Housing News
Kyocera presents double screen, first to offer simultasking
Is it a mini laptop? Is it a tablet split in half? Is it two smartphones welded together? Sprint today announced the Kyocera Echo in a fancy New York City press event that several technologists called a “magic show,” as it was literally emceed by illusionist David Blaine.
So what is so magical about the phone? It has double screens- it’s so intense! Although not the first dual screen smartphone, the Kyocera Echo is the first smartphone to support “simultasking” and “tablet” operational modes, even on 3G. Several are saying this phone will go head to head like other Android winners such as the HTC Evo.
The 3.5″ LCD displays support a total of four modes according to Sprint- simultask, optimized, tablet and standard.
“Extreme multitasking can be magical,” said Kyocera Sr Executive Officer Junzo Katsuki on stage with Sprint CEO Dan Hesse.
This spring, the Kyocera Echo will be available at sprint for a reported $200 with a two year contract. Like the EVO, it can be a wi-fi hotspot for up to five devices (for an additional $30 per month).
The Kyocera Echo offered by Sprint offers a 5-megapixel camera with flash, 720p HD camcorder, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Froyo OS, 1 GB of onboard memory, and has a SD card. It also comes with a spare battery and a charging cradle. Click here for all specifications.
Critics point to a potential for the processes to drain batteries quickly like the HTC EVO, but users are adjusting and vocal critics are now accepting limited batteries on iPhones, EVOs and the like. Critics also note that the phone is relatively heavy and thick which might slow sales.
Overall, we are very excited about the progress in the smartphone industry and the Kyocera Echo along with other aggressively innovative phones just might carve out a larger market share for Sprint. What do you think- how excited are you about double screens and simultasking!?
AG is not affiliated with Sprint. This is not a paid review.
Austin
Austin tops the list of best places to buy a home
When looking to buy a home, taking the long view is important before making such a huge investment – where are the best places to make that commitment?
Housing News
Average age of houses on the rise, so is it now better or worse to buy new?
With aging housing in America, are first-time buyers better off buying new or existing homes? The average age of a home is rising, as is the price of new housing, so a shift could be upon us.
The average home age is higher than ever
(REALUOSO.COM) – In a survey from the Department of Housing and Urban Development American Housing Survey (AHS), the median age of homes in the United States was 35 years old. In Texas, homes are a bit younger with the median age between 19 – 29 years. The northeast has the oldest homes, with the median age between 50 – 61 years. In 1985, the median age of a home was only 23 years.
With more houses around 40 years old, the National Association of Realtors asserts that homeowners will have to undertake remodeling and renovation projects before selling unless the home is sold as-is, in which case the buyer will be responsible to update their new residence. Even homeowners who aren’t selling will need to consider remodeling for structural and aesthetic reasons.
Prices of new homes on the rise
Newer homes cost more than they used to. The price differential between new homes and older homes has increased from 10 percent traditionally to around 37 percent in 2014. This is due to rising construction costs, scarcity of lots, and a low inventory of new homes that doesn’t meet the demand.
Click here to continue reading this story…
Housing News
Are Realtors the real loser in the fight between Zillow Group and Move, Inc.?
The last year has been one of dramatic and rapid change in the real estate tech sector, but Realtors are vulnerable, and we’re worried.
Why Realtors are vulnerable to these rapid changes
(REALUOSO.COM) – Corporate warfare demands headlines in every industry, but in the real estate tech sector, a storm has been brewing for years, which in the last year has come to a head. Zillow Group and Move, Inc. (which is owned by News Corp. and operates ListHub, Realtor.com, TopProducer, and other brands) have been competing for a decade now, and the race has appeared to be an aggressive yet polite boxing match. Last year, the gloves came off, and now, they’ve drawn swords and appear to want blood.
Note: We’ll let you decide which company plays which role in the image above.
So how then, does any of this make Realtors the victims of this sword fight? Let’s get everyone up to speed, and then we’ll discuss.
1. Zillow poaches top talent, Move/NAR sues
It all started last year when the gloves came off – Move’s Chief Strategy Officer (who was also Realtor.com’s President), Errol Samuelson jumped ship and joined Zillow on the same day he phoned in his resignation without notice. He left under questionable circumstances, which has led to a lengthy legal battle (wherein Move and NAR have sued Zillow and Samuelson over allegations of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and misappropriation of trade secrets), with the most recent motion being for contempt, which a judge granted to Move/NAR after the mysterious “Samuelson Memo” surfaced.
Salt was added to the wound when Move awarded Samuelson’s job to Move veteran, Curt Beardsley, who days after Samuelson left, also defected to Zillow. This too led to a lawsuit, with allegations including breach of contract, violation of corporations code, illegal dumping of stocks, and Move has sought restitution. These charges are extremely serious, but demanded slightly less attention than the ongoing lawsuit against Samuelson.
2. Two major media brands emerge
Last fall, the News Corp. acquisition of Move, Inc. was given the green light by the feds, and this month, Zillow finalized their acquisition of Trulia.
…Click here to continue reading this story…
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Bryan Thompson
February 9, 2011 at 3:12 pm
Ugh…I don’t know. This may be – if it’s possible – too much technology. Nobody needs to be on the road with this thing. I can barely operate my kid’s DS. Two screens on a smartphone? I can see where they’re trying to get an upper hand here, and maybe they will for all I know. Just don’t see that working for me.
Would you use it?
Lani Rosales
February 9, 2011 at 3:18 pm
I’m sticking with my HTC EVO but when that gets old and I need something shiny and new, it’ll probably be dual screen 🙂
Ralph Bell
February 9, 2011 at 6:22 pm
But how does the phone work? All the bells and whistles are great but the phone and the quality of the conversation still must exist. Believe it or not some of us still actually use our phones to talk. You never here anything in the ads anymore about the quality of the conversation.
Lani Rosales
February 9, 2011 at 6:25 pm
Yeah, you’re right. I’m finding great coverage on my EVO in Austin, Sprint’s got good coverage… tell me again what you’re using (and what network)?? You’re AT&T iPhone, aren’t you?
Matt Wilkins
February 9, 2011 at 7:54 pm
Great idea but…
No 4G, no front facing camera, and otherwise same specs as an EVO?
No Thanks