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NYC city council votes to ban non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes
New York City is set to become the largest city in the US to ban non-tobacco flavored e-cigarettes. The city council voted 42-2 to ban them, and Mayor Bill de Blasio will sign the bill or let it pass into law, according to his deputy press secretary.
Google's Waze-like app for public transit hits five more cities
Last year, Google incubator Area 120 announced a public transit app that works in a similar way to Waze. Users of Pigeon report transit information to help others know if they're likely to face delays or other issues. Until now, it's only been available in New York City, but as of today, it's going live in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
NYC's hip-hop museum will include iPad graffiti and a VR theater
Hip-hop and rap were not only instrumental in defining modern music, but in defining the technology behind that music. It's only fitting, then, that a major museum dedicated to the genres will be shaped by tech. New York City has confirmed that the Universal Hip-Hop Museum will start construction in the Bronx at 65 East 149th Street in winter 2019, and tech-driven exhibits will play a central role. The creators (including rap legend Kurtis Blow) plan on a virtual graffiti station that translates iPad drawings to an external building projector, holograms and a VR theater to "put you at the center of the show."
Following backlash, Amazon might back out of New York-based HQ 2 plans
Amazon is said to be having second thoughts about its plan to set up a second headquarters in New York City following significant pushback from politicians and residents. Executives have considered alternative options, the Washington Post reports.
Lyft is suing over New York's minimum pay for drivers law
Lyft is planning to file a lawsuit today against the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) in an attempt to block a new law that would require ride-hailing guarantee a minimum wage floor for drivers. The company confirmed to Engadget that it is filing the suit Wednesday. Lesser known ridesharing service Juno is filing its own lawsuit over the matter.
Amazon will provide computer science classes for NYC high schools
The local response to Amazon's plan to put its next headquarters in New York City has been lukewarm at best. Now the company is doing some community outreach: it announced today a plan to fund computer science courses for more than 130 schools in NYC area high schools. The initiative will bring introductory and advanced placement courses to school in all five of the city's boroughs, including 30 schools in Queens, where the company is setting up shop for its new headquarters.
Waze Beacons will help you navigate inside New York City tunnels
New York City's tunnels are as much a part of its landscape as its subway lines and streets, but they can also be a pain when your GPS signal cuts out and your navigation app is effectively blind. They might not cause headaches for much longer. Waze is launching its wireless Beacons, which help improve navigation in areas with unreliable GPS, across the New York metro area. You'll encounter them in familiar NYC underground sections like the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Tunnel.
Judge blocks NYC law requiring Airbnb to share host data
A federal judge has issued an injunction against a New York City law that would require home-sharing companies like Airbnb and HomeAway to provide detailed information to the city about those who rent spaces through the platforms. Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the law in August and it was set to take effect next month. As defined by the law, the information these companies would be required to share with city officials would include the names and addresses of hosts as well as whether whole apartments or individual rooms were being rented.
NYPD will deploy a drone at Times Square on New Year's Eve
Security at Times Square tends to be extra-tight on New Year's Eve, but it's now poised to have some robotic support. The NYPD is deploying one of its new camera-toting drones at the event for the first time, giving it an aerial surveillance tool that's decidedly closer to the action than a conventional aircraft or helicopter. The machine will not only watch for trouble in the crowd, but wield "counter-drone technology" to keep potentially hostile vehicles at bay.
Electrical fault at power plant turned New York’s skyline blue
Last night, people across New York City spotted an eerie light show when the night sky was lit up by a bright, pulsing blue light. Images and videos of the event quickly flooded social media, leaving many in and outside of New York wondering just what was going on. The culprit was identified shortly thereafter -- a Con Edison power plant in Astoria, Queens. And while the bright blue light was initially believed to be the result of an explosion at the plant, the company said this morning that it was caused by an "electrical fault" that caused an arc flash.
Google puts $1 billion towards new NYC campus
Google announced today that it's investing more than $1 billion in New York City in order to establish a new campus. The move would create a 1.7 million square-foot campus and, over the next decade, double the number of employees the company has in the city, which currently stands at 7,000. The deal includes lease agreements at 315 and 345 Hudson Street as well as a signed letter of intent at 550 Washington Street, and it follows Google's $2.4 billion purchase of the Manhattan Chelsea Market earlier this year.
CBS launches streaming-only news service for New York City
CBS is acting on its promise to add a local flavor to its streaming news service. The broadcaster has launched CBSN New York, its first major local streaming service. The internet-only channel promises around-the-clock coverage of NYC's goings on, with CBS 2 and WLNY 10/55 providing both their usual live news broadcasts as well as hour-long live shows just for CBSN. It'll also provide continuous coverage of any breaking events as well as on-demand streams.
NYPD police officers will start using drones
The New York Police Department announced today that it has launched a new drone program. The department says it will use its collection of drones -- 14 in all -- for search and rescue missions, crime scene documentation, hazmat incidents, large events like concerts and hostage situations. "As the largest municipal police department in the United States, the NYPD must always be willing to leverage the benefits of new and always-improving technology," Police Commissioner James O'Neill said in a statement. "Our new [Unmanned Aircraft System] program is part of this evolution -- it enables our highly-trained cops to be even more responsive to the people we serve, and to carry out the NYPD's critical work in ways that are more effective, efficient and safe for everyone."
NYC passes minimum pay wage for Uber and Lyft drivers
New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission voted today to establish a minimum wage for drivers working for companies like Uber, Lyft, Juno and Via. The city is the first in the US to set a minimum pay rate for app-based drivers. Going forward, the minimum pay will be set at $17.22 per hour after expenses, bringing it in line with the city's $15 per hour minimum wage for typical employees, which will take effect at the end of the year. The additional $2.22 takes into account contract drivers' payroll taxes and paid time off.
NYC lawmakers want to criminalize sending unwanted dick pics
While Apple's AirDrop feature makes it simple for people to share photos, videos and documents with each other, it unfortunately also makes it really easy for people to anonymously send unsolicited images to others nearby. The technology has opened up unsuspecting iPhone users to a practice now dubbed cyber-flashing, wherein someone with an Apple device can AirDrop an unsolicited nude photo to any other nearby Apple user with their AirDrop setting open to everyone. But lawmakers in New York City are now looking to criminalize cyber-flashing, making it punishable by a $1,000 fine or jail time.
Lyft will 'more than triple' Citi Bike's size in $100 million deal
Lyft has just completed its acquisition of the company behind Citi Bike, and it's not wasting any time ensuring it's a force to be reckoned with in the bike sharing world. The company has struck a deal with New York City to expand Citi Bike through a $100 million investment. The plan will "more than triple" Motivate's required 12,000 bikes (it's not currently meeting that goal) to 40,000 within the next five years, and more than double the coverage area to 35 square miles. This will include a mix of conventional and pedal-assist e-bikes, and should include 12 new valet stations.
Nike's new NYC flagship store is fueled by its mobile app
New York City's 5th Avenue shopping district is home to iconic brands like Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Versace and Adidas, but for the past few months a big member of that list has been missing: Nike. The company closed its flagship NikeTown store at the end of 2017, reportedly in part because it didn't want to be a tenant of the Trump Organization. But Nike never planned to leave 5th Avenue for good, and now it's back with a 68,000-square-foot, six-story space called the "House of Innovation 000." The store, which opened today, was designed with the Nike app in mind -- in what the company is calling a blueprint for its future retail locations.
Amazon's narrowed 'HQ2' picks include Dallas and NYC
Sorry, Crystal City -- you're not the only one Amazon fancies as it narrows down its choice of location for a second headquarters (aka HQ2). Wall Street Journal tipsters say the internet giant has whittled its finalists down to a "small handful" of cities, including Dallas and New York City. They're not all at the same phase, according to the insiders, but it's clear which cities are getting attention. Talks with other contenders, such as Atlanta, Denver and Toronto, have reportedly "cooled" as of late.
NYPD pulls 2,990 body cameras after one catches fire
The NYPD's plan to outfit every officer with body cameras has run into trouble. The department has pulled about 2,990 Vievu LE-5 cameras across the city after one officer's camera caught fire near a Staten Island precinct. There's a "possible product defect" with the LE-5, the NYPD said in a statement, and it was removing existing models out of an "abundance of caution." Most of the force's 15,500 cameras (including LE-4 models) aren't affected.
NYC wants tech companies to help with its biggest transit problems
Anyone in New York City can tell you that the public transit system, from the subway to the buses, is a mess. Overcrowding, traffic congestion and widespread delays are constant issues that commuters have to deal with. So the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), alongside the Partnership for New York City, is asking for some help, and it has created an accelerator focused on tech solutions to NYC's transit problems.
