renovation planning

New Research Predicts Autism Much Earlier

2012-01-29T10:44:00.000+11:00

New Research Predicts Autism Much Earlier

Autism, a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction, restricted and repetitive behavior. The signs of Autism all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not yet well understood.

Signs of ASD are diagnosed in the first three years of a child’s life, generally between the second and third year, the signs develop gradually, in some cases however, autistic children first develop more normally, and then regress.

New research has shown that children who develop autism may show signs of different brain responses in their first year of life, researchers say the study may in the future help doctors diagnose the disorder much earlier. Read the full article »»»»

REVIEW: Bitdefender Total Security 2012

2012-01-26T13:12:00.000+11:00

REVIEW: Bitdefender Total Security 2012

Our lives are divided into two distinct realms, online and offline, and as we start taking up more online time, security becomes a serious issue, protecting our online lives from the malicious, dubious and nefarious is a pretty serious business.

Bitdefender Total Security 2012 - BTS2012 - was developed by Romania based software company SOFTWIN. Bitdefender has a great tradition of providing leading edge antivirus technology in a simple to use interface. Bitdefender was the first antivirus applications that allowed automatic software updates, the first to include a personal firewall, and the first to include behavioral detection – B-HAVE – to spot virus’s without a virus definition. SOFTWIN continues to push these boundaries of technology, staying one step ahead of the steadily evolving world of virus and antivirus.

There’s a bevvy of Antivirus/Protection software out there, so what seperates Bitdefender from the pack? First up, BTS2012 doesn’t require a reboot after install – we like this a heap, it’s also a clue at just how clever this suite is – the program is up-and-running In-Full, immediately. We downloaded BTS2012 which was pretty seamless, and were immediately struck byBTS2012′s ease of use, for such an outwardly simple application, BTS2012 certainly packs some serious tech-punch.

Antivirus and Antispyware, Vulnerability Scanner, Social Networking Protection, Search Advisor, Personal Data Filter, Scan Dispatcher and Antiphishing
Antispam, Parental Controls and Two-way Firewall
File Shredder, Encryption, Tune-up and Online backup/file synchronization

REVIEW: Read the full article »»»»

Mortgage Uptake Bounce As New Buyers Jump Back In

2012-01-20T06:34:00.002+11:00

Mortgage Uptake Bounce As New Buyers Jump Back In

Home loan commitments gathered pace in November 2011, the same month the Reserve Bank cut interest rates for the first time in almost three years. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the number of loans taken out for owner-occupied homes rose 1.4 per cent to 46,953 for the month, seasonally adjusted. It was the eighth consecutive monthly rise and the largest gain in six months. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast a rise of 1 per cent. The number of mortgages for new homes rose 2 per cent in the month, while those for established homes rose by 1.6 per cent. But the number of loans to build new homes continued to fall for the third straight month, down 0.4 per cent to 4,828 in November. First-home buyers returned to the market, making up 20 per cent of loan commitments in the month, the highest proportion since February 2010 and in line with the long-term average. Read the full article »»»»

The Housing Crash That Wasn't

2012-01-20T06:34:00.001+11:00

The Housing Crash That Wasn't

Andrew Harvey from Business Spectator has a superlative rundown on The Housing Crash That Wasn’t: Another year has passed with portents of doom and gloom regarding residential property prices yet again proving incorrect. The latest information available for 2011, RP Data-Rismark’s seasonally adjusted hedonic price series for November last year, shows that median dwelling prices returned to growth. Price gains, albeit extremely modest ones, were posted for capital city home values (up by 0.1 per cent) and for regional home prices (up by 0.3 per cent) in the month. While one data point does not a trend make, it does represent the first increase in dwelling prices since December 2010. As the November 2011 result follows a period of controlled price moderation that has been in place since the middle part of 2010, it provides some hope that the worst of the residential property market slump may now be behind us. Over the year to November 2011 house prices in the capital cities declined by 4.3 per cent (year on year) and unit prices in the capital cities fell by 1.1 per cent.

Planning Your Perfect Renovation

2012-01-20T06:34:00.000+11:00

Planning Your Perfect Renovation

The last few of years have been turbulent ones in the real estate market – and the renovation world. Although Australia was widely acclaimed to have “dodged that bullet”, there’s no denying that many areas, including the renovation sector, were still affected by the GFC. 2009 and early 2010 saw huge drops in the rate of construction, toward the end of 2011 the light at the end of that tunnel still seemed distant, but getting a little closer. The upside was reflected in cheaper renovation costs as businesses vied for the work. Quotes website ServiceSeeking.com.au noted marked decreases in the cost of a number of renovation services including plumbing, tiling and painting. If your sat in your home wondering if now is a good time to renovate? The basis are covered below! Read the full article »»»»

When is a spam email not spam?

2011-12-31T07:44:00.000+11:00

When is a spam email not spam?

If your a ~~New York Times Subscriber~~ internet user, you most likely received an email this morning begging you not to cancel your NYT subscription, quickly followed by another email asking you to ignore the first, confused? don’t be!

Initial reports said that the email was spam - those darned Nigerians - The New York Times appologised, asked recipients to disregard and admitted to it’s mistake.

Australia's Housing Shortage Worsened Despite Falling Property Prices

2011-12-30T15:31:00.000+11:00

Australia's Housing Shortage Worsened Despite Falling Property Prices

Australia’s housing shortage has worsened despite falling property prices and is set to keep growing, an official report has found. The National Housing Supply Council says the gap between supply and underlying demand in Australia widened by 28,200 homes in the 2010 financial year. New South Wales and Queensland have the largest shortfalls.

The council says the total shortage stood at nearly 187,000 dwellings in 2010 and was expected to reach 215,000 for the 2011 financial year. Council chair Owen Donald says not enough homes are being built by either the private or the public sectors.

“We simply haven’t been producing as much new housing and we’ve had additions to the number of households over the years,” Dr Donald said. ”That’s been particularly the case since about 2005, when the rate of population growth exceeded the rate of additions to housing stock.” Read the rest of this entry »

Ikea Town

2011-12-30T15:30:00.002+11:00

Ikea Town

According to reports, Swedish home furnishing chain IKEA is planning to build an entire district in Stratford, East London, near the location of Olympic Park, for the 2012 Olympics. It will boast 1,200 good-sized homes, 480,000 square feet of business and infrastructure, and a 131-foot sculpture. If our experience with IKEA products bears any weight here, the plans for the town take up two pages max, and they’ll be missing exactly one screw.

The neighborhood will be called Strand East, and it will take up approximately 26 acres, allowing residents to go do their shopping without having to drive. Unfortunately, the business development manager for Inter IKEA says there will be no retail tie-ins, so homes will not come pre-equipped with IKEA furniture. Not even a $5 table. They just wanted to turn the traditionally “empty and rubbish and ugly” area into an attractive hotspot. Construction will begin in 2013.

House Prices Slide as Affordability Bites Hard

2011-12-30T15:30:00.001+11:00

House Prices Slide as Affordability Bites Hard

Australia: The average national house price fell by 4 per cent in the past year, making it one of the worst years for the residential property market, a leading report shows. Darwin home values outperformed the rest of the country, with home values down just 0.9 per cent and units performing slightly better.

The most precipitous falls were in Brisbane followed closely by Melbourne, and while prices fell in Perth, the mining boom is expected to bolster prices in the coming year. RP Data senior analyst Cameron Kusher does not expect the two consecutive interest rate cuts in November and December to significantly raise house or unit prices in 2012. Read the rest of this entry »

Interest Rate Cut Boosts House Prices

2011-12-30T15:30:00.000+11:00

Interest Rate Cut Boosts House Prices

Australian house prices rose for the first time in 11 months following the Reserve Bank’s November interest rate cut, a key index shows. The monthly RP Data-Rismark home value index shows that in seasonally adjusted terms capital city house values rose by 0.1 per cent in November and the regions saw a gain of 0.3 per cent. It was the first increase since December 2010. House prices rose in Melbourne, Perth, and Canberra but were steady in Sydney. Darwin saw the largest fall, of 0.9 per cent, while home values also dropped in Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart.

Kick Gallery: CRAIG MACDONALD

2011-12-01T11:48:00.000+11:00

Kick Gallery: CRAIG MACDONALD

SIMPLY BRILLIANT SHOW!!

Award winning sculptor Craig MacDonald has a show running at Kick Gallery ‘Memento‘ This latest show follows on from his 2010 exhibition ‘Rocket Science‘. Mr MacDonald works are standout, his works live so well in three dimensions it’s hard to flatten the descriptives to words, except perhaps to say wow, they are seriously inspired. His use of bronze is cleverly hidden by an overlay of pure originality. Each piece in this show is so filled with imagination and exquisite craft that one finds several views are still not adequate. MacDonalds’ show runs until December 10.

In February this year, MacDonald was awarded the Montalto Sculpture Prize. MacDonald received the $20,000 award ahead of a strong field of other significant recognised Australian sculptors. The winning work ‘Witness’ was described by Montalto as “‘Hovering just above the surface of the ground, Witness appears as if from another time – aged and totem like, its presence and movement is a reminder that time is not static and what has been seen before can be witnessed again” Witness is on display at the ‘Memento‘ exhibition. Read the rest of this entry »

Myer Chairman 'Howard McDonald' Predicts 2012 Profits Will Top $146 Million

2011-11-25T16:59:00.001+11:00

Myer Chairman 'Howard McDonald' Predicts 2012 Profits Will Top $146 Million

Australia: At the Myer annual general meeting today Myer Holdings Ltd chairman Howard McDonald said this year had seen the toughest trading climate in his 35-year career in retail. The once great retail behemoth, Myer reported a 3.5 per cent dip in first-quarter sales earlier this month, Mr McDonald confirmed expectations of flat sales for the current financial year. Mr McDonald also confirmed full-year net profit after tax expectations around 10 per cent below last year’s profit of $162.7 million. In what almost seemed like optimism, Mr McDonald said the Reserve Bank’s decision to ease the official interest rate earlier this month could help boost sales in the coming weeks. Consumer confidence in 2012 has been negatively affected by increasing pressures from the cost of living, including huge rises -up to 40 percent in some states – in utility charges, education, health care and new taxes. Add into this, the growth of online retail and the outlook being flat is a positive, as reflected in Howard McDonald’s statements. READ MORE

Vertical Garden: Ann Demeulemeester Store, Seoul Korea

2011-11-22T17:55:00.000+11:00

Vertical Garden: Ann Demeulemeester Store, Seoul Korea

Our love of vertical gardens is no secret, nor is it a secret that we have massive admiration for the Koreans. Put the two together and wow, you have an übercool vertical garden! The Ann Demeulemesster Store is hidden down an alley, in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Primarily residential in the past, the neighborhood is undergoing a rapid transformation into an upscale commercial district full of shops and restaurants. The building is comprised of one subterranean level and three floors above. The Ann Demeulemeester store is located on the first floor, with a restaurant above and a basement Multi-Shop below. The brief was an attempt to incorporate as much nature as possible in a building within the constraints of a low-elevation, high-density urban environment D★D READ MORE

Last Nail in a Coffin: Fairfax Family Bows Out of Publishing

2011-11-12T09:53:00.001+11:00

Last Nail in a Coffin: Fairfax Family Bows Out of Publishing

Today sees the end of an era at Fairfax Media, and Australian newspaper publishing, as the family that built the countries first publishing empire announced it had sold its remaining stake in the company. The news affirms that the demise of paper publications is set to become chronic. People can now easily and freely access news from virtually anywhere in the world using digital media via phones, tablets and computers, leaving the humble broadsheet close to redundant. Printed newspapers and magazines continue to struggle on both the standard measures, circulation and copies sold, as the industry waits hand in pocket, for a combined readership measure for both print and digital editions, hold your breath, it’s coming, really it is? And while the Fairfax family might have shed it’s under-performing publishing stock, those still sat around boardrooms must have some serious scowls, the Audit Bureau of Circulation figures for the September quarter contained little good news for either of the major Australian publishers, News Ltd or Fairfax Media. News Ltd’s Sydney Morning Herald saw its overall circulation shrinking by almost 5 percent in the quarter, while News Ltd’s weekend editions copped a steep fall of close to 8 percent. CONTINUED: Read the rest of this entry »

Quote of the Day: Regina Spektor

2011-11-05T14:23:00.000+11:00

Quote of the Day: Regina Spektor

UFO Hotel Room: The Newest Suite at the Treehotel is Shaped Like a Flying Saucer! Read more: UFO Hotel Room: The Newest Suite at the Treehotel is Shaped Like a Flying Saucer!

2011-11-05T14:20:00.000+11:00

UFO Hotel Room: The Newest Suite at the Treehotel is Shaped Like a Flying Saucer! Read more: UFO Hotel Room: The Newest Suite at the Treehotel is Shaped Like a Flying Saucer!

Our good buddies at Inhabitant have got a superlative post on our favorite Swedish eco hotel has a new addition to their amazing selection of high flying rooms and it’s shaped like a giant flying saucer! A UFO recently landed in the forests of the Treehotel letting guests imagine they were abducted for a night. Prefabricated from a lightweight composite material, the UFO is suspended in the trees and is sustainably built just like all of the other rooms. For $625 a night, you and a friend can kick back in your very own UFO, check out the aurora borealis and maybe even have your own sighting.

NSFW! Time To Get 2012 Organised? The Lucy Pinder Calendar is Hot OFF The Press

2011-10-24T10:22:00.001+11:00

NSFW! Time To Get 2012 Organised? The Lucy Pinder Calendar is Hot OFF The Press

The Lucy Pinder 2012 Calendar is are HOT off the Press. NO! we’re not taking a cut of the sales from Lucy Pinder’s 2012 calendar, we just like the thought that this – Lynx – girl can make men deodorize their underarms! Clearly Ms Pinder is a looker, and yes boys I can hear you! “stop talking” is such a rude comment! It’s rude to look at other peoples pictures without knowing a little about them, actually it’s possibly still rude when you want to look That Way! Just so you don’t feel so bad about gawking at someone you know nothing about, heres a little about Ms Pinder. Lucy Pinder was spotted by a freelance photographer on a Bournemouth beach in the summer of 2003 and has since gone on to become the most successful glamour model of the last ten years. She has more covers and Page 3 appearances in the Daily Star than any other model. She has been voted FHM’s Sexiest Model of the Year, Daily Star’s Favourite Page 3 Girl Of All Time, 23rd in Askmen’s 99 Most Desirable Women 2009 and Nuts’ Number One Babe every year since its launch in 2005. WARNING! THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS NUDITY D★D SERIOUSLY – DON’T CLICK THIS LINK IF FEMALE NUDITY OFFENDS!!

Cult of Elizabeth Olsen: Martha Marcy May Marlene

2011-10-23T11:57:00.001+11:00

Cult of Elizabeth Olsen: Martha Marcy May Marlene

One of the benefits of a large family, is that of several children, your more likely to turn out at least one normal adult. A point in case are the Olsen sisters. Elizabeth Olsen is a commandingly lovely actress, wistful, with soulful eyes and a gracefilled figure, Elizabeth cuts a fine silhouette on any screen. In her latest role, Olsen plays a wayward young lady who manages free herself from the binds of a cult. Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, our damaged young woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family. Durkin’s film deals with the inner world of someone wandering between memory, dream and paranoia. Martha asks her sister if she ever can’t tell what’s dream or memory, to which she replies, “No.” The scene inhabits the stark contrast between Martha’s vulnerable free spiritedness and her sister’s materialistic reality. Again, exploring the different ways people fill a void in their life. Olsens latest film is the first feature film from young writer/director Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene is certainly a stylistically assured debut, mysterious, moody, unbearably tense, we liked this film a lot V★P READ MORE

Must See Youtube! Miss USA on Math

2011-10-15T08:05:00.001+11:00

Must See Youtube! Miss USA on Math

Seems to be a bit of a theme this weekend, people speaking when they really should just NOT! We’re unsure if this is a “They Said What, Shut the F_ck Up, a Bipolar Blond Moment or just a part of an ongoing American themed dullness. Whatever, it’s sure to put a smile on your face. In the original video, Miss Universe contestants were asked what they thought of Evolution being taught in schools - we’ve included this vid – the answer were astounding. We grant this was a tricky question, a toughy even for someone with a fully functioning brain. As if that wasn’t funny enough though, they’ve now been asked if MATH should be taught in schools??? As always a picture is worth a thousand words. Check the Video [Please watch it seated] Here

Pod Up People: Sleepbox Lands at Moscow's Sherematyevo Airport

2011-10-15T08:02:00.000+11:00

Pod Up People: Sleepbox Lands at Moscow's Sherematyevo Airport

Imagine yourself in an unfamiliar city or in an airport or in any other public place far from home. There is no opportunity for you to rest and relax, even if you are extremely tired. You can have a snack or drink virtually anywhere, but there is simply nowhere to sleep. Sleeping in public causes security, privacy and hygiene issues. Sleep away from home in busy, crowded places is an almost non-existent luxury – unless your my x-creature from hell, who could sleep most any place, shoes off, head back and mouth wide-open… yik, filthy helitosis riddled creature! Sorry, got lost on a bad.memory wrong thought. Pod concepts are definitely a thing at the moment. They’re one of those things that every young architectural practice likes to have a on the books. The uses for these things are obvious, airports, train stations, exhibition halls, shopping malls, even temporary hostels or emergency shelter. In theory this should send shudders, spending summers in a caravan at Butlick.dot.Outback.dot.Com . . . This is after-all a wheel-less caravan… Oops, deviating again? We first covered the Sleepbox concept in March 2010, last month Arch Group – the designers – scored their first working installation at Moscow’s Sherematyevo airport. D★D READ MORE

Let the Tablet Wars Begin: Amazon's Kindle Fire!

2011-10-15T08:00:00.000+11:00

Let the Tablet Wars Begin: Amazon's Kindle Fire!

Amazon’s unveiling of it’s Kindle Fire Tablet will certainly shake up the industry and pose one of the biggest threats to Apples dominance with iPad, Which is why the technology world has its eyes firmly planted on the online retailer as it launches itself into the ubergadget world… Before Amazon even had a chance to release the Kindle Fire at their press event, the big news had already slipped out. The Amazon Kindle Fire will be a 7-inch Android tablet with a $199 price tag. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos took center stage to unveiled the company’s latest branding icon. Slotted for release on November 15, 2011, the Kindle Fire is about to shake it up. Amazon has serious brand recognition, a solidly loyal bunch of Kindle e-reader owners, and a Web-based e-commerce platform that includes one-click access to buying e-books, movies, digital music downloads, its own Android app store, and streaming media catalog. All this adds up to Amazon being uniquely positioned to go head-to-head with Apple Inc in the tablet market and become a formidable competitor across the industry M★C READ MORE

Christopher Daniel: California Roll

2011-10-14T20:20:00.001+11:00

Christopher Daniel: California Roll

This is almost cut and paste – a method of journalism I learned from my ex, thanks lover – In this case it’s simply not possible to add to the eloquence of the designer, neither picture nor word. Christopher Daniel, he describes himself as: Male, from Mars and apparently he’s sick? Whatever, he pens a brilliant thought. the last design of Daniels that we fell madly in love with was his Vuzzle Chair. Vuzzle Chair is made of 59 cushion cells that can be arranged according to ones moods. Inspired by the Voronoi diagram. We’re guessing that having designed such a wonderfilled piece, Mr Daniels needed an equally cool floor to plant it on, so he designed one, smarty pants him Seriously, the plagiarism starts here, we are lost for words at this mans talent: Chris Daniels,California Roll, Modular House! D★D READ MORE

Madcloth: Robot Tea Infuser

2011-10-14T20:20:00.000+11:00

Madcloth: Robot Tea Infuser

Preparing a cup of perfectly steeped tea is always within reach when you’ve got this high-tech companion in your kitchen! Designed with a set of curving hinged arms that cling to the rim of your mug, this radiant robot makes sure the flavor is flowing through petite perforations on both sides of its futuristic metal frame. Add a bit of your favorite loose leaf blend by giving its antennas a twist! When the initial phase is complete, return you state-of-the-art assistant to its coordinating silver tray, where it can dry without causing a messy meltdown. Technically speaking, there’s nothing sweeter than a tea party with this inventive accessory! V★P READ MORE

THANK F_CK it's FRIDAY: How to tell if your a c#cknocker?

2011-10-14T20:17:00.000+11:00

THANK F_CK it's FRIDAY: How to tell if your a c#cknocker?

At some point we ALL need to take a good hard look into a mirror and ask ourselves that question: “Am I a Cocknocker” Let me just tell you straight up! If you have a bottle of Bling H20 on your kitchen counter top, in your hand or on the fridge door, the answer is a definitive YES!At $40 a bottle – FOR WATER – your bent, hear that? BENT! Ready for the rant: It’s little wonder that Wall Street is – as we speak – crowded with people protesting against excesses, just how do you differentiate a product like bottled water, turn on a f_cking tap you cocknocker!? Americans drink more than 25 billion litres of bottled water a year at prices greater than gasoline. Bottled water sales have risen 50% per person in less than a decade, which isn’t bad for a core product that varies little, and is at least a thousand times more expensive than tap water which is readily available as an alternative. In Europe, water is even bigger business – Western Europeans drink more than half the world’s bottled water. And don’t even get us started on the massive problem bottled water causes to the environment! D★D READ MORE

PS: Go down to your local and have a beverage, HECK HAVE TWO, you’ll still get change from the $13 a glass you’d have paid to be a cocknocker!

Quote of the Day: Verity Penfold

2011-10-02T20:53:00.000+11:00

Quote of the Day: Verity Penfold

“Of the 155,000 people who died yesterday, why weren’t you one of them”

Verity Penfold