[MyAppleMenu] Apr 12, 2007

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** The Death Of UI Consistency <http://blogs.adobe.com/shebanation/2007/04/the_death_of_ui_consistency.html>
by Shebanation
The goal of a single, consistent platform look and feel is dead. And looking at Apple's own applications that ship with a new Mac shows that things have only gotten worse.

**** Apple Tell Vloggers: "Fix Your Videos" <http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/04/11/apple-tells-vloggers-fix-your-videos/>
by Michael Arrington, Tech Crunch
Apple is giving vloggers a few hints on how to optimize their videos for iTunes so that a single format will look ok on both an iPod as well as the new Apple TV, which is probably connected to a large screen HDTV.

**** Apple Enthusiast Has Quite A Collection <http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=AP&Date=20070412&ID=6736119>
by Associated Press
Step down the stark, white stairs into Jeremy Mehrle's basement and meet his Apple computer collection. He's got 99 computers. No, wait. Make that 100. He just got one another last night, he said during a recent visit to his home about 35 miles west of St. Louis.

**** Apple TV: Works Well, Nice Price, But Only Welcome In Well Equipped Loungerooms <http://apcmag.com/5839/appletv_works_well_at_a_decent_price_but_youll_need_to_toss_your_old_t>
by Adam Turner, APC
The Apple TV offers the elgant ease of use we've come to expect from the Cupertino crew, but the real disappointment is content.

**** New Get A Mac Ads <http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/11/new-get-a-mac-ads/>
by Mat Lu, The Unofficial Apple Weblog

**** .Mac <http://www.anthonyfinucane.com/archives/2007/04/dotmac/>
by Anthony Finucane
.Mac is definitely worth it if you have two or moare Mac's.

**** Did Apple Junket Inspire "No iPod Left Behind" Initiative? <http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/11/did-apple-junket-inspire-no-ipod-left-behind-initiative/>
by Donald Melanson, Engadget

**** Big Bang Brain Games: Beautifully Realized Puzzle-Game Collection Delivers Fun In Many Forms <http://www.macworld.com/2007/04/reviews/bbbg/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
Big Bang Brain Games might lack a bit of novelty for experienced puzzle gamers, but it's a gorgeous collection you can try out for yourself at no cost via a free demo.

**** Personal Antispam X4 10.4 <http://www.macworld.com/2007/04/reviews/antispamx4/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
by Christopher Breen, Macworld
The program's price, the annual subscription fee, and the fact that it only works with two e-mail clicents prevents Personal Antispam from receiving my highest praise.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Copyright, Piracy And Stealing <http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=352>
by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, ZDNet
One thing that struck me was how opinion is divided on whether infringing copyright is stealing, and if it is stealing, how far do you have to cross the line to be considered a criminal?

**** Usability Is Timeless <http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000836.html>
by Jeff Atwood, Coding Horror
The very existence of the new, updated book hints that usability guidelines evolve over time.

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Why We Need Another Book Prize <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070412.wxfraser12/BNStory/Entertainment/home>
by John Fraser, Globe And Mail
There's never enough to be done for the beleaguered world of books.

**** To Fight Global Warming, Some Hang A Clothesline <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/garden/12clothesline.html?ei=5088&en=29374e1ac6049f57&ex=1334030400&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1176384717-mX6O3wR8CJyj0HUNrlodDQ>
by Kathleen A. Hughes, New York Times
If all Americans line-dried for just half a year, it would save 3.3% of the country's total residential output of carbon dioxide, experts say.

**** How Did The Universe Survive The Big Bang? In This Experiment, Clues Remain Elusive <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/science/12neutrino.html?ex=1334030400&en=4c14651b1e1ce29d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
by Kenneth Chang, New York Times
An experiment that some hoped would reveal a new class of subatomic particles, and perhaps even point to clues about why the universe exists at all, has instead produced a first round of results that are mysteriously inconclusive.

**** Unnatural Selections <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/opinion/12schwartz.html>
by Barry Schwartz, New York Times
What T.G.I.Friday's can tell us about mammograms.

**** Boomer Boomerang <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/10/AR2007041001311.html?nav=most_emailed>
by Robert J. Samuelson, Washington Post
Cassandra Devine knows how to solve the coming "entitlements" crisis, preordained when the 77 million baby boomers begin hitting 65 in 2011: Pay retirees to kill themselves, a program she calls "transitioning." Volunteers could receive a lavish vacation beforehand ("a farewell honeymoon"), courtesy of the government, and their heirs would be spared the estate tax. If only 20 percent of boomers select suicide before the age of 70, she says, "Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid will be solvent. End of crisis."

**** A Victim Of Its Own Success? <http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-farmers11apr11,1,6852695.story?coll=la-headlines-food>
by Russ Parsons, Los Angeles Times
Is progress taking the farmers out of farmers markets? And is that a bad thing?

SingaporeSurf
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**** New Law To Curb Email, Mobile Spam <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/269937/1/.html>
by Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia
While not a magic bullet solution, the minister for information, communications and the arts said the anti-spam law is a start.

**** Fiscal Finagling In Singapore <http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/ID13Ae01.html>
by Shawn W Crispin, Asia Times
According to independent financial analysis who spoke with Asia Times Online, Singapore's outsized surpluses are habitually hidden away off-budget, often through the use of accounting gimmicks that diverge from internationally accepted norms. They note that government-linked companies and investment corporations buy and sell among themselves at undisclosed transfer prices, obscuring their profit and loss profiles. Nor, they note, does the government publish statistics related to its share of overall national savings.

**** Denial At All Levels <http://iamnotageek.blogspot.com/2007/04/denial-at-all-levels.html>
by A Geeky Life
I am damn upset that our dear principal not only did not acknowledge the severe problems with the e-learning activity, but even congratulate the people who are supposed to make sure that every JC2 can participate in the e-learning.

**** PAP Salary Boost Before GST Hike Fails Needy <http://singaporeelection.blogspot.com/2007/04/pap-salary-boost-before-gst-hike-fails.html>
by Leong Sze Hian, Singapore Election Watch
Increasing GST and donating pay increments to help the needy is great, but we may need to try harder in finding them, in the first place, and helping them now.

**** Hooray! Pay Hike Prevents Collapse Of Singapore Inc!!! <http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2007/04/hooray-pay-hike-prevents-collapse-of.html>
by Diary Of A Singapore Mind

**** Questions Arising From The Case Of The Seditious Bloggers <http://www.singaporeangle.com/2007/04/questions_arising_from_the_cas.html>
by Singapore Angle
There are somewhat universal questions concerning how we distinguish between a) legitimate speech against governments' mistakes or speech which has a tendency to excite disaffection, b) racist remarks that will cause disorder which require a custodial sentence or stupid ugly racist remarks better resolved by counseling, probation and mediation, and c) the difference between terrorists and racists.

**** NEA Launches Campaign To Encourage Shoppers To Use Reusable Bags <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/269779/1/.html>
by Wong Mun Wai, Channel NewsAsia
Starting in May, the first Wednesday of each month will be dedicated for shoppers to bring their own bag.

**** Organ Donor? Yeah, Brain Dead Already Lah.
by Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu
Charles Ornstein and Tracy Weber <http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-transplant12apr12,0,3456303.story?track=mostviewed-splashpage>, Los Angeles Times: A man whose family agreed to donate his organs for transplant upon his death was wrongly declared brain-dead by two doctors at a Fresno hospital, records and interviews show.
Will this happen in Singapore? Why will this /not/ happen?
<p class="permlink">Permanent Link to This Post <http://www.myapplemenu.com/singapore/2007/04/12/id0024/>

**** Singapore PM In Damage Control On Salary: Analyst <http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=070412071539.yjedg5g3&cat=null>
by Bernice Han, AFP
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong's offer to freeze his salary for five years is an attempt to appease rare public fury over plans to boost the salaries of ministers and civil servants, analysts said Thursday.

**** Peanuts For Principles <http://muddynights.livejournal.com/196021.html>
by Muddynights
Surely money is not the major consideration in jumping ship.

**** The Price Of One Lee Hsien Loong <http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/04/price-of-one-lee-hsien-loong.html>
by Mr Wang Says So
For the price of one Lee Hsien Loong, we could afford to hire: one US president, one UK prime minister, one Japanese prime minister, /and/ one German chancellor,and have about half a million dollars left over, to give away to charity.

**** Singapore And The New Media <http://punchfire.com/2007/04/singapore-and-new-media.html>
by Farooq Jamil Alvi, PunchFire
The new media is powerful because it's decentralized. And though a lot of this may seem like noise, there are world changing opinions forming in its midst and the best part is that distribution is neither controlled nor localised.

**** The MP Salary Increase Thingy <http://shingot.blogspot.com/2007/04/mp-salary-increase-thingy.html>
by Cup Of Ice
Maybe it's because I'm a Malaysian... I think Singaporeans are taking their government for granted. Be thankful fo rbeing ranked high for government transparency, stability and low corruption.

**** Lessons From Around The Globe: Singapore <http://www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentID=6166>
by Enviornmental Defense
A pioneer in taming traffic.

**** For Singapore Filmmakers, China Beckons <http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/11/arts/fmjessop.php>
by Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, Internationa Herald Tribune
While other Asian productions have started to focus on China, this will be a first for the small but rapidly growing Singaporean film industry.

**** Acquisition Act Updated <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/182748.asp>
by Loh Chee Kong, Today
Parliament yesterday passed amendments to the 41-year-old Land Acquisiton Act, pegging the compensation at prevailing market rates.

**** A Little Research, Please?
by Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu
I'm not sure whether this is a case of a forum-letter writer not doing his research, or whether this is a case for better communication from the SMRT...
But here we have a complaint <http://www.straitstimes.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=f832758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:c8ab1b1bc91e1110VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD> in the Straits Times by Cheong Yin Ling about a 10-minute train delay on the SMRT on April 9th.
And here is a report <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/269373/1/.html> by Channel NewsAsia on the reason: an 'incident' (sounds like accident to me) at Woodlands MRT on the very same day at the very same time.
But, maybe this is telling us that, yes, it's time to build platform doors on above-ground MRT platforms. If LTA can build a tunnel without any good cost-benefit justification, I don't see why not to minimise MRT suicides and accidents.
<p class="permlink">Permanent Link to This Post <http://www.myapplemenu.com/singapore/2007/04/12/id0007/>

**** Why Is President Paid More Than PM? <http://www.straitstimes.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=7532758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:63121b1bc91e1110VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD>
by Teo Tze Wei, Straits Times

**** Next PM Should Be Ready In 10 Years: PM Lee <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/182755.asp>
by Lee U-Wen, Today
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said the hunt is on to groom his potential successor before 2011, when the next general election must be held.
Mr Lee hopes that in 10 years' time &mdash; once he has pieced together the best possible team, who are now  in their late 30s or early 40s &mdash; "one of them should be ready to take over as prime minister."

**** Deconstructing Singapore Inc. <http://bleongcw.typepad.com/simple_is_the_reason_of_m/2007/04/deconstructing_.html>
by Simple Is The Reason Of My Heart
Singaporeans need to start taking the "Inc" out of Singapore government and participate in discussion of issues which concerns our country in the future.

The Shuffe by MyAppleMenu
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**** Los Cruzados <http://www.friendlyfirerecordings.com/Bands/ElkCity/elkcity.html>
by Elk City
Click here to listen <http://www.friendlyfirerecordings.com/Bands/ElkCity/04%20Los%20Cruzados.mp3>.