[MyAppleMenu] Apr 16, 2011

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Cutting That Cord <http://daringfireball.net/2011/04/cutting_that_cord>
John Gruber, Daring Fireball

The announcement many people seem to be waiting for is for Apple to tell iOS users they no longer need iTunes on the Mac or Windows. The announcement I’d like to see is for iOS users to no longer need to pay for MobileMe to wirelessly sync calendars, contacts — and any other small bits of data from apps from the App Store.

**** Apple Hit With Class-action Suit Over iPhone In-app Game Currency Purchases <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/04/15/apple_hit_with_class_action_suit_over_iphone_in_app_game_currency_purchases.html>
Neil Hughes, AppleInsider

A new class-action lawsuit takes issue with free iPhone games that feature in-app purchases, alleging that Apple's App Store makes it easy for children to rack up credit card charges without realizing they are spending real-world money.

**** How To Format A Hard Drive <http://www.macworld.com/article/158905/2011/04/howtoformathd.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Roman Loyola, Macworld

This article will show how to format a hard drive using Disk Utility, a helpful application that comes with every Mac. It’s easy, and takes a few minutes.

**** QuickTumblr For iPad Takes Tumblr Blogging On The Go <http://www.macworld.com/article/159266/2011/04/quicktumblr_tumblr_ipad.html#lsrc.rss_main>
David Chartier, Macworld

**** OS X Update And The MacBook Air's 3D Graphics Performance <http://www.macworld.com/article/158494/2011/04/1067updatemba.html#lsrc.rss_main>
James Galbraith, Macworld

If you own a mid-2010 MacBook Air, installing the 10.6.7 update may result in an unwanted decrease in the system’s graphics performance. We will continue to monitor this issue.

**** iPad Resellers Now Camp Overnight At Apple Stores <http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/ipad-resellers-now-camp-overnight-at-apple-stores/?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Nick Bilton, New York Times

The people I saw waiting outside the SoHo store mostly refused to answer questions about what they were doing. But one man, who looked to be around 40 years old and declined to share his name, said he could make up to $400 a day by purchasing and reselling the iPad 2. As I reported last year, this is more money than many Chinese immigrants make in a week.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** David Foster Wallace: The Last Audit <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/books/review/book-review-the-pale-king-by-david-foster-wallace.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss#>
Tom McCarthy, New York Times

And then, perhaps, there’s a MacGuffin, peeping through this networked novel like James Incandenza’s lethally seductive film through “Infinite Jest.” Agent Chris Fogle, it is rumored, has concocted an algorithm that bequeaths to those who intone it a state of pure, impenetrable concentration — and the I.R.S.’s chiefs, for obvious reasons, want to prize this from him. But the formula, rather than accelerating the system’s ends, might instead allow the semi-enslaved worker to slip his shackles even as he dons them, to achieve a kind of mystical, if beleaguered, enlightenment. The novel’s final image sends us back to a 19th-century factory, in which a woman counting loops of twine is shown enjoying Zen-like immersion in her task. A transcendent ergonomics of the assembly line is, perhaps, the best that we can hope for, Wallace seems to conclude.

**** Mathematics Of Life By Ian Stewart - Review <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/apr/16/mathematics-of-life-ian-stewart-review?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Alex Bellos, The Guardian

When I was at school, biology was the science you took precisely to avoid calculations and formulae. Maths was firmly in bed with physics, its muse.

Ian Stewart says this is changing. He claims that for the next century the driving force behind mathematics will be biology, and that this marks a fundamental, and exciting, shift in how the sciences inter-relate. "Mathematicians like nothing better than a rich source of new questions," he writes. "Biologists, rightly, will be impressed only by the answers."

**** The Free World By David Bezmozgis – Review <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/apr/16/free-world-david-bezmozgis-review?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Colin Greenland, The Guardian

"Any work of art," David Bezmozgis told the New Yorker, "has to have at its core some kind of irretrievable loss." His assertion was made last June, after the magazine had judged him, on the evidence of a handful of published short stories, one of the 20 best writers under 40 years of age. The Free World, his first novel, complies admirably with his prescription. 

**** They Drove <http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/apr/16/mark-ford-they-drove-saturday-poem?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29>
Mark Ford, The Guardian

**** How Book Publishing Has Changed Since 1984 <http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/04/how-book-publishing-has-changed-since-1984/237184/>
Peter Osnos, The Atlantic

One of Random House's big books that spring was the diary of New York's governor, Mario Cuomo. Whatever else Cuomo wanted for his book, outselling New York's Mayor Ed Koch's number-one bestseller was a key goal. That never happened. When Cuomo delivered the finest speech of his career at the San Francisco Democratic Convention, he flew back overnight and called Jason Epstein, Random House's legendary editorial director to complain that his wife Matilda could not find copies of his book in stores around the Cow Palace, where the convention was held. Jason listened to Cuomo's lament and quietly observed: "Governor, no author since Homer has ever found his own book in a bookstore."



SingaporeSurf
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**** GE: Socialist Front Not Taking Part In General Election <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1123042/1/.html>
Sharon See, Channel NewsAsia

The party's secretary-general, 37-year-old lawyer Chia Ti Lik, said there are too many multi-cornered fights this time round and the party does not want to split the opposition vote.

**** Are Mah Bow Tan’s Housing Policies Responsible? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/04/are-mah-bow-tan%E2%80%99s-housing-policies-responsible/>
James Ong, The Online Citizen

To understand how distorted HDB flat prices are, all you need is to take a look at the charts comparing the Straits Times Index (STI), the Private Property Index (PPI) and the HDB Resale Price Index (RPI) over the last 20 years.

When HDB prices fail to keep in line with economic fundamentals, is the government being responsible?

**** Please Give Her A Chance To Prove Herself <http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2011/04/please-give-her-chance-to-prove-herself.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News

Most important of all is for Singaporeans to give themselves a chance to choose the best from all parties to serve them, not to rule them. Would Singaporeans be enterprising enough, be more adventurous, be less kiasu and less kiasi, and give themselves a chance that they did not have for a long time?

**** GE: Expect More 3-cornered Fights In Future Elections, Says Steve Chia <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1123075/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia

Former Non-Constituency MP Steve Chia has said the Singapore electorate should expect more three-cornered fights in future elections.

He added: "I have given them (residents) the assurance that when I am elected, I will have Meet-The-People sessions on every weekday. I have also given them my contact number and if they have any issues with any of the constituency, problems with their HDB blocks, they can call me up, and I will go and see them to understand what are the issues and how to resolve the problems."

**** GE: Nationalising Public Transport Can Lead To Inefficiencies: Lim Hwee Hua <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1123076/1/.html>
Joanne Chan, Channel NewsAsia

"I presume the underlying motivation for nationalisation is because it's cheap. But nationalising in a lot of other countries has led to inefficiencies. Ultimately, you get cheap transport but it doesn't quite work out for the residents," said Mrs Lim. 

**** Bread-and-butter Concerns At Forum <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110416-0000324/Bread-and-butter-concerns-at-forum>
Teo Xuanwei, Today

Unlike in the earlier English forum where political issues took centrestage, bread-and-butter concerns such as the affordability of housing, the rising cost of living and the impact of the influx of foreigners dominated the Chinese language edition of Question Time With The Prime Minister.

**** '‘Orchid Evolution’ Sweeping Through S’pore' <http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/orchid-evolution-sweeping-pore-veteran-editor-20110415-035611-590.html>
Elena Torrijos, Yahoo!

Speaking before an audience of about 80 executives at a seminar on corporate reputations on Friday morning, PN Balji, former CEO and editor-in-chief of TODAY newspaper, said this transformation, or what he termed as Singapore's "Orchid Evolution", is reflected by the new mood of the nation and other changes. "Because the government has played a critical role, a womb-to-tomb role in people's lives, now there's a boomerang effect. They blame the government for everything that goes wrong in Singapore."

Balji, who is currently director of the Asia Journalism Fellowship at the Nanyang Technological University, noted that the public's new attitude towards the government goes in tandem with the change in how the traditional media cover the opposition parties.He believed that that this approach by the traditional media would not have gone ahead without some tacit acceptance by the government. "Why do I think the government has tacitly agreed to this? I think the government doesn't want readership, circulation, viewership to drop," he said.

**** Focus On Oil Firms, Not Hawkers <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_657408.html>
Hariharan Gangadharan, Straits Times

Seen in this light, it seems illogical when hawkers promise to hold prices for six months. It is difficult to comprehend how they can give this undertaking when the prices of food items are quite unpredictable.

It is disturbing to see ministers and MPs participating in media efforts to publicise the undertaking by retail groups and hawkers to maintain prices. Such efforts create the impression of some indirect pressure, although the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) says there is none.

**** Pay-TV Subscribers At The Mercy Of Channel Swops <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_657212.html>
Aditya Dharnidharka, Straits Times

If SingTel fails to deliver on its offerings, shouldn't the consumers be allowed to cancel the agreements without penalty?

**** 答复 使用电梯转搭乘客 可向柜台职员求助 <http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/yl110416_012.shtml>
å¼ çŽ‰èŽ²ï¼ŒSmrt企业有限公司, 联合早报

想要乘坐电梯，在武吉班让轻轨列车站和蔡厝港地铁站之间进行转搭的乘客，可以向柜台的职员求助。在武吉班让轻轨列车站，乘客可以通过在列车站大厅的两台对讲电话（intercom）同我们的职员通话。在蔡厝港地铁站，他们可以向乘客服务中心要求协助。

**** “集选区竞选比单选区有趣” 陈如斯：未决定是否参选 <http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp110416_016.shtml>
林慧慧, 联合早报

“我还没做出是否要参选的决定，不过现在看来，在集选区竞选会比在单选区竞选更有趣。”

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**** Low Thia Khiang: WP Proposal To Lower HDB Flat Prices Won't Affect Resale Prices <http://www.straitstimes.com/GeneralElection/News/Story/STIStory_657418.html>
Kor Kian Beng, Straits Times

Workers' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang slammed National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan on Friday for not giving Singaporeans the full picture, insisting his party's proposal to lower new flat prices will not affect resale prices.

The Hougang MP cited two reasons: the number of new HDB flats are relatively small and are also subject to a minimum occupancy period of five years before they could be sold on the resale market.

**** The SDP Will Be Accountable With The People's Money <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4734-the-sdp-will-be-accountable-with-the-peoples-money>
Singapore Democratic Party

In 2008, the Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council (HBTC) lost $8 million of its sinking funds in bad investments. The HBTC had used the funds to buy what tourned out to be toxic financial products from Lehman Brothers, DBS and Merrill Lynch.

At the constituency level, we make The SDP Promise that we will not adopt such a high-risk approach if we are elected and put in charge of the town council. Instead we will channel whatever savings that we achieve back to the residents. And we will do this in consultation with our constituencts.

**** Another Toothless Tiger To Deal With Cost Of Living <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/04/another-toothless-tiger-to-deal-with-cost-of-living/>
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen

So, what is the use of a hastily set-up outfit with no bite and which seems to be only interested in “going after” the small retailers, stalls and outlets? It seems to be nothing more than a public relations campaign by the ruling People’s Action Party in the run-up to the elections. After all, the concerns over the cost of living is not new. It goes back some years, especially after the last general elections in 2006. If one were to collate the extensive rises in the costs of everything, across the board, since GE 2006, it is a very long list indeed.

Perhaps it is time Singaporeans themselves see through and dismiss the PAP’s wayang of showing empathy for the average Singaporean, and insure themselves by having a watch group in Parliament made up of opposition MPs.

**** GE: SPP Eyes Ang Mo Kio GRC <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1123174/1/.html>
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia

The Singapore People's Party (SPP) is making plans to contest in Ang Mo Kio GRC. The team is likely to be led by 23-year-old Alex Tan, a financial adviser.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a SPP walkabout at Bishan-Toa Payoh, Mr Tan concedes his team's chances are not high, but said his aim is to give Ang Mo Kio residents a chance to vote.

**** MCN Proposes RM1.2b Rail Network <http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/16/business/8493097&sec=business>
Zazali Musa, The Star

Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) has received a proposal by Metropolitan Commuter Network Sdn Bhd (MCN) to develop a RM1.23bil intra-city commuter train (ICCT) service for Iskandar Malaysia.

Under the proposal, seven new stations will be built along the route together with 16 halts and the rail network will also include a shuttle service from JB Sentral to Woodlands in Singapore.

**** Hard Truths You Won’t Read About Elsewhere, Part V <http://flaneurose.blogspot.com/2011/04/hard-truths-you-wont-read-about_15.html>
Flaneurose

**** No Longer Of One Mind <http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/16/focus/8487138&sec=focus>
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star

If you were to ask any Singaporean, he will likely tell you that a split will take place after Lee Kuan Yew quits. Lee Kuan Yew himself said in 1991, when he was Senior Minister, that a leadership split might happen after his exit, and it would be over ideology rather than personal reasons.

**** NSP Gives Way To WP In Interest Of “Opposition Harmony” <http://ge2011.theonlinecitizen.com/2011/04/nsp-gives-way-to-wp-in-interest-of-opposition-harmony/>
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen

In a press release, the party says it has decided to do this in the “interest of opposition harmony”. The NSP has been in a tussle with the Workers’ Party (WP) since the electoral boundaries were released in February. The NSP says it is “confident that WP will be able to put up a strong team” to challenge the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) team there.

The NSP also announced that it is withdrawing from Yuhua Single-member Constituency and deferring it to the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

**** GE: GRC Scheme Here To Stay <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1123204/1/.html>
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia

"The fundamental reason is that GRCs ensure that in our Parliament, there will be a minimum number of minority MPs. That's very important. We are a multi-racial, multi-religious society. Without this system, the multi-racial feature of our Parliament will be under threat," said prime minister Lee.

**** Put Mah Bow Tan On “Live” TV <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/04/put-mah-bow-tan-on-live-tv/>
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen

With almost one million HDB flats currently, housing some 85 per cent of Singaporeans, the runaway prices of these flats has become a deep concern for many Singaporeans. From the first quarter of 2007 to the third quarter (flash estimate) of 2010, the HDB resale price index has risen by 60 percent.

Thus the worries of Singaporeans, especially the younger ones who need a home to start families, and the older ones who are saddled with uncertainty over job security and depressed wages, are real and valid.

**** WP: Freedom Of Info <http://politicshap.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/wp-freedom-of-info/>
Politics

If I were given a choice between the PAP and the WP, and the only evaluation criteria is on media, arts and information, I’d support the WP. I mentioned previously that arts licensing and declassification of sensitive records after a set period are two proposals I think are good for Singapore. Now I further support their Freedom of Information Act proposal.