[MyAppleMenu] Aug 31, 2009

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Is The Tyranny Of The Mac Fan Boy Waning? <http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/veBkSJaGrks/>
Sarah Lacy, TechCrunch

Some reporters– long harassed by Mac fan boys when they’ve dared to criticize the company (read: do their jobs) — are saying a sea change is occurring in Apple fan boy nation.

**** There’s An App for That- Small Uses That Make The iPhone Great <http://www.geardiary.com/2009/08/30/theres-an-app-for-that-small-uses-that-make-the-iphone-great/>
Dan Cohen, Gear Diary

As much as I may complain about Apple and AT&T these days I still love my iPhone 3GS. In fact it is because the iPhone is as remarkable as it is that I get frustrated with Apple and AT&T standing in the way of the device reaching toward its potential.

**** SEC Investigating Apple Trading <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-dorfman/sec-investigating-apple-t_b_272159.html>
Dan Dorfman, Huffington Post

Hey, have some investors been screwing around illegally with the shares of high-flying Apple, Inc., a superstar of the investment scene?

Apparently, the Securities & Exchange Commission is suspicious this may be the case and has kicked off an investigation into the trading in Apple's securities both here and abroad. This is revealed in a series of documents it recently fired off to the brokerage community.

**** All A Cub Reporter Needs Is A Scoop And An iPhone <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/technology/start-ups/31fwix.html?ref=technology>
Claire Cain Miller, New York Times

A Web site for local news hopes to fill the growing void in professionally reported local news by recruiting citizens armed with iPhones as reporters.

**** Apple's New OS Geared For Multicore Future <http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-10319839-264.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-Apple>
Stephen Shankland, CNET News.com

Apple began shipping Snow Leopard on Friday, but the true importance of the Mac OS X update likely will emerge well afterward.

**** Mac OS Snow Leopard: Great News For Windows 7, Too <http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10315168-1.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-Apple>
Dong Ngo, CNET News.com



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Curious Appeal Of Miscellanea <http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/08/30/the_curious_appeal_of_miscellanea/>
Tom Scocca, Boston Globe

Or, why we’ll pay for information, but only if it’s completely irrelevant.

**** Love And Lies <http://www.metafilter.com/84605/Orchids>
Michael Pollan, Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic

How do you spread your genes around when you're stuck in one place? By tricking animals, including us, into falling in love.

**** When Science & Poetry Were Friends <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22955>
Freeman Dyson, The New York Review Of Books

The scientists of that age were as Romantic as the poets. The scientific discoveries were as unexpected and intoxicating as the poems. Many of the poets were intensely interested in science, and many of the scientists in poetry.

**** The Game <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2009/09/07/090907po_poem_smith>
Bruce Smith, New Yorker

**** Pernilla <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2009/09/07/090907po_poem_ashbery>
John Ashbery, New Yorker

**** Distant Relations <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2009/09/07/090907fi_fiction_pamuk>
Orhan Pamuk, New Yorker

The series of events and coincidences that would change my entire life began on April 27, 1975, when Sibel happened to spot a purse designed by the famous Jenny Colon in a shopwindow as we were walking along Valikonagi Avenue, enjoying the cool spring evening.



SingaporeSurf
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**** End Of The Road For Prison <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_423352.html>
Teh Joo Lin, Straits Times

Queenstown Remand Prison (QRP) has closed after 44 years and moved to the new prison cluster at Changi which merges all prisons into one cluster complex.

**** Journey Of A Lifetime, 4-hour Causeway Wait <http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,212182,00.html?>
Ho Lian-yi, New Paper

Adventurer recounts how he was stuck in Woodlands as Swiss Embassy, LTA rush to get paperwork done for car to enter Singapore.

Welcome to Singapore, the land of sorry-i-understand-but-you-still-need-to-fill-up-that-paperwork.

**** Library Caters To All, But Priority For Those Who Use Its Resources <http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_423287.html>
Ngian Lek Choh, National Library Singapore, Straits Times

Recognising that libraries are public spaces catering to the needs of all types of users, we seek Miss Ho's understanding that priority will still need to be given to users to access, browse and use the library resources.

**** How HDB Keeps It Affordable <http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_423412.html>
Ignatius Lourdesamy, Housing & Development Board  , Straits Times

HDB aims to make public housing affordable for eligible first-time households. These households are generously subsidised for their purchase of new or resale flats. On average, first-time households used 21 per cent and 25 per cent of their monthly income to service their loans on new and resale HDB flats respectively in non-mature estates. These figures are well below the international affordability benchmark of 30 per cent.

**** Media Execs Query SingTel/StarHub Premier League Joint Bid <http://www.media.asia/newsarticle/2009_08/Media-execs-query-SingTelStarHub-Premier-League-joint-bid/36795>
Asiya Bakht , Media

Media sources have questioned a research paper from Deutsche Bank that suggested telco giants SingTel and StarHub might launch a joint bid to secure the rights to screen English Premier League (EPL) matches in Singapore for the next three seasons.

This move by the local players, if true, is surely anti-competitive, and goes against Singapore government's aim to be a player in the media business.

**** S'pore's GIC Names Chiefs For Europe, Americas Operations <http://www.reuters.com/article/etfNews/idUSSIN49030420090831>
Kevin Lim, Reuters

The Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC), which manages an estimated $200 billion-plus in assets said it has created the new posts of president (Europe) and president (Americas) to help it improve ties with policymakers.

**** Ripples Felt Here <http://www.todayonline.com/Business/EDC090831-0000024/Ripples-felt-here>
 Esther Fung, Today

Singapore's wealth management industry, along with its global counterparts, is still assessing the repercussions of a high profile tax-evasion case which involved Switzerland's largest bank, UBS, said industry watchers.

**** Singapore To Make Billions Handling Cross-Border Arbitrations <http://news.google.com/news/url?fd=R&sa=T&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fapps%2Fnews%3Fpid%3D20601087%26sid%3DahCVZh1pBhKo&usg=AFQjCNFfksJZ9aLacxkwhqoUsHXi7UlEyg>
Andrea Tan, Bloomberg

**** A Question Of Fairness: PRs Competing With Citizens For Primary 1 Places <http://temasekreview.com/?p=12486>
Bhaskaran Kunju, The Temasek Review

PM Lee focused on social cohesion in his National Day Rally and assimilating non-citizens into our population was part of it. Despite our conservative culture, I think we have been tolerant in accepting people of all races, creed and nationality. But if there is a perennial issue of citizens not feeling at home in their own country then there has to be a deeper problem that has not been addressed.

**** New Citizens: A New Support Base For The PAP <http://temasekreview.com/?p=12159>
The Temasek Review

Much has been written on the economic impact of the uncontrolled influx of foreigners into Singapore. Little is known about the underlying political implications.

**** Singaporeans Read For Info <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking+News/Singapore/Story/STIStory_423666.html>
Yen Feng, Straits Times

'While students in Singapore will not hesitate to read school-related materials, getting them to become life-long readers and to read for pleasure remains an uphill task,' the survey concluded.

Instead of listening to the latest tunes on your iPod, consider trying out an audiobook. You can borrow audiobooks at the public libraries for free.