Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Goh with winners Labacanacruz and Caballes

MANILA, PhilippinesA University of San Carlos (USC Cebu) student, who incorporated a garden in her design of the interiors of an imaginary home, is the first Filipino winner for interior design in the Nippon Paint Young Designer Award (NPYDA).

Kristine Caballes, who received P50,000 for her winning entry, also got an additional P5,000 when her design was named Best Green Innovation. Caballes design impressed the judges so much she got a rating of more than 90 percent while the runner-up got less than 80 percent.

Jason B. Labacanacruz of Technological University of the Philippines (TUP Manila) won the gold and P50,000 as the first Filipino winner in the architecture category of NPYDA.

He also received P5,000 for winning the prize for Best Color Choice.

VERTICAL garden (left) in Caballes winning dining room design

Aside from the cash prize and trophy, the winners will each receive a six-month internship at Lor Calma & Partners and a fully paid trip in March to Osaka, Japan, to compete with the winners from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Japan and Hong Kong for the regional title.

They will also participate in the Japan Learning Program, an exclusive workshop for NPYDA winners that will feature internationally renowned architects and interior designers as speakers and resource persons.

USC Interior Design professor Adrian del Monte, Caballes adviser, and TUP Architecture professor Elpidio Balais, Jr., Labacanacruzs adviser, each received P10,000. The winners schools each got P10,000 in cash and P10,000 worth of paint voucher.

NPYDA was launched in 2008 but was brought to the Philippines only last year. The competitions theme was Re: Think. Re: Create. Our Community, Our Home.

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Green-ness marks winning entries in design contest

Sunnyvale, CA (PRWEB) January 05, 2015

iSmart Alarm, Inc., the two-year old US-based company focused on wireless Smart Home and DIY Home Security products, today announced new wireless devices and technology including Smoke Alarm, Z-Wave Compatibility, water sensors, and more.

The iSmartAlarm ecosystem offers users advanced smart home control, security and automation using the iPhone or Android Apps at a fraction of the cost of traditional security companies. The company's flagship product is the iSmartAlarm, which puts a 21st century spin on traditional security systems by offering a self-monitored, self-controlled home security system that is designed to be expandable, mobile and DIY, with no wiring necessary. Families can use and expand the system without worry, and without monthly fees or contracts of any kind.

With our current product line, as well as the Smoke Alarm and upcoming home automation products, iSmartAlarm is uniquely positioned to provide customers with great new solutions in 2015 and beyond, said Raymond Meng, CEO and Co-Founder, iSmart Alarm, Inc. Our goal has always been to provide the best possible home security and home automation products with no contracts and no fees, and we are growing quickly to be even more.

The new iCamera KEEP on-demand streaming and video-recording home security camera offers HD visibility, audio and motion sensors, and no-cost video recording in case of break-ins. The Smart Switch allows iSmartAlarm users to control lights, electronics, and appliances. Both began shipping to Pre-Sale customers in December, and are currently available. The iSmartAlarm App provides seamless access to all approved users in the family.

The iSmartAlarm Smoke Alarm is for use as a stand-alone smoke alarm or in conjunction with the iSmartAlarm home security system. Photoelectric sensors minimize false alarms, and receive audible alarms throughout the home. Users will receive notifications of smoke and fire-related emergencies to your smartphone as well, anywhere in the world.

The Z-Stick provides all iSmartAlarm families the ability to expand their system to include Z-Wave devices, and will launch with a multi-tone and LED strobe Satellite Siren, Water Leak Sensor, and indoor/outdoor Multi-Sensor (Temperature, air quality, humidity, and light sensors built-in). New devices and sensors will be announced in the near future as well.

All iSmartAlarm products and services are part of the continued growth of the iSmartAlarm home control ecosystem, offering users a new level of control, security, and connectivity, allowing anyone to monitor, manage, and secure their home, property and family using their iPhone and Android devices.

iSmartAlarm will be demonstrating new products and future plans at PepComs Digital Experience! Show January 5, 2015 at the Mirage Hotel in the Mirage Events Center, B&C. iSmartAlarm will be showcasing at CES booth #20336 in the South Hall on Level One January 6-9.

About iSmart Alarm, Inc. iSmart Alarm, Inc. was founded in Silicon Valley in 2012 on the principles of safety, beauty, and intelligence. They designed and developed the best smartphone-enabled home security and home control system, winning multiple App and design awards along the way, with high ratings from CNet, PC Mag, TechHome, SecurityGem, and others. The sleek, sophisticated system utilizes a free and simple smartphone and tablet app to put home security and home control in the palm of its users' hands. iSmartAlarm products are cool, simple to use, and affordable to everyone. iSmartAlarm protects your home intelligently.

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iSmartAlarm Showcasing New Devices, Smoke Alarm, and Z-Wave Compatibility at CES January 6-9, 2015

Alberta #39;s Home Warranty Registry - YourAlberta
http://619.be/enie for Free Home Warranty Information. Your Warranty Process Your Role as a Homeowner Alberta #39;s Home Warranty Registry Your Builder and Warra...

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Alberta's Home Warranty Registry - YourAlberta - Video

How a Home Warranty Protection Plan Works for You - HSA - HSA Home Warranty
http://619.be/enie for Free Home Warranty Information. Your Warranty Process Your Role as a Homeowner Alberta #39;s Home Warranty Registry Your Builder and Warra...

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How a Home Warranty Protection Plan Works for You - HSA - HSA Home Warranty - Video

American Home Shield: The Home Warranty Leader - American Home Shield
http://619.be/enie for Free Home Warranty Information. Your Warranty Process Your Role as a Homeowner Alberta #39;s Home Warranty Registry Your Builder and Warra...

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American Home Shield: The Home Warranty Leader - American Home Shield - Video

Retailers selling home appliances and electronics goods typically make 15-20 percent profit from these products but realize more than 200 percent profit from selling extended warranties for them. A new study that appears in the January issue of Marketing Science, a publication of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), finds that even though selling warranties through independent firms will lower extended warranty prices, the consumers may actually be worse off.

The research, Risk Preferences and Demand Drivers of Extended Warranties, was conducted by Pranav Jindal, assistant professor of marketing at Pennsylvania State University's Smeal College of Business.

Combining conjoint analysis, one of the most widely used market research tools, with economic models, Jindal analyzed stated choices of more than 550 consumers drawn from an online panel, and addressed two key questions -- "Why do consumers buy extended warranties?" and "Why do consumers pay such a high premium for extended warranties?"

"Paying $500 for a new laptop is not the same as paying $500 for repairing or replacing a laptop you already own," Jindal said. "Consumers view paying for repairs as a loss. Consumers feel it hurts 3-4 times worse than paying the price of the product itself. This hurt drives consumers to buy extended warranties."

This behavior of consumers is called loss aversion.

Through an online survey, the author collected data on consumer choices for washing machines and extended warranties to show that loss aversion along with peace of mind are the key reasons why consumers buy extended warranties for their products.

"Consumers search for low product prices but do not search for low warranty prices," says Jindal. "So, they are locked in by retailers selling appliances and electronic goods. Conventional wisdom says that extended warranties should be sold through independent firms selling only warranties, which will make extended warranties cheaper and consumers better off. But according to this new research, obtaining extended warranties through independent firms may be cheaper but it does not make consumers happier."

This unexpected result is based on the finding that retailers discount the price of home appliances and electronic goods and in turn charge consumers a premium for extended warranties. If these retailers are not allowed to sell extended warranties, then prices of home appliances and electronic goods will go up, although extended warranties (now sold through independent retailers) will become cheaper. On average, however, consumers lose more from the increased product prices than they gain from lower extended warranty prices.

While the study focused on the role of losses, it acknowledged that other factors such as over-predicting failure rate, lack of information about repair and replacement policy, and financial constraints may also result in consumers purchasing extended warranties.

"Consumers may buy a warranty for a variety of reasons. Controlling for others, this study shows that consumers' perception of potential losses and peace of mind are important factors, and have important implications for how extended warranties should be sold," Jindal concluded. "Moving forward, it would be really interesting to get into the consumer's mind and understand when they think a product will fail and how much they believe it will cost them to repair or replace the product."

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Selling extended warranties via independent companies lowers price but hurts consumers

Retailers selling home appliances and electronics goods typically make 15-20 percent profit from these products but realize more than 200 percent profit from selling extended warranties for them. A new study that appears in the January issue of Marketing Science, a publication of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), finds that even though selling warranties through independent firms will lower extended warranty prices, the consumers may actually be worse off.

The research, Risk Preferences and Demand Drivers of Extended Warranties, was conducted by Pranav Jindal, assistant professor of marketing at Pennsylvania State University's Smeal College of Business.

Combining conjoint analysis, one of the most widely used market research tools, with economic models, Jindal analyzed stated choices of more than 550 consumers drawn from an online panel, and addressed two key questions -- "Why do consumers buy extended warranties?" and "Why do consumers pay such a high premium for extended warranties?"

"Paying $500 for a new laptop is not the same as paying $500 for repairing or replacing a laptop you already own," Jindal said. "Consumers view paying for repairs as a loss. Consumers feel it hurts 3-4 times worse than paying the price of the product itself. This hurt drives consumers to buy extended warranties."

This behavior of consumers is called loss aversion.

Through an online survey, the author collected data on consumer choices for washing machines and extended warranties to show that loss aversion along with peace of mind are the key reasons why consumers buy extended warranties for their products.

"Consumers search for low product prices but do not search for low warranty prices," says Jindal. "So, they are locked in by retailers selling appliances and electronic goods. Conventional wisdom says that extended warranties should be sold through independent firms selling only warranties, which will make extended warranties cheaper and consumers better off. But according to this new research, obtaining extended warranties through independent firms may be cheaper but it does not make consumers happier."

This unexpected result is based on the finding that retailers discount the price of home appliances and electronic goods and in turn charge consumers a premium for extended warranties. If these retailers are not allowed to sell extended warranties, then prices of home appliances and electronic goods will go up, although extended warranties (now sold through independent retailers) will become cheaper. On average, however, consumers lose more from the increased product prices than they gain from lower extended warranty prices.

While the study focused on the role of losses, it acknowledged that other factors such as over-predicting failure rate, lack of information about repair and replacement policy, and financial constraints may also result in consumers purchasing extended warranties.

"Consumers may buy a warranty for a variety of reasons. Controlling for others, this study shows that consumers' perception of potential losses and peace of mind are important factors, and have important implications for how extended warranties should be sold," Jindal concluded. "Moving forward, it would be really interesting to get into the consumer's mind and understand when they think a product will fail and how much they believe it will cost them to repair or replace the product."

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Selling extended warranties via independent companies lowers price but hurts consumers: INFORMS

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