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HOMES of the FUTURE!
What better way to open the year 2010 than with a
look at the future. In particular the technology and
innovation behind homes of the future. There is no doubt that
as technology changes so many aspects of our lives it will soon also
effect our personal sanctuary. Last year we looked at how
computers were changing how we watched television. Other
simple pastimes such as reading are also affected by computers and
software notebooks that change our libraries. Music
collections can now be slimmed down from plastic CD and cassette
cases to bits of data on our computer. But what about the home
structure itself? How will new technology effect how we use
energy, water, communications and the natural environment
surrounding the home? What might the homes of the future look
like? In this article, we take a look at some of the more fast
approaching changes to residential buildings that we might see take
hold in the next 10-15 years.
WINTER
SAFETY at HOME!
Winter brings many different
celebrations, and during these various festivities we host dinners or gatherings and may have many house guests.
And so up go the decorations! Decorating your home for special
occasions can be fun, but displaying these items safely is very
important. If you have children, pets, house guests, or crazy, exuberant relatives around the house this winter holiday season, you may want to consider some general safety tips. Even if you aren't hosting an event but will be using winter items, such as a fireplace, this article
offers helpful tips and a simple, quick safety checklist for your winter fun!
VIDEOCONFERENCING
Made EASY!
I
normally write articles as a detached third person, but for this
one, I'm sharing a personal story - the experience I had using online
videoconferencing when I took a trip to Poland and the Czech Republic.
Having been to Europe before, I knew I had three options regarding
communication home in the States: 1) buy an
international cell phone, 2) hunt down an Internet café, and 3) find an old fashioned payphone. These
options have their ups and downs and various levels of expense.
Since I
was traveling on the cheap, I had decided to use option 3 and was relying on using payphones.
But this time I ran into a problem that I hadn't anticipated: I arrived in Gdansk, Poland on a late Sunday afternoon.
When I found my first payphone, I noticed that they did not accept credit
cards or coins and, instead, you needed a phone card or account
number purchased from where else - the post office, which wasn't open
because it was late and it was Sunday. For the life of me, I
could not figure out how to make a collect call, either, so that
meant no phone call home
Sunday night for me! How in the world was I going to let my family know I
arrived safely? VIDEOCONFERENCING, of course! |
