[MyAppleMenu] Mar 13, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** Apple Avoids Showcasing Google Maps In Promotional Material For New iPad ****
<http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/03/13/apple_avoids_showcasing_google_maps_in_promotional_material_for_new_ipad.html>
Neil Hughes, AppleInsider


> However, the filename for "retina_gallery_3" can be manually entered into a Web browser to access the images that Apple uploaded to its website. These show that the files labeled "3" were actually screenshots of the Maps application running on iOS.

> The uploaded-but-unpublished screenshot shows directions from the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, to the Eiffel Tower via Google Maps for iPad.



**** Picking The Right Keyboard For Writing On The iPad ****
<http://www.suntimes.com/technology/ihnatko/11239516-452/picking-the-right-keyboard-for-writing-on-the-ipad.html>
Andy Ihnatko, Chicago Sun-Times


> User One: Me. You do lots and lots of writing and you’re willing to sacrifice convenience for the same kind of comfort you experience on your notebook.

> Easy. Use the exact same keyboard that Apple ships with all of their desktops. The Apple Wireless Keyboard is fairly affordable ($69) and you’ll have absolutely no trouble touch-typing at 100+ words per minute on it.



**** Camera+ 3.0 Review ****
<http://www.macstories.net/reviews/camera-3-0-review/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macstoriesnet+%28MacStories%29>
Federico Viticci, MacStories


> Few iPhone apps have managed to substantially improve on the functionalities offered by Apple in its core system apps. Tap tap tap’s Camera+, a popular alternative to Apple’s Camera app, is one of them, and the 3.0 version released today takes a major leap in turning Camera+ into a more powerful solution to shoot, edit, and share photos online, as well as providing a solid foundation other developers can integrate their apps with.



**** Apps: Apple's Not-So-Secret iPad Weapon ****
<http://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/apple-ios-iphone-ipad-ipod/295134-apps-apple-s-not-so-secret-ipad-weapon>
Michael J. Miller, PC Magazine


> Apple has set an example for tablet developers with its efforts to rework what makes sense on a screen that is larger than a mobile phone but smaller than a laptop.

I haven't heard of any Android tablet apps that even come close to the quality of Apple's iLife and iWork apps.


**** Add Finder Labels Via Drag-and-drop ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1165830/add_finder_labels_via_drag_and_drop.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld



**** Snapseed Desktop Delivers ****
<http://www.imaging-resource.com/SOFT/snapseed-desktop/>
Mike Pasini, Imaging Resource


> The great thing about Snapseed Desktop is, well, two things. The most important is having the power of Nik Software's image editing technology at your fingertips. And the second is that most reasonable price. What a gift!



**** Transform Your iPhone Into A Microscope: Just Add Water ****
<http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/compound-eye/2012/03/12/transform-your-iphone-into-a-microscope-just-add-water/>
Alex Wild, Scientific American


> I’ve engineered a fair number of inexpensive DIY camera hacks. This one is by far the cheapest: it’s free! Simply place a drop of water on the phone’s lens, carefully turn the device over, and the suspended droplet serves as a liquid lens. 



**** Real-time Face Recognition Comes To Your iPhone Camera ****
<http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/12/technology/iPhone-face-recognition/index.htm>
David Goldman, CNNMoney


> Called "Klik," the iPhone app automatically displays your friends' names in real time when they appear in view of your iPhone's camera. After Klik detects a face, it instantly connects to your Facebook account and scans your friends' photos to identify the person in view. It also scans your iPhone for photos you've tagged on your phone.

"Oh, good morning, Mr…, er, pardon while I whip out my iPhone and put it right in front of your face… ah, Mr Smith."


**** iPhoto Review ****
<http://www.macworld.com/appguide/app.html?id=1189243&expand=true>
Jackie Dove, Macworld


> Don’t expect iPhoto for iOS to do everything that Photoshop or Aperture can do, but it does do a surprising number of things extremely well. Regardless of how many photo apps you now have running on your iPad, I recommend giving Apple’s new product a try. You won’t regret spending that latte money on the app. And I anticipate that most people will wind up turning to iPhoto for iOS as their default mobile photo editor, perhaps using other apps to fill in special effects here and there.



**** Getting Your iPad App Ready For The New iPad ****
<http://www.macstories.net/stories/getting-your-ipad-app-ready-for-the-new-ipad/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macstoriesnet+%28MacStories%29>
MacStories


> With the announcement of “the new iPad,” developers are quickly readying their apps for the latest and greatest iOS device from Apple. Preparing an iOS app for a more powerful, Retina display device is a familiar task for those developers who got apps ready for the iPhone 4. Whether you do or don’t have that experience, it’s still helpful to have a checklist of sorts for preparing your app for the new iPad.



**** A Dad’s Plea To Developers Of iPad Apps For Children ****
<http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2012/03/12/dads-plea-developers-ipad-apps-children/>
Rian van der Merwe, Smashing Magazine


> Designing apps for children is extremely hard. Not only is quality, age-appropriate content hard to create, but designing the flow and interaction of these apps is made more difficult because designers must refrain from implementing advanced gestures, which would only confuse and frustrate kids (and, by extension, their parents).



**** A Personal Computer ****
<http://minimalmac.com/post/19181436643/a-personal-computer>
Minimal Mac


> This is all just to say that of all of the computers at my disposal, the iPhone was the most personal and therefore the one most often used.



**** Cure For An Incomplete iOS Update ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165828/2012/03/cure_for_an_incomplete_ios_update.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld


> The best advice I can offer is for you to start over. Plug your iPhone into the computer you normally sync it with, launch iTunes, select your iPhone’s icon in iTunes’ Source list, choose the Summary tab in iTunes’ main window, and click on Restore.



**** How To Use Boot Camp With Lion ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165272/2012/03/bootcamp.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld



**** Apple Releases Safari 5.1.4 ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165827/2012/03/apple_releases_safari_5_1_4.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Lex Friedman, Macworld


> Apple on Monday released Safari 5.1.4, an update chock full of fixes for the Snow Leopard, Lion, and Windows versions of the company’s Web browser.

> Among the fixes packed into the update are improved JavaScript performance, better search field responsiveness, and interface fixes when viewing Flash content after zooming. Apple also claims that the update addresses a bug that could cause webpages to flash white when you switched between Safari windows—potentially losing any data you had entered into those pages.



**** Preparing Your Old iPad For Sale In Five Easy Steps ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/03/12/preparing-your-old-ipad-for-sale-in-five-easy-steps/>
Steven Sande, TUAW


> There are five steps that you should take to prepare your old iPad for a new owner, even if it's just going to be turned over to a friend or relative. 






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Meet Dr. Fill, The Computer Who May Best The World's Top Crossword-Puzzle Solvers ****
<http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/03/meet-dr-fill-the-computer-who-may-best-the-worlds-top-crossword-puzzle-solvers/254378/>
The Atlantic



**** Microsoft Unveils Universal Translator That Converts Your Voice Into Another Language ****
<http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/122083-microsoft-unveils-universal-translator-that-converts-your-voice-into-another-language>
Sebastian Anthony, ExtremeTech


> You can definitely hear an edge of digitized “Microsoft Sam,” but overall it’s remarkable how the three translations still sound just like Rashid.



**** Future Of Voice Recognition: Assistants That Learn From You ****
<http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2012/03/future-of-voice-recognition-assistants-that-remember-everything-you-say.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss>
Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica






MyAppleMenu Reader
====================================
**** A Bookstore's Denouement ****
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-ent-0313-bookmans-alley-20120312,0,2699613.story>
Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune


> Nothing seemed especially different about Bookman's Alley. It still can be found in a low-slung brick building behind Sherman Avenue that, with "Harry Potter"-like surrealism, looks smaller than it is, stretching room to room to room long after that seemed possible. Carlson's Nordic blues still twinkled, a white curtain of hair still hung from his head and a Southwestern-style blanket draped on the back of his chair. Indeed, Carlson appeared so cheerfully ensconced in his legendary bookstore, so hopelessly surrounded by its near geological layers of books and tote bags of books and boxes of books and odd miscellanea (top hats, scrimshaw, Abraham Lincoln bookends) that even an April closing seemed like wishful thinking.

> Nevertheless, the store is closing.



**** Buy The Right Thing ****
<http://www.good.is/post/buy-the-right-thing>
Amanda Hess, Good


> For many years, the main figure informing the ethics of my shopping habits was a handsome celebrity. Paul Newman’s face—framed as it was by a variety of ethnic hats—signaled a quick opportunity to be a better person while just cruising down the condiment aisle. When I chose Newman’s Own over its competitors, I knew I was making the right split-second decision because Paul’s label declares, “All profits to charity!” Which charity? I'll admit it: I never bothered to check. 

> When I accepted a job as lifestyle editor of this magazine last summer, I knew it was time to think a little harder about the ethics  of my day-to-day choices. And soon, I heard from dozens of PR representatives who said they could help.



**** The Inheritance ****
<http://www.believermag.com/issues/201203/?read=poem_morgan>
Dolan Morgan, The Believer



**** The Hours ****
<http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/03/12/120312fa_fact_zalewski?currentPage=all>
Daniel Zalewski, New Yorker


> How Christian Marclay created the ultimate digital mosaic.



**** One Death That Haunts Many Lives ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/books/carry-the-one-a-novel-by-carol-anshaw.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Michiko Kakutani, New York Times


> Though the novel grapples eloquently with the many sadnesses of life — guilt and grief and disappointment — it does so with lyricism and humor. It captures the variegated texture of the characters’ daily routines while conjuring the disparate worlds they traverse.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Singapore’s Jungle Creatures ****
<http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/blogs/dimsumdiary/2012/03/13/singapores-jungle-creatures/>
Elizabeth Kain, Dim Sum Diary


> Singapore is renowned for its zoo and bird park, but sometimes a walk in the city can be just as exciting.



**** The Staggering Gap Between Singapore's Rich And Poor ****
<http://utwt.blogspot.com/2012/03/staggering-gap-between-singapores-rich.html>
Under The Willow Tree


> The staggering gap between the rich and the poor portends serious problems on the horizon. And if we don't start to do something about it today, the consequences will be deep and devastating.



**** Rewarding Good Character With Hard Cold Cash. No Kidding! ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/03/rewarding-good-character-with-hard-cold-cash-no-kidding/>
Jen, The Online Citizen


> I am all for cultivating good values, but to actually have a scheme to give money to students for doing and being good just goes against the grain of what it means to be a good person. I believe most of us were taught by our parents to be good and to do good not for reward, but because, it is good for us and society in general. Isn’t this a universal principle?

> Yet, now we have this pay-money-for-good-behaviour scheme. What exactly were our education minister and the ministry thinking? What values are they trying to inculcate in our impressionable young? That it literally has to ‘pay’ to do ‘good?’



**** Hotel Rooms In S'pore The Most Expensive In Asia ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1188723/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> The latest index placed Singapore sixth among traditionally expensive countries like Switzerland, Italy, Denmark and France.

We have to go to Johor to do a staycation. Maybe go visit Legoland instead.


**** MP Calls On Residents Illegally Using State Land In Clementi To Come Forward ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1188733/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, Sim Ann is calling on those who have been illegally using a plot of state land at Clementi Avenue 4 to come forward. 

> Ms Sim said: "If they don't identify themselves, it's going to be very hard for us to represent their views when we engage with agencies such as the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and other concerned agencies such as the National Environment Agency. The SLA has also assured us that they will work with the community and stakeholders to come up with an arrangement that is for the greater community interest.

And risk being fined?


**** "Lemon Law" Also Applies To Pets ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1188720/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) said it will advocate for buyers who can establish that the pet was sick at the time of purchase, for instance. 

> Animal welfare groups like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) welcome the move. Its executive director, Corinne Fong, said it is a modest step that will improve the pet retail industry overall.



**** Singapore Responds To “Unhealthiest” Country Tag ****
<http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/03/13/singapore-responds-to-unhealthiest-country-tag/>
Shibani Mahtani, Wall Street Journal

Previously: <a href="http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120312_010.shtml">我国环境“最不健康”？ 环境部：报告有失客观</a> (杨萌，联合早报)


**** Supreme Court To Review Application On Hougang By-election On March 30 ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1188667/1/.html>
Claire Huang, Channel NewsAsia



**** It's Simple ****
<http://hardhitting-nobs.blogspot.com/2012/03/its-simple.html>
Musings From The Lion City


> That’s why maids are indispensable. Singaporeans need them because they do stuff we can’t do ourselves.



**** Town Council Puts Up Mistake-ridden Notice ****
<http://news.insing.com/tabloid/town-council-puts-up-mistake-ridden-notice/id-ba383f00>
Lianhe Wanbao


> Written in both English and Chinese, the notice contained only two lines of Chinese text which surprisingly contained more than ten mistakes, as pointed out by residents.



**** What Malaysia’s Minimum Wage Could Mean For Singapore ****
<http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/in-the-financial-daily/210245-what-malaysias-minimum-wage-could-mean-for-singapore.html>
The Edge


> Introducing a floor for wages will likely trigger an inflation in salaries in Malaysia. And that, in turn, could make some Malaysians think twice about seeking out jobs in Singapore, where living costs are spiralling higher and higher. A populist policy across the border could mean better pay for many hard-pressed workers but it could also generate trickle-down effects for Singapore employers. It also signals that the easy days of relying on cheap foreign labour for employers on both sides of the Causeway could soon end.



**** Putting A Price On Human Rights…$60 Per Month? ****
<http://unbrandedbreadnbutter.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/putting-a-price-on-human-rights-60-per-month/>
Unbranded Bread N Butter


> If we really believe that domestic helpers are deserving of our mutual respect (never mind their low wages), then why are we proposing that their right to a rest day can be replaced by money?



**** Singapore Will Not Spiral Downward With A Two-party System ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/03/singapore-will-not-spiral-downward-with-a-two-party-system/>
Douglas See, The Online Citizen


> What this country needs is more representation and diverging opinions to help make this country better, not less. 



**** Employers' Concerns Considered, Says MOM ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_776877.html>
Farah Abdul Rahim, Ministry Of Manpower, Straits Times



**** Mobile Pop-up Kitchen At The Singapore Takeout In Sydney ****
<http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/mobile-pop-up-kitchen-at-the-singapore-takeout-in-sydney/story-e6frf00i-1226297741711>
Grant Jones, The Daily Telegraph


> Sydney's latest hot restaurant is to shut down after just three days.



**** Defending Singapore's Defamation Laws ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304537904577277244119659820.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>
Peer M. Akbur, Press Secretary to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore Government, Wall Street Journal


> Singapore holds its public officials to the highest standards of probity and integrity. Ministers and officials who have committed offences have been charged and jailed. Court judgments in all these cases are published, and fully open to scrutiny. At the same time, ministers who are defamed will sue to clear their name and take the stand to be cross examined. The right of individuals to protect their reputation is as important as free speech.

> In a healthy democracy, vigorous political debate does not involve defamatory attacks. In Singapore's 2011 general elections, the same Workers' Party that J.B. Jeyaretnam once led achieved its best performance since independence, with several MPs elected into parliament. It faced no lawsuits. Mr. Kenneth Jeyaretnam and his party also contested the general elections, albeit less successfully.



**** My Alarming S'pore School Experience ****
<http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120312-332982.html>
Neil Humphreys, The New Paper


> Whenever I entered a primary school classroom, the students jumped up with a speed that suggested someone had left rusty nails on their seats.

> I thought someone from the Singapore Armed Forces was standing behind me.



**** Singapore : Is Culture Dead? ****
<http://the4moose.blogspot.com/2012/03/singapore-is-culture-dead.html>
The Moose



**** 房地产税是财产税收 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/yl120313_007.shtml>
林美琴，财政部, 联合早报


> é—¨ç‰Œç¨Žï¼ˆå³æˆ¿åœ°äº§ç¨Žï¼‰æ˜¯å¯¹æ‹¥æœ‰æˆ¿åœ°äº§ä½œä¸ºè´¢äº§çš„ä¸€ç§æ–¹å¼çš„ç¨Žæ”¶ã€‚å®ƒä¸æ˜¯å¯¹æˆ¿åœ°äº§æ‰€å–å¾—æ”¶å…¥çš„ç¨Žæ”¶ã€‚å› æ­¤ï¼Œä¸è®ºæˆ¿åœ°äº§æ˜¯è‡ªä½æˆ–å‡ºç§Ÿï¼Œéƒ½å¿…é¡»ç¼´äº¤æˆ¿åœ°äº§ç¨Žã€‚ä½œä¸ºä¸€ç§è´¢äº§ç¨Žï¼Œæˆ¿åœ°äº§ç¨Žæ˜¯æˆ‘ä»¬é‡æ–°åˆ†é…åˆ¶åº¦çš„ä¸€éƒ¨åˆ†ã€‚é…åˆæˆ‘ä»¬çš„æ‰€å¾—ç¨Žåˆ¶åº¦ï¼Œå®ƒä¹Ÿæ˜¯æˆ‘ä»¬ç´¯è¿›è´¢æ”¿ä½“ç³»çš„é‡è¦éƒ¨åˆ†ã€‚

> å’Œå…¶ä»–æ”¶å…¥ä¸€æ ·ï¼Œç§Ÿé‡‘åˆ™å¿…é¡»ç¼´äº¤æ‰€å¾—ç¨Žã€‚å› æ­¤ï¼ŒæŠŠæˆ¿åœ°äº§ç§Ÿå‡ºåŽ»çš„å±‹ä¸»ï¼Œä¹Ÿå¿…é¡»ä¸ºæ‰€èŽ·å¾—çš„ç§Ÿé‡‘ç¼´äº¤æ‰€å¾—ç¨Žã€‚

Property tax is a tax on ownership of properties, not a tax on income derived from owning properties.


**** 勿以金钱奖励优良品德 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/yl120313_004.shtml>
许新毓, 联合早报


> å½“æˆ‘ä»¬ç”¨é‡‘é’±é¼“åŠ±æŸç§è¡Œä¸ºæ—¶ï¼Œå¾ˆæœ‰å¯èƒ½ä¼šå¼„å·§åæ‹™ï¼Œå¹¶é€ æˆä¸å ªè®¾æƒ³çš„åŽæžœã€‚

Previously: <a href="http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/5171-character-development-the-pap-just-doesnt-get-it"> Character Development - The PAP Just Doesn't Get It</a> (Singapore Democratic Party).


**** What's Wrong With Govt Helping To Improve Public Transport? ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120313-0000078/Whats-wrong-with-Govt-helping-to-improve-public-transport?>
Teo Hoon Seng, Today


> Despite assurances that shareholders would not benefit at taxpayers' expense, there are dissenters.

> Perhaps they could consider investing in the companies if they feel that shareholders are getting a good deal.

What's the logic here, feel free to earn undeserved profits?