[MyAppleMenu] Jan 8, 2008

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple's Xserve Bumped Too: "Most Powerful Apple Server Ever" <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/01/08/apples-xserve-bumped>
by Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

**** Apple Launches Fastest-Ever Mac Pro <http://www.macworld.co.uk/mac/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=20087>
by Jonny Evans, Macworld UK
Huge speed, performance and expandability feature in latest professional desktop Macs.

**** New Mac Pro And Xserve From Apple
by Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu
The new Mac Pro <http://www.apple.com/macpro/?sr=hotnews.rss>: "Tower of 8-core power."
The new Xserve <http://www.apple.com/xserve/?sr=hotnews.rss>. "Now with 8-core processing power."
<p class="permlink">Permanent Link to This Post <http://www.myapplemenu.com/2008/01/08/id0024/>

**** Video Rental Is A Better Busienss For Apple Than Movie Sales <http://cultofmac.com/?p=1608>
by Pete Mortensen, Cult Of Mac
At this point, I'm ready to admit that Apple's assumptions for the movie market were flat-out wrong.

**** Microsoft Office For Mac 2008 (Home And Student Edition) <http://reviews.cnet.com/office-suites/microsoft-office-for-mac/4505-3524_7-32655110.html?tag=box>
by Elsa Wenzel, CNET
Overall, we found ourselves wondering why someone would splurge for Office for Mac 2008. Sure, it's a step up from the 2004 version, and the only one that runs natively on Intel-based Macs. But other companies serve up software that's compatible with Office documents and costs half as much, if not less-or nothing at all. iWork '08,  for one, handles the newest, XML-based Office files pretty well.

**** Dear Mr Jobs: Please May I Have A Mac On A Stick? <http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/01/dear_mr_jobs_pl.html>
by Mitch Wagner, InformationWeek
If Apple can get Mac OS X running on the iPhone and iPod Touch, surely they can run it on a USB stick?
/The usual problem of having to run OS X on a large variety of PC configurations will, of course, doom this project./

**** Apple Takes Down "No Girls Allowed" Sign Over Boardroom <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/01/07/apple-takes-down-no-girls-allowed-sign-over-boardroom>
by Erik Kennedy, Ars Technica
See Also:
Meet Apple's Newest Director: Andrea Jung <http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2008/01/apples_new_dire.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_byteoftheapple>, by Arik Hesseldahl, BusinessWeek.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Linus Torvalds Still Sticking With GPL 2 <http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/07/torvalds-kernel_1.html?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/07/torvalds-kernel_1.html>
by Paul Krill, IDG News Service
Linux creator Linus Torvalds, in an interview being made public by the Linux Foundation Tuesday, stressed that version 2 of the GPL (GNU General Public License) still makes the most sense for the Linux kernel over the newer GPL version 3.

**** Yang: The Future Is Simple For Yahoo <http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/07/Yang-future-is-simple-for-Yahoo_1.html?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/07/Yang-future-is-simple-for-Yahoo_1.html>
by Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Recording <http://www.slate.com/id/2175506/fr/rss/>
by Tom Sleigh, Slate
The first word God said made everything
out of noting. But the nothing shows through&mdash;

**** One By One, Narratives Reflecting Life's Mosaic <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/books/08kaku.html?_r=1&ref=books&oref=slogin>
by Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
Whether they are old-fashioned narratives, playful improvisations or comic-strip-like tales told in pictures, these stories force us to re-evaluate that old chestnut "Character is destiny."

**** Michael Pollan's Manifesto On Eating Well <http://www.salon.com/books/review/2008/01/08/pollan/index_np.html>
by Craig Seligman, Salon
The polemical sequel to "The Omnivore's Dilemma," Pollan's new book shows how processed foods are making us fat and sick &mdash; and why eaters must revolt.

**** Will The Humanities Save Us? <http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/will-the-humanities-save-us/?ex=1357275600&en=a352a0c049006ac3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss>
by Stanley Fish, New York Times
To the question "of what use are the humanities?", the only honest answer is none whatsoever. And it is an answer that brings honor to its subject.

SingaporeSurf
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**** Perception Vs Reality <http://www.insanepoly.com/blog/?p=448>
by Insane Polygons

**** A Gracious Singapore? Not In My Lifetime: MM <http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_194088.html>
by Li Xueying, Straits Times
The idea of a gracious society - 'where people are considerate to one another, where you don't make more noise to upset your neighbour than you need to, where you tell the other motorist, Please have the right of way' - was 'harder to come by,' said Mr Lee.

**** Motorists To Face Five New ERP Gantries <http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_194130.html>
by Christopher Tan, Straits Times

**** China Eastern Shareholders Reject Singapore Air Deal <http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSSHA11631820080108>
by Reuters
Holders of China Eastern Airlines' Shanghai- and Hong-Kong-listed shares on Tuesday rejected a deal to sell a 24 percent stake in the country's third-largest carrier to Singapore Airlines for US$920 million.
See Also:
SIA Disappointed Over Rejection By China Eastern Shareholders <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/321348/1/.html>, by Channel NewsAsia.

**** MM Lee Says He Does Not See Backlash Against Singapore Sovereign Wealth Funds <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/321303/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia
He said that funds such as the Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) and Temasek Holdings are relatively small and pose no threat.
/Of course, just because you say doesn't make it so. Or: just because it is true doesn't make perceptions to come to the same conclusion./

**** Healthcare In Singapore: The Devil's Not In The Details Of Means-Testing But In The Subsidy-System Itself? <http://blueheeler.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/healthcare-in-spore-the-devils-not-in-the-details-of-means-testing-but-in-the-subsidy-system-itself/>
by BothSidesOfTheJohorStraits
Why can't the Ministry of Helath consider subsidising healthcare nearly 100% (like the Ministry of Education), or not subsidise at all, like for petrol?

**** Two Cities <http://mucho-suerte.livejournal.com/228649.html>
by Mucho Suerte
Through government scholarshiops and military training programmes, the elite of Singapore's civil service and military officers acquired not only American know-how, but also the know-who to build lasting ties.

**** Discount Ads On Taxis Illegal, Says LTA <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=48>
by Sgpolitics.net
I feel it is unfair that advertising for lower fees should be considered "soliciting," along with other actions such as touting.

**** Make-Or-Break Meeting Over Singapore Airline's Bid For China Eastern <http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iW-LyVYIvq6hRPD7yVtTPPJlYnYw>
by AFP

**** Need Cash? Rent Out Your HDB Flat <http://tnp.sg/columnists/story/0,4136,152790,00.html?>
by Larry Haverkamp, New Paper
HDB's new rules enable owners to generate income from their units. The downside? You may have to move in with your relatives.

**** Singapore And China Sign Agreement On Defence Cooperation <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/321253/1/.html>
by Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia

**** Black Letter Days <http://singaporesojourn.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-letter-days.html>
by Singapore Sojourn
While not the highest quality of journalism and leaning toward the tabloid end of the spectrum, /My Paper/ nevertheless fills a market niche.

**** Creative Advertisement On Google Main Page? <http://decayonnet.blogspot.com/2008/01/creative-advertisement-on-google-main.html>
by Decay On Net
Qmax, one of the operators of Wireless at sg, is hijacking the website and throwing their advertisements on websites that doesn't belong to them.

**** Cabby Who Advertised Discounts Flouted Rules <http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_193872.html>
by Maria Almenoar, Straits Times
According to LTA, cabbies caught calling out to passengers along the road are considered to be soliciting for passengers.

**** Means Testing A Guide, Not Cure-All <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/230962.asp>
by Phua Kai Hong, Today
Means testing is not the panacea to solve all health care and financiing problems. It is merely a tool to guide better allocation of scarce public resources.
See Also:
Hospital Means Testing Won't Mean Higher Costs For Most <http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_193801.html>, by Salma Khalik, Straits Times. People can still choose ward classes but rich will get lower subsidies than poor, says Khaw Boon Wan.

**** Why Ngiam The Critic Is Tolerated <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/230946.asp>
by Loh Chee Kong, Today
Why is it that one group evokes sharp and direct censure from the political leadership, while the other does not?
Needless to say, Mr Ngiam Tong Dow and Dr Catherine Lim are backed by their achievements and standing in the establishment, and it would be politically awkward, to say the least, for any government to put down one of its own.