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Cover Story: TV and Internet Delivery Systems
When cable television became widespread in New York City around 1980, it revolutionized the way we watch TV by bringing a dizzying selection of programming to our living rooms. With seemingly endless choices, the terms "couch potato" and "channel surfing" were coined. Today, however, the TV-viewing public has even more choices to make as a result of the 1996 government deregulation of the telecommunications and cable TV markets. As more and more companies enter the market, and technology improves, residents have many new options for internet, telephone and television access. From cable to fiber optics to satellites, telecommunications delivery is moving quickly into the 21st century. This is the time for co-op and condo boards and their residents to become acquainted with their options. Read More
Taming Technology
Here we are, firmly in the 21st
century, and technology is everywhere. Who would have imagined half of the gadgets
and computer programs that we take for granted today 20 or 30 years ago? From
the Internet to hands-free cell phones to personal data assistants more powerful
than Captain Kirk’s tricorder, technology is quickly outpacing all our
previous visions of the future. These days, when it comes to futuristic gadgets
and tools, it seems the only thing missing is the jet-packs.
Read More
The Language of Cooperation
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg once said, “No city on earth can match New York’s rich ethnic diversity;
we’re truly the world’s second home.” Bloomberg’s comment
was right on the money, but not only is New York City a melting pot of ethnicities,
its millions of residents are just as culturally and economically diverse.
Read More
The Paperless Office
Are you one of those peoplewho have papers everywhere? You know, the bills and mail that you tell yourself
you are going to file away next week but just never seem to get to? Can you
imagine what those piles might look like if they weren't just your bills
and papers, but those of an entire co-op or condo building?
Read More
The Golden Age of Wireless
A few years ago, a commercial aired that featured a hip-looking fellow plugging away at his laptop—checking his e-mail, surfing the Web, downloading music. What was different about this guy was that he was on the roof of a skyscraper, and there were no wires connecting his computer to anything. Read More
Wireless Internet Connectivity
In this ever-changing, technology-driven society, the
importance of Internet connectivity is on a par with the importance of
electricity in the early 20th century. Electricity’s endless
applications made it an essential household utility—and like
electricity, the importance of the Internet has been reinforced by the
innovations that make use of it.
Read More
Tomorrow is Now
On-site health clubs as well equipped as any private
gym or spa. Playrooms for children, all-weather roof decks, and private
screening rooms. Remote-controlled fireplaces, climate-controlled wine
storage, 360-degree enclosed glass showers and disappearing kitchens. These
are just a few of the high-end residential building amenities mentioned in
the real estate section of any given edition of the Sunday Times, and they
illustrate the continuing trend past the merely convenient and into the
realm of the luxurious and futuristic.
Read More
How Does Your Board Measure Up?
Every co-op and condo building in the city is different, and every board is a unique blend of personalities. Two buildings located next door to each other may take very different approaches to identical daily challenges, and while certain legal aspects of the board’s activities are governed by the Business Corporation Law (BCL), there’s really no official handbook for boards to follow that covers the other stuff. The answers to questions like, “How personally engaged is your board with your shareholders?” for example, or “Does your board have a formal process for cultivating new board members?” are hard to quantify. Read More
Read All About It
Most people read a magazine or a newspaper every day, looking for the news and events that shape their world. Like a daily paper or monthly magazine, building newsletters are more than just a source of timely information, current events and pertinent business matters; they can also help foster a better sense of community among residents. But a good newsletter is more than just a Xeroxed flyer or piece of unread junk mail; it takes thought to make it relevant and readable. Read More
Getting Up to Speed
In today's fast-paced world, it seems technology is moving faster than it ever has. Just when you think you have the latest equipment for anything from telephones to televisions to computers, along comes something else designed to be better, quicker and more efficient. Read More
