[MyAppleMenu] May 4, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** DeployStudio: Heavy-duty Imaging Software For OS X ****
<http://arstechnica.com/business/guides/2012/05/deploystudio-heavy-duty-imaging-software-for-os-x.ars>
Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica



**** A New And Better Way To Read PDF Files And Annotate PDF Pages On Your Mac ****
<http://mcsolo.com/2012/05/a-new-and-better-way-to-read-pdf-files-and-annotate-pdf-pages-on-your-mac/>
McSolo



**** Bought A New Mac Pro? 1-In-100 Chance It'll Destroy Your Data ****
<http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2012/05/03/apple_mac_pro_recall_uk/>
Anna Leach, PC Builder


> Apple is recalling a batch of Mac Pro towers in the UK after a "small number" sold last month turned out to have defective hard disks.



**** Is Metanota The 'Perfect Mac App' For Simplenote? ****
<http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/4/2998399/metanota-simplenote-os-x-app-hands-on>
Jamie Keene, The Verge



**** Ask The iTunes Guy: More iTunes Match Questions ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166654/ask_the_itunes_guy_more_itunes_match_questions.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld



**** How To Publish Your MobileMe iWeb Site On Dropbox ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166277/how_to_publish_your_mobileme_iweb_site_on_dropbox.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Jeffery Battersby, Macworld


> Dropbox’s ability to let you easily share files on the Internet makes it possible for you to host Web pages as well. While this isn’t necessarily the most elegant solution, it will work until you find a more permanent Web design tool and Web host.



**** The Lessons I Learnt From My iPhone Mugging ****
<http://blogs.channel4.com/benjamin-cohen-on-technology/the-lessons-i-learnt-from-my-iphone-mugging/3658>
Benjamin Cohen, Channel 4 News



**** How To Restore A Missing Displays Brightness Control In OS X ****
<http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57427525-263/how-to-restore-a-missing-displays-brightness-control-in-os-x/>
Topher Kessler, CNET



**** Building Native iOS Apps With RubyMotion ****
<http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2012/05/exclusive-building-ruby-ios-applications-with-rubymotion.ars>
Ryan Paul, Ars Technica


> In this article, I’ll give you an exclusive hands-on introduction to RubyMotion and describe how it can be used to build software for iOS. The article includes the full source code of a simple iOS demo application I created that displays the top stories from reddit.



**** What Apple Pays In Taxes, And Doesn’t ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/opinion/what-apple-pays-in-taxes-and-doesnt.html?_r=1>
Robert S. McIntyre, New York Times


> There’s a simple way to curb this kind of corporate tax dodging, of which Apple is only one prominent example: repeal the tax rule that indefinitely exempts offshore profits from United States corporate income tax.



**** Apple Must Face Lawsuit Over IPhone Data Collection Claims ****
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-03/apple-must-face-lawsuit-over-iphone-data-collection-claims-1-.html>
Joel Rosenblatt, Bloomberg


> Apple Inc. must face a lawsuit over claims it collected data from customers’ iPhones while they used applications approved by the company, a judge ruled.

> U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, today dismissed some of the claims in the case while allowing others to proceed to pretrial fact-finding.



**** Get The Free Mac Office Suite That Breaks Your Dependency On Microsoft Office ****
<http://noodlemac.com/2012/05/get-the-free-mac-office-suite-that-breaks-your-dependency-on-microsoft-office/>
Ron McElfresh, NoodleMac


> LibreOffice is a free Microsoft Office-like suite of apps for the Mac (and PC), based on the Open Office open source suite.



**** News Corp’s The Daily Finally Comes To The iPhone ****
<http://www.macgasm.net/2012/05/03/news-corps-the-daily-finally-comes-to-the-iphone/>
Joshua Schnell, Macgasm



**** Android Is Either “Winning” Because Apple Is Letting It, Or Losing ****
<http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/02/winning-in-neither-name-nor-spirit/>
MG Siegler, TechCrunch



**** EA: Rock Band iOS Cancellation Prompt Made In Error, More Info Soon ****
<http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/03/rock-band-ios-not-canceled/>
Alexander Sliwinski, Joystiq


> "Rock Band for iOS will remain live – the in-app message users received yesterday was sent in error," a representative for EA told us. "We apologize for the confusion this caused. We're working to clarify the issue that caused the error and will share additional information as soon as possible."



**** How the Blind Are Reinventing the iPhone ****
<http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/05/how-the-blind-are-reinventing-the-iphone/256589/>
Liat Kornowski, The Atlantic


> For the visually impaired community, the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 seemed at first like a disaster -- the standard-bearer of a new generation of smartphones was based on touch screens that had no physical differentiation. It was a flat piece of glass. But soon enough, word started to spread: The iPhone came with a built-in accessibility feature. Still, members of the community were hesitant. 

> But no more. For its fans and advocates in the visually-impaired community, the iPhone has turned out to be one of the most revolutionary developments since the invention of Braille. That the iPhone and its world of apps have transformed the lives of its visually impaired users may seem counter-intuitive -- but their impact is striking.






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Forget Channel Surfing: How Boxfish Plans To Revolutionize Real-time TV Search ****
<http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2012/05/boxfish-aims-to-modernize-real-time-tv-search.ars>
Cyrus Farivar, Ars Technica






MyAppleMenu Reader
====================================
**** Ippopotamo ****
<http://www.threepennyreview.com/samples/fried_sp12.html>
Daisy Fried, Threepenny



**** Poetry On The Brink ****
<http://www.bostonreview.net/BR37.3/marjorie_perloff_poetry_lyric_reinvention.php>
Marjorie Perloff, Boston Review


> What happens to poetry when everybody is a poet?






SingaporeSurf
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**** Yale Has Gone To Singapore, But Can It Come Back? ****
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-sleeper/yale-has-gone-to-singapor_b_1476532.html>
Jim Sleeper, Huffington Post



**** Singapore’s Solutions: Funding, Taxes And Tough Rules ****
<http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/singapores-solutions-funding-taxes-and-tough-rules/515779>
Elmen, Marshall Benjamin & Michael Victor Sianipar, The Jakarta Globe


> Singapore has long had a reputation for running world-class public transportation and traffic systems. 

> Its swift response to recent uncharacteristic glitches was to channel 900 million Singapore dollars ($724 million) into renewing and upgrading its rail system. 



**** Review Gender-biased Taxes To Encourage Men To Share Parenting ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_795124.html>
Thien Boon Chung, Straits Times


> Can the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) explain the rationale behind these gender-biased and discriminatory policies when men are expected to share the burden of household chores and parental responsibilities?



**** MOH And Hospitals Should Spell Out Downgrading Policy Clearly ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_795121.html>
Yap Tai Perng, Straits Times


> I do not understand the secrecy behind the downgrading criteria, especially when MOH encourages data transparency to help patients make informed decisions about their health-care needs.



**** Govt Engagement Efforts Stepped Up Since Elections: Yaacob Ibrahim ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1199257/1/.html>
S Ramesh, Chnnel NewsAsia


> "We have stepped up our engagement and there was a call for more voices to be heard and more voices to be invited in some of the processes," Dr Yaacob said.

> "What we have done across the government, statutory boards and agencies is to engage as many people as possible before a policy is created or after a policy has been thought through to get some feedback to refine the policy."



**** Plans To Cut Vehicle Growth Rate May Be Delayed: Lui ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120504-0000101/Plans-to-cut-vehicle-growth-rate-may-be-delayed--Lui>
Sumita Sreedharan, Today


> Mr Lui said that he has asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to study if "more flexibility" can be introduced as the vehicle growth rate is reduced. The new vehicle growth rate was suppose to take effect in August for the next three years.

> He also said that the LTA would look into an adjustment could be deferred due to the overestimation of the number of cars being deregistered in 2008 and 2009. Currently, under the methodology announced in 2010, LTA factors in the actual vehicle de-registrations to the half yearly quota for Certificate of Entitlement (COE) for vehicles.



**** The Myth Of Singapore ****
<http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2012/05/03/myth-singapore>
Chee Soon Juan, World Policy Institute



**** New Lines And 77 More Trains By 2016 ****
<http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20120504-343842.html>
AsiaOne


> Commenting on the MRT disruptions in recent months, Minister Lui said they have "understandably upset and frustrated" commuters.

> Pledging that the Ministry of Transport (MOT), the Land Transport Authority (LTA), SMRT and SBST will improve the rail system; he however cautioned that improvements are not a one-time or one-year effort.



**** Ex-detainees Goes Public To Mark 25Th Anniversary Of ISA Arrests ****
<http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2012/05/ex-detainees-goes-public-to-mark-25th.html?spref=fb>
Martyn See Tong Ming, Singapore Rebel



**** Lack Of Sunlight Blamed For Eye Problems ****
<http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/lack-of-sunlight-blamed-for-eye-problems/story-e6frfku0-1226346701710>
AFP


> Yet the average primary school pupil in Singapore, where up to nine in 10 young adults are myopic, spent only about 30 minutes outdoors every day - compared with three hours for children in Australia where the myopia prevalence among children of European origin is about 10 percent.



**** PM Lee Rebuffed Offer By Netizen To Share Photos Of Elderly Collecting Rubbish And Cardboards With Him? ****
<http://temasektimes.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/pm-lee-rebuffed-offer-by-netizen-to-share-photos-of-elderly-collecting-rubbish-and-cardboards-with-him/>
The Temasek Times



**** Why Is It Really So Hard For Singaporeans To Be Nice To Foreign Workers? ****
<http://dotseng.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/why-is-it-really-so-hard-for-singaporeans-to-be-nice-to-foreign-workers/>
Dotseng


> Had Singapore policy makers placed a higher priority on managing this transition they too would have discovered a sustainable means of retaining economic prosperity along with sustaining a vibrant social and cultural framework that would cement relationships between  foreign and native workers. As it is, they are like cats and dogs.



**** Of Train And Bus: The Exploited Singapore Worker ****
<http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.com/2012/05/of-train-and-bus-exploited-singapore.html>
A Singaporean In Australia


> You must be laughing when I mention Big Mac Index right? Now you aren't. Look at how close the Purchasing Power of workers in Taiwan and Australia have. Spookily close. That's the first world standard we are talking about. It will be alright if Singapore is somewhere there, we are not really so unforgiving aren't we? But just look at how far we are off the mark, almost 50% away.



**** Are The Days Of The Shoebox Unit Numbered? ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Business/Property/EDC120504-0000039/Are-the-days-of-the-shoebox-unit-numbered>
Colin Tan, Today



**** Blanco Prawn Noodle House: Final Story Of The Prawn Mee Dynasty ****
<http://ieatishootipost.sg/2012/05/blanco-prawn-noodle-house-final-story.html>
Ieatishootipost



**** Foreigners Won't Stem Ageing Population In Singapore ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_795257.html>
Phua Mei Pin, Straits Times


> A new population study by a think-tank shows that even if Singapore has as many as one foreigner for every two residents in the next 40 years, the population will continue to age.

> At the same time, the labour force growth rate will decline.



**** No More Indonesian Maids For Errant Bosses ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_795263.html>
Amelia Tan, Straits Times


> The Indonesian Embassy will bar Singapore employers and maid agents from hiring and recruiting Indonesian maids if the women are put in harm's way in the course of doing domestic chores.



**** Shutters Come Down On Furniture Mall In Beach Road ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_795264.html>
Jessica Lim, Straits Times



**** Diversion Of Singapore River Yields Gem Of A Chance ****
<http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/international/diversion-of-singapore-river-yields-gem-of-a-chance/515725>
Cheryl Ong, Straits Times


> Archaeologists here are hoping to get the go-ahead to see long-buried artifacts in the bed of the Singapore River when one part of it is temporarily drained and diverted later this year.

> The diversion is to build an MRT tunnel beneath it, but National University of Singapore (NUS) professor John Miksic and his colleagues also see it as an unprecedented chance to take a peek at what lies beneath the murky silt of the waterway that was the backbone of the country’s maritime past.



**** Is Automation The Handmaiden Of Inequality? ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/27820/>
Christopher Mims, Technology Review


> Worker compensation stagnates because, while automation makes each worker more productive, it doesn't make them any more valuable. In this economy, working harder isn't going to get you any further along. Education might, if it allows you to climb the value chain and acquire skills for which there is actually a shortage.

> Unlike the UK, Canada and US, France and Italy have seen wages track more closely with productivity. What these countries have in common are strong labor protections and active labor unions. Which suggests that if workers want to claw back part of the value they've created, there is no mechanism in a laissez faire economy that will grant it to them.

NTUC's stance on insisting productivity before wage increases, long-term-wise, will not help the low-income workers.


**** è€¶é²å‰¯æ ¡é•¿ï¼šå·²æœ‰2000多海内外教授申请任职 耶鲁国大学院“势必成功” ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120504_005.shtml>
陈秋华, 联合早报



**** Who’s Telling The Truth About HDB Flat Sizes? ****
<http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7573>
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net


> Picking a new point of reference to deny a politically embarrassing fact is a disingenuous move by the National Development Minister, by HDB, and by the Straits Times, to say the least.

> The truth however remains. The standard of living of Singapore citizens has dropped over the years because HDB has built smaller flats. And to make things worse, HDB prices have most certainly skyrocketed since the 1980s, as much as 10 to 15 times depending on location.



**** Ease The Pressure Of Parenting: Ex-NMP ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120504-0000066/Ease-the-pressure-of-parenting--Ex-NMP>
Woo Sian Boon, Today



**** Target Specific Acts Online ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_794767.html>
Calvin Cheng, Straits Times


> There should not and need not be one set of rules and laws online, and another set for the real world.

The issue is not that the government is aiming to impose different laws between online and offline behaviors; rather, the government, I suspect, is looking into bringing the "offline" laws controlling newspapers and mass media onto the online world.


**** ElderShield Integral But Not The Whole Of Long-term Care Funding ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120504-0000041/ElderShield-integral-but-not-the-whole-of-long-term-care-funding>
Bey Mui Leng, Ministry Of Health, Today


> In Singapore, as elsewhere, long-term care for the aged is funded through a combination of personal savings, family support, community help and state funding for the most vulnerable groups. Insurance to pool risks is an integral part, but not the whole, of the equation.



**** Inflation A Problem? Just Change The Way You Measure It! ****
<http://sonofadud.com/2012/05/03/inflation-a-problem-just-change-the-way-you-measure-it/>
Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Reinventing The Rice Bowl



**** Get Professional Advice On Safety Harnesses ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_794755.html>
Yeo Teck Cheong, Straits Times


> I am not an expert in safety, but having to anchor a nylon rope to the aluminium grille of the window of an HDB flat is unsafe because the grille cannot support the weight of a person.

> The false sense of security will even be more dangerous as the user may think the safety belt is safe and exerts more force to reach the hard-to-clean parts of the window panes.



**** Internet Vigilantism Prompts Puzzle: Who Owns The NRIC? ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_794772.html>
Alice Mendoza, Straits Times


> An unambiguous statement of ownership is important, especially in view of the privacy of the identity card's details or in cases of Internet vigilantism, when people take it upon themselves to admonish or publicly shame perceived wrong-doers.