[MyAppleMenu] Jul 25, 2007

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** ArtRage 2.5 Released <http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=18638>
by Jonny Evans, Macworld UK
The entry-level software offers a realistic simulation of using paint on a canvas, along with pens, pencils, oil paint, crayons, chalk, felt pen, a glitter gun and other tools.

**** My Name Is iPhone And I'm Here To Destroy You <http://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2007/07/24/my-name-is-iphone-and-im-here-to-destroy-you.aspx>
by Tim Beyers, Motley Fool
The iPhone's early returns are anything but a snoozer. Wake up, everyone!

**** Who Would Have Thought The iPhone Would Become A Political Issue? <http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/57134/>
by Annalee Newitz, AlterNet
The iPhone is political because it shomehow manages to capture the essence of authoritarianism in its hiny little box. Totally locked down, it runs only preapproved software on a prechosen phone network that is subject to government surveillance.

**** Macs And Motorcycles <http://weblog.infoworld.com/realitycheck/archives/2007/07/macs_and_motorc.html>
by Ephraim Schwartz, InfoWorld
In an attempt to expalin the phenomenon that is Apple and why it has such a loyal following, I thought I would take a look at a company that achieved that haloed status first, by about 80 years. It's one of the few that can claim a similar kind of loyalty among its customers: Harley-Davidson Motorcycles.

**** iLife, iWork, I Wait <http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2007/07/ilife_iwork/index.php>
by Philip Michaels, Macworld
If we can veer off into the Realm of Speculation for just a second (just a little ways away from Dead Wrong in Public Boulevard), I'd be willing wager that we haven't seen new versions of iLife and iWork yet this year because we haven't seen a new version of OS X.

**** Is The iPhone A Success Or Flop? <http://weblogs.jupiterresearch.com/analysts/gartenberg/archives/2007/07/is_the_iphone_a.html>
by Michael Gartenberg, JupiterResearch
The first two days mean nothing in the overall life of the product and the overall success of the iPhone won't rest on how well this particular model does.

**** NewsGator Announces Mobile RSS Reader For iPhone <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2007/07/24/newsgator-announces-mobile-rss-reader-for-iphone>
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

**** Apple Shares Take Hit From iPhone Sales Data <http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/apple-takes-hit-att-posts/story.aspx?guid=%7B923DF702%2D526E%2D4D65%2D858B%2DE16A0666A5F0%7D>
by Dan Gallagher and Rex Crum, MarketWatch
Apple Inc. shares took a hit after AT&amp;T issued what many saw as disappointing activation numbers for Apple's iPhone for the last two days of the second quarter, when the device first went on sale. In addition, a telecommunications analyst issued a report before the opening bell that said demand for the device at retail outlets has seen a "significant decline" in recent days.

**** How To Take Halfway Decent Photos With An iPhone <http://powazek.com/posts/606>
by Derek Powazek
How's the camera? Short answer: About average for a cellphone, with some unique issues aroudn color shifts and motion blur. But I'm happy with its 1600x1200px output, and am enjoying finding out what it's good for, and what it's not.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** UK Reject Music Copyright Extension <http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL2442476820070724>
by Kate Holton, Reuters
The British government rejected a plea to extend copyright laws for sound recordings to beyond 50 years on Tuesday, prompting the music industry to accuse it of not supporting musicians and artists.

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Confucius Making A Comeback In Money-Driven Modern China <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/23/AR2007072301859.html?nav=most_emailed>
by Maureen Fan, Washington Post
Confucianism is enjoying a resurgence in China, as more and more Chinese seek ways to adapt to a culture in which corruption has spread and mateialism has becoming a driving value.

**** Green Couch <http://www.slate.com/id/2162957/>
by Edward Hirsch, Slate

**** Element It Has <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2007/07/30/070730po_poem_maxwell>
by Glyn Maxwell, New Yorker

**** Four Poems <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2007/07/30/070730po_poem_pavlova>
by Vera Pavlova, New Yorker

**** WASPS <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2007/07/30/070730fi_fiction_kennedy>
by A. L. Kennedy, New Yorker

SingaporeSurf
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**** What Umno Will Resort To... <http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/70378>
by Sri Tri Buana, Malaysiakini
Let Malaysians of today judge whether Lee Kuan Yew's 'Chinese chauvinism' or Umno's crass communal appeal is the bigger evil in causing the 1,001 problems in the country today. Let it be known that just as the DAP and Anwar are reacting to Umno's racial politics today, Lee did so similarly between 1963-65.

**** Institution Memory Is Essential For Youth Activism In Singapore <http://bleongcw.typepad.com/simple_is_the_reason_of_m/2007/07/institution-mem.html>
by Simple Is The Reason Of My Heart
Singaporean students should learning how to build successful organizations to sustain their youth activism when they are in school, such that it will transfer to better run organizations in the future.

**** The Inevitable Public Nature Of Internet Communication <http://www.singaporeangle.com/2007/07/the_invariable_public_nature_o.html>
by Singapore Angle

**** Dengue Situation Could Get Worse Next Year Before It Gets Better <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/290100/1/.html>
by Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia
For the past 20 years, the dengue situation in Singapore has seen a six to seven-year cycle.

**** The Library at Orchard To Close <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/290279/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia
The National Library's first downtown hub for bookworms, library at orchard is closing.
Library users will however find the next chapter for library at orchard, even better with the library re-opening in 2010 at *scape the youth community space and possibly another redeveloped site along Orchard Road.

**** As Governments Invest, Motives Blur <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072402153.html>
by Steven Pearlstein, Washington Post
In a global economy, insisting that governments making foreign investments play by commercial rules isn't "financial protectionaism." It's basic economic self-defense.

**** TV Program In RI And Singapore <http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20070725.D05&irec=4>
by William Kwok, Jakarta Post
I have found Singapore TV to be very commercially driven and the local programs very bad.

**** MAS Expects Singapore's Inflation To Be Moderate This Year <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/290236/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's consumer prices are likely to be well-contained thi syear as the Republic's open economy benefits from global competitiveness and as energy prices are not expected to ise sharply, the Monetary Authority of Singapore says in its 2006/07 annual report.

**** Reusing Water May Just Be Too Hard To Swallow <http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=49767&sid=14619967&con_type=1>
by Caroline Savello, The Standard
Singapore may be more centralized than Hong Kong, but the city used its government support to boost public opinion of the water recycling program.

**** Malaysia Has The Edge: MM <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/202082.asp>
by Today
When it comes to developing special economic zones, Malaysia has the edge over Indonesia due to the former's political structure, said minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
/Sounds to me he is reiterating his belief that democracy and economic success doesn't mix./

**** Entertainment News: Ian McKellen <http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2007/yax-764.htm>
by Au Waipang, Yawning Bread
So McKellen lands here, he reads the highly prejudiced letters in the press, he mixes with gay Singaporeans and hears their stories. He watches a gay play in which Section 377A of the Penal Code is discussed.
What do you think he's going to say about Singapore after he's left our shores? He, the celebrity with huge access to the media all over the world?

**** Cabbies Face Mystery Checks From LTA <http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_142258.html>
by T. Rajan, Straits Times
Agency will hire private firm to identify problems encountered by commuters.

**** Blogger Exposes Rent Error <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/202076.asp>
by Loh Chee Kong, Today
$2,500 record figure not for one, but two combined 3-room Jurong East flats.
Mr Alex Au, who runs the yawningbread.org website, told Today that the unrealistic figure raised his eyebrows, especially since he lived just a few blocks away from blok 253.
See Also:
$2,500 To Rent A 3-Room Flat? <http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2007/yax-762.htm>, by Au Waipang, Yawning Bread.