[MyAppleMenu] Jan 21, 2009

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple Updates White 13-Inch MacBook To NVIDIA Architecture <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/01/21/apple_updates_white_13_inch_macbook_to_nvidia_architecture.html>
by AppleInsider
Apple this week quietly upgraded its previous-generation while 13-inch MacBooks to NVIDIA's 9400M architecture, a move aimed at boosting sales of its most affordable notebook offering during a period of reduced consumer spending.

**** SmileOnMyMac Updates TextExpander <http://www.macworld.com/article/138341/2009/01/textexpander.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld
A new URL shortening service has been added to the internet productivity snippet group with the latest version.

**** The Best Mac Ever <http://www.macworld.com/article/138328/2009/01/macat25_bestmac.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Macworld
Three out of our five experts came up with the same answer to our question. The best Mac of the last quarter century is the Macintosh SE/30.

**** The Mac At 25: Interface Design <http://www.macworld.com/article/138321/2009/01/macat25_interface.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Rik Myslewski, Macworld
Ever since Apple introduced the world to the mouse and the window-based graphical user interface in 1984, the company has worked tirelessly to develop a more efficient, yet more powerful, user experience. It's also worked equally hard to protect its user-interface innovations with an unending stream of patent filings.

**** The Mac At 25 <http://www.macworld.com/article/138316/2009/01/macat25_intro.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Jason Snell, Macworld
We saw that 25 years ago with the original Mac, which was a quantum leap forward in usability for personal computers. We saw it with the iPod in 2001, and again with the iPhone in 2007. Where will Apple go next?

**** Wow! Macs Really Are Overpriced <http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2009/01/wow_macs_really.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_techbeat>
by Stephen Wildstorm, BusinessWeek
Last year saw tremendous downward pressure on notebook prices, which Apple manage to resist. It successfully introduced new MacBook last fall with upgraded specs at pretty much the same prices as the models they replaced. And the gap grew and grew. In today's market, those Apple prices look unsustainable.

**** Apple's Disclosures About Jobs's Health Said To Face SEC Review <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aDL78iMCdOzk&>
by David Scheer and Connie Guglielmo, Bloomberg
U.S. regulators are examining Apple Inc.'s disclosures about chief executive officer Steve Jobs's health problems to ensure investors weren't misled, a person familiar with the matter said.
The Securities and Exchange Commission's review doesn't mean invetigators have seen evidence of wrongdoing, the person said, declining to be identified because the inquiry isn't public.

**** Steve Jobs And Apple: A Reality Check <http://www.pcworld.com/article/157875/steve_jobs_and_apple_a_reality_check.html?tk=rss_main>
by Nick Mediati, PC World
There is only one Steve Jobs. There isn't a person on Earth who could actually replace him. That said, in Jobs' absence, Apple should be fine.

**** Apple Removes Serial Number From iWork '09 <http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/012009-apple-removes-serial-number-from.html>
by Nick Spence, Macworld UK
It apears that iWork '09 has no anti-piracy measure included whatsoever.

**** EverSave Automatically Saves Your Work On A Regular Interval <http://lifehacker.com/5135504/eversave-automatically-saves-your-work-on-a-regular-interval>
by Adam Pash, Lifehacker
EverSave automatically saves your open documents on a regular interval so that you'll never again lose progress to a crashed application.

**** New OS X Research Warns Of Stealthier Mac Attacks <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/21/stealthier_mac_attacks/>
by Dan Goodin, The Register
A computer security researcher has discovered a new way to inject hostile code directly into the memory of mahinces running Apple's OS X operating system, a technique that makes it significantly harder for ivnestigators to detect Mac attacks using today's forensics practices.

**** Apple Chief's Leave Not The End Of The World <http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/tech/drmac/6219712.html>
by Bob LeVitus, Houston Chronicle
Apple will be fine. It has an excellent senior management team in place, all handpicked by you-know-who. Furthermore, most of them have been at Apple for a long time, so they know how things are done.
/The worry to me is that, if Steve Jobs does leave, people at Apple will be always asking "what will Steve Jobs do" whenever decisions need to make, and fail to venture forth to new grounds./

**** Apple And App Store Censorship: Where To Draw The Line? <http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090120-apple-and-app-store-censorship-where-to-draw-the-line.html>
by Chris Foresman, Ars Technica
Apple's actions are a kind of censorship, and the company seems to be teetering on the edge a slippery slope.

**** Picturesque 2.0.3 <http://www.macworld.com/article/138320/2009/01/picturesque.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by James Dempsey, Macworld
While Photoshop or any of a number of other image editors could produce the same results, few (if any) can do it with the ease of use or speed that Picturesque can.

**** EyeTV 3.1 Adds New Programming Guide <http://www.macworld.com/article/138308/2009/01/eyetv.html?lsrc=rss_main>
by Peter Cohen, Macworld
New to the 3.1 update is "premium" Electronic Program Guide data for the United States and Canada hosted by TV Guide.

**** Review: Mobile Colloquy For iPhone Does IRC Right <http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2009/01/20/review-mobile-colloquy-for-iphone-does-irc-right>
by Jeff Smykil, Ars Technica
Mobile Colloquy is certainly the best chat-related application I have used on this platform thus far.

The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Crowd-Sourcing The World <http://www.technologyreview.com/business/21983/?a=f>
by Kate Greene, MIT Technology Review
A startup hopes to tap into the expertise of developing nations via cell phones.

MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Cooking Their Books <http://www.slate.com/id/2208787/?from=rss>
by Lauren Shockey, Slate
Trying to re-create restaurant dishes at home.

**** His Camera-Ready Comedy <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123215495463092385.html?mod=rss_Books>
by Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
Hammett's 'The Thin Man' should be taken seriously.

**** Back Issues <http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2009/01/26/090126crat_atlarge_lepore?currentPage=all>
by Jill Lepore, New Yorker
The day the newspaper died.

SingaporeSurf
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**** PM Lee Says Singapore Will Not Have An Ordinary Budget <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/403993/1/.html>
by Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said if the growth estimates for this year materialise, Singapore will see its worst economic performance in decades. As a response to the crisis, Mr Lee said the government's budget, to be announced on Thursday, will not be an ordinary one.

**** Solicited In Singapore <http://davestewart.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/solicited-in-singapore/>
by David Stewart, Running In The Rain

**** Sorry, Association Of What? <http://www.jialat.com/2009/01/21/sorry-association-of-what/>
by Jialat Dot Com

**** I Lost My Kidney/To A Guy Named Sidney <http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1676&Itemid=195>
by Ben Bland, Asia Sentinel
Across Asia, the going rate for a kidney is usually agreed in the backstreet surgery of some unscrupulous doctor but in Singapore the government will soon be setting the price for this much in-demand organ. A controversial amendment to legalize the payment of compensation to organ donors was put before the Singapore parliament this week and while the health ministry is yet to decide on the upper limit for reimbursement, it is expected to be at least S$50,000.

**** No Need For Overhaul <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_329011.html>
by Judith Tan, Straits Times
Singapore's primary school education is not in need of a fundamental overhaul, but increasing the confidence of pupils and igniting their interest in learning would be helpful, a new report has concluded.

**** Special Book Delivery <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_328999.html>
by Jalelah Abu Baker, Straits Times
For book lovers like Madam Quek, who is paralysed on her left side due to a stroke, the library now goes to their homes with 'Project Deliver Me', a delivery service for the physically challenged launched by the National Library Board on Wednesday.

**** Budget For Crisis Of Confidence <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2009/01/budget-for-crisis-of-confidence.html>
by Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
Unless we get the main theme and priorities right for tackling this mother of all crisis, we may just end up worsening the situation with some ineffective or even detrimental policies.

**** Charles Chong Reply To Wayangparty <http://wayangparty.com/2009/01/21/breaking-charles-chong-reply-to-wayangparty/>
by The Wayang Party Club Of Singapore
"After I re-read Mr Tan's article, I noticed that he did not really brag about the cost of his holiday and the cooking lessons. However other information he revealed about himself and his family that were unrelated to cooking, left me with the impression that he was a bit boastful and maybe insensitive to (us) lesser mortals. This may naturally lead to unhappiness and even envy especially during difficult times."

**** The New Poor Revisited <http://yawshinleong.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-poor-revisited.html>
by Yaw Shin Leong
In GE2001, when WP first raised the issue about the new poor phenomenon, the PAP regime outright denied of its existence. In 2009, the potential fallout of the new poor phenomenon is right at our doorsteps, ina magnitude far scarier than 2001. The incumbent regime must now take full responsibilities for its initial denials, act fast or face dire consequences.

**** The Association Of Bloggers. WHat's In It For Me? <http://holly--jean.blogspot.com/2009/01/association-of-bloggers-whats-in-it-for.html>
by A Thing (Or Two) About Holly Jean
Is it just me... or is this sounding more and more like a petty attempt at being elitist and exclusive?

**** Sacrebleu! Singapore Is Classed <http://thinkingbetterthinkingmeta.blogspot.com/2009/01/sacrebleu-singapore-is-classed.html>
by Sam's Thoughts
The state may distract its people with materialism, so that they would not interfere with its political affairs. But this materialism has made people more class conscious, and it might undermine the state's power in another way.

**** Hope Over Fear, Singapore! <http://www.pressrun.net/weblog/2009/01/hope-over-fear-singapore.html>
by Blowin' In The Wind
It is atonishing how a smart government like Singapore's with a reputation for economic acurmen could get things so wrong that it had to change its annual economic forecast only two weeks after making the prediction.
But the government has come out of denial now &mdash; and prepared to confront whatever the future holds, no matter how dark and uncertain it seems.

**** 300,000 Job Losses Is A Scary Thought <http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2009/01/300000-job-losses-is-scary-thought.html>
by Mr Wang Says So
The media has news to suggest that the property market is in for a huge dive.

**** Casino Days In Singapore Kampung <http://singaporebabyboomers.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/casino-days-in-singapore-kampung/>
by Baby Boomers
One of my most unforgettable memories of CNY in my kampung was the ritual of gambling.
/And, if the economy doesn't drag down the 'integrated' resorts, there may well be a new - and expensive - CNY tradition starting next year./

**** A New Association Of, Or For, Bloggers <http://melvintansg.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-association-of-or-for-bloggers.html>
by Melvin Tan, A Blog Day's Work
The key issue behind the reservations about the ABS is that many bloggers regard cybershpace as their only liberation outlet in a regulated environment and may not be interested to submit even their last bastion of freedom to an "order".

**** Singapore Opposition Leader Appeals To Obama On Rights <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j_yGx7HrmGvU7JPyQdUzLW__U-jg>
by AFP
The leader of a Singapore opposition party, jailed numerous times for defying local protest laws and for other offences, has posted a video message asking for US president Barack Obama's support.
Chee expressed hope that the United States "will pay more attention to the human rights abuses of the Singapore government and take positive steps to help Singapore join the community of democracies."

**** Health Budget To Go Up <http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_328872.html>
by Lee Hui Chieh, Straits Times
The nation's health budget will be raised significantly this year by 'a few hundred million dollars, which will go towards more medical subsidies during the recession, and possibly speed up building projects, health minister Khaw Boon Wan revealed yesterday.

**** Monthly Manufacturing Performance - December 2008 <http://www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/edb/press_release/P-20090121-1/AttachmentPar/0/file/Monthly%20Manufacturing%20Performance%20-%20December%202008.pdf>
by EDB, Singapore Government
Manufacturing output in December 2008 decreased 13.5% compared with the same month in 2007. The three-month moving average index for December fell 10.7% over the same period in the previous year. (Note: Link goes to PDF document.)

**** Singaproe Consumer Price Index December 2008 And Year 2008 <http://www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/singstat/press_release/P-20090121-1/AttachmentPar/0/file/CPI%20Dec%2008%20VDD.pdf>
by Singapore Department Of Statistics, Singapore Government
The consumer price index (CPI) in December 2008 declined by 0.6 per cent over November 2008. The decline was attributed largely to lower costs of transport &amp; communication and housing which more than offset higher costs of food and "recreation &amp; others".
Compared with December 2007, the consumer price index in December 2008 increased by 4.3 per cent on account of higher costs of housing and food.
(Note: Link goes to PDF document.)

**** Empathy For Tan Yong Soon... <http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2009/01/empathy-for-tan-yong-soon.html>
by Diary Of A Lesser Mortal
There is a reason why people are very angry and it has little to do with Tan Yong Soon learning French cooking... that article was just a spark that lit a fire. There is still plenty of firewood left for many fires to come.

**** Quit Lying, Today <http://singaporecitizen.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/quit-lying-today/>
by Everyday's Life In A Snapshot
Today's reporter made his assertion that there was support for Mr Tan based on "posts" online, and did not even cite the source or evidence.

**** A Study Of Contrasts <http://harishpillay.livejournal.com/135485.html>
by Harish Pillay
Ah, what an arcane and myopic stand. Never mind that you cannot use their content (paid out of tax dollars), you cannot even link nor frame the site.
/Worse, the licensing of content (paid out of tax dollars) to business is not entirely transparent either. For example, the public still does not know why the map data licensing was withdrawn from Streetdirectory.com./

**** Freedom And Fear <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/1781-freedom-and-fear>
by Singapore Democratic Party
Singaporeans are told that given freedom of speech and assembly, chaos and turmoil would engulf our country. We know that this is untrue. Let us not wait another 50 years to find out how foolish we have been.

**** To The Singapore Government: What I Do With My Money Is My Own Bloody Business! <http://teoism.blogspot.com/2009/01/to-singapore-government-what-i-do-with.html>
by The 'Tao' Of Teoism
Mr Tan did earn his money fairly through his own hard work, merit and effort. So who are we to begrudge how he wants to spend it?
/The issue is not the spending, but the apparently flaunting of riches. In a national newspaper no less. Which points to a fundmental issue in Singapore today: the wide income inequality. (After all, if many of us are just as rich or just as poor, this issue may not arises.)/

**** Singapore, Boston And NYC Public Trains Matchup <http://aaron-ng.info/blog/singapore-boston-and-nyc-public-trains-matchup.html>
by Aaron Ng, Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
Although we don't have the unlimited fare option, I think the general cleanliness and spacious design of our trains more than make up for it.

**** Singapore Economy May Post Biggest Decline On Record <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068&sid=aBHHtUt7m0d8&refer=home>
by Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore's economy may suffer its worst annual contraction on record this year amid a slump in exports, increasing pressure on the government to take steps to help businesses and consumers.

**** Singapore Banks Expected To Survive Downturn Despite Negative Outlook <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/403776/1/.html>
by Rachel Kelly, Channel NewsAsia
Even though 2009 is expected to be a difficult year for the banking sector, industry experts said SIngapore banks do have enough capital to tide them over.

**** Shark's Fin Not On Menu <http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,190408,00.html?>
by New Paper
When the Singapore Chefs Association holds its annual lo hei dinner this year, one dish will be noticeably missing. SHark's fin, a near staple at Chinese banquets, will be left out of the menu by the experts at making it.
Ironically, though, the same chefs admit that they will not be able to stop serving the dish to their customers.

**** Singapore Revises Down 2009 Growth Forecast, Inflation Rate <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/403878/1/.html>
by Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Wednesday revised Singapore's GDP growth forecast downwards to -5.0 to -2.0 per cent, lower than previous estimates of -2.0 to +1.0 per cent.
The ministry also revised down its forecast for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in 2009, estimating inflation to remain unchanged or to decline at 1.0 per cent.
See Also:
MTI Revises Forecasts For 2009 GDP Growth To -5.0 To -2.0 Per Cent And CPI Inflation To -1.0 To 0 Per Cent <http://www.news.gov.sg/public/sgpc/en/media_releases/agencies/mti/press_release/P-20090121-1/AttachmentPar/0/file/Press%20Release%20(Prelim%202008).pdf>, by Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore Government. (Note: Link goes to PDF document.)

**** Why Is Obama Paid Less Than The Prime Minister Of Singapore? <http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-is-obama-paid-less-than-prime.html>
by Feed Me To The Fish
Maybe local politicians can learn some humility, sensitivity, sensibility and responsibility from the 44th POTUS.
/The question is: why does the government &mdash; the PM, the cabinet, the MPs &mdash; only care about monetary rewards? The government had talked about remaking jobs; maybe Lee Hsien Loong should spend more time to remake government services as less about monetary rewards./

**** Singapore In A Sling <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1/c13515fc-e6cc-11dd-8407-0000779fd2ac.html>
by Financial Times
As harsh as that looks, the pediction implies that the economy merely give sup the jobs it created in 2008 and a portion of the new jobs in 2007. The reality could be far worse.