[MyAppleMenu] Jan 6, 2011

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple Releases iWork Update 5 <http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/01/05/apple-releases-iwork-update-5/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+loopinsight%2FKqJb+%28The+Loop%29>
Jim Dalrymple, The Loop

**** Installing Software On A Mac With A Dead DVD Drive <http://www.macworld.com/article/156889/2011/01/install_software_dead_drive.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld

Yes. You could use the media drive on your MacBook to install software to the Mac mini. This can be accomplished via FireWire Target Disk Mode or through disc sharing.

**** Returning To Apple After Nine Years <http://db.tidbits.com/article/11851?rss>
Lorenz Szabo, TidBITS

**** Turning A Tablet Into A Board Game <http://solution.allthingsd.com/20110104/turning-a-tablet-into-a-board-game/>
Katherine Boehret, Wall Street Journal

This week, I tested a game that successfully marries digital and analog games by using the first physical device to digitally interact with the Apple iPad screen. The $40 Duo by Discovery Bay Games doesn’t plug into the iPad, nor does it connect to the iPad via Bluetooth or other means. It sits on the iPad screen in a specific spot and uses a built-in light sensor on its underbelly to interpret light signals displayed on the iPad screen during a game.

**** Photomatix 4 <http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/review_photomatix_4>
Gary Coyne, Applelinks

Photomatix 4 continues its domination of the HDR Photography landscape with its new release of version 4. The big news is that hdrsoft has now provided an excellent mechanism to deal with objects that have moved during your multiple-image capture. In addition, Photomatix now displays a sample strip of thumbnails to let you quickly see and click to display your image in a variety of presets prvoided by Photomatix (you can also create your own). These presets let you easily view an image with either Image Fusion or Tone Mapping to help you determine which approach might give you a better look for your image.

**** Apple Restricting Employee Vacations As First 2011 Products Loom <http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/01/05/apple_restricting_employee_vacations_as_first_2011_products_loom.html>
Neil Hughes And Kasper Jade, AppleInsider

Apple is quietly prohibiting vacation days for some retail employees for three weeks beginning later this month, a move that could foreshadow a significant product introduction in the coming weeks, AppleInsider has learned.

**** iLife, iWork, Aperture Now Available On Mac App Store <http://www.macworld.com/article/156914/2011/01/bundles.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Jason Snell, Macworld

The three key apps in the $49 iLife ’11 suite—iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand—are now available via the Mac App Store for $15 each. The boxed iLife ’11 suite, in contrast, costs $49—slightly more than the three apps a la carte, though the suite also includes iDVD and iWeb, two apps that haven’t been substantially updated in recent years.

The three apps that make up the $79 iWork ’09 suite—Pages, Keynote, and Numbers—are also available on the Mac App Store, for $20 each, undercutting the $79 price of the boxed suite. It’s an even better deal if you’re only a user of one of the apps—Keynote, for example.

**** Mac App Store Opens With More Than 1,000 Apps <http://www.macworld.com/article/156913/2011/01/appstore.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Jason Snell, Macworld

To enable the Mac App Store, Snow Leopard users will need to update to Mac OS X 10.6.6, either by using the Mac’s built-in Software Update or via a download from Apple’s Website. Apple said the update would roll out to users beginning at 5:30 a.m. Pacific.

**** iLife ’11 From The App Store Excludes iWeb, iDVD <http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/01/06/ilife-11-from-the-app-store-excludes-iweb-idvd/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+loopinsight%2FKqJb+%28The+Loop%29>
Peter Cohen, The Loop



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** For Gangsters, Read Royals <http://moreintelligentlife.com/blog/tim-de-lisle/gangsters-read-royals?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MoreintelligentlifeTotal+%28moreintelligentlife.com+-+total%29>
Intelligent Life

For the three filmgoers and a dog who like British gangster movies, there is no need to panic. “The King’s Speech” is a film about a famous West End family that features a fading patriarch, a pair of brothers at war with each other and some very sharp tailoring. It’s “The Godfather” with less blood and more tweed.

**** Cyberspace When You’re Dead <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/magazine/09Immortality-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all>
Rob Walker, New York Times

Suppose that just after you finish reading this article, you keel over, dead. Perhaps you’re ready for such an eventuality, in that you have prepared a will or made some sort of arrangement for the fate of the worldly goods you leave behind: financial assets, personal effects, belongings likely to have sentimental value to others and artifacts of your life like photographs, journals, letters. Even if you haven’t made such arrangements, all of this will get sorted one way or another, maybe in line with what you would have wanted, and maybe not.

Suppose that just after you finish reading this article, you keel over, dead. Perhaps you’re ready for such an eventuality, in that you have prepared a will or made some sort of arrangement for the fate of the worldly goods you leave behind: financial assets, personal effects, belongings likely to have sentimental value to others and artifacts of your life like photographs, journals, letters. Even if you haven’t made such arrangements, all of this will get sorted one way or another, maybe in line with what you would have wanted, and maybe not.

**** Hard Core <http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/01/hard-core/8327/>
Natasha Vargas-cooper, The Atlantic

The new world of porn is revealing eternal truths about men and women.

**** Selling A Book By Its Cover <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/garden/06books.html?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Penelope Green, New York Times

Book lovers, you can exhale. The printed, bound book has been given a stay of execution by an unlikely source: the design community. In this Kindle-and-iPad age, architects, builders and designers are still making spaces with shelves — lots and lots of shelves — and turning to companies like Mr. Wines’s Juniper Books for help filling them.

**** Blood Loss <http://www.slate.com/id/2280097/>
Christopher Beam, Slate

The decline of the serial killer.

**** The Economics Of Economists' Ethics <http://www.slate.com/id/2279937/>
Annie Lowrey, Slate

If they read their own research, economists might disclose conflicts of interest more often.

**** Restaurant Or Butcher Shop? <http://www.laweekly.com/2011-01-06/eat-drink/restaurant-or-butcher-shop/>
Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly

If you didn't know better, or you weren't reading this in the restaurant column instead of in the corner of the paper where the consumer products go, you could almost swear that Salt's Cure was a butcher shop where dining was almost a sideline and the real business of the place was the cutting and preparation of meats.



SingaporeSurf
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**** Why Club's An Appropriate CCA <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC110106-0000199/Why-clubs-an-appropriate-CCA>
Sum Chee Wah, Ministry Of Education, Today

The YouthClub at BoonLay's main objective is to give its members opportunities for volunteer work at the community level.

**** Indonesia Expects 50% Rise In Investment From Singapore <http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/indonesia-expects-50-rise-in-investment-from-singapore/415295>
Kanya Stira Sjahrir & Antara, Jakarta Globe

Indonesia expects neighbor Singapore to boost its investment in the country to capitalize on the conducive political climate and growing economy, a top minister said. 

**** It Opened Pandora's Box <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_620984.html>
Ong Siew Chey, Straits Times

It is not right that one school requires scientific proof and evidence for its practice and is held responsible for possible errors, while the other is exempt from the need for scientific scrutiny and is free of legal responsibility of the outcome.

**** Chief Justice Did Not Suggest Criminal Lawyers Are Unethical <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_620977.html>
Subhas Anandan, Association Of Criminal Lawyers Of Singapore, Straits Times

The article was culled from a report in the December 2010 issue of the Law Gazette. A person reading the report will agree that it was a story about the inaugural tripartite forum where the Bench, Bar and Prosecution met to discuss common problems and find solutions. It was not about the Chief Justice urging criminal lawyers to be ethical or even suggesting that they are not ethical. I felt he was reminding criminal lawyers to continue acting ethically. His remarks could have possibly been prompted by a few unmeritorious appeals.

I disagree with the Law Society's spokesman that the Chief Justice's remarks were a 'timely reminder'. This gives the impression that the Law Society agrees with the position that the Criminal Bar is not ethical. This certainly cannot be the alleged position of the Law Society.

**** Better Ways To Tackle Underage Maids <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_620982.html>
Bridget Tan, Humanitarian Organisation For Migration Economics, Straits Times

The difficulty for agencies in authenticating the age of inbound workers suggests the need for a checklist of measures that agencies should be held accountable for implementing.

**** Fee Hike To Curb 'Wasted Work' <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110106-0000187/Fee-hike-to-curb-wasted-work>
Leong Wee Keat, Today

Following its recent move to increase the appeal fee 10-fold to $50, the Subordinate Courts has disclosed that the number of criminal appeals has surged in recent years.  At the same time, the number of appeals that were withdrawn or lapsed are also on the rise. A Subordinate Courts spokesperson said: "This contributes to much wasted work as the record of proceedings is prepared and compiled, but the appeal is not eventually heard."

However, lawyers who spoke to MediaCorp pointed out that there could be various reasons for the withdrawal of appeals. Some defendants may not wish to prolong the agony of defending, while some may have felt initially aggrieved by the court's decision, but later realise that their chances of succeeding in their appeals are not high.

**** MPs Table Motion On 'Inclusive Growth' <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110106-0000244/MPs-table-motion-on-inclusive-growth>
Cheow Xin Yi, Today

Labour MPs Zainudin Nordin and Josephine Teo have jointly tabled a motion to discuss "inclusive growth", borne of the acknowledgment that income disparity is a challenge for Singapore, the former told MediaCorp.

While he preferred to save his ammunition for the debate, he said the aim of the motion - to which a minister will respond - is for MPs to "come out understanding better" the challenges facing Singapore and for them to air their opinions on how to improve matters. Inflation in a booming economy and not the coming elections, is the concern, Mr Zainudin said.

**** UBS Report : Purchasing Power Comparison <http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2011/01/ubs-report-purchasing-power-comparison.html>
Diary Of A Singaporean Mind

Basically, Singaporeans have been put on a threadmil. As wages go up, the price level of housing, transport and medical care goes up even more. Its like the speed of the threadmill is increased year after year and you are made run harder just to stay on the spot and not fall behind. For the bottom 30% whose wages have remained more or less stagnant for the past 10 years, their quality of life has simply deteriorated. So what is the selling point of this system for ordinary Singaporeans?

**** Stronger Ties With RP? SPP’s Chairman Speaks <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/01/stronger-ties-with-rp-spp’s-chairman-speaks/>
Ravi Philemon, The Online Citizen

**** Record GDP: More Can’t Pay S&CC? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/01/record-gdp-more-cant-pay-scc/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen

As a layman, I think two factors that may influence the S & CC scores, is how town councils write-off their S & CC bad debts, and the balance of efficiency and compassion in chasing for arrears.

**** Missed Opportunity In Parking Policy? <http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC110106-0000251/Missed-opportunity-in-parking-policy>
Neo Chai Chin, Today

Singaporeans generally accept the premium that centrally-located housing commands. And they watch as demand and supply guides Electronic Road Pricing and Certificate of Entitlement rates. But would they allow the market to dictate parking prices here?

The relative lack of market forces in pricing parking here, notably outside the Central Business District, surprises transport policy expert Paul Barter.

**** 文礼临时巴士转换站为何拥挤? <http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/yl110106_006.shtml>
陈邦顺, 联合早报

今后如果要推出新的巴士路线，也会被这些缩水的新巴士转换站限制着。最后，这些崭新的“综合”购物及巴士转换站，很可能会成为“好看不好吃”的“白象”。

**** ä¼°ä»·ç¡®å®žæ˜¯å±‹ä»·é«˜æ¶¨ä¸»å›  <http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/yl110106_008.shtml>
董吉平, 联合早报

估价的大幅上涨是屋价上涨的主要原动力。非常遗憾的是，迄今出台的那些降温措施多数都是隔靴搔痒，没有找到问题的症结。

**** Changi Motorsports Hub Tender Under Investigation <http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/01/06/changi-motorsports-hub-tender-under-investigation/>
Angela Lim, Yahoo!

In a move that has shocked the motorsports industry, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) has launched a probe into the tender for the S$380 million Changi Motorsports Hub.

**** Kids Banned At Singapore Restaurants <http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/eat/sorry-kids-youre-not-welcomed-here-280860>
Charlene Fang, CNNGo

More Singapore eateries, even the casual ones, are putting a stop to kiddie diners, much to the relief of adult patrons.

**** Liberal Democracy Gives Rise To Social Ills? Part 2 <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4474-liberal-democracy-gives-rise-to-social-ills-part-2>
Singapore Democrat Party

We hope that it is clear by now that social ills don't come about because we have political freedom. We still live under a very authoritarian regime, and yet our social problems are only increasing.

The truth is that democracy and political freedom do not cause crime and vice. Rather it is the blind pursuit of wealth by the elite at the expense of the rest of society that is fueling a breakdown in order. Social breakdown comes about when a ruling party is left unchecked. Its excesses perpetuate income disparity and places an unbearable strain on society. The result is a degeneration in social order.

In fact it is in democratic societies (and they are not confined to the West) that the people can balance misguided government policies through open debate and elections, and exert an ethical influence over public policy.

**** Debunking ST Jessica Cheam’s Claim That Prices Of Resale HDB Flats Are ’Stabilizing’ <http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/01/05/debunking-st-jessica-cheams-claim-that-prices-of-resale-hdb-flats-are-stabilizing/>
Temasek Review

It is most disingenuous of Jessica Cheam to mislead Singaporeans into thinking that prices have stabilized because of the cooling measures unleashed by Housing Minister Mah Bow Tan in August last year when they are still rising.

As a national paper, the Straits Times should display a higher standard of professionalism and ethics and publish fair, balanced and objective articles to inform the public instead of spinning such half-truths, lies and hogwash to pull a wool over the eyes of Singaporeans who are definitely becoming more educated, astute and discerning.

**** The Cost Of An Appeal <http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2011/01/cost-of-appeal.html>
Singapore Notes

CJ Chan recognises the pioneering element involved, "I have not heard of any other jurisdiction where the Bench, the Prosecution and the Criminal Bar have voluntary agreed to discuss issues and problems of criminal justice that arise from time to time in the course of their work." Judging from Singapore's unique tripartite system, where the worker sometimes gets shortchanged, one can appreciate why some have already expressed reservations about the outcome.