[MyAppleMenu] Jun 28, 2010

applesurf at myapplemenu.com applesurf at myapplemenu.com
Mon Jun 28 18:59:00 EDT 2010

MyAppleMenu
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**** The iPhone Apps Throwing Light On Best-selling Books <http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/jun/28/book-extras-iphone-app?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Alison Flood, The Guardian

Authors such as Iain Banks and Martina Cole are increasingly supplementing book releases with apps full of bonus material.

**** Steve Jobs Teases iPhone 4 Antenna Fix: "Stay Tuned" <http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/06/27/jobs.says.iphone.4.issue.isnt.reception/>
Electronista

Apple chief Steve Jobs may have confirmed a firmware-based solution to the iPhone 4's supposed reception problems through an e-mail to a fan. The executive told the reader that "there is no reception issue" but to "stay tuned" for more.

**** Germany Says Apple Must Improve Data Transparency <http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65P1LP20100626>
Sarah Marsh, Reuters

Apple Inc must "immediately make clear" what data it collects from users of its products and for what purposes, Germany's justice minister was quoted as saying by Der Spiegel magazine on Saturday.

"Users of iPhones and other GPS devices must be aware of what kind of information about them is being collected," Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger told the German weekly.

**** Out Of The Spotlight, Mac Computer Sales Grow <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/26/BUJE1E4VDA.DTL&feed=rss.business>
Arik Hesseldahl, Bloomberg BusinessWeek

The rise of the iPhone notwithstanding, the Mac is still a big part of Apple, which dropped "Computer" from its name in 2007. Macs sell for an average price of $1,300 with 30 percent gross margins, Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, said. By comparison, consumer-grade Windows machines sell for half that, about $687, according to research firm IDC.

That's why Apple's relatively small slice of the U.S. market - only 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2010, up from 4 percent in 2005 - doesn't matter much. For every half-point in market share Apple takes from Hewlett-Packard, Dell and all the other Windows vendors, it boosts its sales by about $3 billion, Munster says.

**** iPhone 4: The Ars Technica Review <http://arstechnica.com/apple/reviews/2010/06/iphone-4.ars>
Jacqui Cheng, Ars Technica

During our time testing the device, numerous peers of ours who had no intention of getting an iPhone 4 began reconsidering it after seeing the screen—this was definitely the main reason why people started changing their minds. At the same time, the signal/antenna issue appears to be a serious concern; we hesitate to straight-up recommend the iPhone for this reason, though in the real world, it may not affect you as much.

**** iPad: The New Halo For The Mac? <http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/ipad-the-new-halo-for-the-mac/7356?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zdnet%2FApple+%28ZDNet+The+Apple+Core%29>
David Morgenstern, ZDNet

**** Apple Shifts 1.7 Million iPhone 4 Handsets On Launch Weekend <http://appadvice.com/appnn/2010/06/apple-shifts-17-million-iphone-4-handsets-launch-weekend/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AppAdvice+%28AppAdvice%29>
Joe White, App Advice

After a massive 600,000 pre-orders were taken for Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 4, an unbelievable 1.1 million units went on to be sold launch weekend. That makes a grand total of 1.7 million iPhone 4 units, and the Sunday sales figures haven’t even been totaled up yet!



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** For $1.99, A (Legal) Song To Add To YouTube Videos <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/business/media/28rumblefish.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Joseph Plambeck, New York Times

The music licensing company Rumblefish is introducing a service that allows users to buy a license to a copyrighted song for $1.99. For that price, the user gets the full version of the song and can edit it as well.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** 40 Winks? She’d Even Settle For 30 <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/books/28book.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Ms. Morrisroe’s cheerfully anecdotal “Wide Awake” is full of such sleep-related absurdities. It describes her various forays into the world of insomnia remedies as she tried a plethora of would-be cures. Behavior modification, sleep-inducing drugs, artificial light, meditation, absinthe and orthodontia: these are all avenues she considered. Even the subject of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty as a cure for sleep apnea comes up, though perhaps only so that “Wide Awake” can include that word.

**** Surely It’s 30 (Don’t Call Me Shirley!) <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/movies/27airplane.html>
Matt Zoller Seitz, New York Times

When the creators of “Airplane!” were lining up actors for their rollicking parody three decades ago, some of the straight-arrow character actors that ended up in the cast worried about the harm it might do to their careers. One of the most skittish participants: Peter Graves, the taciturn “Mission: Impossible” star who played the movie’s pilot, a kindly veteran who welcomes a little boy named Billy into the cockpit and asks questions like “Ever seen a grown man naked?"

**** Downtown <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2010/07/05/100705po_poem_seidel>
Frederick Seidel, New Yorker

**** Errands <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2010/07/05/100705po_poem_armantrout>
Rae Armantrout, New Yorker

**** The Erlking <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2010/07/05/100705fi_fiction_bynum>
Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, New Yorker



SingaporeSurf
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**** MinLaw Refutes US Lawmaker's Comment That Singapore's Defamation Laws Are Weak <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1066101/1/.html>
Alicia Wong, Channel NewsAsia

The Ministry of Law has refuted a comment by a United States lawmaker that Singapore's defamation laws - along with those in countries like Australia, Indonesia, England and Brazil - are weak.

Lawyers and legal experts told MediaCorp they have not heard of cases of libel tourism. However, compared to the US, Singapore's law could be considered weaker, they noted.

**** Salute To Teo Soh Lung <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/3854-a-salute-to-teo-soh-lung>
Singapore Democrat Party

Ms Teo Soh Lung has broken her long silence about her cruel detention under the Internal Security Act with the publication of her memoir Beyond The Blue Gate: Recollections of A Political Prisoner.

Eventually the truth will be revealed and all will learn of the proper history of this Republic of Singapore.

**** Woefully Ill-prepared? <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100628-0000044/Woefully-ill-prepared?>
Eugene K B Tan, Today

We should see the flash floods as an opportunity for a thorough review of how climate change is affecting Singapore.

**** US Politicians Target 'Libel Tourism' <http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/us-politicians-target-libel-tourism-20100623-yw89.html>
AFP

Senior US politicians unveiled legislation on Tuesday to shield US journalists, authors and publishers from "libel tourists" who file suit in countries where they expect to get the most favourable ruling.

"England, Brazil, Australia, Indonesia and Singapore are just a few of the countries whose weak libel protections have attracted libel lawsuits against American journalists and authors," said Democratic senator Patrick Leahy.

**** Singapore Aims To Be Derivatives Clearing Hub <http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ac659864-821a-11df-938f-00144feabdc0.html>
Kevin Brown and Jeremy Grant, Financial Times

Singapore is pushing to become an Asian hub for derivatives clearing and to poach business from Europe and the US as regulation reshapes markets.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore is discussing ways of expanding the city-state’s clearing capacity, possibly by allowing international derivatives clearing houses to compete with the two existing Singapore exchange clearers, according to financial sector executives.

**** Chewing Gum Illegal In Singapore Since 1992 <http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6174743-chewing-gum-illegal-in-singapore-since-1992>
Allvoices

Of all the things, chewing gum is illegal in Singapore. It seems like a basic right to make such a non-consequential decision, whether or not to chew gum. But the city state has made this decision for everyone there. In America, the ACLU would have filed a lawsuit so fast against the ban that by the time I had my gum wrapper off, the law would be repealed.

**** 新加坡梦 <http://www.zaobao.com/yl/yl100627_003.shtml>
胡爱妮, 联合早报

我们这一代人的“新加坡梦”是不是已经和上一代人不一样了？是不是我们已经不再相信政府会一直照顾我们？是不是我们已经看见太多为公司奉献一生，人到中年却被裁退的专业人士？是不是我们已经对“新加坡社会主流的体制和价值观”感到厌倦？又或者说，我们的社会可以更包容地对待另辟蹊径的人，对成功的定义可以更宽广。这个社会可以不必什么都觉得“过于敏感，不宜讨论”。公民社会的话语权不应该只属于少数人，也不应该由少数人来决定什么可以，什么不可以。

**** Flash Floods: Is This Going To Be A Regular Thing, PUB? (Part Two) <http://guanyinmiao.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/flash-floods-is-this-going-to-be-a-regular-thing-pub-part-two/>
Guanyinmiao's Musings

**** Politicians' Suits An Issue Of 'Moral Victory' <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100628-0000068/Politicians-suits-an-issue-of-moral-victory>
Alicia Wong, Today

Would a law deterring libel tourism have an effect on defamation suits by Singapore politicians against US-based foreign media? The impact is minimal if the suit is won here and the defendants have assets here to be seized or frozen, said National University of Singapore Adjunct Professor Kevin Tan.

**** Singapore’s ‘Sustainability Credentials’ Undermined By Environmentally Destructive Sand Imports <http://www.globalwitness.org/media_library_detail.php/1004/en/singapores_sustainability_credentials_undermined_by_environmentally_destructive_sand_imports>
Global Witness

Singapore insists that sand imports are a purely commercial activity, and says that it has regulations in place that require its companies to abide by the laws of the countries with which they trade. However, Global Witness' report makes it clear that this is insufficient, especially given the history of mismanagement and misappropriation of natural resource wealth in Cambodia by its political elite.

**** The JB Bridge That Costs The Tax Payers Dearly <http://care4mal.blogspot.com/2010/06/jb-bridge-that-costs-tax-payers-dearly.html>
Care4Malaysia

The work on the new CIQ cum bridge began even when an agreement had yet to be reached with Singapore counterpart. This is just one of the many proofs that the BN government never consider wastages and the consequences if things do not work out as it intended to be.

**** The M-S Bridge <http://sakmongkol.blogspot.com/2010/06/m-s-bridge.html>
Sakmongkol AK47

**** Singapore: Pedestrian First Impressions <http://www.humantransit.org/2010/06/singapore-pedestrian-first-impressions.html>
Jarrett Walker, Human Transit

As in many cities of similar vintage, key parts of Singapore's density were built at a time when nobody was thinking of pedestrians -- a world-view that I struggle to grasp.

**** SMRT CEO Says “People Can Board The Trains – It Is Whether They Choose To.” <http://deekay.posterous.com/smrt-ceo-says-people-can-board-the-trains-it>
Dee Kay Dot Posterous

**** So If I Choose Not To Board The Train And In The End Get Pissed Off After 20 Mins… <http://yuxiang.sg/2010/06/27/so-if-i-choose-not-to-board-the-train-and-in-the-end-get-pissed-off-after-20-mins/>
Yuxiang Corner

My question is, without any preparation, without any rehearsal, without any wayang and notification to the related management or what so ever, have these highly paid CEOs, minister or so, take the public transport (meaning trains or public buses), in the morning/evening peak period or not?

**** Singapore Visitor Arrivals Soar 30 Pct In May <http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE65R04D20100628>
Kevin Lim, Reuters

Singapore welcomed 30.3 percent more visitors in May than the same month a year ago as the city-state's two new casinos helped draw in tourists.

Indonesia, India and Malaysia provided the largest number of visitors to the city-state, while arrivals from Hong Kong chalked up the strongest growth of 48.8 percent compared with a year ago.

**** The Flood And PUB’s Credilibity Washed Away <http://thesunshineson.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/the-flood-and-pubs-credilibity-washed-away/>
The Sun Shines on Singapore

According to one of the world’s most highly paid PM in terms of salary (other PM’s don’t get paid so much as ours but they get other perks nonetheless), given our climate, it is impossible to prevent floods in Singapore. I have to agree. But I also have the prerogative to be cynical.

**** Hong Kah GRC MP Ang Mong Seng Issues Challenge To Reform Party <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1066270/1/.html>
Liang Kaixin, Channel NewsAsia

He wants the opposition party led by Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam to come up with a long-term plan if it intends to contest in his Bukit Gombak division in the next General Election.

**** PUB Unveils Singapore's Water Strategy For Next 50 Years <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1066282/1/.html>
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia

Singapore wants to triple its output of recycled water by 2060, to meet growing demand. And it is expected that NEWater will account for half of projected needs. There are also plans to ramp up desalination capacity to meet a third of future demand.

**** No Plans For Local Banks Consolidation: MAS <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1066287/1/.html>
Janice Teo, Channel NewsAsia

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it has no plans for bank consolidation in Singapore and it's up to the banks to evaluate the merits of any merger.

**** SMRT Vandal: Oliver Fricker’s Caning Sentence Is Torture? <http://rogerpoh.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/smrt-vandal-oliver-frickers-caning-sentence-is-torture>
SpotlightOnSingapore

**** KTMB Land In S'pore Leased From Straits Settlement Govt, Dewan Rakyat Told <http://www.mysinchew.com/node/40997>
Sin Chew Jit Poh

Allegations that Malaysia sold away its railway land in Tanjung Pagar to Singapore are not true, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.




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