Casa de Los Robles

Quote of the Day: "If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door."

2012-02-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." - Milton Berle US television actor & comedian (1908 – 2002)

GQ Names Los Angeles #1 Best Smelling City

2012-02-01T16:19:00.001-08:00

GQ writes, “L.A. is one of the most bizarre places on Earth, and it has an equally singular smell. The clear, alluring track of its scent is arresting. There's the ocean breeze from Santa Monica that can travel as far East as Silver Lake; a dry desert air that comes West over Downtown and South Central; the astringent balm of eucalyptus, pine, honeysuckle, and jasmine from the hills; and car exhaust from catalytic converters, which is, in its strange industrial way, beautiful. It's like the jolt of a drug: shifting, comforting, cool like a blanket. The lonely smell of the marine layer burns off and you get this flashy perfume of hot asphalt, engines, and sun block that you can find nowhere but in L.A.”

Smelliest Cities on the Planet The Best-Smelling City via GQ: http://www.gq.com/food-travel/travel-features/201201/smelliest-cities-best-worst-smelling-city-gq

Restaurants report strong sales, traffic in December

2012-02-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

The National Restaurant Association Restaurant Performance Index reached its highest level in nearly six years. “Aided by favorable weather conditions in many parts of the country, a solid majority of restaurant operators reported higher same-store sales and customer traffic levels in December,” said Hudson Riehle, the NRA’s senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group. “In addition, restaurant operators are solidly optimistic about sales growth in the months ahead, and their outlook for the economy is at its strongest point in nearly a year.” <<...>>

Debit Card Fees, Bank Transfer Day cost Big Banks 600,000 Customers

2012-01-28T09:55:00.001-08:00

More than 600,000 US consumers have moved their money from big banks to community banks or credit unions, thanks to the much-publicized revolt against debit card fees and the resulting consumer-led Bank Transfer Day last fall, according to an analysis released by Javelin Strategy & Research. Bank of America alone had a 20 percent increase in account closings in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the same quarter in 2010. Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/27/us-bank-transfer-idUSTRE80Q1TU20120127

Los Angeles - Gateway to global markets

2012-01-24T15:35:00.001-08:00

The third-largest metropolitan economy in the world and second-largest city in the U.S., Los Angeles is a vibrant and dynamic center for global business.

The economy of Los Angeles is driven by international trade, entertainment, aerospace, technology, science, and tourism. Known as the "Entertainment Capital of the World," Los Angeles is the epicenter of the motion picture industry and world leader in television and recorded music production. Other industries of Los Angeles include media production, finance, telecommunications, healthcare, agriculture, and transportation. Los Angeles is also the largest manufacturing center in the western United States.

Sports, Recreation, and Arts
With an average annual daytime temperature of 75 degrees and 329 days of sun per year, Los Angeles is a coveted climate to pursue a diverse array of sports, recreation, and cultural opportunities.

For those seeking to enjoy Southern California’s great outdoors, the area offers famous beaches, a range of recreational sports, and mountainous hiking trails. Professional sports teams including basketball’s Lakers, baseball’s Dodgers, hockey's Kings, and football’s nearby San Diego Chargers offer top sports venues for any enthusiast.

Renowned arts centers including the Los Angeles Music Center, the Kodak Theater, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall consistently host acclaimed music and dance performances. And with more than 841 museums, Los Angeles County has more museums per capita than any other city in the world.

After dark, top restaurants, lounges, comedy clubs, and bars offer a diverse array of culinary experiences and a robust nightlife. The Wiltern Theater, Roxy, House of Blues, Laugh Factory, and Santa Monica Pier are popular destinations. And celebrity chefs offer adventurous and innovative cuisine across the area.

Source: University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business

Quote of the Day: "In the past, economic growth came first, then you got education, health and two-child families. Now it is the reverse. If you have education, health and two-child families, then you get economic growth."

2012-01-24T15:18:00.001-08:00

“In the past, economic growth came first, then you got education, health and two-child families. Now it is the reverse. If you have education, health and two-child families, then you get economic growth,” said Hans Rosling, a Swedish doctor who co-founded the Gapminder Foundation, which analyzes public health statistics.

LAPD Warning Against Hiring Unmanned Aircraft Operators for Aerial Photos

2012-01-24T10:25:00.001-08:00

Los Angeles authorities have asked C.A.R. to communicate this warning to REALTORS® who hire unmanned aircraft operators to take aerial photographs for marketing high-end properties. Using these devices (also known as drones) for flight in the air with no onboard pilot may violate, among other things, the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) policy on unmanned aircrafts, and Los Angeles's local ordinance requiring permits for filming commercial motion pictures and still photographs.

The Los Angeles Police Department's (LAPD) investigation has apparently revealed that aerial photos where unmanned aircraft were observed have appeared on certain real estate sales websites. According to FilmL.A., the LAPD Air Division has issued this warning as it intends to prosecute violators in the near future. FilmL.A. is a public benefit company created by the City and County of Los Angeles to manage film permit activity and related issues.

Under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)'s current policy, no one can operate an unmanned aircraft in the National Airspace System without specific authority. Operators who wish to fly an unmanned aircraft for civil use must obtain an FAA experimental airworthiness certificate, which will not be issued to an unmanned aircraft used for compensation or hire. Although the FAA allows hobbyists to fly model airplanes for recreational purposes under specific guidelines, that authority does not extend to operators flying unmanned aircraft for business purposes. More information is available from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Notice on Unmanned Aircraft Operations and the FAA's policy.

New fees from the City of Newport Beach for the Report of Residential Building Records

2012-01-23T14:05:00.001-08:00

Please be advised of new fees from the City of Newport Beach for the Report of Residential Building Records effective on Monday, January 23^rd.

New Fees:

Single Family Res/Condo (1 unit)        $161.00
Duplex (2 units)        $187.00
More than 2 units       $187.00 + 11.16 per unit
Reinspection fee        $85.00

The updated application may be downloaded at the following link:

http://www.newportbeachca.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=3255

If you have any questions please call Jana Egan at (949) 644-3216.

Coming soon: supersonic data transfers 500 times faster than 3G phones

2012-01-20T08:10:00.001-08:00

USA Today reports data downloads on wireless devices will become 500 times faster than on 3G phones -- and devices will be much more responsive -- under technology that has passed muster with the International Telecommunication Union, the U.N. telecom agency. The technology, which could begin showing up in smartphones and tablets by 2015, will allow users to load Web pages at a tap of a finger. Known as IMT-Advanced, the system is designed to deliver ultra-high-speed service through more efficient use of radio frequencies, meaning that wireless hardware will require less bandwidth to access the Web. <<...>>

Quote of the Day: "People over 50 account for 67% of America's consumption."

2012-01-19T13:20:00.001-08:00

“People over 50 account for 67% of America’s consumption. So they should be the most highly sought after demographic, right? Wrong: Only 5% of marketing spending is geared toward them. And if you look within that 5%, 92% of it is pharmaceuticals and financial products,” says Asaaf Wand, the founder of Sabi, a line of branded, ergonomic wares for the aging which launches today.

Panda Express celebrates Chinese New Year with free Firecracker Chicken

2012-01-18T18:54:00.001-08:00

Panda Express will celebrate the 2012 Chinese New Year holiday and the Year of the Dragon on Jan. 23 with a free entree serving of Firecracker Chicken Breast for Panda Express Facebook fans. January 23 is the first day of Chinese New Year and starts a 15-day long celebration for the holiday. Firecracker Chicken Breast features chicken breast with yellow and red bell peppers wokked together in a spicy black bean sauce.

Investors float Southern California real estate market

2012-01-18T11:35:00.001-08:00

A record number of investors and second-home buyers flooded the Southern California real estate market in December, though not enough to give sales in the region a bump over the same month a year earlier, according to the Los Angeles Times. With the investors buying low-cost homes, the region’s median home price fell to its lowest level in 12 months, according to San Diego real estate firm DataQuick.

Sales fell 1.4% from the same month a year earlier, with a total of 19,247 homes bought throughout the six-county region. Sales fell the most in San Bernardino, down 7.2% from the same month a year prior. The region’s median home price -- the point at which half of the homes in the region sell for more and half for less -- fell 6.9% to $270,000.

IPad 3 will feature HD, quad-core chip, LTE support

2012-01-16T08:15:00.001-08:00

Apple is expected to release the iPad 3 in March 2012. The new iPad will feature an HD display and a speedier processor -- a quad-core chip – and will likely support Long-Term Evolution-based wireless networks. Apple's suppliers have already begun producing the tablets. <<...>>

PayPal Does $4 Billion in Mobile Volume in 2011, Projects $7 Billion for 2012

2012-01-13T12:45:00.001-08:00

PayPal Inc. projects its mobile-payments volume this year will reach $7 billion, almost double the $4 billion its mobile service processed in 2011. The final numbers for 2011 came in significantly higher than the $3.5 billion PayPal estimated late in the year, and far ahead of the original 2011 forecast of $1.5 billion.

Customers Love Kindle Owners' Lending Library, including Puvungna

2012-01-12T14:32:00.001-08:00

The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is off to a strong start: customers borrowed 295,000 KDP Select titles in December alone, and KDP Select has helped grow total library selection to over 75,000 books.

Paid KDP sales grew rapidly in December — and results show that paid sales of titles participating in KDP Select are growing even faster than other KDP titles. On top of this growth in paid sales, KDP Select authors and publishers on average are receiving an incremental 26% in December as a result of their participation in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

“KDP Select appears to be earning authors more money in two ways. We knew customers would love having KDP Select titles in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. But we’ve been surprised by how much paid sales of those same titles increased, even relative to the rest of KDP,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “Due to this early success and a seasonally strong January, we’re adding a $200,000 bonus to January’s KDP Select fund, growing this month’s total pool to $700,000.”

The top ten KDP Select authors earned over $70,000 in the month of December from their participation in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, a 30% increase on top of the royalties they earned from their paid sales on the same titles in the same period. In total (paid sales plus their share of the loan fund), these authors saw their royalties grow an astonishing 449% month-over-month from November to December. The list of KDP Select authors includes Daniel Stiel, Rachel Yu, the Grabarchuk family and Amber Scott.

Daniel Stiel is the author of Puvungna, a story about two young brothers who travel back in time and discover an ancient Indian village along the shores of a Southern California beach and the secret behind its disappearance over five hundred years ago. Borrow the book free at http://www.amazon.com/Puvungna-ebook/dp/B00307S9XK

Rachel Yu is a 16-year-old author of children's books, and she earned $6,200 from the KDP Select fund in the month of December. “It’s so cool to be part of the success of KDP Select,” said Yu. “It's just like a library but with easier access. There's truly no other opportunity like Amazon for self-publishing.”

The Grabarchuk family earned $6,300 from the KDP Select fund in December from their puzzle books. “After only a month KDP Select has dramatically changed things — finally indie publishers are playing as equals with the big publishing houses in the world's biggest eBook marketplace,” said Serhiy Grabarchuk, Co-Founder of the Grabarchuk Puzzles company.

Amber Scott is a romance writer and earned $7,650 from the KDP Select fund in December. “Enrolling in KDP Select utterly transformed my career,” said Scott. “I've experienced not only a surge in royalties but a surge in readership thanks to the increased exposure. I love the chance to earn new readers through the innovation of the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. What an exciting time to be an author!”

Since launching Kindle Owners’ Lending Library on November 2, Prime members with Kindles can now choose from over 75,000 books to borrow for free—including over 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers—as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates.

2012 International CES Exhibit Hours

2012-01-10T17:28:00.001-08:00

2012 International CES Exhibit Hours:

Tuesday, January 10: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wednesday, January 11: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday, January 12: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Friday, January 13: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

· Las Vegas Convention Center and World Trade Center (LVCC)

· Las Vegas Hilton

· The Venetian

Las Vegas Hilton is changing its name to LVH (Las Vegas Hotel & Casino) on January 3, 2012. The 2012 International CES will refer to it as the Las Vegas Hilton.

CES 2012 Update: Connected Appliances

2012-01-09T07:31:00.001-08:00

LG is back this year at CES 2012 with even more advanced “connected appliances” — refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, floor cleaning robots and other household staples that boast slick touch screen interfaces, and direct connectivity with smartphones and computers. Samsung makes connected appliances as well, but LG is a leader in this arena, and will be showing off higher levels of device-to-device connectivity for its ThinkQ line of smart appliances.

Using LG’s technology, you can enlist a smart phone app to adjust appliance settings, monitor energy consumption, and even set up a service call. But what we really want to see from LG is its ultra-high-capacity fridge that includes a “blast chiller” capable of cooling a beer or can of soda in less than five minutes.

Quote of the Day: "To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."

2012-01-08T15:02:00.001-08:00

To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. - Elbert Hubbard

Orange County Restaurant ranks #2 in Yelp's "Top Ten" list

2012-01-08T09:28:00.001-08:00

Bruxie, which has earned rave reviews since opening its first location in Old Towne Orange in 2010, ranked as Yelp’s No. 2 most popular restaurant in the country in 2011. Bruxie is located at 292 North Glassell Street, Orange, and another location at 215 W. Birch Street, Brea.

The US Top 10 for 2011 list from Yelp includes:

1. Bottega Louie, Los Angeles

2. Bruxie, Orange County

3. Ippudo NY, New York

4. Wurstküche, Los Angeles

5. Bi-Rite Creamery, San Francisco

6. Daikokuya, Los Angeles

7. Phil's BBQ, San Diego

8. Ike's Place, San Francisco

9. Griddle Cafe, Los Angeles

10. Animal, Los Angeles

Netflix's 20 million subscribers watched 2 billion hours of TV and movies in 3 months

2012-01-04T19:12:00.001-08:00

Netflix’s 20 million subscribers consumed 2 billion hours of streaming TV shows and movies in Q4 '11. Using simple averages, that would mean each subscriber streamed 100 hours during the quarter, or approximately 2,000 minutes per month (about 33 hours). That's roughly 4 1/2 times the level of YouTube's time spent/viewer. According to comScore, YouTube, which dominates total monthly volume of online video, had approximately 151 million U.S. users in November, 2011, who viewed 444.5 minutes each, on average.

<<...>>

Malibu Offers Tantalizing Clues to Ancient History

2012-01-04T17:58:00.000-08:00

Malibu, home for thousands of years to Tongva communities, retains only a few Chumash place names, including the city's name, adapted from a Ventureño Chumash word that means "where the surf sounds."

High-tech cars raise possibility of cyber attacks

2012-01-03T19:22:00.001-08:00

As cars and trucks have become laden with brainy devices to control such features as air bags and crash-avoidance systems, the vehicles have become increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks, according to recent studies by university researchers and security companies. Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-auto-hackers-20120104,0,6784778.story

Samuel J. Palmisano on IBM

2012-01-02T03:24:00.001-08:00

Samuel J. Palmisano, who steps down on this week after nearly a decade as chief executive of I.B.M., knows how to drive change in a big company.

When so much of the study of business innovation focuses on start-ups and entrepreneurs, he says in an interview with the NYT that his guiding framework boils down to four questions:

1. “Why would someone spend their money with you — so what is unique about you?”

2. “Why would somebody work for you?”

3. “Why would society allow you to operate in their defined geography — their country?”

4. “And why would somebody invest their money with you?”

Disneyland plans 24-hour party to Celebrate Leap Year

2012-01-01T09:47:00.001-08:00

Disneyland will hold a 24-hour party on Leap Day 2012. Disneyland will be open for 24 hours starting 6 a.m. Feb. 29 and ending 6 a.m. March 1, according to a Disney website. Disney made the announcement on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” show on Saturday. Magic Kingdom in Florida also will also hold a 24-hour party.

Also, as part of the One More Disney Day campaign, Disney also plans to give away a vacation package daily starting Sunday through Feb. 29.

The last time that Disneyland was open overnight was in 1987, when the park hosted a 60-hour party for the opening of Star Tours. Both regularly-priced tickets and annual passes can be used to enter the overnight party, said Erin Glover, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman. The current cost for a one-day ticket is $80 for ages 10 and up.

Quote of the Day: "All I Want for Christmas is a Good Education for My Kids"

2011-12-31T09:10:00.001-08:00

“All I Want for Christmas is A Good Education for My Kids,” Youth Voices Education Director Rubi Fregoso