Top Stories
​

Here’s how homebuyers can entice sellers

On By [email protected]_84

Competition among homebuyers has remained fierce during the COVID-19 pandemic due to record-low mortgage rates, a shortage of homes for sale and a sudden wave of relocation from remote work, triggering a surge in home prices that is showing no signs of slowing.

The median home sale price rose 15% from a year ago to $322,000 for the week ended Nov. 1 — the highest on record, according to Redfin, a real estate brokerage.

The housing market is so hot that offering all cash for a home doesn’t always cut it anymore, experts say. But there are things that potential homebuyers can do to entice sellers. 

“What wins a bidding war today is offering more than the asking price and waiving the appraisal contingency,” according to Redfin real estate agent Anthony Gonzalez.

“Generally, if you’re bidding on a house that’s in great condition in a good location with multiple offers,

… Read More

How the founder of Shakespeare Design overcame the challenges of 2020

On By [email protected]_84

COVID-19 has brought a raft of business challenges for all SME owners — but Sydney-based interior design outfit Shakespeare Design is using data and analytics to pivot its offerings and fight back.



a kitchen with a sink and a chair in a room: shakespeare design

© Provided by Smart Company
shakespeare design

Founded by Fiona Shakespeare 16 years ago, Shakespeare Design consistently graces the pages of style magazines around the country. 

Loading...

Load Error

But in the past few months, life as a sole trader has been challenging. Shakespeare Designs’ revenue during the months of March and April 2020 dropped 50% from last year. 

With the next wave of lockdown restrictions easing, Shakespeare is thankful to see business pick up. 

“Hopefully it’s a sign that consumer confidence is beginning to improve,” Shakespeare tells SmartCompany. 

Overcoming the challenges of COVID-19

With border closures and lockdowns around the globe, many of Shakespeare’s suppliers had very slow or no freight at all — forcing her to

… Read More

Working from home has offered people a glimpse of how things could be different

On By [email protected]_84

I had begun to forget the sensation of hope. This is the year that I scaled hopefulness back: it became bread in the oven or bulbs in the ground – small packages of potential, just significant enough to give the soul a little lift. Then, the news of not one, but two pioneering vaccines, and hope rustled its feathers again. After months of making future promises for “when this is all over”, it seems that it could, one day, be over.



a person sitting at a desk in front of a computer: Photograph: Tom Werner/Getty Images

© Provided by The Guardian
Photograph: Tom Werner/Getty Images

There’s relief, of course. But there are also mixed feelings at the thought of a return to “business as usual”. At the onset of the first lockdown there was much talk about how we could build a better, more compassionate world. We stood outside our houses and marvelled at the birdsong and the empty streets. The spring took on a

… Read More

HSBC Lets Hong Kong Staff Work Up to Four Days a Week From Home

On By [email protected]_84

(Bloomberg) — HSBC Holdings Plc is offering its Hong Kong staff greater flexibility to work from home, in the latest sign the pandemic is transforming the role of the office in business life.



a tall building in a city: The HSBC Holdings Plc headquarters building, center, stands illuminated at dusk in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, April 27, 2020. HSBC is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings results on April 28.

© Bloomberg
The HSBC Holdings Plc headquarters building, center, stands illuminated at dusk in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, April 27, 2020. HSBC is scheduled to release first-quarter earnings results on April 28.

The London-based lender, which counts Hong Kong as its biggest market, is now allowing eligible staff to work as many as four days a week from home, according to an internal memo and guidelines seen by Bloomberg. An HSBC spokeswoman confirmed the plan, which offers varying degrees of flexibility for employees.

Loading...

Load Error

“We’re constantly looking to develop overall flexibility in how we work,” the memo sent to staff on Nov. 4 said. “In recent employee exchanges and surveys, some of you have expressed

… Read More

F.D.A. Authorizes First At-Home Coronavirus Test

On By [email protected]_84

Dr. Garner added that the news should be taken with a note of caution. In recent months, several experts have called for more widespread at-home testing as a way to help curb the virus’s spread. But others have raised concerns about the practicality of a strategy that would most likely rely on tests that sacrifice a degree of accuracy for convenience and a more affordable price tag.

According to the product’s instructions, Lucira’s LAMP test was able to accurately detect 94.1 percent of the infections found by a well-established P.C.R.-based test. It also correctly identified 98 percent of the healthy, uninfected people. The study, which was conducted by the company, was small, and included only people who had symptoms of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The packaging for the test notes that it “has not been evaluated” in asymptomatic people.

… Read More

FDA approves emergency use for first at-home Covid-19 test kit

On By [email protected]_84

Covid-19 nasal swab test administered on patient.

Lisa Maree Williams | Getty Images News | Getty Images

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved emergency use for the first Covid-19 test that can be conducted entirely at home.

The agency cleared the single-use test, which provides results within 30 minutes, for use by anyone aged 14 and over if their health-care provider suspects they may have Covid-19.

Produced by a privately held, California-based biotech company, Lucira Health, the kit is also eligible for use in hospitals, though patients under 14 must have their sample collected by a health-care provider.

The FDA did not reveal the price of the test. The company’s website says the test is “intended to cost less than $50.”

“While Covid-19 diagnostic tests have been authorized for at-home collection, this is the first that can be fully self-administered and provide results at home,” FDA Commissioner

… Read More

AMAX to Showcase GPU POD Reference Architecture at SC20

On By [email protected]_84

Press release content from Newswire. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation.

Click to copy

FREMONT, Calif. – November 17, 2020 – ( Newswire.com )

​ AMAX ’s HPC and AI Solutions Group announced it is showcasing an all-new GPU POD Reference Architecture at SC20 from Nov. 17 to 19. AMAX’s GPU POD Reference Architecture incorporates best-of-breed compute, networking, storage, power, and cooling to deliver the fastest application performance and meet the demands of evolving AI workloads at scale.

As the compute block of the AMAX GPU POD Reference Architecture, the AceleMax GPU platforms provide single and dual AMD EPYC™ 7002 CPU options, four or eight NVIDIA® A100 GPUs for up to 10 PetaOPS of AI performance via direct-attach PCI-E 4.0 x16 CPU-to-GPU lanes for the lowest latency and highest bandwidth. These systems support up to two additional high-performance PCI-E 4.0 expansion slots, including SAS interface

… Read More

FDA approves first coronavirus test that delivers rapid results at home

On By [email protected]_84

The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the first rapid coronavirus test that can be taken at home and deliver results within minutes, potentially allowing people to skip long lines at testing sites as infections continue to surge nationwide.



a large building: FDA officials announced Tuesday that they had granted emergency approval to the first rapid coronavirus test that can be performed entirely at home.

© Jacquelyn Martin/AP
FDA officials announced Tuesday that they had granted emergency approval to the first rapid coronavirus test that can be performed entirely at home.

The single-use test kit from Lucira Health, Inc. relies on nucleic acid amplification technology, which is considered more accurate than antigen tests. It will cost less than $50, according to the company’s website.

Here are some significant developments:

  • Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), who is 87 and third in line of succession to the presidency, revealed Tuesday that he has contracted the coronavirus.
  • President Trump said Tuesday that he had “reversed the ridiculous decision” to cancel a large annual event at Arlington National Cemetery over
… Read More

U.S. FDA approves first COVID-19 test kit for home use

On By [email protected]_84

The word “COVID-19” is reflected in a drop on a syringe needle in this illustration taken November 9, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

(Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it had approved the first COVID-19 self-testing kit for home use that provides results within 30 minutes.

The single-use test, made by Lucira Health, has been given emergency use authorization for home use with self-collected nasal swab samples in individuals aged 14 and older who are suspected of COVID-19 by their health care provider, the FDA said.

“While COVID-19 diagnostic tests have been authorized for at-home collection, this is the first that can be fully self-administered and provide results at home,” FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said.

The kit can also be used at hospitals and point-of-care settings but samples should be collected by a healthcare provider if the individuals who are tested are younger than 14 years, the

… Read More

46 inspiring bedroom ideas and beautiful decorating tips

On By [email protected]_84

Bedrooms are such personal spaces, which is why it’s so important to decorate yours in a way that suits your tastes, and your needs. From giving you energy in the morning so that you wake up refreshed, to being serene enough to help you wind down with ease, this space works hard at keeping you happy! So we’ve put our best bedroom ideas together to help inspire your own space. 



a bedroom with a bed and window in a living room: null

© Provided by Real Homes
null

What’s wonderful about decorating a bedroom also, is that you don’t have to make huge changes to see and feel great results. A simple switch of a headboard, new colorful cushions, or even just a statement rug could add so much depth to your bedroom decor.

1. Add pattern to your bedroom floor with a rug 

When your bedroom flooring is looking a bit tired, or if you live in a rented home and

… Read More