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George Lucas Sells Lucasfilm to Disney

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Disney has purchased Lucasfilm, which is owned entirely by George Lucas himself, for $4.05 Billion. Lucas will receive approximately half of that amount in cash and half in Disney shares. Disney will completely take over Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and yes that means the Star Wars franchise as well. Lucas mentions that he feels it’s time to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers and that a large corporation like Disney will help protect Lucasfilm.Lucasfilm Logo

Disney has already made plans to continue the Star Wars franchise by creating another installment with George offering a few tips here and there but not taking any major role in the film making process at all. The new installment will be Star Wars Episode 7 and is scheduled to be released in 2015. It is important to note that Disney has been very successful in working with Marvel and Pixar, so this whole deal seems a little less scary when you take into consideration the talent that Disney has.

Many may be delighted to see George Lucas finally hand over the reins to someone else, while purists may find the move a bit upsetting. I remain skeptical but optimistic and as always the proof is in the pudding. The fact is that the deal is done and work is already underway. We will just have to see what they come up with, but again considering Disney’s ability to not only turn film into gold but create quality films, I think this may be the best possible way to move all of Lucas’ creativity forward.

Ninite Can Make Your Transition to Windows 8 Much Easier

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If you’re upgrading to Windows 8 from XP or if you just plan on doing a clean install anyway, it’s time to consider how you’re going to get all of those wonderful applications you use re-installed on your system.Ninite Screenshot 1

If you’ve done a clean install, you know how much of a hassle it can be re-installing everything you need. In some cases it can take hours to get back up and running. With Ninite, you can take advantage of a set-it and forget-it mentality. Ninite is super easy to set-up and use, it is truly amazing.

To setup Ninite, simply head over to the Ninite website and choose your platform at the top of the page. Once you select which OS you use, you can begin selecting applications.ninitescreenshot4

After you have selected all of the applications you want installed, head to the bottom of the page and click “Get Installer”. Once the download is complete, just open the installer and you’re done! Yep, you can walk away and do whatever you need to do and Ninite will do all of the work, it really is that simple.Ninite Screenshot 4

What if you don’t see one of your applications in the list?

Ninite offers the ability for you to suggest applications for inclusion into the list.

What about Add-ons and toolbars, does Ninite have them? Does it allow applications to install third-party products on my system?

The short answer here is no, it bypasses all of the garbage. It installs apps just like you would have had you installed these apps yourself. Ninite itself is a legit program that runs without installing adware or spyware. So if you have apps to install, I think this one is a no brainer.

 

Microsoft Acting More Like Apple

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It’s been a crazy week for the world of computer technology. With new hardware and software making it’s debut and keynotes to present it all to the masses but as the madness continues, I can’t help but notice that Microsoft seems to be taking industry cues from other big players like Apple.Microsoft Logo

Microsoft just isn’t the trendsetter here anymore and the proof is in the products that the software giant has recently released. Microsoft is now deep into the hardware game and it’s not just gaming consoles or mp3 players anymore, were talking about a PC with the Microsoft logo on it. The comparison to Apple is obvious, but not just because of the hardware itself but also because of the way they describe it. In a recent video released form Microsoft, (shown at the bottom of this page) you can begin to feel the Apple vibe right away.

Windows 8 features a store much like the App Store in OSX. The UI is completely different from the App Store but the idea is the same. The app based system simplifies the way a user finds, downloads, installs and removes applications. This new store also sandboxes applications which can have the potential to create a more secure OS. It’s a system we have all become accustomed to using and we should feel right at home using it in Windows 8, but why? It’s because we seen this before, on Apple devices.

Having an operating system that works on virtually any modern computer is pretty awesome but you can’t deny the fact that that user experience can vary greatly from system to system. With Microsoft creating it’s own tablet, it has absolute control over the experience the user has with the device, this is the mentality Apple has continued stand by year after year, and Microsoft seems to be adopting it. I would love to see what a Microsoft desktop or laptop would look like and I wonder what effect it would have on the industry. Could you imagine if HP or Dell made it’s own operating system? Would they be Linux Based? Interesting food for thought.

When I say that Microsoft is acting more like Apple I don’t mean that they are sitting around copying them, I mean that it’s clear that Apple has become the major trendsetter for the industry. The hardware and software that Apple has created over the last decade has changed what we think a PC experience should look and feel like. I am excited to see Microsoft embrace these new ideas because it’s something that I think most of us want and it sends a message to the world that Microsoft is here to compete.



Weather Underground

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Are you a weather geek? If you are, chances are you may know about weather underground, but if you don’t your missing out on a great community of fellow weather enthusiasts.wunderground logo

Weather Underground gets its weather data from over 22,000+ personal weather stations which as you can imagine creates some of the most accurate and local weather data you can get. I have been in some locations where a PWS has been within feet of my location. The best part about these Personal Weather Stations (PWS), is that you can become a part of the network. You only need to follow a few simple steps to launch your own PWS.

1. Purchase Weather Station Hardware
2. Placing Your Weather Station to Report Accurate Readings
3. Installation and Configuration of Software
4.Upload Your Data to Weather Underground

For more detailed information on this click here.

Weather Underground offers many maps and different forecasts for just about any of your weather needs including a very customizable live map dubbed the Wundermap, which allows you to adjust things like base reflectivity for radar and live storm cell tracking. Your customized weather page includes lots of information including the ability to change the weather station you get data from with some stations providing updates every few seconds.

Weather Underground also pulls data from other major sources including (ASOS) or Automated Surface Observation Systems which are located at over 2,000 airports and (MADIS) which is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Add all this together with local web-cams, an amazing photo gallery, weather blogs and videos and you have one of the most complete weather sources on the net. You can find Weather Underground at wunderground.com. You can also get the weather underground app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Hurricane Sandy Threatens East Coast

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As we move toward the beginning of the the week, hurricane Sandy appears to be on a path that will eventually lead the storm into parts of New Jersey and Long Island.

As we have seen over many years, most hurricanes in the Atlantic that are positioned off the East Coast over open ocean tend to steer away form the U.S. However, hurricane Sandy is predicted to do something quite rare and actually turn west towards the coast and eventually inland. This storm is powerful and the amount of energy this storm has built up is spread over a huge area. Hurricane Sandy has winds sustained at 75mph and  those hurricane force winds may reach up to 150 miles away from the storm’s center.

As we approach the middle of the week the storm is predicted to move deeper inland which will bring high winds and torrential rain as far west as Eastern Ohio and West Virginia.

Hurricane Sandy Rainfall
Hurricane Sandy Rainfall Prediction (source:NOAA)

Storm surge will be a risk factor for those along the East Coast including areas like Long Island Sound where a strong onshore flow may force water into the sound causing it to build up and produce flooding. As with any hurricane or depression that moves inland, we will likely see power outages, downed trees, and flooding across many states in the northeast.

You can view the projected track of Hurricane Sandy at Weather Underground.