[MyAppleMenu] Nov 14, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** iTunes Match: One Year In ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/2013668/itunes-match-one-year-in.html>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld



**** Introducing SushiReader: The Simplest River-Of-News RSS Reader For Busy People ****
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/2012/11/14/article01/>
Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu

I've made a RSS reader called <a href="http://www.sushireader.com/">SushiReader</a>. It's available on the Mac App Store.
I've two goals when I built this RSS reader. Firstly, it has to be fast and simple. I don't want to mess around <i>too much</i> with folders and tags and what nots. I just want to press a key to read the next article.
But, more importantly, I don't want to manage. I don't want to "manage" my subscriptions. I don't want to have to figure out when is a good time to press the "Mark all Articles as Read" button: do I press it now and start afresh, but with nothing new to read for a while until <i>new</i> news start coming in, or do I press it later at the risk of accumulating even more articles that I will not be able to get to? The software must just have to "manage" subscriptions and articles for me, automatically, behind the scenes.
Well, this is really the first version of SushiReader, that I've come up with. (I've labeled it version 2. There exists a version 1. It wasn't very good.) I've been using SushiReader as my main RSS reader for the past couple of months; maybe you'd like it too? (There is a <a href="http://www.myapplemenu.com/sushireader/demo/">demo version</a> available that you can try out for free.)
If you like this little software that I've written, please do consider purchasing it on the Mac App Store.
I'll be continuing improving SushiReader, and probably will be "borrowing" a few ideas from Mr Dave Winer and his river-of-news/checkbox-news/reading-list/etc concepts. If you bought this software and have a few ideas of your own, please feel free to <a href="mailto:webmaster at myapplemenu.com">e-mail me</a>.
Thank you.


**** How Not To Get Boxed In By Apple And Google ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324595904578116850781157748.html>
Rolfe Winkler, Wall Street Journal


> For a tech startup to get to 100 million users is a remarkable feat, one that took Facebook more than four years. Online-storage firm Dropbox on Tuesday announced that it has achieved that milestone in nearly the same time.



**** FotoMagico 4 Review ****
<http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/fotomagico_4_review>
J.R. Bookwalter, Mac Life


> After two years in development, Boinx is back with FotoMagico 4, an impressive overhaul that opens up a wide range of creative possibilities for amateur and pro shutterbugs alike -- and it’s cheaper than ever, at least for new customers. Boinx doesn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel with this version, retaining the already well laid out (and very Apple-inspired) user interface, while managing to introduce an entirely new way of working.



**** How To Share A Mac’s Optical Drive ****
<http://mac.tutsplus.com/tutorials/os-x/how-to-share-a-macs-optical-drive/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mactuts+%28Mactuts%2B%29>
Bruno Skvorc, Mactuts+



**** Lion/Mountain Lion’s Mail: Workaround For Removing Attachments From Sent Messages ****
<http://www.betalogue.com/2012/11/13/lionmail-removeattachmentsfix/>
Pierre Igot, Betalogue



**** Apple Begins Shipping LTE-capable iPad Mini Models ****
<http://appleinsider.com/articles/12/11/13/apple-begins-shipping-lte-capable-ipad-mini-models>
AppleInsider


> Customers on Tuesday began receiving word from Apple's online store that their orders for the new iPad mini with LTE connectivity have begun shipping.



**** Apple Takes More Bites Out Of Local Real Estate Market ****
<http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/blog/2012/11/apple-takes-more-bites-out-of-local.html>
Nathan Donato-Weinstein, Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal



**** Nokia To Offer Its Maps For iPhones And Android Phones ****
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/nokia-here-maps-iphone/>
Brian X. Chen, New York Times


> Stephen Elop, chief executive of Nokia, said in an interview that in order to ensure that its mapping platform stays competitive, it needs lots of users. The more people who look up directions or search for locations on its maps, the smarter the system gets. And Nokia can still build exclusive location features into its Lumia phones, he said.

Good for Nokia. Microsoft need to do the same thing: release Office from the clutches of Windows.


**** Google Brings More Secure, Sandboxed Flash Plugin To Chrome For Mac ****
<http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/13/3641326/google-sandboxed-flash-plugin-mac-osx>
Chris Welch, The Verge


> Nearly three months after delivering a more secure, modernized Flash plugin to Chrome users on Windows, Linux, and Chrome OS, Google has extended those safeguards to Mac OS X. The update was actually packed into the version of Chrome that saw release last week (with Do Not Track functionality), but the company is only today highlighting the added security measures. Flash, frequently targeted as a backdoor for malware, is now fully sandboxed within the browser with isolation Google says is as strong as Chrome's own native sandboxing. In theory, that means should you come across a malicious website or script, the harmful code would be relegated to a single browser window and thus be prevented from accessing to your computer or personal files.

Also:
• <a href="http://chrome.blogspot.sg/2012/11/securing-flash-player-for-our-mac-users.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/Egta+(Google+Chrome+Blog)">Securing Flash Player for our Mac users</a> (Google Chrome Blog)


**** Elements For Dropbox Updated With Refreshed Interfaces And More ****
<http://www.imore.com/elements-dropbox-update-refreshed-interface-and-dropbox10-api>
Leanna Lofte, IMore



**** Mac Gems: Bartender Helps You Take Control Of Menu-bar Icons ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/2013739/mac-gems-bartender-helps-you-take-control-of-menu-bar-icons.html>
Dan Miller, Macworld


> By giving you extensive control over the menu bar, Bartender makes a key element of the OS X interface way more useful.






The Tomorrow Weblog
====================================
**** Xerox Designs System To Reduce Busywork For Nurses ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/news/506911/xerox-designs-system-to-reduce-busywork-for-nurses/>
Susan Young, Technology Review


> The system automatically pulls up patient files and lets nurses use mobile devices to document work.



**** Whither The Graphing Calculator? ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/view/507401/whither-the-graphing-calculator/>
David Zax, Technology Review


> Can the TI-84 stand up in the era of iOS and Android?



**** What Sets Apart Great Freelance Developers? ****
<http://www.myapplemenu.comhttps://matchist.com/blog/what-sets-apart-great-freelance-developers/>
Matchist






MyAppleMenu Reader
====================================
**** Driven To Document A ‘Vanishing Race’ ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/12/books/short-nights-of-the-shadow-catcher-by-timothy-egan.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0>
Josh Garrett-Davis, New York Times


> In this book, deploying his knowledge of the terrain, he can amplify a source’s terse account of a near-death-trail folly into pages of nail-biting drama. He also considers Curtis’s photographs thoughtfully, comparing the rich light of a photogravure portrait to Vermeer’s “Milkmaid,” or describing a “face-painted beauty with a careless gaze, skin as smooth as a bar of soap.” Each chapter closes with a couple of halftone images discussed in preceding pages, which confirm Curtis’s darkroom genius.



**** I, Lowborn Cur ****
<http://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n22/colin-burrow/i-lowborn-cur>
Colin Burrow, London Review Of Books


> More than most literary phenomena, names in fiction seem very straightforward until you start to think about them. The simple question, ‘why does a name sound right?’ leads to a whole range of questions.



**** Guess ****
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2012/nov/13/guess-philippa-pearce-short-story?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Philippa Pearce, The Guardian



**** The Butterfly Effect ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/books/review/flight-behavior-by-barbara-kingsolver.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0>
Dominique Browning, New York Times


> All sorts of “crazy wanting,” both prosaic and earth-shattering, are shot through the intricate tapestry of Barbara Kingsolver’s majestic and brave new novel, “Flight Behavior.” Her subject is both intimate and enormous, centered on one woman, one family, one small town no one has ever heard of — until Dellarobia stumbles into a life-altering journey of conscience.






SingaporeSurf
====================================
**** Talking About Press Freedom – With P. N. Balji ****
<http://journalism.sg/2012/11/14/talking-about-press-freedom-with-p-n-balji/>
Cherian George, Journalism.sg



**** Mandatory Death Penalty Has Worked To Deter Crime: DPM Teo ****
<http://www.singapolitics.sg/news/mandatory-death-penalty-has-worked-deter-crime-dpm-teo>
Andrea Ong, Straits Times


> The mandatory death penalty has been effective in deterring and curbing crime, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in Parliament on Wednesday.

Also:
• <a href="http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/907/is-the-death-penalty-an-effective-deterrent">Is the death penalty an effective deterrent?</a> (Skeptics Stackexchange)


**** Wong Meng Meng To Step Down As Law Society President Next Month ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121114-0000191/Wong-Meng-Meng-to-step-down-as-Law-Society-President-next-month>
Today



**** Budget Increase For Downtown Line Due To Higher Costs ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1237132/1/.html>
Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia


> Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew revealed in Parliament on Wednesday that much of the S$8.7-billion increase can be attributed to the first stage of the project.



**** Amendments To Penal Code Passed In Parliament ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1237180/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia



**** NAC To Review Local Arts Groups' Operating Cost Fundings ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1237136/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> Mr Wong said: "There may be some rental rate increases...to cover some costs. The agencies that rent out these venues do not do this for profit; they're doing this to ensure their finances are sustainable. So we will do several things, as I mentioned, continue to manage the cost and ensure that rents are affordable."

> "Number two, do whatever we can to better utilise these spaces so that they're well optimised in terms of utilisation rates."

> "And number three, through the grants framework that NAC provides, ensure sufficient support is given to our arts groups," added Mr Wong.

Just a thought: if we abolish censorship, maybe the spaces will be utilised more. :)


**** Cleaning Fees Raised At Nine Hawker Centres ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1237130/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> Ms Fu said the government is mindful of the impact of the increase of cleaning charges, and after consultation with the hawker association and affected centres, the increase will be phased in slowly.



**** HDB Resale Market Showing Signs Of Stabilising: Khaw ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121114-0000179/HDB-resale-market-showing-signs-of-stabilising--Khaw>
Today


> Speaking in Parliament today, Mr Khaw said the yearly Resale Price Index (RPI) growth has gone down from 14.1 per cent in 2010 to 10.7 per cent last year.

> However, Mr Khaw said an uptick in quarterly RPI growth to two per cent in the third quarter of this year showed that while things are improving, there is still some way to go. 

At this point of the game, I think merely stabilising the market is not going to be enough.


**** Ministerial Statement On National Service ****
<http://www.singapolitics.sg/news/ministerial-statement-national-service>
Ng Eng Hen, Singapore Government, Straits Times


> In the cases of PTE Lee and 3SG Tan, their respective COIs have uncovered clear breaches of training safety regulations in the events that led to their deaths.

> While the SAF has a robust training safety system in place, these two incidents show that more needs to be done.

The most important thing to do, in my opinion, is a total revamp to create a more effective whistle blowing process.


**** By-election Case: Judge Dismisses AGC’s Appeal ****
<http://www.singapolitics.sg/news/election-case-judge-dismisses-agc’s-appeal>
Andrea Ong, Straits Times


> A High Court judge has dismissed a bid by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to appeal against his decision to exempt a Hougang resident from paying costs, after she failed to get a court declaration on by-elections.

>From a layman point of view, I fail to see any merits to AGC's argument that this is "new law."



**** Govt Considering Framework For Resolving Neighbourly Disputes ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1237114/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> [Shanmugam] said: "Volunteers are trained as mediators. They try to bring parties together, to reach a common understanding. We have had a good rate of success -- about 70 per cent of the cases get successfully mediated. And a few hundred cases have been mediated every year since 2009."



**** Introducing SushiReader: The Simplest River-Of-News RSS Reader For Busy People ****
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/singapore/2012/11/14/article02/>
Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu

I've made a RSS reader called <a href="http://www.sushireader.com/">SushiReader</a>. It's available on the Mac App Store. SushiReader runs on OS X Mountain Lion.
I've two goals when I built this RSS reader. Firstly, it has to be fast and simple. I don't want to mess around <i>too much</i> with folders and tags and what nots. I just want to press a key to read the next article.
But, more importantly, I don't want to manage. I don't want to "manage" my subscriptions. I don't want to have to figure out when is a good time to press the "Mark all Articles as Read" button: do I press it now and start afresh, but with nothing new to read for a while until <i>new</i> news start coming in, or do I press it later at the risk of accumulating even more articles that I will not be able to get to? The software must just have to "manage" subscriptions and articles for me, automatically, behind the scenes.
Well, this is really the first version of SushiReader, that I've come up with. (I've labeled it version 2. There exists a version 1. It wasn't very good.) I've been using SushiReader as my main RSS reader for the past couple of months; maybe you'd like it too? (There is a <a href="http://www.myapplemenu.com/sushireader/demo/">demo version</a> available that you can try out for free.)
If you like this little software that I've written, please do consider purchasing it on the Mac App Store.
I'll be continuing improving SushiReader, and probably will be "borrowing" a few ideas from Mr Dave Winer and his river-of-news/checkbox-news/reading-list/etc concepts. If you bought this software and have a few ideas of your own, please feel free to <a href="mailto:webmaster at myapplemenu.com">e-mail me</a>.
Thank you.


**** Singapore Youth Festival: Why Mollycoddle Them? ****
<http://guanyinmiao.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/singapore-youth-festival-why-mollycoddle-them/>
Guanyinmao's Musings


> The Ministry of Education’s move to reduce pressures faced by schools in the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) competition is a largely cosmetic one. These half-hearted changes are likely to please nobody.



**** ST Misleads With Statistics, Propaganda ****
<http://newnation.sg/2012/11/st-misleads-with-statistics-propaganda/>
New Nation


> There is a class divide that even the education system cannot heal.



**** Sex.Violence.FamilyValues — Ban And Blame (Ourselves) ****
<http://www.voiddecker.com/2012/11/sex-violence-familyvalues-ban-and-blame-ourselves/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sex-violence-familyvalues-ban-and-blame-ourselves>
The Void Decker


> I don’t blame MDA for their decision, in light of the recent incident of a racist Facebook remark generating a minor storm amongst Singaporeans. We have to take some responsibility on this, especially those within us who clamour for the offender to be sacked.



**** Why Most Singaporeans Cannot Retire ****
<http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.sg/2012/11/why-most-singaporeans-cannot-retire.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ASingaporeanInAustralia+(A+Singaporean+In+Australia)>
A Singaporean In Austrlia


> The question that Singaporeans need to ask themselves is, by supporting the government's strategy of bringing more young to support the old, how is the country going to cope when these young become old themselves one day?  Shouldn't we be changing our old mindset and look into a system whereby the old can be self sustainable instead?

Can we retire with what we have, or not what we wish we have?


**** Singapore Casinos Lose Luster As Profits Slide: Southeast Asia ****
<http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-13/singapore-casinos-lose-luster-as-profits-slide-southeast-asia>
Pooja Thakur, Bloomberg


> Genting Singapore Plc and Las Vegas Sands Corp. reported the lowest gaming revenue in at least 18 months at their Singapore casinos, signaling slower economic growth and tighter rules are restricting spending by gamblers.

None of the "tourist attractions" in Singapore can really survive without local population also wanting to visit. Can the casinos make it as an exception?


**** Charged For MRT Gantry Error ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC121114-0000049/Charged-for-MRT-gantry-error>
Ng Guan Hong, Today


> After a scan of my card, I was told that my card failed to register upon entry and 70 cents would be deducted from my card to reset the error.



**** No Option To Keep Pacnet Email Account ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC121114-0000008/No-option-to-keep-Pacnet-email-account>
Terence Tong Wai Tuck, Today


> I would have expected a big corporation such as Pacnet to have arranged for another provider to take over this service and offer it to existing customers.

Pacnet is not a big corporation, relative speaking. And running email services, or even email redirection services, is not a profitable business.


**** Open Up Entry To International Baccalaureate ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC121114-0000035/Open-up-entry-to-International-Baccalaureate>
Pamela Ng, Today


> I have seen the transformation in my students when they embark on the holistic programme which aims to cultivate open-minded, reflective and principled students.

> The Education Ministry can consider providing affordable and trusted pathways to this programme, which has been growing in reputation among universities worldwide.