[MyAppleMenu] Oct 16, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** The Price Of Progress: 2012 iPod Touch Reviewed ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/10/the-price-of-progress-2012-ipod-touch-reviewed/>
Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica


> The new iPod Touch continues to be the cheapest way to buy into the iOS ecosystem, and it's still a great product if you're looking for the convenience and features of a smartphone without the added overhead of an expensive data plan. The faster hardware, the bigger and better-quality screen, Siri, and other features help the iPod touch stay current, even if it's not quite as fast as the iPhone 5.

> All of this is marred by one thing: fifth-generation iPods start at $300. This isn't too bad if you consider its 32GB starting capacity—a Nexus 7, for example, can be had for $200, but the 16GB price is $249 and a 32GB version isn't (yet) available. Still, the absence of a $199 or $249 16GB model is keenly felt. This is especially true given that the slower hardware, inferior screen, and laughable camera in the fourth-generation iPods are still being sold as entry level models. If you don't need or want that 32GB of storage, you either have to go with a slower model, a competing product, or just suck it up and pay.



**** Hard Drive Replacement Program Now Covers iMacs Sold From 2009-2011 ****
<http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/10/hard-drive-replacement-program-now-covers-imacs-sold-from-2009-2011/>
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica


> Apple's hard drive replacement program for 2011 iMacs has been expanded after discovering even more machines may be affected. The company has updated its support page about the program to note the 1TB Seagate hard drives could be faulty in iMacs sold as early as October 2009. Apple will offer free replacement hard drives to affected customers for three years after the first sale of the device, or until April 12, 2013, whichever is longer.



**** How To Invoke Alerts From The OS X Terminal ****
<http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57532444-263/how-to-invoke-alerts-from-the-os-x-terminal/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title>
Topher Kessler, CNET


> If needed, you can have the Terminal alert you when a process or script is complete.



**** Apple’s New iPod Touch Takes A Step Back: No Light Sensor ****
<http://gigaom.com/mobile/apples-new-ipod-touch-takes-a-step-back-no-light-sensor/>
Kevin C. Tofel, GigaOM



**** Amazon And Apple Customers To Get Credits For Price-fixed E-books ****
<http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/15/technology/amazon-apple-ebook-credit/>
Julianne Pepitone, CNNMoney


> Amazon and Apple have informed some e-book buyers that they'll receive credits for future book purchases, as part of a recent settlement three major publishers signed to settle a price-fixing lawsuit.

> Eligible Kindle e-book customers will receive credits ranging from 30 cents to $1.32 per book, Amazon estimated. Apple did not specify a range.



**** Localscope For iPhone Adds Integrated Reminders And Geotagging ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/10/15/localscope-for-iphone-adds-integrated-reminders-and-geotagging/>
Mel Martin, TUAW


> Now version 3, released today, has added bi-directional integration with iOS reminders and a feature that allows you to add geotagged reminders for any location you find in the app. Localscope can remind you with an alert if your are near a location. It integrates with Apple Maps and is a great supplement because it has far more search resources, including Google Local search, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Wikipedia, Citysearch and Yelp.



**** iTunes And iTunes Match Users Still Having Issues With iOS 6 ****
<http://www.imore.com/are-you-experiencing-issues-itunes-and-itunes-match>
Allyson Kazmucha, IMore



**** Well That’s Awkward, New iPod Touch Is Slower Than The iPhone 5, But… ****
<http://www.macgasm.net/2012/10/15/well-thats-awkward-new-ipod-touch-is-slower-than-the-iphone-5-but/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macgasm%2Fmain+%28Macgasm%29>
Joshua Schnell, Macgasm



**** Apple Enables Shareable Reminders In Its Reminders App ****
<http://www.macgasm.net/2012/10/15/apple-enables-shareable-reminders-in-its-reminders-app/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macgasm%2Fmain+%28Macgasm%29>
Joshua Schnell, Macgasm


> In Reminders, you can now create a reminder grouping, and then share that particular reminder group with one, two, or a dozen people. Great for group projects. However, it’s currently impossible to share a particular reminder with a particular individual within a group. It also not possible to share a reminder directly from the iPhone or iPad currently, which is pretty disappointing.



**** Apple Nabs Amazon A9 Exec Stasior To Run Siri — But Does Hire Signal A Bigger Move Into Search? ****
<http://allthingsd.com/20121015/exclusive-apple-hires-amazon-a9s-stasior-to-run-siri-does-hire-signal-a-bigger-move-into-search/>
Kara Swisher, All Things D


> Apple has hired major Amazon exec and prominent search technologist William Stasior to run its Siri unit, according to sources.



**** Playing iPhone Media Through iTunes ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/2011880/playing-iphone-media-through-itunes.html>
Christopher Breen, Macworld






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Is Your Dishwasher Really Yearning For The Internet? ****
<http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429588/is-your-dishwasher-really-yearning-for-the/?ref=rss>
Rachel Metz, Technology Review


> A startup called Ube thinks smart devices and smartphone apps will make home automation cheap and easy. But will consumers go for it?



**** Why The Future Of Software And Apps Is Serverless ****
<http://www.readwriteweb.com/cloud/2012/10/why-the-future-of-software-and-apps-is-serverless.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+readwritecloud+%28ReadWriteCloud%29>
Ken Fromm, ReadWriteWeb


> It’s no longer about building a “Web app.” It’s about building a distributed system of loosely coupled components in the cloud.






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** What Are You So Scared Of? Saber-Toothed Cats, Snakes, And Carnivorous Kangaroos. ****
<http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/human_evolution/2012/10/evolution_of_anxiety_humans_were_prey_for_predators_such_as_hyenas_snakes.html>
Rob Dunn, Slate


> The evolutionary legacy of having been prey.



**** Who Knows What ****
<http://www.aeonmagazine.com/world-views/massimo-pigliucci-on-consilience/>
Massimo Pigliucci, Aeon


> For decades the sciences and the humanities have fought for knowledge supremacy. Both sides are wrong-headed.



**** The Naked Nude, By Frances Borzello: Review ****
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/9583752/The-Naked-Nude-by-Frances-Borzello-review.html>
Daisy Dunn, Telegraph


> The most interesting questions to emerge from Borzello’s book are consequently those which urge us to reconsider our position on what we would like to see in art concerned with the naked body. Are we tired of being shocked, or has the nude simply lost its ability to be subversive, even at its most naked? As Borzello’s penultimate chapter probes, ‘After Rodin, Is There Anything Left To Say?’



**** Garden Apartment, Taube ****
<http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/poem/2012/10/_garden_apartment_taube_by_sarah_holland_batt.html>
Sarah Holland-Batt, Slate






SingaporeSurf
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**** Lessons And Takeaways From Singapore’s First Failcon ****
<http://e27.sg/2012/10/16/lessons-and-takeaways-from-singapores-first-failcon/>
Jacky Yap, e27



**** FailCon: Nobody Cares About Your Startup, And That’s A Good Thing, Says Cheezburger’s Ben Huh ****
<http://startupfirehose.com/2012/10/16/failcon-nobody-cares-about-your-startup-and-thats-a-good-thing-says-cheezburgers-ben-huh/>
Terence Lee, The Startup Firehose


> Struggling with the emotional turmoil of failure was not pleasant for Ben Huh, but it was a valuable experience. It enabled him to stand on stage to share about his life with a dose of humor — thankfully.

> He observes how we are amnesic about the little failures — like new year resolutions for example — yet we make too much of a big deal out of our failed ventures.



**** Singapore Gets Stricter With Data Protection, But Issues Persist ****
<http://www.techgoondu.com/2012/10/16/commentary-singapore-gets-stricter-with-data-protection-but-issues-persist/#.UH1hTLTXdSA>
Alfred Siew, Techgoondu


> It is unclear if consumers have the chance to opt out of such schemes and only correspond with government agencies for official matters.

> Worse, with their own customer databases now so strictly scrutinised, will private companies now try to work with government agencies that are exempt from the same strict rules?



**** Why I Said Yes To Sex. Violence. FamilyValues ****
<http://www.singapolitics.sg/views/why-i-said-yes-sex-violence-familyvalues>
Hanna T. Siraj, Straits Times


> I am aware that the decision to ban this film is in part due to a society that has been engineered to discourage any open discussion on race. However, I’m still disheartened because film and art have always been one of the best mediums to allow us to explore difficult issues freely.

Hanna T. Siraj is part of the consultative panel that banned the film.


**** More PMEs Receive Employment Assistance ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1231618/1/.html>
Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia



**** Average Of S$764m Paid To Pensioners Every Year: DPM Teo ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1231671/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> Mr Teo said there are approximately 33,000 pensioners drawing a pension from the government as at June 30.



**** Judgment Reserved On Costs In Hougang By-election Case ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1231666/1/.html>
Kimberly Spykerma, Channel NewsAsia



**** Sales Numbers Do Not Suggest Speculation In HDB Shops: Khaw ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1231661/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> National development minister Khaw Boon Wan said recent sales numbers do not suggest a speculative element in Housing and Development Board (HDB) shops, and it will not be tenable for HDB to impose new restrictions like stricter citizenship eligibility.



**** This Is How Huge It Costs For Gardens By The Bay To Keep Operating ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/leisure-entertainment/news/how-huge-it-costs-gardens-bay-keep-operating>
Singapore Business Review


> The annual operating cost for the Gardens is estimated to be $53 million, of which $28 million is for operating the two Conservatories, and the remaining $25 million, for the outdoor gardens.



**** Civil Servants Can Take Part In Dialogues With Gag Order Lifted ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/civil-servants-can-take-part-dialogues-gag-order-lifted-20121016>
Toh Yong Chuan, Straits Times


> They can now talk about government policies publicly at these dialogues. Previously, they would have had to get official permission to do so. But civil servants still cannot talk about their current work or policies they worked on.



**** Bouquets, Questions, Doubts And Hopes Regarding The Amendments To The Mdp ****
<http://rachelzeng.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/bouquets-questions-doubts-and-hopes-regarding-the-amendments-to-the-mdp/>
Rachel Zeng



**** Court Of Appeal To Rule On All Death Row Cases ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121016-0000010/Court-of-Appeal-to-rule-on-all-death-row-cases>
Teo Xuanwei, Today


> The highest court in the land will have to sign off on all death sentences before a criminal is hanged, if changes to the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) proposed yesterday are eventually passed.

> Currently, if a criminal who is sentenced to hang by a High Court does not appeal, his case does not go up to the Court of Appeal. This, however, is rare. 



**** Exchange Rate 'Not A Tool To Manage Competitiveness' ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121016-0000020/Exchange-rate-not-a-tool-to-manage-competitiveness>
Teo Xuanwei, Today


> Instead, the Republic's exports will be competitive in the longer term only through higher productivity and innovation such as creating new products that the market demands, [Lim Hng Kiang] said.

> The strong Singapore dollar has caused anxieties that the country's exports would be overlooked compared to cheaper alternatives from other countries - Singapore's non-oil domestic exports in August dipped 10.6 per cent on-year.



**** Water Seepage, A Tale Of Two Systems ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC121016-0000036/Water-seepage,-a-tale-of-two-systems>
Dennis Ong CHin Siew, Today


> I am bemused that we have two systems in place. As a property owner here, one's rights and obligations depend on the accidental fact of which system one's property falls under, of the two.