[MyAppleMenu] Jul 25, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion: The Ars Technica Review ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/07/os-x-10-8/>
John Siracusa, Ars Technica


> But hang on a second. For a desktop OS in the year 2012, which direction is "forward," anyway? The obvious answer is "toward iOS," but Lion proved that it's not quite that simple. And really, there has to be more to it than compulsive imitation, otherwise why continue development of the Mac platform at all?

> Mountain Lion is Apple's answer to all these questions. It is the digital manifestation of Apple's belief that the Mac is still relevant, that it can be made better than it was before. In some ways, I feel the same as I did over a decade ago when considering a new version of OS X: I want to believe.

Also:
• <a href="http://siracusa.tumblr.com/post/27978338524/about-my-mountain-lion-review">About My Mountain Lion Review</a> (John Siracusa, Hypercritical)


**** Mountain Lion And The Simplification Of OS X ****
<http://shawnblanc.net/2012/07/mountain-lion-and-the-simplification-of-os-x/>
Shawn Blanc


> To build iOS, Apple needed its years of experience making OS X. And now, to refine OS X, Apple needs its newfound expertise from iOS to bring power and simplicity back to the Mac.



**** Mountain Lion ****
<http://daringfireball.net/2012/07/mountain_lion>
John Gruber, Daring Fireball


> But to understand what Mountain Lion really is, you really have to look at it not as a standalone OS release, but as a step in a series of releases.



**** Mountain Lion: Apple Gets Its Operating Systems In Sync ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1167804/mountain_lion_apple_gets_its_operating_systems_in_sync.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Jason Snell, Macworld


> Mountain Lion is the next step after Lion. It’s Apple’s current state of the art. If you’re running Lion (or even if you’re a holdout running Snow Leopard), I recommend hopping on board.



**** The Marco.org Review Of John Siracusa’s Review Of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion ****
<http://www.marco.org/2012/07/25/siracusa-mountain-lion-review-review>
Marco Arment


> I greatly enjoyed John Siracusa’s 10.8 Mountain Lion review for Ars Technica. I was especially satisfied with the iCloud vs. Reality, Scene Kit, and Power Nap sections.

> If you’re concerned about stability, or you want to argue with Siracusa about anything he said, you might want to wait for the first few edits. But for the adventurous, you can install it into your reading list of choice right now.



**** iTunes Tip: Rip CDs In Mono In iTunes ****
<http://www.mcelhearn.com/2012/07/25/itunes-tip-rip-cds-in-mono-in-itunes/>
Kirk McElhearn, Kirkville



**** With Apple’s Numbers, Timing Is Everything ****
<http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/24/the-greatest-miss-ever/>
MG Siegler, TechCrunch


> Product speculation isn’t hurting Apple’s bottom line any more than Apple’s own methodical release cycles are. And neither are actually hurting sales at all — at worst, they’re simply delaying them. Q1 2013 is going to be massive.



**** Apple CEO Loves India But Doesn’t See Much Business Here ****
<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/hardware/Apple-CEO-loves-India-but-doesnt-see-much-business-here/articleshow/15136399.cms>
Javed Anwer, The TImes Of India


> "I love India, but I believe Apple has some higher potential in the intermediate term in some other countries. This doesn't mean we're not putting emphasis in India. We have a business there and it's growing but my own perspective is that in the intermediate term there will be larger opportunities outside (the country)," [Tim Cook] said.



**** Apple’s Reality-Check Quarter In Charts ****
<http://www.splatf.com/2012/07/apple-jun12earnings-charts/>
Dan Frommer, SplatF


> But the big-picture story is that this is a slower period ahead of the expected new iPhone and potential new iPad this fall (and maybe someday, a television). Apple’s 23% year-over-year revenue growth was its slowest since 12% growth in the June 2009 quarter, and was almost down at Google’s 21% level!



**** Email Client Alternatives To Sparrow For The Mac ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/24/email-client-alternatives-to-sparrow-for-the-mac/>
Kelly Hodgkins, TUAW



**** The Sparrow Problem ****
<http://www.marco.org/2012/07/24/the-sparrow-problem>
Marco Arment


> As any App Store developer knows, its income is like a roller coaster: you never know what you’re going to make next month. It could be 25% or 400% of last month.

And it can also be 0%, thanks to Apple.


**** Apple CEO Tim Cook: Rumors Are A "Great Thing About This Country" ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/07/apple-ceo-tim-cook-rumors-are-a-great-thing-about-this-country/>
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica


> "We try very hard to keep our product roadmap secret and confidential, and we go to extreme activities to do that. That, however, doesn't stop people from speculating or wondering," [Tim Cook] said. "That's the great thing about this country; people can say what they think. I'm not going to spend any energy trying to change that. I'm glad people want the next thing. I'm super happy about it."



**** Closed For Business ****
<http://mattgemmell.com/2012/07/23/closed-for-business/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mattgemmell%2Frss2+%28Matt+Legend+Gemmell+-+RSS2%29>
Matt Gemmell


> If you’re not in the mobile apps business to make money, then great - congratulations. This is your bus stop. Off you go. Have a nice life. I, however, am in business to make money.



**** Apple Reminds Users Of Coming iWork.com Shutdown ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1167827/apple_reminds_users_of_coming_iwork_com_shutdown.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Dan Moren, Macworld



**** Apple Warms Up To Hackers, Plans Presentation At Black Hat ****
<http://go.bloomberg.com/tech-blog/2012-07-24-apple-warms-up-to-hackers-plans-presentation-at-black-hat/?utm_source=loopinsight.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+loopinsight%2FKqJb+%28The+Loop%29>
Jordan Robertson, Bloomberg


> While many major technology vendors have overcome their reluctance to making a public showing at the conference, Apple, now the world’s most valuable company, has had no problem snubbing a community whose aim is to unearth its vulnerabilities.

> That will change Thursday when Dallas De Atley, manager of Apple’s platform security team, is scheduled to give a presentation on key security technologies within iOS, the operating system for iPhones and iPads.



**** Developers Dish On iCloud's Challenges ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1167742/developers_dish_on_iclouds_challenges.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Lex Friedman, Macworld


> For some developers, iCloud is a mixed bag: They want to implement it, but it’s an awfully complicated undertaking.



**** Apple To Ship Mountain Lion On Wednesday ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1167849/apple_to_ship_mountain_lion_on_wednesday.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Joel Mathis, Macworld


> Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company would ship Mountain Lion, the latest version of its OS X operating system, starting Wednesday.

As usual, please backup first before upgrading.


**** Record iPad Sales Help Apple Enjoy Revenue, Profit Growth ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1167850/apple_revenue_profits_up_in_ipad_driven_quarter.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Philip Michaels, Macworld


> Sales of the new iPad helped Apple’s bottom line during its fiscal third quarter, as the company tallied record revenue for its June quarter.



**** Better Browsing With Bookmarks ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1167812/better_browsing_with_bookmarks.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Sharon Zardetto, Macworld






The Tomorrow Weblog
====================================
**** In India, Dreaming Of A 4G World ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10000872396390443295404577547002264600084-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwNDAyODQ3Wj.html>
Amol Sharma and Megha Bahree, Wall Street Journal






SingaporeSurf
====================================
**** Only 45% Of Hotel Workers Are Locals? ****
<http://leongszehian.com/?p=1729>
Leong Sze Hian


> To what extent has our liberal foreign worker policies contributed to this declining wages as workers get older? 



**** MND Refers Brompton Bicycles Purchase To CPIB ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1215611/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> The Ministry of National Development (MND) has referred the controversial purchase of 26 Brompton bicycles to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).



**** New Standard Ticket Scheme For Rail Travellers ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1215586/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> With the new standard ticket, a lower deposit of 10 cents will be required instead of the current S$1. 

> As the new ticket can be used up to six times within 30 days from the date of purchase, the deposit of 10 cents will be automatically returned through an off-set against the passenger's fare on the third trip to encourage passengers to reuse the ticket.



**** Exchange Rate Policy Has Its Limitations, Warns MAS ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/exchange-rate-policy-has-its-limitations-warns-mas>
Singapore Business Review



**** MAS Worried When Core Inflation Hit 3.1% ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/mas-worried-when-core-inflation-hit-31>
Singapore Business Review



**** Worth Applauding ****
<http://hardhitting-nobs.blogspot.sg/2012/07/worth-applauding.html>
Musings From The Lion City


> I applaud the MND, NParks and Mr. Khaw on having the courage to take immediate action against the officer despite the embarrassment and questions that would arise from it. This is an action that Singaporeans should get behind as it proves that the Singapore government is actually doing its job. It prove that there was an actual audit done, and that a government agency and their minister are not too proud to admit they are wrong and immediately rectify a problem.



**** From The Courtesy Campaign To Integration Woes... ****
<http://singaporemind.blogspot.sg/2012/07/from-courtesy-campaign-to-integration_25.html>
Diary Of A Singaporean Mind



**** Human Rights Group Condemns Yale Over School's Tough Stance On Student Political Activity At New Singapore Campus ****
<http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/07/24/news/new_haven/doc500f3898bc0e3113275484.txt>
Jim Shelton, New Haven Register


> Human Rights Watch recently took Yale to task for “betraying the spirit of the university as a center of open debate and protest by giving away the rights of its students at its new Singapore campus.”



**** More Funding For Public Service Broadcast Content ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1215569/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts said S$630 million will be given over five years.

> That's a 35 per cent increase from the S$470 million doled out over the last five-year cycle.

I would like to find out which television and radio programmes are funded, entirely or partially, by the government. Unfortunately, in all these years, the funding was never acknowledged during the airing of individual programmes, as opposed to commercial sponsorship.


**** Where Were The Leslie Lopezs In NParks' Brompton Purchase? ****
<http://www.raviphilemon.net/2012/07/where-were-leslie-lopezs-in-nparks.html>
Ravi Philemon


> What's sad is that the mainstream media which investigated and reported the re-capture of Mas Selamat in Malaysia, did not (or chose not to) pursue the glaring discrepancies in the purchases of the Brompton bicycles, and left it to netizens to use whatever limited means they had to investigate and put sustained pressure on the Minister to call for an audit on the purchase.



**** Read The Road Signs Carefully ****
<http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.sg/2012/07/read-road-signs-carefully.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ASingaporeanInAustralia+(A+Singaporean+In+Australia)>
A Singaporean In Austrlia


> It was encouraging to see that our median income has grown 44% in ten years. However while Singapore was  making this possible by activity pursuing growth, we have to pay the price of undesirable growth in three areas.



**** Longer Leave Results In 'Loss Of Productivity' ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120725-0000046/Longer-leave-results-in-loss-of-productivity>
Today


> Only days after the labour movement reportedly called for longer maternity leave to help boost Singapore's birth rate, the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) is cautioning against doing so, citing "operation disruptions and loss of productivity".

> Instead, it suggested providing more incentives for employers to be more parent-friendly.

Sometimes, carrot doesn't work without also a stick.


**** MND Suspends NParks Officer In Charge Of Buying Foldable Bikes ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC120724-0000140/MND-suspends-NParks-officer-in-charge-of-buying-foldable-bikes>
Today


> In a statement issued this evening, the MND said an internal audit ordered by National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan last month "uncovered some discrepancies which, although inconclusive by themselves, suggested the possibility of bias in the procurement". 

> "MND has decided that the discrepancies were significant and warrant further investigation," the ministry said. 

• <a href="http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120725_006.shtml">å…¬å›­å±€è¢«åœèŒèŒå‘˜ã€€ä¸Žå¾—æ ‡è„šè¸è½¦å…¬å¸è‚¡ä¸œæœ‰â€œäº¤æƒ…â€</a> (杨丹旭，联合早报): 林永顺本身就是脚踏车爱好者，从2010å¹´12月开始积极参与骑脚踏车活动。在公园局购买布朗登脚踏车前，他早已经骑布朗登脚踏车作为交通工具。
• <a href="http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7770">U-turn on Brompton foldable bikes shows need for citizens to keep govt accountable</a> (Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net)