As Angry Birds capitalizes on the massive success of its first and follow-up iterations, the game still remains simple and accessible. The premise includes sling shooting a bird from a huge slingshot. Your goal is to obtain points by destroying objects, the more destruction you cause from your slung bird, the more points. Naturally, the game slightly evolves the game play by offering opposing challenges, such as knocking over an object without knocking over what’s next to it. Yet above this, the premise remains addictively simple. The game play and franchise has also extended into the Playstation 3 and other operating systems. Even its presence on Facebook is notoriously felt, as its success on the social media platform guarantees unproductive afternoons for all.

As the game progresses, you unlock other birds that have special abilities. But the crux of the game play remains similar on Facebook. The interesting thing, and perhaps adding to its success, is the determination from the company that developed Angry Birds. Rovio Mobile insisted on rebuilding Angry Birds with the intention to implement it fluidly into the social media platform of Facebook. Other developers began by developing a game for, say, Android. Only then, they import that directly into Facebook. Not only is the game largely identical, but it fails to capture Facebook’s essence.

Rovio Mobile’s idea was to capture a new “ecosystem,” considering that Facebook is very different from other traditional platforms. Interestingly, it has been this determination to offer something special that has perhaps allowed Angry Birds to remain a fixation in the gaming world.

Fortunately, Angry birds continues to be well received by critics, and many industry people praise Rovio’s attempts to keep the game play fresh without reinventing the wheel. It is a tough balance. How do you keep Angry birds fresh on Facebook without turning people away because the game becomes “too” different?

With consistent updates, small innovations (including new levels and new abilities) Angry Birds evolves with its fans. But the core game play is the same. And whether you are enjoying Angry birds on Facebook or the Android smart phone, the game’s immense popularity and accessibility reaffirms that it will likely be a staple of years to come. You will have a place to share your records, communicate with other fans, and enjoy future updates.

Angry Birds continues to win awards for its success and innovations, and Rovio is planning on developing cross-platform functionality. You can play on Facebook and stop, only to continue your game on your Android phone, and perhaps beat the game on their tablet.

Talk about addiction. No place is immune to those fuzzy red and blue birds.

Perhaps it is a romantic comedy troupe, but there are a few key aspects that remain cliché in modern culture and in dealing with relationships. Body humor, potty humor, and other such issues remains a bit interesting, bizarre, and a little touchy. For one reason or another, couples find the topic something you don’t really speak of. Men in particular find themselves sort of turned off by a girl who farts. It’s just not girly, not attractive, and of course, that smelly aftereffect which clears the room.

So if you are to fart, do it discreetly. Perhaps a boyfriend knows it, but you don’t need to openly smile and raise your hand like in a middle school classroom. But it is probably best you know your significant other well enough to know if it is something you can actively do and bring up and not hide. Some men find it unsettling. Some men should get over it! Be a little careful early on, but the truth is, farting will occur at some point. Why dance around it and be cautious when it is an inevitable activity of human nature?

Some people have a weird desire to hide the fact that they are, indeed, human. They take extraneous efforts to extinguish the fact that they have hair under their arms, go to the bathroom, and lastly, fart. Hygiene is good. Good hygiene gets you a lover in the first place. But as time goes on, expect that barrier to lower and you find yourself flirting with the idea of farting in the bedroom.

Men should be aware those women are attracted to a man who will accept them for who they are- farts included. A man asking a woman to hide their farts, or even putting the woman in a perspective where she needs to hide her farts, seems a little unhealthy. It’s just a fart!

If you need to fart, it is probably best you do it without going out of your way, but also try to suffocate the sound a little bit. If it is heard, shrug your shoulders. Smile. No big deal. The sooner you make a big deal out of something that is, ultimately, a little silly, you make big deals out of other arbitrary issues.

Interestingly, farting is seen as a measurement of comfort. So bring yourself closer to your lover by openly farting. The stink goes away quick (if you didn’t have bean tacos that is) and is an interesting way to bring a relationship to a WHOLE other level. How farts became the way to do that, I could never know. But in all honesty, if you find yourself questioning how and when and if to fart in front of a lover, that lover may not necessarily be for you at all.

The health study done by Chicago University’s Booth Business School took 205 individuals between ages 18-85, and had them document, in detail, their urges throughout the weeks. The number one urge was sleep, which came as no surprise. But following closely behind this was hunger, checking email, and visiting their favorite social media website. Behind these was drinking alcohol and smoking a cigarette.
Speaking to the Guardian, lead researcher Wilhelm Hofmann said:

“Desires for media may be comparatively harder to resist because of their high availability and also because it feels like it does not ‘cost much’ to engage in these activities, even though one wants to resist.”

This health trend is alarming but also intriguing. On the surface, this study reveals something inherent in modern day society- Facebook rules. But it is also a health trend that is curiously positive. In light of the study, is it really that bad that people would more often choose a Facebook status update over a beer? The detrimental qualities of alcohol are a little more transparent. Liver disease, quicker aging, some time in jail, etc… Cigarettes are even more so, so commonly known it’s silly to list them at all. But the health side effects of spending too much time on Facebook and email is a little more blurry. Also consider that “too much” isn’t really defined and differs extraordinarily for every person, you have a formula for an intriguing and possible beneficial health trend.

But this should not be revolutionary news. The cost of enjoying Facebook is muddy, as opposed to alcohol and cigarettes that have a very tangible cost. Other than internet costs, there is not a tangible cost to too much time on social media. Even further, there is not an established negative to doing so either, or at least one as culturally blatant as “throat cancer.”

Of course, the withdrawal systems are significantly different. Cigarette withdrawal is infamously difficult, and often requires outside help. Companies will bank on your inability to physically resist. They devise patches and such to stream the nicotine from your system. Alcohol withdrawal in particular can be deadly, and in severe cases, may need the help of a medical doctor. The withdrawal symptoms for a lack of email are significantly less impacting. It is hard to imagine a scenario where someone physically wretches without checking their Gmail account.

Businesses are flocking to Facebook for its widely distributed use, friendly user base, and cost of use. As a matter of fact, many businesses are devised entirely around the influx of social media, and specifically, Facebook. But many use it poorly. Many see it as an opportunity to exploit and make sales. This is poor thinking. Just because it is social media, does not mean it cannot directly come across as spam. There is a smart way to market, and a poor way to market. One methodology has wide benefits, the other will get you banned.

At its core, Facebook is about profiles and pages. A business can set-up a specific profile or fan page, but it still has to accumulate individuals who are interested in following. This is at the essence of Facebook. It is where and how you accumulate followers which will substantiate your success. Spamming every person manually is unproductive and unnecessary. Try importing your email contacts when you devise your profile. Try messaging people who may be interested and ask them if they would like a coupon for your product. This way you openly address them without asking for a friend request, and is a way to remove the barrier.

Announcing contests, sales, and coupon codes is only at the surface of what a successful Facebook marketing campaign can offer. Being able to speak directly with fans and potential customers through the means of the Facebook instant-access chat, offers a sort of connectivity that would have been unrealistic outside this social marketing medium. The problem occurs when businesses use facebook to spam their content. The idea with social media is to interact with fans. Supplying coupons and special exclusive information is wise. Spamming yourself with email generators and 5000 friend request in 7 days is simply not.

Facebook’s recent update spanned all users, and redesigned a profile layout. Now when you visit a profile, you are subject to a whole timeline of their history. This is good in that it refocused a lot of the attention from spam worthy comments and realigned it to the core history of the user you are visiting. This redesign is interesting and a little polarizing, but any change affecting 800 million people will have some sort of ramifications. It is wise for marketers to be aware of these changes, and how it effects their display.

The appeal of Facebook lies in its direct connectivity. It allows a medium of interaction that if properly harnessed, can explore social media to its full extent. With a user base of 800 million, users spanning virtually every country, and entry limited to making an account with an email, Facebook is the playground devised for marketers. The problem is that many marketers use Facebook as a means to an end, and it should be an extension of marketing. If used properly, Facebook’s structure and innovation will restructure and innovative YOU.

Throughout the years, Houston struggled in relationships, as well as addiction with hopes of having a new start and her life back on track. Even though her second chance did not turn out for the best, fans did not see this coming. I don’t think anyone, but her close friends and family actually saw this coming. We do not know what happens behind closed doors, all we see is what the media portrays someone to be. We should respect her family’s privacy during this difficult time and let her voice live on forever. RIP Whitney.

Update:
Here is a statement from Beverly Hills Police Lieutenant Mark Rosen “I can confirm that Whitney Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. PST at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. We received a call at 3:43 p.m. from hotel security and Beverly Hills Fire and police responded minutes later.” “It’s unclear who notified hotel staff because she has quite an entourage here at the hotel. We attempted to resuscitate her, to no avail.”

As to whether there was any evidence of drugs or foul play, Rosen responded: “We don’t know yet, her death is under investigation.”

Apple is notorious for innovating in an industry, but not dominating the market. Sure, the iPod was a massive revolutionary success that essentially defined the mp3 market, but there laundry list of past products proves that they don’t particularly become a dominant mainstay in a certain medium. Many fear this is the fate of the iPhone. As Google’s Android gains market share, only having recently passed Apple with their latest iteration and other competitors enter, their longevity is questionable. LG released their LG Voyager to wide acclaim, as it enters the smart phone industries upper echelon. And Microsoft is planning their Microsoft Windows Mobile 7, which essentially takes the PC entirely mobile. With tough competition, it is hard to see Apple remaining relevant for long in the field. And with the recent death of Steve Jobs, many reconsider Apple’s ability to compete.

The iPhone 4 was plagued with many minor issues; some simply baffle fans and industry members. For one, Apple chose to go forward with Bing for their searches, as opposed to Google. It seems like a small issue, but with the massive popularity and appeal of Google, it seems an odd choice. More importantly, the Wi-Fi use is sporadic at best, being often barely functioning despite a close Wi-Fi network. They have improved the technology on paper with a special steel band to pick up on Wi-Fi networks, but it doesn’t work too well in reality. It also hurts that Apple is insistent on limiting the amount of networks they work with, exclusively AT&T. If they truly are insistent on being the most accessible smart phone in the industry, their unwillingness to work with all networks remains contradictory to their marketing and branding.

A major difference is in user creation. Google’s Android has an app market that allows you to upload applications and content. There is little to no regulation, so anyone can upload what they see fit. With that said, there is a wide influx of poor content on the Android app store. Yet regardless of this, the free domain allows for creative forethought and less oversight that is appealing to users. Apple chose the opposite route. It is also worth nothing that Apple regulates all content posted, and get approval is not partiocuarly easy. You have to pass their regulations to get your content live, and it is inconsistent at best. It also deters people from delivering content, as you can see from the exponential growth on the Android market- eclipsing Apple’s iPhone market.

With the apparent flaws in Apple’s latest iPhone iteration, and the death of their main innovative, Apple lost a significant amount of headway. Also considering their track record of initial innovation-poor follow through, Apple may have found a collection of issues that may have deterred their ability to succeed in the future with the iPhone. Tough competition doesn’t help either.

By pure power of processing, the Xbox 720 is expected to be about six times as powerful as the Xbox 360. This includes graphical power, as well as physics within the software and character artificial intelligence. For example, characters may be far smarter, even pedestrian level characters, and will be able to act with a far more powerful system of A.I. Now the six times as powerful comment discovered by the rumor mill is slightly substantiated by those directly involved with Microsoft. And though it remains a rather arbitrary number at best, it does represent the expectations and goals of Microsoft in developing their new system.

For many video game players and Gamestop employees, one rumor in particular becomes borderline frightening. It is widely mentioned from those involved in the Xbox 720 project that used games will be unplayable on the Xbox 720. The system will have a built in anti-used game system that will reject used titles. Once you purchase a game, it will “download” to your system, and be unplayable on other consoles. This is a conscious effort to offset the dent the used game market makes on software sales. It will likely work similar to the PC market, that offers a download code that is a one-time use. Though there is further speculation that this is not likely, and the Xbox 720 will use a download system as well as a regular physical disc system. For example, an individual could download the game to their hard drive or purchase a physical copy, for what will likely be a premium price.

For fans of motion controlled movement, one rumor in particular is barely one at all. It is strongly reaffirmed that the Xbox 720 will expand on the Kinect product, building the Kinect into the actual system and making improvements to the technology. For those who are unaware, the Kinect is the extremely successful motion-controlled add-on for Xbox 360 that has sold approximately 10 million units since its launch. Expect this idea to be expanded exponentially for the new system.

Microsoft has confirmed their path to making the Xbox 720 an entertainment hub. Though the degree of its crossover functionality is unknown, expect the Xbox 720 to strongly support the idea of crossing into many other mediums. This includes movies and other such products that will make the Xbox 720 a fully functioning entertainment hub. This may even include blu-ray technology.

With all the rumors circulating, there is very little actually confirmed. Microsoft is not planning to launch the system anytime soon, as fans and industry insiders expect a 2013-2014 release date. But as Microsoft has said many times, they expect to get a healthy ten years out of the Xbox 360. Considering the 360 launched in 2005, that puts us around 2015 for a launch of the new system. Ouch.

New advances in technology have really taken off in the last decade, fictional movies such as the “Terminator” don’t seem so far fetch. Geniuses over at Boston Dynamics have created a life like robot that can, run, squat, do pushup and probably your Algebra homework! It took a total of 13 months to design the bot and another 17 months to assemble it.

For being a prototype I would consider the build a success, it’s kind of eerie to think what humankind has achieved and what is right around the corner, looking at the robot you get that ominous feeling, could the build of machines lead to the ultimate demise of mankind? Or will it help us to flourish like never before? Either way, it looks like it’s the way to the future and who knows, we might be purchasing our very own robots before long!

Anyhow, I know I am way of tangent this morning, but I want to discuss “DMV STOPS” in FL, do to a couple emails that I have received.  If you aren’t already familiar, DMV stops are added when your financial Institute is searching for your vehicle do to non payment or when forced placed insurance is added and they are trying to protect their asset.

Typically, it’s a last resort but more and more people are hiding collateral, which is against Florida’s state law (FL STATUTE 818.20). Once the “notice to surrender letter” is sent and expires your financial institute can send the request straight to Tallahassee to place stop on the tag and prevent future registrations until the issue is resolved, (meaning either pay current or turn the vehicle in). Some people are claiming that this action isn’t legal but in Florida, it is another line of defense that has recently been implemented to help recover unpaid collateral.

Now I am not an advocate for banks but if you borrow, then you should pay it back, especially if you are still driving the vehicle. I understand many fall into hardship and that is understandable, make sure that you keep communication and call to see if your bank offers loan modifications or extensions. Worst-case scenario you can’t afford the vehicle. It’s best to try and sell it out right or return the vehicle to prevent wear and tear so the highest dollar is earned at auction, thus preventing a higher deficiency balance in which you will ultimately be held responsible for.

 Use this link https://services.flhsmv.gov/MVCheckWeb/ to check and see if you have an existing stop, for additional information on FL STATUTE 320.1316. Please visit http://reposites.com/stop.pdf.  I hope that I have answered your questions thoroughly, if you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask. Remember this is not a substitute for legal advice, just a better explanation of what a “DMV STOP” is.

Reports indicate that there is currently more student loan debt then credit card debt. What the younger generation is quickly learning, is that once they obtain that 100k degree and graduate, there isn’t a six figure job waiting for them. In others words, there is no gold at the end of the rainbow. Our economy is struggling now to keep our heads above water but who is considering the future crisis that we have at hand?

Our government has emphasized greater collection powers and unlike mortgages and credit card debt, student loans cannot disappear via bankruptcy. College Board has recognized that we are ultimately on a path of destruction and leading ourselves into more debt. This article isn’t meant to discourage anyone from acquiring a degree but to hopefully enlighten people on a topic that needs more consideration and thought when applying for these schools that literally require you to hand over your first born.

More and more educated people are being succumbed by “wage slavery”. This ultimately is delaying folks from leading their life like you typically would. This means purchasing your home, cars etc… later and most importantly delaying your 401k and retirement. One thing the younger generation must realize is that social security probably won’t be around for their retirement and people should be paying themselves before anyone else.

I took a moment to recommend a few tips that may help save money when considering your education:

1. Scholarships – Work hard in high school and keep your GPA as high as possible, speak with your advisor about participating companies offering scholarships. In some instances you can get a full ride to an “A” rated school.  Imagine having zero debt upon completion of your degree. (Some would kill for this) It does exist but requires extreme dedication and hard work.
2. Government Grants – Another great opportunity that people have is to apply for grants that don’t require repayment as long as certain terms are met. A popular financial aid is the FASFA. Generally speaking it’s simple to complete online and only takes a couple days to receive feedback if you qualify.
3. Community College – you can save thousands by earning your associates at a community college and then transferring to a university to obtain your bachelors degree. So many people over look this, because they want to fit in with their peers and be considered “cool”. Think with your pocket book not your ego in this instance.

Hopefully this will shed a little light on where we are headed and maybe help people to take in consideration possible future ramifications, for not just yourself but the economy as a whole. We can’t keep relying on the government to save us, we have to start taking responsibility for our actions and if we don’t start focusing on this issue, I GUARANTEE it will be a future problem for us all.