Introduced in April 2010, the iPad quickly zoomed to the top of the global electronics consumer market, and instantly earned millions of zealous users in America. Even the most jaded tech aficionados were mesmerized by the sleek, 1.5 pound, keyboard-free device. Thousands of Americans stampeded to Apple Stores coast to coast to purchase the iPad; more than 300,000 units were sold in the first few days of release.

Food industry trends have led Federal agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and some politicians including New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to push for reforms to nutrition standards and to manufacturers' labeling of America's food supply.

While this development has been long in the making, it also coincides with a weight management trend that is gaining steam rapidly: Growing numbers of American customers are letting manufacturers know that they are concerned about health and wellness and that they want the food they purchase to meet their dietary expectations.

In the healthcare IT industry, two of the driving goals that are often at odds with one another are controlling costs and improving the quality of medical treatment.  Telemedicine is one of the practical concepts that truly has the ability to do both at once.  Despite being called telemedicine, this group of technologies is used in hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities, just as much if not more that in a home care or remote setting.

Currently, telemedicine focuses largely on remote patient monitoring, but it also includes the use of videoconferencing for medical purposes as well.

President Obama signaled a newly collaborative spirit during his recent visit to Mexico, and emphasized strong focus on the Administration's agendas for immigration reform and the Drug War.

Economics are subtexts to both immigration reform and to the two nations' shared stake in ending the sales of and violence around illegal drugs. In the cities and towns of the U.S., far from the pomp of State visits, many Mexican-American immigrants also are likely to be especially concerned about another aspect of U.S. - Mexico relations that directly affects their lives:

The challenges they face in making Internet-based payments from the U.S. -- known as remittances -- to business partners, family-members or friends in Mexico.

Restaurants are increasingly adding healthy eating out options into their menus these days. What is key about current menu trends at restaurants are that they are in sync with a wide variety of contemporary healthy eating styles, including low-carb and locavore, paleo and probiotic. Ultimately, restaurants are getting savvy about how to satisfy nutritional trends and an ever-expanding range of niche diners who are interested in healthy and delicious food.

From the rise of digitized health records to the increasing trend toward patient tele-monitoring, it is clear that a healthcare technology revolution has taken place in nearly every stage of the healthcare system.

In the food and beverage market, health-conscious Americans are driving big changes in food production, packaging, distribution and service. This is especially evident in supermarkets and in restaurants, where companies are under pressure to provide clearly-labeled packaging and menus that list calorie amounts.

At times,  I like to think of Duke, my beloved 11-year-old Shetland Sheepdog, as the canine equivalent of the actor George Clooney. Like Clooney, Duke wears his age with distinguished finesse. His once predominantly chestnut colored muzzle is now a brown/gray salt and pepper mix that broadcasts his elder statesman status. Yet even as an older dog, Duke retains a rascal's disposition -- his dancing eyes convey a whimsical mischief mingled with curmudgeonly weariness (and yes that is Duke's way of brilliantly channeling Clooney's performance in the Academy Award winning film The Descendants).

Warmer weather and longer days motivated me to make my first trip of the season to Home Depot’s Garden Center. Like last year, stevia plants were for sale. Of course, I had to ask how they are selling, and the clerk assured me they are a hit.

Earlier that day I interviewed James Kremer, Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at Country Club of Peoria, Peoria, IL, for an article I am writing on a topic for Culinology. He offered this from our conversation:

Healthcare organizations have long been searching for ways that healthcare technology can help them innovate and provide better outcomes.  A particular challenge is the paper patient files that doctors and hospital staffs create, which no longer comply with trends in the healthcare IT market.

The key to transforming healthcare organizations from paper-based to paper-less is Electronic Medical Records, EMR.