New Directions in High Tech Home Building

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla Pierre Martell: Bridging home building and high technology for the benefit of customers "I think our clients like that we are only a "click" away, and they are always in the know of what is happening with Martell Homes, I believe this provides a sense of comfort that we are not a fly-by-night company, we are here to stay and if they need anything they know exactly where to find us," says Pierre Martell, co-founder of Martell Home Builders from Moncton, New Brunswick, whose high tech approach to home building has made successful use of today's social media tools. By involving their customers in each aspect of home building, Martell Home Builders manages expectations and communications by keeping them in the loop. "We all have, iPhones and Macbooks, use Twitter, Facebook and use 37 Signals for our CRM, SmugMug for online photo sharing, Smugshots for mobile photo uploads (this actually geotags the photos) gotVmail for our toll free number and online messaging, Skype and Tokbox for video conferencing, Google for calendar and document sharing and GMail for email," Martell explains. The integration of all this technology with a client-oriented approach has enabled Martell Home Builders to grow their business and deliver on their promises. A rare thing in the contractor and home builder industry where delays, budget bloat and communication problems are common occurrences. "We have completed 42 homes, currently we have 8 in the works that construction has begun on or will begin soon," Martell declares. He explains that client management has been a big factor for success but aside from offering high-tech monitoring options he also credits building close relationships with each client as a key for their success. "Pierre treated us like we were his friends and we felt very comfortable approaching him with any questions or requests that we had throughout the home building and buying process," explains Lisa Rice, a satisfied customer. Customer satisfaction comes, in part, from the company's 99-day countdown system. "For homes under 2000 square feet, we give our personal guarantee that once construction begins on your new home, you will be in it within 99 days, we have not missed a closing date yet," Martell explains. Another advantage developed by Martell Home Builders is enabling customization and interactive design tools for the clients to use in their home building process. "I think both aspects of our model (customization and interactive approach) appeal to our customers, the fact that they are in control over the build of their home where they make decisions, have choices and feel they are being heard and really be a pivotal part of the whole process," Martell explains. The company foresees growth and is expanding to the Saint John and Fredericton markets for 2009. The most challenging part of their business, according to Martell, is "ensuring the MHB team meets all our own deadlines and expectations." On the flipside, the company finds that the most satisfying part of their business is, "definitely closing day, when we hand over the keys to the new homeowners, seeing their excitement first hand makes every bit of hard work absolutely worth it." In this economic downturn, Martell has some advice for would be homebuyers. "With the interest rates as low as they are, I would encourage would-be homebuyers to hop on the homeowner bandwagon, but keep within their means, your first home doesn't have to be a mansion, it's best to start with what you need based on age, income, family size."

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New breed of consumer DSLR cameras focus on the summer of '09

Articulating screens- Coming soon to a DSLR near youWe're seeing an interesting wave of consumer-oriented DSLR cameras coming to market in the next few months. The focus is on lower prices and consumer oriented features including articulating LCD screens, high-definitiion video capabilities, improved sensors and lens selection as well as smaller and lighter bodies. New Nikon on the Horizon The new midrange-consumer model for Nikon will be the Nikon D5000, a 12 Megapixel DSLR with video recording capabilities, an articulating LCD screen as well as 4 frames per second continous shooting and 11-focus-points. The D5000 seems to be placed between the D60 entry-level 10 Megapixel model and the D90 12 Megapixel model. It doesn't have the in-body stabilization of the D90 nor will it be able to record in full 1080p HD resolution but it should be able to manage video recording at a halfway decent 720p resolution. This is, essentially, a D90 squeezed into a D60's body. The D5000 will cost $730 body-only, or $850 bundled with the ƒ3.5-5.6G 18-55mm VR lens, and be in shops later this month. Olympus flexing muscles Not as revolutionary as the Nikon D5000, Olympus is set to launch an equally interesting DSLR in the e620. With 12 Megapixels, a tilt and swive screen, in-body image stabilization, live view as well as art filter that offers in-camera effects for photos. Banking on the Four Thirds system of lenses and accessories, Olympus sees the e620 as its midrange model that boasts of fast 7-point auto-focus and its tiny size that will make it one of the most portable, full-featured DSLR cameras in the market. The Olympus e620 will be selling in Canada for $900 with a 14-42MM lens and should attract a lot of amateurs and prosumers who are willing to invest into the Olympus system. It should be an interesting time in the prosumer DSLR market , while megapixel sensor sizes are steadying at the 10-12MP range, we see features, usability and compact size as the competitive areas.

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Skype on iPhone now available worldwide, except in Canada

[caption id="attachment_389" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Clever workarounds have enabled the \"Skype\" and \"Rogers\" logos to coexist on the same page"][/caption] By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla When word got around that Skype would be offering its VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) application to iPhone and later on BlackBerry users were ecstatic. Skype is a well integrated product which is mature, has gone through all the kinks and simply works well. A lot of people already use it for voice chat, for video chat and even as an instant messaging client. A lot of people already have existing Skype credits on their accounts. When the news broke that Canada was not getting iPhone Skype because of "patent-licensing" issues, users quickly found a workaround to download the app from foreign Apple app stores. More on Skype after the break. Consumers, it seems, will always find a way to circumvent a situation and get what they want. When iPhone version 1 came out, you could see numerous unlocked and jailbroken models in the streets of Toronto just weeks after the first unlocking applications hit the Internet, same thing with Skype. Canadian iPhone and BlackBerry users totally fit the demographic of Skype-savvy individuals who are likely not to replace their phone contracts but supplement them with the Skype service. This is such a useful service, specially when traveling since you can pop-in to any Wi-Fi connection and make reasonably clear voice calls for way less than what you would on roaming charges. Using the iPhone or BlackBerry you already own is a great bonus. Cripple the Device You can currently only enable the Skype voice feature using a Wi-Fi connection. You can't use the 3G data connection to make your calls (although it is expected that the new revision of the iPhone's OS, 3.0, will allow this). Last week, when the Skype application suddenly emerged from Apple's App store the buzz hit the Internet as users were marveling at being able to make Skype calls on their iPhones and iPod Touch devices. Canadian users were once more let down and excluded from being able to download the Skype application from the Canadian Apple Store. The biggest and most painful sidebar to this story was that Skype is available to every other country except Canada! What gives? Get Skype on your Rogers and Fido iPhone by following these instructions There's no doubt how popular the Skype App has been. According to a posting on the Skype website: "In under 36 hours after it first appeared, Skype for iPhone has hit the number one spot in the following countries, being the most downloaded free app in the App Store: Australia · Austria · Belgium · Brazil · Chile · China · Croatia · Czech Republic · Denmark · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Japan · Kuwait · Luxembourg · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Russia · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · South Africa · Spain · Sri Lanka · Sweden · Switzerland · Taiwan · UAE · UK · USA." Left out Again This unfortunate and infuriating reality is just one in a series of high technology mishaps that has long affected the tech-smart Canadian consumers. It took well over a year for Rogers, the giant GSM telco monopoly, to offer the Apple iPhone and it did so with initially horrible data plans that seemed that they were dug up from 1992. Canadian users can only cast wistful glances across the border as Amazon's Kindle Book Reader, now on its second iteration and allegedly selling like hot cakes (although no sales figures are really ever released) is still unavailable for Canadians. I t's baffling, really. Amazon.ca, the online store, exists and Canadians have been buying physical books there for years, so why can't we buy that cool, overpriced slab of lit-tech? We think a lot of it has to do with the data plan and free wireless WhisperNet service that comes bundled with the Kindles. Each Kindle allows you to trawl the Internet for free, for life. The main purpose is to be able to buy electronic books and magazines on the fly but we think the idea of offering free data for any duration is what will never allow the Kindle to work in Canada. Of course, there is always the question of the books themselves and the Canadian electronic rights to these books but if they already sell the physical books in Canada, it shouldn't be that hard to sell the e-versions as well. Another sore spot for Canadian consumers is the inability to access is the video service Hulu.com which offers access to TV shows and movies streaming on the web via browsers. Most of the shows are available on network TV already but Hulu makes them available anytime for free while pushing advertising before letting users watch. Yes, there are workarounds to this as well but after a while it gets tiring for people to hack around a system to enjoy its benefits. That and the reality that as with most software, succeeding updates and upgrades can render your workarounds and your device useless. It would be interesting to find out what the real reasons are for the shackling of the Canadian iPhone Skype app and what these "patent-licensing" issues really are.

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Apple's iPhone 3.0 OS coming in June, features revealed

3.0 brings cutting, copying, pasting and much more With the looming release of Palm's Pre and corresponding new WebOS, Apple Inc. has hedged its bets by offering a slew of new features to appear in its iPhone (2G and 3G) and iPod Touch ($10.00 for update). Aside from features that users have long been clamoring for, iPhone OS 3.0, which will be released in June, has an abundance of new applications well waiting for. Here are the announced new features: Developers get the SDK today, the world gets the OS in June In App Purchase - Enables the buying of content or services from within applications. For example, in a virtual pet type game - users can purchase clothes and accessories for their pet from within the game but using established iPhone App store linkages. Multiplayer Shoot Em Push notification service- Long promised feature enables ways and means to notify users of new information even if the application isn't running. For example you can still receive messages from an instant messaging application even if it isn't on. This integrates some cloud computing features. Accessories- A new framework that allows extended use from "Made for iPod" devices through the dock connector or via Bluetooth. Peer to peer connectivity- This is a biggie, enable multi-player or interactive gaming between devices using bluetooth and no pairing is required. This means you can, in theory, beam messages or photos or even apps and content (songs, short videos) to nearby iPhones and iPod touch devices that have their Bluetooth enabled. Universal search- A response to a feature on the upcoming Palm Pre, this uses Apple's Spotlight technology to allow you to search your entire iPhone or iPod Touch. Cut, Copy and Paste- The big Kahuna feature which users have been begging for since the iPhone first came out. Text can now be selected and moved between applications and this will enhance the usefulness of these devices making them, in essence, handheld computers capable of doing so much more. Cut, copy, paste on the horizon MMS- Multi Media Messaging, the ability to send photos, video and other media via text, has long been available on networks but has not made an appearance in the iPhone until now. Personally we already have email so why MMS is such a key feature escapes us, but it is good to have nonetheless. Landscape mode on keyboard-Thank goodness, you can now type email, text and other applications in landscape mode, making full use of the screen real estate for the keyboard Stereo Bluetooth- Now we're talking! The iPhone 3G will be able to use stereo Bluetooth headsets and eliminate the need for wires. This can only be a good thing although I wonder how much this will affect battery life. Over 100 features are expected on the iPhone 3.0 OS, which will be released in June. If all these features work half as decently as the demo suggests, this is a monster upgrade for every iPhone owner and a major salvo against competing OS's. The 3.0 improvements don't just make a more useful and better smartphone, they clearly give the iPhone some of the features that can well propel it in the corporate space and even allow it to encroach the netbook space. I for one, am looking forward to the new release and I am happy that Apple seems to be focused on improving the iPhone ecosystem as well as bolstering its feature set so that developers can churn out more awesome applications. Now, will 3.0 be accompanied by a new iPhone model. You can pretty much bet on it. We're hoping that aside from a new 3G iPhone we'll see the return of the Newton - a 10-inch screen with full wireless and network connectivity, storage and all the features needed to bridge the gap between smartphone and sub-notebook. By Gadjo C. Sevilla

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