[MyAppleMenu] Nov 17, 2010

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Zuckerberg: Facebook Blocked Ping Over Data Reciprocity <http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/zuckerberg-facebook-blocked-ping-over-data-reciprocity/8727?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zdnet%2FApple+%28ZDNet+The+Apple+Core%29>
Jason D. O'Grady, ZDNet

Cue the double standards.

**** Why Steve Jobs Will Not Be Time Magazine's Person Of The Year <http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/11/15/why-steve-jobs-will-not-be-time-magazines-person-of-the-year/>
Philip Elmer-DeWitt, Fortune

Maybe Jobs should have been picked the year the Apple II took off. Or the year he introduced the Mac. Or the year he came back to Apple. Or the year he brought out the iPod. Or the iPhone.

But can someone make the case in those meetings that Jobs and his iPad did more to change the news in a Koch brothers, Glenn Beck, Wikileaks kind of year?

**** The Beatles On iTunes A Hit Among Apple's Top Albums <http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/news/index.cfm?newsid=3249106&pagtype=allchandate>
Nick Spence, Macworld UK

Apple's announcement of The Beatles on iTunes received mixed reviews on Tuesday, but sales still appear strong despite or because of the hype.

**** Apple Breaks Mac Security Again By Not Playing Well With Others <http://www.infoworld.com/t/deployment-and-management/apple-breaks-mac-security-again-not-playing-well-others-284>
Robert Lemos, InfoWorld

Whole-disk encryption is a key security technology, especially for mobile corporate users. Yet the two companies seem to lack any effective channel of communication to prevent show-stopping issues.

A lack of communication hurts both companies and their users.

**** The Beatles Caved, Who Remains iTunes Holdout? <http://www.wyff4.com/r/25815734/detail.html>
Jake Coyle, Associated Press

With the Beatles finally on iTunes, Garth Brooks and AC/DC are among the few notable acts that continue to staunchly hold out, unwilling to agree to Apple's restrictive pricing schemes and loath to see their albums chopped into singles.

Kid Rock and Bob Seger have also refused to cave in, like holed-up gunfighters.

**** Google Docs Can Now Be Edited On iPhone, iPad <http://www.macworld.com/article/155767/2010/11/google_docs_iphone_ipad.html?lsrc=rss_main>
David Chartier, Macworld

Google talks about Web apps being the future, but the company sometimes takes a while to bring some of its most powerful features to all devices. Case in point: after four generations of the iPhone and seven months of the iPad, Google Docs can finally be edited on iOS devices.

**** When Permissions Won't Be Repaired <http://www.macworld.com/article/155768/2010/11/unrepairable_permissions.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld

**** Office 2011: Outlook FAQ <http://www.macworld.com/article/155727/2010/11/outlook2011faq.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Macworld

Everything you wanted to know about Microsoft's Entourage-replacement.

**** Free: The Best Mac Backup App Costs Nothing <http://mac360.com/index.php/mac360/comments/free-the-best-mac-backup-app-that-costs-absolutely-nothing/>
Ron McElfresh, Mac360

**** Free: The Top Way To IM Chat With Almost Anyone <http://mac360.com/index.php/mac360/comments/free-the-top-way-to-im-chat-with-almost-anyone-anywhere/>
Jeffrey Mincey, Mac360



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Explaining The Modern World And Keeping It Short <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/books/17book.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss>
Janet Maslin, New York Times

In his happily provocative new book of aphorisms, the fiscal prophet and self-appointed flâneur Nassim Nicholas Taleb aims particular scorn at anyone who thinks aphorisms require explanation. And he differentiates the aphorism from the equally short-form sound bite by noting that the aphorism enhances knowledge while the sound bite shrinks it.

That said, it is extremely foolhardy to try to paraphrase any of Mr. Taleb’s pronouncements.

**** Digital Keys For Unlocking The Humanities’ Riches <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/arts/17digital.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss>
Patricia Cohen, New York Times

A history of the humanities in the 20th century could be chronicled in “isms” — formalism, Freudianism, structuralism, postcolonialism — grand intellectual cathedrals from which assorted interpretations of literature, politics and culture spread.

The next big idea in language, history and the arts? Data.

**** Why Do The National Book Awards Bar Fairy Tales? <http://www.salon.com/books/literary_prizes/index.html?story=/books/laura_miller/2010/11/16/fairy_tales>
Laura Miller, Salon

Humanity's favorite stories are punished for their vaguely disreputable origins.

**** How To Think About Abortion <http://www.salon.com/news/abortion/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/11/16/thinking_about_abortion>
Frances Kissling, Salon

These failures to make progress in the electoral and policy arena on abortion should come as no surprise. Politics is about the here and now. But if anything is ever to change the back-and-forth dynamic of so-called electoral solutions to the problem of abortion, Obama’s effort to get people to talk to each other has to be tried, outside of the Beltway.



SingaporeSurf
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**** Press Freedom: The Singapore Grip <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/17/press-freedom-singapore-grip>
Guardian

It is depressing that a country as successful as Singapore should feel the need for such restrictions on free speech. Singapore argues that, without them, the balance between the country's Chinese, Malay and Indian populations would be upset. But the reality is that other successful parts of Asia – Hong Kong and Taiwan, for instance – have thrived by extending free speech and the rule of law. Singapore is making itself a less significant place by refusing to give its people the sorts of freedoms that are routine elsewhere.

On a practical level, the decision to prosecute Mr Shadrake was also foolish. His book has had far greater attention because of it, and Singapore's reputation has been harmed. Mr Shadrake is quite right to attack a criminal justice system whose victims are often poor migrant workers. His book was legitimate and – despite the court's claim to the contrary – largely accurate.

**** No Freedom Of Speech In Singapore <http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2010/11/no-freedom-of-speech-in-singapore.html>
No Right Turn

The problem is that Singapore isn't a democracy, but an authoritarian state where those in power are not accountable, and instead abuse the law to punish critics and suppress all opposition. And sadly, this disease extends to its judges as well as its politicians.

**** The Trial Of Shadrake: Uncomfortable Truths For The PAP <http://dlzj.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/the-trial-of-shadrake-uncomfortable-truths-for-the-pap/>
Icarus Flew Too High

While the PAP has successfully destroyed the lives and reputations of so many of its opponents here, they have conveniently miscalculated in the case of Alan. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the PAP has opened their own can of uncomfortable truths for the world to see. They won’t go away anytime soon.

**** The Ultimate Surveillance State <http://johnbreardon.blogspot.com/2010/11/ultimate-surveillance-state.html>
John Reardon

It's a country whose abysmal human rights record deserves a wider airing.

**** The Contest In Tampines Against Mah Bow Tan And ... <http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/2010/11/contest-in-tampines-with-mah-bow-tan.html>
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives

**** Time To Go Beyond Compulsory Education <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/11/time-to-go-beyond-compulsory-education/>
Lisa Li, The Online Citizen

It is good that Singapore’s Compulsory Education Act dictates enrolment and participation in schools, but beyond this, we need to ensure that the children are truly learning in a well-supported and conducive environment that allows teachers to pay more attention to their students.

**** More Students Dabbling In Sex, Say Counsellors <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1094038/1/.html>
Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia

Counsellors in Singapore said they are seeing a 10 to 15 per cent increase in sexuality cases among students, over the last few years. Students are starting to dabbling in sexual issues at an earlier age, with some even going as far as posting sexual acts online.

**** Jurong Town Council Causing Inconvenience To Residents <http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/11/17/jurong-town-council-causing-inconvenience-to-residents/>
The Temasek Review

**** Random Discourse – Why Some Of Us Don’t Feel Belonged? <http://www.nowhere.per.sg/?p=1535>
The Lycan Times

**** Do Singapore Lawyers Talk To Each Other? <http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2010/11/do-singapore-lawyers-talk-to-each-other.html>
Singapore Notes

It's a sorry state of the Singapore legal profession when lawyers don't talk to each other anymore. Oh, we forgot, this Wong guy communicates only via official correspondence, "to seek a full report, on an urgent basis, on what transpired".

**** More Boutique Hotels To Be Seen In Fringe Areas <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1094067/1/.html>
Vimita Mohandas, Channel NewsAsia

About 17 boutique hotels have been set up in Singapore, of which seven were developed in the past two years and according to an analyst, this number is set to grow especially in the fringe areas of Singapore.

**** Lessons From The Mess In The Singapore Democratic Alliance <http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2010/11/17/lessons-from-the-mess-in-the-singapore-democratic-alliance/>
Yawning Bread

There are two mysteries: Why is Chiam so keen on contesting a GRC? Why is the Reform Party so keen on tying up with Chiam? Both these impulses were the starting points for the mess that has followed.

Equally mysterious is why the Reform Party was interested. Here was a party that took the plunge and announced six candidates far in advance of an election — with more in the wings, it suggested. Six is more than enough to make a GRC team. Why did they feel they needed Chiam?