Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

When it comes to the iPad, Apple loves to make a controversial statement or two. Remember when CEO Tim Cook said, Why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one? Or the commercial with the iPad-toting kid that sparked rage in the PC world with the question Whats a computer?

Thanks to the iPad Pros new Magic Keyboard, you may find yourself agreeing with Mr. Cook and friends. It has all sorts of advantages over a MacBook, and its floating magnetic design is downright cool.

But when it comes to being a great laptop for getting work done, there are still plenty of reasons why the iPad Pro is not yet ready to replace your MacBook. Its a fantastic 2-in-1 tablet, but here are the key areas where the humble laptop is still a better option for some people.

The Magic Keyboard is a big step forward for the iPad. The improved keyboard and the inclusion of a trackpad bring it closer than ever to replicating a true laptop experience. The physical feeling of the keypresses is better than any other keyboard cover out there, and matches what you get on a MacBook. And yet, when it comes to the pure typing experience, MacBooks still have the upper hand for a few different reasons.

First off, everything on a MacBook is larger and more comfortable. The keyboard layout is more spacious, the trackpad is wider, and the wrist rests are taller. The Magic Keyboard is good enough in these areas, but if you had to choose a better typing experience, youd pick the MacBook every time. The Magic Keyboard also doesnt include a function row, which comes in handy for quickly adjusting settings or accessing shortcuts.

The bigger issue right now is software. Cursor support for the iPad Pro was a huge step forward, but not all applications are up to speed. Apples own apps fluidly switch between contextual cursor types and vastly improve text selection. But important apps like Google Docs and OneNote still use the old iOS-style text selection, which is clumsy. Thatll hopefully get ironed out over time, but right now, the experience is hit-or-miss.

Apple has worked hard to improve the multitasking experience on the iPad Pro. It now features Split View and mouse support, and Apple has forked iPadOS away from iOS to focus on iPad-centric workflows. And still, it cannot compete with MacOS.

Lets look at Split View. It is decent but limits you to only using two apps side-by-side. On a MacBook (with a little help from third-party apps like the excellent BetterSnapTool), you can snap windows to the corners of your screen and have four apps on the go at once. Just drag the windows to your screen corners or better yet, use some keyboard shortcuts and you have an infinitely more flexible workspace than you get on the iPad Pro.

Even without third-party apps, the Mac is better here. For instance, there is no way to have multiple virtual desktops on the iPad, but there is on the Mac. While the iPad Pro does some multitasking things well, its got nothing on the Mac.

Look at your MacBook. How many devices do you regularly connect to it? Maybe you raise it up on a stand and hook up a keyboard and mouse. Perhaps you also use an external monitor with your laptop for a better viewing experience. There are a lot of times where we need to connect more than one peripheral at a time, but the iPad Pros single USB-C port puts paid to that.

Worse, the iPad Pros solitary port means that even if you only want to pair your device with a single peripheral, you cannot do that while simultaneously charging your iPad. While both the iPad Pro and MacBook have USB-C ports, those on modern MacBook models are much faster thanks to being Thunderbolt 3 compatible the MacBooks ports can hit speeds of up to 40Gbps, while the iPad Pro can only reach a quarter of that. All that combined means the iPad Pro is far less flexible when it comes to connectivity.

The Magic Keyboard does include an extra USB-C port in its base, but it can only be used for charging.

In recent years, Apple has belatedly added some level of file management and external hard drive support to the iPad Pro. Thats great for travel photographers who need to manage files on the go, but if you have a massive library of documents that you need to get under control, it still falls short of what you can do on the Mac.

Take this example we experienced when wetried ditching a MacBookfor an iPad Pro: Selecting a thousand photos to add to an album is a pain, as there is no equivalent to a Command-A shortcut to select all. Instead, you have to slide a finger over every image.

The Mac has a wealth of third-party file-management apps, including those that modify or even completely replace the Finder. But even a fraction of that level of customization is not available on the iPad Pro. You can sort your documents in the Files app by date, for example, but on the Mac you can sort by date modified, date created, date last opened, and date added. If you deal with a ton of files every day, the iPad Pro lags well behind the Mac.

If you do serious, pro-level work in the Apple ecosystem, there is still only one choice: The Mac. Sure, you can get some professional apps like Photoshop on the iPad Pro, but if you were hoping that means it can compete with the MacBook, there are some serious shortcomings, both in terms of hardware and software.

Lets look at apps first. While Adobe promised real Photoshop on the iPad, the mobile version still does not have feature parity with the equivalent Mac app (although Adobe is adding new features every month). But Photoshop is an outlier. Looking for apps like Logic Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro, or Final Cut Pro X on the iPad Pro? Tough luck.

Even for those pro-level apps you can get on the iPad Pro, you will find yourself limited. Sure, the Apple A-series processor in the iPad Pro is phenomenally powerful, but you will find yourself held back in other ways. For tasks like video rendering and machine learning, a dedicated graphics card is a must, yet the iPad Pro is devoid of options in this area. If you want to do high-end, serious workloads, you are best off sticking with a MacBook Pro, specifically the 16-inch model.

Read more here:
5 reasons the iPad Pro cant replace the MacBook, even with the Magic Keyboard - Digital Trends

Never was former Vice President Joe Biden the 2020 dream. He promised electability and familiarity, which turned out to be good enough for a plurality of Democratic voters in the early primaries.

But now that every other Democratic contender has dropped out and dutifully lined up behind the presumptive nominee, that choice might be sitting less comfortably. Biden is campaigning from his basement, giving interviews in which he occasionally moves past gaffes into total incoherence, raising questions about his mental fitness. Worst of all, evidence for a sexual assault allegation against him begins to mount.

Add that to pandemic-induced uncertainty about when and how the Democratic National Convention will be held and it's fair to ask: Is Biden definitely the nominee? Right-wing commentators like Glenn Beck and Tucker Carlson as well as former Bernie Sanders Press Secretary Briahna Joy Gray have speculated Biden will be replaced on the ticket, but how could that happen? Is there a path to nominating someone else?

Before the convention, which is currently rescheduled for August, the answer is probably no. Suspended primary elections have already raised concerns about abrogation of transparent, democratic processes as have elections that weren't suspended. While Democratic delegates will understand the need to modify normal convention procedure to avoid spreading COVID-19, their understanding won't be unlimited. Sweeping changes to the nominating process would be suspect, and if the process continues as anticipated, Biden will very likely be selected as the nominee on the first ballot.

So far, Biden has 1,406 of 1,991 delegates needed to win that initial vote, and those are delegates pledged (by strong custom, though not law) to Biden by primary and caucus results. Between now and August, there will be 22 more primaries whose outcomes will pledge another 1,368 delegates. Biden has no remaining challengers campaigning against him and needs fewer than half those delegates to win the first ballot. Unless the Democratic Party, wildly improbably, tosses its entire rule book out the window, Biden will take the nomination at the convention in a single vote.

Ah, but what then? In the waning days of the Sanders campaign, I argued endorsements from superdelegates prominent Democratic leaders and elected officials showed party bosses had decided Biden was their guy. I don't expect to see those endorsements disappear, not publicly. But is the party leadership's commitment to Biden as solid as it once was?

Suppose, plausibly, it is not. Suppose they don't want to run a historically elderly candidate amid a pandemic that is deadliest for the elderly? Suppose Tara Reade's assault accusation and Biden's tendency to misspeak even from the low-pressure, high-preparation environment of his own basement further fuel the "two senile sex offenders" narrative of this election? Suppose enthusiasm continues to grow for running New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), whom one poll found 56 percent of Democrats would prefer to Biden as their nominee? (Cuomo says he won't do it, but that could be an obligatory performance of deference to a party elder.)

"The presidential debates are in effect already occurring daily between" Cuomo and Trump, Craig Snyder, a former Republican Senate chief of staff, argued in The Philadelphia Inquirer. We don't have to suppose Democratic Party leaders have noticed; they undoubtedly have.

So if they wanted to replace Biden (whether with Cuomo, the veep nominee, or some arrangement of both) Democratic leadership could wait until after the nomination to do so. Then, as they did with Democratic vice presidential nominee Thomas Eagleton in 1972, they could ask Biden to step aside, citing his health.

Biden's agreement is a long shot. Eagleton continued his Senate career after leaving the 1972 ticket over pressure about his mental health, but he was a much younger man. At Biden's age, stepping aside would end his political career for good. Relinquishing the nomination would therefore suggest he expects an embarrassing loss and ruined legacy if he stays.

With Biden out, the Democratic National Committee, a group of around 350 which is "composed of the chairs and vice-chairs of each state Democratic Party Committee and over 200 members elected by Democrats in all 57 states and the territories," would vote to select a new nominee.

Such a switch could be made any time between the convention nomination and Election Day. Because we technically vote for Electoral College members rather than presidential candidates, it may be, as Vox proposes, that Electors could simply transfer their vote from the old Democratic nominee to the new one regardless of what was printed on the ballot. But the legal situation is uncertain and varies from state to state. "For instance," notes FiveThirtyEight, "Michigan's law requires an Elector to vote for the ticket named on the ballot whereas Florida's rules say that an Elector is to 'vote for the candidates of the party that he or she was nominated to represent.'" That means a sooner swap, allowing more states to print the new name on the ballot, would be better. Yet court battles would be inevitable with the ever-litigious Trump involved.

The likeliest outcome remains the most straightforward: That Biden will be the Democratic nominee and will face Trump in November. But if Democratic leaders did want to change horses midstream, late August or September could well be when they make their move.

See more here:
The smoke-filled room that could oust Joe Biden - The Week

The Meet service has, until now, been offered as part of the company's G-Suite services that businesses and schools pay for. However, Google has now started rolling it out gradually to everyone with a personal or business Google account.

"We really see a need for something which is very secure, very easy to use, and very reliable," said Smita Hashim, Google's head of product, adding that the protections currently used for Meet will keep consumers safe.

Google Meet includes AI-powered features including live automatic captions.

"In enterprises, for example, it's only the in-domain users who are trusted. And for consumers, it will only be the users in the Google Calendar [event] who will be able to enter the meeting, everyone else will have to knock and enter."

Individual users will be able to host chats with up to 100 participants, with no enforced time limit between now and September, in web browsers or via the Meet smartphone app.

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Meet has already seen daily use increase 30 times since January and is currently attracting around 3 million new users a day. Ms Hashim said features, including encryption, complex meeting codes and never allowing anonymous guests, has kept things secure, but the public rollout will nevertheless be conducted "carefully" over a few weeks.

"We were designed in the cloud, we were designed for remote working, but that's now really being put to the test," she said.

While Google and Facebook have the benefit of learning from Zoom's public crises, the security of their own services will face serious scrutiny if widely adopted.

Facebook's Rooms allows groups to open their calls so anyone can join using a web link, even if they don't have a Facebook account. But taking advantage of that feature would likely open meetings up to the kind of issues highlighted by so-called "Zoom bombing".

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Users will also be required to fine-tune their privacy settings to decide who the room would be open to, or whether it will appear on their friends' social media feeds. Facebook and Google have recently faced several challenges related to data privacy, which could act as a deterrent to potential users.

Both companies say audio and video data from the calls will not be used to send targeted ads.

Tim is the editor of The Age and Sydney Morning Herald technology sections.

View original post here:
Google races to replace Zoom as live video app of choice - The Age

Use your own custom images with Microsoft Teams videoconferencing calls.

You can finally add your own background to Microsoft Teams video chats. Designed for business and education, Teams includes group chat, video calling and collaboration tools, and has seen a spike in usage since countries and states have started directing residents to stay and work from home when possible to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

With the update to Microsoft's collaboration tool, you can now pick a custom image as your video chat background. TheZoom video chat servicealso lets you pick yourown custom background images for calls. But with recent concerns about Zoom security,some users are starting to look to other services such as Teams for their chats.

Keep track of the coronavirus pandemic.

Important catch: This feature is only available for scheduled meetings, according toMicrosoft.

1. Start or or join a Teams meeting, from the Windows or Mac application (you can't change your background on the web app at this point).

2. At the bottom of the screen, click or tap the three dots to go to your Meeting controls.

3. SelectMore actions>Show background effects. Either selectBlurto blur your background, or choose from the available images to replace it.

4. You'll be able to preview your background to see how it looks. If you like it, hit Apply. That's it!

In the future, you'll also be able to create your own images, upload them to Teams, and then select them as a background image for your video chats, Microsoft said.

You can have video chats with up to 250 people in Microsoft Teams, and if your workplace or school has access to Office 365, you already have access to it. You can also check out a free version of Microsoft's communication tool.

See the rest here:
Microsoft Teams backgrounds: Here's how to customize yours - CNET

j

Tim, 10 hours agoAnd the million version of gingerbread.... remember my htc phone got 2.3.6 and than jumped to 4.0.It jumped from 2.3.6 to 4.0.1 as Android 3.0 honeycomb was for tablets. That was the main reason you would not get 3.0 on mobile phones.

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Kangal, 1 hour agoNot at all. Again, GSMArena is now a low-quality publication as opposed to the High-Quality pu... moreI'm no Android fan (see my post below), but iOS has never been better than Android. iOS is a basic OS with way too many limitations. That was true in 2011, and that's still true in 2020.

Apple makes decent flagship phones, but their biggest weakness is the overly restrictive OS they run on.

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It was the time when google still value do no evil

H1

My first Android Gingerbread in 2011

Anonymous, 5 hours agoGSMArena once again knocks this out of the park, with another fantastic flashback article. A... moreNot at all. Again, GSMArena is now a low-quality publication as opposed to the High-Quality publications from the likes of Anandtech. Many of their posts are paid, sponsored, or hype to generate more Ad-Revenue.

I was on several ecosystems at this point.Using Symbian and Windows Mobile, in those match-ups Android 2.3.4 was good.But it's using higher-level coding that cannot match the efficiency of iOS (v4) and it's Semi-Native lower-level coding.

Where iOS lacked features, Android was down-right frustrating because it was very clunky. Besides, Peter forgets that many features that came available on AOSP were already present on earlier versions of Android through OEM modifications. Yes, fragmentation was a problem, and its moreso today. And security? Forget it, this was the early days of the wild wild west... if you wanted security good luck.

Android Gingerbread was NOT great.It was better than the alternatives, and against the likes of BadaOS, webOS, MeeGo, it won because it had support from corporations with funding and devices being made. I remember the Samsung SII when it shipped with an impressive chipset, and it was held-back by the clunkiness of Android 2.3 and TouchWiz. Managed to upgrade the drivers, kernel, and the OS. Running it on a very lean Android 4.0.3 (AOKP) made its battery last half-day longer and feel fast and fluid. That was a major difference. Oh, and many of the Android exploits we discovered back in 2009-2011, which wasn't patched in Gingerbread, yeah those were suddenly fixed. So it was more secure too (for its time).

And keep in mind, I used Android 1.6, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, and I am saying those devices were better than Symbian and Windows Mobile. They were not as good as the iPhone OS though. With Android 4.0.3 suddenly I was converted. And with iOS 7 (iPhone 5S) I was a huge fan of Apple too. The next major improvement I noticed was going from Android 4.4.4 to the bugfixed Android 5.1 Lolipop. Since then we've had incremental upgrades, and mostly for OEMs and not direct users or Rom Developers.

If you must know, EvolutionX ROM (Android Pie 9) is much better than Google Pixel OS (Android10).

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SpiritWolf, 2 hours agoQuestion. Was GSM Arena team paid by Spygle back then, to promote inferior OS? Because you know, for not brainwashed people, Spydroid was a laughingstock.

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Question. Was GSM Arena team paid by Spygle back then, to promote inferior OS?

T17351

Remember buying my LG P500 that was one of the first phones to get 2.3 back then 😀

f17514

I remember when i buy htc rhyme it was very interesting to experience gingerbread thanks Google???

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Android 2.3 Gingerbread was great for it's time. It was the first Android OS i switched to (i had clinged to Symbian OS till the very end). The OS had everything that one desired for back then. Far more advanced than iOS & a valid replacement to the dying Symbian OS.

Android continued to grow for the next few years, but as of late has been losing it's essence. I look forward to seeing a replacement pop up sometime soon.

M

i always love this posts from gsmarena

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Just like this great article, I would officially like to request the most influential iOS version till date. My vote goes to iOS 7, the 64-bit OS with the all-powerful A7 was crushing the competition in terms of performance.

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Back at that time, I had an HD2. It was running windows from ROM and android from SD. I remember the time I upgraded to 2.3, it was like it had a turbocharger attached to it. I stayed on Ginger bread two years before upgrading to ICS and then to jellybean.Good old days.

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GSMArena once again knocks this out of the park, with another fantastic flashback article. Amazing.

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The fact that it was the last version officially supported by Samsung in the first generation of the Galaxy S helped making it so popular (and resilient over time). Plenty of Galaxy S were in people's pockets for many years.

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GregLu, 11 hours agoStill got and Xperia Ray that was on this version and then updated to ICS mainly for the share... moreXperia Ray was arguably the most beautiful Android smartphone to ever come to existence.When I held it, it felt like something super expensive and did stand out in the crowd.

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I began android carrer in 2.1 now looking back 2.3 was the the most celebrated release and my favorite yet , the heated fight against nokia symbian, ios, wp really took off with this release and Flashing various roms was fun

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X41, 8 hours agoMy first smartphone was Galaxy y young with android 2.3.6. 5 months after i bought one ,lumia ... moreYeah le too first smartphone ever was the samsung galaxy young! I still have that old device!

R

I had the Samsung galaxy ace plus as my first smartphone and it ran gingerbread out of the box. That introduced me to the world of smartphones!! Definitely nostalgic!! Using wifi Direct to send big video files to other samsung phones was a boon too!!!

See the rest here:
Flashback: Android Gingerbread, the OS version that refused to die, was better than you think - comments - GSMArena.com

BO/20/00808/DOM: Seaview, Bosham Lane. Removal of ground floor wall and extension to form family room incorporating existing external store.

BO/20/00809/LBC: Seaview, Bosham Lane. Removal of ground floor wall and extension to form family room incorporating existing external store.

BO/20/00980/DOM: 4 Westward Close. Proposed rear dormer and 2 no. roof lights to front.

BO/20/01065/DOM: 25 Arnold Way. Rear single storey extension and alterations.

CC/20/00732/DOM: 34 Sherborne Road. Rear first floor extension over existing ground floor.

CC/20/00762/LBC: Prebendal School, 53 - 54 West Street. Reconstruction of section of free-standing curtilage wall to the rear of school.

CC/20/00788/LBC: 6 West Street. Structural repairs to front entrance canopy.

CC/20/00905/TCA: Land South Of 5 Orchard Street. Notification of intention to crown reduce by 30%, crown thin by 30%, crown lift by up to 3m (from ground level) and reduce all branches on north sector (overhanging no.5 Orchard Street) by up to 2.5m on 2 no. Holm Oak trees (Quercus llex) (T02 and T03) and reduce height by approx. 4m (above ground level) on 1no. Bay tree (Laurus Nobilis) (SH01).

CC/20/00944/FUL: 1-3 The Broadway. Retrospective application for secure steel access staircase to the east elevation.

CC/20/00957/DOM: 6 Lyndhurst Road. Demolish lean-to structure and build a single storey rear extension, roof extension and build up existing boundary wall and enclose with a roof.

CC/20/01003/FUL: 1 Little London. Replacement windows.

CC/20/01005/DOM: 30 Highland Road. Garden summerhouse.

CC/20/01013/TCA: 38 Whyke Lane. Notification of intention to reduce height up to 3m and widths by up to 2.5m on 4 no. Leyland Cypress trees (T1-T4). Reduce height by up to 1.5m and widths up to 1m on 1 no. Pittosporum tree (T5).

CC/20/01014/TCA: 52 Whyke Lane. Notification of intention to reduce height by 2m and widths by 1.5m on 1no. Bay tree (T1).

CC/20/01017/FUL: 19 Highland Road. 1 no. dwelling and associated works.

CC/20/01018/DOM: 37 Whyke Lane. Single storey side extensions with rooms in the roof space.

CC/20/01023/DOM: 2 Laburnum Grove. Gable extension and additional first floor window to permitted application 19/02682/DOM, for erection of 2 no. hip to gable extensions to the north and south elevations. Increase ridge height, installation of 1 no. dormer to west elevation and 2 no. rooflights, porch extension and associated alterations.

CC/20/01030/DOM: 5 Clay Lane. Change use of loft space to habitable accommodation to include rear facing dormer window (permitted development) and front facing roof-light. Proposed single storey side and rear extension.

CC/20/01046/REM: Land On The West Side Of Broyle Road. All outstanding Reserved Matters for the erection of 50 dwellings with associated parking, landscaping, informal open space and associated works on Phase 5, Parcel F, pursuant to permission 14/04301/OUT.

CH/20/00737/FUL: The Nest, 13 The Avenue, Hambrook. Erection of 4 no. dwellings and associated works - Various of Condition 2 of planning permission CH/18/00810/FUL - To substitute drawings to reflect proposed addition of garages to Plots 1 and 2.

SDNP/20/01349/HOUS: Jasper, West Marden Hill, West Marden. Replace existing UPVC windows with timber framed and glazing bars in keeping to the original style and new font door, all to the North Elevation. Alterations to existing archway/brickwork.

E/20/00371/LBC: Jasmine Cottage, Bell Lane. Replacement water reed thatch to roof.

E/20/00998/FUL: 113 Second Avenue, Almodington. Erection of 2 no. semi-detached 4 bedroom chalet bungalows - alternative to planning permission - E/18/00578/FUL for change of use to 2no. dwellings and external works.

SDNP/20/01183/CND: Lowerfield House, Easebourne Street. Erection of detached double garage, plant store and studio above. (Variation of condition 1 and 3 from planning permission SDNP/14/02084/FUL- Garage deck enlarged to 3500mm x 4000mm and materials changed from timber to steel frame and composite decking).

SDNP/20/01492/CND: Sorrel Cottage, Duncton Common Road. Single storey extension to the north-west elevation with room in the roof and 2 no. dormers. 2 no. additional dormers to room over existing lounge on north-east and south-west elevations (Variation of condition 2 from planning permission SDNP/16/02535/HOUS - Omission of 2no. pitched roof dormer windows in lieu of 1no. rooflight).

SDNP/20/01510/TCA: Rose Cottage, School Lane. Notification of intention to prune back to previous pruning points on 1 no. Willow tree (T1) and fell 1 no. Norway Spruce tree (T2).

FU/20/00932/FUL: Bramley Barn, Scant Road, East Hambrook. Proposed stables for equestrian use.

SDNP/20/01258/HOUS: Chelsea Cottage, Graffham Street. Single storey side conservatory extension and new porch with associated roof alterations.

SDNP/20/01430/FUL: Glasses Barn, Graffham Common Road. Replacement of a single dwelling house using existing materials and demolition and rebuilding of a former Craft Barn to be retained as ancillary studio space for the house.

SDNP/20/01435/CND: Cartref, Graffham Common Road. Demolition of existing dwelling and erection of 1 no. replacement dwelling and associated works (alternative scheme to previously approved replacement dwelling LPA ref. SDNP/17/05846/FUL) - Variation of Condition 1 of planning permission SDNP/19/04023/FUL - Amendments to approved drawings (Roof Finish & Windows).

SDNP/19/05715/FUL: Tracks adjacent to Freelands, A272 Croucham Lane to Linfold Road, Strood Green. Installation of 6 no. telegraph poles and 2 no. sections of underground ductwork along track (at The Mens Woodland path) connecting up approx. 455m of broadband cable to serve West Cottage and Freelands.

SDNP/20/01405/FUL: Barnetts Cottages, Fitzlea Wood Road, East Lavington. Demolition of two dwellings and replacement with one dwelling and associated annexe, restoration and relocation of timber outhouse, relocation of bridleway, landscape design and drainage works including balancing pond.

PS/20/00581/FUL: Hoveto, Dunsfold Road, Plaistow. Demolition of existing dwelling and proposed replacement dwelling with 3 bay carport.

PS/20/00724/DOM: Waldron, Chalk Road, Ifold. Single storey rear extension and new attached garage to front.

PS/20/00846/DOM: Siskins, 19 The Drive, Ifold. Erection of single storey front and side extensions and detached double garage following demolition of existing single garage, boundary wall and outbuilding. Erection of 1800 high close boarded boundary fence.

SY/20/00963/FUL: Instant Mailing Services Limited, Unit 3, Pulsar Business Park, Ellis Square. Change of use from B1 and B8 use to B1 and B8 or B2 (general industrial use for the repair and maintenance of motor vehicles only).

SY/20/01049/DOM: 17 Sunnymead Drive. Demolition of existing sunroom to rear elevation, replaced with new conservatory.

SI/20/00915/FUL: Jamic Nursery, Street End Lane. Demolition of 2 no. timber buildings and construction of 1 no. replacement timber building to be used for dog training, dog grooming, physiotherapy and business office and erection of 1 no. shed.

SI/20/00942/DOM: Quay House, Mill Lane. Alterations to ancillary building.

SI/20/00943/LBC: Quay House, Mill Lane. Alterations to ancillary building.

SDNP/20/01280/FUL: Cucumber Farm, A286 Cobblers Row To Middlefield. Replacement of existing agricultural barn and improvements to an existing access.

SB/20/00999/DOM: 6 Breach Avenue. Change the garage roof from a capped hip roof to a full gable. Change the bay window roof and the utility room roof from flat to gable. Infill of the void area behind the garage and the main house.

SB/20/01010/REM: Priors Orchard Development. Details of the layout, appearance, scale and landscaping of the proposed development of 157 dwellings approved under the outline planning permission SB/14/02800/OUT - (variation of Condition 5 (Landscaping) of planning permission SB/16/03018/REM) - Existing trees are required to be removed due to condition and safety.

SDNP/20/01563/APNB: Southgrounds Farm, Stopham Road. Prior approval for proposed erection of a general purpose farm building.

SDNP/20/01302/TPO: Land North of Little Orchard to Kresta, Diddybones Nap, Forestside. Fell 4 no. Ash trees (3, 4, 5 and 6) and fell 1 no. Wild Cherry tree (2). All trees within Area, A1 subject to SO/76/00967/TPO.

SDNP/20/01303/TPO: Land North East of Diddybones Knap, Diddybones Nap, Forestside. Fell 1 no. Beech tree (7) 1 no. and Whitebeam tree (11). Pollard 1 no. Oak tree (1) and coppice 1 no. Field Maple tree (6). All trees within Group, G1 subject to SO/72/00966/TPO.

WI/20/00959/DOM: Vivenda, The Street, Itchenor. Installation of 10 No. Photovoltaic Solar Panels to roof of existing garage.

WW/20/00688/FUL: Land North Of White Barn, Elms Lane. Open fronted agricultural barn for Cattle and Storage for equipment, feed and bedding.

WW/20/00914/FUL: 45 Marine Drive. Demolition of existing dwelling and outbuildings and the construction of a new two storey house with one outbuilding.

WE/20/01029/TCA: Mill House, River Street. Notification of intention to crown reduce by 2m on 1 no. Walnut tree (T1).

WR/20/01036/PA3Q: Stroodlands Cottage, Newpound Lane. Prior Approval Application for Change of Use of Agricultural Building to Dwelling (C3).

Read more from the original source:
Chichester planning applications submitted to the district council and the South Downs National Park Authority - Midhurst and Petworth Observer

Residents of a largely immigrant Ooltewah mobile home park say they have been manipulated by property managers who threaten deportation and eviction to compel them to pay certain fees and sign questionable leases.

The property managers of Auburn Hills Mobile Home Park, Steven and Kim West, were arrested in late April and charged with hoarding more than $60,000 in donated supplies intended for park residents affected by a deadly EF3 tornado that tore through it late on Easter Sunday.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office began investigating the Wests after receiving a complaint from a community member a week after the storms hit the park, killing 46-year-old Jose Arzate.

Deputies seized hundreds of relief items meant for the residents of the park ranging from 54 American Red Cross totes to diapers, masks, cases of bottled water and an unopened generator.

Many of the donations were stored in a trailer that had been screwed shut, according to the sheriff's office.

After being released on bond, Kim West was arrested again and charged with coercion after reportedly trying to force residents to sign a document stating that the Wests had provided them with aid after the storm and withholding access to hotel rooms provided by the Red Cross for residents who refused to comply.

The Tennessee Attorney General's Office has since joined the investigation to determine whether there has been a violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, a law that protects consumers and businesses from unfair or deceptive business practices.

With the Wests under investigation, many residents said they have endured behavior from them ranging from unreasonable fines and deportation threats to intimidation and physical threats.

"They threaten you no matter what," Joel Trujillo, who has lived in the park with his wife and three children for 10 years, told the Times Free Press. "I mean, they just do it for no reason. And every time they threaten you, it's $25. Every time you get a letter, 25 bucks ... and we don't, I mean most of us don't, have anywhere we can go or anyone we can go to about this."

On multiple occasions the Times Free Press reached out to Kim West in person and via phone. No voice messages were returned and she declined to answer any questions in person, both before and after the arrests.

During the most recent attempt, reporters asked the Wests, who were outside of their Auburn Hills home and office, where many of the reportedly hoarded supplies had been stored, to respond to allegations made both to authorities and to the newspaper. Steven West did not respond, while Kim West directed reporters to a woman who represents the company that owns the park.

That woman said the Wests have done nothing wrong.

Since the storms hit three weeks ago, the Times Free Press has obtained rental documents and spoken to 15 current and former residents of the park who shared similar accounts of facing some sort of fine from the Wests and being threatened with eviction and or deportation if they did not pay.

The residents, most of whom did not want their names published due to their citizenship status and fears of retaliation, accuse the property managers of barring them from seeking help from law enforcement and even family to remove trees and clean up their lots after the storm.

Each source described a pattern of the landlords imposing fines ranging from $25-50 for seemingly menial property rule infractions to late payment charges on rent that was paid on time. Each charge was backed up by the threat of deportation or eviction made by the Wests.

Records provided to the Times Free Press by a former resident, who left the park in 2019, show several examples of late fees on rent that had already been paid, according to money order receipts. The documents detail one specific exchange in which the tenant was made aware of two late fees for August rent one incurred on Aug. 6 and the other incurred on Sept. 6 for the first time in October, and then an additional late fee was imposed before the Oct. 6 deadline.

The resident, who then allegedly owed $75 in late fees, wrote to the office explaining that rent had been paid on time for each August, September and October, including evidence of the money orders with which the payments were made, but ultimately was forced to pay the $75 by the Wests under threat of eviction, according to documents provided.

"Believe it or not, I'm glad this thing is going the way it's going because these people, the way they treat us and I say everybody it's not right for them to be charging for no reason," Trujillo said of the tornado and subsequent investigations. "There's a few guys that call and text and say, 'Man, I really don't want to say much because I don't know if we can move or I don't know if we can afford to move away.'"

As the Wests came under scrutiny by law enforcement and outside community members witnessing the alleged hoarding, many of the other accusations came to light.

Attorney C. Mark Warren got involved after being told by some residents and tornado relief volunteers that the Wests were allegedly "attempting to use deportation as blackmail for them paying rent on trailers that had been destroyed or inhabitable."

"That's really what got me involved in the first place, was they were attempting to use the threat of deportation to get them to pay rent, even though their trailers were totally destroyed," he said.

Over the course of his involvement, Warren was told that the Wests were allegedly attempting to charge double rent if a family's mobile home was destroyed and they moved in with another family. They also reportedly did not allow anyone, including firefighters, to go onto the property to assist with the cleanup.

Another question that arose was whether the residents were paying for insurance, which residents were charged for even though it was supposed to be obtained by the lessees, according a lease provided by a former tenant. Of the residents interviewed, no one has seen any documentation from or representatives of an insurance company either before or after the storm. Additionally, no resident knew which company was allegedly carrying insurance for their homes.

A representative of the property? refused to tell the Times Free Press what company the park uses for insurance but said that insurance agents have been "all over" the property since the day after the storm.

Meanwhile, Warren, who is now representing a tenant who has left the property since the storm hit, said he is seeking more information on insurance and other dealings of the property management.

"[The residents] are very reluctant to meet and talk, just because of the fear of retaliation," Warren said. "Our first meeting, which was several days after the tornado, when they got back to Auburn Hills, they were confronted by the Wests as far as, you know, who was there, what was talked about, making accusations that they shouldn't have been meeting with anybody about what was going on at Auburn Hills."

The representative of park owner Auburn Most LLC, a Michigan company that bought Auburn Hills in 2015, declined to share her name or title, but told the Times Free Press that she had been on the property since the week after the storm hit, and that any accusations by the residents were "complete and total lies."

"It's disgusting. [The Wests] would give any of these people the shirts off of their backs," she said. "It's twisted. I don't know how these people sleep. Satan's got a hold of these people."

The representative told reporters she would not give any details about the parent company or the Wests' employment but that they "haven't done a damn thing wrong."

She said that, despite residents claiming Kim West had demanded they sign a document absolving her in the hoarding accusation under the threat of eviction, West only had asked them and never coerced anyone to sign any document.

As for law enforcement, Trujillo said the sheriff's office has been sympathetic toward residents and has reassured them that they were not investigating their citizenship status, telling residents "we're not after you." Rather, the investigation was focused on the Wests' alleged actions.

Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @Hughes Rosana.

Contact Sarah Grace Taylor at staylor@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416. Follow her on Twitter @_sarahgtaylor.

The rest is here:
Tenants of Hamilton County mobile home park say they were threatened with deportation, eviction by landlords - Chattanooga Times Free Press

Photo: David Kadlubowski/The Republic/azc Deadly heat wave: In 2005, 20 deaths were attributed to a July heat wave. Temperatures weren't record-setting, but highs consistently topped 110 degrees and lows didn't dip below the 90s. Heat advisories and excessive-heat warnings lasted for more than a week. Many of the victims were homeless but the dead also included a 37-year-old man found in his vehicle, a 66-year-old man found outside his home and three elderly women found inside their homes. A 97-year-old Mesa man died inside his home, where the temperature had reached 110 degrees. His wife, who was also in the home, survived.

Summer is coming. The coronavirus is staying. One-hundred-degree temperatures are already here. Before it gets hotter, we need a plan to help people self-isolating in homes they cannot keep cool.

In 2017, a record 264 heat-related deaths occurred in Arizona. If we act swiftly, we can stop the coronavirus from breaking the record.

We are heat and housing researchers from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University sounding the alarm. In the coming weeks and months, we see catastrophe ahead for too many Arizonans for whom the coronavirus will make it nearly impossible to escape the heat.

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Most households take for granted their ability to beat the heat by simply staying inside. But, for many staying home does not necessarily mean cooling off especially for those with little or no control over the inside temperature of homes.

These are people struggling to pay utility bills, with little insulation or without air conditioning. In normal times, they would have places to escape to malls, librariesand restaurants. These are no longeroptions. Even some public cooling centers are grappling with whether and how to open.

In Arizona and across the country, there are stark inequalities in household capacity to adapt to extreme heat, and COVID-19 will expose and compound these disparities. The impacts of this wicked mixture of insecure housing, pandemic disease and extreme heat will be experienced differently according to income, age, race, and something that is often overlooked housing type.

Even as the state re-opens, vulnerable people will still need to stay home, and Social distancing will be with us through the summer, according to the White House. For hundreds of thousands of Arizonans, staying home will mean staying in a home built in a factory, commonly referred to as a manufactured or mobile home.

Despite the persistence of worn-out stigmas and stereotypes about trailer parks,manufactured housing is a good-quality, energy-efficient and essential source of affordable housing in our state. For many it offers a high quality of life at low cost that allows residents to raise their families and age in place in social and supportive environments.

Nevertheless, our research suggests that in Arizona, and in most sunbelt states, the mixture of heat, housing and the coronavirus is likely to be particularly challenging for those communities, where multiple risk factors converge.

These factors intersect most hazardously in the one-third of units in Maricopa and Pima counties built before national building standards were enacted in 1976, with meager insulation and dangerous wiring. These homes are often substandard and prohibitively expensive to cool.

This is particularly true in manufactured home parks where shade is scarce but concrete and asphalt are abundant. These materials absorb heat and slowly release it in the evening, elevating temperatures through the night.Even with air-conditioning, residents struggle to lower temperatures below 90 degrees.

Consider Tanya, a stroke survivor, whose home we measured last summer at 111 degrees, or 97-year-old Albert, whose broken swamp cooler leaked through the ceiling where he sat in front of two fans.

What do you do when it is dangerously hot in your house, even hotter outside, and there is nowhere to go? The coronavirus has limited the options for people like Tanya and Albert, and finding safe ways to provide thermal relief is a matter of life and death.

Manufactured home residents are already over-represented among indoor heat-related deaths. In Maricopa County, 4.9%of housing units are manufactured homes, but they are the scene for 27.5%of indoor heat-associated deaths. Similar patterns likely exist in Pima County, where heat-morbidity data is less available, but climate conditions are similar, the population is poorer, and the proportion of manufactured housing is twice as high.

Many residents of thermally compromised homes are heat-sensitive seniors at highest risk of severe illness from both the coronavirus and heat exposure.

While only 15.7%of Phoenix residents are 65 or older, they make up 59%of those who died indoors from heat-related causes, and head half of all manufactured home households. They also account for more than three-quarters of coronavirus deaths in the state. The people who most need the protection of their homesare the ones most likely to die inside them.

Of the residents we spoke to in Tucson, 40%struggle to make housing-related payments.Keeping the AC running may offer respite from the heat, but not from collection agencies. In Arizona, where utility bills are already 6%higher than the national average, a home-bound summer will drive up energy-costs further.

Even before millions lost their jobs and were told to stay home a sixth of our interviewees were spending at least 60%of their income on housing-related expenses.

The picture is grim, but there is much that can be done and reason to hope.

We all need to pick up the telephoneand take advantage of other technologies to get in touch with family, friends, and neighbors. Too many of the tragic stories of Arizonans who die from heat involve individuals living alone.

More than ever before, this summer it will be worth the extra effort to reach out to those with whom we have grown distant. Their life might depend on it.

Long after the coronavirus is gone, the extreme heat experienced by the marginally housed this summer will persist heat waves will get longer, nighttime temperatures will rise, and we will live more of our lives above 100 degrees.

By addressing immediate cooling needs through shade, solar and insulation, we can create lasting solutions to the sustainability challenges of manufactured housing. Let us tackle this crisis by investing in solutions that will yield environmental, social and economic dividends for years to come.

Mark Kear andMargaret Wilder workat the University of Arizona.Patricia Sols, David Hondula, and Mark Bernstein work at Arizona State University.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Self-isolating from COVID-19 in a mobile home? That could be deadly in Arizona

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Self-isolating from COVID-19 in a mobile home? That could be deadly in Arizona - msnNOW

About 80 percent of all tornadoes in the United States are rated as EF-0 or EF-1, with peak wind gusts below 110 mph. Any tornado has the potential to cause property damage, but wind gusts rated EF-0 or EF-1 are quite survivable if you can ride it out in a well-constructed building.

Mobile homes are not well-constructed when it comes to surviving a tornado. Scientific studies show a wind of 87 mph can move a trailer off its blocks. Wind at 98 mph can rip the roof off a mobile home, leaving people inside more than a little vulnerable. A regular house would likely come through the same storm with relatively minor damage.

The rarer, more violent tornadoes can inflict heavy damage on any house, of course, but your odds are still pretty good at survival if you get below ground level in a well-built home. The secret is to talk about a plan to get there in a hurry. Have you talked about your tornado plan?

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Weather Talk: Most homes will withstand most tornadoes - The Dickinson Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio While dentists, veterinarians and elective healthcare procedures are now permitted to resume operations, many other businesses have been ordered to remain closed until further notice as Ohio continues its battle with coronavirus.

In point #13 within Gov. Mike DeWine's extended stay-at-home order -- which is now in effect through May 29 -- he outlined the following list of business closures that will remain in place until further notice...

Schools: The Second Amended Director of Health Order signed April 29, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed all K-12 schools in the State remains in effect.

Restaurants and bars: The Director of Health Order signed March 15, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed restaurants and bars to all but carry-out and delivery activities in the State remains in effect.

RELATED: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine forming group to guide restaurant, barbershop and salon reopenings

Personal appearance / beauty: The Director of Health order signed March 19, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed hair salons, day spas, nail salons, barbershops, tattoo parlors, body piercing locations, tanning facilities, massage therapy locations and like businesses in the State remains in effect.

Adult day support or vocational habilitation services in a congregate setting: The Amended Director of Health Order signed March 21, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that prohibited adult day support or vocational habilitation services in a congregate setting in the State remains in effect.

Older adult day care services and senior center: The Director of Health Order signed March 24, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that prohibited older adult day care services and closed senior centers in the State remains in effect.

Child care services: The Director of Health Order signed March 24, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that prohibited child care services, except for facilities with a temporary pandemic child care license, in the State remains in effect.

Entertainment / recreation / gymnasiums:

- The Director of Health Order signed March 21, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed all indoor family entertainment businesses and venues such as laser tag facilities, roller skating rinks, ice skating rinks, arcades and indoor miniature golf facilities, as well as, adult and child skill or change game facilities in the State remains in effect.

- The Amended Director of Health Order signed March 17, 2020, or as it may be subsequently amended, that closed auditoriums, stadiums, arenas, parades, fairs, festivals, bowling alleys, health clubs, fitness centers, workout facilities, gyms, yoga studios, indoor trampoline parks, indoor water parks, movie and other theaters (excluding drive-in theaters), performance theaters, all public recreation centers, and indoor sports facilities in the State remains in effect.

- All places of public amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, including, but not limited to, locations with amusement rides, carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, aquariums, zoos, museums, arcades, fairs, children's play centers, playgrounds, funplexes, theme parks, bowling alleys, concert and music halls, and country clubs or social clubs shall be closed.

RELATED: Cedar Point extends 2020 season passes through 2021 amid coronavirus

- Recreational sports tournaments, organized recreational sports leagues, residential and day camps shall be prohibited.

- Swimming pools, whether public or private, shall be closed, unless it is a swimming pool for a single household.

- Campgrounds, including recreational camps and recreational vehicle (RV) parks, shall be closed, except that persons residing in recreational vehicles ("RVs") at campgrounds who genuinely have no other viable place of residence may remain in the campground. This campground closure also excludes cabins, mobile homes, or other self-contained units, meant for single families and where preexisting full season agreements already have been established. An example would be individuals who have part-time pre-established seasonal sites at campgrounds for residential activity. Such persons should comply with all applicable guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Ohio Department of Health regarding social distancing.

You can read the state's extended stay-at-home order in full below:

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List: These are the businesses that must remain closed in Ohio's extended stay-at-home order - WKYC.com