Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Chris Nguyen

Wondering whos at your door when that bell goes off is either alarming for some or curious for others. The Ring acts as an internet camera door bell that displays on your smartphone and shows you whos at your door step when that bell goes off. The functionality is cool because now when you're busy or not, you don't have get up to answer the door, let alone talk to whoever it could be. Just answer the door from wherever you are or not. The smart doorbell has me wondering how fun its going to be now when people ring the door.

Ring is equipped with a wide-angle HD camera (720p) that can cover a 180-degree view and up to 30ft in distance. Its customizable in configuration so you can monitor exactly what to see. Connected through the Ring app, the doorbell operates by connecting to your home Wi-Fi; and as long as you have data connection youll be able to use the app as well. Its compatible any iOS or Android devices and can connect to an unlimited amount of devices at once. The mobile app was not available at the moment so we were left with advertising commercials that suggest how the user-interface looks.

Features include motion detection, night vision, a choice of using a built-in battery or existing doorbell wiring, speakers, microphone and cloud recording. Installation of the removable wall bracket should take minutes and require no professional help, Ring says. Functions such as motion sensor notifications can be triggered but can seem to become a nuisance depending on how sensitive the sensor is. A few different finishes are offered - nickel, brass, bronze, and polished brass. The door lock measures in at 4.98 x 2.43 x 0.87-inches and has you dish out $199.

The technical function serves a strong purpose in providing a positive visual of whos at the door. The installation is simplistic but has a soft plastic body frame that could easily be seen to rip off. Not condoning vandalism but the unit could use more of a sturdy material to beef it up. With Smart technology being integrated everywhere we can possibly find useful, will Ring be a device able to capture peoples attention?

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Ring Doorbell hands-on: See whos at the door through your smartphone

New Mobile App, The Dhobi, Brings Specialty Green Dry Cleaning Door to Door, Seven Days a Week, Free Pick-Up and Delivery

New Mobile App, The Dhobi makes it easy for Nassau County, New York residents to get clothes dry cleaned. From your smart phone, you can order the exact time of free pick-up and delivery of your garments to be professionally inspected, organically dry cleaned and pressed. Pick-up and delivery is seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.

Dry cleaning is always an afterthought. People have busy schedules and forget to drop off and pick-up their clothes. We, at The Dhobi, are making life easier with our new dry cleaning app, which offers free pick-up and delivery, at a time convenient for the customer, using only premium quality organic methods of dry cleaning, all at a great rate of $4.00 per garment, says The Dhobi founder and CEO, Vivek Anand.

With over 40 years of dry cleaning experience, The Dhobi understands the need for extended dry cleaning services and offers a low price specialty menu for designer items Dhobi Approved green dry cleaners span Nassau County. From Great Neck to Rockville Centre and Syosset to Massapequa, The Dhobi helps busy people get clean and save green in three simple steps on a smart phone; enter the address for pick-up and delivery, place an order and add payment information, all while on the bus to work or waiting for a latte.

Dont get taken to the cleaner, download The Dhobi.

For more information or to place an order visit: http://www.thedhobi.com

Free Downloads are available at the Apple App Store and on Google Play or place an order via their website.

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New Mobile App, The Dhobi, Brings Specialty Green Dry Cleaning Door to Door, Seven Days a Week, Free Pick-Up and ...

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Newswise RICHLAND, Wash. How much energy was used to heat the water for your morning shower is probably the least of your groggy, uncaffeinated thoughts.

However, some homeowners are discovering they have even less need to think about early-morning energy use thanks to an increasingly popular alternative to conventional electric water heaters - the heat pump water heater. Results from a new field study are challenging an earlier understanding that heat pump water heaters are efficient no matter how theyre installed. It turns out using ducting for air intake and exhaust impacts both the appliances and an entire homes energy use.

Heat pump water heaters can use up to 63 percent less energy than traditional electric water heaters, said the studys lead researcher, Sarah Widder, of the Department of Energys Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. When water heating makes up about 18 percent of U.S. residential energy use, heat pump water heaters offer a real opportunity for energy savings.

Until now, many have thought those savings would be offset by an increased use in heating systems. Thats because heat pump water heaters work by transferring heat from the air into water, which can lower indoor temperatures. This can reduce energy use during the hot summer months, but lead us to heat our homes more in the winter. But PNNLs field tests showed that, depending on how heat pump water heaters are connected to exterior ducting, they can reduce a homes overall power use. The results also showed heat pump water heaters may not affect a homes heating and cooling systems as much as previously thought.

New water heater in town Due to their high efficiency, heat pump water heaters can be much less expensive to operate than electric resistance water heaters, the large, tall cylinders that warm water in 41 percent of U.S. homes. Heat pump water heaters are increasingly being installed in lieu of their conventional electric cousins. Heat pump water heaters make up about 1 percent of new water heater sales nationwide. The total number of units sold increased from 34,000 in 2012 to 43,000 in 2013, according to ENERGY STAR.

Before PNNLs field study, the only data on the impact heat pump water heaters have on whole-home energy use was from an idealized computer model that didnt draw on real-world data. To take a deeper look at total energy consumption, Widder and her colleagues installed heat pump water heaters in the PNNL Lab Homes, two especially equipped manufactured homes used to evaluate energy-efficient technologies.

A heat pump water heater was installed in one of the homes without any ducting whatsoever. Another, identical water heater was installed in the second home with one of two configurations: ducting that only vented the appliances exhaust, or full ducting that both collected outside air and later exhausted used air back outside. Both homes used the same electric resistance heating, cooling and ventilation system.

Sensors placed in each of the Lab Homes measured energy use, indoor and outdoor temperatures, humidity and more. Computers controlling both homes periodically ran hot water and turned on lights to simulate actual occupancy identically in both homes. The PNNL team ran the experiment through the summer and winter of 2013.

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Hot Showers, Lower Power Bills with Heat Pump Water Heaters

Preparing for an earthquake is kind of like locking the doors of your house, according to quake preparedness buff Matthew Springer.

Your chances of getting burglarized are miniscule, but you lock your doors anyway. Likewise, the probability of a major earthquake happening on any given day are small, but being ready is still a matter of common sense, Springer said.

Springer is an associate professor of medicine in the cardiology department at UC-San Francisco, but he has a passion for earthquake preparedness. He blogs and gives frequent talks on the topic, most recently on Monday to a group of more than 40 people at the St. Helena firehouse.

Some experts focus on preparing for the big one, like the 7.9-scale quake that hit San Francisco in 1906. But Springer said quakes with an intensity of between 6 and 7 like Loma Prieta in 1989 or Northridge in 1994 are bad enough to cause widespread damage, injuries and deaths, but small enough to still happen semi-regularly. The Aug. 24 quake in South Napa measured 6.0.

The Red Cross likes you to prepare for 1906. I want you to prepare for 1989, Springer said.

Springer said that despite a dubious Triangle of Life chain email thats been criticized by experts, the best thing to do during an earthquake is get under something sturdy, like a dining room table.

People used to be taught to stand in a doorway, but that strategy actually originated in the days of adobe structures, when wooden door frames were the sturdiest part of a building. In modern structures, doorways arent any safer than the rest of the house, Springer said.

Running out of a building is a bad idea, and has led to many people being hurt or killed by falling bricks, masonry and glass, Springer said.

The question of whether to turn off the natural gas right after an earthquake is a controversial one, Springer said. Once the gas is turned off, PG&E advises homeowners not to turn it back on until the pipes have been inspected, which could take weeks to schedule after a major disaster.

Springer said his advice is to sniff for natural gas right after an earthquake, and only turn the gas off if you smell it. Keep an appropriate wrench near the valve.

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UCSF professor shares quake preparedness tips

Many schools planned to close Wednesday as frigidly cold weather tightened its grip on the region.

Public, private and charter schools across Lake and Porter counties and Chicago's south suburbs announced the closures Tuesday night. Check http://www.nwi.com/weather/closings for a full listing.

The cold came as crews continued to clean up following several inches of snow Monday night and a six-car pileup injured two people Tuesday on I-65 at the Jasper County/White County line.

The National Weather Service issued a wind chill warning for Cook County and Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties from midnight Tuesday to noon Thursday. LaPorte County was under a wind chill warning from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Wind chills are expected to dip to 30 to 35 degrees below zero early Wednesday and rise to just 25 to 30 below zero during the day, forecasters said. Wednesday's high temperature was expected to hover around zero.

Lake-effect snow was expected Tuesday night into Wednesday in LaPorte County, with up to 6 inches possible in the northeastern part of the county. Strong winds in other parts of the region could cause snow to drift and reduce visibility, forecasters said.

On Wednesday night, wind chills were expected to drop back to 30 to 35 below zero with a low temperature between zero and minus 10.

The weather service warned any exposed skin in such harsh conditions could be prone to frostbite in a matter of minutes. Pets should be brought inside, they said.

The impending cold prompted local officials to open several warming centers.

The North Township trustee's offices at 5947 Hohman Ave. and 2835 165th St. will be open to those seeking warmth from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Thursday.

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Brutal cold settles in across the region

TUPELO, Miss. (AP) - The second phase of a $6 million expansion and renovation project is set to begin at the Elvis Presley Birthplace, and officials will be visiting the Legislature on Thursday to talk about their favorite subject.

It also happens to be the 80th birthday of The King.

Some of us will be in Jackson, while some of us will be in Tupelo helping celebrate, said Dick Guyton, the executive director of the birthplace and museum.

Guyton said the trip to Jackson is to serve lunch to legislators and ask for funding for the birthplace. Three years ago, they successfully lobbied to get more than $2 million for the first phase of the project, which was met with a 20 percent match by the city.

Guyton hopes theyll be generous this year, too.

Were looking for $1 million to finish phase two, he said.

Phase two will add two Elvis statues to an overlook with a memorial wall and pavilion, a separate picnic pavilion, a winding walkway from the amphitheater to the overlook and steps from the parking lot that connect to the walkway.

Phase three, which will cost about another $1 million, will rework the landscaping and walkways around the lake on the property.

Well be upgrading the lake, cleaning it up, adding a water feature or two and make it a more enjoyable place to sit, walk and relax, he said. But thats down the road.

Thursdays luncheon at the Capitol will have peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and lawmakers will be serenaded by an Elvis tribute artist, of course.

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Elvis Birthplace looks toward second phase of expansion

January 6, 2015 | 9:25 pm

No one could be blamed for avoiding the outdoors on Tuesday, which saw half a foot of snow on the ground and temperatures in the single digits.

Yet out there on his bike was David Martyn, a delivery driver for Jimmy Johns in Iowa City.

Buried in four layers, Smartwool socks, a face mask and ski goggles, Martyn was hauling subs by way of a stud-tired mountain bike in a five-mile radius of downtown Iowa City. The digital temperature display outside the local bank read 3 degrees.

Its not too bad, Martyn said. Just dress like you are going skiing.

That not too bad assessment could change drastically by Wednesday morning. After a fairly moderate start to the season, which saw only trace amounts of snow in December and relatively mild temperatures, winter is announcing its presence with authority this week. Roughly six inches of snow fell on the area Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning but that was only the opening salvo. Dangerously cold temperatures are expected to follow for the rest of the week.

Forecast

Awful, is how KCRG-TV9 meteorologist Kaj OMara described it.

Its going to be cold and not fun, OMara said Tuesday.

Mondays storm dropped 5 to 7 inches of snow on the region before tailing off Tuesday morning. In its wake will be the coldest temperatures of 2015, OMara said. Beginning Tuesday night, the mercury will fall to a low of -17 degrees.

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First the snow, then the bitter cold

24 Hour Emergency Tree Removal Kelowna BC (250) 575-7258
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The City of Morgan Hill is about to undergo a tree removal project that will significantly change the appearance of a southwest Morgan Hill park, according to city staff.

The city annually pays a professional arborist to evaluate trees in all city parks to ensure that they are healthy and safe for the public, reads a press release from Morgan Hill Communications Manager Maureen Tobin. The 2014 tree evaluation identified about 50 trees that need to be removed from city parks.

Most of the trees are scattered throughout the city, but about 20 are slated for removal from Paradise Park on LaCrosse Drive, city staff said. Removing these trees will create a very noticeable difference in park appearance.

Even though some of the trees remain in good health, city staff said the structure of the plants is unstable. Large branches could fall without notice, resulting major damage to surrounding property and threatening injury to people below the branches.

The work to remove the trees is scheduled for Jan. 19, to be completed by the citys contractor West Coast Arborists, city staff said. The removal of each tree will be posted for two weeks before their removal.

The removed trees will be turned into mulch and spread throughout the city, the press release said.

Anticipating the declining health of the Paradise Park trees in recent years due to the annual evaluations, the city began planting replacement trees two years ago in order to restore the park canopy, Tobin added.

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City to remove 20 trees at Paradise Park

VAIL A New Years Eve kitchen fire in a condominium at Lion Square Lodge, 660 W. Lionshead Place, was quickly contained by the activation of the automatic fire sprinkler system in the unit. According to Vail Fire Marshal Mike Vaughan, the fire in the recently renovated east building was controlled by a single sprinkler in the kitchen near the stove.

Firefighters responded to the property at around 5:30 p.m. on report of a waterflow alarm. Investigators determined that the cause of the fire was related to a pan being left unattended on the stove.

Building maintenance crews had turned off the sprinkler valve by the time fire crews arrived. Damage is estimated to be less than $5,000 and was contained to the microwave above the stove as well as the underside of adjacent cabinetry.

Water damage was minimal as each unit is equipped with its own sprinkler shut off. Building maintenance was able to use a shop vac for clean up.

The occupants of the residence did not need to be relocated and there were no injuries, according to Vaughan. The sprinkler system was restored to a working condition that evening.

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Vail kitchen fire contained quickly