[MyAppleMenu] Mar 15, 2010

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple's HTC Patent Lawsuit Is A Bluff <http://www.betanews.com/joewilcox/article/Apples-HTC-patent-lawsuit-is-a-bluff/1268597261>
Joe Wilcox, Beta News

Apple's initial goals have little to do with protecting intellectual property as much as scaring away competitors.

**** Readers Are Devouring Apple Book Apps <http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2010/tc20100312_351841.htm>
Olga Kharif, BusinessWeek

Demand for digital book applications on Apple devices gives developers and publishers fresh ways to make money—a mixed blessing for Amazon.

**** TalkTalk To Drop PCs And Switch Staff To Apple <http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article7061718.ece>
Nic Fildes, The Times

Britain’s second-largest residential broadband provider is preparing to switch its entire workforce to Apple laptops.

Apple has been a minor player in the enterprise market and does not make a priority of selling directly to corporate customers, outside the education and media sectors. But with more workers using Apple’s computers at home and downloading business applications and checking e-mails on their iPhones, the pressure on companies to switch to Apple’s products for work purposes is growing.

**** The iPad Developer's Challenge <http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20000393-260.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-Apple>
Erica Ogg, CNET News

Applications meant for the iPhone may look similar to their iPad brethren, but they present new challenges to the people creating them.

**** Review: Strata Design 3D CX 6.1 <http://rss.macworld.com/click.phdo?i=0272272b10af6b429ba7ec6c0192d3e0>
Dan Ablan, Macworld

While most 3D programs on the market play nicely with Adobe’s industry standard apps, none have thus far created an integrated system that removes the guesswork for its users. That’s the strength of Strata Design 3D CX 6.1.

**** Now It's War: Apple Poaches A Googler <http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-poaches-a-google-product-director-2010-3>
The Business Insider

Apple and Google were alleged to have had a no-poaching pact for years . Now that they're enemies pitched in an Android versus iPhone battle, it appears that agreement is over.



The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** Telling Friends Where You Are (Or Not) <http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=7cc6983182366a49778cbd96f5c3c96a>
Jenna Wortham, New York Times

Giving people more choices in revealing their locations with their cell phones is being popularized by the Foursquare service.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** The Pura Principle <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2010/03/22/100322fi_fiction_diaz>
Junot Díaz, New Yorker

**** Ecclesiastes 11:1. <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2010/03/22/100322po_poem_wilbur>
Richard Wilbur, New Yorker

**** Whale <http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/poetry/2010/03/22/100322po_poem_pinsky>
Robert Pinsky, New Yorker



SingaporeSurf
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**** Alternative Flat-booking System? <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100315-0000023/Alternative-flat-booking-system?>
Esther Ng, Today

If about half the applicants offered a Built-To-Order flat reject it, is there something wrong with the system? Ngee Ann Polytechnic real estate lecturer Nicholas Mak thinks a longer list of flats could be offered to home seekers, which they could bid or ballot for. That means paying more for a choice flat.

**** Developing World Has Launched 'Arms Race': Think-tank <http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jNJOivSfBzBzab7r3YSyW7Kjxq9w>
AFP

Developing countries have embarked on a dangerous "arms race" with huge sums ploughed into combat aircraft in unstable parts of the world in the past five years, a top defence think-tank has said.

South East Asia saw a dramatic increase between 2005 and 2009 with Malaysia ramping up its arms imports by 722 percent, Singapore 146 percent and Indonesia 84 percent. The increase in arms imports to Singapore made the island country the first member of ASEAN to make SIPRI's list of top 10 biggest arms importers since the end of the Vietnam war, giving the nation seventh place overall.

**** Pay-TV Changes: A New Distortion? <http://www.todayonline.com/Comment/EDC100315-0000011/Pay-TV-changes--A-new-distortion?>
Siew Kum Hong, Today

The questions now are whether the proposed solution will work, and whether it introduces new distortions or problems.

The author asserted that EPL is a 'critical content'. I disagree. Football entertainment is simply just that: entertainment. We shouldn't simply add layers and layers of regulations just to please football entertainment fans and gamblers. Remember: we as taxpayers have to pay for all these regulations, including the salary of that civil servant sitting inside MITA building watching television to ensure exclusive content are carried on competing operators with all the branding and logos intact.

**** Give Us HDB Flats <i>at cost</i>, <i>not</i> 30 Years Mortgage Enslavement! <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2010/03/give-us-hdb-flats-at-cost-not-30yrs.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

We just want an honest price from HDB for our young Singaporean couples, at least a COST PRICE of HDB for our young in return for the enormous power that we have given the PAP government in Land Acquisition Act which it has used to acquired huge land stock at dirt cheap prices.

**** Central Business District Petrol Stations <http://goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.com/2010/03/central-business-district-petrol.html>
Peter Chan, Good Morning Yesterday

In 1971, the Ministry of National Development met officials from the major oil companies in Singapore to announce a major decision. All petrol stations within the Central Business District (CBD) were to be phased out over a period of 30 years, with some having to quit immediately.

**** Singapore Retail Sales Up 2.3 Per Cent In January <http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=482552>
Bernama

Singapore retail sales in January increased by 2.3 per cent compared to January 2009. But excluding motor vehicles, the retail sales was up by 1.3 per cent from a year ago, according to a monthly report released by the city-state's Statistics Department on Monday.

**** Singapore Urges Romania To Investigate Fatal Accidents <http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1540996.php/Singapore-urges-Romania-to-investigate-fatal-accidents>
DPA

Singapore urged Romania to investigate thoroughly two hit-and-run accidents that supposedly involved a former Romanian diplomat posted in the city-state, media reports said Monday.

**** Long-Term Unemployment Rising In Singapore <http://www.pressrun.net/weblog/2010/03/long-term-unemployment-rising-in-singapore.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rana+%28Blowin%27+In+The+Wind%29>
Blowin' In The Wind

**** M1's Stock Pulls Ahead As Govt Drops Exclusive Content For Pay-TV <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporebusinessnews/view/1043768/1/.html>
Desmond Wong, Channel NewsAsia

Shares of MobileOne rallied two per cent on Monday as the market reacted to news last week that pay TV providers must share exclusive content. Analysts said with the playing field levelled, the door is open for smaller players like M1 to enter the pay TV market with little capital expenditure.

**** Debate Over Drug Mule Yong's Death Penalty <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1043788/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

Should drug traffickers be presented the automatic punishment - which is the death penalty? That question arose during the appeal of convicted Malaysian drug mule Yong Vui Kong.

**** On The Jack Neo Sex Scandal And Sexual Harassment In The Workplace <http://singaporeaspirations.blogspot.com/2010/03/on-jack-neo-sex-scandal-and-sexual.html>
Singapore Aspirations

Much has been said about Singapore filmmaker Jack Neo’s infidelity recently.  But little has been raised in regard to how his behaviour likely constitutes sexual harassment in the workplace, and in particular, the lack of specific laws in Singapore that protect employees from sexual harassment and give employees an avenue for seeking redress.