[MyAppleMenu] Dec 23, 2008

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Review: Billings 3 <http://www.macworld.com/article/137424/2008/12/billings3.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Jeffery Battersby, Macworld
The updated Billings is an excellent time-tracking, invoicing, and estimate program that allows small companies to create a big impression.

**** Is The iPhone Really A Bad Phone? <http://cultofmac.com/is-the-iphone-really-a-bad-phone/6267>
by Lonnie Lazar, Cult Of Mac

**** Look Out, Amazon: iPhone Gets Real E-Books <http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/12/look-out-amazon-iphone-gets-real-e-books-aapl>
by Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider

**** Private <http://daringfireball.net/2008/12/private>
by John Gruber, Daring Fireball
App Store guidelines aside, my take on the use of private APIs is not absolute. If you, as a developer, want to use Private APIs for /non/-essential aspects of an app, and take care to check for their existence before actually calling them, and write cod ethat fails gracefully if they don't, then maybe it's OK.

**** Less Cheer As Apple Confronts An Uncertain 2009 <http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Apple/Less-Cheer-as-Apple-Confronts-an-Uncertain-2009/?kc=rss>
by Reuters
Apple remains an iconic brand, whose marketing, balance sheet and strong growth are the envy of competitors. But with expectations of a major product launch now muted and consumer spending pinched, the outlook is a bit cloudier.

**** I Still Can't Recommend iPhone As Phone <http://blogs.eweek.com/applewatch/content/iphone/i_still_cant_recommend_iphone_as_phone.html>
by Joe Wilcox, eWeek

**** Apple Releases Fix For Crashing Mail App Under OS X 10.5.6 <http://www.macworld.com/article/137717/2008/12/mailupdate.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Jonathan Seff, Macworld
Mail Update 1.0 addresses a problem where a copy of Mail that wasn't properly updated while installing the 10.5.6 update unexpectedly quits.

**** Why Apple's 'Consumer' Macs Are Enterprise-Worthy <http://www.cio.com/article/472313/Why_Apple_s_Consumer_Macs_are_Enterprise_Worthy>
by Seth Weintraub, CIO.com
There is no comparison between Apple's "consumer" machines and the consumer lines of its competitors. All of Apple's machines are ready to move into the enterprise, depending on the job at hand. The company's simple and elegant product line, which is also highly customizable, will be Apple's entree to the business market&mdash;if IT decision-makers can get over their prejudice against equpment that's traditionally been aimed at consumers.

**** The Need For iPhone App Folders And Search Is Quickly Approaching <http://venturebeat.com/2008/12/21/the-need-for-iphone-app-folders-and-search-is-quickly-approaching/>
by Mg Siegler, Venture Beat
Users are going to start coming up on the nine page limit problem. e're going to need a better way to organize the apps.
/Plus, my six-year-old daughter has figured out how to rearrange the applications on our iPod touch.../

**** Psystar Claims Apple Has Invalid Mac OS X Copyright <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/12/22/psystar_claims_apple_has_invalid_mac_os_x_copyright.html>
by Aidan Malley, AppleInsider
In an agressive response, unofficial Mac clone builder Psystar has made a controversial claim that Apple doesn't legally own the US rights to protect Mac OS X, invalidating a major component of its lawsuit.

**** Updated A Moment Ago <http://blogs.oreilly.com/digitalmedia/2008/12/updated-a-moment-ago.html>
by FJ De Kermadec, O'Reilly Digital Media Blog
Call me old-fashioned, but nothing irritates me more than these attempts at dumbing down interfaces.

**** Highbrow 1.0.1 <http://www.macworld.com/article/137712/2008/12/highbrow.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Dan Frakes, Macworld

**** Evernote - The Perfect GTD App? <http://theweeklyreview.ca/2008/12/22/is-evernote-the-perfect-gtd-app/>
by Chris Bowler, The Weekly Review
It's a package that's hard to beat.

**** Mariner Software Releases Story Development Software Contour 1.0 <http://www.macworld.co.uk/macsoftware/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=24103>
by Macworld UK

**** Aspyr Confirms Layoffs, Sources Say As Much As A Third <http://kotaku.com/5114512/aspyr-confirms-layoffs-sources-say-as-much-as-a-third>
by Brian Crecente, Kotaku

**** iPodhash Project Moves To Wikileaks Following DMCA Notice <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/12/22/ipodhash-project-moves-to-wikileaks-following-dmca-notice>
by Justin Berka, Ars Technica

**** References To New iMacs, Minis With NVIDIA Graphics Found <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/12/22/references-to-new-imacs-minis-with-nvidia-graphics-found>
by Justin Berka, Ars Technica

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Is The Web Helping Us Evolve? <http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2008/12/23/david_brin_google/index.html>
by David Brin, Salon
The truth lies somewhere between "Google is makng us stupid" and "the internet will liberate humanity."

**** Interview With Clay Shirky, Part I <http://www.cjr.org/overload/interview_with_clay_shirky_par.php?page=all>
by Russ Juskalian, Columbia Journalism Review
"There's always a new Luddism whenever there's change."

**** Mozilla CEO: Ties With Google 'Complicated' Since Chrome <http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9124141>
by Gregg Keizer, Computerworld

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/opinion/23blount.html?ref=todayspaper>
by Roy Blount Jr., New York Times
Let's digress from anything ending in -ession. Let's entertain some new, upbead holiday words.

**** The Doors Shut On An Emporium Offering A Hodgepodge Of Essentials <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/23/world/europe/23london.html?ref=todayspaper>
by Sarah Yall, New York Times
It was not that its products were particularly exciting in themselves, or that its service was particularly attentive. But Woolworths was always there, a comforting part of the landscape, offering everything you wanted and more besides: ice trays and ironing boards; birthday cards and bars of soap; Play-Doh, pet food, paper clips and pajamas.

**** God Is A Problm, Sources Say <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123000033860729321.html?mod=rss_Books>
by Vincent Carroll, Wall Street Journal
How secular newsrooms handle stories with a religious component.

**** Read It And Weep <http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2008/12/23/publishing/index.html>
by Jason Boog, Salon
The economic news couldn't be worse for the book industry. Now insiders are asking how literature will survive.

**** Dickens's Enduring Gift To Christmases Future <http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2008/12/23/dickenss_enduring_gift_to_christmases_future/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Book+reviews>
by Michael Kenney, Boston Globe
On recently revisiting "A Christmas Carol" - virtually a first reading after so many years &mdash; it was striking to find how early it is in the tale tht Charles Dickens telegraphs his message.

**** Wind Chill Blows <http://www.slate.com/id/2207326/?from=rss>
by Daniel Engber, Slate
It's time to get rid of a meaningless number.

SingaporeSurf
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**** Singapore: The One Everyone Will Have To Crack <http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2008/12/23/singapore-the-one-everyone-will-have-to-crack/>
by Richard Murphy, Tax Research UK

**** Singapore: An Increasingly Attractive Offshore Tax Haven <http://www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/offshore/more/singapore-attractive-offshore-tax-haven-10237/>
by Shelter Offshore
One location has so far managed to benefit and profit from other jurisdictions' reduction in favourability, and the jurisdiction in question is Singapore which is becoming an increasingly attractive offshore tax haven. However, with a greater in-flow of international money comes greaty scrutiny from the OECD... so how will Singapore continue to fare?

**** Sngapore To Keep Money Rates Low As Economy Sags <http://in.reuters.com/article/asiaCompanyAndMarkets/idINSP24212320081223>
by Kevin Yao, Reuters
Singapore's central bank is likely to flood the local money market with liquidity in the coming months as it prepares to let its currency weaken to head off a sharper economic slowdown, analysts said on Tuesday.

**** GST 8.5% For Free Transport, I Wouldn't Mind! <http://leelilian.blogspot.com/2008/12/gst-85-for-free-transport-i-wouldnt.html>
by Lee Lilian, The Itch To Write

**** Transport Minister: Bicycles Good For Just Intra-Town Travel <http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2008/12/transport-minister-bicycles-good-for-just-intratown-travel.html>
by mrbrown

**** Road Diversion Trial At Woodlands Centre Road To Be Extended <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/398093/1/.html>
by Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia

**** Which Are THe Venues That Can Be Considered Singapore's 'National THeatre' Historically? <http://blogs.nlb.gov.sg/epcl/theatre/historical-cultural-significant-theatre-venues-singapore-national-theatre/>
by Library at esplanade

**** Singapore's November Inflation Eases Amid Lower Crude Oil Costs <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aBT2QHHNHCUA&refer=asia>
by Chen Shiyin, Bloomberg
Singapore's inflation eased in November for a second month as lower oil prices cut transportation costs in the city state.

**** First Signs Of 'Long Island' Reclamation Off The East Coast? <http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2008/12/first-signs-of-long-island-reclamation.html>
by Wild Shores of Singapore
Vessels are now prohibited from anchoring in a large area opposite the East Coast.

**** PAP Wayang To Pave The Way For An Eventual CPF Cut <http://wayangparty.com/2008/12/23/pap-wayang-to-pave-the-way-for-an-eventual-cpf-cut/>
by Eugene Yeo, The Wayang Party Club Of Singapore
Notice that both have stopped short of repudiating the possibility of CPF cuts entirely in their speeches.
/That would be stupid, and you can't accuse them of being stupid./

**** Don't Be Blunt <http://singaporelifetimes.blogspot.com/2008/12/dont-be-blunt.html>
by Singapore Life And Times
Singaporeans may be an obedient and disciplined workforce, but we are not stupid.

**** Singapore Ministers' Stupidest Remarks <http://singaporedino.blogspot.com/2008/12/singapore-ministers-stupidest-remarks.html>
by Singapore Dino

**** That's Not A Wheel, This Is A Wheel <http://www.theage.com.au/travel/thats-not-a-wheel-this-is-a-wheel-20081223-73xd.html>
by Peter Litras, The Age

**** Transport Minister Raymond Lim Says: Heads We Win, Tails You Lose <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=1627>
by Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net

**** Hyperbolic Wisdom From The Transport Minister <http://geraldgiam.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/hyperbolic-wisdom-from-the-transport-minister/>
by Gerald Giam
Why was the minister talking down to Singaporeans like that by using such hyperbole?