The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 133

Des Moines Sunday Register GC Pes Moines Sunday Register GC BUSINESS SUNDAY ,24,2005 Pagi5D Copper cap turns brown in Iowa's clean air Internet real estate interest up Snoopy neighbors comb free Web sites to uncover what homes are worth. ELBERT, from Page 1D the few sources of sulfur pollution that still exists, he said, is exhaust from diesel engines. There really arent a lot of diesel engines operating in the downtown area, and the fumes they produce tend to hang closer to the ground, not rising 600 feet above street level If architects had wanted the copper cap to turn green, they should have applied a special treatment to it at the time it was installed, Gleeson said. Certain sulfate solutions mixtures can be used to turn copper green, said Mark Grenko, a spokesman for PMX Industries, a Cedar Rapids company that makes copper sheeting. The sulfur baths need to be applied carefully, though, he said, because improper use can cause certain joints to weaken, putting the copper structure at risk of collapse.

No acid bath was applied to the copper roof on 801 Grand, and by now it is probably too late to do that effectively, Gleeson said. The reason, he said, is that copper oxidizes, whether it turns green or not. It's part of the natural evolution of the material. Copper that oxidizes in clean air will lose the shiny reddish-brown surface that people normally associate with copper and take on more of a dark brown color. That dark brown is an oxidized layer that protects the copper beneath.

Once copper has oxidized into a brownish state, the only way to get it to turn green, Gleeson said, is to somehow scrub off that oxidized layer, so that raw copper is exposed. Then that raw copper must combine with air that contains sulfates, or be exposed to a sulfate bath, to produce the green patina. It's too late for that to happen now at 801 Grand, Gleeson said. The good news, he reiterated, "is that here in Iowa we have some pretty clean air." Think about that, the next time you look up at the pointed roof covering Iowa's tallest building. David Elbert can be reached at (515) 284-8533 or delbertdmreg.com '-JiSl 'r y'NiW I BILL NEIBERGALLTHE REGISTER Sky high: View of downtown Des Moines from the top of 801 Grand, looking southeast, with the Ruan Center to the far left.

Rusty brown is exactly right Rusty brown is exactly the color that Des Moines' Ruan Building was intended to be. The copper roof of 801 Grand may have failed to age as desired to achieve the greenish patina that architects wanted, but the Cor-ten steel that covers the Ruan Building has produced exactly the color that Des Moines architect Ken Kendall expected. Kendall, 85, was in his early 50s when he designed the Ruan Center in the early 1970s. Cor-ten, a type of steel that was originally created for railroad tracks, hadn't been used in a lot of building designs at that point, but there was one stunning example, Kendall said: the Deere Co. headquarters building in Moline, III.

Kendall was impressed by the Deere building and by the unusual protective properties of Cor-ten. When the Ruan Center was completed in 1974, it took three to four years more to complete the oxidation process that turned the Cor-ten skin a rusty brown. The rusty surface serves as a coating that protects the -inch steel plates, Kendall said. David Elbert How many stories? The main elevators at 801 Grand go up only to the 41st floor, where the Embassy Club dining rooms are located, but the building actually has 44 stories, according to Randy Brown, who has been chief engineer for the building for more than 1 3 years. Mechanical equipment is located above the 41st floor.

The 42nd floor is reachable by a service elevator, but you must climb ladders to reach the top two floors. The 42nd floor is surrounded by a balcony that holds tracks on which window washing equipment can be slid around the building. The balcony is about 8 feet wide and offers panoramic views of the city, but it is considered a work area and is off-limits to the public. The 43rd floor is at the bottom of the copper cap that serves as the building's roof. A trap door provides access for walking around the edge of the roof.

A second trapdoor provides access just below the peak of the roof, where a light bulb is located to illuminate the top of the building. That trapdoor is on the 44th floor, which consists of a small platform of less than 15 square feet. David Elbert By MICHAEL MCCARTHY USATODAV l. It's not enough to keep up with the Joneses. Now, homeowners want to know how much their neighbors paid for their house and how much their own is worth.

Even if they have no intention of selling, the home-buying boom has created legions of real estate voyeurs cruising free Web sites. Many who peruse these sites are people looking for an edge as they buy and sell homes. Others obsessively track what's increasingly their No. 1 investment their house much as they would check a stock's price. And then there are those who just enjoy anonymously spying on their neighbors.

"This is the new form of snooping in somebody else's medicine cabinet. In this case, the shelf wont fall down," says Mark Lesswing, technology guru for the National Association of Realtors. As real estate becomes the national conversation, 21.6 million Web surfers, or 15 percent of the active Web population, visited a real estate or apartment April, up 26 percent six months earlier, according to Nielsen NetRatings. Traffic to the top 10 sites is up 54 percent during the same period. The percentage of people using the Internet to search for homes now is 74 percent, the Realtor group says.

Domania offers registered members actual sales prices' of homes rather than listings. That helps buyers get a fix on prices. They can check how many times a home has turned over and at what price. Homeowners can track the appreciation of their home by comparing sales prices, or "comps," of similar homes. Domania has registered 1 million users in five years.

It had 751,000 unique visitors in April, a 313 percent increase from six months earlier. Almost half of the visitors are "lookie-loos," says Ben Joslin, Domania's vice president of marketing, adding that the data can be an "irresistible draw" for consumers looking to snoop on their neighbors. "Even if you're not buying or selling your house, you want to know what houses are selling for in your neighborhood." While information on these sites could raise privacy concerns, most of it is available publicly through county real estate assessment sites, townships, newspapers and consumer surveys, according to Colby Sambrotto, chief operating officer at ForSaleByOwner.com. The site has posted a 142 percent increase in unique visitors the past six months, according to NielsenZNetRatings. One problem: Some public information can be old, so consumers should do their own homework with local real estate agents and county offices.

Look here Here are some free Web sites to find sales prices for homes: Domania: www.domania.com ForSaleByOwner.com: www.forsalebyowner.com HomeRadar.com: www.hotelradar.com Chief engineer: Randy Brown peers through a hatch from the copper cap on top of the 801 Grand building in downtown Des Moines. Brown is the chief engineer for 801 Grand. Wireless carriers find Guide to Internet Calling landline firms to route calls Residential customers in Iowa have these choices for Internet calling How 911 works STEP 1:91 lis dialed. STEP 2: Caller's voice and automatic number identification goes to the phone company. The phone company's switching equipment recognizes the call as 91 1 and routes it to a public safety answering point.

STEP 3: Number identification is matched with location information in a database. Name and address appear on a 911 operator's computer screen. STEP 4: Operator sends help to caller. with Iowa area codes: QWEST: The Qwest OneFlex plan: $29.99 a month, unlimited local calling, includes additional voice features. Long-distance costs 5 cents a minute, capped at $19.99 a month.

Activation charge is $29.99, including an adapter. VONAGE: The Premium Unlimited plan: $24.99 a month for calls anywhere in North America; price includes additional voice features. The Basic 500 plan: $14.99 a month for 500 minutes of calling anywhere in North America; price includes additional voice features. MEDIACOM: Iowa's largest cable company has said it will launch "digital phone service" later this year. Prices will range from $29.95 a month to $49.95 a month depending on whether the service is packaged with other Mediacom services or bought as a standalone product.

Be ready with backups Consumers should be aware that although Internet calling offers some nice features, it still has 911 limits, said Sam Simon, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Telecommunications Research and Action Center. Now, the consumer group does not recommend that people rely solely on a Voice over Internet Protocol phone. For some providers, 911 is not yet Enhanced 911, a feature that displays identification and location information on an operator's screen. Also, the technology requires a broadband connection, so it won't work in a power outage. Problems still arise with landline 911 calls, Simon said.

This spring, a Virginia man died because he was located between Fairfax and Alexandria. Authorities weren't sure which jurisdiction should respond, Simon said. Simon recommends that consumers who have VoIP phones keep a cell phone or landline as a backup. Consumers should also check to make sure 91 1 works from each of those phones. "It's a question everybody has to ask no matter who the provider is: 'What happens when you dial 911 calls from cell phones Wireless E-911 is taking place in two phases.

Since August 2002, wireless 911 calls in all 99 counties have provided dispatchers a callback number and the address of the tower receiving the call. Dispatchers can call back if disconnected and emergency responders have a rough geographic area to determine where the call originated. Wireless carriers have until Dec. 31 to make their networks meet phase two of wireless E-91 1. In addition to the callback number, the upgrade will provide dispatchers with approximate latitude and longitude of the phone making the call.

Public safety answering points are updating their equipment to receive that location Information. State officials say those upgrades should be in place throughout Iowa by next July. E-911 order stemmed from the conclusion that the service is a public safety necessity. But she explained that the FCC did not specify how providers should comply because there is no way to know the best approach or whether it will work in the future. "We are far more likely to be ready for that tomorrow, when it comes, if we make choices today that encourage the development of varied, competing E-911 solutions," she said in a speech in Washington, D.C, this month.

But the vagueness of the order troubles Dan Arthur, chief information officer for Des Moines Internet provider Freese Notis Global Internet. "If it's a public safety issue, most public services are paid for with general funding," he said. The technology exists to make 911 work for new VoIP and wireless phones, Benson said. But paying for it remains a problem. Connecting to the network, maintaining databases and transmitting calls all costs money.

Not regulated In 1999, Iowa implemented a statewide charge that would cover infrastructure for wireless 91 1. But the FCC has said VoIP is an information service, not a telecommunications service. So VoIP isn't regulated the same way as phone services. The state doesn't have the money to pay for VoIP 91 1, nor can it impose fees to cover it. "Money in the 911 world is very difficult to find these days," Benson said.

For VoIP providers, that means spending money to connect to a 911 system controlled by landline companies. A better solution, Phan said, would be to have a 91 1 system available on the Internet that did not require expensive connections to an old system. Many VoIP providers appear to be picking up the tab for now. Internet Solver's Weis said the cost will be built into his prices and wont appear as a separate charge. Vonage says its prices wont change.

Emergency service mandates could affect VoIP companies, telecommunications services company Internet Solver. That connection can come through an arrangement directly with the phone company or by contracting with a third-party company. Edison, Vonage is the nation's largest VoIP provider with more than 700,000 customers. The company last week announced a partnership with Telecommunications Systems, an Annapolis, company that will connect Vonage calls to the 911 system. Vonage already has that solution in place in Rhode Island and New York City through a Longmont, company, Intrado.

Third-party companies are increasingly seen as the solution to VoIPs 911 problem, Benson said. Many wireless carriers already use that solution. Mediacom has not launched its phone service, but the cable company partnered with Sprint because that company could connect Mediacom to 911 systems. Whether a call comes from a landline, cell phone or a VoIP phone, location information will appear on the screen of a public safety operator. But VoIP 911 will require customer initiative, Weis said.

Just like the post office won't know you've moved unless you tell them, your VoIP provider and ultimately 911 operators won't know you've changed location without prior notice. "If I moved from one house to a different house, I'd still expect to tell someone I moved even if I kept the same number," he said. Some VoIP providers say the FCC's E-911 order creates a mandate without specifying how to make new and old technologies work together. Despite industry advances, 911 is still a landline system controlled by legacy land-line companies, said Kha Phan, chief executive of West Des Moines VoIP company WebPoint Communications. VoIP providers have resisted FCC regulation, fearing it could quash an emerging industry.

Last fall, an FCC ruling exempted VoIP providers from state regulation. FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy said the commission's CALLING, from Page 1D The service available now to most Americans is Enhanced 911, or E-911. The enhanced part of the service gives operators location and identification information on a computer screen. Originally developed by phone companies to match callers to their billing records, the feature now allows operators to tell emergency agencies where to go even if a caller is unable to speak. Whether a 911 call comes from a cell phone or a VoIP phone, it must ultimately be routed by a landline company, said John Benson, 911 program manager for the Iowa Homeland Security Emergency Management.

Most of Iowa's 911 calls are handled by Qwest. Strengths, weaknesses Some of VoIPs strengths are a weakness when it comes to 911, said Doug Jacobson, Iowa State University professor of electrical and computer engineering. VoIP calls travel mostly over the Internet, not the public switched telephone network. Customers can use their phones with their registered phone number wherever they can find a high-speed Internet connection. If a caller's location is not fixed, it's unclear where a 911 call will go, Jacobson said.

Even if calls go to a public safety answering point, an operator wont necessarily pick up the calls. Also, location and identification information wont appear on a screen. Those shortcomings got national attention in the case of Joyce John, a Houston teenager whose parents were shot and wounded by burglars in February. John called 911 from a Vonage phone but only got an answering machine message. She ended up calling 911 from a neighbor's home.

In March, the Texas attorney general sued Vonage for failing to properly inform consumers about the availability of E-911. If 911 Internet calls are to be routed correctly, the VoIPprovider must have some connection to the phone system, said Dave Weis, founder of Des Moines How E-911 works How Voice over Internet Protocol E-91 1 works: STEP 1:91 lis dialed. STEP 2: 91 1 1nternet phone calls must go from the Internet to the 91 1 system run by landline companies. Many VoIP providers contract with a third-party company, which receives the voice and number identification and sends it to the phone company. STEP 3: The phone company's switching equipment recognizes the call as a 911 call and routes it to a public safety answering point.

STEP 4: Number identification is matched with location information in a database. Name and address appear on a 911 operator's computer screen. STEP 5: Operator sends help to caller. Notification According to a June order by the Federal Communications Commission, Internet telephony providers face a Friday deadline to receive "affirmative acknowledgement" from customers that they understand differences between landline 91 1 and VoIP 91 1 Companies must make their service E-911 compliant by Nov. 28.

The FCC seeks comments on its proposed rules requiring Internet phone providers to offer E-91 1 Comments, due Aug. 1 5, may by filed electronically at www.fcc.govcgbedfs. The docket number is 05-196. ows at home tare and I ecially ure. step further.

"Epson sells a package of 100 photo-sized sheets and a six-color ink cartridge," says Jeff Carnahan, an Epson sales representative at the CompUSA in Clive. The package means Epson can assure users of a cost of less than 30 cents per print." According to Carnahan, Epson will also be releasing the Picture Mate Deluxe photo printer shortly. The device features an LCD screen for previewing images, pigment-based ink for better color, and increased printing time over the previous model. Extra features make it portable, including a rechargeable battery, a car power adapter and a handle. It all adds up to quality prints without standing at the photo processing counter.

Steve Simpson, a freelance writer 1 from Det Moines, spends days al Alliance Technologies. He can be reached by e-mail at techguydmreg.com. like a and luce. I up" said it may take some time for federal regulators to figure out how to treat E-911 Internet telephony. "VoIP caught the FCC and others flat-footed," he said.

"The Internet tends to jump several steps ahead of regulation." phone service. The FCCs June order requiring E-911 for VoIP is not the last word on the issue. The commission is also taking comments on what additional rules it should adopt regarding VoIP and 911. Comments are due Aug. 15.

ISLTs Jacobson particularly small ones with limited resources, said Yankee Group analyst Dianne Northfield in a recent report. But David Lemelin, a telecommunications analyst with In-StatMDR, said that even if VoIP costs increase, it still has cost advantages compared with wired.