PHONE FIASCO

What were they thinking?

Give that programming “;genius”; a good shake.

You know, the one who came up with “;Baby Shaker,”; that 99-cent iPhone game that encouraged players to quiet a crying baby with a vigorous shake. Apple Inc. ditched the game after public outcry, including from the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome. Good.

Strong iPhone sales helped Apple lift its quarterly profit 15 percent, it was reported yesterday. Let's hope the company's savvy shown on the financial front rolls over to its R&D unit.

IT'S YOUR HEALTH

Let them eat salt

New York city officials are looking into having restaurants there reduce salt content in their foods.

While it seems to be a noble cause — salt overload increases the chance of heart disease — is the onus on restaurants to baby-sit their customers?

Leave the decision up to the consumers, who really should be aware of their own health issues before choosing to dine out.

SAVING GRACE

Protection vital to Kalaupapa's future

Ka Ohana O Kalaupapa is wise to seek strict limits on the number of visitors allowed at the former Hansen's disease settlement on Molokai, and the federal government should heed the group's advice as it develops a management plan for the remote peninsula. Special care must be taken in an area that holds thousands of unmarked graves. No doubt travelers from around the world will continue to be drawn by the natural beauty and historical significance of the area, but the lure of tourist dollars must not supersede the need to protect the site.