[MyAppleMenu] Jan 19, 2009

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** The Video Industry Just Doesn't Get It <http://www.macworld.com/article/138205/2009/01/storevideo.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld
As things stand now, video producers are treating their customers like thieves, and encouraging them to find alternative solutions that are less costly, unencumbered by DRM, and more agreeably priced.

**** Review: Peak Pro 6 <http://www.macworld.com/article/138270/2009/01/peakpro6.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Peter Kirn, Macworld
Sample editor and audio suite tweaked for pros, sound designers, and podcasters.

**** Jobs' Worth <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jan/19/steve-jobs-apple>
by The Guardian
At a time when computers are more commodified than ever, and designed as well as manufactured in Asia, Apple has become something of a role model for a different way of doing things.

**** Macworld Expo 2009 For Photographers <http://db.tidbits.com/article/10010>
by Jeff Carlson, TidBITS

**** The Apple Store Replaced My Cracked iPhone 3G <http://www.itinfusion.ca/iphone/the-apple-store-replaced-my-cracked-iphone-3g/>
by Casey Woods, ITInfusion
I was instructed that this was a "one time" deal, and that I would have to pay for the repairs if I dropped the phone and cracked it again. But am I complaining? Not at all!

**** Wanted: The Truth, The iTruth <http://online.barrons.com/article/SB123215024997392005.html?mod=googlenews_barrons>
by Mark Veverka, Barron's
There is no evidence that the recent information provided by the company over the past couple of weeks is untrue. However, by the same token, it's hard to avoid the suspicion that shareholders aren't getting the full story. Apple is a repeat offender of failing the smell test.

**** Steve Wozniak Sheds Some Light On Steve Jobs' Health Issues <http://www.macblogz.com/2009/01/17/steve-wozniak-sheds-some-light-on-steve-jobs-health-issues-video/>
by MacBlogz
"I disagree with the press getting into his private life. Let him communicate the way he wants to communicate to the public... Leave him alone," Wozniak said.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Paralleisation: The Next Performance Horizon <http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/tech/468C356866BD1431CC25753F008026A3>
by Tom Yager, Computerworld New Zealand
There is enormous potential in the GPU, but similar potential can be extracted from resources that standing servers already have.

**** An Online Farmers Market <http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/an-online-farmers-market/>
by Claire Cain Miller, New York Times
The local food movement has been all about buying sesasonal food from nearby farmers. Now, thanks to the web, it is expanding to include far-away farmers too.

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Cursive, Foiled Again <http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2009/01/19/cursive_foiled_again/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+Book+reviews>
by David Mehegan, Boston Globe
We e-mail, we text, we Twitter - what will become of handwriting?

**** From Books, New President Found Voice <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/19/books/19read.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper>
by Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
Much has been made of Mr. Obama's eloquence &mdash; his ability to use words in his speeches to persuade and uplift and inspire. But his appreciation of the magic of language and his ardent love of reading have not only endowed him with a rare ability to communicate his ideas to millions of Americans while ocntextualizing complex ideas about race and religion, they have also shaped his sense of who he is and his apprehension of the world.

**** Last Robot Song <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2009/01/26/090126po_poem_pinsky>
by Robert Pinsky, New Yorker

**** It Must Have Been The Spirits <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2009/01/26/090126po_poem_cavafy>
by C. P. Cavafy, New Yorker

**** Pink Is A Flower... And Other Things The Nose Knows <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090114.wrussell0115/BNStory/Entertainment/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20090114.wrussell0115>
by Russell Smith, Globe And Mail
On New Year's Day, I rather idly threw out a question to the great cosmic ear, a question about the language of smell. I wondered aloud why all our words for smells seemed to be the words of real things &mdash; such as apple or ozone &mdash; while we had abstract words for colours (red) and other sensations (soft).
The massive response from scientists and poets of all stripes was overwhelming. It made clear two things: (1) science is hard (2) scientists tend to seek explanation from within their own disciplines.

SingaporeSurf
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**** Human Organ Transplant Amendment Bill Introduced In Parliament <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/403519/1/.html>
by Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia
The Human Organ Transplant Amendment Bill aims to allow compensation to altruistic living organ donors.

**** Minister Rebukes Perm Sec For 'Lacking Sensitivity' <http://geraldgiam.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/minister-rebuke-perm-sec-over-cooking/>
by Gerald Giam
This once again shows how the internet has managed to force the government's hand.

**** The Tan Yong Soon Cooking Fiasco: What Lessons It Hold For Both The Government And Blogosphere <http://singaporeenquirer.sg/?p=1342>
by Fang Zhi Yuan, The Singapore Enquirer
Going by the rapid rate at which the new media has evolved over the last few years, the government may have not much time left to keep pace with it. It needs to find ways to engage this growing segment of voters in cyberspace soon before it gets unnerved by a similar political tsunami which hit our neighors' shore not too long ago.

**** Law System Is Open <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_328184.html>
by Aaron Low, Straits Times
Law minister K. Shanmugam on Monday rebutted claims by Law Society president Michael Hwang that Singapore lacks a principled and transparent penal system.

**** Losses Less Than Markets' <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_328142.html>
by Straits Times
The Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) and Temasek Holdings outperformed global equity markets in 2008, said finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in Parliament on Monday.
'Their overall value has fallen by less than the decline in global equity markets, as they maintain diversified portfolios and had taken precautionary actions early in the crisis to reduce their exposures to the equity markets,' he said in a written reply to a query in Parliament from non-constituency MP Sylvia Lim.

**** When Will We Hear Tan Yong Soon's Public Apology? <http://wayangparty.com/2009/01/19/when-will-we-hear-tan-yong-soons-public-apology/>
by Eugene Yeo, The Wayang Party Club Of Singapore
If you are reading this, Mr Tan Yong Soon, I sincerely hope you can demonstrate your gaciousness and magnanimity by eating the humble pie to apologize to those whose feelings have been hurt by your ill-timed article.
However, if you continue to choose to remain silent and aloof, you will be remembered rather unfortunately as "The French Cook - 'Le Cordon Tan'" for many years to come. To apologize or not, the choice is yours.

**** Rapped For Insensitivity, And It's All Thanks To... <http://udders.blogspot.com/2009/01/rapped-for-insensitivity-and-its-all.html>
by I Have Succumbed To Peer Pressure
Keep it up, Singaporean bloggers. Staying together, moving ahead and all that jazz.

**** Association Of Bloggers (Singapore) <http://singabloodypore.rsfblog.org/archive/2009/01/19/association-of-bloggers-singapore.html>
by Singabloodypore
I am sceptical to say the least.

**** Singapore Cuts Top Government Salaries As Recession Deepens <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=a.B.cVcCya3M&refer=asia>
by Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore's government said it will cut the salaries of its top public workers and ministers as a "sharp" recession threatens to increase job losses and hurt lending this year.
The top government salaries, which are linked to economic performance, will fall 12 percent to 20 percent in 2009, and "may be subject to further adjustments given the volatility of the economy," Teo Chee Hean,t he defense minister who's also in charge of the civil service, said in parliament today.

**** Rapped For Insensitivity <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_328106.html>
by Straits Times
Top civil servant Tan Yong Soon has been rapped for a travelogue he wrote about his family holiday to Paris to learn cooking French cuisine at the prestigious Le Cordon Belu.
Defence minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the minister in charge of the civil service, said in Parliament: "What the civil servant in question - Mr Tan - does during his vacation leve is his private decision. However I was disappointed with what he wrote in The Straits Times. The article showed a lack of sensitivity nd was ill-judged. It struck a discordant note during the current difficult economic circumstances when it is especially important to show solidarity and empathy for Singaporeans who are facing uncertainties and hardship."

**** Singapore In Sharp Recession <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_328102.html>
by Straits Times
Singapore's economy won't recover from the current 'sharp' recession until the second half of 2009, trade and industry minister Lim Hng Kiang said in Parliament on Monday. "There is very little we can do to try and mitigate the impact of such a major decline in external demand," said Mr Lim, during question time.
/So money cannot buy us some cushion? So, why is the government collecting and hoarding so much cash from its citizens?/

**** Singapore May Tap Reserves Amid Recession <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/30965914-e5f2-11dd-8e4f-0000779fd2ac.html>
by John Burton, Financial Times
Singapore has signalled that it will adopt a carrot-and-stick approach in dealing with possible public unrest as the city-state enters would could be its worst post-war recesion by increasing spending and tightening laws against political protests.

**** Investments To Slow <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_328084.html>
by Straits Times
EDB said bearish sentiments in the fourth quarter has affected various companies' ability to invest.

**** Facing A Complex Problem <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/18/focus/3047655&sec=focus>
by Nelson Benjamin, Meera Vijayan, Gladys Tay and Suan Ong, The Star
The new RM1.3bil Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex in Johor Baru has been plagued with incessant complaints, including traffic congestion, hassles for pedestrians and poor signages since its opening a month ago.

**** The 'Business Killer' Of JB <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/18/focus/3046372&sec=focus>
by The Star
The exodus of businesses from Johor Baru has begun and the blame for the shift is on the new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex. Moneychangers, restaurant operators, traders and hawkers in the city's once-busy streets of Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Jalan Ngee Heng, Jalan Siew Chin and Jalan Segget are moving out.

**** Medium-Term Link Can Solve Problem <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/18/focus/3046949&sec=focus>
by The Star
Traffic congestion at the CIQ can be rectified if the proposed bridge from the complex is continued and extended into the causeway, says former Gerbang Selatan Bersepadu construction director Ng Ah Kow.

**** Recession-Hit Singapore Could Tap SWFs: Newspaper <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gNkCGY1b03wwRwjdwlXmBT53OAdg>
by AFP
Singapore's sovereign wealth funds, which have helped bail out troubled global financial institution,could for the first time be tapped to help the ailing domestic economy, a report said Monday.

**** Why I'll Say No To Being A Government Mandarin... <http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,190204,00.html?>
by Eugene Wee, New Paper
Top civil servants need to have a certain moral authority to go about their work, especially since part of their job entails crafting policies that, while good for the country, may be hard for Singaporeans to swallow. They need to have not only top minds and world-class skills, but they must uphold certain social values that are acceptable to all.

**** Singapore Airlines To Enter The Australian Market? Testing The Waters <http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/2009/01/19/singapore-airlines-to-enter-the-australian-market-testing-the-waters/page1>
by Centre For Asia Pacific Aviation
Singapore Airlines has quietly tested the environment in Australia to see what response it might expect if it established a locally based airline in its biggest foreign market.

**** Squeezed Between High Rent And Poor Sales <http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/SME%2BCentral/Story/A1Story20090119-115619.html>
by Jessica Lim and Ang Yiying, Straits Times
Whether in prime Orchrd Road or a suburban mall, small businesses are feeling squeezed by falling receipts on one hand, and non-negotiable rents on the other.
/HDB should consider building neighbourhood shops in the 'newer' town centers such as Woodlands and Sengkang so that residents there are not held ransom by the shopping mall giants./

**** Bloggers Forming An Association? <http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/01/bloggers-forming-association.html>
by My Singapore News
Getting approval and permission are the last things in the minds of bloggers.

**** PSA Expects Difficulty Year Ahead <http://thestar.com.my/maritime/story.asp?file=/2009/1/19/maritime/3047806&sec=maritime>
by The Star
PSA International Pte Ltd anticipates a difficult year ahead for the port industry although it recorded a 7.3% increase in  volume last year.

**** TBT Goes To Bukit Panjang <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/1777-tbt-goes-to-bukit-panjang>
by Singapore Democratic Party

>From the enthusiastic response, SDP and its supporters are encouraged to continue our walkabouts and to engage our fellow citizens. This is despite the series of court cases that the actvists are facing for standing up for our rights to freedom of speech and assembly.


**** Encourage Ostentatious Lifestyle <http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2009/01/encourage-ostentatious-lifestyle.html>
by My Singapore News
For those who do not know how to spend or share their wealth, just stand outside a MRT station with a sack of angpows and hand them to the passerbys. No need for any mean testing.

**** Singapore Facing Worst Downturn In 40 Years <http://www.pressrun.net/weblog/2009/01/singapore-facing-worst-downturn-in-40-years.html>
by Blowin' In The Wind
There are so few jobs that the Straits Times didn't publish the usual separate Saturday Recruit supplement yesterday, running the job ads with the other classified sections instead.

**** Words Of Wisdom <http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=16&art_id=77173&sid=22303148&con_type=3&d_str=&fc=1>
by Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
In these bad times, the buzzword is save, not spend. It is not the right economic climate to be lavish or to have a luxurious lifestyle.
/And even if you do, don't brag about it. :-)/

**** Asia Holiday Sales Test Depth Of Economic Woes <http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSSP330920090119>
by Dhara Ranasinghe, Reuters
Shopping is a national obsession in Singapore, yet this Lunar New Year retailers are struggling to get the city's usually insatiable shoppers to part with their cash as a cloud of economic gloom hangs over Asia.

**** Cancellations Hit Oil Rig Builders As Global Downturn Bites <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ihSxlu4cj5FpusDOYtJ9EElgmbHg>
by AFP
Singapore's once-roaring oil rig industry has been hit by contract cancellations due to weaker energy demand and as plummeting crude prices dampen exploration.

**** Mobile Phone Giants Dial Up Entertainment In Growth Bid: Analysts <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gyeiy7Le70AluYGxgSsKaWI97ZWg>
by AFP
Mobile phone giants are going beyond their traditional role as handset makers by offering entertainment and lifestyle content to help grow revenues amid tough competition, analysts say.
/In other words, be more like Apple./

**** Bloggers Are Uniting Slowly But Surely <http://www.todayonline.com/articles/297601.asp>
by Alicia Wong, Today
Bit by bit, the blogging community in Singapore is getting more organised. Its latest movie: A bloggers' association &mdash; the first in Singapore. The non-profit association aims to raise the profile of bloggers and will promote, protect as well as educate its members, said founder and president Jayne Goh.
See Also:
Association Of Bloggers (Singapore) Revives Kampung Spirit <http://eastcoastlife.blogspot.com/2009/01/association-of-bloggers-singapore.html>, by EastCoastLife.

**** No Big Deal About Danga, Yet... <http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,190176,00.html?>
by Ho Lian-Yi, New Paper
High rentals push Singapore shop owners to Danga, hoping to draw Singaporean shoppers.

**** Disturbed By Government's Response To New Media Proposals <http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_327849.html>
by Tan Kee Lin, Straits Times

**** 'Free Booty' In Carparks <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_327985.html>
by Diana Othman, Esther Tan and Kimberly Spykerman, Straits Times
Over the past three months, lone motorists in malls and office carparks are finding themselves pounced upon by wine sellers. Think of scantily-clad women who hawk certain types of liquor in night spots and picture the same scene in a carpark.

**** Home Team Serves Red Herring <http://groundnotes.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/home-team-serves-red-herring/>
by Groundnotes
These new regulations have been mooted to make the jobs of police officers easier. Let's have regulations that /prevent/ messy protests instead of having to clean them up.