[MyAppleMenu] Jan 5, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** OmniPlan 2.0.3 Offers Powerful Project-management Tools ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/164630/2012/01/omniplan_2_0_3_offers_powerful_project_management_tools.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Jeffery Battersby, Macworld


> OmniPlan is a best-of-class project management application that offers up the kinds of features that make large-scale project management as easy as a simple to-do list. Centralized data management, file synchronization, and change tracking combined with task and resource management make OmniPlan an excellent tool for anyone who needs to manage any major project, whether it’s large or small.



**** The Architect Of Apple Iconography ****
<http://www.salon.com/2012/01/04/the_architect_of_apple_iconography/singleton/>
Emma Mustich, Salon


> I can’t really generalize, but I was the only graphic artist in the Mac software group (the title on my business card was “Macintosh Artist”).  Of course, it seems more common for development teams to include artists now since so many user interfaces are graphical (and I’m always impressed with the art made by the Google Doodle team).



**** Apple Refunds Buyers Of GameStore, Calls App 'Premature' ****
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-57352588-248/apple-refunds-buyers-of-gamestore-calls-app-premature/>
Josh Lowensohn , CNET


> An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the matter, but confirmed to CNET that the above e-mail to customers came from the company and not a third-party. The company is not disclosing how many individuals purchased the app while it was available.



**** Q&A: Anchoring The Mac’s Dock ****
<http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/qa-anchoring-the-macs-dock/>
J.D. Biersdorfer, New York Times


> I have a new Mac, and am new myself to the Mac. Is there a way to change the position of the taskbar from the bottom of the screen to the left side?



**** Why Don’t Smartphones Have A “Guest Mode”? ****
<http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/04/why-dont-smartphones-have-a-guest-mode/>
Greg Kumparak, TechCrunch


> As smartphones march toward ubiquity, so does the trend of passing them around between friends. Meanwhile, we cram (and then forget all about) more and more private junk into our phones each and every day. 

> Here’s the dream: one lock-screen, two PINs. One for me, one for anyone else who might use my phone but doesn’t necessarily need to see everything.

Except that it seems like there's going to be a lot of "managing" required? Can guests make phone calls? How can they receive SMS?


**** PopClip Brings iOS-like Text-editing Options To Mac OS X ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/164629/2012/01/popclip_brings_ios_like_text_editing_options_to_mac_os_x.html>
Dan Frakes, Macworld


> With PopClip running, any time you select text, in any application, you get an iOS-like popover with options appropriate for the context.



**** iPhone Bug Allows People To Peek Into Your Photos Without A Password ****
<http://gizmodo.com/5873022/iphone-bug-allows-people-to-peek-into-your-photos-without-a-password>
Jesus Diaz, Gizmodo


> Consultant Ade Barkah has discovered that Apple sets the security of the images stored in your phone based only on their date. If a photo was taken in a date prior to the actual date on the phone, the photo will not be visible.

> But if you set the date back in time, any photo taken from that date will be accessible even if the phone is locked.

To a security-layman like me, this totally seems like a non-issue.


**** Searching For Beethoven: The iTunes Hitch ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203462304577138503300045824.html?grcc=cdc1b04f1d2c322fc581e1877bea5c5eZ3&mod=WSJ_hps_sections_tech>
John Pancake, Wall Street Journal


> Digital music files and iTunes may have made it easy to get even obscure pieces of classical music, but fans of the genre are far from ecstatic.



**** How To Teach Your Mac To Remind You To Take A Break ****
<http://mac360.com/2012/01/how-to-teach-your-mac-to-remind-you-to-take-a-break/>
Alexis Kayhill, Mac 360



**** How I Dared To Try iTunes Match And Actually Enjoyed It ****
<http://tidbits.com/article/12702?rss>
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS


> The seamless display of the cloud-based material exactly as if it were sitting on the device is an utterly successful illusion. I can hardly wait to whip out my iPhone during a discussion of some musical phrase and say, “You know the piece I’m talking about, it goes like this! What? You don’t carry the complete works of Beethoven, Brahms, and Mozart wherever you go?” I’m already practicing a withering look of pity mixed with contempt.



**** More Final Cut Pro X Fallout: Top Reality Producer Ditches Apple For Avid ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2012/01/more-fcpx-fallout-top-reality-producer-ditches-apple-for-avid.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss>
Chris Foresman, Ars Technica


> "Due to the large volume of media generated by our reality shows, we needed to re-evaluate our editing and storage solutions. At the same time, we were looking for a partner who would understand our long-term needs," Bunim/Murray's SVP of post production Mark Raudonis said in a statement.

Final Cut Pro X sounds more like the Netscape rewrite-from-scratch fiasco than iMovie rethink-from-scratch innovation.


**** Lumin Turns Your iPhone Into An Illuminated Magnifier ****
<http://tidbits.com/article/12700?rss>
Adam C. Engst, TidBITS


> It performs two basic tasks: magnification and illumination, but when you combine them on an iPhone, you end up with a device that can help anyone whose eyes aren’t what they used to be.



**** Why I Use Scrivener For Business Writing ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/164090/2012/01/why_i_use_scrivener_for_business_writing.html#lsrc.rss_main>
David Sparks, Macworld


> What makes Scrivener so useful is the way it replaces traditional <i>word processor</i> features with <i>writing</i> tools. I find writing with Scrivener liberating. Even though this tool was originally created for novelists and scriptwriters, it can work remarkably well for the rest of us, too.



**** iPhone 4S Launches In China And 21 Additional Countries On January 13 ****
<http://www.macstories.net/news/iphone-4s-launches-in-china-and-21-additional-countries-on-january-13/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macstoriesnet+%28MacStories%29>
Fedrico Viticci, MacStories


> Apple announced that its latest iPhone model, the iPhone 4S, will be available in China and 21 additional countries on Friday, January 13. Making it the fastest iPhone rollout to date, the iPhone 4S will be available in over 90 countries by next week.






The Tomorrow Weblog
====================================
**** Roku's Tiny HDMI "Streaming Stick" To Bring Netflix, Hulu To Smart TVs ****
<http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2012/01/roku-plans-tiny-hdmi-streaming-stick-for-smart-tvs.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss>
Casey Johnston, Ars Technica






MyAppleMenu Reader
====================================
**** Against Pepper ****
<http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2012/01/salt_and_pepper_why_are_they_always_together_.single.html>
Sara Dickerman, Slate


> Pepper, as I learned, is a fickle spice—it can be used well, but add too much, and your food tastes cheap and crass. Because pepper is applied to mask poor quality, too much of it smacks of a cover-up.

> Given that trickiness, I’ve started to wonder why pepper gets such Cadillac placement on the American table, sitting beside the salt shaker at every coffee shop and kitchen counter in the country. Why, too, do so many recipes invite us to season “with salt and freshly ground black pepper” upon completion? Why isn’t it salt and cumin, or salt and coriander, with every dish in the Western canon? What’s so special about pepper anyway? Perhaps it’s time to rethink the spice.



**** The Genius That Was Jean-Louis ****
<http://francemagazine.org/articles/issue100/article322.asp?issue_id=100&article_id=322>
Dorothy J. gaiter and John Brecher, France Magazine


> Jean-Louis Palladin was a chef’s chef, a genius whose instinctive, wildly creative and sensual approach to food changed America’s culinary landscape while freeing his native French cuisine of stodgy, ironclad traditions. During its 17-year run, his eponymous restaurant at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, won virtually every major culinary award—even chefs in France sent their children and protégés to Palladin for training and inspiration.

> Ten years after his death, at a time when celebrity chefs come and go with the speed of a prime-time television show, some of the world’s culinary greats still weep and laugh when they talk about how Palladin changed their lives and work. Which raises the questions: What was the nature of his genius? Why is Jean-Louis Palladin so fixed in the minds and hearts of the elite of his profession?






SingaporeSurf
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**** NTUC FairPrice To Pull Shark's Fin Off Its Shelves ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_752188.html>
Ng Kai Ling, Straits Times


> The co-op announced this on Thursday, following calls for it to stop selling shark's fin products after one of its suppliers, Thern Da Seafood, put up an online post that said 'Screw the divers' in an announcement of a shark's fin product launch at FairPrice outlets.



**** Malaysia, Singapore Mull Underground Road Link ****
<http://www.nst.com.my/latest/malaysia-singapore-mull-underground-road-link-1.28270>
Bernama


> Malaysia and Singapore are examining the prospect of expanding the scope of the proposed Rapid Transit System (RTS) between Singapore and Johor Baru to include underground road link between the two neighbours, prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today.



**** Moving Forward From Salaries ****
<http://andrewlohhp.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/moving-forward-from-salaries/>
Andrew Loh



**** Ministerial Pay Cut: Singaporeans Cannot Be Fooled ****
<http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/5099-ministerial-pay-cut-singaporeans-cannot-be-fooled>
Singaore Democratic Party


> This is the classic sales tactic. Jack up the price and then tell your customers that you are giving them a discount. This is the same strategem that the HDB and Restructured (public) Hospitals have been using on us all these decades. Prices and fees are first raised with the Government stepping in to announce that the payments will be subsidised. The upshot is that the state still comes away with a tidy profit. 

> Similarly, the Ministers raised their already astronomical pre-2007 salaries by 42 percent and then accepts a 37 percent cut. Not bad for a deal. 

> Now, environment minister of state Grace Fu implies that she and her colleagues have made a sacrfice and face hardship by accepting the recommended pay cut. She said on her Facebook page: "If the balance is tilted further in the future, it will make it harder for any one considering political office.”   

> Singaporeans cannot be fooled.



**** Public Misunderstood My Comments: Grace Fu ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/minister’s-comments-on-pay-cuts-spark-public-debate.html>
Faris Mokhtar, Yahoo!


> “I am honoured to be given the opportunity to serve the people. However, it may not be wise to call for the tradeoffs to be tilted further to an extent that it dissuades good people from coming forward in future,” she added. 



**** DBS Investigates Unauthorised Withdrawals From DBS/POSB Accounts ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_752199.html>
Robin Chan, Straits Times


> 'Some customers informed the bank of unauthorised withdrawals made in Malaysia through their DBS/POSB ATM/debit cards. Their compromised cards were immediately deactivated and we are now taking steps to compensate these customers in full,' said Mr Jeremy Soo, managing director and head of consumer banking group Singapore at DBS Bank, in a statement issued by the bank.



**** A Committee That Cannot Calculate The Median Of The Top 1000 Is Either Deliberately Misleading The Public Or Incompetent. ****
<http://sonofadud.com/2012/01/05/a-committee-that-cannot-calculate-the-median-of-the-top-1000-is-either-deliberately-misleading-the-public-or-incompetent/>
Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Reinventing The Rice Bowl



**** Oblong ****
<http://piaroh.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/oblong/>
Words Of The Cze


> Deep? Yes. Exceeding expectations? Yes. Acceptable? Probably. Sensible? Possibly. Sustainable? Unlikely.



**** Salary Revisions’ Terms Of Reference Needs Change ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/01/salary-revisions’-terms-of-reference-needs-change/>
James Gomez, The Online Citizen


> If the TOR does not include benching marking against international political salary standards, no matter how its reviewed, Singapore will continue have this exceptionally high political salary if the PAP continues to link the TOR to private sector top earners’ salaries.

> Hence any TOR for future revisions needs to be fundamentally changed otherwise Singaporeans will not be able to bring political salaries of its politicians in line with international standards for such salaries in developed countries.



**** Why Compare Salaries Only With Private Sector? What About Other Countries Public Services? ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/01/why-compare-salaries-only-with-private-sector-what-about-other-countries-public-services/>
John Chan, The Online Citizen



**** Minister’s Comments On Pay Cuts Spark Public Debate ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/minister’s-comments-on-pay-cuts-spark-public-debate.html>
Faris Mokhtar, Yahoo!


> Most criticised her remarks, questioning further whether local politicians are merely drawn by the top-notch salaries, deemed to be the highest in the world, or because of passion to serve the people.



**** DisGraceFu! Ministerial Pay Cuts And Incompetence In The PAP. ****
<http://www.visakanv.com/blog/3729/disgracefu-ministerial-pay-cuts-and-incompetence-in-the-pap/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=disgracefu-ministerial-pay-cuts-and-incompetence-in-the-pap>
Visakan Veerasamy



**** OpenNet's Tangle Of Problems: Procedures 'Flawed' And 'Inefficient' ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_752060.html>
Irene Tham, Straits Times


> Internet service providers have criticised the consortium tasked with installing Singapore's super-fast fibre broadband network, saying its procedures are 'flawed' and 'inefficient'.



**** Malaysia May Sell Electricity To Singapore ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1174920/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> The prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore have discussed the possibility of Malaysia selling electricity to Singapore. Mr Najib said if the plan comes to fruition, it will be a private sector-driven initiative.



**** Paying It Right ****
<http://speakspokewritewrote.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/paying-it-right/>
SpeakSpokeWriteWrote


> It only affects the bonus, mind you, not the basic. Given a typical year when a minister earns 20 months worth of salary in total, with a national bonus of 3 months, each of these components contributes 3.75% of their total income. Less than the GST. And frankly, when your salary is in the region of 1 m, 3% means nothing. My beef against this scheme is now citizens cannot claim that ministers do not need to care about median salaries, unemployment rates and income growth of low income Singaporeans. Their bonuses now depend on it. Seems to me to be a little like wage –mandering.



**** Singapore University Hacked ****
<http://www.scmagazine.com.au/News/285906,singapore-university-hacked.aspx>
Darren Pauli, SC Magazine Australia


> Hackers have broken into the National University of Singapore and made staff usernames, domain information and hashed passwords public.

> The hackers alleged they were spurred on after an error message generated by probes of the website stated:"If you're trying to use the SQL error message to dig for juicy information, get lost.”



**** The Virtuous Cycle In Service Sector Quality Starts With Proper Pay ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_751913.html>
Gilbert Goh, Straits Times


> Paying the right kind of wages is one positive way to start and our workers' productivity will naturally improve in line with the compensation.

> Perhaps employers have become overdependent on cheap and easily available foreign workers, and this has led to a lack of innovation in the service industry.



**** The Great “Pay Drop” ****
<http://dlzj.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/the-great-pay-drop/>
Ἴκαρος


> The biggest takeaway from the report is that salaries are not and probably will not be set independently for some time.



**** Quoteworthy – Grace Fu Hai Yien ****
<http://alvinology.com/2012/01/05/quoteworthy-grace-fu-hai-yien/>
Alvin Lim, Alvinology


> Entering politics should be about serving the greater good. Passion, not money, should be the main impetus.



**** What Do You Mean By A Person’s “Market Value”? ****
<http://www.newagedentists.com/my-singapore/what-do-you-mean-by-a-persons-market-value/>
Yours Toothfully By Dr Chan Joon Yee


> How do we encourage the ethos of public and political service among Singaporeans? By not enticing people into public service and asserting their “market value” with astronomical pay of course, my dear prof.



**** Whither The Ministers’ Pension ****
<http://chemgen.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/whither-the-ministers-pension/>
Chemical Generation Singaore


> It is one thing to pay someone in his office, but it is another thing altogether if they are continued to be paid after they left office and retired. With that broad stroke of taking away the pension, it is by itself the saving grace of the entire recommendations of the review committee.



**** President Tony Tan Volunteers To Take 51% Pay Cut ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_752078.html>
Elgin Toh, Straits Times


> The move by Dr Tan is entirely voluntary because under the Constitution, the President in office must agree before Parliament can change the Civil List.

> The President's salary is provided for in the Civil List, which the Constitution states 'shall not be diminished during the continuance in office of the President'.

So there.


**** 部长薪金　要看表现 ****
<http://news.omy.sg/News/Local+News/Story/OMYStory201201051001-302364.html>
我报


> è¡¨çŽ°è¶…æ ‡è€…ï¼šå¯é¢†26.5个月薪金。



**** Ministers' Pay Cut Proposal: MPs' Allowance To Be Cut By 3% ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_752080.html>
Rachel Chang, Straits Times


> This will come mainly from taking away a bonus pegged to gross domestic product (GDP) growth, as MPs do not play an executive role in governance, the committee said.



**** Ministers' Pay Cut Proposals: Readers' Responses Mixed ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_751772.html>
Gurveen Kaur, Straits Times


> On The Straits Times Facebook page, Soh Boon Guan expressed his scepticism on the proposed pay cuts in comparison to salaries of ministers in other countries and posted: 'Our junior ministers' pay can hire two United States (US) presidents to work for us. Still, top 30 politician salaries in the world belong to Singapore.'

> But a significant number also see promise in the committee's suggestions and appreciate that such a sensitive issue is being addressed.



**** What Is The Maximum Payout Possible? ****
<http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2012/01/what-is-maximum-payout-possible.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News


> Put the two parts together and looking at the maximum it means that a political appointment holder could get a maximum of 16 mths + 23.5 mths in total annual salary, or 39.5 months.



**** SingTel Data Network Fails In City's Latest Breakdown ****
<http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/04/singtel-network-idUSL3E8C40LA20120104>
Harry Suhartono, Reuters


> The SingTel breakdown follows a spate of other mishaps in the city involving its commuter train system as well as flooding along the city-state's Orchard Road shopping belt in December, all of which have dented Singapore's reputation for efficient government and high standards.



**** Gan Kim Yong Apologises Over DNA Lab Blunder By HSA ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_752055.html>
Tham Yuen-C, Straits Times


> Health minister Gan Kim Yong on Wednesday apologised for the blunder in a government lab, which resulted in the need to retest almost 2,000 DNA samples connected to criminal cases here.



**** Ministerial Salary Recommendation – My Take ****
<http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2012/01/ministerial-salary-recommendation-my.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News


> The big mental trap is that everyone is still treating political appointments as an employment. So you have things like AWS, bonuses, performance evaluation, reward for good performance etc etc, and money, money and money.

> The idea of employment and terms of employment, of monetary rewards, must be erased totally and be replaced by a simple fixed income for simplicity, transparency and minimal complications. No one needs to double guess what the politicians are getting or what they are up to. The politicians should just do their jobs when elected to office, with dignity, and to seek re election and the people’s approval as their rewards, not more bonuses.

Leaders with a vision are what we need. And leaders with a vision are not motivated by money; they are motivated by an opportunity to have that vision realized.


**** 会尽一切努力缓和突发性淹水 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/yl120105_007.shtml>
陈元森，公用事业局, 联合早报


> é€šè¿‡é˜²æ­¢æµ·æ°´è¿›å…¥ï¼Œæ»¨æµ·å ¤åæ˜¯ç¼“è§£å¸‚åŒºå†…ä½Žæ´¼åœ°åŒºå¦‚ç‰›è½¦æ°´ã€é©³èˆ¹ç å¤´ã€æƒ¹å…°å‹¿åˆ¹å’ŒèŠ½ç¬¼ç­‰åœ°çš„é˜²æ´ªè®¡åˆ’çš„ä¸€éƒ¨åˆ†ã€‚åŽ»å¹´12æœˆï¼Œæ»¨æµ·è“„æ°´æ± çš„æ°´ä½ç»´æŒåœ¨å¹³å‡æµ·å¹³é¢ä¸‹ã€‚å…¬ç”¨äº‹ä¸šå±€åœ¨12月23日动用了8ä¸ªæ°´é—¸æ¥è®©è“„æ°´æ± çš„æ°´ä½ç»´æŒåœ¨æ­£å¸¸æ°´å¹³ã€‚



**** Public Service Division Studying Recommendations ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120105-0000050/Public-Service-Division-studying-recommendations>
Today


> Responding to media queries yesterday following the announcement of the committee's recommendations, the PSD said "a careful study will be made before any changes are made".

> "PSD will be studying the principles and proposals put forward in the report for structuring salaries, to assess their relevance and applicability for structuring salaries of senior officers in the Administrative Service, other statutory appointment holders and judicial appointment holders," added a spokesperson. 



**** Just Three Unanswered Questions About Ministerial Salaries ****
<http://newnation.sg/2012/01/just-three-unanswered-questions-about-ministerial-salaries/>
New Nation


> This means, regardless how many times Orchard Road or Bukit Timah floods or how many detainees escape from detention centres or the type of political faux pas ministers commit, as long as they achieve a bare minimum, they will qualify for a bonus if the numbers show it.

I hope the prime minister will exercise his right to not pay the full bonus permissible under the formula in times of bad economy and when the government is not performing well in areas not measured by the formula.


**** Opposition Members Respond To Pay Cut ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1174801/1/.html>
Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia


> Chairman of the Workers' Party Sylvia Lim said her party is studying the recommendations and will also respond in due course.

> Similarly, Non-Constituency MP Lina Chiam from the Singapore People's Party said she is studying if the changes will benefit Singaporeans.



**** The Buzz On Twitter After The Singapore Ministerial Pay Cut ****
<http://singaporeactually.com/2012/01/04/the-buzz-on-twitter-after-the-singapore-ministerial-pay-cut/>
Singapore Actually


> I just can’t fathom how that our lower level ministers can be paid more than Obama.



**** Ministerial Salary Review – What’s Missing? ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/01/ministerial-salary-review-whats-missing/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen


> With regard to the National Bonus Matrix, achieving a Real Median/Lowest 20th Percentile Income Growth Rate for Singapore Citizens of just 0.5 per cent, will qualify for a 50 per cent Payout level.

> This may arguably be one of the lowest targets that I have seen, to get a bonus.



**** Two Years Of Our Time (And More): Defaulters Vs. The Defaulter's Parade ****
<http://thebluesweater.blogspot.com/2012/01/two-years-of-our-time-and-more.html>
The Blue Sweather


> The trouble for Singapore is that our population is far too small to sustain a credible professional force. In addition, the commitments in terms of time and the occupational risks can also be disincentives.

I disagree that Singapore's population is too small to abolish NS. It's just that we are not ready to pay the real monetary price of maintaining a professional army.


**** Good Salary Review Report ****
<http://harishpillay.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/good-salary-review-report/>
Harish Pillay, Life One Degree North, One-o-three Degrees East


> I think the key points of being transparent about the salaries and the removal of pensions is the biggest change. Arguments about the quantum of salary will always be there as will people who disagree no matter that number is proposed.