[MyAppleMenu] Mar 1, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple Releases iMac Graphic FW Update 3.0 ****
<http://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/01/apple-releases-imac-graphic-fw-update-3-0/>
Eric Slivka, MacRumors


> Apple today released iMac Graphic FW Update 3.0, addressing an issue that could cause hanging and freezing on iMac models.



**** Reflection App Goes Live, Brings iOS Screen Mirroring To Your Mac ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/29/reflection-app-goes-live-brings-ios-screen-mirroring-to-your-ma/?utm_source=loopinsight.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+loopinsight%2FKqJb+%28The+Loop%29>
Erica Sadun, TUAW



**** Trust Your Mac To Give You A Faster, More Accurate Way To Type ****
<http://mcsolo.com/2012/02/trust-your-mac-to-give-you-a-faster-more-accurate-way-to-type/>
McSolo


> The Mac and iPhone tool of choice for keyboard efficiency is TextExpander. It’s a behind-the-scenes Mac (and iPhone) app that collects snippets of text that you can insert into a document using keyboard shortcuts.



**** Apple Rejects Seth Godin’s Book Because Of Links To Amazon Store ****
<http://www.macgasm.net/2012/02/29/apple-rejects-seth-godins-book-because-of-links-to-amazon-store/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macgasm%2Fmain+%28Macgasm%29>
Joshua Schnell, Macgasm


> Apple has refused to sell his book in the iBookstore because Godin has “Multiple links to Amazon store” within the pages of his book.



**** MLB At Bat Goes Live For 2012 With Improved Pricing Scheme ****
<http://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/29/mlb-at-bat-goes-live-for-2012-with-improved-pricing-scheme/>
Jordan Golson, MacRumors






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Rebooting The PC Industry ****
<http://scripting.com/stories/2012/02/29/rebootingThePcIndustry.html>
Dave Winer, Scripting News


> I don't mind carrying around something a little more clunky if it can be connected to something we haven't dreamt up yet.



**** Gamification: Green Tech Makes Energy Use A Game—and We All Win ****
<http://arstechnica.com/business/the-networked-society/2012/02/gamification-green-tech-makes-energy-use-a-gameand-we-all-win.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss>
Rob Pegoraro, Ars Technica


> If you can, in essence, reprogram people to think more often about the energy they use, you can see both changed behavior and more voluntary interest in making investments in efficiency.






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Various Pets Alive And Dead By Marina Lewycka – Review ****
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/mar/01/various-pets-alive-marina-lewycka-review?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Sarfraz Manzoor, The Guardian


> The hippies of Solidarity Hall and their contemporaries may have been naïve, they may have worn – and continue to wear – terrible clothes, but they belonged to a generation, Lewycka suggests, who truly did believe we were all in this together. As Serge puts it, they had something they believed in – "Values and stuff – it all seems a bit retro."



**** A. In May ****
<http://www.bostonreview.net/BR37.2/kathleen_ossip_poem.php>
Kathleen Ossip, Boston Review



**** Six-Legged Giant Finds Secret Hideaway, Hides For 80 Years ****
<http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/02/24/147367644/six-legged-giant-finds-secret-hideaway-hides-for-80-years?sc=fb&cc=fp>
Robert Krulwich, NPR


> At 225 feet above sea level, hanging on the rock surface, there is a small, spindly little bush, and under that bush, a few years ago, two climbers, working in the dark, found something totally improbable hiding in the soil below. How it got there, we still don't know.






SingaporeSurf
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**** “Easy For Foreigners To Enter Singapore Polytechnics Using Forged Certificates” – PRC Student In Singapore ****
<http://temasektimes.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/easy-for-foreigners-to-enter-singapore-polytechnics-using-forged-certificates-prc-student-in-singapore/>
The Temasek Times



**** Singapore, Ya Lah! ****
<http://rowansimpson.com/2012/03/01/singapore-ya-lah/>
Rowan Simpson


> I think it’s very cool to see options like this open up for companies in this region.



**** Will MCYS’s Posters Only Fuel Society’s Prejudice Towards The Disadvantaged? ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/03/will-mcyss-posters-only-fuel-societys-prejudice-towards-the-disadvantaged/>
Ghui, The Online Citizen


> While MCYS may not have intended it, these posters serve to fuel society’s prejudice towards the handicapped or people who have fallen through the cracks. Instead of positive encouragement, it has reinforced the idea that the handicapped or infirm are somewhat lacking and ought to be pitied. I am not at all suggesting that these individuals do not need help but our assistance should stem from a communal desire of mutual assistance rather than a need to help “objects of pity”.



**** Debate Over Blog Limits Intensifies In Singapore ****
<http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/03/01/debate-over-blog-limits-intensifies-in-singapore/?mod=google_news_blog>
Shibani Mahtani, Wall Street Journal


> Though some lawmakers from the ruling People’s Action Party have described the latest actions as “selective cases,” other bloggers and academics have warned against the legal moves, which they say could upset further development of the more-robust political discourse that now characterizes the city-state. Government officials had promised more than a decade ago – at a time when the Internet was just beginning to change the media landscape – to regulate online media with a “light touch,” according to Singapore’s media development authority.

> Political analysts, meanwhile, note that it will be hard for Singapore’s lawmakers to exert too much control over blogs and other websites, given the explosion of interest in online media. Singaporeans spend more time on Facebook than any other country in the world, according to global information services company Experian. Smartphone penetration is over 50%, according to a Nielsen survey.



**** PSD To Review Salaries Of Public Officers ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1186326/1/.html>
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia


> This comes on the heels of a pay review for political holders that was adopted by the government earlier this year.

> [Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service Teo Chee Hean] said the pay review for public officers will ensure that the Public Service can continue to "get a steady flow of able and committed people to helm and staff key appointments".

Don't expect any significant cut.


**** "Healthcare Is Not A Commodity" ****
<http://singaporemd.blogspot.com/2012/03/healthcare-is-not-commodity.html>
Singapore M.D.



**** New Changi Terminal 4 To Replace Budget Terminal ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1186306/1/.html>
Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia


> In a statement, CAG said construction of Terminal 4 will begin in 2013 and is expected to be ready by 2017.

> To facilitate the construction of Terminal 4, airlines currently operating in the Budget Terminal will move their operations to Terminal 2 and will start operations there from September 25 at 6am. 



**** Singapore's Population At "Demographic Tipping Point": DPM Teo ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1186292/1/.html>
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia


> So Mr Teo said, from now till 2030, Singapore will experience an "unprecedented age shift, as over 900,000 Baby Boomers, more than a quarter of the current citizen population, retire from the workforce and enter their silver years. 

> "Without immigration, we will face a shrinking workforce and the prospect of a shrinking economy. This challenging situation is compounded by the need to support a significantly larger elderly population at the same time," said Mr Teo.



**** From Service In Singapore To School At Penn ****
<http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2012/03/from_service_in_singapore_to_school_at_penn>
Changee Han, The Daily Pennsylvanian


> Before arriving at Penn, 22-year-old College freshman John Cheo was somewhere in the middle of Brunei’s jungles on a survival expedition, living off whatever he could scavenge from the area while fulfilling Singapore’s military obligations.



**** Singapore GDP Tops Hong Kong For Second Year ****
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-29/singapore-gdp-tops-hong-kong-for-a-second-year.html>
Shamim Adam and Sophie Leung, Bloomberg


> Singapore’s economy surpassed Hong Kong’s for a second year as the Southeast Asian nation gained from a stronger currency, faster population growth and expansion of the casino and pharmaceutical industries.



**** DPM Tharman Addresses Issues Raised In Budget Debate ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120301-0000171/DPM-Tharman-addresses-issues-raised-in-Budget-debate>
Today


> There are "many wonderful ways" to raise healthcare spending to 6.1 per cent of GDP - but there are also "many wonderful ways" to raise taxes, Mr Tharman said. Singapore has to guard what we spend to avoid placing too heavy a burden on the middle-class, he said, noting that after 2016, Singapore will have to think of new ways to raise revenues. 

> Mr Tharman also addressed the concerns over the Government's S$1.1b investment on buses, saying it is a subsidy for public transport commuters, not operators. The money is meant to step up bus service levels beyond what is currently required of transport operators. Without the Government stepping in, raising service levels would only have been achievable if fares are raised significantly, said Mr Tharman.



**** Govt Need Not Worry About S’poreans Finding Expression ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/govt-not-worry-poreans-finding-expression-040429972.html>
Andrew Loh, Yahoo!


> A new political compact does not have to be anything fancy, promising the heavens and beyond, and endowed with bells and whistles. It can start with small steps. And in this day and age, it is becoming increasingly clear that Singapore and Singaporeans are ready for more open expression and participation.



**** A Level Results Are Here. Now What? ****
<http://sgphysiostudents.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/a-level-results-are-here-now-what/>
Singapore's Aspiring Physiotherapists



**** More Disgraceful Debating ****
<http://convexset.blogspot.com/2012/02/more-disgraceful-debating.html>
Convex Set


> It is indeed regrettable that Singaporeans have a Member of Parliament such as Hri Kumar.



**** Crystal Clear ****
<http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/03/crystal-clear.html>
Singapore Notes


> We all know that Hri Kumar is not a stupid man - that would be an insult to all appointed senior counsels - he's being devious for a good reason. He states that reason thus; "But Hougang is a hot seat...The by-election will surely generate much heat and debate across the island." He's not just saying that the kitchen is too hot, and the PM should get out of it, he's telling us that the PM is too cowardly to face the electorate.



**** March ****
<http://piaroh.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/march/>
Words Of The Cze


> I have become increasingly irritated with the way quotas and ratios and levies are being tweaked to deal with the problem. It is clearer with every passing quarter (at least to me) that the main difficulty behind achieving the correct balance and mix we want is not the structure of the economy – which after all has been transitioning for a while now – but the tools at the government’s disposal. They are far too blunt.



**** Boing! Singapore Takeout Pops Up In Sydney ****
<http://www.cnngo.com/sydney/eat/boing-singapore-takeout-pops-sydney-423625>
CNNGo


> There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but at least the Sydney leg of the Singapore Takeout world food tour has a rather splendid gourmet dinner up for grabs this March.



**** Strict Oversight Sought For $1.1B Fund To Bus Operators ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/Parliament/Story/STIStory_772346.html>
Goh Chin Lian, Straits Times


> These demands were made by several MPs on Wednesday, as they reflected what they said was growing public disquiet over profitable operators receiving public subsidies.



**** Shall, May, Must, Ought - A By-word On A By-Election ****
<http://www.publichouse.sg/categories/politics/item/513-shall-may-must-ought-a-by-word-on-a-by-election>
Calvin Cheng, Publichouse.sg



**** I Confess: I Hate Shopping Malls ****
<http://open.salon.com/blog/martha_nichols/2012/02/28/i_confess_i_hate_shopping_malls>
Martha Nichols, Athena's Head


> I’ve always hated shopping malls in America. In Singapore, they are so much a part of the cultural landscape that I’ve been trying to enjoy them for what they are: over-the-top displays of consumerism; palaces dedicated to dreams of splendor.

> Yet, as the three of us struggled through Saturday night mall crowds recently, lugging shopping bags on the way back to our apartment, I realized I don’t like these malls any more than I do the tackier ones in my homeland.



**** Govt Can Do More… ****
<http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2012/03/govt-can-do-more.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News


> What the Govt should do is to do less. Please, do not help the people when it is not necessary. Leave the people alone to live and manage their own lives. There are many things that the Govt can do to help the people without having to do anything.



**** 邱德拔医院解决病床短缺　医院屋顶花园改装为病房 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120301_004.shtml>
杨萌, 联合早报


> 投入服务才两年就出现病床短缺的问题，义顺的邱德拔医院决定把屋顶花园，改装成有32个床位的病房。

> 不过，这个屋顶花园并不是该医院为人所称道、种了有机蔬果的花园，而是住院大楼（或称B座大楼）顶楼的另一个较小的花园。

Also: <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_772335.html">Hospital To Replace Rooftop Garden With New Ward</a> (Salma Khalik, Straits Times.)


**** Don't Turn Hawker Centres Into Social Enterprises Or Co-ops ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_772086.html>
Paul Chan, Straits Times


> The NEA should directly and effectively run the 10 new centres in consultation with the 18-member committee which made the recommendations. The key is to manage on a 'not for profit' basis with the least frills. It should avoid being turned into a complicated beast like a mini-shopping centre with foodcourts.

Stop making our food expensive by inserting many middlemen.


**** Startup Scene In Singapore Not Quite Silicon Valley ****
<http://www.itworld.com/it-managementstrategy/254528/startup-scene-singapore-not-quite-silicon-valley>
Jay Alabaster, IDG News Service


> But local investors say that many locals who start companies tend to think small, or choose straightforward Internet commerce sites because the barriers to entry are low. The SPRING website devoted to its entrepreneurship projects features designers of "eclectic messenger bags" and a machine to automatically make Roti, a type of Indian flatbread.



**** Singapore 'The Next Silicon Valley' ****
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/offshorefinance/9110631/Singapore-the-next-Silicon-Valley.html>
Justin Harper, The Telegraph


> The country has always been a popular destination for multinationals given its ease of doing business, use of English as the first language and location as the gateway to Asia. But recently it has been targeted by hi-tech players, internet start-ups and incubator funds looking to tap into the region’s entrepreneurial and tech-savvy spirit.



**** By-election Is Not Optional ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120301-0000060/By-election-is-not-optional>
Sylvia Lim, Workers' Party, Today


> When speaking then on the motion, I made it clear that WP was unable to support the motion for the simple reason that an attempt to refine the GRC system would be tantamount to accepting GRCs in our system, which WP does not.

> Besides calling for the abolition of GRCs, our amended motion would have preserved that part of the original motion which provided a three-month timeline for calling a by-election in an SMC.



**** Affordable Medical Care In Singapore.... ****
<http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/02/affordable-medical-care-in-singapore.html>
Diary Of A Singaporean Mind