“World's Most Complete Neighborpedia”
Sponsor a Community — What is Localism? | Register or Sign In
Explore:   What's happening in your neck of the woods?
Home Ed Hughes, Natick Real Estate

Ed Hughes, Natick Real Estate

Blog_tag

How to pick the Perfect Smartphone

09-23-10
Ed Hughes, Natick Real Estate

By Bridget Carey

RISMEDIA, September 23, 2010--(MCT)--In the past few months we've seen more than a dozen new high-quality smart phones with powerful hardware - and tested them.

So which should you buy? First, decide which service provider you want to use. Not every phone is available from every carrier, and costs for monthly plans can vary significantly. Most phones cost about $200, after rebates and two-year contracts.

That said, software changes quickly, and the carriers are constantly coming out with software upgrades users can download to fix bugs and add features.

But for now, these are the winners in my book:

Larger-than-average screen: HTC Evo 4G on Sprint. Compared to its larger brethren, it's got the best interface and a second camera on the front for video chatting.

Slide-out keyboard: Top-of-the-line choices are AT&T BlackBerry Torch, Verizon Droid 2 and Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G. My pick: Epic for its sharp graphics, spacious keyboard layout, quick and smooth response. It also has an extra camera on the front if you want to video-chat.

Photo-video sharing: The iPhone 4 and HTC's Aria (both AT&T), Evo (Sprint) and Incredible (Verizon). Others new this season, such as the Samsung Galaxy S line of Androids (available on all major carriers), have great cameras, but current software forces all vertical photos to be shared horizontally.

Video watching: It's a toss-up between the iPhone 4 and the Samsung Galaxy S line of Android phones. The iPhone 4 offers Netflix (coming soon to Android), and Android has a Blockbuster app for instantly downloading movies. The Galaxy S is soon to feature a Media Hub - which is like an iTunes for Samsung.

Video chats: Three phones - AT&T's iPhone 4, and Sprint's HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Epic 4G - have front-facing cameras that allow video chatting. It's easiest on the iPhone, but as of now, you can only chat with other iPhone 4 users using Wi-Fi. The video chat apps for the Evo and Epic can use improvement, but they have more flexibility on whom you can chat with and where you can chat.

Mostly business: Any of the latest smart phones can sync Outlook e-mail and calendar. Still, the new BlackBerry Torch is especially popular with businesspeople who are addicted to its messaging interface, keyboard with raised keys and blinking red alert light - though it offers limited multimedia functions and few apps.

Overall Champ: When you compare hardware, screen size and sharpness, battery life, an easy-to-use interface and wide choice of apps, the iPhone 4 tops the list (as long as you solve the known antenna problem with a case). A close second: Samsung Galaxy S phones with Android.

3 Comments
Blog_tag

The Holiday Hit List - See What Toys Are Hot This Year

09-22-10
Ed Hughes, Natick Real Estate

By Joan Verdon

RISMEDIA, September 22, 2010--(MCT)--Memo to Santa, from Jerry Storch and his team of executive elves at Toys "R" Us headquarters in Wayne, N.J.: Here are the toys we're betting you will see on lots of kids' lists this year.

Toys "R" Us released its annual list of hot holiday toys. The retailer selected three dozen toys it expects will be popular this year, and named 15 of those as the hottest of the bunch.

How do you make the list? "It's the toys that will wow the child on Christmas morning, when they wake up," said Lisa Harnish, a Toys vice president. The list, she said, "is a culmination of a yearlong process." Before the list is finalized, top executives and CEO Storch meet and go through hundreds of nominations "to cull it down to get the strongest possible list."

What are the trends: Toys "R" Us continued its practice of recent years of including low-priced toys, such as Hasbro's Cuponk - a game in which you throw a ping pong ball into a plastic cup, that sells for $14.99 - along with big-ticket items such as the $109 Bigfoot the Monster, a robotic toy by Fisher-Price.

What you should keep in mind about the list: Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, Sears and other retailers also prepare their own hot toy lists. The Toys "R" Us list, like those of all retailers, always includes some products sold exclusively at Toys "R" Us, the items the retailer is most likely to be promoting during the holiday season. On this year's top 15 list, four toys are Toys "R" Us exclusives.

Why it matters: The list is an indication of where Toys "R" Us is placing its bets for the fourth quarter. The toys on the list are where the retailer has "gone long," or stocked up, in support of its goal to be the retailer that has the hot toys in stock all the way to Christmas Eve. Last year a big bet on the Zhu Zhu battery-operated hamsters paid off when rivals couldn't get their hands on them. That helped Toys "R" Us lift December same-store sales 4.6 percent.

What's next: 'Tis the season for hot toy lists, and there are a few more on the horizon, the most prominent of which will be released Sept. 28, by Timetoplaymag.com, an online toy magazine and website for toy reviews.

Here is the list:
  • Calico Critters Luxury Townhouse from International Playthings
  • Cuponk from Hasbro Games
  • Disney Princess & Me dolls from JAKKS Pacific
  • Disney Pixar Toy Story 3 Imaginext Tri-County Landfill from Fisher-Price
  • Fast Lane Wild Fire RC from Toys R Us
  • Imaginext Bigfoot the Monster from Fisher-Price
  • Leapster Explorer from LeapFrog
  • Loopz from Mattel
  • Minotaurus from LEGO Systems
  • Monster High Cleo De Nile and Deuce Gorgon doll set from Mattel
  • NERF N-Strike Stampede ECS from Hasbro
  • Pillow Pets from Ontel Products
  • Sing-a-ma-jigs! from Mattel
  • Squinkies Cupcake Surprise! Bake Shop from blip toys
  • Tomica Hypercity Mega Station Set from TOMY

0 Comments
Blog_tag

7 Tips for Fall Tree Maintenance

09-21-10
Ed Hughes, Natick Real Estate

RISMEDIA, September 21, 2010--Trees are often overlooked during the summer when it comes to watering. Yet, when trees go dormant for autumn and winter - meaning active root growth comes to a standstill - and deciduous trees lose their leaves, they make up for deficits and absorb as much water and nutrients as they can hold. Enter fall's first rains, windstorms and freezes, and homeowners are guaranteed a dose of trouble.

Homeowners are advised to follow seven guidelines this fall to avoid tree problems year round.

#1 Hydrate
Trees with deep root systems typically do not need extra water, while trees with shallow roots do. Your tree is thirsty if it is brown in places, or if some of its branches are dead or brittle. If needed, place mulch at the base of the tree to help the soil retain water.

#2 Plant for all seasons, and for your region
It is best to plant trees that thrive in your home city's weather. Young trees planted in locations subject to harsh weather should be staked until their root balls have grown strong enough to support them. Protect against nibbling animals by placing a small fence around the base. And be sure to check with local jurisdictions on permits needed or other restrictions.

#3 Remove troublemakers
If a tree is located next to a foundation, path or fence, or along an irrigation, sewer or utility line, fall is a good time to move it, or even remove it.

To remove a tree quickly, and effortlessly, a chainsaw can be used to cut the tree down piece by piece (consult an arborist for larger projects or when tree falling has the potential to harm property or people). For safety and efficiency, keep the chainsaw chain sharp. Given that manually sharpening a saw chain can take more than an hour, consider using PowerSharp, a seconds-fast and portable chainsaw sharpening system. PowerSharp is comprised of a unique chain, a bar-mount sharpener, and a guide bar. Used together on the saw, and on the job, these components keep a chainsaw sharp the easy way. To see how it works, visit powersharp.com.

# 4 Prune
Fall is the time to prune most trees. With an expert's help or on your own, prune to open up the tree's crown and remove excess limbs and dead or weakened wood. Use your chainsaw to complete the job quicker.

# 5 Remove fallen leaves
Remove fallen leaves to be certain that the base of your tree can "breathe," and to remove a haven for tree-damaging insects. This also assures that any plants below the tree get adequate water and light.

# 6 Spray
If an insect is attacking a tree, fall is the best time to apply dormant spray on fruiting trees.

# 7 Fertilize
Most trees don't require fertilizer although fruiting and flowering trees may benefit from it. Late fall is a good time to fertilize because winter rains will prevent chemical burn. Fertilize after the first frost to prevent new, tender growth from damage.

Requiring very little maintenance in the fall, trees provide strong focal points to landscapes. Deciduous trees present various colors and appearances throughout the year, and evergreens breathe life and color year-round. Take care of your trees and you will enjoy them for years to come.

3 Comments
Blog_tag

Trends in Kitchen Designs

09-18-10
Ed Hughes, Natick Real Estate

By Jean Patteson

RISMEDIA, September 18, 2010--(MCT)--Kitchens have long been among the most popular remodeling projects. But with fewer clients requesting kitchen upgrades during this recession, one kitchen designer has turned the economic slowdown to her advantage.

"If I couldn't remodel as many client kitchens as usual, I decided to remodel my own showroom. That way, I'd be ready to show the latest trends and the most exciting new products when this down period ends," said Joan DesCombes, president of Architectural Artworks in Winter Park, Fla.

The result is a showroom fitted with latest looks and innovations in cabinetry, counter tops and appliances from upscale lines such as SieMatic, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Miele. Add state-of-the-art lighting and electronics, and you have the essential elements for the 21st-century dream kitchen.

Of course, not every budget can afford those high-end brands. But, as with fashion and automobiles, the top-of-the-line products set the trends. The styles, materials, colors and technical advances seen in luxury showrooms today inspire the more-affordable versions that show up in the big-box stores tomorrow.

Most strikingly, Descombes' model kitchens don't look like typical, traditional kitchens. Appliances are fully integrated into the cabinetry. You see no telltale dishwasher dials and switches, no refrigerator door handles and ice-dispensers. Or fridges and ovens are designed to look like the freestanding cabinets or sideboards. Even the sophisticated finishes and colors on cabinetry seem more like those you'd find in an elegant living room than the kitchen.

That's because the kitchen has become a kind of surrogate living room in today's homes, said DesCombes. It's where families, cook, eat, relax and entertain. And in today's open-plan home designs, homeowners prefer kitchens that blend with adjacent spaces - living and dining areas, bars and patios.

"We spend a lot of time in the kitchen," said Judy Yarmuth of Winter Park, Fla., whose kitchen was recently renovated by the Architectural Artworks team. "It's the center of the house. We have a lot of dinner parties. While I'm cooking, it's the place to be."

The entire kitchen was designed around the refrigerator, she said. But hers is no ordinary icebox. Designed to look like a classic Chinese wedding cabinet with a walnut finish, it is typical of the freestanding pieces likely to become popular in coming seasons.

"It's stunningly beautiful and different," said Yarmuth. Together with a backsplash of tan/gold Jerusalem stone behind the range and a massive slab of dark wenge wood set into the stone-composite island, the refrigerator cabinet warms up the otherwise white-on-white kitchen "and makes it just yummy."

Of course, a dream kitchen doesn't just look beautiful. "It has to function for each individual client," said DesCombes. "I need to know all about their lifestyle. Are they great cooks, don't cook, use caterers? Do they have pets and where do they keep the dog food? Everything."

When she redesigned the kitchen in the Melbourne Beach, Fla., house of Charlie and Carol Draper, she replaced the enclosed, traditional design with an open, low-maintenance space. She also installed horizontal-grain cabinets with stainless-steel channels in lieu of hardware, which draw the eye across the room to the panoramic ocean views.

"It's an incredibly workable kitchen," said Carol Draper. "Joan moved the island a little. She got rid of some cabinets so the eating area was no longer separate. Now the whole thing just flows. When you're cooking, it doesn't even seem like work."

KITCHEN-DESIGN TRENDS
Counter tops: Stainless steel, antiqued marble, lava stone, wood, concrete, mosaics and flamed granite with a textured, matte finish.

Cabinetry: Fewer overhead cabinets. Lift-up or sliding doors, self-closing drawers, glass-fronted cabinets and glass shelving, tracks inside doors for attaching storage accessories, pantires with multiple storage options. Fresh finishes, from smooth, high-gloss and matte lacquer, to textured, horizontal-grain laminates.

Appliances: Free-standing accent pieces and fully-integrated designs that blend with cabinets. Fridges with more crisper space, less freezer space; combination gas/electric ranges; designer range hoods; super-quiet dishwashers; specialty sink faucets; luxury items such as warmer drawers for coffee mugs.

Lighting: Combinations of soft incandescent, bright halogen and cool, energy-efficient LED bulbs.

Colors: Warm neutrals such as walnut, slate, sand, greige, celadon and magnolia.

Architectural elements: Wall niches and bump-outs for housing coffee machines, juicers, dinnerware, herbs, spices and collectibles.

0 Comments
Blog_tag

Tips to Protect Against the Flu Before it Arrives

09-17-10
Ed Hughes, Natick Real Estate

By Stephanie Andre

RISMEDIA, September 17, 2010--The flu season is just around the corner, and just like the approaching fall weather, the illness itself can be very unpredictable.

Seasonal influenza, or the flu, is an extremely contagious respiratory infection and often includes symptoms like high fever, cough, and full body aches. Flu symptoms are more severe than those of colds and can cause medical complications that result in an average of 36,000 deaths each year.

To that end, here are some easy steps each person can take to protect against the flu:

Monitor flu outbreaks in your community - Google Flu Trends and the CDC offer weekly updates on areas that show increased cases of influenza.

Encourage frequent hand washing - flu viruses can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours, so frequent hand washing can help to protect against the influenza viruses, and can protect people from other germs that can cause further complications.

Cover coughs and sneezes - the flu virus is most easily spread from one person to another through inhaling respiratory droplets expelled by ill persons. Covering coughs and sneezes traps the germs, and keeps the spread of germs to a minimum.

Get a flu vaccine - this year's flu vaccines have already been released, are completely new formulations for this year's strains, and include the H1N1 vaccine as well as seasonal influenza in one easy dose.

Seek medical attention for those who display flu-like symptoms - individuals who begin feeling ill, have a high fever, and complain of fatigue should have a medical evaluation.

0 Comments