Home8 Smart Garage Kit

I'm a huge gadget nerd and extreme early adopter of new technology and came across something that might be helpful for a lot of people. San Jose has one of the lowest violent crime in the country (if not the world) for a city of over 1 million, but we have obviously struggled when it comes to theft and burglary. Home8 is a Silicon Valley company that creates smart security systems. They have just release a garage kit that comes with a smart garage door opener, HD camera, and siren.

I have to admit that I've forgotten to close my garage door more than once. With this kit you can check on your garage in real time and also remotely open and close it with a smartphone app. There is also a sensor that can set off the siren if you do forget to close the door and someone happens to go into your garage. The tougher we make it for criminals to get into our homes, the less likely we are to be a target for burglars. Check out the release below for more info.

Home8 Gives Consumers Unprecedented Security Access and Control of Their Garages
Smart Garage Starter Kit Pairs with Mobile App to Deliver Remote Control and Video Capabilities for Anytime, Anywhere Access

FREMONT, Calif.-- Home8, a new venture by MivaTek, today set a new standard in home security and awareness with the introduction of the Smart Garage Starter Kit. The smart protection platform features the Shuttle intelligent hub with a built-in siren, HD camera, and garage door opener, allowing users to not only visually check in on their garages via the Home8mobile app, but also open and close the garage door regardless of location. The Home8 Smart Garage Starter Kit retails for $229.99 and is available for purchase at www.home8systems.com. “Our Garage Door Starter Kit serves a dual purpose by taking steps to help prevent break-ins, while at the same time giving users exclusive smart features that can be used for practical, everyday living.”

Garages remain an enticing target for burglars as it gives them quick access to goods or can be used as an entry point into the actualhome itself,” said Daniel Wong, Worldwide Vice President of MivaTek. “Our Garage Door Starter Kit serves a dual purpose by taking steps to help prevent break-ins, while at the same time giving users exclusive smart features that can be used for practical, everyday living.”

The Home8 Garage Starter Kit delivers peace of mind bygiving users full control of their garages no matter where they are. The HDcamera allows users instant visual access to their garage to make sure the door is properly closed or that no one has entered the property. The Home8 garage door pairs with the mobile app allowing users to open and close the door from their smartphones. Uses include opening and closing the door for a delivery person, using it as a failsafe in the event a user is locked out of the house, or simply reassuring one’s self that the garage door was closed minutes after driving away from the house. To see how the Home8 Garage Starter Kit works,watch this video.

The Home8 Garage Starter Kit Includes:

• Shuttle Intelligent Hub: The Shuttle intelligent hub serves as an integrated bridge and smart controller, providing wireless access between a user’s devices and the Home8 cloud. It creates a closed network, protecting data with bank-level encryption and anti-sniffing technology, so that only users and those they authorize can access the Home8 system. The Shuttle is also equipped with a 110db built-in siren and 4GB of memory storage.
• Mini Cube HD Camera: The Mini Cube HD camera features motion detection, night-vision, and 2-way audio. A ball-and-socket mount makes it easy to swivel the camera in any direction.
• Garage Door Opener: The Home8 garage door opener makes your garage door smarter. It pairs with the Shuttle and the existing garage opening system to give users remote access.
• Mobile App: The Home8 mobile app allows users to stream live video and open and close the garage door remotely.

A recent study by Parks Associates finds a growing demand for smart garage systems. According to the study, 15 percent of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a smart garage door opener in 2016, particularly homeowners under the age of 35. Further, of the 9% who already own a smart garage system, nearly 50% interact with it on an almost daily basis via a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

The Home8 Smart Garage starter kit is easy to install and works with most existing garage opening systems. Users can also purchase additional devices to customize their Smart Garage platform, control multiple garages from the same mobile app, and expand their system beyond the garage by installing HD cameras and sensors throughout the property for complete home security and awareness. For more information on the Smart Garage Starter Kit and other Home8 products and services, visit www.home8systems.com.

Social Media
Twitter: @Home8Systems
Facebook: facebook.com/home8systems
Instagram: instagram.com/home8systems
YouTube: https://youtu.be/vft_b0xR_rY

About Home8
Home8 delivers home awareness and smart protection through its smart living platform. Home8 solutions include sensor-initiated video recording, cloud and local storage options, notifications to multiple tiers of recipients, and can be used in multiple locations all accessible under one single mobile app. For Home8’s comprehensive and affordable alarm, awareness, and assurance solutions and services, please visit www.home8systems.com.

The Color Run Tropicolor™ World Tour Makes a Splash in San Jose, May 28, 2016

San Jose, CA – The Color Run®, the largest 5K event series in the world, will bring its 2016 tour theme, “The Color Run Tropicolor™ World Tour” to San Jose on May 28, kicking off at 8:00 a.m. The Color Run Tropicolor World Tour will combine the enjoyment of a 5k with all the fun leisure of an island-style vacation full of unforgettable memories, music, and colors. The San Jose run benefits the American Diabetes Association’s San Jose office, a non-profit organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy.

“We want to bring happiness and health to people’s lives and The Color Run does just that. We are excited to come to San Jose and give Color Runners the opportunity to step into paradise with us and enjoy a 5K vacation that only The Color Run can create,” said Louis Wills, The Color Run’s event director. “Our participants will experience palm trees, beach balls in the air, festive music, tons of color, island flowers and more at our Tropicolor World Tour. It’ll be a colorific experience you won’t want to miss!”

Brand new this year is the Tropicolor Zone™ on the course, where Color Runners will be bathed in a tropical array of colors and delicious island scents as they pass through the shade of palm trees, inflatable arches, and island-style music. Participants can expect to be whisked away to paradise and splashed with vivid colors every kilometer as they pass a different color zone. At the Finish Festival, Color Runners will enjoy even more fun at Rainbow Beach—an interactive island featuring music, dancing, unique photo opportunities, and massive color throws.

Each Color Runner will receive a custom race kit, including a limited-edition Tropicolor race shirt, finishers medal on a floral-printed ribbon, embroidered headband, and fun temporary tattoos. An option to upgrade race kits to receive additional gear is also available with the deluxe registration package. Participants can color it up with more accessories, clothing and fun paradise inspired items at The Color Run store.

Event: The Color Run Tropicolor World Tour in San Jose
Date: Saturday, May 28, 2016
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Location: Arena Green East – Guadalupe River Park
330 West Saint John Street, San Jose, CA
Tickets: $44.99

The Tropicolor World Tour marks the fifth anniversary of The Color Run. The tour will be making stops all around the globe and is anticipated to visit more than 40 countries worldwide in 2016. Registration for The Color Run Tropicolor World Tour in San Jose is open and tickets are available until the start of the run. To purchase your ticket or for more information about The Color Run Tropicolor World Tour, visit, thecolorrun.com/san-jose. Join the #Happiest5K #Tropicolor journey on social media by following The Color Run on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Hellen Mirren will play Sarah Winchester in new movie

On this past Friday the 13th, it was announced that Oscar-winning actress Hellen Mirren will play the leading role of Sarah Winchester in a new thriller called "Winchester." The movie is based on the story of Sarah Winchester, the eccentric heir to the Winchester fortune that built the 600-room mansion now known as the Winchester Mystery House (San Jose's #1 tourist attraction).

Production is expected to begin in early 2017 and will be shot on location in San Jose as well as Australia. For more details read the full release below.

HELEN MIRREN TAKES AIM AT THE ROLE OF WINCHESTER RIFLE HEIRESS, SARAH WINCHESTER, IN THE SPIERIG BROTHERS’ NEW THRILLER ‘WINCHESTER’

Friday, May 13, Cannes, France – Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren is finalizing a deal to play Sarah Winchester, the millionaire heiress to the Winchester Arms fortune in the Spierig Brothers new thriller WINCHESTER.

The story follows the Sarah Winchester, who was convinced that she and her family were haunted by the souls killed at the barrel of the infamous rifle.  Her real-life obsession led to the 24 hour a day, 7 days a week construction of an enormous 600-room mansion, designed to keep these evil spirits at bay.  Her home, the Winchester Mystery House, still stands today and has been named one of the “Most Haunted Places in the World” by Time Magazine.  Studio System News (SSN) called the house one of the top “haunted house properties ready to scare up audiences.”

Michael and Peter Spierig were announced at Cannes this week as the writer/directors of the film based on a script first penned by writer, Tom Vaughan.

Diamond Pictures and Bullitt Entertainment are co-financing with Australia’s Blacklab Entertainment, with Diamond selling international territories and WME brokering the US rights deal.

IDW’s Brett Matthew Tomberlin and Blacklab’s Tim McGahan are producing, with Bullitt’s Benedict Carver, Diamond’s Daniel Diamond and Tobin Armbrust as executive producers.  Andy Trapani, Toni Lianos, Brian Gilbert, Marc Shipper and Simon Oakes are also executive producers.

Production is expected to start in early 2017 shooting at the historic house in San Jose, California and in Australia.

Mirren is repped by CAA; IDW is repped by Michael Black Management and Mark Temple Law, and Blacklab by Marshalls+Dent Lawyers.  Sheppard Mullin brokered the deal for Diamond and Bullitt.

About Winchester Mystery House:

A 160-room Victorian wonder, The Winchester Mystery House is one of California’s original and most popular historic attractions.  Since opening to the public in 1923, the house has welcomed nearly 12 million people from around the world and has taken its rightful place in American legend.  Popular belief holds that Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, was convinced she was haunted by the spirits of those killed by her family’s invention.  Following a medium’s advice, Sarah built a massive house in Northern California to appease the spirits. For the next 38 years, she never stopped building believing that if she continued, she would live forever, and if she stopped, she would die. Known as the “house built for the spirits,” there have been many inexplicable ghost sightings there and to this day, visitors share their paranormal stories of having been in the presence of these departed souls who continue to roam the grounds of the labyrinth-like house. Various tours are offered daily with popular annual events including Friday the 13th Flashlight Tours (May 16, 2016), Summer Twilight Evenings (July), Halloween Candlelight Tours (October) and The Spirit of Christmas (December).

Wednesday Wishlist: smog-eating architecture

Italy has built a vertical forest to help combat rapidly escalating air pollution in the region. The 21,000 individual plats on the side of the building absorb carbon dioxide and generate oxygen, as well as help buffer some of Milan's "noise pollution."

Air pollution in San Jose may not be as bad as Los Angeles and is far better than some international cities like Beijing, but it is significant enough to cause serious health issues. It would be great if we can incorporate creative ideas into our future buildings that can help address the issue while at the same time making the architecture look more interesting. Building parks on top of buildings like Vancouver is another green way to help minimize our pollution.

Check out this "inhabitat" article for five more smog-eating designs that are reducing pollution around the world.

Source: inhabitat

Real Escape Game San Jose - The Crazy Last Will of Dr. Mad

San Jose's second mass-escape game takes place this weekend at the San Jose Woman's Club in Downtown San Jose. Teams of six will compete to virtually escape a room by solving a variety of puzzles and riddles. Each team has 60 minutes to escape, and even if you don't escape you will get a full walk-through at the end. These events are a ton of fun and you will be talking about the game well after it ends.

There are 13 different time-slots to choose from between Thursday the 19th to Sunday the 22nd. For more information and to book tickets, click here.

SJSU breaks ground on $10.2 million golf complex

Last week San Jose State University broke ground on its first on-campus training facility for golf. The world-class complex is across the street from Spartan Stadium and will be used for both men and women's golf teams. It will certainly help SJSU's student athletes get a leg up on the competition, especially since it can accommodate a large number of people. It will have hitting positions for 80 golfers, two large "tour-quality" putting greens, three bunkers, and two chipping greens.

The whole project was funded by private giving, including a $5 million gift from Rich and Cindy Thawly (alumni entrepreneurs and finance industry executives). The golf complex is expected to be complete by this December.

Source: SJSU

May is National Foster Care Month

There are over 6,000 children in foster care in the Bay Area and 60,000 in California. I think foster parenting is one of the most important way you can contribute to making the world a better place and have a tremendous impact on a child's life. This topic is very close to me since my mother participated in foster care for two decades and made the lives of dozens of children better.

Seneca Family of Agencies was founded 30 years ago in the Bay Area. The agency helps at-risk children and families in the region with a multitude of challenges. Below is a profile of one of their San Jose foster parents, Beatriz Alvarez. For more information on how you can get involved, please visit the Seneca Center website.

Beatriz Alvarez is excited about what's to come next in life. That's because she's in the process of becoming a certified foster parent, fulfilling a dream that has its roots in her early childhood. As the second youngest of 14 children, it was a struggle and a bit lonely, as ironic as it seems being in a big family. It's comparable to being lost in a crowd. It was during that time, at about 10 years old, that Beatriz remembers gravitating toward young people in need and learning about orphanages, a term less used now in the U.S., but often still used in many foreign countries. In fact, her mother had been raised in an orphanage in Mexico from age five to nine years old, and learning about it had an impact on Beatriz.

As Beatriz grew up she became involved in volunteer work with kids, the homeless and others in need. She also has a son, now 23 years old. Beatriz also became close to fiancé Marco Vazmendes and he learned of her interest in foster parenting. Without prompting, Marco did some research and learned about Seneca Family of Agencies in San Jose, an organization that was founded in the Bay Area more than 30 years ago to help children and families overcome life's biggest challenges. Not only did Marco learn about foster parenting and advise Beatriz, he enthusiastically joined her in the foster parenting certification program.

They have both enjoyed the process, which includes classes and a wide range of topics to help them learn all the ins and outs of being foster parents. Beatriz and Marco don't have a preference about fostering a boy or a girl, but their current thinking is a child in the age range of seven years old. They are excited about the joys that lie ahead, the opportunity to help a young person have a better life and how it will enrich their own lives.

For more information about foster parenting and foster-to-adoption call Seneca Family of Agencies at 877-380-5300, or attend Seneca's Community Foster Care Day event on Saturday, May 14, Noon-to-3pm at Mayfair Community Center, 2039 Kammerer Avenue, San Jose.

Upcoming PAC*SJ Events

The Preservation Action Council of San Jose (PAC*SJ) has several great events over the next couple months including a Lincoln Avenue Walking Tour in a few hours. For information and tickets, head over to the PAC*SJ Facebook page over here.

"Lincoln Avenue Walking Tour"
May 14th at 10am, Intersection of Lincoln and Minnesota

We'll be strolling Lincoln Avenue looking at the design of the commercial buildings and hearing stories about the town of Willow Glen and some of the colorful characters who lived and worked there.

If you don't order tickets in advance, arrive 10 minutes early to see if there are any spaces remaining. Tickets are $10 for PAC*SJ members and $15 for the general public. Package prices are available for the series of walks

"Renovation or Restoration - Making the Best of Your Old House."
June 28th at 7pm, The Firehouse at History Park San Jose

Preservationist, licensed house inspector, and DIY expert Ron Tanner will offer a slide show that illustrates several projects he and his wife undertook as they restored an 1897 Baltimore brownstone---condemned property, which was a wrecked former frat. house--and then restored an early Victorian farm house that hadn't been altered since 1959. Combining humor with history and his extensive knowledge of old houses, Ron will try to answer the question, Should you make your old house even "better" than it was originally?
Drive through the gate off Phelan Avenue to enter the park.
The event is free, but donations will be accepted to cover the refreshments.

"A Night in Old Havana"
July 14th at 6:30pm, San Jose Woman's Club (75 S. 11th St.)

Make your way through the palm trees to the San Jose Woman's Club –the scene of spicy and sultry Cuba-central, for a Night in Old Havana!

Enjoy a Cuba Libre, Mojito, or Rum Punch, or a Cuban Mocktail and nosh on Havana street food while listening to hot Cuban beats. Guys: Dust off your white fedora and don your guayabera shirt. Gals: 50s tropical cocktail or cuban whites are muy bonita! Yes, there will be a costume contest! Don't forget to snap a selfie in the Hot Havana Photo Booth.

At 8 p.m., John Pastier, formerly a Seattle design critic and the first architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times who now lives in Naglee Park, will present a slide show of Havana Architecture.
The evening is co-hosted by SJWC and Preservation Action Council * San Jose. Tickets $5 for SJWC and PAC* SJ members, $10 general. Suggested donation of $5 per cocktail to help cover event costs.