[MyAppleMenu] Nov 27, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** IFTTT Recipes: Using Siri To Turn On The Christmas Lights ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/11/27/ifttt-recipes-using-siri-to-turn-on-the-christmas-lights/>
Steven Sande, TUAW


> In this latest installment of IFTTT Recipes, I'll show you how to use Siri to turn on your Christmas lights -- and amaze the little ones at the same time.



**** The House Runs On Autopilot ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324439804578109112351509312.html>
Max Taves, Wall Street Journal


> Savan Kotecha spent about $80,000 to modernize his 2,400-square-foot West Hollywood, Calif., home. Mr. Kotecha, a 34-year-old songwriter and vocal producer on Simon Cowell's "The X Factor," is an admitted "Apple freak" who uses an iPad app made by home-automation company Crestron.



**** GM Is Bringing Apple iPhone's 'Siri' To The Car ****
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2012/11/27/siri-apple-iphone-gm-general-motors-chevrolet-sonic-spark/1728871/>
Chris Woodyard, USA Today


> GM says today that it has found a way to link Siri to the new infotainment systems in its two smallest cars, Chevrolet Spark and Sonic. Drivers will be able to continue their chats with voice-activated Siri behind the wheel in order to perform the same tasks that they usually do on their smartphone, from checking sports scores to phoning friends. Only now, they will be able perform those functions while keeping their eyes on the road at all times.



**** What You Don’t Know About Passwords Might Hurt You ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/2014039/what-you-don-t-know-about-passwords-might-hurt-you.html>
Joe Kissell, Macworld


> If you haven’t examined your approach to making and using passwords recently, now is a good time to rethink your assumptions. Here are a few important facts about passwords you may not have realized—and what they mean for you.



**** Barnes & Noble's Nook For iOS Enters New Chapter In Assistive Technology ****
<http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/11/barnes-nobles-nook-for-ios-enters-new-chapter-in-assistive-technology>
Aldrin Calimlim, AppAdvice


> Nook for iOS now fully supports screen magnification and, more important, VoiceOver. This effectively makes the app more accessible to users who have low vision or are altogether blind.



**** Use Hot Corners As A Toggle ****
<http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57554475-263/use-hot-corners-as-a-toggle/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title>
Topher Kessler, CNET


> One way to access or activate some display- and window-related features in OS X is to use screen hot corners, which you can set up to activate the desired feature by moving your mouse to the respective corner. For example, if you wish to manually activate the screensaver, then you can bind this to a hot corner and then move your mouse there to always activate the screensaver.



**** Google Voice App Updated For iOS 6, iPhone 5 ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/11/26/google-voice-finally-updated-for-ios-6-iphone-5/>
Randy Nelson, TUAW



**** Publishers Shouldn't Be App Developers ****
<http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3333-publishers-shouldnt-be-app-developers>
Signal Vs. Noise


> It’s like every magazine is reinventing HTML and programming their own browser for it. Of course that’s going to end badly!



**** Don’t Be Pushy: 10 Useful Tips For Awesome Push Notifications ****
<http://blog.parse.com/2012/11/26/dont-be-pushy-10-useful-tips-for-awesome-push-notifications/>
Parse Blog



**** Apple Spaceship: Underground Plans Revealed ****
<http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/blog/2012/11/apples-spaceship-to-carve-out-less.html>
Nathan Donato-Weinstein, Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal


> Earlier plans for a massive amount of underground parking have been scaled back, according to the drawings filed Nov. 14. The new plans show parking space only directly under the building. The old plans showed the parking excavation extending beyond the building's footprint.



**** Facebook Users Can Now Purchase Digital iTunes Gifts Cards For Friends ****
<http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/11/facebook-users-can-now-purchase-digital-itunes-gifts-cards-for-friends>
Brent Dirks, AppAdvice



**** Sneaking Past The Gatekeeper ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/2015104/sneaking-past-the-gatekeeper.html>
Christopher Breen, Macworld






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** An Imperfect God ****
<http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/an-imperfect-god/?src=mv&ref=general>
Yoram Hazony, New York Times


> Philosophers have spent many centuries trying to get God’s supposed perfections to fit together in a coherent conception, and then trying to get that to fit with the Bible. By now it’s reasonably clear that this can’t be done.



**** When You Can’t Believe Your Eyes ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/books/hallucinations-by-oliver-sacks.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Michiko Kakutani, New York Times


> While he does not delve into the science of how the brain that can produce such amazing images, Dr. Sacks deftly conveys what it feels like to have such hallucinations — and the place these visions can assume in a person’s emotional and spiritual life.