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Alexa for Residential lets landlords create smart apartments
Amazon wants to make it easier to have a smart home without actually owning a home.
Zillow makes it easier to rent an apartment while social distancing
Prospective apartment renters can tour properties, apply for a lease, and conduct all paperwork and payments 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.
Report: Apple set to relocate its Tokyo headquarters
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is all set for a planned move with its Tokyo headquarters. The company will relocate its Tokyo, Japan-based offices from the ward of Shinjuku to the slightly trendier neighborhood of Roppongi Hills. The building Apple is moving to also contains offices for Goldman Sachs and Barclays, as well as an art museum, apartments, a hotel and a private club. Bloomberg also says that rent in Tokyo has been dropping since around 2008, and the lower prices make it a great time for Apple to make this move. Apple's spokesman in Tokyo declined to comment on the move, but sources there say the company's current lease will be done in June, so the move should be all complete by then.
Wasted heat from Metro stations to heat apartment building in Paris
Close to the Centre Georges Pompidou on the Rue Beauborg, Paris Habitats renovating a residential building in an environmentally friendly manner, and it's including some pretty out of the ordinary heating methods in it. The old building has a staircase which connects to the Metro station beneath it, thus making it cost effective to build the system, which will produce heat from the bodies of the people and trains moving below, and will be used in conjunction with a traditional heating system. It is thought that it will be able to cut carbon dioxide emissions by one third when the building is completed. The project is set to get underway next year.
Free Realms releases massive December patch
Like many free-to-play games, Free Realms has seen pretty notable gains with the occasional rough patch -- not exactly a surprise when you consider how the year has in no small part been a renaissance for the business model. But love it or hate it, the game is still going strong, and is ending the year with its best foot forward. A massive December update has just hit the game, with a number of changes and additions to the entire experience. There's been an extensive combat overhaul, and -- hey, where are you going? Yes, okay, get the obvious Star Wars Galaxies joke out of your system, we can hardly blame you. But the changes here seem to be for the best, at least from the outside, with clearer labeling of stats and a more engaging experience all around. Even if you aren't enamoured of the combat changes, you can kick back in the new player housing, take part in the newly-added Fishing minigame, launch yourself into the sky or enjoy some of the many other additions in the game. Take a look at the full list for more details, and expect to clock a few extra hours in on Free Realms if you're a fan of the game. [ Thanks to Brian for the tip! ] %Gallery-80457%
Cable companies losing stranglehold on apartments
It's no secret that loads of folks loathe their cable company, but for some apartment dwellers, there's exactly one choice of service providers for TV, internet, and/or phone service. See, cable companies in some areas (read - anywhere they can) have negotiated exclusive distribution rights in buildings that they wired up, keeping other services at bay. Well, those castle walls are crumbling as a the Court of Appeals in Washington has upheld the 2007 FCC ruling that banned such practices as anticompetitive. Don't expect this decision to revamp the entire landscape -- cable companies are well-versed in how to keep competition down -- but this decision should make it easier for offerings like FiOS and U-verse to make inroads to dense metro areas. If all that's standing between you and FiOS is a shady cable company arrangement, now's your time to grab some fiber![Image courtesy Videogum]
Verizon gears up for FiOS rollout in 27,000 Aimco apartments
It's incredibly obvious that one of Verizon's main opportunities for growth in FiOS TV is locking down contracts with housing facilities and apartment complexes, and while we've seen some small to medium-scale rollouts before, this one takes things to a whole 'nother level. Last year, the provider inked a deal with Aimco that would eventually bring fiber-based FiOS services to residents of some 27,000 apartments in 11 states across the nation. Now, 100 Aimco properties from coast to coast will be lit up with FiOS TV / internet / digital voice services prior to the onset of 2009, and that should make for quite a few happy tenants this holiday season.[Image courtesy of Apts247]
MindFuse's The World of Gatheryn detailed, kinda dated
MindFuse Games, which a couple of weeks ago announced it had raised $1 million in funding for a Victorian-themed MMO, sent out a press release yesterday officially announcing and providing details about the game, which is called The World of Gatheryn. Gatheryn is not merely Victorian, as we originally reported -- there are steampunk elements too.The focus seems casual, although the graphics are quite strapping for an independent game. MindFuse promises character customization, apartments, and puzzles, while specifically singling out violent conflict as a no-go. It seems to be a mostly laid back, friendly, social affair, but aimed at grown ups rather than pre-teens, in contrast to a lot of other casual titles.When we say the game has been pseudo-dated, it's a bit of a stretch: the press release says it'll be released in 2009. When in 2009? Your guess is as good as ours, but we'll bet it's not soon.
DISH Optical Network to bring service to apartments
For many answering our latest inquiry, switching from cable to satellite simply isn't possible. If you're stuck in an apartment or other form of multiple dwelling unit, there's at least a fighting chance that your landlord won't allow the drilling and such typically required to get a dish installed. To that end, DISH Network will soon be rolling out its DISH Optical Network service, which essentially takes satellite delivered material beamed to "a group of dishes" and pipes the content over fiber lines to up to 128 subscribers. Needless to say, this could be a real boon for leasers who only have a limited selection for programming, but sadly, we'll be forced to wait until rollouts begin in undisclosed locales "later this year" before wrapping our heads around a price.[Via The Capital Times, image courtesy of Sat Pro Atlanta]
Verizon aims to compete with cable in Newburgh, New York
It's not like New York is hurtin' for FiOS TV or anything, but the latest news involving the two revolves around a bit more than just expansion of service. Just under two months after the FCC approved a rule that would ban exclusive agreements that cable television operators have with apartment buildings, the New York Public Service Commission has issued an order "confirming Verizon's video franchise with the town." Reportedly, such an order will enable consumers in the Orange County town of Newburgh to have "a real choice for their cable television service" when FiOS TV arrives sometime next year. Additionally, Verizon has secured video franchises in 75 other NY communities, all of which are conveniently listed in the read link below.
FCC looking to facilitate programming competition for apartments
Apartment dwellers frustrated with the outright lack of choices when it comes to selecting a content provider may soon be feeling relief, as the FCC is expected to approve a new rule that would "throw out exclusive cable television service contracts with apartment buildings and open up competition to phone companies." Supposedly, the new regulation "could significantly lower cable prices for millions of subscribers who live in apartment buildings and have had no choice in selecting a company for paid television," and of course, the execs at Verizon and AT&T are likely licking their chops at the notion of being able to steal away precious market share while potentially providing a cost savings to boot. Granted, some states already have provisions in place to prevent landlords and tenant associations from inking exclusive deals with cable providers, but for those currently stuck in a "take it or leave it" situation, all that could be changing in the very near future.[Via AP / Yahoo]
