Now If It Could Just Help Me Find My Keys...

Sometimes designing for technology isn't about more buttons and features. Sometimes it's not about touchscreens, wireless access or voice-activated whatever.

Sometimes it's just about convenience ... make my life a little easier, let me enjoy the view, give me a place to put my new TV, help me get a little more organized.

That's why I love this wall-mountable charging station from KangaRoom Storage. It's a simple idea ... here's the description from their site:

We're all proud of having the latest (and smallest) electronic gadgets to organize our lives. But what good are they if we can't find them or the uncharged battery dies right in the middle of a conversation? With our Charging Station you can say good-bye to multiple chargers and their unsightly electrical cords snaking all over your desk. You can corral up to three items and neatly tuck a 10" power strip ... out of sight behind the sliding door. You can also mount it to the wall as easily as a clock...

Place a power outlet on the wall in the kitchen or near the front door, hang this charging station over the outlet, connect a power strip and ShamWow!, you have yourself an apartment that's ready for all of your residents' mobile devices.

Life is instantly a little less cluttered and a bit more organized. The stations come three different colors -- pick them up for $40 a piece here.

Top Technology Trends for 2009

Want to know the technology trends that will have the greatest impact on the multifamily industry this year? Yeah ... me, too.

That's why I'm glad I got to interview Richard Holtz of InfiniSys and Steve Sadler of Post Properties today as part of our first Multifamily Technology webinar. (I'll post the full recording soon.)

Both of these guys are experts in their field, and it was interesting to get the different perspectives from the consultant (Richard) and the property developer/owner (Steve). They talked about everything from fiber optic cabling to fitness equipment.

Lastly, I can't say thank you enough to the people who dialed into the call ... you all rock. There were so many great questions, I think it will definitely warrant similar events in the future. If you have any feedback, additional questions or ideas for future events (including format), feel free to contact me anytime or speak your mind in the comments.

Until I can get the full recording posted, here is the slide presentation these guys ran through today:

Multifamily Technology: Winning Ideas for 2009

View SlideShare presentation

Know a great speaker/expert with knowledge about multifamily technology that just blows you away? Give me a call (386.236.1530) ... we're looking for folks to participate in our future events.

Property Tours Will Never Be the Same

There are lots of creative folks out there trying to improve the property tour experience through technology ... probably the best idea I've seen yet is the Flip video handout suggested by Lisa Trosien and Eric Brown.

No doubt, the Flip is a great idea, but there's a new technology on the horizon that trumps it, hands down -- transparent electronics.

Check out these photos of one concept based on the technology, and let your wheels start turning:







This is a concept ultra-connected device that incorporates a camera/scanner, GPS and Internet connectivity, literally putting a world of information in the palm of your hand. Self-guided tours for prospects, neighborhood guides for new residents, an instant interface between architects and contractors ... something like this has SERIOUS potential across multiple aspects of our industry.

Researchers predict we may see commercial products with the see-through technology in as little as 3-4 years. By that time, we might see the credit markets free up enough to get some new developments out of the ground.

Via Yanko Design.

Retrofitting Your Property: Taking a Different Approach

I'm late posting this, but I wanted to share the presentation I gave last week at the NMHC's Apartment Technology Conference.

The topic was "Voice, Video, and Data Infrastructure: Retrofitting Existing Properties" -- I sat on a panel with Mike Kolb of Cautela Solutions and Scott Skokan of Bozzuto. Mike knows a heck of a lot more than I do about the nuts and bolts and dollar figures that go into the actual upgrade of a property's network, but my job was to frame the conversation in terms of what residents expect when it comes to technology today.

Here are the slides:

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: nmhc apartment)

The basic premise is that our residents see advancing technology all around them ... except in their apartment, in many cases. When you're considering the retrofit of a property's wiring, make sure you are asking the right questions, considering your residents' expectations and most importantly, thinking about how long you expect the upgrades to last.

Wi-Fi and cellular coverage were major concerns throughout the conversation, and measuring the return on any investment in infrastructure is always a question. It also seemed as if there is a groundswell developing for a technology rating standard (similar to the LEED system) for apartment communities.

Of course, there's a whole lot more that goes into it than just these few items. Feel free to post your questions, comments or horror stories about property wiring retrofits in the comments, on the Multifamily Technology discussion boards, or contact Mike Kolb or me anytime.

Thanks to Larry Kessler and NMHC for giving me the opportunity to speak.

Explaining the DTV Transition

This PSA illustrates how easy it is to get ready for the upcoming digital transition:



See? Simple! (At least this all happens after the Super Bowl...)