[MyAppleMenu] Feb 10, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** MiJournal 1.1 Offers Simple Tools For Daily Logs ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165110/2012/02/mijournal_1_1_offers_simple_tools_for_daily_logs.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Brendan Wilhide, Macworld


> MiJournal isn’t the flashiest choice in Mac journaling, but it’s steady and straightforward. The visual emphasis on repeated writing and the search support are standout features in an app that makes journaling just a bit easier.



**** “Okay, I’ll Remind You” ****
<http://www.macstories.net/stories/okay-ill-remind-you/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macstoriesnet+%28MacStories%29>
Federico Viticci, MacStories


> The ads, called “Rock God” and “Road Trip”, share a common theme: people <i>talking</i> to their assistant using natural language and a friendly tone, not simply asking a piece of software to execute commands.



**** Apple Tightens Up On Apps ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203315804577209314228870028.html>
Jessica E. Vascellaro, Wall Street Journal


> Apple says the rules are necessary for security reasons, as it aims to standardize consumers' experience across all Apple devices. But developers say they may be forced to remove certain features from their apps, and the move could create extra work for Mac owners, who may have to download additional software to access those features.

Apple, it seems, have a vision of where the Mac is going to be. We may not know the vision yet, and we may or may not agree with it. But this proves, I think, that Apple is not abandoning the Mac.


**** Emptying The Trash Automatically ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165305/2012/02/emptying_the_trash_automatically.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld


> While you may not be able to access an Apple-created Empty Trash action, you can build an AppleScript that accomplishes this task that's included as part of your workflow. I’ll demonstrate by creating a workflow that only empties the trash when executed.

AppleScript is such a useful thing on the Mac that I hope Apple will not abandon it.
And I do hope that some smart engineers inside Apple is thinking of how to bring scripting capabilities to iOS.


**** FileMaker Go Brings FileMaker Databases To iOS ****
<http://tidbits.com/article/12725?rss>
Steve McCabe, TidBITS


> Despite the inevitable layout-design compromises that the small size of the iPhone imposes on the FileMaker developer, FileMaker Go for the iPhone is a solid piece of software that integrates well with the existing FileMaker universe. 



**** Apple To Announce iPad 3 First Week In March ****
<http://allthingsd.com/20120209/apple-to-announce-ipad-3-first-week-in-march/>
John Paczkowski, AllThingsD


> Sources say the company has chosen the first week in March to debut the successor to the iPad 2, and will do so at one of its trademark special events. The event will be held in San Francisco, presumably at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Apple’s preferred location for big announcements like these.

> As for the next-generation iPad itself, sources say it will be pretty much what we’ve been led to expect by the innumerable reports leading up to its release: A device similar in form factor to the iPad 2, but running a much faster chip, sporting an improved graphics processing unit, and featuring a 2048×1536 Retina Display — or something close to it.






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** I Love You, Susan ****
<http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/i-love-you-susan/>
Jessica Ruby Radcliffe, 3:AM Magazine



**** The Dos And Donuts Of Doughnuts ****
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/feb/10/dos-and-donuts-of-doughnuts>
Rebecca Hardy, The Guardian


> I am normally what could be classed as "a healthy eater", but I have one fatal weakness; doughnuts. I'm of the opinion that there are few problems in life that can't be solved with a steaming hot cup of tea and a sticky, sugary, jam-filled doughnut. Maybe it's my northern sensibilities, but I would plump for a doughnut any day of the week - plump being the operative word.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Maybe A Retirement Village, Instead? ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120210-0000203/Maybe-a-retirement-village,-instead?>
Edward Foo, Channel NewsAsia


> I hope the Housing and Development Board could instead look into quality retirement villages, with central hubs that are clean, accessible and equipped with markets, food centres and medical facilities.

> As with any developed nation, our population is ageing. Surely Singapore can do better, so please find us "elders" a place to live our days in dignity.



**** Not Just CPF Rates, But Retirement Age Also Needs A Review ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120210-0000204/Not-just-CPF-rates,-but-retirement-age-also-needs-a-review>
Chua Kim Choo, Channel NewsAsia


> The mandatory retirement age is seriously impacting older workers who are healthy, physically and mentally.



**** 200 Foreign Workers Finally Get Paid After Protest ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120210-0000192/200-foreign-workers-finally-get-paid-after-protest>
Channel NewsAsia


> The Manpower Ministry said the 200 foreign workers, who staged a sit-in over unpaid wages, have received their outstanding salaries dated November last year to January. The workers received their November salaries that same day, in the presence of ministry officers. Channel NewsAsia understands that most of the workers earn a basic salary of S$18 a day.



**** Polytechnics Increase Fees For AY2012 ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120210-0000197/Polytechnics-increase-fees-for-AY2012>
Channel NewsAsia


> The five polytechnics - Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic will increase their fees for Academic Year (AY) 2012. Fees for new Singaporean students will increase by 2.3 per cent or S$50 to S$2,250 a year.



**** ITE To Increase Course Fees For AY2012 ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120210-0000189/ITE-to-increase-course-fees-for-AY2012>
Channel NewsAsia


> The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) is raising its course fees for Academic Year (AY) 2012, with a sharper increase for permanent resident (PR) students than for Singaporeans.



**** PM: Bring In More Foreign Workers In A Slowdown	 ****
<http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/5133-pm-bring-in-more-foreign-workers-in-a-slowdown>
Singaore Democratic Party


> Wouldn't it be better to use the slowdown as an opportunity to encourage employers to restructure their businesses and focus on increasing productivity rather than continuing to rely on cheap foreign labour? After all, Minister for Manpower Gan Kim Yong pointed out that enterprises “should rely on how to reduce reliance on foreign workers, (and) focus on productivity."

> So why is the PM bringing in more foreign workers at a time when the economy is unstable? Because, as he says, the more you reduce the number of foreigners, the slower the GDP growth is going to be.



**** Liberalise Entrance From ITEs To Polytechnics ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/liberalise-entrance-from-ites-to-polytechnics-2/>
Gerald Tan, The Online Citizen


> Education should not just serve the utilitarian function of the state, but allow our citizens to self-actualise. Our ITE graduates may not be the best and brightest of each cohort, but who is to say that this should allow us to severely constrict the path of ITE graduates who aspire to get their diploma, to move upwards in the education system.



**** Whip: To Lift Or Not To Lift? What Is “A Matter Of Conscience”? ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/whip-to-lift-or-not-to-lift-what-is-a-matter-of-conscience/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen



**** Returning To Golden Shoe Food Centre ****
<http://blogging4myself.blogspot.com/2012/02/returning-to-golden-shoe-food-centre.html>
Blogging For Myself


> Looking at how age had caught up with them, many of them are should be retiring when CapitaLand decide to tear down the building and rebuild.



**** Wet Market Wanderings: Shark! ****
<http://foodwalkers.blogspot.com/2012/02/wet-market-wanderings-shark.html>
Foodwalkers


> The wet markets of Singapore; how do I begin to describe them to one who has never been?  Do I simply explain that they are open air food stands contained under a common roof and offering fresh food to buy?  I could write a tome listing the endless array of fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, poultry and a host of things that I don't exactly know how to classify but nevertheless look great.  Or do I describe them as a gathering of different vendors in every neighborhood in Singapore selling meat, produce and dry goods specific to the predominant ethnicity of that area?  That could become and even bigger opus.

When I was younger, chickens are killed at the wet markets themselves. Imagine that!


**** Can We Really Look Toward A Multi-party Government? ****
<http://sparrowsandsandcastles.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/can-we-really-look-toward-a-multi-party-government/>
Chew Hongjie, Sparrows And Sandcastles


> If these blokes cannot even keep their houses in order and their respective parties united, can we trust them to lead the country?



**** Hong Kong And Singapore March Ahead ****
<http://www.financeasia.com/News/289702,hong-kong-and-singapore-march-ahead.aspx>
Rupert Walker, FinanceAsia.com


> Asia is in the vanguard of globalisation, driven by Hong Kong and Singapore, but businessmen are pessimistic about the challenges ahead, according to a new report by Ernst & Young.



**** Singapore Straddles The Fence With U.S. And China ****
<http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/02/10/singapore-straddles-the-fence-with-u-s-and-china/>
Shibani Mahtani, Wall Street Journal


> Singapore, which is small and very conscious of its geopolitically-sensitive place in the world, has since the days of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew tried to court both the U.S. and China, staying careful not to take sides between the two, unlike many of its Southeast Asian counterparts.

> That strategy has paid off, with Singapore benefiting from big investments with each country. China’s booming market received S$68 billion of Singapore’s overseas investments according to the latest data in 2010, while Singapore attracted some S$67 billion of foreign direct investment from the U.S. that year.

> Still, analysts say that the recent diplomatic trips, timed so closely together – and just before China’s presumed next leader Xi Jinping makes his much-anticipated trip to the U.S. – show that Singapore is laboring hard to avoid a situation where it may have to pick sides between the two strategic and economic giants.



**** Elderly Are Welcome But HDB Site Not Right: Toh Yi Residents ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/elderly-are-welcome-but-hdb-site-not-right--toh-yi-residents.html>
Deborah Choo, Yahoo!


> Businessman and petition organiser Ricky Goh Chok Chai, 58, said that the construction of the basketball court and subsequently the garden in November 2010 at the junction between Toh Yi Road and Toh Yi Drive has “rekindled the kampong spirit” in their community. It was an initiative that he praised the former Holland-Bukit Timah MP Yu-Foo Yee Shoon for introducing as the move has been welcomed by all of the residents there. 

> “Everyone embraced the change, and this plan created that kind of bonding around,” said Goh who has lived in that estate area since 1998. He said that the undulating terrain itself made it tough for connectivity previously and tough for even the young to walk since it is uphill. It is estimated that from the main road to the site that HDB plans to build the facility, the height difference is about 11 meters which translates to approximately four storeys high. The straight uphill climb is estimated about 200 meters.



**** Singapore Seeks First Mover Status In Myanmar After Reforms ****
<http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-09/singapore-seeks-first-mover-status-in-myanmar-after-reforms.html>
Daniel Ten Kate, Bloomberg


> Singapore’s government is sponsoring a business delegation to Myanmar next week in an effort to take advantage of opportunities as the former military dictatorship seeks to end its global economic isolation.



**** Make Bosses Issue Payslips, Says Migrant Help Group ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_765105.html>
Jessica Lim, Straits Times


> A salary slip showing detailed calculations of pay, overtime, allowances and deductions would 'arm the employee with documentary proof as to whether he has been paid correctly, and whether illegal deductions have been levied', said TWC2 vice-president Noorashikin Abdul Rahman.

It is a disgrace how Singapore treats it's guest workers.


**** Where Was The Consultation? ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_764923.html>
Cheong Peng Kiat, Straits Times


> We were told, out of the blue, that the void decks were being taken back.



**** Yaw And WP Leaders Did Right By Choosing To Remain Silent ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_765007.html>
Tan Kin Lian, Straits Times


> Singaporeans will have to accept that they will not be able to find angels to be their leaders, in the current party in power or in an alternative political party.



**** Sorry Shouldn't Be The Hardest Word ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_765004.html>
Benjamin Soh, Straits Times


> Why could the LTA not say 'sorry', instead of taking the position that it agreed with Mr Teong, yet still was not in any way wrong, and so no 'sorry' was deserving?

> If nothing else, what of the distress or irritation caused to Mr Teong and his wife, which was enough to motivate the former to write to the Forum page?



**** How Many More Immigrants Can Singapore Take In? ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120210-0000010/How-many-more-immigrants-can-Singapore-take-in?>
Thomas Chan Hean Boon, Today


> If Singapore cannot innovate and raise productivity, I accept that economic growth would be marginal or languish, but I would not want to be squeezed out of my homeland.

There are many routes to success, and Singaporeans want Singapore to succeed because of the hard work and effort of Singaporeans, not imported players.


**** Not A Problem Of Expectations ****
<http://hardhitting-nobs.blogspot.com/2012/02/not-problem-of-expectations.html>
Musings From The Lion City


> The problem is not Singaporean’s expectations but the fact that the Singapore government has been unable to fix the infrastructure problems our country faced! Not only that, Singaporeans now have no confidence the government will be able to fix the problems. That is where Singaporeans’ frustrations truely lie.



**** ‘NUS Proposed Fee Hike Should Not Be Exorbitant’ ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/‘nus-proposed-fee-hike-should-not-be-exorbitant’.html>
Faris Mokhtar And Chua Yini, Yahoo!


> Students set to enter the National University of Singapore (NUS) in August said its plans to increase tuition fees for the incoming cohort are reasonable but underscored that the hike should not be exorbitant so that university education would remain affordable.



**** GE Results Due To Economic Issues, Says Shanmugam ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120210-0000025/GE-results-due-to-economic-issues,-says-Shanmugam>
Ng Jing Yng, Today


> Mr Shanmugam said: "Technology has benefited those who are skilled and they move further and further up on the wage scale. But it affects those who can't take advantage of the technology. 

> "Because Singapore is an international financial centre, a regional centre, globalisation totally opened very big income gaps, as the top salaries are based on international scales and yet those who can't take advantage of them then falls much behind."

Did the PAP government, who often pride itself on its long-term planning, failed to anticipate the income gap problem, or did the PAP government dismissed the widening income gap as not a problem?


**** Studio Apartments Are “Death Houses”? ****
<http://andrewlohhp.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/studio-apartments-are-death-houses/>
Andrew Loh


> Yet, it is about more than these. It is about those frail men and women we see around us, those who contributed to what we enjoy now. Indeed, some of them may even be those who gave birth to us. How do we make them feel they are loved, respected and embrace them?