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New York AG blasts FCC for refusing to help fight net neutrality spam
Were you frustrated that the FCC did nothing to look into bots flooding its public comment system with anti-net neutrality spam before deciding to kill net neutrality? So was New York. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has posted an open letter chastising the FCC for refusing to help investigate this "illegal conduct." New York made requests for records "at least 9 times" between June and November, and asked key FCC officials (including Chairman Ajit Pai) for help, all to no avail -- there was "no substantive response" to any of the inquiries, Schneiderman said.
Hilton data breaches lead to $700,000 penalty
The attorneys general of New York and Vermont both announced today that their joint investigation into two Hilton data breaches has resulted in a $700,000 penalty and a promise to strengthen security. In February of 2015, Hilton was made aware of a cybersecurity breach that occurred between November and December of 2014. A second breach that exposed sensitive customer data between April and July of 2015 was uncovered that July, but the company waited until November of that year to inform those affected by the breaches. In all, over 363,000 credit card numbers were exposed.
New York City ordered to share code for DNA evidence software
Many attempts to open up access to software in the justice system have fallen flat. Advocates in New York, however, have just scored a significant victory. A federal judge has publicly unsealed the source code for DNA analysis software previously used in New York City's crime lab, Forensic Statistical Tool, after ProPublica motioned for its disclosure. There are concerns that the software may have sent innocent people to prison by incorrectly determining that a suspect's DNA was likely to be part of a mix of genetic material (such as the handle of a gun). Public access to the code could theoretically catch flaws in the methodology and clear someone's name.
GM aims to be the first to test self-driving cars in New York City
It looks like New York City will be hosting its first test of fully autonomous vehicles very soon and surprisingly, they're not from Waymo or Uber. Instead, General Motors and Cruise Automation have submitted the first application for sustained testing and are aiming to do so in Manhattan.
Ford’s Chariot rideshare service expands to New York City
New Yorkers are set to get yet another transportation option this summer, when Ford's shuttle service Chariot expands into the city. The service initially launched in San Francisco in September 2016, with the automaker not long after announcing its plans to roll it out to eight new cities in 2017. Chariot is part of Ford's continued investment into its Smart Mobility program. When it arrives in New York the service will run two pre-planned routes in Manhattan and Brooklyn for $4 per ride, with additional crowdsourced routes to be added at a later date.
Take HomeKit devices for a spin at a handful of Apple Stores
As a mark of just how serious Apple is about its smart home initiatives, the company has built HomeKit into 46 of its brick and mortar stores. That means if you stop into the Union Square location in San Francisco or the World Trade Center and Williamsburg stores in New York you'll be able to give the IoT suite a test run, TechCrunch writes. Some 28 other stores throughout the country will have the demos up and running. If you don't have one of the fancy stores, you'll have to settle for non-interactive literature and the like. Ugh.
Charmin's ‘Van-Go’ is the on-demand toilet NYC deserves
Everybody's favorite cartoon shit bear (slow your roll there, Mike Isaac), is coming to New York City! On June 21st and 22nd, the Charmin toilet paper company is running a promotional event wherein folks will be able to order an on-demand, mobile port-a-potty in select neighborhoods throughout the city, right from their smartphones.
New York is reviewing its voting infrastructure to avoid hacks
Amid the growing investigation into Russia's interference in the US Presidential election, New York is taking the initiative to check whether anybody meddled with its voting machines. Governor Cuomo has tasked the state's Cyber Security Advisory Board to both investigate potential incursions and review the state's entire voting infrastructure to suss out weak points that hackers might attack in the future.
Audi teases self-parking A8 ahead of launch
Audi will launch its next generation A8, which is expected to have level 3 autonomous, on July 11th. Ahead of that unveiling, the company released a video of the new vehicle parking itself.
New York forces smart lock maker to improve its security
Smart locks promise the security of a traditional lock without the need to carry around a key. Most can be unlocked with a mobile app or an RFID-equipped card you can store in your wallet. Unfortunately, they're also pretty easy to hack open. The office of New York's attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, announced a settlement today with one such smart lock manufacturer. Utah-based Safetech Products has agreed to encrypt all of its smart lock passwords, electronic keys and other credentials within its locks, prompt users to change the default password upon initial setup and establish a more comprehensive security program.
Uber's carpool service sacrifices convenience for efficiency in NYC (updated)
In the wake of its terrible, horrible, no good, very bad 2017 (yup, and it's only just May), Uber has been doing a lot of work to improve its service. As an extension of the "smart pickup points" trial from London and other cities last year, the ride-hailing company is augmenting the Uber Pool service in Manhattan, enhancing the option's awareness of more direct routes and bus lanes. "After realizing that a short walk could save people both time and money, we knew we were onto something," the outfit writes in a blog post. "Our data was starting to show that we could pick more people up and get riders to their destinations faster."
New York joins the growing list of self-driving car testbeds
The Empire State and its bustling metropolis are ready to get in on the autonomous vehicle party. According to an announcement from Governor Andrew Cuomo, the New York Department of Motor Vehicles is now taking applications from companies that wish to test self-driving tech on the state's public roads.
AT&T paid $1.6 billion to own the next generation of wireless
For all intents and purposes, it looks like AT&T is going to own a majority of 5G wireless connections in the US. The company has announced that it has acquired Straight Path Communications for $1.6 billion. Not familiar with the name? That's totally understandable. "Straight Path is the largest commercial holder of the 39 GHz spectrum, with about 95 percent of the total licenses commercially available, as well as a significant holder of 28 GHz in major markets, including New York and San Francisco," the company's website reads.
New York could open its roads to autonomous car tests in 2018
While automakers have successfully negotiated with certain cities to let them test their self-driving prototypes, other areas haven't budged to accommodate. In New York's case, a 45-year-old law requiring motorists to keep one hand on the wheel has been keeping car companies from deploying their autonomous cars. But buried in the state's annual budget lawmakers started approving yesterday is a measure temporarily pausing the antiquated legislation. Should the embattled budget pass completely, for the next year, companies will be able to try out their self-driving cars on New York's roads.
New York sets aside $5 million for its tech training fund
New York's authorities want the state's residents to benefit from its ongoing transformation into a high-tech locale. Their new Tech Training Fund could be the key to make that happen. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that the Empire State is setting aside $5 million to award to various tech training providers. He and his team will soon start accepting proposals from interested providers, and the ones chosen are expected to conjure up novel training and education solutions. The campaign's aim is to make sure New Yorkers are ready and qualified for various current and future tech jobs across the state.
New York will offer $2,000 if you buy an electric car
Believe it or not, New York hasn't offered a financial incentive to buy eco-friendly cars. While over three quarters of the US has some kind of state-level discount, New York has made you 'settle' for the federal tax credit. Officials are about to sweeten the pot, though: months after approval, New York is launching a rebate program on April 1st that gives you up to $2,000 if you buy an electric car or plug-in hybrid. If you can buy a car that also qualifies for the federal credit, you're looking at nearly ten grand off the sticker price.
Snail venom provides a new way to treat chronic pain
The Conus regius' venom is bad news for its prey, and it's been proven harmful to humans as well. For instance, a 2009 clinical case describes a diver who had trouble moving his arm for 12 hours after an attack. However, scientists from the University of Utah see hope in the ocean dweller's powerful venom. In fact, research suggests it could be used to develop a new treatment for chronic pain.
New York City starts cracking down on illegal Airbnb listings
New York's ban on short-term rentals has officially started cracking down. As the New York Post reports, a notorious Manhattan landlord and a Brooklyn real estate broker were hit with 17 total violations of the new law. Each violation carries a $1,000 fine.
Moto Z hackathons create more interesting Mods than Motorola
The modular Moto Z was the tool of choice at the latest Motorola hackathon in San Francisco this past weekend. Developers and entrepreneurs took on the task of hacking the mobile phone with a variety of other hardware to come up with innovative add-ons. While available mods are thought of as too high-priced and non-essential, competitions like these show off some intriguing potential.
Facebook users pretend the 'Bowling Green Massacre' is real
Some of Facebook's users are using the Safety Check feature to mock outright falsehoods made by Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway. In a recent interview with MSNBC's Hardball, Conway fabricated a terrorist attack called the "Bowling Green massacre" as a way to defend the president's immigration ban.
