The American Institute of Architects recently came out with the results from its first quarter Home Design Trends Survey. Most notably, residential architects are indicating an improvement in overall business conditions and are seeing some stability developing in new construction. A bellwether for the homebuilding industry, business conditions at residential architecture firms improving is naturally encouraging news.

When it comes to design, in-home accessibility is the emerging trend; features like wider hallways, fewer steps and stairs, ramps and on-grade entrances intended to make entering/exiting and moving through the home easier are increasing in popularity. Flexible floorplans are also on the rise in addition to a growing preference for open space layouts over enclosed rooms. AIA findings are not surprising, given our aging Boomer population and a shift toward multigenerational housing.

Some builders are already addressing these trends. Shea SPACES and the Lennar NextGen home immediately come to mind as attempts to meet the needs of American households as their makeups shift and change.

Survey results also indicate an increased interest in outdoor living spaces. Maybe living in Southern California makes us take this for granted, but really, when have they ever been unpopular? Covered outdoor spaces and outdoor rooms are on the rise, and we see these design features as less of a trend and more of a key floorplan element in new home communities throughout Southern California.

Lets all hope for increased billings and some project backlog at residential architecture firms. Fingers crossed. To access the complete survey results, http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB095115.

It’s the first day of summer, and it already has us dreaming of backyard BBQs, poolside margaritas, beachy vacations and the easy breeziness that represents the lifestyle of June, July and August.

Imbibe the perfect summer cocktail.

Whipe up a berry galette and serve with ice cream.

Live life outdoors.

Nap in a Corona commercial.

Go for a bike ride.

What images come to mind when you think of summer? Where are the places you’d rather be?

Airtime is being described as a free browser-based Skype/Google+ hangout/Facebook chat web application, with a little bit of Chatroulette thrown in.  This person-to-person video calling application was built by Napster co-founders Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker and is built on top of the Facebook platform so it does require a Facebook account for use.

Fanning and Parker call this a “social discovery” application, as it aims to help people make new friends online by allowing users to chat with people they don’t know via a video call.  Users will log in through Facebook and will then be able to get Airtime alerts through instant messages.  Airtime will also be able to find people a partner based on common interests and mutual friends.  If calls with strangers isn’t your thing, that’s okay because the app works for friends too, similarly to Skype.  Though this app has a lot of fun features: being able to watch videos together, give each other props by having a shower of stars take over the screen, there are a few functions that are not available including sharing music and multiparty chats.

The Airtime launch had a lot of celebrity backing at their launch yesterday, but it’s still up in the air whether this will be an app that sticks or comes and goes like Chatroulette.  What do our readers think, will you be trying this app?

For more information: http://allthingsd.com/20120605/sean-parker-and-shawn-fannings-airtime-finally-launches-today-interview/

The iCache Geode was announced in April and interested parties have been patiently waiting for this product to actually become available.  The iCache Geode “is an iPhone case with a particularly wonderful twist — in addition to just wrapping a protective layer of plastic around your phone, it also sports a rewritable magstripe card on its rear end.”  Once users install the corresponding app, they can store their credit card information and turn this case into a GeoCard.  Additionally, there is a small e-ink display on the back of the Geode which stores information for your loyalty cards.  In order to make sure your credit card information is secure, there is a small fingerprint reader that only allows access to you.

With rumors of the new, slimmer, redesigned iPhones on the way, users will want to make sure that they are sticking with their iPhone 4/4s for a while longer before making the $199 investment. Will you go out and buy one?

For more information and a great introductory video, check out the full article at: http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/01/icache-geode-now-available/