[MyAppleMenu] May 9, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** Apple Revises After-sales Care Policy For Korean Consumers ****
<http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20120509001108>
The Korea Herald



**** Two Weeks Of Smartphone Charging In Your Pocket ****
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57428080-76/two-weeks-of-smartphone-charging-in-your-pocket/>
Martin LaMonica, CNET


> Retailer Brookstone this year will start selling a portable fuel cell able to charge smartphones a dozen times before running out.

> Pricing for the Brookstone fuel cell itself was not disclosed but the cartridges themselves, which are made of plastic and hold butane, will cost a few dollars, or “about the same as coffee from Starbucks,” said Mouli Ramani, vice president of business development at Lilliputian Systems.



**** Photoshop CS6 Dazzles With Technical Prowess And Artistic Inspiration ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166692/photoshop_cs6_dazzles_with_technical_prowess_and_artistic_inspiration.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Lesa Snider, Macworld


> Photoshop CS6 is overflowing with new features and productivity enhancements. The auto-save feature plus the blur filters alone are worth the upgrade price and the Camera Raw enhancements produce better-looking images faster than ever before. If you dabble in video, CS6 relieves you of the burden and expenditure of learning another program just for video-editing. If you don't work with 3D, medical imaging, or quantitative analysis, you should be fine with Photoshop CS6, which will save you $300 off the price of the extended version. Regardless, if you’re a professional designer or photographer, you simply can’t afford to miss this upgrade.



**** How To Time-stamp Your Video In iMovie ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166605/how_to_time_stamp_your_video_in_imovie.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Jeff Carlson, Macworld



**** Beware Accidental Zooming In iOS (And Mac OS X) ****
<http://tidbits.com/article/12989?rss>
Adam C.Engst, TidBITS


> Regardless of how or why Zoom can be enabled inadvertently, if you’re experiencing this problem, here’s how to solve it. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Zoom, and turn Zoom off. If, on the other hand, you’re thinking, “Hey, it might be nice to be able to zoom the screen on occasion,” you can turn Zoom on, and remember that the magic incantation to invoke it is a double-tap with three fingers.



**** OnePAD Is A New Notebook App… ****
<http://minimalmac.com/post/22701831503/onepad-is-a-new-notebook-app-for-ios-that-is>
Minimal Mac


> OnePAD is a new notebook app for iOS that is organized around the idea of using one page for each day. I know lots of folks that are day driven and/or keep paper notebooks this way — allocating a page for each day.



**** Apple’s D.C. Lobbying Effort Has Yet To ripen ****
<http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76073.html>
David Saleh Rauf And Jonathan Allen, Politico


> Unlike Facebook, Google and Microsoft, Apple has no political action committee. And while Google and Microsoft have aggressive news media operations in Washington, Apple doesn’t. That standoffish approach to D.C. may have worked fine in the Steve Jobs era, but the charismatic leader’s death last year left Apple without its reality distortion field.

> Apple’s defenders say it prefers to work more subtly behind the scenes and that it has moved the needle on some legislative issues.



**** What Microsoft Can Teach Apple About Security Response ****
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/what-microsoft-can-teach-apple-about-security-response/4987>
Ed Bott, ZDNet


> As far as I’m concerned, Apple has serious work to do to restore its customers’ confidence. That work needs to start with a competent Chief Security Officer and a commitment to communicate with its customers about security issues. And it needs to cooperate with independent security researchers and its competitors. And yes, that includes Microsoft, which has a tremendous amount of knowledge gathered over more than a decade.



**** How Users Are App-ifying The Web, With Or Without Publishers ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/27833/>
Christopher Mims, Technology Review


> Apps did take over. But not in a way that's going to make any publisher on Earth happy.



**** Remove Stubborn Spotlight Privacy Items In OS X ****
<http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57430274-263/remove-stubborn-spotlight-privacy-items-in-os-x/>
Topher Kessler, CNET



**** Lion DiskMaker Makes It Easier To Create A Bootable Lion Installer ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/1166702/lion_diskmaker_makes_it_easier_to_create_a_bootable_lion_installer.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Dan Frakes, Macworld



**** Instacast 2.0: Still The Best Podcatcher, With Pro Features ****
<http://www.macstories.net/reviews/instacast-2-0-still-the-best-podcatcher-with-pro-features/>
Cody Fink, MacStories






The Tomorrow Weblog
====================================
**** A Phone You Can Hear In Your Bones ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/helloworld/27835/>
David Zax, Technology Review






MyAppleMenu Reader
====================================
**** Pittsburgh Cafe Offers Cuisine From The U.S. Conflict Du Jour ****
<http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-conflict-kitchen-20120508,0,7610359.story>
Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times


> The cafe opened in 2010, with Iranian food the first featured cuisine. That was followed by periods of Afghan and Venezuelan food. This month, in a sign of the lingering tension between Washington and Tehran, the Conflict Kitchen is wrapping up another Iranian iteration. One recent Saturday, it featured a Persian dinner party attended by customers in Pittsburgh and diners in Tehran, who were linked via video chat.

> "People are going to be thinking, 'Are we going to be eating twigs and rocks?' " Rubin joked as he repaired the cafe's front counter, where employees dish out food and try to get customers to talk about the conflict du jour.



**** When He Dined, The Stars Came Out ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/dining/craig-claiborne-set-the-standard-for-restaurant-reviews.html?gwh=4541B733509107B08E6D5685DE45C322>
Pete Wells, New York Times


> Some American writers had nibbled at the idea of professional restaurant criticism before this, including Claiborne, who had written one-off reviews of major new restaurants for The Times. But his first “Directory to Dining,” 50 years ago this month, marks the day when the country pulled up a chair and began to chow down. Within a few years, nearly every major newspaper had to have a Craig Claiborne of its own. Reading the critics, eating what they had recommended, and then bragging or complaining about it would become a national pastime.



**** What Will Become Of The Paper Book? ****
<http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/design/2012/05/will_paper_books_exist_in_the_future_yes_but_they_ll_look_different_.html>
Michael Agresta, Slate


> Luddites can take comfort in the persistence of vinyl records, postcards, and photographic film. The paper book will likewise survive, but its place in the culture will change significantly. As it loses its traditional value as an efficient vessel for text, the paper book’s other qualities—from its role in literary history to its inimitable design possibilities to its potential for physical beauty—will take on more importance. The future is yet to be written, but a few possibilities for the fate of the paper book are already on display on bookshelves near you.



**** Foodie Underground: Why Are We Food Porn Obsessed? ****
<http://ecosalon.com/foodie-underground-why-are-we-food-porn-obsessed/>
Anna Brones, EcoSalon


> It’s called food <i>porn</i> for a reason.






SingaporeSurf
====================================
**** Hougang Residents Adopt Wait-and-see Stance To By-election ****
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/hougang-residents-adopt-wait-and-see-stance-to-by-election.html>
Lin Wenjian And Elizabeth Soh, Yahoo!


> As news of the by-election in Hougang broke on Wednesday afternoon, most residents there that Yahoo! Singapore spoke to said they would wait until Nomination Day on 16 May, when the candidates will be announced, before deciding who to vote for.



**** Foreign Train Experts Recommend "Fairly Common Sense" Solutions ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1200227/1/.html>
Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia


> In his testimony on Wednesday, Mr Andrew Barr, who's the Network Operational Planning and Integration Manager of London Underground, said the recommendations are "fairly common sense and not rocket science".

> He noted the instances during the disruption where more than one person at the stations thought they were in charge.



**** Hougang By-election Shaping Up To Be Straight Fight Between PAP And WP ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1200256/1/.html>
Sharon See/Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia


> Three opposition parties - the National Solidarity Party, the Singapore Democratic Party and the Singapore People's Party - have said that they will not contest the by-election.



**** MTI, MAS Clear The Air On CPI, Inflation And Interest Rates ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_796747.html>
Cindy Keng, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Angelina Fernandez, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Straits Times


> A house is both a consumption good and an investment good. As house values could appreciate or depreciate, its inclusion will introduce capital gains or losses into the CPI. To reflect only the consumption element of owner occupancy, the actual market rental is a more suitable proxy.

> Mr Yeo is right that COE prices cannot be ignored because of the spillover effects on consumer prices. Indeed, the CPI captures the effects of higher COE premiums transmitting to the prices of other goods and services, including public road transport.



**** Consider Nationalisation ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_796740.html>
Hoon Tze Ming, Straits Times


> However, the fact remains that post-privatisation, our once proud and often envied rail system is now mentioned in the same breath as the much maligned London subway system.

> It is indeed fitting and timely to review what may well be, in the case of train services, a flawed commitment to the privatisation of national services.



**** Singapore’s Next Frontier ****
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/singapores-next-frontier/2012/05/09/gIQA9v7jCU_story.html>
Matt MIller, Washington Post


> First: Encourage media outlets or independent institutes to do regular polling of the public mood. There’s no analogue today to the Washington Post/ABC News poll (or its myriad American counterparts) in Singapore. I’m told surveys may be done privately by the PAP, but public, independent, high-quality surveys might bring a constructive transparency to the conversation now underway. Do citizens think Singapore is on the right track or the wrong track? Do they trust government to do the right thing (and how is this sentiment trending)? How do citizens rank the issues they want government to address? Do they think the opposition would be capable of governing? Singapore’s leadership wouldn’t want to become a slave to polls, like too many Western politicians – but neither should leaders be surprised by or out of touch with public sentiment. For a government devoted to measurable results, there are useful metrics and insights here worth developing.

> Second, build on Singapore’s legacy of policy creativity to redistribute income and promote upward mobility in ways that still honor the country’s skepticism toward Western-style welfare states. Every advanced economy is finding that globalization and rapid technological change are widening the gap between the rich and the rest. It’s difficult to maintain political legitimacy, and sustain support for the continuous economic change that fuels growth, without assuring that the benefits of growth are more widely shared. Singapore’s founding generation of leaders rebelled against the Western welfare state model because they deemed it a path to national bankruptcy as well as a disincentive to work. Doubtless they had a point. But times change, and Singapore might do well to update its thinking here.



**** By-election Should Not Distract Focus On National Priorities, Says PM Lee ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1200190/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia



**** Singapore Millionaires Getting Richer Despite Global Recession ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/singapore-millionaires-getting-richer-despite-global-recession>
Singapore Business Review


> 70% of those surveyed said their wealth had risen between 2008 and the end of 2011.with some 10% reporting an increase in their wealth by 50% or more in that period.



**** SDP, NSP not contesting in by-election ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC120509-0000138/SDP,-NSP-not-contesting-in-by-election>
Today


> Hours after a nomination date for the Hougang by-election was announced today, two opposition parties have made clear that they will not be contesting in the single-member constituency.



**** Hougang By-election: 26 May 2012 ****
<http://article14.blogspot.com/2012/05/hougang-by-election-26-may-2012.html>
Article 14


> This current decision to call for a by-election has to be seen positively. Yaw Shin Leong was expelled from his party on 15 Feb 2012 and his seat became vacant. The 3 month time-frame that used to exist in our former Federal Constitution would have kicked in on 15 May 2012. By issuing the Writ of Election today, the President under the advise of the Cabinet has clearly acted expeditiously. 



**** One Year After A Watershedelection: Reading The Signs ****
<http://www.scribd.com/doc/92833943/Catherine-Lim-One-Year-After-a-Watershed-Election>
Catherine Lim, Scribd



**** Redundancy Share For PMETs At A 13Year High ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/05/redundancy-share-for-pmets-at-a-13year-high/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen



**** By-election For Hougang Constituency ****
<http://www.eld.gov.sg/pressrelease%5CParE2012%5C2012-05-09%20By-election%20for%20Hougang%20constituency.pdf#zoom=100>
Elections Department, Prime Minister's Office, Singapore Government


> Nomination Day is 16 May 2012.

> If more than one candidate stand nominated for election at the close of nominations on Nomination Day, the Returning Officer will declare 26 May 2012 (Saturday) to be the Polling Day. Polling Day for the by-election is not a public holiday. Under the law, every employer shall on Polling Day allow every elector in his employ a reasonable period of time for voting.

(Note: Link goes to a PDF document.)


**** Nomination Day For Hougang By-election On May 16 ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1200179/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> The Nomination Day for the Hougang by-election will be on May 16, 2012.



**** SingTel Responds To OpenNet Media Release ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/telecom-internet/news/singtel-responds-opennet-media-release>
Singapore Business Review



**** Bukit Brown Cemetery: You Can Sue, But You Won’t Win ****
<http://singaporepubliclaw.com/2012/05/09/bukit-brown-cemetery/>
Singapore Public Law



**** Don’t Let Your Blood Boil Over When Reading Internet Postings, Ok? ****
<http://andrewlohhp.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/dont-let-your-blood-boil-over-when-reading-internet-postings-ok/>
Andrew Loh


> There is enough sensible people around to see what is true and what is not. The aim should not be to regulate behaviour. Instead, it should be on promoting critical thinking, a questioning nature. That when we read an article, by anyone, however well-respected or well-known, that the first question we ask is: “How do I know this is true?”



**** How Singapore Regulates Book Publishing ****
<http://psmedia.asia/content/how-singapore-regulates-book-publishing>
PS Media Asia



**** SMRT Along East-West Line Delayed At 11Pm Last Night Due To ‘Train Fault’ ****
<http://temasektimes.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/smrt-along-east-west-line-delayed-at-11pm-last-night-due-to-train-fault/>
The Temasek Times



**** Will COE Prices Drop? We Don’t Think So. ****
<http://www.moneysmart.sg/money-talks/will-coe-prices-drop-we-dont-think-so/>
Ryan Ong, MoneySmart.sg



**** Lives Transformed ****
<http://dasabelle.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/lives-transformed/>
Dasabelle


> I cannot imagine the kind of environment I will be living in when there is another influx of 450,000  within the next 18 days.

> I no longer feel at home.



**** What Changed? ****
<http://harishpillay.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/what-changed/>
Harish Pillay, Life One Degree North, One-o-three Degrees East


> There is still no thought leadership nor vision. 



**** Missing The Forest For The Trees (Part 3) ****
<http://thinkformesingapore.blogspot.com/2012/05/missing-forest-for-trees-part-3.html>
Think For Me, Singapore



**** How The Southeast Asian Cities Are Crumbling ****
<http://imo.thejakartapost.com/atthebottom/2012/05/09/how-the-southeast-asian-cities-are-crumbling/>
THe Jarkata Post


> The problem is, Singapore is still an exception in our region. Poor planning and rapid urbanization are the typical story in Southeast Asia. Kuala Lumpur distinguishes itself as something in transition – it’s making efforts to cleanse itself of vices, but it’s still far away from reaching Singapore’s standards. As for the others, the pictures are similar – dusty air, undrinkable tap water, no respect for pedestrians, and heavy traffic jams.



**** A Generation Scared ****
<http://www.tsglobalist.com/2012/05/08/a-generation-scared/>
Maxine Chen, The Singapore Globalist



**** U.S. Wealthy Told Go Away As Tax Law Looms ****
<http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-08/u-dot-s-dot-millionaires-told-go-away-as-tax-evasion-rule-looms>
Sanat Vallikappen, BusinessWeek


> Go away, American millionaires.

> That’s what some of the world’s largest wealth-management firms are saying ahead of Washington’s implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, known as Fatca, which seeks to prevent tax evasion by Americans with offshore accounts. HSBC Holdings Plc (HSBA), Deutsche Bank AG, Bank of Singapore Ltd. and DBS Group Holdings Ltd. (DBS) all say they have turned away business.



**** Report About AirAsia Hub Here Not True: CAAS ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/Singaporeinbrief/EDC120509-0000046/Report-about-AirAsia-hub-here-not-true--CAAS>
Cheow Xin Yi, Today


> "The CAAS has not granted an air operator's certificate to AirAsia, neither are we processing any application from AirAsia at this point in time."



**** Upgrading Train Signalling System Can Relief Bus Bridging Services In Disruption ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1200024/1/.html>
Hetty Musfirah, Chnnel NewsAsia


> The signalling system upgrade on the North-South and East-West Lines will help affected commuters continue their journey during a disruption, and not wait for bus bridging services.

> [SMRT's chief engineer of control operations] said the new signalling system will allow trains on the unaffected track, to travel in the opposite direction at normal speed, enabling commuters to still get to their destinations.

Looks like we saved quite a few pennies back in the days which we are repaying now with pounds.


**** Market Stall In Ang Mo Kio Receives S$1 Bid ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1200032/1/.html>
Lian Cheong / Melissa Chong, Chnnel NewsAsia


> A hawker stall at block 724, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6, was put up for tender and according to the National Environment Agency, it has received only one bid, from a Poon Kein Hoon, for S$1.

> The low rate comes after authorities abolished minimum bids for wet market and hawker stalls last month. Tender bids are subject to NEA's evaluation before they are accepted.

If NEA rejects this bid, it must be transparent about its reasons.


**** There Is Never A “Right” Time To Be Humane ****
<http://andrewlohhp.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/there-is-never-a-right-time-to-be-humane/>
Andrew Loh


> Yet, when it comes to ourselves, when the state is sending people to death under a system which is flawed, we say, “Please don’t mind the criminals. We have more important things to do.”

> At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves what kind of society we want. And the manner by which we send someone to his or her death speaks a lot about this.

We all have to be more productivity, and tackle more important stuff simultaneously.