Smart lamps are still in the novelty phase, but there are serious potential uses for the technology -- and once devs get to work, as yet unimagined applications surely will come to light. "I think we're just at the precipice of seeing what smart light bulbs can do in terms of features, functions and different wattages," said tech analyst Laura DiDio.

LG Electronics on Monday unveiled a light bulb designed to illuminate consumers lives in a more intelligent way.

The Smart Lamp, which can be controlled by an iOS or Android device over Bluetooth or WiFi, debuted in LG's home market of South Korea.

The 10W LED bulb is 80 percent more energy-efficient than other incandescent bulbs, LG claimed, and will last for up to 10 years when used for around five hours per day.

Users can alter the lighting in their homes according to a range of preferences -- for instance, to match the mood and beat of the music they are listening to. Consumers can set the bulbs to turn on and off at certain times when they are not at home to keep potential burglars at bay. They can turn the bulbs into an alert system for incoming phone calls or program them to operate as an alarm clock.

The LG Smart Lamp works with Android version 4.3 and higher or iOS version 6.0 and up.

The Smart Lamp follows on the heels of Philips' own smart lighting system, Hue, released last year. Users of those bulbs can choose from millions of colors and brightness intensities to light their spaces. While that system requires a ZigBee base station to operate, which may complicate matters for those who seek simplicity, the networked bulbs may offer a more integrated, complete experience throughout the home than the Smart Lamp.

"The Philips lights talk to each other and connect through a bridge so you can do more things with them and more things will connect to them. A starter Philips kit is around (US)$200 for three lights," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

"I'd expect the single color LG lights to be brighter," he told TechNewsWorld.

The Smart Lamp is retailing at 35,000 won (US$30). It is not yet clear whether the Smart Lamp is coming to the U.S.

Link:
LG Sheds Light on Internet of Things

World Egypt People walk past a banner for Egypt's army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in downtown Cairo March 26, 2014. Mohamed Abd El GhanyReuters

In Abdel Fatah Al-Sisis dream, approximately 35 years ago, he chatted with late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. The two men exchanged pleasantries and Sadat told Sisi he always knew he was destined to lead Egypt. Sisi replied, I also know that Im going to be president of the republic.

Sisi discussed his prophetic presidential dreams during an off-the-record digression in a newspaper interview last year; audio of that portion was leaked last December. Such revelations in just about any other democratic country would have doomed the career of any politician. But Sisi is no ordinary politician and supporters here say the leaks may actually have helped Sisi and burnished his credentials as a child of destiny.

Sisis long-awaited entry into Egypts upcoming presidential race caps a dizzying rise to prominence. Just two years ago, Sisi was a political unknown plucked from comparative obscurity in August 2012 and elevated to defense minister by then-President Mohammed Morsi. Within a year Sisi had ousted Morsi from power in the face of massive street protests. Shortly thereafter, Sisi-mania was in full swing.

The country has been waiting for Sisi to announce his intentions for months. He enters the race as the overwhelmingly frontrunnerbeneficiary of an intense cult-of-personality that is in part manufactured, but also taps into genuine popular support for a military strongman. Posters of Sisis face have blanketed the country for months and a host of political and religious leaders have been lining up to endorse him. In January, pro-military demonstrators in Tahrir Square wore Pharaoh-style gold Sisi masks with no apparent sense of irony about what such symbolism portends for the countrys fledgling democracy.

There is nobody today who has the popularity of this man. That is a fact, says Amr Badr, a prominent local businessman with close ties to the military and an active supporter of Sisis presidential goals. I am convinced that Egypt needs a strong popular president with a great deal of respect. Egypt is no stranger to media-inflated cults of personality. But the sheer intensity of the Sisi worship is somewhat curious given that Egyptians still know very little about the man beyond the bare biographic details.

Hes basically this mystery man. Despite the cult of personality, we dont know that much about him, says Issandr El Amrani, North Africa director for International Crisis Group and a longtime Egypt resident. Obviously he benefits from the love of the military. But beyond that we know very little of Sisi and his personality, temperament and beliefs.

Joshua Stacher, formerly based in Egypt and now an assistant professor of political science at Kent State University, offers a harsher assessment. He doesnt seem to have a political plan. He doesnt seem to have an economic plan. The only thing weve seen him do for the past eight months is launch a war on terror and repress dissent, says Stacher, author of the book Adaptable Autocrats: Regime Power in Egypt and Syria.

Badr, the businessman and Sisi supporter, says the former Defense Ministers personal charisma and communication-style are as much the source of his popularity as his connection to the military. He is seen as one of the people. Hes not an elitist and he has very good body language, Badr says. Hes very simplein a good way. He doesnt use sophisticated language.

Wednesday nights announcementdelivered in full uniform from what looked like a lush gardenwas Sisis first real address to the Egyptian people since his announcement of Morsis ouster last July. This is my last day as a soldier, he said, But I will battle every day for the sake of Egypt.

Continue reading here:
Egypts al-Sisi Sheds Uniform, Readies for Presidency

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.

The state of Florida is facing a lawsuit over unregulated septic systems near the Indian River Lagoon.

Investigative reporter Christopher Heath asked looked into the possible long-term dangers if Florida doesn't enforce its rules.

Derek Woodruff of Brownie's Septic & Plumbing is the last man most homeowners want to see standing in their front yard. That is, until something goes wrong.

"Sometimes you won't know you have a problem until you get some saturation or smell out in the yard," said Woodruff.

Woodruff showed Heath a septic system where roots found their way. Woodruff said it's unknown how much waste escaped before he and his crew arrived.

Without inspections there is no way to know if a septic system is about to fail, until it does.

"You got several thousand (septic systems) just in the city of Orlando that are failing every year and that's not counting the ones that are failed and not being repaired," said Mark Barhonovich of Brownie's Septic & Plumbing.

In 2010, the Florida Legislature mandated septic inspections to be performed every five years starting in 2016.

But, amid pressure from realtors, home builders and home owners, counties were given an opt-out. Every county has since, opted out.

The rest is here:
9 Investigates the effects of uninspected septic systems on the environment

The idea of a municipality or sewer authority using public money to facilitate repairs to broken and leaking privately owned sewer laterals isn't new, but it's one whose time has come, said state Rep. Harry Readshaw.

The Carrick Democrat, in Pittsburgh on Monday afternoon to chair Democratic Policy Committee hearing, said he has sponsored legislation to speed repairs to the leaky laterals for a decade, but approaching federal deadlines for reducing untreated sewage discharges into streams and rivers across the commonwealth now make action on House Bill 703 and 704 a priority.

The two bills would allow municipalities or public authorities to go onto private property to fix broken sewer laterals when the leaks cause damage to public property or pose a threat to public health, and make public funds available to pay for the work.

"There hasn't been a lot of opposition to this idea, and most people are for it. It's just been off the radar screen," Mr. Readshaw said of the bills that remain in committee and have not advanced for a vote. "Now, with federal consent decree deadlines approaching, the recognition of this issue is elevated. Now people are realizing that something must be done."

Mr. Readshaw said a state-administered funding program could be established -- he suggested starting with $5 million -- to provide low-interest loans or grants for low-income families to do the repairs, which can be expensive. The state operates a similar $5 million program to help fund privately owned septic system upgrades.

According to testimony at the hearing, broken and leaking laterals can cause sinkholes that buckle streets and sidewalks, and allow sewage to contaminate groundwater or pool on the surface in neighborhoods.

Broken laterals can also be inundated with inflow from groundwater and stormwater and channel it into public sewer collection pipes where it significantly increases the amount of flow and cost of sewage treatment. It also contributes to sewage overflows.

Jim Good, interim executive director of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, said there are approximately 100,000 privately owned sewer laterals connecting to more than 1,200 miles of publicly owned sewer lines in the city and more than one-half of the laterals leak.

Because they are privately owned, the ability of the PWSA or Alcosan to fix the laterals is very limited, he said.

"But House Bill 704 would give us both the carrot and the stick," Mr. Good said, voicing his strong support. "The stick gives the PWSA the authority to go in and make repairs to private sewer laterals that are endangering public health or damaging public property, and then bill the property owner."

See the rest here:
State fund proposed for sewer line repairs

HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C. (WTVD) -- A major clean-up is underway after a massive gasoline leak at a gas station in Holly Springs.

It happened Wednesday at the Exxon on North Main Street and Holly Springs Road.

Click here for a Google map of the area.

A utility installation crew struck and ruptured an underground gasoline storage tank causing more than 6,000 gallons of fuel to leak about 10 to 12 feet underground. Crews managed to drain the tank.

Luckily, most of the gas that seeped out stayed right by the tank.

"We checked all the storm drains, the water pipes and septic and sewer," said Holly Springs Fire Chief Leroy Smith. "We have no reading of gasoline."

The Exxon and a nearby Walgreens have been closed due to the leak. Other nearby businesses have been adversely affected as well.

"We've been slow since about 2:30 in the afternoon," said Little Caesars' manager Donald Sill. "People aren't able to come in which is affecting the business, affecting labor, affecting everything going on right now."

Roads in the area were closed for about four hours.

A Holly Springs official says they anticipate only partial roads closures during the rest of the clean-up.

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Gasoline tank ruptured in Holly Springs, thousands of gallons leak

Holly Springs, N.C. A gas leak was reported at the intersection of Main Street and Holly Springs Road Wednesday afternoon.

A construction crew installing underground fiber optic cables struck what was believed to be an underground gas tank at around 2:20 p.m., resulting in gas being released, authorities said.

Two nearby businesses - a gas station and a Walgreens - were evacuated. Authorities believe the tank belongs to the gas station, where a leak alarm went off.

An underground tank should not have been where crews were digging, officials said.

Gas was not in the roadway but its odor was present throughout the area, authorities said.

We have checked all the storm drains, the water pipes and the septic and sewer that is in the area and we have no readings where it went, said Chief LeRoy Smith with Holly Springs Fire & Rescue. So we are not sure if it is leaking, where it went.

Readings at the gas station show it could have lost thousands of gallons of fuel, officials said.

Originally posted here:
Gas leak reported in Holly Springs

I just finished reading Maggy Hurchallas commentary on Wednesdays Op-Ed Page of The Palm Beach Post. I am not getting into a debate on HB 703. I have always said that our state Legislature rides the short bus. But Martin County continues to embarrass itself by blaming absolutely all of its environmental problems on Florida Crystals and the Fanjul family.

There are 270,000 septic tanks that drain into the Indian River Lagoon. It is safe to assume that Florida Crystals does not own one of them. The counties that border the Indian River Lagoon have all taken great steps in correcting their practices that have for decades had a detrimental effect on the lagoon. The glaring exception to this is Martin County. Their fallback position is, and always has been: Its Sugars fault!

Do they forget that it was Hurchalla that championed septic tanks over a centralized sewer system when she was on the Martin County Commission? The logic being it would control growth. Not very sound logic. The fact that Martin County and Hurchalla fail to accept any responsibility for the condition of the Indian River Lagoon is getting to the point of being comical.

All of their hollering and screaming that the state should clean up the Indian River Lagoon because it is a $4.5 billion economic engine to the area has not gone unnoticed by Tallahassee. I recently attended a meeting where a representative from the Areas of Critical State Concern in the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity laid the blame squarely on the 270,000 septic tanks within the lagoon drainage area. Their position was that, like Apalachicola Bay and the Florida Keys, the Indian River Lagoon is too valuable an asset to the state to leave it up to the five counties to fix the problem. Particularly when it was those five counties land use plans that contributed to the problem.

One solution is for the state to declare the Indian River Lagoon an Area of Critical Concern. This would focus all of the states resources on fixing the lagoon. This option was very successful in saving both the Florida Keys and Apalachicola Bay ecosystems from their septic tank issues.

Hurchalla and the other local officials are opposed to this because it requires them to step up to the plate and face the facts. The sticking point is it will put the state in the drivers seat. Maybe in this case not a bad thing.

J.P. SASSER

Pahokee

Editors note: J.P. Sasser is a former mayor of Pahokee.

Read more:
Point of View: Martin County still blaming Fanjuls, Big Sugar for all woes

THIS IS THE house that architect Paul Thiry built, in 1929.

But its also the house that Seattle interior designer Robin Chell has nurtured for the past two generations of homeowners. The first being herself and her husband, David.

David bought the house. Thats how we met (in 1998), she says. David bought a chair from me. And then, oh! and another chair.

Chair-buying courting concluded, the couple married in the backyard in 2001. They then had their way with the Norman-style home in Madison Park, remodeling the kitchen and dining room, opening spaces, adding modern materials (using architect Chris Keyser).

Then, in 2002, the couple moved on to build their own home.

The Chells sold to newlyweds Bonnie and Rob (six hours from first viewing to offer). That couple had fallen for Thirys structural design, Robins subtle blend of modern and traditional (concrete counters, stainless-steel hardware, floors in limestone and wood) and Davids work transforming a plain old hillside out back into tiers of beckoning garden spaces.

When we walked in we knew, is how Bonnie puts it.

Then we put our furniture in, and it didnt look near as good.

Coming from a small condo on Capitol Hill, 1,700 square feet of house seemed cavernous. So Bonnie and Rob bought the Chells living-room grand piano in the deal. But it wasnt enough. They needed more of that Chell magic.

We bought this house because of Robin and David, Bonnie says. You walk in the front and its Robin. You walk out the back door, its David.

See more here:
Norman-style Thiry home evolves with respect

Construction Project - Another Day on the Job - Room Addition
Another day on the job. This is a room addition that we built. Hope you enjoy going on another job with me.

By: Okie Cigar and Pipe Smoker

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Construction Project - Another Day on the Job - Room Addition - Video

Our DIY Room Addition (469 sqft)
Slideshow of our room addition: After a family friend took our money and had some of his shady unlicensed dudes build crap that the city made us tear all dow...

By: djvaseline

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Our DIY Room Addition (469 sqft) - Video