Found 32 blog entries tagged as ROSS Magazine.

VR in Real Estate

By Simon Rose

Virtual reality or VR is a kind of technology that’s been around for a while now. With VR, a person can view a three-dimensional image or perhaps an entire environment and even interact with it. VR is able to create and resemble how things will or do look in the real world. Alternately, VR can create a completely different fantasy landscape or an alien planet for one to explore. It’s been predicted for quite a while now that virtual reality would be the next major technological development. Historically, its been widely utilized in things like video games and the entertainment industry. Today, VR is being used notably in the real estate business. The ongoing pandemic and restrictions on people meeting in close…

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Calgary’s Resale Housing Market: The Overview

By Mario Toneguzzi

It won’t be another record year in 2022 for Calgary’s resale housing market but MLS activity is expected to remain stronger than levels experienced in recent years.\

Ann-Marie Lurie, the Calgary Real Estate Board’s Chief Economist, is forecasting overall prices in the residential market to increase by 4.46 per cent in 2022 compared to last year’s hike of 8.25 per cent with overall sales dipping to 25,598 from the record high of 27,686 in 2021.

In her annual forecast report, Lurie says the residential real estate market in the Calgary region is being supported by strong economic fundamentals.

Citing the Conference Board of Canada, Lurie says Alberta can expect annual GDP…

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How Old is Old?

By Simon Rose

Just exactly how old is old these days? Improvements in medical care and deeper knowledge of fitness and nutrition have increased life expectancy. Today many people are living into their eighties and beyond, whereas thirty or forty years ago this was much less common. As the population has aged, this has led to a rethink in how companies engage in marketing and promotion to older potential customers.

The fast pace of technological developments over recent decades has been a big factor in this. It almost seems that in the past, companies simply assumed that old people wouldn’t be able to use computer technology or the Internet. Perhaps they would not even be interested in it at all. In addition, since this is an…

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NFT – Bubble or Opportunity?

By James Clarke-Lister

NFT’s, or ‘non-fungible tokens,’ are revolutionizing the concept of ownership and transferability of nearly every conceivable item, whether it digital or physical.

Most of you have likely heard the term ‘NFT’ going around – many of you wondering, what exactly is it? Is it a type of JPEG or digital art? One way to think about an NFT is as a unique identification code, similar to that of a serial number. Unlike serial numbers stored in a database under a corporate entity, an NFT and all its data are stored on what’s called the blockchain. Understanding the blockchain can be complicated; however, at a surface level, we can think of blockchain technology as quite literally, a chain of Internet…

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URBAN ATHLETE – Where Members are Friends, not Numbers

By Carla Grundison

Urban Athlete is a locally-owned, one-of-a-kind fitness studio in Kensington. The goal is to help people ‘reach their fitness goals in a welcoming, community focused and supportive environment’ says Kohl Kehler, of the gym he co-owns with Karly Renman. Having previously owned contracting and painting businesses together, the two have found that Urban Athlete aligns well with their lifelong passion for fitness. Although smaller in square footage than some gyms, don’t be deceived by its size. It packs in enough high-end equipment, stellar fitness classes, as well as talented trainers and instructors – yet somehow maintains an atmosphere that never feels overcrowded. Kohl…

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AI - A Blessing or a Curse?

By Simon Rose

Artificial intelligence or AI is often discussed these days in the media, and even during the pandemic humans continue to make technological advances. Science fiction, whether on screen or in print, often features powerful computers. Some of the stories from decades ago were set in eras that at the time were far into the future, but these are now much closer to when we’re currently living.

Technological advances aren’t always for the best, or at least can sometimes be a double-edged sword. This can happen even if the original inventors weren’t thinking ahead, wondering if their invention might one day be used for something that wasn’t good. Think of the pioneers of aviation, who most likely weren’t…

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SOCIAL CONNECTION & OUR MENTAL HEALTH: QUALITY NOT QUANTITY

By Carla Grundison

I asked family therapist, Stacey Nealon, and Distress Centre’s Mike Velthuis Kroeze to share their observations around our lack of social interaction in the past 18 months, and for ideas on how to stay connected as we move forward.

CONNECTION IS A PILLAR OF WELLNESS Socializing and connection is an imperative pillar to our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing,’ Stacey shares. While diet and exercise often hog the limelight, ‘a good support system with deep meaningful connections is just as – if not more – important for good health.’ Mike adds that it’s not about how many people someone can interact with over the course of a day or week, but rather the quality…

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ALBERTA’S ECONOMY: Hope on the Horizon

By Mario Toneguzzi

Everyone knows Alberta’s economy has gone through some tough and challenging times in recent years beginning with the collapse in oil prices in late 2014 and continuing on to the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But there is hope on the horizon – a light at the end of the tunnel – as the province is currently experiencing a firm, but still slow, economic recovery. According to the Alberta government’s mid-year fiscal update, the province’s real gross domestic product (GDP) is forecast to grow 6.1 per cent this year after contracting 7.9 per cent last year. “Next year, real GDP is forecast to expand 5.1 per cent and return to 2014 levels as the pandemic subsides further and the recovery…

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The Boom in Alberta’s Film Industry: A Family Affair

By Danielle Rourke

The lights. The cameras. The action. These are the hallmarks of the film and television industry. Some of you might not realize just how massive the film industry currently is here in Alberta. Many of you may not guess that Covid actually improved the industry here, or that Alberta had its best year ever in 2020. Did you know that film and TV projects brought $482M to Alberta’s economy in 2021? And it’s not slowing down.

It makes sense when you consider that the biggest TV series ever to be shot in Canada, ‘The Last of Us’, is being filmed right here in Alberta. Other examples include films like Ghostbusters 3, Billy the Kid, Left Behind, and Let Him Go. There are tons of…

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Use It or Lose It – How are you shopping this season?

By Simon Rose

Ever since large chain stores began to appear decades ago, there’s always been talk of how these locations harm and eventually destroy small local businesses. We first saw this with the launch of department stores. Then came the advent of large grocery stores or supermarkets. People used to have to visit the butcher, the bakery, the greengrocer, and other individual stores that sold specific goods, but then things changed. Suddenly, people could buy most items all in one place, and all at the same time.

At first, the big grocery stores only sold food and a selection of things for the home, such as cleaning supplies or personal care products, but in recent decades they’ve…

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