[MyAppleMenu] Jan 14, 2011

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
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**** Apple Updates Epson Drivers For Snow Leopard <http://www.macworld.com/article/157175/2011/01/epson_drivers_251.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Jonathan Seff, Macworld

**** Does The Mac App Store Allow Commercial Use? <http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/does-the-mac-app-store-allow-commercial-use--921293>
Ian Betteridge, TechRadar

So yes, you can use that copy of Aperture on a machine you use for business. If you're using the product for business, though, the terms of use are slightly different to "personal use". You can't install the software on machines you "control" (as you could with your kids' Mac), so you can't put the software on the machines of other employees, even if you own the business or manage the Macs. If you have multiple Macs which only you use, that's fine – you can install all your apps on all your machines.

**** Use FlexTime, LaunchBar, Spaces And AppleScript To Get Things Done <http://justinblanton.com/2011/01/flextime-gtd>
Justin Blanton

As of late I’ve had a terrible time concentrating, on anything. So, I did what any self-respecting computer geek can’t help but do, and rationalized further procrastination by telling myself I was going to create a new, usable workflow. The end result of this little productivity tangent is a combination of FlexTime, LaunchBar, Spaces and AppleScript, and does the following when set in motion.

**** 10 Essential iTunes Keyboard Shortcuts <http://www.macworld.com/article/157092/2011/01/10_essential_itunes_shortcuts.html?lsrc=rss_main>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

Here are 10 great keyboard shortcuts that can save you time as you work with iTunes.

**** Alfred 0.8 <http://www.macworld.com/reviews/product/789141/review/alfred_08.html?expand=true&lsrc=rss_main>
Dan Miller, Macworld

The bottom line: If you're taking full advantage of everything that Butler, Launchbar, or Quicksilver has to offer, there's no need to switch to Alfred. But if you want a keyboard-based launcher and don't need all the power (or complexity) of those three, Alfred is an excellent alternative. It can handle the most common launcher tasks, with a clean, simple interface; it's a pleasure to use.



MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Darwin's Rape Whistle <http://www.slate.com/id/2281138/?from=rss>
Jesse Bering, Slate

Women, gather round, read carefully, because this gay man—who once, long ago, feigned sexual interest in your bodies—is about to shine a spotlight on some hidden truths about your natural design. It's by no means a perfect system, but evolution has endowed you with some extraordinary, almost preternatural abilities to prevent your own sexual assault. And these abilities are especially pronounced when you're ovulating.

**** Irony Is Good! <http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/01/12/irony_is_good?page=full>
Eric Abrahamsen, Foreign Policy

How Mao killed Chinese humor ... and how the Internet is slowly bringing it back again.

**** The Gram Junkies: In Transportation Design The Key Issue Is Not Speed, But Weight <http://changeobserver.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=24178>
John Thackara, Change Observer

When is transportation sustainable and when is it not?

**** Streetcars Vs. Monorails <http://www.slate.com/id/2280972/>
Tom Vanderbilt, Slate

The future of urban transportation looks a lot like the past.

**** Space Invaders <http://www.slate.com/id/2281146/>
Farhad Manjoo, Slate

Why you should never, ever use two spaces after a period.



SingaporeSurf
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**** The Essence Of A Democratic Society <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=4525>
Patrick Kee, Sgpolitics.net

Unless and until we change the mindsets of the people about the purpose of taxes, we will not be able to cultivate a caring and compassionate society. And to change the mindsets we need a change of heart – from narcissism to altruism.

**** Charge A Fee For Plastic Bags <http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_623786.html>
Elgar Lee, Straits Times

I urge the National Environment Agency to emulate the Penang state government in implementing the 'No free plastic bags every day of the week' policy which began on Jan 1.

I don't think this is a good idea. Not that charging for plastic bags is not a good idea, but that this should be done by commercial entities voluntarily and not by law.

**** Jobless At 62, No CPF Until 65 Or Later <http://geraldgiam.sg/2011/01/jobless-at-62-no-cpf-until-65-or-later/>
Gerald Giam

Our old folks have slogged all their lives to raise up the next generation and help grow the economy. Instead of giving them the option of retiring gracefully, the government is finding all sorts of ways and means to make them work longer. While I think it’s a good thing for people to work past retirement age, they should not be forced to do so. Indeed, many will be unable to due to health reasons or being unable to find a job.

**** New Cooling Measures But ... <http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC110114-0000238/New-cooling-measures-but-,,,>
Esther Ng And Cheow Xin Yi, Today

**** Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong Looks Ahead <http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_04/b4212013738714.htm?campaign_id=rss_null>
Christopher Power, BusinessWeek

**** The Bane Of Intellectual Morons <http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2011/01/bane-of-intellectual-morons.html>
Singapore Notes

When ideology is your religion and truth becomes just a matter of opinion, anything goes. "There is great danger when lies are institutionalized as truth."

**** Singapore: Prospect Of Greater Pluralism? <http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/01/12/singapore-prospect-of-greater-pluralism/>
K Kesavapany, East Asia Forum

Last year was not a year of dramatic change for Singapore. It was, instead, a year for fine-tuning existing public policies to meet the impending and fluid economic and political challenges of globalization.

**** An Objective Test Of Secrecy <http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC110114-0000178/An-objective-test-of-secrecy>
Adrian Kwong Sze Ken, Today

Relying on the government's own classification of what is "secret" or "confidential" official information that may not be disclosed, with no objective test of whether that classification is justified, leaves the Official Secrets Act open for abuse.

I agree that there is definitely a legitimate need to safeguard operational, technical and other secrets of the State. However, the government's recent wide pronouncements on the application of the OSA must therefore be read subject to the interpretation of the Courts of Singapore, especially with respect to the criminal law where the life and liberty of the accused are at stake.

**** Is The WIS Effective In The First Place? <http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4498-is-the-wis-effective-in-the-first-place>
Singapore Democratic Party

If WIS is as effective as the PAP makes it out to be, why are lowest of our low-income workers seeing their household incomes fall - and for that matter fall the most drastically - even after its implementation? 

Something is seriously wrong with an economic system when workers working full-time cannot earn enough to meet their basic needs and have to resort to supplementing their wages through income schemes.

**** Medifund: Transfer To Reserves Instead Of Helping The Poor? <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/01/medifund-transfer-to-reserves-instead-of-helping-the-poor/>
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen

**** Experts Explain S’pore’s Declining Birth Rate <http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/01/14/experts-explain-spores-declining-birth-rate/>
Kai Fong, Yahoo!

Experts ST spoke to are not surprised by the findings of the Census of Population 2010, which saw more childless married women and more one-child families. They cited the high cost of living as a main reason for couples shying away from raising children.

**** NUS Tuition Fees To Rise In 2011 <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_624111.html>
Linette Lin, Straits Times

Annual tuition fees for most undergraduate courses for SC will increase by 4%; this represents an annualised increase of 1.6% over four years. Fees for Architecture, Business, Law, Music, Nursing and Pharmacy will increase by 6%; or an annualised increase of 2.3% over four years.

**** NTU Tuition Fees To Rise In 2011 <http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_624115.html>
Linette Lin, Straits Times

This is an increase of 4% in AY2011, similar to AY2010; it represents an annualised increase of 1.6% over 4 years. Business programmes will increase by 6%.

**** TOC’s Letters To The PMO And The MDA <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/01/tocs-letters-to-the-pmo-and-the-mda/>
Joshua Chiang, Choo Zheng Xi, Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen

The determination is unreasonable, arbitrary and incorrect. Accordingly, we request that you reconsider the matter and reverse that determination and the decision to gazette TOC, failing which we trust that you will set out the grounds upon which that determination and the decision to gazette TOC were made.

The TOC team and contributors came forward to play our part in building tomorrow’s Singapore. You may disagree with our views, but you cannot doubt our sincerity and patriotism. This unprecedented attempt to gazette a blog as a “political association”, likely just months before the next general election, is a disappointing retreat from your inspirational words all those years ago.

**** TOC Statement: Keep Calm And Carry On <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/01/toc-statement-keep-calm-and-carry-on/>
Joshua Chiang, Choo Zheng Xi, Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen

TOC is  confident in our ability to continue operating within the framework of the Political Donations Act and stand ready to take up the challenge of being the first website in Singapore to operate as a political association. Moving forward, the TOC editorial team will comprise up to four members. These individuals are willing to come forward and be named as the team behind TOC, and to bear the responsibilities and legal liability that comes with being gazetted as a political association.

As we demand openness and transparency from our government, we have similarly been careful to remain completely above board in our operations. We have nothing to hide and nothing to fear from gazetting. We believe that shutting down or going underground is precisely what those who misunderstand us want and will be fodder to discredit the blogosphere.  We will not give them that satisfaction.

If registering is what it’ll take to continue our contribution to Singapore, we’ll do it and send a clear message that we will not be intimidated into exiting the arena of public discourse.

**** We Will Keep Calm And Carry On: The Online Citizen <http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/01/14/we-will-keep-calm-and-carry-on-the-online-citizen/>
Faris, Yahoo!

**** Singapore News Website Defies Government Registration Request <http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1611733.php/Singapore-news-website-defies-government-registration-request>
DPA

A popular critical Singapore news website on Friday defied the authorities' plan to register it as a political site, which would impose restrictions on its sources of funding.

Critics have claimed the government is clamping down on political debate ahead of general elections expected later this year.

'When the elections come, liberalization goes,' former nominated legislator and activist Siew Kum Hong told the Straits Times newspaper.

**** “We Must Stop This Brutality,” Says Human Rights Lawyer <http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/01/we-must-stop-this-brutality-says-human-rights-lawyer/>
Deborah Choo, The Online Citizen

Human rights lawyer Mr M. Ravi will apply to court for an injunction against the government’s newly imposed guidelines on the Tamil festival Thaipusam “indiscriminately” on the Hindu devotees participating in the said festival. This comes as the latest announcement at this morning’s press conference.

**** Apple's iPad Enters Singapore Classrooms <http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70D1MH20110114>
Xue Jianyue, Reuters

Four schools in the wealthy city-state have begun handing out Apple iPads to students, relieving them of the need to carry satchels full of bulging text books and notes.

**** Minister Shanmugam On Religious Processions Guidelines <http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1104765/1/.html>
Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia

Law and home affairs minister K Shanmugam has said guidelines on religious processions are not new. He added that guidelines have now been relaxed to allow for singing of religious hymns.

**** TOC Strengthens Its Resolve In The Face Of Gazetting <http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=4532>
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net

The government has enacted laws that seeks to intimidate its citizens and curtail freedom of speech. However, some people would not be intimidated or curtailed in such a cowardly manner. Only those who live in the shadows and attack other people behind a veil of anonymity should be afraid of the glare of sunlight. TOC has absolutely nothing to fear indeed.