Tuesday, May 31, 2011
As Investors Pull Back, Existing-Home Sales Slip
From Photos to Photo-Data
Some time in the 1970?s, dedicated word processors were introduced to the world providing writers with a set of tools that enabled them to control the presentation of their words, not just the content. For the first time since Mr. Gutenberg made the pen obsolete as a publishing mechanism, writers regained a measure of control of the presentation of their words from the typesetter. Thus began a transformation where communication with written words moved from a sterile process of repeating the authors characters to a nuanced presentation that conveyed, context, emphasis and intent.
In 1983, Microsoft introduced Word. Word not only continued the evolution of the presentation tools of its earlier counterparts, but it eventually established .doc as a generally accepted standard for digital document files. And with standardization, comes efficiency, predictability and eventually innovation. Since the files in an archive of .doc?s all behave in the same way, it is possible to explore millions of documents at a time and zero-in on the nuance of a four-word phrase within seconds.
Such innovation in searching eventually led to the use of tags (or metadata) to identify details within a document, allowing for categorized searching. A practice commonly used in blogs and social media (aka Web 2.0 applications.)
Begin Search: "Ark of the Covenant"
A similar transformation is underway with digital photos. As a whole, the digital photo universe is just beginning to move beyond the storage and display of pictures on a screen to the nuanced presentation of photos complete with context, emphasis and intent. The Photo-Data era has begun.
Without tag data, photos are opaque collections of 1?s and 0?s that yield no information about the content represented by the visual images they contain. Tags offer us the ability to search through gobs of photo-data without the need for us to visually interpret each individual image.
The one drawback to tags is the tagging process itself.� Current methods for applying tags to digital photos in the consumer and professional photography markets rely on humans to review images and then select the appropriate tag(s) that describe the image content. The two problems with this process are that it is labor intensive and tag selection is subjective.� Given that there are an infinite number of tags available to describe general interest photos, and that different photos mean different things to different people, it would be next to impossible to develop an automated method for effectively tagging all photos.
However, if we instead consider a group of photos from a defined audience with a shared perspective (with variances), the tagging process can then become a candidate for automation. The construction industry is such an audience and each construction project provides an opportunity for shared perspective that enables a finite number of tags to have relevance for a bulk of the audience.� As we move closer to the launch of the Geedra Online Photo-Data Solution, I look forward to exploring next leap in productivity gains that Photo-Data will make possible.
Tags: construction photo documentation, construction photography, construction photos, construction productivity, construction technology, construction video, Construction Webcams, Geedra, IT for construction, photo-data
Minkow to Plead Guilty in Lennar Insider-Trading Case
New Apartment Projects are in motion for Little Rock and North Little Rock
Two apartment projects are in the works after seven-digit land deals, and two existing projects rang up seven-digit sales.
Real estate agent facing fraud charges
A Bay area real estate agent is facing scheming to defraud charges. Barbara D. Lockett was arrested Friday by officers with the Clearwater Police Department.
Construction News Headlines for May 31, 2011
Contractors Build Up BIM In-House
In years past contracting firms tended to outsource building information modeling (BIM) efforts but Dan Bayer, director of virtual construction for Miron Construction, is beginning to see an industry trend where contractors are taking the BIM process back in house. (More at ConstrucTech.com. . . )
Code-Plus Construction Program Fortifies Buildings Against Disasters
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) announces a new program
Real estate agent facing fraud charges
A Bay area real estate agent is facing scheming to defraud charges. Barbara D. Lockett was arrested Friday by officers with the Clearwater Police Department.
New contracts for Stewart Milne Timber Systems
Stewart Milne Timber Systems has announced the company has secured 5m in new contracts for projects throughout the UK in both the public and private sectors and range from hotel extensions and new builds to a 300-bed student accommodation development for an English university. In addition the company will supply timber systems for five separate private housing contracts and affordable housing developments in Inverness and
Coastal Contacts Retains U.S. Based Investor Relations Firm
Coastal Contacts Inc. , the world's largest online retailer of eyeglasses and contact lenses, announced today that it has retained Genesis Select Corporation to initiate a comprehensive institutional investor relations program.
Westfield Group: Global Retail Property
Monday, May 30, 2011
Windsor, Fort Collins extend agreement plan on interchange
Athens Area Association of REALTORS Members Attend NAR Mid-Year Legislative Meetings
Members of the Athens Area Association of REALTORS® attended the National Association of REALTORS® Midyear meetings held May 9 – 12 in Washington, DC.
As Lenders Hold Homes in Foreclosure, Sales Are Hurt
Ameren Missouri restores power to 35,000
Ameren Missouri has restored power to 35,000 customers that lost electric service due to the damage caused by storms that moved through the area Monday afternoon.
Service members grapple with housing market
Depressed property values have become a national crisis. But for members of the military who must comply with relocation orders or face disciplinary action, waiting out the housing crash is often not an option.
Sluggish economy proves tough on sales personnel
The free money is gone. The days of selling a house, opening a brokerage account or selling advertising and cars to nearly anyone and everyone ended when the economy collapsed in 2008.
Llewelyn-Davies Sahni: Llewelyn-Davies Sahni to Lead Two Major Redevelopment Projects in Houston's Midtown District (Market Wire)
and urban design firm in Houston continues to lead two redevelopment / upgrade
projects for Midtown TIRZ and Houston Community College in Houston's historic
Midtown District. The projects will include approximately 90 block fronts in
and around the HCC Central Campus, major open space redevelopment program in
and around the existing campus and construction of a major plaza in the
foreground of the campus's San Jacinto Building.
ETS Election April 26 - May 1
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Construction Contractor's Digest | Construction Executive Advisory
As a practical definition of a fixed cost business, it is one where the fixed cost of the business is greater than 50%. So with each sale, the cost of executing the sale and delivery is a minority (less than 50% of the total cost).
The asset is most of the cost of the transaction. Each month starts off with a large ?nut? to pay for. Generating revenue dollars is critical for this type of business model. If a fixed cost business has paid off its liabilities (which fund the acquisition of the assets), then it can approach 100% gross margin of its sales.
Construction is different, since 80 to 90% of the costs of a firm are the direct costs of projects. All profit is generated by a single purpose: completing projects on time, within budget, safely and with adherence to plans and specifications. There are no other options to generating a profit. The projects are the ?main thing.?
In a fixed cost business, gross margins can be large on each sale, so there is a great incentive to come up with an innovation that increases sales. One innovation or new product can be a ?windfall.? Also, a company can bury mistakes under a pile of profit with a few breakthroughs. Peters?s tremendously in-depth analysis serves a fixed cost business well. Sometimes gross margins on sales can reach over 90%, so an innovation can reap great rewards. The energy spent on finding a better way or product is justified.
Take the example for a new use of an asset such as an airplane. One use is for passengers, but another may be for, 2) package shipments, or 3) use as a charter for private corporations. An innovative idea is to adopt number 2 or 3. The cost of the asset stays the same, but the revenue steam can be increased.
As a simple example, if passengers and package shipments are sent at the same time, revenue dollars are increased and extra operating cost rises minimally. More profit is a result.
Uncovering a way to make an asset more productive especially a machine, intellectual property or even a person can be a boon to a fixed cost business.
In another way, the fixed assets are visible to competitors and others. This makes these kinds of companies a sitting duck. Where private or public, a steel plant or a retail store is a stationary thing viewable upon a public visit. It is hard to be invisible and discrete. So innovating and becoming a moving target is a necessary strategy. That is, if a firm is to beat the competition and thus improve profits quarter to quarter.
Take the firms and leaders who have appeared on the cover of Business Week, Forbes, Fortune, and other leading periodicals or that have been featured in ?In Search of Excellence,? ?From Good to Great,? etc. Many are bankrupt or have a diminished presence in their markets. This is not a reflection on books or their authors, it is a reflection on the nature of U.S. capitalism. Legendary leaders live and die. Many times their company has no equal replacement to them. Also, business conditions change, so the company?s fortunes flag. ?Creative destruction? is a real phenomenon.
This is an excerpt from our recent book, The Practical Construction MBA (2011, 458 pages) for more information ? go to : http://stevensci.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SCII&Category_Code=PCMBABook
Glass/Wood House
Service members grapple with housing market
Depressed property values have become a national crisis. But for members of the military who must comply with relocation orders or face disciplinary action, waiting out the housing crash is often not an option.
Layne Christensen Announces Fiscal 2012 First Quarter Earnings
Aesthetic of appropriation hits new heights of wonder
Zandi's Housing Forecast Still Brighter Than His Peers'
Mortgage Finance Overhaul to Raise Costs, Reduce Homeownership
Saturday, May 28, 2011
As Investors Pull Back, Existing-Home Sales Slip
High winds down trees, lines in Townsend area
Strong winds around the Townsend area downed trees and electric lines shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday.
Prince Charles plugs his eco-village vision with electric car scheme
Leighton chair pulls rug from under King (The Australian)
King returning to the board.
Are there non- or less-toxic bathtubs?
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Leslie Salt Lake City, UT
I have a nice old bathtub that was probably made in the U.S., that needs replacing. I am concerned with the level of lead and other toxins that may be in the new tubs, the metal itself, and/or the enamel which covers it. Can you help?
Answer
We're building a new home on the Big Island, Hawaii. We have to ship in most of our materials. Can we be green?
I feel your pain, Kelly -- it must be rough living in an island paradise! But seriously, you do face a unique set of variables when considering the overall sustainability of your new home project. Everything that you will build with is going to be shipped over 3,000 miles.
Without doing the calculations on what combination of building materials will allow you the smallest carbon footprint, I would recommend you look into Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). These
I've read about the green countertop materials available. Which would be good choices for a bathroom?
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Pam Venice, FL
The counter would hold two sinks, undermounted if possible, or molded into the countertop.
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Answered by
Karen Smuland
Bend, OR
Karen Smuland Architect
Bob Clark of Clayco, on the Urge to Build
Bob Clark of Clayco says he had a hard time focusing in school, but always knew he was drawn to the building industry.
Winter: A Great Time to Inspect Your Home's Foundation
Draw Your Home's Footprint. Make a basic sketch of the outline of your home using a computer drawing program, graph paper or plain paper. Be sure to indicate doors and windows.
Inspect Your Doors and Windows. Whenever an opening is cut or created in a wall, such as a door or window, it becomes the weakest point in the wall. Because of this, doors and windows often display the first signs of settlement. Three common observations to look for include: 1) gaps between the frame and door or window, 2) cracks extending from the corners of doors or windows, and 3) the separation of a door or window from the framing or exterior finish. You can also check for misalignment by opening and shutting doors and windows to see that they are operating properly and that they lock or latch properly too. Note any of these signs on your sketch.
Check Your Floor. Walk through your home and note any abrupt changes in the floor such as cracks, sudden drop offs or rises. You may even notice the floors dropping and separating from walls, forming a gap between the floor and the wall.
Another way to check if your floors are sloping is to take a gas or laser level and set it on the floor of the main level pointing toward the walls. Measure the difference between the laser line and the floor on one side of the room and compare it to the distance between the laser line and the floor on the opposite side of the room. Make a note of any differences on your sketch.
Check Your Walls and Ceilings for Cracks. Cracks in drywall throughout the house are a good indicator of settlement and may be more obvious in the uppermost levels of your house. Look for these common signs and note them on your drawing: 1) drywall cracks extending from the corners of doors and windows 2) cracks that follow drywall seams 3) drywall tape buckling, pulling or ripping. Note on your sketch the direction, width and severity of the cracks.
Check Your Interior Foundation Walls. In this step, look for cracks on the interior of your crawlspace foundation walls or basement walls. On basement and foundation walls built of concrete block, horizontal cracks and cracks that form stair-step like patterns along the mortar lines are common and a sign of settlement; however, for basement walls constructed of poured concrete, vertical cracks are more common.
Inspect the Exterior of Your Home. Finally, walk around the outside of your home and visually look for any shifting, sinking or other movement, especially around chimneys and patios. Since most chimneys are built on a foundation not connected to the house, they are at a greater risk for settlement and will separate away from the home.
In brick homes, stair step cracking along the mortar lines is a common sign of foundation settlement. As the home settles further, vertical cracks may widen, indicating that the wall is rotating outward.
If after your inspection you notice any of the following: 1) cracks that grow and shrink in size over time, 2) foundation walls that are visibly bowed, or 3) leaning or sloping floors, then it is probably time to contact a professional contractor that specializes in structural repairs. Jesse Waltz, Professional Engineer and President of JES, a local company that specializes in foundation repair and has worked on thousands of homes, cautions against ignoring these signs. "Foundation settlement problems do not go away on their own, and in many cases, they actually get worse," says Waltz.
Fortunately, a home experiencing foundation settlement issues can be permanently stabilized. According to Waltz, "JES uses engineered solutions that transfer the weight of the home from the unstable soils to competent load-bearing soil. When left untreated, not only does the structure become more and more unstable and unsafe, but the value of the home declines too."
On Assignment: High school students learn more about construction industry
High school students learned more about how careers in the construction industry could open doors to a successful, profitable future.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Robert A.M. Stern
Huffines Launches New Dallas Master Planned Community
Record's New Editor in Chief
Markup and Profit Blog | We like to see the Good Guys Win!
My friend, Abe WalkingBear Sanchez, tells it like it is and in a discussion we had recently, he said, ?Any contractor that would build a job out of his or her own pocket is crazy.? I could not agree more.
If your payment schedule is 1/3, 1/3 and 1/3, you are working out of your own pocket for much of the job.
If you are building government jobs, either for a city, county, state or federal government, in most cases you are working out of your own pocket.
If you are doing commercial work, and you sign a contract that says you get no down payment and that you will get paid in 30 days, 60 days or whenever, you are working out of your own pocket.
If you are a specialty contractor, and you sign on with a general contractor and he tells you that you will be paid when he gets paid, you are working out of your own pocket.
Gang, you don?t have to do that. You should not be doing any job where you have to take money out of your pocket to pay any portion of the job upfront, regardless of who you are working for. Why do some clients believe that a contractor must lend them the money to get the job built? That?s what you are doing when you pay for a job out of your pocket.
This is one of the major reasons for cash flow problems in a construction related business. Think it through before you write contracts with a 1/3, 1/3 and 1/3 payment schedule, or sign for a job that requires you to front the money. It hurts your business, and too often, that means it hurts your family.
PMI Seminar
Construction News Headlines for May 27, 2011
Battle Brewing over PLA for San Diego Convention Center Expansion
Plans for the $550-million expansion of the San Diego Convention Center took a big step forward with Mayor Jerry Sanders’ proposal for the largest chunk of financing for project. But a contractor group called the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction is already voicing opposition to any labor agreement that would mandate hiring union workers on the project. The group also expressed its concern that
Foster Wheeler to Present at Credit Suisse Engineering & Construction Conference
Stannah Maxilifts make Kent school more accessible for staff, visitors and mobility compromised students
The addition of two Stannah Maxilifts has helped take St George's Church of England Foundation School (a mixed, 11 - 18 Business & Enterprise secondary school for 1,200 students in Broadstairs, Kent) into the 21st century, while also meeting the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.The Stannah Maxilift M MRLi passenger lifts has made the brand new educational facilities more accessible for staff, visitors and mobility
SGS Industrial Services to provide inspection services for storm water drainage project in Chennai, India
SGS Industrial Services in India have announced they have won a tender to provide complex inspection services for storm water drainage project in Chennai, India, issued by the Corporation of Chennai, the oldest municipal institution in India, in July 2010. During the 26-month contract, SGS will provide a wide range of inspection services, including Construction Supervision and Quality Assurance and Quality Control.In order to
Austin real estate round-up: May 25
Here is a round-up listing of recent deals and announcements in the Austin real estate market since last Wednesday: Drs.
Times: New Gates Foundation headquarters reflects charity's roots - and reach
In 2006, a team from Seattle's NBBJ architecture firm met with Melinda Gates to review drawings of buildings for a new Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters the architects had created according to her specifications.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Selling Through the Downturn
New arena would have 1,300 more seats
KB Home?s West L.A. Condominiums Certified to LEED-Platinum
Located in the walkable Playa Vista neighborhood, the 52-unit Primera Terra building includes energy- and water-efficient products and indoor-air-quality-boosting features.
Stocks turn higher as crude oil tops $100 a barrel
In this file photo taken May 12, 2011, specialist Ned Zelles, center, works at his post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
McBains Cooper partner with EC Harris for public sector facility management review and rationalisation of Jordan's public buildings
Funded by the World Bank, the Privatisation Commission of the Jordanian Government is planning to rationalise its property department - and the management of up to 10,000 public buildings. The Jordanian government's initiative will be seen as a pioneering and cutting edge move in the region. The project will help the Jordanian government to drive efficiencies in the operations of buildings.The Jordanian government has appointed
Training Seminar
Usually We Work Harder Than This
Like most companies Cygnus Business Media conducts annual planning and we just completed two days of it in Lake Geneva, WI. Here’s what the Construction Group (composed of sales, marketing, editorial serving the heavy, commercial, and residential markets) looked like during the last session of the last day…Weather was way too nice to stay indoors for our “outside the box” brainstorming session so we moved to a nearby park (the local pub couldn’t accommodate all of us).
Construction News Headlines for May 26, 2011
ARTBA Calls Boehner “Hypocritical” on Gas Tax Impact on Jobs
When House Speaker John Boehner called raising the gasoline tax to pay for infrastructure improvements a ‘job destroyer,’ American Road & Transportation Builders Association Spokesman Matt Jeanneret called the statement hypocritical. “The House-passed FY 2012 Ryan budget resolution would cut federal transportation investment next year by 30%, including up to a $14-billion cut in aid to the states for highway
USC lands Watch List OL Tuerk
USC picked up a commitment from one of the top offensive lineman in the West region as Max Tuerk announced for the Trojans.
$18 million exemplary damage award upheld against Qwest in lineman's fall
A Denver jury properly awarded $18 million in exemplary damages to Xcel transmission lineman Andrew Blood who sued Qwest after he was paralyzed when a Qwest telephone pole he was on broke from internal rot, the Colorado Supreme Court said today.
Eminent domain bill hearing packs Rep.'s Hall
Action on House Bill 648 to amend the state's eminent domain law to prohibit takings of private land for electrical transmission lines except for projects directed to "system reliability" began its journey through the 24-member state Senate last week.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
FourPlans: Country Strong
Homey, feel-good designs that are sure to capture attention from home buyers.
Robins & Morton: Auburn University Basketball Arena
May Newsletter
...
Atlantic Yards Developer Draws Criticism From Unions
MSite biometric access control and workforce management solution deployed by Carillion on Southmead Hospital project
Carillion has secured financial close of the 430 million Southmead super hospital project which is being built in Bristol in February 2010 and has subsequently completed phase 1 and 2 with the support of Human Recognition systems and MSite.Carillion aim to complete the project on time and on budget, with the assistance of MSite, the biometric access control and workforce management solution from Human Recognition Systems. The
No consensus for 2nd quarter GDP growth
Suburban real estate groups plan merger
The Mainstreet Organization of Realtors and the Realtor Association of Northwest Chicagoland on Tuesday announced a merger that would create the largest Realtor association in Illinois and the fourth largest in the country.
Construction News Headlines for May 25, 2011
Volvo CE: ‘Good Distribution Insufficient to Succeed Today’
The new chief executive of Volvo Construction Equipment, Pat Olney, used his first address to the global press to emphasize that his company’s “massive product renewal program” positions it to benefit from buoyant emerging markets such as those found in Brazil, Russia, India and China. “Although necessary, good distribution is insufficient to succeed in the new-look construction industry,” Olney said. “To
Times: New Gates Foundation headquarters reflects charity's roots - and reach
In 2006, a team from Seattle's NBBJ architecture firm met with Melinda Gates to review drawings of buildings for a new Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters the architects had created according to her specifications.
Golf Tournament
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Diversified Global Holdings Group, Inc.: Diversified Global Holdings Group Acquires an Equity Position in Banyan Development LLC (Market Wire)
today announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of Banyan
Development LLC. Under the terms of the acquisition, DGHG purchased 48 percent
of the outstanding equity of Banyan Development.
My New Orleans: Allen Eskew
Barton Malow: Construction Services
SAHA, homeowners agree to settle in Mirasol case
The San Antonio Housing Authority board of commissioners voted Monday to accept a $20 million settlement in the long-standing lawsuit against Magi Realty Inc.
Construction News Headlines for May 24, 2011
AGC Calls Feds to Refocus Infrastructure Programs for Fiscal Austerity
The Associated General Contractors outlined major changes needed to federal infrastructure programs to refocus on projects that are in the national interest and to restore public confidence in those programs. Reform recommendations are based on a new analysis the association conducted that identified a lack of focus and significant inefficiencies with the current approach to many federal programs. (More at
Landia's Mixers and Air Jets play a vital role in transforming Singapore landfill into wetland biodiversity site
Part of the major Punggol Promenade project, which was recently opened by Singapores Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, the new Lorong Halus Wetland includes two 70m long, 30m wide treatment lagoons for leachate, both with a capacity of 6300m3. Located in north-eastern Singapore along the eastern bank of Serangoon Reservoir, Lorong Halus Wetland is now an educational and biodiversity site. Mixers and Air Jets from Landia have
SGS India to carry out comprehensive Project Management Services for the construction of ONGC Corporate Office in Kolkata
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), a state-owned oil and gas company in India, plans to set up new state-of-the-art corporate offices across various Indian cities due to major growth. Part of this project includes the establishment of a corporate office, in compliance with Green Building requirements, in Kolkata, India. In order to ensure the highest quality of the construction project in terms of safety, time and costs,
Overcoming a Fear of Plumbing Jobs: The Pragmatist
Help with the two easiest home plumbing tasks ? installing a new shower head and a new faucet.
Service members grapple with housing market
Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Ballek thought the four-bedroom house bordered by sage bushes and mountain roads on the edge of Las Vegas was a good deal when he purchased it for his growing family in 2007.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Franchise co. leader says 'extreme service' is key for real estate agents
By Glenn Roberts Jr. , Monday, May 23, 2011. Inman News Sherry Chris During a visit to Northern California in April, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC President and CEO Sherry Chris spent a day shadowing a Sonoma-area real estate agent and visiting open houses.
Times: New Gates Foundation headquarters reflects charity's roots - and reach
In 2006, a team from Seattle's NBBJ architecture firm met with Melinda Gates to review drawings of buildings for a new Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters the architects had created according to her specifications.
EnQuest eyes 26% goal
ENQUEST has said it is on course to meet its targeted 26% increase in production this year and reiterated its criticism of the hike in North Sea taxes in the Budget in March, writes Mark Williamson.
Steel firm to axe 1,500 jobs in UK
A Government task force has been set up to help workers at steel giant Tata after the firm dealt a "devastating blow" by announcing 1,500 job losses.
Parsons Brinckerhoff joint venture wins LA metro extension
ConnectLAX, a joint venture of Parsons Brinckerhoff and consultant STV, has been awarded a contract to provide environmental and preliminary design services for an extension of the Metro Green Line light rail to Los Angeles International Airport .
Shaw Renews and Expands Contract with Albemarle
ISG Jackson selected for Stoke Quays waterfront development in Ipswich
The multi-million urban regeneration project in the historic docklands area of Ipswich will see the creation of 386 new homes and commercial premises on the disused brownfield site bordering Stoke Quay. ISG Jackson has been appointed for the initial phase of the project. The first phase of this ambitious development commences late May with the demolition of a range of buildings currently occupying the site, including a former
Eurovia Roadstone fits proximity sensors to heavy goods vehicles to improve road safety
A study by the Transport Research Laboratory found that 23 out of 92 fatal collisions in London were a result of large vehicles turning left. In Britain, on average, 2706 cyclists are killed or seriously injured on our highways and a large percentage of these accidents involve lorries turning left as they do not have clear visibility of cyclists alongside the vehicle due to blind spots. With 38 liveried vehicles delivering
Construction News Headlines for May 23, 2011
Senate Finance Committee Weighs Options to Pay for Transport
The Senate Finance Committee examined numerous proposals to increase federal revenue for transportation projects during a hearing last week. Taxes on vehicle miles traveled were considered (and the Mileage Based User Fee Alliance issued a fact sheet answering frequently asked questions), as were transportation tax-credit bonds. (More at ForConstructionPros.com . . . )
Manhattan Builders Plan Big Decade for Towers
More than
From Photos to Photo-Data
Some time in the 1970?s, dedicated word processors were introduced to the world providing writers with a set of tools that enabled them to control the presentation of their words, not just the content. For the first time since Mr. Gutenberg made the pen obsolete as a publishing mechanism, writers regained a measure of control of the presentation of their words from the typesetter. Thus began a transformation where communication with written words moved from a sterile process of repeating the authors characters to a nuanced presentation that conveyed, context, emphasis and intent.
In 1983, Microsoft introduced Word. Word not only continued the evolution of the presentation tools of its earlier counterparts, but it eventually established .doc as a generally accepted standard for digital document files. And with standardization, comes efficiency, predictability and eventually innovation. Since the files in an archive of .doc?s all behave in the same way, it is possible to explore millions of documents at a time and zero-in on the nuance of a four-word phrase within seconds.
Such innovation in searching eventually led to the use of tags (or metadata) to identify details within a document, allowing for categorized searching. A practice commonly used in blogs and social media (aka Web 2.0 applications.)
Begin Search: "Ark of the Covenant"
A similar transformation is underway with digital photos. As a whole, the digital photo universe is just beginning to move beyond the storage and display of pictures on a screen to the nuanced presentation of photos complete with context, emphasis and intent. The Photo-Data era has begun.
Without tag data, photos are opaque collections of 1?s and 0?s that yield no information about the content represented by the visual images they contain. Tags offer us the ability to search through gobs of photo-data without the need for us to visually interpret each individual image.
The one drawback to tags is the tagging process itself.� Current methods for applying tags to digital photos in the consumer and professional photography markets rely on humans to review images and then select the appropriate tag(s) that describe the image content. The two problems with this process are that it is labor intensive and tag selection is subjective.� Given that there are an infinite number of tags available to describe general interest photos, and that different photos mean different things to different people, it would be next to impossible to develop an automated method for effectively tagging all photos.
However, if we instead consider a group of photos from a defined audience with a shared perspective (with variances), the tagging process can then become a candidate for automation. The construction industry is such an audience and each construction project provides an opportunity for shared perspective that enables a finite number of tags to have relevance for a bulk of the audience.� As we move closer to the launch of the Geedra Online Photo-Data Solution, I look forward to exploring next leap in productivity gains that Photo-Data will make possible.
Tags: construction photo documentation, construction photography, construction photos, construction productivity, construction technology, construction video, Construction Webcams, Geedra, IT for construction, photo-data
Strains Visible in Homes Data
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Foreclosure flood may not have crested yet
April Newsletter
Edmonton Real Estate Market Weekly Update - May 20, 2011
Here is our update on the Edmonton real estate market. . For the past 7 days: New listings: 562 # Sales: 311 Ratio: 55% # Price changes: 314 # Expired/Off Market Listings: 146 Net loss/gain in listings this week: 105 Active single family home listings: 2999 Active condo listings: 1890 Homes 4-week running average: $383k Condos 4-week running ...
Top lineman commits
A blue-chip offensive lineman from suburban Philadelphia has become the eighth member of Penn State's 2012 football recruiting class.
Shorewood sets limits on street-corner fundraising
A new ordinance will limit the frequency of street-corner fundraising within the village.
SunCal Swaps New Army Quarters for Prime Land
In the largest-ever exchange agreement with the U.S. Army Reserve, SunCal is trading its development services for 180 acres of Bay Area real estate.
Training Seminar
Fare trade: Is a Great Lakes Bay Region public transit service feasible?
Cecilia Thomas, of Saginaw, steps off the Bay Metro green line after riding it from SVSU to Delta college where she is enrolled in classes.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
DOJ clears Caterpillar acquisition of Bucyrus
Caterpillar Inc.'s planned buyout of Bucyrus International Inc. has cleared a U.S. antitrust review.
Doco tax assessments mailed
More than 35,000 tax assessment notices were mailed to property owners in Dougherty County this week in compliance with Senate Bill 346, and for most property owners it should be good news.
Four Lehr Construction Executives Charged With Fraud
Raising walls and hope with Habitat for Humanity
Potential $270K Savings to Mamaroneck Village From Garbage Route Consolidation
Consultants' report to trustees sees savings as big as $270,000 a year through route consolidation and elimination of backyard pickup.
DOJ clears Caterpillar acquisition of Bucyrus
Caterpillar Inc.'s planned buyout of Bucyrus International Inc. has cleared a U.S. antitrust review.
Kansas City contractors largely hold strong in Engineering News-Record ranking
The Great Recession took a toll on contractors, but many of the seven Kansas City-area companies featured on Engineering News-Record 's list of the nation's top 400 contractors held steady or gained in the rankings.
Shaw Renews and Expands Contract with Albemarle
Friday, May 20, 2011
Deere 2Q net income jumps 65 percent as sales grow
In this May 16, 2011 photo, John Deere riding lawn mowers are displayed at a Home Depot in North Fayette Township, Pa.
Analysis: Obama jolt unlikely to spark peace talks
Minority Business Leader Award Honoree Steve Cardwell
SunCal Swaps New Army Quarters for Prime Land
In the largest-ever exchange agreement with the U.S. Army Reserve, SunCal is trading its development services for 180 acres of Bay Area real estate.
Construction News Headlines for May 20, 2011
Deere Reports Record Second-Quarter Income of $904 Million
Net income attributable to Deere & Co. was $904.3 million, or $2.12 per share, for the second quarter ended April 30, soaring more than 65% over the $547.5 million, or $1.28 per share, recorded for the same period last year. Construction & Forestry Division sales climbed 46% for the quarter, yet remain about 20% below the division’s 2006 sales peak. (More at ForConstructionPros.com . . . )
2011 Mid-Year
Lakesmere wins Product Performance Award for the design and installation of the London Aquatics Centre's roof package
Lakesmere has secured a top prize in recognition of its work on the iconic London Aquatics Centre at the Balfour Beatty London Aquatics Centre Supplier Awards.The award ceremony celebrates the contributions made by suppliers to the successful creation of the London Aquatics Centre and out of the 135 companies involved in the scheme, Lakesmere was one of just 15 who were shortlisted for a prize. Lakesmere received the Product
Homebuilder sentiment still at low levels
New President for Trainor Glass Company
Trainor Glass Company designs, engineers and installs glass products and framing systems in virtually every architectural application, including new construction, green building solutions, building rehabilitation, storefronts and entrances, tenant interiors, and custom specialty work. Trainor Glass has announced that Brian T. Clark will succeed Tom Trainor as President of Trainor Glass Company. As CFO, Tom Trainor will focus on
The great switch by the super rich
Wealthy Americans used to finance the government through tax payments. Now, they just lend it money.
Post Market Earning Scan: VAL, CRME, DKS, DELL (iStock Analysis)
companies declared their quarterly earnings. Few companies are scheduled to
declare their earnings before the opening bell Tuesday. Some notable earners
are discussed here.[More...]