[MyAppleMenu] Jun 15, 2010

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Keep Your Mac Tidy With MacKeeper <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/14/keep-your-mac-tidy-with-mackeeper/>
Dave Caolo, TUAW

**** First Look: Lightroom 3 <http://www.macworld.com/reviews/product/323402/review/photoshop_lightroom_3.html?expand=true&lsrc=rss_main>
Heather Kelly, Macworld

**** Apple's New IOS 4 Game Center Goes Live For Developers <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/06/14/apples_new_ios_4_game_center_goes_live_for_developers.html>
AppleInsider

Apple's Game Center in iOS 4 is now enabling user logins for the first time since the company began distributing the app with developer builds of the next OS for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

**** White iPhone 4 Gets Delayed <http://appadvice.com/appnn/2010/06/iphone-4-white-edition-delayed/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AppAdvice+%28AppAdvice%29>
Alexander Vaughn, App Advice

If you were hoping to reserve a white iPhone 4 tomorrow (which apparently looks sleek with a black bumper), then get ready to be disappointed.

**** Apple Secrecy Is Bitter Fruit On Hill <http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38481.html>
Kim Hart, Politico

Apple is famous for its veil of secrecy around the new iPads and iPhones. But Sen. John Rockefeller and others in Congress wonder whether the company has more than technological innovations to hide.

When Apple didn’t participate in an April hearing on children’s online privacy, the West Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, gave voice to his suspicions.

**** iPhone 4 Has 802.11n, But Not The "Awesome" 802.11n <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/14/iphone-4-has-802-11n-but-not-the-awesome-802-11n/>
TJ Luoma, TUAW

If you're currently running a 5GHz-only N network, your iPhone won't take advantage.

**** Apple's Startup Culture <http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jun2010/id20100610_525759.htm>
Nilofer Merchant, BusinessWeek

The essence of what causes Apple to win is the same thing that causes startups to innovate, the same thing that is at the root of all high-performance cultures. His description encapsulates the smart collaboration that underlies the creative acts of innovation throughout Apple and that exemplifies the company's culture.

**** Apple Slapped With Lawsuit Over 'iAds' Monicker <http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/14/innovate_media_sues_apple/>
Rik Myslewski, Register

Another day, another lawsuit for Apple. This time Jobs & Company are being taken to task for naming the iPhone's new mobile-advertising platform "iAds" when that service mark is already owned by a Southern California media company.

**** One Bad Apple: Will Steve Jobs' Ego Undermine Apple's Success? <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mario-almonte/one-bad-apple-will-steve_b_611189.html>
Mario Almonte, Huffington Post

What began as grumblings over Jobs' refusal to offer the iPhone to a more reliable wireless network and, more recently, criticisms of the iPad's technical shortcomings, are turning into criticisms of Jobs himself. And Jobs' temperamental response to his growing number of critics threatens to undermine all that he has achieved for Apple.

**** Apple: Write Apps For Us, Not For Them! <http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/14/apple-write-apps-for-us-not-for-them/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fortuneapple20+%28FORTUNE%3A+Apple+2.0%29>
Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune

A video love song to iPad developers (and a warning to anybody considering Android).

**** Witch 3.5 Knows Window Switchcraft <http://db.tidbits.com/article/11352?rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tidbits_main+%28TidBITS%3A+Mac+News+for+the+Rest+of+Us%29>
Matt Neuburg, TidBITS

I've recommended Witch in the past, but its most recent incarnations have given it a boost in speed and power that makes it irresistible. Witch has better keyboard navigation than ever. Witch is now Spaces-friendly, meaning that it can see windows open in spaces other than the one you're currently in. And the latest version, 3.5, even lets you display a preview of a window.

**** Apparently, You Don’t Have A Choice About Appearing Before Congress <http://tomknighton.com/index/?p=235>
TomKnighton.com

Really?  So, instead of making more hugely popular products that millions of Americans just can’t help but buy, they should have come and answered some silly questions asked by silly people sitting in a silly position just because they’re in Congress, despite there being no requirement to?

**** Multitasking In iOS 4 Is Not A Magical Sparkle Pony <http://www.tuaw.com/2010/06/14/multitasking-in-ios4-is-not-a-magical-sparkle-pony/>
TJ Luoma, TUAW

Background processing is extremely constrained to three specific areas, which Apple believes will cover most of the things that most people want to do most of the time.

**** Military Likely To Shun iPhone <http://defensesystems.com/articles/2010/06/14/dod-smartphone-unlikely-to-be-iphone.aspx>
Amber Corrin, Defense Systems

As the military continues its search for the best battlefield smart phone, it’s looking more unlikely that the iPhone will be a contender. The biggest hurdle: Apple’s proprietary technology and the massive price tag attached to implementing it across the Defense Department.

**** First DC Apple Store Set To Open <http://www.dealerscope.com/article/apple-week-open-its-first-store-washington-dc-after-contentious-battle-dragged-more-than-two-years/1>
Dealerscope

**** Apple’s Midnight Surprise: A Redesigned Mac Mini With HDMI <http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/15/mac-mini-hdmi/>
MG Siegler, TechCrunch

The Mac mini has been given a sleek new slimmer (1.4 inch) aluminum case made using the same unibody technique that Apple uses on the MacBooks. More importantly, the thing packs a powerful processor and supposedly twice the graphics performance. But the big news is that the device has an HDMI output for the first time. You know what that means: this thing just became a lot of people’s media center.

**** iPhone 4 Up For Pre-Order — Black Only <http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/15/iphone-4-pre-order/>
MG Siegler, TechCrunch

Just moments ago, Apple’s latest mobile device was put up for pre-sale on Apple’s Online Store. But as was rumored, it’s only available for pre-order in black. They don’t give an estimate as to when the white one will be available, but it will undoubtedly be at some point this summer.



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Flickr Photos Yield Tourist Trails <http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/25549/?ref=rss&a=f>
Tom Simonite, Technology Review

Software uses images from millions of tourists to suggest ways for visitors to spend their time.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** My Life As A Canadian Writer <http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articles/2010.07-poetry-my-life-as-a-canadian-writer/>
David McGimpsey, The Walrus Magazine

**** Are Killer Viruses Things Of Beauty? <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/science/15virus.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Donald G. McNeil Jr., New York Times

That thought — viruses as irregular, fuzzy balls — suddenly raises the question of whether or not I am being a pious hypocrite. Maybe it’s the price tags I find irksome, more than the idea of swooning over a killer’s beauty — though I would be offended by, say, a portrait of the cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer celebrating his good looks.



SingaporeSurf
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**** Press Release On TCMR <http://wp.sg/2010/06/press-release-on-tcmr/>
Low Thia Khiang, Hougang Town Council

It is time the Ministry of National Development let the public know how much additional funding each PAP TC has received through the various upgrading programmes funded by the national budget or has benefitted from the programme up to the financial year 2009 so that Singaporeans can have a clear idea of which PAP TC did not qualify for the upgrading program as mentioned by Grace Foo. The public should know how much additional funding is given to PAP TCs via the upgrading programs and hence can judge for themselves whether it could affect the outcome of town management.

**** Maggot Farts To The Rescue <http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/health/features/article_1563006.php/Maggot-farts-to-the-rescue-Feature>
DPA

In Singapore, researchers now not only research the maggots, but also whether their farts - their wind has anti-biotic properties - can be collected and put to good use.

**** US Puts Singapore, Thailand On Human Trafficking Watch List <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5glg-rMJY9JdZ87NIGJ2jVr1qflyQ>
Shaun Tandon, AFP

The United States on Monday put allies Singapore and Thailand as well as Vietnam on a human trafficking watch list, accusing them of failing to prevent women from being forced into prostitution.

Explaining the downgrade for Singapore, the report said that some women from China, the Philippines and Thailand are tricked into coming to the city-state with promises of legitimate employment and coerced into the sex trade.

The report said that while Singapore launched "some significant new steps" against trafficking, there were no "quantifiable indicators" that the government was identifying more victims or prosecuting more culprits.

**** Singapore Gets Wired For Speed <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/technology/15iht-rtechbroad.html>
Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, New York Times

This island city-state, thanks to its small size and a big public investment, could soon be the first country blanketed with a fiber optic infrastructure so fast that it would enable the contents of a DVD to be downloaded in only a few seconds.

**** Singapore's Top 5 Museums <http://www.gobackpacking.com/Blog/2010/06/14/singapore-top-5-museums/>
Prime Sarmiento, GoBackpacking

They are the best in Asia, benefiting not only from the government’s vast resources (this wealthy country is competing with Hong Kong to be Asia’s art center) and the the city’s state fondness for organization and efficiency. That may be boring, but it has nevertheless produced well curated art spaces.

**** New Creation Church Pastor Apologises <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100615-0000107/New-Creation-Church-pastor-apologises>
Neo Chai Chin, Today

A second Christian pastor has apologised for his remarks about Chinese supersititions and a Taoist diety. His remarks were made in August 2008 and have only recently been brought to public attention through an audio clip posted on YouTube.

**** The Rising Cost Of Living <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100615-0000072/The-rising-cost-of-living>
Mok Fei Fei and S Mustafa, Today

Tenth on the list of the most expensive locations in Asia to live in last year, Singapore crept up one notch this year, dislodging locations such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen. It is now the ninth-costliest Asian location, according to a survey by human resources consultant ECA international.

Not only that, Singapore has also gained six places in ECA's global rankings and is now in 67th position.

**** Fostering Better Ties With Our Neighbours: A Foreign Policy Must <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/the-party/young-democrats/3776-fostering-better-ties-with-our-neighbours-a-foreign-policy-must->
Muhammad Shamin, Singapore Democrat Party

We should work towards the kind of relationship that fosters trust and ensures mutual benefit with our neighbours, one that forges regional solidarity instead of behaving in a manner that agitates and provokes unfriendly ties.

**** Total Employment Rose By 36,500 In 2010 Q1: MOM <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1063298/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

The Manpower Ministry, MOM, says total employment rose by 36,500 in the first quarter of 2010, comparable to the seasonal high of 37,500 in the last quarter of 2009. The bulk, or 33,400, of the employment gains came from services, higher than 31,500 in the fourth quarter and 7,500 in the first quarter of 2009.

**** 1 Token For Banking Online <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_540523.html>
Tan Weizhen & Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times

This morning, the government announced that it was rolling out a nationwide two-factor security system to secure sensitive online transactions like banking- the world's first such service.

The service, scheduled to be up and running in mid-2011, is expected to offer Net users secure and more convenient access to government, bank and health online services.

**** Mahathir: Politicians Who Sue Critics Are Cowards <http://uk.asiancorrespondent.com/the-asia-file/politicians-who-sue-critics-are-cowards-mahathir>
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent

**** 艺界吁政府完全弃审艺术创作 <http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp100615_014.shtml>
游润恬, 联合早报

一群艺术工作者倡议政府完全放弃对艺术创作的审查，改以明文法律及一套不由公务员决定的分级制度进行管制。

有了互联网之后，任何被禁的电影或艺术作品都垂手可得。本地知名艺术教育家沙士德兰（T.Sasitharan）说：“我们都知道审查行不通，不应该继续在这方面白费力气。”

**** 网购教学手册博高分 教育部不鼓励这么做 <http://www.zaobao.com/sp/sp100615_006.shtml>
王珏琪, 联合早报

**** Singapore Counts On Casino Resorts To Draw Tourists <http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2010-06-15-singaporecasinos15_ST_N.htm>
Kathy Chu, USA Today

In a nation that prides itself on law and order, where the sale of chewing gum is tightly regulated and spitting is prohibited, it's not surprising that the casinos unsettle some residents.

**** Open Your Door And Leave Your House <http://www.qlrs.com/poem.asp?id=736>
Yvonne Koh, Quarterly Literary Review Singapore

**** French Girl In A Singapore Household: Culture Shock <http://tinyisland.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/french-girl-in-a-singapore-household-culture-shock/>
Tiny Island

In France you are just French. Forms will never ask you to state your race or ethnicity. It’s considered racist. Everyone, as long as you’ve got citizenship, just states that they are French instead of Indian, Chinese or Malay as we do here.

**** Thaicom 'Won't Hurt Ties With Singapore' <http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/181317/thaicom-won-t-hurt-ties-with-singapore>
Bangkok Post

The plan to buy back Thaicom Plc from Singapore's Temasek Holdings would not hurt relations between Thailand and Singapore, information and communications technology minister Juti Krairiksh said on Tuesday morning.

**** Singapore Retail Sales Fall As Car Sales Plunge <http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-06-15/singapore-retail-sales-unexpectedly-fall-as-car-sales-plunge.html>
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg

Singapore’s retail sales unexpectedly dropped for a second month as car purchases plunged, offsetting higher spending at department stores.Singapore controls pollution and congestion on its roads by selling a limited number of permits every year for each category of vehicles, and the prices of the licenses have climbed this year. Retail sales excluding automobiles may continue to rise in the coming months as Singapore’s two casino resorts attract more tourists and an expanding economy boosts hiring.