iTunes Overhaul is Planned to be Released Fairly Soon

  The overhaul includes a better integration of iCloud with iTunes. This would help you view your photos, music, videos, and notes across all your mobile devices AND your computer, which I can say was a long time coming. From a user's point of view, the iDevices' capability to work seamlessly together was only hindered by its incompatibility with computers like the iMac. I am eager to see how this will work out, and hope to see a much better, less iTunes reliant way of syncing iDevices.

New FDA Approved Weight-Loss Drug

    A new drug called Lorcaserin is the first weight-loss drug to be approved by the FDA in 13 years.  The drug will be sold under the name Belviq in the USA and will only be prescribed to people with a body mass index of 30 or 27 if the patient has other weight-related illnesses.  With the approval of this drug, the FDA gave much warning to using this drug with other diet meds or using Belviq for long periods of time.
   
    A better lifestyle and healthier companies are all we really need, but with all the advertising and connivence that fast foods and other unhealthy products give us makes it hard for the general public to resist.  Drugs like these shouldn't be necessary, but I'd be glad to see them help.

Colorado Fire: Update 2

I am actually only 13 miles from the fire. Still, the ash traveled this far.

Winds are really picking up. Oxygen is not a good thing when your trying to fight a fire, but maybe the wind will push the fire up the mountain so it doesn't destroy many homes in the city.

Colorado Fire: Update 1

I live about 25 miles from the fire near NCAR and a flake of ash just fell from the sky and landed on my foot. There is a small amount of ash slowly falling around me. The air smells like a camp fire because of all the burning pine trees. The sky is gray and I can't see the sun.
Over 2500 people have been given evacuation notices. This is horrible and my heart goes out to those in Boulder.
On the bright side, if there is any, is that a huge gust of wind is bringing in rain from the east.

I'll keep you updated,

Logan

Mass Effect 3 Alternate Ending

    After all the whining that Bioware endured for its loose/loose ending in Mass Effect 3, they have released an alternate ending as free downloadable content. If you weren't satisfied with, what I would call an unexpected, horrible, but acceptable ending then there is hope. This content will be available for free until April of 2014, so no rush.

    I personally was happy with the ending. Life isn't smiles and rose scented assholes. If you want a happy ending then go play My Little Pony. Life, war, and the sacrifices a person needs to take to save everyone else are real, and the ending that came with the game showed this wonderfully.

Colorado Wildfire

    As if the "Waldo Canyon Fire" wasn't enough, people here in Colorado have another fire to deal with. The fire isn't far from the main part of The City of Boulder, being easily visible from more than 30 miles away. The fire is just up the mountain behind the National Center for Atmospheric Research building. More than 900 people are being ordered or advised to evacuate based on their proximity to the fire. With the 100 degree weather and the high winds, these fires are very hard to contain.

    Good luck to the firefighters braving the heat and to the families who could loose their homes if the fire spreads further.

Kepler Spacecraft Discovers Twin Planets

    Astronomers using NASA's Kepler found two planets orbiting the sun and only 1.5 million miles from each other! To give you a perspective, Venus, the closest planet to earth, is 27 million miles away from earth along its orbital path.
    The smaller of the two planets is named Kepler-36b, has an estimated 30% iron mass, and is 4.5 times more massive (heavier) than Earth. The larger planed is dubbed Kepler-36c and is composed of mainly hydrogen and helium.
    Planets in orbit like this are unheard of, and have gotten scientists to revisit theories having to do with the formation of solar systems. It is largely accepted and understood that in the formation of a solar system, solid planets are able to form closer to the sun because their mass and gravity can retain what makes up the planet, where as gaseous planets form further away from the sun because the closer to the sun you get, the harder it is for the gas making up the planet to be retained.
    An explinations for this has to do with Kepler-36c having migrated over time into the orbit it is in now. Even more exciting to scientists is the possibility that they may be able to use this data to find the "sweet spot" where planets are able to retain a gaseous atmosphere like Earth's verses it being vaporized by the sun like on Venus.

Microsoft's Tablet- I'm back!

    I never thought I'd say this, but I am actually psyched for the new tablet microsoft will be releasing soon. The tablet will run the Windows 8 mobile OS and the Windows 8 Home Edition OS, both with scaled prices. The device will include a cover that doubles as a keyboard, a touch screen, and an integrated stand. If there was one thing I wanted from the iPad, it was a proper operating system. I see this as Microsoft's big chance, as long as they don't screw it up by putting the price tag through the roof.

For now we'll see what happens, but I've got big hopes.

Blog on hold

Due to health issues, I'll be putting the continuation of this blog on hold indefinitely. I hope to be back soon and will post when I can.

Thanks,

Logan