This potentially marvellous invention is called ‘The Samsung Smart Window’. Not the most amazing catchy title for the product, but at least you know what it is. A window. But not just any window, a window that has been created using the same techniques as your smartphone.

Image sourced from: bandwidthblog.com

Now if you’re a bit of gadget freak like me, then you might be just as excited about this as I am. I know there are thousands of fans out there already in the States, just dribbling with excitement, but I’d like to think that British people are a little more discreet about their excitment.

So how about a little background information about this ‘smart window’?

Firstly, it’s a 2012 CES Innovations award winner (CES is a high-profile annual event to promote the consumer electronics industry, which is where this little beauty made it’s debut) that was held in where else, Las Vegas baby!

It comes in a 46 inch TFT LCD display, which for those of you who are not too familiar with the technology, stands for Thin-Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display, that doubles not only as computer, but as a TV as well and just like your smartphone, it casts a touch-controlled interface onto transparent glass with ambient light.

And if you’re worried about those nosey neighbours, who keep looking into your window everytime they walk pass, and see what your searching for on your Twitter account, then don’t fret as this window is specially designed for you to look out (just like a normal window) but you won’t be able to see from the outside, in.

Just like your phone, you can download various apps for your ‘smart window’ from Twitter to Microsoft Office, which again is all touch controlled and viewable directly on the glass.

‘So what if it’s dark outside, how am I going to use it then?’ I hear you ask.

Well, once it starts to become dark outside, it has built in lights in the top and bottom of the screen so it will still be illuminated for you to use it as either a computer or as a TV if you’re watching a film.

Some of you may still not be too sure about this new product, and probably thinking “It’s just like a really big iPad for your wall.” Well, yes technically you are correct, but, and there is a but, does you iPad come with a blind app?

Image sourced from: our-world89.blogspot.com

I’m talking about a virtual blind, that appears by the tap of a finger on the screen, which you can control by either moving it up or down, and will either open or close the blinds, especially if it starts to get a bit too bright outside, or just because next door’s cat is trying to have a staring competition with you.

Another key feature with this product is it’s very eco-friendly with only using roughly 10% power consumption due to part of it being solar-powered, which allows you to conserve energy within your home.

It’s currently in its ‘prototype phase’ at the moment and therefore won’t be stocked at your local Comet just yet, but quite possibly in the near future!

The majority of us are having to dig deep into our pockets to get by, and if the time arises where we need to move home, times are only going to get tougher. The cost of moving equates to 27% of the average UK gross full-time wage, an increase of 22% since 2001. This will only pile on pressure for couples wanting to settle down and have a children, and make times harder for families.

For somebody looking to move into a £250,000 house, be prepared for the 3% stamp duty, which is an instant hit of at least £7,500, a hefty amount to pay when you are buying a house. According to Lloyds TSB, this means that people moving in London will pay an average of £19,500, while the South East pays an average of £16,500 to move home.

Of this cost, the biggest proportion of the money goes to Estate Agents, with them earning an average of 38% of the total moving costs; that’s an average of £3,400! Stamp duty equates to 21% of the costs.

House prices have increased 64% in the last 10 years, 24% more than the official rate of inflation from over the last decade. All of this plus the fact that it is now even harder to get a mortgage, with first-time buyers having to stump up about 10% of the property’s price for the deposit. Times are not easy in the housing market.

However, it isn’t all doom and gloom, as first-time buyers tend to have less moving costs. It is an average of 63% cheaper as there are no estate agent fees as you are not selling a house, only buying.

If you are a growing family and need more space, have you considered a conservatory or converting your garage into a room? They’re a great way to free up some space in your home, giving you the opportunity to add a bedroom or just have more space to relax and enjoy your garden. It can also increase the price of your property, meaning the initial cost will make up for itself should you want to move. Not only that, but by looking at the stats above, it is probably cheaper to improve rather than move.

Image sourced 'The Great Gatsby' directed by Jack Clayton

Designers are predicting that an art deco trend will make a big impression on our fashion and our homes. Gatsby lives a lavish lifestyle in a gargantuan mansion, a home that many of us could only dream of living in. It has a luxurious lawn with ponds, a swimming pool, numerous different rooms all filled to the brim with intricately built furniture like mahogany drinks cabinets and golden lamps. The mansion itself is architecturally stunning, every detail is very defined from the windows to the chimney. This bold, distinct style looks expensive, classy and all in all, beautiful. Surely, this is a look we all want for our home?

Image sourced 'The Great Gatsby' directed by Jack Clayton

With this style coming back into play, how can you make your home look as elegant as Gatsby’s mansion? Looking from the outside, the windows are one of the most distinguishable features of the house, and they can completely change the character of your home too. Shaped windows are a great addition to evoke the grandeur of the roaring 20′s and to personalise them further, why not consider a glass design? Vintage designs, like some created by Rennie Mackintosh, show off the unique, prominent shapes and create an expensive appearance. These designs, although they have been around for years, will always look modern.

At Anglian Home Improvements, we offer a wide range of decorative glass designs, and if you can’t find any you like, we can create your own designs for you! It can be a simple design of a flower, a lead pattern or a full grand design. Looking through Rennie Mackintosh’s designs shows you just how creative you can be with your windows and you can see how gorgeous and stylish the glass in your house can look. Rose wood frames can give an authentic 1920′s feel and full-length shaped windows give maximum visual exposure to the outside, perfect for those Gatsby-esque parties on the lawn. To complete the look have a few items of mirrored furniture and a glass coffee table.

Gatsby was a very extravagant man, but you don’t have to be a millionaire to create the look in your own home.

Depending on your situation in relation to whether you are buying or selling your house, this could either be good news or perhaps slightly bad news.

Image sourced from: Telegraph.co.uk

Personally, I have been living in my house for almost two years in June, and even though we have no plans to sell our house just yet, I find it slightly worrying that even though we have done a fair bit of work to the house, it still might not be worth as much as what we paid for it.

According to the BBC article, Land Registry have said that last year, house prices in England and Wales fell by 1.3%, to an average of £160,000.

London was the only region where house prices rose up year on year by 2.8%, meaning the average cost of a home within that area is a slightly eye-watering £345,000.

North East of England saw prices dropping by an outstanding 7.1%, which brought the regional average down to £99,000. Residents of the area might start to see some new families moving into the area in the next few months, thanks to lower house prices.

Other house price surveys also tell a similar story to this one, for example Halifax, who are part of Lloyds banking group, also agreed that prices fell by 1.3% last year across the UK.

However, Nationwide claimed that house prices have risen last year, but by only 1%.

The biggest annual drop was in Hartlepool at 17.5%, with other double-digit falls recorded in Merthyr Tydfill, Middlesbrough and Liverpool who are all down by 10% and 11% down in Oldham.

However, the biggest rise in prices were of course Kensington and Chelsea up by 7% and Westminister up by 9%, but I’m guessing that didn’t come as a huge shock to you as London is a slightly expensive town to live in.

Reports have been coming from various estate agents, which show prices in central London have raised because of foreign buyers who have moved their wealth out of countries like Greece, Spain and Italy, in search of a safer home whilst they try to side-step the continuing crisis in the eurozone.

Not everywhere in London saw house prices rise last year, with nine other London boroughs, including Newham house prices, dropping by 3%.

The Land Registry said “The most expensive property sold in England & Wales in 2011 was £19.25m for a detached house in Hampstead, North London. The cheapest property sold in England and Wales in 2011 was £16,000 for a terraced house in Middlesbrough.”

So what do you think about the house prices in your area? Do you think they’re too high, especially for first-time buyers or perhaps too low, and that’s why you’re not planning on selling your house just yet?

Let us know by leaving a comment

Area Sales Manager, Martin Savill, arrived to work on Thursday morning to find the window boarded up. He said, “I thought: ‘Oh my gosh, what has happened here?”

The traffic lights and pedestrian crossing on the corner of Upper Grosvenor Road and Grosvenor Road were switched off all day Thursday whilst repairs took place.

Martin believes the car had skidded out of control, crashing into the lights and ending up in the Anglian showroom window. “Not the best start to the day,” he continued.

The damage to the showroom could take up to 3 weeks to repair, but trade will hopefully not be affected, but no customer can get into the showroom until the window of the front entrance is replaced.

Luckily, the driver from south London was not hurt, with police putting the incident down to icy conditions.

What a pane for Martin and his team.

Image sourced ThisisKent.co.uk

Despite dominating the whole game, with great passing and disrupting the majority of attacks thrown at them, Anglian could not find that final pass to put the ball into the goal.

The game started well for Anglian as they put on lots of pressure, working the line to good effect. The first chance came for Craig Kiddell with a free-kick just outside the box, but his effort curled just wide. Jim Newman then had an effort at goal after a Hempnall goal kick was won by Anglian and it fell nicely to the feet of the big striker, but his low hard drive, flew just wide.

Anglian thought they had taken the lead after 20 minutes when a throw-in from Liam Smith was controlled by Louie Watts, who picked out Craig Kiddell just inside the penalty box. He switched the ball to the left for Jack Hurrell to smash the ball into the net, but it was given offside.

Hempnall then put up more of a challenge, spreading the ball from left to right and winning a corner. The corner was whipped in and met by the head of the tallest player who nodded it in at the near post. 1-0

The amount of times Anglian have been in this position meant they were not put off by the goal, as they continued to push for a goal. This time it was Matt Jillings who had an effort on goal from the left side, at an acute angle, but his shot crashed into the side netting.

Half-time came with the Knights trailing 1-0. The team talk was simple; carry on the great play and try to get a shot away.

Although everyone was fired up and giving it everything to grab a win, it was going to be one of those days. Anglian were playing 3 at the back with Kirk Lanckmans making an outfield return after a knee injury and playing well. Despite only playing 3 at the back, Hempnall didn’t often trouble them.

Matt Jillings again came close, again coming in from the left corner and powering a shot at goal, this time it was on target, but the keeper grabbed it at a second attempt.

New signing Josh Powley came on for Kirk Lanckmans with 25 minutes remaining and changed the look of the midfield. With some silky passing, the ball came across the edge of the area to Louie Watts who was fouled dramatically, but the resulting free-kick from Powley, didn’t trouble the keeper.

Louie Watts then broke in on goal, thanks to superb link up play between Kierstan Foreman and Jack Hurrell, Watts weaved left and right a few times, before his shot from around the penalty spot was blocked by a last ditch tackle.

Anglian were piling on the pressure, but on a rare Hempnall attack they won a free-kick on edge of the centre circle. The resulting ball looped into the box over the majority of players and an under pressure Liam Smith rose the highest between two attackers, but couldn’t control his header, which looped over the outstretched keeper who, despite his best efforts, couldn’t keep it out of the net. 2-0

With only minutes left, the win was sealed for Hempnall, but the Knights definitely deserved to come out of the game with something.

The early pressure in this game came from the visitors, who were quicker out of the blocks than Norwich. From a Norwich knock on in midfield, the visitors were awarded a scrum on the Norwich 22 from which the visitors’ player coach, Rhys Powell, playing at scrum half made a half break to put way winger, Vernon Cox who appeared to knock the ball forward as he went for the touchdown. Even the Harlow touch judge thought so. However, the referee awarded the try and fly half Danny Smith added the conversion.

This seemed to wake Norwich up and they immediately upped the pace and were soon encamped inside the visitors’ 22. However, Harlow’s defence held out and after Norwich had chosen to kick a couple of penalties into the corner hoping to score from the ensuing lineouts, it was Jay O’Brien who reduced the arrears with a simple penalty goal after 24 minutes. Minutes later Norwich scored a great try. It started from a lineout just inside the Harlow half, when the ball was taken on by Josh Ives playing at hooker with great support from fellow front rower Tom Williams. The ball was spread wide with the backs benefitting from Joe Srokowski’s quick pass and O’Brien went over for an excellent try. He could not convert his own score, so at half time Norwich had a one point lead. However just before the break the referee gave Harlow no 7 Mark Bowering a yellow card for persistent infringing.

Norwich started the second half in much the same way as they started the first, under pressure, and it was only superb defence that kept the visitors out. However, after 7 minutes they did concede a penalty under their own posts, which from the touchline looked as though it should have gone the other way. Smith had no problem converting it to give Harlow the lead again. This seemed to be the catalyst for Norwich to raise their game further. They had a series of lineouts and despite several efforts at catching and driving, the visitors seemed able to repel Norwich’s attacks. After 20 minutes, flanker Matt Cartwright and no 8 Ross Adnitt, were replaced by Paul Micklethwaite and Dan Grohland. With George Pope having been replaced at half time, Norwich began to miss his weight in the tight, where Harlow appeared to be getting the upper hand.

As full time loomed Norwich launched a fine attack and prop Williams looked as though he was going to score, only to be hauled down just short of the line. However, second row Gareth Leake was on hand to crash over and O’Brien added the conversion to give Norwich the win they thoroughly deserved .

Norwich gave a resilient display for the first clean sheet of the season during a rain drenched game. Great disappointment for Chelsea as their Premier League title challenge fades after a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road.

The Canaries created many chances during the opening minutes and took the game to Chelsea from the outset.  Steve Morison’s shot fed Anthony Pilkington down the right side of the field, whose shot was matched by Petr Cech and Morison’s following shot being blocked by Ramires.

On ten minutes Norwich pulled Chelsea apart, when Morison passed a ball on to Holt, who slid past David Luiz before a low slow-paced shot that just managed to go wide of the area.

Norwich continued with their counter attack, with Pilkington’s ball swerving into the area which was unfortunately headed clear before Morison crashed a long, diagonal ball from Holt into the side netting of the goal.

Pilkington kicked the ball onwards, towards the far post, which was deflected and returned by Holt, unfortunately it was caught just under the bar by Cech.

The goal-to-goal game entertained the crowd as Holt found space on the right of the field and kicked a shot which was pushed away by Cech.

Mata managed to fire a shot over the bar once he made it in to the Norwich penalty area, during the stoppage time at the end of the first-half.

The second half started with determination from the Norwich team, as Pilkington kicked a thundering ball across the Chelsea box, to the crowds disappointment ending high into the Barclay Stand.

Fifty-eight minutes into the game, Torres found himself with space on the edge of the penalty area, only to smash the ball over the area.

Holt’s flick was brought down by Raul Meireles on the edge of the Chelsea area which was clearly a hand ball to the crowd, but missed by Mark  Clatterburg, the referee for the game.

Norwich called on their inner strength for the last three minutes of injury time which enabled them to register their first clear sheet of this season’s campaign.

During the game there were lots of home and away supporters in fine voice, showing the crowd the passion that good quality football brings to Carrow Road.

Zak Whitbread won the Anglian Home Improvements Man of the Match award.

Bill Downs, a guitarist and singer-song writer, and Arnob Basit, a rapper, have come together to create this soulful song about how much they love the city they live in…Norwich! The video is recorded in Norwich on some of its most famous streets, and it even has footage from the Oxjam festival itself, with 4 Anglian employees dancing around, loving this track. Can you spot the employees?

Both lads are working really hard and hopefully it will all pay off very soon, especially if they carry on making cracking tracks like this one. Have a listen and tell us what you think?

The government claims that the current solar tariff is unsustainable and that there is not enough budget to cover it. The tariff was at 43.3p per kilowatt-hour, but they proposed cutting it to 21p. However, the proposal was expected to come into effect from April 1st 2012, instead it was announced in October of last year it would come into effect on December 12th.

This sudden change caused uproar from the solar industry who decided to take the government to court, with The High Court ruling today (25/01/12), that the changing of the tariff in this way was “legally flawed”, which is now being upheld by the Court of Appeal. This change upset the industry because there was then a rush to get projects completed to ensure they get the initial amount of Feed-in-Tariff.

The government have a contingency plan in place, should the tariff of 43.3p have to remain in place until March, but the government are considering appealing to the Supreme Court against the ruling, which may then allow them to return to the cut-off date of December 12th. This has resulted in there being no guarantee on you having the higher tariff if you had an installation after the cut-off date.

The Feed-in-Tariff may be in a bit of confusion, but some things about photovoltaic solar energy are plain and simple. They will generate electricity for your home. They will save you money on your bills. They are helping the UK reduce its carbon footprint. You will be making your home a greener place to live.

What do you think about the government’s decision to cut the tariff when it did? What would you have done differently? Let us know using the comment panel below.