Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

Following Saudi Arabias decision to open the country to international tourism, Riyadh has launched Gharfa an immersive installation located near one of the citys key historic sites.

The piece, designed by the Edoardo Tresoldi-founded Studio Studio Studio, is partly inspired by the nearby ruins of the At-Turaif District A UNESCO World Heritage site, and Saudia Arabias first capital.

Photography: Roberto Conte

Wire mesh and carved cork create spaces and paths which visitors can wander through, discovering artworks along the way. Tresoldi plays with perception, using film and projection as well as tangible materials including fabric, carpet and greenery.

Hypnotic sound design by Max Magaldi immerses people in the experience. Individual strands of music can be heard throughout the installation, but the soundtrack can only be listened to in full from the middle of the structure.

Gharfa, in Riyadhs Diriyah Oasis, is open until 21 December.

Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

Photography: Roberto Conte

View original post here:
Riyadh opens its doors to tourists with ghostly architecture installation - The Spaces

In June, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose issued a security directive to county boards instructing them to install the alarms, conduct assessments and training on physical threats and cybersecurity and change email systems, among other measures.

The Repository

By Rick Rouan

CANTON, Ohio The vast majority of Ohios county boards of elections havent installed the digital burglar alarm that Secretary of State Frank LaRose says helped his office detect a hacking attempt of his offices website on Election Day this year.

With less than two months to go before the deadline LaRose imposed for installation of the so-called Albert systems, just 13 out of Ohios 88 county boards of elections have operational alarms. The remaining 75 have until Jan. 31 to install them.

The most important consequence is not being prepared, LaRose said earlier this month after the start of a daylong security conference for county elections officials in Columbus. This is too important to take lightly.

Franklin County has had an Albert sensor in place since May 2018, with other network sensors in place at the Franklin County data center before that.

But even with the threat of digital attacks, LaRose said Ohios election procedures are secure. None of the equipment used to cast or tally ballots is connected to the internet. Doing so would violate Ohio law.

In June, LaRose issued a security directive to county boards instructing them to install the alarms, conduct assessments and training on physical threats and cybersecurity and change email systems, among other measures.

So far, 52 counties have completed half of the security directives instructions, and all of them have requested security support from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Sean Durkin, director of information technology for Stark County, said his department is in the process of installing the Albert systems that detect online intrusions. And it is on track to finish by the January deadline set by the Secretary of State.

Durkin declined to provide specifics, citing security.

Im not comfortable stating where we are exactly with that, Durkin said. But we are moving along just fine with all the changes theyve asked us to implement. We look to be fully compliant by the they said (the Secretary of States directive) had to be fulfilled by.

Stark County Auditor Alan Harold, who oversees Durkins department, said its not clear yet what the costs to the county will be. Under the agreement, the county is responsible for the costs of maintaining the hardware and software provided by Center for Internet Security.

Durkin said in compliance with the Secretary of States directive, his department performed security assessments of the Board of Elections computers between April and August and the countys email system is in compliance with the Secretary of States standards.

LaRose said he is optimistic about the prospects of the boards meeting the Jan. 31 deadline now that they are past the November election. That drew nervous laughter from the assembled elections officials.

The Election Day 2019 hacking attempt came from the Russian company OKPay Investment but was traced to Panama, according to the secretary of states office.

LaRose has called the attack on his offices website unsophisticated, but he said it was different from the typical carpet bomb hacks that search for security holes. Instead, it specifically targeted the voter registration form on his website and the voter lookup tool that is used frequently on Election Day to find polling places and determine what is on the ballot.

The goal of such attacks is to undermine the credibility of elections in the minds of voters and make the average voter wonder if its worth it to go to the polls, he said.

We know that the threat is very real, LaRose said. We know that the threat comes from a variety of sources, that these sources include state actors, that these sources include people with motivations such as financial reward or notoriety or fame.

The state hopes to combat some of what LaRose called dedicated and well-resourced opponents with the launch of a cyber reserve under the Ohio National Guard. That was created with the passage of an elections-security bill earlier this year.

The cyber reserve will operate similarly to the military reservists in the National Guard, with regular training and mobilization initiated by Gov. Mike DeWine. The state is recruiting cyber professionals across the state to be part of the first cyber reserve teams, which should be up and running by the end of January, said Maj. Gen. John Harris, adjutant general of the Ohio National Guard.

The goal of the reservists will be to mitigate consequences of a cyberattack and to return systems that have been attacked to working order, Harris said. They will be available for hacks of any government entity, not just elections boards.

In a room full of elections officials in jackets, ties and dresses, Harris said he made the conscious decision to don military fatigues, as he always does when discussing cybersecurity, to make a point about the digital war that is being waged.

Policy around the digital fight is lagging, he said. He compared the current way government addresses cybersecurity to a military group under attack that just keeps building thicker walls rather than mounting an offensive.

We dont think about the digital battlefield and the importance of the digital battlefield. We are engaged today in a pretty significant digital fight, Harris said. It is truly a persistent fight and one were engaged in every single day.

(c)2019 The Repository, Canton, OhioVisit The Repository, Canton, Ohio at http://www.cantonrep.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Learn more about the threats facing local government and elections:

Cybersecurity Panel Quick Take: The Threat Landscape for State & Local Governments

See the rest here:
2020 Election Security: Few Ohio Counties Have Adopted Mandatory Alarm to Detect Hacks - Efficient Gov

Renovating your house doesnt have to mean taking it down to its studs. It does, however, entail some big decisions.

First establish why you want to renovate, says Micah Finkel, owner of the Brooklyn-based Sons & Co., a custom millwork company. Are you looking to create your dream house or improve its value at resale, or, perhaps, to accomplish both?

Also, consider whether youre renovating for aesthetic or functional reasons and convey your intentions to the designer and contractor, says Christine Conte, of Christine Conte Interiors of Huntington.

Before you begin, interview three interior designers, three contractors, and, if required, three architects, advises Wendy Lepkoff, of Wendy Interiors of Bethpage.

That will educate you and help you realize possibilities that you did not think of, Lepkoff explains. Then hire the ones that you connect with.

Look for quality and experience by avoiding new people in the field and the lowest bidders, adds Lepkoff.

BUDGET

Think about how much money youre willing to put into the project, says Finkel, adding that designers usually will want to push the budget with their somewhat lofty ideas.

A lot of times what ends up happening, clients will end up spending just a little more because they end up falling in love with what the house can be, says Finkel.

Jobs can frequently go over budget, as contractors invariably end up doing more extensive work than previously planned, notes Finkel.

Start with a wish list and consider your budget, advises Conte. Next, plan out the space, which often involves a designers computer-aided drawings. Then select and order the pieces to fit your style, from tile to carpets, wallpaper to cabinetry, to actual furnishings. The final phase is installation.

Form has to follow function, says Conte.The layout has to be functional. It has to serve the space and it has to be in the style that the clients want.

DESIGNING A DREAM HOME

Decide how far you want to go with the renovation. A good start, Finkel advises, is the kitchen, where new cabinets and counters add a lot of value to the home and dont require any changes to the plumbing or electrical work. Rehabbed closets and bathrooms in master bedrooms also get a lot of bang for your buck.

Built-ins in libraries, dens and mud rooms are very versatile, adding both utility and beauty to the home, notes Finkel. New windows, doors and embellishments, such as exposed wood beams, wainscoting and trim, can add a lot of character to a house.

Once youve started the renovation, youll have to determine whats salvageable in the house, particularly in older homes, which touches on everything from mechanical to electrical to plumbing systems, notes Finkel.

Every single element of the house has to get looked at, along the lines of the design, the budget, and also the dream, she says.

Go on Pinterest and Houzz.com to get more ideas that represent what exactly youre looking for, says Lepkoff.

Be very open-minded and you will have a dream come true, she adds.

GET AWAY

In some instances youll need to temporarily move out of the house, notes Conte.

You just never imagine how much dust is involved in this and the noise and the disruption, she says. Its a very stressful time.

Be realistic about the time frame of the project, adds Conte. One room, like a kitchen or master bedroom, can take about three months; a full house renovation could last up to eight.

See original here:
Renovating Your House Without Any Demolition - Long Island Press

About 30 miles north of Chicago in suburban Deerfield, a construction trailer is parked behind the old headquarters of Textura a company Oracle bought for $663 million in April 2016. A steel fence circles the site and gravel carpets the cold ground.

It may not look like much, but this unassuming site is the home of the Oracle Innovation Lab: a live construction site where the software-as-a-service firms global technology partners and customers come to test new tech.

Built in just three weeks last year, the Oracle Innovation Lab was initially intended to show how the companys products could be used in the construction industry, according to Burcin Kaplanoglu, the innovation officer for Oracles construction and engineering unit. Over the last year, more than 850 contractors, engineers, project managers from as far as China and as close as Chicago have visited the site. Its success has inspired execs to expand. Starting in late December, Oracle will add technology from its utilities and communications business units to the Lab.

Kaplanoglu declined to specify what exactly the expanded innovation hub will include or when it will be finished, but said the trailer will remain open for visits while construction is underway. Oracle will use its construction technology, along with its partners, to build the new site at the same location.

The Lab currently showcases Oracles four construction technologies: Textura for project management and billing software, Primavera for scheduling, Aconex for project and model collaborationand Unifier for process optimization. Officials also use Oracle Live Experience to video chat, call and record conversations among product teams.

The Lab is not a space to develop features and functions feedback for Oracles technologies, Kaplanoglu said. Rather its a space for the company to help its customers realize how best to use their technologies, as well as their partners products.

I am not learning like, You should have your button here or there, he said.

It launched with the help of eight of Oracles technology partners, including Bosch, which used the space to showcase its connected tools.It also launched with the help of Triax Technologies, which featured its internet of things devices that track and providesafety sensors for workers. Oracle also looked for ways to further integrate its construction products to partners like Bosch.

When we help them figure out what's the best way to use the products, that helps us to understand how they're using them.

When we help them figure out what's the best way to use the products, that helps us to understand how they're using them, Kaplanoglu said. Then we figure out how this can complement our partner products. It's like it brings everything together.

The Labs primary focus, however, is to serve as a live construction site.

Sensors embedded in the steel fence track when materials arrive at the site. Workers are equipped with positioning technology, which let management know where they are at all times. The site was built with the help of Aconex a company Oracle bought for approximately $1.2 billion in December 2017 which helped product managers realize their initial rendering actually wouldnt allow people to walk around one of their walls.

Once they realized the walls positioning was off, product managers used Aconex to contact the site architects, who were based remotely. An architect then used Aconexs virtual reality system to verify product managers findings and changed the walls positioning. Aconex recorded every interaction the team made.

It allows everyone on the site from architects to owners to contractors to subcontractors to communicate and access project data in one spot, Kaplanoglu said.

John Jurewicz, lead technology officer at Walbridge, visited the site the day it opened, looking for insight on how technology can ease the construction firms scheduling and communication challenges.

He said two of the biggest issues Walbridge faces right now are around internet throughput or, the ability to exchange data quickly online at its construction sites and updating its daily schedule. At the opening, Jurewicz said he tested autonomous vehicles, robots and augmented reality as a means to solve these problems.

There are a bunch of technologies we've always wanted to try, but to test them on a live construction site is difficult to do because there's a lot of action.

There are a bunch of technologies weve always wanted to try, but to test them on a live construction site is difficult to do because theres a lot of action, a lot of vetting, Jurewicz said.

The Lab provided a controlled environment to test technologies Jurewicz had previously only read about.

One product he tested was a wearable computer that controlled a skid steer, which is a small machine with a front loader that can pick up and carry materials. Normally, a skid steer would rely on a 3D model of the site surroundings to control where it dug so it could, for example, avoid hitting water lines, Jurewicz said. He said that map usually needs to be pulled from an extranet, or a secure network of servers hooked up through the web. But it can often be hard to generate a strong enough internet connection from just the construction trailers on site to access the map, Jurewicz said.

At the Lab, Jurewicz said the internet throughput reached 10 gigabits per second, the fastest hed ever seen. One way Oracle fires up such a strong connection is to utilize a high-speed, low latency 5G network.

If youre having an excavator dig a trench, you want to make darn sure that you're not going to hit existing stuff, so the existing stuff has to be verified, usually on the site, Jurewicz said.

Rovers and drones also whizzed around the construction site, capturing images of workers daily progress, Jurewicz said. These images were then automatically uploaded and overlaid onto the original construction schedule. Cameras installed on the site also captured 3D images of the build every five minutes. These pictures were also immediately added to the schedule.

Love Robots? 26 Robotics Companies Changing The Way We Live And Work

By tracking build progress, Jurewicz said Walbridge could provide remote workers information on how construction was going, as well as ensure quality and plan ahead. Long-term, he said the technology could allow Walbridge to compare project processes between jobs and figure out the most efficient way to organize tasks and workers.

It's like we're able to view into a crystal ball.

You could be watching a construction sequence and know where all your equipment and people are, not just to do a safety analysis to make sure theyre not working on top of each other or hurting each other or causing risks to each other but are they working in the most productive way? Jurewicz said. It's like we're able to view into a crystal ball.

Once complete, the new site will be renamed the Oracle Industries Innovation Lab, and the expanded indoor outdoor space will feature tech for Oracles utility and communications customers, Kaplanoglu said.

The Lab will demonstrate how to use solar, wind and other distributed energy sources to manage electric grids. It will also use artificial intelligence and internet of things technology to control network operations and speed outage restoration. Officials will also demonstrate how to use data from connected home devices to better plan for electric grid operations.

"We're investing significantly into construction tech, but there is also a lot of investment coming in by venture capital into this space too."

For its construction customers, Kaplanoglu said Oracle is currently testing virtual augmented reality glasses at the Lab. He said Oracle is working with different glasses manufacturers to mix the physical environment of a construction site with scheduling data. Although Google Glass and other hardware providers exist, Kaplanoglu said they havent been perfected for the construction industry, which faces issues like blinding sunlight, slow processing speed, short battery life and more.

He named technologies that can assist or automate worker functions as the future of construction tech.

Were investing significantly into construction tech, but there is also a lot of investment coming in by venture capital into this space too, Kaplanoglu said. I think theres going to be a lot of improvement when it comes to automation in the next three to 10 years.

Read the original post:
Welcome to the Construction Site of the Future - Built In

These days a number of airlines use similar seats in business class, and a lot of their cabins look quite the same too. You can usually count on muted, somber tones greys, blues, blacks, and maybe some beige if youre lucky. Thats not to say the latest aircraft cabins being rolled out are uncomfortable or ugly. No, they tend to feel refined and relaxing, and lie-flat seats with aisle access for everyone are increasingly the standard. All of that is great news on the whole business class passengers have never had it so good. But sometimes you start to yearn for a bit of color. The good news is there are still airlines that offer that. Case in point: Ethiopian Airlines.

Ethiopian Airlines "Cloud Nine" business class seat onboard the 787-8 Dreamliner.

Ethiopian has a number of different long-haul airplanes and a couple of different business class seats, but their latest edition is on most of their widebody planes, including all 787-9 and A350s, and some 787-8s. These are pretty much the same seats youll find on the likes of United (on planes that dont have the newest Polaris seat installed) and a number of others. But Ethiopian have done them up in shiny red, with green carpeting alongside. This choice might be controversial for some, but at least its memorable.

The Ethiopian Airlines 787 business class cabin is nothing if not colorful. Luckily it's also ... [+] comfortable.

And the seats are very nice overall, with big screens, plenty of room, and comfortable padding. The main issue here is that if youre traveling alone and want a window seat, you might find yourself hemmed in by the person on the aisle. Though on the other hand if youre traveling with someone and youre interested in interacting with them, these will be much better seats than your typical reverse herringbone offering where everyone gets direct aisle access but is also cut off from everyone else.

A wider view of the 787-8 "Cloud Nine" business class cabin on Ethiopian Airlines.

The finishes and the fabric used are attractive and have a premium feel. Alongside the huge 787 windows, it makes for a nice flight. The footwell might be a little tight for some, but its not one of the worst either. Note that if you sit in the front row, the space for your feet is quite a bit larger.

The footwell onboard Ethiopian Airlines 787 business class.

This particular flight pictured was just a short hop from Stockholm to Oslo (the plane flies Addis Ababa to Stockholm then continues on to Oslo, and the same in reverse), so the service was a little more difficult to properly review. That said, they did serve a perfectly decent breakfast of fruit, cornflakes, and a blini with jam and sweet cheese. Impressive for a 45-minute flight, actually, and certainly a cut above what youd get on Scandinavian Airlines in their SAS Plus seats.

Ethiopian Airlines 787 business class seats and entertainment screens.

These so-called fifth freedom routes, where airlines fly an additional segment between two cities outside of their home region and can sell seats on those flights, can be a fun and unexpected way to get somewhere. And Ethiopian runs a number of them. You can also fly Ethiopian between Dublin and Madrid, for example. Europe has a number of these on a variety of airlines: theres LATAM from Frankfurt to Madrid, Singapore Airlines from Stockholm to Moscow, and Sichuan Airlines from Prague to Zurich, among others. Long-haul options include Singapore Airlines from New York to Frankfurt, Air Tahiti Nui from Los Angeles to Paris, or Air China from Montreal to Havana. Or for a really unusual route, try Newark to Lome, Togo again on Ethiopian.

A view of the 787 wing onboard Ethiopian Airlines from Stockholm to Oslo.

All in all, a very pleasant quick flight with Ethiopian Airlines. It would be interesting to compare how the seats and service hold up on one of their longer runs, but theres every indication it would be a great way to get to Africa.

The Ethiopian Airlines 787 Dreamliner parked at Oslo's Gardermoen Airport.

See original here:
A Ride Onboard The Ethiopian Airlines Dreamliner In Business Class - Forbes

If you've been on the hunt for some holiday hair inspiration, look no further than Chris Appleton's latest look on J.Lo. It's curly, it's voluminous, and it couldn't be more perfect for party season. This is also one of the first curly hairstyles Appleton has created for the Hustlers star in quite some time, so naturally, we're loving it.

The L.A.-based hairstylist took to Instagram on Tuesday evening to show off his work in a post that's already garnered more than 50,000 likes. The post shows Lopez looking as angelic as ever with big, bouncy curls that frame her face and fall just below her shoulders. The caption? "Big hair Big mood @jlo #dreamcurls." If you scroll through Appleton's feed, you'll see that he's been mostly doing ultra-sleek, straight styles on Lopez lately, so it's super-refreshing to see her with a completely different look.

Fans seem to agree, too. In fact, several folks have already asked Appleton for a tutorial on the '80s-style curls. "Can we have a tutorial on these effortless bouncy curls?" asked one fan. Others chimed in, "yes please!" and " I second this."

While it's pretty rare to see J.Lo wear her hair naturally curly these days, we have to point out that she's experimented with a wide range of curly looks over the years. In the '90s, it wasn't uncommon for the actress to wear her natural texture on the red carpet, and as her career progressed, she's played around with big, voluminous looks just like this one. Who could forget the ringlets she wore to the Oscars in 2002? Clearly, she's been a fan of big hair since the very beginning.

Unfortunately, Appleton didn't reveal details in regards to how he created this curly hair look however, it's worth noting that he likely used either a wig or some extensions to add volume and depth to the hair. Now, here's hoping he does a tutorial on the look ASAP so that people can get dream curls like Lopez, too.

Now read more about J.Lo's hair:

Done reading? Now watch how to install a wig:

You can follow Allure on Instagram and Twitter, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.

Originally Appeared on Allure

See more here:
Jennifer Lopez Just Wore Her Hair in Bouncy '80s Curls, and Fans Are Obsessed - Yahoo Lifestyle

By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch Published 11:45 a.m. ET Dec. 14, 2019 | Updated 11:47 a.m. ET Dec. 14, 2019

The vast majority of Ohios county boards of elections havent installed the digital burglar alarm Secretary of State Frank LaRose says helped his office detect a hack attempt of his offices website on Election Day.

With less than two months to go before the deadline LaRose imposed to install the so-called Albert systems, just 13 out of Ohios 88 county boards of elections have operational alarms. The remaining 75 have until Jan. 31.

Ross County Board of Elections Director Sarah Williamson said they have already completed some parts of the directive, and have contracted with BSSI out of Lancaster to complete the rest by the January Deadline.

The most important consequence is not being prepared, LaRose said Friday after the start of a daylong security conference for county elections officials in Columbus. This is too important to take lightly.

Even with the threat of digital attacks, LaRose said Ohio elections are secure. None of Ohios elections equipment used to cast or tally ballots is connected to the Internet. Doing so would violate Ohio law.

In June, LaRose issued a security directive to county boards instructing them to install the alarms, conduct assessments and training on physical and cybersecurity and change email systems, among other security measures.

So far, 52 counties have completed half of the security directives instructions, and all of them have requested security support from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

LaRose said he is optimistic about the prospects of the boards meeting the Jan. 31 deadline now that they are past the November election. That drew nervous laughter from the assembled elections officials.

The Election Day 2019 hack attempt came from the Russian company OKPay Investment Company but was traced to Panama, according to the secretary of states office.

LaRose has called the attack on his offices website unsophisticated, but on Friday he said that it was different from the typical carpet bomb hacks that search for security holes. Instead, it specifically targeted the voter registration form on his website and the voter lookup tool that is used frequently on Election Day to find polling places and determine what is on the ballot.

The goal of those sorts of attacks is to undermine the credibility of elections in the minds of voters and make the average voter wonder if its worth it to go to the polls, he said.

We know that the threat is very real, LaRose said. We know that the threat comes from a variety of sources that these sources include state actors, that these sources include people with motivations such as financial reward or notoriety or fame.

The state hopes to combat some of what LaRose called dedicated and well-resourced opponents with the launch of a cyber reserve under the Ohio National Guard created with the passage of an election security bill earlier this year.

The cyber reserve will operate similarly to the military reservists in the National Guard, with regular training and mobilization initiated by Gov. Mike DeWine. The state is recruiting cyber professionals around the state to be part of the first cyber reserve teams, which should be up and running by the end of January, said Major General John Harris, adjutant general of the Ohio National Guard.

The goal of the reservists will be to mitigate consequences of a cyber-attack and to return systems that have been attacked to working order, Harris said. They will be available for hacks of any government entity, not just elections boards.

In a room full of elections officials in jackets, ties, and dresses, Harris said he made the conscious decision to dawn military fatigues, as he always does when discussing cybersecurity, to make a point about the digital war that is being waged.

Policy around the digital fight is lagging, he said. He compared the current way the government addresses cybersecurity to a military group under attack that just keeps building thicker walls rather than mounting an offensive.

"We dont think about the digital battlefield and the importance of the digital battlefield. We are engaged today in a pretty significant digital fight, Harris said. "It is truly a persistent fight and one we're engaged in every single day."

Gazette reporter Justin Reutter contributed to this report.

Read or Share this story: https://www.chillicothegazette.com/story/news/2019/12/14/few-ohio-county-boards-elections-have-adopted-digital-alarm-used-detect-hacks/2630396001/

View original post here:
Few Ohio county boards of elections have adopted digital alarm used to detect hacks - Chillicothe Gazette

A BRADFORD family have been left angry and frustrated after a straightforward bathroom replacement has dragged on for more than six weeks.

They claim they were left with no working toilet or shower for days in their Idle home and they say installers damaged pipework and left a mess in other rooms.

Even when the 4,500 Wickes bathroom was installed correctly, they claim they have been left waiting for more than a week for the finishing touches to be done because they say a plumber keeps cancelling visits.

Miss Abid says her, her mums and her brothers health have suffered and she has had to take numerous days off work to wait in for workmen who she says either dont arrive on time or dont turn up at all.

She said: Its been appalling.

It should have been a straightforward installation but its been horrendous.

Ive been signed off sick for anxiety for a week. Ive suffered from tension, stress and chest pains.

Im now constantly trying to shift my work days.

I want to warn other people.

The saga started on November 4 when a Wickes work crew arrived to fit the new bathroom.

But before long Miss Abid claims she noticed that they werent covering carpets properly, they were making themselves at home in rooms she said they should not have been in, shifting furniture around in her bedroom and stacking tools and equipment in cupboards.

She raised a complaint and talked to managers but then she said the team walked off the job after about a week when she mistakenly thought they were drinking alcohol rather than energy drinks, leaving most of the bathroom unfinished.

She said the family were left with no washing facilities and had to use the facilities of friends and family.

She said she was then put off several times about when the work would be finished.

Miss Abid, who has a history of anxiety, said the delay not only affected her but put more work onto her team at work.

She claims Wickes let her down with many fake promises and assurances.

Finally after two weeks there was some progress with the bathroom and the family had a working toilet and sink but a lot of work had still to be done.

But then the leak started which she said seeped through the walls and dripped downstairs, causing water damage to the carpet as well as the living room door and walls.

A spokesperson for Wickes Customer Services said: The leak the customer is referring to is an existing leak in existing pipework. We have agreed to repair it for the customer as a gesture of goodwill.

The dry fit installation is complete and the customer has a fully working bathroom. Only thing left to do is fit a new doorstrip but not fitting it until the leaking pipe has been fixed.

This should be done tomorrow (December 12).

But Miss Abid claims the leak was not there before the work started, the doorstrip had only needed to be replaced because the existing one had been tiled over and the plumber did not turn up for the appointment.

She said: Not for the first time I am wishing we just kept the old bathroom and didnt fall for the glossy pictures in the Wickes bathroom brochure.

See the original post here:
Bradford family's six weeks of bathroom woe - Bradford Telegraph and Argus

Wewishwe had the problem of what to do with a spare room. With property prices as they are, and homes becoming ever more compact, having an extra room in the house is a bit of a luxury.

But what to do with it? Heres a few ideas

1. Home office(iStock/PA)

As laptops and Skype calls become the main tools of business, and more and more people are working from home, the home office has become less luxury more necessity.

Besides the obvious desk and chair, you might wish to invest in a filing system, and ensure access to an ample supply of sockets. Office wellbeing matters wherever youre working, so pick up some pot plants and take the time to decorate.

If there is one item not to skimp on, its your chair. Posture and comfort are paramount, and when hunched over a laptop all day, lack of back support bites hard.

2. Games room(iStock/PA)

A teenage dream its never too late to fulfil, a well-stocked games room will ensure your misspent youth continues long into adulthood.

The main thing to be conscious of is space. Pool tables are not only large, they need a perimeter of about 5ft for comfortable cuing, while ping pong tablesneed double their 9ft length for adequate movement at each end.

Table football is a little more compact, though be aware that vigorous play could send said football flying into any nearby screens.

3. Home gym(iStock/PA)

Manna from heaven for fitness freaks, and a perfect way to remove excuses during slovenly moments, home gyms consist of anything from kettlebells and yoga mats, to elaborate cardio and weights machines.

The most important thing is to get the flooring right, and we recommend a commercial-grade foam surface to maximise shock absorption and minimise sound. Never compromise on safety either.

As for accoutrements, full-length mirrors seem be near-mandatory, we strongly suggest a speaker system, and next-level gym bunnies could even pick up a water cooler.

4. Makeshift bar(iStock/PA)

A popular option for garages and shed conversions, theres no reason why your personal speakeasy for responsible drinking only shouldnt have a fully fledged spot inside the house.

The ingredients are fairly straightforward a tabletop (perhaps professionally installed), a plug-in mini-fridge on one side, and a set of bar stools on the other.Everyone knows whatreally makes a bar is row upon row of bottles obscuring the back wall, easily constructed with some IKEA shelving units and a trip to your local offie.

Ideally, make sure youre more than one wall away from any family bedrooms, or expect late night rabble-rousing to be extremely poorly received.

5. Walk-in wardrobe(iStock/PA)

Youll have to work with what youve got, but the best walk-in wardrobes are longer than they are wide, with clothes hung down each side, and a mirror at the end like a private miniature catwalk.

Make sure to build the room around your existing clothing slide racks if mostly shirts, shoe draws if overflowing with footwear and shove on a glass sliding door if youre willing to do a little extra work.Bear in mind that a walk-in wardrobe will not add value to your home compared to, for example, an extra bedroom or bathroom. It should be a passion project in a home youre likely to stay in.

6. Home cinema(iStock/PA)

There are definitely two tiers of home cinema. Tier one is little more than a wall-mounted widescreen TV, with large, reclining seats, and soft furnishings to soak up sound. This you can do on your own.

Tier two involves a high-quality projector and projection screen, a surround sound setup (five speakers minimum), ambient dimmer-switch lighting, and preferably sound insulation in the walls. This will require professional installation.

If you want rows of tilting seats, slushie machines, and groups of infuriatingly loud teenagers, youre entering tier three

7. Playroom(iStock/PA)

A boon for new and expectant parents that dont want to deal with the scatter of toddler toys in the lounge, playrooms are simple to construct, if rather less simple to keep clean. Consider playhouses, bean bags, vibrant splashes of colour.

Pick up a thick, furry rug to provide cushioning for top-heavy toddlers, throw in a cheap sofa bed for comfort and/or sleepovers, and line the walls with low-lying storage units for easy reach.

The best thing about the self-built playroom is that it requires no structural changes, so in a few years you might even get the room back.

8. Reading room(iStock/PA)

Theres something about throwing away books that feels strangely immoral, as though youre throwing away not just the pages but the knowledge they contain.

A reading room is all about aesthetic armchairs, over-the-shoulder reading lamps, the sort of coffee table youd find in a dentists waiting room covered with copies of Time Magazine. A thick carpet keeps things cosy as well as quiet, while bookcases should be floor-to-ceiling, and ideally rammed.For the full Dickensian feel, youd want ornate Victorian panelling and the bust of a Greek philosopher too, but we cant have everything.

9. Guest bedroom(iStock/PA)

We know, hardly the most original option, but theres a reason that spare sleeping quarters are a go-to for otherwise unattached rooms. Sociability aside, number of bedrooms is a major determinate factor in the valuation of a house, so a conversion can be financially savvy even if its never used.

Its also one of the most straightforward bed, carpet, closet, curtains, and youre open for business.

More here:
9 ways to make the most of a spare room - Irish Examiner

Weve been running a series of Roborock articles over the past few weeks as the company has been offering some decent sales on their robot vacuum devices. One of those devices is the Roborock S5 Max. Weve partnered with Roborock to bring you a review of their latest robot vacuum and tell you whether or not its worth your investment.

The truth of it all is that not everyone will want a robot vacuum and not everyone will be able to even use one. There are several factors you have to take into account before buying a robot vacuum from Roborock or any other manufacturer. The major factor is, the Roborock S5 Max will not pick up your floors for you. If youre going to buy a robot vacuum, you have to learn to keep things off your floors in order for it to do its job.

Robot vacuums like the Roborock S5 Max have come a long way with technology like LiDAR mapping and no go zones, but they lack the arms to actually pick up objects from your floor. So, if youre really bad at basic pick up, then a robot vacuum may not be for you. The other factor is, you just dont think a robot vacuum is worth your time. In your case, Im probably not going to change your mind, but feel free to read our full Roborock S5 Max review.

The Roborock S5 Max has the following features and specifications:

The Roborock S5 Max has your typical round robot vacuum look which has only slightly changed over the years. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with the design as it has held up and is still going strong. Aesthetically, I prefer the white version more than the black version as it hides dust, fingerprints, and dirt better than the black one.

On top of the Roborock S5 Max, youll find the spinny LiDAR device. This is where the guts of the LiDAR system are housed, and this is how the S5 Max sees its environment. The home button and power button are also on top of the unit in easy view and providing easy access.

The top also has a flip-up panel that reveals the dust bin, a cleaning brush, the reset button, and the Wi-Fi indicator. Around the perimeter of the Roborock S5 Max are its sensors, fans, and the water tank, which also holds the mopping pad under it.

Turning the Roborock S5 Max over, youll find its sturdy and stout wheels which are very well made. The third swivel wheel is what the robot uses to pivot and move itself about your floors. There is also a side brush located on the bottom, though its more of a soft rubber bristle than a normal brush.

The roller brush and spades are located on the bottom as well and are easily accessible for cleaning. The whole unit has a decent weight to it. Its not heavy by any means, but it is also not light. It has a solid build quality and all of the materials used feel very good and robust, nothing feels cheap on the Roborock S5 Max.

The included battery charging unit is also a great improvement over other vacuums Ive tried. First off, its slim and does not take up much floor space like some others Ive used. It stays out of the way. The cable is a decent length but not overly thick and has a large, normal plug. The thinness of the unit and size of the plug make it really nice to tuck away.

Overall, the Roborock S5 Max has a design that is not unfamiliar but is also still very much current. The design also highlights the basic controls and is very easy to manage.

Robot vacuums have become very simple to use over the years and the Roborock S5 Max is one of the easiest. You will need to download the Mi Home app on your Android or iPhone to connect and get to cleaning. We will go over the app and software in the next section.

Once you have the app connected and your new robot vacuum is cleaning your floors for you, theres little else that needs to be done. Of course, as we mentioned, youll need to be sure to keep your floors picked up of obstacles and large debris. The S5 Max can do a lot of things, but picking up your dirty clothes and childrens toys arent within its capabilities. For it to do its job well, you need to get things picked up.

Once you have the floor cleared, its as simple as hitting clean, choosing a no-go zone or mopping zone if youre going to mop. After cleaning is done, you just open the top, remove the dust bin by the locking tab, empty and replace the bin. The rollers under the Roborock S5 Max are also very easy to clean. The included cleaning brush comes with an integrated razor blade that allows you to cut strands of hair or other materials caught in the rollers.

Overall, the Roborock S5 Max is pretty easy to use and very easy to clean up. The roller on the bottom is so easy to disassemble and reassemble that you dont mind at all cleaning it after just a few runs.

The Roborock S5 Max is controlled through the Mi Home app that is available for both Android and iOS. One thing to note is that you will need to make sure your iPhone or Android is operating on a Wi-Fi network that is on the 2.4GHz band. The Roborock S5 Max will not work on 5GHz networks. If you have an older router, youre likely just fine. If you have a newer router, most of them are dual-band routers so youll need to be sure youre on the 2.4GHz band. If your network is set to choose the band itself, it may not work.

When you open the app, youll probably need to create an account to continue. Once you have that done youll tap the + button and add a device. Choose the home appliance tab and then find the Roborock S5 Max on the list and choose it. The app will then walk you through setting up the S5 Max on your 2.4GHz network. It is important that your phone is on the network youll be using to connect the robot too. Once connected, youre ready to start using the app.

You can also connect Google Assistant and Alexa to your Mi account allowing you to ask Google or Alexa to start the Roborock S5 Max cleaning or mopping cycles. This is totally optional and does not need to be done for the robot to work properly. I didnt find it too much of a problem just grabbing my phone, opening the app, and tapping the clean button.

The app allows you to set your mop and no-go zones on the LiDAR map that the robot generates after its first run. I would recommend letting the S5 Max have a few runs in vacuum mode to give you a few maps to work with. The LiDAR map runs in real-time as well so you can watch the robot map out the environment and see where it is cleaning. Its actually pretty fun to watch the map populate before your eyes.

Besides the obvious functions from the app, you also get battery levels as well as a calculation of area the vacuum has cleaned. It even keeps logs of the times and dates it cleaned and how long each cleaning took. The first few cleanings will likely be longer than the rest as the vacuum learns your homes layout.

Overall, the app is dead simple to use. The only thing some users may have a problem is with the network. Some users may be clueless on how to make sure theyre using the 2.4GHz band and not the 5GHz band. Still, once youre connected, the app and software do most of the heavy lifting. Basically, set it and forget it.

The Roborock S5 Max is hands-down the best performing robot vacuum that I have reviewed. Its mapping performance alone is worth the price of admission as this thing literally never got lost under chairs or corners. I have reviewed other robot vacuums that seemed to fall into a black hole when they got under tables and chairs. The Roborock S5 Max seems to have no issues whatsoever navigating under, around, and out of things. I only had to rescue it a few times when it went under our Christmas tree and got stuck on some books under the tree.

Another great feature that makes this vacuum worth buying is its zoning capability. You can draw a box around the areas of your home you want the robot to mop and it will only mop in those areas. This is helpful when you have a home that has both hardwood and carpets. Its nice not having to worry about getting your carpets wet. The mopping feature is activated when you install the mop head on the back end of the Roborock S5 Max. The water tank is big enough to do a few mopping sessions with no problem.

The mopping zone feature also works without the mop head installed. In this case, the Roborock will see the boxes you draw as no-go zones and will not vacuum in those areas. This is super helpful for things like, well, Christmas trees. To keep the vacuum from going under the tree, just draw a box around the tree on the map and it will not touch that area. Problem solved.

The suction power of the Roborock S5 Max is also impressive. It pulls up dirt and dust which our US$400 upright vacuum does not. Whats even more impressive is that the S5 Max knows the difference between carpet and hardwood. When it senses it is on the carpet, it increases the suction power and decreases on the hardwood.

The Roborock S5 Max also has advanced fall protection sensors so it knows when its near steps or a drop-off. The only time it fell down our stairs was when we accidentally left something too close to the top step. The Roborock S5 Max caught the edge of the bag we left near the top and sucked some of the bag up, but the weight of the bag brought the vacuum down. Had we not left that bag there, it would have been just fine.

Battery life is also very good on the Roborock S5 Max. We have a split level home, and we had Roborock cleaning only one level, as the other level is the family living area and we have 4 kids who arent always efficient in keeping their things picked up. The Roborock S5 Max easily cleaned our one level in an average of 40-minutes and had about 60% battery left in the tank. It finds its own way back to the charger, so you never have to worry about forgetting to charge it.

Now that we have all of the highs out of the way, there are a few lows, though I wouldnt call them deal-breaker lows. Heres the thing. The Roborock S5 Max is designed to maintain your home to a certain extent, but its not intended to be a deep cleaning machine. Youre still going to need to sweep out the corners of your home and get some edges. I mean, the thing is round and not square, so getting into corners isnt a strong point.

I think if you go into buying the Roborock S5 Max knowing that you still have to put some effort into maintaining your home, then youll have a stellar experience. If youre going in thinking this robot is going to do it all for you, then you wont be happy. Theres nothing on the market that will keep your floors clean if you cant pick up after yourself.

Overall, the performance of the Roborock S5 Max is the best Ive seen on a robot vacuum period. Of course, there are plenty of alternatives I have not tested, but until I do, the Roborock S5 Max takes the cake.

The MSRP on the Roborock S5 Max robot vacuum is US$599.99 and there is a coupon worth US$60 on Amazon right now. Currently, you could potentially save up to US$100 on the S5 Max on Amazon if you look around. This price point is a pretty standard price for a robot vacuum, but I think the S5 Max offers up some other great features and performs better than many other vacuums. There is certainly a ton of value here.

Ive said it before, robot vacuums arent for everyone. But for those who are looking for such a device, the Roborock S5 Max is the best robot vacuum weve tested and it gives you a great bang for your buck. Its for this reason the Roborock S5 Max gets a Top Pick from us.

Roborock S5 MaxUS$599.99

Last Updated on December 17, 2019

Visit link:
Roborock S5 Max review: Easily the best robot vacuum we've used to date - Techaeris