://mndsingapore.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/record-breaking/>
Khaw Boon Wan, Singapore Government


> HK does not allow any foreign construction workers. It has its own pool of local skilled construction workers who command very high wages. Typically their construction labour cost is about 5 times that in Singapore.

> With such high labour cost, developers must find ways to standardise the construction work as much as possible to save on labour cost. As a result, their productivity is high and construction pace is fast.

> BCA is pushing for more buildable designs and construction. Through the new Constructability Scoring system, BCA hopes to get contractors to move away from traditional labour-intensive construction to more off-site and more advanced methods. Its $250 million Construction Productivity and Capability Fund offer incentives for contractors to adopt productive systems and machinery.



**** Internal Inquiry By SMRT Into Train Disruptions Extended ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120209-0000183/Internal-inquiry-by-SMRT-into-train-disruptions-extended>
Today


> The internal inquiry by SMRT into the two major train disruptions on the North-South Line in December will be extended to allow for a specialist review into rail vibrations to be completed.



**** More Contradictions From Lee Kuan Yew Over Immigration Policy	 ****
<http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/5129-more-contradictions-from-lee-kuan-yew-over-immigration-policy>
Singaore Democratic Party


> More than confusion, however, the contradiction in these statements signal a deeper problem for Singaporeans. The former Minister Mentor's remarks are reflected in the Government's current muddle-headedness over the immigration policy. It first announces its intention to reduce the number of foreign workers into this country and months later reverses position by increasing the intake.

> This betrays a lack of certainty by the PAP on how we should proceed into the future. Given the Government's lack of clarity, should we not slowdown the process and thoroughly investigate the economic, social and political ramifications before rushing to bring in so many people onto this island? 



**** No Humanities Exams For Some Lower Secondary School Students ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_764750.html>
Stacey Chia, Straits Times


> The Ministry of Education (MOE) is starting a new syllabus for humanities subjects, one that will do away with the mid-term and year-end examinations at the lower secondary level.

> Instead, students will have to do well in a variety of continual assessments and student investigations of various historical and geographical case studies, to prove that they are competent in the two subjects.



**** What's It Like Being A Young Vegan In Singapore? ****
<http://seayouthsayso.com/whats-it-like-being-a-young-vegan-in-singapore>
Amanda Teng, SEA Youth Say So


> Of course, eating vegan food is easy. But making it, or even having easily accessible vegan food here in Singapore is a challenge.



**** Will Singapore Escape Mass Unemployment? ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/will-singapore-escape-mass-unemployment>
Singapore Business Review


> Dismal growth is hurting the economy but the jobs situation offers glimmers of hope, says RBS.



**** Every Singaporean Really Does Count ****
<http://siewkumhong.blogspot.com/2012/02/every-singaporean-really-does-count.html>
Siew Kum Hong


> Sorry Mr Wong. It’s not just ITE students who disagree with you. I would hazard that most Singaporeans would also be disappointed with these comments. In our hearts, we want all Singaporeans to have equal opportunities, and to support those Singaporeans in going as far as they can. There actually are Singaporeans who truly believe that every Singaporean really does count.



**** Singapore Stupidity ****
<http://robinlow.blogspot.com/2012/02/singapore-stupidity.html>
Iron Bowl


> WTF??



**** Lawrence W(r)ong(ed)? Understanding Intentions, And Addressing Education Stigmas ****
<http://guanyinmiao.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/lawrence-wronged-understanding-intentions-and-addressing-education-stigmas/>
Kwan Jin Yao, Guanyinmiao's Musings


> The bottom-line is this: ITE students and graduates are not bottom-feeders. We must snap out from this narrow, myopic point of view. Every single student, ITE graduate or not, should be – and must be – afforded the same opportunities, and thereafter imbued with the belief that “success” – encompassing a myriad of definitions and interpretations – can only be attained through perseverance, hard work and determination.



**** Education MoS Wong: More ITE Students Will Have Chance At Diploma ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120209-0000106/Education-MoS-Wong--More-ITE-students-will-have-chance-at-diploma>
Today


> The Minister of State said in his Facebook note that this comment had been taken "out of context", and that he had been "upfront in highlighting to the students that not all of them will be able to get a place in the polytechnic" at REACH's Kopi Talk dialogue held at ITE College East on Tuesday.



**** Quitting Party Post Without Explanation Doesn't Improve WP's Transparency ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_764559.html>
Daniel Chia, Straits Times


> How can the WP hope to form an alternative government and desire a First World Parliament when it demonstrates a complete lack of transparency?



**** More Refund Options For Commuters Next Month ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120209-0000068/More-refund-options-for-commuters-next-month>
Neo Chai Chin, Today


> By next month, public transport commuters seeking fare refunds will be able to do so at any purple Add Value Machine (AVM) and TransitLink ticket office islandwide, with the money credited directly to their fare cards. 



**** Residents Move Against Studio Apartments ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120209-0000096/Residents-move-against-studio-apartments>
Sumita Sreedharan, Channel NewsAsia


> Toh Yi Drive residents gathered last evening to meet with HDB representatives and to sign a petition calling on HDB to stop its March Build-to-Order exercise to build a block of 130 studio apartments on a plot of land on which a basketball court, jogging track and garden currently stands.



**** Singaporeans Worried About Job Prospects ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/singaporeans-worried-about-job-prospects.html>
Clarence Chen And Chua Yini, Yahoo!


> Despite residing in a first world country, many Singaporeans are worried about the declining economy, especially with regard to their job prospects. 

> Employers in Singapore seem to be taking it slow when it comes to hiring new workers, as shown by recent trends in career fairs at local universities.



**** NMP Selection Process Needs Change ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120209-0000058/NMP-selection-process-needs-change>
Lee Yek Tiang, Channel NewsAsia


> Minister Ng Eng Hen, a member of the committee, said it had to consider a slate that would represent Singapore society, which is shown by the gender and racial representation of the nine NMPs. 

> However, in both the previous and current batches, former PAP members have been chosen, which mars the very purpose of the NMP scheme.



**** NUS Submits Proposal For Tuition Fee Changes ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120208-0000161/NUS-submits-proposal-for-tuition-fee-changes>
Channel NewsAsia



**** Employers' Contributions To Older Workers' CPF To Be Raised: PM Lee ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1181771/1/.html>
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia


> Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said employers' contribution rates to the Central Provident Fund for older workers have to go up, but added that any increases will have to be gradual.