[MyAppleMenu] Feb 23, 2012

applesurf at myapplemenu.com applesurf at myapplemenu.com
Thu Feb 23 18:59:00 EST 2012

MyAppleMenu
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**** Air Force Special Operations Cancels iPad Buy ****
<http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20120221_7036.php>
Bob Brewin, Nextgov


> The command did not provide any explanation for the move in its notice on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Officials originally planned to acquire 2,861 iPad2 tablet computers to serve as electronic flight bags, storing digital versions of paper charts and technical manuals.



**** How Apple Went From Environmental Laggard To Leader ****
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddwoody/2012/02/22/how-apple-went-from-environmental-laggard-to-leader/>
Todd Woody, Forbes


> Over the Presidents’ Day holiday on Monday, Apple quietly released a surprisingly detailed update to a report on its “environmental footprint,” including plans to build the world’s largest private solar array and fuel-cell farm to power its massive new North Carolina data center.

> It’s quite a turnaround from Apple’s past public indifference to environmental concerns. Given the company’s other initiatives to slash its greenhouse gas emissions, Apple is emerging as a leader rather than a laggard on the environmental front.



**** Foxconn, Apple, And The Fair Labor Association Respond To ABC News’ Exclusive Report ****
<http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/02/foxconn-apple-and-the-fair-labor-association-respond-to-abc-news-exclusive-report/>
ABC


> Since ABC News’ original report, Apple, Foxconn, and the Fair Labor Association have sent statements explaining a few sentences in the original report. We have posted the text of those statements below.



**** iOS 5.0.1 Bug Bypasses Security Passcode To Provide Access To Contacts And Phone App ****
<http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/22/2816154/ios-5-0-1-bug-contacts-security>
Tom Warren, The Verge



**** Mastered For iTunes: How Audio Engineers Tweak Music For The iPod Age ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/02/mastered-for-itunes-how-audio-engineers-tweak-tunes-for-the-ipod-age.ars>
Chris Foresman, Ars Technica


> In an age when Apple has become the top music retailer without selling a single physical disc, audio engineers are increasingly creating specially mastered versions of songs and albums designed to counteract the audio degradation caused by compression. Though audiophiles typically scoff at paying for compressed audio, preferring vinyl or high-end digital formats such as DVD-A, mastering engineers are doing their best to create digital masters that can pass through Apple's iTunes algorithms with minimal sonic corruption.



**** Apple And Other Mobile App Distributors Agree To New Privacy Policy Notification Standards ****
<http://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/22/apple-and-other-mobile-app-distributors-agree-to-new-privacy-policy-notification-standards/>
Eric Slivka, MacRumors


> The provisions will require that developers of apps that collect personal information include privacy policies with their app sthat can be viewed directly from the store before downloading the apps themselves.



**** Versions And Auto Save Explained ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165518/2012/02/versions_and_auto_save_explained.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld



**** How To Share An External Drive Between A Mac And A PC ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165513/2012/02/how_to_share_an_external_drive_between_a_mac_and_a_pc.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Jim Galbraith, PCWorld


> Looking to share an external hard drive between a Mac and PC? The best way to do it is with a drive formatted as FAT32. Though this format has some limitations, it enjoys nearly universal support from active platforms, including Mac and Windows operating systems, and many gaming and Linux OSs.



**** Apple Encourages MobileMe Customers To Transition To iCloud ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/22/apple-encourages-mobileme-customers-to-transition-to-icloud/>
Dave Caolo, TUAW


> MobileMe is scheduled to be shut down in June 2012, and Apple has begun encouraging users to transition to iCloud. Email messages are going out this week that promote iCloud's services and provide a big 'ol blue button for customers to click and begin the migration process.






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Hardware Startups Look To China ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/39750/?ref=rss>
Rachel Metz, Technology Review


> Shenzhen, China, is a long way from Silicon Valley. But for startups that want to create the next iPhone, it may be the best place to get their businesses off the ground.



**** The Startup Whisperer ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/business/39751/?ref=rss>
Rachel Metz, Technology Review


> Graham wasn't the first person to come up with the incubator idea–but he was first to turn it into a three-month boot camp that speeds product ideas to market, gives the founders a sense of community, and offers access to some of the biggest names in technology. In doing so, he has changed the way young entrepreneurs get started in the tech business and spawned a growing industry of imitators.



**** Social Revolution Coming To Australian TV ****
<http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/social-revolution-coming-to-australian-tv-20120223-1tp94.html>
Sydney Morning Herald






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Great American Novel ****
<http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/great-american-novel_630022.html?nopager=1>
Roger Kimball, The Weekly Standard


> I am not generally a fan of the Green party, but at those moments I feel a deep kinship with their cause: All those lovely trees, acres and acres of wood pulp darkened, and for what?



**** How Waiters Read Your Table ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204909104577237152011781364.html?ref=index>
Sarah Nassauer, Wall Street Journal


> Called "having eyes" for a table, or "feeling" or "reading" the table by restaurant workers, it's how the best waiters know what type of service you prefer before you tell them. From fine dining to inexpensive chains, restaurants are working to make service more individualized as the standard script ('I'm so-and-so and I will be your server tonight") is sounding dated.

> Even chain restaurants like Denny's, T.G.I. Friday's, and Romano's Macaroni Grill are focusing more on personalized service by training staff to note body language, eye contact and offhand remarks, hoping to make service feel less mechanical.



**** The Myth Of The Eight-hour Sleep ****
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783>
Stephanie Hegarty, BBC


> We often worry about lying awake in the middle of the night - but it could be good for you. A growing body of evidence from both science and history suggests that the eight-hour sleep may be unnatural.






SingaporeSurf
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**** DBS Hit By ATM Fraud Again, Customers Compensated In 24 Hours ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_769923.html>
Robin Chan, Straits Times


> DBS Bank said that it had $23,000 stolen from 17 customers' bank accounts last Sunday as fraudsters used Singapore ATM machines to make unauthorised withdrawals.



**** Drop In Local Gamblers Visiting RWS And MBS Casinos In 2011 ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_769892.html>
Huang Lijie, Straits Times


> Some 200,000 Singaporeans visited the two casinos here in 2011, said Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing.



**** Lawyer M Ravi No Longer Acting For TR Emeritus ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1184825/1/.html>
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia


> In the latest turn of events, human rights lawyer M Ravi said he is no longer acting for socio-political website, TR Emeritus, in the matter involving an allegedly defamatory comment posted by one of its readers about Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the Chairman of Fraser and Neave.



**** Pet Neglect On The Rise, Says SPCA ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120223-0000175/Pet-neglect-on-the-rise,-says-SPCA>
Today


> Out of about 1,000 cases of alleged cruelty to animals reported and investigated by the SPCA last year, at least 70 per cent involved pet neglect.



**** More Donating To Charities Through Online Portal ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120223-0000167/More-donating-to-charities-through-online-portal>
Today


> Singapore's largest donation portal, SG Gives, saw a 46 per cent increase in total donations last year, compared with 2010.

> The amount donated ranged from S$10 to S$25,000 per transaction, with a donor giving to as many as 254 charities and programmes over a year.



**** Frustrating Numbers: How Many Foreigners Working Here? ****
<http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/frustrating-numbers-how-many-foreigners-working-here/>
Alex Au, Yawning Bread


> The disorganised and highly selective way in which information is provided to the public is most unsatisfactory. It is high time Singapore adopted a scheme for open data. I also believe that citizens should have the right to obtain such information via a Freedom of Information Act, not just parliamentarians.

> We need more data than the government seems prepared to give.



**** Govt Puts In $1.1B For SBS Transit To Buy New Buses.... ****
<http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/02/govt-puts-in-11b-for-sbs-transit-to-buy.html>
Diary Of A Singaporean Mind


> The current model has left the govt with limited options and poor choices. That is the hazard and disadvantage of "privatizing" something that is "public". Now Liu has to try to "squeeze" as much as possible from SBS Transit and the last thing he wants is the the effects of move to show up on the company's bottom line but not in quality of service.

> This whole episode shows the constraints and limitations the govt faces when it tries to upgrade a public transport system it now no longer controls.



**** Inflation At 4.8 Per Cent In January ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120223-0000145/Inflation-at-4,8-per-cent-in-January>
Today


> Inflation eased slightly to 4.8 per cent last month from 5.5 per cent in the preceding month, thanks to lower contribution from private transport cost.



**** Apartment Rents In S'pore Third Highest In Asia ****
<http://business.asiaone.com/Business/My%2BMoney/Property/Story/A1Story20120222-329346.html>
Michelle Tan, The Business Times



**** Singapore: The World’s “Unhealthiest” Country? ****
<http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/02/22/singapore-the-worlds-unhealthiest-country/>
Shibani Mahtani, Wall Street Journal


> The Eco2 Index, crafted by researchers at the University of British Columbia, looks at both the economic and ecological security of a country and how fast countries are using up resources at their disposal – an initiative they say was promoted by the threat of climate change, a growing world population and mounting financial problems.

> Singapore was joined by other high-income countries at the bottom of the list, with many sharing similar land and resource scarcity problems. The five “unhealthiest” countries according to the index besides Singapore were Jordan, South Korea, Israel and Kuwait. The researchers hope that this list will be able to better prepare these countries in planning their consumption and future resource needs.



**** TR Emeritus To Remove Allegedly Defamatory Comment: Lee Hsien Yang ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1184690/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> It said that generally speaking, when a complaint is received by TRE about a comment, TRE will normally comply and delete it.

> It said Mr Lee Hsien Yang is making more demands than the normal demand of simply removing the offending comment.

> TRE editors felt that acceding to all his demands will seriously make running TRE site difficult in future.



**** SDP's Budget To Secure Our Future ****
<http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/5148-sdps-budget-to-secure-our-future>
Singaore Democratic Party



**** MOE Relooking Primary 1 Registration Scheme ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_769769.html>
Sandra Davie, Straits Times


> The Ministry of Education is understood to be studying how to improve the Primary 1 registration scheme, which has been criticised for giving too much priority to children with connections to the school.



**** Have Minimum Wage For Low-income Workers ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_769561.html>
Muhammad Dzul Azhan Haji Sahban, Straits Times



**** CPF’s Shifting Goal Posts ****
<http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2012/02/cpfs-shifting-goal-posts.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News


> Does the govt really think that it can go on and on messing the people’s savings as it like and the people will continue to vote the govt into power to repeat the story forever?



**** Lee Hsien Yang Sends Lawyer's Letter To TR Emeritus ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_769770.html>
Straits Times


> Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the chairman of listed conglomerate Fraser and Neave (F&N), has sent a lawyer's letter to sociopolitical website TR Emeritus (TRE), asking it to remove an allegedly defamatory comment on its site about him.

> In the letter, Mr Tan told TRE that a netizen had left a defamatory remark about Mr Lee in the comments section for one of its articles late last month.

Serious question: why the wait until Richard Wan outed himself as an editor of TRE before asking for comments to be removed?


**** 杨莉明：政府出钱买巴士 避免车资涨价 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120223_023.shtml>
杨丹旭, 联合早报


> 财政部兼教育部政务部长杨莉明解释说，地铁网络铺设完善前，本地需要显著提高巴士客运量，缓解公共交通拥挤并缩短候车时间。达到这个目标最有效的方法是政府与巴士公司合作，尽快增加巴士客运量。

> 杨莉明指出，要是政府不出资协助而是把这项任务留给私人交通业者，巴士公司成本增加后，车资势必随之上涨。

The public-funding of bus companies will make more sense if train and bus operations are not owned by the same companies.


**** 吴资政新闻秘书：饶欣龙事件不能与92年补选相提并论 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120223_012.shtml>
联合早报


> 他解释，当时的总理吴作栋于1991年8月宣布将提早举行大选，以争取选民强有力的委托时，就已表示将在18个月内举行补选以引进更多优秀候选人。

> 与此同时，决定在1992年举行补选也是让已故反对党人惹耶勒南有机会参加选举。他曾质疑吴作栋在1991年提早举行大选是刻意的，因为他当时仍未恢复参选资格。

Still, if the criticism is about wasting money on elections, the thing to do is to hold the General Election in 1992 instead of 1991.
See also: <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_769645.html">WP's Low Thia Khiang Wrong To Cite 1992 By-Election</a>< (Foo Kok Jwee, Press Secretary to Emeritus Senior Minister, Straits Times).


**** 后港区国会议席正式悬空 工人党成立补选委员会 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120223_003.shtml>
周殊钦, 联合早报


> 工人党秘书长刘程强昨晚在阿裕尼集选区主持会见选民活动时接受记者访问，并透露除了他本身，这个补选委员会的成员还包括主席林瑞莲、中央执行委员会成员毕丹星、严燕松、黄瑞美和龙秀金。

> 除此之外，对于这个补选委员会的其他详情，如它的成员是否包括可能代表工人党参加补选的人选，以及委员会是什么时候成立的，刘程强始终不愿多谈。



**** PM Lee's Lawyers Receive Reply From TR Emeritus ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120223-0000094/PM-Lees-lawyers-receive-reply-from-TR-Emeritus>
Today


> "PM Lee noted that the article has been removed and that the TR Emeritus has apologised. PM's lawyers have received a reply from TRE and are dealing with the matter," Mr Lee's press secretary said yesterday.



**** SDP: Govt's Approach 'Increasingly Populist' ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120223-0000088/SDP--Govts-approach-increasingly-populist>
Teo Xuanwei, Today


> Even as it welcomed several help measures for certain population segments announced during the Government's Budget last week, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) spoke out at what it deemed was an increasingly populist approach.

> At a press conference to present its shadow budget to the media yesterday, party treasurer Vincent Wijeysingha, who is the principal author, noted that the Budget had "focused so significantly on the issues raised in the general election".

> He added: "My concern is that this propels the mindset into one that is willing to play politics with the nation's resources."



**** HDB Flats: Public Housing Left To Private Market Forces. SBS: Private Company Funded By Public Funds ****
<http://sgpublicpolicy.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/hdb-flats-public-housing-left-to-private-market-forces-sbs-private-company-funded-by-public-funds/>
Scrutinizing The Singapore Government


> In my opinion, the government should loan out the $1.1 billion instead of simply giving it away. After all, we are talking about healthy privatized transportation companies.



**** Press Freedom Index: Malaysia Shames Singapore ****
<http://rogerpoh.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/press-freedom-index-malaysia-shames-singapore/>
SpotlightOnSingapore


> All repressive regimes know that one of the proven ways to remain in power is to maintain control of the mass media.



**** Govt's Move To Fund Bus Purchases Sparks Public Concern ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1184572/1/.html>
Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia


> A few have written to the government's feedback portal REACH, questioning why the government is using public funds to help profit-driven companies.

> Analysts said the government's move to help the two public transport operators grow their bus fleet does not mean a free lunch for them. They said commuters would stand to benefit from higher service standards, which are likely to be imposed on SBS Transit and SMRT.

According to this report, both SMRT and SBS Transit's bus operations suffered operating loss in the latest year.


**** DBS Deactivates ATM Cards, Angers Customers ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/dbs-deactivates-atm-cards-angers-customers-102242583.html>
Chua Yini, Yahoo!


> Many DBS customers are riled after the bank deactivated their ATM and debit cards without prior notice, leaving many shocked and stranded without cash.



**** Yaw Was Not Sacked Because Of Affair ****
<http://politicalwritings.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/yaw-was-not-sacked-because-of-affair/>
Political Writings


> Yaw was sacked because he was intransigent, recalcitrant and evasive in the face of direct questions.







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