[MyAppleMenu] May 18, 2006

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/>
Mac news for Mac people

[News]

*** Where Do iPods Cost Most -- Or Least?
<http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/may2006/gb20060517_386795.htm?campaign_id=topStories_ssi_5>
Charles Dubow, BusinessWeek

Several factors affect pricing of various consumer goods around the world. But don't rush overseas to shop before you've checked prices.

*** Ofcom Rethinks Ban On iPod Gadget
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4993528.stm>
BBC News

Ofcom has said it is working with other regulators to draft an EU-wide standard on the use of a gadget which plays the output of Apple's iPods on FM radios.

*** Apple Releases Final Cut Express HD 3.5
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=14689>
Jonny Evans, Macworld UK

New features include Dynamic RT for real-time playback of mutl-stream effects, Soundtrack 1.5 with a complete suite of professional level audio production tools, and LiveType 2.1 with additional animated text and titles in the box.

*** Publishers File Suit Against Digital Services
<http://billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/business/digital/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002537748>
Susan Butler, Billboard

A small group of independent music publishers filed a class action lawsuit May 16 against major online music services for failing to secure licenses to sell downloads.

*** Jobs Wins Wired's 'Steve Jobs' Trophy
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=14685>
Macworld UK

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has won yet another Wired Rave Award, though he didn't turn up at the awards event to pick it up.

*** Analyst Predicts iPod Upgrades By Xmas
<http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=14683>
Macworld UK

Bear Sterns analyst Andrew Neff expects iPod upgrades, an iPod phone and even more support for multiple operating systems to come from Apple this year.

*** Aperture Customers Seek Upgrade Path
<http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/05/16/aperture.customers.cry.out/>
MacNN

With increased system requirements and no way to upgrade to a better graphics card, many users want Apple to either sell an individual card to upgrade their systems or take back their current machines so that they can purchase newer hardware to run Aperture as they originally intended.

*** Fifth Avenue Store To Boast Retail Innovations
<http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0605fifthavenue.html>
Think Secret

[Opinion]

*** Microsoft's URGE Digital Music Service No Threat To Apple
<http://cestockblog.com/article/10849>
Carl Howe, The Consumer Electronics Stock Blog

URGE is Microsoft trying to convince consumers that the tyranny of too much choice in music is no big deal, and that they should throw away their iPods because they need more choice.

*** The RIAA's Radio Lawsuit - What It Means For Your iPod
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/18/riaa_radio_analysis/>
Andrew Orlowski, The Register

The distinction between stream and file no longer makes sense, and a blanket licensing regime -- of the kind that allowed radio to flourish in the first place -- is the only sensible option. However, thanks to the selfish collusion of the RIAA and the market leader Apple, we're likely to see several years of crippled technology instead.

*** Back In Black
<http://www.powazek.com/2006/05/000587.html>
Powazek

Black just seems to be the right color for a computer you're going to be traveling with.

*** Apple Going The Way Of "Ugly PC" With MacBook In Black?
<http://channels.lockergnome.com/osx/archives/20060517_apple_going_the_way_of_ugly_pc_with_macbook_in_black.phtml>
Lockergnome

Maybe black wasn't the greatest idea.

*** Is White Or Black The Cooler Colour For My New Gadget?
<http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,1776707,00.html>
Charles Arthur, The Guardian

"White looks like the sort of thing Chantelle would have." Ouch.

*** Apple Moniker Madness
<http://technopedia.info/tech/2006/05/17/apple-moniker-madness.html>
Muhammad Saleem, Technopedia.info

*** A Paean To The MacBook Keyboard...
<http://www.macuser.com/hardware/a_paean_to_the_macbook_keyboar.php>
Dan Moren, MacUser

For years, one of the things that bugged me about both my old PowerBook G3 and my current iBook is that the keys from the keyboard can touch the screen when the computer is closed. I'm thrilled to finally see a laptop from Apple that addresses this problem in a simple, elegant fashion.

*** Mac Mini's Ceaseless Fan
<http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/mac911/2006/05/minifan/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Christopher Breen, Macworld

[Review]

*** Audio Systems Aim To End iPod Isolation
<http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/personal_technology/14602876.htm>
Jstin Bachman, Associated Press

Several recently released audio systems, including one from Aple, are now lifting the cloud of iPod isolation, making it easy to fill a room with sound that was once mostly limited to earbuds or headphones.

*** Inspiration 8: Brainstorming Tool Shines Inside And Outside The Classroom
<http://www.macworld.com/2006/05/reviews/inspiration8/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
Frankin Tessler, Macworld

[Sidetrack]

*** Presenting, The Cube
Heng-Cheong Leong

ifoAppleStore has pictures <http://ifostore.sjc.cachefly.net/fifth_avenue/photo1/index.htm> of the glass cube at the Fifth Avenue (NYC) Apple Store being unveiled. "The removal procss revealed a surprise -- a large white Apple logo suspended in the upper-middle of the cube."

*** The New New Question
Heng-Cheong Leong

Yes, hell has frozen over, and pigs are flying all over Cupertino. But the question need to be asked, and Dori Smith is doing all of us a favor by asking: Will [the new MacBooks] able to run Vista with the Glass effects? <http://www.backupbrain.com/2006_05_14_archive.html#a004899>

*** Lesson From The Apprentice
Heng-Cheong Leong

Always upgrade to the latest hardware and softare, and you will win <http://www.nickfruhling.com/blog/2006/04/trump-gets-fired-up-about-design.html>.

[Wintel]

*** Microsoft's Multiple Challenges: Is Its Size A Benefit Or Burden?
<http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/index.cfm?fa=viewArticle&id=1478>
Knowledge at Wharton

The Tomorrow Weblog
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/tomorrow/>
Emerging Technologies. Innovative Applications. New Economy

[News]

*** Government To Force Handover Of Encryption Keys
<http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/legal/0,39020651,39269746,00.htm>
Tom Espiner, ZDNet UK

Businesses and individuals may soon have to release their encryption keys to the police or face imprisonment, when Part 3of the RIP Act comes into effect.

*** In The Fight Against Spam E-Mail, Goliath Wins Again
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/16/AR2006051601873.html>
Brian Krebs, Washington Post

MyAppleMenu Reader
==================================================
<http://www.myapplemenu.com/reader/>
The other things in life

[Life]

*** Not Easy Being Green
<http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-wine17may17,1,2139751.story?coll=la-headlines-food>
Matthew DeBord, Los Angeles Times

Once upon a time, the eco-friendly practice of reusing wine bottles was common place. So why has it fallen by the wayside?

*** Roadfoodies
<http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/05/18/jane_michael_stern/>
Sarah Karnasiewicz, Salon

Jane and Michael Stern talk about 30 years of scouring America for the best chili dogs and fried clams -- and the food they had to throw overboard.

*** How Sprawl Got A Bad Name
<http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleID.19175/article_detail.asp>
Robert Bruegmann, The American Enterprise

Worries about sprawl have become so vivid not because conditions are really as bad as the critics suggest, but precisely because conditions are so good.

*** The World's Game
<http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0606/feature1/index.html>
National Geographic Magazine

This month 32 nations will compete for the World Cup of soccer, the "beautiful game" that unites and divides countries around the globe.

SingaporeSurf
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<http://www.myapplemenu.com/singapore/>
Life in the city

[News]

*** Singapore's Tiger Airways Seeks To Block Qantas/Jetstar Asia Cooperation
<http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2006/05/18/afx2755833.html>
AFX

Budget carrier Tiger Airways said it has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to reject a proposed cooperation between Qantas Airways and newly-merged Singapore-based budget carriers Jetstar Asia and Valuair.

*** LTA Seals Drains On Bus Stops Ahead Of Mosquitoes' Peak Breeding Period
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/209023/1/.html>
Sharon See, Channel NewsAsia

*** Singapore Wants 752 Items Off Import Negative List
<http://www.rediff.com/money/2006/may/18spore.htm>
Siddharth Zarabi and Monica Gupta, Rediff

Singapore has asked India to remove 752 trade items ranging from condensed mlk to shrimps and a whole range of fabrics and yarns from its 'negative list' of imports under the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and bring these under the tariff liberalisation scheme.

*** Indonesians Main Buyers Of Singapore Apartments
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailbusiness.asp?fileid=20060518.N02&irec=5>
Jarkarta Post

Indonesians are registered as the largest foreign byers of high-end homes in Singapore, exceeding other traditional buyers like Malaysian and Hong Kong, a report said.

*** PM Lee Tells PAP MPs To Be Wary Of "Social Lubricants"
<http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=198070>
Jackson Sawatan, Bernama

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has reminded the PAP members of parliament to be wary of what he termed as "social lubricants" which some people used to make the MPs obligated to them.

*** SDP Discharges Lawyer
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/119062.asp>
Loh Chee Kong, Today

*** Forget CPF Cut, There Are Other Rewards
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/119106.asp>
Derrick A Paulo, Today

Lim Swee Say: " You ask [the workers]. They prefer to have whatever rewards in the form of cash because they can access it."

[Opinion]

*** The Most Important Success -- Political Awakening
<http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2006/05/most-important-success-political.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

*** Razor Apartments
<http://singaporelifetimes.blogspot.com/2006/05/razor-apartments.html>
Singapore Life And Times

That's one up for the Brits and a woeful zero for HDB.

*** Claustrophobia
<http://tisnartni.blogspot.com/2006/05/claustrophobia.html>
In Transit

I value open space, I value the emptiness of undeveloped grassland the presence of vast greenery. But this is becoming so difficult in Singapore.

*** A New Dimension In Cyberspace
<http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2006/05/new-dimension-in-cyberspace.html>
My Singapore News

When the media talked nonsense, they will be exposed.

*** Get Good Leaders In Government
<http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/2006/05/get-good-leaders-in-government.html>
Tan Kin Lian

We do not need all ministers to be members of parliament at the same time. If necessary, we can appoint a minister from outside of parliament, if they get the approval of a select committee of the parliament.

*** Malay Support A Yo-Yo No More
<http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/free/story/0,6418,393797,00.html?>
Mafoot Simon, Straits Times

*** The Opposition And Its Future
<http://www.todayonline.com/articles/119045.asp>
Siew Kum Hong, Today

If all the opposition parties follow simple principles gleaned from the WP's example, and if Ms Sylvia Lim can perform as well in parliament as she did at the rallies, then the PAP could face an even tougher challenge in 2010 or 2011.

[Entertainment]

*** Le Papillon
<http://cocotterouge.blogspot.com/2006/05/le-papillon.html>
The Hinata Diaries

There had definitely been opening teething problems with the erratic service, which hopefully will be rectified soon, but had nonetheless been a distraction through the evening. The food itself had been perfectly executed, with charming combinations of flavour and colour. Aside from my mom's dubious tenderloin, quality was definitely not an issue.