EmpireStateBuilding
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Cops nab man for crashing a drone into the Empire State building
A New Jersey native's drone has recently crashed into the Empire State building, and unlike the person whose machine hit Seattle's Great Wheel, he didn't get away with it. Authorities have arrested the man an NBC affiliate identified as Sean Nivin Riddle after his drone struck the iconic building's 40th floor, ultimately landing on the 35th. While authorities didn't mention what the drone's purpose was in flying around NYC, a man with the same name tweeted that he was using the UAV to film until it hit the skyscraper.
Starbucks starts testing in-building delivery in New York City
Starbucks is no stranger to delivery, thanks to a hand from Postmates. However, the bean-slinging company is taking matters into its own hands with a new delivery option. The "Green Apron" service is in the testing phase inside the Empire State Building in New York City. The idea here is that Starbucks has its own setup in the building and can drop off coffee and food orders in 30 minutes or less. Don't expect a full-on retail location where you can sit and sip in, though, as the kitchen is dedicated to delivery orders. On the surface it may seem like overkill to have a dedicated Starbucks for one building, but when you factor in the thousands of caffeine addicts that work there, it makes a lot of sense. There's a dedicated website where orders are placed and the customer is able to specify a meeting spot (the reception desk, for example) to pick up that PSL. While the service is a trial for now, the company could expand it to other large office buildings or packed urban areas in the future. [Image credit: Craig Warga/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Empire State Building projection shines a light on endangered animals
If you were hanging around midtown Manhattan this weekend, you may have noticed some exotic animals projected on to the side of the Empire State Building. What was that all about? As it turns out, that was one of the more ambitious examples of tech-powered advocacy in recent memory. It was Projecting Change, a collaboration between the Oceanic Preservation Society and Obscura Digital that used striking imagery to highlight the plights of endangered species, such as snow leopards and manta rays. The piece relied on 40 stacked projectors to beam 5K video on to the legendary New York City skyscraper. At 33 floors tall, the resulting image was clear within about 20 blocks' radius -- you could have had a good view at 14th Street. There's sadly no talk of repeating the event in the near future, but there are replays both on YouTube and Discovery if you want to see what happened. [Image credit: Joel Sartore and Ron Robinson/Obscura Digital]
Ford put a Mustang on top of the Empire State Building, piece by piece
Ford is marking the launch of the 2015 Mustang in the same way it did for the original 50 years ago -- by putting one at the top of the Empire State Building. The company has partnered with auto supplier DST to cut its latest sports car into pieces and reassemble it on the building's observation deck, 86 floors up. You can check out the vehicle for yourself if you visit the New York City skyscraper no later than April 17th.
Earth Hour starts at 8.30PM tonight, asks for sixty minutes of natural living
Time to don your eco-warrior armor, strap on your nature-loving helmet, and flick that big old... light switch. Yes, in honor of the WWF's Earth Hour, countries around the globe are tonight switching off non-essential lights and appliances for sixty minutes, with highlights including Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower, the Burj Khalifa, and the Empire State Building all going dark in the hope of helping the planet stay green. Timed for 8.30pm your local time, this unorthodox event has already commenced with Australia, New Zealand, China and others doing their bit -- videos after the break -- and is just now hitting Eastern European borders. So, fellow earthlings, will you be among the projected one billion souls that go au naturel for an hour tonight? [Thanks, Pavel]
