[MyAppleMenu] Jan 7, 2009

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Is iWork '09 An Office Competitor? <http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/blogs/bizfeed/156515/is_iwork_09_an_office_competitor.html>
by Zack Stern, PC World
A few of the new features look good.

**** Three Reasons The Internet Is Eroding Apple's Mojo <http://www.micropersuasion.com/2009/01/three-reasons-t.html>
by Steve Rubel, Micro Persuasion
Apple is still having a good run, but the times are changing. Here are three reasons why Apple may not make the turn like it did before. There's a lot of lessons here for PR professionals.

**** Apple Won't Be Missed At Macworld Expo <http://weblog.infoworld.com/yager/archives/2009/01/apple_wont_be_m.html>
by Tom Yager, InfoWorld
Here's to future Macworld Expos featuring keynote speakers who don't have to walk eggshells to avoid alienating Apple.

**** Cool Fun Macworld With Free Hugs <http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2009/01/cool_stuff_at_macworld.html>
by Maggie Shiels, BBC
There was plenty around the hall to make me smile.

**** Apple: Monetizing The Recession <http://www.thomas-fitzgerald.net/2009/01/07/apple-monetizing-the-recession/>
by Thomas Fitzgerald
Peppered throughout the keynote were numerous subtle hints at Apple's new revenue streams.

**** iPhoto Update Helps Show Merits Of Geotagging <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13580_3-10133310-39.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0>
by Stephen Shankland, CNET News.com
The good news is that the world of digital photography is moving to a new organizational scheme, finally shedding the filing-cabinet metaphor of a hard drive's file system or the shoebox full of prints. The new tag-based world is more flexible and approachable in several ways, and it is still fully compatible with the older methods.
The bad news is that in order for it to work, you have to do a little more work getting the tags right in the first place.

**** Expo: HoudahGeo Upgrade Mkes Geocoding Your Snapshots A Snap <http://www.macworld.com/article/137991/2009/01/houdahgeo.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Dale Roe, Macworld
The new version adds direct support for many brands and models of GPS devices.

**** The Amazing Vanishing Mac Desktop Machine <http://www.macworld.com/article/137985/2009/01/nohwexpo.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
It's now been about 17 months since the Mac mini was updated; a full year since the last Mac Pro update; and more than eight months since the iMac was updated (which is lenghty given its historical update rate).
In the fast-paced world of computing, these are long periods of time for a model to go unchanged, and it's obvious that updates must be coming soon... just not quite yet.

**** Expo: Punch Knocks Out Home Design Studio For Mac <http://www.macworld.com/article/137990/2009/01/homedesignstudio.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Dale Roe, Macworld
A QuickStart system that facilitates fast home design and a decidedly green focus are hallmarks of the Punch Home and Landscape Design Studio for Mac, announced by Punch Software Tuesday at Macworld Expo.

**** Steve Jobs Wasn't The Only One Who Skipped Macworld <http://www.suntimes.com/business/1365191,ihnatko-macworld-no-steve-jobs-010609.article>
by Andy Ihnatko, Chicaco Sun-Times
And so, I spent this morning lounging comfortably in bed witha  Dr. Pepper and a Pop-Tart instead of sitting awkwardly in the press section of a ballroom with about 3,000 media, analysts, and fans of Apple in general.

**** Why Apple's iTunes Concessions Are A Double-Edged Sword <http://gigaom.com/2009/01/06/why-apples-itunes-concessions-are-a-double-edged-sword/>
by Mathew Ingram, GigaOM
The labels may be hoping they can sell the bulk of their hits for $1.29, but the reality could be very different.

**** Snow Leopard Is An Endangered Species <http://blogs.eweek.com/applewatch/content/mac_os_x/snow_leopard_is_an_endangered_species.html>
by Joe Wilcox, eWeek
The Mac Box Set foreshadows that Snow Leopard isn't coming anytime soon.

**** When Labels Fought The Digital, And The Digital Won <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/books/07garn.html>
by Dwight Garner, New York Times
"You can't roll a joint on an iPod," the singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne told The New York Times Magazine early last year. And, O.K., I suppose that's among the iPod's drawbacks. But it's hard to think of an electronic device released in recent decades that's brought more pleasure to more people.
Should anyone care that in the process, the iPod ha all but killed the music industry as we've known it?

**** Apple Lacks Broad Corporate Strategy But Still Sees Gains <http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/010609-apple-corporate-strategy.html?hpg1=bn>
by Jon Brodkin, Network World
You won't hear much talk about corporate IT at Apple's Macworld conference this week, but the maker of the iPhone and the Mac is nonetheless making steady progress in the enterprise technology world.

**** Apple's Entry Into Online Office Apps Is Confusing, Laughable <http://blog.wired.com/business/2009/01/apples-entry-in.html>
by Michael Calore, Wired
These are desktop software makers clinging to their old business models by keeping users partially tethered to the desktop, even as they try to compete with newer, smarter solutions that live entirely in the cloud.
/Apple will not make money makng office applications on the web &mdash; this is simply a market that the company will not pursue. People who think that there are no place for desktop applications are probably still waiting for the death of books and radios./

**** Apple Laptops Extend Their Lead In Reliability <http://www.pcworld.com/article/156450/apple_laptops_extend_their_lead_in_reliability.html>
by Jeff Bertolucci, PC World
In our annual survey of the most reliable laptops, Apple leads, HP bleeds, and Lenovo significantly recedes.
/There seems to be trouble in Windowsland. I can't think of a single brand of Windows PC that I can trust, with Sony and IBM dropping off my list due to recent troubles I've had./

**** Apple Shows Us How To Compete With Microsoft <http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10132368-16.html>
by Matt Asay, CNET News.com
Companies that try to placate Microsoft and avoid ruffling its feathers often find that Microsoft has no such compunctions about avoid ing stepping on their toes.

**** Macworld.Ars: GarageBand '09 First Impressions <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2009/01/06/macworld-ars-garageband-09-first-impressions>
by Clint Ecker, Ars Technica
Now for the new features that Phil didn't mention. Most of these are much-needed refinements to the user interface.

**** 25 Years Of Mac: From Boxy Beige To Silver Sleek <http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/17-01/ff_mac>
by Steven Levy, Wired
Here's what's amazing about the Mac as it turns 25, a number that in computer years is just about a googolplex: It /can/ look forward.

**** Macworld Already A Bummer, With Or Without Apple <http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/01/macworld-alread.html>
by Mathew Honan, Wired
It was almost like the company was trying to go out on a whimper.

**** Macworld 2009 - No Big Steps Forward For Apple, But No Steps Backwards, Either. <http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2009/01/macworld_2009_-.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_byteoftheapple>
by Peter Burrow, BusinessWeek
Schiller did a perfectly workman-like job of running through one of the least newsworthy Macworld agendas I can recall in my years of covering the comapny.

**** Woz Helps Take The Wraps Off Modbook Pro Tablet <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/01/06/woz_helps_take_the_wraps_off_modbook_pro_tablet_photos.html>
by Zach Spear, AppleInsider
The tablet Mac uses the 15.4" unibody MacBook Pro as its base system.

**** Expo: 17-Inch MacBook Pro's Battery Replacement Will Cost $179 <http://www.macworld.com/article/137979/2009/01/expo_17inch_macbook_pros_battery_replacement_will_cost_179.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Aayush Arya, Macworld

**** iPhoto '09 And Domain Language <http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/1507-iphoto-09-and-domain-language>
by Ryan Singer, 37signals
iPhoto '09 has kicked their language up a notch further.

**** News From Macworld: Recording Industry Declares Surrender <http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2009/01/06/record_companies_surrender/index.html?source=rss&aim=/tech/htww>
by Andrew Leonard, Salon
That fat lady has sung &mdash; and been digitized, ripped and distributed worldwide. The recording industry has finally recognized the inevitable. They're declaring surrender.

**** ChronoSync 4.0 Improves Sync Speed, Adds Options <http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/01/06/chronosync.40.ships/>
by MacNN
ChronoSync 4.0 adds many new features, most notably bootable backups, full admin access, and faster synchronizations.

**** No, An Overgrown iPod Touch Is Not A Netbook <http://lowendmac.com/musings/09mm/not-a-netbook.html>
by Dan Knight, Low End Mac
Make sure that everything about it says, "I'm a Mac."

**** To Err Is Human, To Live Divine: How Exactly No One Got It Right About Steve Jobs's Health <http://kara.allthingsd.com/20090106/to-err-is-human-to-live-divine-how-exactly-no-one-got-it-right-about-steve-jobs-health/>
by Kara Swisher, All Things Digital
A confluence of events seems more likely than one big Apple lot. But it did not stop Gizmodo from declaring it so.

**** Macworld.Ars: First Impressions Of (The Forgotten) iWeb '09 <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2009/01/06/macworld-ars-first-impressions-of-the-forgotten-iweb-09>
by David Chartier, Ars Technica
The new features and fundamental changes&mdash;like FTP publishing and multi-site support&mdash;feel like exactly what it needed to mature into a viable, WYSIWYG Mac website design app.

**** Macworld.Ars: iMovie '09 First Impressions <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2009/01/06/macworld-ars-imovie-09-first-impressions>
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
The feature that has the most "wow factor," in my mind though, is the real-time image stabilization feature.

**** Upgrading To iTunes Plus: Why The Hassle? <http://www.macworld.com/article/137964/2009/01/itunesplus.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld
Why won't Apple let me choose what I want to upgrade? Is the company afraid that it won't make enough money?
/Because, I suspect, is that Apple knows as time passes, and you buy more DRM-free music, you will less likely want to upgrade the previusly-bought DRM music./

**** Mac Box Set: The Overlooked Gem Of The Keynote <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2009/01/06/mac-box-set-the-overlooked-gem-of-the-keynote>
by Jeff Smykil, Ars Technica
The package, which is made up of the newly-announced iLife '09 and iWork '09 packages, also includes Mac OS X v10.5 and will go on sale late this month for only US$169.
/Probably like many others, I am tempted to just wait for Snow Leopard to be included before buying the whole set. Will this impact sales of iLife and iWork?/

**** iWork 09, iWork.com Collaboration Site Make Their Debut <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2009/01/06/iwork-09-iwork-com-collaboration-site-make-their-debut>
by David Chartier, Ars Technica
Documents from nay iWork '09 application can be shared to the iWork.com site, where other collaborators can view, add comments in the form of sticky notes, download versions in multiple formats, and upload revisions to.

**** Macworld.Ars: iPhoto '09 First Impressions <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2009/01/06/macworld-ars-iphoto-2009-first-impressions>
by Clint Ecker, Ars Technica
There are some pretty clever additions in terms of adding important metadata to your applications, but it would seem that there are few core-functionality updates to the application.

**** iMovie '09 Seems To Fix Everything From iMovie '08 <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9984>
by Jeff Carlson, TidBITS
Based on what Phil Schiller presented, iMovie '09 looks to be the iMovie we were expecting last year.

**** GarageBand '09 Adds Music Lessons <http://db.tidbits.com/article/9983>
by Doug McLean, TidBITS
HD video instructions walk you through nine basic lessons with synchronized notation, and animated fretboards and piano keys appearing at the bottom of the screen showing you how to follow along.

**** Expo: Microsoft To Enhance Entourage Exchange, SharePoint On The Mac <http://www.macworld.com/article/137950/2009/01/officeupdates.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
Entourgae will get a makeover, at least under the hood. Microsoft will stop using the WebDAV protocol in favor of the Exchange Web Services&mdash;a change the company said would bring better compatibility, performance, and reliability. The second update to Office for Mac will give Mac users the ability to work with SharePoint Products and Technologies and Office Live Workspaces.

**** Macworld.Ars: First Impressions Of Unibody 17" MacBook Pro <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2009/01/06/macworld-ars-first-impressions-of-unibody-17-macbook-pro>
by David Chartier, Ars Technica
Check out a few photos and some brief first impressions.

**** Expo: 17-Inch MacBook Pro Gets Unibody Makeover <http://www.macworld.com/article/137947/2009/01/17inchmacbookpro.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Chris Holt, Macworld
The most intriguing feature is likely the different battery it uses. Instead of the standard cylindrical AA cells that most batteries utilize, the MacBook Pro's battery uses custom-shaped cells. The lifespan of the cells is three times the length of the industry standard. In a decision that will likely cause some controversy, the battery is not removable.

**** iTunes Stores Goes DRM-Free <http://www.macworld.com/article/137946/2009/01/itunestore.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
Beginning today, 8 million of the iTunes Store's 10 million songs will be offered without DRM; the entire catalog is expected to go DRM-free by the end of the first calendar quarter of 2009. There will be three pricing tiers: 99 cents, 69 cents, and $1.29.

**** Expo: Apple Adds Productivity Features To iWork <http://www.macworld.com/article/137945/2009/01/iwork09.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Philip Michaels and Peter Cohen, Macworld
The updated version of Keynote adds a Magic Movie feature that adds a "morph"-like transition between slides. Pages '09 is highlighted by the addition of full-screen view that lets users focus completely on their writing project.

**** Expo: Apple Introduces iLife '09 <http://www.macworld.com/article/137943/2009/01/ilife09.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
iPhoto '09 uses face-detection and facial-recognition technology to automatically detect the faces of people in the pictures you take and to determine which photos include the /same/ faces.
In introducing iMovie '09, Apple senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller noted that Apple has added "depth and power" to the new release.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** The Shape Of Things To Come <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/05/clay-shirky-future-newspapers-digital-media>
by Tom Teodorczuk, The Guardian
No one, of course, can know what a future media landscape will look like. But, given that Shirky was among the few to have forecast 15 years ago that classified advertising would be sold online rather than via a newspaper ad, his crystal ball is more estimable than most others.

**** The Real Community Organizer <http://www.reason.com/news/show/130353.html>
by Katherine Mangu-Ward, Reason Magazine
Craig Newmark on Craigslist, libertarianism, online democracy, and nerd values.

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Why Early Detection Is The Best Way To Beat Cancer <http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/17-01/ff_cancer?currentPage=2>
by Thomas Goetz, Wired
Despite a proven model, early detection is an afterthought in cancer research.

**** From Asia, Rapture In A Bowl <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07laksa.html?_r=1>
by Julia Moskin, New York Times
People priase chicken soup, especially in these chilly, Kleenex-ridden days, but a bowl of it is usually greeted politely &mdash; not rapturously. Purists find pleasure in a clear, golden broth with a few perfect dice of carrot and egg noodles, but the taste? Dull, honestly. Bland, even.
Enter, steaming: the rich, spicy chicken noodle soups of Southeast Asia.

SingaporeSurf
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**** Empathy, Where? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/01/empathy-where/>
by Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
While I applaud the government for the pay cut, I cannot but be entirely disappointed that, as Mr. Tan Yong Soon, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, has shown, it is only cosmetic.
How else can it be if one is willing to spend thousands on a cooking course on a 5-week holiday and then boast about it in a national newspaper?

**** Hollow Words Of 'Empathy' From An Elite PAP MP <http://wayangparty.com/2009/01/07/hollow-words-of-empathy-from-an-elite-pap-mp/>
by Eugene Yeo, The Wayang Party Club Of Singapore
Your words sound empty and hollow to me. Your empathy is shallow and pretentious. Instead of being comforted, I felt belittled, neglected and betrayed by the ruling elite which seems to be living in an ivory tower of their own far detached from reality.

**** The Sons Of Singapore <http://helloxiu.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/the-sons-of-singapore/>
by Helloxiu
I thought Pulau Tekong had only trees and rundown buildings (or rather huts) where the recruits would sleep in.

**** Singaproeans Must Apply For Authorisation 72 Hours Before Flying To US From January 12 <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/400737/1/.html>
by Ca-Mie De Souza, Channel NewsAsia

>From January 12, Singaproeans heading to the United States must obtain travel authorisation at least three days ahead of their trip.


**** From Asia, Rapture In A Bowl <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/07laksa.html>
by Julia Moskin, New York Times
The first hit from any curry noodle soup is visual: steam rising from a glided broth, dotted with urnt-orange oil, flecked with red from driced chilies and brown from warm spices like cinnamon, cumin, black pepper and coriander seed. The next is olfactory, as the perfumes of giner, lemon grass, fresh curry leaves, lime leaves and turmeric kick in.

**** Flyer GM Quits <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_322955.html>
by Tessa Wong, Straits Times
His sudden exit was among several signs of tension among the Flyer's top management.

**** Walk Ban Confusion <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_322904.html>
by Esther Tan, Straits Times
Johor state immigration director Mohd Nasri Ishak told The Straits Times yesterday that walking on the Causeway - from both directions - was not permitted. But Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said it was not aware of the rule and its officers do not stop people who opt to walk.

**** 90% Get Maximum Subsidy <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_322899.html>
by Salma Khalik, Straits Times
Six days since the start of means testing for hospital patients seeking subsidised treatment, more than 90 per cent of those opting for B2- and C-class wards are getting the maximum subsidy.

**** A National Shame: An Exhibition Of Homeless Singaporeans <http://wayangparty.com/2009/01/07/a-national-shame-an-exhibition-of-homeless-singaporeans/>
by The Wayang Party Club Of Singapore

**** Singapore To 'Explore' India's Soft Power <http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/07/stories/2009010757851200.htm>
by P.S. Suryanarayana, The Hindu

**** Chee Responds To CJ, AG And Law Ministers <http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/perspective/special-feature/1681-chee-responds-to-cj-ag-and-law-minister>
by Chee Soon Juan, Singapore Democratic Party
What the three of you have described is not the rule of law. Rather, it is a system where laws &mdash; unjust laws, laws that run contrary to our Constitution, and laws that contravene the Universal Declaration of Human Rights &mdash; are used to suppress the rule of law in Singapore.
The truth is that the rule of law must be practised, not merely proclaimed. Saying that we have the rule of law in Singapore does not make it so. If and when the rule of law is entrenched in this country, I assure you that respect will flow not just from the mouths but also from the hearts of the people.