Cell phones have gotten a bad rap in restaurants lately -- from the viral Craigslist post about cell phones and service, to a City Paper column, to the opening of the phone-free Sheppard. But at the Oval Room, which reopens Monday after a $1 million revamp, you're invited to Instagram and Vine to your heart's content. And we've already gotten started with this photo of yellowfin tuna with ginger dressing and spicy tapioca below.

"Everything is photo-worthy, and some things are video-worthy," said Simon Stilwell, general manager for the restaurant. "We want people taking pictures of the food and the space and the drinks ... We want them to be part of the experience and to be able to share that with others, too."

Among those photo-worthy new additions: a series of bar snacks (fry bread, duck confit tater tots), a new Asian-inspired menu with char-grilled octopus, ginger-saffron marinated lobster, and crab salad with peach cocktail sauce, and a list of cocktails that reads like a Lou Bega song (They're named Monika, Rosalie, Alejandra, and Scarlett, among others). That's in addition to the sleek and modern new lighting fixtures, a marble bar, and bold abstract and representational art that now covers the walls, thanks to Martin Vahtra, who designed sister restaurants Rasika West End and NoPa. And to the commenter on Tom Sietsema's chat who inquired about the ladies' room -- yes, it's gotten a facelift, too.

The goal, said Knightsbridge Restaurant Group owner Ashok Bajaj, was to update the dated space so that both millennials and power lunchers would feel at home.

"Even the power diners ... everybody wants a little more relaxed restaurant," said Bajaj. But the new look doesn't mean that the proper service from the old version of the restaurant will go away: "Were not compromising on what our goals are here at all, in a fine dining way."

The first step towards bringing in a younger crowd was revamping the bar, which used to be an afterthought.

"Before, there was no real bar, it was just something in the way of getting to the dining room," said Stilwell. "Now the bar is very much a focal point of the restaurant."

It will also host the restaurant's first-ever happy hour, from 5-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, when diners can get 20 percent off of all drinks. The deal applies to the patio, too. Bar snacks will be an affordable $4-$7 and fine-dining deals abound: A four-course tasting menu is $60 ($90 with beverage pairings), and an entree-drink-dessert deal for lunch at the bar is $20.

Now that the renovation is complete, Bajaj says he's contemplating his next restaurant and scoping out locations. He offered no hints as to where it will be located, but said that it will likely be an Asian concept.

Check out the Oval Room's new menus, below.

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Feel free to Instagram the Oval Rooms revamp (and new menu)

Similar to the keyless entry pilot program launched by Starwood earlier this year, hotel giant Hilton plans on upgrading rooms with new technology that will allows guests to access a room by simply waving their smartphone in front of the door. Starting the upgrade process during 2015, guests taking advantage of the new keyless entry system wont need to bother with picking up entry key cards at the front desk. Detailed by Hilton today in a press release, Hilton expects to complete the upgrades at all hotels by 2016.

In addition to keyless entry with a mobile device, Hilton also plans on rolling outadditionalaccessibility in the form of digital check-in and check-out using a smartphone or tablet. Ideal for guests that are weary from extensive travel, checking in digitally, in combination with the keyless entry platform, means that guests can go directly to the room upon arrival.

Encouragingguests to enroll in the Hilton Honors program, the mobile app will also allow enrolled guests the ability to look through the hotels availableinventory and select a specific room. Similar to picking out an assignedseat in a movie theater, guests could specifically choose a room thats positioned away from other guests to ensure a restful night of sleep. Guests will also be able to check out photos of the different styles of rooms prior to making a selection.

Speaking about the room choosing feature, Hilton Worldwide globalhead of digitalGeraldine Calpin said We analyzed data and feedback from more than 40 million HHonors members, as well as guest surveys, social media posts and review sites, and its clear that guests want greater choice and control. In fact, in a recent study, 84 percent of business travelers surveyed said they wanted the ability to choose their own room. We are giving our guests the ability to do just that by enabling them to select not just their room type, but the exact location in the hotel, all the way down to their room number.

Beyond choosing a specific room in the hotel, guests will also be able to choose from a variety of upgrades through the mobile app. A guest could upgrade the size of the room to a higher quality or perhaps request special items be delivered to the room prior to arrival. This is somewhat similar to how upgrades are handled when checking in for a flight, either on a mobile application or while at a terminal in the airport.

According to Hilton representatives, the digital check-in support on mobile devices should be available at over 4,000 Hilton properties by the end of 2014. In addition, future digital enehancements will be available to guests every 6 to 8 weeks as the development team continues to build upon the digital check-in platform.

Regarding platform support for the smartphone check-in feature, Hilton has yet to announce all thesmartphone platforms that will be supported. However, both iOS and Android are at the top of the list. Its also likely thatlow power Bluetooth technology will be used at the hotel room doors to maximize platform support across different smartphones.

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Hilton will soon turn your smartphone into your hotel room key

The Rodd Grand Hotel is one of four local establishments subject to a room levy tax used towards marketing and promotion. TINA COMEAU PHOTO

The chair of the Yarmouth and Acadian Shores Tourism Association (YASTA) says he is excited that the association will be working with the Yarmouth Room Levy Group more closely in the future.

Something Ive heard since our inception is there wasnt enough industry input and with this, theres certainly going to be more of that, said John Cunningham.

The plan is for the group to become a full funding partner of the organization with members from the group sitting on the YASTA board.

Manager Neil MacKenzie says the industry-led group has been partnering with YASTA for nearly three years on group sales efforts, providing approximately $45,000 over that period.

The addition of them as a full partner strengthens us, both in stability and in focus. More industry input is what weve been striving for, he said.

Both bodies have an agreement in principal and are working together to amend YASTAs bylaws to establish full partnership, tentatively by September.

As a full funding partner the room levy group will be contributing approximately $60,000 per year for a three to five-year period.

They will also have up to three voting members on the YASTA board. At present they have no voting members.

With the group as voting members, Cunningham says YASTA may head in a slightly different direction in regards to packaging experiences and advertising, using the YASTA group sales position.

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Room levy group to work closer with YASTA

Soon you won't need hotel room keys -- you will just need your iPhone, tablet or Androiddevice to check into an accommodation and unlock your bedroom.

That is, at least, if you're staying at one of the Hilton's hotels, which has announced a couple of tech-based upgrades to its properties.

In addition to being able to unlock doors with your smartphone, Hilton guests will be able to pre-select exact rooms from a hotel floorplan in a way reminiscent of how most airlines operate their seat reservations.

Specifics surrounding the technology have been vague, such as whether the smartphone keys will use NFC, or an app, or some alternative. Answering Wired.co.uk's questions this morning, a Hilton spokesperson in the UK arm of the business said "there will be a mobile enabled room key", which is only moderately more useful to know than the company's existing statement that "we are developing proprietary technology that is safe and reliable for our guests to use, and cost-effective for our hotels to install".

Extracting logic from semantics, it seems guests will download and install a proprietary app on their devices, which will allow visitors to log into their Hilton internet account and select an option to unlock their door with a password -- no front desk will be required.

There are other methods emerging onto the market that could, in future, be used in hotels. One such example is the forthcoming Nymi wristband, which uses a person's unique heartbeat to unlock doors and other devices simply by approaching them.

Additionally, security expert at the University of Cambridge, Frank Stajano, was recentlyquoted in the Guardian discussing how an "electronic aura" broadcast from a device worn on the body could be detected by supported devices and used as a replacement to computer passwords.

Hilton is to roll out its mobile door unlocking and related features worldwide between now and 2016.

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Smartphones to replace hotel room keys

By THOMAS GALLICK Wednesday July 30, 2014 1:29 PM

A Powell man hopes to transform a home near the city's downtown into a 10-room bed and breakfast.

Gene Rodriguez brought initial plans for the Day Dream Inn to Powell's Planning and Zoning Commission at its July 23 meeting. Rodriguez plans to build a 10-room addition to the early 20th-century home at 80 E. Olentangy St., just west of its intersection with Grace Drive.

Rodriguez said the closest hotels to downtown Powell are located about five miles away in Dublin. He said many visitors to Powell would continue to use those facilities, but he thought the city could easily support a small bed and breakfast.

"Overnight guests would include ... corporate travelers, golf and recreational users, holiday and festival revelers, visiting relatives, shoppers and diners," he said.

City officials said they liked the use for the 0.46-acre site, but questioned how 10 units and 10 parking spaces could fit on the property without creating problems.

The commission took no action on the proposal at the meeting, which served as the board's introduction to the project.

Rocky Kambo, a planner with the city's development department, said some parking spaces as shown on the site's initial plans encroach on the public right of way. Other spaces could obstruct the views of motorists turning right onto Olentangy Street from Grace Drive, he said.

Kambo also questioned whether the 10-unit addition would work on the site. He suggested reducing both the number of units and parking spots could solve potential problems.

"It's a great use. We think it's perfectly in line with what we have here in Powell," he said. "It's just the intensity of what we're seeing on the site may be more than the site can handle."

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Resident's dream: Bed and breakfast in Powell

Room Addition Kitchen Remodel Pickerington Ohio
Our clients wanted an all season room addition where the family could gather before and after meals. Where the addition was to be added onto thier house pose...

By: NJWconstruction

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Room Addition & Kitchen Remodel Pickerington Ohio - Video

Vinyl Room in Burlingame hosted a Yelp Elite member party in the newly renovated bar.

A new and revived Burlingame means a revamping for a bar right off Burlingame Avenue.

With the Burlingame Avenue Streetscape project, Vinyl Room at 221 Park Road has decided to do renovations and took a spin off the name Vinyl Room for creative inspiration. In addition, soon-to-open businesses like the Indian restaurant and the coffee and wine bar H29 should draw more customers in, so the bar is extending its hours.

Weve been here for eight years and a lot of stuff needed attention, said co-owner Juan Loredo. We went with the retro theme because its something different. Everyone uses reclaimed wood and the rusted look. I was just kind of tired of seeing that. I wanted to see something no one else was doing.

Renovations by Craig Walters of C. Walters Design began earlier this year. The bar facade is padded in printed canvas that showcases vinyl records on shelves. Liquor bottles are placed on a hi-fi cabinet that sits on wooden hairpin legs. The bar stools resemble something that would be on the set of the show Mad Men. The lounge area features new booths and metal hairpin legged tables. An art wall features 200 wood panels that are the size of album covers. Other upgraded features include sound, lighting, flooring, mirrors, paint and artwork.

Loredo and his business partner Jose Natividad took over the space that used to house Rockets bar in 2006 and opened Barrelhouse Bar on California Avenue three years ago. The two have noticed changes in Burlingame over the years, from being very busy when they started business to a slowdown during the recession to an upswing.

Now its booming, Loredo said. There are great restaurants bringing people to Burlingame.

Loredo and Natividad, both originally from San Jose, met through the fraternity Theta Chi at San Jose State University where they both majored in advertising. After working in the corporate world, both Loredo and Natividad realized they were both not built for 9-5 jobs.

They also bartended together in downtown San Jose during college and went on to open their first bar, Vinyl Room, when they were both 25.

A bartenders dream is to open up a bar, Loredo said. It was definitely challenging. It was kind of hard to do.

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Burlingame bar gets a facelift: Vinyl Room on Park Road sees more hours, retro look

Energy Press Releases Thursday July 24, 2014 12:50

Bangkok--24 Jul--DC Consultants and Marketing Communications

New solution integrates thermostat and programmable room controllers using a customizable, intelligent design

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, today announced the SE8000 Series room controllers, a solution that provides the distinctive advantage of integrating a thermostat/temperature sensor and programmable room controller in a single unit. The SE8000 Series room controllers are elegantly designed with a highly customizable surface that works in a multitude of environments and decors, including offices, retail stores, schools, hotels and more. The room controllers deliver all the comfort and control functionality found in multi-component (DDC) systems, but in a small, easy-to-install package. The controllers can scale across a facility to optimize the energy use of HVAC systems and help reduce operational costs.

Engineered to meet the needs of building owners and facility managers across industries, the SE8000 Series room controllers help reduce installation labor, which enables faster commissioning time, lowers total installed cost of ownership, and delivers a quick return on investment (ROI) for retrofit projects. The new room controllers also allow commercial building owners and occupants to reinforce their brand by displaying any logo, image, or dynamic scheduled message on their screen. Full customization is achievable by selecting from five screen colors, two casings, and 10 textured fascias to find the perfect combination to complement any dcor. The room controllers are equipped with advanced application-specific control technology, alarm monitoring, optional humidity and occupancy controls, multi-language support, a touch screen interface, and an optional discreet occupancy sensor.

With the new SE8000 Series room controllers, we are offering customers the most cutting-edge design and advanced room control technology in intelligent, easy to install units, says Frederick Morency, vice president, Small Building Systems at Schneider Electric. These room controllers integrate seamlessly into existing HVAC and building management systems to provide fast ROI through energy savings and operational efficiency.

The room controllers are simple to install and commission, allowing quick deployment with minimal disruption to building occupants, end users, and business operations. They are configured to integrate easily with most building management systems, such as Schneider Electrics SmartStruxureTM and SmartStruxure Lite solutions. The controllers offer wired and wireless communication options to network and scale with building management systems, making them a perfect fit for both new construction and retrofit projects.

In addition, application-specific models will be released in the coming months for fan coils, heat pumps, roof top and air handling units that are pre-programmed to maximize efficiency, with the option to easily modify configurations to meet unique environmental needs. Third-party integration is available through open protocols, including BACnet MS/TP, and wireless ZigBee Pro, enabling organizations to future-proof their investment.

To learn more about the SE8000 Room Controllers and associated solutions, please visit the product landing page.

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Schneider Electrics SE8000 Series Room Controllers Offer Unparalleled Design, Simple Installation and Energy Savings

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. Lake County Animal Care and Control's cat room continues to be filled with felines needing new homes.

This week's group includes 8-week-old kittens up to 2-year-old cats, in a variety of coat types and colors.

In addition to spaying or neutering, cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

In addition to the animals featured here, all adoptable animals in Lake County can be seen here: http://bit.ly/Z6xHMb .

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still on hold).

Male domestic short hair mix kitten

This male domestic short hair mix is 15 weeks old.

He has gold eyes, a white and gray coat, weighs 4.2 pounds and has been neutered.

He's in cat room kennel No. 6, ID No. 40066.

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Purrfect Pals: The latest summer kittens and cats

(PRWEB) July 21, 2014

The report titled Connected Living Room - Global Forecast, Market Share, Trends, Size, Growth And Industry Analysis, 2013 - 2019 delves into the contemporary concept of living rooms that are centered on advanced entertainment and communication devices. The report takes into account various dynamics that are expected to work in tandem so as to bring about a change in the devices and technologies in new-age living rooms.

For further inquiries, ask here: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1933.

This report can be described as a comprehensive study of current trends in connected living rooms. With technological advancements rapidly taking place in this sector, this report is integral to the strategy of both established as well as incumbent market players. It features end-to-end analyses of market propellants as well as inhibitors. The report provides users with accurate market projects for the years ahead. Besides a value chain analysis, the report also provides a market share analysis based on market segments and geographical markets.

The report also offers a statistics-based projection of the emerging trends in this market that will play a key role over the next few years. Developments that have taken place over the recent years are extensively analyzed in this report. Yet another highlight of this study is the use of Porters five force model analysis as well as detailed Company Profiles section that takes into account the strategies, financial standing, and strengths and weaknesses of leading names in this sector.

Market overview

The concept of a connected living room is relatively modern and entails the use of technological devices and gadgets that provide a combination of information and entertainment depending on the choices of the user. With a connected living room, a user can share photos, music, and videos enabled by devices such as smart televisions, set-top boxes, and personal computers. According to the findings of this report, the market for connected living rooms is anticipated to witness healthy growth, with single-digit CAGR increase by the end of 2019. Some of the devices that constitute a connected living room are, plasma TVs, smart TVs, DVD players, OLED TVs, video recorders, audio and gaming consoles, among others.

There are a variety of factors propelling growth in the connected living rooms market. These include: a growth in the demand for digitization, the growing preference for advanced display equipment, and the emergence of novel technologies and platforms for sharing information and entertainment. At the same time, there are a few factors that have been hindering the market from reaching ideal growth figures. These factors include a lack of user-friendliness of these noticeably high-tech devices as well as their high costs.

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1933.

For the purpose of this research report, the market has been segmented on the basis of geography, product type, and technology. The product segment is further classified home theatre systems, digital media players, gaming consoles, television market, and others. Similarly, on the basis of technology, this market can be divided into LED IC, memory IC and sensors, besides others. The report further geographically divides this market to enable streamlined analyses. Based on this, the report studies the following markets: Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.

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Global Connected Living Room: Forecast, Market Share, Size, Growth and Industry Analysis- 2019