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Zillow will flip houses on its own internet marketplace
Zillow is no longer just a real estate marketplace that can help you find your next home -- the company has decided to become an active participant in the field. In an announcement today, Zillow has revealed that it'll flip houses in Phoenix and Las Vegas starting this spring. The company has teamed up with local brokerages in those areas to offer sellers money for their homes. If they accept, Zillow will make repairs and then list those houses on its own marketplace as quickly as possible.
Zillow is adding 3D tours to its real estate listings
Zillow is working on an app that will allow those hunting for homes on its site to get a 3D tour of houses they're interested in buying or renting. The company says that 44 percent of home buyers and 47 percent of renters look for a new home outside of the region where they currently live, making it really important to have access to as much information as possible online.
Airbnb reportedly wants to offer apartment rentals in Florida
For a service that began as a simple house-sharing service, Airbnb has definitely expanded to include some interesting, if off-target, promotional initiatives. The company recently stepped into the restaurant reservation space, and has even offered up Sarah Jessica Parker as a shoe shopping partner. According to a new report at The Information, Airbnb is looking to take a step even further with company-branded apartments in Florida.
Realtor.com uses augmented reality to help you find a new home
When it comes to looking for a new house, the process of browsing listings, visiting properties and more can become quite the chore. Realtor.com is looking to make things a bit easier on prospective home buyers with two new features for its Android app: Street Peek and Sign Snap. Street Peek uses augmented reality to display details about a home when you point your phone's camera at it. Even if the house isn't for sale, you'll still see all the important details from the real estate website's database.
Is this climate change real estate agent for real?
Climate change threatens the lives of millions as it causes the seas to boil and the skies to burn, but hey, everything's a business opportunity if you look hard enough. Higher Tides Realty is a dedicated climate change real estate agency that helps buyers ensure that their new homes won't be underwater in the future. By analyzing the terrain of areas behind coasts, it's possible to work out where the "new" coastline will emerge once the seas stop rising. Before you ask hey, wasn't that Lex Luthor's plan in Superman: The Movie? The answer is yes, yes it was. Despite this, when we asked Higher Tides' Jake Collins if this was a joke, he insisted that it wasn't.
Google reportedly abandons plan to open retail store in NYC
Remember those rumors about Google opening a chain of retail stores? Apparently, it isn't happening -- at least not in New York City. According to Crain's the retail space the company leased (and spent $6 million renovating) in NYC's SoHo district last year is back on the market. If the search giant is opening a retail location, it won't be at 131 Greene Street.
Swipe into your new home with the Knocker real estate app
A new app, billed as the "Tinder of Real Estate", is allowing homebuyers in the UK to shop for a new home the same way they shop for new partners: by swiping. It's called Knocker and was recently created by a pair of programmers at the Ignite100 accelerator in Newcastle. The app runs atop the British property website Zoopla, allowing users to easily browse the site's enormous database of available homes. And, like Tinder, potential matches are served up based on the user's location. Swiping left cycles through nearby properties while swiping right contacts the listing agent to arrange a viewing. The app is currently free for iOS users, though there's no word yet on when (or whether) it will be coming to Android.
BlackBerry liquidates most of its Canadian real estate
BlackBerry has been signalling for weeks that it would sell most of its Canadian offices in order to save some badly needed cash, and today it reached a deal to do just that. The pact will see the company sell over 3 million square feet of property in its homeland, leasing some of it back; the Waterloo headquarters should remain intact. Everything should wrap up before the end of BlackBerry's current quarter, which ends in May. The agreement should help BlackBerry focus on its core business (whatever that may be), although the move may not be enough when major customers like the White House are thinking of jumping ship.
Moving 'for rent' sign uses camera, motorized mount to track pedestrians (video)
Even in prime locations, vacant stores can go tenantless for months or years, costing landlords quite a bit in uncollected rent. One real estate owner in Sherbrooke, Quebec is hoping to move a property a bit more quickly, though, using a creative hack to attract attention to an otherwise ordinary "for rent" (à louer, in this case) sign. A standard red placard is mounted to a motorized horizontal track, with a camera keeping tabs on passersby. As pedestrians walk down the sidewalk, the sign slides to match their position. It's a clever trick for sure, but with "many abandoned shop fronts" in the area, according to Niklas Roy, the project's lead, it may be entertaining tourists for some time to come.
RE/MAX Regional Services using Passbook for business cards
We've already seen Apple's Passbook app used for sports tickets, gift cards and boarding passes, but leave it to the real estate industry to embrace one of its more interesting uses: business cards. RE/MAX is partnering with digital business card provider Vizibility to offer virtual, Passbook-compatible cards for all 4,500 of its real estate agents. The digital IDs include details like basic contact information and links to public profiles on sites such as LinkedIn. There's even a feature that allows you to see which contacts you share with whoever's card you are viewing. As the official press release notes, Vizibility's joint venture with RE/MAX marks the biggest consolidated push for Passbook-enabled business cards yet. But whether the functionality will become a major trend in the business world remains to be seen.
RE/MAX real estate agents to carry Passbook business cards on their iPhones
We've seen some creative use cases for Passbook in iOS 6. Modernizing the dreaded business card exchange is still fresh, though, and that's where the real estate agents at RE/MAX come into play. Using a platform from Vizibility, the realtor is reportedly the first company rolling out a large-scale, Passbook-based method that lets 4,500 of its staff share their basic details, contact files and social networks from their iPhones. Profiles won't just be inert listings, either. Geofencing can limit the lock screen shortcut to an open house or the office, while cards can include company directories and update contacts over time. NFC transfers and QR codes are available for those who can rely on short-range wireless or still have to dish out traditional paper stock. Vizibility's Passbook approach won't guarantee a sale for a cramped house -- but it might keep a good bargain from being lost in the business card shuffle.
Daily iPhone App: Lovely is real estate searching made easier
I've been apartment hunting lately (I want a little bigger place, with the option to finally get myself a dog), and here in LA, it's not an easy thing to do. Craigslist is usually the listings tool of choice, but it's so gummed with spam and vague listings here that it can be hard, especially when (like me) you're trying to be a little picky. And while there are a few subscription-based services around, I'm not really interested in paying a subscription to people who should be lusting after me and my perfect credit rating and dependable rent checks anyway. I hadn't really considered using my iPhone in the search, but when a friend linked me an apartment listed on Lovely, I figured the app would probably be worth a shot. And I'm glad I gave it one: Lovely is, so far, the most useful free tool I've come across. There's a full web interface, but the app is also very simple and intuitive -- it's quick, responsive and very clear. I particularly like the way pictures and maps are implemented; on Craigslist, the maps link is essentially an afterthought, but on Lovely, that information is put front and center, and loads up fast and clean, even on my iPhone's 4G while out and about. I am not quite sure how the Lovely listings are moderated (I know some of them do come from Craigslist, and you can filter in the app for listings with or without pictures, but it's not clear just which listings make it through or not, or exactly what all of their sources are). However it all works, though, I've found quite a few great places on the few days I've been watching the app, and I'm hoping that sooner or later here I'll find the place I'm looking for. Perhaps I shouldn't recommend an app like this until I've actually found a place, but Lovely (available on the App Store now) is worth considering no matter what part of the relocation stage you happen to be in. I should also say that I'm looking in Los Angeles, where the community is relatively tech-savvy and the listings are plentiful, so if you're in a less populated or less tech-friendly area, Lovely might not work so well for you. And finally, there's no iPad interface, unfortunately, though I have to presume that's in the works. If you're setting out on an apartment search, or haven't found a good tool yet, give Lovely a shot for sure.
HP refreshes its Pavilion laptops ahead of back-to-school season, intros six new models
You may have noticed that HP unleashed a torrent of laptops today, but at the heart of it all, even more crucial than those Ultrabooks and business laptops, are the notebooks Hewlett-Packard plans to sell to college kids during the all-important back-to-school season. This go-round, the company's redesigned both its mainstream Pavilion dv series, as well as its entry-level "g" laptops, though the range of sizes (14 to 17 inches) is pretty predictable. In addition, the outfit also introduced the Pavilion m6, a slim 15-incher that isn't technically an Ultrabook, but nonetheless joins a growing group of thin-and-lights with unexpectedly large screens. Throughout, as you'd expect, HP's refreshed its laptops on the inside too -- namely, with newer Intel and AMD chips, along with fresher GPUs. We've got a full break-down of prices, design notes and availability details after the break, though we've also got photos and the full press release below if you've got some important study session to hurry to.
Insert Coin: PhaserTape turns your smartphone into a rangefinder (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. You've scoped that little laser dot on the cabinet at the far end of the room, right? Well, don't worry, you're not about to see an innocent stationery cupboard get perforated by a sniper. Nope, this episode of Insert Coin is actually about measuring distances using PhaserTape -- a peace-loving iOS- and Android-compatible peripheral that needs your help over at Makible. We think it could be a sweet little investment, and you only have to click past the break to discover why.
British property search engine Rightmove will soon list broadband speeds alongside standard home info
The internet, it's kind of a big deal. So much of a big deal, in fact, that UK property search site Rightmove is said to be planning to list broadband speeds as part of its standard information package for homes up for rent or sale. This would be done in partnership with BT, reports the Daily Telegraph, though neither company is yet ready to make the deal official. BT would have little trouble providing the data in question since most of the UK is connected to its ADSL lines -- every ISP in the country outside of Virgin Media just resells BT's copper wire -- or newfangled Infinity fiber optic services. Part of this new agreement will involve Rightmove displaying whether or not homes are capable of connecting to the newer, faster Infinity network -- which mirrors Virgin's efforts at informing people whether they're covered by its cable internet through deals with independent estate agents. Soon there should be no excuses for Brits getting stuck in a picturesque home with a grotesquely slow web connection.
Google buys gigantic former NYC Port Authority building, takes a chunk out of Chelsea
Growing companies need growing workspaces, and Google just bought one of the biggest possible in NYC. It's the former Port Authority Building at 111 Eighth Avenue, a massive brick establishment that, according to Wired Epicenter, set the company back an equally massive $1.9 billion. There's a helipad on top, perfect for quick getaways in the company's ROFLcopter, but more importantly a major fiber line runs through the building, giving the Googs priority access to bits flowing through the city. Google already has a presence within those crimson walls, which also houses offices of communications companies like Verizon and Level 3, companies who might just need to be finding new spaces when their current leases expire, because Google is "hiring across the board," apparently hoping to fill that thing to the brim.
Microsoft hires ex-Apple real estate chief to consult on retail outlets
Microsoft's announcement that the company will open stores near the locations of existing Apple retail outlets came as no surprise to many people. After all, why not try to get a little overflow traffic from Apple Stores and sell a few Zunes in the process? Perhaps they'll have charming and pleasant retail employees like Lauren or Sheila from the "laptop hunter" ads...TechFlash is reporting that the company has hired George Blankenship, former Apple real estate chief, to consult on securing prime locations for the Microsoft stores. Blankenship moved to Apple from The Gap, and he joins former Wal-Mart executive David Porter, who is now Microsoft's corporate VP of retail stores. By consulting for Microsoft rather than being a direct hire, Blankenship can skirt many of the issues brought on by the NCA (non-competitive agreement) that all Apple executives sign. The demographic information that Blankenship might use to pinpoint Microsoft store locations is available publicly, and the techniques used by Apple to successfully open retail locations have been widely discussed since the first Apple Store opened in 2001.While the locations, products carried, and general look and feel of the Microsoft retail outlets are still under wraps, the first stores are expected to open prior to the October 22nd launch date for Windows 7.[via ifoAppleStore]
RealPIX point-and-shoot aims at realtors, fails to impress
Ah, there's nothing like an over-hyped pile of steaming rubbish, and that's precisely what you'll get if you somehow pull the trigger on the forthcoming RealPIX digicam. The fixed-lens P&S sports an utter lack of beneficial features, but boasts about its "awe-inspiring" 22-millimeter f2.0 lens, "full 90-degree field of view," built-in flash, USB recharging ability, and the laughable 640 x 480 maximum resolution. Furthermore, you won't be seeing any flash card slots, rear LCD monitor, or video mode on this sucka, as the ginormous red button atop this dreadfully designed camera supposedly makes it all worthwhile. The most unbelievable aspect, however, isn't the complete absence of niceties we'd expect on even a low-end shooter, but the expectation that "real estate professionals" will actually drop $299 on this pimped out disposable. Good luck closing on this one.[Via Wired]
MindArk claims $179,668 spent on trio of Entropia virtual properties
MindArk has revealed the winning bids for three of Entropia Universe's virtual mall properties that were auctioned off late last month. One bidder, identified as 'Onkel RobRoy Bob,' purchased two of the malls, Twin Peaks and Emerald Lakes, for a total of $109,601. The third mall was picked up by 'Epsilon Eps Vaz,' an alleged 19-year-old from the UK, for $70,067. The real-world identities of the supposed buyers were not fully revealed in the official press release.MindArk's press releases, this latest included, are often met with skepticism. Entropia has long been accused of being an alluring scam, despite reports (often published by MindArk) of players' economic successes. Whatever the case, there are many of us spending money on the game, and very few of us making any back. But ain't that always the case...See also: Prof debunks MindArk hype; causes CEO tantrum
Dubai's new luxury tower to resemble an iPod
As if the Burj Al-Arab (and Time Residences) in Dubai wasn't unique enough, Omniyat Properties is getting set to construct a 23-story luxury tower inspired by none other than Apple's iPod. Slated to be built in Business Bay, the "iPad residential tower" is scheduled to house more than 200 units, and was "designed by Hong Kong-based architects James Law Cybertecture International." The high-rise will sit atop a "docking station angled at six degrees," which should have iPod fanboys flying over in droves just to snap pictures. While no preliminary sketches have surfaced quite yet, we'll be sure to keep an eye out for future development (ahem) of the world's largest iPod, and you can go ahead and pencil in "sometime in 2009" as your "must-take" vacation.
