real estate
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360-degree virtual tours are easier to make with Insta360 and Matterport
Matterport has added the Insta360 One R camera to the beta release of its Capture app, with full integration due in October.
Zillow's 3D home tours are available across North America
You might have an easier time getting a feel for a home the next time you're looking for a new place to live. Zillow has finally made its 3D home tours available across the US and Canada, letting real estate agents spice up their listings through an iOS app. The basic concept remains the same -- sellers create 360-degree panoramas of rooms (either with an iPhone or though a Ricoh Theta V or Z1 camera) and let the app stitch them together to create a "seamless" tour. It's not a VR tour, but it could help you save the in-person visits for the homes that truly catch your eye.
Amazon’s HQ2 New York plans didn’t need to end this way
After the pageantry of searching for a new spot for its headquarters, some had expected Amazon's decision to move to New York be a done deal. Not so. It took Amazon months to decide to bring one of two new headquarters to Long Island City, and mere moments to end those plans completely.
Netflix cements its roots in Hollywood with new high-rise office
Netflix is expanding its Hollywood footprint. The streaming titan just purchased a huge high-rise on 5901 Sunset Boulevard. That's on top of the sites it already leases across the street, which it's also renewed, bringing its tally to 745,623 square feet in that iconic part of town, reports Deadline.
Sweden's 'dream home' crowdsourced from 200 million web searches
If you adore box-like, red houses with open kitchens and around 1,200 square feet of space, guess what! You're an average Swede, apparently. Real estate site Hemnet and architects Tham & Videgård came up with the design by crowdsourcing preferences for size, number of rooms and floors, using 200 million clicks on 86,000 properties. "The result is partly a mathematical translation of the statistical 1.5 floors within a cubic volume," according to the team. The home makes the open kitchen the focal point of the house, highlighting its social importance to Swedes.
HotPads helps you search for rental properties
If you are thinking about moving but don't know where to start, HotPads might be just for you. The free app uses your current location to find what rental properties are near you, or you can search any area of the country. HotPads was recently acquired by Zillow, and now has a lot of new, powerful tech built in. The app lets you compare the rental price for a property to see if it is competitively priced. Street View from Google has been added so you can check out the property and neighborhood, and most listings have multiple photos of the interior and exterior. Other features in HotPads include a rent vs. buy calculator, and a tap-to-call button to put you in touch with the owner of the property or realtor. You can also search for homes within a particular school district, and see what public transportation options are nearby. The app also hides places you have looked at and are uninterested in, which is pretty handy. HotPads does not require a signup unless you want to save searches. If you do sign up, your information is not shared with third parties. Using the app is simple. There are filters you can apply to any search, such as making sure that a listing is recent, finding only listings that have photos, or finding out if dogs or cats are acceptable to the landlord. HotPads puts a lot of information at your fingertips. The free price is right, and if you are moving to a new apartment or home across town or across the country, HotPads is worth a look. The app requires iOS 6 or later. It's universal, and optimized for the iPhone 5.
Zillow's app can now help you buy a house instead of just look for one
Zillow has been the most popular real estate app since it was released for iOS in April of 2009. It helps you find a house, providing real estate details, pricing, and photos. Today, the Zillow Mortgage and Real Estate apps on iOS are being updated, and these new versions enable home shoppers to get pre-approval on their loan in just a few minutes. That feature is particularly useful on the Zillow Real Estate app. Shoppers start by filling out a simple questionnaire online using the app. Once they receive initial quotes from lenders, the user can elect to have the lender pull their credit report information. If the home shoppers meet guidelines, they will receive a mortgage pre-approval letter directly on their mobile device, which they can save, print, email or share with their agent and home sellers. "Home buying can be extremely competitive today due to inventory shortages. Having the ability to get a pre-approval letter instantly can make the difference between getting the home or losing it to a buyer who is better prepared," said Erin Lantz, vice president of mortgages for Zillow. "With this tool, we are able to streamline the pre-approval process from days to minutes. Securing pre-approval shows real estate agents that a buyer is serious, and it provides our users an enormous advantage when searching for a home." The company says it has had 83 million unique visitors last month to its mobile apps and website. More than two-thirds of Zillow visits come through the mobile apps the company provides. The Zillow apps require iOS 6 or later and they are universal.
Real Estate by Estately brings its beautiful house listings to your iPhone and iPad
Estately is an up-and-coming real estate brokerage based in Seattle that is bringing its business to the web and mobile devices. The service is known for having the best user interface in the business, beating out the bigger guys like Zillow and Refdin, which pack ads and featured agents into their home listings. Estately released an iOS companion to its web service and we were able to take it for a spin. The Real Estate by Estately app has a search-driven UI that allows you to find houses in your area. It includes filters so you can limit the size, price and other factors in the houses that it displays in the search results. The app conveniently shows nearby listings on a map. Clicking on a listing pulls up an image and some basic details on the house without obscuring the map. This is very useful as you can see the house location on a map and the housing details at the same time. Tapping on the house details will bring up a full-screen view that shows all the details on the house. Details include a slideshow of images, price, house information and description, listing history, realtor contact, a map and school information. The layout is so attractive that it makes even the most unsightly house look beautiful. If you want to follow up on a listing, you can contact the real estate agent who is selling the house. You can also favorite it, if you are signed into your Estately account. One of the most useful features in Estately is the "Saved Search" alerts. These alerts notify you when a new house is listed that meets your criteria, or when a current house on your search list either drops in price or is sold. Estately updates its listings several times a day, allowing you to get the jump on a new or discounted house. Though you browse listings without signing into any service, this alert service requires an Estately account. You can create one online or through the app. When you find a house in which you are interested, you can use the service to direct you to an agent. Estately works with select real estate brokerages in most states and doesn't offer up your information to the highest bidder. Estately is nationwide and provides MLS listing in 30 states, so not everyone can take advantage of the service. It is available in Washington, California, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, New Jersey, Vermont, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Massachusetts, Ohio, Minnesota and New Hampshire. The Real Estate by Estately app is available for free from the iOS App Store.
Grommash hold worth $3.2M
Light-hearted Real Estate bloggers Movoto have blogged in the past about assessing the value of Stormwind Keep, concluding that it was valued at approximately $10.2 million. Now, they're back with Grommash Hold, the Horde stronghold in the heart of Orgrimmar. Like any good valuation, they've taken various aspects of the building into consideration, noting that it includes a training area as well as a throne room, and worked out the square footage, the location, and an appropriate price per square foot. In order to assess the area of the hold, they estimated the shoulder width of a female orc, and based measurements off that, giving a total area of 10,261sqft. They then looked for a real-world equivalent of Grommash Hold, and decided upon Petra, in Jordan. Alas, being an ancient monastery, Petra lacks saleable homes, so they took an average value of $328psqft from nearby Amman, and applied that to Grommash Hold, giving a value of $3,265,608. Now, as someone who worked in commercial Real Estate for 7 years, I feel Movoto might have missed some due diligence. There is a bit of additional information about the future of the area, and it seems likely that it will be subject to some major political upheaval in the coming months. This is likely to impact the $/sqft value, and, one would think, put it below that of Stormwind!
Stormwind Keep valued at $10,293,472
The blog Movoto (tagline: "The lighter side of real estate") has done evaluations of fictional properties before. This time, they've set their sites on Stormwind Keep, of our own beloved Stormwind, to try and determine the following: How big is it, actually? What's its real world equivalent location? How much would it cost to purchase, based on the previous two factors? The answers, in brief, to those three questions are: 47,219 square feet, Caernarfon Castle, Gwynedd, Wales, and US$10,293,472 ($218 per square foot), respectively. Ten million dollars seems like a whole lot to me, but article author Randy Nelson asserts that it's actually rather a pittance for a castle. Then again, he also points out that as far as we can tell, Stormwind Keep only has one accessible floor, and the rest is all for show. Even the Ruins of Lordaeron are bigger than Stormwind Keep. See what you've done, game designers?! You've devalued your own non-existent property! Back at the blog, Nelson gives an in-depth breakdown of how he came about all the numbers as well as how he determined that Caernarfon Castle was the best approximation of Stormwind Keep in the world. I highly recommend a read of the entire article--don't just stop at the infographic! The whole thing is interesting and fun. I'd love to see more analyses like this, if the blog authors have the time and inclination, if only so that we players could have yet another aspect of our chosen factions and races to argue about.
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.
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.
Sony may sell its fancy New York City skyscraper
Sony's got a pretty swanky skyscraper in Manhattan. That skyscraper, however, may not feature Sony's logo much longer – not to mention the employees it houses – as the private-equity firm Blackstone Group for the potential sale of the 55th and Madison-based, 37-story building.Said talks apparently didn't conclude with a plan. A variety of potential outcomes are up in the air: renting out part of the building, selling the whole thing and leasing back part of it, and outright sale are all proposed in the piece."Sources familiar with the structure" valued the building at somewhere between $700 million and $1 billion, and Sony outright owns the structure – that kind of capital infusion would significantly impact the ailing hardware manufacturer's bottom line. The company's fiscal 2012 results depict a grim reality for Sony, with even its Consumer Products & Services division (read: PlayStation) suffering losses.Update: The commercial real estate group Newmark Grubb Knight Frank was originally named by the NY Post as party to these talks. The group has since refuted those claims.[Image credit: Rafael Chamorro]
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.
Daily iPad App: Tour Wrist
I have to say, of all the product names that I heard and saw at CES 2012 last week (and there were plenty of them), TourWrist was by far my favorite. And the app is pretty interesting as well. It's a free download for iPhone and iPad that allows you to view the company's interactive 360 degree panoramic photos of various locations and interiors. Using the iOS' gyroscope and compass, you can move your iPhone or iPad around in real space, and view TourWrist's panoramas in full 360 degree splendor. Yes, it's a little gimmicky (and obviously looking through the window of your iPad is no substitute for being somewhere, despite their marketing), but it works quite well, and heck, it's free anyway. TourWrist told us at CES that the company wants to use this kind of software for real estate tours or brand marketing, and in the app right now, you can see inside some homes for sale, or have a look around some famous retail locations, which essentially serve as paid ads for whatever brands they represent. Unfortunately, you can't move around the locations -- these are just photos, not actual 3D environments. But you can click from room to room to see various photos of wherever you're virtually touring. TourWrist is, again, a free download from the App Store. There are some reported issues with crashing in the iTunes comments, but if you have an iPhone 4 or iPad 2, it should work just fine. "TourWrist"! How great is that name?
MindArk announces Planet Calypso land grab
MindArk's Planet Calypso is certainly one of the most unique virtual worlds out there, due in large part to the fact that the game's real estate is bought, sold, and traded for real-world cash. Land management, however, has generally been an activity for the ludicrously rich, with some properties costing as much as 500,000 USD. MindArk looks to change that, however, by introducing a whopping 60,000 new plots of land (each measuring at 100 square meters) that can be bought for the (relatively) low price of 100 USD. Each deed that a player purchases "entitles the holder to a share of the 50% planet partner Gross Revenue generated by Planet Calypso." So if you've got a few hundred bucks to blow on virtual real estate and want a piece of the pie, head on over to the official site and sign up.
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]
