[MyAppleMenu] Jun 27, 2007

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** iPhone Spawns Gray Market <http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/06/27/iPhone-spawns-gray-market_1.html>
by Steven Schwankert, IDG News Service
Cottage industry of 'line-waiters' and advance sales is springing up prior to the iPhone's Friday launch.

**** As The iPhone Launch Nears, The Wireless Industry Needs A Clue <http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/news/2007/06/mobile_confusion>
by Marty Graham, Wired
On the eve of the iPhone's June 29 arrival, wireless-industry insiders are scrambling to understand their customers before Apple takes them away. The trouble is, they can't seem to agree on the problem, let alone the solution.

**** FireWire Headed For Slow Decline, Says Report <http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/06/27/firewire/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
A new report from In-Stat says that IEEE 1394, known to Mac users as FireWire, is heading for a slow decline in the face of major challenges from other interfaces and a stagnating market share.

**** Apple Posts iPhone Keyboard Video <http://www.tuaw.com/2007/06/27/apple-posts-iphone-keyboard-video/>
by Scott McNulty, The Unofficial Apple Weblog
The main thrust of the video seems to be 'trust the keyboard.'

**** Waiting For The Latest In Wizardry <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/technology/27apple.html?ref=technology>
by Katie Hafner, New York Times

**** MacBook's iSight: No Assembly Required <http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2007/tc20070626_086976.htm>
by Catherine Holahan, BusinessWeek
The picture quality is super and it's a snap to use, but this built-in webcam has lag and zoom issues that may disappoint frequent video bloggers.

**** Adobe To Open Lightroom To Developers <http://news.com.com/Adobe+to+open+Lightroom+to+developers/2100-1046_3-6193441.html?tag=nefd.top>
by Stephen Shankland, CNET News.com
Adobe plans to release Photoshop Lightroom 1.1 on Tuesday, but bigger changes will come later when the company starts letting outside programmers add their own plug-ins to the software.

**** Wi-Fi Still A Missing Piece Of iPhone <http://wifinetnews.com/archives/007734.html>
by Glenn Fleishman, Wi-Fi Networking News
Because seamless connections to hotspots require custom software&mdash;software that a third party can't install on an iPhone yet&mdash;iPhone owners who want to use hotspots will have to connect, use the browser, and login, too.

**** iDay Minus Three... <http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/foreign/catherineelsworth/june07/idayminusthree.htm>
by Chaterine Elsworth, Telegraph
So it turns out I'm not the only journalist struggling to get my hands on an iPhone ahead of Friday's launch.

**** Behind The iPhone Music <http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/25/magazines/fortune/att_sigman.fortune/?postversion=2007062605>
by Stephanie N. Mehta, Fortune
Stanley Sigman, CEO of AT&amp;T Mobility, has been getting his team ready for iPhone mania for months. Sigman, a wireless industry veteran who is credited with turning around Cingular (as AT&amp;T's wireless unit was previously known) five years ago, recently spoke about his company's hot new device, AT&amp;T's partnership with Apple &mdash; and why the iPhone could be bigger than Caller ID.

**** Testing Out The iPhone <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118289311361649057.html>
by Walter S. Mossberg and Katherine Boehret, Wall Street Journal
Our verdict is that, despite some flaws and feature omissions, the iPhone is, on balance, a beautiful and breakthorugh handheld computer. Its software, especially, sets a new bar for the smart-phone industry, and its clever finger-touch interface, which dispenses with a stylus and most buttons, works well, though it sometimes add steps to common functions.

**** Without Wireless Downloads, iPhone May Not Rock Music Industry <http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/26/business/NA-FIN-TEC-US-IPhone-Mobile-Music.php>
by Associated Press
"The whole idea of on-the-go instant gratification isn't there."
/I wonder if one can download MP3s from iPhone's Safari browser?/

**** Apple's iPhone Isn't Perfect, But It's Worthy Of The Hype <http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2007-06-26-iphone-review_N.htm>
by Edward Baig, USA Today

**** At Last, The iPhone <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19444948/site/newsweek/page/0/>
by Steven Levy, Newsweek
Certainly all those people lining up to buy iPhones will find their investment worthwhile, if only for the delight they get from dazzling their friends. They will surely appreciate the iPhone's features and the way they are intertwined to present a unified experience. But in the future&mdash;when the iPhone has more applications and offers more performance, with a lower price&mdash;buyers will find even more value.

**** Rumor Today: Apple Licensing Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync?
by Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu
Microsoft Exchange /is/ much more than an e-mail server. Just turning on IMAP and letting iPhone access the e-mail portion is to ignore the other goodies that Exchange brings to the table. To access all the other stuff &mdash; calendaring, for example, Apple will need to pay Microsoft some money for a license.
And the rumor today is that Apple has done that <http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=534> already. Expect some announcement soon?
<p class="permlink">Permanent Link to This Post <http://www.myapplemenu.com/2007/06/27/id0013/>

**** The iPhone Matches Most Of Its Hype <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/technology/circuits/27pogue.html?ex=1340596800&en=98d00bf6e780b2be&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
by David Pogue, New York Times
Even in version 1.0, the iPhone is still the most sophisticated, outlook-changing piece of electronics to come along in years. It does so many things so well, and so pleasurably, that you tend to forgive its foibles.

**** Analysis: How Apple Sees The iPhone <http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/06/26/iphonemrkting/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
by Peter Cohen and Philip Michaels, Macworld
Just glancing at the names on that list, it's clear that whatever analysts think of the iPhone, Apple sees it squarely in the middle of smartphone territory.

**** Analysis: iPhone's Rate Plan Is Actually Pretty Good <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2151149,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03069TX1K0001121>
by Sascha Segan, PC Magazine

**** New Yorkers Camp Out For iPhone Despite Summer Heat <http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/06/26/New-Yorkers-camp-out-for-iPhone-despite-heat_1.html>
by Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service
Early adopters equpped with food, water, and other supplies as they await arrival of Apple's first cell phone.

**** Color 1.0: Apple Unleashes Final Cut Studio Grading And Finishing Tool <http://www.macworld.com/2007/06/reviews/color1/index.php?lsrc=mwrss>
by Gary Adcock, Macworld

**** Apple Stores To Close From 2 To 6 On Friday <http://www.tuaw.com/2007/06/26/apple-stores-to-close-from-2-to-6-on-friday/>
by Erica Sadun, The Unofficial Apple Weblog
Apple has just announced that its retail stores will be closed on Friday, June 29th between 2 and  6pm to prepare for the iLaunch. Many retail AT&amp;T stores have announced they will also close between 4 and 6pm for similar reasons.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** In Silicon Valley, Steady But Cautious Growth Returns <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/realestate/commercial/27silicon.html?ref=technology>
by Kristina Shevory, New York Times

**** 'Day Of Silence' For US Web Radio <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6240418.stm>
by BBC News
Web radio broadcaster across the US will hold a "day of silence" on Tuesday in protest at plans to hike royalty payments when music is played online.

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Cheese Stands Alone <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/25/AR2007062501565.html?nav=most_emailed>
by Dana Milbank, Washington Post
Vice president Cheney's recent declaration that he is not part of the executive branch has prompted hard questions. THe explanatory task fell to White House spokeswoman Dana Perino, whose skin reddened around her neck and collar as she pleaded ignorance during the daily briefing.

**** If I Worked At The Zoo <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/opinion/27dolnick.html?_r=1&oref=slogin>
by Ben Dolnick, New York Times
When i took a job as a zoo keeper one summer in college, I imagined it as a position of considerable, if perculiar, glory.

**** Darwin Still Rules, But Some Biologists Dream Of A Paradigm Shift <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/26/science/26essay.html?ex=1340510400&en=560c387dfae2a80e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
by Douglas H. Erwin, New York Times
Is Darwin due for an upgrade? THere are growing calls among some evolutionary biologists for just such a revision, although they differ about what form this might take. But those calls could also be exaggerated. There is nothing scientists enjoy more than the prospect of a good paradigm shift.

**** Yippee-Ki-Ya... <http://www.slate.com/id/2168927/fr/rss/>
by Eric Lichtenfeld, Slate
The greatest one-liner in movie histry.

SingaporeSurf
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**** Thai Coup Leader Conciliatory Toward Singapore <http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/06/26/business/temasek.php>
by Bloomberg News
A Singapore investment in Thailand that fueled public protests culminating in the overthrow of Thaksin Shinawatra's government was not an effort at spying but "just buisness," Sondhi Boonyaratakin, the architect of last year's coup, acknowledged.
Sondhi also backed away from claims made earlier this year that Singapore could use the assets to spy on the military, saying the accusation was part of "a strategy speech to make Thai people feel more protective about the country's assets."

**** The Singapore Model <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118289042878148947.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>
by Chen Hwai Liang, Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Singapore, Melinda Tan, Singapore Technologies Telemedia, Wall Street Journal
Our model has consistently delivered results, and been repeatedly endorsed by Singapore voters, to whom the government is fully accountable. Each country is different and has to work out institutions adpted to its own circumstances and needs. Singapore has found successful solutions for itself, and so much China. Mr. Rodan's ill-founded criticisms of the Singapore model will not cause China to develop one more to his liking.
See Also:
Scrutinizing Singapore <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118237177732342393.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>, by Garry Rodan, Wall Street Journal. In the absence of strong and independent domestic media, well-resourced civil society watchdog groups and opposition parties with a strong presence in parliament, there is no capacity by the public to scrutinize official information, let alone the chance of exerting pressure to enforce the release of further information than authorities originally intended.

**** Comparing Apple/AT&amp;T iPhone Plans To Singapore's Plans <http://yuhui.livejournal.com/310190.html>
by Yuhui
The iPhone plans are actually cheaper than what you can get in Singapore! And here, I always thought that mobile plans in the U.S. were a rip-off.

**** Size Does Not Matter <http://hsudarren.wordpress.com/2007/06/26/size-does-not-matter/>
by Dr Hsu's Forum

**** UNSW Singapore Campus Doomed To Fail <http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21973976-12332,00.html?from=public_rss>
by Brendan O'Keefe, The Australian
After just one semester, the University of NSW's Singaproe campus officially closes its doors tomorrow, an uneasy conclusion to one of the Australian higher education sector's worst business failures.
If the legacy of bereft students and angry academics weren't bad enough, other Australian universities offering programs in Singapore fear their reputations as business partners and education providers will suffer as the taint of the collapse spreads.

**** Singaporeans 'Not Engaging' In Political Dialogue On Web <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/196756.asp>
by Nazry Bahrawi, Today
The virtual world may offer opportunities for open political discussion but most Singaporeans are not participating.
This is according to the preliminary findings of a yet-to-be-completed study, conducted by the Institute of Policy Stuides, on the behaviour of Singapore voters at last year's general election.

**** Seletar Gets Ready For Makeover As Aerospace Hub <http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_133162.html>
by Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
Multimillion-dollar plan unveiled; tranquil nature of area to be retained.

**** Share Footways With Cyclists? People To Decide <http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_133244.html>
by Naleeza Ebrahim, Land Transport Authority, Ng Kian Khar, Traffic Police, Steven Yeo, Tampinese grassroots organisations, Straits Times
During the study, pedestrians will continue to have right of way on the footways at all times.
/However, the entire letter have no mention of how "people" can "decide" whether cyclists should be allowed to cycle on pedestrian pathways legally. There's no mention of how this decision will be made, except "feedback and suggestions". For all we know, the decision has already been made, and all this wayang is just to make pedestrian getting used to "stay alert"./
/Is there no place in Singapore that we can allow young children to run and play without having to "stay alert"?/

**** Landed Properties Should Not Be Priced Out Of Singaporeans' Reach <http://nofearsingapore.blogspot.com/2007/06/landed-properties-should-not-be-priced.html>
by Huang Shoou Chyuan, nofearSingapore

The Shuffe by MyAppleMenu
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**** I'm A Lonely Man <http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/Nat_Mayer.html>
by Nathaniel Mayer
Click here to listen <http://www.alive-totalenergy.com/NatMayer_LonelyMan.mp3>.