It wasn’t long ago families squabbled over who was hogging the TV remote control. Now they face off over who’s hogging the bandwidth.
As the number of wireless devices increases in homes – multiple TVs, smartphones, tablets, laptops – networks are getting bogged down.
But help is on the way.
A new Wi-Fi protocol – dubbed 802.11ac – will increase data speeds by as much as three times over the most recent standard to 1.3 gigabytes per second. It is also six times more power-efficient and will provide faster and more reliable Wi-Fi coverage throughout the home.
Broadcom is the first wireless chip manufacturer to come out with what it is calling 5G Wi-Fi. While the new standard won’t increase the speed of data coming in through the so-called Internet pipes to the home – such as DSL or fiber optic cables – it will enable people to view and stream video already stored on, say, PCs or DVRs, much more quickly.
“If you are paying for 50 megabytes per second from AT&T, having a 5G Wi-Fi router in your home doesn’t change that,” said Dino Bekis, Broadcom’s senior director for access and wireless entertainment. “What it does do is allow you to share content between devices – smartphones, smart TVs, etc. – much faster and more reliably than before.”
The new standard underscores the surging demand for bandwidth to handle the large amounts of video Americans are consuming every day. “Video use has been growing exponentially,” he said.
According to research by Cisco Systems, 1 million minutes of video content will race across networks every second by 2015, and the number of gadgets connected to the Internet will be twice the world’s population. Between 2010 and 2015, mobile data traffic is expected to soar 26 times.
“The need to stream multiple videos simultaneously (in homes) is there,” said Philip Solis, analyst with ABI Research. “There is a need for 802.11ac.”
A number of manufacturers, including San Jose-based Netgear, are now rolling out routers embedded with Broadcom’s 5G Wi-Fi chips. And makers of devices, from smartphones to laptops and smart TVs, will start embedding the new chips in coming months. Taiwan computer maker Asus recently launched the first laptop equipped with the new Wi-Fi protocol.
The new technology could add to the momentum of Americans turning away from cable TV for their entertainment, said David Henry, Netgear vice president of product management. “If folks are going to cut the cord, they need to be able to stream multiple videos at the same time,” he said.
The new Wi-Fi standard, which operates on the wider 5 GHz radio spectrum, provides more room to transfer data with less traffic, Bekis explained. “Think about it as a brand new freeway opening up with no cars,” he said.
It’s a faster and more efficient way to move information, Bekis added. So it would be like packing a bus that can move down the highway at the speed of a Ferrari.
In the home, that would mean the kids can watch a video in the family room, Dad can stream a movie from the DVR to his bedroom TV, and a visiting cousin could transfer a vacation video from a tablet to another TV – all simultaneously, he explained.
Because the protocol is able to transfer data more quickly and more efficiently, it uses significantly less power, Bekis said. “For a given amount of data, you can transmit it at one-sixth the power,” he said.
The new protocol will make Wi-Fi signals faster and more reliable throughout the home, which usually get weaker the further one is from the router, said Netgear’s Henry.
Routers sold with the new 5G Wi-Fi chip are expected to be compatible with devices that don’t have the new technology and operate on the more congested 2.4 GHz radio spectrum.
“When you put this in your home, you won’t notice anything different,” Bekis said. But “as soon as you have a device that is embedded with 5G Wi-Fi, you are immediately going to be able to transmit data at these higher rates.”
Source: San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) Distributed by MCT Information Services.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
More Agents Encounter the Unexpected in Showings
More real estate professionals say they are getting an unexpected surprise when they arrive at foreclosed homes: The homes aren’t really vacant. Squatters are living there and it’s led to some awkward — and even dangerous — encounters, they say.
There have been recent reports of attacks, sexual assaults, and even homicides against real estate professionals who entered homes they thought were vacant, only to find someone else there.
"There are always potential dangers when showing or previewing any type of property, but vacant homes pose some unique risks," Matt Lombardi, the National Association of REALTORS®’ vice president in charge of NAR’s National Safety Program, told Inman News. "You never know if you're going to encounter drug users, prostitutes, squatters, or even the original home owner who's still living there and is angry that he and his family are about to get kicked out by the bank."
Inman News recently released an article with some tips from safety expert Andrew L. Wooten for real estate professionals in determining whether a home is really vacant before entering:
Source: “Vacant Homes Pose Risks for Agents,” Inman News (June 19, 2012)
There have been recent reports of attacks, sexual assaults, and even homicides against real estate professionals who entered homes they thought were vacant, only to find someone else there.
"There are always potential dangers when showing or previewing any type of property, but vacant homes pose some unique risks," Matt Lombardi, the National Association of REALTORS®’ vice president in charge of NAR’s National Safety Program, told Inman News. "You never know if you're going to encounter drug users, prostitutes, squatters, or even the original home owner who's still living there and is angry that he and his family are about to get kicked out by the bank."
Inman News recently released an article with some tips from safety expert Andrew L. Wooten for real estate professionals in determining whether a home is really vacant before entering:
- Walk around the perimeter of the home before you enter to look for any signs that someone may be inside.
- Visit vacant homes only during daylight hours.
- Check to see if any doors have been unlocked or are open.
- Look through the windows to see if there is any trash or blankets scattered around the floor.
- Check if cardboard boxes or wood pallets are stacked against any exterior walls, which could be used to climb through a window.
Source: “Vacant Homes Pose Risks for Agents,” Inman News (June 19, 2012)
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Microsoft Unveils its iPad Rival
Real estate professionals are increasingly relying on tablets while on-the-go for their jobs. Microsoft hopes to bite into Apple’s iPad tablet market share with its latest introduction of a Windows-powered tablet, called Surface, unveiled Monday.
Jumping more into the mobile computing arena, Microsoft’s tablet is about the same weight and thickness as the iPad and features a 10.6-inch screen. The device also has a thin detachable cover, known as Touch Cover, that can turn into a keyboard (Microsoft has not yet disclosed whether that will be sold separately or come with the device).
The New York Times notes that Microsoft seems to be “positioning its tablet as a more business-friendly alternative to the iPad, one that is better suited to productivity tasks that require faster typing.”
The Windows 8 Pro Surface tablet will also support a pen with digital ink for documents and filling in forms.
The device runs a variation of Windows 8, Microsoft’s operating system due out in the fall.
Microsoft’s debut of its own tablet comes at a time when the company has seen Apple’s iPad already biting into the sales of its lower-end Window laptops.
Versions of Surface will begin to debut in the fall. Microsoft has not yet disclosed pricing for the device but company officials said it will be competitive with rival devices or Intel Ultrabook-class PCs.
Source: “Microsoft Unveils Surface Tablet Computer, Taking on iPad,” Bloomberg (June 19, 2012) and “Microsoft Introduces a Challenger to the iPad,” The New York Times (June 19, 2012)
Jumping more into the mobile computing arena, Microsoft’s tablet is about the same weight and thickness as the iPad and features a 10.6-inch screen. The device also has a thin detachable cover, known as Touch Cover, that can turn into a keyboard (Microsoft has not yet disclosed whether that will be sold separately or come with the device).
The New York Times notes that Microsoft seems to be “positioning its tablet as a more business-friendly alternative to the iPad, one that is better suited to productivity tasks that require faster typing.”
The Windows 8 Pro Surface tablet will also support a pen with digital ink for documents and filling in forms.
The device runs a variation of Windows 8, Microsoft’s operating system due out in the fall.
Microsoft’s debut of its own tablet comes at a time when the company has seen Apple’s iPad already biting into the sales of its lower-end Window laptops.
Versions of Surface will begin to debut in the fall. Microsoft has not yet disclosed pricing for the device but company officials said it will be competitive with rival devices or Intel Ultrabook-class PCs.
Source: “Microsoft Unveils Surface Tablet Computer, Taking on iPad,” Bloomberg (June 19, 2012) and “Microsoft Introduces a Challenger to the iPad,” The New York Times (June 19, 2012)
Monday, June 18, 2012
Google+ Local combines search with Zagat
If you’re traveling and looking for a restaurant, hotel or attraction, then Google has revamped its local-business search results through the prism of guidebook specialist Zagat and Google+, its own social network and answer to Facebook.
It’s called Google+ Local, and you can view Google’s tweaks to its local-business search results from a new Local tab in Google+. You can also peruse these local-business results on your computer doing a standard Google search, in Google Maps, and in the Android apps for Google Maps and Google+.
The local-business results in their latest form aren’t yet available on iPhones or iPads.
Google+ Local provides valuable information, including website links, summaries, addresses, Zagat ratings and user reviews about local points of interest and businesses. Before Google acquired Zagat last year, some of the Zagat information could only be accessed for a fee. Now, it’s free.
However, the quality of the local-business information for a traveler can at times be uninspiring and partisan, because you are being force-fed Google’s social network as part of the process.
If you don’t join and sign into Google+ when viewing the local-business results, you cannot view all of the pertinent information.
For example, if you do a Google search for “Italian restaurants Baltimore,” you’ll view an advertisement on the top of the page and listings for seven restaurants with links to their websites, their locations on a Google Map, an overall Zagat score from zero to 30 and links to reviews written by Google users.
Google has been criticized by competitors, such as Expedia and TripAdvisor, for emphasizing its own products to the detriment of natural search results from competitors. This is precisely what it does with Google+ Local.
The Google+ Local results on Italian restaurants in Baltimore fill your computer screen and you’d have to scroll below what’s initially visible to find natural search results from websites such as Urbanspoon and About.com that aren’t necessarily local.
“We’re trying to provide you with the most useful local results, which our users tell us includes a mix of local business websites, reviews and maps,” Google says in response. “Local-business websites are often the top answers to a query, and we haven’t changed the way we link to reviews by Google users. We work hard to provide useful results, because the great thing about the openness of the Web is that if people don’t like our answers, they can easily switch to any other website.”
The first listing for Italian restaurants in Baltimore in Google+ Local results is for Sabatino’s Italian Restaurant, which Zagat scores a 20 (good to very good) out of 30.
If you click to the 149 Google reviews of the restaurant, you navigate to the restaurant’s page in Google+ Local.
Helps to sign in
Google maintains that its goal is to give consumers the optimal search experience, not for commercial gain. However, the search experience for consumers suffers in Google+ Local if you’re not a member of Google’s social network or aren’t signed into it. Non-members get bare-bones treatment.
In the case of Sabatino’s Italian Restaurant, if you aren’t signed into Google+, you’ll see that Zagat rates the food a 20 and you can read less than a sentence summary about it. You are asked to “sign in for full scores and summary.”
If you do register for Google+ and sign in, you will see that Zagat rates the food (20), decor (16) and service (21). It pegs the cost at $32, and Zagat provides a longer summary with additional details.
Google Plus users also would see any comments about the restaurant from their friends in Google+.
A nice feature of Google+ Local: If you’re traveling and looking for restaurants or other attractions, it detects your location and provides recommendations for everything from nearby restaurants to grocery stores and even a local bridal shop.
But, if you’re a traveler who thrives on off-the-beaten-track attractions, you may have to look beyond Google+ Local for answers. Google tends to offer the old faithfuls.
Bottom line: Google+ Local provides valuable information about various attractions around town. But you may find more detailed information about a restaurant on Yelp, which provides the additional feature of dining reservations through OpenTable.
And because Zagat has historically focused on restaurants, you may find more rigorous information about hotels on TripAdvisor.
At the least, you won’t have to hop from website to website for information about diverse attractions when using Google+ Local.
It’s all there on Google – albeit in stripped-down fashion for non-members.
Source: USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
It’s called Google+ Local, and you can view Google’s tweaks to its local-business search results from a new Local tab in Google+. You can also peruse these local-business results on your computer doing a standard Google search, in Google Maps, and in the Android apps for Google Maps and Google+.
The local-business results in their latest form aren’t yet available on iPhones or iPads.
Google+ Local provides valuable information, including website links, summaries, addresses, Zagat ratings and user reviews about local points of interest and businesses. Before Google acquired Zagat last year, some of the Zagat information could only be accessed for a fee. Now, it’s free.
However, the quality of the local-business information for a traveler can at times be uninspiring and partisan, because you are being force-fed Google’s social network as part of the process.
If you don’t join and sign into Google+ when viewing the local-business results, you cannot view all of the pertinent information.
For example, if you do a Google search for “Italian restaurants Baltimore,” you’ll view an advertisement on the top of the page and listings for seven restaurants with links to their websites, their locations on a Google Map, an overall Zagat score from zero to 30 and links to reviews written by Google users.
Google has been criticized by competitors, such as Expedia and TripAdvisor, for emphasizing its own products to the detriment of natural search results from competitors. This is precisely what it does with Google+ Local.
The Google+ Local results on Italian restaurants in Baltimore fill your computer screen and you’d have to scroll below what’s initially visible to find natural search results from websites such as Urbanspoon and About.com that aren’t necessarily local.
“We’re trying to provide you with the most useful local results, which our users tell us includes a mix of local business websites, reviews and maps,” Google says in response. “Local-business websites are often the top answers to a query, and we haven’t changed the way we link to reviews by Google users. We work hard to provide useful results, because the great thing about the openness of the Web is that if people don’t like our answers, they can easily switch to any other website.”
The first listing for Italian restaurants in Baltimore in Google+ Local results is for Sabatino’s Italian Restaurant, which Zagat scores a 20 (good to very good) out of 30.
If you click to the 149 Google reviews of the restaurant, you navigate to the restaurant’s page in Google+ Local.
Helps to sign in
Google maintains that its goal is to give consumers the optimal search experience, not for commercial gain. However, the search experience for consumers suffers in Google+ Local if you’re not a member of Google’s social network or aren’t signed into it. Non-members get bare-bones treatment.
In the case of Sabatino’s Italian Restaurant, if you aren’t signed into Google+, you’ll see that Zagat rates the food a 20 and you can read less than a sentence summary about it. You are asked to “sign in for full scores and summary.”
If you do register for Google+ and sign in, you will see that Zagat rates the food (20), decor (16) and service (21). It pegs the cost at $32, and Zagat provides a longer summary with additional details.
Google Plus users also would see any comments about the restaurant from their friends in Google+.
A nice feature of Google+ Local: If you’re traveling and looking for restaurants or other attractions, it detects your location and provides recommendations for everything from nearby restaurants to grocery stores and even a local bridal shop.
But, if you’re a traveler who thrives on off-the-beaten-track attractions, you may have to look beyond Google+ Local for answers. Google tends to offer the old faithfuls.
Bottom line: Google+ Local provides valuable information about various attractions around town. But you may find more detailed information about a restaurant on Yelp, which provides the additional feature of dining reservations through OpenTable.
And because Zagat has historically focused on restaurants, you may find more rigorous information about hotels on TripAdvisor.
At the least, you won’t have to hop from website to website for information about diverse attractions when using Google+ Local.
It’s all there on Google – albeit in stripped-down fashion for non-members.
Source: USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Green Marketing Should Go Beyond Energy Efficiency
Many home builders can make some big mistakes when marketing their high-performance green houses, researcher Suzanne Shelton, CEO of the Shelton Group, said at the recent NAHB National Green Building Conference in Nashville, Tenn.
The first mistake is assuming that consumers prefer green homes. Shelton's research has found that about 40 percent of buyers are interested in a green home, but as many as 62 percent are interested in an energy-efficient one. This means that builders of these homes should use their marketing to emphasize energy efficiency.
The top energy-efficient features that buyers look for are Energy Star–qualified appliances, high-efficiency windows, and high-efficiency HVAC equipment. Still, marketers should not concentrate too much on energy. Many buyers are either apathetic or angry when talking about their utility bills. Green-home builders should manage buyers’ expectations of how much money energy-minded features can save them, as many buyers have unrealistic expectations of how much they can save on utilities.
Marketing should also be specific, Shelton says, like, "Save 5 percent on your energy bill by setting your thermostat back 5 degrees for eight hours a day." The majority of Americans do not turn to green products for environmental reasons, so home marketing messages should not be connected to the environment. Most buyers will focus more on their own comfort or convenience.
Source: "Green Marketing Should Go Beyond Energy Efficiency," EcoHome (05/12/2012) & INFORMATION, INC.
The first mistake is assuming that consumers prefer green homes. Shelton's research has found that about 40 percent of buyers are interested in a green home, but as many as 62 percent are interested in an energy-efficient one. This means that builders of these homes should use their marketing to emphasize energy efficiency.
The top energy-efficient features that buyers look for are Energy Star–qualified appliances, high-efficiency windows, and high-efficiency HVAC equipment. Still, marketers should not concentrate too much on energy. Many buyers are either apathetic or angry when talking about their utility bills. Green-home builders should manage buyers’ expectations of how much money energy-minded features can save them, as many buyers have unrealistic expectations of how much they can save on utilities.
Marketing should also be specific, Shelton says, like, "Save 5 percent on your energy bill by setting your thermostat back 5 degrees for eight hours a day." The majority of Americans do not turn to green products for environmental reasons, so home marketing messages should not be connected to the environment. Most buyers will focus more on their own comfort or convenience.
Source: "Green Marketing Should Go Beyond Energy Efficiency," EcoHome (05/12/2012) & INFORMATION, INC.
NAR applies for new .Realtor top-level domain
Homebuyers, sellers and investors may soon find it easier to locate trusted and valued real estate information, resources and services online. The National Association of Realtors®, through its wholly owned subsidiary, the Realtors® Information Network (RIN), has applied for the branded .Realtor top-level domain (TLD) as an alternative to the familiar and commonly used .com or .org. Applications have also been submitted for .realestate and .home, according to NAR.
“As the leading advocate for America's home and property owners, NAR knows that every year a growing number of consumers turn to the Internet as a source of information, given the Internet's convenience and round-the-clock accessibility,” said NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc. in Miami and 2002 president of Florida Realtors®. “Our goal is to create a name space where homebuyers, sellers and investors can go to find the most credible, trusted real estate resources and professional services.”
According to NAR research, nearly nine out of 10 recent buyers used the Internet in their home search process. NAR believes the new domain name will create a more positive experience for consumers who are seeking expert information and services and want to ensure they are working with a Realtor®. Only licensed real estate professionals − who are members of NAR and subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics − have the right to call themselves a Realtor.
The top-level domain will also deliver additional branding and marketing value to Realtor members and affiliates. Domains in the new extensions would be available for registration to Realtor members; local and state Realtor associations; association multiple listing services; affiliated institutes, societies and councils; and other NAR-approved licensees.
“Realtors are already the most trusted, valued sources for real estate related information, and we believe that the .Realtor domain would extend that trust online. When a consumer visits a .Realtor domain in the future we want them to be assured that the registrant is associated with NAR and that the registrant is a trusted information source and real estate professional,” said Veissi.
NAR has also entered into an exclusive marketing partnership with The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the exclusive licensees of the Realtor® mark in Canada. As a result of this arrangement, Realtor members of CREA will also be able to use the domain, making .Realtor truly North American in scope.
NAR has applied for the top-level domains through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the entity that coordinates domains and IP addresses for the Internet. NAR has been following this initiative since ICANN first considered introducing a new round of generic top-level domains in 2005. NAR has worked closely with Second Generation, a Cleveland, Ohio-based investment firm and registry operator for the top-level domain .jobs, throughout the application, review and development process.
The final approval for the top-level domains is anticipated sometime in 2013. Once approved, NAR plans to distribute additional information on how and when domains in the new extensions will be made available.
Source: Florida Realtors®
“As the leading advocate for America's home and property owners, NAR knows that every year a growing number of consumers turn to the Internet as a source of information, given the Internet's convenience and round-the-clock accessibility,” said NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc. in Miami and 2002 president of Florida Realtors®. “Our goal is to create a name space where homebuyers, sellers and investors can go to find the most credible, trusted real estate resources and professional services.”
According to NAR research, nearly nine out of 10 recent buyers used the Internet in their home search process. NAR believes the new domain name will create a more positive experience for consumers who are seeking expert information and services and want to ensure they are working with a Realtor®. Only licensed real estate professionals − who are members of NAR and subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics − have the right to call themselves a Realtor.
The top-level domain will also deliver additional branding and marketing value to Realtor members and affiliates. Domains in the new extensions would be available for registration to Realtor members; local and state Realtor associations; association multiple listing services; affiliated institutes, societies and councils; and other NAR-approved licensees.
“Realtors are already the most trusted, valued sources for real estate related information, and we believe that the .Realtor domain would extend that trust online. When a consumer visits a .Realtor domain in the future we want them to be assured that the registrant is associated with NAR and that the registrant is a trusted information source and real estate professional,” said Veissi.
NAR has also entered into an exclusive marketing partnership with The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the exclusive licensees of the Realtor® mark in Canada. As a result of this arrangement, Realtor members of CREA will also be able to use the domain, making .Realtor truly North American in scope.
NAR has applied for the top-level domains through the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the entity that coordinates domains and IP addresses for the Internet. NAR has been following this initiative since ICANN first considered introducing a new round of generic top-level domains in 2005. NAR has worked closely with Second Generation, a Cleveland, Ohio-based investment firm and registry operator for the top-level domain .jobs, throughout the application, review and development process.
The final approval for the top-level domains is anticipated sometime in 2013. Once approved, NAR plans to distribute additional information on how and when domains in the new extensions will be made available.
Source: Florida Realtors®
Realtor takes advantage of 3-D technology to market high-end condos
Orlando real estate agent Sean Frank has crafted an interactive, virtual landscape of downtown Orlando and some of its residential properties by combining old-school 3-D photography with Google’s simulation technology to lure potential buyers and sellers.
Frank is mailing out fliers with those red-and-blue, cardboard 3-D glasses and an Internet link to a photo gallery so people can view Orlando landmarks, including Lake Eola’s iconic fountain and Chinese pagoda, that seem to pop from the screen.
But the real eye-opener is his link to a virtual tour of the Sanctuary condominium tower, seamlessly stitched together from thousands of high-resolution 3-D images and incorporated into Google’s Street View technology.
Visitors can explore the building’s event venues and stand on a penthouse balcony to take in daytime and evening views of downtown Orlando from atop the 18-story high-rise.
The 3-D virtual tour, which doesn’t require the glasses, is an innovative, high-tech approach to marketing real estate – commercial and residential – to local and out-of-state investors in Orlando’s competitive market.
“It’s difficult to imagine a floor plan unless you physically visit the property,” said the 28-year-old Frank, owner of uOwn Real Estate. “In our tours, you will already feel familiar with the property. It’s something that is unmatched in the industry.”
Frank, who is working on patenting the technology, plans to offer the interior and exterior 3-D virtual tours for listings priced at more than $200,000. Listings of more than $500,000 will have their own Internet domain.
“It’s something that buyers will be showing their friends and family,” Frank said.
He and others say his idea has potential, especially for buyers and sellers interested in downtown’s pricey high-rise condominiums. Overall, condo sales in the Orlando area are down, but high-end units downtown are hot right now: Orlando Regional Realtor Association records show more million-dollar condos sold in the Orlando area in March than during the previous three years combined.
Local industry leaders say real estate agents are not taking full advantage of technology to sell properties by attracting buyers in search of that wow factor.
“Most agents take pictures and video using their iPhone or HD camera and call it a virtual tour. It’s not,” said Joe Adkins, chairman of the Orlando Realtors’ technology committee. “We are working with investors who never step foot inside a property – everything is done on the Internet. Something an agent can get online with that ‘cool factor’ will help them stand out.”
But others in the real estate business say the Orlando market is years from a time when 3-D virtual tours will serve as an agent’s sole selling point.
Cristian Michaels, director of sales and marketing for the Vue at Lake Eola – which has a 3-D rendering designed by Toronto-based 3D Condo Explorer Inc. – said agents in Miami and Canada already use similar technology because they are in an aggressive “pre-sale” mode.
“You have investors in Canada who are selling out units in condos before they’re even launched,” Michaels said. “In Miami, there are international buyers who might not be able to travel but are willing to see the property as a 3-D model and invest.”
He said 3-D virtual tours are tools that will become more popular in Orlando “down the road.”
“It’s an incredible tool for a buyer without a broker to see what’s available,” he said. “We won’t have that sale velocity until five or seven years.”
Source: The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.), Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, Walter Pacheco. Staff writer Mary Shanklin contributed to this report. Distributed by MCT Information Services.
Frank is mailing out fliers with those red-and-blue, cardboard 3-D glasses and an Internet link to a photo gallery so people can view Orlando landmarks, including Lake Eola’s iconic fountain and Chinese pagoda, that seem to pop from the screen.
But the real eye-opener is his link to a virtual tour of the Sanctuary condominium tower, seamlessly stitched together from thousands of high-resolution 3-D images and incorporated into Google’s Street View technology.
Visitors can explore the building’s event venues and stand on a penthouse balcony to take in daytime and evening views of downtown Orlando from atop the 18-story high-rise.
The 3-D virtual tour, which doesn’t require the glasses, is an innovative, high-tech approach to marketing real estate – commercial and residential – to local and out-of-state investors in Orlando’s competitive market.
“It’s difficult to imagine a floor plan unless you physically visit the property,” said the 28-year-old Frank, owner of uOwn Real Estate. “In our tours, you will already feel familiar with the property. It’s something that is unmatched in the industry.”
Frank, who is working on patenting the technology, plans to offer the interior and exterior 3-D virtual tours for listings priced at more than $200,000. Listings of more than $500,000 will have their own Internet domain.
“It’s something that buyers will be showing their friends and family,” Frank said.
He and others say his idea has potential, especially for buyers and sellers interested in downtown’s pricey high-rise condominiums. Overall, condo sales in the Orlando area are down, but high-end units downtown are hot right now: Orlando Regional Realtor Association records show more million-dollar condos sold in the Orlando area in March than during the previous three years combined.
Local industry leaders say real estate agents are not taking full advantage of technology to sell properties by attracting buyers in search of that wow factor.
“Most agents take pictures and video using their iPhone or HD camera and call it a virtual tour. It’s not,” said Joe Adkins, chairman of the Orlando Realtors’ technology committee. “We are working with investors who never step foot inside a property – everything is done on the Internet. Something an agent can get online with that ‘cool factor’ will help them stand out.”
But others in the real estate business say the Orlando market is years from a time when 3-D virtual tours will serve as an agent’s sole selling point.
Cristian Michaels, director of sales and marketing for the Vue at Lake Eola – which has a 3-D rendering designed by Toronto-based 3D Condo Explorer Inc. – said agents in Miami and Canada already use similar technology because they are in an aggressive “pre-sale” mode.
“You have investors in Canada who are selling out units in condos before they’re even launched,” Michaels said. “In Miami, there are international buyers who might not be able to travel but are willing to see the property as a 3-D model and invest.”
He said 3-D virtual tours are tools that will become more popular in Orlando “down the road.”
“It’s an incredible tool for a buyer without a broker to see what’s available,” he said. “We won’t have that sale velocity until five or seven years.”
Source: The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.), Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News, Walter Pacheco. Staff writer Mary Shanklin contributed to this report. Distributed by MCT Information Services.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Top 12 LinkedIn Passwords Stolen
LinkedIn announced last week that 6.5 million of its members’ passwords were stolen in a security breach and posted on an unauthorized web site. The stolen passwords revealed that some passwords people used to log in to the social networking site are too obvious.
“We are seeing a trend of Internet users trying to use simplistic passphrases on Internet sites,” Marcus Carey, a researcher at the security firm Rapid7, told MSNBC.com. “They are [being hacked] because of the simple fact that many are using words that have been long considered bad passwords. Password-cracking algorithms include these bad passwords as a part of their recipe.”
Here are the top 12 most common passwords that hackers easily cracked in the LinkedIn security breach, according to Rapid7.
“We are seeing a trend of Internet users trying to use simplistic passphrases on Internet sites,” Marcus Carey, a researcher at the security firm Rapid7, told MSNBC.com. “They are [being hacked] because of the simple fact that many are using words that have been long considered bad passwords. Password-cracking algorithms include these bad passwords as a part of their recipe.”
Here are the top 12 most common passwords that hackers easily cracked in the LinkedIn security breach, according to Rapid7.
- link (which was commonly used as part of a password, such as “LinkPass” or “BobLink”)
- 1234
- work
- god
- job
- 12345
- angel
- :the
- ilove
- sex
- Jesus
- connect
Should New Cellphone Data Plans Have You Worried?
Many real estate professionals rely on their smartphones a lot for their business. But new data plans by cellphone giants may get a little more pricey in the future as carriers move away from offering “unlimited plans.”
Verizon and AT&T, for example, are planning to move subscribers away from unlimited service plans to tiered data plans.
Verizon received some criticism as it started pushing tiered plans recently. It discountinued grandfathering in unlimited plans for those who switched to 4G devices.
Some options the carriers are reportedly considering include pricing tiers based on download speeds. “This would effectively block low-tier consumers or employees of a corporation from accessing streaming video or other data intensive applications,” Forbes.com explains. “Could be a great fit for those people who simply use smartphones for e-mail and light browsing of simple Web sites.”
Carriers also are reportedly considering pricing tiers based on peak offers, charging more for downloading during peak times.
Despite the pricier and tiered considerations, AT&T and Verizon continue to hold onto the market share in the cellphone market.
Source: “AT&T and Verizon Considering Complex New Data Plans,” Forbes.com (June 6, 2012)
Verizon and AT&T, for example, are planning to move subscribers away from unlimited service plans to tiered data plans.
Verizon received some criticism as it started pushing tiered plans recently. It discountinued grandfathering in unlimited plans for those who switched to 4G devices.
Some options the carriers are reportedly considering include pricing tiers based on download speeds. “This would effectively block low-tier consumers or employees of a corporation from accessing streaming video or other data intensive applications,” Forbes.com explains. “Could be a great fit for those people who simply use smartphones for e-mail and light browsing of simple Web sites.”
Carriers also are reportedly considering pricing tiers based on peak offers, charging more for downloading during peak times.
Despite the pricier and tiered considerations, AT&T and Verizon continue to hold onto the market share in the cellphone market.
Source: “AT&T and Verizon Considering Complex New Data Plans,” Forbes.com (June 6, 2012)
Monday, June 11, 2012
Pinterest: 20 easy ways to use it in your business
Pinterest is akin to online magazine clipping, allowing users to capture pictures found on the Web, add them to specific boards and share them with a network of followers.
The social media site can be used alongside Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as part of a real estate agent’s business marketing plan. Among other strategies, agents can use Pinterest to showcase some favorite locations in their city; highlight the city’s architectural style and historic locations; spotlight local businesses or attractions; and offer tips for home sellers and first-time buyers that link back to a blog post or website page.
Pinterest also can be used to offer ideas for curb appeal and staging, answer questions about the mortgage process, create a city guide, identify pet-friendly locations, provide home improvement and gardening tips, and offer advice on how to get children excited about a move.
Other ideas include providing tips for moving day, showcasing local coffee shops, listing free things to do in the city, and highlighting local fundraisers and other annual events.
Source: RISMedia (05/21/12) & INFORMATION, INC.
The social media site can be used alongside Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as part of a real estate agent’s business marketing plan. Among other strategies, agents can use Pinterest to showcase some favorite locations in their city; highlight the city’s architectural style and historic locations; spotlight local businesses or attractions; and offer tips for home sellers and first-time buyers that link back to a blog post or website page.
Pinterest also can be used to offer ideas for curb appeal and staging, answer questions about the mortgage process, create a city guide, identify pet-friendly locations, provide home improvement and gardening tips, and offer advice on how to get children excited about a move.
Other ideas include providing tips for moving day, showcasing local coffee shops, listing free things to do in the city, and highlighting local fundraisers and other annual events.
Source: RISMedia (05/21/12) & INFORMATION, INC.
Pinterest: 20 easy ways to use it in your business
Pinterest is akin to online magazine clipping, allowing users to capture pictures found on the Web, add them to specific boards and share them with a network of followers.
The social media site can be used alongside Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as part of a real estate agent’s business marketing plan. Among other strategies, agents can use Pinterest to showcase some favorite locations in their city; highlight the city’s architectural style and historic locations; spotlight local businesses or attractions; and offer tips for home sellers and first-time buyers that link back to a blog post or website page.
Pinterest also can be used to offer ideas for curb appeal and staging, answer questions about the mortgage process, create a city guide, identify pet-friendly locations, provide home improvement and gardening tips, and offer advice on how to get children excited about a move.
Other ideas include providing tips for moving day, showcasing local coffee shops, listing free things to do in the city, and highlighting local fundraisers and other annual events.
Source: RISMedia (05/21/12) & INFORMATION, INC.
The social media site can be used alongside Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn as part of a real estate agent’s business marketing plan. Among other strategies, agents can use Pinterest to showcase some favorite locations in their city; highlight the city’s architectural style and historic locations; spotlight local businesses or attractions; and offer tips for home sellers and first-time buyers that link back to a blog post or website page.
Pinterest also can be used to offer ideas for curb appeal and staging, answer questions about the mortgage process, create a city guide, identify pet-friendly locations, provide home improvement and gardening tips, and offer advice on how to get children excited about a move.
Other ideas include providing tips for moving day, showcasing local coffee shops, listing free things to do in the city, and highlighting local fundraisers and other annual events.
Source: RISMedia (05/21/12) & INFORMATION, INC.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Another blow for Internet security
In the latest blow to online confidence, the accounts of some users of business-networking site LinkedIn and dating site eHarmony were compromised after users’ encrypted passwords were posted on the Internet.
Many of LinkedIn’s 161 million members worldwide, who use the site to form professional connections, were also bombarded Wednesday by e-mail from unfamiliar parties urging them to click on links to verify e-mail addresses. LinkedIn and eHarmony join the list of several major websites, including retailer Zappos.com, that were hacked in recent months.
Wednesday’s cyber-attack on LinkedIn, which affects as many as 6.5 million users, came on the heels of a discovery that LinkedIn’s mobile app on Apple devices tracked users’ calendar events and synched them to its server without users’ knowledge, a practice that could violate Apple’s privacy regulations.
The encrypted password hash codes, which can be deciphered to uncover users’ passwords, could give the hacker access to users’ accounts once the codes are cracked, according to IDC tech industry analyst Al Hilwa.
“Some of the passwords that were compromised correspond to LinkedIn accounts,” the company confirmed in a blog post on its site Wednesday. In another post, LinkedIn urged users “never change your password by following a link in an e-mail, since those links might be compromised and redirect you to the wrong place.” The company also said it would send users of the affected accounts instructions on how to reset their passwords and that these instructions would be devoid of any links.
LinkedIn did not respond to requests for further comment.
Late Wednesday, eHarmony said the passwords of a “small fraction” of its users had also been compromised. The site, which says it has more than 20 million registered online users, did not say how many had been affected. But tech news site Ars Technica said it found about 1.5 million passwords leaked online that appeared to be from eHarmony users.
It’s unclear who was behind the hacking, but several tech analysts encouraged users to change passwords on the sites and create unique passwords for every social-media account. “If you have the same password on multiple accounts, change them right now,” said Karen McDowell, information security analyst for the University of Virginia. “If the hackers get one password and all of your passwords are the same, they’re going to have” access to all your information.
Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., said in a statement the LinkedIn incident underscores the importance of passing data-protection legislation and that it forecasts a shaky future for online consumerism.
“How many times is this going to happen before Congress finally wakes up and takes action?” said Bono Mack, who chairs a House Commerce subcommittee that oversees privacy issues. “More people are becoming antsy about providing their personal information online, and that’s not good for the future.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
Source: USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc., Nick Foley. All rights reserved.
Many of LinkedIn’s 161 million members worldwide, who use the site to form professional connections, were also bombarded Wednesday by e-mail from unfamiliar parties urging them to click on links to verify e-mail addresses. LinkedIn and eHarmony join the list of several major websites, including retailer Zappos.com, that were hacked in recent months.
Wednesday’s cyber-attack on LinkedIn, which affects as many as 6.5 million users, came on the heels of a discovery that LinkedIn’s mobile app on Apple devices tracked users’ calendar events and synched them to its server without users’ knowledge, a practice that could violate Apple’s privacy regulations.
The encrypted password hash codes, which can be deciphered to uncover users’ passwords, could give the hacker access to users’ accounts once the codes are cracked, according to IDC tech industry analyst Al Hilwa.
“Some of the passwords that were compromised correspond to LinkedIn accounts,” the company confirmed in a blog post on its site Wednesday. In another post, LinkedIn urged users “never change your password by following a link in an e-mail, since those links might be compromised and redirect you to the wrong place.” The company also said it would send users of the affected accounts instructions on how to reset their passwords and that these instructions would be devoid of any links.
LinkedIn did not respond to requests for further comment.
Late Wednesday, eHarmony said the passwords of a “small fraction” of its users had also been compromised. The site, which says it has more than 20 million registered online users, did not say how many had been affected. But tech news site Ars Technica said it found about 1.5 million passwords leaked online that appeared to be from eHarmony users.
It’s unclear who was behind the hacking, but several tech analysts encouraged users to change passwords on the sites and create unique passwords for every social-media account. “If you have the same password on multiple accounts, change them right now,” said Karen McDowell, information security analyst for the University of Virginia. “If the hackers get one password and all of your passwords are the same, they’re going to have” access to all your information.
Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., said in a statement the LinkedIn incident underscores the importance of passing data-protection legislation and that it forecasts a shaky future for online consumerism.
“How many times is this going to happen before Congress finally wakes up and takes action?” said Bono Mack, who chairs a House Commerce subcommittee that oversees privacy issues. “More people are becoming antsy about providing their personal information online, and that’s not good for the future.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
Source: USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc., Nick Foley. All rights reserved.
Monday, June 4, 2012
What to Do When Homes Linger on the Market
The showings have started to slow, interest from potential buyers is waning, and your home seller is getting worried. What should you do?
Time to update your listing photos. The listing may benefit from having new photos taken of the home to post on the Internet, which may help to renew interest online and get more potential buyers to the front door, according to real estate professionals in a recent article in The Chicago Tribune.
“Does the home still look as good as it did in the listing photos or does it look more lived-in now, a few months later?” The Chicago Tribune article also notes. Many real estate pros have also opted for staging homes to try to renew interest: Decluttering, make sure the home is in neutral colors, washing the windows, and paying attention to the smell of the home (particularly if there are pets) to make sure the home is more inviting to potential buyers.
And if the home continues to linger, agents may need to revisit comparable sales in the neighbor and have a frank talk with sellers about the price they’re asking for the home.
"At the end of the day, it's going to come down to the price," Kevin Tatum, an @properties broker in Chicago, told The Chicago Tribune. "We may be at the bottom, but we're not going to see a rebound. It's not going to be a V-shaped recovery. It's going to be a straight line. That's what we try to have (sellers) keep in mind."
Source: “A Reality Check for Idle Home Sellers,” The Chicago Tribune (June 1, 2012)
Time to update your listing photos. The listing may benefit from having new photos taken of the home to post on the Internet, which may help to renew interest online and get more potential buyers to the front door, according to real estate professionals in a recent article in The Chicago Tribune.
“Does the home still look as good as it did in the listing photos or does it look more lived-in now, a few months later?” The Chicago Tribune article also notes. Many real estate pros have also opted for staging homes to try to renew interest: Decluttering, make sure the home is in neutral colors, washing the windows, and paying attention to the smell of the home (particularly if there are pets) to make sure the home is more inviting to potential buyers.
And if the home continues to linger, agents may need to revisit comparable sales in the neighbor and have a frank talk with sellers about the price they’re asking for the home.
"At the end of the day, it's going to come down to the price," Kevin Tatum, an @properties broker in Chicago, told The Chicago Tribune. "We may be at the bottom, but we're not going to see a rebound. It's not going to be a V-shaped recovery. It's going to be a straight line. That's what we try to have (sellers) keep in mind."
Source: “A Reality Check for Idle Home Sellers,” The Chicago Tribune (June 1, 2012)
Florida Realtors lands Corcoran for convention
Barbara Corcoran – a giant in the real estate industry, novelist, television producer and TV star – will speak at the 2012 Florida Realtors Convention and Trade Expo, Aug. 8-12 in Orlando.
Corcoran’s real estate career reads like a movie plot. It rises from a foundation of hard work, but she reached the top by thinking outside the box and turning failures into successes. Her story starts with poor high school grades and 20-some odd jobs before she turned 23. But then she borrowed $1,000 from her then-boyfriend in 1973 and started a small New York City real estate company. By the time she sold The Corcoran Group for $70 million in 2001, it was taking in $5 billion per year.
In August, Corcoran will tell Florida’s Realtors how she did it.
For many Realtors, Corcoran is already a familiar face. She’s the real estate contributor for NBC’s TODAY Show, an investor/shark on ABC’s Shark Tank, a weekly contributor to the New York Daily News and MORE Magazine, and on HGTV’s Top Ten.
To Corcoran, the secret to her real estate success has always been advertising – but advertising done effectively with attention to details.
“When real estate comes up, I want (an agent’s) name to be first on everybody’s lips,” she said in a 2005 New York Times interview. “I still think marketing and the media is the way to do it.”
On example: Corcoran spent a lot of time designing business cards that make each member of her team look his or her best, because Corcoran didn’t think the usual “real estate broker’s card with their picture on it” did any good. “Of course, we airbrush too,” she said.
Corcoran is not a winner-take-all player who crosses ethical boundaries to win. In fact, that tactic doesn’t work. “You should never tell a lie in business,” she said in Time Out New York in 2006. “You can take as much liberty as you wish in spinning the perception, as long as you don’t change the facts.”
Barbara Corcoran will speak at a Florida Realtors’ general session on Aug. 10 from 12:15 to 1 p.m., and admission is included in the price of registration. Because it falls over the lunch hour, $10 meals will be available outside the door starting at 11:30 a.m.
For more information on Corcoran’s presentation, visit the Florida Realtors Convention and Trade Expo website. To view the video, scroll over the photo of Corcoran.
Source: Florida Realtors®
Corcoran’s real estate career reads like a movie plot. It rises from a foundation of hard work, but she reached the top by thinking outside the box and turning failures into successes. Her story starts with poor high school grades and 20-some odd jobs before she turned 23. But then she borrowed $1,000 from her then-boyfriend in 1973 and started a small New York City real estate company. By the time she sold The Corcoran Group for $70 million in 2001, it was taking in $5 billion per year.
In August, Corcoran will tell Florida’s Realtors how she did it.
For many Realtors, Corcoran is already a familiar face. She’s the real estate contributor for NBC’s TODAY Show, an investor/shark on ABC’s Shark Tank, a weekly contributor to the New York Daily News and MORE Magazine, and on HGTV’s Top Ten.
To Corcoran, the secret to her real estate success has always been advertising – but advertising done effectively with attention to details.
“When real estate comes up, I want (an agent’s) name to be first on everybody’s lips,” she said in a 2005 New York Times interview. “I still think marketing and the media is the way to do it.”
On example: Corcoran spent a lot of time designing business cards that make each member of her team look his or her best, because Corcoran didn’t think the usual “real estate broker’s card with their picture on it” did any good. “Of course, we airbrush too,” she said.
Corcoran is not a winner-take-all player who crosses ethical boundaries to win. In fact, that tactic doesn’t work. “You should never tell a lie in business,” she said in Time Out New York in 2006. “You can take as much liberty as you wish in spinning the perception, as long as you don’t change the facts.”
Barbara Corcoran will speak at a Florida Realtors’ general session on Aug. 10 from 12:15 to 1 p.m., and admission is included in the price of registration. Because it falls over the lunch hour, $10 meals will be available outside the door starting at 11:30 a.m.
For more information on Corcoran’s presentation, visit the Florida Realtors Convention and Trade Expo website. To view the video, scroll over the photo of Corcoran.
Source: Florida Realtors®
Friday, June 1, 2012
Use the right photos on real estate website s
In many instances, what makes potential homebuyers stay on a Realtor’s website and also return to it are the images of the exteriors and interiors of the various homes for sale. Making a good first impression to viewers is essential.
In this regard, a quick glance at poor quality photos or images can compel people to click off an agent’s site before they have really even given it a shot. The question for the Realtor then becomes: “What pictures should I include that will keep people searching for real estate coming back to my website?”
Depending on the flow of the site, the answer can definitely vary. A good rule of thumb is to prominently post images of the property types buyers will most likely find in each particular area.
Too often, real estate agents post “lifestyle” shots on these pages or pictures of local restaurants and businesses. Such photos certainly give buyers a nice visual of the surrounding neighborhood, but it is important to keep in mind why they have logged on in the first place – to hopefully find a new home or condominium.
Using quality pictures that make sense to the viewers may seem like a small detail. However, it can really pay off in terms of referral and repeat visits from homebuyers.
Source: RealtyBizNews (05/31/2012) Heath, Joe & INFORMATION, INC.
In this regard, a quick glance at poor quality photos or images can compel people to click off an agent’s site before they have really even given it a shot. The question for the Realtor then becomes: “What pictures should I include that will keep people searching for real estate coming back to my website?”
Depending on the flow of the site, the answer can definitely vary. A good rule of thumb is to prominently post images of the property types buyers will most likely find in each particular area.
Too often, real estate agents post “lifestyle” shots on these pages or pictures of local restaurants and businesses. Such photos certainly give buyers a nice visual of the surrounding neighborhood, but it is important to keep in mind why they have logged on in the first place – to hopefully find a new home or condominium.
Using quality pictures that make sense to the viewers may seem like a small detail. However, it can really pay off in terms of referral and repeat visits from homebuyers.
Source: RealtyBizNews (05/31/2012) Heath, Joe & INFORMATION, INC.
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