Protecting Your Cell Phone from Hackers - 01/27/12 11:52 PM

 
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Chuck Bokath would be terrifying if he were not such a nice guy. A jovial senior engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in Atlanta, Mr. Bokath can hack into your cellphone just by dialing the number. He can remotely listen to your calls, read your text messages, snap pictures with your phone’s camera and track your movements around town — not to mention access the password to your online bank account.
And while Mr. Bokath’s job is to expose security flaws in wireless devices, he said it was “trivial” to hack into a cellphone. Indeed, the instructions … (12 comments)

Gas Fireplace Inserts. The Pro's and Con's - 01/27/12 11:15 PM

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Flip a switch; have fire. That’s the key appeal of a gas fireplace insert. You still enjoy real flames, but without the hassles of solid fuel. There is no firewood to stack, bags of pellets to dump, and no ashes to clean out. The air inside your house and in your neighborhood stays clean, too. No wonder that about 70% of all hearth products—fireplaces, inserts, and artificial log sets—now burn gas.   Unlike old decorative gas fireplaces, today’s gas inserts are heat-producing dynamos that use natural gas or propane to power a steady flame dancing on fake logs, decorative … (2 comments)

Crazy Exterior Paint Jobs - You Won't Believe! - 01/26/12 03:57 PM
 
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We’ve all seen them, lurking around the corner, maybe in the next neighborhood: houses with unaccountably strange paint jobs. As entertaining as they are to look at, odd ducks like these might deter future buyers and tend to lower property values of nearby homes. Check out these extreme exteriors to learn how your home’s fresh coat can look good and preserve the worth of your home and neighborhood.

Blend Into the Neighborhood The exterior of your house says a lot about you. But even if you have the most exuberant personality on your block, you still have an … (3 comments)

How Does My Home Compare to Others on the Market? - 01/24/12 08:46 PM
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Real estate agents use comparable sales or "comps" (properties recently sold in the area) to see what the market bears for a listing price or value range marketing.
But what makes a home a good comp? A few things must line up in order for the agent to utilize the comp to justify your listing price. The same neighborhood, school district, similar street and, of course, similar housing features and size. If these things align, then a comp can be used to provide a current estimated value of your home.
Ideally, using a comp from a home that is the … (2 comments)