[MyAppleMenu] Mar 10, 2010

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple's Patent 'warning Shots' Prove Disruptive For Handset Makers <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/09/apples_patent_warning_shots_prove_disruptive_for_handset_makers.html>
AppleInsider

Before Apple publicly sued HTC, the iPhone maker privately had "blunt conversations" with other smartphone companies, amounting to legal threats that have proven disruptive to the roadmaps of would-be iPhone killers, according to a new report.

In a note to investors Tuesday, analyst Yair Reiner with Oppenheimer Research said industry checks indicate that, starting in January, Apple launched a level of discussions with top handset makers to "underscore its growing displeasure at seeing iPhone-related IP infringed."

**** Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal <http://jonathanischwartz.wordpress.com/2010/03/09/good-artists-copy-great-artists-steal/>
Jonathan Schwartz, What I Couldn't Say...

In 2003, after I unveiled a prototype Linux desktop called Project Looking Glass*, Steve called my office to let me know the graphical effects were “stepping all over Apple’s IP.” (IP = Intellectual Property = patents, trademarks and copyrights.) If we moved forward to commercialize it, “I’ll just sue you.”

**** Review: FileMaker Pro 11 And FileMaker Pro Advanced 11 <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=637f9ac5e4752941debe1d8ea3a89b8e>
William Porter, Macworld

A year after the release of the FileMaker 10 database program, version 11 has arrived, with new tools and great new features that make it even easier to use. FileMaker 11 also puts many cool database tricks within the reach of ordinary users. FileMaker 11 may be the best FileMaker ever.

**** Are Macs Really Cheaper To Manage Than PCs? <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=789d81c1994713724fe7f9dc82f5ca98>
Tom Kaneshige, CIO

Macs in the enterprise aren’t just cheaper to manage—they’re a lot cheaper, according to a new survey released today by the Enterprise Desktop Alliance.

**** Office Updates Patch Excel Security Flaw <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=1f2d537f467665f8e7d2ef306b1b95a9>
Philip Michaels, Macworld

Microsoft rolled out minor updates to the 2004 and 2008 editions of its Office suite of productivity tools on Tuesday that patch a security vulnerability in the Excel spreadsheet application.

**** Apple’s iTunes LP 6 Months Later: LP What? <http://gigaom.com/2010/03/09/apple’s-itunes-lp-6-months-later-lp-what/>
Paul Bonanos, GigaOM

It’s somewhat ironic that the very company that atomized the album in order to sell individual tracks -– one of many causes for the music industry’s decade-long tailspin –- has encouraged the rebundling of songs with iTunes LP. But I’m told by an industry source who preferred to remain anonymous that iTunes LP wasn’t Apple’s idea in the first place. Rather, it’s the result of the same renegotiations between Apple and the major record labels that yielded DRM-free songs and flexible pricing early last year, a concession by Cupertino to make a gesture in favor of album sales as consumers increasingly show a preference for digital singles.

**** Remotely Take Control Of A Computer With An iPhone For Free <http://www.cultofmac.com/remotely-take-control-of-a-computer-with-an-iphone-for-free/33029?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cultofmac%2FbFow+%28Cult+of+Mac%29>
Eli Milchman, Cult of Mac

The new iPhone app from German-based TeamViewer complements their (also free) desktop app, which means now you can help grandma find cool Firefox plugins, or show dad how to open iTunes — while out walking your dog. For free.

**** Mac Vs PC: How Apple Got Back In The Game <http://kotaku.com/5488789/mac-vs-pc-how-apple-got-back-in-the-game>
Luke Plunkett, Kotaku

**** Why Apple's Oscar Ad Won't Go Viral <http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=142698>
Michael Learmonth, Advertising Age

While other big-budget TV marketers have taken to flogging their TV ads using social tools on YouTube, Twitter and elsewhere, Apple's strategy is decidedly retro. For Apple, it's all about driving viewers to Apple.com, and a potential sale; dissemination of the video itself is secondary.

**** Apple's Market Value Tops $200 Billion As Stock Soars <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/03/apple-stock-record-high-ipad-200-billion-market-value.html>
Tom Petruno, Los Angeles Times

Apple Inc. shares continued their run to new highs Tuesday, lifting the stock market value of the company past $200 billion for the first time. That gives Apple a seat in a very exclusive club: Only four other U.S. companies -- Exxon Mobil, Microsoft, Wal-Mart Stores and Berkshire Hathaway -- have market values exceeding $200 billion.

**** 10 Apple Acquisitions That Made Their Mark <http://www.crn.com/it-channel/223300122;jsessionid=AQKQICV04MHHLQE1GHPSKH4ATMY32JVN>
ChannelWeb

When Apple does buy companies, it's almost always tight lipped about how they'll fit into its strategy. But when you look at Apple's history, some acquisitions stand out in terms of adding important features to existing product lines or opening doors into new markets.

**** How Epic Fit The Unreal Engine Into The iPhone <http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20000214-248.html?part=rss&amp;subj=news&amp;tag=2547-1_3-0-20>
Josh Lowensohn, CNET News

Getting one of the most advanced 3D game engines onto the iPhone has not been an easy task for Epic Games. But they're close to getting into the hands of developers, and gamers alike.



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Just How Fast Is Cisco's New Router? Really Freaking Fast <http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/ciscos-new-router/>
Dylan F. Tweney, Wired News

**** A Little Black Box To Jog Failing Memory <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/health/09memory.html?ref=technology>
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New York Times

The concept was simple: using digital pictures and audio to archive an experience like a weekend visit from the grandchildren, creating a summary of the resulting content by picking crucial images, and reviewing them periodically to awaken and strengthen the memory of the event.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** How The 'New Feminism' Went Wrong <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/mar/06/charlotte-raven-feminism-madonna-price>
Charlotte Raven, The Guardian

How has it come to this? Feminists blame the sexists, Martin Amis et al, which is easy but unfair. In reality, we can't blame anyone but ourselves.

**** Tacos In The Morning? That’s The Routine In Austin, Tex. <http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=4dbaa22ed7049c3bfa97841e6f96c1f4>
John T. Edge, New York Times

When it comes to breakfast tacos, which are stuffed with fillings like eggs and bacon, Austin, Tex., trumps all other American cities.



SingaporeSurf
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**** S'pore Government Calls Halt To iPhone App Service <http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62061737,00.htm>
Victoria Ho, ZDNet Asia

A popular Singapore iPhone app has hit a snag following instructions from government body, the Land Transport Authority (LTA), to stop pulling data from the latter's web site.

Essentially, the government wants money from citizens to take data from the government which the government collected using citizen's money.

**** MDA Looking Into Mio TV Outage <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100310-0000081/MDA-looking-into-mio-TV-outage>
Esther Ng, Today

The Media Development Authority (MDA) has told MediaCorp it is looking into the breakdown of SingTel's mio TV service, which was down for three days from last Monday to Wednesday.

**** Singapore Least Corrupt, Graft In Indonesia Worsens <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100310-0000086/Singapore-least-corrupt,-graft-in-Indonesia-worsens>
AFP

The Republic remains the least corrupt of 16 major Asia-Pacific investment destinations, in a just-released business survey.

**** Clarification <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100310-0000051/CLARIFICATION>
Lionel Lee, Action for Aids Singapore, Today

In the report, I was quoted as saying that "free treatment subjects the healthcare system to abuses and 'may not translate to long-term economic benefits'". The statement has been quoted out of context. The intended meaning should be that: "Completely free medication could possibly lead to carelessness and increase the practice of unsafe sex. We have always supported the provision of affordable treatment with some form of co-payment scheme by patients."

**** The Challenge Of Overcrowding In S'pore <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_499959.html>
Samuel Owen, Straits Times

**** PAP Member Lodged False Police Report Against Opposition <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/3468-pap-member-lodged-false-police-report-against-opposition>
Singapore Democrats

This case gives Singaporeans a glimpse into how the PAP and its members operate, and demonstrates how the PAP continues to use so-called grassroots organisations to further entrench its power.

**** Batam Hopeful About Tourist Overflow From Singapore Casino <http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/10/batam-hopeful-about-tourist-overflow-singapore-casino.html>
Fadli, The Jakarta Post

Batam tour operators in Riau Islands province are optimistic that the presence of a new casino at Singapore’s Resort World Sentosa will boost the province’s tourism sector.

**** Bed Crunch At Hospices <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_500235.html>
Joan Chew, Straits Times

Hospices are so short of beds that terminally ill patients sometimes have to be put on a waiting list for a place, with some dying before they can be admitted.

**** No GIC Losses? 'Not Realistic' <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_500239.html>
Straits Times

The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) takes it 'very seriously' every time there is a decline in the value of its portfolio or an individual investment, Mrs Lim Hwee Hua said yesterday. But it is 'not realistic' to avoid losses on every investment as that would require GIC to be completely risk-averse, added Mrs Lim, who is minister in the prime minister's office and second minister for finance and transport.

**** Who Voted This Ong Ah Heng Into Parliament? <http://blog.dk.sg/2010/03/10/who-voted-this-ong-ah-heng-into-parliament/>
Dee Kay Dot As Gee

Mr Ong Ah Heng should be ashamed of himself for making such statement in Parliament. Has he ever questioned why the senior citizen have to work as cleaners instead of enjoying their retirement? Does he know that these senior citizen have contributed to the development of Singapore when they were younger? Why isn’t the country taking care of them when they are old? Is this how the Government treat it’s citizens who had contributed to the country? Replace them with foreign workers when they grow old.

Utterly disgusted that we have this kind of MP in Singapore. Has he forgotten about PM Lee’s New Year message for 2010 where he emphasized that Singaporeans are top priority for the government?

**** Singapore’s Economy May Expand 6.5% This Year, MAS Survey Shows <http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-09/singapore-s-economy-may-expand-6-5-this-year-mas-survey-shows.html>
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg

Singapore’s economy may grow faster this year than economists initially predicted, boosted by manufacturing, construction and private consumption, a central bank survey showed.

**** No Lowering Of CL Standards <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_500292.html>
Leow Si Wan, Straits Times

The education ministry will not lower standards across the board in its attempt to make sure that students weaker in the Chinese Language master it. Instead, efforts would be made to help every student learn the language to as high a level as they go, said senior minister of state for national development and education Grace Fu in Parliament on Wednesday.

**** Sorry No Enough Minister Khaw <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2010/03/sorry-no-enough-minister-khaw.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

We are now seeing a distinctive pattern in this multi-millions PAP government. They have sat on the problems without doing anything to anticipate the impact due to the increase of population, which in turn due to their flawed liberal Foreign Talent policy.

**** Large Foreign Workforce A Buffer? <http://pngapore.blogspot.com/2010/03/large-foreign-workforce-buffer.html>
Times They Are A-Changin'

If the buffer created by a large pool of foreign workers has indeed worked, there should be jobs left for Singaporeans after the natural attrition brought on by the financial crisis of 2008. However, it was not the case.

**** PAP Minister Dodges The Question By Pretending To Answer A Different Question <http://singaporeanskeptic.blogspot.com/2010/03/pap-minister-dodges-question-by.html>
Singaporean Skeptic

**** What Singapore Could Learn From Rupert Murdoch <http://www.asiancorrespondent.com/the-asia-file/what-singapore-could-learn-from-rupert-murdoch>
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent

Yesterday, Rupert Murdoch spoke at a media conference in Abu Dhabi, where he warned Gulf states that they must cut regulation and end censorship if they want their creative industries to truly flourish.

Much of what he said could apply to another city-state that tightly controls the media landscape while insisting that it aspires to become "a leading cultural capital" and "a hub for the arts": Singapore.

**** Public Assistance Scheme To Be More Flexible From July <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1042742/1/.html>
S Ramesh , Channel NewsAsia