[MyAppleMenu] Feb 16, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** Gatekeeper Slams The Door On Mac Malware Epidemics ****
<http://tidbits.com/article/12795?rss>
Rich Mogull, TidBITS


> Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion includes a transformative security technology called Gatekeeper. It’s a major new advance in operating system security designed to reduce dramatically the ability of an attacker to trick users into installing malicious software. It could be the key to preventing a future widespread malware epidemic.



**** Apple Releases Xcode 4.3, Now Offered As App Instead Of Installer ****
<http://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/16/apple-releases-xcode-4-3-now-offered-as-app-instead-of-installer/>
Eric Slivka, MacRumors



**** Mountain Lion ****
<http://daringfireball.net/2012/02/mountain_lion>
John Gruber, Daring Fireball


> Putting both iOS and OS X on an annual release schedule is a sign that Apple is confident it no longer needs to make such tradeoffs in engineering resources. There’s an aspect of Apple’s “now” — changes it needs to make, ways the company needs to adapt — that simply relate to just how damn big, and how successful, the company has become. They are in uncharted territory, success-wise. They are cognizant that they’re no longer the upstart, and are changing accordingly.

> It seems important to Apple that the Mac not be perceived as an afterthought compared to the iPad, and, perhaps more importantly, that Apple not be perceived as itself considering or treating the Mac as an afterthought.



**** Apple Releases Public Beta Of Messages, Replacing iChat ****
<http://www.loopinsight.com/2012/02/16/apple-releases-public-beta-of-messages-replacing-ichat/>
Jim Dalrymple, The Loop



**** Hands On With Apple's New OS X: Mountain Lion ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165407/2012/02/hands_on_with_apples_new_os_x_mountain_lion.html#lsrc.twt_jsnell>
Jason Snell, Macworld


> Like Lion, Mountain Lion offers numerous feature additions that will be familiar to iOS users. This OS X release continues Apple’s philosophy of bringing iOS features “back to the Mac,” and includes iMessage, Reminders, Notes, Notification Center, Twitter integration, Game Center, and AirPlay Mirroring.

> As the first OS X release post-iCloud, there’s also much more thorough integration with Apple’s data-syncing service. Mountain Lion also brings options to limit which kinds of apps users can install. And although there are no actual mountain lions in China, OS X Mountain Lion does add a raft of features to speak to users in the country that’s Apple’s biggest growth opportunity.

> Mountain Lion will be a paid upgrade to OS X; like Lion, it will be available only via a Mac App Store download. Apple hasn’t yet set a price or a release date more specific than “summer.” Mac developers will be able to download a developer release of Mountain Lion on Thursday, giving them several months to update their apps to take advantage of the new features in the release.



**** xType Is A Simple, Free Text Expansion Tool For The Mac ****
<http://lifehacker.com/5885264/xtype-is-a-simple-free-text-expansion-tool-for-the-mac>
Adam Dachis, Lifehacker


> Although we have a favorite text expansion utility already, xType has the advantage of being free while still maintaining a comparable feature set to the paid competition. It's not yet ready to claim the top spot in the text expansion category, but is a seriously good alternative if you're looking to save some money.



**** Adjust OS X Sound Volume Level Per Application With Sound Bunny ****
<http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57378700-263/adjust-os-x-sound-volume-level-per-application-with-sound-bunny/>
Topher Kessler, CNET


> ProSoft Engineering (maker of Data Rescue and Drive Genius) has released a new utility called SoundBunny, which is a simple control panel that interfaces with the core audio system in OS X and allows you to adjust volume levels on a per-application basis.



**** Pismo: In Many Ways, It Was The Best Of PowerBooks ****
<http://lowendmac.com/ed/royal/12sr/pismo-powerbook-2000.html>
Simon Royal, Low End Mac


> The last PowerBook G3 model, referred to as the Pismo, is fondly regarded as the ultimate PowerBook by many, and I tend to agree.



**** AirParrot Mirrors Your Mac Display To Apple TV In Real Time ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/02/15/airparrot-mirrors-your-mac-display-to-apple-tv-in-real-time/>
Erica Sadun, TUAW


> Called AirParrot, the new app allows you to select a Mac display and an AirPlay destination (typically an Apple TV). It then uses H.264 encoding to build a live video stream from your selected display.

> This allows you to work directly on your laptop or desktop system and mirror it to an HDTV display, just as you would using iOS's built-in AirPlay mirroring features.



**** Missing Apps, Missing Safari Warnings, And More ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165394/2012/02/missing_apps_missing_safari_warnings_and_more.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Christopher Breen, Macworld



**** Eight Tips For OS X's Quick Look ****
<http://www.macworld.com/article/165232/2012/02/eight_tips_for_os_x_s_quick_look.html#lsrc.rss_main>
Kirk McElhearn, Macworld



**** Apple: App Access To Contact Data Will Require Explicit User Permission ****
<http://allthingsd.com/20120215/apple-app-access-to-contact-data-will-require-explicit-user-permission/>
John Paczkowski, AllThingsD


> “Apps that collect or transmit a user’s contact data without their prior permission are in violation of our guidelines*,” Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told AllThingsD. “We’re working to make this even better for our customers, and as we have done with location services, any app wishing to access contact data will require explicit user approval in a future software release.”






The Tomorrow Weblog
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**** The Technologically Enhanced Memory ****
<http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/future_tense/2012/02/memory_enhancement_technology_and_a_future_without_forgetting_.html>
Evan Selinger, Slate


> Ubiquitous information and communication technology is a major player in the memory enhancement game. I’m not alluding to products that target impairments, like the iPhone app for combating dementia. Rather, I mean commonplace software that people use to make recall less taxing, more extensive, or easier to visualize.   



**** New Service Will Stream Local TV Stations In New York ****
<http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/new-service-will-stream-local-tv-stations-in-new-york/?partner=rss&emc=rss>
Brian Stelter, New York Times


> Barry Diller, who created the Fox television network almost 30 years ago, now wants to free it and other networks from the chains of what he calls the “closed cable-broadcast-satellite circle.”






MyAppleMenu Reader
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**** Romance Novels, The Last Great Bastion Of Underground Writing ****
<http://www.theawl.com/2012/02/romance-novels>
Maria Bustillos, The Awl


> It would be crazy to fail to pay close attention when that many people are devoted to something.



**** E-books Can’t Burn ****
<http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2012/feb/15/ebooks-cant-burn/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nybooks+%28The+New+York+Review+of+Books%29>
Tim Parks, The New York Review Of Books


> In practical terms it is all too easy to defend the e-book. We can buy a text instantly wherever we are in the world. We pay less. We use no paper, occupy no space. Kindle’s wireless system keeps our page, even when we open the book on a different reader than the one we left off. We can change the type size according to the light and our eyesight. We can change the font according to our taste. Cooped up in the press of the metro, we turn the pages by applying a light pressure of the thumb. Lying in bed, we don’t have that problem of having to use two hands to keep a fat paperback open.

> But I want to go beyond practicality to the reading experience itself, our engagement with the text. What is it that these literary men and women are afraid of losing should the paper novel really go into decline? Surely not the cover, so often a repository of misleading images and tediously fulsome endorsements. Surely not the pleasure of running fingers and eyes over quality paper, something that hardly alters whether one is reading Jane Austen or Dan Brown. Hopefully it is not the quality of the paper that determines our appreciation for the classics.



**** Katherine Boo Goes 'Behind The Beautiful Forevers' In Mumbai ****
<http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/books/la-et-katherine-boo-20120215,0,2743425.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+features%2Fbooks+%28Los+Angeles+Times+-+Books%29>
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times


> When a big bank goes bust in Manhattan, forcing a thriving construction site in Mumbai to shut down and the price of recyclable scrap to plummet, entire families in the slums of India go hungry. This is the butterfly effect of the harrowingly interrelated global economy described in Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Katherine Boo's first book, "Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity."



**** Fields Apart ****
<http://theamericanscholar.org/fields-apart/>
Sam Kean, The American Scholar


> “Shut up and calculate!” As physics became more mathematical and abstract during the past century, that phrase—first uttered by physicist David Mermin—became its mantra. Indeed, the more that physicists stopped worrying about what their complicated equations meant and simply ran the numbers, the more progress they made. Some of their predictions have now been confirmed by experiments to 10 decimal places or more— the most accurate predictions in history. But the cost of this progress was striking: physics became more and more alienating as fewer and fewer people understood it.






SingaporeSurf
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**** Yaw, The Unwitting Scapegoat For Accountability ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/yaw-the-unwitting-scapegoat-for-accountability/>
Ghui, The Online Citizen


> Certainly, they have gauged public sentiment correctly in a way that the PAP has failed to do for many years. They have sent a very strong message to voters that it is their opinion that counts. In this, they have deferred to the public and have showed respect for the views of Singaporeans at large. The PAP on the other hand, has been perceived to protect its own and this is something that has not sat well with the public. The contrast is therefore very stark and can only serve to strengthen the Workers’ Party’s image in the eyes of Singaporeans.



**** Go Dutch ****
<http://piaroh.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/go-dutch/>
Words Of The Cze


> Sacking Yaw is not a mistake, it is the best move under the circumstances. It is however what we call in chess a zugzwang – a forced move.



**** SDP Will Not Contest In An Hougang By-election ****
<http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/5142-sdp-will-not-contest-in-an-hougang-by-election>
Chee Soon Juan, Singaore Democratic Party


> The Singapore Democratic Party's primary concern is that the constituency of Hougang remain in the hands of the opposition. It must not be re-captured by the PAP. This being the case, and if the circumstances remain the way they are, the SDP will not contest in a by-election in Hougang.



**** No Notice Yet From WP On Yaw Shin Leong Matter: Parliament ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1183425/1/.html>
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia


> A spokesman for Singapore's Parliament told Channel NewsAsia that neither the Speaker nor Parliament has received any notification on this matter from the Workers' Party. 



**** Not Shrewd At All ****
<http://hardhitting-nobs.blogspot.com/2012/02/not-shrewd-at-all.html>
Musings From The Lion City


> Frankly, I can’t understand why the WP made a mountain over something most Singaporeans cares little about!



**** Losing A Battle To Win A War ****
<http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/2012/02/losing-battle-to-win-war.html>
Chua Chin Leng, My Singapore News


> Hougang is just a battle, but there is a war to be won in 2016.



**** Propaganda, Politics And Trash In Singapore ****
<http://blatherberg.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/propaganda-politics-and-trash-in-singapore/>
Blatherberg


> The taxi drivers almost always seem willing to complain about life in Singapore.



**** æ–°åŠ å¡å«é¸¡çœŸéº»çƒ¦ï¼ ****
<http://limfang.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-post_16.html>
林放


> æ–°åŠ å¡äººå¸¸ç”¨è¨€è¡Œå’Œè¡¥ä¸Šè½»è”‘çš„çœ¼è‰²åœ¨å¤§é©¬äººèº«ä¸Šå–å¾—ä¼˜è¶Šæ„Ÿã€‚ä½†å«é¸¡è¿™å›žäº‹å°±ä½Žäººä¸€ç­‰ï¼Œå¿ƒæ…Œæ„ä¹±ï¼Œéš¾ä»¥è€€æ­¦æ‰¬å¨ã€‚



**** Singapore Inc In The War For Talent ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120216-0000013/Singapore-Inc-in-the-war-for-talent>
Thorsten Barth And Abu Amin, Today



**** Singapore May Aid Poor As 14-Year Low Jobless Spurs Costs ****
<http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-15/singapore-may-aid-poor-as-14-year-low-jobless-spurs-costs.html>
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg


> Singapore’s 2012 budget will probably feature assistance for the poor even after the island reported its lowest unemployment rate since the late 1990s, as policy makers seek to address the soaring cost of living and help citizens cope with a slowing economy.



**** Curving Skyscrapers Crown Singapore’s Keppel Bay ****
<http://designbuildsource.com.au/curving-skyscrapers-crown-singapore-keppel-bay>
Jane Parkins, Architecture Source


> In architecture,  it is a rare occasion that an image of a built structure is as striking as the concept drawings. It is a sad truth, but often the structure has to be walked in and felt in order for its true aesthetic to shine through. In fact, often the more innovative and arresting the concept image, the less chance that the building will even be built.

> However, there are the rare few that actually outshine their concept images and intrigue us as to how they were ever constructed.



**** Singapore’s Economy Contracts Less Than Previously Estimated ****
<http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-15/singapore-s-economy-contracts-less-than-previously-estimated.html>
Shamim Adam and Andrea Tan, Bloomberg


> Singapore’s economy shrank less than initially estimated last quarter as a surge in pharmaceutical production supported manufacturing at the year end.

> Singapore’s economy grew 4.9 percent in 2011, faster than an earlier estimate of 4.8 percent, the trade ministry said. The government reiterated today its forecast for an expansion of 1 percent to 3 percent this year.



**** MRT Disruptions: COI Hearing On April 16 ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120216-0000093/MRT-disruptions--COI-hearing-on-April-16>
Today


> The Committee of Inquiry (COI) appointed to investigate the causes of the MRT service disruptions last December has announced that its public hearing will commence on Monday, April 16, at the Subordinate Courts.



**** Judges Do Justice, Not Politics: Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_767127.html>
Selina Lum, Straits Times


> He said the Singapore courts have never shirked from the judiciary's role of checking on legislative and executive acts when issues of illegality are raised.



**** 宪法专家：补选料不会近期举行 ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120216_013.shtml>
联合早报


> é’ˆå¯¹åŽæ¸¯å•é€‰åŒºè®®å¸­å› é¥¶æ¬£é¾™è¢«å¼€é™¤å·¥äººå…šå…šç±è€Œæ‚¬ç©ºä¸€äº‹ï¼Œå®ªæ³•ä¸“å®¶é™ˆæœ‰åˆ©åšå£«è®¤ä¸ºï¼Œæ”¿åºœè‹¥è¦ç…§é¡¾åŽæ¸¯é€‰æ°‘çš„åˆ©ç›Šï¼Œåº”è¯¥å°½æ—©ä¸¾è¡Œè¡¥é€‰ã€‚

> 但陈有利估计，补选不会在近期内举行。一方面，副总理兼财政部长尚达曼明天就要宣布2012年的财政预算案。之后，各政府部门会陆续宣布新一年的财政部署并说明相关的政策细节。国会拨款委员会接着还要举行多天的辩论才能通过预算案。政府忙于处理这一系列例常工作，想必没有闲暇在短期内筹备补选。

Personally, I don't see any major advantages for the PAP to rush for a by-election. And so it will not.


**** Singaporeans Worried Most About Economic Woes ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/singaporeans-worried-most-about-economic-woes>
Singapore Business Review


> Singaporeans complain that wages are slow to rise compared to cost of goods and that there are can be more safety nets in place to shield the populace from brutal unemployment, according to 1,800 feedback inputs to REACH over a three-month period beginning November 2011 as part of its pre-Budget 2012 survey.



**** 'Always Prepared' To Stand For PAP: Desmond Choo ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_767119.html>
Straits Times


> 'I've been working the ground for a while now and will continue to do so. Whether there will be a by-election or not, doesn't affect my plans,' Mr Choo, 33, told The Straits Times on Wednesday.



**** Survey: Malaysians More Sexually Fulfilled Than Singaporeans ****
<http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/15/nation/20120215201329&sec=nation>
The Star


> All was not well in Singapore with only 54% men and 62% women saying their partners were giving them pleasurable sex.



**** Free Up Void Decks By Building Amenities On Levels Above ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_766888.html>
Angeline Wee, Straits Times


> The ground floor should remain 'void' to provide ample space for social interaction.



**** Avoid Confusing Similarities In Train Station Names ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_766893.html>
Tay Boon Huat, Straits Times


> Although the significance of Farrer Park with its rich history is undeniable, as the Land Transport Authority pointed out in its letter justifying naming one train station 'Farrer Park' and another 'Farrer Road', has it considered the confusion they cause, especially for foreign visitors?



**** How About Long-vacant Bukit Timah State Land Instead Of Toh Yi? ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_766887.html>
Bernard Chng, Straits Times



**** Affected Residents May Have A Point In Appealing Against Facilities For The Elderly ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_766997.html>
Wong Say Ming, Straits Times


> If the HDB had stuck to its original aim of selling flats at cost and for residing in rather than as investment assets, residents would have less of a leg to stand on if a host of socially enhancing facilities like childcare and elder-care centres are built.



**** Youth Arrested For SAF Hoax ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120216-0000048/Youth-arrested-for-SAF-hoax>
Today


> A 19-year-old Chinese youth has been arrested by the police for posting an online hoax that a full-time national serviceman was shot dead during a training accident at Sembawang. He was arrested for an offence of Transmitting a False or Fabricated message under Sec 45(b) of the Telecommunications Act, Cap 323, said a Police spokesperson yesterday. The youth is assisting the police investigations.



**** WP Sets A High Bar For The Conduct Of Politicians ****
<http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7349>
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net


> In my opinion, WP’s silence during the entire saga and its radical decision to expel Mr Yaw were very well answered, and should leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that WP acted in a measured and yet very firm manner to uphold its values.



**** WP Now Whiter Than White ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/wp-now-whiter-than-white/>
The Online Citizen


> If the PAP is able to demonstrate the same humility, contrition and swift action the WP has displayed, they might yet level the playing field of moral authority.



**** Temasek Review's Offspring Wants A More Responsible Image ****
<http://journalism.sg/2012/02/16/temasek-reviews-offspring-wants-a-more-responsible-image/>
Cherian George, Journalism.sg


> Announcing himself the sole Singapore-based editor of TREmeritus, Richard Wan said that he and his colleagues felt it would be a good idea to “show a face to the public” and project themselves as “responsible” and “pro-Singapore”. "We are not terrorists," he said.



**** This Party Does Right! ****
<http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2012/02/this-party-does-right.html>
Feed Me To The Fish


> My gut feel is WP risks the loss of a MP to continue their journey "Towards A First World Parliament" and be upfront in their dealing with Singaporeans, especially residents of Hougang. For that, they win my vote!



**** Who Will They Field Next? ****
<http://politicalwritings.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/who-will-they-field-next/>
Political Writings



**** The School Principal's Hypocrisy ****
<http://blogging4myself.blogspot.com/2012/02/school-principals-hypocrisy.html>
Blogging For Myself


> Everyone deserves a second chance even if they have to suffered and earn it.



**** Yaw Shin Leong's Folly Matched By Workers' Party's Principled Stand ****
<http://utwt.blogspot.com/2012/02/yaw-shin-leongs-folly-matched-by.html>
Under The Willow Tree


> If Yaw's philandering was a grave mistake, then his choice to try to sweep things under the carpet was a fatal error, for it revealed Yaw's true character under adversity and forced the WP to take a stand on his evasive and irresponsible behaviour.



**** Uptight Workers Party’s Fatal Mistake ****
<http://singaporegirl.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/uptight-workers-partys-fatal-mistake/>
Food Fuels Me To Talk


> Mr Yaw doesn’t need to be sacrificed like this in an attempt to be cleaner than white.