The Art of Allen

The RadRover 6 Plus claims to be a complete reinvention of one of the most popular ebikes on the market. Does it live up to all of the hype? The post REVIEW: The RadRover 6 Plus is Totally Worth It appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/review-radrover-6-plus-totally-worth/ via IFTTT

It is possible that renovating or expanding your house may be one of the most significant tasks you will undertake in your life.  The post Thinking Of Doing A Large Scale Renovation On Your Home? appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/thinking-large-scale-renovation-home/ via IFTTT

Whether you're looking to entertain guests or just make the place feel more like home, these tips will help you get the most out of your seaside retreat. The post Tips to Amp Up Your Beach House This Summer appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/tips-amp-beach-house-summer/ via IFTTT

If you want to make your house as cozy and comfortable as possible, read on! You'll find a list of tips that will help you breathe new life into your house. The post 6 Ways to Breathe New Life Into Your Old House appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/6-ways-breathe-new-life-old-house/ via IFTTT

Juniper Research says ecommerce payment transactions made via OEM Pay will exceed 30.7 billion globally by 2026. The post Fact of the Day – 3/31/2022 appeared first on Connected World . from Connected World https://connectedworld.com/fact-of-the-day-3-31-2022/ via IFTTT

While light duty trucks, pickups, and delivery vans, are popular with consumers they are vital for construction companies. Heavier trucks are just as important for moving material and supplies from site to site. The transportation network that is the major link in the supply chain depends on heavy vehicles. But those larger trucks are also a significant source of emissions and pollution. The  U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency ) is proposing new, stronger standards to promote clean air and reduce pollution from heavy-duty vehicles and engines starting in model year 2027. The proposed standards would reduce emissions of smog- and soot-forming NOx (nitrogen oxides) from heavy-duty gasoline and diesel engines and set updated (greenhouse gases) standards for certain commercial vehicle categories.  The proposed revisions to existing GHG standards for model year 2027 and beyond would update GHG emissions standards for subsectors where electrif...

IDC says worldwide revenues for the combined enterprise and consumer WLAN markets grew 6.5% year over year in 2021. The post Fact of the Day – 3/30/2022 appeared first on Connected World . from Connected World https://connectedworld.com/fact-of-the-day-3-30-2022/ via IFTTT

Metaverse. What will the metaverse eventually provide to construction businesses? Is there, in fact, such a thing as the metaverse? The metaverse is still more of a buzzword and vision than a fully-fledged end goal with a defined arrival date. And the impact for construction companies is even less defined. What we have today are tech companies building their version of a “multiverse,” but this is not fully interconnected, does not yet widely employ open standards, and certainly has not fully embraced XR (extended reality)—all tenets of the metaverse vision. Despite all the headlines and investments, the metaverse will not arrive in 2022 or, for that matter, within the typical 5-year forecast window, according to ABI Research. One missing piece is an ability to connect all the diverse pieces that are supposed to make up the metaverse. While the internet is the logical connector, the reality is that the 5G network is going to be the missing link to connect all the pieces, many of whic...

The cry of “supply-chain issues” to explain material cost increases and delays has been common during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since February, however, a new element has entered the picture: war in Ukraine. Considering the large number of first and second-generation workers with ties to Ukraine and Russia, the daily news of the war will have personal impact on many crews in the field as well as in the offices of construction companies across the globe. Employee safety should be the first concern during times of war. While many organizations narrowly focus on physical safety, it’s important not to overlook how geopolitical shocks might impact employees’ mental and emotional  well-being . They may have family in the affected area, connect the situation with past trauma, be challenged financially by sanctions, or see existing mental-health conditions exacerbated. Especially when you look at a holistic picture of well-being, even the safety of those employees who aren’t physically locat...

When you’re trying to protect your lawn from pests, it can seem like the whole world is against you. The post Find Out How To Protect Your Lawn From Harmful Bugs and Insects appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/find-protect-lawn-harmful-bugs-insects/ via IFTTT

Time to think powerless tools. And for good reason. During the month of March alone, the price of gasoline has been rising steadily and by March 7, the U.S. had hit an average gasoline price of $4.17 per gallon, far surpassing an all-time high, and even higher in small cities that lack competition, according to the AAA. And as the month is coming to a close gasoline prices have continued to rise surpassing record highs. The first thought is to save gas on transportation, but the second is to look to gas-powered equipment in use on and off jobsites that could benefit from being replaced by electric units. Power tool companies are working to supply the battery-powered replacements and alert buyers to those options. Among them is Makita , a company that has a wide array of professional cordless outdoor equipment powered by 18V lithium-ion slide-style batteries. Makita continues to meet the growing demand for “greener” alternatives to gas equipment with expansion of its cordless OPE (out...

Gartner says only 29% of IT workers have high intent to stay with current employer. The post Fact of the Day – 3/29/2022 appeared first on Connected World . from Connected World https://connectedworld.com/fact-of-the-day-3-29-2022/ via IFTTT

Today’s challenging global landscape is weighing on an already competitive construction market. As a result, commercial contractors have accelerated their adoption of technologies to protect and grow marketshare, differentiate project delivery, and “future proof” their businesses against what is likely to be more tumultuous times ahead. In order to achieve their objectives, contractors require reliable, secure, and scalable systems that deliver data-driven decision-making and collaboration between jobsites, backoffices, and third-party vendors. With the right ERP (enterprise resource planning) software solutions in place, their goals are quickly becoming realized. Business Intelligence, Business Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence What used to sound like science fiction—business intelligence, business analytics, and artificial intelligence—are now commonly used terms to describe the role of data in today’s business management systems. Data is the heartbeat of every successful com...

Did you know our homes use 37% more energy today than they did in 1980? Those numbers come directly from the U.S. Dept. of Energy . The solution to bring the rapid surge in energy down just might come in the form of technology. By incorporating technologies that help make homes more efficient, ENERGY STAR estimates homeowners can save between $200 and $400 annually on their energy bills—something many homeowners need today as energy costs continue to skyrocket upwards. Today, let’s look at three tech tips to consume less energy in our homes —some of these you might know about and some of these you might not—but all will have a lasting impact on your energy consumption in the years ahead. Smart HVAC Heating and cooling costs account for the majority of a home’s energy consumption. To help, automated HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems can maintain an energy-efficient temperature when homeowners are not in the house. Perhaps the first and most obvious place to s...

ABI Research says by 2030, 10% of all smartphones will have a foldable screen. The post Fact of the Day – 3/28/2022 appeared first on Connected World . from Connected World https://connectedworld.com/fact-of-the-day-3-28-2022/ via IFTTT

The image of a large truck going down the highway with no one in the cab was once a science fiction staple—usually in a horror movie. Today, it is becoming more of a reality, although there is often a human in the cab, just in case. But in the rough world of quarrying, where few vehicles are working at any time, the idea of autonomous trucks is taking hold. BTA (Bell Trucks of America) , Houston is known for providing North America best-in-class articulated dump trucks and tracked carrier products, service and support via a network of national dealers. The company is the master distributor of Bell Equipment’s world class haulage products for the USA and Mexico Bell Trucks America recently signed an exclusive deal with Pronto AI as their provider of autonomous technology for ADT (articulated dump trucks) in the USA. This comes after months of dedicated work on the project to deliver autonomous drive technology to the Bell ADTs. With the partnership, Bell trucks will be the first c...

If cutting down on the overall weight of your pack isn't enough incentive to give ultralight a try, here are four other reasons to help convince you. The post 4 Reasons to Try Ultralight Backpacking appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/4-reasons-try-ultralight-backpacking/ via IFTTT

The Jase Case is one of those things that you hope you'll never need, but if you do, it could literally save your life. The post REVIEW: Jase Case Emergency Antibiotics Kit appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/review-jase-case-emergency-antibiotics-kit/ via IFTTT

ABI Research says more than 47,000 collaborative robots will ship to warehouses by 2026. The post Fact of the Day – 3/25/2022 appeared first on Connected World . from Connected World https://connectedworld.com/fact-of-the-day-3-25-2022/ via IFTTT

According to McKinsey , subsidies—for capital expenditure on chargers, installation, and power distribution, as well as ongoing costs for operation—can help draw EV charging to areas where it is most needed. Such subsidies can make it economically viable to build chargers in areas where long-term profitability can outweigh short-term costs. Some governments, such as New York City’s, are funding installation costs to build chargers in high-demand areas; others, such as Germany’s, are sponsoring an entire network to be operated by private companies. A successful effort will require modeling of demand, grid capacity, and other factors to determine priorities for investment. As a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Dept. of Energy and Dept. of Transportation will establish a Joint Office of Energy and Transportation focused on deploying EV infrastructure, to collect input and guidance from industry leaders, manufacturers, workers, and others that will focus on building a co...

Strategy Analytics says notebook PCs finish 2021 with record shipments of 268 million units. The post Fact of the Day – 3/24/2022 appeared first on Connected World . from Connected World https://connectedworld.com/fact-of-the-day-3-24-2022/ via IFTTT

As ConEd likes to say, “Dig we must.” And if you are going to dig, especially in an urban area,  better find out what’s under the surface. If you follow normal procedure, you call 8-1-1 and the utility will send out someone to check, often with ground penetrating radar. In Pasco County Florida, that 8-1-1 call might be answered by responders from Find It First Locating Service . The service, in business since 1994, has the “Sunshine 8-1-1 Call Before You Dig” contract with the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, a contract awarded originally to Find It First’s owner, Marie Mancuso. Recently, Find It First was purchased by GeoPoint Surveying and integrated into its Subsurface Utility Locating division .  Mancuso and eight additional employees will transition to the GeoPoint team to support the expanding project schedule and add breadth to the company’s experience with private utility locating and concrete scanning. The group will continue to work from their Hudson, Flo...

Moving for a long distance isn’t easy to handle. Especially if it is a cross-country move, you can be overwhelmed with excitement and anxiety. The post How to Prepare For a Cross-Country Move Without Having Stress? appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/prepare-cross-country-move-without-stress/ via IFTTT

If it wasn’t clear before, it’s definitely clear now; businesses need to able to be agile in the face of change. HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise) wants to help businesses achieve this agility with HPE GreenLake, its infrastructure-as-a-service offering for customers’ workloads—on premises, fully managed in a pay-per-use model at the edge, in colocations, and in customers’ data centers. “Customers are accelerating the digital transformation,” says Antonio Neri, president and CEO, HPE. “They need to be more data first in everything they do, and GreenLake is there as the platform that brings capabilities across edge to cloud in a data-first approach.” The edge-to-cloud platform helps businesses accelerate digital transformation, rapidly deploy services, and simplify operations for a monthly fee. This week, HPE announced some important GreenLake updates, including a dozen new cloud services—and they are divided into three major areas including the NAS (network as a service), local stora...

Environmental concerns often drive innovation and technology advances. As an example, consumer demand for new products in new packages has been one factor in the proliferation of plastics in many different formulae. As the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration notes , plastic is everywhere: In our home, office, school — and ocean. Among the top 10 kinds of trash picked up during the  2017 Intl Coastal Cleanup  were food wrappers, beverage bottles, grocery bags, straws, and take out containers, all made of plastic. While it’s tough to say exactly how much plastic is in the ocean, scientists think about eight million metric tons of plastic entered the ocean in 2010. That’s the weight of nearly 90 aircraft carriers—and the problem continues to grow. Unlike some other kinds of waste,  plastic doesn’t decompose and are a rapidly growing segment of MSW (municipal solid waste). While plastics are found in all major MSW categories, the containers and...

LED lights are becoming more and more popular and for good reason. They are a great way to save money and energy. The post Why Making the Switch to LED Lighting Is Well Worth It appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/making-switch-led-lighting-well-worth/ via IFTTT

IDC says IT product revenue grew 7.2% through top-tier distribution in North America in 2021. The post Fact of the Day – 3/22/2022 appeared first on Connected World . from Connected World https://connectedworld.com/fact-of-the-day-3-22-2022/ via IFTTT

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid global geopolitical conflict, supply-chain disruptions are impacting nearly every industry—and construction is no exception. The result for contractors is higher material prices—think 20% higher year-over-year—and supply delays, just to name a few, but technology can help in more ways than one. On the commercial side of the business, the AGC (Associated General Contractors of America ) says prices of construction materials used in new nonresidential construction jumped more than 21% from February 2021 to February 2022 and noted price announcements made after the February data was collected suggest contractors are experiencing even more cost pressures this month. To address the soaring prices, the AGC suggests new efforts can ease supply-chain backups and public officials can allow change orders to reflect the rapid escalation in material prices. Meanwhile, on the residential side, the NAHB (National Assn. of Home Builders ) says homebuild...

We are in the middle of a blog series, where we are looking at safety trends in construction . Today, let’s look at safety at the construction jobsite. With March being National Ladder Safety Month , the ALI (American Ladder Institute) is raising awareness about ladder safety, in order to decrease the number of ladder-related injuries and fatalities. Every year more than 100 people die in ladder-related accidents and thousands suffer injuries, according to American Ladder Institute—and many agree that falling is one of the leading causes of deaths in the workplace. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Admin.) points to four fatal areas that are the leading causes of fatalities in the workplace: falls, struck by object, electrocutions, and caught-in or caught-between. The largest by far is falling. Roughly 36.5% of all deaths in the workplace occur due to employees falling. Perhaps the solution lies in increasing training, better safety planning, and creating a culture of safety in...

The so-called “gig economy” took off with Uber and Lyft drivers working freelance and getting referrals from an app on smartphones. Need a ride? Home delivery of dinner? An app will locate you and the nearest driver and match you up. But what if a ride—or food delivery—isn’t your immediate problem? If you are on a new construction jobsite, wondering where your nearest supply store might be, an app that can arrange delivery of additional material or tools might be a good thing. Well, someone thought of that app. In Benton Harbor, Michigan, startup Sitedropp is recruiting customers, suppliers, and drivers for an on-demand delivery service for home improvement and construction materials. Sitedropp is doing what it calls a soft launch that will reward a select number of early customers  with extremely discounted, and in some cases complimentary, delivery services. In return, Sitedropp is gathering feedback on its app so that they may provide customers and suppliers with th...

Parks Associates says nearly half of security owners say their system triggers too many false alarms. The post Fact of the Day – 3/21/2022 appeared first on Connected World . from Connected World https://connectedworld.com/fact-of-the-day-3-21-2022/ via IFTTT

The GCCA (Global Cement and Concrete Assn.) might be a little biased when it claims that concrete is the most used human-made material on the planet with 14 billion cubic meters produced every year for use in everything from roads to bridges, tunnels to homes, and hydropower installations to flood defenses. But then again, it’s hard to deny that concrete is used a lot to build our world.   And there is no bias in saying that concrete is an essential element of construction, with no other material widely available equaling its resilience, strength, and wide availability. However, the downside is that production of cement, the key ingredient in concrete, accounts for around 7% of global CO 2  emissions. The new 2030 commitment by the GCCA outlines a significant acceleration in the pace of industry decarbonization. The GCCA has published a detailed roadmap which sets out the path that the industry will follow to fully decarbonize by 2050, a target aligned ...

In 2021, Americans paid 25.1% and 6.5% more for gas utilities and electricity, according to data from the U.S. BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics). This matches the rise in prices in other areas of our lives—gas, food, rent, medical care, you name it. Interestingly, the only other major component index to decline in the past year was airline fares. So, what’s the solution to rising home utility prices? Lowering our bills by lowering our energy consumption. The good news is as homeowners we can save on our home-energy bills by making home-energy upgrades. In fact, in a report released at the end of last year, the ACEEE (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy) suggests deep retrofits can cut a home’s energy use by anywhere from 58-79% and its emissions by 32-56%, depending on the home’s age and regional climate. So, how then can we retrofit our homes to be more energy efficient? Well, it’s time to take a deeper dive into how we can do it. Make Simple Changes Count Small chan...

Building a house is for sure a huge step, that's both exciting, yet can be very tiring and overwhelming. The post Everything You Need to Know About Building a Perfect Home appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/everything-need-know-building-perfect-home/ via IFTTT

A well-maintained roof can last up to 20 years, but this lifespan may be shortened by many factors such as maintenance, weather, and installation. The post What Should You Look For When Repairing a Roof? appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/look-repairing-roof/ via IFTTT

If you're planning on putting your home on the market in the near future, it's essential to consider what needs to be done to fix it up. The post 6 Helpful Tips for Upgrading Your Home Before Selling appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/6-helpful-tips-upgrading-home-selling/ via IFTTT

If you're lucky enough to have air conditioning, you'll need to make sure it's in good condition. That way you can stay cool indoors, all summer long. The post Keep Your AC in Good Condition With These Maintenance Tips appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/keep-ac-good-condition-maintenance-tips/ via IFTTT

Take a proactive approach to keep your personal sphere clean for you and your family. Keep reading for some helpful tips on how to keep your home healthy. The post How to Rid Your Home of Contaminants appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/rid-home-contaminants/ via IFTTT

Keeping your home looking at its best is vital to ensure you preserve its value and have an attractive place to live. The post Curb Appeal: How to Upgrade Your Home’s Exterior appeared first on At Home in the Future . from At Home in the Future https://athomeinthefuture.com/2022/03/curb-appeal-upgrade-homes-exterior/ via IFTTT